Tag Archives: writing advice

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – INDIE AUTHOR JULIE STOCK

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Julie Stock is an indie author of contemporary romance from around the world: novels, novellas and short stories. Her latest novel, Over You, is now available. Follow Julie on Twitter @wood_beez48

What was the first writing advice you were ever given?

The first writing advice I remember being given was in November 2013 when I attended a Festival of Romance in Bedford, near where I live. I’d been writing my début novel for about 8 months by then and I had about 80,000 words of my story written but I just couldn’t seem to finish it. I sought feedback from so many different places and my head was spinning from the conflicting advice I’d been getting.

I remember being so excited to find there was even going to be a Festival of Romance in Bedford, of all places! I went to a session in the morning where I saw Sue Moorcroft and listened to her reading from her latest book. Then I walked around the big hall in Bedford town centre, meeting romance authors who were selling their books. Straight after this, I sat down to listen to a panel of authors chatting about writing and publishing their books. Bravely at the end, I asked them for advice about my dilemma. That was when Phillipa Ashley and Rowan Coleman both advised me without a second’s hesitation to join the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme. I went on and joined in the January of 2014, and published that début novel the following year. I’m now an independent member of the RNA, and I wouldn’t have achieved that without their support.

 

What is the most recent writing advice you’ve been given?

Along with many writers, I suffer from doubts and insecurities about whether my writing is any good on a fairly regular basis! Usually, this happens when I’m struggling with a first draft or when I get feedback telling me that something in a book isn’t working. I find rewriting and editing the hardest job, and really have to force myself to do it. So, when I felt like this most recently and mentioned it to one of my writing friends, her advice was not to give up. She reminded me that I’d felt like this before and that I’d probably feel like it again.

It is hard to keep going when you’re finding it hard to write or to rewrite, but it is also true that you can find inspiration in the strangest of places. I know as well that rewriting has definitely made my books better, and sometimes this is all that keeps me going to get through to the end. Then when you publish and someone takes the time to tell you how much they enjoyed the book, it makes all the pain worthwhile!

 

What is the piece of advice you’d most like to pass on?

I didn’t start writing until I was in my late 40s. I was having a tough time in my job then and I began writing as a way of taking my mind off things. It became a form of therapy. When I started, I hadn’t even heard of self-publishing, although I had recently received a Kindle from my husband. Then I read Sealed With a Kiss by Rachael Lucas, and she explained how she’d self-published it. As I was approaching my 50th birthday by then, I didn’t want to waste any time approaching agents/publishers, I just wanted to get on and do it. And I did. So I think my advice is not to let yourself be put off from doing something you really want to do. Reinvent yourself if you want to – it’s never too late!

 

THE BUSINESS OF BOOKS: THE DREADED S WORD

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Jane Cable tries to pick out the positives of writing a synopsis

Having completed the edits on one manuscript and having rescued my rights for Another You from Endeavour Press, this month has been all about considering submissions – which in most cases involves the bane of my writing life – the synopsis.

I’m not talking about the sort of synopsis you use as you create your novel, or to check structure and record plot points as you go along; I’m talking about that big, scary, one-and-only-chance-to-get-it-right document which accompanies your submission to agents and publishing houses. The synopsis as sales tool – in particular the short version – fills me with dread in a way no other blank page can.

This time, I thought I’d cracked it. Fellow RNA member and Choc Lit author Lynda Stacey very kindly sent me her template and using it made perfect sense. Like me, Lynda writes romantic suspense and has to shoehorn complex plots into a single page. I was happy with what I’d written, but when I showed it to Claire Dyer (an editor as well as an author) she drove a coach and horses through it. Clearly I need to improve.

So, what have I learnt from this sorry state of affairs.

A template to follow is really, really useful

When you are staring at a blank piece of paper there is nothing more helpful than something which lists the paragraphs you need and gives you some guidance about what to put in each. It helps you to have a method. For my short synopsis I set out the beginning of the book, then the end of the book, and filled in the middle last. It was also brilliant for pulling out the main plot strands and that focussed me through my final edits.

