For those of you who already know the answer to the question at hand, I applaud you. 

But there are a few who might be wondering why, in fact, one would ever worry about editing. Two schools of thought rally around this subject. Some of you might be thinking one or both of the following:

1. Who needs an editing service? For God’s sake, I could edit the local newspaper in my sleep. I’ve got this, people!
2. Why should I bother with editing? That doesn't matter! I wrote this book with my bare hands and I’m hitting ‘publish’ tomorrow!

It’s true that indie publishing has simplified the once traditional route to getting our work out to readers. But that’s all the more reason to take your writing seriously. By overlooking the editing process, you’re only hurting yourself. Once you decided, “I’m getting published someday!”, you essentially said goodbye to writing as a hobby. Look, I’m not telling you to stop enjoying the creative process. Of course not. I think we should all remember why we got into it, why we still love writing. However, you should see your manuscript as a potential book. 

Notice I said potential? Before you hit ‘publish’ on that Amazon screen, think carefully about the ramifications of publishing a book without official edits. 

We’re all familiar with bad reviews, right? Not only have we seen them on book purchase pages, reviews have changed the fate of restaurants and hotels alike, even something as simple as a pair of shoes. 

Words have power. Just as our books can move readers on an emotional level, enough bad reviews can kill your book’s reputation. Having said that, a negative review happens now and then. No author, not even a famous one, is immune. It’s true that you can’t win every reader over. But, wouldn’t you want to be judged on the merit of your work, the quality of your story, rather than the editing mistakes and glaring grammar problems you thought weren’t so relevant?

Take it from me. I’ve been a published author since 2010, and I still jump to catch all the editing issues before I even consider publishing the book. With my latest book, Directions of the Heart, I fortunately fixed the mistakes in the proof copy CreateSpace sent and was still able to meet my deadline before the collection officially released. And this occurred after numerous rounds of self-editing, and assistance from outside sources. To date, no one has mentioned any editing issues in the book's reviews.

But let’s get back to the discussion here.

Consider this. If you decide to go the traditional route and you skip the editing step, you’re not going to win any points with literary agencies or publishers to which you send query letters. Once they get a load of the first few pages of your manuscript, you’ll get a tasteful yet boring form letter that basically says, “Sorry, but no thanks!”

So…the question you need to ask yourself is:

“How important is the finished product to me?”

I think most writers want to put their best work out there. Some are even perfectionists about it. Does it irk you when you missed making a word plural on an email or social media? You want to fix it right away, yes? But it's not always possible. I feel your pain. Now, why wouldn’t you have the same reaction with the book that you’d like to show readers?  

“I’m ready, Marie. I am hitting ‘publish’ right now!”

Whoa…slow your roll there, cupcake. Have you read through your manuscript a few times? For example, two or three weeks between each round? Did you read it aloud or even print it out? Sometimes these different techniques allow us to see glaring errors we missed before. And I’m not even touching the idea of having to format your book for release.

But let’s go back to the beginning. Remember the eager writer who can’t wait for the world to see his or her work? Ditch that dream just for the moment. You need to put your editing hat on! 

Look, this is when things get gritty, or at least they should. Think of yourself as the girl who fell for the bad boy. He can do no wrong, but your family is trying to tell you otherwise. Yet the intelligent thing to do would be to weigh your options, consider your future with this guy. Likewise, you’ve got to look at your manuscript with a critical eye, not rose-colored glasses. Fall out of love with your book for a while. I’m not asking you to second guess everything, just to be smart. Now is the time to keep an eye out for plot holes, character confusion (using the same name for two different secondary characters…yeah, it happens), and, among a thousand other aspects, making sure you didn’t miss any important details. 

Believe me, when you’re finally ready to see them, they’ll pop out at you. For example, if you want to ensure your characters are fully developed, answer these questions. You won’t include every detail in the book, but at least you’ll know your protagonist much better and be more aware of when those facts matter within the story. 

By now, you’ve probably realized that I’m talking about self-editing. Mmm-hmm…it’s a thing. Even if you are open to using an outside source for help (critique partners, beta readers, a proofreader or other editing service), do you really want to hand your hard work over to a total stranger without perfecting it on your own first? Nah, probably not.

Here are some possible questions to ask yourself with any work of fiction:

1. Chapter Opening and/or Closing: Does it hook readers to read more?
2. Plot: Is there a compelling event, subplot, tension or conflict that is causing the story to evolve?
3. Pacing: Are the sequence of events or actions of the characters making sense? Are there too many minute details that are weighing the story down? In other words, is the narration too long?
4. Character Description: Can readers visualize the character? Is it easy to enter the character’s mind and feel emotion?
5. Scene:  Is it important to the story? Why? Does the character support the scene? Is it rich in details?
6. Character Building:  Is there an internal or external struggle? Is the character struggle important to the scene or the story? Why? Do you understand the character’s motivation? If it’s confusing, maybe you should find out why.
7. Point-of-View: Is head hopping occurring? If there is a POV shift, did it elevate the plot or move the story forward?
8. Transitions (Between chapters or scenes): Are they occurring seamlessly between paragraphs?  Are they building tension in the story?
9. Grammar and Word Choice: Are there repetitive phrases? (Suggestion: Use synonyms. They break up repetitions.) 

A critique partner will often help you narrow down many such problem areas. Still, it doesn’t hurt to suss out some of it for yourself.

Okay, let’s say you’ve tackled that as well as possible on your own. Now comes the dreaded part. Unless you’re a total editing maven (and even if you’re an editor in real life, I still wouldn’t suggest editing everything on your own), then self-editing can be a grueling yet necessary process. Luckily, the internet has provided us with awesome tips. Hallelujah!

I swear by these next two articles from The Write Life: 

10 Simple Ways to Edit Your Own Book

25 Editing Tips for Tightening Your Copy

With my first pass, I use article number one, and then I read through the manuscript. During round two, I launch into the second article. This is a more detailed look at the mistakes people often make while writing. After implementing the article’s suggestions, I read through the book again. Take decent breaks between each round (you don’t want to be too familiar with your work). With both articles, utilize the advice but try not to drown out your unique writing voice. I always do another read-through before anyone else sees my work. That’s three full rounds of self-editing.

“Marie, this could take a while!”

No kidding. But the best endeavors often do. 

Will you catch everything? Nope. But I guarantee it will be a lot better than where any of us started out with the first draft.

So…hopefully, your work is edited well enough to hand over to a critique partner or beta readers. Try to provide a questionnaire to help focus your betas on what kind of feedback that you’re looking for. It looks something like this, but you can tailor it to your specific genre.

Perhaps you’re thinking of checking out an editing service. I’ve worked with a lot of good editors through my publisher. I would advise you to compare rates. Most editors charge per word. That can really add up, especially if you have a novel-length manuscript. Plus, there are different types of editing. Are you looking for basic copy editing or something more thorough, like line, content or developmental editing? Word of mouth is usually the best way to find a good editor. Ask your fellow writers or authors who they used for their latest book editing.

I hope we’ve established the importance of editing. Do errors still slip through at times? Even with the professionals? Sure. I’ve noticed the occasional typo in a big six bestselling novel. The fact is no one is perfect. But I bet you’ll agree that one or two minor issues would be far better than a 100,000 word manuscript riddled with errors (which is likely to cause your reader to toss the book, or their Kindle, out the window).

Editing is too damn important, both for your professional integrity as a writer, and to avoid making your eyes cross when you reread your published book. Plus, readers will love you for giving them a polished product! You can’t lose there. I know you’d prefer them to talk to their friends about the story and how it makes them feel, rather than get hung up on all the grammar problems. Right?

I thought so. Despite how much of a pain it can be, editing is your friend.

Really! ;) Are you still with me?

Okay, we’ll go with whatever makes you comfortable. In any case, editing is an aspect of the writing process that you can’t afford to ignore. At least, if you want to survive as an author. A well-edited and published book is certainly something of which you should be proud!

I hope you found some helpful tips here. Have a great weekend, and, as always, happy reading! :)

It is a writer’s worst fear – what they call ‘writer’s block’. Being frozen when you intend to work on your project. The idea that the well has officially dried up. Perhaps you encountered a deadline and just went blank because of the strain. Or, out of the blue, you cannot find the urge to write. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not exactly temporary.

The truth is that this is one of those moments every writer simply doesn’t relish. Sure, we can try to be reasonable and say…ah, what a relief! I’ll just take some much needed time off. No problem. 

But then the fears creep in.

What if this is it?

What if my last story or book was the last one I’ll ever write?

Even if this is short-term, what if I lose my readers in the time it takes to get the urge back?

Will my best efforts be good enough?

All that, among other worries, of course. 

Writer’s block happens, even to the best of us. We all have moments when life’s stressors have just overloaded our mental capacity to be creative any longer. Maybe there was a period of grief, financial strain, or a number of other personal situations that can interfere with one’s imagination. Whatever the cause – or even if you don’t believe there is one, it’s likely a multitude of things that fed into the block – do yourself a favor. Give your inner writer a break.

I really mean that. 

Draw a deep breath. No matter how long your writer’s block lasts, it’s not going to do any good to stress too much over the whole thing. Why? For one, freaking out will not only put more stress on you, it may lengthen the period of the barrier jarring your creativity. I can name around two or three points in my life when I experienced writer’s block, and putting extra pressure on myself only made it ten times worse. 

Let’s face it; as humans, we tend to fear the worst, and then we jump to try to fix everything. Even things that may not be so ‘fixable’. Often it’s not just a lack of willpower for a project which is blocking you, but a bunch of stressors that led to the problem. That’s why patience is key.

Stay positive. Believe me, I know it’s tough. Especially if the cause of the block is more emotional, it is harder to look up rather than down. But keeping a positive outlook, at least about your creativity, will seriously help. Plus, who knows? This could be a brief situation, right? That leads me to my next point.

Take a break. However long you need, take some time to chill. Relax, and STOP overthinking. 

Go enjoy your life! Heck, go on vacation if necessary. That deadline or story will still be sitting there tomorrow. Why work yourself beyond your limits for something that may result in what…one word? Keep a small notepad on hand, just in case, though. You never know when a great line or idea will pop up, which you can use for a future project.

Distract yourself. Maybe this is a good time to really start launching your blog. Or work on that DIY project in the kitchen. Anything you have to do to distract yourself from the ‘block’ that’s hanging over your head, just do it. Some writers use this time to approach specific parts of the impending project that don’t require too much of your creative juices. For example, learning more about your characters, or doing research on the locations which you’ll use to create a great setting in the novel. It isn’t necessary at this point, though. In my opinion, throwing yourself into a project that has nothing to do with your book or story is better. But, hey, you may as well get some things done in the process. ;)

Measure the muse. You’re going to have moments that feel like false hope. You really want to work on your story, but you are afraid to dive in, that it might result in…well, nothing. If ideas are creeping up, it won’t hurt to write them down somewhere. However, be certain that your urge to write isn’t only a way to pressure yourself into finishing something. Until you’re truly ready to get fully immersed in the writing process, try to discern what urges are real or just temptation.

Other projects. Depending on the source of your writer’s block – an external reason, such as an event that happened in your personal life – or an internal writing dilemma, such as needing to resolve a plot conflict – it might even behoove you to work on a different idea entirely. Sometimes we have to step away from something to get better clarity.  

Try writing a new story. Or, work on a project you’ve kept on the backburner for months or years. And if that doesn’t pan out, try using a different part of your brain. Edit a work in progress. At times the best solution is to do a complete turnaround. Maybe once you’re done with that project, you’ll have a ‘Eureka!’ moment and suddenly the motivation to work on whatever you had trouble with before will return. 

The struggle is REAL, as they say. All right, let’s suppose that you can’t even handle working on a brand-new project, or something which is just sitting around. Consider other options. What might some of those be? Relax; I’ll tell you…

Reading is awesome! Huh? That’s right. If you’re a writer, you are almost certainly a reader at heart. Read a ton of books, especially those in your preferred genre. But don’t be afraid to change things up and try something that’s a little out of your wheelhouse from time to time. 

Reading is actually a two-part “cure”, so to speak. It gets you out of your head, and into the fictional world. That’s where we love to be! Even better, it helps to familiarize you more with what other authors are doing, so you can develop your own style when you’re ready to start writing again.

You’re ready to dip your toes in the water of success. Notice I said ‘dip’. That means, for God’s sake, please…you gotta take it slow. Unless you’re an old pro at handling writer’s block, you do not want to relapse. I suggest you try a few writing exercises first. These are really helpful for jumpstarting a writer’s creativity. There are some great prompts in Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones. And if you’ve never had a journal, consider the idea of journaling for a while. Sometimes you need to get all the junk out of your head before you can find the real meat which results in a story or book. We humans have so much going on up there! 

To help you out, there are some links below with exercises or writing prompts that might get you started in the right creative direction. And if a book or story doesn’t come from any of these, don’t sweat it. This is just for fun. Remember, the point of writing is also to enjoy what you’re doing. Why else did you become a writer? :)

Ideas for Exercises

https://www.pw.org/writing-prompts-exercises

https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/09/27/30-journaling-prompts-for-self-reflection-and-self-discovery/

https://daringtolivefully.com/journal-prompts

http://writetodone.com/10-best-creative-writing-exercises/

http://inside.warren-wilson.edu/~creativewriting/Prompts.php

http://blog.ed.ted.com/2015/11/17/21-fun-things-to-write-about-in-10-minutes-or-less/

http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts

https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/500-prompts-for-narrative-and-personal-writing/

http://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/

http://www.dailyteachingtools.com/journal-writing-prompts.html

So…you’re finally ready to take on the real world. Okay, let’s say I trust your judgment. Perhaps that story or book, or even an entirely new one, is calling to you. Consider the following statement first.

Ease into the project at hand. As aforementioned, putting too much pressure on yourself all at once is just going to place you right back where you started. In the black hole of writer’s block, of course! Don’t get me wrong. I understand your excitement. To experience the genuine call of the muse is like a beautiful madness has descended upon you. But, try to be patient.

At first, cut the book or story into small segments, parts that are more approachable. Work on each section separately. Remember, you don’t want to find yourself in a pit of regression as soon as you’ve started. I like to separate everything into individual scenes or chapters that eventually make a whole, and even handle my research topics one at a time, so I don’t feel as overwhelmed. When you finish, you’ll be amazed at what you’ve accomplished overall.

