Write with a knowing voice

It is no surprise Diane Keziah Robertson's book, The Lacemaker's Daughter, is selling like hotcakes to hungry people. Lacemaking is an ancient craft that looks very difficult to learn (video below).  It works perfectly that Diane is a lacemaker. Her knowledge of the craft adds the authenticity that brings truth (believability) to her fiction.

Two comments from early readers of the manuscript are the basis for this post. One person said the book, set in England in the 1770's, should have been set in America. The reasoning was, of course, that Americans rather read about America.

That advise makes perfect sense. First off, the American colonies were no more a miniature England than was colonial India, so sure, that would work. (Of course not.)

I can imagine moving Kathryn's Beach, one of my books, to Arizona. I hardly think that Kathryn would have run to the hot desert for solace in the way she ran to the beach.

A story needs to be set where it belongs.

If Americans are only interested in stories set in America, then what is the explanation for the popularity of the Da Vinci Code or James Bond, or even Out of Africa and Mary Poppins? Please don't mention to J. K. Rowling that she should have written her million+ best sellers about Harry Potter set in America. It simply would not have worked.

Another suggestion was that the book didn't contain enough about lacemaking. Um, refer to the title. The book is about the daughter of a lacemaker. It is fiction, not a how-to book.

What does work is that Diane knows a whole lot about lacemaking and gave that essence to the story. The book gives a glimpse of the life of an English lacemaker. But the story is about one particular person, her family, and the people she meets.

Keeping with the Cactus Rain Publishing tradition, Diane delivers a well written, entertaining, feel-good read that does what literature is expected to do; guide the reader through an enjoyable experience that dispenses with their current reality.

The point is, write what you know. If your character is schizophrenic and you have no experience with the classic behaviors of schizophrenic people, on and off their medication, then do the research to make your story, even fantasy and science fiction, believable to the point the reader can dispense with reality and become immersed into the story. Follow Diane's example of excellence in storytelling.

Happy writing and reading.

Check out http://www.dianekrobertsonbooks.com/

Lacemaking video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiTqdr38tTU

http://www.thelondoner.ca/2012/06/20/family-history-inspired-diane-keziah-robertsons-the-lacemakers-daughter

Amazing Book!

The Lacemaker's Daughter is an absolutely amazing book. When author Diane Keziah Robertson held her first reading, I meant to get a post with a photo on First Draft. However, I've been wearing out the road to town shipping books to her. Sales are far above expectaions.

Diane has been the featured author at several events in the month and a half since The Lacemaker's Daughter was published, with more events booked.

Get your copy of The Lacemaker's Daughter to check out why it is selling like hot cakes, and I'll get a picture or two posted as soon as I can.

www.CactusRainPublishing.com and www.dianekrobertsonbooks.com

The Lacemaker's Daughter

The latest book published by Cactus Rain Publishing has me quite excited. The Lacemaker's Daughter was written by Diane Keziah Robertson without the heavy syrup of show-offish historical detail. Keep in mind that I've read this book 20-30 times in the last year; from manuscript to publication.

Yet, Diane has me, the reader, sitting outside a thatched-roof cottage in Devon, England with Susannah and involved in her life within minutes. Before I knew it, I was fully anticipating the day she got her first pair of [used] boots after walking in the snow barefooted.

Like any mother, when Susannah does something impulsive, I think, "No! No, don't do that!" And when she does something wise or brave beyond her years, I think how proud her mother would be of her.

Even though Diane's sister's research found Susannah, a child lace maker, in their family tree, the Susannah in the story isn't real in historical context. But I forget all of that as I read this delightful, inspiring story and get lost in the lives between the pages.

The book is available now. This is a book you'll want to read again, even if you never read books twice.

http://www.cactusrainpublishing.com/lacemakers_daughter.html

The Query Letter

We really need to get back to the basics. I'm getting quite a few query letters that are all wrong and don't work. Actually, they insure that I don't look at the attached writing sample.

A query letter is a business letter that introduces the submitted work. It should be business sounding, not cute, clever, or mysterious.

It is important to realize that so many query letters come in daily that they all get a quick view, but only a few get more than a brief read. Sometimes I will reply and do a little coaching of what is missing, but most of the time I don't have that kind of time -- and it isn't my job.

