May 6, 2015
Fostering homeless pets isn’t just snuggles and doggie kisses.
So true, and not just because some of us don’t foster dogs! Fostering is hard work.
May 1, 2015
There’s real unrest in our world these days. We all turn on the news and see it: earthquakes, terrorists, riots, injustice.
We feel protected from it. It’s happening over there, on other people’s Facebook feeds, on Twitter, on the news. It’s not happening here.
Except, you know what? The suspicion these situations breeds manages to worm its way into our consciousness anyway. It may be happening there, but what if it’s going to happen here? When does the hammer fall, when it is my turn to face evil or hardship? When do the zombies bang on my door and try to eat me?
When I went to bed last night, I wouldn’t have believed that people have grown so suspicious so fast. Rude, yes, like the jerk who turns exercise bikes into his own personal charging station at the Hoity Toity Health Club.
But so damn suspicious of each other?
It’s sad.
And it’s powered by words. By Tweets, by status updates, by conversation we have with each other.
Words have power. Anyone who’s ever listened to a caring adult whisper, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Go on, say it. You’ll feel better” knows the mantra simply isn’t true. Words hurt.
Like Seether says, Words as Weapons.
Into this new environment comes one other element you may not have expected. I sure didn’t: the loss of the ability to joke.
Case in point: One of the small businesses who works for West of Mars made a post on Facebook that he was trying to squeeze more work into the end of the month. I made a comment about him learning to stretch time. Turn on your TV. Super hero shows are full of characters stretching time. We are big Flash fans around here, and time is very much an element in that show. Go to the movies. Hello, Matrix? And that’s an old one.
An innocent comment. A compliment, really. If anyone could figure out how to make time stretch out so he could pack more into a day, it’s him.
I admire this guy. I like him. I respect him. And most of all, I trust him and the work he does. That’s why I employ him.
But… apparently, not everyone holds him in such high esteem. Accusations began to fly about him padding his billable hours.
Umm… what? Seriously?
First off, if you don’t trust the guy, why do you interact with him? Or is it that this new culture we’re in doesn’t allow for that sort of rational thought? Are we all are being brainwashed into not trusting the cops, teenage girls who may beat you up after the movie you’ve shushed their chatter during, people who’ve pulled their hoods up over their heads, your own friends… it’s sad. What happened to community? To the simple idea of trust?
Second, why so negative? You’ve just jumped to a conclusion that has zero basis in fact, and, in fact, has been disproven time and again concerning this particular man. It worries me that you are willing to read something so unethical into one of the most upright people I know.
The problem, folks, lies with you, who misinterpreted the compliment.
Yeah, okay, I was wrong to have underestimated the culture of fear and suspicion we’re now living in. I was wrong to have not realized it’s sitting in my backyard, even after someone I haven’t spoken to since 1991 used a Facebook friendship to wound a bunch of people I love.
When I paid the compliment, it never entered my mind that anyone would consider the worst about this man. It … I still can’t get my brain around it. I just can’t. James, pad his hours? JAMES????
What sort of crack are these people smoking? I mean, really.
Sticks and stones may break bones. No argument there. But the rest of that mantra is simply wrong. Words can and do harm us. Sometimes, words can wound deeper and harder than a stick, a stone, a bullet, a sword ever could. Because we survive those wounds, seemingly intact, and yet we carry the pain with us.
Those so-called friends of my service provider have done more damage than they expected. They didn’t just hurt one man and possibly his business. They’ve hurt me, too, beyond belief. And while they don’t give a damn about me — like I’d even want them to, watching how they treat our mutual friend — it’s too bad that they don’t give enough of a damn about this guy to see a compliment as a compliment, and to trust his good word and the actions that back him up as being above the deplorable behavior they’re so quick to accuse him of engaging in.
James, I’m sorry. As I’ve said, I meant to pay you the highest of compliments. I can only control the words I write, the words I say. I can’t control how others interpret them.
