Stressful Terror with a Happy Ending

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing romantic women’s fiction that honors pagan spiritual practices. My stories show you what life could be like if you had a place like The Circle where you are unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. And where, with this support, you do overcome obstacles and find your happily-ever-after.

In my experience, some scary things can also be exciting. For example, walking along that narrow path on the side of a mountain with a sheer drop on one side would have both elements. Another example I’ve actually experienced is a narrow path along a rocky outcropping on a beach headland. If I’d slipped, I’d have fallen onto the rocks and then been beaten to a pulp by the pounding surf.

However, neither of those narrow path stories are related to writing. Or not directly.

Putting words on a page, telling a story is for me the easiest part of the writing process. It’s also my favorite. However, what to do with the finished product is the most stressful and yet the most exciting.

Sarah Raplee

Sarah Raplee and I started Romancing The Genre in May 2011. At that time neither of us were published although we were writing, taking classes, participating in Critique Groups and engaged in Romance Writers of America chapters.

We had a mentor in MaggieLynch, one of the founders of Windtree Press. Through Maggie we had a basic understanding of self or indie publishing.

The Blog Queens (Sarah and me) also wanted to provide the Genre-istas (RTG’s bloggers) another creative outlet so we started Free Reads From The Genre-istas and those of us who signed up, wrote free short stories for our readers.

Diana McCollum

From that came the idea of publishing an Anthology. Another Genre-ista, Diana McCollum, Sarah and I put our collective heads together and came up with Love & Magick. We each wrote two short stories, hired an editor and cover designer. I’d purchased Jutoh, a software program that formatted documents into books.

Diana took the lead in seeing the cover move from our ideas to something we all loved.

Sarah, being the most tech-savvy of us and I worked on putting the short stories into Jutoh, adding the cover, proofing the results, figuring out meta data and all those pieces that go into the actual publishing of a book.

Diana, Sarah and I also set up accounts on Kobo, Apple, Amazon, Gumroad and Barnes and Noble.

There comes a time when an author has done everything s/he can do and it is time to click on “Submit” or “Publish.” To add to the tension, the three of us had made a commitment to have Love & Magick published for Valentine’s Day 2014.

At the time we set our deadline, it seemed reasonable but…

In the wonderful world of self-publishing and back in the day, with three people who were wending their way through the process for the first time, it was daunting!

I remember clearly that it was approaching midnight on February 14^th and Sarah and I were working on the last of the issues.

At 11:58 p.m. Pacific time, we hit Publish to Gumroad. And we were officially published!

Excited? Definitely!!!

Stressed? Oh my yes!

We walked that narrow path with a sheer drop on one side and a rising cliff on the other. We made it safely to the end of the path. We looked toward the self-publishing horizon and had officially joined the world of published authors!

Since then, while we no longer write for Free Reads because we shut that site down, we have pursued our publishing careers as best we can with the other responsibilities we have in our personal lives.

We have stories to tell and because of that there will always be that narrow path with a sheer drop on one side and a rising cliff on the other. No matter how many times I’ve traveled that path, I always breathe a sigh of relief when I reach the end and look out across the vast library of published works where my books reside.

You can find all of my books at your favorite e-book vendor. Be sure to ask your local library if you’d prefer to read my books through that resource.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshleyRomance.com

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2020 Judith Ashley

Do you see how I write book blurbs…by Kristin Wallace

The theme this month on RTG is "Do you see how I..." with a focus on something related to the craft of writing. I chose a topic that leads to cold sweats and terror in many authors...

If you polled authors asking what one thing they hated most about the publishing business, I bet a majority would say…writing the blurb for my book. Blurb writing is one of those things that many authors dread. The thought of trying to take their 80,000-word novel and tell the story in a paragraph or two is terrifying.

That would not be me. I may be the one author on the face of the planet who LOVES writing them. 

To understand the joy of blurbs, you have to know that I am an advertising copywriter. The majority of my job is literally taking large, complicated subjects and breaking them down into a headline and a paragraph of copy to “sell” a product or service. Well, a book is another “product” authors are trying to sell. Once I figured that out, I understood writing blurbs. 

So how do I write them? I came up with a workshop called, “Blurb Writing Doesn’t Have to Suck”. I presented it at RWA Nationals a couple years ago and I’m doing it again at my local writer’s chapter (Florida Romance Writers) in October. 

