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A recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts showed that fiction reading is on the rise, especially among 18- to 24-year-olds.
–Newsweek
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| Learn How to Pitch More Effectively to Get Your Story Out There At this Media Summit, I will talk with All-Star Black journalists about their career, beat and newsroom pressures today. The climate for black journalists is very intense. Diversity is really needed in the newsroom and #blackspeakersmatter. I will probe to see how Black speakers and subject matter experts can make their job easier – and get their stories told. I will ask each media pro how many pitches, press kits and DMs they deal with weekly; what they like and don’t like about each one.Continue Reading✍🏽 Write Your Story: Learn The Book Business [Live Virtual Summit]Are you ready to plan, publish, or promote your books online? Maybe you are ready to turn your books into a business. Know that you have what it takes to build an online business and we can’t wait to share our strategies with you.LET’S TALK BOOKS BOSSJoin us for the Live Book Business Virtual Summit experience September 26, the Write the Book Webinar Workshop and Book Business Live stream series.The Book Business Virtual Summit is live Saturday, September 26 10 AM – 2 PM EST.Continue Reading |
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By 29 Comments
The question comes up at every conference. How long should a novel be? It puzzles me that this anxiety persists. We are in a literary era that tolerates length. Game of Thrones, anyone? Even at 292,000 words, George Martin’s first novel in his epic series is not even in the race. Gone with the Wind is 419,00 words long. War and Peace is 560,000. Even those do not compare to Marienbad My Love by Mark leach, which clocks in at 17.8 million words.
(To be fair, Marienbad My Love is an “open source” novel created by a conceptual artist and which leans heavily on found texts. It’s a desert island story in which a filmmaker “attempts to persuade a married women (sic) from his past to help him produce a science fiction-themed pastiche to the 1960s French New Wave classic, Last Year at Marienbad.” It includes a UFO, Nazi/alien collaborations, mind control, a Cthulu-worthy green monster and the end of the world.[1] Plenty to say there, obviously.)
André Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name (2007)—you may have seen the movie—is a gay love story (by a straight author, note) that tells the anguished tale of a teenage boy who falls in love with a male guest at his parent’s mansion on the Italian Riviera. (I know, I know…poor kid.) The time isn’t stated but the novel’s languorous pace and charming metachronous affectations, such as substituting “B.” for the name of a nearby city, suggest a closeted culture and era when same-sex love was not openly accepted.
So, how then do you know what belongs on your pages? How much is too much? How much is too little?
Perhaps the glib advice—as much as it takes—now makes a little more sense. It starts with knowing your intent, which is to say what you want your readers to think, feel and experience. If you know that then you have a measure by which to weigh the words. Is what you’ve set down in this line…and that one…and that one…contributing to the effect you want to have? Are you immersing us, or chilling us, or making us think? Continue reading
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Yes, we’re twenty years old and don’t look a day over a year.
We’re still growing and shaping into a organization that will help writers birth books long into another score.
But we need your help and with our large membership, we’re asking for only a dollar to help our network stay above water.
thanks in advance and we hope to share, help and support for years to come.
By 18 Comments
I recently reached out to the Writer Unboxed Facebook Community to find out what writers want to know about independent publishing. Women’s fiction author Densie Webb replied:
“The rights to my first book (with a small publisher) revert back to me in January. I’ve thought about self-publishing, but I don’t have a clue how to go about it.” Densie asked for help evaluating the decision, a simple step-by-step process for self-publishing a book, and inexpensive resources to help her navigate the process.
As a creative entrepreneur, I think Densie has an exciting opportunity on her hands, and I’m thrilled to help her consider her options. But before we dive in, I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that rights reversion is a nuanced topic largely dictated by the author’s publishing contract. We’re not going down that rabbit hole today, but to learn more about rights reversion, check out Authors Alliance’s free guide, “Understanding Rights Reversion: When, Why & How to Regain Copyright and Make Your Book More Available.”
For the sake of exploring Densie’s situation, I’ll assume all rights will revert to her and she will have complete creative control over her work.
Do I Need to Buy an ISBN?
Changing publishers calls for a new International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Libraries, bookstores, and distributors use ISBNs to identify, keep track of, and properly catalog important information about your book, including author and publisher and what the book is about.
What About My Reviews and Sales Rank?
