We CAN! promote our books

Writing Short

2012-02-24T03:01:00-05:00

Then God said: "Let there be light," and there was light.

Genesis 1:1

Hello! Maureen Pratt here with my first CAN Blog post. I've been asked to write once a month about writing - one of my favorite topics! Today, I'm going to start off with a topic that sometimes confounds many writers - "writing short." As I'm the author of a 600-word syndicated, international column, I'm steeped in this style with each piece I file. And, more than ever before, we use this kind of writing, especially on the Internet. But it can be so difficult to adapt "big" thoughts into "few" words (for us...the Author of the Bible did it so beautifully!) Here are some suggestions for better, pithier posts and paragraphs:

1. Narrow the topic and narrow some more; writing short requires acute specificity. Write a "slug line" - a one-word summary of the piece, and then build on it for the body of the work.

2. Use three specific segments to form the piece. Beginning middle, and end (oh, yes, high school composition class had its value!) Got subplots/sub-thoughts? Maybe they belong in a separate article.

3. Descriptive verbs and nouns sparingly spiced with adjectives, help keep length short. Also, invent words to describe more complex ideas. In a recent column I filed about the phenomenon of the "weekend warrior," I encouraged my readers to "warrior on," once I introduced a physician's suggestions for how middle aged football-player wanna bes might avoid injury). Those two words took the place of what could have been a longer, less effective exhortation.

4. Edit, edit, and edit some more. I always ask myself, "Is this necessary?" "Could this be another column?" "Does this make sense?"

To ge the rhythm of writing short, try fitting your words into the melody of a song. Or, distill your thoughts into a VERY limited number of words. Try to use three words to describe yourself. FIve words to describe the activity on a school playground. Or, how about seven words to pitch your latest story?

Onward to next month!

My Journey to Publication & What I've Learned Along the Way

2012-02-22T10:56:01-05:00

Hello from Pamela Meyers

I’ve been asked to write a series of blogs about how my debut novel came to be and what was entailed in its ultimate publication last November. Especially how the conceptualization relates to marketing the book once it was published. Like a proud mama, I’m always pleased to talk about the birth of my baby. Isn’t that how we authors come to think of our stories, be it your very first novel, or your hundredth?

What better combination is there than a good romance coupled with a who-done-it mystery written cozy style? At least to my point of view, that’s always a dynamite combination. Since I was a girl, I loved reading mysteries. Think Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. As I grew into my teen years, I started reading romance stories. One of my favorites was called Geneva Summer, which was set in my home area of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I devoured that book, not only because it was fun to read a story set in places I knew well, but also because I couldn’t wait to see if the hero and heroine ended up together at the end. Of course they did, as all good romances go.

I have always been fascinated by the divergent styles of the large mansions that populate the lakeshore of Geneva Lake. And as I became interested in penning my own stories, I thought it would be fun to write a mystery set in one of those mansions. And, of course, I knew that writing a story in my home area would enhance the salability of the book, especially in that part of the world.

Soon after I began plotting, I realized that if I wanted to write the story the way it was coming together, it would best take place in a fictitious setting. In order to keep the marketing opportunity alive, I decided to locate Canoga Lake, Wisconsin within about a ten-minute drive of the town of Lake Geneva. Close enough to include it in some scenes.

All stories start with a “What if question,” and the question I asked was, what if right after my heroine is hired as an in-house chef in a large mansion her boss is found dead, and what if when she first comes to the mansion to interview for the job she runs into her former fiancé, a man she hasn’t seen for eight years who has secrets he’s not willing to share.

Although I’d written several unpublished romances by this time, I had never written a mystery before, which was evidenced by my initial plotting mistakes. Fortunately, I had a crit partner who had written many mysteries, and she took me under her wing. We soon had April set up with her new job and a cast of zany characters, including a cowboy who competes in bull riding events on weekends, a fortyish woman who would love to be a teenager for life, and a retired show bird parrot named Pedro. All to keep April wondering and guessing who had killed the boss.

As for the romance part of the story, I loved writing April and Marc’s tale of love, forgiveness and second chances. Bringing them into my hometown for lunch at Popeye’s, a favorite hangout for tourists and townspeople, or to hang at the Riviera dock where they first met during college was a blast. I also gave them both backstories that had roots in Lake Geneva. He worked for the Water Safety Patrol there, and she had the unique job as a mail jumper on the Walworth, an excursion boat that circles the lake every morning, delivering mail to lakeshore mansions. The jumpers leap off the slow-moving boat onto private docks, deliver mail to a mailbox there, and hop back on the boat before it moves past the pier. This is a huge attraction during the summer months that is unique to the area.

