Jennifer On Writing

Print Pub vs. E Pub vs. DIY (Indie) Publishing

2011-06-15T08:04:00.003-06:00

This handout is from a talk I gave to the Northern AZ Romance Writers in Prescott last month. It's an update of my "Print vs. epub" talk, with added information about the new self-pub options available to writers.

My take is that each form of publishing has its trade-offs--and that you need to understand what you get and what you give up.

The Current Face of Publishing
Print Publishers, E-publishers, DIY E-publishing

Your Publishing Path = Your goals (achievement, financial) + understanding the trade-offs involved in each type of publishing

Your path is your path, no matter which one others perceive
as more "prestigious" or financially sound.

Print "New York" (Traditional) Publishers

Predominantly New York-based large corporate publishers (Random House, St. Martin's, Penguin [Berkley, NAL, Signet], Kensington, Harlequin, Grand Central [Hatchett])

Advantages
Distribution to major chain bookstores and big box stores
(Walmart, Target)
Aggressive marketing to booksellers who in turn market your book
International distribution
Potential of high advances (six figures and up)
Increased possibility for making national best-seller lists
Some large publishers now offering ebook first lines

Disadvantages
Only top-tier authors and authors whom editors wish to build get large advances and aggressive marketing to booksellers

A system that can quickly kill careers of mid-list authors (diminishing print runs, no support w/ booksellers)

Advances, even large ones, dribbled out over several years

No author control over covers, book price, distribution, print runs, publishing schedule

Royalty payments twice a year, only if book has earned out its advance

Authors must market to readers (via social networks, booksignings, conventions, promotion materials) and foot the costs

Comparatively low ebook royalties (25% of net proceeds is common; can be as low as 6% of cover price)

Authors can feel lost or neglected in huge corporations

Publishers tend to focus on narrow band of "what sells"

Small (Print) Press

Independent presses, some with only two or three employees; specialized presses (one genre only, or distribution to one channel, e.g., libraries). Examples: Avalon, Poisoned Pen, Walker Books, ImaJinn

Advantages
Smaller, family-like atmosphere
Small presses can be prestigious and produce award-winning authors
Good distribution within specialization
Good sales and/ or awards at small press can lead to contracts at larger presses.
Some small presses can sell mass market rights to get you wider distribution.

Disadvantages
Very small advances ($500-$1000) and small chance of earn-out
Limited distribution
Small print runs
Little or no author control over price, print run, distribution, publication schedule (though more author input is possible)

Ebook Publishers ("Ebook First" Pubs)

Small to medium-sized publishers, sometimes specializing in one or two genres (e.g., romance; erotic romance), publishes ebooks first, then might publish a small run of print books or POD books. Examples: Samhain, Ellora's Cave, LooseID

Advantages
Well-established publishers have loyal readerships
Distribution to predominant ebook vendors (Amazon, B&N, Sony)
Higher ebook royalty rates than print houses (30-40% of cover price is common)
Quarterly to monthly royalty payments
Some epubs now placing authors on New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists

Disadvantages
No advances
Little to no author control over covers (though more flexibility in this area)
No author control over price, publication schedule, print publications
Print publication of the ebook follows slowly, sometimes not at all
Saturation of ebook market means fewer sales per author

Do-It-Yourself Ebook Publishing (Indie Publishing)

Authors use services such as Kindle Direct Publishing; PubIt (Barnes & Noble), and Smashwords to package and distribute ebooks

Advantages
Distribution to all major e-vendors (Amazon, B&N, Sony, Kobo, and others)
Higher royalty rates (35-70% of cover price)
Monthly or quarterly royalty payments
Complete author control over covers, pricing, distribution, publication schedule, marketing, and story
Books can earn into the hundreds of thousands of dollars
Cover and formatting costs can be minimal ($100-$300 per book)
Instant access to sales numbers

Disadvantages
No advances
Author assumes all cost and responsibility for editing / proofreading ms
Author assumes all costs for packaging and marketing the book: Cover design, formatting, marketing materials, advertising
Non-writing aspects (marketing, ms. formatting, etc) can be time and labor intensive
Print distribution minimal
Not all books earn high $ amounts

Conclusion: Carefully consider your options before taking the plunge in any direction, and understand the pitfalls you may encounter. Realize that no publishing career will be without ups and downs, mistakes, and setbacks. Understand what each publishing model can do for you, and what it can't, and plan accordingly.

Workshop from Tucson Book Fest: Book is Written, Now What?

2011-03-15T12:11:00.004-06:00

I'm reproducing my handout from my talk in Tucson: The Book is Written, Now What? Enjoy!

Organization and Career Focus

What kinds of books do you see yourself writing day in, day out? How many books
a year can you write? (be realistic!)
What kind of publisher do you want
to target? (large press, small press, e-pub)

Market Research

Who are the editors and agents buying/selling what you write?
Writer’s Market (updated annualy)
Conference websites (editor’s bios--shows what editors are looking for)
Agents’ blogs
Check a publisher’s distribution and reputation, not just how much $$ you can get up front. Distribution can be more important than money (keeps you published)
Go to stores (Walmart, Target, grocery chains, bookstores) and see what publishers are on the shelves who publish what you are writing or close to what you are writing.

How to Get your Ms. Read
• Contests
Target wisely (publisher-sponsored; your genre; editors/agent judges)
• Conferences
Hone your pitch to the agent or editor to one-two sentences. Give them room to ask you questions. Ask them questions--what are they looking for? What was the last thing they bought that got them really excited? What is the most recent (new author) book they've sold to a publisher?
• Query Letters
What is a query letter? A one-page letter that contains information about your book plus your pitch:
Paragraph one: Tell the agent why you've written him: I'm looking for
representation for my mystery series set in the outback of Australia in the
1940s. The first book is 80,000 words and is finished.

Paragraph two-three: Blurb of your book. Very short setup of main
character, main problem, villain, what makes the book unique. (or in romance,
hero and heroine, main problem, etc.)

Paragraph four: Offer to send a partial or full manuscript at the agent's
request. Thank her for her time, and sign.
That's it!!!
Send out up to 10 query letters at a time. When one comes back, pop another in the mail.
• Submit constantly.

Agents: Why do I need one?
• Agents can be your number one biggest asset.
Agent does much more than get you sold (you can get yourself sold).

Shop for agents wisely. Ask questions, read their blog, research them.

Do not use agents who charge up-front fees.

For Inspiration

The amount of dedication you give to your writing career is what it will give back to you.

Don’t settle. Believe that you can attain the highest levels! What you shoot for, you will get, or get very close to.

When you make writing your job, it becomes your job (with pay!)

For Education

Lawrence Block, Telling Lies for Fun and Profit (Insightful articles on writing, discipline, technique, marketing).

Steven King, On Writing. Part 1 is an autobiography; part 2 offers gloves-off advice for starting and sticking to writing, the basics of good writing, how to finish the book and what to do with it.

Donald Maass, The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success. What everything means, and how to survive it.

Jeff Hermann, Jeff Herman’s Writer’s Guide to Editors, Publishers, and Agents (updated annually)

SWFA’s Predators and Editors website (lists agent addresses and websites, $=an agent with a track record of sales): http://pred-ed.com/pubagent.htm

Online Workshop--Agents: Do You Need One/How Do I Get One?

2011-01-26T09:56:00.004-07:00

I will be teaching an online workshop from Feb 1 to Feb 7 through my RWA chapter at http://www.drworkshops.com/ /. My workshop:

Jennifer Ashley--Agents: Do You Need One, and How Do You Get One if You Do?

From 2/1/2011 to 2/7/2011

Questions many authors face at the beginning of their careers are: Do I need an agent? What for? How do I find one? Will an agent represent an unknown, unpublished author? What about if I'm category published or e-press published? The answer to all these questions is: "It depends"--on many factors. Agents are not golden tickets to success; on the other hand, navigating the waters of big-house publishing without them can be tricky and sometimes impossible. This workshop will address what an agent's job is, what you should expect from them (and what you should not expect), when and why you should go it alone, how to find an agent to represent you, and how to work well with your agent once you're signed with her.

Cost: $15 for Desert Rose RWA members; $20 for non-members

Sign up at: http://www.drworkshops.com/Workshops/Details/2011-Agents-Do-You-Need-One

Please feel free to forward!!

Denise Agnew's best books on writing

2011-01-03T11:19:00.004-07:00

Denise Agnew has a terrific New Year's post on her top ten books on writing. These are more inspirational than the nuts and bolts of craft, and well worth reading. Pop over and have a look.

http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=703

Staying Motivated When Times Get Rough

2010-11-03T10:47:00.007-06:00

I have not posted here in a while, for which I humbly apologize. I have been writing, marketing, revising, rewriting, editing, proofreading, proposing, and on and on and on, while at the same time trying not to burn out.

As some of you may know, I've been caught in a publisher's spiraling troubles--I moved to another publisher already (did last year), but the problems are still pulling at my heels. Lots of issues to solve.

I know many authors caught in the same situation who are finding difficulty writing and staying motivated to write. Luckily, I have not had this problem; I still love digging my hands into my books and writing them. That's not to say I'm not distracted as heck from getting work done! (I so need to turn off the Internet.)

I had a brief revelation yesterday about staying motivated creatively, so I want to quickly share it FWIW:

Divorce the act of writing from getting paid for it.

I write for money. I have no other marketable skills (*g*), so I have to turn in books to get paid. I don't always want to. Sometimes I would much rather go to the mountains and look at the view. (And I do; it's inspiring.)

But when I separate the act of writing from money, business, contracts, proposals, numbers--in other words, when I make it all about the stories, the creative motivation returns.

I do plenty of creative things just to do them. I build dollhouses and dollhouse miniatures (it's not a hobby; it's an obsession). I don't do it for money--spend money yes, make money, no. Yet, I'm still motivated to do it. I pick up the miniature magazines I subscribe to, look at the beautiful things other people have created, and I want to get out my glue and paint and make them too (or purchase them from said people--I'm happy to shop!)

Yesterday I made an autumn wreath for my front door, digging through my boxes of silk flowers and leaves and making a huge mess before I was finished. I didn't do this for money or because I had a contract. I did it because I wanted to create something pretty for my front door.

Making a wreath is not as difficult as writing a novel (well, not as time-consuming, anyway), but it's a creative process, one I went through without thought of compensation. I just wanted a wreath.

Building dollhouse miniatures *is* time-consuming and complicated, and costs money, but I do it anyway. I build my settings because I want to create something beautiful. I display them in various places about the house (or I thrust them upon long-suffering friends or family members).

I have no monetary motivation for building these things. I will receive no compensation, no fame, no fortune, no awards, no name in print, nothing. I take photos of my projects and post them on my website, my minis blog, or to a Facebook group for the like-minded mini-obsessed. But that's all the "publication" I will get.

(BTW, if you want to join the long-suffering, my mini blog is here: http://jennsminis.wordpress.com / with many photos here: http://www.jennifersromances.com/Miniatures/miniatures.html )

I still do it: for the joy, to delight in the finished project, to see if I can do it.

Why should writing be any different? Yes, I have contracts, and I make money when I sell books (see no other marketable skills). But I write to create something beautiful, or as near to beautiful as I can--for the joy, to delight in the finished project, to see if I can do it.

When I think of writing like that, the motivation is there, the joy is back. Having contracts and deadlines is an extra motivation, of course (and why I write books rather than do minis all day), but I'm also working on a couple of books/projects for which I have no contracts and no deadlines. I might never sell them, but I'm still motivated to finish creating what I've started. Having other books on deadline will slow down this process (like the minis), but will not stop it.

In conclusion, if you are tied in knots about writing, fear you'll never be sold again, have rights tied up to the book of your heart (and believe me, I know how horribly heartbreaking that is), stop.

Divorce the act of writing from signing contracts, making money, yadda yadda yadda.

Go back to writing for the sake of it. Create something beautiful. See that you can do it. Try a new genre you've always wanted to try. No one says you *have* to write what you've been writing thus far. Write what you want to write, try to sell it when you're done. Forget about "career" and go back to why you wanted this career in the first place.

Even if you never sell that piece of writing, it is NOT a waste of time. Every book or story completed teaches you something new, builds up your existing skills, and leads to new creative thoughts. When I build another miniature project, I try to learn something new, which I can take with me to the next project. I get better as I progress. Writing is no different.

And hey, you can always thrust that finished and lovely novel upon your long-suffering friends and family, or pop it on Kindle and thrust it upon the people there.

But whatever happens to that piece of writing in the long run, you had the delight in producing it, you saw if you could do it, and you learned something.

On the other hand:

If you think I'm insane, and the only thing that motivates you is impossible deadlines, it's NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Join in and write!

You Do Have More than One Shot

2010-06-13T08:08:00.004-06:00

I realize I haven't posted anything since April, which does not mean I've let this blog go. It means I've been busy with the most important part of a writer's career--duh, the writing! (That gets lost sometimes--don't let it!)

I was inspired to do this post while watching a television show, in which one of the characters confesses he's had a dream of writing something his whole life and never did it. The other characters encourage him to go for it, and he finally finishes his story and sends it in.

Very nice, right?

Then I started laughing. The character haunts his mailbox for TWO WEEKS, and then is devastated when he gets a rejection. "Oh, well," he says. "I guess I'm just not cut out for this. I'm an average Joe, not someone with talent." The other characters pat him on the back and say, "At least you tried." And he goes back to his life.

I'm sitting there with my mouth open, going--what kind of a stupid, messed-up message was THAT?

OK, I do get the point of the (rather cliche) story. The theme is "You have to go for your dream. Even if it doesn't work, at least you tried instead of saying 'if only' your whole life."

That's not a bad message.

But the execution--oh my goodness! OK, I do also realize they had to tell this story in half an hour and keep the character and the series status quo.

But now I can use it to send my own message:

YOU CAN NOT EXPECT TO FIND INSTANT SUCCESS IN A WRITING CAREER OF ANY KIND AND DECIDE IT'S NOT FOR YOU WHEN YOU GET ONE (COUNT IT, 1) REJECTION!

Well, you can, but if so, you weren't really in the game in the first place.

Becoming a career writer, which means making a living off your published books being bought by (a huge gob of) strangers in bookstores or online, takes TIME AND HARD WORK.

The idea that you're a failure (read, untalented loser) if you don't find instant success is simply not true.

Success comes from trying and trying and trying again until you find what YOU want. This is true in any career--most people learn all they can about their chosen profession then start at the bottom and work their way up.

We do the same thing as writers.

As writers, our "education" is either getting an MFA in creative writing (the way you'd go if you want to be a literary writer) or reading tons of books in the genre/style we wish to write and then writing them.

Our job application is the query letter to an agent or editor, our employment agency is our agent (though we can bypass an agent and sell ourselves--see my post "Why You Need An Agent" ).

When we sign our first contract, we've landed our first job. It may be a great job that lets us quickly climb the career ladder, or it may be a dead-end job that we need to quit after a couple of books and try again in another place. You might end up rising to the top at that publisher, or getting fired (that is: dumped, contacts cancelled, it happens).

All of this takes time and work.

Even self-publishing, which people think is a great way to bypass all the pain and suffering of finding an agent or a publisher is still WORK! and TIME! and STRESS! and add in MONEY! Self-publishing means essentially becoming your own publishing company--hiring people to edit and proofread your book, create book covers for you, format your books, and either print and distribute them for you or upload/distribute them to e-book sales sites, and then it's up to you to do all the marketing and sales. You are now a small business--with all the work that entails!

To be a published author, you have to keep writing, keep submitting, keep trying, keep selling. It's a never-ending game. It's not easy money. If being an author (whether you're published and stressed or unpublished and stressed) doesn't make you happy in and of itself, THEN, you give up and do something else (which will likely lower your blood pressure).

Have I shouted enough? Writing is a tough career. I don't care if you decide to publish yourself or go the agent/publisher route, it's still tough (each is tough in a different way).

The bottom line is: Thinking you can sell a novel/story/play/whatever in TWO WEEKS and then GIVING UP when it doesn't is ludicrous!

HAVE PATIENCE, DON'T GIVE UP, and if you can't sell the first thing you finish, WRITE SOMETHING ELSE!

OK?

A Look at My Royalty Statements--Or Appearance vs. Reality

2010-04-06T11:00:00.007-06:00

I recently received my royalty statements from Berkley and spend a little bit going over them. Here's what I learned:

(Data these observations are based on: Three mass market books; three trades; two anthologies [one mass market, one trade]; and one book that was in both trade and mass market. All titles were pubbed between July 2007 and Oct 2009, except one from early 2006. Two titles were mainstream fiction; the rest paranormal or erotic romances.)

1. Ebook sales: Ebook sales constitute FIVE PERCENT (5%) of the print book sales overall. In other words, for every thousand books sold, 50 were ebooks and 950 were print.

This is across the board, whether the book was mass market or trade; anthology or single book; erotic or mainstream romance; higher price or lower price.

2. Ebooks sales drop off significantly as the book ages. Ebook sales were strongest in the first six months and then tapered off, same as the print sales.

3. Two books I thought had tanked actually had very strong sellthroughs (number of books sold compared to number printed). I thought they had tanked based on my Amazon/B&N rankings, plus lack of online chatter about the books. But no.

4. Mass market paperbacks had far bigger print runs than the trades. So despite making more royalty *per book* on a trade-sized book, the royalties for the title as a whole are much smaller than the overall royalties on the mass market titles.

5. Trade paperbacks sell a little cleaner than the mass markets (i.e., fewer returns). (Part of the reason is that trades don't get "stripped and returned; the bookseller has to send back the entire book.)

6. The title that got the worst reviews has the best sales.

7. A title that won a significant award--tanked. My worst-selling book ever!

8. The romances (so far) have outsold the mainstream fiction titles.

I can't really compare how erotic romance sold vs. "regular" romance, because they are in different print formats, so it's hard to tell. Different print runs, different return rates, different prices, different distribution. (Although both sold ebooks at the same rate: 5% of the print sales.)

Also, all the romances are paranormal, so I can't judge the difference between it and historical. (However, the historical romances I did at Dorchester have sold as well, or in some cases better than, the paranormals at Berkley).

There you have it. I offer no conclusions or philosophical statements, just the data!

The Editorial Process

2010-03-23T17:17:00.005-06:00

Lately I've been hearing a number of misconceptions about what happens to a book when it gets bought by a publisher (small or large). I hear:

1. "Editors don't edit anymore."
2. "Why does it take so long for the next book to come out?"

I will answer both in a post about the whole editorial process.

1. Myth: Editors don't edit anymore.

Well, I can't speak for all authors everywhere, but it certainly isn't true for ME. In the past eight years, I've worked with seven different editors, and each one, trust me, edited my work. (This goes for both gigantic New York houses and small e-press.)

2. Why does it take so long for the next book to come out?

Because though an author might write a book in a few months (or a few years, depending on the author and the book), it takes print houses nine to 18 months to process the book into print form; e-houses a bit less (if the book is e-released alone first).

Let me start at the beginning:

The manuscript is accepted by the publishing house.

The editor chats with the agent or author about what the publisher is offering, author/agent accepts, champagne is broached.

The contracts department then works up a contract according to what editor and agent/author have discussed and sends contract to agent/author.

Agent and/or author go back and forth a few times with the publisher until the contract is hammered out.

At a print house, once the contract has been signed by the author, the publisher sends out a check for *part* of the agreed-upon advance. (Most e-houses do not pay advances.) Advances are usually split into three or more parts: 1. Signing the contract; 2. delivery of first book; 3. (possible) delivery of synopsis for subsequent book; 4. delivery of subsequent books; 5. (possible) publication; and 6. (possible) when published hardback book goes into softback or mass market

Standard time between contract signing and your first check: four to six weeks.
Manuscript

If the editor had the manuscript in hand when the contract went out, the book can be scheduled in the publisher's list of books coming out in the next year or so.

If the editor purchased on a partial (synopsis/chapters), contract will indicate when the full book is due.
Editing/Revisions

Once the editor has the full ms. he/she reads it. She then contacts you via phone or email to discuss the book and possible changes. Sometimes these changes are minimal; sometimes deep.

The editor then sends you back the ms. for revisions, usually with a letter asking questions, suggesting changes, asking for clarification. A due date is set for when revisions should be returned. (Some editors skip the chat and simply send the ms. back to you with the letter.)

Note that at this point, the ms. is not considered "accepted." If the editor thinks the book is a mess even when you turn it back in, she can still reject it, and you won't get the rest of your advance (contracts vary as to how long you have to fix the book or write something else.)

Standard time for aquiring editor to read book and send back revisions: a few weeks to a few months.
Author revises the book.

Depending on how extensive requested revisions are, this can take you an hour to two full weeks.

Now--lest you think suddenly all control is wrested from you, and the book is being written by a "committee," and the world has gone all swirly and green; not at all.

If you don't agree with changes your editor has proposed, you can certainly argue. I often do. This shouldn't be a heated, screaming match; it should be a reasoned discussion about what is best for the book. Editors are not always right; neither are authors.

Keep in mind you are very close to the book at this point. An editor is reading it for the first time. Things are going to jump at her that you never saw (or your critique group never saw). This does not mean that the editor is perfect, and you should do whatever he says; nor does it mean it's time to go all diva and scream that no one understands your gift.

Anyway, that's revisions.

Standard time you are given for revisions: two to four weeks

You turn in the book, the editor adores what you've done, and they send you the D&A (Delivery and Acceptance) advance.

Standard time to get your D&A advance after acceptance: six weeks to 60 days.
Copyedits

Next, the book is sent to a copyeditor, usually a freelancer; sometimes someone in-house. That person does line edits; that is, she or he marks corrections to grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and asks questions about sentences or story points that are unclear.

Standard time for freelance copyeditors: Two to four weeks

Most houses let you look at the copyedits and answer the copyeditor's queries. Some houses take the CE manuscript and send it to production without you seeing it, but this makes me squirrelly, so I always ask to see the CEs.

You go through the ms. one more time, curse at the copyeditor for changing your words, change them back, correct other errors, answer the queries, concede that the CE has caught things you missed.

Standard time for you to look at the CEs: Two weeks.
Proofs

Once you have messed with the copyedited ms., your inhouse editor goes over it again then sends it back to Production to be put into page proofs. These proofs are close to what you're going to see in the final copy.

Standard time from CEs to proofs: Two to four weeks.

You get sent either a printout or a PDF file, which you then proofread.

Most houses also send the proofs to a freelance proofreader at the same time. Between you and the proofreader, the typos should all get caught. (Note I say should.)

Reading page proofs is my favorite part. The book is so finished that I can't change the story--I can now just read it as a story. I also like to make sure I've caught every problem I possibly can. That's my OCD talking.

Standard time you get to look at proofs: Two to three weeks (Often less, because time is marching on)
Book to printers

By now, the book has a cover (usually before you've done the revisions, because it needs to be in the catalog a long time in advance) and a blurb. This plus the manuscript gets sent to the printers for the final book.

Standard time at printers: Six to eight weeks.

There you have it. The book comes of the press and is warehoused and sent out to booksellers nationwide (or pubbed on an ebook site). If you are owed a pub advance, you get it four to eight weeks later. For ebook houses, your royalties start rolling in six to eight weeks after the book is posted (depending on the pub's payment schedule).

Mileage can vary, of course!

While the pub house is doing this for your book, they're doing it for many, many other authors at the same time, which adds to the time. Smaller houses with fewer authors might have a shorter time frame.

E-book houses put out books anywhere from four to six months after author turns in the ms., because they don't have to schedule time at the printers and wait for that process.

The e-book house I write for uses a similar editing process except:
1. I don't get paid until the book is published and starts to earn royalties.
2. The line editing and proofs are done in one step.
3. I usually don't get a cover until the book is a few weeks away from publication.

More notes:

Everything I'm talking about here are the mechanics of getting a book to print. I have skipped the conversations with my editor about the back blurb and the cover, me seeing the cover and either gushing or weeping, the covers being printed and the marketing team going out to sell the books to the distributors with lovely covers in hand.

So...books are still put through the wringer, and you can see why it takes such a long time to process them.

Caveat: I speak only from my own experience writing for NY houses and e-houses, and as an editor at medium-sized nonfiction presses.

How to "Get Started"

2010-02-17T09:38:00.005-07:00

As I slowly catch up from my three-month marathon of revising two books and writing the complete ms. of a third, I'm finding my inbox filling with questions from aspiring authors about how to get started writing a book.

I think many bloggers here are already in the completing-the-ms.-and-getting-it-sold stage, but I think it's a good thing to review how to start writing in the first place.

You just sit down and write.

Profound, eh?

But true. Writing is a skill/craft that develops by working at it. It's unlikely you'll simply be brilliant and become an overnight star. It doesn't work like that in writing.

(And here's a truth that very few people want to hear: It NEVER works that way. Talented people succeed because they work very, very hard to hone their craft, and they have that craft in place when the right opportunity for them to shine comes along.)

So, you want to write a book. You're willing to work. You might think you have loads of talent; you might think you have zero talent. What do you do?

READ

then

WRITE

Read a wide variety of books and make a pile of the ones you love. It's likely that what you love will have something in common--even if they're all from different genres! Something in those books speaks to you. Is it family love? romance? in-your-face action/adventure? Sad stories about courageous people?

Whatever it is, read those kinds of books and find more like them. Then start writing. It doesn't really matter whether you have a good plot or characters or have a grasp on dialog--the act of writing you teaches you as you go.

You might think--but it's crap! It has to be good!

No, it really doesn't. Not your first attempt. Forget about the high-falutin' ideas about "First Novels" and all that BS. It's a good bet your first manuscript will be full of holes, with flat characters and dialog, and likely be an amalgam of books you like. That's ok, because you need to get that out of your system.

If the book is brilliant--hey, you're lucky. If not, don't worry about it.

View your first manuscript as a learning tool. I taught myself to oil paint a few years ago. I certainly would not let anyone see my first attempts! Eventually I painted a couple pictures that were ok enough to frame and hang on my wall.

Books are similar. Your first attempts at scenes or dialog might not be good. And that's ok. Allow yourself to be bad. From "badness" you'll find a little goodness, and you can take that and build on it.

If you find yourself bogged down in the middle of your book, that's ok too. It's entirely up to you whether to abandon it or push through to the end.

Note: When I was first starting, people advised me NEVER to abandon a book, or I would just end up with dozens of half-written manuscripts. That is a danger, admittedly. But I discovered that my instincts were good--I would realize that the story was wrong somehow, or wasn't what I wanted, or something. Letting myself walk away and start fresh led me to writing something that I could finish and was publishable. When I wrote that publishable book, I knew it. The pieces came together--all those things I tried to write before finally gelled, and yep, that book got published.

Once you have a complete manuscript:

1. Celebrate! You've reached a point that so many people aspire to and never reach.

2. Now worry about making it readable and/or publishable. There are tons of books out there on craft (dialog, scenes, structure, style, grammar . . .). Look them up in the library or shop at your local bookstore or online. I read many books when I was learning--some helped, some confused the heck out of me. Find ones that work *for you.*

3. Read some more, and start another book.

A word about process: Don't get bogged down by trying to copy another writer's process. Everyone's is different--you have to figure out the way of working that is right for you.

Some writers won't write a word unless the scene is planned meticulously from beginning to end. I prefer to go with the flow: I might make a note that says [Janet talks with Coyote about the skinwalker; Maya interrupts] and then write the scene. The flow of the dialog, the setting, the important points all come out of my head as I think about them. For me, if I plan ahead too much, it takes away the freshness of the scene.

But, I know plenty of good writers who plan, plan, plan. They make charts; they make posters; they make spreadsheets. They know every single thing that's going to happen and then they write it down.

