What's In The Works?

Back when Becoming Beauty was on its way to being published, I wrote a good deal of Midnight Sisters. However, self-publishing Midnight Sisters didn't allow me the luxury of doing the same with my third novel. Marketing and promotions fell squarely on my shoulders during the height of kindergarten craziness (January through May). 

For those of you who don't know, kindergartners return from Christmas break refreshed and ready to go. Differences in student ability is never more evident than during the last few month of school. It's my job as the teacher to keep everyone on track and everything running smoothly.

Imagine doing all of that during the same five months Midnight Sisters was released, the Blog Tour ran, a Launch Party was thrown, and about six more Author Events were held all over Northern Utah. 

And oh yes, I guest posted on several other blogs too.

Needless to say, I didn't do much novel writing on my new novel until the school year wrapped up. Since June is when I do most of my summer traveling, I was pleased to hit 20,000 words. For me, 20,000 words means a story has enough momentum to become a novel. In the last two weeks, I've put the pedal down and doubled that number, pulling in at 40,000 words. My plan is to stay focused, draft through July, and finally hit the end.

In the meantime, my Rumpelstiltskin* rewrite has transformed into a conglomeration of several fairy tales. Gilberto (Gil) is a Spanish Rumpelstiltskin blended with my first love, Gilbert Blythe of Anne of Green Gables. Behind him hovers an army of workers he refers to as elves, much like the Elves and the Shoemaker. Also, I couldn't resist setting Crown Prince Henry on the hunt for a wife, a lá Cinderella. That means that our heroine Elyse, who is a cross between the Rumpelstiltskin's miller's daughter and Cinderella, becomes the mystery princess at Prince Henry's wife-hunting ball. Of course, being just as mischievous as Rumpelstiltskin, Gil will choose that moment to appear and throw everything into a tailspin. 

Can you tell my fingers are itching to write that scene?

Sarah E. Boucher, author & educator

And that's why I haven't blogged in weeks. Writing time and writing energy only stretch so far. However, I promise that as I pull into the finish line, I'll share snippets of scenes. Also, as soon as the drafting and editing pace slows, I'm planning to do another feature like the Humor & Inspiration Features of last year or this year's character features Meet the Sisters.

Thanks for taking this journey with me!

*Author's Note: As an educator, I always love sharing new things (even if they're old things) with my audience. So, if you aren't acquainted with the original fairy tales Rumplestilskin, The Elves and The Shoemaker, or Cinderella, follow the links embedded above! Happy reading!

Reviews: Give 'em to me!

My background is in academic writing rather than creative writing, so I have a different perspective on constructive criticism than the run-of-the-mill author.

Basically, I get really excited when people review my books. And I don't despise three-star reviews.

Let me say that again: I don't despise three star reviews.

Why not?

Having a variety of reviews legitimizes books and authors. Even those one- and two-star reviews that make writers wonder if readers actually finished the book. In fact, books with all five star reviews make my eye twitch. I think, Really? There was nothing wrong with it? There wasn't a time when you wished the author had gone in a different direction? Or a character you fell in love with who didn't get enough screen time?

Success in the literary world is a numbers game. Reaching new readers is the name of the game. And when you share your book with the world, you have to be prepared for honesty, even from your friends and family. For instance, at my launch party for Becoming Beauty, my dad sat down with me and outlined some of the issues with my first novel. The novel I was at that moment launching. I think I blinked at him. A lot. But I listened and made notes for my subsequent novels.

That's what we do.

The second we decide we know everything about our craft, we may as well retire. Because apparently we have nothing new to offer the literary world. Keep learning from your mistakes, my friends, and move forward. Swallow that ego and open your ears.

So, how do you get reviews?

Well, it helps when you have a publishing house behind you. Cedar Fort sent my books to libraries and librarians and reviewers. Using their database, I made personal contact with Becoming Beauty's blog tour participants. They're the ones who started the ball rolling. I've done the same with Midnight Sisters. A blog tour is a lot of work, especially if you'd like something more than cookie cutter posts, but it's well worth it to reach new readers and reviewers.