About the time the story was ready to be pitched, the line I had targeted closed down. I soon learned that cozy-type mysteries are a difficult sell in CBA markets. Thus, the story, which at the time was called Murder for Breakfast, languished in my computer for several years. On occasion, my agent or I would come across a publisher whom we thought might like it, but we had no nibbles.

About two years ago, I decided to emphasize the romance thread of the story, and repackaged the book, from title to character names. April Spencer became April Love, and the title changed to Thyme for Love. I soon learned that anyone under the age of forty had no idea that April Love was a very popular song and movie back in the late fifties. Therefore, in order to help younger readers “get” the uniqueness of the name, I had the older people in my story start humming the song Pat Boone made famous upon their meeting her.

Once the repackaging was complete we started sending out the proposal again, and the full ms. was sent to Ramona Tucker at OakTara Publishers. Last May, she told Terry that she was reading my story and loving it. Several days later, my phone rang and Terry shouted into my ear, “She wants the book!” A few weeks later, I was able to personally meet with Ramona and Terry at the Write to Publish Conference in Wheaton, IL, which is in my home area. While they looked on, I signed my first publishing contract. The book released on November 14, 2011.

But the fun won’t stop there. Thyme for Love is book one of a three-book series called On the Road to Love, all featuring April and Marc. Book two, Love Will Find a Way, will hit the shelves sometime in 2012, followed by book three, Love’s Reward. The picture is of me and Ramona at a recent ACFW chapter meeting as I signed my contract extension for the three book-series

Next time I’ll share about my foray into marketing my debut novel.

Special Delivery by Kathi Macias - A New Release

2012-02-21T00:08:00-05:00

Special Delivery

In book two of the “Freedom” series, readers find Mara fighting against her attraction to Bible college student Jonathan Flannery even while wrestling with risking her own precarious safety to become involved in the rescue of another girl who is pregnant and desperately wants to escape her captors and save her own life, as well as her child’s. Halfway around the world in a brothel in Thailand, a young girl is rescued with the promise of being reunited with her younger sister who was adopted by an interracial couple in the States, friends of Jonathan’s family. Meanwhile, Jefe—Mara’s uncle, who held her as a sex slave in his brothel in San Diego for years—seeks revenge for Mara’s testimony that put him behind bars for life. Will his underworld connections be successful in kidnapping and killing the girl who believes she has finally won her freedom?

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) as well as 2011 Author of the Year by BooksandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al.

This new release information was uploaded by Cecelia Dowdy. Happy reading!

Before He Went Away, Part 7

2012-02-20T12:55:00-05:00

You have not chosen me but I have chosen you.

John 15:16 NKJV

This is Elizabeth Baker with you today, bringing a word of encouragement and sharing a verse that more than once pulled me from a pit. As writers we face a lot of rejection but knowing we have been chosen by Jesus can provide balance and joy.

Only hours before His crucifixion Jesus looked around at the men who for three-and-a-half years had given up everything to follow Him and said, “It is not that you have chosen me, but that I have chosen you.” This was not a statement minimizing their sacrifice but a truth to hold on to if they would weather the fast approaching storm.

Being chosen by Jesus, made them secure. Because He knew their past, nothing back there need haunt them. He saw it all from the beginning and chose them anyway.

Because He knew their present, He was never surprised or disappointed by their weakness. He knew their problems better than they did and He chose them anyway.

Because He knew their future, no sin they might commit, no failure, no laziness or anger or misconception on their part would ever make Him turn away. He knew these things from the beginning and He chose them anyway.

But there was more.

Being chosen meant that Jesus had a goal in mind for their life. They were chosen to bear fruit. They would never drift without purpose or direction. If in the future they felt their life was going nowhere or wondered about the meaning of it all, they could rest. He had picked them for a purpose and He will not let that purpose fall flat.

Yet, above the security and purpose involved in being chosen, there was one more privilege that outshone them all. Because they were chosen, they had direct access to God the Father. As the fruit of character and life grew inside them, they would know more what it meant to ask “in Jesus name.” Using that name, they would ask and asking, they would receive.

Remembering that He had chosen them would provide security and courage in the dark hours just ahead. It was a solid rock in the coming storm.

And, it can also be a rock for us. After all, we’ve been chosen, too.

