Sucker Literary Magazine Blog Hop: The Writing Process #AmWriting

I was asked to participate in the Sucker Magazine Blog Hop by an author you’ll recognize if you follow me at all. . .Tawdra Kandle, my friend and colleague who writes amazing books. Check out her post here.
 

Tawdra with Hemingway at IndieGirl Con

Part of this project involves a discussion on our writing processes:

1)What am I working on?

Right now I am finishing up Inferno, book 2 of the Jinn Trilogy. I am also working on expanding Femi's short story, Sweet Little Lies, into a novella and publishing it as a stand alone. 

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? 

I am not sure. I tell very character driven story. I like to die into the emotions of all of my characters and shape them until they feel real to me. I also try to write very visual stories. 

3) Why do I write what I do?

I started writing mystery then went to paranormal romance. I still write both because I still love both. I like the scary elements that I can put in a mystery and trying to fool the reader. But on the other side I like the romance and the wonderful paranormal worlds and mythology that make up the Abyss. I think both speak to different elements in me. 

4) How does my writing process work?

I start with a really good opening line and knowing how the book will end. From there I let the characters carry be along on their journey. I try not to insert myself or direct them because I think by allowing characters to develop naturally and grow they take on a life of their own. I am often asked which of my characters I am most like, but the truth is, I am not any of them. Instead I am a piece of all of them. Once I have my first draft done, I do my self-editing highlights (words or phrases I should watch for, adverbs, that, anything I noted as I was writing etc) then I read it again and make corrections as I go. After that it goes to editing and then proofreading and then formatting before it can be published. 

Thanks for stopping by. I am supposed to tag other authors, but I don't want to impose. If you have read this and you want to participate, please post a link to your post in the comments!

Thanks,

Liz

How To Be Polite In A Digital Age

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I personally find that the more people are online the easier it seems to be for basic politeness and courtesy to fall to the side and get left behind. You see the problem is it is easy to forget there are real people behind the avatar. As a writer I often see this with new authors (many of whom probably didn’t use a lot of social networks prior to releasing their book).  So I am going to give you five examples of what people have done to me personally and the real life equivalent in hopes that it will prevent someone from doing it in the future.

1.       Never talking to me, but sending me links or posting links to their book on my Facebook page. This is the same as going to a neighbor’s garage sale who took out an ad in the newspaper and did all the marketing work and putting a large sign in their yard directing the people to your house. Would you do that? Do you honestly think that is a civilized or acceptable way to behave?

2.       Only posting links to your books or reviews on Facebook and Twitter. This is the same as hosting  a party and carrying around your book, but instead of greeting the other guests and talking to them you just hold up your book and say “Buy this,” then move on to the next person. Would you go to another party held by that person? Would you at all be interested in their book?

3.       Expecting others to help you, but giving nothing in return. If someone posts about your book or you on their blog, they are doing you a favor. They don’t have to help you. They don’t have to give you a good review. That is like if you give someone a gift and they immediately look at you and say “Is this all you are going to do for me? Can I have the gift receipt so I can return it for something I want more?” Basic politeness people. Say thank you for your time. Thank you for reading my book no matter what they said about it. They took time out of their life to look at something you  created. Be grateful for that and return it. Look at their blog or website. Read their book. Or at the very least, say thank you.  It doesn’t cost you anything to do it.

4.       Adding others to your group or street team without asking them first. This is like inviting thirty people over to someone’s house without telling them you have done it. Surprise! I am hosting a party at your house.

5.       Oversharing about the troubles in your life. There is nothing worse than taking family fights, cheating boyfriends, or friends you are mad at to social media. That would be like going to a large sporting event, stealing the microphone and airing all of your woes for the world to see. Readers, employers, and people who don’t know you at all are reading this. You might think you are shaming the guilty party, but really aren’t you just embarrassing yourself?

Think of social media like a block party. You want to mingle, meet people and make new friends. Put your best self forward, but still be yourself.

Liz

The Little Flame Series by Melissa Lummis is so much fun!

Hello all! A good friend of mine, Melissa Lummis, just released three books in a brand new novella series called The Little Flame series. They are fun, edgy and filled with paranormal shenanigans. I have had the privilege of reading the first one already and let me tell you, this series is going to be great. Check them out!

  The Little Flame Series is LIVE on Amazon and Smashwords! Spread the word!

The first THREE novellas in the Little Flame Series are now live on Amazon and Smashwords, and will soon be available on iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

Description:

They say home is where the heart is, but if that’s true, then I’m lost because I have no clue where my heart is, anymore.  I thought I knew—until I met Maximillian.

