The Poetry Workshop Has Started!

It's been a wet dreary day in the hills of West Virginia and time has slipped past me. I can honestly say Friday was here in a blink of an eye. I think it has a lot to do with the holiday. With that said I am happy to announce that the first New Author workshop is ready to start.

What's the deal with this workshop? As I mentioned in the past, Bernard Rossi will be the lead instructor for this poetry workshop. He is an award winning poet and has a blog for poetry. I believe we all can learn a lot from his knowledge and experience. What we plan to do is post a picture on the New Author Workshop site with a few instructions and two e-mail addresses. The objective for this workshop is to write a poem with an aspect of that picture in mind. Once you have your poem on paper you will then e-mail it to either Bernard or I. Keep in mind that all poems will be posted on the workshop site for everyone to read. As the poems come in we will post them. That will allow everyone to compare the different styles, techniques and directions. We plan to post poems for about a week but this could be extended should a large amount of poems be submitted (and I hope there are). At the end of posting the poems Bernard will prepare a poem as well and we will take an in-depth look at the many aspects of poetry based on the submissions.

The photo will be posted shortly and we will begin taking your poems as soon as you are ready to e-mail them. The great thing about posting them and posting information based on those poems is that you can go back and them at your leisure and also refresh your memory about a particular poem.

But I don't write poetry! That's alright; I still recommend you participate because it will help with word usage, perspective, and style development. Also, you never know what you may learn about yourself.

As this is our first of many planned workshops I'm sure there will be some bumps in the road that will need some smoothing out. If at anytime you have a suggestion let me know. Who knows, the next workshop could be presented and conducted in a totally different way.

I look forward to reading and sharing the poems generated from the picture selected.

Do you like reading and/or writing poetry? 

Time To Celebrate!

Today we are celebrating!!  What are we celebrating?

First, today is my son's 8th birthday so cupcakes for everyone!

Second, I have been talking to Bernard and we are very close to starting our first New Author workshop. I invite you to read his introduction to the workshop here .

I have a birthday party to attend so to close out this short post I have a question for you; what is your favorite birthday memory?

Classic Openings

Have you ever picked up a book, opened it, read the first line and got sucked in? I'm sure you have. It's a really good feeling, almost a relief, when we read that line and know that book will be a page turner. Now we are the writer and we have to come up with that all important first line. On this side of the coin we are not feeling relief but rather we are feeling tense. Is the first line strong enough? Does it grab your attention? These are questions we often ask when writing.

I was just talking to a friend who shared the fact that she revised and edited the first fifty pages approximately thirty times! That's how important the opening is for our novels. How do you know you have a strong, catchy opening line? To be honest, I'm not sure. It really depends on the topic of your story, your pace and your writing style. Right now you may be thinking "Brian that really doesn't help me." If that is indeed what you are thinking then you would be right. I may not be able to tell you how to write a strong, catchy opening line but I can do the next best thing. I can give you examples.

I stumbled across a little literary quiz today about the opening lines from the classics. I enjoyed many of them and learned a lot from simply reading them. Let’s have a look at a few.

"I am an invisible man." from - 'Invisible Man,' by Ralph Ellison

"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since." from -'The Great Gatsby,' by F. Scott Fitzgerald (This is a really good one.)

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." from 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' by J. K. Rowling

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." from '1984,' by George Orwell (This one is my favorite.)

These are some great opening lines. Do you notice anything about them that they have in common? In my opinion, they make you think in some way. After I read each one I have a question that begins with who, what, when, or why. Take for example the opening line from '1984' - "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." What? How does a clock strike thirteen? See what I mean?

What can we take from this? Like these examples, if we leave the reader with a question floating around that is asking who, what, when, where or why then we are on the right path. The other aspect I find interesting is that none of these opening statements are long and wordy. They get to the point and deliver the desired result.

What's the best opening line you have read and what was the title of the book? 

To Space or Double Space - That is the Question

There has been a debate going on recently that impacts us right down to our writing core. That debate is based on this question; should I double space or single space after a full stop? Well, I cannot say that I have the full answer but I believe I can provide a flashlight's worth of light on the topic.

While researching this topic I stumbled upon a forum in which you can ask teachers and academic professionals questions in regards to the English language. The forum is UsingEnglish.com. I discovered some interesting facts that relate to the subject at hand.

Why was the question even asked? What made this an issue for authors today?

"It used to be, with old typewriters that were not proportionate type, that every letter and mark took exactly the same amount of space. A period (or "full stop" as the British call it) was in the middle of that space, and that space was exactly the same width as if you had typed an "M" or "W" in it. As a result, it took two hits on the space bar to draw a clear distinction between sentences.

Then along came computers and proportionate space. A period is now hugged up close to the last letter in the sentence. Hitting the space bar gives you adequate space after the period to distinguish the start of the next sentence."

Now we now that the action of double spacing was done because of the spacing in which the old typewriters would type letters and symbols. Why is it still a topic of debate? We have computers now. This is a harder question to answer. The practice of double spacing has become entrenched in many of us except for the younger generation who were taught on computers (including me).

"In fact, in the US, most professional style guides of the 1970s/80s specified the same two-space practice. However, with the advent of word processors and proportional fonts, one space after the full stop has become the norm."

What's the big deal if I double space or single space after a full stop? One thing is the perception of it. With large gaps between sentences it can make for an uncomfortable read and may not look normal. Unfortunately, if something doesn't look normal or typical then it will be shunned by the audience. The bigger issue is the space saved by single spacing.

