Tag Archives: self-publishing

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Oops, I Dropped a Stitch!

propic11_1This Post by L.Leander, Author of Fearless Fiction

Do you know how to knit?  Once you’ve cast on a few stitches you follow a pattern to create beautiful works of art that are also useful and warm.  But what happens when you don’t follow the pattern exactly?  Will the structure fall apart?  Or will it create something even more beautiful?

I learned to knit at a young age.  We had a neighbor in our small farming community who was an avid knitter and her entire family wore the beautiful garments she spent long hours to craft.  Fascinated, I asked her if she would teach she and me agreed.  I was about eleven at the time and I was instantly hooked.  The sound of the needles as they clacked together in my inept hands was music to my ears as I learned to cast on and do the garter stitch (knitting every row).  My first work of art was misshapen but Mrs. Vipond cheered me on.  Every Saturday afternoon became my favorite day of the week as I rode the two miles on my bike down a winding country road under a leafy ceiling of oak and maple trees that protected me from the summer sun.knit

Mrs. Vipond always met me at the door with a cool drink and her current knitting project and we sat on the porch to knit and watch the birds in the feeder fight over the seed it contained.  An occasional fly or lazy bumblebee made its way to the table where our sticky drinks of lemonade sat but we paid them no mind

There was something about the feel of a skein of yarn and the needles in my hands that excited my young mind.  When I realized that I could turn a piece of string into something beautiful it amazed me and I couldn’t wait to find out how my piece would look.

It’s from Mrs. Vipond that I learned a very good lesson.  If your work is wrong, take it out.  Believe me, I did a lot of that as I progressed to more difficult stitches and patterns!  If there was a dropped stitch at the beginning my able teacher taught me how to weave it in so it wasn’t even visible.  I didn’t mind the long hours because in the end I knew it would be worth it.  My goal was to knit a sweater with deer on it.  My teacher had made a beautiful one for her son and my goal was to learn to knit that type of intricate pattern.

This memory made me think about writing.  Here are five things you can apply from knitting to your writing to make the finished piece shine.

  • Build a good foundation.  Cast on the base stitches and make them even and neat so they’ll hold the story structure.
  • Learn to write evenly.  Just like knitting, your work must be neat, with all the stitches spaced in like fashion so the finished piece pleases the eye.
  • Practice makes perfect.  No matter how many times you have to take it apart, your work will be better for the attention to detail.
  • Find a mentor or teacher.  None of us know everything about the craft of writing.  Just as I sought out a teacher to teach me to knit, you can find someone to help you navigate the intricacies of writing.
  • Choose your tools wisely.  Those who do a lot of knitting know that good needles and yarn make all the difference.  Don’t be afraid to use grammar checkers, word processing programs or other helpful aids for writers.  They can only make your work better.

The sweater with the deer was my goal and by the time I was fourteen I reindeer-vintage-sweater-patternachieved it.  I still remember how proud I was of that garment when I wore it to a toboggan party and got rave reviews from all my friends.  Knitting is one of my favorite pastimes and as a writer I am glad to be able to use the skills I learned early on in life to apply to my writing.

What about you?  Do you have a favorite craft or skill you learned as a child?  Is it applicable to your writing?  Do you use good tools to craft your stories?

Books by L.Leander:

 

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Does Your Reader Need Sunglasses?

propic11_1This Post by L.Leander, Author of Fearless Fiction

There is a segment on the morning news now about the need to wear protective eyewear in the sun.  Being in a tropical country I well know the value of protecting your eyes from the rays that shine down unmercifully here.

But how does this apply to writing?  Let me ask these questions.

dog

  • Are there glaring errors in your manuscript?  Do readers need to wear blinders as they navigate the story?
  • Is your book cover professional or does it hurt the eyes to look at it?
  • Does your photo say author or something totally different?  Most readers don’t want to see a writer weeding her garden (unless the book is on that subject).  Get as professional a picture as you can so readers will instantly recognize you for your work.
  • Do your characters shine?sunAre they so drab and devoid of personality that the reader can look at them with the naked eye?  Or are they full of life and color?
  • What about your book title?  Does it grab attention or say something boring?  Make it sizzle.

