Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

Thank you all for your help. :)

Steven wrote: "ok I have some questions for any author or authors that want to answer it.
When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go? Do you always know ho..."

I write Historical Fiction, so you are in for a dialogue, Steven. They are about WWII in the Philippines. For my third and new book, in a series of 3 books, I read around 20 non-fiction books, including two biographies of Douglas MacArthur and ten separate biographies of other actual people I featured in the book.
This last book is The Unsurrendered and has been really fun to write. I finished writing it the last week in December. It is now for sale on the Xlibris site. I included a lot of real people in it, including MacArthur, who interacted with my main fictional characters. It's a spy novel covering a love story between an American secret agent, Jacob
and a Filipina, Carla.
For all 3 books, I did the research and separated each topic into manila folders. Then I typed out dates and major events. Then I started writing. I never do any outlines and most of the actual writing comes "off the cuff" after all of my reading. When i reach certain points in the story and have other obstacles or points not well researched, I start looking on the internet.
I love both the research and the writing. It is the marketing that I like the least. However, with my new blog, I am now interviewing and reviewing new books. That's made the marketing more fun!
If you are at all interested in my books, you can look at: http://jshaughnessyauthor.blogspot.com
Thank you for asking! Joyce

Do you have a twitter account? I've made more friends on there than anywhere else. When you do announce your book publication on there, then some of your followers will retweet your message and some of their followers will do the same. So you can reach a lot of people with one announcement.

Michayla wrote: "Hi, I have a quick question for any of you authors who have published under a pen name. What name do you put on the copyright page? The pen name or your real name?"

I use my pen name for everything except the legal/payment stuff on my accounts.

Mary wrote: "I would like to self-publish my ebook, and I've been told before I do that to get my name out to the public. I have blogs and social networks, but I don't have much luck. What is the best way to ..."

I know that's what they say, but unless you are appealing to all of your friends and family, I think it's difficult to get your name out before you actually have a product. I've connected with a lot of people on Twitter, but they tend to be other authors, not readers who are going to buy my book.

It's quite an uphill battle, getting your name out there, even with a publisher. I was published last year (by a relatively new eBook publisher, who is working really hard to publicise all his authors), but am also working hard myself. Progress is slow, but I hope that once enough people have 'discovered' my book, then word of mouth might begin. (This, of course, is dependent on them liking it!)

I've found http://www.ian-irvine.com/promotion.html very helpful, and full of useful insights.

I would like to self-publish my ebook, and I've been told before I do that to get my name out to the public. I have blogs and social networks, but I don't have much luck. What is the best way to get my name out there?

Mary, I think "getting your name out there" may be less important than getting your writing out there.

http://kriswrites.com/2011/04/06/the-...

A lot of it depends on what you want out of your writing: but it seems to me that, if you want is a career, the thing to do is write more.

Thanks Mary! Good luck with your writing.

Fascinating article Henry. The publishing world is certainly an interesting one, and there's so much to learn. As we speak, I am happily writing the next book, so it appears that perhaps I'm on the right track :) At least in one way or another! :)

Henry wrote: "The target audience for book covers is not just restricted to which shop: which country is an even more important factor.

The pastoral scene on my cover has received nothing but praise here in Ire..."

Henry, are you contacting book bloggers for reviews and book tours? If not, you should make it your mission to network with them.

Here's a post my daughter and I wrote about standing out as an indie author: http://www.booksandbroomsticks.com/20...

Belle...Interesting Books and Broomsticks post. Many thanks for sharing. http://www.carolemarshallstudio.com

Thanks, Carole.
Love your website! Looks like the Pacific Northwest? Gorgeous!

Henry, I offer some book promotion and marketing tips on my website that may help you get your name out there. http://florenceosmund.com/marketing_y...

Hi Henry, when I was an author guest at Fan Expo last year I did a panel titled INDIE GENRE FICTION, basically how to break in and promote yourself in the Horror field. The panelists consisted of Sass Cadeaux, Stephen Pearl, Karen Dales and Alan Draven and it was moderated by Monica S. Kuebler. The folk at Dreadful Tales videoed it and have made it available for viewing so if you are interested in breaking into print or self promotions why not give it a look see. The address is below.

http://dreadfultales.com/2012/09/08/i...

