Wednesday Wisdom - Finding your style

I'm going to impart great wisdom upon all of my lovelies.

Ok, who am I kidding? That's just not my style lol. I will however ramble on as usual about random stuff. Today, I feel like rambling on about writing style.

I'll let you in on a little secret. Well, not so much a secret as a story. But, I digress. Breaking the Nexus began as a story for National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo. If you haven't participated in that, I highly recommend it. It's a challenge and exhilarating and without it (and my sister's nagging), you wouldn't have Breaking the Nexus.

There was just one little problem with NaNoWriMo...I wrote the story hoping to win (which I did). You have all of these little tricks to help your word count along, such as not using contractions. In my defense, I'd often gotten yelled at by English teachers for using contractions (albeit in papers), so I thought I was doing it the correct way. There were a host of other issues with the story, but I was blissfully unaware of them. I mean, a friend of mine had told me it was wonderful. Wasn't that good enough?

Yeah, not so much. I had a few people read it and the general consensus was something along the lines of: Great premise! But ye gods, woman, your style needs help.

Granted, nobody said that exactly, but it was what they were thinking. I meekly flipped through the corrections, astounded by the bloody marks all over my masterpiece. I was crushed. I had been the one to massacre friends' papers in high school. It wasn't supposed to be my writing that sustained such mortal wounds!

I dragged my feet over to my husband and started crying and saying how I was going to have to rewrite the story. He asked if I was sure and I wailed that there was so many mistakes, there was no way to edit it. My dreams of being a writer were crushed. It had taken me forever to write this much! How was I going to rewrite it? Then he simplified it in the most magnificent way. He said very matter-of-factly: "Then I guess you'll have to rewrite it."

My tears stopped and I thought, He's a genius! I'll just rewrite it!

Yes, I know how illogical that logic was. You'd think I'd have listened to myself when I thought those same words, but in my defense, my hubby has a magical way of cutting through bullshit and making everything make sense.

I set about rewriting the story, going paragraph by paragraph, keeping the same general story line and fixing the style. I let it flow naturally instead of fighting the words like I had when I first wrote the book. Want to know what happened? I discovered it was infinitely easier to let it flow.

So, what was the point of my rambling story? Don't be afraid to get critiques on your style. You're not going to get it right the first time, I'm pretty sure nobody ever has. Take advice on things you do wrong and make changes you agree with. If you disagree on a point, go back and read your favorite authors and see what they do. I had multiple people tell me to stop jumping perspectives. I disagreed, but I went back through multiple authors to see what they did. On the one hand, several authors did jump perspective quite a bit and did it well, yet I found a few that lost me in the jumps. I also saw that more authors used section breaks for perspective jumps and it was much more coherent.

I incorporated this into my writing and *gasp* the world didn't end. Shocking, I know. Find your style and stay true to it. There will always be people who don't like your voice, accept that and move on. Focus on the ones who love your style because clearly, they're the smarter ones ;) But always realize that your style will change and grow the more you write. That's the truly exciting, magical thing about being an author and it excites me to see where my style will go next.

Trials of an Indie Author: How to be an Author 101

First of all, I'd like to point out that I'm actually doing some regular posting, go me! I may have been updated by duckies or aliens or alien duckies. That's ok though :)

Today I wanted to talk about how to be an author. It's really quite simple. You sit down, bang on a keyboard for a while, and magically a book will appear. Then you do some more magic and it goes up for sale and people magically know how to find it and buy it and boom! You're famous.

Man, I wish it were that easy. It's not, of course, but don't burst my little bubble yet.

Anyway, you need a combination of insanity, determination, creativity, and some really good friends to be an author. Oh, and luck. Lots and lots and LOTS of luck. Think about it, how many times have you grabbed a best seller and flipped through it going, "Really? THIS is a bestseller when [Insert your favorite obscure author] writes so much better?!" Let's be honest, lovelies...we've all thought that. Everyone's entitled to think that, that's what makes people unique.

