Categories
A3 Contributor Book Release

October Releases

Almost an Author is pleased to announce book releases this month by two regular columnists, Lori Z. Scott (Mastering Middle Grade) and Norma Poore (Writers Chat Recap).

Offsides by Lori Z. Scott

From the publisher:

Danielle Stephens expected her senior year to be challenging, with her final season of soccer, a strained friendship, and a new crush. But she didn’t expect to uncover a human trafficking ring in her town. When an older man seems to be grooming her young neighbor, Dani is determined to keep the girl safe. Except if Dani doesn’t watch her own back, she may be the next victim.

With a mixture of humor, poignant honesty, and human trafficking awareness, award-winning author Lori Z. Scott fields a tough topic in an age-appropriate way. Offsides kicks off its debut with a big score, boasting three #1 new release banners on Amazon, including the Teens & YA Christian Relationships category.

Besides her bestselling Meghan Rose series, Lori has published over 200 articles, short stories, devotions, and poems for magazines like Brio and Focus on the Family. She has also contributed to 15 books, including Writing and Selling Children’s Books in the Christian Market. In 2022, Lori introduced a new YA series. The first book, Inside the Ten-Foot Line, is a Carol Award YA semi-finalist, Golden Scroll Youth Book of the Year winner and Illumination Book Award medalist. The second book, Offsides, promises even more action and humor.

You can purchase Offsides on Amazon, Christianbooks.com, End Game Press, and other book outlets.

Lori Z. Scott

Elementary school teacher Lori Z. Scott usually writes fiction. Her down time is filled with two quirky habits: chronic doodling and inventing lame jokes. Neither one impresses her principal (or friends/parents/dogs/casual strangers), but they do help inspire her writing. Somehow, her odd musings led her to accidentally write a ten-title bestselling chapter book series and on purpose write over 175 short stories, articles, essays, poems, and devotions. Lori enjoys speaking, leading workshops, and visiting local elementary schools to share her writing journey. Follow her on Instagram @Stories.by.Lori .

Abba’s Lessons Compiled by Dee Dee Lake

From the publisher:

Thirty stories…thirty unique lessons to bring you hope, comfort, and learning.

Jesus used fishermen, prostitutes, the rich and the poor, the sick, the young and old to teach the principles of the kingdom of God. Today, Abba Father is no different. He uses real people with real issues to bring you healing, instruction, and understanding.

In Abba’s Lessons, you’ll find thirty stories of people from all walks of life—an adoption attorney, a wedding planner, Bible leaders and pastors, military wives, and more. Each story brings a special lesson we can apply to our own lives. Lessons of surrender, forgiveness, humility, pride, judgement, praise, trust, letting go, God’s will, anxiety, and so many more.

Sit for a minute. Read these stories and experience learning from Abba the way He did it in the Bible and come away changed.

One of the contributors in this devotional anthology is our A3 Managing Editor, Norma Poore. You can order your copy at Cross River Media.

Norma Poore

Norma Poore has lived through difficult circumstances, and allows her journey to fuel encouragement for the hurting. Her inspirational nonfiction is penned with honest transparency and hope from God’s Word. As a respected member of the publishing community she’s an award-winning author. Married 40 years, has six children, and eleven grandchildren. Connect with her at NormaPoore.com.

Categories
The Intentional Writer

Want The Inside Scoop on Writing Mysteries?

When I sat down to write my first mystery, I knew I needed a guide. I’d written a few historical novel manuscripts, so I knew the basics of writing good scenes and solid plots. But every genre has their specific tropes and techniques. I wanted to know the particular aspects of a novel that mystery readers expected.

For guidance, I turned to Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by the bestselling mystery writer Hallie Ephron (sister to Nora, Delia, and Amy Ephron). With this book as my guide, I was able to write an award-winning mystery on my very first try. It might be a great resource for you, too.

How I created a mystery series from scratch

This comprehensive book provided me with the roadmap I needed to write a great mystery novel, and also helped me set the foundation for a series. Looking back, I see how I would have struggled to create a satisfying mystery plot if I hadn’t used this book to guide me during the planning stage. Here are some tidbits specific to crafting a mystery that I helped me develop a stronger plot:

“How many suspects do you need? At least two (plus the true villain) will keep the reader guessing. More than five and it feels like a parlor game.”