"Some times in the literary world, the single space is used to conserve space. The use of even three or four "extra" spaces in the body of a text could mean as many as eight pages in a bound volume (four leaves)."

Should we double space after a full stop? No, it is not needed anymore. Publishers, editors, agents don't want to see it. What does that mean if you wrote your manuscript using single space? It means you have a little more information and you can keep writing. As for those who used double space after a full stop you may have some correcting to do. Not to worry though because you can go to your edit menu in your chosen program, conduct a find and replace in which you would find '. ' and replace with '. ', click next and it will take care of the rest.

How many of you were taught to use double spaces? 

The First Revision

Happy Memorial Day! As many of you know I have been working on the first round of revisions for my novel. I am excited too announce that I completed that round today. Well, the hard part is over now I need too get them incorporated into the manuscript. For this first round I printed my manuscript on paper and allowed it too cool for four weeks. I know everyone has their own approach too revisions but I highly recommend allowing your manuscript too cool prior too revisions.

As soon as the four weeks past I jumped right back into it. Reading my own work was at times exciting, frustrating and nerve wrecking. Portions of the manuscript were, in my opinion, pretty good and others needed help...a lot of it. The other aspect of revising a manuscript that I thought was exciting was cutting out the back-story. Why? I really don't know but it was thrilling. Maybe because I didn't know how the book was going too flow after I cut the first four chapters out.

It was interesting how some pages went by with few revisions at all when other pages looked like chicken scratch when I was done. What were the results of this first round of edits? Well I will not know for sure until I get them incorporated into the manuscript and read it again. I believe the flow of the story has improved and some holes have been filled in. To be honest, I am happy with the outcome of this round.

It is amazing how much of a difference there is in the writing of a few months ago and now. I owe that too the research and discussions we have here along with the reading I have done recently. If you ever wonder if there is a light at the end of the tunnel or if all the reading, thinking, research and discussions were for not I can tell you that there is a light and you will benefit from your hard work.

Did you experience any of these things during your first revision?

What's next? I will rewrite the manuscript where needed and then plan my second round of revisions. The second round I will focus on the cohesiveness of the story and always the flow but I plan too add a little more detail in a few specific areas. Then again I could print it, begin reading it and realize that I need to revise it in a totally different way. I will share that with all of you when it is completed.

My question for you is this; how long do you let your manuscript cool before you start a second edit? I really don't think I can wait another four weeks.

Remembering the Past to Inspire the Future

Welcome to the end of the work week. It's Friday and we are on the verge of a three day weekend. That's right Monday is Memorial Day and the majority of us will have the day off. However, there are many of us here in the New Author community who will be working on Monday.

Unfortunately, I cannot give you the day off from your job. I would if I could. That does not mean we can't have a holiday here on the New Author. Memorial Day is meant to honor those who are no longer with us that we respect for an achievement. In that line of thinking, who in the literary world would you honor if given the chance? Why would you honor that person?

As we write and prepare for the publishing world it is easy too get sucked into the fast pace flow of everything around us. We are constantly looking forward and rushing to make our goals. Before we know it months have past and we have neglected our twitter and Facebook accounts. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with this; however, I think we owe it to ourselves to look back and appreciate were we came from too truly enjoy were we are going. History is full of valuable lessons and that includes the literary world.

In no way am I taking anything away from the authors of the present time or the upcoming authors of tomorrow. What I am doing is shining a spotlight on the classics. Authors like William Shakespeare, Edger Allen Poe, Earnest Hemingway, and Charles Dickens. These forefathers of the literary world forged new ground with nothing more then pen and paper. They did not have the luxury of computers, printers and most of them did not have electricity. Some how they beat the odds, put their stamp on the world and their works have stood the test of time. These authors set the bar very high for us and I thank them for that as we press ourselves to the limit of our abilities.

We can draw so much inspiration from the pages of their books. If any of you are suffering from writer's block I recommend reading some of the classics. They will surely get the words flowing within you again.

Will there be others like them? I have no idea but it is possible. We could have the next Dickens in the New Author community. As they say, history repeats itself. With the introduction of E-books to the literary world who knows what that will bring. Perhaps we will forge new ground with that technology. What will the generations after us say about us?

What is the point of this article? It is a reflection on those who wrote before us and the writers we could become. It is a thought on the ability and possibility of our words standing the test of time just as the words of the classics have.

Have a good weekend and happy writing.

Inspired By Others

Time...who has any too spare?  It seems like as the days get longer so do our to-do lists.  Today I ventured out into the cyberworld none as the Internet looking for ideas and thoughts for my next article.  Don't get me wrong, I have plenty too write about but there are those times when I need...inspiration for a particular article.  I found that inspiration in three different locations. The links  included in today's article will take you to three amazing blogs.  The articles I read on each of these blogs consist of everything we look for here in the New Author community.  They are informative, entertaining and they can even inspire you.  I encourage you too click on each of the links and read the entire posts.

The first blog is 'Working my Muse' and was created by Eric Stallworth.  His post metaphors and similes provide a good look at the impact they have on our writing.  Are they needed?  Can they be harmful to our manuscripts?  The comments Eric received on this post vary in thought and opinion which is a good thing.  I think the most important aspect of this post is that Eric presents it in a way that provokes you to think about your own writing style.  Well, it caused me too think about mine.  After you read his post come back and let me know what you think.  Did it make you think?