Granted, I hope at least some of you inserted my name in that little phrase ;)

But, I digress. Luck plays a massive role in being an author. You need luck to find the right people to work with, for your idea to take off, and for so many things. Vampires were around long before Twilight came about, yet few were as insanely popular. BDSM books were around long before 50 Shades of Grey, but again, few took off as well as that did. It's all about luck. That's the part that sucks because you can't control it.

Let's take luck out of the equation, then. You need to be insane to be an author. Imagine pouring everything you have into something then tossing it out for the world to judge and criticize. Insane, right? Insanity also comes in handy when you need twisted plots and ideas.

You also need determination. When I first wrote Breaking the Nexus, I was writing during NaNoWriMo 2011 and I was determined to win that year so I could shut up my older sister. No, seriously. We were doing it together and she bugged me constantly about my word count. I won, then I had to find the determination to finish the book. Before I'd written the whole thing, I let a few people read it.

Let's just say, it needed some love. The kind of love that can only come from burning it to the ground so you can start fresh. The painful love.

I could have thrown in the towel and I wanted to...ask my husband sometime about how I sobbed that I'd probably have to rewrite the whole thing. Know what he said? "Then you'll just have to rewrite it." It was that simple. I was determined to get my story out there so I salvaged the basic plot and rewrote it. Feel free to ask anyone who read both versions...they are VASTLY different.

It's not just the beginning of the journey that requires determination. Every book will test your determination. You hit a wall where you go "I will never finish this damn thing, I don't even want to look at it anymore." You have to figure out what's more important: giving in to the frustration you're feeling or giving up your dream.

The last thing you need are some really good friends. You need people who will listen to you when you're frustrated then tell you to get your butt back to writing. You need people who can ask you questions to get your brain in gear and the writing muse flowing. You need people to tell you how awesome you are when you feel like you can't do it anymore and people to tell you where you need work because they know you can do better.

I majorly simplified everything, but for me, this is what I've needed to be an author. It's not easy, it's frustrating, and I've cried more than once. I took a hiatus where I questioned if this is what I was meant to do. In the end, it comes back to that determination. I have stories I can't keep locked in my brain anymore. Plus, I've got some amazing friends I've never even met in person who wouldn't let me quit.

My Journey from Self-Published to Indie-Publisher

Yesterday marked my very first release with my new publishing company, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly. A year ago, I never would have thought I'd sign on with a publisher of any kind. I was too scared to submit my work to anyone so the safest route seemed to be self-publishing.

As I embarked on the journey of self-publishing, I learned many things. First of all, I'm a control freak in many ways which reinforced my desire to stay self-published. I didn't want to lose control over things like setting the price of my book or having someone tell me I needed to change my fundamental story. I loved having the final say in many things.

I also learned how expensive it is to self-publish. While you get to keep more of the profits, you have to pay for everything up front. Stuff like cover art, formatting, and editing do not come cheap if you want it done well. Then there's the task of finding good people. How do you know that you'll find someone that does quality work and is easy to work with? It's harder than you'd think, though part of that is probably just my personality lol.

The details that fascinated me at first soon became overwhelming. I was stressing more and more over the process of publishing than the actual writing. Setting deadlines for myself wasn't working and I was losing sight of what I loved.

Enter the epiphany. One evening I messaged a friend on a whim and asked about her publisher. She raved and answered my questions honestly and to my amazement I learned she still maintained a high level of freedom over her books. No one I'd talked to ever got a say in price and half of the time, they didn't even get a say in the cover art. I decided to stop being a chicken and submit my story. Every day I checked for a response and wondered if I was making the right decision.

