Follow Up Post to the Panel At BookPeople-Important Links and Info

Last night I had the pleasure to sit on a panel at BookPeople and talk about self publishing. The event was hosted by the Writers' League of Texas and was titled "The Big Windup: Prepping Your Pitch, Proposal, and Synopsis and How to Decide Between Traditional & Non-traditional Publishing." It was hosted by Sara Kocek from the Writers' League and my fellow panelist was Lari Bishop of the Greenleaf Book Group.

The event was standing room only and quite a few attendees had to sit on the floor. I was impressed by the turn out, but I think it's further evidence how desperate writers are to find their way into the publishing world. I know how it feels to dream about seeing your book in print. I also know how it can feel to find a slew of confusing information out there about how to achieve your dream. It can be heartbreaking and soul crushing to do everything "right" and only face rejection.

So, inspired by last night's panel, here is my own guide to publishing.

I am going to try to break this down into simple bites and hopefully this will help anyone hoping to self publish (or go the traditional route) to find the resources to succeed.

First Stage

1. Write your book!
This will be hard to do, but write the darn thing. You may have to disconnect from your life for a few months, but warn everyone that you will be very selective about your social activities because you will be writing. When you are done with your manuscript it should be around 70,000 words when you're done (give or take). Most publishers do not want to see books that are over 100,000 words, but if you are already set on self-publishing you can push this number. Just remember: the bigger the book, the more expensive it will be.

2. Take a break!
Set your book aside and do not look at it for around two weeks. Go and reconnect with your neglected life. Have fun. Relax. And make sure to celebrate your huge accomplishment of finishing your book. Most people will never do what you just did. Be happy! Once your are done with your writing vacation, grab a red pen and get ready. This is the hard part.

3. Revise your book!
Print out your book and get ready with your red pen. Read your book and be prepared. You will both love and hate what you wrote. At some points you may pat yourself on the back because you did such a great job and at other points you may flinch with embarrassment.

What you are looking for as you do your read through:
1. Punctuation and grammar errors. (below are helpful websites)

• http://dictionary.reference.com/
• http://thesaurus.com/
• http://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp

2. Continuity errors

• Example: You have someone pick up an object, but later the object vanishes from the scene.
• Example: Someone's clothing keeps changing in the same scene.
• Example: You establish a "fact" in your book then disregard it entirely later on.

3. Often repeated words or phrases.

I am so guilty of this at times. It sucks. But use a thesaurus if you're not sure how to ditch your favorite word.

4. Plot cohesion. Does your plot make sense? Does it have huge plot holes?

Once you're done marking up your manuscript, go back into your original document and make all the new changes. Then walk away from it for two weeks again. Repeat. If the manuscript feels solid, it is time to find a test group to read it. If it doesn't, revise again.

4. Build your author platform.
Create an online presence for yourself by establishing a blog using wordpress.com or blogspot.com. Create a facebook account just for your book. Blog about your dream of becoming a writer and your progress or about any other subject that connects to your fledgling writing career or your writing. Connect with other writers in your genre. Remember to be positive and attempt to keep a regular schedule (if possible) with your posts.

5. Get some Test Readers
At this point in the process, you will need a group of test readers. You can pick friends, but they should be friends that are willing to kick in your teeth if the book isn't up to par. They should be able to give you constructive criticism. You can also connect with a local writing group or find one online.

The website Absolute Write has a very valuable forum for all writers that you should check out. You can find a lot of support there and important information. I strongly advise all writers to join if you are just starting out.

After you receive all the feedback from your test readers and address any issues they pointed out, read through your darling one more time. If it feels solid, it is time to move on. If it doesn't, revise again.


Second Stage (If you are going the traditional route)

1. Make sure your book is in manuscript form.

• http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html

2. Write a cover letter.

• http://www.underdown.org/covlettr.htm

3. Create a synopsis.

• http://www.sff.net/people/karenh/writarch.htm#indexcard

4. Subscribe to Writer's Market so you will be able to find an agent or publisher

• http://www.writersmarket.com/

5. Compile a list of agents (or publishers) that represent your kind of book. Follow the guidelines to the T. Do not send your full manuscript if it is NOT requested. I cannot stress this enough. Follow the guidelines exactly.

