An Interesting Mashup

Greetings friends and readers! I'm really excited about this week's guest post. Kris Hanson approached me a short while back and asked me to edit his first novel. After reading the first couple of chapters, I knew I couldn't pass it up. Yes, like most firsts, it was a bit rough, but workable, yet the story hooked me right from the beginning.

Immediately, Kris drew me into his world. He was quick to develop characters and set a stage for a grand fantasy adventure. Once we got further into the project, I discovered there was so much more to it. Rather than steal his thunder, I'll let Kris himself tell you more. More about himself, about his process, and about his books.

First thing I want to do is say hello to everyone who is a fan or friend of Laurie's. I am glad I met her, and glad that I had the opportunity to collaborate with her. If anything, I learned so much from her editing that it made me feel like I was back in grade school again. With The Attuning being my first book, I quickly learned form her that I still have to learn about writing. Honestly, my book would not read as well as it does now without her guidance. 

Okay, Laurie-praising aside, I wanted to introduce myself since this is my first book and my first guest appearance on her blog. I am Kristofer M. Hanson (Kris, preferably), and I am a 38-year-old proud father of a teen (never said it was fun, just proud) and have been a happily married husband for 18 years. Up until 2014, I proudly served my nation in the United States Air Force for 18.5 years, being honorably and medically retired as a Wounded Warrior and disabled veteran. I currently reside in Georgia, and my wife and I have swapped roles. She is pursuing her career while I maintain life as a house-husband. Having this new job and being retired this early in my life has given me the opportunity to pursue my passion for writing.

Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to write something fantasy-related. I would spend hours writing and crafting my own Dungeons and Dragons adventures for my friends and me to play. I was never brave enough to try and publish them in any of the various magazines that hosts these, but I would absolutely read and devour anything fantasy-related as I grew up. I joined the Air Force in 1996 and was kept pretty busy as I pursued my career there and fought in numerous conflicts like Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This whole time I had tried to write, and I kept putting ideas on paper and slowly created the world showcased in The Attuning. The story had been building for so long that when I retired and I sat down to type, it only took me two months to write the book, start to finish. 

The Attuning is the culmination of a world over a decade in the making. I wanted to do something unique, different than what I was used to reading in the typical fantasy genre. While R. A. Salvatore and Robert Jordan are my strongest influences, I wanted to create a world where fantasy and science fiction collide. The Attuning itself is heavy on fantasy, and light on science fiction, but this will change as I continue this first trilogy. I asked myself: What would happen if a fantasy-like culture collided head to head with a space-faring culture? I answered this question with The Attuning, and I plan on finishing the answer through the next two books.

Right now, I have finished the plot for the second book in The Athran Saga, and I am about to plot the third before I start writing the second. Finishing the first book was so fulfilling that I plan on keeping at it. So, my advice for the aspiring writer? Just write. No matter what, grab the keyboard or put pen to paper. Even if you feel it is crap, and you only slogged through a page, you are one page closer to being done. Basically, once you start writing, do not stop until you are done. If you choose to do it, do it every day. Disabilities and health issues aside, I could not ever think of doing another job other than writing. I have a story to tell, and I hope readers enjoy that story.

The Attuning released on August 1st, and I hope people will check it out. If you do, I am running a contest for people who read it. The details are on my Facebook page: Kristofer M. Hanson. In summary, the first three people to read my book and review it (thorough review, whether positive or negative) will receive a free autographed copy from me. With that, I want to say thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope I am able to spark your imagination with the world of Athran. Write on. 

Note: If you don't use Facebook, you can also contact me through GoodReads at Kristofer M. Hanson or through Twitter @TheKMHanson. 

Happy Reading!

Local Flavor or Culture Shock?

Oh my gosh! I'm writing about editing for a second week in a row. I can't explain it. I suppose I just felt the need. Anyhow...

I talk to my clients quite a bit about "vernacular." Basically, what that means is the way locals speak in their day-to-day lives. It's the less formal, regional speech.

As writers and/or editors, we need to be careful of how much local flavor we inject into our stories or we risk alienating readers. Let's face it; if a reader doesn't "get" what a writer is saying, all may be lost.

If you read last week's post, you already know that a writer with whom I work once (okay, maybe more than once) received a review that demanded I be fired for the numerous spelling errors in his book. You also know that the same book was written in the Queen's English, not American English, because the writer is British. Situations like this, I can not, and will not, change. I believe if an author is a Brit, then he should write like a Brit. Besides, the writer in question is fairly successful and becoming more popular. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

However, there are times when too much is simply too much. Especially (but not exclusively) with American writers. You see, this nation is so large that regional dialect can be as difficult to understand as when one moves between nations in Europe. Our ears must become accustomed to dialect, and even varying expressions, before we can fully understand our neighbors.

For an over-the-top example of local dialect, try reading Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence. Lawrence, in my opinion as both a reader and an editor, seriously overused the less educated accent in Oliver Mellors speech. I found the dialogue quite difficult to read. So much so that twenty years later, I still hold it out as a bad example. (I'll save Lawrence's misogynistic views for another time.)