Then came the day I got that wonderful response: they wanted my books. I thought long and hard about what I was doing, knowing I wouldn't be able to shop those books around to main stream publishers. I knew I'd have to change some things, but I hoped my friend had been right. Finally, I knew I'd made my decision and signed a contract for the two books I'd already released plus two more books I had planned.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Not only is my publisher amazing to work with, so sweet and fun to talk to, she's flexible. She proposed some ideas for release dates, but left the decision up to me. She assigned me a brilliant cover artist who did a fantastic job and who let me pick the image I wanted to use. Even when I sent some stuff to her late because of some unexpected issues, she was easy-going and didn't flip out on me. When I asked if she'd credit my amazing editor on Amazon, she had no problem and asked for the editor's name so she could get it right.

Beyond all of that, I joined a wonderfully supportive literary family. When I say family, I mean it. Everyone welcomed me and readily offered advice when I needed it. Already I'm making new friends and I have new energy. My publisher put me into categories that had me ranking as an Amazon BestSeller straight out of the gate.

Instead of worrying over everything, particularly the cost of everything, I can focus on my writing again. I'm re-energized with a plan to expand Breaking the Nexus and now I have release dates for the rest of the books in the trilogy. I have a plan and for me, that was vital.

I'm not saying that going with an indie publisher is the way to go and my publisher could very well be the exception. But no matter what, I know it's the right decision for me. I may still self-publish other books and I plan to try to find an agent to go the traditional publishing route.

After overcoming a number of things recently, signing on with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly was the change I needed to find my way back to the part of being an author that's most important: loving what I'm writing.

The Trials of an Indie Author - Part 2: Reviews

My dear lovelies, it's time for the next exciting installment of The Trials of an Indie Author! Today we will be talking about reviews. So, what's so special about reviews? Well, when you're an indie author, reviews are crucial for helping people decide to read your book. If you see a book in a traditional bookstore, you can flip through it and see what you think. Online? You have to rely on reviews, the description of the book, and a small sample of the book.

There's another little known fact. On the US Amazon site (no idea about the other countries because Amazon's not exactly consistent), they've gotten rid of the tagging feature which helped indie authors gain visibility. Essentially, when you would view a book and saw a list of suggested books, tags were helping determine which books were displayed. They also helped in searching (I think, I could be wrong because I'm new). Amazon now wants users to rely on the "Like" functionality and reviews to promote books. I can't go into details about HOW this works beyond saying they have a magical formula that nobody knows.

Now you know reviews are important for the book, but that's not the point of my post. Reviews are ESSENTIAL for the author. Why? They should help you become a better author. I'm not talking about the 5 star reviews (or 5 blue ducky reviews in my case), though those are fantabulous because you get warm fuzzies when you see them. I'm talking about the negative reviews. You know, the ones everyone (including myself) dreads to see.

Let me start by saying, I've learned that all 5 star reviews can actually be detrimental. Having a mix of star ratings gives your book more credibility that it hasn't been reviewed by a ton of your friends. A well worded 3 star review can in many ways be more beneficial than a 5 star review written by an obvious super fan. That being said, nobody really looks forward to the poor reviews.

The first time I got a 3 star review about my book I wanted to cry. Seriously. Then I sucked it up and read the review. Parts of it were kind of funny in that I 100% could NOT see where they were coming from, but parts were very valid. One of the big complaints about Breaking the Nexus is the length. I know it's short, I designed it that way. As many of you know, I had problems with severe pain and stiffness in my hands and I wanted to ensure I could release Breaking the Nexus so I could give my hands a rest before continuing. Honestly lovelies, it has taken about 2 months to get back to fighting form. But I digress. I love the pacing of my book and as much as it has frustrated my readers, I love the cliff hanger ending. It may not have been what I had in mind when I set out writing this book back in November of 2011, but it's the only way I could see ending it. Trust me when I say, Waking the Phoenix will have an even more epic ending :)

Another 3 star review made me scratch my head because there was a ton of praise and the only criticism was length. I tend to click on low reviews to see what people didn't like, so this one works in my benefit. Since that was the lowest star rating on Amazon, I thought I dodged a bullet. I thought I'd escaped the horrible 1 star review.

