Indie or traditional?

This is a highly debated topic these days.  With the changes in the publishing industry, many authors previously published traditionally are moving to publishing independent to earn a higher royalty. But these are the previously traditionally published authors who are cleaning up. They already have the fan base. Which is not to say that other independent authors aren't also doing well.

For the record, authors do not make a ton of money in royalties (unless you're JK Rowling, or Stephen King, or John Grisham). The majority of us can't make a living on what we earn by selling our books. We write because we love to do it, and in addition to sharing our work, we hope to make a little pocket change as well (or become the next JK Rowling, or Stephen King, or Danielle Steel, etc.).

As I "close the book" on my latest project (sorry for the pun), I'm faced with the decision once again as to whether I take it to market, or bypass the query letters, the synopsis writing, the rejection (this is ultimately part of the process - not everyone likes the same thing), the tedium involved in selling my work to the traditional market and publish independently. My previous books were all published independently so that I could "get them off my plate." After dozens-no, HUNDREDS-of rejection letters, I had enough faith in the books to make them available to the general public. It's like writing "the end" all over again. By independently publishing them, I'm able to move on to the next project. So for people weighing their options, this is my take on it.

Mist on the Meadow was submitted to a professional editor so that I knew I had a quality product to sell. That's step one. Once her comments were addressed, the decision had to be made. On the one hand, going with a traditional publisher is validation, in my mind. That was the foremost motivation for my next step, writing query letters and a synopsis. And writing a synopsis is like chewing on nails.  You have to take your 300 page novel and condense it down to 3 pages, while still making it fun to read. And yet I've been trying to do just that. Putting myself through the torture. Then the waiting game begins. Most of the agents/publishers you query take three months (and sometimes more) to respond. Torture. Yes. Self-inflicted.

Option two: publishing independently. In my case, I do have a small following (and hopefully growing!), so to go directly to indie isn't so bad. There are people looking for my next release, people who will buy it. The only response time involved is how long it takes for the websites to approve it for sale (usually only a couple of days). Instant gratification. I am responsible for formatting it, for ensuring that it is a quality product, for designing (or having someone design) my cover art and for promotion. After three books, I've got this process down. And while I wait for those agents to reply to me, I can prepare my product in the event I don't strike their fancy. IF I go indie, you will see this cover (or some reasonable facsimile thereof).

Another misconception:  Traditional publishers have a big promotion budget. They will advertise and send me on book tours, etc. Yep. Not so much. Sure, after I've sold a million copies and earned them enough to invest back into my brand. But initially, I still have to do my own promotion. They'll do the cover art, they'll do the formatting, but that's about the extent of it.

The last thing to consider is media. E-books are outselling print books. That makes indie publishing more attractive. It is still a fairly simple process to produce a print book, but the price is less flexible. A traditional publisher can sell a paperback for $5.99 (for instance). Independently, you're locked into a minimum price, which returns minimum royalties, and that minimum is almost always going to be closer to $10 than to $6.

So, all those things considered, I am sending out query letters. Mist on the Meadow is ready for market, but I would still like the validation of a traditional publisher, even if I don't get the same percentage in royalties. And if the agents/publishers that I've targeted don't connect with my book (they're very particular, you know. It's not a lucrative business for them, either), then you'll see this book for sale in the near future, published by yours truly. I'll keep you up to date on my journey right here.

The value of a critique group

Over the years, I've been a part of several different critique groups, some good, some not so good, but all of them useful.  For a very short time, I tried one sponsored by Romance Writers of America, but that didn't go well. Overall, that was not a favorable or productive experience. One of the cardinal rules in joining a critique group is knowing when they are helping and when they are not helping. If the group has something negative to say, it is important that it is constructive and that they speak from a position of knowledge and/or experience. To say "I didn't like it," isn't helpful. To say "You don't know what you're talking about," isn't helpful. To point out "you've used the word 'just' six times on this page" is helpful. To point out "Your character doesn't ring true for me. I have experience/know someone in that position, and his experience is X." is helpful.

For the last several years, I have been a part of a very small, and yet very helpful group.  They are tough! They don't pull any punches!  And my writing has improved tremendously since I've joined their ranks. So yeah, sometimes I'm a little put off by a comment, but given a day to think it through, I can appreciate the weight of what they say (or discount it, if that is the right thing to do). The thing of it is that I trust them, and I know that even if they don't "get it," what they say is of value. I've had my share of comments from them that didn't apply or that I couldn't use, but the majority of what they've shared with  me has been invaluable.