We need to be aware that not everyone will understand our own vernacular and that we should inject it into our stories with some restraint. If your story takes place where you've lived your entire life, you will fully understand all of it, right? But think about the visitor to your home.

I'll give you some examples:

• In New England we call a particular dish "Chinese Pie," but most of the rest of the world calls it "Shepherd's Pie."
• "Goulash" or "Macaroni and Beef," in most of the country, is "American Chop Suey" where I come from.
• Order a "Sub/Submarine Sandwich," or a "Hoagie," or a "Grinder," and you'll get the same thing in various parts of the country.
• Do you know the difference between a "Shake" and a "Frappe"? There is none, except location.
• And let's go across the pond for a cup of "Rosie Lee," then return to the States for a cup of tea.

Although food choices are the easiest to spot, they do not hold an exclusive, for instance:

• In Oklahoma City, "Putting your boots on in the street" means you're rushing out of the house or on your way to your destination. In Boston, it means you're homeless.
• In Pittsburgh, something that "needs fixed" is broken and needs to be fixed.
• Most of the American South is "fixing to" do something, but the rest of the country is just getting ready to do it.

My point is that local flavor is a beautiful thing, but too much of a good thing will give your readers a belly ache.

Happy Writing!

I Fired a Client Today

Three times in my career, I have told authors to remove my name from their books. Actually, for those of you who may not "get" that statement, let me back up for a minute...

When an author publishes a book, he or she generally gives a nod to the editor with a short sentence on the copyright page or in the acknowledgments. Some writers will even list the editor on their Amazon page, so they share the byline in a search. For an example of that, click here.

The advantage for me is that good writers read. A lot. The hope is that they will read a book I've edited and seek out my services. The advantage for the writers with whom I work is that some readers actually care about the quality of what they read. A lot. The hope is that those readers will search my name on Amazon and find other writers with whom I've worked. Maybe the members of this small network can help each other.

THAT, my friends, is my motivation for maintaining high standards. I have a reputation for being a tough as nails editor with a singular focus: churning out the highest quality product of which the writer with whom I'm working is capable. My reputation is everything to me. I will not forgive poor quality or laziness.

If a writer hires me, it's generally because they know they will be pushed and challenged to do their best. However, I let them have a very long creative leash.

I will always forgive poor grammar if it means a passage reads better. I encourage using local vernacular in dialogue, but never in narration unless it's a first person POV. Even then, I keep that vernacular to a minimum. Too much flavor is simply too much.

So when a writer refuses to make changes, what do I do? That depends on the project and the writer.

Most changes I suggest are simply that: suggestions. Things like, "that seems a bit out of character for this guy," or, "this is worded awkwardly, can we try..." are really up to the author. I'm simply a practiced eye for what may or may not work.

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are generally non-negotiable. If ever I'm unsure about a grammatical error in a manuscript, I look it up. I do not stick to one specific style guide, although I do rely heavily on The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White (yes, THAT E.B. White). There's some wiggle room in those areas, but not enough to throw out the book. I'd rather have a good read than one with perfect grammar. An avid reader will call a writer out on poor grammar and spelling errors, but will generally forgive a few "mistakes" if the prose reads well.

(I once had a reviewer insist I be fired because of the plethora of spelling errors in the book he had just read. What the reviewer did not realize is that the author, and the language used in the book, was British.)

I don't normally butt heads with writers over these minor issues. I simply ask that if we are going to use toward, rather than towards, that we are consistent throughout the book, or the series. The strength of my insistence is based on my relationship, my history, with that particular writer.

I have worked extensively with certain authors like Bernard Schaffer and Tony Healey. Their edits these days are pretty much one quick pass that pulls out a few grammatical errors. They are more like proofreads than professional edits because both men have so richly developed their personal styles as writers, and I've watched it happen. I can spot any mistake either of them makes at a thousand yards. That's not to say we don't ever debate over content, but it doesn't happen as much as it does when I'm working with an author who is still green.

My job is to challenge the writer, to help him or her produce the best work possible. I am tough on all of them. And I will not "settle."

So, back to my original statement: Three times in my career, I have told authors to remove my name from their books.

The first was an author who hired me and refused to make any changes at all. The story was crap, underdeveloped, unrealistic, poorly written, and just plain bad. I called for what amounted to about a 90% rewrite. When I sent back the changes, she asked me when I was going to do the editing. Her publisher (a friend of mine who had referred her to me) and I tried to explain that I HAD done the editing.

No amount of back-and-forth could convince her that that was what editing was all about. I thought she expected me to make all of the changes. Turned out she was completely clueless and thought all I would do is proofread. (A freaking computer program can proofread, not as accurately as a human, but still...) I told her to make sure my name was nowhere near her book.

The second was a piece that was very good, but not quite ready. The author rushed to publish and put out what I considered to be sub-standard work. I knew he (we) could do better, but he didn't send the manuscript back to me. On the day I expected to find it in my mailbox, I saw his tweet announcing the release of the project. I sent him an email demanding my name be removed.

We worked it out and he made some additional changes. All is now well between us and he has agreed not to rush through projects just to publish. We now work with a set deadline for each project and if it's done early, great!