Then I looked at Goodreads. BAM! There was a 1 star review. I didn't even let myself get upset, I started to read the review. The person wrote about how they loved the story but hated the cliffhanger. I could have pouted, cried, and screamed at the unfairness of a 1 star review. I didn't. Want to know what I did?

I contacted the reviewer. Not to demand an explanation or to ask her to change her mind. No, I contacted her to honestly thank her for her opinion and to ask her to be a beta reader for my Waking the Phoenix. I bet you're thinking I'm insane right? Here's the deal. I legitimately want her input because she enjoyed the rest of the book and I want it to be the best it can be. She may be more critical than some of my other betas who adore everything about my book.

Guess what happened when I contacted her? She said my book was exceptional. She just wanted areas fleshed out. I know it moved quickly and I wondered if I needed more detail in other places. So not only did I brave the risk of rejection by contacting this person, I got a wonderful compliment and have gained a beta who could prove to be quite helpful in my future books.

My point is, bad reviews suck. I didn't like seeing 1 star but everyone is entitled to their opinion. If everyone tells you you're amazing and awesome, you'll always wonder if it's true or if they're just fans. Criticism is VITAL to help you improve, no matter how painful it may be to hear. 

I'm not saying everyone should take the approach I did and contact the reviewer. In fact, I don't suggest it. The only reason I did was she specifically mentioned she really enjoyed the story and characters and I was asking for her help. Most times, it's best to read the review, analyze the criticism, and decide if it warrants further consideration or if it could just be a case of that person didn't like your book. No matter what, don't take it personally; look at it as an opportunity to improve your craft. If you're still upset, just go read your positive reviews to cheer yourself up ;)

The Trials of an Indie Author: Part 1 - Promoting yourself

Hello my lovelies! As you can tell by the title of this post, I'm beginning a multi-part series by request of you wonderful people to do my best to answer some questions about the world of being an indie author. I'm by no means an expert but I'm more than happy to share the knowledge I've been accumulating and to answer any questions you may have. If you have any requests for certain topics, please don't hesitate to ask in the comments below!

Now, the first topic I'd like to address is the issue of promoting yourself. You see, it's not enough to write a fantastic book and publish it; unfortunately, your work is just beginning. Your book could be the greatest book ever written, but if you don't promote yourself, few people are likely to find it. So, how do you promote yourself? That's a hard question to answer to be perfectly honest. I'm still feeling my way around in this aspect, but I've started off pretty well.

One last thing before we get started. I self-publish but even if you sign on with an indie publisher, you'll probably have to do some promoting on your own. These all still apply :)

Step 1: Be realistic in your expectations

The first and most important piece of advice I can give you is to be realistic in your expectations with regards to your sales. Even authors signed on with one of the Big 6 authors take several books before they truly start achieving success. I know you want to release your book and instantly have it be a sensation and make tons of money, but the reality is it's extremely unlikely to happen. The best thing to do is have a great idea that brings people back for more. Keep writing and hopefully every book will be a bit more successful than the first. 

Don't be discouraged if you don't sell many books right off the bat. You should be writing because you love to write and have a story to tell. If you're in this for the money, you really need to sit down and think about whether this is what you truly want to do.

Step 2: Throw yourself to the social networking wolves

I've said this before, but it bears repeating: I'm a very shy person in real life. I'm introverted and would much prefer sitting at home curled up with a good book rather than going out to parties and being social. I never ever thought I'd enjoy the world of social networking as much as I have, but it has been a wonderful experience. I've met so many wonderful people that have helped me tremendously and interacting online takes a lot of the scariness of meeting new people. Nobody can see you directly so it makes it much easier to relax and be yourself.

Facebook and Twitter are two extremely valuable tools to keep  you in touch with your readers and connect yourself to other authors. Make as many author friends as you can so you can learn as much as you can. I thought Breaking the Nexus was the best thing ever written, until I had some authors read it and pointed out areas that really needed work. No matter how amazing your book is, there's always room for improvement.