“Minor characters who are part of the wallpaper for the first twenty-eight chapters can’t be promoted to villain status at the end just to surprise the reader.”

“Hidden secrets are what propel a mystery novel forward. Everyone has them—the victim, innocent suspects, and the villain. The revelation of a secret sends the murder investigation in a new direction.”

“When you pick a profession for your protagonist, keep in mind that the less likely your sleuth is to trip over a dead body, the more you’ll have to work to establish a believable reason for him to investigate the murder.”

Since my novels are set in the New Testament era, I couldn’t take the easy route and make my sleuth a police officer or a lawyer. But the concept made me aware that I had to work extra hard to create believable scenarios that compel my sleuth to investigate murders.

Creating an awesome sleuth

In addition to advice on plotting, the book is filled with great information on developing complex, believable characters. The author provides questions and charts that help a writer consider character building from many angles—many of which could be just as helpful to writers of other genres.

Here are a few that intrigued me:

“Are there things your character has to do that he hates? A reporter who dreads making cold calls? A police officer who hates target practice? Contradictions make for interesting characters.”

“Characters who aren’t what they seem to be at first blush intrigue readers. … Create a disconnect between your character’s physical presence and true capabilities. Then mine the gap. Through plot and action, reveal who your character really is.”

“By understanding how the villain justifies the crime to himself and what events in his life triggered these crimes, you give yourself the material you need to get past a black-hatted caricature and paint your villain in shades of gray.”

Writing mysteries means characters under pressure

One of the sections I found particularly helpful focused on how characters behaved under duress. Due to the nature of a mystery novel, the main characters often find themselves in stressful situations. They will be lied to. They will be in danger. Or, they may be falsely accused or have their honesty questioned.

On top of that, a sleuth and her sidekick will be exposed to crimes. They will interact with others who have been injured, duped, or otherwise mistreated. Thus, both my sleuth and many of the people she interacts with are not behaving at their best.

Therefore, I appreciated the exercises that considered how my characters would react in hypothetical situations that would stress them. The book offers a series of questions that vary in intensity from getting a bad haircut to discovering their best friend has been embezzling.

As with many of the exercises in the book, the majority of the scenarios aren’t directly relevant to a story set in first century Rome. However, a writer can use the book’s questions as examples of the kinds of situations a character of any era or setting might find themselves in.   

In summary

Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron is a valuable resource for a writer who wants to try writing in the mystery or suspense genres. It’s filled with helpful questions, exercises, and advice that will help you as you develop characters, plots, and crimes.

Even if you aren’t planning to write a mystery, give this book a read. It provides loads of good advice on writing an intriguing plot and developing complex, satisfying characters.

Final Note: I have the original edition of this book. I’m sure the newer revised and expanded edition is even better.

All quotes from Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron

Lisa E Betz

Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).

She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit lisaebetz.com.

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for MaY Part 2

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.”

 Substack with G. M. Baker

G.M. “Mark” Baker, shares information about the traditional publishing industry presented by Elle Griffin, a Substack author, who has gained a following by serializing her novel. After discussing the benefits of Substack as a platform, Mark shares his Substack site, with a peek at his dashboard where he explains different features. If you’ve been wondering about Substack, then this is the episode for you!

Watch the May 23rd Replay

G. M. Baker is trying to revive the serious popular novel, the kind of story that finds the truth of the human condition in action, adventure, romance, and even magic. He is the author of the historical novel series Cuthbert’s People (The Wistful and the Good, St. Agnes and the Selkie, The Needle of Avocation) and the literary fairy-tale Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight. He writes the newsletter, Stories All the Way Down, which examines serious popular fiction in theory and practice. Subscribe at https://storiesallthewaydown.com.

Benefits & Drawbacks of Bookbub Featured Deals with Brenda S. Anderson

Brenda shares her positive experiences as an independent author with Bookbub’s Featured Deals. After explaining the basic difference between a Bookbub ad and their Featured Deals opportunity, she explains the application process. Brenda also mentions drawbacks, like the possibility of more negative reviews. If you have questions about Bookbub, then check out this week’s replay

Watch the May 30th replay.

Brenda S. Anderson writes authentic, gritty, life-affirming fiction that shows God at work in people’s messy lives. She enjoys live music and theater, walking the shores of Lake Superior, and sharing hot cocoa with friends and family. She lives near Minneapolis with her retired husband.