You’re going to need more than one carefully tailored synopsis

I’m concentrating on the direct submissions route for my novels and am hand picking the publishers I think would be right for them and who I’m really keen to work with. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I’m quite comfortable being an indie author if I can’t land that special deal. But what struck me when I was making my shortlist was that they all want something different; everything from a 3,000 word essay to a two paragraph blurb. It’s so important to tailor what you send to their requirements and to show you understand where your book would sit in their portfolio.

A synopsis is not a blurb It may be a selling document, but it’s not a blurb.

I was delighted when my first choice publisher asked for a blurb as I find them so much easier to write. Of course there are similarities – both have to grab the person reading it – but in different ways. A blurb entices, teases, reveals just enough. A synopsis tells the whole story. No surprises. The most important thing to bear in mind is that a publisher or agent will be thinking about how they can sell the story – a reader will be using the blurb to decide if they want to buy it.

Not everyone you submit to will need a synopsis

Yes. Really. But don’t use it as a cop out or to select who you submit to. Most agents require a synopsis, but the length varies. So will most publishers, but some have other priorities, such as finding out about your author brand – they will rely on your manuscript to see whether your book is worth taking on. You will need to become expert in selling your novel in all sorts of ways but one thing is certain: the better you become at all of them the more chance you have of landing a deal.

 

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – WRITER CLARE SWATMAN

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Clare Swatman spent almost 20 years working in women’s weekly magazines. Her debut novel Before You Go was published last year, and her second, The Mother’s Secret, is published by Pan Macmillan on 22 February. She’s currently writing her third novel.

What was the first writing advice you were ever given?

‘Write about what you know’ is the advice most people give, and I was no exception. But for me it really did ring true, especially the first time round. When I started writing Before You Go it was with the idea that I just wanted to write something. I wanted to be able to say I’d given it a go, and never regret not having tried; I had no expectation that anyone would ever read it, or want to read it, so I was really writing it for myself, with the hope that some day, something might come of it – but it might not. And so, while concentrating on the plot and developing the characters, I found it really helpful to write about places I was familiar with; Newcastle, where I went to university, Crouch End, where I used to live, Doncaster, where my best friend lives. It meant there was one less thing to worry about getting right, and I could concentrate on the story in hand. I also used my experience of writing true life stories to develop the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Years of interviewing people about the things that have happened to them has given me a good insight into how people respond to happiness, heartache and difficulties – and it’s not always how you’d expect!

What was the most recent writing advice you were given?

There’s no magic bestseller formula (if there were we’d all be making millions of pounds!) – all you can do is write the best book you can. That’s it. And if you try and write to be a bestseller you’re more than likely going to set yourself up for disappointment. It’s a tough one to swallow, because of course as a writer you dream of selling lots of books and of everyone loving what you’ve spent years writing, but it’s easier to expect smaller things, and be pleased by them, otherwise you’d live in a perpetual state of disappointment and anxiety! So now I try to remember how pleased I am to be published and keep trying to write the best stories I can.

What Is the piece of advice you’d most like to pass on?

Don’t compare yourself to others. This has been a big hurdle to overcome, and I have to admit I’m still working on it! I love my social media, and think it has great value in my life. But there are times when I think it can work against you, and the publication of a new book can often be one of those times. I’ve found it always feels, rightly or wrongly, as though every other book being released, read or even written is mentioned all the time on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram – except mine! It also feels as though everyone else is selling hundreds of thousands of copies and getting huge success within days of publication. Of course this probably isn’t true, but as with everything, social media takes the shiny parts of people’s lives and magnifies them. So comparing your own life and career to the life and career of someone else portrayed online is not only pointless but can be damaging. So I’ve had to learn to stop – and I would definitely give this piece of advice to anyone starting out in writing or any other career. Just do you own thing, enjoy it, and stop worrying about everyone else!

