Has this happened to you? You are introduced to someone new as a children’s author.
Response: “I have an idea for a picture book – how do I get it published?”
Oh, my where to start? Depending on where you are in your own process, you might say the market is hard to break in, that AI is a serious threat to creatives, that agents are impossible to acquire, that the publishing world is full of scams.
About 2/3 of those words will be incomprehensible to a new writer. All that is the kind of talk we share with others who have a Collection of Rejections! And miraculously – a published book!
But this hopeful writer wants a path, and so here is a 3-step plan to offer.
1 Write your story.
Ideas can’t be copyrighted or critiqued. It is the manner the idea is conveyed that matters.
Once the book is written, figure out what it is.
Is it a made-up story, a traditional story retold? Is it a story based on facts or a book of only real facts.
Would a baby or toddler listen to it? Would a preschooler like it in story time? Would an early grade school child read or explore it?
Are your characters children, animals dressed and acting like children, or animals acting like animals?
What do you want to change about your story in light of what you learned about your story?
2 Research the Market.
There are lots of books out there – how is your different?
Read at least 30 books like your story that have been published in the last five years.
Choose three authors who published books like your story and follow the blog or FB for six months. If they use terms that are new, ask or look them up.
Take a basic class that relates to your story type.
What do you want to change about your story in light of what you learned?
3 Get Feedback.
Now matter how good it sounds in your head….
Find 5 people you do not know to read your story, preferably out loud. Many online groups have manuscript exchange opportunities. Or pay for a professional critique.
What do you want to change about your story in light of what you learned?
Then and only then will your story be in a position to be submitted.
And if the wide-eyed writer asks the frequent follow up question: “How much can I expect to make the first year?”
Answer honestly: “Keep your day job.”
Multi award winning author Robin Currie holds a MLS from the University of Iowa, MDiv and DMin from LSTC, but learned story sharing by presenting over 1000 story times! She sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and has never given up her day job.
A press kit may sound like something that only celebrities and big-time authors need, but that’s not true. Everyone who has a book, blog, or ministry to share with others can benefit from creating a press kit. It’s really not that difficult.
Here’s why you want to have one, and what you need to include:
Why do I need a press kit?
A press kit is a collection of information that helps others quickly and conveniently find key things about you and your work. It’s created to help media professionals and others, by providing them with the kind of information they need in one easy-to-find place.
A press kit helps you in several ways:
Makes it easy for journalists to find you and see what you’re about
Provides consistent and correct information for others
Helps you describe yourself and your work/ministry in a concise way
Helps interviews go more smoothly
Shows that you act like a professional
Who is a press kit for?
New media, from your local paper or radio to national TV
Event planners (Especially if speaking is part of your ministry)
Podcast hosts
Book Bloggers, BookTubers, etc.
Book clubs
Teachers (Anyone interested in school visits?)
Others who might want to interview for any reason
What items should I include?
Press kits come in all shapes and sizes, but these basic elements are all you need to get started.
Images
A high-res author photo. A professional-quality photograph. You want to include a high-resolution version (300 dpi) for print use in print media (newspapers or event fliers). If you have more than one, you may include several options.
A low-res author photo. The same photo in a lower resolution version for internet or social media use, when people want an image with a smaller file size.
High-quality images of your book covers or other key products. If you have lots of titles, choose the newest or most important ones.
Text
A brief author bio. Two to three sentences that provide a brief introduction to you and your writing or ministry. Don’t forget to mention your website.
Suggested interview questions. These help journalists, podcasters, and bloggers ask you key questions that will allow you to get your message out. They also give interested parties a better idea of what you’re about and if you’re the right person for their article, podcast, or event.
Contact information. Always make it easy for potential interviewers to contact you! If they can’t easily contact you, they may skip to the next person.
Optional things to add
An extended bio.
A list of awards you have received
Links to recent articles or interviews that feature you
Audio or video of you speaking or teaching. This proves to event planners that you are a proficient speaker.
Links to download relevant pdfs. For example, a pdf version of your press release, or a pdf version of a book for interviewers to access.
A list of your books with key info.
Where do I put my press kit?
If you have a website, create a press kit page. Include links to your press kit page in your About page, and on the footer, plus anywhere else that makes sense.