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

Categories
The Intentional Writer

Why Do Writers Need to Know About Graphic Design?

We writers are good with words, but we may not be so good with images. For those of us who feel graphically challenged, creating blog post images, social media memes, and promotional images can feel daunting.

I freely admit that graphic design is not my strong suit. I am not a visual thinker like so many others seem to be. Thus, when it comes to adding graphics to my blog, social media posts, or promotional stuff, I feel out of my element.

Therefore, I was happy to discover this helpful volume, graphic design for non-designers by Tony Seddon and Jane Waterhouse. It provides clear explanations of the basic components of good graphic design, such as grouping, alignment, fonts, colors, and white space.

Why do writers need to know graphic design?

As attention spans decrease, our modern world relies more and more on images to convey information. No matter how great our writing, if we don’t have attention-grabbing images, potential readers may never stop to look at our work.   

Perhaps you think you don’t need to learn good design yourself. After all, Canva and other graphics apps offer tons of pre-made designs for you to modify for your use. Who needs to learn design when it can be done for you?

Sure, pre-made templates are great, but I still think it’s important for us to get a basic grasp of good design, so we can adapt those canned designs intelligently and confidentially.

What does the book offer?

The book provides a primer of the basic principles of design, each clearly explained and illustrated. For a non-artsy person like me, the book is very helpful because each chapter illustrates the concepts being taught with plenty of visual examples. (How could you have a book on graphic design that isn’t full of graphics, right?)

I particularly appreciate the examples in the book that show some element of an advertisement or poster evolving from lack of design to good design.

 This book was published in 2009, so some of the technology mentioned is a bit dated, but the rules of good design haven’t changed. The first section on equipment is mostly old-school. You can skip over it and focus on the rest of the book that explains design concepts followed by a host of example projects that show those principles in action.

Super helpful sample projects

The final section of the book offers a wide variety of sample projects. Some examples are business designs such as store signs, menus, and business cards. Other example projects are more promotional focused, such as posters, flyers, and brochures.

Each project lists the major design decisions that are needed to produce a good-looking product.

One example I find particularly interesting is the design of a humble form. The intro to this project states:

“Forms are generally rather dull. Nobody likes the task of completing a form … However, if a form is well designed, simple to navigate through, and easy to use, the task is far less onerous.”

from graphic design for non-designers

Good design principles help you fill out forms better. Who knew?

How else can good design take your work to the next level?

Do you need this book?

I am not suggesting that you should run out and buy this exact book. There are plenty of other graphic design books available, and I’m sure some of them are helpful for beginners like me.

However, I do recommend that all writers study at least one book on the subject. Good graphic design is an important skill that everyone in the twenty-first century should master.

Happy designing!

Lisa E Betz

Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).

She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit lisaebetz.com.

Categories
The Intentional Writer

How to Hook Your Reader from Beginning to End: A Review of Wired for Story

As writers, we want to grab our reader’s attention from the very first sentence and keep them reading to the end. But accomplishing that feat isn’t as easy as it sounds. That’s why one of the most-thumbed books in my writing reference shelf is Wired For Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook the Reader from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron.

The title is pretty self-explanatory, but this excerpt from the book’s introduction unpacks why writers need this book and what it will do for us.

“When a story enthralls us, we are inside of it, feeling what the protagonist feels, experiencing it as if it were indeed happening to us, and the last thing we’re focusing on is the mechanics of the thing.

So it’s no surprise that we tend to be utterly oblivious to the fact that beneath every captivating story, there is an intricate mesh of interconnected elements holding it together, allowing it to build with seemingly effortless precision. This often fools us into thinking we know exactly what has us hooked …

It’s only by stopping to analyze what we’re unconsciously responding to when we read a story—what has actually snagged our brains attention—that we can then write a story that will grab the reader’s brain. This is true, whether you’re writing a literary novel, a hard-boiled mystery, or a supernatural teen romance.”

What’s the book about?

Wired for Story is organized into twelve chapters. Each chapter focuses on one common misunderstanding about how story works, with plenty of non-sciencey explanations for why it doesn’t work and what to do instead.

My writing mentor, an award-winning author and experienced editor, told me that several of the topics covered in this book are mistakes she sees all the time when editing manuscripts. For example, it can be tempting for an inexperienced writer to keep certain facts secret for The Big Reveal. They think this will pack a big punch of suspense. However, as Wired for Story explains, withholding information often robs the story of suspense. This is because suspense is built when the reader is told these secrets early on, thus anticipating the trouble waiting in the wings for the protagonist. (See chapter 7 for more on this.)

