Bri Clark's Blog

We actually launched a year ago this month. But with that said it took a little more time to get up and running with our releases. There’s a lot to running any business but it’s multiplied when you add a whole other business, Belle Consulting, a family and a cross country move. However, now that we are up and moving we aren’t even slowing down.

It’s time to play catch up!

We have 2 releases today. Their eBooks are available now with the print copies releasing next week.

But in addition we are going to release a couple more books before the end of the years. So be on the look out and share the love.

Now for today’s wonderful news

 

A Huge Congrats for House of Belle Press author Louise Wright. Her collection of essays about life’s humiliations was hitting Amazon Bestseller lists before it even officially released. I hope you will take the time to check it out for yourself below.

We all know that one person who life seems to…challenge. They may be accident prone or fail to engage their brain before operating their mouth. Let me tell you, 

I am that person.

Wherever I go, disaster is sure to follow, but rather than wail in despair, I choose to share my mishaps with you in the hope it will raise a smile or a ‘been-there-done-that-got-the-tshirt’ nod.

In this book is a witty account of the everyday mishaps that can happen to anyone but seem to all happen to just one person. A woman who is a hopeless optimist, unintentional comic and wannabe traveler of the world still trying to find their way in life…without causing serious injury.

 

Amazon US: http://ow.ly/TVirN

Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/TViMf

 

In addition, to this super funny release I have the pleasure of rereleasing Scent of a Witch. This is one of my first creations in the paranormal genre and I love this one. It brings together three of my favorite things: my home in Tennessee, Halloween, and romance. 

Maeve da Paer has lived her life free from the restrictions of the world of sorcery. Hidden behind the combined protection of her grandparents powerful clan magic—and a lie. When she loses everything desperation and grief cause her to cast her most powerful spell ever…a spell that will end the pain before it even begins.

Fionn Hughes, an immortal tracker, banished son, is on a mission to restore his honor—instead he finds Maeve. Following the scent of Gardenias and Honey Suckle, he discovers sorcery’s greatest treasure…the last Scent Witch.

It’s only after she almost kills him that he feels something more. Trained to find, capture, and kill her kind, instead he saves her. But will she let him?

It’s a race to All Hallows Eve.  Who will win the witch or the warlock?

 

Amazon US: http://ow.ly/TVjR5

Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/TVjY5

 

Fighting Lies With Truth

By @10minunovelist Katharine Grubb

A month ago, I was given this assignment: write about facing the darkness.

Then, last weekend, some big important person said something discouraging about my writing. The big important person (whose opinion I had asked for) had an honest — but clearly not hurtful — opinion of a project of mine. My inner critic (whose opinion I had not asked for, and whose opinion is always hurtful) took those words and added a few of his own. In my mind, I made the mistake of given these two voices the majority in my head.

This is what I concluded:

 

That my significance comes from the approval of big, important people.
That being universally liked is more important than being true to myself.
That one setback proves that I am a failure.
That the enthusiastic following of ordinary people who read me isn’t enough.
That my preconceived path to success is the only one I’m willing to venture on.

 

So, naturally, this list of conclusions put me in a funk. Sadly, this is common for me. Sometimes the smallest bit of discouragement can be devastating to me. And I think, especially in my case, that there’s more to it than just not having thick enough skin. I know that in my case, my history colors my perceptions. When I get discouraging reviews or bad feedback, it’s not my project that is in question, it is my entire identity.

 

Now, I know what the truth is — that I am more than what others think of my work. But it’s in discouraging moments like these that I can’t get a handle on truth. My own weakness allows the truth to slip through my hands. The lies envelop me and seal me in. My own despondency drowns out any clear, rational voice. I have to fight against these lies, and last weekend, I couldn’t.

 

But if I could, I’d do it this way.

I take them one at a time and counteract each lie with a truth.

LIE: 1. That my significance comes from the approval of big, important people.

TRUTH: when I sit with my stories and sculpt my characters perfectly, and put clever words in their mouths and see delight from my close readers, then I am at my happiest. My joy, if it is well crafted, will be seen by others. My goal should never be universal approval, it should always be just to touch one soul.

LIE: 2. That being universally liked is more important than being true to myself in my art.

TRUTH: Trying to please everyone will just make me miserable. Trying to please me will bring me joy.

LIE 3. That one setback proves that I am a failure.

TRUTH: My identity as a failure was driven into me from childhood. I need to take a deep breath and change my thinking. Setbacks will come, but they are not my identity. One setback does not prove I am a failure; my willingness to keep going proves that I am a success.

LIE 4. That the enthusiastic following of ordinary people who read me isn’t enough.