However, it is not the process that's important but the end result. No one reading your book will have any idea whether you wrote it longhand with a pen or plotted each scene on a spreadsheet and organized it by bullet points. They probably won't care either.

That's my spiel on getting started.

Just start.

What you come up with might be putrid. It might be brilliant. But you will never, ever know unless you sit down and start typing.

So, go for it, and have FUN!

Creating Characters the Organic Way

2010-01-14T12:43:00.002-07:00

I wrote a big, meaty post on my method for developing a main character over on The Chatelaines. http://www.thechatelaines.blogspot.com

Scientific it ain't. But it works for me.

:-)

Excellent words of advice

2009-12-21T10:51:00.003-07:00

Cruising other blogs to find good stuff:

Here's a post on handling criticism: You need to learn to handle feedback before you're pubbed, and you definitely need to know how to handle it when you're pubbed. (All authors get bad reviews. Doesn't matter how brilliant the author or the book, or how much the angels sing, a negative review will come.)

http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2007/08/20/how-to-handle-criticism-and-get-something-good-out-of-it/

Colleen Thompson blogs about tightening words, plots, scenes.

http://boxingoctopus.blogspot.com/2009/12/cutting-to-chase.html

And Now for a Humorous Look at Writing

2009-11-24T11:03:00.002-07:00

Came across this today:

How to Write Badly Well:

http://writebadlywell.blogspot.com

A hilarious sendup. We all need the laugh I think!

The New York Times (and Other) Bestseller Lists

2009-11-03T07:41:00.005-07:00

I'm always fascinated by bestseller lists and how books get there (because, yeah, I want mine there too).

For the last three weeks, I've had the thrill of seeing my Allyson James pseudonym appear on the New York Times mass market bestseller list at the following ranks: Week 1: 15; Week 2: 14; and Week 3: 35. The first two weeks were printed in the newspaper, and you bet I grabbed a copy of each.

Now, this was for an anthology, and I know that, duh, the lead authors in this book were responsible for it getting on NYT and I was just in the car with them. But it was a thrill, nonetheless to see my name on the coveted print list.

I'm always curious about bestseller lists and how they're put together. And also, who it's important to. As an author, I'm stoked when I get on one. As a reader--I think I can't be paid to care. I read what I like to read, and will think no less of the author or the book if they're not "bestsellers." But publishers get very happy with you when you hit a list, and booksellers start to privilege you, so as a writer, it's in my career best interest to do so.

The USA Today top 150 lists the top 150 sellers for the week, be they nonfiction, fiction, mass market, hardback, YA, romance, self-help, whatever (some things are left out, like category romance). They have handy web page: http://content.usatoday.com/life/books/booksdatabase/default.aspx which lists the current week, plus provides a searchable database, so you can look up "Jennifer Ashley" and "Allyson James" and see me there (all right, if you're not my mother, you don't have to do this).

According to the USA Today page, books are not broken down into formats--for example if a hardcover, mass market, and ebook copy of a book are all available for sale, the sales are counted together.

You can read the whole explanation of how the list is generated and who gives them sales data here: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/booksdatabase/2006-06-14-bookslist-about_x.htm

The New York Times list, on the other hand, breaks its lists down into categories and formats.

From their handy website: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/

they have separate lists for:

Hardcover Nonfiction
Hardcover Fiction
Trade paperback fiction (those oversize paperbacks that run about $15)
Mass market paperback fiction
Paperback nonfiction
Hardcover Advice books
Paperback Advice books
Children's Books
Graphic Novels
Hardcover Business bestsellers
Paperback business bestsellers

Here is what the page says about how they get the numbers for these lists:

"These lists are an expanded version of those appearing in the November 8 print edition of the Book Review. Rankings reflect sales, for the week ending October 24, at many thousands of venues where a wide range of general interest books are sold nationwide. These include hundreds of independent book retailers (statistically weighted to represent all such outlets); national, regional and local chains; online and multimedia entertainment retailers; university, gift, supermarket, discount department stores and newsstands. An asterisk (*) indicates that a book’s sales are barely distinguishable from those of the book above. A dagger (†) indicates that some bookstores report receiving bulk orders. Among those categories not actively tracked are: perennial sellers; required classroom reading; text, reference and test preparation guides; journals and workbooks; calorie counters; shopping guides; comics and crossword puzzles"

In the publishing world, the New York Times list carries the most prestige. It's a difficult list to crack. In my personal opinion the USA Today list is even harder--you're competing with cookbooks and the most popular YA as well as your fellow romance or mystery authors in all formats. This would explain why people can hit the New York Times extended lists (#21-35) and not make USA Today top 150.

Then there's Bookscan, which most readers never see. I read all over the place that Bookscan represents 75% of all sales. That might be true for hardbacks, but it is NOT for mass market fiction, especially mass market paperback originals. For mm originals, Bookscan represents about 25-30 percent (this is data taken from my own royalty statements; I'm sure mileage varies.)

The main reason for this disparity is Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart does not report sales to Bookscan (at this time), and Wal-Mart sells a gazillion mass market paperbacks. In my own experience, Wal-Mart accounts for the largest chunk of my print runs.

Bookscan is a private list owned by Neilsen, and you need a subscription to view it. If you're in Romance Writers of America or Novelists Inc, you get a chance to look at Bookscan lists at a substantial discount. I like it because when my book makes the top 100 romance list, it gives me a good indication of how my book is getting out into the world. The list shows total sales for each book for the current week, the previous week, and total year to date. It's only a slice of the pie ('cause, Wal-Mart), but it's helpful to get a relative picture.

So there you have the dirt on bestseller lists. As authors, we are constantly judged by them. As a reader, I personally don't care, although I know readers who refuse to read anything not on the New York Times top 10 (I feel so sorry for them *g*).

Opinions? Questions?

The Dreaded Synopsis

2009-10-09T17:34:00.001-06:00

I've been wanting to post on synopses, but my friend Colleen Thompson did a great one on her blog, Boxing the Octopus.

http://boxingoctopus.blogspot.com/2009/10/writing-selling-romance-synopsis.html

Go forth and learn!!

Jennifer Ashley

Professional Jealousy--How to Deal with It and Make It Work for You

2009-09-14T07:42:00.001-06:00

I have been trying to write a post on Professional Jealousy for some time. I started the draft months ago, but have been too busy to finish. No one should be jealous of my organization skills! LOL But here goes:

What is Professional Jealousy?

Professional jealousy is really envy--something wonderful happens to someone else and you wish it had happened to you. If you want to be Biblical, you are coveting your neighbor's success. You want what they have.

The first thing you have to realize is that it's ok to envy someone. I envy one of my friends who travels the world every year. I'd love to do that! But circumstances at this point don't allow it. I envy another friend who always seems to have the coolest gadgets. I want them! But I have other expenses I have to take care of first.

And when I was unpublished, I hung out on online loops where every week someone else had won a contest or gotten a request for a full or signed with an agent or pubbed a book, while nothing, nothing, nothing happened to me. Sometimes it got to be where I couldn't sign onto the loop without feeling a great wash of despair.

But don't feel bad. Envy is natural. When we want something (and want it bad!), it seems unfair that it happens to someone else.

Then I looked at it this way:

1. Do I want what they have? YES!
2. Am I willing to work very hard to have the same succes? YES!
3. Do I want to take someone else's success away from them? NO.

No, I don't want to take the shiny trophy away from the person who is weeping with happiness, surrounded by her family and friends cheering for her because she won it. She worked hard, she likely had many, many problems along the way (personal and professional), and she probably deserves the damn trophy.

After I'd been writing a while I realized that no one's life is perfect, not even an author's (and these days I'm thinking, especially not an author's! LOL).

No one achieves without a lot of sweat, heartache, pain, and sacrifice. Very, very few people are handed things on a platter. (It might seem like some people are, but it's extremely rare, and it may be that you just can't see the pain behind the success.)

The most important question up there is:

Am I willing to put in the time, energy, and labor to get what that person I envy has?

If your answer is No, then the rest of this post probably won't help you. You are expecting things to be handed to you, and I'm sorry, they won't be. Nothing is free.

If it's Yes, then let me see if I can help you harness your envy and make it work for you.

How to Harness the Ugly Emotion and Make it Work for You

One thing I've learned about very successful authors: They work very, very hard. They want success so much that they are willing to give up time with family, vacations, sleep, watching TV, and other things to achieve their goals. These people are willing to put in the hours, the labor, the pain and depression to become stars of the literary world--well, let's face it, to be published at all!

One way to curtail your jealousy is to realize that no one--no one at all--achieves anything without a price.

I've seen authors leap to the top with their first book (doing way better than me), only to be gone within a few years.

I've seen authors' careers lag for years before they finally hit the right note and shoot to the top, baby! (I mean, one year these authors are completely ignored at the conferences; the next, they can't walk without a crowd on their heels.)

--Aside: I can think of at least five authors off the top of my head whose first series were very modest successes, if that. Then they did a name change/genre change and zoomed upward. I figure that's because they're now more market savvy, have more experience writing books, and just wrote the right thing at the right time.

I've seen authors start at the bottom and progress slowly and steadily to the top. I can think of names in that area too.

Another way to look at it

Everyone has a different path to success. Some luck out with the best agents right away and land delicious contracts while the rest of us are still struggling. Some people write for years before they strike paydirt with a good contract. Some get published then languish low on the midlist for a decade before they have a hit.

You know what? Each of these authors might in the end make the same amount of money and have the same number of sales. And yet, they each reached that level in a different way.

So if you think--everyone's getting published but me!! That might be true!

Today. Maybe even next week. Some day, it will be you getting published/winning that award/landing that dream agent.

It really will happen.

The fact that other people succeed BEFORE you do, DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU WILL FAIL.

How to Use Jealousy to Your Advantage

Also known as Market Research!

There's always going to be someone out there you envy. Someone got published. Someone won that award. Someone got an agent.

Do you want to get published?

Do you want to win the award?

Do you want the agent?

Here's what you do. Read that person's book. Don't bother trying to read them before they're sold (e.g., asking friend to read her GH finaling book)--you want an example of what SOLD. Because A BOOK WINNING A CONTEST DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE BOOK IS MARKETABLE.

Sad but true.

But the reverse is also true: LOSING A CONTEST DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE BOOK IS NOT MARKETABLE.

Say woo hoo.

(I tanked in as many contests as I won before I was published--imagine my confusion.)

Anyway: Read the book. Analyze the book. What do you think caught the readers' attention? What is the writing style? Simple and plain? Lyrical and witty? Did it have innovated ideas, a twist on the tried and true? Or did it feed a market greedy for more of the same?

What happens if you don't like the book? If you're thinking "This is the most putrid trash I've ever read. How did this get published??!!"

Do the following:

Go into a back room in your house alone.

Scream. Pout. Kick the walls (not too hard; you'll just have to fix them)
Shout: "It's not fair! I hate her!"
Have a sullen temper tantrum.

Then suck it up.

Put your emotions aside and read the dang book. What do you think caught the readers' attention? What is the writing style like? (You know the drill).

Do You Mean I Have to Write This Person's Book?

No.

Of course not. You have to write your book. I'm just trying to get you to diffuse your envy and turn it into a learning experience.

What if I Just Don't Get It and Hate the Book and Never Want To Write Anything Like That?

Then that writing style/theme/market/audience is not for you. That's fine. There are SO many opportunities and markets and styles and subgenres that you'll find your niche if you are willing to try.

Therefor, you can stop being envious of that writer! You don't want to succeed in that area anyway.

Read other books of successful authors. Find the ones you fall in love with. It's likely that those styles and subgenres are ones you connect with, and probably what you should be writing. (I say probably, because some people have a heck of a time writing what they love to read. Oh well! We all find our talent one way or another.)

One Other Thing I Should Mention about Negative Wishes, or Hoping Mega-Bestselling Author will Fall into A Well and Clear the Field for You

It doesn't happen that way.

Actually, you want mega-bestelling author to succeed.

Why? Because booksellers like sure things.

If certain types of books sell very, very well (e.g., romances; time travels; Manga; whatever) it's much more likely that your book in the same niche will be published and sell well too. Publishers and booksellers like a sure thing. I can't stress this enough. (Yes, they take chances on new things too. But warily. Sometimes new things take them by surprise. If it's your new thing, yay you!)

If you write romance, you want every romance author out there to do well. So that the romance genre will still be there when you want to publish in it!

(To make things complicated, though, never write so closely to a trend or popular subgenre that the shelf life of your career is about two minutes. That's another post!)

Other Ways to Deal

If you just can't stand that you seem to get no breaks and everyone on the Internet is talking about THIS aspiring author that they say is the Next Big Thing, and no one, but no one is paying any attention to you, and you have heartburn and can't think about anything else, let alone write your book:

Stop.

Turn off the Internet.

Just. Don't. Look.

If you can't handle it, I implore you, let it go and don't participate. Obsession only loses you valuable writing time. Take all that emotion and put it into your stories!!

The Spotlight Shifts

The publishing business is fluid. One day everyone says a certain author is the Next Big Thing. The next, no one can remember her name. I've forgotten the names of many authors I swore, when I was unpubbed, would be The Next Big Thing. Everyone on the aspiring author loops were sure of it. They were the darlings of the group. Everyone ignored me, or responded to my questions with condescending dismissal.

Guess what happened?

Yep. Here I am a multipubbed author making a nice living, while most those people gave up.

Sometimes the spotlight is on me. When I won a Rita. When I hit USA Today for the first time. When I was headlining the Immortals series. When Madness of Lord Ian came out.

Right now, no one can be paid to care. I'm not doing anything interesting right now. (To the world. To me, I'm busier than I've ever been!)

Some of my books get hoopla. Some of my books get ignored.

It is the way of publishing.

I'm saying this so aspiring authors realize that the spotlight shifts. When it's shining brightly on you, be gracious, lap it up, do your best to thank people who are shining it on you.

When it's not on you, breathe a sigh and get back to work!

From Nothing to Full Book

2009-08-27T08:25:00.002-06:00

I'm guesting at Magical Musings: http://magicalmusings.com with a tale of how last year I had a looming deadline, a blank screen, and no story. From blocked to book. It might be inspiring. :-)

How Authors Make Money

2009-08-04T07:42:00.006-06:00

With a lot going around the net about ebooks, piracy, advances vs. royalties and things of that nature, I thought it would be a good idea to lay out exactly how authors earn money and how much (or little). From what I've seen around and surveys I've read, there's a bit of confusion among authors and readers both.

Basically authors earn money BY THE SALES OF NEW BOOKS IN RETAIL OUTLETS (Borders, B&N, Walmart) OR IN RETAIL EBOOK STORES (e.g., Kindle, Fictionwise, B&N, Sony, etc..). With possible income supplements I outline below.

Period.

I could end my post here. But I like to talk so I'll do more explaining.

Here's where you can find print books and ebooks for sale and what each means to the author:

1. Retailers who carry NEW books ordered from the publisher (sometimes via wholesalers/distributors like Ingrams, Baker & Taylor, Anderson Merch, Levy, among others). These include: Borders, B&N, independent booksellers who stock new books (not just used), Target, Walmart, drug chains, grocery stores, and the like.

Authors make: Royalties on the cover price, anywhere from 4% to 8% on mass markets, 7.5% on trades, 10% or so on hardbacks.

Sales: Mass markets: anywhere from a couple thousand to a couple hundred thousand; Trades: anywhere from a couple thousand to 50K; Hardbacks: Anywhere from a couple thousand to 50-75K. (This is the average author. Huge blockbuster authors like Nora Roberts or Stephanie Meyer sell much more, but most authors never become blockbusters and sell more moderately.)
Benefits to author: Author gets paid royalties. (twice a year or yearly)

Drawbacks to author: Books, esp. hardback and trade are expensive for readers. Distribution might be spotty--her/his books might only make it to a few chain bookstores and indies, in which case the number of sales will be drastically lower.

2. Ebook retailers who order directly from the publisher: Amazon Kindle, B&N's new e-store, Fictionwise, Sony, and others.

Authors make: Well, there's a bit of fluctuation going on. About half the publishers right now are giving authors royalties on the cover price (percent varies wildly; I do mean wildly, not widely); about half publishers are trying to give authors royalties on the "net proceeds" (which means after all expenses are subtracted, authors get paid. Bad, bad, bad for authors. What if there's nothing left after expenses are subtracted?)

Sales: At this point, the percentage of ebook sales to print sales (from major print publishers) is small.

Benefit to author: Another area of distribution, and author gets paid royalties. (Twice a year or yearly)

Drawback to author: Ebook readers are expensive, not all readers are comfortable with the technology, readers dependent on the site having no glitches at the time they want to purchase. Not all publishers are making their books available as ebooks.

3. Ebook publishers selling new ebook originals directly from their websites (e.g., Ellora's Cave, Samhain, LooseId).

Authors make: Again, varies by publisher. Royalties are about 35-40 percent of cover price, but some try to pull that net proceeds thing.

Sales: In one month, anywhere from a handful (at the smallest pubs) to several thousand (at the larger epubs). Sales can continue at a lesser rate (from a handful to a couple hundred a month) for years.

Benefit to author: Author gets paid royalties, usually quarterly or monthly.

Drawback to author: Readers must go directly to publisher website. Again, glitches when reader tries to purchase will send reader elsewhere.

4. Print publishers (Penguin, Dorchester, Kensington, St. Martins, eHarlequin) selling directly from their website.
Authors make: Royalties on cover price (usually 4-8% on mass markets; 7.5 on trades; 10 and up on hardbacks.

Benefit to author: Author gets paid royalties.

Drawback to author: Print publishers don't get very many direct sales (from my royalty statements, I get only a handful.) Most readers purchase from larger online retailers or bricks and mortar retailers.

5. Book clubs (i.e., Doubleday, Rhapsody, publisher's own book clubs).

Authors make:
a) From their own publisher's book club, a royalty on cover price (usually a reduced royalty; 4% of price is common)

b) From big book clubs (e.g., Doubleday): A flat fee (usually small) that the big book club pays directly to the publisher.

Sales: Varies depending on book club, etc. If you sell the book club rights for a flat fee, that means NO royalties, and you don't always know the sales figures. Publisher-owned book club: varies depending on publisher.

Benefits to author: Another distribution point to find new readers.

Drawback to author: Flat fee is usually small / smaller royalty percentage.

6. Secondary rights (movie options, foreign rights /translation sales)

Authors make: Fee, which is often split 50/50 with the publisher (unless the contract specifies otherwise). Fees can range anywhere from $1500 to five and six figures (but the top end is rare, even for movie options). Sometimes authors get royalties, depending on how contract is written.

Sales: Who knows? Much of this is flat-fee based--you are selling the rights to someone else to do with your book what they wish (within certain parameters spelled out in the contract).

Benefit to author: Income plus more distribution.

Drawback to author: Fees are usually smaller than you think. Even movie options can be $10K or less. (An "option" is an agreement for you to take the movie/TV rights for the book off the market. No guarantee the movie/show will ever be made. If movie/show is made, what authors make is dependent on how that contract reads.) Translation rights can be purchased but the book might never be published. Waters tricky to navigate without an agent.

7. Libraries: Public and school libraries that purchase books directly from the publisher or wholesaler (e.g., Baker & Taylor).

Authors make: Royalties on cover price of LIBRARY's purchase. Authors do NOT make royalties when the book is checked out. (E.g., if a library buys five books and each book is checked out 100 times (500 checkouts total), author gets royalties for FIVE sales only.)

Sales: Varies from library to library based on library budgets.

Benefit to author: Readers might "discover" an author in the library and then buy that author's books new. If books are popular, libraries will buy more copies of the author's next book.

Drawback to author: Not all libraries order an author's book (depending on genre, author popularity, and library budget). Potential loss of income.

8. Used book stores (including eBay): Stores that mainly sell books acquired through customers who bring in books for trade and from purchasing from other used book sellers.

Authors make: Zero (no royalties are paid to authors because bookstores do not pay publishers.)

Sales: ??

Benefits to author: Readers might "discover" an author in the UBS and then buy that author's books new. UBS owners are usually avid readers and can be incredibly supportive to authors.

Drawback to author: Books might be difficult for readers to find. Loss of income when the book is still available new, and more copies are bought used than new.

9. Remainder bookstores: Publishers sell off remaining copies of new books from their warehouse to free up space.

Authors make: Zero

Sales: ??

Benefits to author: Readers might "discover" an author and then buy that author's books new.

Drawback to author: Loss of income, loss of face (books are remaindered if they're not selling well), possible loss of career.

10. Pirate ebooks sites: Readers scan or decode ebooks/files and post them free on sites.

Authors make: Zero

Benefit to author: Possible that reader will read book free and "discover" the author.

Sales: None. Some sites post how many times the book has been downloaded.

Drawback to author: Files can be downloaded hundreds and thousands of times (one author reported 100,000 downloads of one of her books from one site). Loss of income. Copyright infringement.

As you can see, from the many places books are available authors make income from about half of them. Authors can make extra money from secondary rights sales, but many authors never get offered secondary sales.

Authors make most of their money ONLY from royalties on new book sales. Advances aren't salaries; they are advances against SALES. If a publisher offers an author 100K for 3 books (about 33K a book), then they are expecting the author to make enough sales to earn back $33K before the authors sees another penny in royalties.

(Note that an offer of $100K does not mean the publisher hands the author $100K. It means the author gets a little bit on signing the contract, another little bit each time she hands in a manuscript (which might be a year later), depending on the publisher, another little bit when the book is published. This whole process might take two years, three and more to finish the contract. So that's $100K that has to last the author for three years. Plus she has to pay her agent (if she has one) and income tax.)

I'm not here to whine about how little the average author makes or to whine about UBSs and pirate sites.

This post is meant to lay out pretty much where authors make money and how much. It does vary from author to author; each person's experience is going to be unique.

I like to say: The most consistent part of the publishing business is its inconsistency!!

Small Press, Epress, Vanity--what are they?

2009-07-16T11:46:00.003-06:00

There's been a great deal of controversy lately at RWA concerning "recognition" for publishers as well as what kind of books can be entered in the RITA contest.

While I'm not going into the controversy (I have my opinion, but it's being discussed very well elsewhere), it occurred to me that newer authors might not know what the heck they're talking about. What is meant by "non-vanity, non-subsidy" press? What's an e-publisher? What's the difference between small press and e-press, and what does it mean when people talk about "New York"?

Vanity press: Vanity publishing is different from self-publishing. In vanity publishing, you send your ms. and a sum of money to the publisher, who then does all the editing (if any), creates the cover, prints the book, and sends you back a carton or twenty of published, bound books. There is no "acquisition" process--anyone can publish at these presses as long as you pay (some are fairly inexpensive; some can run into thousands and thousands of dollars.) Vanity press can be useful if you want to publish your great-grandmother's diary or your child's picture book as a gift for family members (some presses specialize in "gift books"). If you dream of becoming a big-name, NYT novelist, this is not the way to go.

Subsidy press: Subsidy is much like vanity publishing although the press might pick up some of the costs (e.g., it pays an editor but you pay for the cover and the printing.)

Self-publishing: Self-publishing differs from vanity press because you are essentially becoming a publishing company. You pay for everything, yes, but it's in your hands to hire an editor, hire a proofreader, hire a printer, design the cover or hire a cover artist, and decide how to market it. Self-publishing works well with books that will sell to niche audiences--regional cookbooks, regional histories, how-tos, etc. (mostly nonfiction). Self-published authors have been quite successful, although I think it's a rare author who is successful in self-published fiction. It can be done, but it's rare. Most readers looking for fiction hit Walmart or B&N.

In these three types of publishing, self-publishing is the most respected. Tip: If you have vanity-published a book, never mention that in a query letter to an agent or editor, unless it's become an NYT bestseller (which is not very likely).

Note also that with these types of publishing options, you must distribute, market, and sell the book yourself. If you are fantastic at hand-selling, love to get out with the public and press your book into as many hands as you can, you go for it. It's not for me, but some people are good at it.

E-press: E-publishing has been around for ten or so years now, and now every major publisher has started putting out their list in e-. When someone talks about an e-publisher or e-pub, they mean publishing houses who release e-book originals, bringing a print copy out months later in a secondary process. They sell the e-books from their own website or partner with distribution points like Fictionwise, Sony, Kindle, and the like.

Examples of highly successful e-book publishers are Ellora's Cave, Samhain, and Loose ID (pronounced "Lucid"). I submitted a ms. to an e-publisher about five years ago to see what it was all about, and was pleasantly surprised at both the income and the quality of the press. (The submitted book is still selling, btw). Please note that all e-presses are not created equal. Before you submit to e-presses, purchase their books, look over their website, talk to authors who write for them, ask questions about their contracts. Object strenuously to contracts that pay royalties on "Net Receipts". Or get an agent and let her object strenuously for you. Stick to your guns on this or don't be surprised if you get ripped off.

Small Press: When most people say "small press," they mean presses that print a limited run of nicely bound hardback books. Small presses can be quite prestigious. Poisoned Pen press, a mystery publisher, has produced novels that win top mystery awards and have been optioned for TV mini-series. Avalon press and Walker are well-known in the library industry, and produce quality titles. Small presses don't pay very high advances ($1000 is typical), nor are their print runs large (2000-10,000 is typical). However, small presses can then sell mass market rights to a larger house, getting you more distribution and more $$. Small presses usually cater to a niche market (e.g., the mystery genre; library market; nonfiction only; etc.). I've not published with small press, but authors tell me they have a homey, intimate atmosphere.

NY House: When people refer to a "NY House" or simply "New York," they mean the big dogs of the publishing industry with big offices in New York City: Random House, Penguin, HarperCollins, HQ/Sil, Simon & Schuster, as well as a few independent houses like Dorchester and Kensington. NY pubs can pay million dollar advances and get your book shelved in every supermarket, bookstore, library, and mass merchandiser in the country and around the world. Note that they can also pay you $1000 and send 20,000 books to a few bookstores only. The NY House is where the big distribution happens, where the big money rolls around, and where authors get famous. My biggest advice about NY: Get an agent. You can sell a book without one, but please have someone by your side after that!

Another thing to remember: While small press and e-press (and even self-publishing) can be a stepping stone to a NY House, please realize that vanity/subsidy press is not. It's a rare, rare, rare, rare occurrence for a vanity author to make it. I'm sure everyone can point to one instance where it's happened (that's what "rare" means). Point to twenty or thirty, and I might start believing.

And one more thing:

It's perfectly fine to want a career in small press or e-press! I know authors who are happy as clams writing for two or three e-presses or sticking with their small press. Writing isn't always about money and glamour. And you can make money at an e-press (Hint: The key is backlist.)

I think I've covered the bases here--if not, or you have questions, let me know!

Writing for Multiple Publishers

2009-07-09T09:02:00.004-06:00

Hey all. Sorry for the weeks with no posting--I was writing and revising a novel due July 1, and since turning it in have been trying to find my head.

Alexis asked: "2)How do you juggle multiple publishing houses? Not in regards to getting the books written, but on the relationship side? Do you keep it to one genre or sub-genre per each house? Does one of them ever try to get you exclusively? How does that all work?"

I am amazed at the number of authors who write for two, even three, houses nowadays. I know authors who write for Dorchester and HQ/Sil; Dorchester and Kensington; Berkley and HQ/Sil; Berkley and St. Martin's; Berkley and Dorchester. And that's just off the top of my head early in the morning.

It has become increasingly common not to be "exclusive" to one publisher. This is especially true in the midlist, where advances and print runs can be low, and authors want to gain the most exposure they possibly can.

Things to keep in mind:

1. Be very careful about the language in your contract. Publishers have an "option" clause, which means that you must submit your next work to them before offering it to others. Now, this option clause can be worded to your liking. The standard wording is "Next book-length work" (meaning anything you write, even a cookbook). Your agent can get that changed to: "Next book-length historical romance by Alexis ..."