Our next post was prepared by Rebecca Woodhead over at 'From Brain to Bookshelf'.  Get involved with publishing is an interesting post containing a great idea.  As Rebecca points out, if we help the authors who are published and the publishing companies through this recession then possibly those publishing companies will have the ability and means to bring on some new talent. That new talent could very well be one of us.  Her plan is simple but effective.  What plan is that?
Rebecca has more details in her post.  I will answer that question with a question. What would be the impact if we all joined together and started marketing different books?  Nothing major mind you just the little things that drew attention to these books such as book reviews, quotes from those books or links to a particular book. That is definitely something too think about.

Finally we come to 'Conquer All Obstacles'.  This blog was created by Jo-Anne Vandermeulen. Today Jo-Anne has a list of book distributors on her blog.  Why is this important?  It doesn't matter if you are self-published or working with a traditional publishing company it is always good too have a list of distributors.  That way you can make sure that your book is reaching as many bookstores and Internet markets as possible.  This list also works in conjunction with Rebecca's plan as it will draw more attention to the authors and their book(s).

What do all three of these posts have in common?  They all show a passion for writing and the business for writing.  This article encompasses three aspects of being an author.  We have the aspect of writing provided by Eric, publishing provided by Rebecca, distribution and marketing provided by Jo-Anne.  This also shows that there is a wealth of very talented people out there in the cyberworld.  We should use that availability of knowledge too support, inspire, and inform each other.

24, You and Your Writing

My name is Brian and I am addicted to '24'. At first I fought off the overwhelming draw of this television show. I brushed aside all the favorable reviews it was getting from critics, fans and even broadcasters. I put up a valiant fight but in the end I succumb too it's draw. I cannot tell you when it happened. All I remember is flipping through the channels and after deciding that nothing worth watching was on I stopped on my local Fox channel and watched. It was all downhill from there.

What was the draw to this show? Was it the drama, the action, the suspense or was it the intrigue? It was all of those things and much more. As I sharpen my skills in the world of writing I tend too view things differently then I once did. Television shows and movies are a prime example. 24 pulled at the author within me. It called too those ideas and skills of writing. How is that? Let’s take a look.

As the show progressed to the finale we were given the perfect example of layering a problem. Right when you thought the bad guy was caught the plot got deeper and there was a bigger fish in the sea. The layering of these problems and the thickening plot provided enough twist and turns that the watcher was left deciding what was up and what was down.

Then we come to the characters. Jack Bauer is the lead man, the main character, and he has plenty of depth, development and flaws. All these attributes make for a character that is easy to follow and cheer for. As wonderful as all these elements are they are not the true draw for my inner author. The true element that pulled me into this show was the supporting characters. Wait minute, they are there to highlight the main character, advance the plot and nothing else. That is what I thought as well but now I believe I was mistaken. The supporting cast or secondary characters can add so much more too our novels. They can add an unexpected dimension to the plot, tension, and even the main character.  We should think about our secondary characters as well when developing our stories so the readers can connect with more then one throughout the book.

We can learn from shows like 24 in regards to the strength of secondary characters. I am fond of character development but this show has opened up a whole new area for us too explore. The possibilities of what secondary characters can bring to and do for our manuscripts when properly developed are endless.

What I noticed about this show that reflects so brightly on writing is the use of motivation in the plot. This show built up from one situation to the next...problems like government corruption lead to private military attacks which lead to a biological weapon. All of these are grand, large scale situations; however, everything in the show revolved around revenge. This is a great example that a really good book can be written with the simplest of motivations.  That motivation like revenge is built upon until we have problems and situations layered on top of each other.  I know I have used this example before but like the onion, as we peel away the layers the core gets smaller and smaller.  The same thing is true with our novels.  As we peel away the large scale situations we get to the simple little core that started the whole thing.

Have you learned any lessons about writing or improving your writing from a movie or television show?

Following the ASR

I had full intentions of listing a few websites that allow you to follow multiple books and their Amazon Sales Ranking. Unfortunately I have stumbled onto a problem. You see, I registered with a few of these sites in order too see what they had to offer and their differences.

The one I was most excited about, Title Z.com, seems to be having technical difficulty as the link is broken. This was an interesting site as it provided the average ASR for each book you listed and also gave you the ASR for the top sellers of the last thirty days. The great thing about this site is that you can track and compare multiple books at one time.

The next site I registered for was RankForest.com. This site has multiple offers at prices that vary. I was not impressed with this site as you can only add one title with the free package. Why I am not impressed? If you are following one title you can simply pull up your book on Amazon.com. Also, to access the full potential of this site you will be charged approximately $50.00 a month. I'm not sure the knowledge provided but RankForest is worth this much but they will give you a lot of information about your book. It will provide the sales rank of the major Internet providers and sales tracking.

Unfortunately these two are the most frequently referred to. There are more available with a little searching of the search engines. I was really hoping to be able to provide more of a comparison within this article but the websites are not cooperating with me. I believe we still learned a lot from the articles over the last few days.

Also, I thank all of you who voted for the New Author and my interview this weekend. The interview is still available and there is still time to vote. As I said Friday, if the New Author wins I plan on sharing the wealth.

A Relaxing Friday

The last two days have been intense as we took a close look at Amazon Sales Ratings, the correlation with actual book sales and how too use the ASR as a valuable tool.  With this being Friday and the weekend is right around the corner I thought we would slow down a little, take a deep breath and relax.