As a wordsmith, I know this. I work with clients daily to make sure their intent is crystal clear. I had thought my intent concerning you was every bit as clear. In my eyes, you’re a superman. And as we all know from super hero TV shows and movies, supermen accomplish the impossible.
Supermen accomplish the impossible.
Except, I guess, this time.
April 28, 2015
Do you think edible body paint clogs Jacuzzi jets?
Hate to admit it, but I have wondered that very question…
Pick up your copy!
April 23, 2015
I was HOT there for awhile. A long while, actually. Clients were throwing manuscripts at me right and left, I was about a week behind for two months, and I had the best February and March ever. Whew, it was awesome.
But… for some reason — and on a timeline that seems to fluctuate — editing goes in cycles. Sadly, this last cycle is ending and things are looking … slim around here. Quiet. It’s a cooling off period, all right.
On the one hand, this is good. It can mean time to work on my own fiction. Time to develop promotional opportunities for some of my authors, who could use the boost. (What else is on my To Do list? All sorts of stuff, really, but those two examples pretty well encompass things.)
On the other hand, it also means less income. Thankfully, the new windows are in and paid for, so it’s time to save up for the annual real estate/school taxes that’ll be due in August, and oh, yeah. Food.
For anyone who’s been holding off on engaging me, now’s the time. I’ve got openings really soon, and they go all the way through the summer. It’s hard to believe it’s April and my summer’s not starting to fill up, but… it’s April and my summer’s not starting to fill up.
Take advantage. Keep an editor employed. And in the meantime, I’ll be exploring new things, expanding others, and generally making this place better than ever.
April 20, 2015
Most of you know I’m a Scout leader and that I go with the Troop on camping trips. What you don’t know is that last fall, we organized into a BSA Venturing Crew and I’m the fearless leader. This past weekend was our biggest trip yet, for all that only one third of my Crew came along.
This isn’t to talk about my spectacular dudes, although I could do that for days, but to offer what is ultimately a lame excuse for not posting some Lines of Distinction that are waiting to be posted, or to update what’s arrived here for the Pennwriters Conference baskets, something I also need to do.
I’m exhausted. And, of course, it being Monday, I have a new edit to start. And a kid to pick up from honor society induction practice today.
Have I mentioned I need a nap?
So stay tuned, stay put. All that’s coming, in my usual slow but steady manner. I’m here at my new Varidesk, standing and sitting and plugging along.
Let me tell you, if you’ve got a kid of either gender who is between the ages of 14 and 21, you may want to look into Venturing. In my five years as a registered Scouter, this was truly the best trip I’ve been on.
April 16, 2015
I sat down last night to write a post. It’d be my usual Says the Editor type of post, pithy and fun and the sort of thing that one of you would submit to the Passive Guy so I could get the free promo and pack my schedule and work my tail off and redo my family room, now that the windows are taken care of.
But something funny happened.
It happened last week, actually. I sat down, put the laptop on my lap (go figure. They tend to work better from that position, or else I have weird arms), and … opened a Word file I hadn’t touched for almost one entire calendar year. I believe the date on the file was April 14, 2014, actually.
Yes, your editor friend found her way back to her fiction.
Oh, I’ve done this off and on over the past couple of years. I’ll start to work on something, start to write — I have a whole other project I’ve played with, off and on, for awhile now — and then get distracted or overwhelmed or just plain worn out. Staring at a screen all day doesn’t exactly make me want to stare at a screen all evening. Playing with other people’s words doesn’t exactly inspire me to turn off that editor part of my brain and do the sort of crappy first draft that’s necessary for my own writing process. Running the kids from activity to activity doesn’t exactly… You get the idea. It’s a full life I lead. It’s a good life and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.
