After author JH Mae commented on my post “Critique Groups for Self Editing,” I asked her to share her thoughts about Scribophile, the online critique group she uses. JH was gracious enough to not only write a great guest post, but she also arranged for a special giveaway from its founder, Alex Cabal. Without further ado, here’s JH: Continue reading “Online Critique Karma: Scribophile”
Category: blog
Join Me on the Air
Through the magic of the Internet, you can hear yours truly chatting about writing and editing on Monday, April 1.
I’ll be the guest of author, personal development speaker, and radio host Raeleen Mautner, PhD, who has invited me to be her guest on The Art of Living Well. I had the privilege of editing Raeleen’s latest book, Lemons into Limoncello, which will be out on May 7 and is available now for preorder here, here, and wherever books are sold.
The Art of Living Well is a fantastic show, and Raeleen is a seasoned professional. I, on the other hand, am more comfortable behind the scenes, so the idea of an hour-long radio interview is making me a little nervous—but I’ll do my best not to let that show. At least I don’t have to give a speech in front of a crowd . . . where I’d have to imagine the audience in their underwear (remember that old trick to overcome stage fright?).
Come to think of it, those of you on the East Coast of the US might actually be in your underwear at that time!
Seriously, we’ll be discussing aspects of writing and the editing process, so I hope you’ll tune in and listen. You can listen to a live stream from anywhere in the world. If you’re in Australia, I’ll help you go to sleep, since that will be 11pm your time. In the UK? Join me on your noon lunch hour. And if you’re anywhere else in the world, here’s a link to a time conversion site: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html.
I hope you’ll join Raeleen and me for what promises to be an entertaining and enlightening hour. See you there!
—Candace
“On Air” image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Are E-Books and Accidental Discovery Mutually Exclusive?
I read this quote today on Jeff O’Neal’s blog Critical Linking:
There’s an aspect to traditional books which is lost in even the best electronic reader, which is Accidental Discovery: I’m reading this or that, and leave it laying about the house, and you visit and see it, or you’re perusing my book-shelves to see what i’m up to, and find something which interests you. I’m a technologist, and i worry that this casual, accidental, and as you mention, social means of discovering by talking about books is threatened by devices which need to be explicitly searched in order to find out what they hold.”
How do you discover new books? #amreading #ebooks #bookworm Share on XThis got me thinking about how I discover books, and I realize there is some truth in this statement. I had company last weekend; the woman was reading a print copy of Gone Girl, so of course we began discussing it, and she offered to leave it for me when she finished. Our conversation led to a discussion about various authors and written dialogue; when she said she’d never read anything by Jodi Picoult, I encouraged her to help herself to one of several books by Picoult that I have on my bookshelf.
So here are two cases of accidental discovery: we both now have the opportunity to read books we might not have “discovered” on our own.
The question is, would we have discovered these books if they had only been on our e-readers, cell phones, or tablets? I have to agree with the opening quote, that explicitly searching for something on an electronic device is a very different activity. Personally, I often ask people what they are reading on their Nooks, Kindles, or other e-readers, but I’ve never followed up with “What else do you have on your reader?”
What about you? I’d love to know how you discover books in this electronic age. And if you are an e-book reader, have you ever been queried about the books you have on it?
Happy Reading!
—Candace
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Related articles
- On Discovery, Ebooks, and More: Results of a Goodreads Members Survey (infodocket.com)
- “Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators.” ― Stephen Fry (thebookybunhead.wordpress.com)
Book Publishing Is the New Wild West
Crowd-sourcing, royalty-sharing, publishing your book in chapters . . . Here’s a little perspective from Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press and founder of Warner Coaching Inc.
Betsy Morais wrote a piece for The New Yorker called “A Book Is a Start-Up,” in which she writes about some of the new publishing business models coming out of the Tools of Change conference, three days focused on new publishing technologies and business models.
Morais writes about Tim Sanders, C.E.O. of NetMinds, a company that’s attempting to crowd-source book production. It’s an interesting model, to be sure, but one that will probably end with authors, editors, and designers feeling like they are getting screwed somewhere in the process. The reason I say this is because most books . . . read more.
Related articles
- A Book Is a Start-up, says the New Yorker (criticalmargins.com)
- How Startups Are Changing the Book Publishing Industry (technori.com)
- Welcome to the Age of Crowd-Sourced Book Covers (theatlanticwire.com)
Why You Must Create a Compelling Book Description
Question: What’s the most important piece of writing you’ll do once your book is complete?
Answer: The description of your book. No matter how well written your book is, no matter how great your author platform is, no matter how great your marketing plan is, if your promotional copy puts readers to sleep, you just lost a potential sale.
What you say about your book can be as important (and arguably even more important) that what you say inside your book.
What’s the most important piece of writing you’ll do once your book is complete? #selfpub #indieauthors Share on XThe product description you write for Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other product pages—even your own website—needs to be the best sales copy you can create. Whether readers are just browsing for a book to read or they’re looking for yours specifically (yay!), the interest and excitement you create in that product description will influence whether you gain another reader or not.
Continue reading “Why You Must Create a Compelling Book Description”
Critique Groups for Self Editing
You’ve written a chapter of your memoir, or the first page of your novel, or a writing contest entry. You’ve meticulously self-edited, and now you want to know if what you’ve written “works” for readers . . . so what’s the next step?
Consider a writers’ group, aka a critique group. Writers’ groups come in all shapes and sizes—some specialize in genres, others are based on common geography, and still others operate online. Whichever type you choose, you’ll find an abundance of free help from others who love to write. Even experienced writers understand the benefit of the unique perspectives each group member provides.
A critique group of writers is a smart way to begin the editing process! #writers #amwriting #amediting Share on XCritique group members can help you identify global issues in your writing, such as unclear meaning, stilted dialogue, overuse or incorrect use of particular words, and patterns of error in punctuation. They can also help you with grammar issues, plot inconsistencies, a story line that doesn’t work, and character development. They are also invaluable for brainstorming on everything from titles to plot lines to ideas on where and how to tighten your writing.
You may have to try a few groups before you find one that works for you, but you’ll find it is well worth the time and effort. In addition to critiquing your work, group members can be a source for great ideas on workshops, books about writing, and other related information.
Once you’ve received feedback from group members, you’ll be armed with many different ideas. You’ll find some of those ideas aren’t workable for you, but others will give you an “a-ha” moment, a moment when you ask yourself, “Of course, why didn’t I see that?” You’ll be reinvigorated about your writing and refocused on getting your paper, article, blog, or book ready for publication.
If you use a critique group for beta reading or any other part of your editing process, I hope you’ll share your experiences. And if you know of a great on-line critique group for authors to check out, please include the link in the comments.
Happy Writing!
—Candace
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/FreeDigitalImages.net
Related articles
- Critique Group Start-up 101 (kathytemean.wordpress.com)
- Group Dynamics (scribblinginthestorageroom.wordpress.com)
- How to Run a Writing Group: Dealing with Feedback (writingiscake.com)
- Benefits (and Pitfalls) of Writing Groups (tjamesmoore.wordpress.com)
- Why A Critique Group (5writers5novels5months.com)
- 5 Tips to Start a Thriving Writer’s Group (wherewriterswin.com)
originally published as “Writing Groups for Self-Editing”
Why Writing Well Matters, Even When Your Product Is Free
I came across a blog post the other day that I want to share with you precisely because the author is not a novelist, but she is a consumer–the type of consumer who might one day download your e-book.
In this post, Jill P. Viers writes about the overabundance of typos in a free e-book she downloaded—a nonfiction book filled with information she says “is valid and fairly useful”—yet the book is loaded with errors.
“Why Writing Well Matters, Even When Your Product Is Free” is a post every author should read. Remember: Your book is your resumé; you never get a second chance to make a first impression; save yourself time, money, and anxiety by making sure your book is the best it can be before you publish.