Who is this book for?

While it’s a fascinating and helpful reference, Wired for Story is not aimed at beginners. This is not a primer on how to write well, and it will probably overwhelm writers who are just starting out. Therefore, I would say this book is best for intermediate to advanced writers.

I like to think of a good story as having many layers of writing. The base layers are the structure and the basics of good writing. After those are in place, we writers can focus on fine-tuning and improving. That is where this book comes in.  

This is not the most useful book for helping you write your first draft. This is a book that helps you edit your manuscript after you have the entire story down. What Wired for Story does so well is to help me uncover my mistakes and figure out how to fix them so that I can make the story more plausible, more readable, and more compelling.   

If you are seeking a book to take your writing to the next level, trying to put your finger on why you story doesn’t seem to “work,” or you’re just curious about how neuroscience interacts with good writing, you should add this book to your reference shelf.

Happy writing!

Bio

Lisa E Betz

Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).

She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit lisaebetz.com.

Categories
The Intentional Writer

A Powerful Resource for Moving Past Writer’s Block

All writers suffer with creative blocks from time to time. You may not find yourself staring at a blank page for days on end, but you’ve probably found yourself procrastinating on a writing project or wrestling with specific scenes you can’t seem to write. When we face writer’s block, in small ways or large, we need help moving past it. There are tons of books and websites that promise a sure-fire cure, but they may not work for you.

Why?

Because not all blockages arise for the same reason. If a writer’s block solution doesn’t address the root problem you are struggling with, it won’t help you.

That’s where this wonderful book comes to our rescue. Overcoming Writer’s Block: The Writer’s Guide to Beating the Blank Page by Marcy Pusey. The author is a therapist and an author who has spent years helping hundreds of clients move past writer’s block. She can help you, too.

First, the good news:

  • Writer’s block is REAL. It’s not just a wimpy excuse or your imagination.
  • It’s not permanent.
  • It is not a sign you’re a bad writer. All creatives struggle with it at times.
  • Finally, it’s not our enemy. Blockages are merely an indication that we have some inner issue we need to address, such as a fear, an unhelpful belief, or a bad habit.

With that as a foundation, the rest of this book explains how to identify the particular inner issues we’ve run up against, and then offers techniques to work through them and get back to writing with confidence.

The five common types of blockages

The book covers the five most common types of blockages writers struggle with:

  • Mental (beliefs and thoughts that sabotage or hinder us)
  • Emotional (fears, emotional responses and past trauma that hinder us)
  • Scarcity (feeling that we lack key resources we need to succeed)
  • Attentional (our focus is drawn away for one reason or another)
  • Procedural (unhelpful habits and workflow can hinder our progress)

For each of these types, the book lays out information so we can identify our problems and find practical ways to move past them.

Learn, Identify, and Take Action

Within the chapter on a particular type, the book includes the following subsections:

  • A basic explanation of the neurology at work with this type of issue. (The author does an excellent job of providing enough information to explain things without overwhelming us with too many details and unfamiliar terms.)
  • A list of physical, emotional, or behavioral signs that indicate we may be struggling with this issue. This was eye-opening! These signals are our subconscious trying to get out attention and deal with something important.
  • Descriptions of the typical kinds of unhelpful beliefs, fears, habits, etc. that we writers face when we’re stuck in this type of blockage, along with better truths to move past them.
  • Practical, doable techniques to help us overcome these specific issues.

I’m inspired. Are you?

I have been challenged and inspired by this book. In particular, her explanations of what is happening at the neurological level really helped me understand WHY the various techniques can help. I now have much more respect for some of the creative exercises I used to discount as a waste of time. I hope you are encouraged as well.

In closing, I leave you with a quote from the book that sums up why it’s worth the effort to move past writer’s blocks and continue to write. May it inspire you.

“Neurologically, your brain heals when you engage with, wrestle with, and share your story. If for no other reason than your own freedom and health, your story matters.”

Marcy Pusey in Overcoming Writer’s Block
Lisa E Betz

Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).

She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit www.lisaebetz.com.