But I’d be happier if I was writing, creating, letting characters run amok in my brain instead of it being full of the daily struggles of worrying about taking care of a house and two kids and myself and a business and all the other stresses of life. In that vein, I had it easier in the old incarnation of my life. And yes, the further away I get from the old incarnation, as I fix the problems I was left to discover, the more relieved I am that life took such a drastic turn.
I do miss writing. I miss my characters. And heck yeah, I miss those royalty statements. Even though I love editing with a passion I thought I’d never feel, it is an engagement with a book in a different way than when I’m engaging as the writer. The book I’m editing right now blows me away with its vision and creativity — as do they all, but this one in particular makes me shake my head in amazement at the quality of the ideas and the ability of the author to go to these places. There are many times a day when I sit back and envy and admire my authors and their storytelling abilities.
At some point, I’ll find that elusive balance between editing all day — the challenge of seeking out weaknesses and trying to build a better infrastructure, better word choice, better sentence structure, deeper characterization — and my own writing — that head rush of watching characters do what I wasn’t expecting, the lip-pursing moments when I fight for the right word or idea.
But for now, like so many of my clients, I struggle. And I remind them that I feel their pain even as I put them first. Not just because it pays my bills. But because it fulfills me in a way writing can’t.
Just as writing fulfills me in a way editing can’t.
April 13, 2015
Hey, folks! Let’s welcome Susan Fox to West of Mars today. She’s got the latest of her Caribou Crossing Romances to share with us today, Love me Tender.
Do you NOT love that title? Fits right in around here.
Let’s get busy. Susan, what song makes you think of your book?
What song makes you think of your book?
That’s an easy one! Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender,” the song the book is named for.
The Caribou Crossing Romances are each named for the title or lyrics of a song that’s particularly meaningful in the book. For this story, the song first plays after a wedding reception, when all the guests are gone. As Cassidy and Dave are leaving the hotel, they notice that there’s still a light on in the bar where the reception was held. When they go to turn the light off, they find that the bride and groom’s love songs soundtrack is still playing. Cassidy and Dave’s first dance is to “Love Me Tender”—and so is their first kiss.
Cassidy’s a drifter, a free spirit who never wants to settle down, but she does appreciate a fine man when she sees one. Dave, a single dad, has been heartbroken since the woman he loved died three years ago. And yet, with Cassidy, he finds himself coming to life again.
Here’s how things go that night.
“I like to dance,” Cassidy said softly. “But I’m always working.”
He swallowed. He was vaguely aware that Faith Hill had given way to Elvis Presley singing “Love Me Tender.”
“I’m not working now,” she said, tugging his jacket and tie away from him, then tossing them over the back of a chair.
When he didn’t say anything, she prompted, “This is where you say, ‘Cassidy, would you like to dance?’ ”
Was she flirting, or did she just want to dance? Though the need to hold her in his arms was painful, he couldn’t shape the words or even move toward her.
That didn’t discourage her. “And then I say, ‘Thank you, Dave, I’d love to.’ ”She stepped forward and some muscle memory or instinct or pure blind need had him raising his arms so she could step into them.
As Cassidy raised her arms and twined her hands around the back of his neck, as she pressed the front of her body lightly against him, his blood stirred. Oh God. Small, firm breasts lightly brushing his chest. Curved hips swaying gently as he and she shuffled in place. The heat of her back through wrinkled cotton, the total femininity of a bra strap under his fingers.
Later in the book, after Dave’s and Cassidy’s lives and relationship have become very complicated, that same song is on the radio after they’ve had a fight, and it helps them regain perspective and apologize to each other. And later still, Dave realizes how that song speaks to his love for her.
Yep, easy song, indeed. If only they were ALL that easy!