It’s also a good idea to create a pdf version of your kit, which potential interviewers can download. You can store your press kit in a dropbox or similar accessible place so users can easily download it any time.
Your Turn!
That’s all there is to it. Make it easy for people to find the correct information about who you are and what you do by creating a simple press kit. Do you have a press kit? If not, why don’t you begin creating one today.
An engineer-turned-mystery-writer, Lisa E. Betz infuses her novels with authentic characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her debut novel, Death and a Crocodile, won several awards, including Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021). Her second novel, Fountains and Secrets released January 2022, from Redemption Press.
Lisa combines her love of research with her quirky imagination to bring the world of the early church to life. She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in the Livia Aemilia Mysteries. Lisa sorts book donations at the library, directs church dramas, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes.
Marketing your book can be as difficult as writing it, but equally as important. If you don’t write the book you won’t have readers, and if people don’t know about it, you won’t have readers. A book launch team is a great way to help get your book off the ground and also give back to the other writers helping you. Incorporating a few easy tactics can help your book succeed, while taking your launch team to a whole new level.
Invest in Social Media Ads
Create a short application process, target ads to those you want to help promote your book, and wait for the applications to come in. Side note, make joining your launch team free. You’re asking people to promote you, so it’s probably best not to ask them to pay to do so.
Offer Tiers of Investment
Tiers will help your members know what they’re signing up for as well as what they’ll get in return. For instance, if members join tier level one let’s say they commit to do seven activities to launch your book, and you give them the standard level of free content such as going live within the Facebook launch group, or sending them a free PDF of free book study questions.
Level two requires a bit more investment from members, but with their added investment, you provide additional free content: PDF’s that will help them on their own book, a workshop maybe you usually sell but provide for free, etc.
Tier three members get an all-access pass. Along with the benefits of tier one and two, tier three members could also benefit from special live Q&A sessions with you, exclusive content about your book, free gifts like t-shirts or bookmarks, and anything else you think would benefit them. But, to have this exclusive membership they also invest in you and your book with pre-orders, reviews, and social media promos. The more they help you, the more they get out of it.
Once your book is launched you can still use your launch group to give back to the writers within it:
Change the group description and create a writing community for these writers to connect, network, and perhaps promote their own books. (You can make it private or public, depending on the goals you have for the group. If you do decide to keep the group going, don’t forget to have someone monitor the page.)
Host monthly interviews with other writers through a giveaway that involves members following each other and posting about your book on their social media (you can track posts by asking them to use a specific hashtag).
Run a poll asking members what would be most helpful to them, and go from there.
Launch teams can help with presales and influence the success of your book. But they’re also a great way to invest in those who invest in you—have fun with it!
Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Creator and writer. She helps authors build their platform through branding and copywriting. With a BA in Strategic Communications, Sarah equips writers to learn how to communicate their message through personal branding. She writes fiction and nonfiction and offers writers behind-the-scenes tips on the publishing industry through her blog itssarahrexford.com. She is represented by the C.Y.L.E Young Agency.
The story setting in literature describes the where and when of a character and action. The setting of a story establishes the fictional environment built in the reader’s mind while they read the novel. However, it is not easy to flesh out or describe your setting.
As a novel writer, it’s tempting to want to go straight to the plot and describe your character in detail. However, your story and the character news need to coexist within a space – the story’s setting. Being able to describe your story setting correctly adds vibrancy to your love and keeps the audience engaged.
Learning to describe the surroundings and setting of a story is, therefore, an essential skill that authors need to have. The descriptive words that you use are capable of showing character, mood, and appearance. A well-described setting will draw the readers in and keep their rapt attention inside the scene.
A good setting uses different elements to create a picture that’s clear in the readers’ minds. It also provides a good background for character and plot development. It is the framework for different narrative elements to come into play.
How to write a good setting or describe the surroundings in a novel?
With an understanding of what a good setting is and its role in writing a novel, we will now discuss how to write one.
In writing your setting, you’re descriptive, so you will use descriptive words that you can combine in different ways to create the vision for your story’s environment. However, there are several tips that you should use to make it more descriptive without boring your audience.
Start early
You shouldn’t go too deep into your story without describing the setting. It would be best if you did it from the very beginning of the scene. Once you launch into the scene without describing the setting, it becomes too late when you need to do it later on in the action. You would have lost your readers at that point already. If you don’t describe the environment from the start, you will have characters talking and acting in space, and it becomes difficult to place it later on.