 

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: CLASS OF 2017 – Jane Cable considers the big lessons

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Some writers consider their calling a business from day one – to others it comes as a complete surprise. But asking them to think about it has come up with some real pearls of wisdom we can all share.

On finding time to write:

“I’ve found the trick is to stay focused on the current work in progress while trying to fit all other aspects of my writing around it – and remembering to stop and eat occasionally. I can recommend writing retreats where I find working whilst gazing out to sea from my desk can be a welcome rest from my desk at home!” Elaine Everest

“I have the same commitments as everybody else. I’ve had to be very disciplined and make time to write. I set several evenings a week aside and also write on weekends; I watch a lot less TV than I used to. When I’m working under deadline… I write any spare moment I can, whether it’s during lunch breaks or into the early hours of the morning.” Nikki Moore

On marketing:

“Networking with fellow authors and bloggers, and interacting with readers is so important. It builds relationships, and ultimately I believe that the business of books is about people.” Barbara Copperthwaite

“While I don’t normally spend much on book marketing, I did engage a publicist for my second novel. That probably helped get it into bookstores. It certainly spared me a lot of time and footwork.” Carol Cooper

On running a business:

“I always remember my dad telling me that a new business takes an average of two years to make a profit. I went into self-publishing my books with that in the back of my mind, and very much thinking of it as an entrepreneurial venture. I ensured I had enough money behind me to survive for two years without making any profit at all.” Barbara Copperthwaite

“It’s only recently I’ve converted my way of thinking to writing as a business, so I’m learning and in the process of developing the business model… In its simplest form: keep writing, keep engaging, and keep building my readership.” Laura E James

On diversification:

“I give talks about my writing to groups such as the Women’s Institute and to libraries. Sometimes I’m paid for the talks but they all give me an opportunity to sell paperback copies and also to collect email addresses of readers interested in hearing when my next book is out. I’d like to grow this side of the business in order to get a better return on the amount of preparation required to devise a talk.” Sally Jenkins

“I don’t have a formal business model, but writing full-time has given me the opportunity to take on different projects and I am now beginning to earn from a wider source than book sales. Writing short stories for magazines is a good way to supplement income and I have also taught a ‘writing a novel’ day course.” Heidi Swain

And the final word:

“Keep writing. Be flexible. Be aware of the market. Be dedicated.” Karen King

In 2018 The Business of Books is running a new regular feature on best advice from authors and publishing professionals so there will be plenty more great ideas from the world of words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find out more about the authors featured above at:
http://www.romanticnovelistsassociation.org/about/author/elaine_everest
 https://nikkimooreauthor.wordpress.com/
https://www.barbaracopperthwaite.com/
http://www.drcarolcooper.com/
http://www.lauraejames.co.uk/
https://sally-jenkins.com/
http://heidiswain.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.karenking.net/

Best Endeavours Best Bib & Tucker: Jane Cable On What Happens When You Get That Publishing Deal

