Posts Tagged With: Writing
Only writers know…
Categories: Writing
Tags: Author, books quirks, diary, funny, humor, journal, reading, Writing
Leave a comment
Discover Authors: Compulsively Writing More Fiction 2012
Please visit the Discover Authors site for more great books! My book:
Compulsively Writing More Fiction 2012
My experiences after the first book
by Kate Policani
Genre: Nonfiction, Self-publishing
This is a FREE ebook!
Kate Policani has compiled and reorganized the useful blog posts she wrote in 2012. Kate writes her blog to promote her Self-published books and to journal her path through Self-publishing. Her experiences can help you to achieve your dream of publishing your book, whether you choose to self-publish, publish traditionally, or just write for your own enjoyment. Kate Policani is a homemaker and compulsive writer from Seattle who writes Fantasy and Science Fiction, and the Seattle Writing Examiner column.
Download on Smashwords (all ebook formats)
Download on iTunes
Download on Kobo
Download on Nook
Free PDF Download (from Kate’s website)
Categories: Discover Authors, My Books
Tags: book, discover authors, ebook, Fantasy, Kate Policani, promotion, science-fiction, self-publishing, Writing
2 Comments
Examiner article:
Please visit my Examiner column and read my latest article: Steps to get a book front of readers
Your subscription is appreciated! It’s free!
Categories: Examiner
Tags: authors, books, Examiner, promotion, publicity, reading, Seattle Writing Examiner, Writing
Leave a comment
Don’t lose your cool
Categories: Writing
Tags: bossy, definition, funny, grammar, humor, silly, words, Writing
Leave a comment
More Books!
I’ve just published a second blog compilation book full of webby goodness and organized so you can read it through or reference just the topics that interest you! Please click the cover to visit Smashwords for my new FREE book!
Categories: My Books
Tags: Author, blogging, book, free, publicity, reading, self-publishing, Writing
Leave a comment
Examiner article: Writing careers beyond the book
Please read my latest Examiner article to see all the many ways writers can earn money with their writing in addition to their books: http://www.examiner.com/article/writing-careers-beyond-the-book
I would very much appreciate it if you would subscribe to my column! It’s free and it helps promote my articles.
Categories: Examiner
Tags: Author, blogging, books, copywriting, editing, marketing, proofreading, reviewing, Writing
Leave a comment
More nagging
Categories: Writing
Tags: correct use, definitions, English, humor, reading, than, then, words, Writing
Leave a comment
How to get reviews
No, this is not my hand.
If any of you have seen my book reviews list, you know it’s enormous. I really love books! I like different themes from many genres.
How do you get a reviewer to review? How do you get me to say “yes” to review your book?
- Have a well-written synopsis: If your synopsis sounds boring, full of errors, or really wordy, I will assume the book is too. I’m not going to test out the preview unless I have time and I’m feeling indecisive. (This is rare.)
- Stick to the point: This is why I replaced my email information with a form. Often it was a challenge to even find the synopsis with all the extra information. When I ask for a synopsis, I really just want to know about the book. I usually skim over any other information included, even if it’s raves from other authors or book awards. Your book should be able to stand on its own. Also, while I feel for you if you are writing about your painful childhood and reading and reviewing your book will make you feel validated, I can’t choose books based on that. I write honest reviews and that kind of pressure will scare me away.
- I’m an author too: If you have a book and I have a book, and we review each other, then both of us have a review! Great deal, huh. (Hint: if someone is exchanging reviews with me, I give them preferential treatment. I’m not ashamed to admit that.)
- That’s really it. Seriously, I choose books based on the synopsis.
How to get a “no”:
- Hide your synopsis: If your synopsis is hidden in the middle of a 10-paragraph sell, I may not say yes.
- Synopsis is too short: If you leave out vital information, I doubt your talent. If your Science Fiction book’s synopsis gives no indication that it is Science Fiction, that’s a problem. If the highlight of your book is too short for me to determine if I might like it, I will pass.
- Synopsis is too long: All that information is important, but I will read the book if it interests me. You don’t have to tell me the whole story. If you do, I may feel like I’ve already read the book.
- I feel bullied into reading: “Please help me” stories don’t help. If I feel emotionally pressured, I suspect your talent doesn’t stand on its own and I definitely wouldn’t risk disappointing you with a bad review. So I won’t write one.
- You inform me of how honored I am to receive your illustrious book: This is a request and I’m offering you a chance at a free service. You don’t have to lick my boots, but don’t pretend that I’ve been waiting my whole life for this opportunity.
- Write the wrong book: Sometimes (most of the time) I say no because the plot of the book doesn’t interest me. It may be an awesome book, but it’s not my thing. No offence.
I write requests to other reviewers to read my books based on these little points. I believe in the Golden Rule and I don’t feel bad when I get a “no”. I just strive to write better books!
Don’t embarrass yourself…
Categories: Writing
Tags: conscience, conscious, English, language, meaning, mistakes, words, Writing
2 Comments
Examiner Seattle Author Spotlight: Fabio Bueno
Read my interview with Seattle author Fabio Bueno in my Examiner article. Please subscribe for updates on all my new article and help promote my column. It’s free!