We've been together through the transition to e-books, which I understand now outsell bound copies. We've shared market experience, conference experience, sources of reference, marketing ideas and more than a few stories. We write different genres, and while that can sometimes be problematic, it is also helpful for an "outside" look into what works. For instance, I'm not a fan of sci-fi as a rule, but that doesn't mean there aren't sci-fi novels that I've enjoyed. If a story is well written, it surpasses the pigeon hole of genre, and that is the main goal: to write well.

I've just received Mist on the Meadow back from my editor. I knew there were rough spots, and my wonderful critique group pointed some of them out. I knew they were right, and having the editor validate those points was no surprise.

This critique group has a high bar, and we hold each other to it. Sometimes we don't like what we have to say to each other, but in the end, we all understand that the comments are worthwhile. Right or wrong. The editor I'm working with now I have a lot of confidence in, and for her to validate what my group has found is an added bonus rather than redundancy. I'm grateful to my group for getting me close to "done," and thankful to my editor for pushing me over that final hurdle.

With that being said, Mist on the Meadow is in its final stages. I'd hoped to shoot a photo for the cover - a stag in the snow, but we're not getting snow in Chicago this winter! So I've been hunting down other people's photos and considering a cover artist who could photoshop it for me, but first I have to take care of the writing end.

Anybody have a photo they want to share?

Do Characters in a Book Resemble the Author?

A common question for authors is "how much of the story is your life?" You'll see jokes on Facebook frequently posted by authors about "don't make an author mad or she'll kill you off in her next novel," or something along those lines. And to a certain degree it's true. The mogul in Living Canvas was originally based on someone I worked for, an experience we still refer to as the "reign of terror." The character morphed quite a lot during the editing process (that was one of those shelved books that I couldn't get right for a long time). But back to the point. The stories are NOT our lives, however, we do insert snippets of our lives.

There is a part of ourselves in every book, whether it's that evil boss, or that kind soul that did something "above and beyond" for us, an experience we had. I'd venture to say that beyond one "cathartic" book that an author will have to write (which many times never sees the light of day - I wrote mine when I was very young and it was horrible), we do not make personal appearances in our books. Maybe one part of my personality will find it's way into one character, but you can bet that for most books authors and characters should never be confused as one and the same.

I was listening to the radio station this morning and they were talking about ghostly encounters. This is main stream radio, mind you, and it was probably a pre-recorded show from Halloween time or maybe some other newsworthy story from another time.  You know those moments when someone close to you dies and you just know they've come to say their last goodbyes? You woke up at the precise moment they died, certain that they'd touched you? As one woman said, it was the day after her mother died, and she was trying to sleep and very sad, and she felt her mother's touch, stroking her hair to comfort her, and she felt at peace.

Here's an example of taking a "real life" (if you want to call it that - maybe it's "real dead") situation and incorporating it into a book. My stories generally only broach the supernatural rather than go full on into vampires and zombies and such. I prefer to remain on the fringe, into more believable experiences. Although . . . .

Epitaph is a full-blown ghost story. Well, it's a romance, because that's what I write, and it's got that mystery element in it, because that's what I write, but there's a seance, and there's a ghost following the main characters around.

If you tell me you've had an experience with a loved one who has passed, I'm going to believe you, and not count you out as "mental" (to use an adjective from a book I just read). For the record, I have never consciously seen a ghost. I have never spoken with the dead. I don't believe in that psychic down the street who wants to read your fortune. But I don't discount that these experiences actually happen. I've had "psychic" experiences with people I am close to that lead me to believe there is another channel that we tune to sometimes. That's my wackadoodle confession of the day. 

Anyone care to laugh at me or share one of their "wackadoodle" experiences?

Reading as a Writer

I’ve been having such fun catching up on my reading! I chose some excellent books as my Christmas presents this year, and there is still a balance on my Kindle account, so more to be had!

As an author, too often when I’m reading I see flaws in the writing. There are rules we’re supposed to follow as authors, although those rules are flexible to a large degree. When I read a story that blatantly breaks those rules, it sets my hackles up and I worry that I won’t be able to enjoy it. However, my personality is such that once I’ve started something, I will generally finish it. Especially when it comes to books. I know how much work goes into the creation and I feel the author deserves a chance to prove that their work is worthwhile. Often, I find the story is there, even if sometimes it is buried under horrible grammatical errors or convoluted plot points. For that reason, when I am “recreation reading,” I try to take my "writer" hat off and enjoy the story solely as a reader.

As an author, I also know how much authors appreciate feedback on their efforts, so I try to take the time to offer up my opinions, again trying to take the nitpicky author out of the equation and go at it strictly from an audience standpoint. I know I’m in trouble when the nitpicky wins out, but even then, I won’t write a nasty review, knowing full well that the author put a lot of effort into their work.