Categories
The Intentional Writer

10 Ways to Help Fellow Writers (Without Spending Money)

When it comes to marketing, most of us can use all the help we can get. Savvy authors know that working together benefits everyone. So it’s a good practice to help other writers whenever possible. That way, when you need a boost you can ask for support without feeling selfish.

And besides, when we support other authors, we’re helping them spread their message to the world.

Why not start this year spreading kindness and support to other authors? Here are a few quick and easy ideas that won’t cost you a cent.

Ten simple things you can do to help other authors

Social Media

  • Aid their platform by following them on social media. Like their Facebook author page, follow their Instagram or Twitter feeds, etc.
  • Interact with other authors on social media. Comment, like, and respond to questions and surveys.
  • Share their giveaways and special news. Your friends like free books, too, so share or retweet author giveaways on your accounts.
  • Create a meme featuring a favorite quote from a book and post it on your social media. Make sure you include your fellow author’s name and the book you took the quote from. That way, others who like the quote can look into the book.

Goodreads

  • Whenever you take an action on Goodreads, all your friends and followers get a notice. This means every book you review or add to your Want to Read shelf shows up in the feed of your friends, too. We can use this feature intentionally to promote our own books, and the books of others. NOTE: Check your feed settings to make sure your actions are being shared. Go to Account Settings and find the Feeds tab. Make sure the checkboxes are checked in order for your actions to be shared with friends.
  • Add the books of fellow authors to your Want to Read shelf. (Even if you never get around to reading them, you’ve helped those authors by showing your friend the book is worth reading.)
  • Look at reviews posted for another author’s books. Find one that is both positive and informative and Like it or or comment on it. Doing this will spread that positive review to your friends.

Other actions

  • Download free e-books. When a fellow author runs a special, download their e-book even if you never plan on reading it. By downloading the book you help their sales numbers. If it’s free, you’re not “wasting” money. And who knows, you might try it and find you like it after all. (This does not apply to Kindle Unlimited books, where Amazon credits authors by number of pages read.)
  • Leave positive reviews. When you read a book by a fellow author, make the effort to leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, or anywhere else you buy or discover books.
  • Mention a fellow author’s book in your blog or author newsletter. If you read a book your audience might like, share that recommendation with them. It serves your audience and supports a fellow writer at the same time.

And a few Don’ts

  • Don’t post a review on a site you never use. Potential buyers are suspicious of a review when it’s the only item a reviewer has posted.
  • Don’t post a glowing review that’s full of generic praise but doesn’t say anything helpful about the book. Give potential buyers specific reasons why you liked the book.
  • Don’t post reviews that mislead potential buyers. You won’t help the author by attracting the wrong target audience, so be clear about what kind of book it is and who might enjoy it.

We’re all on the same team here. When we support other authors, we’re helping them spread their version of God’s message to the world.

Do you have other simple ways to support other writers? I’d love to hear about them.

Lisa E. Betz worked as an engineer, substitute teacher, and play director before becoming an award-winning mystery writer. She brings her analytical mind, quirky humor, and positive outlook to all she writes. She draws inspiration from thirty-five years of leading Bible studies to create entertaining mysteries set in the world of the early church, and then she fills that world with eccentric characters, independent females, and an occasional sausage-snatching cat. Her first novel, Death and a Crocodile, releases February 9.

In addition to writing novels, Lisa blogs about living with authenticity and purpose. Visit her at www.lisaebetz.com. Facebook LisaEBetzWriter Twitter @LisaEBetz and Pinterest Lisa E Betz Intentional Living.

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

New Year, New Goals

It’s a brand new year. That means a new start to achieving new goals and a fresh clean slate to do it with.

Serious Writer posted a question to its community board last month asking writers to list their 2020 goals. Most of the responses involved completing works-in-progress, building marketing plans, and blogging consistently.

I wanted to add three goals for your consideration as we enter a new year:

1) Read at least one middle grade book each month. 

Stephen King said it best: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”  When you read something that resonates with you – or doesn’t – analyze it. Figure out how the author constructed their chapter (or sentence, or paragraph) to create the response you felt. 

Reading comes in handy when it’s time to market your own work. You’ll better understand what types of books are on shelf, what’s selling, and how your work might fit within the genre.

2) Attend a writing workshop or conference.

The benefits of attending a conference are well worth the investment. There are opportunities to hold face-to-face meetings with editors, agents, and publishers. You can connect with other writers to build critique groups. If your conference offers critiques, you are able to receive valuable feedback on your work. The industry education alone is well worth the time and effort it takes to attend.