Even if you’re publishing the exact same book, a new ISBN will cause booksellers’ systems to view it as a new product, so you will be starting from scratch in terms of reader reviews and sales rank. Depending on your situation, this may or may not be a significant loss.
How Do I Get Started?
Before you dive into self-publishing, take some time to consider your big picture goals. Is indie publishing a route you might consider for future titles or will your self-publishing pursuits be limited to this one book? If the former is true, you can realize many benefits by establishing your own publishing company. (If that’s a path you want to explore, read my post about how to start your own publishing company.)
There are additional activities that can enhance your publication experience and increase your book’s exposure in the marketplace, but these five steps represent the basic self-publishing process. If you want to explore self-publishing in greater detail, check out this free resource, “Successful Self-Publishing” by Joanna Penn. Continue reading
on Fiction University:
When I first started writing, I didn’t know there was such groupings as pantsers and plotters. I wrote my first novel with an outline because that’s what I was taught in school. It was a miserable exercise in trying to make the story fit within a rigid set of lines (note: that manuscript is safely tucked away in the back of my office closet).
By the time I started on my second book, I’d been schooled on the free-wheeling ways of pantsers. This was a path to creative happiness that I could embrace. I opened Word, typed “Chapter 1,” and off I went. I followed whatever crumbs the characters left for me and man was it fun. Until I reached the end and realized there were more loose threads in that book than after my cat gets into my yarn stash (another note: that manuscript is keeping the other one company).
By the time I started on my second book, I’d been schooled on the free-wheeling ways of pantsers. This was a path to creative happiness that I could embrace. I opened Word, typed “Chapter 1,” and off I went. I followed whatever crumbs the characters left for me and man was it fun. Until I reached the end and realized there were more loose threads in that book than after my cat gets into my yarn stash (another note: that manuscript is keeping the other one company).
These days, if you ask me whether I’m a plotter or a pantser, I’ll respond that I’m a pantser with suspenders. Sounds like a painful wedgie in the making, doesn’t it? It’s not, trust me. And what’s more, the various “suspenders” I’ve come to rely on, have kept me from losing my pants and falling on my face on multiple occasions.
How strong are your story instincts? This abstract and sometimes elusive concept rests at the very bottom of a writer’s toolkit. Your story instincts determine how successful your storytelling is, and whether you are able to offer readers the all-important “it” factor. Your story instincts are the foundation onto which you build with all the other tools and techniques you pick up along the way. And your story instincts are also, simultaneously, the preexisting source of all the knowledge you will claim as you grow your skills.
When I was a newbie working on my early (unpublished) novels, I would often take a walk down the mailbox after my daily writing session. Almost always, I was vaguely dissatisfied. I knew whatever scene I had just written wasn’t so bad in itself, and yet I also knew something about the book as a whole wasn’t working. I remember saying to myself at some point during my second novel that I didn’t know what was wrong, but I just knew.
Your story instincts and your ability to tap into them clearly will define how much “talent” you may have as a writer. So how can you tell if you even have any story instincts?
It is my belief all humans have this instinct. We are born with the common language of story. Indeed, some psychological research, such as presented by Edward F. Pace-Schott, posits our very “dreaming as a story-telling instinct.”
Story instincts are tricky. Well-honed, they speak to us clearly and guide us to writing better and better stories. But if we don’t speak this instinctive language fluidly, or if we’re unsure we’re hearing its voice at all, we can easily lead ourselves astray.
We can convince ourselves our desire for a story to be good makes it so, just as we can let the critical voices of inner doubt blind us to our true story
When everything is going well, we often take our story instincts for granted. It’s not until a little alarm starts ringing inside that we perk up and listen.
Once you’ve learned to tune in to your inner story sense, you must learn to interpret what it’s telling you. A vague sense of unease about your just-finished manuscript will not help you fix it
Your story sense is good. I don’t doubt that for a second. Your ability to communicate with it and understand it can always improve. But the foundational understanding and instinct is there. Trust that.
Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware®
https://www.writersdigest.com/
Robert Lee BrewerSep 22, 2020
Aria Gmitter joined the Whimsy Literary Agency in 2020. She is a writer, journalist, and editor who graduated from Denver Publishing Institute in 2016. Before that, she was a literary assistant to Peter Miller of Global Lion Intellectual Property Management.
(20 literary agents actively seeking writers and their writing.)