Sharing the Love

2012-02-15T06:00:00-05:00

Greetings from Jennifer AlLee here in slightly-overcast Las Vegas. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, which may explain the love in the air. As authors, we feel the love when readers buy our books. But how do we share the love with them? Answering this question is not only a sweet thing to do, it’s a good marketing move.

The natural thing for us to give is the gift of story. It’s what people expect from us and (another bonus) we can give away our stories freely. If you have a website (and if you don’t, you should… which is the topic of a whole other post), that’s the perfect place to post your free content. You can share its existence with your readers via your newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, or social networking platform of your choice.

But how do you decide what to give away?

The first step is determining what excites your readers. Let’s say you write historical romances. It’s a pretty safe bet that your readers enjoy history. Now, let’s narrow that down. What kind of history? Is there a theme that constantly pops up in your novels? Do you concentrate on a specific time period? Are your novels funny or serious?

For illustration purposes, suppose you’ve decided that what your readers really enjoy is your light-hearted take on life in the old west. With that in mind, here are some free content ideas:

A short story featuring a secondary character from your novel.
A deleted scene from your novel… a blooper, if you will.
Anecdotes that you dug up during the research process.
A “build your own adventure” type scenario in which you begin the story and let your readers choose where each installment will go.

That’s just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. Find ways not only to show the love to your readers but to engage them. Now it’s your turn… How have you decided to share the love with your readers? What’s worked? What hasn’t? Ready… set… go!

Highland Crossings - A New Release

2012-02-14T00:20:00-05:00

Highland Crossings by Laurie Alice Eakes (and others)

Head to historic North Carolina where a brooch unites the lives and loves of four women. Dangerous accusations force Seona to leave Scotland with the brooch in tow, but will she find peace before her past is revealed? Years later, Fiona hopes to recover the brooch only to wind up on the whipping block. Can she trust the man who comes to her rescue? Seren sells the brooch to open a confectionery, but will the precious heirloom be lost to a hopeless dream? When the brooch is stolen, can Brynna reclaim it before she loses something even more valuable?

This new release information was uploaded by Cecelia Dowdy. Happy reading!

Before He Went Away, Part 6

2012-02-13T10:52:00-05:00

These things I command you, that you love one another.

John 15:17 NKJV

Greetings from the piney woods of East Texas! I’m Elizabeth Baker with a word of encouragement of your Monday.

As a writer, I notice things like verb tenses and plural nouns and misplaced modifiers. I suppose that’s why it jarred me a bit when I realized I had read John 15:17 hundreds of times and never noticed the plurality of “things” and the singleness of “love.” While grammatically correct, I found the contrast curious. How was this statement different than Jesus’ statement in verse twelve when He said His “commandment” (singular) was for His disciples to love one another?

A singular command would have been enough. No questions. No room for argument. Just do it. But in this verse Jesus refers to many commands. It is as though He said, “Look at it all. Listen to it all. Follow it all, and learn to love.” Part of “all” were surely the His examples for these were how He demonstrated the commands at work in everyday life.

When it comes to love, one of the most powerful examples had occurred only hours earlier. The disciples had been arguing on the road to Jerusalem. They maneuvered for position and split into fractions. Who was the most important? Who deserved the greatest honor? Their actions were anything but loving.

For three and a half years their Master had talked of love, but these hard-headed humans didn’t seem to get it. So, when they got to where they were going, He demonstrated love. He took off his robe, wrapped a towel around His waist and one by one washed their feet. He was their servant. He loved them by putting them first.

Love is an attitude. Love is a pliable nature and humble spirit. It isn’t enough to observe a commanded action then check it off the list. Love is a habit; a way of life. Love makes the way easy for someone else. Love offers humble service. It is many things we do; many things we say.

February is a month of love with a celebration of romantic love right in the middle. In America, we celebrate love by giving flowers and cards and candy while retailers make a profit. This is not bad. Romantic love should be celebrated. But a far more true and accurate celebration of real love occurs when a weary mother puts her own need for rest aside and feeds a baby. Love is celebrated when a wealthy businessman resist the temptation to expand his marketing in order to give a bonus to the workers. Love takes flight when a spouse sticks with a difficult marriage believing it’s best for the children.

No wonder Jesus used a plural noun. Expressions of love are as varied as human experience. Every command He gave, every example He left, are all ways of loving and much, much more. Anytime one person puts their own comfort, benefit, desires aside in order to lift another up, there is love. It is the essence of “these things” as Jesus commanded.