Remember: Your book is your resumé; you never get a second chance to make a first impression. #amediting #editingtip #writers Share on X*****
I am reading an ebook that I picked up for free when I signed up for someone’s mailing list. The information in the free ebook is valid and fairly useful; however, the free ebook is full of typos and misuses of words. I’m not talking about one or two minor errors. I could get over that. We’re all human. I make mistakes, too.
Notice I keep pointing out that this was a free ebook? There’s a reason, and it’s not an attempt to keyword stuff this post. Some people would ask me, “Why are you complaining about the typos when you got the book for free?”
Here’s the answer: Because I’m still investing my time into reading this ebook. If the author didn’t care enough to proofread, yet this is the author’s “sales pitch” or “can’t miss giveaway” that’s supposed to make me want to hire the author in the future, it’s ultimately a fail for me.”
Read more here.
Happy Writing!
—Candace
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Overcoming Biological Malfunctions–Guest Blog by Steve K. Smy
I invited author and fellow blogger Steve K. Smy to share some thoughts today. We exchanged a few emails about potential topics, and Steve settled on writing about writing with a disability. I was very inspired when I read his post, and I think you will be as well. Please be sure to visit Steve at Imagineerebooks.wordpress.com to read his entertaining and engaging posts.
Writing with a Disability #amwriting #writers #authors Share on X*****
I suffer from some very significant health problems. I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say, I’m virtually immobilised and housebound. Back in 2011, when I came far too close to being terminal, I began to vegetate. Now, it’s one thing to be a couch potato when you choose to be, but it’s another to become the whole vegetable garden by force of circumstance! On a long, slow road to recovery, I began looking for things to do. I took up knitting and made some real progress in it. I moved on to beading and jewellery making as we moved into 2012, together with cross-stitching. But these excellent therapies were aiding only in a physical sense. I really needed mental stimulation. It was then that I returned to something I had loved doing since I was 13 years old—writing!
I had recently discovered these things called ebooks. I’d created PDFs in the past, for other reasons, and it seemed like this ebook thing might be a way to do more than just write for my own pleasure. There was no reason why I shouldn’t, I thought, write and produce PDFs, which I could then offer via a web site. You never knew—somebody might actually even want to read things I had written. Miracles do happen, after all.
Now, back in the day, I liked writing with those peculiar items—pen and paper. A typewriter had been even better. When the opportunity presented itself, I fully embraced personal computers. It was natural, then, to use a computer for my writing efforts. Not! On every previous attempt, I had gotten nowhere at all. But now, I had a reason beyond simply wanting to write. I wanted to survive! Not only that, I wanted to recover my mothballed grey matter and make it into something like its old self. Teetering on the brink during most of 2011 proved to be a powerful motivator. That and going nuts because I seldom saw anything outside one room of the house!
It wasn’t easy, and there were long periods when I simply couldn’t write, but I started work on a novel. It’s still a work in progress but the creativity had been reawakened. I was also learning new things. In fact, I was getting downright excited by the whole scene! So much so, I started writing a blog all about it. I had discovered this wonderful thing of modern times—self-publishing. I had also acquired this piece of software that would take what I wrote in Open Office and turn it into various formats of ebook, with very little effort on my part. Well, the writing was an effort, of course, but the software made things much simpler once the writing was done.
When I hit a block in writing my novel, I started writing short stories. These fulfilled my need to write. More, they gave me the opportunity to actually become a self-published author! What was even more gratifying was that people actually downloaded my short story ebooks. I had a sense of having arrived. It was a sweet feeling.
Still, there were those nasty, inconvenient health problems. I admit it. They still leave me unable to function at times. But they’ve also contributed to my writing. I have a better understanding of many things thanks to them. Partly that’s because I have more experiences to draw upon, but partly it’s a side effect. Being pretty immobile, I’ve become an even better observer of others. It’s all grist to the mill. Ultimately, any writer takes elements of everything they encounter and turns them into a stew. That stew will, eventually, turn into something entirely new, a creation in which tiny parts of no huge significance are brought to life by a spark from the author.