Some examples of nitpickiness: I’ve just read an engrossing story. Loved every minute of it. The characters are well rounded and believable, the conflicts and situations compelling. I’m even getting a bit of a grin because the author is Welsh and has a distinct distaste for Americans that comes through in her writing (albeit California Americans). One day I’ll explain to you why that fact entertains me so much, but I digress. There are minor critical issues that I’ve noted along the way, as an author. I had been posting my reading progress and the author commented on that. I sent her a private message (sorry, the critic in me couldn’t help it) to tell her where I’d found flaws in the story, but I also told her that I was thoroughly enjoying the story enough that it will likely merit a 4 or 5 star review, and that those flaws will not appear in my review. Like reading Jane Eyre – and I love that story – if you’ve ever read it, there are a gross number of “million dollar” words and several French phrases that are left untranslated for the reader. There is clumsy writing in spots. But how can you not fall in love with Mr. Rochester and how can you not cry for the injustices Jane has to live through. And in the end . . . well I’m sure if you’ve read the story or seen the movie, you know how your heart swells at the end. So am I going to downgrade my review of Jane Eyre because of the writing snafus? Heck no. This is where you have to take your writer’s hat off and enjoy the story as a reader.

I also finished reading a story that had me rolling my eyes from the beginning, because the plot was so far-fetched and so outlandish. The author pens her main character from that vein, so we are expected to believe this is par for the course, and we are expected to believe that her family indulges her in these absurd activities. By the time I’d finished reading the story, I was laughing so hard that I had to afford her a 4 star review. It was a melodrama, a farce in the extreme, and taken in that light, it was highly entertaining. One shouldn’t get too serious about “writing rules” sometimes.

Sometimes there are stories where I can’t get past the flaws. Even then, I look at the story as a whole. I recently wrote a 3 star review on a story that I didn’t much care for. My dislike was entirely subjective, not that the story was awful, but I found the research behind it lacking and with the writing errors, I couldn’t enjoy the story as a whole. Still, I respect this author’s efforts and a less critical reader would likely enjoy it. In fact many other readers did enjoy it, based on the reviews. And this is where reviews are important. Reading is subjective. We all like different things. What didn’t appeal to me was overlooked by someone else.

On the negative review side, I bought a book over the summer written by a friend of mine. I was so excited to finally read her book! And I was so disappointed when I did. Again, the story was there, but I couldn’t do a review on it because the writing was extremely “ruff.” There were parts of the story that made me cringe due to their nature, but overall, the plot was well written and the story flowed. At the end, she gave credit to an editor, but I have to believe that editor was unskilled, because of the large number of grammatical and typographical errors. I felt bad not giving her a review, but when you can’t enjoy the story because you’re trying to decipher the misspelled or misused words, the rating would have been negative. I respect her efforts, and I do believe the story was there, but it wasn’t, in my opinion, consumer ready.

As a writer, I try to note the good examples and the bad examples to remember as I continue with my own writing, hoping to apply the “good” lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Books and movies that make me cry

I don't often post reviews of books I've read on my blog, but this one is definitely worth the space.

I've just finished a book that tugged each and every one of my emotions out.  I knew it would, and for that reason I saved it as the last book to read of the bunch I'd bought. I hate feeling that exposed, that vulnerable. There was a time I loved these movies/books for that reason, but once upon a time I went through a severely emotional trauma (how's that for a little added drama?) and became afraid of letting those emotions go for fear of not being able to rein them back in.

As a result of reading said book, After Forever Ends, by Melodie Ramone, I am now compelled to purge my soul (aren't you glad you stopped by to read this today?) so please forgive me for a bit of saccharine sentimentality. This is one of those books that sucks you in. Taps into your emotions. It crosses generations, so there's a bit in there from all viewpoints, from teenager, to newlywed, to parent, to grandparent.

Here's a link to the review (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/458739643), but I want to use my blog space to share a little of myself today.

In talking with friends, I've often heard people complain about their dysfunctional family life. Their parents don't understand them or they don't have any relationship with their parents. They hate their parents, their parents hate them, etc. I think that for the most part, that's par for the course. I know I went through it with my kids as they were growing up - when you discipline them, the first thing out of their mouths is "I hate you!" or "Why do you hate me so much!" when in truth the decisions you make are because you love them.

As children get older, sometimes they begin to understand, and sometimes they don't. The funny part is that as a parent, you still feel like you're a kid yourself. Your children may never understand that you know EXACTLY how they feel when you have to discipline them. That's part of our jobs as parents. This book takes you on both sides of that coin through the main character's adolescence and subsequently into her parenting and her realization that her own parents weren't quite so off base as she first thought. It's a 360 degree view of children and parents and grandparents, and I think that was one of the things that most struck me.