Here’s the description:
Dave Cousins, owner of the Wild Rose Inn, is known throughout Caribou Crossing as the nicest—and loneliest—guy in town. He’s had his heart broken more than once, and he’s determined not to let it happen again. So it’s no wonder he’s wary when a free-spirited drifter leaves him longing for more than just a steamy fling…
Like the wild goose tattooed on her shoulder, Cassidy Esperanza goes wherever the wind takes her. For her, a new day means a fresh start. And yet something about her days in Caribou Crossing—and nights with its handsome hotel owner—makes her think about staying a while. But when life takes an unexpected turn, her first instinct is to take flight once more. Is Dave strong enough to help them both face their fears, come to terms with the past, and believe that sometimes love truly can last a lifetime?
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Remember, the Featured New Book Spotlight is open to any author with a book that’s new to our readers around here. Got a book? Got a friend with a book? Send ’em over. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s free.
April 9, 2015
Last week, there was this meme going around Facebook. Maybe it’s still there; I’m writing on a day that’s today for me but last week for you guys. Maybe even longer, but I hope not.
It’s a clickbait and it’s purported to be pictures taken at a conference for copy editors (and held in my backyard, without me in attendance. What the heck? Oh, yeah. I had clients who needed me to work on their manuscripts), and the copy editors were asked to write down their biggest pet peeve and share it for the camera. I say purported because there’s nothing identifying any of these people. They could be models for all we know.
I know, I know. If it’s on the Internet, it must be true.
Back to the content of the meme. Not surprisingly, there were people who see the English language differently. This is actually a subjective field, despite the dependence many have on the Chicago Manual of Style. CMOS was originally written as a style guide for the University of Chicago Press, back in the 1890s. They published scholarly works, not fiction. Yet many in the fiction world have glommed on to it as their bible, too.
Because it wasn’t written for fiction, it doesn’t cover a lot of elements of the art and craft of fiction writing. And that leads us back to my statement that English is a subjective field.
When I work on a client’s manuscript (because you know this post has to be all about me), I consider the narrative voice, the past works of the author (If I’ve worked on any), the style of the piece — which yes, can be different from narrative voice — and other factors. What I may tag in Steve’s manuscript may get a pass in Stevie’s.
After all, you expect me to preserve your unique voice. And I do strive to. But, of course, there are pet peeves. I love the Oxford comma and make no apologies for that. I think it makes fiction ten times more readable. I hate the phrase from where; it can always be written around in a way that results in a stronger sentence or visual. And don’t get me started on suddenly, clearly, or obviously!
So what’s the point here? Well, it’s that if you’re shopping for an editor, you need to get a sample and try that person on. Let them try you on, too. It’s that the English language is both precise as a sharply honed knife and dense as a good fog over a snow pack. It’s an evolving language and we editors contribute to its evolution.
Good editing is an art. Even though if it’s on the Internet, it must be true, I would be very sad to hear any of my clients come to me and say, “Why did you do that? I saw this thing on Facebook and those editors said…”
It’s about what’s right for YOU and what’s right for YOUR manuscript.
Remember that.
Write on, write well, and ignore the peanut gallery that’s about to flood the comments (yes, that’s an invitation and a dare!).
April 2, 2015
I mentioned already that I’m headed to the Pennwriters Conference this year. I wish I could attend more conferences, and I’d love to host all my writer friends and their readers for a fun-filled weekend, too.
But both of those ambitions are down the road, for when my kids are older and need me around less.
Right now, I have a promo opp that’s all about my author friends — and the conference attendees. It’s easy and it’ll cost only what you are willing to invest.
I am seeking books — print copies or else fancy-styled flashdrives* with your e-book(s) on them — for auction baskets. I’ll make a lovely little note about what books (and their authors) for the outside, and one (or more, depending on how many baskets I’m able to make) lucky winner will take home YOUR book.
Got a book you want to include? Drop me a note. Got an e-book? Drop me a note.
The idea here, folks, is to get your name out to a wider reading audience. I know… what’s the value of reaching writers and not readers? Well, because the smart writers among us are voracious readers. The smart writers among us are super networkers, not afraid to tell our friends to read such-and-such because it’s a great book, or a great example of this literary technique or this or that is handled really well and it’s a super example.