Seriously…no worries. If you’re currently suffering from writer’s block, the best thing to do is to distract yourself and do your best not to stress out about it. The time will pass before you know it, and then the muse will return in full force. With some patience, you’ll be right back to constructing those stories freely, and enjoying your life as a writer. That’s what we’re here for anyway, right? ;)

Life can get pretty crazy sometimes. Just when it seems normal, then there’s a curveball which knocks you completely off that axis you got so comfortable with. And, more often than not, life gets in the way of writing. About when you’re ready to sit down to the task and focus, something comes up. There’s an emergency, or maybe not. Life happens. The kids need to be driven somewhere. Before you know it, a whole day has flown by and you’re not only exhausted from the ride, you’re disappointed that you couldn’t get any writing done. And especially around this time of year, the holidays make it all worse, right? There is so much to do. Well, what can be done? It’s not like those million things you do every day will go away. How can you fit writing into your incredibly hectic schedule?

1. Just breathe. 

“What? You’re crazy, Marie.”

No, I’m saying this for a reason. Take two minutes and concentrate on breathing. Slowly. Inhale, exhale. Set a timer if you want. Easy, right? There, you did it.

“I did what exactly?”

You took a moment to breathe. This is something all of us naturally do, but we never even think about it. Well, unless you’re lucky enough to be into meditation. And I’ll bet most of us don’t even take full breaths because our lives are too hectic. But, think about it. Don’t you feel calmer, more relaxed? Can’t you think better now? And for those two minutes, I bet you forgot about the rest of the world.

“What’s your point?”

If you can take a couple extra moments to focus on deep breathing, then you can certainly turn your attention to your current writing project as well.

“How do you figure?”

Well, isn’t writing as natural to you as breathing? For most of us, the art of writing is like an extension of ourselves. It’s something we do, or find ourselves doing whether we’re prepared for it or not.

And yet, carving the time out for it can elude us. So, I’ll make it simple with some other steps.

2. Make lists. 

Yeah, lists just aren’t for Santa’s nice and naughty lists. Lists will keep you organized on what you need to get done on your current manuscript. And the more specific, the better. Need to research a certain detail regarding your character or his profession? Maybe you want to learn more about the setting, the city in which the story takes place? Make a note of it somewhere. For me, post-it notes are a godsend. They are a constant reminder of what I need to do, and the bright colored things are annoying enough to spur me into action. LOL. My family thinks I’m crazy for using them around my computer, but honestly they help more than hurt. And once that task is done, the note gets trashed. Yay! You accomplished something for that day. Doesn’t that feel great?

3. Work a little on your current manuscript every day.

“Easier said than done, Marie.”

Maybe. But then, you’ve more than proven that a couple of minutes of deep breathing is doable. How about five or even ten? Is that manageable in the span of 24 hours?

Believe me, every little bit of time you devote to your writing helps. Try to do something associated with your writing project each day. Editing, researching, even write a paragraph or sentence if that’s all you can do.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a story idea or the answer to your current manuscript, a niggling sense that won’t leave you alone? Don’t ignore it. Write no matter the time. And if you’re too exhausted, take some notes and work on it the next day. Even if you think you’re too busy one day, try to carve out a small amount of time to simply “think” about your work in progress. Just ruminate a little. A lot of plotting happens in your head when you’re doing a mundane task like washing dishes or folding laundry. Don’t tell me you’ve never caught yourself thinking about your story in that manner?

“But, Marie, I’m a pantster.”

Oh, so you write as you go along, and the story unfolds naturally? Great! Believe it or not, your subconscious is still working on that manuscript, toying with new ideas. Think of it as a jumble of noise that eventually makes sense. And if you do this kind of extemporaneous writing, just launch into it when you get a moment to yourself. Even a paragraph at a time, as aforementioned.

But, at least you took some time to devote to your story or novel. That brings me to my next point.

4. Trust your instincts.

Is that character nagging at you? Do you have an image of the scene in your head? Is some plot element drawing you away from another task? Well, why not give in? There’s a reason this happens. The muse is trying to tell you something. Even if you can only jot down a few notes, that’s a step in the right direction. Take it from me, though. The fresher the idea is in your mind, the better.

5. Give yourself a break.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves, and we’re all our own worst critics. Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t get a chance to work on your manuscript one day.

Also, don’t be afraid to take breaks to unwind. Go shopping. Visit a museum. Head to the beach. And if money is tight, take a walk around your neighborhood or go to your local park. Do something a little different than usual. It may help you recharge your batteries now and then, and that change in scenery can fuel your creativity in different ways. You may take away from it a new experience, and recall details that you’ll include in your current work, or one down the road. I still recall all the times I spent on the beach, and I use that when writing ocean scenes.

A brief time away from your novel may give you the perspective you’ve been looking for to finish that manuscript. Maybe that break allowed you to see a great plot element. Go with it. Fuel your mind for your work in progress by giving yourself an occasional break.

6. Learn how to say ‘no’.

Know your limits. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, or you’ll get so overwhelmed that you will eventually find reasons to stall or stop your project entirely. And you don’t want that.

Learn when to say “no” to yourself, and to others. Know when your writing takes priority and when it doesn’t. Most likely, those who aren’t writers won’t understand the extreme drive you suddenly have to finish your manuscript. For them, life goes on as it always does. Nothing has changed. Choose your battles wisely. Some authors I know have miraculously managed to train their families (“If Mom is in her office, she’s busy!”). Most of us have to try to balance everything. Utilize step #3 and “give yourself a break” if you can’t figure it all out right away. Just take it one day at a time.

7. Cater to your own methods.

Know what works for you, and what doesn’t. If you’re at all like me, then maybe sometimes you need to see a printed page to spot something big. Do you have large spaces between your scenes or chapters, or you sense a weak spot somewhere? Consider printing the pages around those sections. Perhaps that will be just the motivation your creativity needs to jump into writing.

Diversely, don’t be afraid to try new things either. If you usually write everything by hand first, try composing directly on the computer. And vice versa. This gives your mental focus a bit of a challenge, and a fresh perspective on everything.

8. Writer’s block.

We’ve all heard the term and nothing makes you cringe more than seeing it. All writers dread and try to avoid getting it, as if that’s even possible. If you are a victim of this horrible, debilitating syndrome, consider these two options:

1)     Distract yourself.

Embrace this “break”, if you will. Distractions are just what the doctor ordered. Do anything except writing. Are you allowed to think about your story? Sure, I won’t stop you. But, it’s probably only helpful if you’re entertaining possible routes the story could take. In the end, the most natural writing experience is the best choice. Don’t force it, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself either. So, distract yourself as long as necessary.

Having said that, you’ll soon be fed up with the distractions and you’ll want a real cure.

2)     Ignore your writer’s block.

“How can you ignore it, Marie? It’s pretty obvious.”

Well, try pushing through the block by doing the grunt work of writing, the bare bones of the process. Work on character worksheets. Learning more about your characters can only help your story in the long run.

Also, consider doing research when you’ve hit a writing plateau. Who knows? Maybe a tidbit, some random fact, can be just the spark you needed to launch back into the storytelling routine.

Another thing I would suggest is writing exercises. Maybe focusing on another project entirely or starting a new one can distract you long enough to clear your head. Here are some tips in that regard. And here are a few links to good writing prompts:

http://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/

http://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/25-creative-writing-prompts

http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts

http://www.pw.org/writing-prompts-exercises

Yes, I have had writer’s block many times before. It was the darkest time of my creative life. Eventually, I had to quit stressing about it. That’s when the ideas came back.

Some people only make writing look easy, when in truth, it’s not. A lot of us struggle with various aspects of the process. Heck, with one novel, I didn’t even realize my character’s basic motivation until I’d already sent the manuscript off to beta readers! Creativity works in mysterious ways.

9. Remind yourself (and often) why you’re doing this crazy thing called ‘writing’.

Why? Just do it. You’ll thank me later. LOL. But seriously, this will save you a lot of heartache if you often reconnect with your writing motivation.

If you’re doing it for the money, then I’d say you’re in the wrong profession. A reason like that won’t keep you warm on the long, cold journey of publishing. And it won’t save you while you’re trying to make a name for yourself. But, if you have a deeper reason, it’s gold.

Most of us have no choice. Our characters call to us, and the exciting path of the story is why we put ourselves through so much, through all the obstacles a writer encounters. That calling, that desire to tell a story, to give voice to the characters in your head? Now that’s a reason to keep going. And it’s good to remind yourself of it now and then.

10. It’s not a race.

Really, it’s not. I can’t stress that enough. Though having a sense of focus may help you write a tad faster, life will still happen. You can bet your car will have a flat tire. You’ll get a toothache. Somebody will get a minor injury from a harmless roughhousing incident. Your kid will need a ride to band practice. And you can’t predict how long the writing process will take.

That being said, every project is different. Though I’ve written stories nearly all my life, my first full-length novel took nine years to write, and a whole other year to perfect. No joke. The second book in the series took a year to write. And the sequel? A year and a half. Other manuscripts took only months to compose. How do I account for my nine-year novel project? Life got in the way, but I know a part of the delay was seasoned by fear, fear of taking the steps that come after you finish a project. Hey, we’re only human, right? But, I also know it was meant to be. I wasn’t ready then. At some point, a writer wakes up and decides, “Now is my time.” But, I digress.

Your project will take as long as it takes. You may look at the progress of other authors, at their long list of accomplishments, and feel you’re lagging behind. You’re not. We all go through the same struggles in the writing process. Your manuscript is yours, to put it plainly. It is as unique as your identity. And the time span between when you start and when you metaphorically write “THE END” is dependent upon the characters, the story and you as the writer.

Relax. It will be done when it’s done. And when it is finished, you’ll just feel it. You will know, like all your other writing instincts.

I hope I’ve helped you to navigate this crazy world. Hmm…well, at least with regards to finding some time to write every day. Remember: even a sentence or paragraph helps. Every little bit gets you one step closer to fastening that last piece of the puzzle, to finishing your work in progress.

Trust me. When that moment comes, you’ll see the journey was all worth it. That’s part of the beauty of writing, isn’t it? The satisfaction you get from finishing something? And the rest? When a reader reads it, of course! But, one step at a time, remember?

So, get back to that project of yours. I know it’s waiting for you on the page, daring you to try. What are you waiting for anyway? Go ahead! You won’t regret it.

Speaking of, I’d better get back to mine as well. Duty calls. The muse never rests.

As always, happy reading, readers!

This topic is really big right now. Any writer or reader familiar with books coming out these days has probably noticed a huge trend in shorter fiction. Short stories, novellas, even episodic or chapter-length works are releasing all of the time on Amazon and other book sellers. And it appears that there are two schools of thought in response.

One is comprised of a group of writers and readers who see no issues with shorter fiction. In fact, they encourage it! 

Writers enjoy publishing these works because they can write faster and move on to the next project on their ridiculously long to-do list. Not that writing such a story doesn't take a lot of plotting or research. Believe me, they still do. But, instead of cranking out a big novel every six months to a year, or longer, the turnaround time is a few weeks to, at most, a few months to completely polish one and have it ready for release. For some readers, they enjoy what the industry terms as an hour or "two hour fiction", a quick read on your Kindle while you're at the beach during your vacation, or when you finally get a moment alone at home. And I guess it depends on how fast you read too. LOL. A certain group of readers even enjoy the episodic, sort of Dickensian approach certain books are taking now.

There's nothing wrong with liking shorter fiction. Most writers who start out are practicing their skills by writing short stories. Even writing workshops or classes at universities usually will only expect a story turned in as the project because it's hard enough to write, but still deemed 'manageable' during the time that a semester runs. Only a Master's program would expect a full-length novel pitched as a dissertation. In some ways, shorter works are a tad easier to read or write because they just go faster. 

Why, I bet you've even seen more multi-author anthologies coming out these days. Writers will submit short stories to publishers for such anthologies. It's a good way to launch new authors before they come out with a larger piece, like a novel. A lot of seasoned authors, as well, are participating in charity anthologies. I know a few writers who enjoy a little break between their full-length novels, so they tackle shorter works during that time. I have submitted for several anthologies as well, and for those I've seen anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 words, but sometimes up to 10,000 word stories accepted. It probably depends on how many authors are involved.

So, let's talk length. I have included a few good diagrams and tips below depicting the range of length on shorter and longer fiction. This is just to give you an idea of the industry standards. Shorter fiction exists as well. I have seen writing contests for one-sentence or one-paragraph fiction. That is called micro fiction. Flash fiction, which is different, is about a page long, and will sometimes be termed 'short-short'.

"That's weird, Marie."

Maybe. But the writer who can accomplish it is quite talented. I don't think I'm brave enough to try it. I'll stick with works that are a bit longer, at least for now. 

As you can see, it's looking like they really can't decide what should be counted as a novel or a novella. And every publisher has different requirements.

There's nothing wrong with writing short fiction. Right? 

Well, it's a matter of opinion. In fact, there's also a group of readers (and writers, for that matter) who never bother with shorter works. Stories or novellas aren't long enough, they say. And in some circles, they feel that only longer fiction is "true fiction".

Everyone has the right to their preferences in books – genres or lengths – but I can't agree with the former assessment. Length doesn't affect quality in any way. As long as the writer develops the characters, gives enough description of the setting and such, moves the plot along and offers a satisfying conclusion, should it really matter if the work in question is a short story or a novel? Apparently, for some people, it does matter. But that's completely fine. We're all entitled to our own opinions.

So, what's my approach? As a writer, I try not to fuss over length while I'm focused on a project. When I'm editing, I can worry all I want about length. But, during the composition of a work-in-progress, the story stands on its own. For me, it's all about the characters and what makes them tick. It's about the story, what drives me to tell it. Where is the tale set? How can I flesh out a character or even a scene a little better so that a reader can "see it" in his or her mind? What's next in the story? How do I keep the action going? And how do I wrap it all up in the end? These are subconscious, and conscious, questions that, I think, most writers try to tackle. However, during the writing process, it's not about length for me. Do I celebrate milestones with word count? "I made it to 25,000 words!" "I reached 50,000 words today!" Yes, of course, I celebrate it. Every writer likes to make progress. 

But we shouldn't place a huge emphasis on word count or manuscript length during composition. Why? Because it can affect everything. I know one writer who can't finish more than one chapter because he's always asking, "But, how long should my book be?"