Here’s a breakdown of what I teach. And hey…if you can get to Fort Lauderdale on October 12 you can come to the workshop!!!

Why blurbs matters

A blurb is one of your most important selling tools for your book, whether you’re going the traditional or indie route. If you're targeting agents/editors you'll need a blurb for your query letters. Indie authors need a great blurb for their sales pages. Once you have a long version of your blurb, you can adapt it for ads (Facebook, Amazon, BookBub), social media posts, your author newsletter, and printed marketing materials like bookmarks or postcards.

The flavor of a blurb

First, ensure the blurb reflects the tone of your book as well as your author brand. (If you don’t know your author brand or haven’t created one yet that’s a whole other workshop, which I’ve also presented.) 

If you write dark, your blurb must show that. If your books have humor, reflect that. It also needs to showcase the genre of your book, whether it's contemporary, historical, paranormal or YA. Erotic romance will have a completely different tone versus an inspirational romance. 

Elements of a Blurb

1. The Introduction

·      First, introduce your heroine & hero. You want to let the reader know *who* they are. 

·      What is their occupation? This can reveal a lot about them. How would you describe a Navy Seal vs. a college professor? A chef vs. an athlete? 

·      Your language should reflect their personalities. If your heroine is snarky and bold, your description should show that. 

2. Plugging in your GMC

The key to writing your blurb is to remember your GMC. Of course, GMC is vital to develop when you're plotting your book, but those same elements can be applied to your blurb. 

Hopefully, you are already familiar with GMC (Goal, Motivation & Conflict). 

·      Goal - WHAT does your heroine/hero want? 

o  If your blurb has a paragraph for both characters than you will need to do this twice.

·      Motivation - WHYdo they want it?

·      Conflict - WHATis standing in their way? 

So now plugin the goal, motivation, and conflict for both your Heroine & Hero.  

REMEMBER: Be mindful of your genre and tone of your book. Enhance GMC with words that reflect this. If your heroine is a chef, pepper in words or phrases that reflect this world (cooking, things come to a boil, heating up in the kitchen, a recipe for disaster, etc.)

3. Romantic Tension

After you have introduced your main characters and GMC for both, it’s time to focus on the romance.

Introduce the main romantic conflict

o  What is going to keep your characters apart for the entire book? Are they from rival businesses? He’s a wealthy Duke and she’s a penniless commoner? 

o  Do they succumb to the attraction? (If this is a spicy or erotic, chances are the answer is yes.) 

o  What is the result of their romantic interlude? Does it set up even more conflict or change the direction of the story?

o  Again, be mindful of your genre and tone. If you write “sweet” the words used to describe the romance will be different than ones you’d use for spicy or erotic. Same for a historical vs. contemporary vs. paranormal

4. A Big Reveal and the Dark Moment

Expose (or at least tease) at a secret or important information that will be revealed. Your story NEEDS this in order to drive the action and lead up to your Dark Moment and Climax. 

·      Give a hint about what the secret and dark moment will be. 

·      You don’t have to reveal every detail of the secret, but give enough of a clue that the reader wants to find out. 

·      How will this drive your heroine/hero apart (maybe forever)? Can they make it in the end?

5. Hook ‘em at the end

Now, you need to craft a closing line that entices the reader to want more. 

·      Write a cliffhanger or question… “Can she let go of her bitterness in order to claim a lasting love?” “Can they save the world in time?”

·      Restate the ultimate GOAL in a more dramatic way. Give them a “dun, dun, dun” moment. “Together, they must steal the ancient artifact…and if they fail the world will never be the same.” 

Okay…sounds easy, right? Actually, it’s not, but you can develop the skill with practice. These 5 tips will help.

If you’re an author struggling with blurb writing I can help. 

Kristin Wallaceis the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and sweet contemporary romance filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. Her latest book, SECOND CHANCE HERO, is available now. 

AMAZON  /  APPLE BOOKS  /  B&N   /   KOBO 

Writing Dreams/Writing Reality

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

Being a published author was never a dream of  mine. In fact, it was something I fell into. But once that happened, writing became a total obsession. At the risk of boring you, I will briefly repeat my story. I was a freelance reader for seven years. I had read thousands of plots, giving the publishing house my thoughts on which was worth a second look, and which might be worth publishing. I simply woke up one day and said, "maybe I can do this." One rejection from a publisher later, I received  “the call.”  Oh glorious day! This is always a memorable moment in any author’s life. It’s the kind of surreal moment when you pinch yourself or scream loudly.  After much sweat, blood and sacrifice, your hard work has paid off.