I recommend establishing yourself well in advance of your book's release so you have the best release day possible. If you've already released your books, that's awesome and you can still establish yourself. The most important thing to remember is don't start by bombarding people with your book. You wouldn't want to meet someone and immediately have them trying to sell you something, so don't make online friends and immediately start with "OMG I have this book and you totally need to go buy it because it's awesome." There are times when the first contact I receive from someone on Facebook or Twitter is a link to buy their book and I'll be honest, it annoys me.

I'm not saying, don't tell everyone about your awesome book, but really try to make friends. Talk about the everyday things and share snippets to increase interest. The more people enjoy conversing with you, the better your chances are of persuading them to want to read your work.

Step 3: Have a blog and/or website

Blogs are great for several reasons. I started doing author interviews on my blogs and it introduced me to tons of fellow authors of all different genres. I've made some great friends this way and best of all, it has been a huge help in networking. Just because I write paranormal/fantasy romance doesn't mean I should focus on authors of those genres. People have diverse tastes and opinions and you can learn so much from so many people.

A blog is also great for enticing your readers. Post snippets, character interviews, character sketches, etc to keep your interest alive. The more anticipation you can build, the better. It helps readers find out more about you because I know if I read an author I like, the first thing I do is look for a blog or website.

One other benefit to blogging is participating in Blog Hops. These are when a bunch of bloggers sign up for a themed hop and people jump around to the different blogs. Typically you have a giveaway to entice people to visit your blog and it helps you get greater visibility. Carrie Ann Ryan holds fantastic blog hops with some pretty awesome grand prizes that have been amazing for bringing traffic to my blog. I highly recommend looking into participating in one of her hops by clicking here.

Not into blogging? Then at the very least have a website to make it easier for your fans to find out about you. If I look up an author and can't find a website or blog, I'm far more likely to forget about them because I don't want to go hunting down the information or their other books.

Step 4: Hold giveaways and promotional events

Everybody loves free stuff. It doesn't matter if it's a bookmark, an ebook, a gift card, or a rubber ducky. Giveaways are a great way to bring people to your events or blogs for the chance to win a prize. If you can't afford a bunch of prizes (and believe me, it does add up quickly), have a big prize and hold games and such for entries to win that bigger prize. I met many of my lovelies through my cover reveal and blog tour giveaways. They came for the prizes but stayed because they had a blast. You don't need to spend a fortune, just get creative. You can also ask fellow authors for donations of swag or ebooks because it gives them a great chance for cross promotion.

Step 5: Be willing to give away copies of your book for review

I can't tell you how many copies of Breaking the Nexus I've given away but it's a ton. I'm striving for 50 reviews on Amazon and have given away a good portion of that as review copies. I've also emailed about 20-30 review blogs asking for review (though I've only heard back from a handful of them). No, you don't make any money on those review copies out right, but it introduces people to your work and the reviews will bring others. There are also a number of amazing people who will buy the book after they've read it because they loved it so much and want to support you.

Breaking the Nexus is the first in a trilogy so my goal has been to get as many people addicted to my trilogy as possible so that they'll be more likely to buy book 2, Waking the Phoenix, when it comes out. I'm not making much money on all those review copies now but if it translates to future sales, it's more than worth it.

One last point on reviews. I'm told Amazon.com will work harder to promote your books once you get to 50 reviews. I've also watched as my ranking jumps after a review goes live, even if I didn't sell a book. Reviews are critical so don't be stingy with those copies!

Step 6: Be patient and willing to experiment

I said at the start of this post that I'm no expert. I'm still working out the exact methods that work for me and my book and there's still a ton that you'll need to do. Promoting your book will require lots of time, effort and research on your part, but it's essential for you to be successful as a writer. You won't become famous overnight so be patient. It's hard, I know, but the pay off is worth it.

Ok my lovelies, I hope this has helped a bit. Please let me know what other topics you'd like me to discuss! My next post will be on the merits of getting an editor!