And that's a problem. It's possible that some writers need the aforementioned word count guidelines to give themselves a goal. However, it can be extremely limiting at the same time. My answer on how long it should be? The manuscript will be however long it is. If it ends up a short story, then so be it. A novella or novelette? Great! A full-length novel? Nothing wrong with that. It is what it is. By the time you're done writing and polishing, you have a finished product and, as a writer, you should be satisfied with the results. You have to love your story or book as much as your readers do. If you don't fall in love with your characters, if the story doesn't "compel" you, then you're in the wrong profession. 

Enjoy writing your manuscript and, I assure you, you'll get more out of it. AND you'll worry less about book length. Be concerned about word count when you're ready to tackle editing and about to research possible publishers to submit the book to, not BEFORE you start a project or while you're writing.

Remember when I said it will ruin everything if you're concerned with length? It's true. Because if you listen to those naysayers who feel your story isn't "true fiction" due to its length, then you have spoiled the joy of writing for yourself. And that assumption? That's all it is, just a belief, not fact. Don't let one opinion discourage you from writing. You can see more about this and other issues in my article, "Don't Limit Yourself", also on the Writing in the Modern Age blog, and you can learn about how to cope with such adverse opinions in my guest post on Penny Estelle's blog. It is titled "Fighting the Naysayers".  

There are plenty of readers who LOVE short fiction. Just out of curiosity, let's count some of the famous authors who became known by their shorter works: Aldous Huxley, Anton Chekhov, Dr. Seuss, Elizabeth Gaskell, Honoré de Balzac, Herman Melville, J.D. Salinger, Jack London, James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, Joyce Carol Oates, Jules Verne, Louisa May Alcott, Roald Dahl, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Washington Irving, Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, Oscar Wilde, Franz Kafka, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Dickens and so many more! Obviously, the word count snobs never thought of that one, did they? LOL. And it should be about what's inside the book, anyway. 

In the end, does book length really matter? Not really. The point is that you write your story or novel to the best of your ability, then you sit back and are proud of your work. And what is the second goal of writing? To reach readers who appreciate our stories, who 'see' our characters the way they were meant to be seen, of course. If in the process, you give someone a wonderful experience for an hour, two hours, a day or however long it takes to read the book, then I'd say you've done your job as a writer.

So, get out there, pick up a pen and your favorite journal, or set up your laptop, and start writing! After all, who's stopping you? No one. Just you, and I hope by the time you've read this article, you won't be stopping yourself either. Write that book to wherever it takes you. You won't be disappointed by the experience. I hope I've helped to shed some light on the question 'does size matter in books?'. 

Have a great week, everyone. And, as always, happy reading  :)

(Sources: Wikipedia, Writing-World.com, http://bit.ly/1MbdnSz, Better Storytelling,The Famous People.com, Ranker, Classic Shorts, Listverse)

Being an author is hard. One must not only write books, but also take on different roles. They have to be editors, marketers, bloggers, advisers, and the list goes on. In the publishing journey, a writer learns that very few things are for free, or at least affordable. 

Book trailers are a great tool in promoting your own work. You can not only tie them to your Youtube channel, but also link them to author interviews or even press releases. They can really come in handy, anyway.

I have been publishing books since 2010, and in 2012, I received my first book contract. That book, titled Upon Your Return, a Victorian romance and book one of the Heiresses in Love Series, was released in February of 2013 through Summer Solstice Publishing. It wasn’t until the following September that I attempted this crazy thing called ‘a book trailer’.

But, what do we need book trailers for, huh? There seems to be a lot of people for them, and a lot against them. Some people don’t see the merit it in them, while others swear by them. The good trailers I have seen, though, have sold me on the books. Of course, the blurbs and covers don’t hurt either, right? LOL. Still, a good book trailer can go a long way towards helping you to market your books effectively. I’ve been designing them since 2013, and I haven’t had any complaints yet.

However, during my first foray into creating a book trailer, I crashed. Hard. As a starving artist, I desperately wanted to have a book trailer, but really didn’t know how to go about it. I was told someone had to design it for you. So, I looked around. I couldn't find anything less than $150-200 to create a book trailer. I thought that was normal. And I'm sure it is if you want something that is smashing. I did find a place that charged $5.00, but the low price made me wary. What? You might fork over that small bit of cash and see nothing from it.

So, after numerous months of mourning the fact that I didn't have my own book trailer, I decided to research it.  I had read somewhere that you could create your own if you had the right software.  I read up on it more.  

My first attempt was all right, if not a bit long. It ended up being between two to three minutes. People complained that it lagged, and I soon agreed. There were also copyright issues, as I didn’t realize that I couldn’t use just any old picture I found or an MP3 of my favorite song.

I learned my lesson, though. Now I know better.

We have to think carefully about these things. Have you thought about designing your own book trailer? You probably saw them on Youtube, or saw links to them on Facebook or Twitter. Didn’t you ever wonder where the images or music came from? They most likely came from reputable sources, were purchased legally.

So, to be fair, I’m including my first attempt here. You won’t hear any music, but you can sort of see what it was before if it plays correctly.

Attempt 1

http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/marielavender58-1922324-upon-return-book-trailer/

Well, after several attempts, I managed to get something I’m proud to show you.

Final Attempt

If you're an author or business person, you may be wondering how in the world was this accomplished? I will tell you. There's no reason to keep secrets like this to oneself. I don't know how many times I've been clueless about something and felt so grateful when someone bothered to post an article about it online. So I will give you step by step instructions here.

1)    Pictures.

You want to find some great pictures for your video. As we all know, there are sites out there that let you purchase pictures for said price. Here are some great sites that give you the ability to pay affordably for images. I know there are many more.

http://www.123rf.com/

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/

https://us.fotolia.com/

http://www.shutterstock.com/

http://www.mediabakery.com/

http://www.istockphoto.com/plans-and-pricing

http://www.dreamstime.com/credits.php?fcr=1

There are some decent sites out there that offer free pictures as well. Some sites I have used are freedigitalphotos.net, Stock Xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/), stockfreeimages.com, pixabay.com, Fotolia, Photobucket , freeimages.com and morgueFile.com. 

On any of these sites, you have to be pretty unique with your search terms or you won’t find what you’re looking for.  The best one I have found so far, and it does require a small investment ($20 for 20 credits, or less, depending on your budget), is 123RF. I also used Fotolia for a book cover recently, and that was a very positive experience. If you want a sneak peek of the kind of images you can find on free sites, though, please visit my website at http://marielavender.com/about/my-books/. I have used free, yet legal images for all of my self-published books thus far. Of course, I gave credit to the photographers. All the ones listed under Erica Sutherhome, Kathryn Layne and Heather Crouse were not only self-published, but royalty-free images were used. Purchased images were used for the ones under this name, Marie Lavender.

You should be able to find some decent pictures on any of the aforementioned sites. Have I missed any? Probably. But, you'll be searching for a long time if you just go on Google and say "free images". You will get the ones I found, but also clip art and things that are definitely not free. You could get yourself in a lot of trouble. Try looking for "royalty-free". You can, of course, do whatever you like. I still advise you to keep copyrights in mind. For myself, it’s safer to pay a small amount for something than to assume it’s free and regret it later. Sound good?

2) Adding Music

Let’s say you want to add music or sounds to your video. Some people do voice-overs. There are royalty-free music sites out there as well. Here is a list. Some charge a little, while others don't.

http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/20-sites-of-free-music-for-your-book-trailer/

Here is the best one I've found, and I’ve used it for a few years now. http://freeplaymusic.com/

 
Carefully select your music. I usually spend a lot of time trying to decide what theme or feeling I want the music to convey. I narrow mine down to about five or six songs, then narrow it down further. Be patient. This takes time. Sometimes I wait until after I have the design before I look for music and then see what might work for the trailer. Purchase your music or bookmark it for future reference.

3)  Figure out your design or layout.  

What all do you want to say in your video or book trailer? What message do you want to convey? Think of this as you would if you were making your own book cover, only it’s in video format. What idea are you trying to show in the short time you’ll have to explain things? For mine, I opened a Word document and typed up everything I wanted to say. Don’t give away too much about your book, but you do want to give a good tease as you would in a blurb. The great thing about this is that you can edit it as you go along.

At that point, I started looking for pictures to go with each section. You’ll see more about what I mean shortly. 

So, what's next? What do you do after you figure out what you want to say?

4)  Powerpoint.

Make a Powerpoint presentation using the layout and pictures you found. Adjust sizes of the images and font, and make sure you have even spaces on both sides of the slide. An image that is slightly off on the pages is like a crooked picture. Even an untrained eye will catch it. Oh, and please, please, please give credit to photographers, composers and book cover artists in the 'Credits' page.

You should have a pretty good presentation going for you. If you like, you can save the presentation for future reference. In fact, I encourage it. Do something else for me now. Also save the presentation as a jpg. 

“What? Why in the world would you do that, Marie?”

Just trust me. Powerpoint will ask you if you want to save all the slides as jpegs. Say ‘yes’. You can close out of your presentation. And what's next, you may ask. 

5)  Forget Authorstream. When you do a search online for how to convert Powerpoint presentations to video, it will probably be mentioned. It's just a useless tool, in my opinion. So let's forget it please.

6)  Open Windows Movie Maker. You should have it somewhere in your programs. If you aren't aware of it, you have most likely overlooked it in your day to day operations. I know I did. And if you don't have it, it's free to download from Microsoft.

From that point, you will see a white space on Movie Maker that looks like a whiteboard. Locate your jpgs from your presentation. Powerpoint would have saved them in a folder for you on your computer. Open the folder and then select all of the jpgs. That's CTRL +A for a shortcut. You can drag them in or you can import them in as files.

Movie Maker will place them in the white area. Then, you need to drag each slide (in chronological order, of course) into the storyboard below. You can also click the button 'show timeline' after you've finished. This shows your whole movie as it's progressing.

Now, do you want to add music to your video? I found it was damn near impossible with Powerpoint, but easy with this software.  Let's say you have your own MP3, or at least one song you want to use. You will click "import audio file" or just "import" and select the file from wherever you saved it. That should add the file to your timeline as well.

You will see two lines:  the first shows your slides and the second is your music. There is also a play button on the right side of the screen where you can monitor your progress of the video by playing it back.

So, from here you want to decide how long to make each slide and how you want to match it up to the music. This, my friends, could take awhile because you'll most likely have to listen to the clip over and over again. However, if you like the song you selected, it's not really that bad. To lengthen the slides, just click on one and drag it to the right. Above all of that, you will see a minute and second counter that tells you how long each slide will last in your video.

Once you have your video the way you want it, you can add end credits or titles. That would be in the 'tools' section. And to finish your video, you have to select where you want it to end on the timeline (minutes and seconds or at the end of slides) and then go to the tab at the top that says "clip". You will find this thing that says "set end trim point". This will effectively end your video wherever you put the line so make sure you know where you're ending it first.

But, really how long should your trailer be? The ideal length of most effective trailers are between 45 seconds and one minute, 10 seconds.

“Wow, so short!”

It’s true. So, my basic rule? I try to keep them to about a minute. If it goes a bit over, fine. But then, I go back and look at the whole video critically. Does it seem to be lagging anywhere? Did I express all that I needed to say without giving too much away? Does the music match to each section, or flow well? Think about emotions that might come from the music too. That will determine a lot of it. Still, you don't want to exceed about a minute and a half. Any longer, and you'll just lose your audience.

If you feel you're done building your video (or book trailer), you will want to save it. Click "save movie file" under "File". It will ask if you want to save it to your computer or elsewhere. Just save it to your computer, name it and let it do it's thing. Movie Maker will also create a folder for your video so you will have to locate it that way. What's next?

Well, what do you want to do with your video? Let's say you want to publish it to Youtube or just add as a video on your website or Facebook. You can do that.

7) Find your movie file. 

It should have a .wmv extension. For the purposes of this article, let's say you want to upload it to Youtube.

8) Make sure you have an account on Youtube (this is usually a Google or Gmail-related account). 

There should be an option to upload on your account. It will be at the top of the page.

Add the file and name it. Add a description and tags (keywords related to the trailer or video). It should save itself, but give it time to load your video entirely.

Youtube will also give you a URL for your video. Notate that somewhere.

Within a few minutes, you should be in business.

So, you’re probably wondering if I even know what I’m talking about. Well, why wouldn’t you? I’m not an expert by any means, but I get by well enough by creating my own trailers. Below, I am including all of the book trailers I have designed. They are also on my Youtube channel and the 'videos' page of my author website. The trailer for my new release should be added soon.

Upon Your Return (book one of the Heiresses in Love Series)

genre: Historical Romance, Victorian

Magick & Moonlight (book one of the Magick Series)

genre: Lighthearted Romantic Fantasy

Upon Your Honor (book one of the Heiresses in Love Series)

genre:  Historical Romance, Victorian

Second Nature (book one of the Blood at First Sight Series)

genre:  Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

A Little Magick (book two of the Magick Series)

genre:  Children's Fantasy

Second Chance Heart

genre:  Contemporary Romance

Blue Vision (book one of the Code of Endhivar Series)

genre:  Science Fiction Romance

Upon Your Love (book three of the Heiresses in Love Series)

genre:  Historical Romance/Family Saga, Victorian

Directions of the Heart

genre:  Contemporary Romance, Drama

Well, that’s how you can create your own trailer or video for promotional purposes. I hope I have helped you figure it all out. 

9) Other Options.

But, let’s say you’ve decided, “Nah, this isn’t for me. I’m going to let someone else design it.”

Well, there is certainly no shame in that. So, where would you go to find someone who designs a good book trailer?

First, you must decide on your budget. What are you willing to spend for a decent trailer that will help you market your book effectively? What is out of your price range? And what is a fair amount? That will narrow down your choices considerably. There are some good options out there. As with any purchase, make an informed decision. Research the services you find. Are there reviews? What do other people say about that designer?

Obviously, some of the options can get rather expensive. Doing it myself, I save tons of money and usually only spend no more than $20 total on the whole project.

Here are a few companies that offer book trailer production.

http://inkwater.com/book-trailer-menu/trailer-options/

http://www.cosproductions.com/videoproducts

http://www.crimsonriverproductions.com/#

http://ebookindiecovers.com/book-trailers/

http://www.dgtbookpromotions.com/book-videos

http://authorsbroadcast.com/book-trailer-price-order-information/

http://www.bookvideocreation.com/book-trailer-packages/

http://storymerchantbookmarketing.com/book-trailer/

http://www.selectografix.com/custombooktraliers.php

“Wow, pricey!”

I’m not saying there are only expensive options out there, just that a lot of them exist.