TRUTH:  It’s the ordinary enthusiastic reader who will make me who I am. If I appreciate them, give to them generously, embrace all their faults and be content with their company, then my future success is more secure. The approval from the “cool kids” is often fickle and inconsistent and because I don’t have a strong relationship with them, it could be short-lived. I need to redefine what it means to be successful and refocus on who got me there.

LIE 5. That my preconceived path to success is the only one I’m willing to venture on.

TRUTH: The further down this path I go, the more understand the bumps, curves, twists, turns, uphills, crevices, potholes, floods, gullies, peaks and valleys in it. I have come a long way, but I have a long way to go and if my only objective is an arbitrary place called success, then I’ll never get there. But if my goals are specific, and if I enjoy the view of the journey, I’ll be far happier as I pursue them.

The truth is that I create my own happiness. What others say about us is just an opinion. If their words have power to devastate me it is because I’ve allowed them to have that power.

Get out of my head, you big, important person! Shut up, you stupid inner critic! I’m the boss of what I’m going to believe about my writing and you have no say.

I’ve faced the darkness and fought lies with truth. Now I’m all the more determined to prove other voices wrong.

If I can do it, you can too.

About the Author 

Katharine Grubb is a homeschooling mother of five, a novelist, a baker of bread, a comedian wannabe, a former running coward and the author of Write A Novel In 10 Minutes A Day. Besides pursuing her own fiction and nonfiction writing dreams, she also leads 10 Minute Novelists on Facebook, an international group for time-crunched writers that focuses on tips, encouragement and community. She blogs at www.10minutenovelist.com. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. Her new novel, Soulless Creatures, which is two 18 year old boys, not vampires, will be released August 2015.

 

 

The Business of being an Author

As a prepublished author (Kristen Lamb created that term) we often times have the goal of just getting our book accepted. But I challenge you to think in the long term. Don’t you want to make your writing a career? Don’t you want to ONLY be an author?

This is a dream that isn’t unattainable. However, it  does present a challenge.

Successful authors like J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyers are what we all aspire to be. And when we look at their back stories we find that it seems like all they did was write, write, write, pray, pray, pray.  Now these are important steps, don’t get me wrong. Especially, the write, write, write part. Backlist is one of the most guaranteed techniques to creating revenue and longevity in an author’s career.

But I challenge you to think a step further, or really many steps further.

Why not approach your writing as a business. Because really when you start making money as an author you become an entrepreneur. Take it from me I know about being an entrepreneur. I even write about it on LinkedIn. (www.linkedin.com/in/briclark/)

Here are 4 steps to keep in mind to apply to your writing business.

Quantity is important. The more product (backlist) the more opportunities you have to create revenue. (money)
Project Goals. It’s important to have goals and plans. For example, you could have a goal to write 2 books every quarter or to publish 3 books a year.
Project timeline. Based on your goals create a time line of how long each goal will take.
Accounting. Make sure to keep some kind of way to keep a record of your time, revenue, and expenses. It could be software or a simple spreadsheet.

It’s not impossible to become a full time writer. It’s completely attainable. But like everything worth achieving it takes time, talent, intelligence, and dedication. I challenge you to try thinking like an entrepreneur in terms of your writing career.

Do you think you can do it?

Bri Clark
Social Media Strategist Belle Consulting
t: 208-761-0319

e: [email protected] 

w: belleconsult.com

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Having problems with that author bio? 

What about the bio for your media kit? 

Here are some tips to get you seen, read, and remembered.

Do you have any tips or tricks for your bio that you’ve found to be successful? Do you have a more personal bio? Do you have more than one?

 

Bri Clark   Social Media Strategist/Publisher





Phone: 208-761-0319
Website: www.belleconsult.com/www.houseofbellepress.com
Company: Belle Consulting/House of Belle Press





       

 

Eight Things You Must Do To Be Excellent In Your Craft

By: @10minnovelist  (Katharine Grubb)

I am a writer, but I like to see myself as an artist. I find it helpful to see myself not as someone who can create a sentence but someone who is a craftsman, an artisan perhaps. I have a romantic image in my head of an old time artisan carver or sculptor who spend long hours in his studio creating. This studio in my head is dusty and covered with debris. Sunlight streams through the slats of the wood walls. My tools are scattered all over. I’ve sat, hovered over my workbench for years. I’d like to think that I know my art. I’d like to think that my experience is vast. I’d like to believe that I’m known for quality. I’d like to believe that I’m excellent.

You are an artist too. You have the potential to be excellent, but you must see yourself as an artist and expect excellence in yourself.

How do you do this?