6. As each rejection notice comes in (and you will get some), cross that agent off your list. Keep on going until your either find an agent or run out of your list.

7. Make sure the agent you sign with understands your novel and is someone you can get a long with.

8. Understand that having an agent does not mean your manuscript will sell, but your chances just got a lot better.

Good Luck!

Second Stage (If you are self-publishing)

1. Be realistic with your expectations.
Sit down and write out your goals and aspirations. Determine how much time and effort you are willing to exert in making your dream come true. Be realistic.

2. Establish your budget.
Self-publishing will cost you money. If you have enough money to go to a turn-key company that will do everything for you (editing, cover, formatting, etc), and you don't want to deal with doing anything yourself, make sure you do plenty of research to find the right company for you. If you only have limited funds, you will need to work out your budget carefully. Editing will cost you the most money and is worth the investment.

NOTE: If you self-publish, it will not matter how well your book is edited, you will still get criticized for the editing. I know people who spent a lot of money on a professional editor and readers still attacked the editing. It is an almost automatic response by readers when they see a book is self-published.

Resources For Editing
I used createspace for my books and they now offer editing.
https://www.createspace.com/pub/services.home.do

At the Absolute Write forums, editors also advertise their rates.

Resources for Cover Art
A lot of small publishers go to http://www.deviantart.com/
If you find a piece of artwork you like, contact the artist to see if they would be willing to sell their artwork for your cover.

Also, createspace now offers cover art services.
http://www.deviantart.com/https://www.createspace.com/pub/services.home.do

You can also create your own cover using stock photos, your own artwork, a friend's artwork, etc.

Createspace has a cover creator now on their website. https://www.createspace.com/Tools/CoverCreator.jsp

Createspace also has a template creator you can use. Just plug in your book size and how many pages it will have. https://www.createspace.com/Help/Book/Artwork.do
You will need to have Photoshop or Gimp to use it. Gimp is open source and is free here.

Interior Design

My friend (and fellow author) Kody Boye does a lot of interior formatting for small presses and independent publishers. He is incredibly affordable. You can reach him at kodyboye @ q.com. You can also find resources for interior design at Lulu.com and Createspace.com.

You can also do it yourself using the templates at Createspace.com. https://www.createspace.com/Products/Book/InteriorPDF.jsp

3, Publish Your Book!!
Once your book is in perfect order (cover, editing, interior), you can use Createspace to publish to all the amazon online stores. Createspace provides publish on demand publishing. In other words, someone orders your book and it is made just for them. Createspace also publishes Kindle. If you want to publish your book to all ebook formats, go to smashwords.com.

I highly recommend Createspace because they are affordable and you get more bang for your buck. But it will be up to you in the end.

Remember, bookstores rarely sell self-published or small press books. If you really want to see your book in a bookstore, you may need to work a consignment deal out with them.

4. Market!
Be creative and go for it. If you wrote a non-fiction book about a particular subject, attend shows or events that fit into that subject. Rent a booth and promote yourself. You may not make your money back, but people will begin to remember your name and may buy later. Pass out flyers, excerpts from your books, and be friendly and nice to everyone. Contact blogs or online blogtalkradio shows that talk about your subject. Offer to be a guest blogger or a guest on their show. Keep your blog updated. Post on your twitter and facebook. Connect with online groups that enjoy your book's subject matter.

Good luck!


Important Resources
The Indie Author's Guide
Absolute Write
Writer's Digest

Free Software To Use (Make sure you do the tutorials)
yWriter (the best writing program I have ever used)
Open Office (it's like Microsoft Word, but free!)
GIMP (it's like Photoshop, but free)

Just How Hard Is It To Get an Agent? Or Sell to An Editor?

Over on the Absolute Write forum, Soulcascade posted two links that could be viewed as very upsetting. It is a literary agent and an editor from Del Rey listing all the reasons why they reject manuscripts. Personally, being able to see why they reject manuscripts is very educational. It is like a checklist of what to avoid in your own work.

A few excerpts from Janet Reid, a literary agent:

Good premise, but the rest of the novel didn't hold up: 11

Not compelling or vivid, or focused; no plot/tension: 10

Slow start or the pace was too slow: 9

Structural problems with the novel: 8

Interesting premise, but not a fresh or new take on familiar plots/tropes: 7

Had caricatures rather than characters: 2

Needed more polish and editorial input than I wanted to do: 2

Good books but I couldn't figure out where to sell them: 7

Her complete list is here. Out of the 124 full manuscripts she requested to see, she signed only two.