And feel free to beg. Writers can't be afraid to ask for reviews. They just need to be ready for a few iffy reviews. Learn from each book you publish and grow with each project.

So here it comes! Are you ready? If you've read my books, hop on Amazon or Goodreads and leave me a review. Good. Bad. Meh. I'll take them all! Just give your honest impressions and click the submit button! It's like sharing your favorite brand of Girl Scout Cookies, people will take your opinion into consideration.

Peanut butter & chocolate. Mmmmm...

By the way, the correct answer is Tagalongs, my friends. Yes, Tagalongs.

If you're a writer (or in any other review-driven field) wondering how to deal with negative reviews, I'm there for you too! We all have a few stinkers in the bunch. We grin and bear it and remember that exposure is always good.

The Inbetween Land

All writers inhabit the Inbetween Land at some point. Wedged between first drafts and last drafts, finished manuscripts and fresh plots, beta readers and editors. It's a truly bewildering place.

It kind of feels like this...
Alice in Wonderland, 2010

And take it from me, it takes careful maneuvering to escape it.

Develop a Game Plan:
Writers have to learn how to use their time wisely. As a part-time writer, I split my time and energy between teaching and writing. The challenge is creating a schedule that works. 

This fall that means getting the school year underway and setting a date to publish Book Two. Then, between now and then, I need to set up a Blog Tour, put the finishing touches on the cover, and plan how and when to format the manuscript. You know, after I finish editing everything up. 

I've had several conversations like this lately:

He's so fluffy, I could die!
Alice in Wonderland, 2010

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”

“I don’t much care where—” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

Learn Who To Trust:
Experts materialize when anyone lays claim to the title of Writer. Marketers, editors, proofreaders, social media specialists, etc. are dying to give you their pitch and take your money. That's why it's crucial that writers learn to trust their own voice. We're responsible for researching things properly and cleaning up timelines, grammar, and character quirkiness. 

People in positions of power may be professionals,
but they may also be professionally bonkers.
Alice in Wonderland, 2010

Our expertise will be called into question. When that happens, we must carefully consider the counsel given as well as the source, especially if it comes from someone who is strong in areas where we are weak. We aren't infallible, but neither are our editors and readers. We must trust our hearts and swallow our egos. We must keep our minds open but pay attention to our own intuition. 

Get to Work:
Unlike the noble turtle who leaves her eggs in the sand and trots back to her day job, we can't abandon our manuscripts to nature and expect them to thrive. And unless you're rolling in money, the lion's share of the work will fall to you. Just like I have, you're bound to make mistakes, but you're bound to have fun as well. As frustrating as it may be, being a published author is awesome.

So pitch in! Do all you're able to do and then call in as many favors as you can. Among all those experts who emerge from the depths when they smell fresh writer blood are those who care more about helping other writers than they do about draining your bank account. They don't mind giving free advice, sending you in the right direction, or swapping favors.

That one time I dressed up as Alice...
Halloween 2015

So my dears, now that I've got my game plan, know who I can lean on, and know what's ahead, I'd better stop playing dress up and get working! Wish me luck!

And please, share your tips and horror stories about the dreaded Inbetween Land in the comments!

The Shift: Traditional to Indie

The Waiting Game is loads of fun.

Because learning that your story isn't an agent's or publisher's cup of tea builds character, right?

And who doesn't appreciate waiting and waiting and waiting to hear if your story is good enough or if it fits into the Holy Publishing Schedule?

The truth is no matter which path you take, indie or traditional, the lion's share of the work will fall to you. Whether you ask for it or not, advice on plot, character arc, blocking, and a myriad of other topics will come your way. And baby, the marketing alone can knock you flat.

Because of the labor intensive nature of publishing, I thought I'd pose the question to my followers:

Do you have a preference between traditional or indie books?

The response was overwhelming: NO ONE CARED. As long as the story was worth reading, it would be read, they claimed. My confession? I lean toward traditionally published books, but only those with high-quality storytelling and great cover art. Send an indie book with the same characteristics my way and I'll snatch it up too!