Nukekubi

Morbid Seraphic

Thanks for all the promotion tips.

I'm not really doing any promotion at the moment. My current work is a five-volume epic fantasy: not five novels, but more like the five acts in a classical tragedy.

My readers have been wonderfully supportive, but a number of them have made it very plain that they are eager for me to get on and finish the last three. (The third, "Jove and the Sea People", is about 70% complete right now, and the last two are about 35% and 20% complete. Call it 160,000 - 180,000 words left to go.)

I'm hoping to do a big advertising blitz around the time the fifth one comes out. If I work really hard, and my long-suffering editor works hard too, that should be sometime around Spring next year.

Then I'll be eagerly looking for good leads for promotion. But meanwhile I'll be writing.

:)

Mary wrote: "I would like to self-publish my ebook, and I've been told before I do that to get my name out to the public. I have blogs and social networks, but I don't have much luck. What is the best way to ..."

Mary, some of the best advice I have read on this is to build a reader profile. Once you have done that you can figure out where they hang out online and engage with them there. Join conversations you find interesting and start conversations that interest you. Imagine you were at a party talking about your book and other books in your genre with people who also love that topic. It takes time for sure but it can be lots of fun.

A question for you wise people out there. I write sci-fi romance. I know I should find out where my readers hang out but there doesn't seem to be a genre for sci-fi romance or places where such readers hang out. At least none that I can find. Instead, sci-fi romance is a sub-genre of sci-fi, which would be fine but I've not found a single sci-fi group that even mentions sci-fi romance. Any suggestions?

Florence wrote: "A question for you wise people out there. I write sci-fi romance. I know I should find out where my readers hang out but there doesn't seem to be a genre for sci-fi romance or places where such r..."

You might want to approach it the other way. Look for some romance readers first. From what I see Paranormal Romance is pretty popular, those readers may be willing and ready to accept Sci-fi elements in a romance novel. Check out your local RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter and find out where some of those writers are hanging out.

Florence: I think there are many SF writers who included romance or romantic elements in their writing. There are fewer romances with SF elements: the only one I can think of is Yargo, by Jacqueline Susann.

I write fantasy with romance elements, but no happy ending is promised. I don't tend to worry so much about genre, since I don't have the same marketing goals that big publishers have.

Good luck with it.

Oh, yeah, that Happy Ending is essential for romance. Sounds like you have your genre pegged correctly.

Thanks a million. I presently categorize my books as paranormal romance but they don't truly fit in that genre and I've noticed that my books are passed over in favor of werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires and so on. But, yes, it's close enough that I use that designation when sci-fi romance isn't an option. But I've gotten some suggestions here and on other groups as to where to find readers of sci-fi romance so thanks everyone!

Vincent wrote: "Do any readers have questions for our authors?

If so, ask here! "

Did anyone have this problem with Goodreads?
I have been active on the Goodreads for the past several days. I have my author's page that lists my ebook. But as of last night, one can't find me, my author's page, or book using my name, book title, or genre in the search. The only way the search device finds me is by my amazon # B007IWI4DI. If you had this problem, how was it fixed?

Hi Jack. When I search for "Jack Flanagan" in authors or "The Third Murderer" in titles I can see you. In my experience it does take a few hours for the GoodReads database to catch up, but it seems to be OK now.

The time taken for the GoodReads 'blog feeds to catch up is more annoying to me, because I can make an announcement and it takes a week before it shows up here. I have asked support to re-synchronise the 'blog feed but that takes a few days too.

Anyway, good luck with the book.

As a writer of Short Stories and vignettes, my question is: has anyone with such a background successfully made the leap into writing novels, without extreme stress?
A few of my readers have suggested I could do it, but I have my doubts....

Steven wrote: "ok I have some questions for any author or authors that want to answer it.
When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go? "
Yes.
In fact, if I can manage to get in that zone, the writing is better, because the story is unfolding for me as I'm writing. A couple of times, the story literally changed from where I thought it was going to go as I was writing it.