The third took place this past week. This author and I passed his manuscript back and forth for three months. During that time, he made minimal changes, and ignored numerous suggestions I made to improve his story. Because I told him his formatting was a mess, he made it plain that he expected me to fix it.

I spent hours researching for him, which is not my job. He had obviously done zero research into his subject matter. I even gave up a few hours of personal time to try to teach him how to edit in Word because he didn't know how.

When he sent me his final document, I emailed him back with (paraphrasing), "If you think this is your final draft, then please remove my name from your manuscript. I refuse to take the blame for its shortcomings."

So why am I airing my dirty laundry here on the blog?

I'm doing it because I feel it's important for newer editors to know that some things can't be fixed and it's okay to walk away from a job when you are feeling taken advantage of, or when it's putting you in a bad position. I'm also doing it so any writers might see the other side of the editing process.

That's not to say we, as editors, should strong arm our clients into doing our bidding, but sometimes there comes a point in any type of relationship when it's time for both parties to go their separate ways.

What are your thoughts on the editing process? Shout them out below.

Happy Editing!

Survey

Hey y'all! This week's post comes from my need to settle a debate between one of my favorite authors and myself. It is 100% self-serving, and I am fully aware of that fact, so please don't leave any negative comments to chastise me. ;)

I would like to know what my readers think about my writing vs. my editing. I mean, if you didn't like my editing, you wouldn't purchase the books my clients produce, so I have some idea of what you all are looking for when it comes to putting out a piece of fiction. But this time, I'm looking for a bit of feedback regarding bylines.

Have you read Tony's FFH series yet?
This collaboration is set in the same Universe.

Some of the books I've helped produce in the past couple of years required little more than a quick proofread and feedback session; others have required a complete rewrite. In fact, I sent back one novel recently that I did completely rewrite because the author just did not seem to be "getting it."

Having said all that, I'm going to let you in on the big secret. I've teased you a bit with my latest writing project. (No, I do NOT mean my latest crochet book.) I am collaborating with Tony Healey on what will likely become a 90K-word novel, sci-fi, of course.

In the past, my work with Tony (We fondly refer to them as Healiberte productions.) has received only editorial credit regardless of my level of involvement. Some pieces were super-quick and got barely a once-over because he was able to bang them together with ease; a few required much more effort on my part because I know his style, his potential, and his standards.

This latest is a true collaboration right out of the gate. It's 50/50, give or take. Now, I'm not a person who requires, or even wants, the spotlight, but I was working and thinking this morning, and I wondered which would sell better: a book bearing Tony's name as writer and mine as editor, or a book that showed both of us as co-writers.

So please, take a moment to chime in and give me your feedback below or in an email to kindleallstars at gmail dot com and let me know what you think. Are you more or less likely to purchase a book that has BOTH our names on the byline?

Happy Reading!

The Pros and Cons of Serializing

One of my favorite authors, and definitely my favorite client (but don't tell him I said that), Tony Healey, sent this to me a while back. Since he and I are possibly collaborating on a serialized novel this year, I thought it appropriate that I should finally share it with you, my fearless readers.

Also, I love to tease you all and figure I'd hold off on the shoulder strap tutorial for my latest handbag pattern until next week. That gives you plenty of time to finish the body of the bag before we get started with the strap.

So, here's Tony sharing some of what he's learned about publishing throughout 2013:

********************

The Far From Home series was about twelve months work, writing one part at a time. I'd read about Hugh Howey doing it with his Wool series, and how it'd caught people's imagination. Being new to this writing lark, I really didn't think I'd be able to write a 50,000 word novel to begin with. Now I could, but not back then. So I chose to write the parts between 10 and 20,000 words each. A reasonable amount of work to do in a month – though now my output is about 40,000 a month.

It was slow going. Tedious. I found I got half way through, reached number six, and didn't want to carry on. Why had I said it would be twelve installments?

WHY???

But I soldiered on, found my mojo again and finished it up. And you know what? It was a resounding success. Each part was a best-selling title. Aided by the fact that Part 1: Legend was made permanently free by Amazon, the series sold in droves.

Some people took umbrage to the fact they had to buy all twelve installments individually, but on the whole readers were receptive and supportive of what I was trying to do.

So should you try it?

I'd advise caution.

Firstly, yes, serializing your work is a great idea. What better way to build an audience (and necessary experience publishing on Amazon) than to do so over a twelve month period? That slow build, that gradual creation of a large piece of work seems like an uphill struggle at the time. But once you're there, you really discover you've achieved something. Not only have you written a long work of fiction, you've gained readers along the way. People emailed me, wrote messages on my site and twitter on a daily basis to tell me they liked Far From Home.

They still do.

But this leads to me second point. It's hard work. It takes discipline. You can't let them down. Once they start buying the first couple, readers expect to see it finished. And you owe them that. You're the storyteller. You can't take their hard earned cash with one hand and wave goodbye with the other.

See it through. As I said above, there was a point where I got disheartened. I didn't want to carry on. But I did. It was the only thing I could do (and the best thing I could do).

There's the financial consideration, too. You'll be making money as you're writing it. Who else gets to write a long novel and get paid by the chapter these days? Nobody. The whole year I was writing Far From Home, I made a steady income (that increased as each part was released).