First off the letter needs to be an email, not an attachment to an email. Secondly, address it properly. I don't think I've accepted any who began, "Dear Sir." The slightest bit of thought should tell anyone that I'm not a sir.

The letter needs to contain the basic information that tells me whether to keep reading or send a rejection letter. And believe me, I have no problem writing a rejection letter. I want to know the genera, the word count, the setting and year.

The query should not be filled with rhetorical questions or written in the voice of the main character. Tell me who you are and what makes you the person qualified to write this ms (what's your connection to the story?). The story should be described in an elevator pitch, that is one sentence.

Make sure it is a story that Cactus Rain will have a connection to, too. Know your publisher and send only material they are interested in publishing.

Tell me who might like this book; who is the target reader? Do not tell my that you write like xyz. That's been done. What is your writer's voice like? And again, who would enjoy this book? Believe me, the answer that everyone would love this book is not correct, and I don't think anyone in the industry would buy it.

End with your contact information and your real name.

Any questions?

Happy New Year!

Oddly enough, last week, several people asked if I had dropped them from my newsletter email list. They hadn't received my last newsletter. Actually, they had -- months ago. I haven't sent a newsletter for months because there are only so many hours in the day and there didn't seem to be all that much interest in the newsletter. I thought the blog was covering the bases. Maybe I was wrong about that. Maybe I should do both.

I'm surprised by the number of people who continued to visit my blog, though I've been very lax in posting. Do you remember the days I posted daily? And that month long Blog Party (a play on Block Party), 'memba that?

I've been off with my boys (and girlfriend) on a road trip to middle son's wedding and other celebrations.The other thing that has kept me busy are two mss. The Lacemaker's Daughter is getting closer to the final run for the tape (or checkered flag, if you like). I'm getting very excited and author Diane Keziah Robertson has been busy with pre-marketing activities. The other ms isn't under contract yet, so I'll hold on mentioning it.

So, how does it work to do emails for marketing, or to send out a newsletter? Actually, there are laws about that, and Irene Watson of Reader's Views has the rules, tips, and straight talk on mass emailings. Check out the link: http://www.readerviews.com/Newsletters/2012.01/2.html

Book Titles

A title can grab a reader and get them to take a book off the shelf for a closer look.

I asked one of the Cactus Rain Publishing editors what makes a good title for her. The answer is obvious: it must represent the book -- be connected to the story; be intriguing; and sound good when spoken.

Usually titles come easy for me, except in the case of Storm Surge. By the time that third book was written, it had rules for the title: Two words (not necessarily the alliteration it turned out being), and it had to have something to do with a beach that fit the storyline. Whether that end was achieved will be decided by the readers. You tell me.

The title of a manuscript is the "working title." When writers talk about their manuscript they usually shorten the title to initials or one word. As time passes, the title becomes the embodiment of the story, our passion for writing it, and the paternal/maternal instinct we have developed for the work and the process. We have bonded.

The surprise for most writers is the publisher often wants to change the title. That change is driven by a marketing mentality. However, we writers have bonded with the working title and want it to be the real title.

Luckily, we adapt and accept the title change. The Practice became The Doctor, The Plutocrat, and The Mendacious Minister. We struggled with several interim choices, until author Glyn Pope came up with the title. Now, I can't imagine the book having any other title.

If you struggle with titles, here is an excellent piece that quite clearly spells out the process. This would also be a fun exercise for writing groups. Follow the link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/11/09/142173673/how-to-name-your-first-novel

Which is the most important to you?

Assuming the absurd that it isn't the whole package, what is the one ingredient of a book that is the most important piece? Which would you chose: the story, the editing, the layout, the quality of the final product, the cover art, or something else?

Sensory Dos and Don'ts

One thing that easily gets overlooked in writing is the sensory component. After the storyline is solid, the characters have unique personalities, and all the settings are imaginable for the reader, it is time to go though and make sure that there is sensory input.

We need to feed, not overfeed, the five senses of the reader. Consider it surround sound, but for all the senses. For example, when I write about the beach in Kathryn's Beach, occasionally there is mention of the hard packed wet sand. The dry sand sifts through her fingers, but it isn't just sand, there are shell bits (and assumed other stuff).

