Reality Check

Before getting to today's little chat, I'd like to indulge in a rare bit of BSP (blatant self-promotion). I finally got to see my name in print yesterday, in print in the same volume as Michael Connelly's that is. An advanced copy of The Blue Religion landed in my mailbox. The book, to be put out by Little Brown this year, is an anthology of mystery short stories, all inspired by a single thought: "It's not about how the cop works the case, but how the case works the cop." I'm thrilled to have my story "Such a Lucky, Pretty Girl" appear in the volume. Connelly is one of my favorite authors, so having my work appear alongside his, and that of other bestselling authors is like ... wow! I have to pinch myself -- give myself a reality check -- to make sure it's real. Plus, response to my latest book, Darkness and the Devil Behind Me, has been quite good. So yes, I'm smiling. (Ahem. She takes a deep breath and becomes serious again.) Now, back to today's subject.

The Art of Choosing Your Readers

Writers need and want to have feedback. It's an important part of the process, that process of polishing and rewriting that can make even the boldest, most disciplined writer cringe. And it's the part where family, friends, acquaintances and sometimes even strangers can become an integral part of the "writer's team."

When people think about a writer's team, they often think of the agent, editor, contract attorney or publicist. Not many think of those individuals who step back and let a writer write when he needs to be writing, and step forward when he not only needs support but supportive critique. Few think about the readers, the guinea pigs, the brave souls who agree to set aside valuable time, read (or re-read) an unfinished work, and share their unvarnished opinion.

There is an art to choosing readers. There are questions to be asked. "Does this person read a lot? Does he read books in my genre? Have a discerning mind? Does he possess strong analytical skills and is he able to give solid constructive criticism? Is analysis one of his strengths to begin with? Is he astute enough to recognize my 'voice' when reading my work, and believe in me well enough not to think I should sound like someone else?"

Your circle of readers should include people who share your socio-economic background, profession, or tastes, whether it be in literature, sports, or ice cream. But the circle must also include those who differ from you significantly. The first group can provide critique from the point of view of those "in the know." The second can give you insight into the universality of your story.

I recently read a remarkable manuscript about a young girl of mixed heritage who is growing up under strict parentage in the Caribbean. Before passing it to me, the writer had given the manuscript to a reader who is white and Irish. The reader said she identified with the main character's struggle for personal development because it reflected issues that she too had faced, issues that surpassed ethnicity, nationality and geographic location. "It made me feel very good that she connected (with the story) in so many ways," the writer said. She also handed her story to a male reader, who saw enough of the human story in it to enjoy it and not simply dismiss it as "women's literature."

So try to have a diverse group of readers. It's good to have at least three; better to have four. After all, people do get busy. The most important thing is to have people who really do love to read, who are passionate about it, and to have people who respect and support your efforts as a writer. Please avoid naysayers and dream-killers.

All of this sounds obvious, doesn't it? The need to have readers and how to choose them. But over at Gentle Pen, we've been surprised at how little thought some writers put into selecting their readers. They haphazardly ask spouses, parents, folks they've run into. The results can be disappointing at best, hurtful and damaging at worst. So think before you ask someone to read your work and choose wisely.

Until next week, I wish you the best!

Persia

THERE’S A BOOK IN YOU!

WEEK 11: WRAPPING IT ALL UP

For those of you just joining us, for the past ten weeks we’ve been talking about going from idea to realizing your dream of having your book published. For the past two weeks we’ve been discussing the all important promotion and publicity campaign for your book. Publicity and promotion is as important as writing your book, because if no one knows about it, all of your hard work has been for nothing.

This week we’ll wrap up everything that we’ve been discussing. In short, these are the key points that I hope that you’ve come away with:

1. WRITE SOMETHING EVERY DAY: Once you’ve come up with the idea for your book the most important thing is to write something every day. Even if it’s one page, at the end of the year you’ll have 365 pages and at least a rough draft of your book.

2. PERSIST, PERSIST, PERSIST: No matter how long it takes, don’t get discouraged by the inevitable rejections that you’ll get when you start sending your book out to agents and then ultimately when they (or you) start sending it out to publishers. The majority of best selling authors faced years of rejection before they hit it big, so don’t despair, because you’re in good company!

3. STAY TRUE TO YOUR VISION: When you do get that big break and a publisher agrees to publish your book, stay true to your own vision of your book when working with the editors and while most of their comments are probably helpful, if there’s something that you feel will fundamentally alter the vision of your book, don’t be afraid to say no. Remember, it’s your name going on the cover and you want to make sure that the finished product reflects something that you can be proud of.

4. BE YOUR OWN BEST PUBLICIST: Promote your book online, through book clubs, signings, word of mouth, cards, contests and awards, in short with everyone and every where you go. In order to sell, people have to know about your book and at the end of the day you need to take responsibility for making that happen.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this blog and most importantly I hope that you’ve taken something away that will be helpful in realizing your dream. If you would like more information on my novel A DEAD MAN SPEAKS, check out my website: www.adeadmanspeaks.com or you can email me at adeadmanspeaks@yahoo.com.

Lisa

A healthier writers' life

Since the holidays, I've battled one ailment after another. First, it was a week-long headache, followed by a two-week cold. The cold's finally going away only to be replaced by another headache.

It occurred to me, not for the first time in my life, that my anxiety to meet self-imposed and contractual deadlines, causes me to push myself too hard. The pace weakens my ability to fight off minor illnesses. Do you find yourself doing the same thing? I thought so.

I think together we should resolve to take better care of ourselves. That means at least six hours of sleep every night, regular exercise, three square meals - or six mini-squares - eight glasses of water, as well as vitamin and iron supplements.

Really, in the long run, we're doing ourselves a favor. We can't write when we're not feeling well. At least, we can't write anything good. And then we fall further behind schedule. It's a vicious cycle.

So, let's make sure we take care of ourselves, so we're fit and healthy to take care of everything - and everyone - else.

Patricia