When this happens, I'm tapping into my subconscious, which often writes better than I do. Since many of my dreams inspire my writing, returning to that subconscious territory is a GOOD thing, at least for me.

I do plan some, but once finger apply to keyboard, all bets are off.

John, I agree. If I plan it I usually end up changing it. I usually have an idea of what I want, what needs to happen etc but the actual journey often writes itself:)

John wrote: "Steven wrote: "ok I have some questions for any author or authors that want to answer it.
When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go? "
Yes...."

Yes, I've sometimes done it that way. In the process of writing, often the outcome just materializes. One of the mysteries of writing, I guess...

Margaret wrote: "As a writer of Short Stories and vignettes, my question is: has anyone with such a background successfully made the leap into writing novels, without extreme stress?
A few of my readers have sugge..."

I can't answer in terms of "success", being a new writer, but I have self-published a book of short stories and will do another short story volume, but then I'm expanded (not padding, but continuing) a story that was in my first book into a novel. I also am going to finish an epic fantasy book that I'd started.

I disagree with people that say if you write short, you can't write long, or vice versa. The format requires different plotting, but the thing is, if you're a writer, you can do it. Believe in yourself.

If a short writer, then write each chapter as if it's a short story. If a long writer, then write each story as if it's a chapter at the end of the book.

I make my living as an artist, and have always been amazed at people's inclinations to put you in pigeonholes based on your last project. Screw that. If I can draw, I can draw anything. Now, that means I might not be the best at a certain style, but I can certainly do it.

Ignore the pigeonholers, they are the enemy of creation.

Margaret, I say just write. If the story in your mind is a long one, then that's what will happen. If it's short, same thing.

I've sold and had published short fiction for over 30 years and I'm making the transition to novels. It's hard! I'm getting there but my first attempts were pathetic. I'm okay now according to the reviewers of my novels but I had to learn that it's not just a matter of writing a longer story, it's a matter of a different way of telling that story.
Hope this helps. Don't know if I'm making any sense at all.
Sort of along the same lines, John asked if writers plot or write by the seat of their pants. I can write a short story by the seat of my pants but I'd better know what I'm trying to say and how I plan to say it or I'll ramble on forever and bore my readers. And that goes double for novels because they have a lot more pages of boring writing if I'm wandering from the point of the book.
But if the story tells me to take another path and, as I take the first few steps along that path I realize this is the right way to go, that's different. That's not meandering. That's creativity happening!
Read some novels that you end up putting down because the writer goes on forever and forever about details you don't truly care about and you'll know what I mean. Self-pubbed authors do this a lot because there's no editor to rein them in. It's seen less in authors who publish through houses though it's seen there sometimes too, especially in print publications, because of the strict word count requirement. They might have to pad the story to reach the right length.

Thanks, John, Abigail and Florence! Your thoughts have helped to clarify my thinking!

Self-pubbed authors do this a lot because there's no editor to rein them in.

Florence, not all self-pubbed authors attempt to manage without an editor. Some do, but others recognise the important role an editor has to play and find one for themselves.

At the other end of the spectrum there are certain million-selling authors who have chosen to manage without editors and many more who are too lightly edited, presumably because a low-paid editor doesn't want to tell a mega-selling author that his/her writing needs work.

Editors don't always demand cuts, though. Sometimes they want more words. Stories have their own length. A good editor will recognise this.

Henry,
You are right. Thanks for point out to me that many self-pubbed authors do use editors. I'd never thought about million-selling authors, just presumed their works would be perfect!

Just giving a shout out to how fabulous my editor is. :)

I got a question, when almost ready to release your book is it best to release info about it and promote it before it comes out or the day it comes out? I ask cause I have so much stuff in mind but i dont know that I should wait until it comes out to do so. maybe a little bit now and then more later?

I think some advance promo is a good idea. If you can get a few reviews done in advance, with the reviewer's promise to post them on release day, that is almost certainly helpful.

Advance promo all the way!

Advance promo is best. Get people worked up and curious.

