What do you do when you publish before you're ready?

Thomas from Leeds sent in a question that raised all sorts of issues. As he explained: I self published a novel two months ago on both Smashwords and Kindle. It’s doing okay-ish, but I woke up this morning and realised I could have done it not only differently but better. It would mean a major rewrite and a major restructuring of the book (two months, tops) same tale, but a different approach. It would also mean that the people who already bought it have an inferior product. What do I do? Leave it alone and put it down to bitter experience, or rewrite and offer those who have already bought a fresh copy for free? I wouldn’t know how to get in touch with most of them. Any advice gratefully accepted.

The main question to ask yourself is whether you want to leave what you see to be an inferior product on sale. If the answer to that is no, then you have no option but to write the new version.

Why not remove it from sale now until you have done the rewriting and editing? If anyone contacts you to ask why, you can explain what you’re doing. If it’s someone who has bought the original version, say you’ll give them a free copy when you re-launch.

If you have a blog and/or use a variety of social media, you could make a big announcement when the new version is released.

An alternative is to leave the book on sale, but rewrite and restructure and then put the new version on sale under a different title. If the approach is that different, it’s going to be a different book anyway.

So, as far as I can see, these are your only options:

•  Leave it and put it down to experience
•  Remove from sale, rewrite and re-launch
• Leave on sale and rewrite, but launch the revised version under a different title (assuming the story is sufficiently altered to make it a new book)

 I hope that helps and doesn’t simply confuse you even more.

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Writing Historical Fiction? You Really Should Read This ...

My guest today is Cathie Dunn, who has generously agreed to share with us her tips on how to bring a time period to life.

First of all, I would like to thank Lorraine for the opportunity to talk about my favourite subject (apart from my novels!) - historical research. I hope you won’t doze off...

As a writer of historical fiction in all and any of its forms, one thing is a definite: getting your facts right!

Writing believable historical fiction requires some idea of the customs and way of life of the period you pick. The depth of such knowledge varies, depending on genre and storyline, but getting the basics right is hugely important for your credibility as a historical author. If you confuse your Renaissance with your Dark Ages, you’ve blown it.

In general historical fiction, where the politics of the day might interfere with the main character's life, it is crucial to consider the known details. Nowadays, it's fairly easy to read up about kings and queens, political parties and the differences in roles between nobility, gentry and the working classes. There are huge resources available online that even a decade ago seemed unobtainable. And, of course, there are always the fat volumes of history books to browse in libraries.

Without turning your story into such a history book, you would want your characters to be as close to the real thing as you can make them, so ensure to read up on their types of behaviour, clothing, setting and day-to-day customs. Explore how they would address each other, and their lords or villeins. Using ‘real life’ characters such as kings or queens (Elizabeth I and Eleanor of Aquitaine, for example) is popular at the moment. If they feature in your novel, ensure they were indeed known to be in that particular place, or at least that there is no record of them being at the other end of the country, signing a major treaty.

Join interest groups of the same genre to swap information. Many of those groups are fountains of knowledge and the members are always happy to share details and tips. Search within Yahoo groups for key words and you’ll no doubt find a like-minded bunch.

In historical romance, research is still important, even though the plot focuses on the two main characters, with the external influences of the day filling out the background. Yet it can jar a reader's enjoyment when details are out of synch.

If you write historical mystery, contact local libraries for copies of original town maps. Read up about the roles of the sheriff, coroner, etc, and if possible, search for cases. Many original documents such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle are available online. Whilst these often have to be taken with a pinch of salt - propaganda is no modern invention! - they provide you with a sound impression of opinions, fines, etc.

Another aspect of historical research I found invaluable is taking part in historical re-enactment. Learning archery in a re-enactment group, dressing up and telling visitors to specific castles about the history and way of life enriches not just your own life, but also brings joy to others. Teaching a child to hit bull’s eye is priceless.