PUGS Pointers #7

2012-02-10T19:30:23-05:00

Hi! I'm Kathy Ide. In addition to being a published author, I'm a full-time professional freelance editor. For CAN, I'm blogging about "PUGS"--Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling...tips for writers based on the most common mistakes I see in the manuscripts I edit. Each blog post will have one tip for each of the four categories, as well as a reason it's important for authors to "polish their PUGS." (For more PUGS tips, check out my website, www.KathyIde.com, or get a copy of my book "Polishing the PUGS" (available through the website or at the conferences where I teach). If you're interested in working with a freelance editor (or know someone who is), e-mail me at Kathy@KathyIde.com. Or go to www.ChristianEditor.com to get referrals to other established, professional editorial freelancers. If you're a freelance editor yourself, or think you might be interested in that field, check out www.TheChristianPEN.com.

WHY POLISH YOUR PUGS?

PUGS errors can affect the sales of your book.

Readers who find a lot of mistakes in your book will not be as likely to recommend that book to their friends. And who knows? You may have a high school English teacher reading your book, and she just might recommend it to her students . . . unless there are a lot of PUGS errors in it.

PUNCTUATION TIP

Quotation Marks with Other Punctuation

1. Closing quotation marks always come after a comma or period.

ACFW held workshops on “Characterization,” “Point of View,” and “Floating Body Parts.”

2. Placement with question marks and exclamation points depends on whether the punctuation is part of the sentence as a whole or part of the quotation in particular. Examples:

Candy asked, “Do you know the way?”

How can we motivate teenagers who continually say, “I don’t care”?

Tiffany shouted, “Fire!”

I can’t believe he said, “Your story is boring”!

USAGE TIP

foreword/forward

foreword (noun) is a page or two of comments at the beginning of a book.

forward (adverb, adjective) means “in front,” “toward the front.”

forward (noun) is a player on a sports team who tries to score points in a game.

GRAMMAR TIP

couple vs. couple of

Use couple alone when used as a noun.

“Robert and Mary made a cute couple.”

When used as a modifier, you need the of.

It’s never “a couple tomatoes.” Always “a couple of tomatoes.”

SPELLING TIP

acknowledgment (not acknowledgement)

Intimate Storytelling - Part I Character Viewpoint

2012-02-10T01:51:43-05:00

Hi from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com

One of an authors goals is to have our characters connect with our readers. They begin to care about them and to relate to their joys and sorrows. They don't want to put down the book because it's like saying good bye to a good friend. As writers, then, we try to use writing techniques that connect in an intimate way with our readers and this can happen by our storytelling style.

One thing that first person offers that third doesn’t is an intimacy between the POV character and the reader. In first person, reader can get inside the skin of the main character who is the narrator and and storyteller, but third person can provide a close familiarity between the POV character and the reader by writing in deep POV which also means avoiding author intrusion. Character point of view is one of the techniques an author can use.

When writers think of author intrusion, most notice it when it is blatant.

The fog lowered over the bay and people in their houses looked out with a sense of loneliness. Some felt fear.

Though the writing is fine, ask yourself who is saying this? How could I look out a window and know that other people were looking at the fog on the bay? How would I know they felt loneliness? Fear? This is author intrusion. It is the old style of writing that we still see in literary fiction, but if you want to sell your novels that reach a wide audience, intimate storytelling is the best way to go.

The first step to create the intimacy is to stay in the POV character throughout the scene. This means that the story is told totally through that character’s eyes and senses. He cannot see what is going on in the next room or behind the door. Comments or information that jerk the reader from the story can happen when the author describes what’s happening in the next room or makes a statement such as: If Brad knew what was behind the closed door, he would run. Or Brad thought he was safe, but later in the day, he would learn the truth. Notice how both of these comments are not coming from Brad but from a God-like narrator who knows all and sees all. This type of writing does not work in popular fiction.

Storytelling intimacy comes by making the POV character real. His reactions fit him so his emotions will follow his personality and character. He may not respond as you would to a situation so make his emotional response true to his nature. Is he a quiet man. He will probably keep his emotions in check. If you’re in his head, he still won’t allow himself to react strongly and what he experiences maybe more a struggle to keep his emotions in check.

Author instruction is also seen when the author allows the character to know something that he couldn’t know yet or never will know. For example, what do you know that’s happening in your home right now? All you know for sure is what your senses tell you. You can only see within the room you are seated. You can’t see behind you unless you guess that no one is there or you might hear no sound which is another of your senses. You might assume your spouse or roommate is preparing a meal if the scent of food drifts into the room. Assumption or a guess is all you can share with the reader unless you can see, feel, taste, touch or smell–and even then what food is being prepared and who is preparing it is only a speculation.