The editor's list was also compelling. It revealed that sometimes your manuscript may be rejected simply because it is not what the editor was looking for.

An excerpt from the list by Del Rey editor, Betsy Mitchell:

Not what Del Rey is looking for (meaning we had enough on our list already of whatever subgenre was on offer): 22

A good manuscript but not right for our list (included a couple of nonfiction SF-related titles more suitable for a small press, the odd children's book, etc.) 14

Not a genre that's doing well right now (horror, mostly; some foreign novels being offered for translation, anthologies whose concepts weren't strong enough) 18

It is sometimes very hard to understand why the manuscript you love so much isn't picked up by an agent. The list above is a good starting point to make sure that any manuscript submitted is the best it can be.

The editor's list is probably a lot more eye opening to a lot of people. There is a belief that if a manuscript doesn't sell there is something wrong with the book. That isn't necessarily true. My own agent says she gets a lot of manuscripts sent to her that are good stories, but nothing makes them stand out. She has to reject them because she knows she can't sell them. Therefore, you may have an awesome manuscript on your hands, but it just might not suit the needs of the publishing houses. It may take a lot of submissions by your agent to finally find the right fit.

As my agent told me over and over again, "It only takes one."

Publishing Links from Across the Internet

Here are some links to some of my favorite articles on publishing from around the web.

First off, huge news! Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist, John Edgar Wideman, is publishing a collection of short stories via Lulu, the self publishing turnkey service. AMAZING! Publishers Weekly has the scoop!

J A Koranth has an article up on his blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, that talks about how he sold 30,000 books in less than a year using Kindle. Again, this is an established author that is self publishing his work.

Bestselling author, Alison Winn Scotch, explains what a movie option is and how it works on her blog. Both As The World Dies and Pretty When She Dies are optioned for TV/Film and I really enjoyed this short article.

As someone of mixed ethnicity, I found this update on a recent controversy on the Karen Knows Best Blog to be interesting.

Book deals have a language all their own. Announcements are often filled with vague terminology such as "nice" "significant" and "major." But what do they mean? This post at Just Write a Book Blog explains what those terms mean.

The always amazing Charles Stross (Iron Sunrise rocked!! has been writing a new series of blog posts on publishing. I really enjoyed his first one about common misconceptions about publishing. It's a must read if you want to be a writer.

Author Timothy Long has a really fun interview with David Dunwoody, author of Empire. Check it out here, then make sure to pre-order David's rerelease of Empire.



Just a quick reminder, tonight is my interview with Dr. Pus for the Library of Horror Podcast. The details are here if you would like to listen in or even call and ask a question.

Freakin' Zombies Shambling in my Dreams...Must Be Writing A Zombie Book Again!

I need Tallahassee to hang out in my dreams and give Jenni a hand smiting them. Damn pesky zombies are haunting my dreams again. Which means that Living Dead Boy, my new zombie novel, is boiling away in the cauldron of my twisted mind. It is going very well and flowing a lot better than I had hoped. I was originally a little worried about writing about a 12 year old boy and his friends facing zombies, but now that I'm in the mix, it is all good. I sent the first few chapters off to Dr. Pus of the Library of the Living Dead Press, the publisher, and he loved them. Friday night, I read him another chapter and he gave me a very encouraging response.

The scene takes place at the school and I had asked some parents what they would do in this certain scenario. Happily, what I had already written meshed with their opinions. Doc loved the realism of the scene and I do think it works well.

Meanwhile, my agent has kept in touch with me via emails and phone calls ever since she pitched As The World Dies: The First Days in late January. Over at the Absolute Write forums, there is a thread called The Next Circle of Hell, which is the home of authors who have secured an agent and are waiting for final word from the big NYC publishers. I was surprised at how anxious I became during the first week after submissions and lurked on that thread, reading it from the very first post. There are some wonderful success stories on there as well as heartbreaking ones. It was encouraging in many ways, but mostly because I realized I am not alone in this process or in my anxiety. As things continue to look positive, (though there is never a sure thing in publishing), I have felt my nerves give way to acceptance of "what will be, will be." I have done my part of this process: I wrote a book. I can't do anything more than I already have and all I can do is wait.

