These days, amongst millions of published novels, a writer has to hustle their books to shift them. Even big book publishers use new tactics to ensure a novel reaches plenty of readers. Recently, I read about a major publisher issuing meal invitations to guests along with a copy of their latest book. Although they weren't buying loyalty, the publisher used marketing to achieve sales in a more focused way.
It's a hard business, writing novels. After years of working out a good plot and building believable characters, editing, going over and over your words until they are the best you can make them, you have to market the books as best you can alongside millions of other authors. How can a writer reach more readers? That's the question authors toss around. Nobody has the answer.
Nothing beats fiction writing as an enjoyable, legal pastime. I guess that's why so many people are self-publishing their efforts. At Solstice Publishing, we authors get together on a facebook group. Leaders pass on tips for reaching more readers, and writers share ideas.
It's a hard business, writing novels. After years of working out a good plot and building believable characters, editing, going over and over your words until they are the best you can make them, you have to market the books as best you can alongside millions of other authors. How can a writer reach more readers? That's the question authors toss around. Nobody has the answer.
Nothing beats fiction writing as an enjoyable, legal pastime. I guess that's why so many people are self-publishing their efforts. At Solstice Publishing, we authors get together on a facebook group. Leaders pass on tips for reaching more readers, and writers share ideas.
Here, several of us have joined together to answer questions about the way we write and share our background. My link came from Edith Parzefall, the wonderful German author with whom I wrote the published Higher Ground series. http://edith-parzefall.de/ The titles for the post-apocalyptic novels include Wind Over Troubled Waters, Knights in Dark Leather, Golden Submarine & Long Doom Calling, which you can see on the sidebar along with the novels I wrote alone, Still Rock Water and Tidal Surge.
You might be interested in how we handled the collaboration between England and Germany. We worked very fast and emailed each scene to the other before she wrote the next one. At the start, we picked characters. We tried to keep them distinctive, although we went over each others work constantly.
I’d made a start on the first book and Edith jumped in and continued. She knew my style because she edited my first book Still Rock Water. She’s much better at action scenes than I am, so I was glad she chose the men. I did all the individual profiles, but Edith chucked them out the window as their personalities grew. All the characters, based on those from the Moonstone series, get another chance at redemption and of course experience karma. Chuckle! Now for the Q & A.
You might be interested in how we handled the collaboration between England and Germany. We worked very fast and emailed each scene to the other before she wrote the next one. At the start, we picked characters. We tried to keep them distinctive, although we went over each others work constantly.
I’d made a start on the first book and Edith jumped in and continued. She knew my style because she edited my first book Still Rock Water. She’s much better at action scenes than I am, so I was glad she chose the men. I did all the individual profiles, but Edith chucked them out the window as their personalities grew. All the characters, based on those from the Moonstone series, get another chance at redemption and of course experience karma. Chuckle! Now for the Q & A.
What am I working on?
At the moment, I'm editing the third book in the Moonstone series. The way I do it is to write the first draft, and set it aside for at least six months. Then, I send it to a couple of other writers. Using their feedback, I go over it with a fresh mind and sort out the plot. Why do I always make the stories so complicated? Anyway, once I'm happy, I read the whole thing out loud, which helps to find word echoes and inconsistencies. Finally, I submit it a chapter at a time to the novels list at the Internet Writers Workshop. After a final read out loud, I'll submit it to my publisher, Solstice Publishing.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
The main way my story differs from another writer's is in the word choice and that unique voice we all possess. Beside that, nobody else would write about a similar subject. The story is based on a star moonstone ring with links to the past, a unique character, and her set of beliefs. After all, who would give a perfectionist heroine a series of tests during visions that anyone would have difficulty with?
Why do I write what I do?
I believe that the basic good in each person will emerge in the end, despite the hardships—or maybe because of them—life throws onto the path. I like to puzzle out how a certain personality will handle a particular situation.
How does my writing process work?
When I have an idea, I start writing, filling in points and details as they present themselves. With my first book Still Rock Water, I removed thousands of words at the beginning before I had the real start to the story. But nothing's wasted. Everything forms the background for the character. The joy comes from the creation of a story.
Next week, three of my chosen authors will share the way they write.
Authors Mel Massey, KC Sprayberry & Carl R. Brush. Let me tell you a little about them.