Why bring this up now? Because my waiting game has reached an end. And I'm on my way to becoming an indie author. The big pieces are in place. A professional editor and a cover artist have been secured, and I'm in the middle of editing my twist on The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

As I jump into uncharted waters and try not to sink, I'll need all your support, kindness, and patience. And I'll be pleased to answer when you ask:

When is your next book out?

Because it hits shelves later this year, my dears! And that in itself is exciting. I still have so much to learn about self-publishing and I welcome your tips and warnings. Leave me a comment below!

And keep your eyes open for a new version of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, penned by yours truly!

Humor & Inspiration in Writing: No, I Won't Write Your Memoir

Completely unsolicited #BookSelfie

The following feature was penned by the oh-so-adorable Lydia Thomas. I became acquainted with Lydia's wit and generosity when she reviewed my book. It coincided with Becoming Beauty's blog tour and was more personal than several of the tour participants' posts. Since then I have been a huge fan of Miss Lydia and I am more than pleased to share her one-of-a-kind style with you. Enjoy! 

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I truly thought they were being dramatic, those writers who complain about people who say, “You know what you should write...” or, “I have this story idea...” I guess I was just jealous because it had never happened to me.

Then, one fateful November day, I was typing away on my work computer – probably an email – and one of my co-workers says, “Working on your novel?”

“Oh, yeah, I think Oprah might actually put her sticker on this one.”

I thought my sarcasm had been clear until he asked, “How long have you been writing?”

“My whole life.”

And you know, usually that’s when someone will ask what I write about, but not this guy: “I have a story. What do they call it when it’s someone’s life story?”

“An autobiography.”

“No. Well, it’s like a biography, but more personal.” He told me the title he’d chosen, and then hit me with this: “You could retire off of this book deal.”

“Well, that’s not really--”

“I have all of the memories.” How it works. “I just need someone to put them together for me. I can start feeding them to you, and you can type them up.”

“Well, that’s not really--”

“Seriously, you could retire off of this book deal.” How I work. “We can split the royalties.”

As he related a memory from his truly tragic childhood to me, I wondered how to politely tell him that I don’t want to write his book.

I thought about telling him that I didn’t have time. After all, I’m editing my second book, A Year with the Baptists, writing the first draft of my third book, Rachael’s Unfolding, and plotting an unnamed fantasy series. And it’s not like when I’m done with all of that I’ll be at a loss for ideas.

I thought about telling him that the market is saturated, to say nothing at all about the memoir genre. Telling stories is not enough; you have to be able to get people to listen. In order to get people to listen to you, you have to be listening to them.

I thought about telling him that I get paid ahead of time for any freelance work I do, in case, you know, the co-writer can’t hack it. I think anyone whose opinion is that a writing career just happens won’t hack it, and would therefore be a poor investment of my time, energy, and significant talent.

I also thought about telling him that maybe I didn’t want to retire off of his book deal; I want to retire off my own.

I ended up going with, “You really want a writer who can do your memories justice, and memoir is really not my thing.”

Even though the encounter was every bit as frustrating as my writing friends had led me to believe, I was inspired to continue tapping out my own lowly story ideas, building relationships with people, and otherwise investing my time in worthwhile pursuits.

* * *

Lydia Thomas...just goofing around!

Lydia Thomas cannot dance or snap her fingers, but she can sing and write, so most days she feels pretty good about herself. She enjoys DIY projects and crafting, and spending time with family and friends, playing board games and watching movies. Her first book is The Field, and she’s working on her second and third, A Year with the Baptists and Rachael’s Unfolding.

Lydia Thomas can be found on:

Lydia Thomas, Author Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Pinterest

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Thus the Humor & Inspiration posts begin! Many wonderful writers have influenced me since I started my journey as a writer/wannabe author. Now it's time to shine the light on those who shared, uplifted, and mentored me along the way. 