I do have a few announcements I would like to make.  You may have noticed that I added a link to the top of the site for the New Author Workshop.  You can also check it out here.  At this time it is a simple layout; however, I have plans to expand it once the actual workshops begin.  With the current layout I have all the room needed to add links directly to the multiple workshops as they take place.  I do invite you to check it out and let me know what you think.

Also, I have a favor to ask the New Author community.  On the left sidebar you may have noticed an image to the Bloginterviewer.  I recently completed an interview for that site and would like to invite you too read it.  Click on the image and it will open the interview.  Now for the favor, once you are done reading my interview you can vote for the New Author.  If the New Author gets the most votes by the end of May then it will win $25.00.  What will I do with that money?  I'm not sure yet.  It could go to charity or it could go toward a prize for a New Author contest.  I hope you will check out my interview and let me know what you think. 

What can we look forward to next week here on the New Author?  I have one more article about the ASR I would like to post.  It will not be as long as the first two but it will contain some websites that help you track your books, compare your books and more information.  I believe that information will be helpful.  I am also working on an article about characters.  In my opinion we just can't talk about them enough.  It is my hope to present a new angle for thinking about, planning and developing characters.  Don't worry though, we have plenty too discuss so I will see you Monday.

Before I go I will leave you with a little something to think about.  Getting our novels published will be our first taste of success.  What will be your benchmarks of success after your book is published?

Have a good weekend and happy writing.

ASR and Actual Book Sales

Yesterday we discussed what the Amazon Sales Rank (ASR) is and how too use it as a tool. Today we are going to take a closer look at the ASR and see what it can tell us about actual sales.

We learned that the lower the ASR the more books sold. Also, we now know that an ASR of 500 means 499 books sold more copies then our book. What about actual sales? In truth we want too know the number of copies that have been ordered and/or sold in the bookstores. Remember, the ASR is only for Internet sales.

Have you ever noticed the top ten lists for movies? They eagerly report the weekend gross but in contrast to that the top ten lists for books only give the title. Why is that? It is considered a trade secret by the publisher. They do not want those numbers known because it gives them an advantage when marketing. Okay, I have too tell you that I don't understand this approach but that seems to be the theory.

Before we go deeper into this topic we need to keep in mind that these numbers are approximate. They have been derived from months of tracking a selection of titles. With that said, these numbers will give you an idea of the number of copies sold during a particular time frame. Since time is a factor in the ASR I believe we will look at that first.

This excerpt comes from an article posted on Beneaththecover.com:

The ASR is calculated as a rolling figure, and is based on sales over the last 90 days. It is, however, weighted by sales over the last five years to compensate for long-term big sellers after their sharp sales peaks have leveled out.

Rankings can spike due to large corporate purchases or heavy marketing promotions and are accurate only for the exact time they are calculated. ASR’s from 1 – 10,000 are recalculated hourly. ASR’s from 10,001 to 110,000 are recalculated daily. ASR’s above 110,001 are re calculated monthly. To get a more accurate ASR requires that the ranking be averaged over at least a six to eight week period with two to three ASR’s taken per week.

This outline tells us how many times a ranking is recalculated. It is interesting how much attention the top 10,000 titles receive. I believe that is an indication of the intense competition between titles and how quickly the landscape changes. So, we now know that we need our books on the market for 90 days before we get assigned a reliable ASR. Hang in there, we are getting closer. Now how does this relate to actual copy sales?

After reviewing a number of articles and website I can comfortably refer to these numbers as they have been the most used when determining the ASR and actual sales. As stated above, large publishing companies tracked a number of titles and developed this correlation. The following list came from WebProNews.com:

ASR of 2,000,000+ - Perhaps a single copy has been ordered
ASR of 1,000,000+ - total sales will most likely be under 40
ASR of 100,000+ - total sales will most likely be under 200
ASR of 10,000+ - Estimate between 1 - 10 copies being sold per week.
ASR of 1,000+ - Estimate between 10 - 100 copies being sold per week.
ASR of 100+ - Estimate between 100 - 200 copies being sold per week.
ASR of 10+ - Estimate between 200 - 1000 copies being sold per week.
ASR of Under 10 - Estimate over 1,000 copies per week

As you can see this list is approximate but it does provide a range. For example, if you have an ASR of 500 then from that list you can estimate your sales at approximately 150 per week. How did I come up with that number? If you look at the list you will see that for an ASR of 100+ the estimates are 100 - 200 sold per week. That '+' means an ASR of 100 to 1,000. With that said it can be assumed that an ASR of 999 sold an estimate of 100 copies and an ASR of 100 sold and estimate of 200 copies. If you have an ASR of 500 you are in the middle which would be an estimate of 150 copies sold. I told you it was a little complicated (it is for me anyway).

Now, I bet some of you (like me) are wondering what a good ASR is. I mean, we know that an ASR of 1 is the best and 5,000,000 is not so good. At what time can we see our book as a success based on the ASR? Here are some parameters explained by Morris Rosenthal of Foner Books:

“An average rank of 1,000 (or lower) means you have a seriously successful title; an average rank of 10,000 means you’re doing pretty good for a book that’s no bestseller; an average rank over 100,000 means it’s (your book is) not going to contribute significantly to your income.”

In my opinion, your book is a success as soon as you declare it a success. It is your book, your hard work and I would not base my level of success on a ranking. It does clarify a question that may be drifting in your mind though.  It is my hope that this information is presented in a clear and understandable way. Have we made it through the tunnel and into the light?