For example, I submitted my historical mystery series to Berkley even though I'd been picked up for romances at Dorchester, because Dorchester didn't publish cozy historical mysteries (at that time), and Berkley had the Prime Crime line which specialized in it. Likewise, I submitted my erotic romance to Berkley, because again, they had the line, and Dorchester didn't. Both times I took a different name (Ashley Gardner and Allyson James), both because I was asked to, and because to me, it signals to readers better what kind of book they're going to get. Also, I published with an e-publisher, doing category length erotic romance, when no one in NY was doing it. (Note: e-publishers too have started putting option clauses in their contracts, which weren't there when I started.)

I know of an author who has her option clauses written very carefully so she can publish different subgenres at different houses of her choice, under one name. In fact, most of the authors I know who write for more than one house don't take psuedonyms. When I started, I was rather naive, and I didn't know I could have my option clause so tightly worded that I could take my name elsewhere.

So, if you do wish to publish at more than one house, make sure you read your option clause carefully, and tell your agent exactly how you want it worded. Change option clauses to your advantage, as much as you can. (But be flexible--give and take is better than rigid demands).

2. At some point, a publisher will want you exclusively. A couple of authors I know of who published at two different houses are now exclusive to one. If the publisher wants that, in my opinion, they need to pay for it. It is not to your advantage to write for one house exclusively if you're still getting $5K to $10K advances. You will be tied to their scheduling, and if your books come out too far apart, your income will not be good, and in this reading climate, readers will forget about you!

Now, when a publisher "wants" you, they might be signalling a willingness to publish you well (i.e., good advances, scheduling your books fairly rapidly, good marketing push for your books). They might be investing in growing you. (Or not! You have to be careful. :-) )

It can be an advantage to be exclusive at one house (the "investment" in you). But until you're a guaranteed lead with guaranteed big print runs, in my opinion, it's a good idea to try different arenas.

3. That all said--if you don't think you can juggle two publishers, DON'T! You will find yourself on a crazy schedule, tying to finish two books at once, trying not to make what you write for each house too similar so you don't violate your option clauses, being bombarded with revisions on two books at once. It can be a nightmare.

I hope that answers your questions. In my humble opinion, writing for multiple houses is a great advantage for the midlist and beginning author. You have more exposure to more audiences, and can build a strong base, so that when you are asked to be exclusive (and paid well to be), then your audience is established, and you can move up well. That's the theory, anyway! :-)

Character creation

2009-06-15T19:08:00.004-06:00

I received some good questions on my request for blog topis, and I'll answer each one. I'll start with Laura's on characterization:

Laura wrote: "That leads me to wonder how you go about creating a character. Do you sit down before writing a book and write profiles of each character and how he or she would react to certain situations?"

I'm sure every author has a different technique of character development--what works for some authors doesn't work for others. For instance, some writers use character charts or index cards to keep track of who their characters are and what they look like.

That doesn't work for me, because I lose charts or forget to look at them. That's just my special style. :-)

My answer to the question is two-part:

1. Do I write profiles of each character: Yes, but...

2. Do I write out how he or she would react to certain situations? No.

Character Profiles

I do write down notes about my characters, but I don't have anything so organized as a notebook or charts or whatnot.

I find it helps enormously for me to write autobiographies for certain characters either before I start or shortly thereafter (I start the book when when I emotionally *need* to start it--the idea grips me so hard I have to write it before I explode. And, um, deadlines creeping up on me force the issue as well.)

I write biographies or autobiographies of my main characters: in romance, the hero and heroine. In mystery, the main protagonist.

I like to start with when they were born and who their parents were. What kind of people were their parents? Rich? Poor? Prominent? Nobodies? Were they happy people or miserable? Does he have good memories of his childhood or only terrible ones?

What were some events in the hero's childhood that marked him? In the case of Madness of Lord Ian, of course, it was his father's abuse that bordered on violence, and being shut away for being "different," plus what he suffered as experimental "treatments" in the asylum. But also he had memories of his oldest brother, Hart, who always looked after him, and no matter what their later differences, the oldest and youngest brothers of the Mackenzie family share a special bond.

As another example, I had a pirate character in an earlier book with several life-shaping moments--when he watched his father be killed, and when he decided to take charge of bringing up his illegitimate half-sister.

Those events will make the character become who he is, as will his social and economic background.

I'm brainstorming a novella right now in which I'm not sure who the heroine "is." The hero was mentioned in another book (his brother was the hero), so I know a lot about him already, but the heroine is an enigma. I haven't even decided whether she will be a "normal" or supernatural character.

I'm mostly visualizing these characters in my head, which is how I always start the characterization process, not writing anything down until I've replayed things in my brain several times. But soon I will start writing out the heroine's biography, and the decisions I make about her will shape the plot. Her decisions (and the hero's) will drive the story.

2. Do I write out how he or she would react to certain situations? No.

I say no to this question because I'm not a big pre-plotter/planner. I wait for the situations to come up in the book, then I channel my character and basically record what he/she says and does, plus of course the reactions of the other characters to them.

This is where the character bio comes in handy, because it's already made me get deep inside the character so I can channel him or her.

That doesn't always mean I get it right the first time! I always read through my drafts two or three times, and I'll think: "That character would never say that," or "She would never use that expression." I make changes accordingly.

The draft gets out the bare bones of my story and characterization, then the second draft fleshes it out and establishes the characters more firmly.

That's not to say that I don't think writing out how a character will react to situations is a bad idea. It might be a great way to get to know them. A similar method is a "character interview" I've seen some writers use, to ask their characters all kinds of pointed and difficult to answer questions. Not only are their answers telling, but also whether or not the character is comfortable answering.

Whatever method you choose, I believe it's very important to get deep into your characters' heads, know where he/she came from and what happened to them earlier in life. Think about them, daydream them, live with them, dream about them, let them blog, grill them... Whatever it takes. :-)

All right....any requests?

2009-06-04T07:48:00.002-06:00

I need to post here again, and I am drawing a blank on topics. I'm contemplating writing about what "being published" means (more than having a book in print), professional jealousy (how to keep it from destroying you, and even how to make it help you), and... I either have too many things to say or nothing at all.

Any requests? Any questions? Feel free to post in the comments and I'll see if I can come up with a post about it!!

It's All About Control

2009-05-04T12:24:00.007-06:00

Oh my goodness gracious. I haven't posted a while here, because my life suddenly went berserk.

Not only did I have a book release this May, but it generated all kinds of amazing buzz, plus I've been trying to market it a bit (writing blogs right and left).

Plus there have been icky distribution problems (Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is well stocked at B&N and Wal-mart! Please support them!)

And on top of that.... Page proofs, then copy edits, then more page proofs, plus a ms. or two to finish and submit.

I never knew being an author was this crazed.

I feel like Yoda saying: If you're not afraid now... you will be.

Anyway, it's been an exercise in learning what an author can control, and what she/he can't.

What you can control:

1. Writing your book.

2. Being professional (doing your job; whether that means turning around your copyedits on time, doing market research to find a publisher/agent; showing up to promote your book, etc.)

3. Taking care of yourself.

What you can't control:

1. Distribution (see "icky" above)

2. Print run of your book (despite the happy articles of the romance market going up; still there are problems with orders and returns, and booksellers are ordering fewer books).

3. Where your book is placed and in what stores.

4. Your cover. (Authors have some say in covers; but more and more publishers are refusing to give authors cover approval.)

5. Reviews. Ya sends out the review copies, and ya takes your chances.

6. Word of mouth. Either readers will like it and tell their friends... or they will not (and tell their friends).

7. Distributors going out of business. Anderson News closing their doors in February was a huge blow to the publishing industry.

8. Bookstore returns. Almost all bookstores decided, at the same time, to get rid of excess inventory, which meant massive returns to publishers. What will this do to authors' sell through (percentage of sales to books printed)? I shudder to think.

As you can see, there is a lot in the publishing industry authors can't control at all. I am not going to pretend it doesn't suck. It truly does suck!

What can we do?

1. It comes back one more time, to writing the best book you can. Cream does rise even with all the many, many problems that have suddenly cropped up in the industry.

2. Get a team of people on your side to get you through. Writing really doesn't happen alone. We like to think we're individual geniuses, but the truth is, it takes a village to become happily published.

A good team can consist of: a great agent; a supportive critique partner or group; an assistant (I don't have a full-time one; though I do have a part-time long-distance assistant who helps with my website and reminds me to enter contests and so forth). Friends--both authors who get what you're going through, and non-writers, who can pull you out of your mad obsession for a few minutes.

Gather your team and give them chocolate.

Take care of yourself and feed your creativity.

Pay attention to what's going on in the marketplace, and don't walk blindly into publication ("I got published; my career is now perfect.")

Stay sane.

I can't say "you'll be fine," but you might just survive. :-)

What a Writer Really Does to Celebrate a Release

2009-04-30T11:01:00.003-06:00

I'm slacking here (I know), but I tell a bit about why, and how I get to celebrate my fabulous release week here:

http://www.thechatelaines.blogspot.com

How many books does a NYT bestseller sell?

2009-04-17T19:02:00.003-06:00

I plan to do another post on Monday, but for now, I'll turn you over to Lynn Veihl who reveals the numbers of her NYT bestseller from last July.

http://www.genreality.net/the-reality-of-a-times-bestseller

In the interest of full disclosure, her print and sales numbers look much like mine have for several of my recent books. Which tells me that making the NYT list is not so much about the number of copies sold but at the velocity at which they're sold and reordered.

Amazon: Egg on Face

2009-04-13T08:36:00.001-06:00

Read about the whole Amazon kerfluffle here:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6651080.html?desc=topstory

The RITAs

2009-04-06T05:00:00.003-06:00

Every year Romance Writers of America announces its slate of finalists for the RITA award, given to the best romances of the year.

And every year there is a deluge of controversy (some years more than others). There are also questions--what is a RITA? Who is Rita? Why were those books picked to final? Why these categories and not those? Why are ebooks excluded? (the hottest of hot buttons right now).

So here is everything you ever wanted to know about the RITA contest but were afraid to ask. (If any of the below needs correcting, please, feel free to tell me [politely...]).

1. The RITA award was established I think about twenty years ago to honor excellence in romance fiction. The award is named for Rita Clay Estrada, founding member and RWA's first president.

2. The RITA was invented to give romance some recognition. At the time, romance got zero recognition, especially category romance. Romances were often not "counted" on bestseller lists (and category still isn't). To let romance authors be recognized as having some talent, thank you, the RITA was developed.

3. Unlike the Edgars, Nebulas, and Hugos, the RITA is a contest, with an entry fee. Books may be entered by either a. the author; b. the author's publisher. (I believe anyone can enter someone else's book but I'd have to ask about that.) Most publishers enter at least some of their authors' books.

4. Non-RWA members are allowed to enter the contest, but they pay a higher entry fee.

5. The entire contest is limited to 1200 entries.

6. Judges are authors who have a. joined RWA, and b. are in the Published Author Network (PAN). Judges may NOT judge a category in which they are entered.

7. Entries are broken down into categories, which are the subjects of many flame wars. In the past, categories reflected that most entries were category romances--as time passed and more and more single-title romances were published in more and more subgenres, the categories changed. Do I think the categories need more work? Definitely. The romance genre is ever-evolving. Imho, the RITA categories are always behind the power curve. I won't get into it, because, hoo boy.

8. Judges indicates the top three categories they are interested in judging and the judge gets a box of books that are a mix of those three categories. Each book is read by five judges and given a score. Judges score anywhere from six to nine books. Scores are anonymous, and are a number from 1 to 9.

9. The top scoring books in each category are finalists. I don't know how the scores are calculated or how they figure out how many finalists there are--it's math.

10. Finalists are called, names announced.

11. Another set of books are sent to final-round judges who again score the books, and the top scorer of each category is the winner.

12. Winners are announced at the big ceremony at RWA National, and the winner takes home a shiny statue.

What does it all mean--why are RITAs such a big deal?

The RITA contest is a peer-judged contest, writers judging writers. It's also a level field (in theory)--books that had low print runs compete against books that are mega bestsellers. Few readers might not have even seen a book with a 15K print run that sat on the shelves for three weeks, but that doesn't mean it was a bad book. The RITA gives that author the chance for some recognition. RITA winning does not necessarily mean bestselling. Bestsellers are a different ball of wax (read some of my previous entries on how a book becomes a bestseller).

Why do authors care so much?

Because of that peer review. We not only want to please readers, we want other writers, people who share our profession, to think we're good too!

Why should readers care?

It's up to readers whether they care or not. The RITA represents the best romances--that were qualified to enter in a certain year of people who bothered to enter. Many authors vehemently don't enter the contest, others vehemently do, others can go either way.

Do you enter, Jennifer?

I do. What the heck? I might win and get a pretty statue. Which is how I ended up with the one in 2007 (shown above). My publishers put a line on my book cover, and we sing la la la.

Do I think some books are unfairly excluded?

Yes, I do. See my above statment about the genre ever-evolving and how the contest needs to keep up. Also method of delivery is evolving (of course I'm talking about ebooks).

I won't go into all that controversy, because it's covered well elsewhere, plus I just don't wanna. Too much stress. The RITA is problematic and problems need to be fixed. Granted.

But there you have it. More about the contest rules can be found on the RWA National website (www.rwanational.org) under Contests & Awards.

Leah Hultenschmidt blogs

2009-03-25T08:21:00.004-06:00

My editor at Dorchester, Leah Hultenschmidt, is blogging at Ninc today. Good questions about submitting, getting published, the industry today.

http://www.ninc.com/blog/index.php/archives/meet-editor-leah-hultenschmidt

Writer's Block... Excuse me, Writer's Attitude

2009-03-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've been promising a long time I would write about writer's block.

I've procrastinated by finding many other things to write about, and besides, I've been busy.

Or maybe I just had writer's block about it. :-)

This is what happened to me in 2007. In the spring, I turned in a ms. (Immortals: The Gathering, if anyone wants to know), and then

I. Burned. Out.

I didn't want to write anything. For any reason. I turned to reading, went to conferences, got check-ups, cleaned out my house, taught other people how to get published.

This wasn't just procrastination. I had another book due that summer, but any time I sat down to do it... I had nothing.

One big empty blank.

And I didn't care.

I told myself I was watching my career slip away. I told myself I was a wimp. I promised myself all nice kinds of things if I would just get the next ms. done.

I still couldn't write. Oh, I'd might get an idea and sit down and type a page or two, then the computer would be idle for days.

If I had two or three years to write a book, this wouldn't be a problem. I had three months.

And I couldn't be paid to care.

(Actually, I was being paid to care... I'd gotten an advance for signing the contract. But I didn't care.)

By the way, I never call it Writer's Block. I call it Writer's Attitude. If I can trick it, you see, I might be able to conquer it.

Exciting things happened while I had my Writer's Attitude. I made the USA Today Bestseller list for the first time. I was nominated for a Rita. I WON the Rita.

It was wonderful! The stress of the excitement also added to my burnout.

And then... my deadline was less than a month away. Panic set in. What did that do? Yes, made things worse.

It was horrible. Some days I hated myself. Other days, I just didn't care.

My deadline was looming. And guess what I got to reward myself with after that book was done? Yes, another book. In fact, I had deadlines all the way up to Sept. of 2008 by that time.

Don't think that didn't add another stone to the big weight around my neck.

Obviously, I got through it, because the book I blocked, Highlander Ever After, did get finished, turned in, published. The next book, which also terrified me, got finished, turned in, published (it came out last month).

I'm sure what everyone wants to know is how I got through the block.

I'm not blocked now (knock on wood). The joy came back. It's still here. I'm booked solid until mid-2010 with writing now. Yay!

How I Got Through Writer's Attitude without Losing My Job or My Mind

1. I know: I should have stopped beating myself up and started giving myself positive messages (it's ok to be blocked, relax, if you don't want to write, don't stop yourself doing something else.)

I flunked Positive Messaging. I beat myself up the whole ride.

2. I couldn't trick my muse (or give it positive messages). So I tricked the left side of my brain, the non-creative one.

Tricks that worked:

Taking laptop (without Internet) to a coffee house or library, and making myself write X number of pages. No leaving until they were done. I could write anything, as long as it had something to do with the novel that needed to get done.

Getting plenty of sleep. Stress is exhausting, and you can't write when you're exhausted.

Exercising. See sleep.

Cutting back on committments that have nothing to do with writing (conference appearances, volunteering, speaking). I like to "give back", but I was doing so at the cost of my own creativity.

Tricking the Right Brain

I still had to get my muse going so I had something to say when I was rested, in shape, and had freed up my time.

1. I let myself be a bad writer. I never believe that what I write is brilliant; I always believe it's crap. I feared that now I was a "bestseller" and a "RITA winner," had to be brilliant. People told me that all this meant I was already wonderful, but I had sold the books/won the prize for books I'd written nearly two years before. Who says I could do it again?

I allowed myself to be bad--or actually neutral--until I got the words on a page. To paraphrase Nora Roberts: you can fix bad writing, but you can't fix a blank page.

2. I fed my muse. I indulged in books I loved, watched DVDs, did non-writing creative things like music and art.

3. I looked for wisdom from other authors. One author (and I'm sorry, I can't now recall who it was), suggested this exercise:

Write a scene that you won't turn in, that you won't show anyone. Make it as erotic or dramatic, or whatever, as you want. Let yourself go. Never, ever show this scene to anyone! No one will judge it; no one will see it. Do whatever you feel, without inhibition.

This one helped me a lot. As I wrote my scene (which nooooo one gets to read, evah), I felt the walls I had built between myself and my stories crumble and fall.

I read it back--it was good! It had that heart-squeezing, gut wrenching emotion I had completely blocked from myself. (But no, no one gets to see it.)

I realized how inhibited I had gotten: I thought I had to be briliant all the time. Result: I second-guessed every word, every scene, every line. I worried so much about everything I wrote that I couldn't write anything.

When I wrote that scene I wasn't going to turn in, would never be published, would never be seen even by my husband . . . suddenly it was all about the story, the characters in that room, and the feeling.

The head shut up, and the heart came back.

So, I'm hoping that sharing these thoughts might help someone else break through.

The happy ending for me was: When I was halfway through the book after the burnout book, the joy of writing came back. I just went for it, let my heart tell the story. My editor loved it, RT gave it a fantastic review, and it's selling well.

If anyone else wants to share how they got through writer's block, please do!!!

Writing Lean (gacked from my editor)

2009-03-05T11:25:00.005-07:00

My editor runs a terrific and informative blog over at http://www.romanticreads.net She had a good post the other day about slimming your writing:

A couple spoke to me especially (Leah in quotes; my comments in brackets):

"--Avoid explanatory dialogue – characters shouldn’t explain things they would obviously know just for the sake of the reader. Find another way to include the information."

[This drives me nuts. I see this on TV a lot too--the characters discussing what happened between the climactic scene and the denoument: "Wasn't it lucky that so-and-so happened by in his truck to pick us all up so we didn't have to walk home after killing the bad guy? Especially since it was raining."]

"--Be wary of a lot of gazing. It’s not very action-oriented. Most readers will follow the story without it." [OK, I DO THIS!!! I try to trim it out in the final draft.]

"--Simplify as much as possible. I can’t tell you many times I’ve changed “She moved her head up and down in agreement” to “She nodded.”"

[And I think we don't need as many nods and head shakes as we put in. I know I delete many!]

"--Avoid dialogue tags that repeat the words just said. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. Or “I agree,” he concurred. Really, “said” is just fine."

[I sweat A LOT over dialog tags--most aren't necessary at all. The action and the dialog itself should tell you who's speaking. But then, sometimes you do have to keep the reader clued in to who just said what (esp. if there are many people in the scene.) It's a tricky balance.

My favorite solution is {Short action sentence. "Dialog."} or {"Dialog." Short action sentence. "Dialog."} Again, if you do that every time, it's clunky. I read my dialogs over and over again, fine tuning until I find the right balance of tags.]

Another quirk that bugs me is the overuse of name-calling in dialog--as in this imaginary conversation between me and my sweetie:

How are you today, Jennifer?
Not too bad, Forrest.
So, Jennifer, do you want to go out to dinner tonight?
Forrest, I thought you'd never ask.
Great, Jennifer, what time do you want to go?

I'm exaggerating a little, but I have seen things very close to this in published novels. No one speaks to each other in this fashion. You say a person's name to get their attention or for emphasis, then you talk without names. Same with endearments--they're sweet, but if the hero says it every time he opens his mouth, it's a bit much.

Check out Leah's blog for more slimming tips. (Scroll down to the entry; it was a couple of days ago.)

http://www.romanticreads.net

Thoughts on Novellas

2009-02-27T14:48:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago, an author friend expressed that it was harder to write a novella (about 25,000 words or 100 double-spaced pages) than to write a novel (about 100,000 words or about 400-450 pages).

I just now put the finishing touches on a Christmas novella that will come out in October and--she's right!! Since November, I've written two novellas (both for Xmas anthos for next year), and one short story (for the Mammoth Book of Vamp Romance II).

Within a tight space, you have to get deep characterization; a feasible plot with beginning, middle, and end; an emotionally satisfying romantic plot (in Romance); and enough detail to flesh out the story without going overboard.

It's a good exercise in "less is more." In novels you have a little time to explore the character's deep, dark past and how they got to where they are now. In novellas, you still have to explore the character, but in a few short bursts here and there (a pithy paragraph in this scene, a few lines of pivotal dialog in that one.)

It took me four intense weeks to write this one, and I'm exhausted!

I have gotten excellent reviews on past novellas (even ones I thought weren't that great), so maybe I know what I'm doing more than I think I do.

(Nah.)

Now it's back to novels, which I hope I can remember how to write. Plus go through the copyedits of the novel I turned in back in November. Maybe I'll go through that and remind myself what novels are.

Speaking of novellas, I had one come out Tuesday in Immortals: The Reckoning. That one took me about six weeks.

I used to write entire novels in six weeks! It takes me longer now--I spend much more time rewriting and polishing than I used to. I can't tell if that's because I'm more picky in my rewrites, or my drafts have gotten so bad it takes me longer to go through them.

Both, possibly.

But, whew, I'm done with the novella and can return to the two new paranormal series I'm starting, one for each name. Fun stuff.

Rejection--It's Not the End

2009-02-27T11:54:00.003-07:00

I came across this agent blog, where agent humbly confesses how she let a good one get away. It's a nice perspective on why rejection should not ruin your day (or your week/month/year/life).

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com:80/2009/02/1399-tax.html

Good reading while I finish about 30 projects . . . (feels like 30 anyway; is probably closer to 15).

Jennifer
www.jennifersromances.com

How It Isn't Done

2009-01-23T09:45:00.003-07:00

Susan Wiggs has done an excellent send up of the publication process on her blog:

http://susanwiggs.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/telling-it-like-it-isnt/

Watch and enjoy. (For the humor challenged--it's a joke.)

Don't . . . and Michael Palin

2009-01-20T16:38:00.004-07:00

A happy historic inauguration day to all!

Am proud of myself for writing 2400 words today, even with inauguration watching, lunch out, and finishing up reading a book.

The book I finished was Michael Palin's Diaries, The Python Years. I picked it up at first because I'm a big Python fan, but I highly recommend it to anyone who's ever wanted to be (or already is) a professional writer (novels, plays, television, or movies).

It's an interesting inside story of a writer's life, and I found amusing parallels in it to my own writing life (excepting the whole being rich and famous, hosting SNL, and hanging out with rock stars thing). I'm always amazed how much in common all writers have, whether they're making millions of dollars or happy when they sell 20K books, whether they're writing Pulitzer Prize winning literary fiction or scifi romance.

The second half of this post is a list I put together for a recent workshop. I was inspired by a book of Victorian etiquette entitled: "Don't"

Here are my "Don'ts" for writers:

Don’t—Expect a writing career to happen overnight. Writing a quality novel takes time, selling it takes time, having it published and released takes time.

Don’t—Email a proposal or book to an agent or editor without being very sure they take email submissions! (Most epublishers, of course, take email submissions.)

Don’t—Send a romance or mystery novel to an agent who doesn’t represent romance or mystery novels or an editor who doesn’t acquire them. Do your research first.

Don’t—Send in a sloppy submission. Make sure you proofread your ms. carefully, use uniform margins (1 inch or 1.25 inch are standard), use a readable font (Courier or Times Roman are best), and only print one side of the page.

Don’t—Ask everyone on the Internet to spam email the publisher or agent with pleas to buy your novel. That’s a good guarantee no one will read your book.

Don’t—Wait by the mailbox (or email box) after you’ve submitted your book. Immerse yourself in another project. Agents and editors will take anywhere from one to twelve months to get back to you. No, there is no way around this; publishers/agents are overworked and understaffed. Do something constructive during that time, like write another book.

Don’t—Expect to make millions of dollars on your first book. It could happen! But in genre fiction, it’s unusual to be offered a huge contract right away. Most genre novelists start out on the low end of the scale. However, once you get started, the sky’s the limit!

Don’t—Assume you have to start small (e.g., small press or epress) before you break into large press. Anyone can break into large press. Publishing with small press first is just one way in.

Don’t—Assume you have to publish with a large press. If small press or epublishers make you happiest, stay with them.

Don’t—Give up! Writing is a profession in which the persistent succeed. It’s difficult, it’s discouraging, it’s easy to find excuses to stop. Talent is good, but persistence moves you to your goals.

The Big Black Wednesday

2008-12-06T08:03:00.006-07:00

Lest anyone think I'm an ostrich or a Pollyanna, yes I do know the bad news that's come out of the publishing industry in the last weeks:

1. Random House's restructure

2. Simon & Schuster layoffs

3. bad third quarter sales reports

4. Harcourt putting a freeze on submission (note--I'd heard Harcourt was having problems for a long time, so that one didn't surprise me).

I like to keep this blog upbeat and positive, but let me get this out of my system:

It sucks! It sucks! It sucks!

Ooo, that felt good. Anyway, I've come across a couple of takes on what's going on that lend some hope:

Neilson Bookscan reports positive increase in book sales in November, up from Nov. 2007.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6619697.html?nid=2286e&rid=437355836

A look at Random House's restructure by an agent (and former RH editor).

http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/12/major-restructuring-at-random-house-inc.html

Then just for a downer:

I read last night on the NPR website a bookstore owner saying she will probably order fewer books, and books she would have done a smaller buy on, she'll pass on altogether (unless there's buzz about the book, then it will get ordered).

Arghhhhh!!! If all booksellers don't order the book, how will there be buzz about it?????

What's an author to do?

How I defeat the gloom and doom.

1. I recognized I can't do much about it (breathe, breathe, let it go).

2. I think of myself as a storyteller, not a novelist.

The method of getting stories into the hands of readers might change. But that doesn't matter to me. I will continue to tell stories whether people read them in print novels, on their Kindles, iPhones, e-Readers, or watch them on television screens. I might have to change my method of writing and getting the stories out there, but I still have stories I can tell, and I will continue to tell them.

But right now, there's gonna be no room for slackers. Not that there ever really was, but I'm feeling the pressure doubled to write something GOOD and more importantly, something SELLABLE.

That means, we can't be lesser clones of the bestsellers, and we can't write books that appeal to only twelve people. We have to be good and innovative, connect with our readers, and carve out a niche for ourselves--and at the same time give the editors something they can sell to reluctant booksellers.

This is a time of change, folks. It's real, it happens, it will happen again.

How will you meet the challenge?

Lessons from Trade Fairs

2008-11-20T10:25:00.005-07:00

This year I attended two trade fairs: Book-Expo America (the biggee), and the Books-a-Million trade show.

I posted elsewhere about BEA (http://jenniferonwriting.blogspot.com/2008/06/bea-and-things.html).