These are only a few things you need to pay attention to as you seek to market your bookcraft.  There are many others that may cause readers to turn away because of the glare.

What can you do to make your writing better?  Do you have a professional creative team in place?  Can you add personality to your characters?  Is your photo professional?  This is a good time to fine-tune your latest book, don’t you think?

Books by L.Leander:

 
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What Does It Really Cost to be Free?

propic11_1This post by L.Leander, Author of Fearless Fiction

I’ve done a lot of thinking on this subject.  When I joined the Amazon Kindle Select program last year I did so after a lot of research and conversations with other self-published authors.  After I weighed everything I decided that I would sign exclusively with the Zon and only offer my book there.  After all, I understood that I’d be able to do promotions to help get the word out about my book.  That’s a good thing, right?

In anticipation I prepared for my first free giveaway.  I paced the floor and wondered what would happen – would I become an overnight sensation?  (Hey, don’t laugh – I was green as all get-out when I started).  A full month before my promotion I went through a document an online friend shared with me and began to get in touch with groups, tweeters, and anyone who would help me get the word out about my free book.  I joined Author Marketing Club and used their handy-dandy page for contacting all the bloggers who would list the book on the day(s) it was free.  I wrote blog posts, created Facebook events, spammed my friends (I learned that was NOT the way to do it – lucky for me I didn’t lose any) and joined tweet groups.

My husband went into full frontal sales mode and accosted everyone he met.  No one was safe because he takes his job very seriously.  “Hi, I’m married to L.Leander the author.  Here’s her card – the book will be free for two days and I’ve written the dates on the back.  Why don’t you give it a try?  Oh, and be sure to leave a review if you will?  Thanks.”  After awhile I began telling him I really had to use the restroom every time we stopped for gas.  Especially if there were people standing in line at the checkout or the gas pumps.  I couldn’t bear to think they’d turn him down.  And actually, no one did.  The funny thing is that while I believed that was definitely not the way to promote my books it turned out to be one of the best tools we used.  Face to face.  Since my email address is on my card I received several nice notes from people who had read the book and enjoyed it.

I cannot tell you what we ate for dinner or even if we ate on the nights I was running the promotion.  However, since hubby is an awesome cook I know he took good care of me and I don’t seem to have lost any weight, so I’m sure I didn’t starve.

Sleep was non-existent during that first promo.  I kept checking my sales stats because I was so excited – people actually wanted to read my book!  Even when I went OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAto bed I’d think of things I should have done, people I could talk to and even ways to revise the book description to make it more enticing to readers.

One of the things I truly enjoyed about that promo was meeting a fellow author online who was doing one of his own.  We piggybacked our marketing and it helped both of our books in the ratings on Amazon.  We held our events on Facebook and invited our friends to the other’s event.  It worked.  Even though my friend was a Sci Fi writer and my book was YA Historical Fiction the two worked well in tandem.


SONY DSCAfter the two days were over I had reached number one in the Kindle Free Downloads and I was  pinching myself.  Of course I’d have felt better had it been on the paid side, but I wasn’t complaining at all.  On shaky legs I wobbled into the kitchen and began babbling incoherently.  Hubby handed me a glass of juice and said breakfast would be ready soon.

At the end of my first promotion on Kindle I had almost 11,000 free downloads.  I thought at the time that was fantastic, but I’ve since talked to authors who have had more than that.  I was very happy though.