Include specific details
In describing your setting, it’s not enough to start early: you need to be specific in your description. Using generic words will fail to engage the readers, and you will end up with a bland and unfocused description of your setting.
Including specific details adds some spice to the setting, makes it more exciting for the readers to flow along with, and helps you create a unique fictional environment.
Incorporate sensory details
Your description will be more effective if you are able to use sensory details. You must be able to use the five senses when describing the environment or settings to your readers. This will help them to become more immersed in the fictional environment that you’ve created. Those seemingly small details about the smell of the wood in the old house, the chirping sound of the crickets at night, etc., all go a long way in making your setting more exciting and immersive for your readers. This will make it more straightforward for them and open them to the plot you’re building within the setting.
Build your description with the story
Building on your descriptions gradually gives you more descriptive power. You can’t and shouldn’t take a whole page to describe the background. A paragraph is enough to introduce the setting and give the readers an idea of where they are, and then continue to build the story’s description.
If you mention that the character was outside a building that looks abandoned, don’t forget to build on that with more abandonment signs once they walk into the building. The setting description doesn’t stop at the start of the scene: you carry it along as you build the story in that scene.
Show the setting, don’t just say it.
You have to do more than list off the description for the readers. You must show it to them. If the characters are in a hostile environment, make the readers see how the environment interacts with them. Be more descriptive. If the set includes a factory, show how the factory affects the environment. Show how it smells, the gas it emits, how it makes the sky look, etc. Rather than say there’s a factory around, show how it affects the story and its relevance in the setting. Or even better, show your setting through the viewpoint of your characters!
Get inspiration from a real setting.
If you are looking for inspiration to describe your fictional setting, then you should look at the nonfictional world around you. You’re trying to describe an old church in your novel; while it might not be the same as the old church down your street, you should take a stroll to the church. You’re likely to see things in real-life locations that could trigger ideas and give you inspiration for your fictional environment. It’s the same way that you draw the behavior of your character from examples in real life. You can get inspiration from places that you visit in real life, too.
Select the details to describe
One thing about describing a setting is that there are more things that you would not mention than the ones you’ll tell. Don’t be tempted to mention every detail. Be selective about what you share. Describe only details that are relevant to the story or help make the setting clearer. You could give accurate descriptions while sharing many unnecessary details. Being accurate doesn’t make it necessary or exciting. You could end up with a very bland description of the setting that doesn’t win over the readers. The fact is, your readers don’t care about the information. They want the mood and the atmosphere.
Conclusion
Writing a good setting description is essential to creating the story, plot, and character within that scene. So if your setting description is bland, it will affect the story that you are creating altogether. It also determines if the readers go on with reading the novel or they close the book. So knowing how to write your setting is of utmost importance as an author.
Leon Collier is a blogger from the UK, and assignment writer at dissertation service the UK. He loves to write about everything: pop-culture, history, travel, self-development, education, and marketing. When not writing, you can find him behind a book or playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12.
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
The Business of Writing with Tom Blubaugh
In this episode of Writers Chat, Tom Blubaugh addresses the basics of writing as a business. He shares the importance of having the right mindset in treating writing like a business rather than a hobby and how you can use that mindset to transform the way you sell books. Tom also addresses the nuts and bolts of starting your business as a writer and the purpose of using an LLC. Most of us don’t like this part of writing, but it is important to protect your business by setting it up correctly. Tom give great advice, and that’s all it is, just advice. He is not a CPA nor is he legal counsel, so please check the laws in your state before starting your small writing business. For more, check out this week’s replay.
Watch the February 2nd replay.
Bio
Tom Blumbaugh, author, speaker, readership building, and entrepreneur. At the age of fourteen, he began by writing poetry. In 1974, Tom self-published his first nonfiction book, Behind the Scenes of the Bus Ministry. Since then, he’s published articles for denominational and business magazines. Then in 2011, at the age of 69, his first novel was published by Bound by Faith Publishers. Tom is the CEO at Chirstian Authors Community & Services. You can follow Tom on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and at www.tomblubaugh.net.
What are You Writing?