In other words: a good book in the right hands can create the sort of buzz we all want. People talking in positive ways about our books.
All it’ll cost you is the price of postage and your book. That’s not too much to ask for a chance to find a wider audience, is it?
I didn’t think so.
*Flashdrives in fun, custom shapes are a super promotional item.
March 31, 2015
Up until March 1, I would have told you that March is historically my second-worst month, in terms of client demand (or, in business words, income).
Around mid-month this year, I started saying that I was hopeful the curse of March was ending.
And now, I can definitively say it did. Best March on record. I have worked on a lot of different manuscripts for a lot of different clients and … you guys know the drill. You know how much I love what I do, and how much I appreciate what my clients bring to my desk.
Spread the word. My new windows are in progress — it’s been a comedy of errors worthy of the Three Stooges (and last week, there were three of us) — so I still have to pay them off.
Lots of changes on the horizon, good things, opportunities for clients and friends and people who just want to drop in and promote themselves, no strings attached. I just need the time to implement it all!
(Yes, maybe it’s a time management issue. Maybe it’s a bit of burnout, I’ve been working so hard. Maybe it’s that clutter has built up in my life and on my desk again and that’s dragging me down. Who knows? I’m too busy to stop and figure it out!)
Book your dates for May and beyond ’cause April? Pretty darn packed, too, and yes, I’m doing the happy dance. All this good fiction about to hit the market!
March 26, 2015
Anyone who’s hung around these parts for any length of time knows I am a member of Pennwriters, and that I go to the conference in the odd-numbered years, when it is held in Pittsburgh.
This year, I’ll be presenting a workshop — but not on what you may think when you first see that I’m doing it. Susan the editor, Susan the writer … those personas are being shoved aside for a Sunday morning and instead, I’m going to be Susan the Reviewer. I’ll be using my experience as a longtime blogger and a professional book reviewer to run a workshop about reviews. I will have two outlines ready to go, and my audience will select between:
1. How to write a killer review, including how to evaluate the text and sound smart
2. Reviews for authors — how to get them, who to ask, the value of the paid review, the value of the one-star review, and what’s worse than that dreaded one-star review.
Frankly, I want to focus on the second topic. But it’ll be up to my audience.
So. If you’re interested, if you are burning to know if I truly am an Orange S on a Red Background, if you’re around, or if you’re looking for something to do Sunday morning before you hit the road for home, sign on up for the Pennwriters Conference. There’s lots more you’ll find besides just me. Acquiring editors. Agents. Other authors. And some of the friendliest, most supportive people around. This is the fun kind of networking, the kind that doesn’t hurt.
Come on out. And be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the Orange S on the Red Background.
March 23, 2015
Peace… now that’s a better shiny than actual shiny things. At least from where I stand. But then, I’m standing in a place that’s all my own.
I love this short story of mine. It’s rough. It’s edgy. It’s not for the faint of heart or family friendly.
But it is rock and roll and it is gritty and it is something I’m proud of and stand behind.
Pick up your copy today:
Smashwords
B&N
Amazon
Also available on:
Kobo
iBooks
Page Foundry
txtr
Overdrive
Oyster
Flipkart
Scribd
March 16, 2015
I mentioned before that 2015 has been the year of computer troubles for me again, and … yeah. Nothing’s changed on that front, unless you consider another downward turn to be a change — which I’d rather not do, but let’s be real here. It is.
My work computer blew up. Oh, not literally; that would at least have been fascinating, as my kids and I learned about blast radii and shrapnel scatter and other cool things. (“Look, Mom! Your desk chair is now permanently part of the cathedral ceiling!” or “Why is it that even after you shut your office door, I can still feel the air from the broken windows?” “Because my office door is a screen door, honey.”)
Nope. Nothing that exciting. But I can’t access any of my files (which seem uncorrupted), which means I can’t work. On edits, anyway. Or anything stored on my hard drives.
