Monthly Archives: November 2011

Guest Blog from Tony Hooper: Screw the courts! Justice is not negotiable.

Posted on November 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

[If you haven't read Tony's three previous posts, you can check them out here: first visit, second visit, third visit.]

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Lane Diamond has asked me to stop in and talk once more about my dilemma: Mitchell Norton—murderer, destroyer of dreams, the monster who keeps me up nights. Damn you, Diamond! I’m trying to forget about this stuff, but you just won’t let me. Why won’t you let me forget?

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June 7, 1995:

I hadn’t expected to see her—not now, not here. Special Agent Linda Monroe of the FBI decided to pop into Algonquin on the very day authorities released Mitchell Norton from prison. Not a coincidence.

She knows me too well.

We enjoyed a short reunion yesterday at Murphy’s Irish Pub, but it didn’t really go anywhere. Now we’re having breakfast, struggling to carry on a conversation, to engage in a little small talk, when we both know the unspoken reason she’s here.

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I occasionally drop my eyes lower and linger for a few seconds. I know I shouldn’t stare but….

Why isn’t she wearing a bra, damn it? Look at— Uh-oh!

She catches me staring. I have no idea the proper reaction here, but I’m sure my rooster-in-the-henhouse grin is not it. She doesn’t appear upset, at any rate. In fact, I’d swear she’s rather pleased, if not at my staring, then at least at the “gotcha” moment, which she has the good graces not to mention.

Her smile fades and she glances around the dining room at nothing.

Keep your eyes up, Tony. Eyes up!

She takes a deep breath and exhales a heavy sigh, and returns her gaze to me. “It would be an awful shame if I had to put you in custody, if I had to be part of an investigation that lands you in jail.”

I’ve been preparing for this. “The real shame will be when you have to notify the next of kin that Mitchell Norton has killed again.”

She comes up short, and pauses to sip her coffee while she considers a response. I have difficulty reading her expression—sad resignation, perhaps.

She strains through a low voice, “It’s not that simple.”

“No?”

“No. There are times when I wish it were, believe me, but the laws serve many purposes, and we mustn’t condone or encourage vigilantes.”

“Vigilantes?”

She rolls her eyes and looks at me as though…. Yeah, she knows.

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Well, shit! What should I expect? Sure, I saved her ass from Ronald Allen Stegman, serial killer, in California three years ago. She owes me, or at least thinks she does. But she’s a special agent with the FBI! How much can I expect her to put at risk for me?

I must get to Norton. I must! The challenge lies in doing so while navigating around Linda.

This could get complicated.

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Link to 1st 5 Chapters of: Forgive Me, Alex

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Posted in Forgive Me Alex, Tony Hooper

The Soft Sell versus the Hard Sell: Please Don’t Cram Your Book Down My Throat

Posted on November 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

I’ve been attempting, as a writer, to think more like a reader lately. Not too much of a stretch.

At issue is what to do when my psychological thriller, Forgive Me, Alex, comes out on December 20th. I mean, I can’t just release it and sit back, waiting for it to sell a million copies as if by some form of literary osmosis. If I want people to buy my book, and of course, I do, I’ll have to work at it.

Yet which are the best methods for promoting a book? There’s quite a lot of debate about this in the indie book world. Everyone agrees that the social media venues are important tools: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and so on. We all have our blogs. Then there are blog tours and interviews.

The problem I have—as a reader—is that it all devolves into a bunch of white noise. “Buy me!” “No, buy me!” “Hey, don’t listen to them. Buy me instead!”

Frankly, I get sick and tired of that crapola, and I really don’t want to treat those who engage with me online to that nonsense. Yet how shall I sell my book if I don’t… well, sell my book?

Perhaps I should take the softer approach. I might talk about the book on occasion, but nothing too heavy. I’ll ask Tony Hooper, protagonist, to stop by from time to time, as he has already on three occasions: first visit, second visit, third visit. I’ll try to engage people in meaningful conversation, some lively but friendly debate once in a while.

I think the best thing is just to let people know my book is available. Treat potential readers with a little respect. And let the chips fall where they may.

The begging, perhaps, will come later.