The Books-a-Million show was similar, on a smaller scale. Authors from several publishers signed stacks of free books (I had a beautiful swirly stack of The Redeeming that I hated to disturb.)

Other vendors such as Ghiradelli and Republic of Tea were there to encourage the bookstores to carry their products (or more of their products or their new products). The Republic of Tea sample I slammed down was mighty good. I love their tea. But I digress.

As at BEA, I noted that publishers were interested in showcasing their hardback mainstream authors and YA over genre. However, more genre authors were signing--Lynsay Sands, Julia Quinn, Stephanie Bond, and a couple mystery authors. There were quite a few Christian publishers there, and I was made aware that Christian fiction is trying new things--suspense, historical, and paranormal. Very cool.

The feeling at this show was positive and upbeat. The main complaint I heard was that the show was too short. They did half a day instead of an entire day, which I gather is a change.

The booksellers that came to my booth said several things that gave me cheer.

1. The Immortals series was doing well at their stores (yay!)

2. Paranormal romance is still walking out the door like it has fast little legs.

3. Romance is the top seller at most stores.

4. My books are doing well at their stores.

(Although I take statements such as #4 with a grain of salt--are they mixing me up with someone else? or just being polite? LOL)

Anyway, I gave away a lot of books, signed until my hand was sore, and met a lot of booksellers from the southeast, an area I don't get to often.

Nowhere did I hear complaints about book sales being down. Now, that doesn't mean they weren't (obviously), but that vibe was not in the air. Everyone seemed optimistic and upbeat. It could be that at trade fairs, you're supposed to be positive to encouage vendors to sign contracts with bookstores, but still, it was nice not to hear gloom and doom about the book industry. I get plenty of that elsewhere, real and imagined.

Here's me with my swirl of books.

Losses in the Writer Community

2008-11-05T12:29:00.006-07:00

I heard today that Michael Crichton died of cancer. Last week, mystery author Tony Hillerman also passed away.

I wasn't a big reader of Crichton, although I was certainly aware of his works: The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park, his most famous, and the lesser known The Great Train Robbery, a personal favorite of mine.

I am a Tony Hillerman fan, enjoying the novels that followed Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee through various murders and other crimes on the Navajo reservation in northern AZ, NM, and southern Utah.

I'm always sad when we lose terrific authors, that their voices will be forever silent. Fortunately they both left behind volumes of great stories that we can read again and again.

I'd like to say good bye to both authors, and thanks for all the wonderful stories.

Radio interview

2008-10-21T08:40:00.003-06:00

I did a radio interview last night at Blog talk Radio, which is available for listening at:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Whats-Hot-In-Romance/2008/10/21/Whats-Hot-In-Romance-

It starts right away--the controls are on the right hand side of the page. I'm talking about the Immortals series, why I write under many pseudonyms, how I write quickly, and about my upcoming new historical series.

Jennifer

Method for Just Getting the Darn Thing Written

2008-10-18T14:21:00.001-06:00

You might think I've shut down this blog, but no. I haven't had a lick of time to post, between writing a new book, having to do revisions and read page proofs, give workshops, and run from one end of the country to the other.

Last week I went to Alabama to the Books-a-Million trade fair, then turned around and went to Seattle for the Emerald City writer's conference. Both were terrific, and I learned much. I hope to do a "what I learned" post soon. (short version: romances sell. paranormal romances sell very well. People in Seattle are nice.)

Right now, I'm busily writing about 30 pages a day. I figured out a way to write big chunks like that and keep my sanity, so thought I'd share it.

This method should work no matter how many pages you want to write a day--5, 10, 20.

First, I know pretty much what I want to write. Weeks ago, when I had nothing to say on this book, I couldn't have done it. But I've figured out in my head what I'm doing and where I need to go so I'm now just writing it down.

(Note that I didn't say I outlined it. Ha. Me and the outline don't mix. The best I can do is jotting notes every once in a while. You use whichever prewriting is good for you, or simply sit down and go for it.)

Second, I break my writing into three sessions. For me: the first one is in the morning at a coffee house (with bagel), second mid-morning to about 1 (after I get back from coffee house, putter arond a little, answer my email, etc.), third between lunch and dinner. After the third session I shut down (even if I think I can do more), enjoy dinner, family, tv, books, going out--you know, real life.

Each time I sit down at a session I say: "I'm going to write XX pages." (for me right now it's 10 pages per session, but for you it might be 2 or 5). I don't do anything (no email, no games) until that number of pages is done. I am allowed to go to the bathroom, refresh my tea, pet the cats, or stretch (which you should do) as long as it doesn't take me away more than a couple of minutes.

Each session ends when the page count is met. Period. Then I am free to go to lunch, pay bills, run errands, answer email, pet the cats some more (they insist), take care of family issues--until the next session starts.

Fit your sessions around your life. It's easiest for me to do morning, elevenses, afternoon, because that's how my life flows right now. Yours might be lunch, after dinner, three in the morning.

Why do I stop after the last session even if I think I can keep going? Because if I do too much in one day, I'll be too worn out to do it the next day. My brain cells will cease firing, and I will likely not make the page count that day. The point is to do a certain amount each day, enjoy the time off, and start fresh the next morning.

Also, I don't recommend doing 30 pages a day unless you have a lot of stamina or are a lightning-fast typist--right now I don't have much choice because I'm behind again, and need to meet a deadline.

My method may not work for everyone, but thank heavens it's working for me right now. Deadlines are hell!

I'm also excited because I just sold a new 3-book contract, but I'm not allowed to be excited during my sessions! I save it for in between. :-)

Jennifer

Cool new movie for Historical fans

2008-09-18T11:34:00.002-06:00

The new movie The Duchess with Keira Knightly is about Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire--the beautiful, witty socialite beloved of all of London in the 18th century (except of course by her husband). I've always been fascinated by her and that time. I'll be interested to see how Charles James Fox is portrayed.

I have no idea how well this movie is done, but it might be worth looking at, if only for the costumes!

Info at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p hp?storyId=94662956

and: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0864761/

Jennifer
www.jennifersromances.com

My Agent Blogging Today

2008-09-09T12:08:00.001-06:00

My agent did a blog/interview today over at

www.muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com

He offers some good advice about agent seeking and the biz.

Jennifer Ashley

Live Radio Show tonight (9/2/08)

2008-09-02T12:00:00.001-06:00

Tonight I will be talking (with my mouth) on Canned Laughter and Coffee radio show hosted by author Renee Bernard.

Date: 9/2/08
Time: 8:16 EST (that's 5:15 PST)
Place: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Circle-Of-Seven/2008/09/03/Canned-Laughter-and-Coffee

Or http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ and search on Canned Laughter and Coffee.

There will be a live chat at the same time, and if I can figure out the technology I'll answer questions, etc.

I'll be talking about Immortals: The Redeeming . . . well, anything Renee asks me, actually! She's a hoot, so it should be a fun show.

Looking forward to it!

The Importance of the Second Opinion

2008-08-13T20:28:00.003-06:00

High time I did another post. I've been working my fingers to the bone after RWA Nationals, because of course conventions happen right when I have to do about fifty other things.

I haven't said much about critique partners, writing groups, and critique groups but it's a good topic.

I offer this advice:

1. Don't expect to find the perfect crit. partner/group right away. In my opinion, it's better to be on your own than be with a bad critique partner. Take time to find just the right person/people.

2. Find someone who "gets" you. If your goal is to write novels for Silhouette Special Edition, that will take a different kind of voice and storytelling style than if you're writing gritty thrillers for Random House. Your crit. partner should understand the genre and subgenre you are writing. (They don't necessarily have to write it themselves, but they should have read it and understand what the audience wants. This is true for everything from Young Adult fantasy to Harlequin to gritty thrillers at Random House.)

3. A critique group isn't a bashing session. Constructive criticism is helpful, saying "I can't believe you wrote that crap" isn't. A critique is pointing out weaknesses and saying why they're weak, and pointing out strengths and saying why they're strong. (I always start by saying what I loved before I get down to what bugged me.)

4. Wait 24 hours after getting the criticism to respond. The immediate instinct is to explain what the CP didn't think was good or didn't understand. Let it sink in--then decide whether to agree with the critique, ignore it, or ask for more clarification.

5. Find people who can turn your material around quickly, like in a day or two to a week. When you get published, deadlines are tight, and you need someone who can read fast so you can revise quickly. Likewise, if you decide to enter a contest, you need that critique so you can fix things before the contest deadline. Turn their material around just as quickly.

6. Don't believe everything your CP or crit. group says absolutely. Everything is subjective. If you have four people agree your hero is weak, your hero might be weak. If you get four different responses, then it might just be different tastes.

A true story: I once had a partial ms. critiqued by two different published authors. Each circled the same paragraph (description of the hero). One told me it caught her attention because it was wonderful and vivid, the other told me it was putrid (she used more diplomatic words, but that was the gist). Who was I to believe? (I never finished that book, btw.)

7. Don't let your ms. get critiqued to death. Give your CP or group a chapter or chunk and have them critique it ONCE. Fix it and move on. If you radically rewrite the entire book and want their opinion on the rewrite, that's fine, but again, ONCE.

8. Don't let your CP change your voice, your characters, and your plot into something they want to write themselves (and don't do that to your CP). It's ok if they don't like what you're writing, as long as they understand your audience and what you're trying to do. And a bad transition is a bad transition no matter what the genre.

9. On the other hand a CP or critique group who gushes about everything you do ("Oh, it's wonderful. Oh, I love it!") and offers no constructive criticism isn't helping you. Stroking your ego, yes; helping, no.

10. And last: Don't get critiqued to seek validation; get critiqued to make your writing stronger.

There it is, ten thoughts on critique groups.

I'm sure there's more. Feel free to add.

www.jennifersromances.com

RWA

2008-07-30T07:47:00.002-06:00

I'm off to SF and RWA Nationals today. I plan to have a low-key RWA this year--meet with my editors, sign books, and listen. If I hear any good industry news, publishing tips, and whatnot, I'll report.

Jennifer
www.jennifersromances.com

On Professionalism

2008-07-18T10:27:00.002-06:00

Someone on a yahoo group posted this link to a Writer's Digest article on professionalism, and I'm offering it lieu of a post.

I am working on a post about writers's block (which I suffered last year and am happily over--I want to share the misery and how I overcame it).

I'm also working on three books, two novellas, a proposal, and preparing for the RWA National conference in between various dr.'s appointments. Hence the blog has been a bit quiet.

Follow the link below to "Don't Be a Writing Diva." I especially like #11 and #18. #2 Send your book in before deadline---umm, I'll have to work on that one. :-)

http://writersdigest.com:80/article/dont-be-a-writing-diva/

BEA and things

2008-06-04T11:21:00.007-06:00

Over the past weekend, I went to Los Angeles to Book Expo America.

What a reader's paradise! Books, books everywhere from almost every publisher you can name--booths had authors signing free copies or gave away samples and arcs. I had to mail a big box home with all the stuff I collected (I'm still waiting for UPS to deliver it).

I signed a large stack of arcs for my September release (Immortals: The Redeeming) and gave away many bookmarks and pens.

What is Book Expo America? And why do we care?

BEA is a trade show, the American equivalent of the London Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair. Here publishers spread their wares and try to woo booksellers, distributors, libraries, and wholesalers to buy, buy, buy.

Many publishers simply had tables with catalogs where the publisher's sales reps could sit and chat with buyers. I saw much activity of this sort. In fact, when I approached the Penguin booth (I write for Berkley, one of their imprints), all the sales reps were engaged, so I didn't get a chance to introduce myself.

Another thing that happens at BEA and the other fairs is secondary rights sales. It's a place where publishers try to interest overseas publishers into buying foreign rights or interest tv/movie producers into offering options. This is why you want your publisher to go to BEA. :-)

(By the way, don't think you are ever too new or too unknown to get foreign rights sales or interest from tv/movie producers. It can happen to any author at any publisher at any time. This is why you need to know exactly who is getting what percentage of what rights in your first book contract. Which is why I'm always going on about needing agents.)

For me, the author, the fun was simply to see what publishers were up to (and get freebies). There were 37,000 attendees at the show, which took up two huge halls in the Los Angeles Convention center. The place teemed with people, and my feet ached from walking from one hall to the other.

A disappointment for me was that most publishers were ignoring their genre books in favor of pushing their big-name, hardback and mainstream authors. I am a huge genre fan--I read sf-fantasy, mystery, thriller, romance, and the like by the ton. If I have a choice between a Pulitzer winning, Oprah-sanctioned novel and a midlist science fiction, I'll go for the midlist sci-fi every time. I think there's a lot in genre novels that gets buried by all the glitter/glamour surrounding the mega-stars of mainstream.

So, I was disappointed that most of the big publishers completely ignored their top romance novelists, their top urban fantasy writers, and others who sell tons of books and make them gobs of money, in order to look serious and literary.

That's just my opinion. Ahem.

My other publisher, Dorchester, publishes nothing but genre novels, so I loved their booth (and it was quite popular, I might add). Dorchester publishes romance, thrillers, horror, and the Hard Case Crime imprint (and I think still westerns, but I'm not sure about that).

I have a pic of the wall of their booth, showing the books they were showcasing. (Can I be smug that one of them was mine? It's one of the red covers on the yellow background. Click the picture to look at a larger version)

Another disappointment was that I didn't get much industry buzz. Since the point was to push to buyers, of course no one was going to talk about what wasn't working any more.

What I gleaned just through observation was that many publishers are pushing children's books and YA (the third book of the Eragon series was prominently featured all over the place, and I do mean all over the place).

Romance still is selling well. Any publishers (like Harlequin and Dorchester) who were showcasing their romance writers had constant traffic at their booths. (I confess I have no idea how much of that was booksellers/book buyers vs. fans.)

Paranormal apparently is still strong. At the Dorchester booth, almost all the romances showcased were paranormal. The Penguin booth featured huge posters for Christine Feehan and L.K. Hamilton (yes, they're genre, but they're also big-name hardback sellers.)

I heard that far fewer booksellers and librarians attended this year as compared to last year. I think part of that was the location. Los Angeles is expensive and difficult to get to for east coast or midwest people. (I went only because California is a short flight for me.) L.A. is a royal pain to navigate as well.

If you are an unpublished author and decide to look in on BEA, don't go with the idea you'll be able to pitch a book. Most of the acquiring editors don't go. It's for the sales side of the house. However, it's a good place to look around, pick up the publishers' catalogs, and grab the books the publishers are giving away.

Why read those other authors' books? Because those authors are the ones the publishers are showing off--usually offering advance copies of books that will come out in the fall. It's a good way to know what kind of books and writing has the publishers excited.

In other words, they're not just giving away the books they have too many of. It's expensive for the publisher to produce advance reader copies for giveaway, expensive to ship them to the expo, expensive to get the author a badge so they can come in and sign--you get the idea. They bring in what they want the buyers to notice. Good market research.

I admit I was not pursuing as much market knowledge this trip as I could have been. Just walking from hall to hall was draining, I was looking for specific publishers and authors, and I was worried about not getting back to our booth in time for the signing. Plus I was only there Friday, so if anything exciting happened on Saturday I missed it.

Here we are, from right to left: C.L. Wilson, Gemma Holliday, and Jennifer Ashley

All in all, it was an interesting, upbeat, exciting experience, and I'd do it again. Though I'll bring a bigger bag next time.

Facing Rejection

2008-05-28T11:23:00.005-06:00

Author Karen McCullough posted such a wonderful take on handling rejection (on the blog of author Marilu Mann) that I thought I'd link to it for my blog advice today:

http://marilumann.blogspot.com/2008/05/guest-blog-karen-mccullough-on-handling.html

She's spelled it out very well.

I'm off to Book Expo America to see what's up and sign arcs of Immortals: The Redeeming. Take care,

Jennifer Ashley

Brenda Novak's Charity Auction

2008-05-25T09:04:00.002-06:00

Each year Brenda Novak raises thousands of dollars for juvenile diabetes research, and receives donations from hundreds of authors, editors, and agents.

This year I dontated a big tote bag of goodies. Included in my giveaway are signed books, tea and coffee, kitchen goodies, pens, jewelry bags and other fun stuff, all in a Jennifer Ashley / Allyson James totebag.

Click here to view the item and bid. You can click the around the site to find many, many more items to bid on while you're there, including agent or editor manuscript evaluations.

Bidding ends May 31.

Jennifer Ashley
http://www.jennifersromances.com/

Reflections of a 5.5 - year career

2008-05-16T12:14:00.002-06:00

November 2002 marked the anniversary of my first ever publication, a romance novel called Perils of the Heart published by Leisure Books. I was on top of the world, and at the same time terrified. I thought I knew so much, but when the first book hit the shelves, I realized I knew so little.

I thought I'd share some of what I've learned since then, listed in no particular order:

1. Getting a book published is only a step. If you want to make a career of writing, you have to make plans, work hard, lose sleep, get indigestion, and keep going.

2. Authors have little or no control over the following:

Covers
Type size and layout inside the book
Back blurbs
Book size (hardback, trade, or mass market)
Print runs
Bookseller orders
Bookstore placement
Book reorders and restocking
Reviews
Sales

3. What made some of my books sell well:

Good cover
Catchy title
Catchy premise
Part of a series
Books published close together
Publisher marketing to booksellers
Popularity of previous books

4. What had little to do with book sales:

Reviews (good or bad)
Online rankings (Amazon; B&N)
Some of my own marketing efforts

5. It's hard to believe you can get published when NY just isn't buying, when bookstores report declining sales, when everyone around you says it can't be done unless you sleep with two agents, an editor, and a sales director. THEY'RE WRONG. Keep trying.

6. What's in your heart and what publishers are buying may not be the same thing. The trick is to combine the two. (If what's in your heart is what's selling, then you've saved a step.)

7. Bad reviews don't mean bad sales. What drove the reviewer nuts might be the exact element that readers glom like there's no tomorrow.

8. Good reviews and nice awards don't necessarily mean good sales, either.

9. Patience is a must!! Things will not always happen to your time-table. Keep a relative time-table, but learn to be flexible.

10. You're not always in the spotlight. When you are, enjoy it, bow graciously, move back to the wings, and plan your next foray into the spotlight.

11. An agent is essential to moving beyond small press. You can get into a few NY houses without one, but you need one to move beyond their midlist.

12. Agents do much more than sell your book to a publisher. They do a bazillion things you never thought of to keep you happily published, paid, and have a chance at that spotlight.

13. Writers can make gobs of money or they can make next to nothing. Just a year can make a big difference either way.

14. The key to success is persistence and consistency. Keep writing, keep submitting, keep writing, keep submitting.

15. The publishing world is "not fair." Other authors will get the things you want (more publicity, a better contract, more money--or they'll get published and you won't). Likewise, you will get things that other authors want. New authors can explode into bestsellerdom while authors who have worked patiently for ten years still haven't reached it. That is the way of things.

16. Other authors will become some of the best friends you will ever have.

17. You will pick up strange enemies who think that if they can shoot you down, you'll fail and they'll step into your shoes. Ha ha ha ha ha. It doesn't work that way. (See the "not fair" point).

18. Making a bestseller list is more about mathematics than about the book itself. You not only need a great book but 1. large print run; 2. terrific distribution; 3. quickly filled orders and re-orders; and 4. good placement in the stores (this is paid for by the publishers). If you have a great book and not the other four, it will not hit a bestseller list. (This does not mean that it will not sell well, because word of mouth is very powerful.)

19. Publishing is the most illogical, old-fashioned, uncontrollable business you can ever get into. Don't expect it to make sense.

20. Some of your books will sell better than others (or some will be published, and some won't). Learn to enjoy the surprise of a good seller, let go of those that disappoint you.

21. Pick your battles. You won't and can't win them all. Go for the most important ones and let the little things go. On the other hand, don't let too many little things add up into one big nightmare.

22. Be courteous to everyone, not just the people you think will make you rich and famous. Treat everyone like they might make you rich and famous. You never know! (And it's just good manners.)

23. If you hate what's selling like hotcakes, don't force yourself to write it. The trend won't last forever, and you'll be miserable. Remember that after you sell the first book, your editor will expect your next one to be in the same vein. Keep an eye on the market, but don't be a slave to it.

24. Don't wait for "permission" to write. Explore, enjoy, learn, hone your skills, revel in the art, write what you want to.

25. Enjoy writing!! Why on earth should you be an author if you hate it? I still love to write. I just came off of heavy deadline stress and had free time (wow). What did I do? Wrote! I still do it for my own entertainment--I've just found a way to make money at it.

Please feel free to add to this list! What have you learned since starting to write with an eye toward publication?

All about Print Runs

2008-05-07T10:29:00.005-06:00

I'm back!! The deadlines from hell are over!! (for now; they'll come back).

I've been pondering what to post on this blog, and many things have occurred to me such as:

Writer's Block
Professionalism
Thoughts on a five year career (which will be six-year by the time I get to this)
Print runs
Another rant about people who say there's no way you can get published in NY

So many topics, so little time.

I've decided I'll do this post on print runs, because it's a practial thing that every writer, sooner or later, needs to understand, plus I can write it in my sleep.

Even if you haven't been published yet, or think print runs/numbers are beyond your grasp, this is something you seriously need to know. (I'm talking about mass market, NY publishers in this post, btw.)

Once I understood print runs and percentages, my stress level went way down, because I can now predict how each of my books will do even before they hit the stands. No more biting my nails and glaring at the Amazon ranks wondering if I can lower them with the power of my eyeballs. (That doesn't work, btw.)

Oh, and I learned that Amazon rank is a piss-poor way of determining whether your sales are good or bad. B&N is a tiny bit better, but still not terrific. Those ranks are way off reality and don't reflect the percentage of your sellthrough, which is much more important. But I digress.

How print runs are determined:

Wait a minute, what on earth is a print run? you ask.

A print run, very simply, is the number of books the publisher prints of your novel right before it goes on sale.

More complicated:

Announced print run: Publishers "announce" print runs, usually for books they're very excited about and want to push. This happens before the book is offered to the distributors. These announced runs can look very good, but it is NOT the actual number of books they ulitmately print. I call it the "cheerleader's" print run (Give me a 2, give me an 0, give me an 0 -0 -0 -0).

Your book might acheive this print run, or it might not. Don't feel bad if it doesn't. No one is disapponted. Publishers announce a big print run to indicate enthusiam and support for a book they think will be big. It's meant to start everyone's engines.

Initial print run: This is more or less the number of books actually printed to be shipped to the distribution points and stores right before the release.

How is the initial print run determined? By the number of orders the publisher receives from distributors and booksellers.

About four-six months before release date, the publishers send their sales reps out to the distributors with a pile o' covers and data on their upcoming releases. The more excited the publisher is about the book the more incentives they will offer to the distributors and buyers.

Incentives can include coop (often offering the book to the distributors as a "buy one get one free"). They can include payment for placement at the front of stores, a "dump" (a single stand filled with one book), and other incentives I don't understand because they involve accounting.

The distributors will look at an author's sales history, how much incentive the publisher is willing to give, what the cover looks like, and other factors (like how well similar books are selling--this is why you see a slew of vampire books or whatever at the same time).

Yes, covers have to do with what distributors purchase, especially if it's a debut author with no sales history. That's because the books are being sold to the distributors/buyers sometimes before the manuscript is even finished, or it might be in the editing stages. These buyers don't even read the book--all they see is the cover and the sales line. (Scary, no? I guarantee you that so far the better my cover, the better my sales).

So--the publisher takes the total number of orders they receive (or promises of orders or whatever), and go back home and determine the print run. They'll print that many plus a little bit more to cover the re-orders. This is your initial print run.

A couple of weeks before release date, the books are shipped out to the distributors, etc. This is called the initial ship.

The number of books initially shipped will probably be a little less than your total print run. Or it could be the whole run

OR, even better, there could be more demand than anticipated and suddenly the print run is completely depleted by orders. This can happen before the book is even released or the same week, or a week after.

This is called selling out the print run, and from here you can go to a second or even third and fourth printing.

Selling out your print run does NOT mean you sold all those books (I wish). It means all those books were ordered by the bookstores/distributors, and the publisher's warehouse has run out. The publisher now needs to print more to fulfill the orders. (The print run can sell out, but the books can be stacked in the back of a store or sit three months at a wholesaler's warehouse unsold. You just don't know.)

Also, a publisher might decide to let the book go out of print and not print any more, for reasons known only to the universe and the accounting and sales departments.

However, quickly selling out a run is a good sign that your book is selling swiftly in the stores and the stores want to reorder to fulfill customer demand.

If the print run doesn't sell out right away, it's not a bad thing either. It means the publisher guessed right.

I've had books go to third printing within weeks; I've had them go to second printing after a couple of months. My early books weren't reprinted until after a couple of years, LOL.

You can guess, from your initial print run, about how many books you'll sell. The average overall sale of mass market paperbacks is 50% of the books printed and shipped. So if my print run is 70,000, I can expect that at least 35,000 will sell. At least. It could be more (which is good). It could be less (not as good). I'm pleased to say that so far (knock heavily on wood), my percentage has been more than the average 50%.

(An aside: It's 50% in romance. I hear that it's less in other genres--I don't know if that's right so someone correct me if so.)

BTW, hardback sellthrough needs to be better, like 70%, trade paperback also 70%.

Do we as authors have any control over the initial print run?

Not really. Especially not if you're brand new or in the midlist.

Your print run will also reflect where you are on the publisher's list:

A-level authors are the leads. They will get the most sales incentives and the biggest push. The most money will be spent on them. (I won't say they get the best covers because I've seen lead authors get putrid covers.) The publisher will print advanced review copies (arcs) for them and spend the most money and time on advertising and marketing. Publishers are looking for big print runs for these people.

Why? Because these authors either have a good history of big sales or they have such a fantastic debut novel that the publisher is willing to back them. The publisher feels that with these authors, they'll get their money back.

(Although--I hear many tales of the big, big, big authors getting such high advances and such unbelievable marketing push that publishers actually lose money on them. Loss leaders, I guess.)

Try this: Think of a genre, and think of the authors that spring immediately to mind. Think of authors who are household names, or the ones you see the most often in the grocery stores or airports. Those are A-level authors, the ones every budding novelist aspires to be.

B-level authors are often called the 2nd leads. They get more push than the lower midlist, but often not as much money/incentives as the A levels. However, these authors can do very well and get solid sales and pretty good print runs. B-level authors can often make bestseller lists (which you need a good print run to do).

C and D level authors are the midlist authors. C's probably get a little more push than D's. These books can sell solidly, and are kind of "bread-and-butter" books. Many authors are started here when the publisher simply wants to see how they do. (This is where I started, btw!)

Another point I want to make about print runs is this: That the success of your book is pretty much determined four to six months before readers even see it.

That's not to say the book can't do surprisingly well, or that your efforts marketing to readers is completely useless.

But realistically, most books are sold by word or mouth and by impulse buy. That's why we all want our publishers to get those front-of-store or end-of-shelf spaces at the bookstores and mass retailers.

So what can we as authors do to get a big print run and front of store placement??

Here's the answer (deep breath):

WRITE A DAMN GOOD BOOK!

(Caveat: A damn good book that has wide appeal.)

Have a catchy premise.

Write characters that spring off the page and people can fall in love with (or at least find so interesting they have to come back to them again and again).

Write solid stories without plot holes or too much meandering or dead wood.

Write strong dialog between your characters and keep the most interesting characters on your pages at all times.

Develop a strong, full, interesting voice. (Please don't ask me how!! I dunno, except practice, practice, practice.)

A damn good novel is no guaratee you'll be put at the top of the list, get huge advances, and a huge print run. Publishers and distributors can guess wrong

But if readers think it's a damn good book, you're off in the right direction.