Do I think you should write a novel first, then serialize it? No. Why would you want to? The whole idea is to write it as you go, bit by bit. I don't think it's fair on a reader to write the work first, then split it into chunks purely for financial benefit. Some reviewers accused me of just that. They didn't realize I was actually writing it as I went. I had a rough outline for each part and a list of characters. That's it.

However, I would recommend writing them a little in advance. Make sure you are a month ahead of where you need to be so that if you fall ill, or something else comes up, you don't let your readership down.

Have a site, let people know what's coming. Get readers involved in reading the parts before they come out. I wrote many of my readers into the series as characters. Designed catchy, branded covers that tell people in once glance what they are. As my pal Bernard says in his manifesto for independent authors, "Provide excellent value for fair cost."

What he means by that is give people a good deal. I published twelve installments of Far From Home at $0.99c each. When I finished the first three, I packaged them together and offered it for $1.99. I did the same with parts four, five and six. It was my way of providing a cheaper alternative as they read the series. When I had completed all twelve, I unpublished the first two volumes as they were no longer needed. I then put all twelve together as Far From Home: The Complete Series and priced it at $2.99. So to me, that's a saving to the reader of $9.

It would've cost them $12 to buy the whole thing. Now they can get it for a scratch under $3. About the same as a cup of coffee.

Fair cost.

So in short, here is my advice if you'd like to try your hand at writing and publishing a work of serial fiction.

1. Write as you go, and make each part no less than 10,000 words to provide value for money. $0.99 for 10,000 words works out at about a penny a page. I think that's fair.

2. Realize this isn't a ride you can stop once you get on. You're on for the duration, so buckle up. Don't short change people. Be resilient. Stay the course. If you've told people it's going to be in six parts, then you'd better deliver six parts that rock their socks off.

3. Experiment. I tried new things throughout Far From Home. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. I'm a better writer now than when I started with part 1; that's for sure. You learn the trade as you go. Stir things up, and always leave the reader hanging. I tried to leave things on a cliffhanger when I could, though I wasn't always able to. Carefully craft your ending so that people want to find out what's coming next.

4. Use bold, simplistic covers that communicate what the serial is. Have a brand. Have a look you've decided on, and stick with it. If the covers don't look like members of the same family, readers will find it hard picking them out of the crowd. Presentation is 99.9% of the sale. A book may not be judged by its cover, but I believe it is sold by it. Without a good cover, you're dead in the water.

5. Do not write the serial first, you're cheating the reader. And you're cheating yourself in the long run. It's a unique experience. Embrace it. Let it do it's thing.

6. Offer each part at the cheapest price possible, then when it's all complete give readers a huge discount. Remember that having an audience of people actually reading your work is more important (always) than making the maximum profit. Let everyone know you're not there to rip people off. You're there to write, and have what you've written be read and enjoyed. Don't be greedy and deny yourself the joy of having people appreciate your work and the effort it took to create it.

These are the pros and cons of serializing. In short, I believe everyone who writes should have a go. But always finish what you started. And know that it's a headache once you're doing it – though the end result is worth it. Follow my points and you won't go wrong. Be consistent, be professional, be a writer who values his or her readership, and you'll be fine.

If you're the opposite of those things, don't even attempt a serial. You're not dead in the water, you've not even left the dock yet.

********************

Tony's latest project, whose official launch is today, is Edge of Oblivion, an anthology to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Listen to podcast interviews conducted by contributor and author, David Hulegaard, here: http://bit.ly/1dmltXh

Happy Reading!

Maisey and Vitka and Shean . . . Oh My!

So in the very first days of the KAS, my anxiety was through the roof. I had just had my first short story accepted for publication and was working on publicity and learning the ins and outs of independent and self-publication. For the first time in my life I was completely without control, chasing a lifelong dream, and helping others along that same route.

Sound tough? It was.

Worth the effort? You bet.

Do it all again? Hell yeah I would!

Problem was I was having anxiety-induced nightmares. No big deal. I've had them all my life. We're old friends, these dreams and me. I still have them, especially when I'm having a lean month and am worried about exactly how the rent will get paid. That tends to be when I have some version of the dream where I'm back at Macy's slaving away for The Man in the form of a previous boss who was a complete [redacted].

But one dream . . . one dream was different. I dreamed the KAS gang was invited to SDCC (San Diego Comic Con) and in the midst of promoting anthology #5. That doesn't sound like a nightmare until you consider that I was the one charged with gathering the crew for a group photo shoot before the start of the official KAS party and I couldn't find my shoes! Not to mention, getting this gang together is like herding cats.

Anyhow, back to reality. My partner in crime, Bernard Schaffer and I are currently in the midst of recruiting for the third anthology we'll be producing together. At least I think we are. (April was a huge blur for me; perhaps I should check in with him.)

And here's where stuff gets cool: Bernard, along with my buddies (AKA the three stooges), authors Alexander Maisey, William Vitka, and Michael Shean, have been confirmed to lead a panel on independent writing and publishing at Philadelphia ComicCon on June 2 at 1 p.m. We're still unsure whether Joshua Unruh, or any of the other KASers will be able to make it.