So… taking care of lots of little stuff and hoping you all hang with me for a few days while I get this mess sorted and hustle to get back on track. Guess I’ll be working through next weekend to make up for not being at my desk today and tomorrow (and hopefully that’s it, but my IT guy will let me know once he works his magic).
Let’s see how much trouble I can get myself into, shall we?
March 13, 2015
Welcome my buddy Kevin R Doyle to West of Mars! If you’ve been hanging at The Rock of Pages at all, you probably recognize his name. He wrote a fantastic Rock Fiction novella, and then brought us two guest posts last Rocktober. And now, he wants to share thoughts about writing in different genres, since his most comfortable place as a writer is within horror. Horror! From someone so brilliant at Rock Fiction?
Takes all kinds, I guess.
So here’s Kevin.
Most people read by genre, and that’s entirely understandable. When you find a type of material you like, you want to read more of it. When I was a kid, I was heavy into science fiction, with a decent helping of adventure in the Edgar Rice Burroughs and Doc Savage vein. As I grew older, I turned more towards horror and men’s adventure, and these days my casual reading is almost entirely in the mystery genre. (The procedural and private eye type, not the English cozy. Though around third and fourth grade, sandwiched in between Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, I went through a pretty decent Sherlock Holmes phase.)
By extension, most writers write by genre. Most, both known or unknown, are described or describe themselves as a “romance writer,” a “mystery writer” or a “fantasy writer.” It’s the flip side of the reading thing. When you find something you enjoy writing, you tend to keep doing it.
Not to say that authors don’t cross genres; obviously they do. But it’s fairly standard to think of someone as a certain “type” of writer.
For most of the time I’ve been doing this, I’ve been a “horror writer.” Almost all of my production has been in the short style field, and most of that was either horror or dark fantasy. (“Dark fantasy” being the term I started using when people gave me odd looks at the mention that I wrote horror.) Over the last three years or so, I’ve gone beyond the short story/ magazine market into, as of this February, three books on the market. (E-books only for the first two, e-book and print for the third.)
The odd thing, though, is that while I spent a couple of decades (my first story appeared in 1988) writing mainly horror, when I first broke into the book arena it was not in that genre.
One Helluva Gig, a general fiction piece about rock and roll music, tabloid journalism and the celebrity lifestyle, could in no way be connected to my earlier work. One friend told me that, while reading the book “I kept waiting for it to get creepy, but it never did.”
Gig, a piece of bittersweet nostalgia about dreams, hopes and aspirations that come up short and the way we cope when they do, was followed by The Group, a mystery novel about serial murder, wrongful accusations, and the way one lapse in judgement can ruin several lives. A story of straight up mystery and suspense, Group doesn’t come anywhere near Gig, which causes a problem. How do you build some kind of comprehensive marketing strategy, getting readers in the habit of buying your work, if the disparate pieces of that work are polar opposites?
My brilliant (?) solution was to produce my next book in an entirely different genre than either of the first two. The Litter (due out Feb. 13 from Night to Dawn Magazine and Books) does have its mysterious elements, primarily who are these cannibalistic kids who behave like wild animals and where did they come from, but it falls full square within the horror field. Including one particular little incident, about two thirds of the way through, that gave the editor a sleepless night when she came upon it. (No joke. I have the e-mail from her the next day to prove it.)
And now I’ve just added to the conundrum. How do I possibly build up a following among potential readers when my work is going in so many different directions? It’s not as if I wrote my first several books in one genre, developed a following, then decided to branch out. From the get go I’ve been shooting off in all sorts of directions.
And as I puzzled my way through this it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, I’m not giving readers today enough credit. Is it possible that the contemporary reader would be interested not so much in good writing in one particular arena, but good writing in general? (I know, there’s an inherent egotism there, but just roll with me for a minute.) And could the contemporary reader, who themself has to make an effort to seek out and read good material, with so many other distractions of modern life, be drawn not to good romance fiction, mystery fiction or science fiction, but to good fiction? Is the quality of escapism what’s important, not the particular path itself?