I can’t claim that bad health has inspired me, but there is no denying that it has driven me. Since February 2012, I’ve written more and more as time has passed, and the need to write has grown steadily. So in a sense I owe my health problems some thanks for that much. I’m not even sure that I would continue writing if I was to be miraculously cured, so I guess that I need the problems to keep me doing something I’ve always loved doing. They give me permission to write!
~ Steve K. Smy
I write fantasy, science fiction and occasionally other genres. I have, to date, published nine short story ebooks, five of them in a single series. I’m also working on a fantasy novel. My works are available from various sources and are all free to download, for the currently published short story ebooks. I also blog about writing, self-publishing and related matters. My blog also contains book reviews, author interviews and various other material of interest.
My ebooks to date can be found on Smashwords (in various formats) and as ePubs on Goodreads, Kobo (for kobo eReaders), iTunes (for iBooks), Barnes & Noble (for the Nook), Diesel eBooks and Sony ebook store (in the USA/Canada only). None have DRM applied to them.
My blog: http://imagineerebooks.wordpress.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/imagineer.ebooks
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- A Few Words About The Blog (imagineerebooks.wordpress.com)
Copyediting or Proofreading: 5 Steps to Determine What You Need
In the past few weeks I’ve received queries from several writers about my editing services. “How much do you charge to edit a 110,000 word novel?” and “What will it cost to copyedit my nonfiction book. It’s about 300 pages.”
These seem like perfectly reasonable questions, don’t they? The problem for me, as an editor, is that they are too vague. Editing is a very broad term that covers every function from development through line editing to proofreading—soup to nuts in editorial services, so to speak.
When you’re on a budget (and really, who isn’t?), it’s important to plan for your upcoming expenses. Your editorial budget should not be an exception!
All writers who publish—whether traditionally, independently, or through assisted publishing—will need some level of editorial services. When you plan to seek an agent or query publishers directly, you should use at least one professional editor before you submit. In the case of self-publishing, the responsibility for editing falls entirely on your shoulders, and you may want to seriously consider a wider range of editorial services before your work goes live.
You might need several different types of editing (at various stages of the project) before a final proofread. The hard part is knowing what editing service to ask for. Continue reading “Copyediting or Proofreading: 5 Steps to Determine What You Need”
Descriptive Verbs Printable Book Mark
If you’re looking for a great descriptive verb for your latest word picture, look no farther! This printable bookmark is filled with choices for creating dialogue, compelling descriptions of your character’s antics, or though-provoking sentences in any style or genre. as Debbie Maxwell Allen wrote in her blog, “Sentences that use walked, sat, and thought pale in comparison to stalked, sprawled, and stewed. However, don’t label yourself as a failure if strong verbs don’t automatically show up in your manuscript. Adding stronger verbs is something you do in your rewriting.”
Print this out on card stock for a handy reference that’s always at the ready—and another big thank you to artist Ginny Millard at www.banyantreestudio.com for creating it. Please visit Ginny’s website and let her know how much you appreciate having all these fantastic word choices at your fingertips.
If you like the idea of a bookmark filled with words, you’ll find another filled with Synonyms for Said in an earlier blog.
And don’t forget to “bookmark” Change It Up Editing and Writing Services for all your editing and writing needs in 2013. Let me help you say it the way you mean it!
Happy Writing!
—Candace
How Descriptive Are Your Verbs? Here is a list! #amwriting #writetip #writers Share on XIf you enjoyed this article, subscribe to my blog and you’ll never miss my posts! It’s easy: just enter your email address in the space between “Recent Posts” and “Archives” on this page. I won’t share your email address with anyone!
This bookmark originally appeared in the post You Are Not Alone.
Related articles
- 90 Words for “looks” (gointothestory.blcklst.com)
- Pump Up Your Writing: Using Strong Verbs (griffynelliott.com)