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Posted in e-Book Publishing, Promotion

A Question for Readers: How much does quality, professional writing matter; or is the story ALL that matters?

Posted on November 18, 2011 | 5 Comments

I’ve jumped into a discussion at The Passive Voice blog, and I’d like to expand on it here. I’m really gearing this question towards readers, but I welcome comments from writers too, provided you first put on your reader’s cap.

We all love great stories. That’s a given. However, is that all that matters to you? What if it’s poorly written, laden with grammatical errors and poor structure? Does that matter to you? How much? Where do you draw the line and forgive an author for poor writing?

Does moving, eloquent prose move you as a reader? If so, how much will you forgive a less-than-thrilling story?

Okay, so that’s more than one question… sort of two sides (or ten) of the same coin.

Please, I’d love to know your opinion on this.

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Posted in Client Discussions, e-Book Publishing

Tagged e-Publishing, Editing and Writing, Eloquent Prose, Evolved Publishing, Fiction Writing, Self-Publishing, Write Better

This was a difficult decision for me, but it made perfect sense.

Posted on November 17, 2011 | 6 Comments

I’ve decided to postpone the release of my novel, Forgive Me, Alex. I am now stating for the record (etched in stone, folks) that the release date for my psychological thriller is (Shouldn’t there be a drum roll or something?):

December 20, 2011

Yep, just in time for Christmas, so be sure to stay in touch with the big guy up north. To those of you who’ve been anxiously waiting for me to launch the book, I beg your patience for just a bit longer.

So why the delay? The simple answer is that I need a little more time to establish a coherent launch strategy. I’ll want to promote it, advertise it, market it, generate some buzz, make children weep in the streets and make real singers of Milli Vanilli… err, okay, maybe not those last things. I may also do all of this in a coordinated effort with two other authors from our Evolved Publishing team, who will be releasing books around (or exactly) the same date.

When releasing a new book, it’s not just about writing it and getting it out there, it’s also about managing the business end of things. And that requires more time and preparation than I’ve been able to devote to it so far.

So please hang in there, my friends. It’s not so far off, in the grand scheme of things. And believe me, no one is more anxious than I am. So stay tuned—more to come soon.

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Posted in e-Book Publishing, Forgive Me Alex

Tagged e-Publishing, Forgive Me Alex, Lane Diamond Author, Promotion

Hey, who doesn’t like awards?

Posted on November 16, 2011 | 4 Comments

Come on, we all love awards. Face it: nothing beats recognition from your peers for a job well done.

 These days, many organizations water down awards by giving them to everyone who participates, apparently making the point that if you have a pulse, you’re a winner. Okay, okay… I’ll not go down that road.

Still, we know a real award when we see it, usually because there are many entrants and few winners.

And so, I am pleased to announce that Kimberly Kinrade, one of our authors with Evolved Publishing, has won a Forward National Literature Award. If you go to that link and scroll down to the Second Place finishers, under Drama, you’ll find her book, Forbidden Mind.

I’m happy to say that I participated in that project as editor. The story is all hers, of course, but I made my own modest contribution. Fun! Gosh, awards are cool.

We’ve established Evolved Publishing around a few core philosophies, one of which is simple and unwavering: Quality Matters! I’d say Kimberly’s award is evidence that we’re on the right track.

‘Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn’t be lazy (or discouraged).

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Posted in e-Book Publishing

Tagged e-Publishing, Evolved Publishing, Fiction Writing, Write Better

Trying to Cash In on the Social Media Madness

Posted on November 16, 2011 | 2 Comments

How shall readers connect with those who write, and with their material? And how shall authors build a following?

It hardly matters what you do for a living, or which hobbies interest you, or which sports teams or movie stars or musical acts or authors you like—a social media presence is pretty much a given in modern life. Unless you live in under a rock, or you’re a seasoned citizen who never quite got the hang of them dang computer contraptions (in which case you’re not reading this anyway), you have at the very least a Facebook or Twitter account.

We communicate through the internet. That’s just the world we live in. Even if you only use it to “keep in touch” with that long lost brother who last phoned you in 1992, and who, on those rare occasions when he sees you, has to snap his fingers and scratch his head and say, “What was your name again?”