To date, I’m not sure of the answer, even with allowances made for the egotistic premise that I could provide such material. As in so much in life, it’s going to be a matter of wait and see. No doubt, I’ll know the answer soon enough.
But just to hedge my bets, and to show that I haven’t completely run away with the image of myself as an artiste, my next project (already three thousand words in) is going to be a sequel to one of the first three.
Which one?
Aww, for that you’ll have to wait and see.
I just hope that it’s not good mainstream material, mystery material, or horror material, but good reading material.
See, it’s not egotism, just hope.
March 12, 2015
I’ve noticed a trend over the past few years. When I see an author’s name used in a book description, it’s surrounded by commas. Grammar be damned, that author’s gonna use a comma.
Don’t damn your grammar. Write it properly.
Which means… Instead of…
When sexy artist, Kerri Broadhead, meets ShapeShifter guitarist, Mitchell Voss, in a grocery store…
the only comma should be after the word store.
Or I’ve seen this lately, too:
Kerri Broadhurst, meets ShapeShifter guitarist, Mitchell Voss…
Still wrong! You’re not going to write
Dog, meets banana…,
Right?
Right?
So… don’t put a comma around character names.
NOW. There’s an exception to this rule, and that’s when you are singling out one person among a group of people. As in:
One of the guitarists, Mitchell Voss, stood out from the others.
Or
His sister, Sally, was the only one of the three who said the right thing.
This time, you’re telling us who the only sister was. You’re naming the person in question. Or… singling one out of a group.
Otherwise, lose the commas.
Are you unsure if your commas are in the right spots? Remember, we at West of Mars offer back cover copy services at varying levels. Starting at ten bucks, it’s money well spent if you care enough to look your very best.
And if you don’t care enough to look your very best to your reading public, why are you publishing? Show your reader some respect. Care. And have someone look over your ancillary materials — so you do look your very best.
March 9, 2015
Tell your friends. It’s easy, it’s free, and it’ll have you looking at your book with fresh eyes.
The Featured New Book Spotlight.
One question. One song. Your chance to reach the world.
(THIS is a crummy way to start the week. Just sayin’)
March 7, 2015
Know how you went and downloaded all those free books as part of Read an E-Book Week over at Smashwords?
We authors appreciate the interest. We really do.
So… why not say thanks? No, not an e-mail to the author. Well, not directly to the author. Make it an open letter. “This is what I liked. This is what I didn’t. But thanks for making your book free so I could read it and tell the world what I thought of it.”
And then post it at Smashwords. Amazon. B&N. GoodReads or Shelfari or Library Thing. Or all of the above.
Your few words can make a big difference.
Go on. You really can do this.
March 5, 2015
I’ve had a few new clients lately, and that’s darn awesome. New blood, new viewpoints, new writing to keep me on my toes. Keep referring your friends my way. I’ll make sure you’re glad you did.
With new clients comes the breaking-in period, the teaching of how to do things the West of Mars way. Usually, it’s really simple. They say, “How do I do this?” and I answer. Even if it’s on my nifty FAQ page, I take the time and answer. After all, there’s nothing like the personal touch, and I’m glad for the dialogue that lets us get to know each other. (and, to be honest, I am not much of an FAQ reader, either — although you should read mine ’cause it’s been way fun to write and update.)
But lately, it hasn’t been as simple as it’s designed to be. I get that authors are excited to have found an editor they think they can work with long-term. I get that they’re new and in unfamiliar surroundings. I love that enthusiasm, I really do. It brings an energy into my day that’s really welcome. All these good things, right? It’s all good… until it comes time to pay the bill. Lately, new clients have been sending payment to my personal PayPal account.
You’d think that’d be fine, right? Susan does the work, Susan gets the money.
Except…
West of Mars is a registered business. That’s why those cute little L, L, and C letters come after the company name. And because it’s a registered company, it has its own bank account. And even though I’m the business owner, I get paid only a portion of what I charge you. The rest goes to the company to cover costs like insurance, my bookkeeper and web people, advertising, and more.
Believe me, my bookkeeper is earning her pay. And, of course, charging me for it, too.
So I’ve changed my policy, effective today. If you send payment to my personal PayPal account, it’s going to be returned. You’re going to be responsible for any fees. And you can either resubmit the payment to the right place or I’ll delete your manuscript, unedited, and that’s the end of our relationship.
I hate to be a hardass about this. I really do. But ignoring the rules, not waiting for an invoice (people, you need the invoices for your taxes!), sending payment to the wrong spot… that all creates extra work. Which creates extra stress and expense on my end. It sucks away time that I should be spending working on your manuscript. And it doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies about you and our future relationship, either.
Look, I’m a rule-breaker, too. I admire that about people. But there are rules to break — like starting a sentence with a preposition — and there are rules you don’t want to muck with.
So… new policy born out of necessity. I’m not a fan of it. But it can’t all be sunshine and unicorns and love, sadly. It takes all kinds to rock the world… it takes all kinds… even the kinds who do stuff we wish they didn’t.
March 2, 2015
So 2015 has gotten off to a rough start for me, unfortunately. Lots of technical problems, and I really hope this isn’t an indication of how the year is going to go.
BUT we have friends to help promote (don’t forget about Lines of Distinction, too!), so let’s focus on the positive.
Like returning friend Haley Whitehall, whose new book, Civil War Valentine, came out a few weeks ago and would love to be read by you. If books could love things, that is.
I’d like to thank Susan for welcoming me into the spotlight today. My newest release Civil War Valentine is a sweet ghostly romance that shows the timelessness of love. There are a lot of Valentine-themed songs out there, but the one that fit the tone of my book best was Valentine by Kina Grannis.
Recently divorced museum curator Charlie Bristol is not looking forward to her first Valentine’s Day once again single. She’d rather hide and forget the holiday all together. Unfortunately, she is in charge of the travelling Valentine’s Day exhibit. Forgetting Valentine’s Day is not an option.
When she receives donated Civil War era valentines for her exhibit, strange things start to happen. This story brings out the magic of the holiday. I hope it makes you smile just as watching the music video Valentine by Kina Grannis makes me.
I dig this concept! How about you? Kinda mystical and romantic and magical all at once.
Here’s the official description:
Charlie Bristol comes to Seattle to set up a traveling Valentine’s Day exhibit. The director of the museum surprises her with a package of Civil War valentines from an anonymous donor. She is touched by the heartfelt messages. Does such powerful love still exist?
During a nap she dreams she’s alive during the Civil War and meets Elliot Lowery, the author of the valentines who mistakes her for his fiancée Charlotte. She and Elliot negotiate the murky waters of wartime romance. When she wakes she’s still under the dream’s spell and Valentine’s Day love is in the air. Can love work some miracle time and death cannot overcome?
This is one I want to read just to be able to close my eyes and sigh, you know?
Pick up your own copy.
Smashwords *Referral link
Connect with Haley, too. We authors love this.
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
Website
Blog
Amazon Author Page
March 1, 2015
It’s Read an E-Book Week! And, as I do every year, to celebrate, I’ve discounted all my books so you’ll be extra tempted to pick them up and join the Trevolution.
My catalog is getting bigger, deeper, even though I’m doing more editing than writing these days.
The best part of this new age of publishing, I think, is that your books can be on sale forever. They never go out of print. And weeks like this are perfect for reminding you of that.
Older, newer, it doesn’t matter. You can pick them all up at Smashwords and whoa, Nelly! Look at that discount!!
Yes, even my newest release, not even six months old yet. Broken, the short story you just gotta read.
So what are you waiting for? Go get some copies and read an e-book this week!