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Mel Massey is a novelist and the author of Earth’s Magick. She has studied Cultural Anthropology and the History of Religion. Her husband, SGT. Maroni with 988th MP Company serves in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. She is also the mother of her own two adorable monsters. She spends most of her time talking to her imaginary friends.
https://www.facebook.com/melissa.masseymaroni
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KC Sprayberry loves reading, but not as much as she loves writing stories for young adults and middle-graders. Her interest in telling her stories goes back to her high school years, where she excelled in any and all writing classes. After a move to the northwest area of Georgia, she dove into this pursuit full-time while raising her children. While she spends many days researching areas of interest, she also loves photography and often uses it as a way to integrate scenery into her work.
blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.co.uk/http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.co.u
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carl R Brush has been writing since he could write, which is quite a long time now. He grew up and lives in Northern California, close to the roots of the people and action of his historical thrillers, The Maxwell Vendetta, and its sequel, The Second Vendetta. A third volume of the trilogy, Bonita, set in pre-gold-rush San Francisco is completed and awaiting publication.
You can find Carl living with his wife in Oakland, California, where he enjoys the blessings of nearby children and grandchildren.
Journals in which his work has appeared include The Summerset Review, Right Hand Pointing, Blazevox, Storyglossia, Feathertale, and The Kiss Machine. He has participated in the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Tin House Writers’ Workshop.
Blog: Carl R Brush http://www.writerworking.net/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the moment, I'm editing the third book in the Moonstone series. The way I do it is to write the first draft, and set it aside for at least six months. Then, I send it to a couple of other writers. Using their feedback, I go over it with a fresh mind and sort out the plot. Why do I always make the stories so complicated? Anyway, once I'm happy, I read the whole thing out loud, which helps to find word echoes and inconsistencies. Finally, I submit it a chapter at a time to the novels list at the Internet Writers Workshop. After a final read out loud, I'll submit it to my publisher, Solstice Publishing.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
The main way my story differs from another writer's is in the word choice and that unique voice we all possess. Beside that, nobody else would write about a similar subject. The story is based on a star moonstone ring with links to the past, a unique character, and her set of beliefs. After all, who would give a perfectionist heroine a series of tests during visions that anyone would have difficulty with?
Why do I write what I do?
I believe that the basic good in each person will emerge in the end, despite the hardships—or maybe because of them—life throws onto the path. I like to puzzle out how a certain personality will handle a particular situation.
How does my writing process work?
When I have an idea, I start writing, filling in points and details as they present themselves. With my first book Still Rock Water, I removed thousands of words at the beginning before I had the real start to the story. But nothing's wasted. Everything forms the background for the character. The joy comes from the creation of a story.
Next week, three of my chosen authors will share the way they write.
Authors Mel Massey, KC Sprayberry & Carl R. Brush. Let me tell you a little about them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mel Massey is a novelist and the author of Earth’s Magick. She has studied Cultural Anthropology and the History of Religion. Her husband, SGT. Maroni with 988th MP Company serves in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. She is also the mother of her own two adorable monsters. She spends most of her time talking to her imaginary friends.
https://www.facebook.com/melissa.masseymaroni
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KC Sprayberry loves reading, but not as much as she loves writing stories for young adults and middle-graders. Her interest in telling her stories goes back to her high school years, where she excelled in any and all writing classes. After a move to the northwest area of Georgia, she dove into this pursuit full-time while raising her children. While she spends many days researching areas of interest, she also loves photography and often uses it as a way to integrate scenery into her work.
blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.co.uk/http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.co.u
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carl R Brush has been writing since he could write, which is quite a long time now. He grew up and lives in Northern California, close to the roots of the people and action of his historical thrillers, The Maxwell Vendetta, and its sequel, The Second Vendetta. A third volume of the trilogy, Bonita, set in pre-gold-rush San Francisco is completed and awaiting publication.
You can find Carl living with his wife in Oakland, California, where he enjoys the blessings of nearby children and grandchildren.
Journals in which his work has appeared include The Summerset Review, Right Hand Pointing, Blazevox, Storyglossia, Feathertale, and The Kiss Machine. He has participated in the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Tin House Writers’ Workshop.
Blog: Carl R Brush http://www.writerworking.net/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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