Amazon Sales Ranking and You

As many of you know I have been in the process of answering this question - how can an author track book sales without an agent? Searching the Internet for the answer to this question became an adventure as I soon learned that the answer was a complex one. How complex? Tracking book sales was compared to watching and dealing with the stock market. That is pretty complex when you want too look at the nuts and bolts.

I have not discovered why the system is set-up in such a complex manner but it is and so we have to work with it until a better system is in place (if that ever happens). There are many facets to the answer for this question that will take a few articles to cover but it is my hope that at the end of this journey we have a better understanding of the system and are more prepared when our books are on the shelves.

The first piece to this puzzle is the Amazon Sales Ranking (ASR). Before I go further we need to understand that the Amazon Ranking is the number one source for book sales as we will discover throughout these articles. Also, the ASR is based on Internet sales only. We will look at book store sales later on. The ASR is not the actual number of books sold in a given time but instead is an actual ranking. For example, if your book has an ASR of 500 that means 499 other books sold more copies then yours did.

Aside from assisting us with determining the approximate number of actual books sold the ASR can offer other benefits as well. It can be a gauge for marketing and promotions. For example, you have a book with an ASR of 1,000. You submit announcements to the paper and a few magazines about your book and after a few weeks your ASR goes up to 998. That is an indication that the newspapers and magazines were not very productive. Now say you started a blog, aggressively promoted your book on social networks and did a few Internet radio interviews and your ASR went from 1,000 to 650. That indicates that you are getting your monies worth from that marketing and promotions.

These are two very strong benefits. First, you know the higher your ASR means more books are being sold and also it will indicate which form of marketing is the most productive. That second one is really good if you are on a small budget. However, there are some drawbacks. The ASR is very much like the stock market in that it is speculative and very fluent. You could drive yourself crazy watching the ASR everyday because your ranking could go up or down depending on what others are doing.

Wait a minute; I don't follow you. Let's look at our example again. You have a book with a lot of buzz that is being sold by title alone with an ASR of 500. One day you see the ASR plummet to 1500 and panic because you think the buzz has faded but it has not. What we need to remember is this; if a book starts an aggressive campaign or an author like Stephen King releases a new book sold through Amazon then that will impact the ASR of our book. Of course, if your sales stay up then the ASR will balance out but the peaks and valleys are something to be aware of.

How does all this read? Clear as mud right? That's what I thought while I was researching it but hang in there with me because there is a light at the end of this tunnel.  Tomorrow we will look at how the ASR correlates with actual book sales along with some websites that can assist us in tracking our ranking.

You Tell Me

Over the past week the New Author has been conducting a contest during the interview and book reviews of author Jay Miller. Today we have a winner of that contest. The winner will be receiving all three of Jay Miller's children's books. Without further adieu the winner is......Kathyrn Magendie!! I hope she enjoys the books as much as my son and I did.

A few weeks back I mentioned that Bernard and I were planning on conducting some workshops in the near future. That future is getting closer everyday and soon we will conduct the first one. To support the workshop I am expanding the New Author community by adding a blog specifically for these workshops. That blog will be up and running soon. I hope you will stop by and let me know your thoughts once it is completed.

I have good news and bad news for the New Author community. The bad news is that I really don't have my article ready for today. The good news is that I am gathering a lot of information for my article which will address how an author can track book sales. I have been researching this topic and I can tell you this...it is a complicated topic. It is my hope that when I am done we will all have a better understanding of this process. I will have more on this topic in the coming days.

I would like too open the floor for all of you with these questions.  I am interested in the thoughts of those who have been published and those (like me) who are still working toward that goal.

How did you track book sales? Did you depend on your publisher's report of book sales and royalties?

Is it more important too get your book published even if it is through self-publishing company and run the risk of an error in book sales and royalties or is it more important to have an agent so he/she can handle that?

Mom and the Agent

Before I begin today's article I would like to take a moment and recognize some very special people. Without these people the world would be in more of a mess then we currently find ourselves. Who are these special individuals? They are all the mothers in the world. To each and every one of you I say thank you. Thank you for raising your children into the adults that will be a positive force in our society. I know I speak for all the sons and daughters from one end of the planet to the other when I say thank you for being there.

This weekend I had the opportunity to join in on a work shop during Promo day. This particular work shop addressed agents, how to get an agent and what an agent actually does. I will admit that I was familiar with approximately half of the information given; however, what an agent actually does caught my attention. How many of us know exactly what an agent does?

We know, from past discussions, how to identify an agent looking for manuscripts in our genre. We also know the importance of a query letter when trying to hook an agent. However, when it comes too an agent's job I believe we are a little mislead. Many of us are lead to believe that an agent reads our query and will either request the manuscript (as a partial or whole) or will reject it. Once our manuscript is in their hands we are hopeful that they will represent us and sell our manuscript to a publisher. Does an agents job stop right there? I know they go through hundreds of query letters a day but is that the complete job description for a literary agent?

No it is not. As I learned this weekend, you can think of an agent as a mini-manager. How is that? An additional responsibility of an agent is to ensure the publisher is adhering to the contract. When your book is converted to a movie with action figures and things of that nature your agent is involved in the negotiations. Publishing is a business and as such the publishing house is looking out for itself; trying to get the best deal that will benefit them. Your agent is supposed to get the best deal that benefits you. Why is that? It all comes down to money.

Remember when we were warned that agents are not paid up front but only after the book is published? Now we know why. Your agent will get a better pay day if you have a better deal. Wait, there's more. Your agent will also track book sales and royalties too ensure the publishing companies do not make any 'accounting errors.'

This is very good news for us and really shines a light on the importance of an agent. This also raises a serious question. If we don't have an agent and we go through a self publisher or a small publishing house how do we, as authors, track book sales and royalties? This is a question I am currently investigating. Once I am done with that investigation you can bet there will be an article about it.

What do you think about an agent's job? How would an author track book sales and royalties without an agent?

Work Shops and Book Review

Below you will find my review of Jay Miller's third book.  I must say that, even though they were children's books, I did enjoy reading them and preparing these reviews.  As I mentioned before I have a copy of each of these books that Jay autographed.  So, from now until Monday we are going too have a contest.  Everyone who comments on any of the book reviews or the interview will be entered to win all three of these books.  If you have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or even younger siblings I assure you they will enjoy these books.

If you notice in the title I mentioned work shops.  Yes, in the past week or so I mentioned conducting a poetry work shop with friend and fellow writer Bernard Rossi.  While that work shop will be conducted soon as we have identified the picture that you will base your work on. However, Bernard and I have brainstormed recently.  This has lead us to develop further work shops that we will conduct throughout the year.  What kind of work shops?  We are planning too have a work shops on openings for novels (setting the hook), character development and settings to name a few.  Did any of these topics catch your attention?  Perhaps you have an idea for a work shop.  If so I encourage you to share your idea.

 

Title: Opal, Herby, and Squeaky
Author: Jay Miller
ISBN: 978-1-4389-1808-2
Genre: Children (Toddler age 3 to 6)
Pages: 20
Reviewed By: Brian Knight
Official Premium Promotional Services Rating:


Opal is a lovable black cat without a home. Opal’s life changes one day when she crosses the path of a caring human. She is brought to this human’s new home and meets her playmate, Herby, a good natured wiener dog. Quickly, Opal and Herby become the best of friends.

Now in this human’s house, Herby has a problem with Squeaky, a smart mouse. Every night, Herby cannot seem to catch Squeaky who steals his food.

Opal loves to eat mice for a snack, so when she hears of Herby’s problem, she happily volunteers to catch the mouse. Herby is thrilled and accepts Opal’s help with one condition…she must promise not to hurt the mouse. Herby and Opal plan a way to catch Squeaky, but Opal makes no promises.

Squeaky overhears all the details of the trap. That night, she is careful not to get caught.

Opal’s trap fails. She really wants to catch Squeaky so she heeds the advice of Herby and prays to the Lord for guidance.

The Lord instructs Opal on how to catch Squeaky; however, she must give the mouse a chance to repent for stealing. If Squeaky repents, Opal is to release the mouse unharmed.

“Opal, Herby, and Squeaky”, is the third book in the “All God’s Critters” series. On every page, Jay miller fills this delightful tale with eye catching illustrations and lovable characters that will come alive before any youngster’s eyes as the story unfolds. Drawn into this animal world, listeners of any age (young and old) will be hooked right from the start as they are shown the life lessons of powerful morals and values from Opal, Herby, and Squeaky. The listeners learn the importance of friendship, the power of forgiveness, and how the Lord will guide them through prayer.

This tale of a lovable cat, a friendly wiener dog, and a sneaky mouse is a fun story with many teachable moments. You will find yourself laughing along with the character’s dilemmas and satisfied knowing the child you love is learning life lessons.

I highly recommend this book for children and all those who are young at heart. A story no one will ever tire of hearing.

"Opal, Herby, and Squeaky" can be purchased in the New Author Bookstore and also at author Jay Miller's site.

Book Reviews - Author Jay Miller

PREMIUM PROMOTIONAL SERVICES BOOK REVIEW:

Title: Bingo the Banjo Picking Bear

Author: Jay Miller
ISBN: 978-1-4327-0739-2
Genre: Children (Toddler age 3 to 6)
Pages: 34
Reviewed By: Brian Knight

Official Premium Promotional Services Rating:  


From the time Bingo is a little cub, he wants to do two things….sing and fish. If he isn’t fishing with his grandpa, he is dancing and singing around the house. Now Bingo is a very happy bear, but he feels he is missing one thing that would put him on cloud nine. Bingo wants a banjo. He wants to play while he dances and sings.

One day, Bingo is fishing with his grandpa and he catches a tiny fish. This is no ordinary fish. It is a genie fish. A scared little genie fish that is so desperately tells Bingo that if he lets him go he will grant Bingo a wish. Bingo tells the tiny fish he wants a banjo so he can play and sing all day long. Knowing his wish would come true; Bingo gladly put the tiny fish back in the water.

The weeks pass. Years pass, and still Bingo has no banjo. Even though grandpa is now in heaven and Bingo is so much older, he still sings and dances, but he cannot remember what it was he wished for.

One day, while fishing and sending songs to his grandpa, Bingo catches a BIG fish—the genie fish. The fish recognizes Bingo and they start to talk. Bingo suddenly remembers his wish and wants to know why he did not get his banjo…

“Bingo the Banjo Picking Bear” is full of colorful pictures and songs that compliment the delightful writing of author, Jay Miller. The illustrations are sure to capture the reader’s full attention. Your child will have images dancing in his/her head; and together, you will dance and sing the songs. Entwined within all the fun and entertainment, is Jay’s wonderful message of thankfulness, patience, joy and family.