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Jane Cable, publishing, writingBEST ENDEAVOURS
Jane Cable’s blog about what happens once that digital publishing deal is in the bag continues.
BEST BIB & TUCKER
Parties, it seems, are like buses; writers’ parties even more so, with two in one week and a book club sandwiched between them. A book club which was incredibly interesting, but will need to be deferred to another blog to do it justice. 
Regular readers will know that I belong to two writers’ organisations (well, three including the Society of Authors) and both held events last week. Wednesday was fun and networking with the Romantic Novelists’ Association and Friday was the serious business of raising money for Dyslexia Action with Chindi Authors.
I had discovered three important things in advance of the RNA Winter Party; that drink would be taken (beforehand and during), that it would be incredibly noisy, and incredibly hot. On no level did it disappoint, although the fact that a rather nice New Zealand sauvignon blanc was only £10 a bottle in the restaurant beforehand meant I spent the whole party sipping a single increasingly warm glass of fizz, thankful that over the years of drinking I have learnt when to stop.
The wall of sound was unbelievable; a high ceilinged room filled to the brim with almost exclusively female voices meant it was practically impossible to hold a conversation with softly spoken fellow Endeavour author, Maggie Greenwood. I soon discovered that the best way of catching people’s names and making the link permanent was to find them on Twitter on my phone. It felt terribly modern after years of swapping (and losing) business cards. I was only sorry I didn’t meet more authors because in true RNA style the whole evening was incredibly friendly and sociable.
best-endeavours-best-bib-tucker-jane-cable-on-what-happens-when-you-get-that-publishing-deal
 Back on home turf on Friday was Chindi Authors’ #LovetoRead party. To be fair, before the doors opened not everything went smoothly. Husband lost count of the number of times he moved tables from one end of the hall to the other and re-arranged chairs. The phrase ‘how many writers does it take to set up a room’ came frequently to mind, despite organiser Helen Christmas’ best attempts to impose order. It must have felt like herding cats. And that was before one author turned up so late that three others had split his table space between them. 
As usual I buddied up with my close friend and children’s author Christopher Joyce. It makes sense when you’re sharing a table; Chris has five Creatures of Chichester books, including ‘The One About the Edible Aliens’, which he was launching. I have only two, so I can squeeze into a corner. We’ve become good at selling each other’s books over the years – and our other halfs well used to enjoying a pint together.
But this time I was one of three authors lucky enough to be reading (Chris having been a perfect gentleman and given up his slot to a dyslexia specialist). I chose the first chapter of The Faerie Tree – the book starts just before Christmas so it felt right. Luckily four of my closest friends sat in the front row so I could pretend I was just reading to them and it must have worked; it’s an amazing feeling to hear people in an audience gasp when you reach a certain point. That, and the fact we raised over £700 for Dyslexia Action, made my night.
Jane Cable is the author of two independently published romantic suspense novels, The Cheesemaker’s House and The Faerie Tree, and a sporadic contributor to Frost. If you’d like to read the first chapter of The Faerie Tree you can find it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faerie-Tree-Jane-Cable-ebook/dp/B00UTI27AY/.
The Seahorse Summer (or whatever it ends up being called) tells the tale of how two American soldiers born sixty years apart help forty-something Marie Johnson to rebuild her shattered confidence and find new love. Discover more at www.janecable.com.

An interview with Gillian Holmes – editor by Margaret Graham

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Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Graham1

Gillian Holmes – aka The Editor – has been working in publishing for nearly twenty years. She started out at Quarto, working on craft books and worked with many publishers, and finally

Arrow Books where she edited many bestselling authors, such as Katie Flynn, Dorothy Koomson, Amy Silver (aka Paula Hawkins), Cathy Woodman, Margaret Graham, Lisa Lynch, and many others.
Gillian now has her own editorial agency, The Editor, and over the following two weeks, she will be giving advice on the first three chapters, and the synopsis. This might well prove useful for any of you who are thinking of entering the Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award. Last year’s winner is now represented by Felicity Trew of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. Felicity is this year’s judge. (more details www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk)

Frost asked Gillian more about herself.

What are your passions?

 

My main passion is reading. My parents moved around the world a lot and because I went to boarding school, I didn’t have many friends at home. So books stopped me feeling lonely. Well, that and my musical box (no music as all tapes warped due to the tropical climate) which I would play while I pretended to be a ballerina. Quite sad considering I have never had a ballet lesson in my life.

 

I also love to swim. An early morning swim will usually set the day up perfectly. I find solutions to all sorts of problems in the water – including problems with the book I’m working on at the time. Oh, and I am a massive QPR fan; this affliction has taught me forbearance and patience.

An interview with Gillian Holmes – editor by Margaret GrahamQPR2

What do you read?