My holidays often turn into research trips, visiting castles, cathedrals, and medieval towns along the way. Getting a feel for medieval Normandy was incredibly helpful for plotting Dark Deceit. Mixing old with new, the holiday was a great experience throughout. To stand in front of buildings that saw Eleanor of Aquitaine or William the Conqueror is humbling. And exciting!

At the end of the day, never underestimate your readers. They come from all walks of life, with many readers of historical novels having gained huge insight into what was acceptable during a certain era, and what appears utterly out of place. Some readers don't mind if you get things wrong, but others might throw your book against the wall and leave a poor review online. And we - as writers - don't want anyone to do just that.

Some useful sources for research online:

www.medievalists.net

http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/asintro2.html

http://www.burkespeerage.com/

http://www.btinternet.com/~timeref/

http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/bridges/html/whisky.htm

Cathie Dunn

Historical Fiction & Romantic Suspense

Dark Deceit - available now at Amazon and Smashwords

Highland Arms - available now at Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble

Website:        www.cathiedunn.com

Blog:              http://cathiedunn.blogspot.com

Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/CathieDunnAuthor

Twitter:           www.twitter.com/cathiedunn

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How to Signal a Flashback

Paddy sent in the following email: I'm reading a Jennifer Johnston novel at the moment.  I notice that whenever she goes into flashback, she uses italics. Is this necessary, desirable or purely at the discretion of the author?

The important point is to avoid confusing your readers. The author has to signal that the writing is moving into a flashback scene. You can do this by using italics, as Jennifer Johnston does, but it isn’t strictly necessary.

Leaving a clear line of space and not indenting the opening paragraph signals to the reader that you have moved to a new scene. As long as your opening sentence shows clearly that we are now reliving a moment from the past, you don’t need to use italics.

Having said that, lots of writers prefer to show the entire flashback in italics – it’s up to the individual author and also the publisher’s house style.

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Comma, pause, comma, eek!

Georgia from Durban, South Africa, cries: Help! I am totally defeated by commas. I never know when to use them and spend more time putting them in and taking them out again than I do writing. Is there a simple rule to follow?

Hmm, wouldn’t it be wonderful if uses of the comma could be explained in one simple rule? Unfortunately, that isn’t possible, but maybe the list below will help to make its usage clearer.

• A comma is used to separate items in a list: Mary carried books, pens, files and paper to the desk. (In some countries there will be a comma before the ‘and’ as well as the ones after books and pens, but not in UK usage.)
• It is also used to emphasise a noun: he was a tall, heavy-set man.
• Use a comma when there are two sentences that are linked together by a preposition: Mary had the hots for George, but he wasn’t interested in her.
• When affirming or negating, you need a comma after the yes or no: no, I don’t like you. Yes, I think your bum looks fat in that dress.
• You need a comma after ‘therefore’, ‘furthermore’, ‘however’ and ‘but’, when those words are used as modifiers.
• When there is an interruption in a sentence, you need commas either side of it to separate it from the rest of the sentence: the music teacher, short-tempered as always, told us to keep quiet.
• The same rule applies if you have an additional clause in the sentence: the pianist finished with a Chopin sonata, which my husband loves, and the audience stood as one to applaud.
• Use a comma to separate phrases: he knew how I felt, so I tried to avoid him.
• If you have a clause that precedes a subject (provided the sentence isn’t very short) you need a comma: when George and Mary get that look on their faces, we all know they are going to start fighting.
•  Let’s say you want to show that someone or something is not what has been assumed, you would need a comma then, too: I’m trying to lose weight, not gain it.

I hope the above examples make it easier to know what to do with those pesky commas, but you might like to know that you’re in good company. Apparently Oscar Wilde once said:  I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.

 

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The Positively Productive Writer

A great guest post from writer friend Simon Whaley on how to be, as he says in the title, a positively productive writer.

Twitter is terrible, Facebook is ferocious and Google just gobbles up all of our potential writing time. To be proper writers we have to throw away these distractions and lock ourselves up in some primitive garret somewhere and start squeezing the creative muse from whichever little grey cell it appears to be hiding in.