BUT, if you are in the Philadelphia area, or headed there for ComicCon anyway, stop by to meet some of our boys. Rumor has it that they will have some KAS goodies to give away including swag provided by the legendary Harlan Ellison himself.

Cripes! I can hardly believe this is happening. Maybe that dream will come true after all. If it does, to heck with the shoes; I'll go barefoot.

Don't forget! Sunday, June 2, at 1:00 p.m.

Have fun, kids!

That's How Winning Is Done

It's no secret that my guest blogger is one of my most published clients as well as one of my favorite authors, one of my dearest friends, and my biggest fan. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that the moment I found out he was starting a promotion for his most successful series to date, I offered up a spot on my blog for him. But I'll let my buddy, Bernard Schaffer, tell you more. 

As independent publishing becomes less of a novelty and more of a viable option as a full-time career, you're going to see two things happen:

1. More and more people will pursue it.  There are a lot of frustrated, would-be, exasperatingly enthusiastic authors out there just dying to get their Great American Novel in front of an Oh-My-God-I've-Been-Waiting-For-This-Book-My-Entire-Life readership.

2. A lot of those people are gonna self-destruct.

Artists, by nature, are a curious lot. Hell, if they were social butterflies with robust and all-consuming personal lives there wouldn't be much time to set pen to page, now would there? Not to say all famous authors are geeks and shut-ins, but pull up the picture of any world class best-seller and take a good long look at it. Now imagine that person working at your local insurance agency. They dating any supermodels?

For many of us who were writing long before the advent of eBooks, rejection was the name of the game. Agents, publishers, magazines, zines, newsletters and websites were all good for one thing: letting you know you sucked.

It's been that way since the dawn of time. If you look back through history, somewhere there is a caveman showing off his hard-wrought pictograph story on a rock wall and a few irritated New York snobs standing behind him saying, "We won't look at this unless you're represented by someone we already know."

Anybody who faced all that rejection and still kept at it knows what an opportunity eBooks and digital distribution presents.

It's the rest of you whom I'm suspicious of.

Successful writing in this new era means a few things. It means consistency and quality. It means engaging the fans on a more personal level by way of all this social media floating around. Perhaps most importantly, it means being professional.

And that's where the self-destruction part comes in.

Like I already said, historically, writers aren't the super disco party starters. They're sensitive and cerebral and express themselves through the written word. In other words, perfect targets for trolls. You see, being so accessible to the world at large in an effort to engage your readership also means people can attack you in much more personal ways.

Some people just can't take it. I've seen Twitter rants, Facebook rants, forum rants, and responses to reviews on Amazon that would make you gag. Another poor schmuck suckered into looking overly emotional and unstable by an anonymous review. It's kind of like that old saying: Don't argue with an idiot, because from a distance … well, you know the rest.

Being a successful author in this day and age means that you are willing to stand naked in public. There are people who are going to laugh. There are people who are going to be cruel. It's just the way it is, and if you can't accept that, you're in for some serious heartache.

But not everyone will laugh.

Some will become devoted readers and allow you to share the worlds and characters you create with them, and pay you to do it. How many of them allow it and how many of them pay you is, ultimately, a reflection of how hard you work in the face of a few catcalls and anonymous snickering.

My mantra is, and always has been: Write hard, read hard. My writing was born deep in the fires of my being back when the only hope of anyone reading it meant finishing an entire novel, sending out dozens of perfectly-formed query letters, and praying for a response from some faceless demigod deep in the machine. It thrives now by way of a sheer miracle that lets me sell hundreds of books every month.

On Tuesday, March 19th, my entire Superbia series will be free on Amazon. The first book, the second book, and the non-fiction guide Way of the Warrior, all free. Anyone who knows my backstory knows the personal price I paid in order to publish these books. It was a lot. I still live with the consequences. But when I think back on that eager young man, pounding away on his typewriter, dreaming of the day someone might finally read his work, I don't regret it a bit.

If you are truly an author, you'll endure all of this. You'll pass through the fire and emerge a little less kind, a little less wide-eyed, and a little less naïve, but stronger than you ever imagined. All storytellers should know that any endeavor is a journey, filled with peril and adventure and mystery and no guarantees of success. Be brave. Work hard. Stay focused. Everything else is just mud along the road.

As my favorite fictional Philadelphian would say, "That's how winning is done."

B didn't say it, so I will. If you've already read his Superbia series, and you want more of Vic and Frank, you MUST check out his latest, Bad Day at Khor-Wa, the first in his new Grendel Unit series. (I LOVE Vic and Frank!) 

Happy Reading!

Are You Done Yet?-OR-Why I Don't Read Queries

Carnival of Cryptids
is currently available on Amazon for $2.99.
All proceeds benefit the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

I've upset more than one writer lately with the statement, "I don't read queries." Therefore, I thought I would explain my position. First, I should explain my own definition of what a query is and my own definition of what my job is.