3) Write a review of a middle grade book each month. 

Reviews are important for authors. When you read a middle grade book, take a moment to write a (spoiler-free) review of what you’ve read. This does two things: First, it helps the author sell their book. Second, if you post a mini-review on your blog or social media account, it helps build your platform. Book reviews are crucial for new and self-published authors, so why not help other authors the way (someday soon) you wish to be helped?

Here’s wishing you a healthy, productive new writing year! If you have a new goal for 2020, tell me in the comments below or on Instagram at @klmckinneywrites.

Happy New Year!

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.

Categories
Guest Posts

8 Ways to Market Your Book and Get Reviews

Book reviews are critical as a social buy-in for your book and to market your book through higher placement online, for getting ad copy quotes, and for boosting your author brand. It can be daunting starting out as an author and trying to get reviews. These are 8 different ways to market your book and get good reviews.

1. Use a Call to Action (CTA) in your book.

This is a simple, easy, and effective way to get some reviews because you just need to include it once and then move on. On the last page of your book once published, include a short CTA requesting that if they liked the book, readers leave an honest review on their favourite online reading site or store.

2. Have a free ebook online.

The best way to get a lot of reviews is obviously to have more people read it. If you have a free copy of the ebook online, you’re more likely to get downloads and therefore reviews. If you publish it with certain companies, you can make ebooks free for only certain days of the month as a promotion. You can also make it permanently free on Kobo or iBook sites and Amazon will eventually price match it.

3. Email your mailing list.

You should have a mailing list with all of your readers’ email addresses. As Penelope Ludlum, a marketer at Writinity and Last Minute Writingexplains, “once you have it set up, you can email them and ask for honest reviews of your book. You can set this up so they go out automatically, even when a new person joins your mailing list.”

4. Have a street team read in advance.

Once you have a big enough group of readers and followers, you can ask your readers if any want to be a part of your advance reader team. These people would receive the book early, read it, then review once published. For this option, you have to be clear that you want their own opinion without anything offered in exchange or you’ll be violating some online platforms’ terms of service.

To set this up, send out regular emails asking for volunteers, perhaps as one of your automated messages. You can name the team with a special name to create a sense of camaraderie and community. This team is also great at doing a final review of the book for anything that the editors may have missed.

5. Reach out to book bloggers in your genre.

This strategy is free to follow but it can be time consuming. Many book blogs have reviews of books in a specific genre, so you can research to find the right bloggers for your genre and who accept books for review. Once accepted, book bloggers will review your book on their own platform in addition to Goodreads and Amazon. Be sure to review the site’s submission requirements so you’re not wasting your time submitting somewhere that won’t accept your novel.

6. Research Amazon reviewers.

Similar to the previous point, you can research book reviewers on Amazon and reach out to them and ask them to review your book. To do this, find books that are similar to yours and then read through the review section and each reviewer’s profile to see if they’ve provided their contact info or website. Then, send a polite and personalized email asking if they would be interested in reviewing your book and explain how you found out about them.

7. Use social media.

Pick a couple of social media platforms and become familiar with them, without trying to use them all. Then, Robert Woods, a blogger at Draft Beyond and Research Papers UK, says to “engage in conversations with followers, asking them what they’re up to, or asking their opinion on something unrelated. As part of these posts, you can ask for reviews with a link to your book’s page, but you certainly don’t want to be only posting about that.”

8. Join a Goodreads group.

Some Goodreads groups allow for contributions from authors whereas others are for readers only. Look for one that meets your criteria and your genre, and get used to the culture before diving in and asking for reviews.


Ashley Halsey, a professional writer at Lucky Assignments  and Gumessays.com, is involved in many marketing and professional projects. She enjoys helping entrepreneurs and small businesses develop their customer base and increase customer loyalty. She attends business training classes and travels in her spare time. 

Categories
Guest Posts

Add POW to Your Writing Resume

Is writing a competitive business, or a complimentary one? As hard as it is to admit this, I have to tell you it is inherent in my nature to be jealous. Someone might look like a better writer; another might seem to get more opportunities. How does a writer drop the green eyes of envy and adopt Christ’s attitude, in order to serve other writers? Here are three ways I’ve learned to be proactive in adding POW to my writing. First, let’s define POW.  

POW: Promote Other Writers, as in a lifestyle of service to others. When I highlight another author’s quality, I set them apart. I connect others to their topic, and I celebrate the art they bring to the world.

Three ways to Promote Other Writers:

Book Reviews

Book sales thrive on reviews. Your opinion doesn’t have to be positive or negative, just truthful. Don’t attack a writer’s opinion. Do look for ways the book helped your outlook on the subject. Reviews bump a book higher in ranking on retail sites and provide readers insight before buying books. Reviews bring a written work in front of a new audience, to highlight its value to the marketplace.

As a reviewer, I receive physical copies of books to use as giveaways on my blog, thereby building my own readership while helping other authors build theirs. It’s a win-win situation.

Two examples:

Bookcrash is a review site run by CIPA, Christian Indie Publishing Association.

AList Bloggers is run by Adams PR Group.

Book Launches

When you sign up to participate on a Launch Team, you agree to help launch the author’s work into the book world. The time frame coordinates reviews with publication dates, media interviews and press releases. Watching the process of another’s book launch teaches you how to connect with your own readers with giveaways and conversation starters.

Two examples:

Waterbrook/Multnomah Book Launch Team.

Blog About, run by the Blythe Daniel Agency.

Memes: a photo with a quote becomes an easy way to promote.

Authors have multiple tools at their fingertips to aid in the creation of memes. The saying may come from a pull quote in the book, or the author’s tagline. It may be a theme or a scripture. The author’s link is added for reference. When writers share each other’s memes on social media, we link arms to pass the word around the internet. Social media notices memes more than a quote without a picture, and that visual creates an easy opportunity to create a buzz around a book.

Two tool for making memes:

Pixteller

Canva

Philippians 2:5-8 reminds us of the attitude Jesus adopted in His tenure on the earth. He didn’t flaunt His status, but served God’s purposes. As we humble ourselves in order to promote other writers, we are serving the Lord, too.

Remember that green-eyed monster we talked about at the beginning of this conversation? When you’re busy helping other authors, there’s no time to be jealous of their success. It turns into a chance for a party instead, as you celebrate their work and accomplishments.

Continue the conversation: What can you do today, to Promote Other Writers?

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at www.sallyferguson.net

Categories
Writers Chat

Serious Writer Book Club Review Time!

Join Johnnie Alexander, Melissa Stroh and the Writers Chat gang as we share favorite books that have inspired and informed our writing! Bonus points to Marlene for bringing the Book of all Books, God’s word!



Join us!

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. 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 a
fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.

Additionally, you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our
Facebook Group.

Categories
Book Reviews Writer Encouragement

Getting Reviews Part 2

Elaine Marie Cooper

If you have not read Part 1 of this two-part series on getting reviews, click here to read it.

Assuming you have been hard at work gathering potential reviewers, you should have sent out dozens of requests by now. Be prepared that you may not receive a reply from some. Others may reply but say they cannot commit to this project at this time. Always send a gracious response in return. Perhaps in the future they may accept another request.

Hopefully you will have an enthusiastic group who are excited to help you launch your book baby.

Here is the next VERY important step: The letter that accompanies your PDF.

Open your letter with an expression of thanks. They are taking out many hours of their time to help you. Be grateful.

Your next paragraph should include something like this:

After reading (Name of your book) please write the review as soon as possible while it is still fresh in your mind. Please send me the text of your review so I can keep a file and use the quotes. Also, please SAVE the review in your files somewhere so you can post it on Amazon and Goodreads when the book releases on (date of release). I will send a jpg of the book cover before it releases.

Road to Deer Run - Cover

Many of your readers may never have written a review before. Here are helpful tips that I include in this letter:

 

  • Include the title of the book in the review
  • If you have any kind of relationship with me (friend, relative, etc.) please do NOT include that in the review.
  • Short reviews are fine—sometimes preferable.
  • Please do not include any spoilers, i.e. giveaways to the plot.

 

You would be amazed at some of the well-meaning reviews that say something like “This author is my best friend!” or worse, give a complete synopsis of the book from start to finish.

Help them out. You will both appreciate the final result.

Hopefully, by the time your literary baby is birthed, it will be wrapped in a snug bundle of positive reviews that will help catch the eye of future readers. Best wishes!

 

Green typewriter image courtesy of Just2Shutter via freedigitalphotos.net