Being An Author - A Natural High

 

Yesterday my computer decided to die, taking a number of files I had not backed up with it. I really should be in tears.

 
Plus, I recently purchased a new set of eyeglasses. Now I hear that I probably need a cataract removed, which will probably change my prescription and lead to the need for different glasses, aka a need to spend more money.

And yet, I can’t get too upset about thosethings or anyhing else. I have an ear-to-ear smile is painted on my face. (Don't tell me that's a cliche'd saying, i happens to be 100% true today,)

Why? Because my ARCs have arrived!! I have copies of my new book, Unlawful Orders, in my hands. And they look wonderful!!

This is it, I feel it every time one of my books is published. It's an old fashioned, natural high.

 

Being an author means going through a gamut of emotions, at least it does for me.  Someone once said writing a book and getting it published was like running a marathon. I agee, as long as you include all the time spent training and preparing for those 26 plus miles.   There's getting the idea, and then spending time and energy getting to know the characters. There's writing the first word, and the next; a paragraph and then a chapter. I alternate between thinking I'm doing a good job, and then I hit "the wall." That point in the marathon where I wonder if I have lost my mind. 

Then I turn the manuscript in to my editor, who has to be the nicest person in publishing, because she tells me she loves it. She publishes it. And now she has sent me copies, and I can see  this thing that began as an idea in the back of my head, right in my hand.

Things might be aweful tomorrow. Reality does have a way of doing the unexpeced just to show me whose boss.  But for now, I'm flying, just like the characters in this biography!

The Difference Between Beta Reads and ARCs

by Madelle Morgan

I was spurred to write this post because another author expressed deep unhappiness that one of her beta readers posted a poor rating and review on Amazon based on the pre-edited beta version of her novel.

It's well known that authors expect (hope?) that readers and bloggers will write reviews in exchange for free advance reader copies (ARCs). However, authors certainly do not want beta readers to post reviews of an unpolished version of the novel! 

So what is a beta reader? I suspect the label was adapted from beta tester. The process of beta testing is part of software development.

Beta Test - Merriam-Webster definition: A field test of the beta version of a product (such as software) especially by testers outside the company developing it that is conducted prior to commercial release.

Beta tests of software have the goal of finding bugs; i.e., things that don't work well. In the beta stage, the hope is not to have to start from scratch, but rather to find and fix problems.

Indie authors have adopted the concept of a quality check of their products (novels) before publication. They have been immersed in the book through successive drafts and many changes. It's difficult to step back and identify problems. These authors seek fresh eyes, aka beta readers.

Beta Reader - Wikipedia definition: An alpha reader or beta reader is a non-professional reader who reads a written work, generally fiction, with the intent of (improving) elements such as grammar and spelling, as well as suggestions to improve the story, its characters, or its setting. Beta reading is typically done before the story is released for public consumption. Beta readers are not explicitly proofreaders or editors, but can serve in that context.

Elements highlighted by beta readers encompass things such as plot holes, problems with continuity, characterization or believeability. The beta reader might also assist the author with fact-checking.

Novel Development Process

Crafting a novel is an iterative and lonely process. Authors ask themselves, does the book meet my fans' expectations? Is the story captivating? Are the characters believable? Doubts can creep in as we hunch in our writing caves for weeks or months rewriting successive drafts. For confirmation that the book is on track, during the development stage authors may work with critique partners or pay for a professional developmental edit.

After the novel is substantially complete, authors usually proceed to hire a copy editor, line editor and/or proofreader. Increasingly, however, some indie authors first ask trusted readers for feedback—the beta read—prior to polishing and copy editing.

Beta reads of a novel generally fall after substantial completion, but before polishing and copy editing. That is, the plot and characters are set, but aspects such as character development, goals, motivations and conflicts, and other details may still need polishing. Scenes may need to be added or rewritten to clarify confusion or build tension. Story questions may need to be answered.

The stages of writing a novel could look something like this:

1. Development draft(s) 
2. Developmental editing by a professional or critique partners
3. Beta draft - substantially complete
4. Beta readers
5. Polished draft
6. Copy editing by a professional 
7. Final version
8. Formatting of final version
9. ARCs sent out to bloggers and fans for reviews
10. Publication & distribution on retail platforms

Expectations of Beta Readers

I carefully selected and asked two authors, two detailed-oriented friends, and two subject matter experts to be beta readers of my December 2017 release. I was happy to receive high quality feedback from three. The others bailed, but that's okay. Hopefully they'll buy the finished book!

It's very important that an author outline to beta volunteers what feedback she wants. In my case, the objective was not for them to find typos, spelling mistakes and grammar issues. That's my copy editor's job. I asked individual beta readers for specific feedback that required, respectively, knowledge of the craft of writing or screenwriting or police procedures. I asked them to point out weaknesses in the characters' emotional journeys and GMCs. I asked them to indicate where in the story they laughed and where they teared up... and was sometimes surprised! 