Like the day John Lennon and John F Kennedy Jr. were brutally gunned down, you always remember where you were when “the call”came. I was working for a cruise line and the phones were ringing non-stop. I was in my office when my private line rang.  A cheery voice greeted me, “This is Monica Harris from Kensington Publishing. We put you through a lot, but I’m calling with good news. We’re offering you a two book contract.”

 I’m not a screamer but I screamed. Thankfully my office door was closed. I’d met this editor at a conference about a year ago. At that time she was acquiring historical romances. I didn’t write historicals, so my conversation with her though pleasant, had little to do with writing.

Twenty years and forty plus books later, I have realized many writing dreams and have learned some hard realities along the way. While many of my dreams were realized, others are still pending. Yes, I’ve written for a variety of publishers and I’ve published on my own. I’ve written series books and bigger books that are called mainstream or trade. I’ve had the good fortune to write at least four of these bigger books for traditional publishers. Books like Jade, This Way Home, Shattered Images and Hook, Line and Single, along with those I self-published. I’ve even sold four of my books to Audible.

One of the harsh realities of this writing business is you better be disciplined, meaning in order to earn a living and produce, you must write every day. For traditionally published authors, it is not unrealistic to be expected to produce three to four books a year. Indie authors need to have something to put out every 60-90 days or you get forgotten. It’s the only way to earn more than gas money in this highly competitive market. You’ll need to have at least 8 to 9 books out there to make any substantial money That unfortunately is a harsh reality.    

Another reality is you better know how to market yourself or have the wherewithal to hire someone who markets you.  It’s not enough for an author to just write these days, you must connect with your reading audience and build them. This often means putting yourself out there and navigating the world of social media. You rarely want to turn down interviews or opportunities to blog. And you better show up for conferences. One of the most powerful marketing tools an author can have is her newsletter. Don’t underestimate the power of a newsletter and its reachability.

Yet another harsh reality is that authors are responsible for their own health insurance, and there is no such thing as a 401K. I know this is  a grim picture I paint, but I have several New York Times Bestseller friends that have gone bankrupt.  This less than glamorous business,while highly rewarding,  needs writers to Mind Their Business (a workshop I teach).

Traditionally published authors need to know such things as their print run. They need to read the fine print on their contract. Indies have to make an even more concerted effort to connect with their reading audience, and must constantly remind them that they are out there. The Indie author lays out money from his/her own pocket just to be visible. She must pay cover artist, editors and even formatters.

So why do we keep at it? Because it’s an addiction. As writers we continue to write to feel fulfilled. It’s not something we can stop doing. It’s in the blood. But a word of caution, since few of us are Danielle Steel or the prolific La Nora, while you continue to write, do keep your day job.

About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

Indies & Libraries, Together In Midwinter

Hi everyone! I am YA, and now MG author Barbara Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for adolescents and teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them.  My newest book, Courage, is middle grade fiction that will be coming out next summer from Harper Collins.

I spent the weekend at the American Library Association Midwinter conference in Denver, Colorado. I attended the conference as a retired (and current volunteer) library worker. And because, as a writer, I consider librarians a major part of my audience. (I feel the same about RTG readers, so please read all the way to the end for a surprise. Pretty please with sugar on it, as I used to say when I was young.)

Beautiful Downtown Denver

First, let me say, being “Mile High” is a real thing, not to be trifled with. The convention leaders greeted us with instructions on staying hydrated and other survival tips. Literally thousands of librarians crowded the city from all across the country, occupying almost a dozen hotels.

Librarians and vendors.

The exhibit hall was filled with companies that make every type of library tool. And all kinds of publishers. Not just the big five. There were dozens of small presses. And, a surprising number of Indie publishing houses.

It has been two years since I last attended an ALA meeting. I was surprised to see how many booths were manned by either individual Indie authors/publishers, or by groups of indie authors joined together to manage the costs of participating at the conference. I am going to tell you some of the things I saw. This is not an endorsement of any group or service, just my observations about the possibilities for libraries and indie authors.

Images from four different Indie  booths 

A number of companies that provide self-publishing and on-demand services, companies like Ingram, iUniverse, Xlibris had their had booths. Many were collaboration efforts, with books from authors who published using their software. These firms are making a presence to get their users books in front of librarians. 