 

I read widely and according to my mood. I usually have several books on the go. I read women’s fiction when I want to be engrossed in someone else’s life. For those days when I’m tired, I read romance – contemporary or historical. It’s comforting and always cheers me up. I also really enjoy real-life tales of derring-do like Agent Zig Zag. Also, Samuel Pepys’s diary is a big comfort read for me; he always makes me laugh. I like crime for when I’m bored, I particularly like books with a long-running characters, so Jo Nesbo and Lee Child are great favourites. Recently I’ve discovered a new character to follow in Tony Parsons’ Max Wolfe: tortured single father, boxer and policeman. What’s not to love? And finally, I adore historical novels. I used to raid my mother’s collection of Georgette Heyers and Jean Plaidys, but my absolute tip top favourite was Katherine by Anya Seton. Last year, my aunt researched our family history and, thrillingly, she discovered Katherine is our grandmother (great great etc). I was in actual heaven! Personally, I think this is the most interesting fact about me. If my friends had ever heard of her, I’m sure they’d agree.

 

What do you love about what you do?
I have never managed to write a book, so I admire and respect authors enormously. Books have been my constant companion throughout my life, so to read one in the rough, and help an author shape it to be the very best it can be, is enormously satisfying. Editing is very subjective, so as an editor I must never lose sight of the fact that this is not my book, so I need to set my ego aside. Just because I’d do it differently, doesn’t mean I should advise the author to do it my way. An editor has to be a different person for every book they edit and work within the parameters of the author’s style and vision. I like that challenge, and if an author seems genuinely happy with my suggestions and work, I’m thrilled. I love knowing that I have helped create something without actually having to do all the work. I’m a bit lazy, you see.

 

The first three chapters or so are important in drawing in the reader. 

What would be your first piece of advice?
Firstly, your first line needs to grab the reader’s attention and set the tone of the book. Don’t save your best line for half way through the first chapter, or even half way through the book. Get it out straight away so the reader wants to keep going. Then the challenge is to follow through on that promise. Try not to fill the first chapters with backstory and description. Always remember you’ve got another 70,000 words plus to fit that in. Just keep it moving. Hook us in and don’t let us go.

 

I find a synopsis difficult. Will you be helping Frost readers with this? If so, in a nutshell, what should a synopsis do?
Yes, absolutely, because having worked as an acquiring editor, an agent’s reader and a reader for competitions, I know how important a good synopsis is. Firstly, remember why you’ve been asked for it and who you’re writing it for. Usually it’s for a competition or a submission to an agent/publisher. They want the synopsis because, if they like the first three chapters, they want to see how you’ve developed the rest of the book. It will give them a clear overview of the concept and structure, and often determine whether they will want to see the rest. They don’t want irrelevant detail and descriptions, and they don’t need dialogue. And most importantly, they DO NOT want you to leave a cliffhanger. Finally, keep it short – 1500 words or fewer.

pic 3 books

Will you ever write a novel?
I’m not sure. I have a butterfly mind and I tend to get bored quite quickly. Writing a whole book would entail me concentrating on one thing for far too long. Having said that, I did write half a book once – it was a romance inspired by my crush on Daniel Craig (I know, I know, I’m a sad cliché). The heroine (who wasn’t at all based on me, not at all) rescued him from some dastardly kidnappers. I got so involved with my characters (well one in particular) that I expected him to email me to let me know what happened next. Sadly, he never did, which I know he regrets.

 

pic 5 daniel craig

 

Or a short story?
Short story writing is a very particular skill and not at all easy to do. I might try it one day, though. The great thing about short stories is they can be just as satisfying as a good novel, but they don’t take as long to read.

 

Your favourite book as a child?
I had two. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield – I wanted to be Posy so badly, that when I had my daughter I (briefly!) considered it as a name. And A Little Princess. I went to boarding school when I was very young, so I related. Which is a little dramatic of me, as I was treated perfectly well by the school and, disappointingly, I never did discover that I owned some diamond mines.

 

What question would you like to be asked?
How does your husband Daniel feel about the fact that your career as a prima ballerina keeps you away from home so much?

To contact Gillian. gilliansholmes@hotmail.com
To find out more about The Independent Author Book Award: www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk
Words for the Wounded are also holding a LitFest on April 16. www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk