Tag Archives: writing novels

This must be done to achieve book writing success

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By Denise Turney
Your new book is scheduled to hit the market in three months. Last night, you sat at your kitchen table reviewing the final page proofs, before shipping the manuscript off to your publisher with a few final changes. You’re excited, full of enthusiasm.

When your book publisher ask you about steps you’re going to take to get the word about your new book – the one you hope turns into a bestselling novel –  you rattle off a laundry list of activities, everything from attending book festivals to speaking at public events to upgrading your website to scheduling interviews. Fortunately, you won’t have to leave the comforts of your home to find and schedule dozens of the above events.

Follow through is more important than you think

Yet, scheduling book events (starting something) isn’t enough. If you hope to achieve success as a book writer, you have to follow through. It’s not enough just to add an event like a book conference or book signing to your schedule.

For example, if you schedule radio interviews, you can draft at least five sample questions to give to radio  hosts, making their job easier. You can also create a media page about your books at your website, so newspaper, radio and television interviewers can grab quick information about you to include in articles and interviews they do on you. And, of course, be sure to send the hosts your media kit.

What to do as interview dates get closer

One week before your interviews, contact radio hosts and let them know that you are ready for the interviews. Include the dates and times of the interviews in your correspondence to hosts. This way, hosts can reach out to you should the dates or times of interviews have changed.

Most importantly, show up for interviews at least 3 to 5 minutes early. Some hosts may ask you to show up 10 minutes early. Get in the habit of showing up for interviews late or not showing up at all, and you might earn yourself a bad reputation. Years from now, that reputation could make it very hard for you to land interviews which, in turn, could impact you ability to generate book sales.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in my new book, Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Successful novelists wear multiple hats

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By Denise Turney

For many novelists the days of only writing great stories is over. Not only do novelists work hard to get their manuscripts in front of literary agents and publishing house editors, they also have to market their novels to readers. It makes the process of creating spellbinding books harder and harder.

Challenges today’s fiction writers face

Let novelists work full-time from home and they might also write non-fiction content for business clients. Types of content they might develop include press releases, blog posts, product descriptions, white papers, case studies, radio and television ads and magazine articles. During slow book sale months, it’s not surprising to see novelists spend more time creating non-fiction content than they do working on a new novel chapter.

As Suzannah Freeman shares at Writer Unboxed, novelists also juggle families. Suzannah says, “But, just because I’m ‘staying-at-home’ doesn’t mean I don’t work. In addition to all my normal mommy duties, I run a blog and regularly write for other blogs, write short fiction (some published) and novels (not published yet), and dabble in freelancing.” Pat Rice shares at Novelists Inc., “Stop the Promo, I want to get off!”

Another novelist says, “And in this whirlwind of busy-ness, while I am damn thankful to have two fine, well-respected editors requesting me to write these two Amish series…I really wonder sometimes if I’ll just STOP one day.”

To keep pushing forward, creating page turners, and generate enough money to pay the bills, novelists can work part-time jobs. They could also work marketing jobs, something that gives them sharper skills to advance their writing careers. Selling ads on their websites or blogs and interviewing book industry specialists for a fee are other ways novelists can start generating enough money to keep the hawk away from the door without totally abandoning their artistic passions.

So they don’t get off track and stop writing novels altogether, novelists should develop a schedule and stick to it. For example, they could write on a new novel chapter early in the mornings, before they start tackling other work, or they could knock out novel writing at night. One day a weekend, novelists can write for three or more hours on a new book. If they stick to their schedule, they should be able to write a new novel once a year.

Thank you for reading my blog. To learn what happens to Raymond, Brenda and the other characters in Love Pour Over Me, hop over to Amazon.com, B&N.com, Ebookit.com, or any other online or offline bookseller and get your copy of Love Pour Over Me today. And again I say – Thank You! Consider Love.

Sources:

http://writerunboxed.com/2012/01/08/8-busy-moms-who-published-novels/

http://www.ninc.com/blog/index.php/archives/2-busy-2-write

Writing Books and Stories that Touch Readers Deep Within

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By Denise Turney

It’s been said that authentic stories come to writers instead of writers simply sitting down and creating stories we share with book readers. Truth may be that stories that touch readers deep within may actually come from deep within writers. It’s as though these stories speak to us, characters pushing us to tell their stories.

Powerful Emotions Touch Book Readers

Then again, there are stories, like those found in non-fiction books, that come to writers directly from experiences we observe in this physical world. It is then that stories can touch the core of book readers while the stories also keep accurate records of historic events, experiences that create strong, compelling emotions.

Developing stories that move print and electronic book readers requires that writers be honest with themselves, explore their own issues. In fact, it’s not uncommon for novelists to revisit their fiction books and see bits and pieces of their own experiences dispersed amongst the books’ pages. Specific steps book writers can take to engage their reading audience include having book characters write personal letters to their friends, parents or children.

Authors can also have major book characters share personal experiences in their diaries and include some of those diary entries in novels they craft. Raymond Clarke does this in the new book, Love Pour Over Me. Painting pictures to create images of major and minor book characters can also help authors to connect with and get to know their book’s characters more fully, more deeply.

By creating character sketches, authors can find out how old members of their book’s supporting cast should be. Other information that may surface while book writers do character sketches are the hometowns supports cast members should be from, the type of personality characters should have and particular motives major book characters should have.

The more deeply connected book writers are to the characters they create, the easier it can be for writers to flesh characters out for print and digital book readers, making the characters feel real. Another tip book writers may find helpful is to read dialogue and character scenes out loud. Sometimes the ears will catch something the eyes miss or don’t want to acknowledge.

To move book readers deeply, it’s important that writers create book characters readers will genuinely care about. The most talented and technically well crafted writing in the world may not engage readers if characters are flat or unbelievable. By adding strong dialogue, intriguing scenes and strong character motives to stories, book writers may start to develop a readership

Get your copy of “Love Pour Over Me” Now at –

http://www.ebookit.com/books/0000001582/Love-Pour-Over-Me.html

Sources:

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Love-Pour-Over-Me-ebook/dp/B007MC0Z2C

Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-pour-over-me-denise-turney/1109600654