I hope you find this information helpful, and as always, please correct me where I'm wrong. I want to learn too (although I reserve the right to argue).

Catch Up

2008-04-16T11:48:00.003-06:00

I know I haven't posted in an age, but I'm caught on a deadline. When I turn in my ms. this week, I'm going to be playing catch up on a lot of things (like the laundry, LOL!)

I am musing on posts on professionalism (which I had planned to do before my conference but oh well), conferences, reviews, and still what I've learned in the first five years of my career.

I'll get back to everyone when I've caught up with myself. Back to writing!!

How to Find an Agent that's Right for You

2008-03-10T16:37:00.004-06:00

Ok, enough motivational and creativity talk. I want to address a very important practicality in the writing business--how to find an agent.

To answer the question "Do I Need an Agent?" see my post: Why You Need an Agent

I strongly suggest you do find one--if you want to be a top author in your genre, see your mass markets in Walmart with your name in big shiny letters and have a shot at NY Times. Without an agent, you can still get published, but it's likely you'll stay midlist, if you even stay published beyond a couple of books.

Lecture over. So how do you find this stellar, godlike being who will take your career from nothing to mega-stardom?

You write the best book you can write.

You research.

You pitch or query.

You take a chance.

RESEARCH

1. The top questions to ask yourself are:

What genre do you write?

What agents represent my genre?

Of those agents, which have clients who write things similiar to what I write?

Does this agent have a good track record of recent sales?

Is the agent small and independent or work for a large agency? (There are advantages and disadvantages to both--another post)

Does the agent land good deals for at least some of his/her clients?

(Note: I won't even put in the question: Does the agent charge a reading fee? because that's an automatic disqualifier. Never send to an agent who charges a reading fee. Never, ever, ever. Ever.)

2. Go Hunting.

Read Guides to finding an agent, such as: Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents (This is the best, most up-to-date guide. Amazon has it at a good price, but most libraries carry it as well).

Check sources such as Predators and Editors: http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubagent.htm where complaints can be lodged against fraudulent agents. Look for agents with "$" after their names, which means there is a record of them making sales to legitimate publishers.

The Association of Author Representatives lists agents who fit their criteria (no reading fees, and the standard 15% of royalties after they sell you, among other things.)

Double-check anything you find in a print or online guide against the agent's own website (if he/she has one) or by asking his/her clients. The very nature of print guides ensures that the info. is out of date as soon as they hit print, but they are excellent places to start.
Reading an agent's blog is a good way to figure out what kind of books they like and are having the most success with.

Make sure the agent charges the standard fee after they sell you of 15% of your royalties.

3. Make lists

List agents who represent books in your genre, who have made sales for authors at legitimate publishing companies (not vanity presses), and who you think you'd like to work with.

List your "dream" agents as well as agents you might not have known about who on paper fit your criteria.

List what conferences your agents will be attending and see if it is convenient and cost effective for you to meet them there.

Now you can go two ways: 4. Send out queries; 5. Pitch at conferences. Most people do both.

QUERIES and PITCHES

4. Send out queries

Learn how to write a good query letter. There are plenty of books out there to teach you, or see my guide to writing queries.

Send out query letters five to ten at a time. (A tip from my own agent--don't make it obvious that you're doing a mass mailing. An agent likes to be approached as though you put a lot of thought into seeking her out because you thought she would be a good match for you. EVERY agent in your list should be someone you think would be a good match, or you shouldn't be querying them. Do take the time to make the letters a little personal.)

When a query comes back with a rejection, file it and send the next letter to the next person on the list.

When a query comes back with a request for a partial, send a well proofread synopsis and first three chapters (or whatever they ask for) with a SASE--right away!

When a query comes with a request for a full, print your ms. (if they don't ask you to email it), put it in a tyvek priority mail pouch or box and send it. I say priority mail, because it's worth the $15 it will cost to get it to the agent quickly and efficiently. Buy delivery confirmation to calm your nerves about whether it got there. That $15 is a write-off anyway. If you feel like throwing more money around, send it Fedex.

When a query comes with a request for a full ms. with an exclusive--go ahead and give the agent an exclusive--with a time limit! 60 to 90 days is reasonable. If they're that excited, they should be reading it quickly anyway, and we're all aging.

When an agent calls you to offer you a contract, be careful. Ask to look over the contract before you make any promises or sign anything. (Feel free to jump up and down and scream in excitement as well.)

5. Pitches at conferences

You get six to ten minutes to pitch your book at a typical agent appointment. A pitch is your verbal query letter.

Don't waste any time! Hone your pitch to a few sentences.

Print those few sentences on a notecard (with the title and your name and contact info), and give it to the agent when you're done. You can give him a nice business card too, but it's not mandatory. (Or you can give him a business card with the name of your book and a sentence about it on the back.)

Don't use the entire pitch time to pitch. Pitch fast, then ask the agent if he/she has any questions about the book.

Ask the agent questions. After all, she will be working for you! Some suggested questions: Why did he/she become an agent? What authors does she represent? (If she represents big names, she'll be proud to tell you.) What kind of things does he read for pleasure? What book has he sold that he's excited about?

When the agent asks for a partial or full, follow the steps under query letter above.

TAKE A CHANCE

An agent has called you to say that he loves your four-book magical turtles fantasy series, and wants to represent you. What now?

1. Look over the contract carefully. What kind of fees is your agent expecting? I reiterate that 15% is standard. They might charge 20% for foreign rights sales, which is ok. Ok also if they charge small office fees like copying and mailing. (My agent does this, and so far it's been a negligible sum, which I take as a tax deduction anyway.)

2. Sign the contract and see what happens.

Unfortunately the last part is what you have to do. If you found an agent that's a good fit for you, he/she will be out there pitching your manuscript to the editors he knows are looking for what you write.

Note that the agent selling you might take a while!!! I hear authors complain that they finally found an agent, but he hasn't sold anything. I ask them how long they've had said agent and they say: "Two weeks."

And I politely try not to laugh (or sometimes I just laugh anyway, depending on who it is).

It might take your agent a year to sell the book. That's ok--if they are genuinely trying.

What you DON'T want is an agent who sits on your book and never sends it out. If they have an editor in mind that it's perfect for, and he/she knows that editor is closed to submissions for six months, she might wait for something like that. And that's fine.

But an agent with no strategy and no enthusiasm for your work is worse than no agent at all.

How do you know before you sign with them?

You talk to their clients. Most authors are willing to say whether they like their agent or not. Talk to a range, though, so you don't just get that one sour grapes author who couldn't get along with the agent. Hear tales of good and bad.

Sometimes you just don't know, and you have to take a chance. It's like marriage.

When do you know when you should break up with your agent?

If your agent has not been sending out your work, or sending it out half-heartedly and making noises that she doesn't think it will sell at all.

If your agent doesn't sell the first ms. and makes no indication she wants another, or won't work with you to make your mss. more sellable.

If your agent won't return your phone calls for a month or more. (A few days is ok if it's not an emergency. When I have an emergency, my agent is back to me within hours.)

If the agent has sold some things for you, but is unwilling to help you grow or unwiling to help you change direction.

How do you break up with an agent?

In writing. Write a formal, professional letter (no venting), telling your agent you need to terminate your agreement and find other representation. You can give a time limit (e.g., "our agreement is terminated thirty days from the date of this letter.")

Depending on your contract, it's common for your agent to retain the selling rights to everything you've given her up to this point. Even if you move to another agent, your first agent still gets to try to sell what she has and take her 15% from your sales. Plus she retains 15% from what mss. she's already sold.

Pitch a new book to the new agent you have in mind. The new agent will not want anything that another agent can dispute is hers to sell.

Breaking up is hard to do.

This business, unfortunately is a lot about learning to let go. You will have to fight many battles as a published author--pick ones that are most important.

We love our work and are emotionally attached to it. Leaving a precious book with an agent who didn't do much for it is hard, but it's the way it is.

Write something even better and pitch to an agent more enthusiastic about you.

Please don't think it's always bad news. The majority of authors I know, and the most successful ones, have agents they have been with for years, agents who have seen them grow from midlist nobodies to mega-stars.

Your agent can be your best friend in a business that is hard and often unfair. Again see my earlier post (Why You Need an Agent), and also my list of what a good agent does.

One last thing. When I looked up Jeff Herman's book, I saw a post by an author who basically said that there is no chance an agent will read anything by an unknown and unproven author.

That is simply not true.

As I've said elsewhere, I was an unpublished nobody when I started, and I knew no one. I found an agent who took a chance on me, and sold the book I pitched to him nine months later. He got me a three-book contract with that ms., and the next month got me a second three-book contract in a different genre.

I was lucky, true. But I also made my luck.

I had been burned by a beginning agent who really didn't know how to sell mss., and I had to write the termination letter. I researched more carefully the second time around! Also, I worked very hard on the books I pitched to my second agent, and made them as well crafted and marketable as I possibly could. No, I didn't leap to instant stardom with them, but they pushed my career off to a good start and I never looked back. (They were, if interested The Hanover Square Affair and The Pirate Next Door.)

One truly final thing to leave you with. I decided to sign with the second agent because he was:

looking for books in my genre (in this case, mystery).

a fairly new agent looking to build a client list.

an editor for about 20 years at top publishers (HarperCollins, Crown, and others).

based in New York City (this isn't strictly necessary for everyone, but that's what I wanted).

showed genuine interest in the Hanover Square Affair and had ideas about where it might sell and to whom.

didn't charge a reading fee and had a reasonable contract.

responded to me within a reasonable amount of time (I pitched in December, we had a signed contract by April).

I hope this is helpful! This is as always, what worked best for me, plus what I've gleaned talking to editors and agents and authors.

Emily Bryan and Reinvention

2008-02-26T09:46:00.008-07:00

Today's guest is Emily Bryan (who also writes as Diana Groe) to talk about her road to publication and what she found when she got there.

Her first book under the pseudonym Emily Bryan, Distracting the Duchess, releases today. She and I got to discussing pseudonyms and reinvention, what it means for an author.

Describe your road to your first sale.

EB: This is such a subjective business. I realized I needed to do something to make it easier for an agent or editor to take a chance on a new author. So I entered as many contests as I could afford. As soon as I started winning and placing, I had something to put in that blank spot in my query letters where previous publishing credits should go. The wins attracted my agent and then my editor. Maidensong came out in May 2006—five years after I started writing seriously. I had a lot to learn and contest feedback helped me learn it. I credit contest wins with helping me make my first sale.

What if anything surprised you about being a published author after the first sale?

EB: I was surprised that my editor wanted a second title so quickly. One of my biggest fears was being a "one-book wonder." So I was thrilled when Erinsong followed in November 2006 and then Silk Dreams in July 2007. I was surprised at how supportive my editor was and how much effort she invested in my work. Leah Hultenschmidt walks on water as far as I’m concerned.

You now write with a pseudonym, Emily Bryan. Why did you decide to take a new name and what kind of books does Emily Bryan write?

EB: If you’ve read any of my Diana Groe books, you know they are gritty, dramatic and passionate. They are also set in unusual time periods: the 9th and 11th centuries in exotic locales. The reviews have been almost universally positive. RT BookReviews compared my writing to “the great mistresses of the genre: Small, Henley & Mason.” My work is being translated into German, Dutch and Italian. Erinsong earned a rare Desert Isle Keeper designation from All About Romance and Silk Dreams hit a bestseller list in Australia.

Though interest in my Dark Ages Romances is high overseas, unfortunately, sales in the US market have not kept pace. I’ve been given the opportunity to reinvent myself. I was already toying with the idea of a sexier, light-hearted premise—a departure from my previous work. My editor gave me the green light to write Distracting the Duchess and suggested a new pen name to fit the new style. Emily Bryan was born. Of course, it’s still too soon to know how the reading public will respond to my lighter side, but now RT BookReviews is comparing my work to “Cheryl Holt, Lisa Kleypas and Celeste Bradley.” And I’m happy to report that Distracting the Duchess is the first of my titles to be offered in Walmart!

Personally, this is huge. Most of my extended family lives in small Midwestern towns—places where Walmart is THE bookstore. Since my Diana Groe books weren’t in Walmart, I don’t think some of my cousins ever actually believed I was published. Of course, now the books will be under Emily Bryan, so they still may not believe!

My next Emily Bryan romance will be Pleasuring the Pirate in August 2008 and a 3rd is contracted for spring 2009.

You write historical romance. What do you like about the sub-genre, and what challenges does it present?

EB: I love writing historicals because I love reading them. Nothing takes me away like a totally different time and place. It does require a good bit of research because the historical readership is very sophisticated. If I mess up, I’ll hear about it. But I enjoy the research and I don’t limit it to the library. Before I wrote Silk Dreams, which takes place in a harem, I took belly dancing lessons! Why should my heroine have all the fun?

Distracting the Duchess is set in the very early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. One of the challenges was creating characters who aren’t the usual suspect—you know, the ingénue and the rake. That story’s been told, often and well. I wanted to tell a different tale, so my heroine is a widowed duchess who paints nudes and my hero isn’t a titled lord. He’s a second son who dreams of serving his country in British India. Trev never expected to have to serve his queen by posing nude, but when the clues to Beddington’s key lead to Artemisia’s doorstep, Trev’s mission becomes . . .Distracting the Duchess.

What advice can you give aspiring authors?

EB: Join your local RWA chapter and attend the meetings. Find a critique group or partner. Set goals and stick to them. Writing is wonderful fun, but it’s also a business. You may as well get used to deadlines now. Above all, WRITE EVERY DAY! Don’t wait for the Muse. She’s on permanent vacation in Maui. Creativity is a muscle. You strengthen it with regular exercise. Please visit my websites (yeah, I have 2) http://www.dianagroe.com/ & http://www.emilybryan.com/ . Check out the Writer’s Corner and my Recommends page for tips and encouragement. If I can do it, you can do it. Good luck!

Thanks so much Diana/Emily for your insights.

Because writing can be a long-term career, reinvention is an extremely important skill to learn. The book market changes very quickly (say about every 2-3 years)--the climate is different and readers want something with a different mood.

Reinvention can help in several ways: 1. if your sales are not what the bookstores and publisher want them to be, or 2. if you personally find yourself wanting to go a new direction and try something new.

It's a topic that should be explored in-depth, food for a future blog!

You Gotta Love It

2008-02-15T14:24:00.005-07:00

I complain a lot when I have a pile of things to do--I get overwhelmed and can't believe I decided that writing was a good profession.

Case in point: I have a manuscript due March 1, but also have revisions for another book due March 1, plus have to go over copyedits for a novella (due Feb. 19), plus stay on top of all the marketing for the book I have coming out in April. Not to mention getting workshop handouts to the conference coordinator for an April conference and buying the bags for said conference. (I'm buying them myself and donating them.)

When I start running around with my eyeballs rolling in mad circles, my friends and family tell me "Calm down, and for today, don't write."

Wait. What?

Don't write?

You might as well say "Don't eat." or "Don't breathe."

Because when it comes down to it, I'm a writer because I love to write.

I am a professional writer because I found a way to take doing what I love and turn it into a career. In other words, now I get paid to do what I enjoyed doing anyway.

I can talk on this blog or in my workshops about how you can make a living as a writer (working your butt off is a big requirement). I have ambition--I want to stay a bestseller and sign more contracts and make more and more money.

But even if no one ever bought a single book from me again, I'd still write stories. I'd pass them around to my friends or post them for free on a website.

I write because I love telling stories. Some days I know I have to sit down and write (and do a good job), and that dismays me. Some days I'm not in the mood. But most days, I sit down excited to be back at it. It's the first job I've had where I look forward to Monday.

I've lost track of how many books I've written. I wrote about seven before I got published (that's the number I tell everyone, and I think it's right, but the truth is, I can't remember). Book number 20 is due to come out in April 2008, and that's just paperbacks published by NY publishers. I have also published four books and four novellas at an e-publisher. I have another book coming out sometime this year at the e-publisher, plus two more NY published books, and then four NY books and a novella in 2009. And that doesn't count the other e-books I plan to write and the proposals for the next round of contracts. All in five years.

And this doesn't even count the number of stories I've started and then decided weren't good enough and pushed aside (although I do take good ideas from unfinished stories and use them in the ones I know will work). Plus those seven (about) unsold manuscripts.

My point is that I've done all that (when, I have no idea), and I still love to write. Story after story still pours into my brain, and I look forward to getting my hands into it.

I don't think I could have survived this long writing so many books if each one wasn't special to me. It has nothing to do with how much money I might make, how many good reviews I might get, how many awards I might be up for.

I seriously just love it.

When I write the book money, reviews, awards, etc. aren't even in my brain. I'm in the story with these people waiting to see what they'll do. (This is probably why I never outline first--it's much more fun to "watch" it happen.).

Some books I've made a pathetically tiny amounts of money on. Some books have earned me nice, fat royalty checks that make me smile. And you know what? I don't love the money-earners any more than the non-money earners, or the award winners more than those that never even got nominated.

For each book, something in that story spoke to me, and made all the stress of marketing, revisions, edits, proofs, contracts, blah blah blah worth it. If you take all that stuff away, the joy of writing is still there, at least for me.

I don't know how much help this is to aspiring and new authors, but I think I'm trying to reassure everyone that you can do this job and get paid for it without that taking away the wonderfulness of why you wanted to do it in the first place.

You gotta love it.

Writing with Stress

2008-02-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

My ms. that was due in January is in and things are settling down here (well, not really--after I turned in the ms. I had to deal with the hundreds of things I'd been putting off while I wrote).

What I never knew about being a published writer is that there is so much more to it than writing a book and giving it to your publisher. You need to keep up with:

Talking with your agent about new projects and writing new proposals.

Signing contracts and getting them to the right people at the right time.

Keeping up blogs and websites (whether you do it yourself or give updates to someone else).

Keepng track of who owes you what money when and follow-up when it doesn't appear (your agent does most of this, but it's always good to keep your finger on it.)

Doing revisions of mss. already turned in.

Working with your editor on cover and back cover copy.

Checking copy-edits.

Proofreading the final pages.

Preparing self-marketing strategies for books as they come out. (This can involve mailing cards or book covers to readers groups or booksellers, mailing out review copies [if the publisher doesn't], buying ad space in print and online, and so much more.)

Keeping track of business expenses and taxes.

Preparing for and giving workshops.

Doing signings and appearances.

Doing interviews, both online and in person and guest blogging.

Going to conferences.

Not to mention the general work of keeping your desk from collapsing under the weight of all the paperwork you will get around to filing "someday."

Because I write four to five books a year, multiply all this times five.

So what happens when major events happen in your life, and you still have to get all this stuff done? Remember that most authors work by themselves, although some hire assistants to do the busy work (mailing, copying, keeping track of things, and all that filing.)

There are two very important things to remember:

1. Your life is more important than your writing career. You can always get back to your writing career later.

2. In your writing career, the single most important thing is the writing. All the other stuff I talked about is secondary.

Now, if you are stuck like I was having to finish books while I was both busy and upset, there are several things you can do.

1. Talk with your editors and/or agent (or whoever is waiting for your work) and explain exactly what is going on. Mine were fantastically understanding and supportive.

2. Ask someone to help you with all the busy work, both in your writing and personal life. There's no need to be a martyr and go it alone. You can always help them when things are bad for them.

That's the mechanics--now for the actual writing.

1. I found that writing helped me retreat a little from the bad things that were happening in my life. It's fine to sink yourself into creativity and your imaginary world for a while if that helps you cope.

2. Write in a place where you are the most comfortable. If you have the best output at a coffee house, plan an hour to go there and write.

3. Don't worry about writing. The best gift my editors and agent gave me was to say "don't worry, take your time." That let me write when I could and not stress over it when I couldn't. I had to be there for others, and I didn't feel pulled apart, or guilty no matter what I did.

4. Keep taking care of day-to-day stuff and don't let it pile up too high. That way when you get back to writing you don't have things falling on you, and your clothes are clean.

5. Relax. Let the writing flow, let it be your therapy. Don't try to write something you really don't want to. OR let the discipline of writing on one project every day carry you through.

6. Find methods that block out unhappy feelings for you--for example, writing to certain music, writing by candlelight, reading something inspiring before you sit down to write, prayer, writing in complete solitude or writing surrounded by people. Whatever makes your writing session more productive or calms your mind.

As I said before, sometimes the writing itself will help you get through.

I hope this is helpful. These are random thoughts that came to me while I was coping with stress and a sad event and had to keep writing.

But I did it--I finished the ms. I was working on and turned it in, and now am working on the next project (and doing a workshop and booksigning this weekend, signing contracts and mailing them, working with my editor on cover copy, looking at copy-edits . . .)

Coming off Haitus and First Sale Story by Joy Nash

2008-01-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings. It has been a long time since I posted here because over the holidays we had a death in the family. That entailed a trip out of town and an incredible number of things to do, things you don't even think of until it's suddenly necessary. Through it all, I've had to keep writing, because I have several books due, although my editors have been incredibly supportive.

Once I get my breath back, I think it would be good to blog about writing through stress!

While I recover and finish my due ms., I'll post author Joy Nash's first sale story. Joy writes historical romance set in Celtic Britain, and she is also part of the Immortals paranormal romance series I created at Dorchester publishing. Her latest book, Deep Magic, a historical romance with ties to the King Arthur legends, was released this month.

How did you sell your first book?

Joy: I sold my first two full-length novels at nearly the same time. In 2004, I had a fantasy romance, Crystal Shadows, under consideration at Ellora's Cave, and a historical paranormal, Celtic Fire (a 2004 Golden Heart Finalist), under consideration at Dorchester. I'd gotten the request for Crystal Shadows after making a contact with an editor at a Romantic Times convention. The request for Celtic Fire followed a contest win in which a Dorchester editor was the final judge. Crystal Shadows sold first, and came out in ebook format that same November. Celtic Fire sold soon after, but since the lead time for print book production was longer, it didn't appear in bookstores until June 2005.

You had some small press/e-press sales; what do you like/dislike about small press vs. large NY press?

Joy: Yes – in addition to publishing Crystal Shadows with Ellora's Cave, I also published two novellas and a short story published by New Concepts. Working with small press was a very good experience for me. The shorter length of my New Concepts work gave me a chance to experiment with different types of stories and develop my voice, and the wider opportunity for publishing slots was encouraging. There's also an anything-goes quality to small/epress publishing that's very refreshing. I feel very fortunate to break in at Dorchester, a big press with a reputation for pushing the envelope in the romance genre—the editors there are open to a very wide range of innovative story types. Large presses also have the advantage of a very wide distribution network. My print runs at Dorchester have been fantastic. More books out there leads to more sales to more readers.

Do you have an agent? and if so, why?

Joy: I do have an agent. She's invaluable when negotiating contracts, which leaves me free to concentrate on the creative side of writing. I signed with her in 2004, and she was instrumental in getting Celtic Fire read quickly by, and subsequently sold to, Dorchester. A manuscript—even after you've sold the first one—can languish a loooong time at a big publishing house without a good agent to push things along.

What do you think about the market for historical romance these days?

Joy: I'm really encouraged to see a huge rebound in historical books. It seems a few years ago, everyone was claiming historical romances were dead, but like Mark Twain's mistaken demise, the rumors were premature. What's happened is that the narrow focus of the historical market has widened, making room for different time periods, different locales, non-traditional heroes and heroines, and more paranormal elements. All of which is breathing life into the subgenre.

Tell us a little about your latest book and what you're working on now.

Joy: My latest book, Deep Magic, was released on Jan 2, 2008. Deep Magic is the second book in my Druids of Avalon series, which has been compared by reviewers to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon and Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. The Druids of Avalon series follows the lives of the Druid ancestors of King Arthur as they struggle to pave the path for the great future king. Deep Magic, in which I tell my own version of how the great sword Excalibur was forged, follows the first book in the Druids series, The Grail King.

Right now I'm hard at work finishing the urban fantasy Immortals: The Crossing. It'll be out in October 2008, close on the heels of Jennifer Ashley's Immortals: The Redeeming in September. (Joy's Immortals: The Awakening is the third book in this series.)

Thank you, Joy, for taking time to send me your post, and for your interesting insights on small and e-press. Good luck with all your projects!

2007-12-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Please everyone have a safe and happy holiday, and think about your New Year's writing resolutions!! Make 2008 the year you achieve your dreams.

Jennifer Ashley

Making a Living as a Writer

2007-12-18T11:18:00.001-07:00

I've addressed this a little bit before, but I do get asked quite a lot about how much writers really make and if it's possible to make a living writing. My answer is, yes, it is possible to make a living, but you need to go in with your eyes open and educate yourself about the business.

(I refuse to say "if you can do anything else but write to make a living, do it," because I'm sitting here making a living writing, and I can't say it's a bad life. It's hard, yes. But if it's your dream, who am I to tell you not to do it?)

It's actually pretty easy to figure out how much writers make:

The average sellthrough of a mass market paperback is 50%. So you can calculate about how much an author makes based on the print run.

A midlist author has mass market print runs anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 per book.

A lead or top author can have mm print runs of 100,000 up to a million. This is where the bigger money is made, this is New York Times, book tours, and all the other hoop-la.

You as an author do not choose where you start--the publisher does.

(You do have some control over this--as in, if the publisher offers you a low advance and a midlist slot, you can always say no. If you get no better offers, then you'll be starting as a midlist.)

Trade and hardback print runs are smaller, anywhere from 10,000 in the midlist to 70K for leads. Of course trades and hardbacks are more expensive, so you make more per copy sold, but that's offset by the lower print run. Sellthrough is usually higher, about 70% (at least, that's what the publisher wants to see.)

In trades you make about $1.00 per book sold; hardback $2-$3 per book sold. Mass market (based on 6.99 and 7.99 retail price and 6%-8% royalty) you make about 40-50 cents per copy.

You as an author do not choose whether your book starts as hardback, trade, or mass market. (Your agent can push for what you want, but again, your power is in declining the offer.)

In mass market: A midlist author will make anywhere from $5000 to $40,000 per book (note that's per book, not per year).

A $5000 book is a beginning book that sold about 10,000 mass market copies (based on 8% royalty with the book being $6.99); I'm assuming this author had a 20K print run and sold about half.

The $40,000 mass market book sold about 80,000 copies; and since my sample author is still midlist, I'm pretending her print run was 100K. Her sales probably put her on extended bestseller lists, which might incite the publisher to boost her to a lead position.

A lead author with a print run of 250,000 can make $125K or so for that one book.

A trade book with a print run of 20,000 that sells through 70% (which is 14,000 copies), generates about $14,000 for its author. If the author is lucky, the book's mass market rights might be sold, which could get her another chunk of change.

I don't have a lot of experience in hardback, so I'm not going to speculate on its income. When I do, I'll let you know!

Now let me insert the bad stuff:

If your first book makes $25,000, that doesn't mean you get a $25,000 check dropped in your lap. Even if your advance was $25,000, it will be dribbled to you in several pieces: a. when you sign the contract; b. when you turn in the book and it's accepted by the editor. That means after you do the revisions (if any) she asks for. Then she puts in the request for your payment to her acct. dept.

If you got a $5,000 advance on that book that earned you $25,000 in royalties, you have to wait for your royalty checks to collect the other $20K. You don't get a royalty check until at least six months after the book is published. And you turn in the book anywhere from nine to 18 months before the book is published. And then the publisher holds a "reserve against returns" for a year or so in case they get more returns than they expected. So it might take you three years to collect that entire $25,000.

Oh, and if you make $25,000 in royalties and your advance was $30,000 . . . you don't get any more money. You don't have to give back what you didn't make, but they might cut your next advance or simply "pass" on your next proposal.