“Bingo the Banjo Picking Bear” will become a favorite on your child’s bookshelf for many years. As a grandpa, Miller understands the importance of reading to our children. Miller believes reading, singing and dancing is a fun way to teach important morals and values to young children.

I recommend “Bingo the Banjo Picking Bear” to toddlers who love to sing and dance. And for adults who want too teach their little ones morals while they play.

"Bingo the Banjo Picking Bear" can be purchased in the New Author Bookstore and also at author Jay Miller's site.

Title: Sal and Sally
Author: Jay Miller
ISBN: 978-1-935028-13-0
Genre: Children (Toddler age 3 to 6)
Pages: 23
Reviewed By: Brian Knight
Official Premium Promotional Services Rating:


Sal and Sally are best friends that enjoy playing together and discovering new adventures. One day, the two happy-go-lucky sea bass stumble upon the most amazing pastime…they learn how to blow bubbles! In the ocean they blow big bubbles, little bubbles, and bubbles of many different colors. For hours, just the two of them laugh and swim around all the blown bubbles until Nellie, the octopus, swims over to join in.

Nellie sees how much fun Sal and Sally are having and really wants to join them. But Nellie has a big problem…she doesn’t know how to blow bubbles.

Sal and Sally gaily come to Nellie’s rescue and are happy to teach her. Nellie proves she is an excellent student when she exhales and blows a huge bubble. A bubble so enormous, it engulfs Sal and Sally inside.

Sal and Sally attempt to pop the bubble, but to no avail. And what’s worse—Nasty Nick, the Texas long nose shark, comes by and now they are in real danger. Afraid, Sal and Sally can only watch as he approaches.

Nasty Nick is looking for dinner and can now see his meal trapped inside this bubble. He attempts to pop the bubble with his long nose; but like Sal and Sally’s attempt, the bubble just won’t burst.

Sal and Sally are safe, but this leaves Nellie outside the bubble and looking scrumptious for Nick’s next meal. Will this be Nellie’s last frolic with her two new friends or will Nasty Nick have a change of heart and let Nelly go free?

Once again, Jay Miller composes a delightful tale.

In a joyful way of learning, Miller uses rich descriptions, delivering powerful messages of life values and morals—playing and working together in a way that shows even a nasty shark needs friends. In “Sal and Sally,” the colorful illustrations compliment the story and are sure to grab the little listeners’ attention. With joyful songs at the end of the story, everyone will surely be dancing about the room as they envision many bubbles bouncing and floating around them.

“Sal and Sally” is sure to be a favorite on any child’s bookcase. I recommend this book for those children who have lots of energy. Those who love to dance, sing and have fun. And adults who wish to spread positive life values and morals to those little ones they love.

"Sal and Sally" can be purchased in the New Author Bookstore and also at author Jay Miller's site.

J. Thorn - A Documentary Part II

Today we have the next article depicting the journey of author J. Thorn as he

prepares his manuscript for the ultimate goal...publication. If you would like

to read the first installment of the documentary you can find it here.  Now to

J. Thorn's article.

Microsoft Excel. How’s that for a hook? During the revision process of a manuscript, I discovered an unlikely addition to the writer’s toolbox. Sometimes inspiration comes from the strangest places.  

Like many writers, I keep a composition notebook on the desk when working

on a manuscript. I jot down chapter and section headings, followed by a brief

description of happenings in that section.  That system worked fine on

the first draft, but by the second draft, I had cut huge portions from the

manuscript, moved things around, and renamed all the chapters. As you

can imagine, my little notebook became a mess.

I know many good writers plot and outline, and there is nothing wrong with

that approach. I do not plot. I sketch ideas a chapter or two ahead, letting the

story unfold. As the author, I enjoy being the first reader too. The

spreadsheet tool will work with any approach, whether you plot or not.

I was preparing a presentation with Microsoft Excel when the light bulb

appeared over my head. Being somewhat of a computer geek, I was not afraid

to get in there and knock cells around. With some minor calculations, I

devised a “plot summary tool” with a “plot and pace” chart.  First, type a

sentence or two next to each chapter and section in the spreadsheet,

enough to remind you of the major events taking place. I label my scene

breaks within a chapter as a decimal point. For instance, chapter 2, scene

3 is “2.3” on my chart. If you type your Chapter 3, section 2, blurb right

after you finish writing Chapter 3, the sentence will be concise and accurate

while fresh in your mind. Once you finish the manuscript, the plot summary

is finished also. Copy and paste all of the lines into Microsoft Word, merge

the cells, and the plot summary will be neatly contained in a workable word

processing document.

Secondly, type a number from “1 to 10” in the “tension” column. This represents what I call “tension” or “pace.” If the characters discussed back story, I register it as a “2” or “3” on my chart. If the chapter and section contains the major battle of an epic fantasy, I register it as a “9” or “10.” Remember that the “tension” level is what you assign as the author. It is subjective to your analysis and should not have to be justified to anyone else. What you label a “2”, someone else might label a “4”. As long as you remain consistent, you will see the pace of your novel unfold in the chart, according to your definition, with the “tension” numbers assigned for every chapter. The visual represents the pace of the novel. A graph that gradually rises from bottom left to top right should illustrate a slow build to the ending.

As mentioned in my first guest blog post, not everyone writes the same way. The composition notebooks work fine for some, and have for decades. However, if you try the Excel file, you will see that it does things you could never do with paper.