You must know your medium. You must be an avid reader, who spends time with his words. You must have ingested and breathed in the words of the greatest of writers so that you can recognize excellence. You must know the nuances of your genre and the universal elements of story.

 

You must master spelling, grammar and punctuation. You must not be lazy in crafting your sentences. You must know why word choice, arrangement and mechanics matter. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are the etiquette of the written word. A writer’s respect for the rules allows readers to feel at ease.

 

You must know your tools. That means that you need to feel at ease with your laptop, new applications and anything else you use to write.

 

You must have written. Good writing, like everything else in life, comes with practice. If you have not the discipline of writing in your day, then your skills and craftsmanship will suffer. Some experts claim it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert. It should never occur to you to find a shortcut.

 

You must hold yourself to a high standard. This means that you must have the habit of brutal editing. You must not ever love an idea, a sentence, a phrase, a scene or an entire act so passionately that you aren’t willing to cut it for the sake of vision. You must be able to recognize your own flaws and then receive correction well when others point yours out.

 

You must understand the process. You must not expect your first drafts to be of no more value than a chunk of coal is to a diamond collector. You must understand that first drafts are the raw material, that the next steps require hammering, chiseling, sawing, whacking and sculpting something beautiful out of it. You must never be afraid to fill up your literal and figurative trash bin with discarded ideas and words.

 

You must always be willing to learn. You must be open to new ideas and new processes. You must be inspired to tell an old story a new way. You must be willing to push yourself into new genres or new methods or new ways to develop ideas.

 

You must not hold back. When the story is told, it needs to be told with all that is in you. Your true soul must come to the page. You must be willing to be vulnerable and honest. You will see real magic happen when you write authentically from the heart. You will be able to throw off the dead shell of cliche and predictability if you write from the darkness and power that is in you.

 

When I see myself in this light, as an artist, then my approach toward my writing changes. I take my art more seriously and hold myself to a higher standard. I take my time to take the unclear and make it clearer. I carve the obscure words to make them known. I gather my arguments carefully when I point to truth. I understand words are powerful. It can still in others new ideas or old emotions. I know my words can be weapons of destruction or bouquets of peace. With my words, I act as  a commander, lining up my words and phrases to advance, conquer, and occupy. With my words, I invite my reader to dance with me. I charm my readers with my turns of phrase, my smooth ideas or my popping arrangement. When I am excellent, I show my respect for my art, I show respect to my reader and I show respect to myself.

You are a craftsman too. Take the time to be excellent.

About the Author 

Katharine Grubb is a homeschooling mother of five, a novelist, a baker of bread, a comedian wannabe, a former running coward and the author of Write A Novel In 10 Minutes A Day. Besides pursuing her own fiction and nonfiction writing dreams, she also leads 10 Minute Novelists on Facebook, an international group for time-crunched writers that focuses on tips, encouragement and community. She blogs at www.10minutenovelist.com. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. Her new novel, Soulless Creatures, which is two 18 year old boys, not vampires, will be released August 2015.

 

 

I hope that you all can feel the level of Fan Girl experience I am having at this very moment. It is times like this that I freaking could kiss Mark Zuckerburg (the creator of Facebook) for giving me access to my favorite authors such as today with Jennifer Ashley.

Below is an interview that I was able to do with Jennifer Ashley/Ashley Gardner about genre jumping. It always fascinated me how successful she is in not one, not two, but three different genres. Check out our interview below and learn from a true master.

 

BC: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me about…publishing and writing. I’m an avid follower of your work. I started, like many, with Ian Mackenzie. I’ve followed you on social media for a little over a year now.  So when I was introduced to the Captain Lacey series it was intriguing to me to see if your genre jump was successful. 
Like straight up are you making money on it? 

JA: Straight up, yes! I’ve been very, very pleased with the sales of the Capt. Lacey series. It’s now coming out in audio as well (my narrator says he’s just finished book four—books 1-3 are already available), and I’m happy with those sales too. Historical mystery is a small niche genre, so I was not expecting much at all. I’ve been pleasantly surprised!

BC: How did you go about pitching it so it could be published? 
JA: The original six books (starting with The Hanover Square Affair), were published by Berkley Prime Crime years ago. They went out of print quickly (I guess the market wasn’t ready for them then), and I republished them myself when self-publishing started to be a big deal. I added a novella (the Necklace Affair) that I’d written but never published, a couple of short stories that had been published in small magazines (The Gentleman’s Walking Stick etc), and then wrote three new books, the latest of which, Murder in Grosvenor Square, came out this past October. I’m busy writing more now!