Do as much advance work as you can, and play up your platform. For my new release (coming May 8th), I started a speaking tour last November, and already have appearances booked for the next book, though it doesn't come out until May of 2014. Even self-pubbed authors need to find a platform, that thing you can share beyond the book itself that people want to hear about. Work it!

On that topic, I am frustrated by being unable to set and keep a schedule, due to using budget methods of getting editing and covers, which means not being too nasty asking them to produce (since payment is largely in kind, and this is not their day job). I don't know how to promote it effectively without a release date!

I've faced the same problems. Good luck. All I can say is that eventually you muddle through. The closer you get to publication date, the better. And I've also learned that you don't necessarily have to promote your book before it's published. Afterwards works too. I'm thinking of 1 book (Blue Coyote Motel) that was published over a year ago and now is working its way up the charts largely due to promotion after publication.

Thanks Everyone. I have so many ideas but I got a few I can layout for a good advanced promo and tease people haha. I just did a press release..ehh its not great but its not bad. Also I will be giving Bloody Tips a little spin of teasers to promote my book, prolly on FB and a group here on Goodreads.

Rebecca, the secret I've found is to delay the release date. So I currently have one book with my editor while I write the next. I don't want to push hard: I would rather she took her time and did the excellent job she will do.

When she is done I can figure out release dates. In the meantime I can offer more vague guidance. So I will get at least one book in my current series out this year (easy: it is with the editor now) and maybe two (I am on Chapter 5 of the next). And I might, with luck and a following wind, get the first of a new series out too.

The same applies to my cover artist, although if the cover artist gets ahead of the editor (she did this time) I can offer cover art as a teaser.

In the meantime, I am still writing. Which, according to this excellent advice, is the best promotion I can do.

http://kriswrites.com/2011/04/06/the-...

So I'm working on my back catalogue.

The time between manuscript and books on shelves for Big Publishing is not simply because they are dinosaurs. The process takes time and they know that there is more to good timing than simply rushing to print as soon as possible.

I'd second the delaying the release date approach. I like to write the next book before re-proofreading the first one (and some editing) and getting it edited then proofread fully. I can be far more objective about my own work when I've put some distance between it and me. I find writing a different book in the middle is perfect for that. My first two books were (self) published too quickly and now, with a lot more experience behind me, I can see the mistakes I made. Readers deserve better than that.

My current project is correcting those mistakes and reworking both novels. They are the introduction to what's turned out to be a gripping series, so I think it's worth reworking those first ones to lead more readers into the series. It seems that most people who buy the second book go on to by all of them, so I would be foolish not to make the most of that.

Well, I don't see anything to do but delay, as I have no intention of rushing out without either a proper edit or the cover. Meanwhile, like you two, I'm working on the next project(s). I'm finding I actually like having several things going at different stages. I even work on them on the same day--do some fresh writing for a while, then edit for a while, write a few blog posts. . . .I may have ADHD :D

The delay of the release date sounds good to me, too. Solves a lot of problems.

I definitely suggest having plenty of advance time to promote before release. You can wait until you have final editing and cover done before setting one. Be aware that if you're sending it anywhere professional to be reviewed, they often require books months in advance of release date. Bloggers may also have a several month backlog of books.

You're the publisher--you can set your date. Also know that even the big publishers change their release dates sometimes due to delays.

Your chance to ask question!
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Steven wrote: "ok I have some questions for any author or authors that want to answer it.
When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go? Do you always know ho..."

Hi Steven.
When I begin, I usually have an idea of where the story will go (sometimes even a detailed road map). But, if the story is working well, the characters begin to take on a life of their own and they end up directing the story. I simply end up following them. Sometimes they reach the ending I had in mind, sometimes not.

When I began The Music Box I had only a concept. The characters drove the story and the ending was as much a surprise to me as it is to the readers.

Gary wrote: "I'm sensing an innate self esteem issue with just giving us the first line of your novel and stopping there. You shouldn't. As far as I can tell these are all worthy lines. "The click of the latc..."

Here is the first line from The Music Box.

'The greatest gift my father ever gave me was his suicide on my fourteenth birthday.'