Yet it’s moved well beyond that. The internet is increasingly where we do business. We look for work on the internet, or seek potential new hires for our company. We study on the internet, or catch up with the news. And yep, we buy and sell on the internet.

Never has that been more evident than in the world of books. EBooks are revolutionizing the way we read and write. If you’re a booklover, you’re already finding old-fashioned bookstores harder to find—a trend that will continue. EBooks and eReaders are here to stay, and to that, brothers and sisters, I say, “Amen!”

For an author like me, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I must now spend a lot of my time not writing, but reaching out to readers. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the opportunity to communicate with those who like my work. I do. I mean, seriously, what author doesn’t want to hear from readers how his work has affected their lives?

Nonetheless, it’s more work—another ball we must juggle… or ten.

It means I must not only embrace the new technologies, I must also educate myself on their proper use. Opinions vary so widely on how best to do this, it seems largely a matter of trial and error for most. However, some folks have already established some expertise in this arena, and they can help you. One of those is Dan Zarrella, whose blog I heartily recommend.

For readers, the new market also considerably changes the dynamics. If you want to keep up with what authors are offering, to remain apace of all that’s happening in the world of books you love, you’ll have to stay tuned-in to various online activities. One of the communities that’s most geared towards readers’ needs is Goodreads. Here, not only can you discover what’s new in the world of books, you can also find out what other readers—potentially millions of them—think about specific books, and engage with them in an interactive community. If you’re a true booklover, you need to be on Goodreads. And I say that not as an author, but as a fellow reader.

You can also peruse reviews at the big eBook retailers such as Amazon (for their Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (for their Nook).

Naturally, where readers go, writers must go. It’s not that we’re stalking readers, it’s just that… well… okay, we’re stalking readers. Really, we just want readers to know about our work. How else can they make an informed decision about whether or not to buy it?

I’ve set up my own Goodreads Author’s Page, as well as a Publisher’s Page for Evolved Publishing, our indie publishing business. I have an Amazon Author’s Page too. Yes, I have a presence at social media sites everywhere (well, seems like everywhere). As an author, I can’t escape it.

Then, of course, there’s this blog, which provides a more detailed and more personal forum to connect with folks. All part of doing business in the 21st century.

Yet what is enough? What is too much? Should I drive, drive, drive people to buy my books, constantly hammering them over the head? Pfft! Like that won’t send readers running to the hills! As a reader myself, I hate that kind of constant barrage.

No, I think a softer approach is required, a gentle touch—followed by huge portions of patience and perseverance. I’ll be talking about the “Soft Sell” in an upcoming blog post, so please stay tuned.

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Posted in Client Discussions, e-Book Publishing, Forgive Me Alex

Tagged e-Publishing, Evolved Publishing, Fiction Writing, Forgive Me Alex, Lane Diamond Author, Reading, Self-Publishing

How Much Should I Study the Art and Craft of Writing?

Posted on November 15, 2011 | Leave a comment

Folks have asked me that question (the title of this post) more often than I can recount—mostly editing clients past and present, and members of writing groups I’ve participated in over the years. My answer is always this simple: As professionals, we never stop learning.

Learning comes in many forms, of course, but one of the important methods is the basic act of self-education, taking advantage of the ever-expanding library of books on the subject. I’ve read somewhere in the neighborhood of 70-80 of those over the past 30 years, many of them twice. I refer to a few of them repeatedly as reference guides.

Hey, there’s a lot to soak up.

The inevitable follow-up question has been this: “Hey, Diamond, if you had to pick just a few, which books would you recommend I start with?”

Everyone has their favorites, and many could, and surely would, offer alternatives to these, but here are my recommendations: Scroll down the page on the left, until you come to a section of book covers under the heading, “On WRITING: I Recommend these Books (Amazon).”

Each of those 8 books informed heavily my approach to both writing and editing. How strong has their influence been over the other 62-72 books? Or the thousands of articles I’ve read? I think the fact that I return to them regularly is all the answer I need give.

You would do well to absorb all eight of those books. Even if you can only start with one… start! Those covers are simple links to Amazon, if that helps. Or get them on eBay, or Barnes & Noble, or your local bookstore… but get them.