BC: I know this is very borderline stalkerish so I apologize. But I connected with you so I could watch you and see how you have achieved your success. And I love your books. Honestly here is what I have come up with.
1. Stellar writing
2. Series writing
3. Volume/Backlist
4. Consistency 
5. Interaction with your audience on social media
6. Fast writing
Is that pretty accurate or do you have a crystal ball you aren’t sharing? 

JA: LOL I think of all of those, consistency has contributed the most to success, as well as volume—readers do like to delve into series that are already going and read them all at once. I do write fairly fast—takes me 1-3 months on a story, depending on length, though I know authors who write faster.

BC: I mean you have like over 85 novels out right? Would you say I got any of that right? Oh and there is one final one that I think really I admire the most. You absolutely love what you do. Correct?


JA: You are right that I do love what I do. I learned a long time ago that if I don’t love something, I’m miserable, and I suck at it.
As an author, you can get kind of shoved into a box or into a genre / style of writing you don’t enjoy. I’ve resisted that. I’m very stubborn about making sure I write what I love to write. Being an author is a stressful occupation—why make it more stressful?

And, yes, I have about 80-85 books and novellas, last count.


BC: Are you a full time writer? Like are you at that level where you are able to do writing full time and sustain your bills and such?

JA: I do write full time, have been since 2001, even before I got published. I realized that my brain was not going to focus on being a writer until I just became a writer. I knew I’d always dink around trying to be a published author while I was working a full-time job, and never do it. So I quit.
Did I plan this well, and have my bills paid off and money saved up? No. My husband and I were stone broke. But I had faith in myself to make it work, and I made it work. (And TG, my husband had that faith too)
I have been able to support the family with writing since about 2005, and the last six years have been my best ever. You’ll notice it took 4 years of writing FT before I was able to make a living at it. We ate a lot of macaroni and cheese.


BC: For me as a marketer, you are like a fascinating study, but then as a reader and author you’re someone I root for. So taking anytime to answer these question was so great. Thank you. 

Below you can see what I’m talking about by check out the Captain Lacey series and Jennifer’s Amazon page. That’s where it all happen’s ya’ll. All her books are there.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Thanks again Jennifer.

 
Capt Lacey Series. 












 Ashley Gardner Author Page 

Write what you don’t know

 

Have you ever listened to Adele? You know that beautiful girl with hips and awesome eyelashes and big hair from Europe. Anyways, I’m a huge fan. She’s amazing. Usually I just let her songs play while my mind wonders. In fact I have a whole Pandora Channel dedicated to her.

This morning as I was listening to “Turning Tables” I noticed some of her lyrics more so than usual. Then “Love Song” played and this one particular phrase popped out I won’t let you close enough to hurt me. I thought, “ Holy cow… some douche bag really put this girl through a lot.”

Then I had a “Woa Nelly” moment.
 
Perhaps she didn’t’ even write the song. Maybe she’s had anything but amazing and mutually amicable relationships (I know I’m wrong. The woman couldn’t be that good and not know the pain.) that ended on good terms.

Why would I stop and try and rationalize that it might not be her experience?
Because as an author I’m constantly fighting this stigma. Conversations like these seem to be popping up more and more about my writing. And because of the sassoligist that I am I can’t help but respond…well sassylike.

Q: Is this person inspired by me?
A:I don’t know are you a witch from Slavatia too?I’m not sure how that’s possible since I made up the entire realm and all it’s sister realms.

Q:Why does it sound like he looks like me in your book?
A: I don’t know. Do you have a reading problem. Honestly when I described his shoulders as broad and chiseled, I wasn’t thinking of your 5’5 beer bellied self?

Q: You call yourself a Christian. But you write about witches. Don’t you feel like a hypocrite?
A: No…Lucky for you I am a Christian now and I quit carrying those brass knuckles I loved so much as a teenager or you’d have a very wealthy dentist. 

The point is my dear readers as writers and creators we do that. 
We write.
We create.

If I write a story about a woman who has an affair on her jackass of a husband doesn’t mean my husband is a jackass or that I’m having an affair. It could of just been inspired by a really good Army Wives episode.

Instead of looking for drama and controversy outside the story enjoy what is already there in front of you. It’s fiction. I’ve created for you to have fun with. And nothing more. 
 
So let’s have it authors…ever face these issues? I know you’ve at least been afraid of it. Has it kept you from writing or releasing a novel? Do tell ya’ll…Please.
 