“So, where can I still find an affordable trailer?”

Here are a few.

http://bookblogs.ning.com/forum/topics/affordable-book-trailers

https://www.fiverr.com/amongus/create-a-30-second-book-trailer-for-authors

https://www.fiverr.com/aaronarnold/create-a-professional-movie-trailer

Beyond that, all I can say is…just start looking. Check online on Google, even look on social media. I know a lot of them have Facebook pages. You never know. You may find a really great place that does it professionally and affordably! ;)

Whatever you decide, whether you want to risk attempting this book trailer thing on your own or you want to pay someone to do it for you, I’m sure you have it all in hand. With the right tools, why, we are capable of anything as human beings, aren’t we?

Happy creating! And, as always, happy reading! :)

If you’ve ever self-published or considered it at least, it probably crossed your mind that a good book cover would probably help to “sell” the book. It’s true that presentation is everything; how the sales page appears with the book description and the cover are extremely important. Often, if the book cover isn’t up to par, some readers won’t take an author seriously. The cover is half the battle in marketing. The rest, well the rest is how you reach your audience. But, that’s a topic of discussion for another day.

There are so many options out there these days. It seems that everyone is trying to sell you something, book covers included. I’m not saying there aren’t talented cover artists. I am amazed at the quality of work in the industry. There are just as many unprofessional ones as well, who try to capitalize on the idea of creating a book cover. I won’t name any names, but I’m sure you’ve come across them before. They charge a lot of money, but the product just isn’t to your taste. And then there are the ones who don’t charge much at all, and you have to wonder what kind of quality you’re getting for so little. Are the covers they are touting actually theirs or are they using someone else’s work to sell their services? That’s why I won’t go to sites like https://www.fiverr.com/ to get a book cover. I'm not saying the vendors aren't legitimate, just that I won't take the chance if that is the case.

Getting a professional book cover can be an expensive endeavor. Cover artists can charge anywhere from $30-79 for a pre-made cover or charge you hundreds of dollars for something custom made. Granted, if you go the custom route, I have no doubt that you’ll get what you request. The problem is that I have read the disclaimers on some of these sites. A few artists will expect you to pay the basic design fee, but then you have to go out and purchase your own stock images. In the end, your cost has gone up considerably. I’ve spent a lot of time ruminating about using a professional cover artist for certain books. I got lucky with my publisher because they front that cost. But, when you self-publish, the stakes are a bit higher. Let me give you some options that I found. They look good, right?

http://bookcover-designs.blogspot.com/ 
 
http://www.goonwrite.com/order.htm

http://coveryourdreams.net/pre-made-customizable-covers-from-79/

http://cheekycovers.com/

http://www.selfpubbookcovers.com/index.php

And then there are the options on the higher end of the scale. 

https://www.hiretheworld.com/pricing/

http://ebookindiecovers.com/custom-orders/

http://aeternumdesigns.com/cover-art-design

Do the prices get worse? Oh, yes. Big name publishers will pay their professional cover artists anywhere from $500-1200 per project. 

“Uh…yikes, Marie. That’s really out of my budget.”

No kidding. But, let's say one of the options could work for you. A lot of questions go into a purchasing decision.

1. Is this the right service for me?
2. By the time I am done using this cover artist, will I recognize anything from my original vision for the cover?
3. Assuming a pre-made cover is chosen, does the cover correctly represent my characters and story?

It’s all good food for thought, and a decision like this isn’t to be taken lightly. With so many cover art services out there, it can seem incredibly daunting. If you decide to go this route, exercise caution but use your instincts. If a premade cover just calls to you, shouldn’t you at least consider it? Maybe the muse is trying to tell you something. And if it’s out of your budget, go for something similar. 

But seriously evaluate these different cover art services. Read the fine print. Do they have certain disclaimers you didn’t notice before? Are there hidden costs? Is the final decision yours? Some of the artists will go through three rounds with you when doing a custom design. I've worked with them before. They offer some possible covers or images for your approval and you pick the one or ones you like. Then they try to honor your wishes by incorporating other elements. They come back with a design, and you can approve it or say what needs to be adjusted. That is, hopefully, how most of them work, but you might want to stick with the ones that clearly outline their process just to be sure.

There is another option, however, that you may not have considered. You can design your own cover.

“What? I could never do that, Marie. I’m not an artist.”

Well, neither am I. I mean, I never had official training. But, after a few times around the block, I’ve managed to do well enough on my own because I’m working within my budget for now. If you’ve been following me for awhile, then you know I’m all about doing these different parts of publishing and marketing on my own. For example, I even design my own book trailers. 

I started attempting this DIY madness with book covers when I began self-publishing under other pen names in 2010. At that point, I used the distributor’s cover art wizard and manipulated certain elements within the image I’d purchased for the cover. Around 2014, I starting getting more creative, using the tools I had found online to accomplish the job, at least for my indie books. You can see a full list of my titles here. If you browse from the bottom of the list to the top, you can see the chronological order of my book releases, and what covers I used. 

I’m not perfect, but I think I have it down to a few great resources to use in order to come up with something to present to readers. So, I will offer a little advice.

If you’re going to try to design your own book cover, really think about what you want your cover to look like. Can you picture it in your mind or do you just want to look for inspiration in order to come up with something specific?

1. Theme. Think about the theme of your book. What is it about? What is the genre? If it’s romance, do you want to exhibit ‘romance’ or a specific element within the plot? If it’s mystery, what do you want to show on the cover? A dead body, a gun, a criminal, a detective? Any of those, or a combination of different things? I start by defining what this theme for the book is. Every story has a theme, or a specific idea you want to convey within the text. 
2. Study. “What, Marie?” That’s right. You need to study book covers within your genre, and decide if you want to conform to the standards or try something a little different. Obviously, if it’s any subgenre of romance, you’ll want to include some element of romance while honoring your vision for the story. If it’s erotica or erotic romance, you need to be careful about how much skin is shown because Amazon has rules about it. The rules are: “sexy, but not sexual”. Explore the covers in the genre. Even if Amazon is allowing it, that doesn’t you’ll be able to widely promote it because there are a lot of limits, on, say, groups or pages on Facebook and other social media sites. Some types of erotica have a bad rep. So, just be careful if that’s the genre for your book. 

If you’re focusing on another genre, the same rule still applies. Just see what's available, and know what you’re allowed to do. Always think about what symbols mean, and what negative connotations could be derived from them. Certain pagan symbols are often mistakenly associated with devil worship, for example. In any case, keep an eye on what’s out there. But, don’t be afraid to get creative either.

3. Images.  Maybe you know exactly what you want on your book cover. That’s great! Perhaps you only want to explore images for inspiration. Either way, it’s never too early to start looking for an image that might capture the theme or idea of your cover. Sometimes I just look for images for character muses or to inspire me in even writing a book. I also use stock images in my book trailers. 
   
   But, let’s say you’re at the stage where you’re planning your cover. You’ll want to find a great site, a place that offers high quality images and is fairly affordable. There are so many stock image or photo websites. You’ll want to pay attention to the ones that give credit to the photographers or artists. Why? Because you’ll be paying for a special license to use them on the web or in print. Otherwise, you’re violating copyright laws and you do NOT want someone to sue you over this issue. And having said that, make sure that when you do decide on images and pay for them, give credit to the photographer on your copyright page for the book (i.e. image source – photographer, company or site you found it on).

As with cover artists, there are different ranges of fees for photos. I stick with the more affordable ones. Some sites want you to purchase a subscription, while others will allow you to do a custom price or a pay-as-you-go plan. I prefer to pay for each individual photo at a time. I can acquire them, and then add to projects. With certain sites, you can pay a specific amount for credits, then use the credits toward images. Those are good too, as long as they are within your budget. Here are some great sites that give you the ability to pay affordably for images. I know there are many more.

http://www.123rf.com/

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/

https://us.fotolia.com/

http://www.shutterstock.com/

http://www.mediabakery.com/

http://www.istockphoto.com/plans-and-pricing

http://www.dreamstime.com/credits.php?fcr=1

Here are a few expensive options, if that’s a route you’re willing to take. I found more in the past, but I usually avoid them. LOL.

http://www.stocksy.com/service/support

http://www.offset.com/pricing

http://www.maxximages.com/subscription/photo-subscription.php

“What about the opposite side of the spectrum, Marie? I’ve heard you can get free images.”

Tricky stuff...that is, of course, always an option. There are royalty-free no cost sites available as well. Here is the rub: can you really assure yourself of how legitimate they are? How do you know that someone didn’t steal an image and try to resell it? I leave the decision in your capable hands, but I can’t stress enough how you’ll still have to give credit to the photographer or contributor. I will list a few that are pretty safe, but I only use them for blog posts or a book trailer, when I'm looking for a specific image.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

http://www.stockfreeimages.com/

https://pixabay.com/

http://www.photobucket.com/

http://www.freeimages.com/

http://morguefile.com/

http://unsplash.com/ 

https://www.freepik.com/

For myself, it’s always better to purchase a license to use something for a book cover rather than take it, shove it on a product and pretend I have the rights to it. Make sense?

All right. So, let’s assume you’ll purchase a stock image legally. Use the search boxes on these sites carefully. By that I meant that you may need to get creative in your search terms or keywords. It can quickly become frustrating when you can’t find what you want. Be prepared to spend time on this project, and take breaks when necessary for sanity. LOL. Take your time and breathe.

You also have to decide what size of image you need. Anything which is the size of your book cover or just a bit larger is always good because you can resize down to whatever you need. And cover software handles most of this for you. For cover images, I usually pick anywhere from 1300 to 2400 pixels. For other types of projects (graphic teasers, banners and bookmarks, I can go much smaller. 

Eventually, I always find the perfect image and experience that “gotcha!” moment. It’s good to use your instincts in this case as well. If you feel so-so about an image or don’t like it all that much, don’t feel obligated to use it. Do you want to hate your book cover? No, you want to be satisfied with the finished product.
 

4. Layout. Let’s assume that you now have the image or images that you want to use. Now it’s time to get creative. Or…is it? Remember when I asked you if you knew what you wanted the cover to look like in the first place? Now is the time to really think about your images and how they’ll fit into that vision. And if you still don’t have a clue what the final cover will look like, that’s okay too. Maybe you’re a visual person and you need to see it on the page first. That’s when a few fun tools come in handy.

5. Designing the book cover. Most professional cover artists use special software, something that most of us can’t afford. Here are some links if you’re willing to go that route.

http://www.bookcoverpro.com/

http://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/29837/what-is-the-best-program-to-use-for-making-book-covers-digital-and-print

If you’re not willing to do that, some people use Photoshop.

There are also some free options. I know a few sites that let you edit images or transpose them onto backgrounds. Here are a couple I have used.

http://www.lunapic.com

http://www.picmonkey.com/

http://pixlr.com/

These tools are awesome because you can do so much with them! I often use them to cut out shapes or trim, even frame something. You can also change the lighting on a picture or include textures. Anyway, nothing is final and you can always save different draft files for each version. You can then start from scratch with your original image, knowing it’s still as perfect as it was. For a couple of those you can even change eye color so it truly looks legitimate (that one made my day!) Again, take your time with these tools. It’s so easy to get frustrated. Just breathe and learn how everything works. It’s okay to even use Microsoft Paint, but you will want to use it sparingly because it may not always look professional. (Update: PicMonkey is now asking for a subscription to save your work, but they do have great themes and photo effects.)

Now, how do you actually create a cover? Paint lets you resize items after the completed product, but if you want something truly authentic, there is a very cool tool you can use. Canva is my savior, and I have loved it since I found it several months ago. https://www.canva.com/

With Canva, you can select a type of product or project to work with (the dimensions are already set for you or you can do a custom size). For this one, I usually choose ‘Kindle Cover’ under the ‘Create a design’ option. Yes, it’s time to be impressed. This will be the size you need to upload to Amazon KDP or any other bookseller.

If you’ve chosen ‘Kindle Cover’, you’ll see the page load into a white space where your book cover will go. Remember that ‘layout’ I was talking about before? Do you have an idea where you want your title to go? Do you have a series name or subtitle to add? And, of course, you’ll want to include your name as the author. There are ‘layout’ buttons on the left side of the page where you can select how each line of text lays on the cover. Be very careful about which elements you choose to use in Canva. Most are free, but some have paid options (like $1.00 or so). For the most part, I choose the free ones. In the ‘layout’ section, you’ll see sample book covers showing how the text looks on a cover. Be careful of the ones that look entirely centered with several lines of text in a column. Unless you’re willing to go with that option, you may not be able to change how the text lays because those elements are saved as templates.

Choose a layout that works for you and your vision for the book cover. It will automatically load onto the cover. Now you should change the font colors for the titles and subtitles, even the author name. Probably something bright like blue. Why? Because you’ll want to be able to see them when you load your images in. It might take a while to navigate around the page to select the different text elements. If you’ve ever designed your own greeting card using card software, it’s the same idea.

After that is done, select the full book cover using your mouse. You’ll see the dotted line outlining the size of the book cover. Then delete it. If it works correctly, you should still be able to see your text. If you mess up the preloaded text, you can add your own using the ‘text’ option on the left side of the page. Some are paid elements, while others are free. Be careful and use the free options if you don’t want to pay. 

Now go to each section of text and when you click on it, you should see some options like color, size of font, type of font and a little arrow. Click on the arrow, and then go down the list until you find an option that says ‘move forward’. That will ensure that your font stays above everything.  

You'll need to decide if you want a basic color background, a provided free pattern or if you want to use your purchased stock images as the background for your cover. To put a color background in the page on Canva, just go to ‘background’ on the left side and select a color. To use custom colors, use the plus (+) symbol. There are also background templates, but some of them require you to pay, as aforementioned. Once you have your background color, you should see an option that says ‘uploads’ on the left side of the website page. There is a green button which says ‘upload your own images’. Click that to find your images. As the file uploads, you’ll see a small thumbnail of your image down below. Click there and drag the photo to your page. On the cover space, you’ll be able to resize the image as large or as small as you want. This is where it gets tricky. As you manipulate things on the page, you’ll probably have to use the ‘move forward’ option on your text once more to ensure that you can move it over your new image.