Staying inside the character also requires the author to see the world through that character’s perspective. People perceive using past experience and knowledge. When you create your POV character, you will be wise to know everything about that character’s past—their family, siblings, beliefs, values, discipline style, religious upbringing—anything that will cause the character to look at the world differently than another character. What experiences has this character had? How might that impact his reaction? Would the person’s employment affect his word choice? All of these things must be considered to stay within the character and not slip into your own language style, word choice or values. Each character must stem from his root—his background.

How the character describes the setting, how he views the room, how he views others, all reflects his past. Keep this in mind as you create characters for intimate storytelling.

Forcing story dialogue so you can present backstory or historical information is another way to jerk the reader from the story. If this information needs to be shared with the reader, do it in a natural way. Find a reason that this information might wend its way into the dialogue. Often dialogue sounds silted when the author forces two people to discuss a topic that doesn’t seem to be needed other than provide background information. If two people know each other well, why would the POV character retell the person things the other character would already know. . .unless it is to reveal a secret? These things slip easily into fiction when the author isn’t careful. Even using introspection to provide information about the history of a location can come across as convoluted unless a legitimate reason for the character’s thoughts can be devised.

Tips from the Pros: Marion Stroud

2012-02-08T07:00:00-05:00

Hello from Sarah Sundin, who has a sudden longing for tea and crumpets. Why? Today's guest, Marion Stroud, hails from my favourite country, England. Yes, I added the U for Marion's sake. Marion is the prolific and bestselling author of 23 books, translated into many languages. This mother of five and grandmother of thirteen also serves as a British magistrate. So do not speed down her street.

Marion, how did you get into writing? How many books do you have published?

A bookworm since babyhood, I always wanted to write. When I "retired" from my profession as a physical therapist to have our first baby, I thought I could combine two ambitions - motherhood and becoming a writer! I have published 23 books, the most recent title being Dear God, It's Me and It's Urgent. My 24th book, It's Just You and Me, Lord, will be released in November 2012.

How did you get your first book contract?

I entered a competition for first-time writers of children's fiction when baby number one was two years old and his new brother three months old. Not ideal timing in many ways, but it gave me those two essentials: something specific to write and a deadline by which it must be finished.

What has helped you promote your books the most?

I have had quite an active speaking career, and up until very recently my publishers had efficient publicists.

What mistakes or wrong assumptions did you make with the marketing of your first book?

When I won the children's fiction competition back in the 70s, marketing hardly got a mention.

What's the funniest thing that happened during a promotional activity?

I was at a women's coffee morning as their designated speaker and was left alone by my hostess among the coffee-drinking throng. A woman took pity on me and asked where I'd come from. When I told her I'd driven about 75 miles to get there, she didn't appear to think it odd but said, "Have you heard of the woman who's speaking here this morning?" Without waiting for a response, she added, "They SAY she's written a number of books, but I haven't read any of them. Have you?" Knowing that she would soon discover that I WAS the speaker, I confessed. Not one whit abashed, she looked me up and down and then said, "WELL! To think that someone like you has written all those books over there!" Dumbfounded, I didn't have the nerve to ask what she was expecting, and to this day, wonder if I didn't LOOK like a writer because she was expecting someone like Barbara Cartland, a world-famous romantic novelist who always dressed in pink!

Did you see God open any doors you never expected in the promotion of your books?

Some of my books are what is known as co-editions. This means my publisher published them in conjunction with an overseas publisher, both using the same color illustrations and translating the text. In this way, I've had books published in fourteen different languages, including Chinese. When I was in a conference in Austria, which was intended to train publisher and editors from the two-thirds' world, I met Carol Holquist of Discovery House. Although I was there as a trainer not an author, we found we had lots in common. Through my conversations with her, she asked me to send her a book I'd had published in the UK, but the publisher had retired and the company closed. She liked Dear God, It's Me and It's Urgent, and her company took the US rights and published it in 2008. She then requested a sequel, It's Just You and Me, Lord, which will be published in November 2012.

What do you find works best for you in promoting your work, and why?

In spite of my long writing career, this US market is a new world to me, especially social media and all that goes with that. It's particularly difficult to market in the US in terms of radio interviews because radio journalists don't appear to trust the time difference.

What are your top tips for writers with their first book contract?

Read it carefully and take advice if you're not sure.

Thank you for sharing with us, Marion!

To learn more about Marion and her books, please visit Marion's website and Marion's blog

Writing for Him,

Sarah Sundin

Sarah's website