Traditionally, a writer will complete the first five chapters, or a full outline, of a novel. They will send it, along with their resume or bibliography and a query letter, to literary agents and/or publishers. That's where it sits until it is (maybe) read by an agent or an acquisitions editor. If the reader decides the idea has merit and may be sales worthy, it begins the slow trek through the meat grinder that is the traditional publishing industry.

Far too often for my taste, I am mistaken for that type of editor. One who will tell you whether your manuscript is worth writing before you even write it. Far from it. I actually edit your work. I aid you in taking it from a polished manuscript to a finished novel. Therefore, I have no interest in seeing a query asking me whether it's worth finishing. If you are unsure whether your work is worth finishing, the answer is a very loud, "NO." If you are iffy or unsure about any of your writing, you are not ready to be an author. You need to man-up and grow a thick skin. Own your work and stick to it. Learn how to take criticism for what it is: one person's opinion; and then learn whether to change based on that criticism or press forward in the direction you've already chosen.

THAT, my friends, is when a writer is ready for my type of editing.

Still, I receive incomplete, timid, queries from writers who may or may not know they aren't ready yet. They want validation. They want someone to tell them that they're good enough before they finish writing their novel because they don't want to waste all that time writing it only to find out it sucks.

If you're that needy that you must be told you don't suck before you've even shown what you are capable of, then the answer is clear: you suck.

Now I've never read your manuscript or partial manuscript, but if you don't believe in yourself, then me telling you that you don't suck is not going to do you any good. Here's the scenario:

A writer sent me his first two chapters last May. He told me his intent was to get started with his editing some time in July or early August. Based on his sample and word count, I quoted him a price and made sure I would have time to work his piece when he sent it. I also followed up a few weeks later only to find out he hadn't written a word since he contacted me initially. My "validation" had made him so nervous he couldn't write. He was afraid that he couldn't live up to the praise I'd given him.

It could have gone the opposite as well. I could have hated it and told him so and he might never have written again just because one person disliked his style or didn't think he had what it takes to be a writer. Well, maybe that first manuscript doesn't have a ton of merit, but you learn from it, and you hone your craft, and you write a second manuscript, and a third, and you still don't edit or publish any of them because you know in your heart you're not ready. But that fourth manuscript ... that's the gem. Having someone else tell you the first one is terrible and then not writing anything after that without even trying is the biggest disservice you can do yourself and you are definitely not cut out to be a writer because you don't have the stick-to-it necessary to get you or your writing anywhere. Here's another one: 

A writer contacted me in late September. She wanted to know my rates and whether I was available. I told her the earliest I'd be able to take in a manuscript from her was possibly November. I suggested she take a look at my website and send me the information I needed and I would get back to her. She said she wasn't ready yet but she'd already made up her mind about wanting to work with me and would contact me when she was. Meanwhile, I could find her work on Amazon. Then nothing. [I'll stop the story here to tell you that I don't check out a writer's work on Amazon. I want to see a sample of what we'll be working on, not what you've already edited and published.] 

She contacted me again some time in November and asked if I was ready for her. Huh? I told her she needed to send me the information I asked for and make sure her manuscript was ready and maybe I'd be able to fit her into my schedule after the Holidays if I thought we could work together, but I wasn't making any guarantees until I'd seen her work. She said she'd be in touch soon, when she was ready. 

Around mid-January she contacted me again. She told me she was putting the final touches on the piece she wanted me to edit and was I available? Again I asked for the information on my website and explained that I was crazy busy and maybe could squeeze in a first edit around the 7th of February because another author I work with regularly was running behind. She told me to "pencil her in." I explained that only a select few authors with whom I work get "penciled in," and that's only because I know their work so well that I can often squeeze in their edits in mere hours rather than days. I explained (three times before she finally got it) that I still hadn't seen her work and would NOT give her an estimate until I had done so, and I needed to know that her manuscript was DONE before I would even look at a sample. 

She told me she would get me all the information and finish within the next day or so. 

As it turned out, I found myself overbooked by my regular clients by the 7th of February. I was also pretty ill and still struggling to keep ahead of the pace (a losing battle--I finally had to force myself to take some time off). Meanwhile, we are now nearing the end of February and I still don't have her sample, her information, or a finished manuscript from her.

Now you may argue that if I had "penciled her in" I would not have ended up overbooked, but I know full well that it's my nature to accept more work than I have time for, so I always make sure I can finish by an author's target date even if I can't finish by mine. So when I say I'm overbooked, it means I can't finish a project by the day I want to finish, not necessarily by the day it's due. I currently have one project that's truly behind (from my end -- I have plenty of projects behind from the writers with whom I work, but that's the business), and the author knows why, and he and I are working together.

So, if you are a writer, and I have ever insulted you by telling you I don't read queries, or to take a look at my website, perhaps you should check out my website and find out what it is I actually do.

Happy Writing!

We're Expanding!

I am crazy excited about this. I've gone on numerous times and talked about my job as the Head of Editing Services for the Kindle All-Stars organization, but nothing makes me happier than to say that we've built up enough of the business end to warrant pulling in a few associate editors to carry some of the workload. The details are below.

PROFESSIONAL EDITING SERVICES

Reliable, Affordable, Invaluable

• Suffering from one-star reviews?
• Readers complaining that your book was not proofread?
• High rate of return?