If you need to manipulate how an image looks, such as wanting a shape like a circle, you’ll have to use those tools that I mentioned above and then upload that image in. Using PicMonkey, you can go to ‘edit an image’, upload the file then choose the frame symbol on the left hand side. Pick ‘shape cutouts’, then it will give you shapes to choose from. You can alter the size of the circle or whatever shape you choose using the bar on the left hand side. If you want an angle for the image, you can alter that as well. Once you’re done, save and then upload the image to Canva. Make sure you keep it as a PNG image or the outside of the circle won’t remain transparent.You can bring the image into your project on Canva by uploading the file when your ready, and then dragging it to the cover page.

Next, go back to Canva in your browser and move your text around to where you want it on the cover. Make it larger if necessary, or even change the font type or color.

Now you need to think about layout. Where does the book title sit as opposed to your series title or your author name? Do you want everything centered? How does the text relate to the image you want to convey? Is it crowding your picture? Adjust as necessary.  

Again, be prepared to spend a little time learning how to use these tools. If you have to, do a temporary project and play with the different options. 

Once you have your cover designed to perfection, save it using the download' button in the upper right corner. It will save using Canva’s own file name so you’ll have to rename it when you find it in your ‘downloads’ folder on your PC or wherever your downloaded files save. 

Another cool thing that Canva does is they save your projects so that you can go back in and edit them later. You just need to register for a free account. You’ll also see options to make your designs public, but don’t press that unless you’re willing to give up your rights to your cover.

(Note:  You can also use Canva for other photo projects like your Facebook author page or Twitter page.)

And there you have your cover! Before you do anything, check the final product to be sure you didn’t miss anything. You can use Windows Photo Viewer for that. Now is the time that you may notice white space that you didn’t see before, or issues with the layout (title isn’t centered and such). Print it out if you need to. Make sure you are absolutely satisfied with the final product. Send it to a friend or someone you trust for a second opinion. It is okay to have five or six versions of a cover before you’re happy with it.

Another technique I use is doing mockup covers. I take an image I found online so that I can decide on the layout. That helps me figure out what I want for a cover before I make any purchases.

I launched my own graphic design business back in June of 2016. Though the website is now closed, you can still find the premade covers I designed on my author website here on this page.

This is another helpful article on cover design: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/06/top-8-cover-design-tips-for-self-publishers/

By now, I hope you have a book cover that you love and can’t do without. It is my wish that I’ve helped you navigate the sea of decision in choosing whether to go with a cover designer or doing it on your own. Or, at least given you the steps to try it for yourself.

If you decide to have someone else design it for you, that’s great too! Personally, I think Sherry Soule at SwoonWorthy Book Covers is fantastic! The point is that you find a cover you are perfectly content with.

Have a great rest of your week, and, as always, happy reading! :)

I wanted to come in and talk about a specific topic. I get so many people, mostly aspiring writers, reaching out to me for advice and the one question I see the most is…

“What should I do next?”

In other words, the writers believe they have exhausted their options. Or maybe they simply haven’t read up on that particular subject. But, there is a moment, I think, in every writer’s career in which you don’t know what to do next, what steps to take. This is usually the moment I become a sponge; I try to absorb every article around and glean every tidbit I can from other writers who have been through the process.

Nothing…I repeat, nothing prepares you for the writing or publishing journey like making mistakes and learning from them. Is it a hard road? Definitely. Will I offer up some advice anyway? Of course. That’s what writing blogs are all about.

So, what am I really discussing today? Well, it’s that moment when you throw up your hands and ask yourself if the process is worth it. I’ll never encourage anyone to give up, but we all have to decide if we’re willing to put forth the effort. If you have the determination to keep going, then you can survive in this crazy business. And that’s not to say that all writers have to be published. Some are totally content with using writing as a hobby, and there’s nothing at all wrong with that. You should do what makes you happy, no matter what dream you have.

Let’s talk about writing for a minute, though. You’ve poured your heart out onto a manuscript, fallen in love with your characters (or maybe not in the case of non-fiction, but you at least believe in your subject) and made that story or novel the best you can. Do you do this for the joy of writing? Or because you want a quick path to money? Maybe you want more than anything to see your name in print or to see the proof of your work in the best form possible. A bookstore? An ebook?

So, what are your motivations? Figure that out first because this road isn’t easy and having that goal in mind will help you through so much. For myself, I do it because I love to write, because I can’t imagine doing anything else. Seeing my name in print? Well, that’s just a bonus. I don’t do it for money. If that was my real motivation, I think it would be an empty journey. But, I digress.

Writing should be a fun process. Is it full of work? Sure. Research is work. Though it’s fascinating, it can occasionally be hard to find the right information. And when you’re designing your story, it can be challenging if you encounter a character that is particularly difficult or a plot element that requires some finesse. Despite the random obstacles, you should love this process if you love writing at all.

I get questions related to writing such as “I have an idea for a story or book, but I don’t know what to do next. What do I do?” 

My advice? Write.   

“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious, Marie.”  

Look, I know you think it’s a challenge because of all those articles out there telling you how to write a perfect scene or what words NOT to use. But, believe me, that is something you can worry about later. You think you have an idea for the next Great American novel? That’s wonderful! Stop talking about it and write. Even if you only write a paragraph or a chapter, you’ve made progress. You don’t have any time?  Believe me, I understand. We're all busy people. But, it is feasible. Read Matty Millard’s article on the Writing in the Modern Age blog here. He explains how you can fit writing into your crazy life. I’ve said it time and time again. The only person disappointed in the fact that you’re not writing is YOU. Well, unless you already have books out and then you’re just making your readers antsy too. LOL. 

But, if you’re an aspiring writer, all you have to do is try.  

There is no perfect way to start writing. If you have trouble getting there, maybe you need to break through that clutter in your brain.  

We carry so much responsibility, so much worry, so much junk in our heads that it’s sometimes necessary to bypass it. How do you break through that clutter? Try brainstorming or journaling. Or, just freewrite for ten minutes about whatever comes into your mind. Break through that block and get to the heart of what matters. Your story.  

Think all of that brainstorming/journaling/freewriting is useless? It’s not. Not really. I have written poems from entire passages when I went back and read them months later. I have started great stories based on one random line of text. Never think that any effort is stupid. It’s not. You just have to be open-minded enough to use what's there in front of you.  

So start writing. Get down a paragraph or a chapter. Too daunting? Even just a scene would be an excellent start. Maybe you know more about your characters than what’s going to happen in the story. Great! Do a character worksheet. Here are some good questions to answer. I did a guest blog post on it once. Any effort, even the smallest ones, will get you closer to the goal.

“What goal is that?” you ask. Well, in this case, it’s finishing that short story or book. Just write. You can worry about the technical stuff later.

“What should I do next?”

Yes, what do you do after your book is written? Do you look for a publisher? Nope. The real work begins now.

Become an editor. 

What? Isn’t that what editors are for?

Hmm…yes, in a way, but don’t be arrogant enough to think that someone else will do all the work for you. This is your story, which means the final call is yours now and you have to make the changes. When I say “become an editor”, you don’t have to go to school for it, by any means. By now, if you are a writer, maybe you’ve taken a Creative Writing class. And even if you haven’t, we’ve certainly had English classes in school, telling us the correct ways to use grammar.

Apply what you’ve learned. I imagine some of you get annoyed when you see a typo in the newspaper or even in a published book. Have you ever read something that didn’t sound quite right, but you weren't sure why? That was most likely awkward wording and it could have been improved. So, if any of this sounds familiar, you are quickly on your way to becoming a writer-editor. 

That’s not a word, Marie. 

Yes, I know. Thanks. Now I’m talking to myself, but I digress.

You need to be both writer and editor in this business. You MUST edit your own work. I recommend that you take a break from your manuscript for awhile, at least a couple of weeks or longer, before you try. If you do it sooner than that, you probably will overlook most errors because you’re way too close to the text. One method to brush up on your editing skills is to offer to become a beta reader or critique partner for another writer. You’ll see more glaring errors in someone else's work first. We are just naturally wired that way. In Creative Writing classes, workshops are done with this very idea in mind. It is also bad to start reading and bookmarking articles about how to edit your own work. I find C.S. Lakin (or Susanne Lakin) to be an invaluable resource in this regard. Subscribe to her blog/newsletter and you’ll get an email several times a week, or at least once a week. Subscribe to other blogs that provide this kind of help too. Ryan Lanz has some good tips, as does Now Novel, Crimson League, Write to Done and The Write Life.

Also, take some time to read books by other authors. Maybe that is just the key to stepping away from your own work for a bit. Pay attention to the story and the way it reads. It is always good to get an idea of voice and particular techniques other writers use. You may even find your internal editor waking up, ready to chomp at the bit. Enjoy the book, but also ask questions. “Why did this author decide to use first person point of view?” Or, “should the writer be switching point of view so much?” All good questions. (By the way, head-hopping is actually a bad thing.)

There are, of course, lots of story elements to wonder about. Examine techniques used, but don’t necessarily mimic them.  

You want to be true to yourself, but be open to fixing mistakes in your work. And prepare yourself. In the beginning, there will probably be a LOT of mistakes in your work. That’s normal. You’ll receive feedback from people and you’ll quickly see the merits of this system. After you’ve gained some much needed space from your manuscript, you can go back to it with an editor’s approach. If you have to, picture the editor on your shoulder as that stern teacher you had in grade school, the one that was willing to smack your knuckles with a ruler if you stepped out of line. Okay, maybe she wasn’t that bad, but we all had a pretty stern one.In any case, this perspective keeps you from straying too far away from editor mode. You may have moments in which you think, “Oh, that line is good! Did I really write that?” It might not happen often, but it could. Okay, bask in it for a moment, then move on. Don’t let yourself fall in love with the story as it is. Now is not the time. You need to look at the manuscript with an eagle eye.

I usually do three rounds of self-editing with some time between before I let anyone else look at my work. I don’t like to send out a total rough draft; that’s just me. But, it is courteous to get the major errors that you can find corrected before foisting your work on anyone else. And it will make you feel better about sending your work into the ether too.

Where do you find critique partners or beta readers? There are some groups on Yahoo!  There are also plenty of writer discussion groups on Facebook and LinkedIn where you can put out requests. Give a brief description of your work (blurb), the length and anything else you think they might need to know. Offer to proof or beta read someone else's work. People usually want something in exchange for their time. However, I have had just as many betas happy enough to read a new story. Writing classes are also great resources if you have the money. Most of the time, you won’t be able to offer an entire manuscript in those, but you can get part of it looked at. There are also some places out that help you find local writing groups.

After you have edited your work as much as you can and made the suggested corrections, I would recommend sending that final draft to a proofreader or professional editor. There will always be something you missed. Oh, one final thing. You are not going to agree with every suggestion from betas or critique partners. You will be asked to make drastic changes, and some might make you want to scream. If you come upon this dilemma, weigh the change carefully to see if it will really alter your story’s vision or not. Perhaps it will improve the manuscript. Who knows? Just keep an open mind.

So…

“What should I do next?”

What, you thought the real work was over? Nah. It gets more interesting. Now, you have to decide whether you’ll make a go of traditional publishing or opt for self-publishing. They are completely different animals. Maybe you want to try traditional and use self-publishing as back-up plan.  If you’re going to try traditional publishing, two invaluable resource are Authors Publish (they often email about noteworthy publishers) and QueryTracker (helps to track your query progress).  And if you’re going to self-publish, finding a great cover is key. I have seen some very affordable options on GoOnWrite. They offer pre-designed covers or premades. Of course, there are tons of other options on the internet, depending on the genre of your book. I have browsed for potential covers on SelfPub Book Covers and The Book Cover Designer. There are lots of others, complete with different price ranges. You can also go for a custom cover. I have used the remarkable talents of Sherry Soule at SwoonWorthy Book Covers several times. 

It’s likely I have confused you now. “What are you talking about, Marie? What are all these sites?” For more details about traditional and self-publishing, you can look at this article I did on Linda Lee Williams’ blog about the “big choice” and what to do in both cases. I would go into more detail here, but I am running out of time and space.  

I hope I have helped you cut through some of those “What should I do next?” questions. As always, happy writing and I’m so glad you got to visit the blog today!  :)

If you are an avid follower of writing blogs, then you know there is a plethora of information, advice to offer. Guest authors have offered tips on writing from the time these blogs first began to grow into what it they have become today. Most aspiring writers know that to look for writing tips on a specific topic (point of view, research, any story elements), it is as simple as doing an internet search. The world is at our fingertips.  

Unfortunately, for some writers, all of that information can look overwhelming. What advice did I give in my last article, “What Should I Do Next (in Writing or Publishing”? I said something along the lines of “Just write!” Just do it and worry about the finer points later (grammar or anything else that needs improvement). Just write.

It’s just not that easy for some writers. I have a friend, an aspiring writer, with these great ideas in his head. He keeps saying, “I really need to write my story.” I agree. I encourage him as much as I can. I try to be supportive and offer advice that might propel him to move forward. It isn’t fear, though, that blocks him. It is what I call the “What if?” syndrome.

What if?

Most of the time, we think of those two words as the epitome of being a worrywart.  What if my story is stupid? What if everyone hates it? What if I crash and burn?  No, my friend doesn’t lack confidence. If that were that case, I would say, “Write for yourself.  Write for the love of writing because you’re getting way ahead of yourself. Readers come later. You have to love what you write first. You have to create a story and characters that make you so excited, you have trouble tearing yourself away.” That’s not bad advice, right?

But, it’s not that issue for this writer. He has “What if?” syndrome. Sounds a bit ominous, I know. Let me explain. He knows the characters, the plot and story. They are all in his head. So, what’s stopping this writer if he seems to have it all together? The problem is that he can see different avenues, so many directions the story could take and he can’t decide on one to save his life.

Say you have the basic premise of a man walking down the street. Or at least the sidewalk. He’s carrying a briefcase, and his gait is a little stiff from an old injury. He is a polished gentleman in his attire, but let’s add in a habit of readjusting his tie when he’s nervous. He also tends to sweat a lot. He is sweating more today as he ambles along. He has a lot on his mind. Why? He just had a disturbing phone call. We’re creating quite a picture, right? Any fiction writer could expand on this premise and keep going. But, to make things more exciting, we’ll add in some possibilities:

What if he entered a nearby apartment building? Who would he visit?

What if he used the elevator and it got stuck?

What if he was still walking down that street and a bike messenger clipped him? What would he do?

What if a car drove by and splashed through puddles made by that morning’s rain and he got drenched?

What if the moment he steps into the street to cross the road, he gets hit? Then he wakes up two days later, not knowing who he is or anything about that disturbing phone call.