Here at Writers Chat, we are delighted to have many new writers who’ve joined us over the past several months. So, with that in mind, today’s open mic episode is a getting to know you kind of episode. Our gracious hosts, as well as some of the writers in the gallery, shared a little about what they’re writing, how they made the decision on a genre, and any tips for fellow writers. It is always encouraging to hear another writer’s journey and how they decided to write. Perhaps you need encouraging or a bit relaxing. Well, this episode will do both. Put aside all the crazy that’s going on in our world and check out this week’s episode.
Watch the February 9th replay.
JOIN US!
Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. Here’s the permanent Zoom room link.
Additionally, you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook Group.
Paula Sheridan, Founder of Page Turner Awards, offers advice to authors on how to get their books to win awards so they can become award-winning authors.
1. Book Cover:
Your book cover must be professionally designed to create intrigue and thus hook the reader and award judges to choose it to open the pages. It’s a myth that book cover designers are expensive. Most designers will charge a few hundred for a cover. Ask for recommendations in your writing groups. If you’re short on budget, search the internet for book cover solutions.
We’re often told ‘not to judge a book by its cover’ which has a different meaning for humans than for books. Most readers will buy a book based on the feeling they get when seeing the book cover. Equally, for a book award, judges will be drawn to covers they like and that will encourage them to read on. Which brings me on to the next important point…
2. Opening Chapters:
The first page and opening chapters must hook the reader or judge within the first paragraph or two. Ensure your story’s opening grabs the reader or judge by their collar and pulls them along. And, before they know it, they are reading several chapters and can’t put your story down. This is vital for book awards and writing contests.
3. Grammar and Prose:
In your opening chapters, be vigilant with grammar and checking for typos. You cannot have a judge put your book aside due to bad workmanship. A free trial with a great piece of self-editing software, like ProWritingAid will ensure that you don’t have any mistakes in your submission. Don’t rely on Microsoft Word to do this very important job for you! A sterling editing software, like ProWritingAid, will also improve your prose by pointing out where you’ve used too many adverbs and it even lists words that are over-used. If you haven’t tried such a ‘writing wonder’, I highly recommend it.
4. Compelling Characters:
Start your story with a compelling character, either a heroine or a villain but most likely the main hero of the story who is someone the reader or book award judges will care about almost straight away. They must capture the reader or judges attention, so they engage with the character and they continue reading to see what happens to the character. This should be the case for any self-published book, whether you intend to enter a book award or not!
Winning book awards can help your book get discovered. They provide new promotion opportunities for you and your book.
5. Be Brave:
Don’t be afraid to try something new and show off your writing flair with original thoughts and ideas. For example, take a character’s personality or a plot point that we know as familiar and flip it in a way that we don’t recognize, then the reader or judge will find your writing exciting and new, so they’ll want to keep reading. Write something unexpected in plot, or concept. Another given for all stories you intend to self-publish.
6. Find High Value Prizes:
When searching book awards to enter, check out the awards where the prizes are of real value to writers and authors, such as a writing mentorship or PR plans for book publicity, or critical feedback. These are all essential elements of a writing or book award, but not all have them. Page Turner Awards offers these prizes and much more. That’s probably because as an author myself, I created the awards with judges and prizes that I wanted to find in a literary award but couldn’t find. As writers, we want to win prizes that will improve our writing or help to propel our careers.
7. Book Promotion:
Remember that a book award is another form of book marketing. Having a book award under your belt means you can promote your book as an award-winning book. If you’d like help with promoting your book, try out this book marketing trio, which you can download for free https://BookHip.com/XXBVFC
8. Finding the Right Contest:
Lastly, many writers and authors are skeptical about entering a new book award with no track record. If you find one that is new and you’re not sure if you should enter, check their previous successes. Success stories from Page Turner Awards inaugural awards include three writers winning literary representation, six writers winning a writing mentorship, five writers winning a publishing contract and thirteen independent authors winning an audiobook production.
Good luck with your book awards entries!
Paula Sheridan is founder of Page Turner Awards, Book Luver and Writing Goals. She writes and publishes under the pen name of Paula Wynne. Paula’s career spanned several decades as a book publicist and marketing expert (check out Pimp My Site).
Guys, I have been a huge Lisa Samson fan since forever. In fact, I distinctly remember reading the Christy Award winning novel, Songbird, and thinking, “This is how I want to write.”