I was on my way out of the Capital City before the local vampires could catch on to me and let’s just say if that happened then this club dancer would be facing her expiration date.  And that’s when the famous DJ blew into town—and into my head and heart.  He turned all my plans upside down with his sick friend and his electric blue eyes, damn it.

I should have cut bait and run for my life, but I couldn’t abandon someone I could heal—even if it meant the vampires might catch up with me.  Besides, Maximillian smelled familiar, like deep forest and pine needles baked in the sun mixed with that chilly snap of running water and the coolness of twilight. Those things have a smell that adds up to a dream.

You can get lost in that kind of dream. It can fill your mind with ideas and notions you have no business thinking or feeling. Dreams like that make it easy to forget the danger you’re in.

For one week only each novella is available for just 99 cents.  

Download your copies today and spread the word before the
release sale ends on May 6, 2014.

Buy links on Amazon:

NINE30

ELECTRIC

STARLAND

Buy links on Smashwords:

NINE30

ELECTRIC

STARLAND

Ebook Marketing

Today I was invited to be on a panel at my local library's author's day about marketing. For people who live and die by their ebook sales, I don't think any of this is revolutionary (yes, yes, I know I am not selling this blog post), but for people just starting, these are just the best tips and tricks I have learned along the way.

More than anything—and I cannot stress this enough—write more books. Stop stalking your sales, returns, ranking, and reviews and write.

12 Tips for increasing sales and visibility:

1.       Finish your series! The majority of the money I made in year two was made toward the end of the year. The factor that changed was I published the third book in a series. Having a complete series can dramatically change your people’s willingness to buy the books. The audience doesn’t want to wait between books. They want it all now.

2.       Don’t be afraid to publish multiple books at once. In fact do it. The more content you have available the better you will do in the algorithms which in turn affect visibility which is the biggest challenge we all face.

3.       Don’t be afraid to price a little higher. I have found certain genres do better at a higher price point. The best part about being independently published is you can test different price points, covers, and blurbs until you find the right combination that works for you.

4.       Use your books. Your novels are the best advertising for your other books that you can do. Readers are already engaged and interested in you enough to pick up your book. Make sure you have links to all your other books, one excerpt, a newsletter sign up, and web address in every book you have available.

5.       Utilize sales and free days to their highest potential. Plan them carefully, set up advertising, and make sure you capitalize of having your book on sale.
      Personally, my feeling on free days and sales is that they don't actually help a lot until you have more than one book because the sales will trickled through all of your books, so the more you have the better the results will be. You can plan a sale or a free day at anytime, but what you need to make sure you do is advertise the hell out of it. Don't leave anything up to chance. Try Bookbub, Pixel of Ink, and Ereader News Today, as well as any and every other place you can find. You want the biggest push you can give it while it is at that price. You HAVE to capitalize on these moments. They will give you momentum and visibility
        

6.       Social media is meant to be social, not to share links to your books. No one cares about the random person they don’t know tweeting out a link. No one. They do care about the fun, interactive person who has chatted with them about cat videos and made them laugh. Let your personality and interest shine through and people will respond to you. You don’t have to run around begging for attention because then you become white noise and people stop listening.

7.       Know your audience. Facebook users tend to be Kindle users so sharing Amazon links make sense. Twitter users are more geared toward iBooks. Know what your audience in looking for from you.

8.       Don’t ignore the other retailers. Amazon is massive and the majority of my personal sales. However, Barnes and Noble takes a while to get warmed up but once you reach the point that you are making sales they continue. Kobo is big in Canada and in the fantasy genre. And I believe iBooks will be Amazon’s biggest competitor in about 5 years.

9.       Capitalize on all the different markets you can place one book. Ebook, print, audio, foreign translations, etc.

10.   Don’t give up any rights the publisher doesn’t plan to use. Often contracts will ask for rights they don’t intend to use (like audio or translations). Don’t sell them unless they plan to utilize them. If you retain your rights you can look at pursuing these paths or selling them separately.

11.   Know where your advice is coming from. There is lots of terrible advice on writing and marketing on the internet. People who have no business offering advice proclaim themselves as experts. Do your research. Check sales ranks, check the content they have produced,  and educate yourself as much as possible. The truth is there are two way to publish right now. Independent or Traditional.  Neither way is bad. If someone is telling you one way is the wrong way to do it, then it is pretty clear they are feeling threatened or insecure about their own position in publishing.

And my last tip. This is a business. Treat your career like a hobby and it will serve you as a hobby. Treat it like a business and you will build a career

-Liz

Tiddly Jinx, The 4th Book in the Easy Bake Coven Series is HERE!