‘Til next time, and as always, remember: To write well, you must work hard. To succeed in this tough gig, you mustn’t be lazy (or discouraged).

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Posted in Client Discussions, Editor's Desk

Tagged Editing and Writing, Eloquent Prose, Freelance Editor, Write Better

Free Copy of Stephen King’s eBook – 11/22/63

Posted on November 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

I have exactly one free copy of Stephen King’s new eBook, “11/22/63″ available, compliments of Simon & Schuster by way of Klout. This is strictly a first come/first serve opportunity. Once a lucky winner gets it, the link will no longer get you the book.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COPY (Link Deactivated)

Whoever the lucky winner is, please leave a comment on this post so I know. Thanks, and enjoy!

SOLD! Congratulations, Destiny.

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Posted in Promotion

Tagged Promotion

Blog Tour de Troops (Win Prizes, Support the Troops and Vets)

Posted on November 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

 I shall step aside and allow Terri Giuliano Long, author of In Leah’s Wake, to have this blog for a very special VETERAN’S DAY event. No purchase will be necessary, just a few minutes of your time to post a comment at Terri’s blog. Please show your support, as we must never forget our troops and vets.

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“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Winston Churchill

This weekend, November 11 – 14, Terri Giuliano Long, author of the bestselling novel In Leah’s Wake, joins 50 indie authors in Blog Tour de Troops, a charity blog hop sponsored by the Indie Book Collective.

To celebrate, Terri is hosting Emmy-winning film editor Nina Gilberti, currently a full-time editor for the hit CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. Nina is also an indie filmmaker. On Terri’s blog, Nina talks about her upcoming documentary, When Jane and Johnny Coming Marching Homeless, a powerful film about the horrors faced by some veterans upon their return home after war.

“In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield.”
Douglas MacArthur

Did you know that one-third of the people living on the streets are veterans who served in the Vietnam War?

COPYRIGHT (C)2011 JAM ON TOAST PRODUCTIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

In addition to physical homelessness – whether couch surfing, living in a car or existing on the street – many vets also face emotional, psychological, and spiritual homelessness. While they may seem fine on the outside, within they struggle with the hidden wounds of war – issues like Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD), nightmares, hyper-vigilance, meaning they are on high alert all the time, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), drug & alcohol abuse and addiction, prescription drug addiction – resulting in high divorce rates, joblessness, spousal abuse, and suicide. Naturally, these life-altering problems also affect the spouse, children, and parents of veterans.

COPYRIGHT (C)2011 JAM ON TOAST PRODUCTIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

With her film, When Jane & Johnny Come Marching Homeless, Nina hopes to inspire our nation to care, to generate real compassion – and perhaps create a movement towards profound healing and understanding for these veterans and their families.

Blog Tour de Troops

This Veteran’s Day Weekend, November 11 – 14, 50 indie authors are participating in a daisy chain blog hop to support U.S. troops. Anyone who leaves a comment on a participating author’s blog will receive a coupon for a free eBook  – plus the author will give a free eBook to one active-duty U.S. troop. This means you have a chance to collect 50, yes 50, FREE eBooks.

For details and a list of participating authors, please visit the Indie Book Collective.

AMAZING PRIZES

Leave a comment on Terri’s blog and receive a coupon for an In Leah’s Wake eBook – for every comment, Terri will also give a free eBook to an active-duty troop.

PLUS, just for leaving a comment, you’ll be entered in a random drawing for one of these amazing prizes:
FIRST PRIZE – a $ 50 Amazon gift card, a copy of the Criminal Minds script for episode 701- the season seven opener written by executive producer and writer Erica Messer, SIGNED BY MS. MESSER AND THE ENTIRE CM CAST, PLUS an autographed photo of the Criminal Minds cast!
SECOND PRIZE (total 3) – autographed photograph of the Criminal Minds cast!

WIN A CARE PACKAGE FOR YOUR FAVORITE SOLDIER

With your comment, leave the name of a U.S. troop and he or she will be eligible to win an awesome care package, consisting of:  $ 100 Amazon gift card, a boxed video set of Criminal Minds, Season 6, PLUS an autographed photo of the CM cast!

