Archive for December, 2014

Publish Smart

Saturday, December 27th, 2014

I’ve been lax about posting this month. I apologize. But if there’s something you need from me, you can always email me: PLFry620@yahoo.com. Or post a comment/question here. I’ve actually been busy working with a couple of clients, responding to questions from other authors, and doing what I constantly harp on you to do—promoting my own books.

I’ve also taken time out to work on my Klepto Cat Mystery book 9 and celebrate the holidays with my growing family. Along with the launch of 6 new Klepto Cat Mystery books this year, we welcomed five new babies, including a set of twins. Don’t you know, we had a Merry and Jolly Christmas?

If you’re a budding author who has a book you want to publish or one you are promoting, be sure to use your Amazon gift certificate or that gift card to purchase a copy of “Publish Your Book,” or “Promote Your Book” by Patricia Fry. Both are available at most online and downtown bookstores. They’re at Amazon in print, audio, and for your Kindle. Or purchase the print copies here: http://www.matilijapress.com.

Publishing is easy these days. Publishing smartly takes some careful consideration. And producing a successful book takes a whole lot of time, thought, and energy. Most authors in today’s publishing climate fail. And that’s because most authors don’t understand enough about the publishing industry and how to successfully navigate this highly competitive field. The books mentioned above can help those of you who want a successful outcome and who are willing to conform enough to make it happen.

 

Posted in Authorship | No Comments »

Can Other Authors Help or Hinder Your Publishing Experience?

Monday, December 15th, 2014

How valuable are other author’s experiences? Often, when you attend a writers conference or writers group meeting, the program consists of other authors sharing their publishing experiences. Sure, if you’re new to publishing, you should be listening to the experiences of others, but to what extent are these useful?

Here’s my take on this subject: Okay, so you attend a couple of writers group meetings and hear a handful of authors talk about their publishing path. You may also chat with other authors in the audience during the break. This is good, unless you put too much credence in the wrong place. In other words, not every author is making good decisions and most authors are not experiencing success. If you’re a new author, you may not recognize the difference between good advice and bad.

Some new authors listen to others until they find someone they can relate to. If you want to produce a book and not get involved in promoting it, you’re liable to follow the advice of authors who claim to do little promotion and get big sales. Maybe you’re seeking reasons to go with a certain self-publishing company. If you talk to many authors, you’re bound to find one or two who will tell you what you want to hear about that company.

So how valuable are the stories other authors tell? Extremely, if you will also do your own research. Sure, listen to what other authors have experienced. This could save you money and heartache. But also listen to experts in the field—attend their workshops, read their books, subscribe to the newsletters they contribute to, follow their blogs, etc.

As you will discover, authors who have walked the walk are experts in their own experience only. Professionals who have written and published numerous books, who have been embedded in the industry in some way for years, who have done and continue to do research related to the industry, and who write and teach other authors have much more to share. Compared to the professional, the one- or two-book author has limited experience and knowledge.

If you seek answers, resources, and advice, sure, listen to other authors, but always follow this up by conducting your own research—and a big part of that is tapping into what the professional can bring to the table.

Posted in Authorship, Publishing | No Comments »

The Creative Process

Saturday, December 6th, 2014

I promised that I would talk about my creative process in my next blog post. As I wrote in my post dated December 3rd, when writing nonfiction, I’m guided by my readers. I still consider readers as I pursue my new adventure in fiction. Certainly, I want my stories to be interesting and suspenseful enough to keep them reading. I want them to like my likable characters and dislike those with less-than honorable motives. I want to move them to tears and laughter and I hope to make their reading experience a pleasant one.

I’m often asked where I get the ideas for my stories and how I can write an entire book telling a story of many twists and turns.

I understand that some authors turn to software, website prompts, their writers’ group members and other methods to come up with stories. I’ve had editorial clients tell me that this is the only story they’ll ever write—they have no more stories in them. I seem to be in a different category. I bubble over with story ideas. I’m writing book 9 of my Klepto Cat Mystery series.

For me, it’s fairly easy to come up with a them. In my book 8 (soon to be published), I took my characters (including the kleptomaniac cat) to the beach for a vacation. I brought in an old friend of the main characters and put him in peril. He’s an artist and operates a gallery in the beach community. Of course, there is an unknown escape route for the cat and he goes about his business digging up clues in new, interesting, and sometimes humorous ways.

How do I create a storyline and insert the details that make it a cozy mystery? I generally determine the shell of the story. I decide which characters will be involved in this one and I start putting it on paper (well, in the computer). As I write the first draft, I include incidents and innuendoes that hint at the mystery. But it’s during my second, third, twenty-seventh draft that I insert the scenarios that bring the mystery and the story together in a cohesive manner.

I might decide that there’s not enough action in the first 30 pages, and I go to work devising a distraction or I embellish a situation or I might create a new issue for the characters to deal with. For example, as I worked on the third or fourth draft of The Gallery Cat Caper, I realized that Rags, the cat, had been idle for too long while I introduced the story, the setting, and the new characters. So I had an unsuspecting guest let him outside and he brought back a bathing suit top. This didn’t play into the core mystery, but it reminded readers of Rags’s MO and created some interest. I hope it also made readers chuckle.

The bottom line, I think, in coming up with stories is life and living—paying attention to people and the stories they tell as well as the stories you live. In my case, I also watch my cats and often bring in antics and scenarios from their furry repertoires into my stories.

Do any of you readers write fiction? How do you come up with story ideas and how do you develop them? What is your creative process?

Posted in Creativity | No Comments »

Reading Your Readers’ Minds

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014

I’m often asked how I come up with ideas for my books and articles. When I was writing nonfiction, it was easy. I spent a lot of time out among my potential readers and I knew what sort of information, support, and resources they needed and wanted. I met them at writers events and book festivals. I followed their message boards. I read the books and articles they read and knew what was missing. I listened and I learned. I wrote for my audience.

No matter what type of writing you do, you write to be read. So it is always important that you keep your audience in mind when you choose a topic and as you compile and/or write your book.

I’m writing a lot of fiction now and my methods for coming up with story ideas are a little different. I still want to be read, so I still must write for the reader. But it is up to me—as the author—to devise/contrive a story that my audience will want to read.

I write cozy mysteries involving cats. It’s my job to entertain, delight and maybe challenge and touch my readers. The story can take place anywhere and I can follow just about any theme, but I’d darn well better be able to make readers feel something. While some of my readers enjoy the antics of the cats I write about, others are interested in the mystery aspect. Readers want to love or hate your characters. They want an emotional experience. Some are addicted to the mystery aspects. Most who read cozy mysteries want a fast, uncomplicated, relaxing read. Some who read cozies with cats, want a very real experience with the cats in the story. And readers can be ruthless in their critique of books within their favorite genres. They have expectations and you’d better meet them. On the other hand, some readers resent cookie-cutter books.

So here I am telling you authors to write for your particular audience, and then I reveal the truth—that not all of your readers are looking for exactly the same experience. This does present a challenge for authors. It boils down to the old and true adage: You can’t please all the people all the time, as is proven in the ratings and rankings our books get at Amazon and GoodReads, etc.

So what is an author to do? Only the best that he or she can within the limitations and the boundlessness of their chosen genre.

I started out to talk about creativity this morning, but ended up going a different direction. I’ll blog about my creative process later in the week.

 

Posted in Writing | No Comments »