Example of Beta Feedback

You may have read an excerpt of Seduced by the Screenwriter in my August 2017 post. The heroine is a former police diver with PTSD. Here's an example of feedback on that scene from a beta reader.

Not sure about Catrina playing Prudence Maxwell, a young woman who's been sold by her father to pay off his gambling debts. The subject matter hits pretty close to the world of the (PTSD trauma).

When I wrote that scene I never made the connection to Catrina's traumatic dive. Funny how the subconscious works! I rewrote the scene to empower Catrina. Instead of being a submissive victim of a forced marriage per Chett's script, she turns the tables and transforms it into her bad girl fantasy.

Authors, what are your expectations of beta readers?

About Madelle

Madelle Morgan is a Canadian author who writes romance set in Canada. 

Caught on Camera is a Hollywood wedding romance set in Muskoka, Canada—summer playground of the rich and famous. It's Book 1 of the Hollywood in Muskoka series.

 Amazon | iTunes | Kobo

Subscribe to Madelle’s blog to be alerted to the release of Seduced by the Screenwriter, Hollywood in Muskoka series, Book 2, in December, 2017 at 99 cents for a limited time.

Follow Madelle:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Wattpad 

Madelle's romantic thriller Diamond Hunter is available on Amazon.

DIAMOND HUNTER: When diamond smuggling leads to murder, diamonds aren’t this girl’s best friend.

Colorado geologist Petra Paris must clear her father of fraud charges by collecting fresh rock samples at an open pit diamond mine in Canada’s far north. When someone tries to frame her with stolen uncut diamonds, Petra needs protection. Local pilot Seth Cooper, an undercover cop with the Diamond Protection Unit, needs access to the mine complex. They strike a deal to have Seth pose as her boyfriend so he can overnight on site to investigate the smuggling operation.
 
In their bedroom under the midnight sun, Petra fights magnetic desire to sample Seth’s rock-hard body. The prospect of intimacy hot enough to heat up the Arctic is a deadly distraction. She needs to focus on her mission. Besides, Seth is commitment-phobic: his job put his ex-wife in danger.

With cops closing in, escape blocked and millions in stolen diamonds at stake, desperate smugglers ramp up to murder. The isolated mine site becomes a death trap. Seth must expose the villains before Petra becomes the next victim.

It Takes All Kinds To Make A World

Hi everyone!
I am YA author B. A. Binns. This month I feel privileged to lead things off with a special post on multicultural romances. 


I like old sayings. They usually contain a load of wisdom. One of my favorites is: De todos ha de haber en el mundo  (literally, “There must be of all [types] in the world”) This is from Cervantes of Don Quixote fame and gives us another way of saying that diversity is essential. Biologists know it, economists, and so does my broker who keeps after me to increase the diversity in my account. The world would be incomplete if everyone and everything was alike.

Adding layers and conflict

These young adult romances are strengthened by exotic locations (anybody been to Malawi, Africa, the location for Laugh With the Moon?) and populated by people of different culture's and ethnicities. This adds layers of complexity to stories and builds conflict, the meat and potatoes of a good read. I'm not talking about issue books, stories where the difference is the major conflict. I'm talking about romances that show how alike we really are while using the differences to suck a reader in and provide the something extra that many readers enjoy and search for. Not to mention a new set of hero and heroine names, like Almira (Bestest Ramadan Ever), Lupita (Under the Mesquite), Malik (Being God), Meena (Same Sun Here), Soledad (When The Stars Go Blue), Yolanda (Pull), and the totally hot Prince Kai (Cinder).

Many of the standard romance tropes can be refreshed and enlarged by adding a multicultural or diversity element. For example, Bestest Ramadan Ever gives us Romance plus Muslim culture and parental issues. My novel Being God gives readers the same with a teen who is a Black Jew (a.k.a. Hebrew Israelite). Books like the Demon's Surrender take readers into the life of a Black gypsy in England who uses her dancing skills to control monsters. Ship Breaker shows a Hispanic boy in dystopian future in a triangle with a Black girl and an Asian girl as all three struggle for survival in a dysfunctional world. In my debut novel, Pull, the dysfunctional world is the present, filled with Black, Hispanic and White kids struggling with the ultimate dystopia - an American High School.

My newest novel is titled Minority of One, and uses characters from various cultural backgrounds to examine the question, deals with the question:

What happens if you are the only one of your kind?

This question speaks to the source of so much teen angst that finding an answer is practically part of the rite of passage into adulthood. Since I want books that any teen reader can see themselves in, I gave Minority of One a diverse cast. One cast member is Sheila, a white student starting a new school that is predominantly Hispanic and Black.