In the months since I published my book and began running free promotions I’ve had cause to laugh about the “cost” of marketing a self-published book via free giveaways.  FREE?  That’s hilarious!  Here are a few of the costs I incurred:

  • ŸNo sleep = wrinkles (I already have enough, thank you)
  • ŸHours of staring at the computer = dark circles under my eyes (that no makeup will erase)
  • ŸLack of food – (how will I keep my girlish figure?)
  • ŸEmbarrassing moments (watching the hubster arm-wrestle someone to the ground while he forces them to take my business card – priceless but embarrassing!)
  • ŸLack of writing time (the promotion takes over your life for a couple of days)
  • ŸPossible loss of Facebook and Twitter friends (I learned how not to spam)
  • ŸComputer heating up and balking (hey, you wouldn’t like being available 24/7 either would you?)
  • ŸDirty dishes pile up (hubby to the rescue)
  • ŸMissed phone calls from friends and loved ones (again, hubby to the rescue – his standard answer?  “She’s writing, may I have her call you later?”  Then he forgets to write down the number – I love it!
  • ŸLost time with my soul mate  (it’s what I hate the most but we’re in this together)
  • ŸLost time with friends and family (I’ll make it up to them some day – if I have any left)

Would I do it all over again?  You bet!  I currently have two books on Amazon KDP Select and it’s these promotions that help them get out to readers everywhere.  I have graduated to using paid ads so there is now “real” cost involved in giving away my books.  However, the stats don’t lie – it works.  Would I recommend you try it?  Sure, but remember nothing is free – my father always told me that and I didn’t believe him.  He was right.  If you count the cost and still want to give it a try I say go for it.  I may even coax the hubster to give your significant other a few free lessons on “How to Care for Your Author.”

13extOh, I almost forgot –  March 6 and 7 I’m running a FREE promo on Kindle KDP Select for my nonfiction book for beginning authors titled 13 Extreme Tips to Self Publishing.  It’s the first book in my 13 Extreme Tips for Writers series and you can get a copy here.  Constructive criticism is always appreciated and a review would be great too.  This is my first five-day promo and we’ll see how it goes.  I’ll report back to you later.

Until later – I’ve got to go train my dragon!

Here are some links to my other books and places you can find me on the Internet and Social Media.  Stop by and say hi.

Books by L.Leander:

INZARED Book Cover_1INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders by L.Leander

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FD5O1E

Video Trailer for INZARED, Queen of the Elephant Riders:  http://youtu.be/lQHtsFQGAP0

13 Extreme Tips to Self Publishing by L.Leander

http://amzn.to/Vlcq2v

13 Extreme Tips to Marketing an eBook by L.Leander

13marketingtipscoverhttp://amzn.to/Xu0Qk0

L.Leander’s Website:  www.lleander.com

L.Leander’s Reviews and Interviews: http://lleandersreviewsandinterviews.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/L.-Leander/e/B008IVRNU8

Facebook Page:  http://facebook.com/lleanderbooks

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/lleander11

@lleander11

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lleander11

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6441993.L_Leander

Google+: https://plus.google.com/100076816458862731821

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Does Life Get In The Way of Your Writing?

propic11_1This post by L.Leander, Author of Fearless Fiction

Are you stuck in a rut?  Procrastinating?  Is your writing taking a back seat?  Relax; we’ve all been there.  There are a few things you can do to climb out of the hole you’ve dug for yourself and get on track.

Last week was a crazy one for me.  Before I share, let me explain that I thrive on deadlines and a mountain of work.  I get lots done and even find time to relax.  But, when my orderly mountain teeters just a little I get frustrated.  What happens then?  My old friend Depression comes to visit and brings his buddies Overwhelmed and Inactivity.  I hate it when they visit!  I have to cater to their every need, feeding them, putting mints on the pillow; you know the drill.  They are not your usual friendly guests – no they’re demanding and overpowering.