* Winners to be determined by a random number generator, using random.org.

To learn more about the film When Jane & Johnny Come Marching Homeless and to enter the raffle, please visit Terri’s blog.

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Posted in e-Book Publishing, Promotion

Tagged Charity Event, Veterans Day

eBook Pricing – The Market Is Still Sorting Itself Out

Posted on November 10, 2011 | 1 Comment

Kristen J. Tsetsi has posted an article at her blog, The Cost of Kindle Books – Pay up or Shut Up, which has drawn quite a lot of discussion. If you’re an author or a reader, I recommend you check it out. I’ll first post my response below, and then I’ll expand just a touch at the end.

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This clearly displays the frustration on the part of authors who are not making a heck of a lot of money. The problem is exacerbated, of course, BY AUTHORS. Every time an author gives away her work, another author feels pressured to do the same in order to compete. Authors have been giving away their work forever. Anyone tried to place a story in a literary magazine lately?

I think authors should never — and I mean NEVER — work for free. Do plumbers work for free? Do teachers work for free? A loss-leader promotion to drive traffic to other products is one thing, but simply giving it away is nuts.

However, eBooks should cost significantly less than a paperback; the economics of production are a guiding factor in the pricing of any product. As an author, I can make more on my $4.99 eBook than I could make on my $27.99 hardcover through a traditional publisher. And I can “produce” it with far less up-front investment, in far less time.

Ultimately, the market will decide (and yes, that means the buyers) what a product is worth. Authors can help themselves by not giving away their work and establishing those expectations, but they must respond to market conditions. As for me, I’ll be selling my eBook for $4.99, because I think that’s a fair price all around. That means J. won’t be buying my book, but I can live with that.

In fact, that $4.99 price point is the amount above which I’ll likely balk at buying an eBook. I might pay more, but man, it would have to be something special. We all have our limits.

And to the publishers who price their eBooks at the level of their paperbacks, thereby asking eBook buyers to SUBSIDIZE their paperback business, I say, “No thank you very much.”

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It’s important, particularly for indie authors who are wading into “business” for the first time, to understand the dynamics of market response. The customer is king. Always.

At some point, if authors are unhappy with the customers’ decisions about what they’re willing to pay, they’ll have a difficult decision to make: A) Price it lower to meet customer demands, and to sell more books, or; B) Keep the price up, and settle on the fact that they’ll sell fewer books.

Either is a legitimate approach, driven by the author’s true goals. I think that, ultimately, holding the price up, but having a large selection to offer your readers, will be the key. Yes, you may sell fewer copies per book, but the sheer number of books you offer will ramp up your income.

I am loath to give away my book, after spending 5 years toiling over it, and I’ll likely choose Option B above. I plan to price my eBook at $4.99, which I think is eminently fair—an absolute bargain.

Indeed, as co-owners of Evolved Publishing, D.T. Conklin and I have concluded that $4.99 should be the regular, non-promoted price for all our books. Some of our authors may feel differently at times, and we’ll allow them some flexibility, but I think anything higher is inappropriate in most cases, and anything less begs the question, from a business perspective: Why bother? Every business asks that question at the beginning, and again each step along the way.

For readers too, that last question must be part of the decision-making process about what to buy, and how much to pay. If you want great books from great authors, you’ll have to pay enough to make it worth their while. Yes, you can get a lot of eBooks today for $0.99-$2.99. Have you sampled some of those? I have, and I’ve not been terribly impressed. Ultimately, in this business as in any other, you get what you pay for. In my experience, the best books are those selling for $4.99-$7.99. And guess what? Many of those authors are succeeding nicely.

The issue isn’t price alone; it’s about value. It’s a subject I’ve addressed in two previous posts: Quality Matters and Quality Counts when Publishing eBooks.

I think we’ll be sorting out this eBook pricing thing for a couple years. The entire market remains in a state of flux. Ask 20 people what they think, and you’ll get several different answers.

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Posted in Client Discussions, e-Book Publishing, Forgive Me Alex

Tagged e-Publishing, Evolved Publishing, Forgive Me Alex, Lane Diamond Author, Self-Publishing