When I found out about her service called Writerly Conversations, I thought I’d ask her a few questions about finding mentors.
At what point in a person’s writing journey do you feel it’s a good idea to seek out a writing mentor, and where can authors find writing mentors?
It’s good to seek out a mentor when your serious about getting published and have done some of the hard work of figuring out how to write up front. Perhaps you’re already submitting to agents and houses and getting rejection letters. That’s a great time to get help. An experienced writer/mentor has been through enough critique with their editors, they inherently know what a writer needs to do to not only catch the eye of an editor but what the editor needs to know: Is this writer really ready? I see those things intuitively now and look to various aspects of a writer’s manuscript with an agent’s and an acquisitions editor’s eye. If it looks like too much work needs to be done up front, they are going to take a pass.
It’s always exciting to have someone interested in your work. How can an author tell if their writing mentor is a good fit for them?
I truly believe that’s a matter of personality and expectation. When I mentor it’s with people who want to enjoy the process, be truly encouraged as a creator, and who like truth with a spoonful of sugar and a nice chat. There are people I would drive crazy because I view my clients as real people with which a good, strong creative connection can grow. That takes emotional finesse as well. I believe feeling safe and heard is the most important flow. Who do you get a good connection with? Who makes you actually want to write? Who gets you excited about your work? There it is.
Do you think there’s ever a time when having a writing mentor is a bad idea?
Absolutely. When a writer just wants affirmation not guidance, when any time a helpful suggestion is made the writer feels umbrage, they are not the ones for mentors. They’re not ready to set their ego aside. In many ways, a writer has to admit the need for it, and the experience can be helpful.
Oftentimes, it’s difficult to find a writing mentor. What are some alternatives?
There’s really nothing that beats personal communication. Mentoring means one on one guidance in a relationship setting. However, there are good alternatives to receive personal feedback. Critique groups, a writing buddy with whom you can let the chapters fly between you, and critique services. I do something called a Writerly Conversation, which is almost like a drive-through mini-mentor moment. I ready twenty pages and we have a 60-minute conversation. It’s amazing the connection writers and I get to have, even in that short amount of time.
Thank you, Lisa!
You can find Lisa around the web at the links below.
Lisa has coauthored a new book with Len Sweet. This Christmas tale is arriving just in time for the season. ST. IS will be available on Amazon starting 11/11.
Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.
Writing your book should be something that the author finds interesting. However, in the long run, you aren’t writing the book for yourself. You’re writing it for your audience, which you aren’t a part of. This means that you need to offer them something worth their time and attention, which can put you under a lot of pressure. Some writers crack under this pressure and start to do things that are likely to ruin the book and make them lose their readership. This is something that you have to avoid.
In the spirit of learning through examples of what NOT to do, here are ten things that will cause you to ruin your book or lose your readership.
Wait for inspiration
This is something that too many writers are guilty of. I don’t know where they got the idea that you can’t write a good book (especially fiction) without inspiration. So, they do all sorts of time-wasting gimmicks, sit on a spot, and relax while waiting for inspiration, take coffee, take a walk, etc. These are not bad by themselves, but if you’re doing them to get inspiration, then it’s a waste. The best writers don’t wait for inspiration to write. They write to get inspired. The worst part about waiting for inspiration is that it might never come, and even when the inspiration does come, it’s not a guarantee for a good novel.
Feel insecure about your writing
Good writers have learned to write without stopping to think about what they’re writing and how good or bad it is. Taking time to dwell on your writing during early drafts will only make you feel bad about it. It might start as a self-critic or inner critic, but it might quickly degenerate into fear; fear of not selling a copy, fear of people hating your work, etc. Once these thoughts start creeping in, you begin to ruin the book you’re writing.
Ignoring the craft
Every craft has its rules, structures, and techniques which must be applied to be successful. Writing isn’t any different. One of the best ways to ruin your book is to be an artistic rebel and ignore the craft. Abandon the works of previous writers before you. Listen to no critique and don’t entertain feedback. Just do whatever you want; however, you want it.
Have a chip on your shoulder
Beyond ruining your book, this is the fastest way also to ruin your career. When it comes to publication, make sure that your best tools are defiance and arrogance. No one should ever reject your manuscript. It’s an insult to you and your hard work for anyone to say no to your writing. Rebuke them publicly if you can. Perhaps you can also drag them on social media for being so short-sighted. Do all of this instead of having a rethink and then learn from their criticism of your work and improve it.