The list can go on and on. So many possibilities, right? This is the writer’s dilemma, my friend’s problem. The premise I just mentioned has nothing to do with his story at all. It’s just an example.  

One day, the writer in question told me all the different routes his story could take and I was unimpressed. Why? It wasn’t that any of the ideas were bad. They were great. It wasn’t that they weren’t feasible. Sure, each one covered a different genre, but you can go in any direction with fiction. It wasn’t even that I was frustrated by my friend’s inability to pick a scenario and run with it.  

You see, I remembered the way he spoke about the story originally. I recalled the “spark” in it, the excitement in the way he described it.   

And even though it was kind of the same with the other ideas, it wasn’t the same at all. He already had this golden nugget, this genius seed of an idea forming, and he didn’t even know it. He knew, for the most part, what would happen in the story; he didn’t have some of the finer details, but I digress. What bothered me about these proposed changes was just a simple matter, but something we authors have to rely on at every turn.

Trust.

“Huh? Marie, have you lost it again?”

LOL. No, but I will explain. To write a good story, you not only have to trust your own instincts, you have to trust your characters and your vision for the story. Deep down, you know what’s right, what direction to go. Sometimes it’s the story telling you. Sometimes the characters are running the show. It should naturally progress. It doesn’t matter what project you’re working on; you will encounter this dilemma at some point.  

Am I ever plagued by “What if?” scenarios during a story’s composition? Sure. I’ll run into roadblocks where I think, “So what happens next?”   

A bunch of ideas go through my head, most of them at odds with each other. I step away and give myself a pep talk. When I come back to it later, I have a better perspective. Sometimes one of those scenarios is really good and it works; most of the time they don’t work.  

See, we like to think we’re in control as writers. We’re not. Sometimes I am just the conduit. No, I’m not crazy. The story, the characters take control. You can exercise some control over certain details, but the story usually tells itself. That’s what I have to tell myself in the “What if?” situations.

“How do you know all of this, Marie?”

Because I’ve been there many times. For example, when I was writing the manuscript for Upon Your Honor, I had half-convinced myself to make drastic changes (I won’t go into details) because I thought it would satisfy readers who were used to the genre. In the end, the characters decided for me and none of it would have seemed right if I hadn’t listened to them and to what the story was telling me.

Always trust your original vision for a story. Try to be true to it as much as you can. Your characters will tell you what comes next. The story will feel like it’s writing itself when you’re really into it. During revisions and editing, then you can look at the whole picture and see if those other “scenarios” would even fit at that point.   

The “What if?” questions are a way to second guess your instincts.  

Trust yourself as a writer. Trust your instincts. They will never lead you astray. Never. As for the “What if” syndrome? File those scenarios away for future use. They might come in handy for another story. Or, just be amused and move on. Your story will tell you what to do next.

eBook Creator - ePUB & PDF format

You no longer need a software or hire a professional to convert your document (manuscript) to a sellable eBook for Kindle, Nook, and every other mobile reading device in the world. Our eBook Creator is a universal online ebooks creation system that provides you the ability to create your own electronic books in several types (PDF, ePUB). With this system, you can save your prepared ebook for continued writing, save your completed manuscript, or download it to your device.

Available to use at http://indiewritersupport.com/page/indie-writers-support-book-formatter

This interface is available to all active members of Indie Writers Support.

Chapter 1: How to use eBook Creator

First, you should write all necessary information to Settings, like login information (name, password), author name, identifier, language, publisher rights etc. After saving your basic information you can start creating your ebooks.

Creating eBooks

Your ebook creation starting in Ebook Editor where you can prepare and write your text in WYSIWYG editor, very similar to MS Word or Open Office. All your writings can be done here, and to create a fully structured ebook with TOC (table-of-contents), you need to follow the rules below:

1. Chapters creation (creating Table of Content)

All chapter is separated by headers, with H1 style (Header 1). To use it, you must write a chapter name starting with string “Chapter: “, followed by chapter name, and then format it to Heading 1. When adding new chapters, do the procedure over and over - with chapter names and Heading 1 headers.

2. Save your work

After finishing your writing, you should save your work with the Save button. This eBook Creating interface provides the ability to work and save one project (text, content) per session. It is impossible to edit more than one book/project per session (until you are done).

3. Exporting your eBooks

This eBook Creator is able to make ebooks in three formats. After saving your completed manuscript, you can continue with the process of converting it to an ebook with the 'Create' button.

After you click on Create button, These buttons would appear..

Creating the resulting ebook is quite simple. You must fill in the Filename of your ebook, and choose which format you want to export/create. After creating your selected ebook, you can find it in My Books section (left menu) of your account profile. And from there, you can download your created books or delete it.

If you have trouble, you can find some help in Help Section (menu). There have all the basics of the eBook Creating interface.

Available to use at, http://indiewritersupport.com/page/indie-writers-support-book-formatter.

Accuracy –  The Writer’s Dilemma

As a forensic nurse, I often work with attorneys as an expert witness. I instruct the jury to listen to what the evidence tells you not what the people involved say.  Everything must be accurate, and the smallest of details matter in solving a crime or proving a case.

One of the problems we often have is that because of the fictional depiction of investigations where DNA is always present and can be processed in 45 minutes juries now expect DNA to be presented. Not only is that difficult at times but if not processed properly and kept from contamination it can be useless and confuse the issue.  This issue called “the CSI effect” can destroy a case and cause the jury to vote innocent when they believe DNA should have proved the case. 

An argument I had a few years ago with my friend who wrote the movie Déjà vu.  He had the detective put the evidence in plastic bags but as I pointed out plastic bags usually deteriorate evidence. In forensic investigations we use paper bags with each item carefully separated to keep it from contamination. His director had chosen to keep it in plastic, so the viewers could see the clues and didn’t care how inaccurate it was.

 Now most viewers and readers, especially those who are untrained in investigations, wouldn't notice this problem nor would they care.  But there are a few for whom these inaccuracies not only destroy the moment but the enjoyment of the whole story (not to mention the influence they have on those few people who take everything they see or read as fact.) In fact, my doctor husband used to forbid me to watch medical based shows because so many of them were wrong.  For those of us who do care, inaccuracies destroy the total enjoyment of the story and many of us dedicated readers vow not to read that author again because their research is so shoddy.

As a nurse, my friends in MWA (Mystery Writers of America) often asked me what this or that meant, how this procedure worked in medicine, and what symptoms they would find if someone did this.  I realized that all the available literature – often difficult for the nonprofessional to access – was written in medicalese.  There was nothing written for the ordinary, well-educated reader, It was for this reason that I wrote the Book of Poisons (formerly called Deadly Doses) for Writer’s Digest and with that they started their “How To” series.   

The book has not only been used by numerous writers, producers and directors, but also been featured on shows as Law & Order and Discovery Channel episodes.  In fact, I have consulted with them on several programs.  I am always happy to explain the medical procedures, the symptoms or the forensic facts so that scenes can be correctly written. 

It’s true that at times, for the sake of fiction, we have to fudge some facts.  Often, however, we can explore alternatives to our scenes or if we ask around to the experts we can find the few exceptions where the answers we want can be used.  But as I stated above people are influenced by what they read or see and believe the fiction. This causes problems for law enforcement in proving their cases. 

Check your facts and, if you can, use the correct ones – or at least in your epilogue explain what you did and what the real situation might have been.  And if you are doing research, don’t take another fictional author’s scene as fact be it in medical, historical or even location information.

Verify things with at least two sources or more if you can.  Almost always there is a way to get the scene you want and still make it accurate.  It helps your credibility in the end and once you lose the credibility of your reader or viewer, once they close that book, they will hesitate to pick up anything else you have created.  Trust once lost is not easily regained.  Besides, most people enjoy learning something new when they are reading. 

For more information, check out my site www.seritastevens.com, my IMDB is Serita D Stevens, and my email for questions is sswriter400@gmail.com.

Let’s Talk About Rejections

Let’s face it, we all hate receiving the words, “Thank you for sending in your submission, but we didn’t accept it.”
You might get an explanation for the reason why, or you may not. If you received the reason then check it over carefully. Do you understand what they are trying to tell you about your story? Did you try to make sense of it, or did you just get mad and throw it away?
Hopefully you didn’t get mad and throw it away. At least save it. Put it with a copy of your story and put it away for now. Here are a few tips to help you with rejections.
• Take a deep cleansing breath and GET OVER IT! Don’t let it take over your every thought. Don’t let it stigmatize your thoughts and fingers to continue writing. Don’t speak negatively to yourself. Think positive thoughts… “That’s just one person’s opinion.”
• Did you follow the instructions to the key? Did they ask for a Cover Letter and you didn’t comply? You must make sure you follow instructions that each publisher requests. Now all publishers are the same. Maybe it was rejected because it didn’t fit their magazine/ezine. Did you see if they have a theme you must write about?
• Think positive. You’ve rewritten your story and it’s perfect. Now look for a home for it. There are many online paying markets you can find. Here’s one for freelancers: https://allfreelancewriting.com/writers-markets/ If you want fiction markets: http://www.fictionfactor.com/markets.html I like Fiction Factor because they have a plethora of different genres to choose from.
• Send to more than one publisher the same story. But make sure the publisher will accept submissions to other publishers. You can probably bet that someone will like your story or article. If not, keep submitting until one does accept it, or you write a new story/article. Sometimes, it’s just getting it in on the right day, when the editor is in a good mood. *smile*
• REJECTION – Is just a nine-letter word that can either stunt you from your writing or push you to better heights. I’m betting you’ll be pushed to your highest level and move on. Don’t fear that word, but learn from the editor’s that may take the time to give you great feedback. We can only hope!
Keep writing and submitting. You’ll forget that nine-letter word when you receive a better word, ACCEPTED.

Starred Review for TWISTED THREADS from Pacific Book Review! *****

Twisted Threads is the fourth book in a thrilling series by Kaylin McFarren. This erotic psychological thriller is an exciting novel, which readers will love.

Twisted Threads tells the story of Akira, a geiko (geisha) from Kyoto, Japan who is forced to become a trained assassin by a member of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia. While following her target on a Caribbean cruise, Akira falls in love with a fellow passenger, Devon. After his aunt and uncle are implicated in murders that occur on the cruise ship, Akira realizes that she is in danger and she must choose between true love and her sworn duty. In this fast-paced novel that will leave readers breathless. Akira is a strong protagonist who can be a cold-blooded killer and sensitive woman in love all at once. Forming all of her complexity as a character makes her a relatable character. Also Devon is a caring love interest that is a great calming counterpart to Akira’s chaotic life. The supporting characters in the novel come from many different cultures and countries, which reflects the international essence of Twisted Threads.

McFarren’s writing adds to the depth and spice to the novel. Twisted Threads has steamy dialogue and sexy love scenes between Akira and Devon that add an erotic excitement to the novel. The book balances the love scenes with tender and romantic moments between Akira and Devon who fall in love despite the many obstacles between them.

McFarren also captures the true life of being a geiko. She writes accurately about Japanese culture, but doesn’t make Akira a stereotypical quiet Asian woman. She makes Akira a three-dimensional character who is torn between the traditional world of being a geisha or the freedom of choosing her own path. The mental toll of her violent past weighs on Akira throughout the novel exemplifying how McFarren writes effortlessly about the complicated and unglamorous world of being a geisha.

Twisted Threads would be best for readers who like psychological erotica like Fifty Shades of Grey, or readers who also like books about female assassins like Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep. This fourth book in her series stands on its own merits of character development, meaning readers don’t have to first read the prequels to understand the theme; but I believe they will certainly want to after experiencing Twisted Threads. Kaylin McFarren has written a novel with a mix of intrigue, romance and action, resulting in a story for readers wanting adventure and love all in one exhilarating book.

- Ella Vincent, Pacific Book Review

Coping With Rejection

By

Vicki Hinze

First, let’s set the record straight. We don’t want to just cope with rejection. We want to cope with it constructively.

Allowing rejection to shove us into a mental pit of despair isn’t healthy and we don’t want that to be part of our personal program. So let’s resolve to find a constructive way to cope with rejection and not permit it to put us into that black hole.

To avoid despair, we need information. Back-up. Intel from the front lines. We all do time in the pit. And we all crawl out of it with insights.

We are not alone.

When it comes to rejection, it is true that “misery loves company.” The reason isn’t that we want anyone to put themselves (or their work) out there and have it stomped. It’s that we all want the reassurance we are not the only stomping victims on the planet. We want to know we are not alone.

Rejection is a normal part of life.

We need to know rejection is a normal part of life—and it is. But frankly, few of us are great at handling it and we don’t want more practice. Ever hear the old saying about revenge? That it’s a dish best served cold? Well, rejection is a dish best frozen and kept on ice. It won’t stay in a locked freezer, but freezing it gives us time to learn to handle it with minimal destruction and disruption.

Rejection feeds our insecurities.

Rejection often overwhelms. Only a rare few avoid it either personally or professionally, yet we still tend to take rejection personally. We assign blame and see ourselves as flawed. Rejection feeds our insecurities—and, if we’ve reached puberty, we’re home to some kind of insecurity.

Whatever that insecurity is, our being rejected pounds on it, and too many beat themselves up instead of remembering that, at some point, rejection zaps us all. The majority of us get hammered personally and professionally; sometimes, simultaneously. Rather than feed our insecurities, we need to recall we’re in great company. And we’ve got lots of it. That’s a fact.

We are logical and emotional beings.

I’m a writer, and over the years, I’ve seen writers, new and seasoned bestsellers, pitch books, get rejected, and be devastated. It’s a given that devastation is not constructive and it doesn’t do a thing to help us. But we’re human, and humans are are logical and emotional beings. Our emotions need to be vented constructively, too. Headaches, ulcers and digestive tract upsets we do not need.

So vent. Give yourself a set amount of time to emotionally react to rejection. (I’m applying this to books, but you can apply the principle to your specific situation, personal or professional.)

Great hopes… dashed.

As writers, we create prospective projects from nothing. We have great hopes for these books, and along comes a subjective editor/agent and dashes them. It’s hard not to take the rejection of our creations personally, but it’s not fair to take it personally, either. More on that momentarily. Right now, we’re mired in disappointment and emotional turmoil. We need to release our frustration and disbelief. To express our indignant selves until we get a grip on our emotions. How long do we indulge in this emotional explosion? I allow myself five minutes.

How long do we indulge in the emotional explosion?