All this means that the first few years as a writer will be lean, even if your book is a hit. But what happens after that is what I call a snowball effect. All these bits and chunks of money from signing contracts, turning in books, receiving royalties, signing another contract, selling secondary rights, etc. start to add up.

Also, because you make your money per book, the more books you write, the more money you make. (But always take a realistic view of how many books you can comfortably write a year--sacrificing quality for quantity will hurt you in the long run.)

There are also ways to supplement your writing income:

Secondary rights. If you own your secondary rights (foreign translation; audio; movie) to your published books, your agent can sell these to get you extra money. If you and the publisher are splitting these rights (usually 50/50), then the publisher will be looking to sell secondary rights. That's what they do at all those book fairs in London and Frankfurt and at Book Expo America. As of yesterday, my agent and publisher have sold rights to several of my books to publishers in Germany, Italy, Holland, and Russia. Bookclub rights (Doubleday) is another secondary rights sale that adds to your check.

Writing for more than one publisher. If you can keep to the schedule, consider writing books for more than one publisher. Many of my author friends do this--they might write for Avon and Harlequin; Kensington and Dorchester; Berkley and Pocket, etc.

Be careful--publishers don't want you publishing the same thing for their rivals, so you may be writing two different kinds of books, perhaps under different pseudonyms. This can be fun--I love trying out new genres, and writing for multiple publishers lets me do that. But check the option clause in any and every contract you get, and change it if necessary to let you continue to write for more than one publisher.

Writing for e-publishers. The beautiful thing about e-publishers is they send you checks every month. Depending on the publisher, they might not be big checks, but again, they can add up nicely. At Ellora's Cave, sales average 900 downloads per book in the first 30 days. You can sell more than that--keep in mind that 900 is an average.

At e-publishers, your royalty rate for e-books is 37%-40%. Very short books (12K) make about $1.00 royalty per book. Novel-length (60K and up) make about $2-$3 in royalties per book. Authors who manage to write multiple books for these publishers do well for themselves. Many of them are making that their day job while they try to break in to NY publishers--plus they're busy building a following. I don't write that many stories for e-publishes, but I make a secondary income from them to let me buy groceries while waiting for my NY publishers to send out royalty statements.

As you can see, writing is not the way to instant riches. It's a job in which you have to work your behind off to succeed.

You have to be careful, you have to be smart, you have to go in with blinders removed, you have to acknowledge that you might face disappointment, hurt, anger, and rejection.

It's a hard slog, but if you educate yourself and know what you're getting into, you might just make it.

A Writing Career vs. Getting Published

2007-12-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

For my entry this week, pop over to The Bradford Bunch (authors of agent Laura Bradford), where I'm guest blogging, courtesy of author Denise Agnew, on the difference between just getting published versus having a true writing career.

Take care,

Jennifer

Colleen Thompson--Advice from a Rising Rom. Sus. Star

2007-12-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

I had the great pleasure to pick up Colleen Thompson's new Romantic Suspense, The Salt Maiden a few days ago. I asked her to be my guest this week, and I was able to ask her about the Romantic Suspense market, agents, and writing in general.

J: Do you have an agent? Why or why not?

Colleen Thompson: I've always worked with an agent and feel it's well worth paying the commission to have someone to run interference. This helps me keep my relationship with my editor about the book and allow the agent to deal with any potentially-contentious matters.

J: Can you talk a little about your road to publication?

Colleen Thompson: I wrote on the side for years while teaching. Only after I decided to give writing a real priority in my life and make an effort to education myself about publishing did I make progress. Both multi-genre and romance writers' groups (RWA) taught me what I needed to know and allowed me the opportunity to gain an agent's attention through entering contests. For me, this opened doors.

J: What challenges did you face once you got there?

Colleen Thompson: I first published in historical romance (under the pseudonym Gwyneth Atlee), but I found history-rich, American-set books were losing favor. In addition, I went lost several editors (three!) in rapid succession. I knew I needed to try something else at a different publishing house to break out of the tough place where I was stuck. As I result, I started over, writing romantic suspense, which I adore, under my real name. I've never been happier.

J: You write terrific romantic suspense. Tell us about the general tone of your books and what you find appealing to write about.

Colleen Thompson: Thanks so much, Jennifer. I love writing about "real people" facing the toughest crises of their lives, characters whose happiness - and very survival - hinges upon learning to accept love and embrace their own potential. My books aren't about superheroes, but flawed individuals doing their best. I enjoy developing their family lives (pets included) and exploring the Texas locales that make them who they are.

J: Can you give any “insight” into the rom. sus. market—what readers seem to like/dislike, or if you think reader tastes area all over the map (and why you think so).

Colleen Thompson: There's a great deal of variety within the subgenre, with readers gravitating toward writers that best share their own tastes. My books are a little more family-oriented and tend to feature regular people pushed to heroic acts by desperate circumstances. I think readers are responding because they're looking for a break from all the independently wealthy, super-secret agent, kick-ass experts and want to go along for the ride with people who are a little more identifiable, a little more like themselves.

J: Anything else you want to add to benefit aspiring authors?

Colleen Thompson: When you're looking to break into a market, ask yourself what's the "something different" you intend to bring to the genre. How will your take be unique and lead readers to seek out more of your books? Though you can't completely ignore market trends, emulating others will only take you so far. You have to figure out your vision and then create a consistently improving, identifiable experience for your readers with every book you add to your body of work.

J: Thanks for taking time to answer my questions. I had planned to save Salt Maiden for an upcoming plane trip, then made the mistake of peeking at the first chapter. I had to rip the book from my hands! It looks like a terrific read, and I'm looking forward to it.

More on Colleen's books can be found at: http://www.colleen-thompson.com/

Also, she keeps an ongoing blog with with author Joni Rodgers with tips and news about writing and the publishing industry at http://www.boxingoctopus.blogspot.com/

Don't Let Anything Stop You

2007-11-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm behind on my posts, because of heavy deadlines, but I recalled something last night and thought I'd post it as a motivation here.

Don't Let Anything Stop You

Last night I attended a concert of one of my favorite guitarists. The man onstage was older than me, and started this part of his career (touring and recording CDs) in his late 40s.

I'm betting he ran up against a lot of attitude obsticals when he tried to do it: "You're too old; no one wants that kind of music any more; you won't be able to sell to a major label; no one knows your name."

But now he's quite popular, has a mess of CDs (on major labels that are played on top radios stations nationwide), does two-three tours a year, and seems to be enjoying himself. Why? Because he knew what he wanted to do and did it anyway.

I don't know if this actually happened the way I describe, but I see it all the time with writers.

As a writer you will run up against all kinds of people, often very well-meaning people, who will try to stop you achieving your goals.

These people usually aren't cruel or jealous; often they are acting from the purest motives--they don't want to see you get hurt.

Well, guess what, you're going to hurt. Writing is painful and getting published is painful. There can be a lot of joy in it, too, but it's also going to hurt. No pain, no gain? (And who says working a "real" job won't have its own share of pain?)

On the other hand, some people will be jealous or mean-spirited, and they'll have varied motivations for trying to stop you.

But whatever the reason or emotion behind it, at some point you have to block out the outside voices and say "I'm going to do this anyway."

People doing their best to stop you can include: your mother, your best friend, your husband, your critique partner(s), your readers. Even after you're published, people who try to stop you will include: your agent, your editor, reviewers, readers, booksellers, and other authors.

Most of these people are not trying to stop you on purpose--far from it. But negative signals will be:

That doesn't sell

You can't put that in a: (choose one) romance / mystery / thriller / fantasy / literary novel

It's not realistic to make a living as a writer

The market for that is dead

So and so author is doing fantastic writing X; why aren't you writing it?

Editors don't want that any more

I'm tired of seeing that

When are you going to write a real book?

The above statements could be right, or they could be DEAD WRONG!

(For example, the things people told me "didn't sell" or editors "didn't want" when I started seriously pursuing publication (circa 1999-2000) sell like hotcakes now. What "doesn't sell" is relative.)

And then of course, there are the voices in your own head:

You're not good enough

That author is so much better than you

No one will want to read that

You'll never get published

You'll never make NY Times or USA Today

OK, you made it once, but you'll never make NY Times or USA Today again.

This book is pure crap

We are bombarded with this negativity all the time; it doesn't stop, no matter how high you rise in the business. (I've talked to mega-bestselling authors who feel enormous pressure to keep their sales at a certain level.)

What we have to do is find that place of strength deep inside ourselves (we all have it--some of us bury it deeper than others :-))

We have to hold onto that strength, even in times of stress, exhaustion, rejections, career problems, anger, heartache, despair.

We have to again find the reason that novel or story spoke to us, why those characters cried out for us to write that particular book.

AND WRITE IT ANYWAY!!!!!

The fiery spark that starts the novel is far more powerful than our own negative self talk or the well-meaning negativity from family, friends and writing professionals.

And who the hell knows whether it will sell or not? What editors are tired of seeing and reviewers are tearing apart might be the very thing that readers will get excited about and glom.

You just never know.

So if you find yourself saying to a newbie writer when they excitedly tell you about their idea, "Oh, editors aren't buying that any more." STOP!

It isn't being kind; it isn't helping an author not get hurt or rejected. It's planting seeds of self-doubt and drying up creativity.

Let the writer enjoy the fantastic experience of writing that book. If it truly doesn't catch an editor's attention today, it might tomorrow. Or the writer will learn how to strengthen his writing so he can sell the next one.

And if someone tells you: "That won't sell; you're not very good; that market is dead; no one likes those kinds of books; editors don't want that..."

DON'T LISTEN!

Why You Need an Agent

2007-11-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

While I continue to muse on what I learned in the last five years, I'm going to post something else new writers often ask me--"Do I need an agent?"

My loud, clear answer is YES.

Then I usually step back and say "It depends."

If you are small press published or e-published and want to happily stay where you are, then no.

If you want to publish at a NY house and move beyond the bottom rung at said house, then I say again, YES.

I also state clearly why:

The least part of an agent's job is selling your manuscript to a NY house. You actually can sell it yourself (e.g., through a conference contact with an editor, through a contest, through a direct query, through the few houses that still buy from the slush pile).

Why you so very definitely need an agent after that:

1. To keep from getting ripped off. Publishers do not like to give you any more money than they can possibly help. They will try to keep all the rights, give you tiny advances, and tiny royalty percentages. Your contract is a mine field of little tiny print. There are no exceptions out there--all publisher boilerplate contracts are set up to benefit the publisher, not the author (which makes sense--the publisher needs to keep the company afloat). An agent will make sure your contract is fair to you.

2. To get you the best deal, not just a deal. Publishers make standard offers to new authors, usually the lowest amount they can get away with. An agent can talk up that amount to make it more palatable to you while still keeping the publisher happy. He can also negotiate better royalties, bonuses, and other perks that most authors don't even know about.

3. To get you a deal at auction. If you've got an eager offer, your agent can let other editors who are looking at your ms. know, and possibly land you a very nice contract.

4. He talks you up to everyone he sees. Agents are constantly selling you, even when you're contracted and not shopping a specific ms. She waxes enthusiastic on your behalf to other editors, paving the way for when you have something new to sell.

5. She is the "bad cop" between you and the publisher. You want your relationship with your editor to be friendly and happy. The two of you should bubble over with creative energy and enthusiasm about your story and your writing. Getting into a contract or money dispute will ruin that very quickly. I love having an agent who will talk to the accounting and contract departments for me while I talk story with my editor. And when there's a very bad problem, I don't have to talk to the publisher at all. Saves me a fortune in Pepto Bismal.

6. She helps you keep your career on track and avoid mistakes. If your agent doesn't want you to take an offer, listen to him. You might not agree, but there will be a very good reason your agent suggests turning down money (because remember they don't get paid until you do). Don't be too proud to take advice! (Or too gullible to believe everything you're told--strike a balance.)

Now that I've said all that, I want to add a couple of cautions.

1. Don't expect your agent to run your career for you. I have my own ideas about how I want my career to go. I do a ton of market research on my own--I know what houses are publishing what kind of books, and I keep my ear open to what kind of deals the authors are getting. That way when I want to try something new or build on something I've already done, I have an idea where to suggest we go with it. Don't bury your head in the sand just because you have a good agent who takes care of you. Building your career should be something you do together.

2. NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER sign with an agent who charges an up-front fee. They'll say, "It costs a lot to run an agency and photocopy and mail mansucripts. I need $500 from you right away." Tough! An agent makes money from selling you. If they take your $500 right away, why should they bother trying to sell you? They'll just take another $500 from another sucker, and another, and another... IT SHOULD NOT COST YOU MONEY TO SELL YOUR BOOK. The only expenses you should incur as an unpubbed author are your office supplies, postage, writer's groups dues/contests and whatever conferences you decide to attend.

3. Don't be afraid to break up with an agent. If they don't communicate with you for months and months, if they can only get you very poor offers and don't fine-tune the contracts, if they convey that they no longer like your writing and have very little interest in helping you move up--break it off. You will have to approach a new agent with a new project (read your agent contract thoroughly to see how to end it and what rights they/you retain). But if your career is not moving forward, you have to move it forward yourself. It's hard, but it has to be done. Staying with an agent who does nothing for you (or even worse, a fraudulent agent), will stagnate your career. (I will do an entire post on this subject.)

4. And I should add: Read your agent contract thoroughly and make sure you understand it before signing! (She shouldn't have you pay for her weekly hot-oil massage with Raoul to mitigate the stress of working with publishers.)

It is hard to get an agent. It's probably the hardest part (well, except writing a good book--that's pretty hard too). But in the long run, it's worth it.

Workshop Sat. Nov. 3

2007-11-02T14:49:00.001-06:00

I will be doing a workshop at the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ Sat. Nov. 3, discussing the romance, mystery, rom. sus. and suspense markets with bookseller Barbara Peters. From 9:30 to noon.

Address and directions are on their website. It's a wonderful store.
http://www.poisonedpen.com/

Five years and giving back

2007-10-31T12:17:00.000-06:00

I am working on a post about what I've learned during my 5-year career, but it's taking me a while. I've learned a lot! I want to tighten up my thoughts before posting.

Meanwhile, I was reflecting on "giving back" on my other blog, so feel free to read that as a substitute for this week's OnWriting post.

Just Writing

2007-10-22T11:03:00.001-06:00

I've been pondering writing posts on getting back to pure creativity, or not worrying about how you plot your books (heavy outlining vs. seat of the pants), but I realized that one of the hardest roadblocks authors face is this one:

Writing pages.

This is what separates the wheat from the chaff, the women from the girls. You can go to all the workshops on plotting you want; read all the books on conflict you can get your hands on; and chart, outline, and plot your book to the smallest minutiae, but eventually one thing has to happen:

You have to write scenes.

For many people, that's enough to send them running back into the world of workshop tapes, meditation exercises, or serious closet cleaning.

I think this is where writer's block (or as I call it "writer's attitude") sets in. The realization that OMG, I actually have to write sentences, and they have to be good AND fill 400 pages.

You're panting heavily just to make it to 15K, and you have 85K more to go.

I've been there on every single book I write.

There are some days I simply can't write sentences. I don't know why, but my brain refuses to put words together that make any sense. On those days, I go back and lightly revise what I have written, brainstorm future books, or clean out my closet, whichever I think will benefit me most.

But because I have deadlines, I don't always have a choice (i.e., I have messy closets). I've devised the folowing methods to get myself to write pages:

1. Get rid of the idea that the pages have to be good. Allow yourself to be bad. You'll have time later to fix the stilted dialog, wooden description, boring introspection.

2. Don't worry about writing the book linearly (page 1 to page 400 in order). If a scene from the climax of the book is burning up your brain, write it. You'll have to write it eventually anyway; it's not wasted effort.

3. No writing is wasted. Even if you trash half of what you write; you might be able to use some of it in another book. Copy and paste it into a "saved" file instead of just erasing it. Also, any writing flexes your writing muscles and keeps your brain in practice.

4. Trick yourself to get words on paper (or computer screen). What works for me is:

Going to a coffee house or similar place to write for X amount of time. I am not allowed to do anything during that X amount of time but write. No games, no reading the newspaper, no chatting, no Internet. I can't leave until that time is over. (I am allowed to use the bathroom, but only if it's desperate.)
Writing on a computer that isn't configured for Internet. When I got my last laptop, I deliberately never activated the Internet connections. I love cruising the Net, posting on blogs, chatting on email loops, and other HUGE time wasters! I stymie myself by having to use a different computer for Internet.
Note: If you're on a budget and can't afford two computers, get an Alpha Smart--a text editor that's lightweight, has a battery that lasts forever, holds a ton of copy, and is easily uploaded to your computer so you can edit it.
Taking the computer games off the computer. I love that darned Spider game. I rock at the hardest level. I finally had to disable it on my laptop. (It's still on my desktop; I'm not that strong.)
Rewarding myself for X number of words. I tell myself that I have to sit down and write 1000 words (or to the end of the scene or end of the chapter), and then I can do something for myself. Indulge in my hobby, go out to lunch, write scenes for the story I'd much rather be working on, or play that darned Spider game.

I can get four thousand words a day out of myself using these techniques, and since I write so many books a year, I have to.

Now, happily, I don't always have to trick myself into writing. Often the story and characters take hold and just pour out of my head. I don't want to stop writing (not for dinner, a tv show, chatting on the Internet, calling my friends, spending time with my husband). I love it when the fire is hot!!

But realistically, the fire isn't always hot, and you can waste tons of time waiting for it to burn again. During that time, you aren't getting down the mechanics of the book, the pieces that hold it together when the fire finally returns.

Having to get words on paper, having to fill 400 pages with productive copy is truly what keeps many people with fantastic ideas and giant leaps of creativity from becoming recognized, published, paid authors.

Now that I've indulged myself in writing a blog, time to go do that next 1000 words!

Yes, you can write your own book and get it published

2007-10-15T12:25:00.001-06:00

I was cruising the net a couple weeks ago, always alert for writer's tips to pass on. I ran across a site that had a list of tips that were at first pretty good (keep trying, shop for a good agent, etc.)

But then the list suddenly said that you should never send in a query letter that a professional writer hasn't written or edited for you. Huh?

Warming to the theme--the author of this list went on to say that the only authors who succeed are ones who have professional writers, editors, and book doctors help them! Double huh??

This list went so far as to suggest that an author who didn't hire a professional writer/editor was doomed to failure, and that's the way the business worked.

Triple huh???

That's when I realized, of course, that this "tips" list linked to the site of a book doctor. Ok, it was a sales pitch.

But jeeeeeezzzz. This site purported to "help" authors with good advice--I can imagine an aspiring author with a pile of rejections thinking--oh, maybe that's why I'm not published--I didn't spend thousands on a book doctor or ghost writer!

Ahem.

YOU DO NOT NEED A GHOST WRITER OR A BOOK DOCTOR TO GET PUBLISHED.

Hundreds of authors every day send in their query letters and partials and full manuscripts, and get picked. I write for several publishers and am on private email loops for their authors. Brand new and excited authors log in all the time, happy to be there, having sold their books via query letters (that they wrote themselves), or conference meetings, or through an agent.

It happens all the time.

This does not mean I have anything against ghost writers. I have a friend who ghosts and does well with it. Ghost writers are often used for auto-bios ("as told to") books by celebrities or government leaders who have a story to tell but know they can't put sentences together. Ghost writers can fix a manuscript that has come in to a publisher in shoddy condition but it's too late to cancel the book (the ghost writer's fee comes out of the author's royalties; and note, this is not a common occurrence). They can also work on screenplays that need to be rewritten and the original author wasn't contracted to work on the rewrites.

But for the most part, most authors, even the big, big name authors, write their own stuff (a few notable exceptions aside).

I got published by doing the following: Writing a book. Writing a query letter and polishing the heck out of it. Sending out query letters to agents and editors. Sending out partials and full mss when requested. Piling up rejections. Writing second book.

Repeating procedure until one of those mss. got bought. I did this for three years.

I got an agent via a query letter, then sending in a partial, then sending in a requested full. I made my first sale to a publisher who had requested my full manuscript via snail mail. That was in 2002.

I now have, or will have next month, twenty published books in the marketplace. I wrote every word of every dang one of them myself. My editors might have suggested changes on some of them, but I decided whether those changes helped or hurt the book, and made them myself.

I didn't hire anyone to help me (trust me, I got the tendonitis on my own).

Writing is just damn hard work. Many aspiring authors don't want to face that. They want instant success, instant riches, instant fame.

Well, guess what. I guarantee that every author out there you consider successful (bestselling or award winning or whatever), worked their little fannies off to get where they did.

I might seem easy on the outside because you weren't there for the months and months and years and years of stealing moments to finish a scene or polish a chapter, the anguish when it wasn't right, the heartbreak of rejections.

Getting published is the most delayed gratification you'll ever experience.

Your book is a gift you give the world, a piece of yourself. You want it to be the best piece of yourself you can give. Don't rush it.

You just have to keep on going, and believing. You'll get there!

www.jennifersromances.com

How to "Make It" to Authordom

2007-09-30T20:26:00.000-06:00

A.C. Crispin, sci-fi fantasy writer, offers an interesting take on the kind of person who will likely "make it"; that is, become a published, working author. I thought it was a great post--these observations apply no matter what genre you write.

http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-do-you-tell-whos-going-to-make-it.html

This blog, which A.C. Crispin writes with Victoria Strauss, is called Author Beware, and regularly lists scams and cons out there that target authors. Sadly so many people want to make money off your dreams, leaving you high and dry. Well worth checking out.

Jennifer
www.jennifersromances.com

How Hollywood Gets It Wrong

2007-09-14T13:07:00.000-06:00

I’m always baffled (not to mention irritated) by portrayals of authors in movies and television. Authors are stereotyped in the most absurd ways—romance authors in particular--which explains why so many non-writers think we’re either too glamorous to be real or too stupid to live

Here are some myths I’ve seen in movies and on television:

All authors live in New York City and carry their finished mss. personally to their publishers.

Authors published in New York live all over the United States and in England, Canada, Germany, India, Australia, New Zealand, and all points in between. Authors mail mss to their publishers via USPS, Fedex, etc, or through email. Very rarely do they deliver it in person, unless they happen to be in Manhattan with said ms. under their arm and happen to be passing their publisher’s building that day.

Manuscripts are 4-inch thick tomes bound in brown or blue vinyl or whatever.

Manuscripts should not be bound. Mss. are sent to editors loose in a box (priority mail or fedex boxes are perfect with a little bubble wrap to fill in the gaps). Put a rubber band or two around the ms. to hold it steady--that's it. These days, full mss. can be emailed (with prior editor approval!). Maybe this bound ms. myth comes from the fact that movie and TV scripts get bound? Or it's easier for the actor to carry it around the set? This is nitpicky, but it bugs me to no end.

Romance editors loathe their work and would rather be nurturing the next Ernest Hemingway.

Most romance editors are voracious genre readers and love the best authors in romance, mystery, scifi/fantasy, horror. Go on, ask any romance editor what she likes to read for pleasure. I write for editors who love J.R. Ward, Karen Marie Monig, Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, and many more.

The author’s agent or editor flies to author’s house to nurse him/her through their bout of writers block. Editor/agent may stay for the entire movie.

Most publishers have large lists of authors and never enough editors. Editors work from early morning to late at night, often carrying mss. from the slush pile to read on their commute and on vacation. Agents take care of a dozen to fifty clients, and they have the same slush pile issue. These people barely have time to chat on the phone let alone fly to an author’s house to live with him for a couple weeks. Author must get over writer’s block on his/her own.

Editor meets author at coffee house or restaurant and reads ms., usually weeping and raving, while author watches.

This could happen if you and your editor both live in Manhattan. And you’re very good friends. And the editor doesn’t have anything else to do. What mostly happens is you send your finished ms. to your agent, who then passes it to your editor. The editor might send author a brief email saying “got it, thanks!” Depending on the editor’s schedule, you might not hear anything about that manuscript again for another few weeks to months.

All authors live in penthouse apartments in Manhattan, or mansions on the west coast, or both. They attend lavish cocktail parties and rub elbows with celebrities.

Maybe the top, top, top authors do. The household name ones. Cocktail parties with celebrities? Most authors get excited about meeting friends at Starbucks. Many keep on living in the communities in which they were living before they got published. If they’re very successful, they might buy a bigger house, take nice vacations, or have a second home.

An author who doesn’t make the NY Times Top 10 is considered a failure.

I saw this on Veronica Mars once. Veronica’s poor dad only made the extended list. Means his print run was pretty damn good, and he’ll probably make a nice little amount on it, especially if it was a hardback. It’s very, very, very, very, very, very, very difficult to make the top 10. Many authors never will make it, because much of making the big lists depends on print run, genre, and what the publisher and booksellers do with the book.

Addendum: Making a list doesn’t mean the book is a success either. Only the sell-through (the percentage of the print run that sold) determines success. If you make NYT top 10 and sell 30% of your print run, you’re screwed. Sell 70% and never touch a list, you’re cool. I know a couple authors who rarely appear on the lists and make a nice six-figure income every year.

Real authors won’t consider writing genre fiction, and if they do, they invent a pseudonym and hire an actor/actress to personify them so no one will know.

I saw this recently on a British murder mystery (who seem to be the worst culprits in stereotyping genre writers). This scenerio could happen, of course, and I think I remember reading about it happening once. However, most genre writers consider themselves “real” writers and live without shame. If not for genre (horror, romance, mystery, thrillers, westerns, etc.), the book industry would have died long ago.

Authors don’t write their own books. They hire ghost writers and sit back and collect the bucks.

All right, so a couple authors have come forward to say they hire a ghost writer to write while they do the marketing. But by and large, most of us type our butts off, revise our own mss., and spend a lot of our own time and money on promo. Of the writers I’ve met, and I’ve met many, all write their own books.

Plus, the author does have to pay the ghost writer himself, which comes out of his advance and /or royalties. Ghost writers don’t work for free, and the publishers don't pay them. Even if a publisher hires another writer to "clean up" someone's ms., it comes out of the original author's royalties. So it’s not a matter of having someone else work while you collect. You pay your dues one way or another.

If an author isn’t a bestseller right off the bat he/she is a failure and should shuffle back to his/her day job in shame.

Sometimes it takes several books to build an audience. Remember, it’s sell-through that determines a book’s success or failure, not lists. And many authors who weren’t hits at first changed names or genres (or both), started again, and moved on to huge success. They didn't give up. You’re a failure only if you decide to fail.

A broke author who hasn’t turned in a book in years calls his publisher to beg them for money—calling it an early advance on his next work (which he/she hasn’t written).

An author does not get paid until he/she signs a contract (whereupon he/she gets a portion of the advance), and turns in the book (getting the second half of the advance). He’s not going to get a contract unless he has at least a synopsis to show the editor. If no royalties are coming in from his previous book (because it’s out of print or off the shelves), he doesn’t get more money for that, either.

A book is written, edited, proofed, printed, shipped, and on the lists in a couple of months.

Books can be rush-printed if they’re on a timely subject, but most books take nine to eighteen months at the publisher, and that doesn’t include the time for the writer to write it. So the book you’re starting today may not see print for two years. Even the larger e-book houses now have a long lag time between sale and print. I spit my iced tea when I saw this on one of my favorite television shows.

The romance author: She is a woman in her 50s or 60s, wears flowing pastel or flowered garments and heavy make-up, calls everyone dahling and chases every man in the room (to their consternation). Sometimes accessorizes with a long cigarette holder and (horrors) a feather boa. She tells everyone to “feel the passion,” is terminally stupid, and has no clue how she’s made so much money (except, of course, her readers “feel the passion,” too).

If you meet a romance author, chances are you’ll never realize she is one unless she tells you. At conferences most authors dress business or business casual. They look like businesswomen and also grandmothers, mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, and friends, because that’s what they are (and of course some grandfathers, fathers, husbands, brothers). And I’ve never met a romance author who called me “dahling” (for real).