There was also booth from Indie consortiums, authors who could not afford an independent presence at the conference, but joined together to purchase a booth and get their work in front of the thousands of attendees.

The Indie Press Collective provides a number of services for Indie authors. In addition to showing books at associations like ALA, they have a review service for pre-pub bed Indie Books only, Foreword Reviews  Anyone can ask for a review, you can see more information on the process at - https://www.forewordreviews.com/about/ 

There is no cost for a review. But, since they get thousands of requests, only a small percentage of the authors who want a review actually get included in Foreword Reviews. There are costs associated with post publication reviews, as well as for being included in the books displayed at booths or for advertising in their magazines. 

Even more, the Indie books obtained a time slot on the Book Buzz stage - two to two-thirty on Saturday. The Book Buzz stage is located on the Exhibit floor of every ALA convention. This is the fourth ALA conference I have attended over the years. For the first time I know of, Indie groups had their own time slot on stage, where some of their up-and-coming books were individually highlighted for librarians in attendance.

I want to say again that I am not endorsing any of these groups or efforts. I was simply impressed by the shear number of Indie authors and small presses. Impressed by the fact that they were not only in small, less expensive booths in the back, but also in the larger, decorated booths manned with specialists ready to engage with librarians. I am happy to see the way some authors join consortiums to give themselves a chance to be noticed by librarians.

Only the future will tell how much success individual authors will have breaking into the library market. That includes public libraries, college and reference libraries, and school libraries. That represents thousands of potential sales. I spoke with one woman who was looking at possibilities for her areas "One community, One book" program, and she intends to purchase 3,000 copies of the selected book. Libraries can be a great market for Indies to break into.

---

And now, your surprise. I would love to hear any of your comments, about libraries, Indies...or about my new book - http://www.babinns.com/books/courage/ . I have some Advance Reader Copies of Courage, my Middle Grade debut coming out at the end of July.  I have reserved two for readers of this post. On Feb 28 I will select two commenters to receive copies. Check back at the end of the month to see if you are a winner of a hard copy ARC that will be mailed to you.

While I want to hear comments from everyone, please note that only commenters from the continental US will be included in the raffle. 

Nadine Mutas - The Perks of Pivoting

I’ve been an indie author for two years now, and if someone had asked me back in 2015 what I think is the biggest perk of self-publishing, I would have probably said, “Money!” Ha. Of course, the appeal of higher royalties is still a big factor.

Another perk of self-publishing, however, has risen to the top of my list of priorities, and this one I have learned to appreciate during the past two years. I’m talking about flexibility. Being able to pivot and adjust my strategies, to change product packaging and pricing, is key when it comes to publishing.

In the past two years I have changed not only the covers of my books but also the titles, to better position my books in the market and appeal to my target audience.

The first decision, to change my covers, came last year, after much deliberation and watching what my fellow authors did (and how well). I noticed that my covers – while professional and beautiful – didn’t particularly signal paranormal romance. In our fast-paced world of social media and online retailers, covers are often viewed in thumbnail and in passing, and they need to clearly signal the sub-genre to catch the attention of the reader looking for that kind of book.

So I pivoted. I got new covers, which featured more standard paranormal romance elements.

The decision to change my titles came about earlier this year, and it stemmed from much the same considerations. My original title of the first book was the one I came up with while I was writing it, and I never thought about changing it. I liked it, it fit the story, so I kept it, and I made sure that the titles of the subsequent books matched the branding of the first one.

After a while, though, and after reading a few comments from readers who said they almost didn’t try the first book because the title put them off, I got to thinking and realized that, indeed, especially the title of the first in the series could give readers the wrong impression about the sub-genre and content of the book.

So I pivoted. I brainstormed and came up with all-new titles for my four books (and the next one I had already planned). Those new titles feature paranormal romance keywords right in the name of the book, which increases discoverability and, in combination with the improved branding of the new covers, lets readers know at a glance what the book is about and what sub-genre it is.

I love the fact that I have this much control over my own product, and that I can change according to the market and my experiences. Evolution teaches us that the ability to adapt is key to success. And being an indie author gives us the best option to adapt in an ever-changing market.

Check out my website:
Website: www.nadinemutas.com

You can find me on social media here:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorNadineMutas

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/nadinemutas