To those of you who have asked how much longer before we know something: hopefully, soon. I promise to keep you updated as events unfurl.

One last thing, Derek Goodman, author of The Apocalypse Shift, is now posting new chapters of the sequel up at his blog. You can also find other original stories set in the same world. If you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Shaun of the Dead, and Clerks, check out his stories. You'll love them!


Upcoming Blog Posts:

• An Interview with THE DUNWOODY, David Dunwoody, author of Empire
• Helpful Author Blogs
• What The Hell Does My Character Look Like Again?

So You Wanna Be A Writer-My Best Advice To You

1. Write.

Write a lot.

Write a lot and share it with other people who can critique your work and give you good advice. Don't be defensive about the advice. Embrace it. Learn from it.

2. Read a lot.

Read different styles, different authors, different genres. Figure out why a certain book worked for you and why another did not. Just don't learn from the authors that stun and amaze, but the ones that make you hurl the book across the room.


3. Decide What Kind Of Writer You Want To Be

What does this mean? Well, do you just enjoy writing for the sake of writing? Does the idea of posting your stuff online and getting immediate response from fans make you smile? Do you want to try and get in with the big NYC publishing house or would you settle for a small one? Do you like the idea of eBooks? Do you want to be an Independent Author and make all the hard choices yourself?

Whatever path you do choose, you need to understand that making the big bucks of Stephen King is probably not going to happen or at least not right away. Become a writer because you like to write and you want to share your stories with others. Not because you think it is the path to a million bucks.


4. Study the Publishing World

Read industry news. Read agent, publisher and writer blogs. Read everything you can about how publishing works from query letters to how royalties are paid. Find out how much you may actually get paid for your work (it's less than you think) and what the standard industry contract is.

Where do you find these links?

Google is your friend.

Google your favorite writer's name. Read their blog. Look up publishing houses. Read The Writer's Digest.

The Internet is a great resource and so is your local bookstore. You're going to have to do a lot of research and a lot of reading. Yes, a lot of it will contradict each other, but you will have a greater understanding of the publishing world as a whole. Most of it is, yes, contradictory. The trick is to find out what will work for you and create your own path using the knowledge you've gained.

5. Be Honest About Your Writing and Make It Your Best

I'm going to be very honest here. Your first works will not be your best. No matter how many times you rewrite them or fuss over them, they will probably be your weakest work. Sometimes, people get lucky and write something fabulous right off the bat, but this is not usually the case. So before you began sending out your writing, make sure it is the best you have to offer.

If you decide to submit your work, make sure it is as perfect as you can make it. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. should be as professional as possible. You can find out how to properly format a submission online.

6. ALWAYS Follow Submission Guidelines

Before I became an Indie Author I did a lot of submitting to various publications. I have to admit, I didn't always follow guidelines and got stuff kicked back quickly. Later, I learned the error of my ways.

This seems so simple, but many writers ignore them. I have literally heard a writers say, "My story is so good I could sell it on the title alone" or "They just have to read the first line to be sold." The reality is that if your work is not submitted correctly, a great story title and a great first line will never be read.

And don't try to send romance stories to horror publications and vice versa. You're going to have to do your research and figure out the best market for your story.

7. Be Ready for Rejection

No matter how well your book is written. No matter how well it has been edited by you or people helping you out. No matter how amazing your plot is. No matter if it is the BEST NOVEL EVER WRITTEN...chances are it is going to meet a fair amount of rejection.

The publishing world is looking for what sells. Readers are looking for what they personally like. Reviewers have a list of likes and dislikes.

You will not make everyone happy. Be ready for this reality. And don't let it get you down.

8. Keep Writing

Even if you meet rejection after rejection or success after success, always keep writing. Don't sit back and just chuck your old manuscripts and short stories at editors. Write new fresh material. Keep moving forward.

