Guest Jim Jackson delves into the Author's Toolbox

cj Sez:  Lyrical Pens is honored to have Jim Jackson as the guest blogger today. Jim is president of the 600+ member Guppy organization, a chapter of the international Sisters in Crime writers group. (Disclaimer: I’m a rabid fan and avid-lurking member of both groups.) Today Jim offers up some neat ideas on how to polish a manuscript to perfection.

Author’s Toolbox: The Auditory Read Through

Every author develops a toolkit containing writing skills and techniques, preferred software and hardware, and proven processes to develop a polished manuscript. I’d like to suggest authors add the Auditory Read Through to their stockpile of available tools.

If you are like most modern authors, you compose your first draft using a word-processing program, which means you first see your words on a screen. You may rewrite your manuscript using a screen to display your text, or you may print out a copy of your manuscript, make handwritten corrections and then convert those back to an electronic form.

Many authors have learned that they find different problems when they view their manuscript on the screen compared to what they find when using a hard copy. I suggest that you will also discover different issues when you read your manuscript out loud.

Even if on previous read-throughs you silently sounded things out in your head, you did not fully utilize your sense of hearing. Before the written word, stories were spoken, and you should listen to yours to discover a few last issues you may have missed.

My approach to the Auditory Read Through

I print out the manuscript single-spaced applying the same font, type size, lines per page and page size as the publisher will use. As I read, I’ll see, for example, a long paragraph that needs splitting or dialogue that runs unbroken for two pages. [I am not worrying about exact layout, orphan lines, where words break on a line, or anything like that.] 

  

What am I listening for? Anything that doesn’t sound right on a sentence-by-sentence basis, as well as considering a paragraph or page as a whole. Whenever I stumble or trip over a word, there is a good chance I need to rewrite something. This gives me the opportunity to straighten convoluted sentences and exchange flabby diction with precise wording. Often on the read-through I'll discover I used a word several times

within a short span. I never saw the multiple uses on screen or page, but my ear picks it up.

I pay particular attention to adverbs: are they covering for a flabby verb? Make sure every adverb is necessary. As an example, consider the line, “She quickly walked to the sidewalk.” With the multitude of verbs available to describe exactly how she moved to the sidewalk, this sentence employs a lazy approximation for what the reader should visualize as they read.

Where I used multiple adjectives, can I replace them with one perfect descriptor?

Have I noun-ized verbs (xxxxx-ness) or verbed nouns (xxxxx-ize).

Are my verbs ending with “ing” appropriate?

Have I fallen into a repetitive pattern? Do too many sentences share the same form? Are sentences all the same length?

You can do as I do, printing out the manuscript and reading it aloud to yourself, or you can use software that reads the words to you. I’ve tried both and they both work well. Using software has the added advantage that you use only your ears, since you aren’t the one reading. Plus, it can be entertaining when the software butchers a word it doesn’t know.

Some people record themselves reading their manuscript out loud. While they are reading, they muzzle the internal editor. Once they start the playback, they are truly listening (since they are not also reading). I haven’t used this technique, but it is intriguing, although it seems like extra work—but folks swear by it, and I may try it sometime.

I find the best time in my manuscript creation process for the Auditory Read Through is once I think the manuscript is ready for a final nit check. You may want to wait until you believe you have polished the manuscript to perfection. Others may find it’s useful much earlier in their process.

If you’ve tried the technique, how did you think it worked for you? If you haven’t performed an Auditory Read Through, do you think you might?

James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree mystery series. ANT FARM, BAD POLICY, CABIN FEVER, and DOUBTFUL RELATIONS. Jim also published an acclaimed book on contract bridge, ONE TRICK AT A TIME: How to start winning at bridge, as well as numerous short stories and essays. He is the president of the 600-member Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. He splits his time between the deep woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the open spaces of Georgia’s Lowcountry.

You can find more information about Jim (including social media links) and his writing (including purchase links) at his website http://jamesmjackson.com

cj Sez: I loved this post, Jim. It’s spot-on for how to uncover the weaknesses—and strengths—in manuscripts. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by…and congrats to the whole Guppy group on their anthology, Fish or Cut Bait, A Guppy Anthology, being nominated by Killer Nashville for a 2016 Silver Falchion Award. Lots of good stories in there (readers can check it out on Amazon.) 

Jim's latest book, Doubtful Relations, is hot off the presses, having launched yesterday!  Be sure to 

check it out as well.

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same, but please take a moment to share your thoughts or questions in the comments below.  

cj

cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

Amazon Central Author Page:  http://amzn.to/1NIDKC0

Putting yourself out there: The act of self-promotion.

cj Sez:  Today, Lyrical Pens welcomes novelist D. J. Adamson discussing how she goes about the important business of marketing without breaking the bank. 