The “has-been” romance author. (Oh, she’s so sad.) She is anywhere from 40 to 60 and rather faded. She used to be a (naïve) bestselling romance author, but then her husband cheated on her or left her (or both), which made her realize that romance wasn’t reality. She can no longer write, because she no longer believes in the romance. She obviously can’t do anything else either, because she sits around in her shabby house and sadly wonders if anyone remembers her.

Most romance authors are very savvy about the real world and the world of publishing. Many are happily married or in long-term relationships—and I guarantee you, marriage will put you in touch with reality (hello?). Some authors have gone through divorce or have had more than one marriage. They understand that not all matches are perfect. And you know what? Most of them still believe in their stories, most continue to write. Even if some are turned off by romance, they might turn to another genre and keep going. Writing is their job, and they continue to do their job—or if they truly can’t write any more, they go find other employment. Romance authors do understand the difference between their own lives and their books.

The cynical romance author: She is the businesswoman who hates writing romance and loathes her audience (coldly calling them nasty names). But her books sell like hotcakes and she’s trapped. She can’t stop. Of course, she longs to write “real” books.

If you don’t buy into what you’re writing, it’s damn hard to write it. You won’t sell like hotcakes for long if you despise your audience and your genre. The cynical romance author could be true, but most romance authors love romance novels. That’s why they wanted to write them in the first place.

The author who has had writer’s block for ten or more years. This one is usually a man who writes literary fiction. He had one brilliant book or two, but he’s run dry. His publisher “understands” and will be there for him when he’s ready. (And his family understands that he won’t be bringing in any income. For ten years.)

Of course the publisher understands. There are plenty of authors to step into this guy’s slot while he’s wrestling with his demons. Sure, he might have been a big seller, but I imagine that within a year or two, the publisher will find someone else who's just as good a seller for them.. There are a lot of authors out there.

Our blocked writer has a breakthrough, produces his brilliant work (in a montage of feverish productivity), and the publisher welcomes him back with open arms.

In ten years the publisher could have been sold, merged, or closed completely. The beloved editor could move, quit, die, be fired, retire. If you don’t write anything for ten years, unless you were mega-famous (a household name) before, you’ll likely start all over again at a new house. If you can sell the book at all.

That wraps up my pet peeves of author portrayls in movies and on TV (and even in novels themselves). If you have any more, feel free to list them in the comments.

An un-scientific study of "what sells"

2007-09-07T11:39:00.000-06:00

I enjoy looking at the bestseller lists not only to see who's doing what, but also what types of books are doing well. I grabbed some info on the USA Today bestselling romances for the entire month of August 2007, and did a quick and dirty analysis:

In the top 50

Almost Dead, Lisa Jackson (Zebra) -- Suspense

Ricochet, Sandra Brown (Pocket) -- Suspense

Dakota Born, Debbie Macomber (MIRA) -- Contemporary

The MacGregor Brides, Nora Roberts (Silhouette) -- Contemporary

Dockside, Susan Wiggs (MIRA) -- Contemporary

Tangled Up In You, Rachel Gibson (Avon) -- Contemporary

High Noon, Nora Roberts (Putnam) -- Suspense

The Devilish Pleasures of a Duke, Jillian Hunter (Ballantine) -- Historical

Into the Storm, Suzanne Brockmann (Ballantine) -- Suspense

Devil May Cry, Sherrilyn Kenyon (St. Martin's) -- Paranormal

Touch of Darkness, Christina Dodd (Signet) -- Paranormal

Tanner's Scheme, Lora Leigh (Berkley) -- Paranormal

Play Dirty, Sandra Brown (Simon & Schuster) -- Suspense

Force of Nature, Suzanne Brockmann (Ballantine) -- Suspense

To Scotland, With Love, Karen Hawkins (Pocket) -- Historical

Numbers 51-150

Never Deceive a Duke, Liz Carlyle (Pocket) -- Historical

Country Brides, Debbie Macomber (MIRA) -- Contemporary

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, Julia Quinn (Avon) -- Historical

The Perfect Bride, Brenda Joyce (HQN) -- Historical

Up Close and Dangerous, Linda Howard (Ballantine) -- Suspense

Twice the Temptation, Suzanne Enoch (Avon) -- Historical

Angels Fall, Nora Roberts (Jove) -- Suspense

Highlander Untamed, Monica McCarty (Ballantine) -- Historical

Mercy, Julie Garwood (Pocket) -- Suspense

The Pleasure Trap, Elizabeth Thornton (Bantam) -- Historical

Hidden Moon, Lori Handeland (St. Martin's) -- Paranormal

Immortals: The Awakening, Joy Nash (Leisure) -- Paranormal

Scent of Darkness, Christina Dodd (Signet) -- Paranormal

On the Prowl, Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance, Sunny (Berkley) --
Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

(The subgenre labels are mine, so if I've erred, please correct me. Also, some of these books have been on USA Today for more than a month, so they might be 51-150 here, but were in the top 50 last month.)

Totals: 29 Titles

Contemporary: 5 (four in top 50)

Paranormal: 7 (three in top 50)

Historical: 8 (two in top 50)

Rom. Suspense (or Suspense): 10 (seven in top 50)

Based on the numbers alone, you might be tempted to say: "Rom. Sus. is rocking and rolling and paranormal is dying. I'm switching to rom. sus!"

But, look again--Most of the rom. sus. books on this list are by well-established authors: Linda Howard, Sandra Brown, Suzanne Brockman, Nora Roberts. Lisa Jackson is a relative newcomer, and she's been publishing since 1998.

Next look at paranormals: Seven overall and only three in the top fifty, but almost all these authors are relative newcomers. (Christina Dodd is the exception, but she's a newcomer in the field.) This is Joy Nash's first contemp. paranormal (she's done two historicals). Lori Hadeland is relatively new, as is Patricia Briggs and others in her anthlogy. Likewise, Lora Leigh is relatively new, though she had an established audience in e-published erotic romance. ("Relatively" means began their careers within the last five years.)

What that tells me is that in paranormal an author does not already have to have a long, well-established career to make the bestseller lists. Readers are buying these books for the subject matter, not just the author. More new and relatively new authors who leapt quickly to bestsellerdom in paranormal are Angela Knight, Cheyenne McCray, Katie Macalister, Jacqueline Frank, and many others.

In suspense? I'm not seeing any newbies hitting hard. (Although Cheyenne McCray's first suspense, Chosen Prey, hit USA Today when it came out, and she reports that it sold very, very well. And like Lora Leigh, Cheyenne was well-established in e-published erotic romance before she moved to St. Martin's Press.)

From talking with other suspense authors who haven't hit the lists yet, I'm sensing that readers are following authors who are well-established rather than picking up a book simply because it's a rom. sus.

Turning to historicals, I see a good mix of well-established, relatively new, and new authors in the mix. That tells me that historicals are still holding their own even if they're not the hottest subgenre in town.

(I never listened to those who said that historicals were dead--I started publishing historical romance in 2002 and my historical sales have climbed a fairly steady slope. Of course, as soon as I wrote paranormals--bang, USA Today bestseller. Hmm.)

But historicals hold their own. They've been around a long, long time, while paranormal and rom. sus. have both boomed, busted, and boomed again.

The only weak spot I see in this list is contemporary (non-suspsense). These authors: Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, Rachel Gibson, and Susan Wiggs have well-established careers, and it's no surprise their books hit. Rachel Gibson is the newest, publishing since about 1998. Now, these authors sell gobs of books, but I don't see contemporary single title as a place where newcomers can spring onto the scene as a bestseller. Like suspense, I suspect it's a subgenre where you need to bulid readers before you're a hit.

My conclusions?

Paranormal is where newcomers can make a splash. (Can they stay a splash? That remains to be seen.)

Historical is also a good inroad, and is a subgenre that's proved it can stay throughout market ups and downs. New authors can make a good start in historical.

Suspense and contemporary? I'd suggest authors start in category in these two subgenres and work their way up, or start in e-publishing and establish a strong following before breaking in with a NY publisher.

Again, these are just my thoughts while musing over lists, based on a snapshot of what hit in August 2007. Take with a grain of salt and form your own conclusions!

Top Five Signs of a Crumbling Publisher

2007-08-30T11:00:00.000-06:00

I've been distressed lately by the number of small presses shutting their doors for various reasons, and even more distressed by the authors who are left hanging--bitter and unhappy and wondering what happened to their dreams.

The problem is compounded by the Internet and the juicy rumors that fly all over the place--some spot on, some wildly inaccurate.

The sad fact is, the demise of some publishers casts doubt on other publishers who might be doing just fine. I'm amazed at the number of rumors I hear about solid companies, while everyone seemed to be taken by surprise when the not-so-solid ones go out of business.

Writers need to not only BE CAREFUL who you sign a contract with, but also know the difference between rumors circulated by disgruntled authors and a company that's truly in trouble.

Here are some top warning signs that a publishing company is crumbling:

1. Sudden turnover in top staff.
2. Checks that are very late (like months to a year).
3. Checks that bounce (this is one of the best signs that it's time to leave--ignore excuses).
4. Staff quitting quickly and not being replaced (attrition).
5. Very rapid veering from what company is good at to strange new ventures.

Many of the rumors ("so and so ran off with the money;" "this company is in serious financial trouble;" etc.) are not always verifiable, but the five things I've listed are very good signs--gossip aside--that it's best you quietly look for another place to sell your work.

Please remember that I'm talking about extreme things--all the executives being replaced in a week, every author's check bouncing, the company going from publishing erotic e-books to print travel guides. If your check is a week late, that's not a sign of bankruptcy. If the company replaces a CFO, it might be just fine (people do move on).

So how do you avoid signing up with a shaky publisher in the first place? Research!

1. Buy the books--are they typo-free, well formatted, don't look cheap?

2. Talk to the authors (a wide cross-section, not just cheerleaders or disgruntled former authors)--ask for their good experiences and bad.

3. Ask about sales. Don't be embarrassed. It takes just as much energy and time to write a book that sells 25 e-copies as one that sells 2000. Some authors sell better than others of course, but it's good to know the potential sales you might reach.

4. Check out the publisher's website--is it professionally done and easy to use; is it easy to purchase the books?

5. Attend conferences where the publisher is presenting itself. Are the executives professional or a little flaky? Just because you and the CEO both call your cats Cuddle Poos doesn't mean she's a good person to run a publishing company.

6. Look at their boilerplate contract. Does it meet industry standard (there's a reason for industry standards). Is it negotiable? (Pray that it is.)

None of this guarantees your publisher will never have problems, but you can avoid the worst of them if you think it through beforehand. It is a new writer's instinct to leap at the first contract offered--'cause, duh, we're dying to be published--but you need to be happily published, not ripped off.

One aside about contracts---Never, EVER, sign a contract where the royalty clause says you get royalties on the "Net Proceeds" of a book. DON'T. You should get royalties on the retail cover price.

Why? Because the retail cover price is fixed. If you get a 37% royalty on an ebook that sells for $5.95, you get about $2.00 per book. Period.

"Net proceeds" might mean that the publisher says: "Oh, the reader paid 5.95, but it cost us this much for the cover, and this much to re-do the link page when it broke, and this much for the editor, and this much for my cat's manicure for the promo session . . ." whittling down your share of the pie to possibly nothing. I'm not saying all publishers who pay on net proceeds do this, but you've handed them the means to do it if they want to.

Rule of thumb: Do NOT sign a book contract (e- or print) where the royalties are paid on net proceeds. I don't care how many epublishers do this (EC does not--I have contracts with them). Authors cannot afford to let this become standard. Refuse--or get an agent to refuse for you.

People get very hung up on the "we keep the rights forever" clauses (which are negotiable--if not, don't sign), and completely miss the net proceeds garbage. The forest for the trees . . .

That is my rant about authors getting taken by shaky publishers. Research, READ your contract thoroughly, and keep an eye out for the warning signs. None of this guarantees a fantastic career, but you'll be much more comfortable on your way up.

What Makes a Bestseller?

2007-08-08T11:00:00.001-06:00

Before I start, let me give one caveat: This is my take on things based on observation and asking pesky questions, not a scientific study!

I've gotten to a point in my career where I've been hitting bestseller lists and many of my writer friends (at about the same point as me) are too. It's kind of fun to sit back and watch which books hit, and I've come to realize what makes a bestseller.

Five things make a book hit the top lists (USA Today, Pub. Weekly, and NY Times) upon publication:

1. A large print run
2. Excellent distribution with reorders filled quickly
3. Placement in stores
4. Marketing
5. A great book on a subject readers care about.

Now, if you look at each of those, which do writers have most control over?

Number 5 of course.

(Number 4 a little bit, but when I say "marketing" I'm talking about to distributors and booksellers, which is done long before the book is due out.)

Looking at these in turn:

1. A large print run: A good sized print run (say 65K and up) will allow you to hit USA Today if all the other factors are in place. Bigger ones let you reach higher. Let's face it, the more books out there, the more available for purchase.

2. Excellent distribution with reorders quickly filled: If no one can find the book, no one can buy it. Simple as that. The largest chunk of books are sold in Walmart, Target, Costco, drug and grocery stores, and other retail giants. Surprisingly, bookstore chains order only a small percentage of the print run. Independent bookstores are also a small percent, but Indies are good at selling! (Because they're usually owned and operated by people who truly care about books. Go Indies!)

You want the sold books replaced quickly because, duh, if the book's not on the shelf, no one can buy it (online sales can't take up the slack at this point). Good distribution where the book stays on the shelf=good sales.

3. Placement: Getting your book on an end cap, a table, face-out on a shelf, or getting a shelf-talker (those labels of the author's name on the shelf itself) help readers find the books. Placement is not up to you the author, it's up to the bookseller, and what the publisher negotiates with the bookseller. Publishers can "buy" good visual space for a book they want to push.

4: Marketing: I mean the sales reps for the publisher enthusiastically selling the books to the distributors or bookstore buyers. The more belief a publisher has in an author or title, the more enthusiastic the reps are, and the more interest the buyers have.

Author marketing can help too. If the bookseller knows you're out there with a video, bookmarks, a website, a blog, a newsletter, etc., that's a good thing.

5. A darn good book that readers want to read: Ok, writers, this one's up to you! :-) A book with a strong voice and strong characters, well plotted and well constructed, on a topic readers care about is what you need to do. (Easy, right? [snicker]). Keep trying (I am).

When I say "what readers want to read" or "a topic readers care about" I don't mean the latest paranormal trend (though catching a rising trend helps). I mean a theme like healing, coming home, finding one's self through love of another--all those universal constants that appeal to us.

And, true, a popular time period and setting doesn't hurt. It's sad but true that certain times/places sell better than others. (This varies from genre to genre, so study your genre before you start!)

Ta da! A bestseller.

I know this is simplistic. I always need to break things down into simple terms to understand them myself.

If all of these factors are in place, there's still no guarantee the book will sell well. But it's a very good possibility that it will.

There are things that can weaken the above setup:

Books being sold early, so the first week's sales are not as strong (because of the dribbles before). There's a reason J.K Rowling's publishers were trying to sue people selling the last HP book early, and not just because they might give the plot away. They wanted that huge, frantic burst of sales on day one to guarantee that it was number 1 on every list.

The print run selling out quickly and not being replaced fast enough, or at all. (No books on shelves=no sales). Interestingly, some publishers just will not reprint a book. They decide--the print run's gone, we're done. I'm sure there's some accounting reason for this--don't ask me.

A stronger selling book than yours making booksellers adjust what's on the end caps, tables, etc.

Sometimes readers just don't connect with the book, even when you've done your job. If they don't like it, they stop buying.

But enough depressing stuff. Go out and write a strong, well-plotted, well-characterized appealing book :-) If the publisher likes it enough, they'll push it--and if they get factors 1 through 4 in place, you might be on your way to bestseller-dom.

Jennifer
http://www.jennifersromances.com/

Sometimes No isn't always a bad answer

2007-08-02T12:10:00.000-06:00

Rejection . . .

I hate it. I can't imagine anyone likes it. I got rejected plenty before I was published, had plenty of heartbreaks seeing that SASE come back in the mail with "Not for me" scrawled on the first page of the ms.

I got "good" rejections as well, where the editor took time to tell me what she felt was weak about the book. Those hurt less, because the editor was trying to help, and a busy editor doesn't have time to waste on a writer she doesn't take seriously. (It hurt less, but it still hurt!)

I got a lot of "almost"s before I finally got a "yes."

People often ask me if I have a drawer in which I keep my rejected mss, and if I have sent those to my editors for publication (implying "ha ha ha, see what you passed up" to the editors who initially rejected them.)

The answer is a decided NO.

I do have copies of my rejected mss (somewhere), but after I got published, it was like the fog lifting. I saw very clearly why Perils of the Heart got published and the first six or seven didn't. At least one of the following was wrong with each of them:

1. Weak or implausible plotting
2. Weak voice
3. Main characters were unbelievable or not very strong people
4. Stilted writing
5. Rushed pacing (I mean really rushed!)

The things I did ok or learned quickly were dialog, setting, and love scenes--I wonder what the last says about me. :-)

If any of those six books had been accepted, they would have needed massive revisions, and even then likely would not have sold very well. A book with weak sales can hurt your career, sometimes irreparably.

So in retrospect, those particular mss. should have been rejected, and I'm even glad they were. (There are two that possibly could be saved with work and a little plot rethinking; the rest--flush!)

I'm glad I was rejected because I want my very best work to go out in front of the world. Not my self-indulgent scribbles, but a polished, well-thought-out book with solid characters and plotting. This will be for sale! With my name on it!

Second point:

Even after I was published, I still got rejected. When I was talking to one of my editors several years ago about what I'd do for the last book of a contract, I mentioned four or five ideas, and--she didn't want any of them.

At the time I didn't want to write another pirate romance (I'd done two). I wanted to expand into something else, or at least have another book between pirates. I love writing pirate romance, but I didn't want to be the "Pirate Queen" for the rest of my life.

But my editor, my wise, wise editor, turned down my ideas and advised me to write another pirate book. I was a little disappointed, but in retrospect, she was right.

Why was she right?

1. The book I was keenest on hadn't been very well thought out. I've kept the idea in mind and it's grown into something much, much better and much, much stronger, and one day everyone may see it in print. But if she'd let me write and turn in that idea as it stood, it would have been a weak book. It might have ended my career, who knows?

2. A couple ideas I had really weren't marketable. "Marketable" means the reader in the bookstore "gets" what the book is about and connects with it quickly. You can't be standing next to every reader in every store in the world, explaining what the book is about. They have to know instantly. The ideas I had then didn't have this quality (I would have had to stand by every reader for fifteen minutes--and they'd have long since decided to buy something else.)

3. The book I ended up doing, The Care and Feeding of Pirates, was probably the best of my early books. It had a bigger print run, sold out that print run fairly quickly, had a strong sell-through, got several foreign rights sales, was reprinted, and I'm still getting good royalty checks on it. It was also pure joy to write, I think the hero, Christopher Raine, was one of my best ever heroes, and readers loved it. I still get enthusiastic fan mail for Care & Feeding.

So in this case, I'm glad my editor said No to my wild ideas and steered me back to what she knew I already knew how to do. Then when I pitched my fairy-tale historicals to her for the next contract, she welcomed them with open arms.

Third point:

Sometimes when someone is rejected, I hear them say: "The market isn't ready for my work."

Maybe that's true. The cynical me, on the other hand, remembering my own rejected mss., says, "Well, you can think that if it makes you feel better."

I'll grant that the market not being ready could be partly true. When I first started writing romance, I wrote very hot love scenes. They were raw, I named body parts, and I used naughty, four-letter words.

This was greeted by critiquers and contest judges with shock and horror. I couldn't use that word, I couldn't have them do that on page 36! I, the paranoid newbie, believed everyone, and tried to learn to say manhood. (I never could quite bring myself to write it, though... I mean who, in real life says manhood? With a straight face?)

That was in 1998. See how the market has changed since then? Readers at the moment prefer scenes in which nothing is left out to coy purple prose.

BUT, while I might have been "ahead of my time" writing romance scenes, that doesn't change the fact that the rest of the ms. was crap.

My point here is that rejection isn't necessarily Them not wanting the genius of You. (Those poor befuddled editors who don't understand what readers want.)

Writers need to learn to look at their own work objectively (or at least find someone they trust to analyze it for them), and be painfully honest!!

Is your ms. really too brilliant and scary for the publishing world to deal with? or could you do better with your dialog, revise your roundabout descriptions, get rid of your adverbs, cut some characters, tighten the plotting?

Sometimes, yes, ideas are outside of the box and editors don't want to gamble their careers on them.

But if you make sure your book is well-written, well-plotted, well-characterized, with good dialog, a strong voice, etc. etc. etc., your chance of getting that off-the-wall idea accepted is much, much, much higher.

My bottom line: Rejection hurts, but it should be a challenge for you to write better and stronger, not an excuse to rail that the world doesn't understand you. :-) (Well, ok, you can, but still get back in and write stronger stories.)

And soon all the nos and maybes will become an ecstatic yes!

More on Money--from Sabrina Jeffries

2007-07-28T22:59:00.000-06:00

Sabrina Jeffries has a very good explanation of how print authors make money (and how much) on her site: http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/big-misunderstanding-about-money.php

Read this along with my own post about money, to learn "what authors really make." I get asked a lot why I write so many books under so many different names--this is why! (well, one of the reasons why). Enjoy!

Jennifer Ashley
http://www.jennifersromances.com/

RWA Nationals

2007-07-25T13:16:00.001-06:00

I posted the saga of my journey through RWA Nationals on my other blog: www.jennifersromances.blogspot.com

Exciting stuff--my personal account of Nationals, plus winning the Rita and so forth. Scroll all the way down to start at Wednesday and work your way back up.

I hope once I get a little caught up to get this blog back to regular posts. I have lots to say about the industry and more interviews to post.

Jennifer

Love, Double-Shots, and Lois Winston

2007-06-09T14:57:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm talking to Lois Winston, a fairly new author (her second book, Love, Lies, & a Double-Shot of Deception is a June release from Dorchester), about humor and her venture into publishing.

Lois's first book was Talk Gertie To Me (Dorchester, April 2006) a combination chick lit/hen lit/romantic comedy with a touch of the paranormal, and has won several awards and received nominations for plenty more.

JA: Your books have fun titles, great humor, and thoughtfulness. Why were you drawn to writing these particular kind of books? What about the subgenre do you like?

Lois: I don’t know who first coined the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” but I’ve found it to be very true. We’re bombarded each day by television, radio, and print news containing horrific stories -- murder, rape, war, famine, poverty, disease. When I pick up a book, I don’t want to read more of the same. I want an escape. That’s why I love romance and novels with romantic elements. I know I’ll always be guaranteed a happy ending, or at least a rich, satisfying ending. Same goes for the movies I watch. You’ll never catch me at a horror flick or an art film where everyone dies at the end. I want to be entertained at the movies, not scared to death or depressed.

Because my favorite books are the ones that make me laugh, I suppose it was only natural that my writing traveled down that path. I get a tremendous amount of pleasure each time someone tells me they laughed out loud while reading one of my books. So even when I write romantic suspense, I don’t write dark, gritty, violent romantic suspense. I don’t want to be responsible for someone’s nightmares. I’d rather be responsible for that embarrassing moment when they laughed out loud while reading one of my books on a train or bus.

I have to give chick lit credit for developing my comedic voice. Even though I don’t write straight chick lit, my voice is a direct result of the chick lit influence. My characters -- no matter their age -- are infused with that wry sensibility often found in chick lit. It’s either that or my New York attitude. Or maybe a combination of both. You can exile the city girl to the suburbs, but she’ll always be a city girl at heart.

JA: Do you have any advice for writers trying to get past the “gate” and into publication?

Lois: Write the best damn book you can. Then make it even better. Voice is key. The market is so tough that it’s not good enough to have a wonderful story. It has to be a wonderful story told in a unique, engaging voice. You need to hook an editor with your very first sentence and keep her hooked through 300 - 400 pages. With so many manuscripts vying for a limited number of slots, you don’t want to give an editor any excuse to put your manuscript down. You want to be responsible for keeping her up all night because she just had to finish that manuscript.

JA: What has been your best experience about getting published? Your worst?

Lois: The best experience? I don’t know that I can winnow it down to one. Knowing that I accomplished what I set out to do is certainly high up on the list. There’s no experience like the first time you walk into a bookstore and see your book on the shelf. Fan mail would be another. That a total stranger would take the time to write to me to say how much she enjoyed my book definitely ranks up there. Reviewers who tell the world to read my books? They deserve a special place in Heaven. Judges who have bestowed awards on my books? They’re up there right next to the reviewers. Each one of these things is a Sally Field moment for me. (They like me; they really like me!) I’m both thrilled and humbled by these events. So choosing one best experience is impossible.

As for the worst? I’d have to say that’s probably the wait between sales, the worry that I’ll be a one-book-wonder or now a two-book-wonder. Selling a book is no guarantee of a lifetime of sales. The worry never goes away. (Although a multi-book contract with a fat advance would go a long way to lessening the worry!)

JA: Thank you, Lois, taking time to answer my questions, and best of luck, on your current release! I understand it's already getting fabulous reviews.

Lois also works at the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. Her website is http://www.loiswinston.com Since I forgot she worked at an agency, I'll have to ask her more questions about that aspect of her life!

Research by Sandra Schwab

2007-05-09T11:06:00.000-06:00

I am finally back and mostly recovered from RT (though I seem to be sick today). Apologies for the lapse in blogs--RT usually takes the stuffing out of me! Fun but draining.

Today, I have invited a fairly new author, Sandra Schwab, to talk about research. Her book, Castle of the Wolf, is a May release from Dorchester/Love Spell.

Sandra says: I’m one of the people who loves doing research: I love delving into the history of everyday life and digging up old gossip and scandal. However, research often proves to be a difficult hurdle for beginner-writers of historical romances.

What is the best way to research a specific era of history? How and where do I find relevant material? And how do I incorporate the research into my novel and keep the balance between historical detail and the story? So let’s have a look at this:

What is the best way to research a specific era of history?
Research should always move from the general to the specific. While most romances do not greatly touch upon political events, it is a good idea to read a general overview of the era you have chosen as a setting for your story. This enables you to gain a basic knowledge of that era, which will become the basis for all of your future research. Once you've got a general idea of the political history of the time, you'll need to find out what the everyday life of people was like. Things you should research include

architecture and housing (what did the houses look like? what was the set-up of a castle / a Regency town house? how was an estate run?)
fashion (things to wear for your heroine and hero!)
food (what kind of food was available for normal people / for the nobility? how was it served? how was it eaten?)
entertainments (what did people do in their leisure time? where there fairs or parks? what kind of games were played?), etc.

There are special overviews for writers available on different eras of history. These books contain articles on various subjects (food, fashion, shopping, etiquette, etc.) and bibliographies listing further relevant literature. Thus they can be used as starting points for your further research. E.g.

The Writer's Guide series from Writer's Digest Books, ranging from Sherrilyn Kenyon's The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Middle Ages: The British Isles from 500 to 1500 (1999) to Marc McCutcheon's The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life from Prohibition Through World War II (1995)
Sharon H. Laudermilk and Teresa L. Hamlin. The Regency Companion. New York: Garland, 1989.

All in all, it is relatively easy to find books on various subjects, e.g.

on architecture and housing: Christina Hardyment. Behind the Scenes: Domestic Arrangements in Historic Houses. London: National Trust, 1997.
on fashion: C. Willett Cunnington. English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century. 1937. New York: Dover, 1990.
on food: Jane Pettigrew. A Social History of Tea. London: National Trust, 2001.
on entertainments: Catherine Perry Hargrave. A History of Playing Cards and a Bibliography of Cards and Gaming. 1930. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2000.

