May 30^th: Market Research 

Oh boy. This is a whole new ball game. Nothing I ever studied in school prepared me for market research. It can be time-consuming and exhilarating at the same time. I can get so caught up in market research that before I know it, I’m down a rabbit hole.

I start off well - then one click leads to another and before you know it, I’m off to explore the latest and greatest new books, which leads me to a specific author and his/her other works, on to the idyllic setting mentioned in the story. I’ve been known to plan my next vacation without identifying one possible publisher.

Currently, I’m in the process of trying to find a home for my MG Coming of Age. I need to focus my attention on publishers who are looking for that specific type of manuscript. Next, I need to find those who are open for submissions. Finally, I need to review other books they’ve published in the past. My goal is to submit to at least five publishers.

Once I have my list of possible publishers, it’s time to move on to the next process. Step one: personalize the cover letter-identify the name of a targeted editor and make sure my opening sentence grabs his/her attention (sometimes this is all the editor will read). Step two: determine what this particular publisher wants to be included with the submission, i.e., first chapter, synopsis, outline, etc. Step three: Check and recheck the submission for errors. Step Four: Hit send. I’m mostly targeting publishers who accept submissions electronically, so that narrows my search. Step Five: Update my ‘Submissions Spreadsheet’ so I can track my submissions.

Step Six: Repeat four more times.

May 22^nd: 

  (hill of beans)

Is your work space working? Mine wasn’t. My desk faced the wall. I dreaded staring at that white space, trying to be creative. So I painted the wall teal. Starring at a teal wall wasn’t much better. So, I “set to” as my mother would say and scrubbed that entire room, top to bottom. Then I flipped my desk to face out toward the hall, replaced the bulky leather desk chair with a lighter, blue webbed armless wonder, downsized the clutter and then, I loved my new space. But it still wasn’t working.

I bought a laptop, added a keyboard, mouse and larger screen. Of course, I had to buy a Microsoft software package and by now, my little whim of improving my writing space had escalated by mucho dinero.

End result: I wound up with a much nicer place to work, but I must go back to the first step in writing: BIC. No matter how nice the workspace is, no matter how comfortable the new chair is, no matter how fast the laptop is, I still have to write the @#$%^ book. That’s where I come in.

Sometimes my mind is so cluttered with ‘stuff’ that doesn’t matter a hill of beans. I’ve heard my Mother use that comparison all my life, but didn’t pay much attention to it until now. Exactly how much does a hill of beans matter? According to the online dictionary, a hill of beans is “of trifling value.” That’s pretty insignificant, but unfortunately, a large part of what overtakes my thoughts (and hence, my time) can be pretty insignificant, at times.

Instead of looking for ways to improve my writing experience, I just need to experience improvement in my writing. I love that quote by R. S. Grey: She believed she could, so she did. I believe I can write, so I will.

 

May 15^th:  

Critique Partners are worth their weight in gold. Early on in my writing career, I was fortunate to get involved with four ladies who laid down some rules (or rather we followed rules laid down FOR us) that set in motion a plan to have a fellow writer (or four) look over your work and give honest feed-back. Key word: honest. Having someone read garbage and report back “it’s fabulous” is worth only the paper on which it’s written. I try to remember that every time I critique someone’s work. On the other hand, valuable advice when the plot/scene doesn’t work is probably your best opportunity to perfect your work prior to sending to a publisher. Having a fresh pair of eyes, a different viewpoint, or alternative phrasing can make or break your chance of acceptance.

I don’t necessarily use every suggestion and my critique partner doesn’t always use all of mine. After all, my stories belong to me. Her stories belong to her. That trust is critical for the partnership to work. So if you get your feelings easily hurt, you’re not ready for a full-blown critique partner. You’re looking more for someone who will pat you on your back and insist you are the next J.K. Rowling. Another word for that is ‘family.’

May 8^th:

Your Social Media is showing.  I now have business cards. I ordered 500 to give away. I only have 491 to go−all a part of my new social media brand. But as an observer at a recent book signing, I gathered a few business cards−one lady had a full-blown color pamphlet−and I studied those examples. One card was too busy. I quickly tossed it aside. Another declared the author was ready for Hollywood Hall of Fame. I negated that one, as well. One was simple: a picture and contact info. I chose this format and added “author” under my name. I didn’t want someone looking at the card months later asking, “Now why do I have this card, again?” You have the card in case you are interested in my books. Side Note: I noticed Bruce Jenner (as Caitlyn) is also promoting a book. I doubt we’ll ever be at any joint book signings, but just in case, I have first dibs on the bathroom facilities. Just saying.

So now, my checklist of 'what to do' while waiting on my book is dwindling - I only have a few more festivals to scope out. I'm trying to stay in the 'writer' mode - I've moved furniture around in my office in order to be more efficient. Heck, I'm even practicing my autograph. Note to self: quit stalling. Write! Remember: BIC / winners don't quit-quitters don't win. Oh, and submit.

With that thought in mind, I've decided to schedule my writing time just like I schedule everything else I do. If I didn't keep a day timer, I would forget 1/2 of my responsibilities at work, but where to start? Here's what I have so far:

Monday evening:  write (2 hours) 

Thursday evening: write (2 hours)

Saturday: proofing and writing (1/2 day)

Sunday afternoon: market research and submissions

Sounds like a plan.

May 1, 2017:

How to write a back cover blurb: In researching this topic, I learned nothing is more important than the one hundred or so words on the back cover. According to my research, there should be three main parts: backstory to set up the plot, introduction to characters--keep it simple and only one or two sentences, and the “leave them wanting more” ending--the gist of the story without solving the mystery. If you’re like me, you might spend time mentally designing the cover picture (even though that’s not my job), but the blurb on the back cover, sells the book. That short paragraph should be mysterious, it should grab the reader’s attention, and it should introduce your main character(s) while telling just enough of the plot to pique their interest. The trick is to write a great teaser without giving away secrets. Three takeaways: it’s important to focus more on the characters and less on the setting; write the blurb before you write the story--it can serve as an outline; and lastly, read lots of back covers. If you find one that makes you want to read the book, you found the perfect example!

Blurb:

            For neighbors Erin and Elwood, danger lurks at every turn. Elwood sees secret codes everywhere he looks. Elwood picked up the stinks-like-something-dead coat and crammed his hand into a pocket. “I found something!” he whispered loudly. Inside his hand lay a crumpled piece of paper. “Might be a secret code.” Erin, however, only sees Elwood as a pain in the butt.

            When the unlikely duo stumbles upon a bank robbery, the only escape is through a scary tunnel where pythons lurk and a vicious dog races in hot pursuit. Crawling through a tiny ventilation shaft, Erin hopes to alert the police before the bank robbers overtake the others trapped inside the vault. With limited oxygen and cobwebs licking at her face, Erin pushes aside her own fears, knowing she has one chance for survival; she finally reaches the door to freedom only to find it locked!