I worked in sales and marketing before deciding to self-publish. This background gave me the confidence to go forward. I’d trained many people to successfully sell and market. Combining what I knew before with what I know now allows me to pass on some of the tips I’ve learned about selling and marketing my books.

At the beginning, I played with social media, went to conferences and networked, purchased promotional packages. Did I have success? Some, but nothing that put me on the Amazon’s “most sales list” or matched Hugh Howie’s numbers. 

As a past business person, I know a business needs to eventually run in the black. Maybe not the first year, but eventually. So after two years, I pulled up my expenses and balanced them with my assets. DEPRESSING. Yet, instead of discouraging me, it motivated me to do it all differently. Here is what I found:

1.                   I no longer go to conferences unless the attendees include readers as well as writers.  Writers don’t buy books. Or very few.

2.                  I go to conferences that are close by and don’t cost a flight and hotel to attend. One conference cost me two thousand dollars and I sold one book. I joined active association, like Sisters in Crime, National Women’s Book Association, SCBWI, Mystery Writers of America. I became active.

3.                   I remind myself that I am as good as my last book. I received one award, was nominated for another, and received 4+ stars on my novels. Many Goodreads people “Want to Read” my work, but, sales diminish after the book has been out there for a year. I need to produce one to two novels a year. And let me emphasize, Good Novels. That means, I need to be disciplined in my schedule. I work my writing at least four to six hours a day and spend about five hours a week on social networking and promoting.

4.                  I used to work many social networks. Now, I am only on Facebook and Twitter.  I also limit how much I promote my books, only doing so when I have a special promotion going on, revealing a new cover, or mentioning a launch.  Don’t you thumb right past those twenty posts requesting, “Read My Book”?

I use social networks for networking, not marketing. I meet new people in the industry and by putting myself out there, I am received.

5.                   I use my Kindle freebies only before I launch a new book. I hold maybe one/two .99 cent promotions. I try to do a Goodreads giveaway once a month. I offer two, sometimes three books. I send them by camel.

6.                  I use snail mail to keep others updated on my new work. I’ve found postal mail more beneficial than email. It takes nothing to hit the delete button on a computer. The person getting the postcard has to see what the card is about and who it’s from before giving it a toss in the trash basket.

7.                  I set a dollar limit for promoting a book. If you look around, you’ll realize a whole industry has developed to swallow authors’ dollars, promising to get their books noticed. I have limited my promotional money to $500 a book. I know that sounds low, but I think I have sold more books in this past year than the two years combined. I advertise on free or low-cost sites. Amazon ads have been very successful, and the cost is low. Finding a way to get to readers or promote without spending a lot of money has become actually very fun. I had Fiverr.com create my book trailers. Go to my website http://www.djadamson.com to see for yourself. They aren’t bad. They are also on YouTube, and go figure this, the trailer of Outré has been seen by almost five thousand viewers. Did that turn into sales? Probably not. But five thousand people learned my name.

8.                  I created a newsletter. “Le Coeur de l’Artiste” reviews books and interviews authors. I publish it monthly. It comes out, like any other deadlined project, on the 15^th of every month. Sometimes not until midnight, but one minute before, I press the send button. The newsletter has not necessarily created sales, but it has branded my name as a writer. Plus, I find a great satisfaction in promoting other authors.

Stephen King said in his work On Writing that to write you need to read a lot. You need to read what is good and what is bad. I read at least five-six books a month, just for the newsletter. I also try to read one or two books on promotion and craft.

9.                  I began accumulating email addresses as soon as the newsletter idea came to me. So far, my “Le Coeur de l’Artiste” list is almost two thousand readers. I don’t promote myself in the newsletter, but it can be found on my website. I also offer it to many readers as a PDF.  The newsletter has been so well accepted that I now have a blog, “L’Artiste.” I produce it three times a month. I include others besides authors: musicians, scriptwriters, playwrights, etc. The blog emphasizes that getting the story out has many forms.

10.              There are great books out there on promotional ideas. Read them all. Take an idea, put it on a card then try it out. One idea at a time. If it doesn’t feel good to you or didn’t pan out, throw the card away and pick up another.  Don’t be bashful; ask others to help promote stories. I have rarely been told to “beat it.” In fact, I think it’s a writer’s responsibility to help other writers. We all know how defeatist we can feel when things aren’t going well.

      I am not sure I was helpful to anyone reading this. I am merely sharing my experience so far. I want to write for a long time, which means I need to be sensible about what I do, both with time and money. It might also sound like my whole life is consumed behind my computer. I still teach a full load of classes, grade papers, make dinner, clean house, and find the time to give my family a hug.