Chase the market
There’s popular publishing saying that it’s too late to join a trend once you spot it. It would be best if you ignored this saying. Get the bestselling novels and study them to find a trend. Once you notice the trend, then write your book following this trend. Be extremely market-conscious. It would help if you neglected the fact that people would’ve moved on from that trend into something else by the time you’re done writing yours.
Take shortcuts
Since you’re trying to ruin your book, taking shortcuts to everything will do you much good. The boom in e-book and increasing ease of publishing means that you can self-publish, right? So, why work with a publisher when they’re likely to reject the work after all? Get your friends to help you preview your book and get a freelance editor to edit it, and you’re good to go.
Disregard the audience of your book
You’re trying to write a bad book, so why should you care about what the audience feels or says? That should be none of your concerns. Your book is your book, regardless of whatever experience the readers get while reading it. Write it as lazily and as carefree as you possibly can. Create boring plots and make them read your chapters without actually reading anything. You might lose a few readers, but that shouldn’t be a problem. That’s the goal, right?
Break every known (and unknown) writing rule
You don’t have to give yourself to learning writing rules and how to write in the first place. You don’t owe anyone that, do you? However, should you somehow know some writing rules already, make it a point to continuously break and disregard every one of them in your novel. After all, writing is about getting creative. So, get creative even with simple things like grammatical structure and create bad writing.
Don’t ask for or pay attention to any feedback.
People have a way of making others feel bad about their works. This is done out of jealousy most of the time. (Or so the bad writer thinks.) So, don’t allow anybody to get to you by asking for their feedback. You’re an island by yourself; you don’t need anybody’s feedback. You’ll be fine on your own. You’re a champion; that’s what champions do. If people peradventure send you their feedback, ignore them. Don’t even read or listen to it at all. You have no more growing up to do.
Be a quitter
There is no shame in quitting. If things seem to be going too well with your book, you can choose to stop and if things aren’t going well either, quitting is always an option. You don’t even have to finish the novel. Writing a good book can take a long while, and you’d need to persevere through that time, but you’re an author, not a marathon athlete. Why do you need to persevere with anything?
Conclusion
It’s important to note that this article is for those looking to ruin their books and reputation as authors and don’t mind losing their readership. If you’re looking to write a great book, you should do the exact opposite of this article or look elsewhere for tips.
Leon Collier is a blogger from the UK, working for AssignmentHolic, where he provides this writing paper service. He loves to write about everything: pop culture, history, travel, self-development, education, and marketing. When not writing, you can find him behind a book or playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on @LeonCollier12.
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie
Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all things
writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Writing Through the Hard Times
In this open mic episode of Writers Chat we share
many tips on how to keep writing through the tough time. This episode is
relevant whether you’re stuck at home due to a pandemic, you’ve experienced
personal hardship, a tragedy, or maybe life just isn’t going the way you
planned. Times like these tend to sideline us writers because the creativity
just isn’t flowing like it once did. Whether the rug has been yanked out from
under you or you’re simply having a time of discouragement as a writer or you
want to help a discouraged writer, this episode if for you. Tips shared in this
episode range from inspirational sources, to self-care, to using a different
creative outlet, to reliance on God. This is one of our most timely and
pertinent episodes, which has left viewers feeling more encouraged.
Fiction 101 with Johnnie Alexander, Melissa Stroh,
and Norma Poore
We know, especially in the writing world, that
things have a way of changing at the last possible moment. This was the case
today and Johnnie was not able to join us. Melissa and Norma took to reigns and
led a discussion on basic fiction elements. A gallery of Writers Chat friends
joined them as they shared how-tos on story idea, setting, characters, and a
plot, with an emphasis on character development. Without strong relatable
characters our stories will flop. If you write fiction or nonfiction check out this
week’s episode for great story ideas.
Many writers are familiar with the NaNoWriMo
(National Novel Writing Month aka NaNo) challenge to write fifty thousand words
in the month of November. But they may not be aware of the two camps NaNo puts
on in April and July. The camps are great because you set the goal writing
goal. Leslie is an avid supporter of NaNoWriMo and today she shares the
benefits of participating in camp. This year, Writers Chat had their own cabin,
organized by Leslie and she shares the purpose of being in a NaNoWriMo cabin.