The single biggest complaint authors receive from readers is that their books are not properly edited. Let the Kindle All-Stars turn your book into the professional product it needs to be in order to compete. 

There is a glut of free books on Amazon right now, as well as .99 wonders that are leaving readers confused and desperate for quality reads. The simple fact is that if your book has not been professionally edited, it is not ready for publication. 

• What About the Cost?

Of all the investments you should make in your book, editing is the most important. There are multiple services out there that provide varying qualities and costs, but at the KAS we offer a pre-arranged fixed price and a proven track record.  

KAS editors will help your individual voice to shine through during the initial draft and provide a final proofread to make sure your book is publication-ready.

Contact Laurie Laliberte at KindleAllStars@gmail.com today to take the first step toward making your book a best-seller.   

For a current list of books edited by the Kindle All-Stars, see below.

Laurie Laliberte is the Head of Editing Services for the KAS. Read her essays about Editing to get a better idea of what to expect here and here.

SIMPLE FORMATTING FOR KINDLE AND NOOK

By Tony Healey:

"Burial" (Mar 2012) -- edit, proofread

"Dark Orb" (April 20112) -- edit, proofread

The Stars My Redemption (May 2012) -- edit, proofread

Double Feature (June 2012) -- edit, proofread

tutti frutti (July 2012) -- edit, proofread

Far From Home: Legend -- edit, proofread still in progress

By David Hulegaard:

"The Night Shift" (Jan 2012) -- edit, proofread

By Kindle All-Stars:

Resistance Front (Dec 2011) -- edit, proofread

By Laurie Laliberte 

"Fear of the Dark" (Apr 2012) -- edit, proofread

Quick Crochet for Kitchen and Bath (June 2012) -- edit, proofread

Strange Kisses (June 2012) -- edit, proofread

By Jon F. Merz:

Zombie Ryu (July 2012) -- proofread

By Shaina Richmond:

Safe With Me: Complete Collection -- edit, proofread still in progress

By Richard Roberts:

Wild Children, first edition (Oct 2011) -- final proofread

By Bernard Schaffer:

Guns of Seneca 6 (Oct 2011) -- proofread, minor editing

Ancient Rituals (Jan 2012) -- edit, proofread

Superbia (Jan 2012) -- edit, proofread

Codename: Omega (March 2012) -- edit, proofread

Superbia 2 (March 2012) -- edit, proofread

Simple E-book Formatting (May 2012) -- proofread

Magnificent Guns of Seneca 6 (July 2012) -- edit, proofread

By Susan Smith-Josephy:

Two as-yet unnamed short story collections -- edit, proofread still inprogress

By William Vitka:

Infected (coming soon) -- proofread, minor edits

Emergence -- edit, in progress

KAS 1.5 The as yet unnamed YA anthology

Yes! We're at it again. The Kindle All-Stars are now accepting submissions for our second anthology, working title KAS1.5. If you are interested in submitting a piece for consideration, all the information you need is below. If you have any questions, you may leave them in the comments section or email me at the address below.

proceeds will benefit Worldreader.org

All submissions should be sent to Laurie Laliberte at KindleAllStars@gmail.com.

Theme Guidelines:

This is a YA oriented collection that WILL be distributed to school children in Africa as part of a larger project called Worldreader.

Proceeds will benefit Worldreader.

Keep it clean. Absolutely no profanity will be allowed.

We're looking for about 10-15 never before published short stories fewer than 20 pages in length.

Submission Guidelines:

1.  ONE space after each word, comma, or semicolon

2.  TWO spaces after a period, question mark, exclamation point or colon

3.  ZERO spaces between words and dashes or hyphens

4.  QUOTATION MARKS are " NOT ' 

     ' should only be used for apostrophe and a quote within a quote

5.  PARAGRAPH INDENTS should be a single tab (or auto-indent) with no extra spaces and should not be made using spaces at all--check every indent in your story

6.  PARENTHESES are to be used as per this example:  (keep calm and carry on) notice there are no spaces between the parentheses and the letters

7.  PROOFREAD your own submission after its final edit is approved

8.  LANGUAGE--if you would normally write in the Queen's English, submit your story in the Queen's English, otherwise submit it in American English

9.  FONT should be Calibri set at 12 pts, double spaced

* If your version of WORD does not have Calibri, use Times New Roman

10.  BREAKS should have no extra empty lines and should be separated with ***

11.  ALIGNMENT should be to the left, not justified--please do not center your title or your byline

**  ALL DOCUMENTS should be in .doc or .docx format and double-spaced

Initial submissions that do not meet the guidelines may be declined.

Final submissions that do not meet the guidelines will be declined.

Please also provide the following:

--a clear photograph

--a 2 to 3 sentence bio that follows the formatting guidelines already discussed and written in third person

--any relevant links including your twitter, website and/or blog, goodreads profile, etc

Calendar:

March 2--submissions deadline

April 6--final edits due

April 20--manuscript to formatting

Target to go live is mid May, some time between Mother's Day and Memorial Day.

DO NOT ASK REPEATEDLY WHETHER WE HAVE A PUBLICATION DATE. THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS "NO."