      Putting yourself out there is the ultimate KEY to being SUCCESSFUL.  Please share with me your promotional stories, both the horror stories and those that gave you some success. You can reach me on Facebook, Twitter, or my Website. And don’t miss the latest issue of “Le Coeur de l’Artiste.”

cj Sez: Thanks, D.J., for sharing your marketing methodology with Lyrical Pens readers. Lots of great tips in there. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Suppose runs right up Amazon’s ladder to the Most Sales List.

If you’ve got a question or comment, be sure to let D.J. know, either here or directly on her website. http://www.djadamson.com We’d love to hear from you. Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

D. J. Adamson is the author of the Lillian Dove Mystery series and the Deviation science fiction-suspense trilogy.  Suppose, the second in the Lillian series, has just been released.  She also teaches writing and literature at Los Angeles colleges. And to keep busy when she is not writing or teaching, she is the Membership Director of the Los Angeles Sisters in Crime, Vice President of Central Coast Sisters in Crime and an active member of the Southern California Mystery Writers. Her books can be found and purchased in bookstores and on Amazon.

"What did he want to know about me?” 

“If you were still alive.” 

Connivers, murder and the international shipment of drugs unites the local PDs and the Federal Government, and drags Lillian Dove into a hailstorm of manipulation and danger; whereby, she is given two choices: Join? Or die trying.

Writers need support groups

cj Sez: First: BSP (Blatant Self Promotion). Choosing Carter got a new rave review on Amazon, and I quote:  

A well written page turner! cj petterson did a wonderful job of putting you in the Colorado wilderness and weaving her cast of characters. I really enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to others. I am going to buy several copies to give as gifts. 

And cj Sez: LOVE that reader, and thank-you-very-much.

As my writing year progresses (or not), I have to admit that I need a support group. As my regular readers have noticed, I promote critique groups and writing groups heavily and often (this post is a rerun) because it is my belief that authors really cannot write in a vacuum. We need something that a Google search for info cannot give us; we need human interaction but not just for the atta girls. We need personal testimony of experiences and verbal encouragement in order to continue the singularly and often lonely task of writing. And there are two or three groups in particular that I rely on…in addition to a fabulously talented critique group of which I am a member.

Disclaimer here:  I am a proud member of the international organizations I profile below and am writing this blog with a great deal of affection and appreciation for the support I’ve received from the members all along my journey to publication. Most of the paragraphs that follow are lifted directly from the public websites of the organizations because there’s no way I could say it better.

From the Sisters in Crime website:  http://www.sistersincrime.org/

“Did you know...
SinC was founded in 1986 and is now 3600 members strong in 48 chapters world-wide, offering networking, advice and support to mystery authors.

“Did you know...
We are authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by our passion for the mystery genre and our support of women who write mysteries.”

The work of the organization benefits not just its members but all women authors of crime stories as it seeks to garner equal review space in newspapers and combat gender bias.

Sisters in Crime was founded by Sara Paretsky and a group of women at the 1986 Bouchercon. In 1996, SinC realized it had achieved real recognition by the publishing industry when Publishers Weekly called Sisters in Crime “ubiquitous” . . . indeed, in ten years, they were everywhere.

By the way all you aspiring author-guys, there are misters among those sisters, so don’t be put-off by the name.

Once a member of SinC, writers are eligible for membership in Guppies. “Guppies” is the online chapter of Sisters in Crime.

From the Guppies website:  http://www.sinc-guppies.org/

“We come from many different occupations, locations, and avocations, sharing experiences and enriching our larder of resources. We write crime short stories and novels in the mystery genre. Our subgenres include; cozy, traditional, police procedural, PI, paranormal, supernatural, humor, suspense, thriller and romance. Our common goal: to see our work in print.

“The name ‘Guppies’ is an acronym for ‘The Great Unpublished.’ Although the majority of members start out as unpublished, many Guppies have changed that status by using the support and resources of the group to assist them in honing their craft and finding the right path for them to publication. Once published, many Guppies remain members to pass along their knowledge and expertise, which has become a tradition.”

A Guppy author’s BSP is guaranteed to receive beau coup congratulations . . . fin flaps, applause, virtual champagne toasts abound. Guppies are amazing in their generous and selfless support of the success of fellow members.

If you’re a mystery/crime writer looking for a great support group, opportunities for online critique groups, and whole manuscript exchanges, SinC and Guppies

are inexpensive memberships to consider. (Psst: I am also considering memberships in the highly acclaimed Mystery Writers of America and Romance Writers of America. They are a little more expensive, so I have to save my pennies for those.)

How’s your writing progressing this year? Facing a conundrum? Ask Lyrical Pens. Stick it in the comments, and we promise to answer.

Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

(PS: The toons are from my Facebook pages.)

cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

Early Resolutions and writing short stories

cj Sez: First: Congratulations to the international organization, Sisters in Crime, for their well-deserved Raven Award. Sah – lute! (I am a member, woo hoo!)