Actually, no. Twitter, Facebook and Google can be good … if you use them correctly.

As a positively, productive kind of writer, I’m forever setting myself writing goals. I have various projects on the go at any one time: a novel, a non-fiction book, a short story, a couple of articles, and even the odd letter and filler. I do think variety helps to keep me motivated, but so do my goals. Or rather … the rewards I give myself for meeting those goals.

As writers, we tend to look at the bigger picture. We know about goals: to write a novel, to get a book published, to win a prestigious creative writing competition. And they are admirable goals. However, to stay motivated and productive, we don’t just need those whacking great big New-Year-resolution-type goals. We also need smaller goals. Your long-term goal may be to write a novel, but your medium-term goal could be to write the next chapter. Your short-term goal could be to write the first 1,000-words of that chapter.

Meet your short-term goals, and you will achieve your medium-term goals. Meet your medium-term goals and you will achieve your long-term goals. The benefit of having short-term goals is that these are easier to achieve. They are less daunting. Which of the following is psychologically easier to sit down and tackle:

·         Writing a 100,000-word novel

·         Writing the first 1,000-words of a 100,000-word novel?

Breaking our goals down into smaller, more manageable steps is vital to staying positive. And this is where those little nasties like Twitter, Facebook and Google come in. Because, whenever you achieve one of your short-term goals you MUST reward yourself. If you treat yourself every time you reach one of your goals, then when you next come to sit down and tackle your next short-term goal, you’ll remember the pleasure you felt the last time you achieved your goal. Which will help to spur you on.

Rewards need to be appropriate. If you’ve drafted a 1500-word short story, today, then you deserve a short ten-minute break catching up on Twitter or Facebook. Meet a medium-term goal and reward yourself with lunch out with a friend. If you achieve a long-term goal then treat yourself to weekend away, or buy that new toy or gift you’ve hankered after for so long. You deserve it!

So, next time you get an urge to check out Facebook or Twitter, tell yourself that you can only do so when you’ve met your next short-term goal. And then when you do, you can then enjoy your reward. Because rewards will help you to become a positively productive writer.

Good luck!

Simon

www.simonwhaley.co.uk

Twitter: @simonwhaley

Blog: Simon Says! http://simonwhaleytutor.blogspot.com/

The Positively Productive Writer, by Simon Whaley, shows writers how to reject rejection and enjoy positive steps to publication.

ISBN: 9781846948510

UK: £11.99

US: $19.99

Available now on Amazon

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Empty When Half Full

Some writing projects take a moment but are still worthwhile. Writing Magazine columnist, Patrick Forsyth explains:

Getting a new writing project is good, and most of us just want to crack into it; the sooner it’s done, the sooner we get paid. But sometimes … a while ago I saw a notice saying It is dangerous to cross this bridge when this notice is under water. We all see such things sometimes and smile. This time I saw several more examples before I had forgotten it, including a brand of crisps claiming to use Real Ingredients (what else?). I had a fancy that enough similar things might, linked together in the right way, make a book.

I collected examples for more than two years. Doing so took no great amount of time and was fun to do. Most were written by those either trying to sell us things or from government bodies and the like. Some were absurd: like a prescription sleeping pill marked: Caution: may cause drowsiness. Other were downright dangerous (imprecise dosage information) or, dare I say, designed to mislead people into buying something.

So I decided it should be written up in a way that, whilst maximising the humour, also mocked or castigated those involved. I approached four publishers with the idea. Three said no; one gave me a contract within a fortnight. I wrote the book and it is now published, as Empty When Half Full in time for Christmas (it would make a good present; indeed I have already received many orders for multiple copies). It seems to be off to a good start; one reviewer has called in “Hilarious!”