As people, we all have different personalities, different ways we deal with the world and with the people we love. On a personal note, I can tell you that my children know that I love them, and I did the best I could while I was raising them. Now, as adults and taking charge (or nearly taking charge) of their own lives, I saw things in this story which gave me pause. I stopped to wonder if some of our interactions might have been misinterpreted, because it's natural that they would be. I know I did it with my own parents. Something you said while trying to teach them to fly on their own that they took offense to, something that they felt displayed how much you loved one more than the other, when that was never the case and the furthest thing from the truth. We always have our children's best interests at heart, and sometimes when we give them a little push, it's so that they learn to fly on their own.  More than hearing my child say "I hate you!" or "Why do you hate me!" I think the thing that strikes my heart deeper (because I know that the other is just the anger speaking) is "I don't want to argue with you for fear of saying something I might regret later." That phrase is the one that throws up walls and says "I don't want to talk to you, I don't trust you with my true feelings." I'm not sure adult children realize that they can open up to their parents without fear of retribution, and that comes through in this book as well as the main character comes to terms with her anger toward her father. Instead of harboring hurt toward me, I hope my children always feel comfortably arguing with me if the situation warrants it. Much better to clear the air than to hold in the hurt, and that hurt goes both ways. I know one of my children knows that lesson!

Another poignant part of this novel was the viewpoint of the main character as she ages and her friends and family start to die. One of my favorite quotes in the book was at Oliver's funeral: "None of us promised to see each other again when he left that evening.  We just hugged again in the front garden and wished each other well. That was fine with all of us. We'd seen each other once more if never again, and that meeting we'd keep with us forever." As we get older, we know that we're older. We see it in the lines in our face and the way we have lost a step, but when we are with those people we have grown old with, we still see the young people we were. In our minds, we are the same age we were when we first met. It isn't denial, it's blindness. If I've known you since we were both 17, in my mind, we will always be 17 together, having fun, talking about the silly things we talked about then.

Yes, this book moved me. Profoundly. Its filled with all the life stages and life lessons you learn. A little regret over the things you cannot change, a little hope that people can look at things from the point of view of the people around them so that it is a little less one-sided, even when they are lost in a singularly personal emotion that demands a touch of selfishness. We all suffer during an emotional crisis, and those things are better shared than worn as a personal badge of pain.

And this, my friends, is why I don't like to read books or watch movies that make me cry.  It leaves old wounds raw, opens up feelings that have scarred over and, personally, I don't like a good cry. I've had my share of tears.  That being said, this book is excellent, and I think mainly that is because in the end, it makes you smile. It turns that vulnerability into joy. It reminds you that love is magic and, ladies and gentlemen, I'm soft in the head when it comes to true love. I believe in the magic of love.

Happy New Year! What's on your Kindle?

There is something very appealing about cozying up with a book on a cold winter’s day. Through the course of the year, I don’t always have a surfeit of free time, so reading is usually one of the things that goes to the back burner. I manage to pick up a book here and there, but in the winter . . .

Winter is my time to splurge on books, to curl into a corner and spend all day reading when I have the time to spend. One of the things I can count on since I was gifted with a Kindle a few years ago is a gift certificate(s) to fill that Kindle each Christmas. And I do. So far, I’ve downloaded five books by authors I’ve not read before and I have more gift dollars to spend. I am a happy camper! I’ve also read some of the classics that I am familiar with, some of which I have never read. This year, I read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol for the first time.

After all the hullabaloo leading up to the holidays, it’s nice to fill the down time. As an author, reading enriches me. Authors have an overly critical eye when it comes to reading other authors, and that can be both good and bad. For me, it helps to see what another author has done poorly so that I can avoid a similar pratfall. It also shows me what another author has done well that I can strive to incorporate into my own writing.

During this winter glut of books, so far I’ve read a story by an author who I believe should have researched her subject matter a little more. Even with limited knowledge, I could see failure to address important details. Another author that I’d had on my TBR (to be read) list, Terry Reid, impressed me a great deal. In her Mary O’Reilly series, I believed she was an ex-police office writing from experience. It helps that I am familiar with the setting for her books, so I could visualize the area. I also picked up a fantasy book (and I’m not a huge fan of fantasy) by an author I was curious to read. While the first two chapters centered around world-building and gave me a struggle, the rest of the book was filled with brilliant descriptions, reminding me how important it is to “show” the reader what they need to see (rather than telling them).  I loved it!

Lessons? For the good books, reminders of what makes a book good. Brilliant descriptions that don’t detract from the story, woven in seamlessly. From the “less good” books, reminders of what takes a reader out of the story, things that are missing or poorly incorporated.

I have two more books that I’m anxious to get to, stopping, of course, to do some writing of my own and punch up the weak spots in Epitaph. Any books you want to recommend? I’m almost through my first flurry of downloads.

What books did you get for the holidays?