Important Note:

Make sure your submission is as publication-ready as possible. We will not be doing line edits. It would behoove you to have an editor/proofreader look at your submission before you send it even if that's just another writer friend.

Promotion/Networking:

You will also be expected to assist in promotion of sales for the anthology both pre- and post-publication via social networking channels including twitter, facebook, goodreads, google+ and any other forums you normally use to promote your own work.

Your assistance will be requested to recruit beta readers to read and post reviews.

If you choose to become further involved in the Kindle All-Stars community, and would like to share contact information with other members, please let us know. This information will only be shared with other KAS members.

How I Blog

I hear the groans now, but please bear with me. The last thing I ever intended to do when I began this blog was blog about blogging, but I assure you, there's a method to my madness. As I've fallen in with more writers and bloggers in recent months I've found myself explaining my blogging methods repeatedly, so much so that my fingers are getting tired. So I decided it was time. It's time to write the dreaded blog about the hows and the whys of the blogging habits I've developed. 

Any of my regular readers know, if they've bothered to notice, that I blog on a (somewhat flexible) schedule. In general, my blog articles are scheduled in advance to post on Sunday morning at 8:00. There are times that I veer from that schedule, but I'll get to that later. Suffice it to say I'm fairly consistent in my blogging practices and it seems to suit my readers and me quite well. First I'll explain to you why I do it, then I'll explain to you how I do it.

The "Why" of It All:

When I first began blogging, I found myself full of ideas and wanting to share them and would post randomly any old time I was struck with inspiration. Then I got busy in other areas of my life and went an entire month without a single post.

I found I was giving in to practices I'd seen happen to many blogs. The blogger loses interest, or forgets, or just fails to find the time to blog in any sort of reasonable period. That, my friends, is the easiest way to lose your following.

If you lose your motivation to write your blog, your readers will quickly lose their motivation to read it. Sure, they may still show up as followers; they may even still receive emails telling them to visit your blog. The question is, are they reading it? You could have a million followers, but if your followers aren't readers, who cares?

At some point early in 2011 I decided it was time to schedule myself "blog time" and stick to it. Easier said than done. However, blog sites offer this wonderful feature that allows you to pre-program your posts. That means when I have all sorts of inspiration, I can bang out two, three, or four posts in an afternoon and schedule them to post based on my schedule. It also means I can draft "spares" and save them for those weeks when I simply do not have the time to deal with the blog.

The happy side effect of this is that virtually all of my blogging stress is now gone. I have a set deadline for every article and I have structure. You see, I'm not naturally organized; I have to work at it. By giving myself a deadline and a schedule, I force myself to remain organized.

The "How" of It All:

As I stated at the beginning of this article, I schedule my posts for Sunday morning at 8:00. Why that day and time? Because even if I have no time during the week, I can usually find a couple of hours on Saturday to sit down and write a post last minute if I need to do so (as I am currently doing with this one*). I also find that it's a great way to spend a Sunday morning. I wonder how many of my readers get up at whatever time on Sunday and spend a few minutes over their morning coffee perusing their favorite blogs and websites. I can tell you that I get quite a few hits throughout the day on Sunday and on Monday mornings.

Are you one of them? Let me know by leaving a comment. I'd love to know your reading habits so I can offer you more of what makes you return.

Now my blog has become a bit more diverse in the time since I started it, so I keep a schedule in my planner that tells me on which date I posted each entry. Because I tend to post crochet patterns, recipes, my own writing, and articles about my favorite pet project, the Kindle All-Stars, I have quite the realm from which to draw.

The last thing I want to do is beat my readers over the head with the same thing every week, so the calendar gives me a spot where I can say, "Okay my last recipe went up on this date and I'd rather not post more than one each month, so this one can go here..." You get it? I'd rather spread out and give you a little nibble here and there of each topic.

Yes, there are exceptions. There are always exceptions. April is National Poetry Month. I enjoyed dedicating that month to poetry this year. I like poetry. I write terrible poetry, but I still have a mind to share that love. Will I post nothing but poetry in April of 2012? I don't know. I haven't yet decided that.

A wonderful exception: A writer friend (Tony Healey) asked if I would post chapters of his latest novel in advance of its release. Of course, but we decided rather than post a month of chapters on Sunday mornings, we'd do a special mid-week edition instead. That series is coming soon.

Holiday exceptions: July 25, commonly known to retailers as "Christmas in July," fell on a Monday this year, so I posted on Monday instead. The same held true for Halloween because I wanted to "treat" my crochet-inclined readers to free patterns on each of those two days.

You see, even if you choose to blog on a schedule, there's no need for rigidity because, after all, it's still your blog. It's your path. Follow it as you see fit and figure out what works for you.

Sunset in Rimersburg, PA courtesy of Valerie Lapcevich

Happy Blogging!

*This post was inspired by a question from a pal on twitter after I made an offhand comment about blogging on a schedule. I knew there was no way possible to explain my habits in 140 characters, so I decided to delay the post I had originally planned for today. Incidentally, that tweep was writer Susan Smith-Josephy (@SuSmithJosephy).