Now I knew when I started that file that it was not going to be a quick project; though examples abound (be careful!) and mounted up quite quickly. I had to collect sufficient material, but I was confident it could work out and pleased when a publisher took it up quickly when I was ready to write it. Now we will see how it goes. This morning I gave a talk (about another activity - my travel writing) and contrived to read out 3 pages of it. The whole room laughed out loud and I sold a reasonable quantity of books there and then.

Perhaps the moral is to be observant, look for – or create - ideas that will sell and not reject anything that might be profitable just because the return is not immediate. The trick after all is to have enough money coming in each month, regardless of just when the initiative that produced it took place. Some things cook quickly as it were, others need more time.

Then of course they need pushing. Copies of Empty When Half Full are available at £9.99 on Amazon, or you can order one at a lower price from me (and I’ll sign it, wow!) contact details on my website www.patrickforsyth.com or send a cheque for £8.99 to 28, Saltcote Maltings, Maldon Essex CM9 4QP

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You May Be Surprised by What You Find

David Robinson shares his thoughts on why we should look deep within to find possibilities.

I read this week that writer Talli Roland has hit 20,000 sales of her e-titles over the last year. Great going, Talli, more power to your elbow.

Then I look at my sales. Nowhere near. Not even a dot on the horizon in comparison to Talli’s and when compared to the likes of John Locke or Amanda Hocking, I’m not even a loose atom floating around the universe.

When I analyse why, it comes down to just one thing: visibility. There’s nothing wrong with my work (according to my readers) the plots are solid, I leave no gaps in them, my covers have improved, and even if I do write in three different genres, crime, sci-fi and paranormal horror, I’m not the only one. My price falls within the generally accepted guidelines, 99ȼ - $2.99 and I plug work in the right places. I guest on other blogs such as this one, I turn out adequate slideshow trailers, and I podcast readings from my work.

In other words, I follow all the rules. But I don’t enjoy the visibility Talli, John Locke, Amanda Hocking and the big hitters do.

How do you achieve that “front”? To coin an English-ism, I have more bottle than the co-op dairy, and I’ve never been shy about putting myself forward, so it’s not that I’m reluctant to do it. I simply don’t know what I’m doing… or where I should be doing it.

There’s a fine line between publicity and spam, and I refuse to stoop to the level of bombarding every forum I can find with my links. According to my reading, it’s not the most productive route anyway.

Twitter and Facebook have their limitations. There’s only so many time you can tweet “buy my book” before people start switching off. Goodreads could be promising, but I can’t even get my books listed on there because of some problem with my identity clashing with my author name.

I need to find other routes.

It’s a problem that’s bugged me for months now. Then on November 22nd I caught a programme on BBC TV, a documentary about hairdressing legend Vidal Sassoon. I’ve never needed his services. I haven’t had enough hair for our local barber to tackle since 1980. Towards the end of the program, Sassoon said something like this:

“Look deep inside yourself. You may be surprised by what you find there.”

It’s something I’ve known for years without actually being aware of knowing it.

Now I look, and what do I find? Not answers, but possibilities.

My tweets will be less “buy, buy, buy” centred. My characters will tweet for me. There will be interviews with Joe Murray, Sceptre Rand, Pete Brennan and so on. I’ve even lined up an interview with Fishwick, the ghostly butler of the Spookies series (how’s that for an exclusive?) and another with Bazill Beatel, who won’t be born until the year 3050.

I’ll put up more free reads, and a few crazy polls. There’s one on my site right now, under the heading What Would You Do. It’s still running if you want to cast your vote.

And there will be giveaways. I’m a Yorkshireman. We keep our wallets closer than we keep our wives, and we don’t part with money easily, but I’m forcing myself. You can read all about it on the prize draw page of my site, but basically all you have to do is review one of my titles and then send me an email with the url for the review.

Beyond all that, I will carry on turning out the titles, and I’m open to suggestions from anyone.

In the meantime, this is likely to be my last guest post on Lorraine’s blog for 2011 so I’d like to thank her for allowing me this space, and to Lorraine and all her readers, let me be the first to wish you every success for 2012.

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