Bri Clark

Social Ghoster Marketing Strategist, Author, Speaker, Social Media/ Platform Consultant


(208)761-0319 

belleconsult.com

 


  

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After sharing some marketing tips to a fellow author friend in my writer’s group about using audio for marketing, I thought I’d take it a step farther and do some Video marketing. So check out my vlog post where I read to you the first part of Scent of a Witch. This novel has not been released yet. So you are getting exclusive first hand access.

Check it out. Share it with your friends.

Bri Clark   Social Media Strategist/Publisher





Phone: 208-761-0319
Website: www.houseofbellepress.com
Company: House of Belle Press





         Let’s Connect On Social Media

So I’ve been blogging  since 2009 now and guest blogging for just as long. In my experience I have found there are some expectations of manners that people think but have never put out there that I can find. They are all perfectly acceptable but sometimes we get so busy we don’t even think of them. Here is my list of Guest Blogging Etiquette Expectations to practice. FYI I learned these the hard way…as in I was the rude one sometimes.

 Turn In At Least a Week Prior to Publication: By doing this your host can know they can count on your post. They have time to look it over and if revisions are needed or suggestions arise you both have time to go over them.
Editing Should Only Be Done by the Author: Unless otherwise noted or permission given you always have the right to expect that you are the one editing your work if revisions need to be made.
Keep It Short: This is especially true if they are posting author bio, author picture, buy links, book jackets and info. The average blog readers attention/time span is short…Remember that.
Make it Viral: You know the blogger host is marketing her post through her social networks you should do the same.

Has anyone else had experience in guest blogging they want to share? Good, bad, or the ugly….

Bri Clark   Social Media Strategist/Publisher





Phone: 208-761-0319
Website: www.houseofbellepress.com
Company: House of Belle Press





         Let’s Connect On Social Media

 

Recently I joined in at an online birthday/launch part for 10 Minute Novelist. This is a great Facebook community with an online presence that also spreads to Twitter with weekly Tweetchats. It’s all about helping authors write a book in 10 minutes a day. They have even released a book. You can find the group here and the book for sale on Amazon here.

With that being said at the online party we had the opportunity to ask question from Literary Agent Chip MacGregor. (Yes the kilt wearing Christian we all love on Facebook. That one.)

I wanted to get his feedback on how the best way and author could promote themselves in person. There are many ways an author can go about doing this from local networking, to libraries to conference where should someone start. So that’s what I asked. With the permission of all those involved I am sharing the conversation below.

Bri Clark: We only have so much time to market. Does it make more sense to promote ourselves locally or try for national attention?

 

 Chip MacGregor My advice: Try to become a big deal locally. Invest your time and efforts to sell in your hometown, the local area, the nearby cities. On the radio, on TV, in the newspapers, at stores, at community gatherings, at conferences – all the stuff your online publicity isn’t reaching. If you can become a big deal locally, then you can try to become a big deal regionally – so reach out to the other cities, or the rest of the state, or the region of the country. There are plenty of authors who make a living writing regionally (think of all those Southern writers, or the New York people, or the writers in Texas & the Southwest). Start there, and it will pay off.

 

Chip MacGregor Another thought… if you don’t know stuff, educate yourself. Or think seriously about hiring someone who DOES know this stuff, to help you get it done.

 

Chip MacGregor I know several authors who have gone to their local university and simply hired a senior marketing student — the student needs something to put on a resume, their time is cheap (in comparison to more experienced marketing types), and they often have great enthusiasm and creative ideas. Worth considering as a low-cost option.

 

Katharine Grubb Yesterday I walked into the library that I took my kids to for 13 years with my new book in my hand. They threw a FIT OVER ME! They want to do at least two events and help me in any possible way. This feels really good and it’s easier to learn the ropes with friends than with strangers who see writers every day.

Chip MacGregor But I agree with you, Bri… the focus on authors to market is out of control. I could spend all my time just on marketing with the authors I represent. It’s crazy. Most authors didn’t get into this biz to work publicity — they got into it to WRITE.

Keisha Page I did an event at my local library, and it was a perfect way for me to get my feet wet doing public events with a crowd of people I was, at the very least familiar with.

As you can see it was a great conversation and we got some great tips. And just to give you the overview of what Chip said.

Focus your efforts to connect and promote locally. Everywhere you can’t reach online.

TV
Radio
Libraries
Conferences
Writing Groups
Book Stores
Newspapers
Networking Groups

Then once you’ve branded yourself effectively take that same strategy and reach out to other cities in your region and reapply. I hope this has given you some ideas and I’d love to hear any feedback you have.

Bri Clark   Social Media Strategist/Publisher





Phone: 208-761-0319
Website: www.houseofbellepress.com
Company: House of Belle Press





         Let’s Connect On Social Media