I would love to share this with you, free of charge. Simply head to my website
J. Thorn.net and download it from the “links” page. I configured the template to do everything except input the data for you.

The best observers make the best writers. If you have discovered or created a useful strategy for the writer’s toolbox, an idea that came out of nowhere, please share it with us in the comments.

Until next time,
J. Thorn

Author Jay Miller Interview

There is a lot of information for this article today so hold on tight and enjoy the ride.  I have two announcements for all of you before I get to the interview.  First, Tina-Sue Ducross, a friend of mine who is also a member of the New Author community, is having an event called Authors Promoting Authors Cares.  This event will take place the week of May 10th and I encourage all of you to visit her site Authors Promoting Authors for more information.  Second, my friend and partner Jo-Anne conducted an interview about blogging and Internet promotions.  You can read that interview here.

Okay, now that the introductions are out of they way we can get to the interview with children's literature author Jay Miller.  (Jay's response in bold.)

What motivated you too write children's books?
My intentions were to write mystery novels. But when the time came to get started, I think Jesus had other plans. He put beautiful, innocent words and thoughts in my mind, which led me instead, to carry His message of love to little children. I have found much joy in that.

You have developed so many wonderful and colorful characters for your books. Which character is your favorite? Why?
Bingo, because he was my first fun character. He also plays a big role in my “All God’s Critters” Young adult novel I’m writing. (Comedy/Adventure)  Bears are easy, lovable, and fun to write about. Did you know that Dancing Bears only appear to be dancing? Most likely, they’ve been Bee stung in the rear end while trying to rob honey.
Opal runs a close 2nd. She’ll steal a lot of hearts.

Music and song play a large role in your stories. Are you a musician as well as an author?
Yes, I play several musical instruments, but not professional. My intention however is for the children to experience Christian values and morals, to sing and play for the Lord. He likes music. We’ve learned that from the early Biblical teachings.

What is the most difficult part of writing a children's book?
For me, it is keeping the story within the right age level of understanding. That’s why I am writing an “All God’s Critters” novel for young adults that have a compilation of five different but related stories, yet there will be five individual toddler books in the series. There will be more All God’s Critters series to come.

Have you entertained the idea of writing a book in a different genre?
My concentration at this time is only on my “All God’s Critters” novel and toddler books. Perhaps at a later date.

All of your books have morals and Christian values instilled in the story. Do you feel that it is important for children's books to teach as well as entertain?
There are many great Biblical children’s books available for teaching. My books are different, in that fun and play lets them experience those things in a way that they will remember easier. An example is in the songs they’ll get to sing for Jesus. Then in the book Sal and Sally, they’ll get to blow bubbles for Jesus. Is that fun or what?

What, in your opinion, are the most important thing children and parents can learn from your books?
A great way of letting children experience what God wants them to know.

What's next for Jay Miller?
I will continue work on my “All God’s Critters” novel and toddler

books. I plan on trudging ahead, as I have faith in what God wants me to do.

Would you like to add any final thoughts before we close?
I appreciate all the hard work that you and Jo Ann are doing in promoting my books. Both of you are doing a fantastic job. I highly recommend your service to any author who needs professional assistance in promoting their work.  It’s much more fun writing and leaving the difficult part for you professionals.  To all the readers, I hope you’ll give my books a try. God Bless - Jay Miller

To learn more about author Jay Miller and his books, visit his site at:
My Bingo Books, where you will be able to read official book reviews, story summaries, and view videos.

Week End Review

We find ourselves joyfully at the end of another week.  Did you have a good work week?  I usually say that the week has been busy but this week was an exception too that rule.  This week was busy enough for two weeks.  Did you miss any of the articles or discussions from the week? Well, it is the end of the week so here is the week end review.

On Monday we saw a different side to the New Author as we took a field trip to Reduce Footprints and read my guest article about Asbestos.  It is amazing how many commercials you see on television about this mineral.  I believe this article was well received as Small Footprints had a number of comments about it.  I encourage you to read the article and share your thoughts here and/or on Reduce Footprints.  

Wednesday was blogger awards day here at the New Author.  I truly appreciate the two awards I received.  I really enjoyed reading all of the comments about getting and giving awards.  It is interesting that many of us enjoy getting and giving awards but often forget to do so.  I guess we can use that as an example of how busy life can get at times.  

Blogging and your POV was the topic of discussion yesterday.  I think it is safe too say that this is the most thought provoking article of the week.  I will admit that I attempt too pick topics for articles that will make us all think about that subject and how it relates to our writing style. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  In this article we looked at the impact writing a blog has on writing a short story or novel in a particular point of view.  The comments for this article are very interesting and informative.  I highly recommend reading them with the article.

What can we look forward to next week here on the New Author?  I have my next interview ready to go.  On Monday I will post my interview with author Jay Miller.  Jay writes children's books that are packed full of values and morals.  I look forward to sharing this interview with you as I think it takes a person with a grand imagination to write children's books.  To make the deal a little sweeter I have his first three books right now and they are autographed by Jay. They will be the prize for the interview contest.  I am also planning to post my review for each of his three books; however, I am not sure if they will be ready for next week.  Also, Bernard and I are selecting pictures so we can begin the poetry workshop.  This should be a lot of fun so get your poet's hat on.  Okay, I think that is enough to keep us busy next week.

I think we should take a moment and reflect on the past week.  What is the most important thing you accomplished this week?