“Will I be the only white student in this school?” My voice remains steady. Daddy would be proud.

“Almost eight percent of Farrington’s students are white, and twelve percent are biracial.” Mom loves statistics.

Biracial. Does that mean they fit in everywhere? Have no problems? Don’t feel like the only drop of cream in a vat of coffee? Eight percent of almost sixteen hundred students. Math was my best subject, but I don’t need those skills for this calculation. Maybe a hundred and twenty of us, spread out inside that massive building.

The second main character is Neill, who has his own reason for a feeling of alienation.

Every morning I wake up. Stretch. Kick off the blankets. Look in the mirror and stare into the eyes of a walking statistic.

Young. Black. Gay.

Three strikes against me before I’m even dressed.

By the end of the story a multi-racial cast of supporting characters that include doctors, educators, businessmen and fellow students help both Neill and Sheila learn they are not alone (and help them both find the guys of their dreams). While this is not a romance between Sheila and Neill, I tell people this is a twofer, two separate romantic journeys for the price of one.

The world of romance is expanding. I live in a pluralistic world, and I am happy that more books are being written that reflect that fact. Most of all, I am glad to be a part of that.

***Contest***

Five copies of Minority Of One are being given away on Goodreads, and another five to people who LIKE the AllTheColorsOfLove facebook page.  Enter either or both for a chance to get an early copy of Minority of One.  Copies will also be available at The Woodson Library in Chicago on February 15 where I will talk about using multicultural books to reach out to reluctant readers, and at the Illinois Reading Council on March 13, 2014 where I will give a presentation on library reading groups. 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Minority Of One

by B.A. Binns

Giveaway ends March 01, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Final Note

There are still some publishers who fear that American readers, especially teens, will turn away from multicultural characters on book covers. Look look at what multicultural covers give the world of romantic fiction.


Click on the picture to download a PDF with more information about the books shown.

These are the same publishers who don't believe kids of color read and that white kids will only read about other kids like them. The result is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have found the opposite. I have heard teacher's say how their Black students devoured were in the Hunger Games, and how they mourned when Rue died.

As a YA author I visit many schools and libraries. In 2013 I gave a booktalk to a predominantly white teen audience at a library. I spoke about many of the multicultural books I have mentioned in this blog post. At the end of the talk, one white girl came to me and wanted to take out Pinned by Sharon Flake, a story about a female wrestler who falls for the wheelchair-bound team manager.  I told her of course she could take that book out and then I asked what drew her to a book with a cover character so different from herself. Her answer - Because I like wrestling.

Opal's Twelve Days of Christmas

Hello, everyone!  So here we are in December, with the season of love and generosity all around us.  Gifts are a wonderful part of this time of year and I have a gift for you!

My publisher, St. Martin’s Press, is offering a free advanced copy of my new serial novel His to Command, #1 The Chase! This serial novel features a compelling story that is revealed in multiple weekly installments, beginning January 8th, 2013!

It would be lovely if you would let people know what you think of the story by putting up a short, honest review on Amazon or one of the other on-line retailers.  Doing so would be very helpful to me, because new readers like to see reviews before they try a new author’s work and I am really hoping to build my readership with this new project.

If you would like to receive the ARC, please go here to register by December 15th.

Now for something fun!  My twelfth book comes out in February (the serial novel is actually thirteen, but it jumped ahead!), so I thought I’d write a new version of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Opal’s Twelve Days of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

A ménage with identical twins.

On the second day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the third day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the fourth day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the fifth day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

A masterful Dom,

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the sixth day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

Two men reunited,

A masterful Dom,

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the seventh day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

More Tantric sex,

Two men reunited,

A masterful Dom,

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the eighth day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

Tattoos and leather,

More Tantric sex,

Two men reunited,

A masterful Dom,

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the ninth day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

A list of sexual fantasies,

Tattoos and leather,

More Tantric sex,

Two men reunited,

A masterful Dom,

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the tenth day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

Sexy cops and handcuffs,

A list of sexual fantasies,

Tattoos and leather,

More Tantric sex,

Two men reunited,

A masterful Dom,

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the eleventh day of Christmas,

Opal gave to me

A honeymoon for three,

Sexy cops and handcuffs,

A list of sexual fantasies,

Tattoos and leather,

More Tantric sex,

Two men reunited,

A masterful Dom,

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

Opal will give to me

Wild sex with strangers,

A honeymoon for three,

Sexy cops and handcuffs,

A list of sexual fantasies,

Tattoos and leather,

More Tantric sex,

Two men reunited,

A masterful Dom,

The sexy book called SIX,

Divine Tantric sex,

Fun at a swinger’s club,

And a ménage with identical twins!