Try to go for books with many illustrations: these will help you to visualize settings and objects; e.g.

books which are published by museums (e.g. the V&A in London) and which highlight specific parts of their collections. These books usually contain many photographs.
children's books like the See Through History series or the Eyewitness Guides: they contain many, sometimes very detailed illustrations with easy explanations
guidebooks on specific castles or stately houses (neat for creating your hero's manor house)

Another good way to get an impression what life at a specific time in history was like, is to look at primary sources, e.g. literature, letters, and memoirs, but also cookbooks, travel guides, etc. from that specific time. When I wrote Castle of the Wolf, I used a 19th-century guidebook to add details to my heroine’s journey down the Rhine, like the fact that from Rotterdam to Cologne there was nothing much to see but dykes on either side of the river.

How and where do I find relevant material?
Thanks to the internet, research has become very easy today: you can visit websites of various libraries and museums worldwide, you'll find collections of primary literature online (e.g. the Project Gutenberg), you can order books online (I absolutely adore abebooks -- it’s wonderful for finding old books!), and you'll also find an enormous amount of pictures and photographs online. So don't be afraid of the research! It's easier than it was ever before.

How do I incorporate the research into my novel?
In fiction writing you always have to find the balance between pure background description and the story / your characters. Historical background is just one facet of this. Some suggestions how to handle historical background:

When you build scenes, use illustrations and photographs to help you visualize the setting.
Include historical background in an unobstrusive way, i.e. don't throw your readers out of the story by giving endless, most detailed descriptions. Instead, make it part of the story: in The Lily Brand, Chinese decorations add to the apprehensive atmosphere of the reunion scene and foreshadow the hero's animosity: "Lillian's gaze was caught by the black dragons that curled threateningly across the bright red wallpaper and chased each other on the Chinese lanterns on the lacquered side tables. The feet of these were formed like the paws of a lion, with sharp golden claws that might tear through a man's flesh and bone." => escalation when hero enters the room: "Black dragons curled on the walls on each side of him as he strode toward them, tall and broud-shouldered, as graceful as a big cat."
Try to keep explanations short.
Never let a character give an explanation that is obviously only included for the reader's sake.
Credit your readers with some intelligence: some things don't need to be explicitly explained, sometimes the context is enough, e.g. the betting book at White's is a) pretty much self-explanatory, imo, and b) by now most readers of Regency romances would know that there was a betting book at White's

And now ... Happy history hunting!

****

Thank you Sandy! This is terrific information. I just finished writing a book revolving around Elizabeth I, and I was up to my ears in books, maps, pictures, charts, and a ton of material from the Internet--and I already knew quite a bit about Tudor history!

Never be afraid of research, though, as she says. You will be amazed at how many ideas for characters, plots, and incidents you can find while leafing through historical material.

Read more about Sandy's intriguing and different historical romances at: http://www.sandraschwab.com

Da Money

2007-04-18T17:54:00.000-06:00

I’m going to post today about something everyone wants to talk about--and no one wants to talk about.

How much can you really make writing these books anyway??

A few years ago when I was giving a talk, a young woman raised her hand and told me that one of her professors told her that she couldn’t make any money writing romance novels. I replied that writers like Nora Roberts, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Christine Feehan would likely be surprised to hear that.

There is much negativity surrounding the $$ in publishing. It is true that not as many people read now as they did before. Print runs are no longer commonly in the millions. There are so many published romance authors that our share of the diminishing pot has diminished.

But guess what? There is still money out there. Some romance authors are getting high six-figure to seven-figure advances. Authors are getting 200-500K print runs per title. Not everyone, of course. The majority of romance authors get five-figure advances, anywhere from low to high.

So how much can you really make? Let’s look at some concrete numbers.

You can have your book hit USA Today top 150 with a print run of 100,000. So let’s say you signed with a publisher, their marketing dept. got excited about you because your book was so well written and so marketable, and they got the booksellers to order 95,000 total.

Your print run will likely be about 100K. (Print runs are based on how many books the booksellers decide to order, not how much your editor loves you.)

Your book sells for $6.99. I’ll round that up to $7.00 to make math easier. You signed a contract that said you get 8% royalty. So for each book sold at retail cover price, you get about 56 cents a book.

I’m going to round that down to 50 cents--because books sold through discount book clubs and the like are usually sold at both lower cover price and usually lower royalty rate (although you can negotiate this point in your contract). But let's say in this example your average is 50 cents a book.

The book releases, those first books sell quickly enough that bookstores reorder and you ship out your entire 100K run.

Good for you. But—on average, most mass market paperbacks have about a 50% sell-through. Meaning that for every book sold, one gets returned unsold. (Hopefully you’ll sell better than that, but let’s say 50% for sake of example).

50% of a 100K run = 50,000 books. On each book you earn an average of 50 cents. 50 cents times 50K books = $25,000. If your publisher gave you a $20,000 advance for this book, you’ve earned that out and are due a royalty check (for simplicity’s sake I won’t go in to the money they hold back for returns).

Now if you’re smokin’ hot and readers love your book, and you sell 80,000 of those 100K copies, then your total earning is $40,000 and your royalty check will be $20,000 (‘cause remember, you already got your $20K advance.)

You get sell through like this in six-months to a year. After that, unless you have a blockbuster, your sales will still trickle in, but nothing like what you did the first six months.

Of course, this is a very simplified example. It does not take into account secondary rights—foreign translations, movie options, TV options, audio books—any bonuses, and much, much more. It also does not take into account the reserves held against returns, usually 18% of your royalties in the first year. (We all hate reserves, but they happen.)

Please keep in mind this is for ONE book. You will not live your life on the proceeds for one book (unless it’s a huge blockbuster, and even then, people will get tired of it). You will write anywhere from one to four books a year (don’t be like me and write seven 100K word-ers—you need a life.)

That means that you’ll get your turn-in advance for book three about the same time you start getting royalties from book one. You’ll get turn-in for book four as you get royalties for book two and book one. Turn-in $$ for book five as you get royalties for books one, two, and three. Plus all those secondary things you can sell, plus what you get when you sign new contracts—it all adds up.

Trust me, royalty income is a good thing. What you have to learn is not to expect it to come to a schedule (and certainly not your schedule, LOL), and you should expect the amounts to wildly flux. A key to earning a living as a writer is good budgeting—a subject beyond the scope of my blog!

I was going to go on about the importance of marketability (so those booksellers will want to order 100,000 books), but I think that’s enough for now. Another day, another blog.

So you see what I’m getting at—you can make a living, but you have to work at it! I’m always amused by people who tell me they want to be a writer someday so they can stop working. Sorry! This is the hardest job I’ve ever done.

It’s also the most fun and most rewarding job I’ve ever had.

Be flexible, don’t get discouraged, keep writing, keep believing.

I’ll be at RT next week, so my blog will be on hold until the week after. Take care!

Jennifer
www.jennifersromances.com

A Romance Template?

2007-04-10T15:44:00.000-06:00

AH asked a good question in the comments, and I'll answer it for this week's post:

"Jennifer, I have a question about writing Romance. Is there a general template? For example, I know there needs to be a Black Moment just before the end, but is there a general pattern to follow such as Chapter 1 "this happens", Chapter 2 "this happens" and so on? Thanks, AH"

Jennifer says: Let me preface my answer by saying that I write single-title romance, and not category/series (e.g., the line romances published by Harlequin/Silhouette). Series romance has it's own "rules," and while I don't think there's anything as hard and fast as "Chapter 1 has X," "Chapter 2 has Y," editors do like to see certain things fall in certain places. See HQ's guidelines or better still, read a gob of HQ/Sil books of a certain line to fine the rhythms and patterns.

Ok, back to single title. Single Title romance, btw, if you don't know the term, refers to most mass market paperback books on the shelves that are not line romances by HQ/Sil. I'm talking about the thick paperbacks with the glossy covers and raised, shiny letters, many by blockbuster bestsellers. Single Title publishers are Berkley, Bantam, NAL, Leisure, Kensington/Zebra, Avon, and so forth. (All right HQN, which is by Harlequin, are also single title romances, just to confuse you.)

And the answer is: No, there is no template, no rules about what's in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 etc. Anything goes!

Well, within reason. You do need to get in a couple things right up front in your romance. Those are:

Introduction of the hero, his goal, and what keeps him from it.
Introduction of the heroine, her goal, and what keeps her from it
Introduction of the villain (if you have one), his/her goal, and what keeps him/her from it

Once these characters are introduced, the main plot problem of the story will be (should be, anyway) in place, because the main plot arises from the goals/hindrances of the h/h and villain.

Whether you do Chapter 1--hero, Chapter 2--heroine, or two scenes in one chapter introducing them both, or hero, heroine, and villain all appearing on the first few pages doesn't really matter.

A Note: In single-title romance, your h/h do NOT have to meet on the first page. They should meet when the story naturally brings them together. The reader should meet them and anticipate these two meeting, but you don't have to shove them together in Chapter 1. (I personally like the h/h together as early and as often as possible, but I've read terrific books when they don't meet until page 75.)

The rest of the story: The remainder of your book follows from what your h/h are trying to or need to do and what's stopping them.

I'm obviously being very simplistic here, but I've learned one important lesson from writing nearly twenty-three books for publication: Keep it Simple!

New writers have the tendency to shove everything they possibly can into one 450 page manuscript, but resist the temptation. Put in only what is necessary, save your other brilliant ideas for your next book. Few of us any more are going to write one masterpiece and live off its royalties for the rest of our lives, so count on writing a lot if you truly want to be a writer.

To recap:

Begin your romance novel by introducing the readers to the hero, the heroine, and the villain (if you have a villain). By now the readers know the main problem your characters must overcome.

The middle of the story consists of incidents (not many, stick to three or four) that move your plot forward--things the h/h try to solve their problem(s) but which don't work, miring them in deeper.

The Black Moment, when your hero and heroine decide to risk everything even though they are certain they are in a no-win situation. (A classic example is the hero decides to let the heroine go, because he knows that as much as he needs her, he'll make her miserable if he keeps her with him. He risks his own happiness to ensure hers.)

The Reward: After the h/h risk everything, they are rewarded by gaining everything. (The heroine returns to the hero on her own, because she loves him enough to stay with him and bring happiness into his life.)

I confess I'm a "pantser," which means I don't draw out my plot in detail before I begin. I have an idea of my characters, and then I just start off and see what happens. I don't like to know how books turn out before I read them, and I don't like to know when I write them, either! :-)

So that was the long answer to "Is there a romance template?" The short answer is: "Not really."

Take care,
Jennifer
www.jennifersromances.com

The Fire Within

2007-04-02T11:53:00.000-06:00

Penny asked a very good question on the last post. First let me offer apologies for being late on this blog. I had to do back-to-back out of town trips in March and of course caught a bad cold from it, plus had to finish revisions on two books, not to mention numerous other tasks. I'm slowly catching up to myself--I'm only a few days behind schedule now, very exciting!!

All that is relevant to my post here. Penny asked how you keep writing through times of personal stress and life-changing events. Some writers tell me it's easy to write when their lives are stressful, because writing is a therapeutic escape for them. For me, on the other hand, personal and family troubles tend to intrude on the creative process and make focusing difficult.

I write best when times are peaceful and even when I’m a little bit bored—my stories are sure to be more interesting than my own life!

But sometimes you need or want to write (in my case, I often have a tight schedule) when there are stressful or even traumatic happenings in your own life. What do you do?

That's when I look for what I call "The Fire." There is s place deep inside you that no one--not family, or friends, or spouse, or your mother--can ever touch. It is the essence of you. It's what gives you your strange, unusual, or meaningful dreams, what gives you inspriation. The Fire is what gets that book out of you, what makes that story yours and no one else's.

How do you find and touch that Fire? It's not easy (of course not!). What I do is sit down and write rather mindlessly. I don't try to be good. I do what I heard from another writer about ten years ago: Allow yourself to be bad.

Just put words down that get your characters from A to B. If nothing exciting is happening in one section of the story, skip to a section where it is interesting.

THE FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR STORY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE GOOD!

No one ever needs to see it. This is you telling the story of your heart, typing until 400 pages are filled. This story belongs to you and you alone, not to critiquers or editors or the rest of the world. No one can tell you it's wrong.

If you think it's crud, no matter, you have plenty of opportunity to fix it before you send it to an editor or a contest or even your critique partner. And who knows, you might not ever want to show this story to anyone! It's perfectly ok to write a novel just to write it, just for yourself--to test your boundaries, to let go in a world all your own, to try something new.

The business of publishing books and the art of writing books are two entirely different things--always remember that.

Back to The Fire:

While you are sitting there typing mindlessly (500 words a day or 5000 words a day, it doesn't matter), the Fire will happen. When you are least looking for it, suddenly there is a spark deep inside you from that place no one knows but you. You will feel it--the excitement, the flush, the sudden light-bulb coming on--you inside your story saying: This is what I mean! When that happens, just go with it. Write. Free flow. Let it happen.

I guarantee one of two things: The Fire will either produce your very best prose writing, or it will produce your very worst. That doesn't matter. If it's the best prose, cool. If it's the worst, you can fix it--what came out of you is the heart of the story; it doesn't matter if your sentences are clunky. Clunky sentences are easy to fix. Because even if you have to polish up the words, you've found the essence of the story and dragged it onto your canvas.

I hope this makes sense. I really does happen, even when you're sick of the story, bored with your characters, and upset about something in your personal life.

Train yourself to sit and write a set amount every day (500 words, 1000 words, five pages, whatever), no matter how you feel (upset, tired, bored, angry, etc.) It doesn't matter whether the writing your sessions produce is good or not--any little amount will move you forward to the end.

Don't wait for The Fire to write--just write. It's when you are loosened up and letting it happen that The Fire will come. There's nothing quite like it.

Category vs. single title and other things

2007-03-13T11:19:00.000-06:00

Today I'm interviewing Nalini Singh who writes both category romance for Silhouette and single title paranormal romance at Berkley. Writers who write for HQ/Sil and single title houses at the same time are becoming more and more common, so I asked her what it was like:

J.A. You have started a single-title paranormal series with Berkley, but you also write category romance for HQ. How is writing single title different from category? Is one more challenging for you than the other?

N.S. It's difficult to compare the two, because they're so different. Each utilizes different skill-sets. For my short contemporaries, it's all about focusing on the two leads, while with my paranormals, world-building plays a critical part. They are both equally challenging, in their own unique ways.

J.A. On your road to publication, how did you handle rejection? How did you keep up your belief in yourself to keep going in the face of rejection? (If you were never rejected, skip the question!)

N.S. Oh yeah, I have a stack of rejections! I think what kept me going was this hunger I had to write. That's why I always ask people why they're writing. Because in the end, all you have to pull yourself up and keep the faith is your belief in what you're doing. That hunger, that passion, is so so important.

Another thing that helped was that I didn't focus obsessively on a project. I would love it, write, send it out, then start on something else, so a rejection wouldn't hit me as hard - yes it hurt, but I knew I'd have something else to go out with.

J.A. What would be your advice to a new writer trying to "break in?"

N. S. This is a cliche but it's true - write what you love. Forget about following the market. Be true to yourself. I wrote Slave to Sensation without knowing where I was going to sell it or if anyone would buy it. But my passion for the story came through and I believe that's what made it sell.

Have faith in yourself and the stories you want to tell. And be very choosy about who you allow to criticise your work. Don't write a book by committee. Stay true to your voice.

J.A. Describe your writing day--do you write full time or have a day job as well? If you'd like, please share ways you motivate yourself to keep writing and producing your great books.

N.S. I am fairly full time - I do occasional other work to stop from becoming a hermit but otherwise, I write. But that's a new development - until a few months ago, I worked full time. As such, my work days are still developing in terms of a routine but that's part of what I like about writing - you can set your own timetable, be flexible, so long as you meet deadlines.

My motivation is mostly internal. I want to write, to tell these stories. But to kickstart myself if necessary, I'll read or take a break from everything and then come back to it fresh.

J.A. Thank you!! I'm always interested to hear other authors' points of view.

Nalini has a March release from Berkley Sensation, Visions of Heat, second in her series, and in February released Bound by Marriage with Silhoutte Desire. You can read more about Nalini at
www.nalinisingh.com

and her blog at

www.nalinisingh.blogspot.com

Road to a Sale--One Author's Journey

2007-03-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

For today's blog, I sent a few questions to Farrah Rochon, a brand-new author with Dorchester. I find the stories of authors’ paths to success to be inspiring. Each author had a different journey, reinforcing my belief that there is no one “right” or “sure” way to becoming a published author.

The similarities I find in each author’s story, though, is hard work, persistence, and a stubborn refusal to give up. Whether the sale comes from an agent, a contest, a meeting at a conference, the right ms. in the right slush pile at the right time—doesn’t matter. It was the hard work and persistence that got the manuscript ready to be sold in the first place.

Let me introduce Farrah Rochon, whose first book Deliver Me, a March 2007 release, is out in bookstores now.

J: How did you deal with rejections?

F.R. It's been said before that this business is not for the faint of heart. Truer words have never been spoken. The first time I sent a piece of my writing out, it was for a Missouri RWA chapter's writing contest. I placed fourth in that contest, and received wonderful feedback. I just knew the publishing contract would be forthcoming. I thought two, three months tops, and my book would be heading for the shelves. Well, it was more like five years, and during that time I received many rejection letters. However, I've never allowed myself to take even one of those rejections personally. Just as there are books that other people love that I hate, and vice versa, I knew that some editor out there was going to love my work. I just had to find "my" editor. So, I prayed, and I worked. I worked, and I prayed. I used a few swear words now and then, but then I went right back to praying and working. And waiting for my time. In my heart, I always knew I would be published.

J: How did your first sale come about?

F.R. I simply love my first sale story. In my opinion, it's the perfect example of how up and down this business can be. Last summer, I spent a great deal of time revising another manuscript for another publishing house. It was my second set of revisions, and I just knew they were going to buy this book. Well, they didn't. I was crushed when I received a rejection letter from the editor apologizing for not buying the book "even though she really loved the story and appreciated all the work I put into revising it". I spent the night venting to my friends, but vowed not to spend more than a day feeling sorry for myself. After all, I was becoming an old pro at the rejection thing.

That same night, I sent an email to my agent, letting him know about the rejection. The next day, July 13, 2006 at 1:16 p.m., my agent replied to my email stating how sorry he was about the rejection. But, he also had a bit of good news to share. He'd just received a call from Dorchester. They wanted Deliver Me. In less than twenty-four hours, I went from totally dejected, to totally elated. I haven't come down from Cloud Nine yet.

J: Thanks, Farrah, for sharing!

To readers: If there is a question you'd particularly like to see addressed here, please contact me through my website: www.jennifersromances.com (click the "e-mail" button at the top of the site.)

It's early days for this blog, and I have so much more to tell you. But I'd like to gear questions and answers to what people would like to know. Thanks much!!

More on Finishing Plus Guest Blogger Bonnie Vanak

2007-02-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

Adding to last week’s entry—

I hear people say they cannot get motivated to work on a project they’ve been working on for a while. If you dread your writing session or completely avoid it, it’s clear you don’t want to work on that particular project.

My advice in that case is to put it aside and start another story, one that’s been hammering away at you. If you’ve been beating a story to death and it’s just not right (you know when it’s right, it feels right), then you are probably better off abandoning it.

Other authors might smack me for giving such advice, but I say why punish yourself? Writing is a grueling job. You need to love your characters and love what you write or you’re not going to be able to do it. If you hate the story you’re working on, will you be willing to write twenty more just like it once you’re published?

Ask yourself: Are you writing the story because it sings to you and you can’t get it out of your head? Or because “everyone” says paranormal romance is the only thing selling?

I have news, publishers like to round out their lists with things other than the “hot” trend of the day. In fact, said trend might tank any moment; you never know.

Work on what you believe in, what you want, and what you need. I guarantee it’s much easier to sit down and write something you love than try to write what everyone says you are supposed to write.

Now, I want to turn to Bonnie Vanak, guest blogger, who has some great writing tips. Read on!!

Bonnie Vanak sprang onto the historical romance scene in 2002 with her first Egyptian-set historical, The Falcon and the Dove. Since then she's written five connected novels set in Victorian and Edwardian-era Egypt, will do a couple more in the series, plus has sold two contemporary paranormals to Harlequin Nocturne.

J: Bonnie, you work at a day job which also requires a lot of travel. How do you juggle writing with working and traveling?

B.V.: Good question. Right now I'm juggling very fast and frantically with my first Nocturne deadline and a trip to Guatemala. Are there any sexy Alpha werewolves in Guatemala? LOL!

Usually I take the laptop with me on my travels and try to write at night in the hotel after a day in the field. Writing romance gives me a much-needed break from writing about poverty. I love writing romance because it's an escape into my imagination, whereas the day job deals with the grinding reality of poverty.

J: Your historicals are rich with detail about Egypt in the nineteenth century. Can you offer readers advice on how to get started researching the historical (or any other) novel?

B.V. Thank you! I like to start with basic research first on the internet when I'm starting a book, then narrow down the research with books and periodicals. Pick out interesting facts and tidbits, and for more detailed information, you can get library books and periodicals.

If you can, choose a time period that works well with your characters. For example, The Sword & the Sheath is set in 1919 Egypt. I chose that time frame because it's the period of Egypt's first revolution against the British occupation and it was a perfect backdrop for my heroine, Fatima.

Just as everyday Egyptians rebelled against the British, Fatima rebels against Tarik's arrogant attitude that women cannot be warriors. I used the actual women's march against the British occupation. Organized by Hoda Sha'rawi, the historic march of upper class Egyptian women set the stage for Sha'rawi to pioneer the Egyptian feminist movement.

Just as Sha'rawi courageously challenges British authority, Fatima does the same within her own tribe.

J: You made your first sale unagented, and then acquired an agent. What did you like about being unagented and what do you like about being agented? What are the disadvantages of either route?

B.V. What I liked about being unagented was it forced me to learn more about the business. The disadvantage was I had so much I had to learn and I made mistakes a good agent would catch. I'm still learning.

Having a great agent, like I have now, can open doors you've never dreamed of before... but it takes a while to find the right one. The personalities have to mesh, and it has to be a right fit. I'd advise anyone looking for an agent to find an agent who is passionate about your writing, NOT just the story you submit. Because that story might get rejected in NY, but if the agent loves your writing style, the enthusiasm will be passed on when s/he pitches the book to editors.

I'd advise aspiring authors to go the agent route, but don't stay only on that particular path. Submit to agents and editors and enter contests to grab their attention. Finish the book and start another. The next book you write may be the one that seals the deal.

J: Thank you! and congratulations on your new release The Sword and the Sheath. Visit the very cool series MySpace page for information and the book trailer:

http://www.myspace.com/bonnievanak

and her blog at http://bonnievanakjournal.blogspot.com

Intro and How to Finish Your Ms.

2007-02-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Jennifer On Writing!

I hope to make this a teaching blog for aspiring and newly published authors, as well as a place for multi-published authors to share their experience.

I want to reach all writers in all genres, so please bookmark the page and feel free to forward the blog entries or the link to any aspiring authors you know. All I ask is that you credit the author who writes the post.

Next week I’ll post a guest blog by a brand new author, Farrah Rochon, whose first novel debuts in March.

This week let me kick things off by

1. Introducing myself and
2. Posting a short article about how to get the &()*) manuscript written.

1. Who are you and why are you doing this blog?

I sold my first novel in 2002 (got The Call). After that followed a whirlwind of sales: a contract for a mystery series at Berkley, another contract for romances at Dorchester, a contract for a mainstream historical novel, and then more contracts. In all, I’ve sold and written 23 books and six novellas. Six of these works are forthcoming in 2007; the rest have been published.

With all that crammed into five years, I’ve learned a lot very fast about the publishing business, marketing, readers, booksellers, and what people buy and don’t buy and why.

I am agented, have been since 2002, though this is my second agent. I’ve also learned a lot about agents, what they will and won’t do, and how a good agent can really help you (and a bad agent can hurt you).

If you want to know what books I’ve published see: www.jennifersromances.com, www.gardnermysteries.com, and www.allysonjames.com or look me up on Amazon or B&N.

2. Get It Done

I’m going to kick things off with something innocuous, but a problem area for many aspiring authors: How to get the darn ms. done.

You have an idea, you’re excited about it, it keeps you awake at night, you write notes on scrap paper at work and email yourself with thoughts about the book. And then you get a couple hours free time on the weekend and you try to start or continue working you’ve already done.

And you can’t.

Why not? What happened to the enthusiasm?

Thinking about writing, the burn of creativity, is a completely different thing from sitting down and typing sentences. Typing the sentences (400+ double-spaced pages of them) is Work.

It’s physical labor that stresses the joints and strains the eyes. It’s tiring, the words never come out right, and you face a million distractions.

I’ve written 23 books and 6 novellas. And still there are plenty of days I sit down and think, crap, I’m never going to get to page 200.

Here are some tricks I’ve learned to keep writing:

1. Don’t edit as you go along.

Your sentence isn’t going to be perfect the first time. Probably not even the second time. Just keep typing and don’t look.

My rule is No one gets to see my first draft. Not even my critique partner. It’s complete crud. I write the first draft without looking, then I go back through and fix it before I allow anyone to look at it. Get the story figured out first, then polish.

2. Set a fixed time and place to write.

Pick a time of day (early morning, late at night, lunch hour, whatever), and set aside that time to write. Once you get into the habit of always writing at that time, your brain will kick into writing gear (usually) when you sit down to start.

3. Get an Alpha Smart

An Alpha Smart (www.alphasmart.com) is a writer’s dream. It’s a lightweight text-only computer in which you type (on a regular sized keyboard) your rough draft. It saves each keystroke automatically and then you upload what you’ve done into your computer.

Bonus, it’s very difficult to edit what you’ve written on it. You’re forced to stick to typing out your rough draft (see #1).

4. Set a word count goal, not a time goal.

If you set a goal of writing for two hours, you could sit and stare out the window for two hours and write one sentence. If you set a goal of 1000 words in your writing session, you sit on your butt until you have those 1000 words done.

A word goal is better than a page goal because pages vary depending on how much short dialogue you write vs. long description. 1000 words is always 1000 words.

5. Trick yourself

I’m sorry to say I have to do this often. Go out to a coffee house or library or someplace by yourself, taking alphasmart or your laptop without Internet access.

Do not allow yourself to leave that place or look at anything else (no newspapers or books) until you’ve written a set number of words. When writing my story becomes the only entertainment available, you do it.

6. No Internet!

The Internet is a fun place. Gobs of news, pictures, movies, entertainment, not to mention all those chat loops and blogs where you can express your brilliant opinions to the masses.

Very distracting for the writer.

I’m an Internet junkie. But for me, checking the Internet or my email takes me out of the story, and I lose my momentum. I’ve forced myself to not allow myself Internet or email until after I’ve reached a certain number of words.

7. Reward yourself for success

If you make your daily word count goal for a week or get past page 300, reward yourself with dinner out, or buying something you’ve always wanted, or just taking a day off! (Or, if you’re me, getting on the Internet.)

***

I know I have not addressed issues such as family and friends. But each person knows their own personal situation best. You need to decide how to ask your friends and family to understand that this is important to you.

I got published just by writing books and submitting them. I didn’t know anyone in the business, I had no connections, no networks, no breaks, and I wasn’t a celebrity or prominent political figure.

I just wrote and wrote and finally I sold a book. People gave me the “what makes you think you can be a writer?” looks, but I ignored them and kept on plugging.

It’s not an impossible dream. It’s reachable reality.