Yes, you read that right. Five minutes. No more, and no less. I want to explode and ditch upset not implode and simmer in it. Wallowing, lingering mired in the muck, does nothing to change the situation. So the objective is to get it done, put it behind you, and then press on.

Confession.

Early on, I thought I needed longer to emotionally react to rejection. I was wrong. Refocusing on the solution—which can actually fix what’s broken—soonest is better emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Deal with it and put it to bed, then invest in moving forward.

These days, parking in the pit of despair a full five minutes is really stretching it. I’ve learned from experience that rejection honestly isn’t worth more of my energy than that—even if it’s an excellent rejection. Still, the human being needs to react emotionally and gets ill when it doesn’t, so give it its due season. Don’t let your wounds fester. Set a block of time and react. Then put the rejection in your rearview mirror where it belongs and set your sights on the road ahead and what’s next.

The dust settles.

Emotional explosion time is up, the dust settles, and you’re calm again. Now, re-read or mentally re-live the rejection. In your review, is anything of value disclosed to help you move ahead? Is there some advice or wisdom or insight that’s a gem? If so, snag and incorporate it. If not, file the rejection in a folder labeled, “Forget This.”

Why file Forget This rejections?

You’re probably wondering… If there’s no value or gem, why file it at all? Because today’s trash might be tomorrow’s treasure. Tomorrow or next month, next year, or even five years from now, this rejection might not be worthless. It might be valuable to you then—a badge of honor, a stepping stone you can read after you’ve done what you set out to do, and smile to yourself. You did it… anyway. That can be a great source of amusement and foster a wonderful sense of accomplishment. See how far you’ve come!

A writer friend wallpapered a bathroom in her office with rejection letters. Every time she went in there, she grew more and more resolved to sell and sell big. She has. It’s taken several years, but she’s now making the NYT bestseller list regularly. She used the rejection letters as motivation. She used them constructively.

Rejection is rarely all about you.

While we tend to take rejection personally, it’s important to develop a realistic attitude. Rejection is rarely all about you. Or all about your work. Actually, rejections often have nothing to do with you or the work. They’re the result of current buying patterns, of already purchased patterns, of user (reader) demographics, of overall market conditions, or of a particular decision-maker’s personal preferences and sphere of expertise—which well might be far away from your personal preferences and outside your expertise sphere.

“It’s not you, it’s me.”

The point? Many rejections are due to influences totally outside the quality of the work. Many personal rejections are, too. In these cases, the rejection has nothing to do with you but everything to do with the person rejecting you. Sometimes when someone says, “It’s not you, it’s me,” it really is; they’re telling you the truth.

No comment.

One of the most irksome kinds of rejection is one that comes without comment. That leaves us questioning everything and grappling to figure out why we or our work was rejected. This drives people up the proverbial wall. Some, to the point they are tempted to contact the rejecter and ask why. In a word, don’t.

Writers, editors and agents are overworked. They have a set number of hours in a day to do their jobs and a responsibility to those they already represent to address their needs. Like us, others live in a perpetual time-crunch with too much to do and never enough time. Newcomers asking for consideration get a small slice of whatever time remains uncommitted or whittled out. This is why responses take time, and a large part of why many don’t offer comments.

Mindset Reality Check.

That’s frustrating for the writer. How could it not be? Crawl inside the writer’s mind and what you see is this: Your work (and not you personally, which is an important distinction for you to understand) is being rejected and you have no idea why. To deal with this frustration constructively, what you need is a mindset reality check. Not friendly, but fair and also, unfortunately, fact.

An agent/editor who is not already representing you owes you nothing—including comments. Personal comments are a huge demand on an agent/editor’s time and most simply don’t have that time to give you. The agent doesn’t work for you. This is why when an agent/editor reviews your proposal–even if they later reject it–you should feel gratitude. They have gifted you with their time.

Proper Perspective.

In case you haven’t slowed down long enough to put this into its proper perspective, their time directly impacts their earnings so they must use it wisely. Even more importantly, like your time, their time is an actual piece of their life. Life is valuable to all of us.

The Obligation.

To specifically ask for comments is making a demand on someone you have no right to make. Now, if person is gracious enough to gift you with comments–even if they’re negative–that warrants gratitude. They are not obligated to tell you anything except whether or not they are interested in your work.

Depend on peers to help you pinpoint challenges, if any, in your work. A trusted friend, in personal matters, if you need to talk through the rejection to emotionally let go of it. Work one-on-one with a partner who is about where you are, or a rung or two higher, on the career ladder, or whose personal life mirrors or echoes what you’d like yours to become. One who can pinpoint and be constructively specific about what elements would benefit you.

You may or may not get this kind of insight from family members or friends. They want to spare your feelings, to be supportive and gentle, or they lack the expertise and insights you need professionally. For that insight, a writer needs another writer.

Writers read like writers. At times, this is a curse because reading for entertainment is pretty much shot. The writing reader reads and automatically does a critical analysis. It goes with the territory and it’s a rare book that allows the writer to escape that. But that critical analysis is what you’re after. You need someone in your profession with analytical skills.

Be sane about rejections. They are and will be a part of your life. Your faith in yourself and in your work must remain steadfast. That faith carries you until “No, thanks” becomes “Yes, let’s.”

The “No, thanks” time is hard, no doubt about it. But we all go through it. Even the Harry Potter novels were rejected before someone said “Yes, let’s” and they rocketed to over $5 Billion superstardom. (Bet those rejecting editors have had some bad days over that.) Yet, it happens, which is why no rejection should have the power to generate doubt in you about you or your work. What’s important to recall is rejection only has that power if you grant it.
Your quality of life depends on…

It’s worth noting that being rejected is preferable to hooking up with the wrong person or entity. Be picky about your choices. Your quality of life depends on it. In your alliances, be in sync. Be invested. Share your desired path and the journey’s map or plan.

Alliances, personal or professional, are not decisions to be made lightly or just because someone offered. These choices represent you to the world, become integral fabric in your world and influence a great deal that structures your life. Be comfortable with your choices.

Know what you want and need in your alliances.

Professionally, I love agents and editors who are part-shark, part-dove, and all brilliant with great personalities. Ones who don’t cram me in a writing box or cringe when I send in a synopsis with an embedded comment like: “I’m not sure what happens here yet,” and s/he trusts me that whatever does happen there will be logical and fit the story and is okay knowing I won’t know exactly what that something is until I write the book. I love agents and editors who are enthused and love what I write, whose opinions I respect and admire, and who respect my opinions. And I absolutely require straight talkers. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

I’m telling you this because authors too often are so eager to be represented that they overlook nailing down what they want/need in an agent. They just want someone to agree to take them on. That kind of mindset can lead to harmful choices that can keep on hurting for years. No one in any career needs a mindset capable of that kind of harm. The best agent or editor in the world is not the greatest unless s/he is the greatest for you. You, not a hypothetical person, will be working closely with these individuals. Clashes of personality, vision, or work ethics neither of you need.

Rejection is a big-screen blip.

Rejections are just a blip on your big screen. Remember that searching for the right partner, the frustrations of finding yet another wrong-for-you partner, are still just blips. When you’re going through it, it doesn’t feel like a blip, but truly it’s exactly that: a blip.

Personally, continue to grow and know yourself and what you’re looking for in life. What matters most?

Professionally, continue to grow, to learn, to hone your skills. Find a one-on-one professional partner and work your heart out, never for a moment forgetting your steadfast faith in your work will sustain you until the blips are history and those frustrations are memories.

Let nothing drive you nuts.

Rejection can be overwhelming. It can be hard to handle. It can test your patience, try your nerves, and make you nuts. But it can only do those things if you allow it to do them. You choose. You decide. Use your mind and your voice and make wise choices.

If you break it, you bought it.

Remember when stores had those little signs: If you break it, you bought it? Your reaction to rejection is like that sign. If you let it break you, then you—not the rejection but you—bought it. That means you are responsible and you own it.

You can allow rejection to diminish your faith, depress the spit out of you, or convince you that your work is a pipedream. You can decide that person you’re attracted to is out of your league and you don’t deserve a chance with him or her. You can do any or all of that. Or you can choose to accept the realities offered, the insights gained about rejection, and you can choose to react constructively, and go for what you most want.

I chose to go for what I most wanted. It took time to sell that first book, and I’ve been rejected many times since then. But here I am. Still standing. Still writing. I’ve gotten “the call” and been accepted by an array of prominent editors and agents. Now I’m up to 41 books, published in as many as 63 countries, and I’ve had hundreds of articles published. (Lost count of them long before taking on the weekly column.)

I made my choice on coping with rejection. Five minutes. No more and no less. Now, you must make your choice. Before you do, I want to share what has been a gem for me. I hope it will be for you, too. Please, really think about this:

A rejection is simply an invitation to submit elsewhere.

Somewhere else with someone else who is a better fit, who shares your vision, and believes in it. The right somewhere and someone else for you.

Lastly, remember what they say about invitations. They’re always full of possibilities.

The secret to tapping into possibilities is to just show up. So reject the rejection and accept the invitation. Show up, and tap into the possibilities.

In a public e-mail to her clients, someone near and dear to me (an expert) said most people look at the first two lines of an email. That’s it. They aren’t interested in fishing through pages of post-signature blather. People need to have ways to learn about you, not reasons to put up shields.” She advised three or four lines, tops. Boy, did that set me off? So, these people we send mail to are in such a hurry that they’d rather spend time looking up in dozens of places for the information that could just as easily have been in the contact’s e-mail signature? Here’s my rant-er . . . rebuttal:

My old friend, I so disagree with this.

For one thing, there are no fast rules. Much depends on the genre an author writes in. Another depends on the author’s personality. But more than that, I view a signature as a courtesy. Put that word in caps! COURTESY!

There is nothing more annoying than getting an e-mail from someone who doesn't have proper contact information in it. And the trouble is, depending on what the recipient plans to do with the email, it is difficult for the sender to know exactly what will make the life of that contact easier. Will she need your website address? Will including your Twitter moniker help her in some way? Won't the repeated visual of your book cover to your contacts help your branding? And if your contact has seen your cover before, will it hurt her that much to see it again? Especially considering that old marketing advice based on research that people need to see something seven times before they act on it.

And don't you––as someone whose business it is to help authors--want your authors to sell as many books as possible and to get as much media attention as possible? In the PR world, the winner is the person who makes it easiest on the gatekeeper to do her job. It is a busy world. She doesn't need to be searching for information, especially information that could easily go into a signature.

To arbitrarily tell anyone how to sign their emails without any idea of the tone or purpose of the email seems very presumptuous to me.

I hope you will give your authors this alternative view. Many authors are already far too reluctant to get the word about their books out there. Telling them to arbitrarily limit information in their signatures may encourage their reluctance to do right by their books—and their own careers.

Hugs, [Yes, hugs. Even rants are mostly designed to help rather than make enemies!]
CHJ

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a former journalist, retailer, and marketer who started publhing how-to books for writers for the classes she taught for UCLA Extension’s renowned Writers’ Program. Members of the California Legislature named her Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment. Learn more about her how-to books and her creative writing at http://howtodoitfrugally.com Learn more about book promotion (and avoiding being the reluctant book promoter!) in her The Frugal Book Promoter and the rest of the multi-award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers at http://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromo. Subscribe to her #SharingwithWriters newsletter at http://howtodoitfrugally.com where you’ll find a great free Writers’ Resource section, too. The newsletter subscription form is at the top right of almost every page.

Why on earth would anyone ever want to write their own eulogy-to-be? 

Well, sometimes life just sucks, and then consequently your eulogy would suck too. https://liveforeverhowto.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/mel-2.jpg?w=438&h=582 438w, https://liveforeverhowto.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/mel-2.jpg?w=113&h=150 113w, https://liveforeverhowto.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/mel-2.jpg?w=226&h=300 226w" sizes="(max-width: 219px) 100vw, 219px" />

Double whammy.

The word eulogy-to-be is a concession we had to make because certain family members became quite traumatised when the subject of writing a eulogy popped up.

If a eulogy is a celebration of life then a eulogy-to-be is a write-up for the purpose of getting perspective on life so that we can adjust course if necessary, and celebrate life every single day, and not miss out on our own final party.

Mimi’s Guardian Angel did a fine job writing her eulogy-to-be and keep her on track. As in, “Hey there, is this how you would like to be remembered?”

Mimi’s Eulogy-to-be & Legacy is a sample of how to write your own eulogy and includes a template with directions for anyone at any stage in their life to create a life filled with joy.

Is it possible to design a path to Joy and heal your Life?
How do we get the life we want? Sometimes we need a wake-up call to understand that “Our life does not just ‘happen,’ but whether we know it or not, it is carefully designed by us as quoted from Dr Covey’s bestseller.

Your Story creates a legacy; make it the best it can be!

Yes, you can continue drifting through life and allow things to ‘happen to you.’ Or you can grab hold of it and ‘make it behave!’

There is something miraculous about sharing your dreams and aspirations with the universe; Angels listen in…

https://liveforeverhowto.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/miraculous-sharing.png?w=150 150w, https://liveforeverhowto.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/miraculous-sharing.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" />
Download Mimi’s Eulogy-to-be to find out what happened after she experienced a medical emergency and wrote her eulogy-to-be.

REVIEWS

https://liveforeverhowto.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/images-3.png?w=304&h=52 304w, https://liveforeverhowto.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/images-3.png?w=300&h=52 300w" sizes="(max-width: 152px) 100vw, 152px" />A MUST TO HAVE IN EVERYONE’S SPECIAL COLLECTION OF BOOKS!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mimi writes on health, faith and book publishing. All her books combined have become #1 bestsellers in more than 43 categories. Visit www.amazon.com/author/mimiemmanuel to find her other books.

She lives with her family in a tree house on volcanic rock overlooking the bay in Australia’s sunshine state, Queensland. She shares lunch with her friends the butcher birds and Layla Joy and Lilac Delite her puppies.

Mimi writes from her recliner with ear mufflers on, and a cup of chamomile tea beside her. For exercise, she wiggles her toes. You can find her free tutorials and say hello to her at http://www.mimiemmanuel.com

GET YOUR OWN COPY

Mimi’s Eulogy to-be & Legacy will be FREE during launch on September 6 and 7, 2017 and you can download it here from Amazon.

reprinted with permission from https://liveforeverhowto.wordpress.com/2017/09/06/mimis-eulogy-to-be-legacy/

*

ABOUT THE CONTENT – All content on my blog is copyrighted and you can read more about this here. 