She has an MFA from Full Sail University and a Masters of Science in Health Law from Nova Southeastern University. She earned her undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Miami majoring in English Literature and Comparative Religious Studies. Her first short story, “Friend of the Fatherless” published by Bethany House in Encountering Jesus: Modern-Day Stories of His Supernatural Presence and Power, in 2015.
Aria is looking for nonfiction, mind/body/spirit, pop culture, astrology, mystical arts, self-help, romance, crime/mystery novels, psychological thrillers for adult, middle grade, YA, gift books, illustrated, humor and joke, cookbooks, humorous parodies, and children’s books.
Writers should send their proposals via email to whimsynyc@aol.com. Proposals should include your media platform and table of contents with a full description of each chapter.
*****
Writing strong first pages requires a great hook, a strong voice, and a clear premise. The first sentence should immediately catch the reader’s attention, while the subsequent text should leave the reader wanting to dive further into the pages of the manuscript. But making the first pages of your story absolutely un-putdownable takes practice, patience, revision, and an eye for detail. Which is why we’re here: to discuss what to do (and not to do) to make your opening pages stand out.
Visit SoItIsWritten.net/Store to purchase or email info@soitiswritten.net for more info!
Many spend weeks, if not months, planning for the big day! The perfect wedding dress. The most exquisite flowers and bouquets. The most quality linen and the finest cuisine. Yet, once the big day is over, many realize that they’ve said, “I do!” but they don’t even know to what! This book deals with the real-life stories of six individuals who realize that marriage is about much more than the first dance and cutting a cake! Prepare to experience Marriage Uncut!
By Michelle Laurey
There were more than 45 thousand writers and authors working to make a living in the United States in 2019. That’s a lot of people pursuing their passion.
Unfortunately, despite an increase in the number of people exploring the world of writing work, there are still a lot of writers who struggle to achieve success. There’s more to reaching your goals than writing something and publishing it on one of the many online channels that exist today.
Like many professionals, writers need to be aware of and prepared for the many issues that can cause them to stumble on the path to greatness.
Here are some of the most common reasons that authors fail to publish their work.
We all have issues with self-esteem from time to time. We ask ourselves if we’re knowledgeable enough to create something that people want to read. However, if you want to succeed as a writer, you’ll need to find a way to rediscover that confidence.
Understanding the market is critical in any profession. You need to know exactly who you are selling your skills to so that you can prepare to speak their language. Before you start writing, evaluate your audience, and create user personas.
Figuring out how to be successful as a writer is difficult in any circumstances. However, your task becomes even more complicated if you have no experience in your field.
Although you can’t necessarily rely on someone to prepare you for everything that might happen on your journey, a mentor can assist with some essential navigation.
This is easily one of the biggest problems that authors face when trying to publish their writing. The book that you’re working on is going to take time to perfect. Even if you’re done writing, you’re going to need to find enough time to edit your work, and successfully market it.
One of the best things you can do to improve your chances of staying disciplined and achieving publishing success is to develop a strategy.
The good news for today’s authors and writers is that there are plenty of opportunities for you to make your dreams come true by publishing your work and reaching your audience. However, if you really want to accomplish amazing things, you need to have the right plan.
In order to have the courage to market and sell your book(s), you have to 100% believe in your book.
Your belief in your book is what will help you sell it to others.
First Things First
Do you believe that you are writing or have written a high-quality book? Are you proud of the work you’ve created?
IF NOT, improve your book until you create a book that you are confident to give to anyone, whether it’s your neighbor or the president of the United States.
The great thing about independent publishing is you can update your book at any time. So if there is even a slight hesitation when you answered this question, make sure you do everything you can to create a book you are proud of.
The Second Question
Do you 100% believe that this book will benefit your reader? Will it help them, encourage them, entertain them, etc.?
If so, you should be more than happy to share it with others.
For example, if you discovered an upcoming sale on Amazon that was going to be 99% off for one day, but you had to sign up for it at a special link, would you share that link with your friends?
ABSOLUTELY YES!!!
Action Steps:
Your Next Steps
If you want help selling your book, I have created training for you in Christian Book Academy to help you each step of the way.
| WORD OF THE DAY |
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| Examples of Gadzooks in a sentence
“Gadzooks! This coffee is hot!” “I was just walking down the street, and gadzooks, it starting pouring!” |
Tenita “Bestseller” Johnson is hosting an advanced training by INVITE ONLY! This is for SERIOUS authors ONLY! If you’re interested, apply today at http://soitiswritten.net
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