Tiddly Jinx is now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords! 

Tiddly Jinx: 3.99

Selene Warren’s life is plagued by disaster. To fix the trouble her good intentions caused, she needs to rescue the necromancer who tried to help her, find and return the Pole of Charon, and win over the Elfish people. However, nothing ever goes as planned. The necromancer reappears in the Abyss, but is determined to be an enemy rather than a friend. The Pole of Charon can’t be tracked, yet small tears between worlds pop up and let in monsters that threaten to expose what Selene brought back. Tensions between elves and the other fae could erupt into violence at any moment, tearing apart the race once and for all. To mend the rips in the veil, Selene’s coven will have to use black magic, but that comes at a cost. Every time a spell is cast their souls are at stake. Forced to make a deal with an enemy or let the world be destroyed, all of her the lies and double crosses start to add up. The line between good and evil blurs until Selene doesn’t know which side she is fighting for.

Get your Kindle Version here!

Get the Nook version here,

Smashwords version here. 

Easy Bake Coven: FREE

For Selene Warren being a witch is no big deal. She dabbles in harmless magic with her friends and never thinks much about it. However, when a stranger who seems to know her shows up at her studio and her grandmother is brutally attacked, her simple life becomes complicated.

A world of elves, half-elves, fae—and one peculiar Sekhmet named Femi open up to her. She will discover that fairy tales are real, politics are ugly in any world, and there is a lot more to her life than she ever dreamed possible.

This new reality threatens swallow Selene whole, but with a forgotten past beating down her door, she will have to dive in to save her future.

 Download here for Amazon Kindle,

Click here for Barnes and Noble Nook.

Tiddly Jinx Release!

This is the week. Tiddly Jinx is officially releasing on the 10th, but you might find it up a little soon on sites like Amazon and Smashwords.

In honor of this release I am sponsoring the Romantic Edge Books newsletter and one lucky subscriber will win this necklace, made by the fabulous Christine from the Book Swag Shop.

This necklace has very special meaning to me. In the third book of the Easy Bake Coven series, Pickup Styx, I describe a necklace that once belonged to Cheney's mother. Well, Christine made me that necklace based on my description and it is absolutely gorgeous.

So if you want a chance to win, sign for for the Romantic Edge Books newsletter and you will be entered to win. You will also get an awesome newsletter with a chance to win fun prizes every month and you will hear about awesome new releases.

Sign up here

Thank you and talk to you all soon!

Liz

Middle Grade Book Release By Amanda Harms and Editor Interview

Hello all,

A brand new author and friend of mine, Amanda Harms has just released her first novel. It is a middle grade fantasy novel (think Alice in Wonderland). It's super cute and fun. We also share the editor. So check out her interview with Ev Bishop below.

Liz.


Hello Ev! Let's talk about BEWILDERED and your job as an editor. Shall we begin?

Us: So, first, can you tell us how long you've been an editor and why you chose to become one?
Ev: I don’t know if I chose editing, or if editing chose me. I’ve always been an avid, involved reader—one who enjoys identifying what I love about a specific story, but also what changes could make it even better.

At first this was just helpful in regards to my own writing, but then I met a writer who had a really great story that had been rejected eighty times.

The author had a fantastic premise and excellent mastery of the craft of writing, and we were both stumped by her failure to find a publisher.  Plus, every rejection was the worst type:  kind, and complimentary, thus completely baffling. (Why would editors and publishers say such nice things, and then decline the story?) Finally, she received a rejection that offered a clue. It said, basically, that the main character’s personality and issues, thus growth and change, weren’t strong enough.

The author asked if I’d read the novel and see if I could figure out what the comment meant, and what, if anything, could be done about it. Well, something can always be done to fix small issues when the bones of a story are great, and I was flattered to be asked for my opinion. I read the novel and loved it—but definitely saw ways to strengthen the character and make her easier to identify with. To cut a long story short, the author did one more rewrite and the story sold. She has since gone to sell more than thirty other novels!

The author is very talented and has an amazing work ethic. Her book would’ve sold eventually, with or without my input, but at the same, I did help—and loved being able to. Working with her made me realize I might enjoy helping other writers as well. That was over ten years ago, and while I’m still that original author’s editor and number one fan, since then I’ve taken on many other clients, mostly through word of mouth. I still prefer to work closely, project by project, with a select few authors.

Us: What are the best and worst parts of the job?
Ev: The best parts? I love getting paid to read and give my opinions on stories. So fun! Most of all, however, I’m honored to be trusted with the sensitive job of helping writers in the final labor stages of their creation, to help them birth stories that will go out into the world and move, challenge, educate, entertain and inspire people.