And one final note for those of you who want to go the Independent Author route...do your research. It's not easy. It's not quick. And it's not a scheme to make a fast buck. There are plenty of resources online for people who are interested in the Independent Author movement. I strongly suggest reading Morris' Rosenthal's blog and book on self-publishing. Read up on all the publish on demand companies (Lulu, iUniverse, CreateSpace) and look at all your options very carefully. I cannot recommend a path for you. You have to figure out what will work for you. My husband and I chose Createspace because it suites our needs at this time. We may, in the future, change our business model and continue down a different path.

Also, As The World Dies has been a solid success so far because it had a buzz created by its existence online for two years. People that love the zombie genre discovered the story and spread the word. I'm VERY grateful for that. But that doesn't give ma a free pass when it comes promoting and marketing the book. You will have to buckle down and create buzz on your own works.

I do highly recommend to anyone wanting to take their writing seriously and who do want to create a solid readership, post free works online and maintain some sort of blog. If people know you can write stories they enjoy, they will be more inclined to buy your works.

And just in case you're wondering why I wrote this entry, I have received enough emails recently asking me about the writing process and how to publish/self-publish that I thought I'd take the time to try and address the basics.

Please feel free to ask me questions and I'll try and answer as honestly as possible.

Thanks!

The Other Gatekeepers

I was recently asked if I have tried to contact agents about my novels in the comments of another post. The answer is absolutely yes.

The first thing I did when I decided to try out traditional publishing was look up the publishing houses I thought my novel might appeal to. Over and over again, under the submission guidelines, it was made clear that without an agent, don't bother trying.

This ran counter to some of the advice of successful authors who said to represent yourself and keep going without an agent. But a whole other set of publishing professionals said that without an agent you're a dead duck.

So, last year, instead of sending out a bazillion submissions to publishing houses, I sent a bazillion submissions to agents (well, maybe not THAT many, but you know what I mean...) Relatively quickly, the form letter rejections came in. "Not what we are looking for," they read. Over and over again.

I actually wasn't bummed out over the whole thing. I expected it because by now I realized that as hard as it is to get published by a major publishing house, its just as hard to find an agent unless you have an in road to one (an author friend refers you, etc). It was rougher on my husband. He was annoyed by every rejection that came in. He had, after all, read my novel and liked it a lot and he doesn't read my genre! My mother and husband took it harder than I did.

I had now read enough about the publishing world to realize it could take eons to make any headway. I was also involved in a writer's group and saw that if you did not master the art of writing a query letter, you were screwed. One of the other writers helped me with my own query letter and when I showed my husband her notes, he was flabbergasted. He was annoyed enough over the fact I spent several months trying to figure out how to summarize my novel in two pages. He watched me begin to agonize over the query with just as much fervor.

When the last rejection letter came in ( I didn't know it was the last, some agents just didn't respond), I didn't care anymore. I had been reading enough blogs of successful writers to understand that the traditional publication route was very long and, at times, soul crushing. Its hard to stand in a bookstore looking at a book full of typos and a plot you've seen a million times on Lifetime that you cannot read past a few sentences without thinking "Mine is better!" and not feel frustrated.

Toss in a very supportive fan base who can't understand why the first publisher you approached didn't throw a million dollars at you to publish the story they love so much and you can imagine my feelings.

As I researched endlessly on the world of traditional publishing and read a ton of contradicting articles about how to get published, my husband read up on independent publishing by using the publish on demand technology.

One day, he walked up to me and said, "I think you should self publish your books and take back control."

And here I am, declaring myself an independent author, and striking out on my own. The fans are happy their book is coming out and I'm happy to be back in creative control.

Of course, I have a few things to my advantage. I know several kick ass artists to do my cover. I know a former professional editor. My husband is a tech geek. I have fans waiting for the novel.

As the World Dies will not be a roughshod novel when it comes out. It's my responsibility as an Independent Writer to make sure it is the best possible product.

I owe it to myself and my fans.

More Proof that Trent Reznor is a gOD!

I woke up the other morning to find my very groggy husband about to go to bed. He had stayed up all night to make sure he snagged the new Nine Inch Nails cd that Trent Reznor put online for FREE. He downloaded the best quality version off the Torrents and I was thrilled to load the new album The Slip onto my mp3 player. I kissed him goodbye and dashed off to work.

The news that NIN had put out a new album that Trent said was "on him" was all over the music news and the boards were filled with ecstatic fans exclaiming their delight with the new album. I was almost bouncing off the walls with my own excitement.

Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails in San Antonio (Photo: Me with my crappy cellphone)

I am a die hard fan. I have mad love for Trent Reznor and his creation Nine Inch Nails. When I was struggling with dealing with the emotional fallout on a childhood I would not wish on my worst enemy, his music assured me I was not alone in my desolation. If anything, his music (not necessarily his lyrics) was reflective of my own feelings. I freaking loved his music and his music saved me. Add into the mix the fact one of my novels was born when I fell asleep listening to The Downward Spiral and that pretty much gives Trent Reznor god-like status in my life. If I ever met the man, I think I'd blurt out something stupid like "You saved me" then do something equally dumb like hug him or burst into tears or both.

Plus, lets admit it, the man is beautiful! I like to kid my husband that Trent is my future second husband (or is that Christian Bale). But the man could look like Iggy Pop and I'd still adore him for his incredible music.

As I read through all the comments, news articles and Trent's simple message to his fans that this one was on him, it struck me how much he is already changing the music industry. By giving away his amazing music for free, he is creating tons of good will with his fans and drawing in new ones. I'm dying to see him when he goes on tour (I hope he comes my way on the second leg of the tour).

But once more he has inspired me when it comes to my writing. This time its not a vivid scene seeping into my dreams that gives birth to a novel, but the confirmation that independence from the gatekeepers looking at the bottom line is a good thing for any artist.

I think the reality of this endeavor is continuing to sink in. The absolute freedom of choice and the personal responsibility that comes with being an Independent Author is just now fully gripping me and shaking me awake. I admit to a very passive daydream in the past of sending my novel out, getting it published and sitting back and letting the publisher do all the work. This was supposedly the norm, but now I see it is not what I want.

It is not what I need.

He's Still Mad, He's Still Not Gonna Take It, And He Has Food For Thought

Cliff burns wrote another interesting post, this time at his Redroom Blog. I do not have the experience he has with the publishing system, but what he vehemently writes about in this blog is the norm from all the research I've done on the publishing world. In fact, I've been reading a lot of author "success" stories about the much desired CALL and I've noticed its often after years of languishing in limbo (or is it hell?).

Now, don't get me wrong. It took years for me to find my writing voice and feel comfortable with the work I was producing. I learned how to construct a plot, how to develop characters, and how to write good, solid dialog while writing novels that will never see the light of day (they're stored away in a closet somewhere). I learned a lot from those novels and I sometimes think of them fondly, but they were my training ground. I can understand the role of an agent and editor to new writers trying to get into the business, but...

I'm READY and EAGER to jump forward with my writing. I'm completely dedicated to turning out good work that readers can enjoy and doing it on a regular basis. I'm learning how to handle a daily work schedule and a nightly writing schedule without going completely insane. What Cliff wrote really resounded with me because I did decide to self publish because my readers want As The World Dies now. Is it fair for them to wait while I spend 6 months or more querying to agents then maybe waiting years before I find a publisher? I have to say a definite no!

The resources are available to me to make a good product and get a book out that I can feel proud of and that the readers can enjoy. This is the age of the new media. It's impacting on the record and movie industries. The publishing industry is just beginning to feel this wave about to crash down on them.

Sure there are crappy independent films and music, but there is also a wealth of wonderful works that people discover through the new media. As a member of the Goth scene, I've witnessed how many of the artists in that genre have been using the new media to reach their small, but dedicated audience.

I am going to try the traditional route for another book because, hell, why not? Might as well have a comparison of experiences between the traditional route and self publishing, right? I'm not putting all my eggs (novels) in that one basket (traditional or self publishing) and I have many more ideas that I'm dying to write. Am I counting out traditional publishing? No, I'm open to see what it offers, but at the same time I'm going to do my best for my readers and my own writing.

Cliff Burns is very right about the chances of a writer getting published from what I have read about the publishing world. Trying to get published is like "buying a lottery ticket". I've been known to buy a lottery ticket once and awhile just to try my luck. But then I go to my day job and earn a paycheck.

That is what I am doing now. Earning a paycheck by self-publishing on my own terms and trying out the lottery by sending one manuscript through the traditional route.

Now lets see which pays off.

P.S. So Dark The Night is definitely worth downloading and reading.