MY BOOKS AND A FREE VIDEO COURSE – To download a copy of MY STORY OF SURVIVAL click here. For a copy of MIMI’S BOOK LAUNCH PLAN, click here. For a copy of GOD HEALED ME click here. For a copy of THE HOLY GRAIL OF BOOK LAUNCHING click here.  For a copy of MIMI’S EULOGY TO-BE & LEGACY click here.  For a free video course on how to write a bestseller, click here. To join my launch party click here.

NEW BOOKS RELEASES, INTERVIEWS, AND REVIEWS – As a member of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance and as a member of the Christian Indie Authors Reading Group and as the current Administrator of  Christian Authors Worldwide, This is FUN! Mimi’s Launch Party and co-administrator of OMEGA nonfiction writers I share new book releases, interviews and reviews with my readers. Stay tuned!

I am 70 TODAY … hip-hip-hooray

Dear frayed and tainted diary, 

Today is July 9th and this is my nineteen thousand two hundred and seventy-third entry to your hallowed pages. As my covert amigo, I have inscribed on your page's enigmas I have yet to share with anyone. In case you didn’t know today is the oldest birthday I have secured, and you will not believe the crap racing through my mind.

Foremost, seventy is a milestone far unlike previous birthdays where I had a readiness to reach; such as legal drinking age, emotionally prepare for my dreaded 40th, and believe it or not, chasing the date when I qualified for Social Security and early retirement. Those were birthdays that had a purpose, but seventy?

I rechecked past calendars and there is no reference for today. Nor do I recall ever thinking about it. It is as if I was mysteriously transported overnight from my sixties to seventy—obviously bypassing my ‘golden years’ euphoria. 

Don’t get me wrong I am glad to be alive and recognize that billions of others have passed this plateau, and billions more will follow me. I also remember and honor the friends and family that sadly never touched attaining half my age.

Nonetheless, this birthday has been eerily unlike any other! I didn't wake up sensing I had changed from who I was yesterday. Nor was it the reflection of the old man staring back at me in the mirror. Today has been a day of reconciliation between who I think I am, and the truth. It is the first time I’ve acknowledged I am old, and the overwhelming fact is I will only get older. The roughest part is knowing there is nothing I can change.

Forget the psychological crap that “You’re as young as you feel” or “relish the Golden Years.” I am far from the active person I once was. Cataracts are preparing to bloom, I’m probably a candidate for a training bra, joints are inflamed and worn; internal circuitry is crumbling, skin and cartilage have succumbed to gravity, and memory loss is no longer a random occurrence.

In truth, for the first time, I feel vulnerable. At seventy, I have to accept that I am the old man in the picture, succeeding my father and grandfather who journeyed this path before me. I grasped how swiftly decades of my life have passed. Once and for all, I comprehended that there are fewer days ahead of me than the number in my past.

Nevertheless, I will strive to be optimistic as my mind and body prepare to follow the aging standard. Even so, I do not intend to mark my calendar for the next milestone birthday; having my one-hundred-year-old face pasted to a Smucker’s jelly jar.
Okay diary, that’s enough rambling for one thought-provoking night.
Goodnight old friend—please remember to keep a blank page open for me.

[ps:] As customary, don’t get hung up on my grammar mishaps, life is too short. What’s more important to me is that you remember the message.

The streets of Tokyo teemed with people. A never ending flow of suits and interesting fashion statements. Crowed sidewalks and jammed traffic. Bumper to bumper people and cars. Just another weekday in the land of the rising sun.

Unlike most ex-pats living here, it wasn’t the culture that brought me, Jonathan Merced, from Perth. Old things and historic sites don’t interest me. Never have.

I came here for the hi-tech gadgets and neon lights. After three years I can safely say, Japan is stuck in the past. There is one major intersection, on all the movies, that is ‘bright lights, big city’; the rest is concrete, Pachinko, and the constant jabber of people on phones, to friends and to themselves. It never ends.

Only public transportation is silent, and I can get a chance to think. Riding the trains and buses is awesome. Totally quiet. It’s the reason most people sleep on their way to work or home. I assume all the talking tires them out.

It doesn’t tire me. I hate talking. It gets on my nerves. Angry, violent thoughts magically appear from nowhere, and in my vision, I’m stomping a person’s head on the ground--harder and harder until it cracks open. If I’m especially exhausted, the vision turns darker and sometimes other people come to the aid of the victim. In reality, they’d just get their phones out and stream to YouTube or some other site.

Way of the world, over here.

Jabber. Jabber. Jabber.

It’s one of the few things that grate my nerves. I can handle a few minutes but ten to fifteen is pushing it. Even my MP3 player can’t drown them out. They seem to get louder and louder. Before I know it someone has pissed me off, and in my head they are getting stomped.

Such thoughts are not good but try as I might, I can’t block them. The talking never stops on the streets, in offices, hospitals or riding elevators. The constant noise is maddening.

Today I have a late start at the school and that means I have to dodge talkers in the early afternoon. It’s the worst time to be on the streets. The sun is out and the country is wide awake.

My ear buds are in and Megadeth is blaring, and for a short time all is right with the world. Until a woman next to me answers her phone. Her voice is high and shrill. Her laughter is the call of a hyena. She cackles and overreacts with every second breath. My Japanese is limited but I understand she is meeting this phone friend in five minutes. Five bloody minutes. She couldn’t wait. 

In my head, I picture grabbing her long wavy hair and yanking it backwards. Forcing her head to smack into the concrete and driving my boot down into her face--again and again and again. I imagine her screams dying out. Onlookers shocked but phones are uploading to YouTube. Live action attack. Foreigner goes nuts.

I imagine someone is calling the police on an old flip style phone. He can’t upload video on that. The woman is unmoving on the ground. Her face is caved in. Calmly, I walk away, turned a corner and my mood changes. There’s a happy feeling warming my insides.

However, dark thoughts continue to ride with me, hanging around like a bad smell. They don’t seem to want to vanish as they usually do.

There’s a young man leaning against a convenience store wall and shouting on his phone. He’s pissed at his mother. She found his magazines and DVDs, and he is disgusted she snooped through his things.

His jabbering is far too loud and he has no problem exposing himself as an asshole to the entire world. So many people openly stare at him.

I imagine in my bag is a kitchen knife. Full of confidence, I stride up to him. My right hand is inside my bag and it is gripping the knife handle. With a finger on my lips I try to shush him. He should keep this call private.

He gives me a look of contempt and raises his volume.

Fine.

I’ll shush him.

In my imagination, I move with lightning speed, my right hand comes out of my bag and the kitchen knife gets noticed too late. The man has no time to react. I drive the knife upward, under his chin and into the roof of his mouth. The blade sticks in the mouth plate and I use my palm to punch it higher. His right eye deflates; goo is sliding over the eyelid. I know that most of it is coating the knife’s sharpened steel.

He drops his phone as he collapses to the ground. I can hear the mother on the other end still yelling at him. Her voice is as bad as his.

I imagine taking his wallet and learning his address. It’s full of money, so I pocket the wallet for later.

His mother’s voice follows me as I turn and cross the street. Onlookers are busy with phones while others have lost interest and continued on with their day.

I’m across the road in seconds and that damn woman’s voice continues to grate my nerves. I can still hear the bitch. Her voice matches the shrill of police sirens filling the air.

Up ahead, I spot a black taxi. Its rear door is open, meaning it is looking for passengers.

Learning through the open back door, I ask if it’s alright to get a lift. Sometimes they refuse foreign passengers. This cabbie says no problem and I show him the driver’s license. He nods and pulls out into the traffic.

The ride is silent. In this country, public transport is the best.

END

http://sfwtr.com pop in  for a visit. I don't bite hard ;-) 

Okay, so you written a novel, got it edited, paid a graphic designer for its cover, published it, launched a book party, announced it through your social medias, got some excellent reviews, received hundreds of downloads, and then, all of a sudden, the sales dropped dramatically the exact minute you decide to take a break from the book marketing. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. In fact, it happens to all of us novice authors, until we figure out the missing puzzle that'll continuingly market our book.

Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. In fact, it happens to all of us novice authors, until we figure out the missing puzzle that'll continuingly market our book, to the right audiences.

While there are many other ways of achieving public success, the one we will be discussing today is focused on popular social media networks, and the many ways you can manipulate its billion populated audiences to your book(s).

As a rule of thumb, it is very important that you invest in your book's editor first, and then save at least $1,000 to budget your book's advertisement. Consider this fund as like investing in your talent and professionalism. If you can't invest in yourself, how could you expect others to trust your work and invest in it?

List of popular social media networks for Authors:

 - Pinterest is a photo sharing network with 175 million monthly users, which should be a perfect haven for writers with attractive book covers to generate revenues. To learn how you can dive into the Pinterest marketing, to attract its users to your published book, go to https://business.pinterest.com/en/why-pinterest-ads-work? We highly recommend this network for writers of feminine genres, like romance, children's books, gardening, crafts, cooking, and erotica subjects, because the larger audience of Pinterest are females, who are attracted to glamorous images (in my opinion).

 - Instagram is very much like Pinterest, but with a larger audience of 700 million users who mostly range well under the thirty years of age. Photo sharing moves a lot quicker with Instagram, and that's why we're recommending it to authors with attractive graphics. To learn how you can market your book directly to Instagram's precise audience, go to https://business.instagram.com/advertising. We highly recommend this network for writers of Fantasy, Erotica, and Younger Adult books.  

 - Facebook, the largest social media network in the world with two billion active users, is a very resource marketplace for novice and established authors to make themselves known to larger audiences. The many features of Facebook allow people to be drawn to new things every minute, and for a writer with a deep pocket to spend on his/her book, Facebook Advertising could be the system that will fix the dropping book sales. To learn about marketing with Facebook go to https://www.facebook.com/business/products/ads. We highly recommend this network for writers of Mysteries, Suspense Thrillers, Family subject, Non-Fiction, Experimental, Fantasy etc.

 - Unlike Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, Linkedin is a professional network for job seeking & networking people with upper-class standards and wants. With over 400 million active users, this network serves as the perfect haven for serious writers who want to reach serious audience capable of buying or downloading their book instantly. To market on LinkedIn, go to https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/ads. Highly recommended for Non-Fictions, Literary Fictions, and How-To books.

 - Goodreads, the perfect, most advanced social media network designed specifically for authors and readers. I don't think there is anything more or less to be said about this network on how it greatly benefit writers everyday in ways of generating reviews and book sales. Geared toward writers of all genres, Goodreads is open to any author reaching to reach new readers. Goodreads have two forms of advertising for authors; direct-advertising (emailing), and self-serve advertising. Go to https://www.goodreads.com/advertisers to learn how you can apply for both.

 - Twitter is the fasted social sharing network in the world, where words can travel and spread to a million audience within a minute. Suitable for writers with newsworthy stories, Twitter can quickly get your book blurb and its cover art seen by thousands. You can learn all about Twitter advertising at https://ads.twitter.com. Highly recommended for Paranormal, Thriller, and Mystery genres.

 - Amazon is thus far the most marketable site for authors looking to gain new fans and readers. Imagine your book displaying next to New York Times best-selling novels, instantly recommending it to the thousands of shoppers who are looking for their next book, under your novel's category. That is what advertising on Amazon can do for independent authors. It will get your book noticed by the right audience. Highly recommended for every author. To learn how you can access Amazon's advertising, go to https://advertising.amazon.com/products-self-serve.

Becoming a lifetime member of Indie Writers Support or applying for the Bestsellers Program (http://readersbooks.info/bsp) would guarantee your book's exposure throughout these advertising venues in a long run, with precise budgeting.

Take advantage of Monthly Book Promotions by applying here; http://bit.ly/1t9eAbO.

Add your book(s) to our catalog, log in and fill out this application; http://bit.ly/29hpI1h.

Now that Pluto and Ceres have been visited, the question then becomes, what now with space exploration? I think we should start thinking beyond sending more rovers and probes, although that does not mean we stop sending rovers and probes. Nevertheless I think it is about time we consider what our ultimate ambitions are. Essentially, this comes down to, do we want to send people into space or not? If all we want to do is to potter around on our own planet, then there is no need to do anything else, but if we want eventually to go into space, there is a lot to be done that involves nothing more than thinking, and thinking is relatively cheap.

There is a school of thought that all we need to do about planets is explore them with rovers. These are relatively cheap, and will not involve risk to human life. However, I disagree. I feel for a given technology, the law of diminishing returns applies. The very first missions that visit an object send back information that totally changes our view of the body. The relatively airless desert with huge erosion features that is Mars changed our view of Mars forever. The cracks on the surface of Europa, the volcanoes of Io, the image of Miranda, and more recently, Pluto.  Before the missions, these bodies were faint smudges, so of course our view changed. But what happens now? We get a lot of rock analyses from Mars, but they are starting to look the same, varying only in location. I am not suggesting we know all there is to know about Mars, but I think we are starting to know enough that it is not worth while spending this amount of money to find out not much more. Basically, I feel we are reaching the limits of that sized rover. We know most of what is important about the top centimeter of the surface of Mars. We also know that that centimeter of rock is very highly oxidized, thanks to the interaction of ultraviolet light with water vapour, which results in the formation of highly reactive and oxidizing species such as the hydroxyl radical. The chloride ions appear to be converted to perchlorate. If we want to know about possible early life, about any organic chemistry, or for that matter, the initial conditions of Mars, we have to get below that layer of oxidized species, and if we want to know about anything associated with water, we have to go to depressions to where water would flow, and get below the wind-blown dust, and then to the depths to where the water would sink. That requires digging.

To illustrate, consider two of my predictions:

(a)   there will be nitrogenous materials buried below the bottom of Hellas Planitia,

(b)  where there should have been ponding in the Reull Vallis, there will be mineralization, the nature of which depends on the initial conditions.

To check the first, we need to drill, but because there could be a lot of wind-blown topsoil, it may take several tens of meters to find any deposits. What sort of rover can assemble a hundred meter drill pipe and drill to the full depth? What sort of rover could carry good lengths of drilling pipe and descend the walls to get to the bottom of the Reull Vallis? How many rovers could navigate with sufficient accuracy to get safely anywhere near an interesting section of the Reull Vallis?

My view is that to find out whether Mars is worth doing anything with we need to send people. We know enough about it to know what has to be done, even if we do not yet know how to do it. Then maybe we settle Mars. But if we wanted to do that, what has to be done? What do you think?