The worst part? Sometimes a story needs a lot of work, and I’m always terrified that I will discourage a writer or hurt their feelings when I share my suggestions with them. My sole goal is to help writers make their work the best it can be, but criticism, even well intentioned, doesn’t always feel good. So far, I’ve been very fortunate, though. The authors I work with are devoted to honing their skills. They seem to realize that I care deeply about their stories, and understand that even my “tough love” is love. 

Us: What do you think it takes to be a good editor?
Ev: I think the best editors read widely, without snobbery, and are passionate about stories in all their many-splendored styles and genre. They are kind and supportive, and able to look past personal preferences to discern what objective additions, deletions, or corrections would enhance the story for the target reader.

That said, responses and critiques can’t help but be subjective to some degree, and editing styles can vary greatly.  When looking for an editor, it’s important to find a good fit. Your editor should “get” what you’re trying to say, have a style of commenting that makes you feel motivated and excited about prospective changes, and noticeably help strengthen your story. Someone who is an excellent editor for someone else might not be a good one for you.

Us: Let's talk about BEWILDERED for a bit. What was your first impression of the story and characters?
Ev: My first response was, literally, a shriek of delight, followed by a permanent grin that only left my face when various parts of the plot turned sad or suspenseful. The story reminded me of Alice in Wonderland meets Harry Potter.

Us: What character is your favorite? Why?
Ev: The whole cast caught my imagination, and I hope to meet them all again. Prudence is fantastic—smart and funny, but more than a touch morose and misunderstood. I totally related to her. My favorite, however, is actually someone we don’t meet until later in the novel—the Match King. He’s horrifying in some ways, but I was intrigued from the get-go by his mechanical creations, fascinated by the past that brought him to where he ended up, and hopeful that he’ll . . . Well, I’m just going to leave it at that.

Us: What about the action? What is your favorite part?
Ev: I don’t want to give too big a spoiler, but there’s a scene where Prudence finds herself imprisoned in a dungeon. . . . As an insect-phobe, I was both creeped out and totally excited by the way she escapes.

Us: BEWILDERED was initially intended to be a stand-alone novel, but now there's a book two in the works. What do you think about that?
Ev: I am totally stoked!

Us: What do you think readers are going to like most about BEWILDERED?
Ev: I think different things will appeal to different readers. Some will identify with lonely Prudence trying to find people to love her and a place she fits in. Others will be pulled in by the adventure. Everyone will love the zany magic and fun found in the creatures and places that make up Bewilderness.

Us: Lastly, what is your favorite mythological creature?
Ev: What a great question! I’ve always been partial to griffins. Something about being able to fly, while possessing the body and finesse of a big cat, fascinates me. I don’t think griffins should (or could!) be owned, but if one wanted to befriend me and take me on quests, I’d be in. ;)

BEWILDERED

A Bewilderness Tale, Book One

Prudence Parks is perfect. At twelve-years old, she has the world in her pocket. No messy friends. No silly games. Everything is just right—until her father leaves her an orphan.

When she tumbles into a bizarre realm known as Bewilderness, nothing is as it should be. Insects talk, pirate ships sail on sand, and plants are just plain evil. After she’s banished for claiming to be human, she thinks the

worst is behind her. She’s wrong. The Match King, posing as an ally, promises to send her home if she can find the Paper Heart, an ancient treasure. Battling her sense of logic all the while, she meets a living ragdoll and her father’s doppelganger, who melts her icy heart and—to her regret—gives the Match King perfect collateral to ensure she follows through.

Prudence realizes the Match King’s plan to erase Bewilderness from existence, but now she must choose: save the world she has come to love, or find her way home.

BEWILDERED is a middle grade fantasy novel geared toward children ages 9-12. It’s Alice in Wonderland meets Miracle on 34th Street. Set once upon a time in a land far, far away, this story illustrates the importance of friendship, courage, and proves believing isn't always seeing.

Purchase it online at your favorite retailer, or visit your local bookstore!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Smashwords | IndieBound | The Book Depository | Books-a-Million




About the author - 

A. B. Harms was born a writer. From a young age, she made her own picture books with crayons and a stapler. As a teenager, she won essay contests. Yet, when she began her career, being an author was the last thing she considered. Finally, after working every job imaginable from waitress to social worker and earning her degree in Psychology, she realized what she was always meant to do--write!

A. B. is from Missouri, has gone around the world and back again, and now lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her family, a pet sloth, who resembles a Great Dane, and a black cat, who moonlights as an assassin. No matter where she hangs her hat, she finds herself at home down the rabbit hole.







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