Categories: Examiner
Tags: Author, books, Examiner, fabio bueno, Fantasy, reading, seattle, Writing
Leave a comment
What you shouldn’t tell me
There are things that authors shouldn’t tell me, the reader, in their books. It’s not that I’m not trustworthy. It’s just that sometimes less is more. Some things you write about damage your story.
- Character description: Don’t tell me everything about the character down to the last pimple. Physical description is important and the story isn’t complete without it, but don’t tell me everything. Let me imagine some, please.
- Scenery description: I want to imagine your scenery, too. The only necessary scenery is backdrop for the story, where it takes place. Each sentence of extra description is icing on the cake. The thing is, most people don’t like too much icing on their cake. We can’t scoop the excess off with a fork, so keep it reasonable.
- Character introductions: Don’t tell me everything at once. Meeting a new character is like meeting a new friend. Acquaintances don’t tell each other every detail of their lives in the first five minutes of meeting. Just like getting to know a real person, let me in on the details of the character’s life and personality gradually, preferably as the story progresses.
- Romantic and sexual scenes: Intimate scenes are especially delicate when getting to know a character. I’m not a floozie, so don’t tell me about the character’s naughty thoughts and naughty bits until we get a chance to know one another better. This doesn’t necessarily apply to erotica, but I don’t read erotica anyway.
- Dramatic buildup: All readers appreciate the dramatic buildup to a climax. But you shouldn’t build and build, never getting to the point. At some point excitement turns to exasperation and we think you’re a tease.
- Technical jargon: Some jargon is good and makes us feel like we’re learning something. If you spend paragraphs educating us on technical specifications in your novel, we feel the need to check the cover to be sure we didn’t accidentally pick up a technical manual.
It’s painful to chop up your hard-wrought words just to please ignorant, unappreciative readers, but books are just paper (or data) unless someone reads them. None of your words have to be wasted. Spread them judiciously, saving the extra bits for more stories. The joy of sharing your work with others who can enjoy it makes up for the pain of editing.
What do you as a reader not want to hear?
What is your TMI (too much information) weakness as a writer?
Examiner article: Formula for a vampire story
Visit my Examiner column to see my latest article, Formula for a vampire story!
Putting your best words forward
What impression are you leaving?
I have to tell you something you’ve probably already heard before, but if you haven’t it could save your writing career. As an author, you need to put your best foot forward. This sounds simple and even trite, but it isn’t always easy to do.
I get lots of review requests lately, which I love! In one author’s review request, the synopsis was disjointed. There was no flow to the description of the book. Unfortunately it was also filled with grammar errors and even included a mistake by the author in pasting the synopsis in the email. Needless to say, I was not eager to read the book. The subject sounded interesting, but the mistakes scared me away.
Authors rely on those short pieces of our work to open the door to new readers. If the only chance we might have to gain a reader scares them away instead of drawing them in, we aren’t going to enjoy much success.
When you send your book to your editor, include a page or two with your synopsis, acknowledgments, author bio, and any other advertising info that goes along with your book. These are just as important as the body of the writing. Most editors will gladly include these in your editing, because their reputation is invested in your book almost as much as yours is.
When people point out errors in your book, your blurb, your website, or wherever, LISTEN. Of course, you should check on their accuracy. But they may be helping you. Never mistake a technical correction for a personal attack. Unless you are writing about grammar, a criticism of your grammar can only help you.
If you laugh off someone’s criticism and feel like it’s no big deal, then you are also laughing off your own success. Take them seriously, even if they are wrong. If you don’t take their advice, it’s appropriate to tell them why.
I have received criticism for my writing as well, and some helped me to fix major mistakes in my work. Others were a matter of preference rather than correctness, and others still were items that I had discussed with my editor and deferred to her judgment. Still, I explained these to the person kind enough to point them out.
Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes Microsoft Word seems possessed, deleting important bits and allowing strange mistakes to remain after I thought I deleted them. We understand that. Just know that a stranger will view their first glimpse at your writing as your best.
If you treat your writing like an unimportant hobby, that’s how it will stay. Nobody is interested in rocketing you to fame when you don’t really care. To succeed as a writer you have to approach it as a business with all the professionalism required by a job. Even more, it’s a sales job, so your audience’s first look might be your only shot. Make that shot a bulls-eye!
When I Just Can’t Write
There are those times when I just can’t write. I may even have great ideas in my head but they get stuck like the glue bottle with the big glue booger in it that won’t come out.
Reasons why I can’t write:
- My head is too full
- My head is empty
- My life is too busy to stop and write
- Not enough sleep
Ways to get myself started again:
- Sleep (sometimes it’s not going to happen)
- Wait until everything calms down
- Squeeze in my writing anywhere I can – Evernote app is great for this
- Read books, watch inspiring movies and TV, read manga (I think of it as recharging my writing batteries)
- Get some time alone
Sometimes these still don’t work. What do you do?
Categories: Writing
Tags: Evernote, manage, reading, solution, techniques, writer, writer's block, Writing
5 Comments
Top Posts & Pages