This is not the place to wax literary and go over the top with adjectives and adverbs in every sentence. Remember that less is more. Remember that the reader is an intelligent person with stores of experiences to tap. Avoid switching into the telling mode. Hint at things with simple additions, rather than lengthy descriptions. Allow the reader to tap their knowledge from a key descriptive word.

Keep the momentum of the story moving forward, rather than diverting to sidelines to describe things in detail. Not always, of course, but once in a while note a significant change in smell when changing venue. If something is different from what one would expect, for example a quiet bar, then briefly mention it. Or a fishing boat mysteriously floating unattended for days - wouldn't there be the smell of rotting fish from the morning catch on some fateful day? Basically, you don't want to have something obvious missing from the scene.

Visualize your story and once in a while add a small prop to the set. Read your ms aloud to a friend and both of you look for places where sensor items are missing. Avoid overloading the senses and it getting in the way of the storytelling.

Let me know if you try this and how it worked for you.

Getting Noticed

There are so many people writing these days and so few major publishers. Most large publishers use literary agents as a means of screening manuscripts; getting rid of the awful ones up front. Publishers who don't charge a fee to publish works, screen heavily to find the best bets before backing the project with company funds.

Writers use blogs, twitter, and facebook to get noticed. Writing samples are posted their websites and writing forums. Here is a new one: http://thenextweb.com/media/2011/10/03/pubslush-launches-a-kickstarter-platform-for-book-publishing. If you read the article, you know as much as I know about it. I'm not endorsing it one way or the other; just tossing out this bit of information for you to check out.

I've seen bulk queries come through that obviously are a shotgun attempt born out of desperation to get past the first hurtle and have their full ms requested. To date, every query letter I've received that began, "Dear Sir" hasn't made it past me to the vetting committee.

One committee person asked to read my rejects before I wrote the rejection email, then sent a note that they agreed that the work was so substandard that it wasn't worth taking it to the full committee.

It is extremely important to put your best effort forward every time. You only get one shot at a first impressions and the competition is stiff.

Try not to query when you're tired, feeling low from a rejection letter, or hurried. It will make a difference if you're rested and feeling confident about your work.

If you've self published, you know that your book gets turned away from some sites and some reviewers. It isn't a level playing field. Take a look at this place: http://filedby.com/author/nadine_laman/2238025.

No matter what, write your best work and believe in yourself and your ms.

What is a fair price for eBooks?

Nearly weekly, but likely more often, the trade news (publishing industry) has an article on the price of ebooks.

Usually the blog or article is stating that ebooks cost nothing after they are posted and should, therefore, be priced extremely low. (Keep in mind the distributor needs to make money to keep their company running so the ebook is available in the first place.)

Obviously those people haven't written a book and don't think an author should make any money on it for the life of the work. That is about like saying a museum should only charge a person once in their life to view an exhibit. How many people donate to their favorite museum to pay to keep the lights on and the doors open?

The reality is that any book, ebook or paper, has to support the author and the business that published it and it won't do it in one sale. It is a bit-by-bit process and a huge gamble that X number of copies will sell to pay for the expense to publish it.

Even with ebooks, a company has to continually keep the lights on and pay people to manage the records...at the bare minimum. (And if you are a writer, you want the company to be able to afford the resources to publish your book with its funds.)

If that company needs to upgrade or replace broken equipment and pay ever increasing taxes, how would that work out with only charging the actual expense of an ebook(remember that ebooks have to pay the distributor too).

I love what I do, but I do want to point out that products, including books, have to support the "manufacturer." Each book is like creating a new car - it requires company resources.

That is my take on why books cost money. And remember the publisher and the author get nothing from books lent to friends and family, or sold at garage sales. The business model, especially in this world economy, has to not be a charity (business is in business to make money).

History judges a society more by its arts than its wars. As people, we tend to expect arts to be gifts, yet understand that war costs money. Consider this, between Sparta and Athens, which still exists?

Until now, I've kept my opinion to myself. I think it is not likely that anyone would go to their job every day and get no paycheck. Something for nothing doesn't sustain the economy. What's your opinion on this?