If you’re interested in NaNo or need writing tips on ways to get creative
juices flowing when there seems to be a clog, then check out the replay of
today’s episode. Happy Writing!
Watch the April 28th replay.
Bio
Leslie S. Lowe, the youngest of six children, raised with a common thread of love despite their differences. Her blog posts are geared to help others identify their spiritual gifts and talents. Leslie writes historical Christian fiction and her first novel is set in 1890 Victorian England and focuses on the orchid market as well as finding one’s identity. The sequel is set in 1910 Savannah Georgia, covering the U.S. industrial period. Currently, she is drafting a contemporary gem mining story, based on prophecy of end times that incorporates supernatural experiences she’s had in her journey of getting closer to God. You can fins Leslie on Face Book or on her website https://HisGiftsMyJourney.wordpress.com.
JOIN US!
Writers Chat
is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on
Zoom. Here’s the permanent
Zoom room link.
Participants
mute their audio and video during the filming then we open up the room for
anyone who wishes to participate with our guests. The “After Party” is
fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.
Additionally,
you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook
Group.
You may have heard the term “it
factor” used to describe people in industries such as sports or entertainment.
On reality singing competition shows, such as The Voice, judges will occasionally comment about a certain contestant having this “it factor.” In this case, the
judge may describe the singer as having a certain stamina and charisma—as well
as a standout voice—that is admired in the music industry. The singer may also
have a good feel for who he/she is as an artist, as well as a natural stage
presence.
All of these components play into
the term “it factor” in the music industry. I would assume this helps industry
professionals weed out the highly competitive market and only sign with those
who have it.
In the publishing industry, however,
authors don’t exactly need charisma or a stage presence in order to stand out
amongst their competition. (Or a singing
voice—thank God!) However, there are still other components that separate
the “pros” from the amateurs.
You might be thinking,“But in order to be an author, I only need
to write a good book. Right?”
Maybe in the past. But if you
haven’t noticed, the publishing industry has shifted significantly over the
past couple of decades. The marketplace is swarmed with writers who are vying
for attention from agents, or authors who are vying for attention from readers.
Because of this, a writer’s craft is not
the only factor taken into consideration when an agent/editor reviews a
proposal. There are simply too many high-quality books out there, and
unfortunately agents/editors can’t sign them all. There are a plethora of factors that can play
into whether an agent/editor accepts or rejects your proposal.
So
how is an aspiring author supposed to stand out in the midst of the crowd?
Having the “it
factor” helps. Here’s how I’d describe it:
Aspiring
authors have the “it factor” when they work hard at honing their writing
skills. They also keep up with the state of the industry, read widely, and
understand where their book fits into the marketplace. They’re willing to keep
up with the changes of the industry.
These
aspiring authors also know who their audience is and how they can reach them
(through social media and/or speaking). They are familiar with how to market a
book and will work hard to ensure it reaches the hands of the right readers.
These
writers can easily brand who they are as a writer as well. Even if they’re
unpublished, these aspiring authors understand that branding helps them to come
across as remember-able. They understand that branding is directly connected
with the reputation they have on social media and within writing/book
communities.
The
writers who have the “it factor” can also take constructive criticism on their
work and apply it to their writing, and they don’t allow rejections to keep
them from moving forward. Their perseverance, grit, tough backbone, and passion
are what keeps them moving forward.
If you don’t believe you’ve
attained the it factor yet—based on
this definition—please don’t be discouraged! Simply take it one step at a time.
(For instance, if you’re unfamiliar
with how to market a book, then you might want to consider signing up for an
online course on the topic.)
Fortunately, the it factor in publishing is not something
you’re born with. It takes time, effort, dedication, and a willingness to learn
and grow for an aspiring author to reach this point. But once it’s achieved,
trust me when I say that it will make a
difference with how you’re perceived within the industry—and it will help
you stand out amongst other writers as well.
In this new column, I want to help
you achieve that it factor. I’ll
share posts that will help you sharpen your craft, understand the industry,
build your brand, craft a marketing plan, and more. Plus, I’ll offer
encouragement that will inspire you to keep going when discouragement settles
in.
How
would you define the it factor in
publishing? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.