I like to think of myself as still a member of the Mobile Public Library’s “Classics Revisited” book group even though I am no longer able to attend the gatherings (time/date conflict).  Because I think of myself as being on hiatus, I’m planning to challenge myself to complete their 2016 reading list as one of my New Year's resolutions. So here’s six months of my to-do list:    

January- The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
February- The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
March- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
April- The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (12 short stories in all.)
May- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
June- Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe

The book I’m most fascinated by at this point is The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Not only because it’s a classic, but also because it’s a collection of short stories. For me, a true short story is “the” most difficult to write. I have, in a How-To-Write file, a copy of Anne Lamott’s ABCDE formula for writing short stories (Action, Background, Conflict, Development, and Ending).

Action — Start with something happening to draw the reader into the story. 
Background — Provide context for readers to understand how the characters came to the current situation
Conflict — The characters must want something they don’t have and work to achieve it (sometimes against each other)
Development — Makes up 70-80% of the story describing the characters’ struggle to get what they want. Each time it appears they have the goal within reach, give them something more difficult to overcome until they reach the climax 
Ending — What happens after they reach their goal. In a romance, the hero and heroine realize their “happily-ever-after”. In a mystery or thriller, all the loose ends are tied up. In a literary story, the ending is often ambiguous

So there you have it, laid out in black and white…the formula for writing short stories. She makes it look easy, doesn’t she? So did Nic Wallenda when he walked a tightrope across Niagara Falls.

I also have a tiny, silver empty picture frame to help me keep my focus. In her book, Bird by Bird,* Lamott describes how she has a one-inch picture frame on her desk. The little picture frame reminds her to focus on just a small piece of the whole story. She says when a writer starts with a small focus and then gradually widens it, the story will come together more easily. (cj Sez: I keep trying.)

Crappy first drafts shouldn’t stop you from finishing your story. I hope you keep working at it. You do, don’t you?

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

cjpetterson@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo 

PS:  The stories in CHOOSING CARTER and DEADLY STAR could have been gleaned from today’s headlines, but as Oscar Wilde said:

“The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.” 

― Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest 

*Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott

Crime writers' organizations

 

cj Sez: Disclaimer here:  I am a proud member of both of the organizations I profile below and am writing this blog with a great deal of affection and appreciation for the support I’ve received from the members all along my journey to publication. Most of the paragraphs that follow are lifted directly from the public websites of the organizations because there’s no way I could say it better.

From the Sisters in Crime website:  http://www.sistersincrime.org/

“Did you know...
SinC was founded in 1986 and is now 3600 members strong in 48 chapters world-wide, offering networking, advice and support to mystery authors.

“Did you know...
We are authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by our passion for the mystery genre and our support of women who write mysteries.”

The work of the organization benefits not just its members but all women authors of crime stories as it seeks to garner equal review space in newspapers and combat gender bias.

Sisters in Crime was founded by Sara Paretsky and a group of women at the 1986 Bouchercon. In 1996, SinC realized it had achieved real recognition by the publishing industry when Publishers Weekly called Sisters in Crime “ubiquitous” . . . indeed, in ten years, they were everywhere.

By the way all you aspiring author-guys, there are misters among those sisters, so don’t be put-off by the name.

Once a member of SinC, writers are eligible for membership in Guppies. Guppies is the online chapter of Sisters in Crime.

From the Guppies website:  http://www.sinc-guppies.org/

“We come from many different occupations, locations, and avocations, sharing experiences and enriching our larder of resources. We write crime short stories and novels in the mystery genre. Our subgenres include; cozy, traditional, police procedural, PI, paranormal, supernatural, humor, suspense, thriller and romance. Our common goal: to see our work in print.

“The name ‘Guppies’ is an acronym for ‘The Great Unpublished.’ Although the majority of members start out as unpublished, many Guppies have changed that status by using the support and resources of the group to assist them in honing their craft and finding the right path for them to publication. Once published, many Guppies remain members to pass along their knowledge and expertise, which has become a tradition.”

A Guppy author’s eMail note of BSP (Blatant Self Promotion) is guaranteed to receive beau coup congratulations . . . fin flaps, applause, virtual champagne toasts abound. Guppies are amazing in their generous and selfless support of the success of fellow members.

If you’re a mystery/crime writer looking for a great support group, opportunities for online critique groups, and whole manuscript exchanges, Guppies is another membership to consider.

 

I had received more than a few rejections when someone in Guppies shared the name of a publisher actively seeking submissions of romantic suspense stories.

 

DEADLY STAR was published by Crimson Romance less than a year after I queried the editor.

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

 

cj

 

PS:  Stay tuned for news of a new contest from Crimson Romance, a chance to win a "Summer of Love" novels from the publisher.

PPS: The 'toons are from Facebook pages.