If you'd like to take advantage of the Power of the Share, leave me a comment below. I'd love to have more participants!
* * *
Follow the Humor & Inspiration Features:

Prairie Wife in Heels: The Idyllic Country Life 

Anne Goodwin: When Words Behave Like Toddlers 

Terry Tyler: Art Inspires Life

Kaley Tallman: Abandoning the Comfort Zone

Heidi Doxey: British Book Invasion

Carol J. Hedges: So You've Published a Book...

Allison Maruska: Four Steps Away From the Cliff
Colleen M. Story: Writers with Personality
Tamara Copley: The Magic of Humor
Sarah E. Boucher: Beating the Blaaahs
Jenniffer Wardell: All the Best Jokes

Happy reading!

Crafting Your Craft

Just like cheese, wine, and crazy friends who encourage you to act like an idiot, writing gets better with time. 

Perusing my website's stats revealed that my most viewed posts were published in 2015. Weird, right? In 2014, I worried about proving myself as a writer and making a splash when my book was released in November. Conversely, in 2015 I had to relax and accept my limits as a writer, blogger, and author because I began teaching at a new school and had to blog less frequently.

That's right. Less. 

I'd just released a book. On top of online marketing, I had to do the traditional high-heels-hit-the-pavement variety of marketing too. (Don't judge. I like to be pretty when I hit the pavement.) And stress hit an all-time high when I moved from the elementary school I'd been teaching at for 8 years to a charter school. 

The only plausible reason I could find for those pesky numbers was this: 

Practice Makes Perfect. 

(Or in my case, practice makes better.) 

Writing: In 2015, I went from crafting one-point-to-be-made posts to integrating other's posts, websites, books, themes, and links into my own posts. And I began to write about writing. I tackled topics like Indie vs Traditional Publishing and full-time vs part-time writing, the Waiting Game of writers and publishers, dealing with deadlines, the importance of keeping promises we make to readers, the ins and outs of world building, and how to break writing rules effectively. 

Connection: In 2015, I learned the value of connecting with other authors and writers as well as readers both online and in real life. I found a commonality with them and began discussing the struggles all writers face. I posted about other authors and their books more than ever before.  Also, I cracked the code on Twitter. Seriously. And finally, I understood the Power of the Share, which is something I plan to harness more in 2016. (If you want to be part of that process and be featured on my website, please leave me a comment below.)

Promotion: In 2015, I took advantage of #MondayBlogs and #ArchiveDay regularly, which boosted my readership drastically. Also, I learned to play the numbers game and promote my posts on all forums (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) in their own unique way and repeatedly post (not spam) for higher interaction. And I learned a bit more about marketing and online etiquette. (Because let's be honest, what does a kindergarten teacher know about marketing? Unlike buyers, the kids come to you! But hey, we know plenty about the pleases and thank yous of etiquette.)

Like years of piano lessons that refine musical ability, I refined my writing and consequently my website through weekly practice. I'm still not there yet. But I'm much closer than I was in 2014 and today I'm more excited than I was 2015.

Tally ho! Onward and upward in 2016, my friends!

* * *

I'd love to hear about your 2015 discoveries and how they effect your perception of the future. Leave me a comment below!

Full-Time, Part-Time, Indie, or Traditional

We all have issues, like problems with our health, self-image, employment, and relationships. But writers have their own special set of  issues. Two subjects that fascinate and infuriate writers everywhere are Traditional vs Indie Publishing and Full-time vs Part-time writing. As I've made my way in the writing world, I've seen some pretty heated discussions about each of the issues. Recently I interviewed author Jo Ann Schneider, who just released her third book Fractured Memories, and I grilled her on both subjects. Plus we had really good pizza.

Me: I've only gone down the traditional publishing path, but while I waited for that acceptance letter to come, I wondered what my next step would be if it didn't come. I thought about my indie author friends and considered the difference in income from self-publishing and receiving royalties from a publishing house, managing marketing campaigns, taking care of editing, and the amount of control writers have over the publishing process. 

In the end, I was grateful Cedar Fort gave me a chance and helped me through the editing and publishing process. That choice worked for me at the time. But Jo, you’ve gone down both avenues. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Self-publishing vs. Traditional publishing? Are the any drawbacks or major annoyances you want to share?

Jo: I’ve now gone through one small press, one serial into a book press online, and one that I published myself.

I do have to say that having someone send me all of the files with the book cover, and the different e-formats of the book, and the bookmark designs, and all that jazz is awesome. 4 weeks before I released Fractured Memories (my indie book) my cover designer copped out on me, so I had to scramble to find a new cover artist. In the end I think I found a group I can work with for almost everything, but it was a huge pain. At one point I was literally waiting for a cover—everything else was finished and ready to go. So not having to worry about that is nice. Plus formatting e-books is a pain. Luckily I have a computer savvy hubby who did most of it for me.

I like being able to control my price point on my indie book. And I make more money per book than on my more traditionally published books.They’re just on-line, not in the book stores, so that’s a conundrum.  However, if you look at the stats, Amazon sells a lot more books that a brick and mortar bookstore.

The part I really loved about Indie publishing is that when my book was ready, I got to release it. I didn’t have to wait for a year and a half before the publisher actually got it out. That delay is really annoying. The release date for New Sight got pushed back twice before it finally got published. That’s not a unique problem, it happens all the time in the publishing world. It’s frustrating.

I always tell people to do what feels right for them. I went traditional first, while a good friend of mine went indie. We’ve had different experiences and we’ve each learned from what the other has been through. There are pros and cons to both paths. If you’re wondering what to do as an author, go find others who have done it to talk to. They’ll tell you all about it.

Me: So interesting! In my experience, Cedar Fort handled cover art and publishing almost completely, editing was a collaborating process, and I had a larger role over marketing than I might have had with a larger publisher. I'm really grateful to have had such wonderful mentors to help me launch my my first novel. But maybe in the future when I'm a little more established as an author, I might take the self-publishing route.

The other thing we've discussed before is full-time vs part-time writing. As a single woman and a fledgling author, if I don't work full-time, I can't afford my condo. Or Netflix. Because of that, I consider my teaching career to be necessary to my writing career. There are perks to working 9 months out of the year and dedicating summer and school breaks to writing. It may not be ideal, but it works for me. Your position is completely different, Jo. If you had the choice, would you be a full-time writer or continue as a part-time writer? Give me the goods!

Jo: Ooh, good question. Not sure. Sometimes I think I get more accomplished as a writer if I don’t have unlimited time. I make it a priority and don’t mess around on the interweb or run errands all day. If time is short, I often get more accomplished.

That being said, if I could find the discipline to really buckle down and write, then I’d love to go full-time as an author. My dream is to be releasing two books a year, minimum. My books are longer (65k – 90k) so I can’t keep up with the authors that put a 40k book out every three months. I’m okay with that. I pretty much can’t write shorter novels. They just explode everywhere and end up as trilogies. Which means I could for sure use more writing time. I just need someone to crack the whip behind me and say, “Write, slave!” whenever I click on Facebook or YouTube.

Me: If I didn't have a day job (and I wasn't easily distracted by shiny objects and pretty handbags) I'd be all all over that whip, Jo! We could have side by side work areas and both get more writing done than we do now. However, I'm pretty sure that I could never be full-time writer. I like people too much to spend all of my free time in solitary confinement.

* * *

Such good food for thought, don't you think? I love powwowing with other authors and picking their brains about writer issues we all face. In the end, I don't think there's a right or wrong way answer about publishing or full-time writing. You have to develop a publishing plan and a writing schedule that work for you and meet your goals.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Traditional vs Self-Publishing and Full-time vs Part-time writing! Leave me a comment below!

If you'd like to learn more about Jo Ann Schneider, her books, and the other projects she has in the works, follow the link to her website, or click on the links below. Happy hunting!

Babes In Spyland 

(YA Fiction/Humor)

New Sight 

(YA SciFi/Fantasy)

Fractures Memories 

(YA Fiction/Distopian)