Ok, so here is where I’m coming from.  I have been working on the second book in the Inzared series.  I began with a book cover designer and video trailer designer in early November, but still had no results from either.  Because they had other issues at hand I stopped work on the book and wrote two short booklets for my Writer’s Group, which I then published and began to market.  The Writer’s Group has asked for another workshop and I’m outlining another short book in the series, that I want to have ready in two weeks.  I am choir director at my church and that takes up my Friday and Sunday mornings (along with a lot of practice at home, picking songs, etc.).  I’m a songwriter and play music with friends once a week and that takes a couple of hours on Thursday (plus practice time at home).  My Writer’s Group is one morning a week and immediately following that meeting I get together with a fellow writer to discuss marketing (her husband has 30+ years of experience).  I’m currently taking a 14-week marketing class and have two weekly Skype calls plus homework.  I run a site for authors where I do author interviews and book reviews.  Add to this the various parties and gatherings we are invited to, shopping, cooking, etc.

As you can see, my plate is pretty full.  I try to spend most days with scheduled writing and marketing.  I do pretty well, even though I can sometimes be found spending time with my husband watching television with my computer on my lap.  (I resent those times because I really enjoy doing embroidery. quilting and other handwork for relaxation).

You get a little of how tightly my mountain is stacked?  This week I had a little OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAtopple.  My husband received some good news but it facilitates our moving back to the United States and setting up permanent residence there.  My mountain began to crumble slowly, one rock at a time, but suddenly it was a landslide as I began obsessing over the many problems we might face.

All of a sudden I felt depressed (I’d be leaving this wonderful country I love so well). I felt overwhelmed (how could I possibly finish work on the book, sell everything, prepare to move and then find another residence in the US?).  That led to inactivity.  It was easier to worry about everything than to take action.  So I sat for a day or so and fretted, unable to lift a finger to do anything.

depression_1

I asked Depression to leave a little early (I told him I had other guests coming and I leavingneeded the room).  He wasn’t too happy, but obliged and I felt much better immediately upon his departure.  I asked Inactivity if she could come another time, as I seemed to have my hands full.  She didn’t leave right away, but finally gave in and said she’d see me later, when I was in the mood.  That only left Overwhelmed.  I knew this friend would take some pushing so I did a couple of things.

I listed why I felt so out of control.  The things I was worrying about weren’t really all that large when I put them on paper.  In one column I listed the problems, in the other the results and a timeline.  This worked especially well for my writing.  I need to get this book out and published before I leave, as I have very spotty Internet in the US and it looks like we’ll be on the road a great part of the summer.  I wrote down my goal and how I can achieve it.  I also included things like the marketing and promos I’d need to do.  Although the schedule looks tight, it’s doable.

I have a fabulous spouse, who offered to take everything off my hands while I am accomplishing the book wrap-up.  He’s doing all the cooking, marketing and dishes and is my main man when someone calls on the phone.  “She’s busy right now, can I have her call you back?” is his standard answer.  Thank goodness we have a cleaning lady (it’s very inexpensive in Mexico).  He’s also handling our social calendar and I have a feeling we’ll be staying home a lot!

My mountain is pretty much put back together now, since Overwhelmed is making his exit.  This I can live with.  Life often gets in the way of what we want to do.  Our success depends on how we handle the little things that seem to trip us up along the way.  Here are my suggestions when this happens to you:

  • Write everything down
  • Make a timeline
  • Be sure your goals can be achieved in the timeline you set (don’t be overzealous)
  • Do something – anything is better than sitting and worrying
  • Start small – write a few words
  • Stay away from time wasters – i.e. Facebook and other social media
  • Be thankful – you are doing something you love
  • Get lots of rest so you are able to think rationally
  • Enjoy the journey

Now that I’m back on track and writing again I don’t see why I even allowed Depression, Inactivity and Overwhelmed to visit.  They’re not my favorite people anyway – they hinder me from going forward.  But if they try to visit you, just show them the door!workload

Here are three articles that will help you avoid the three pesky guests by recognizing them immediately and taking steps to keep them away.

Writing Your Way Out of Depression

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50672

Overwhelmed? 8 Ways to Overcome It

http://thinksimplenow.com/productivity/overwhelmed/

Physical Inactivity as Dangerous to Health as Smoking

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/physical-inactivity-harmful-smoking/story?id=16797491

Books by L.Leander:

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Don’t Talk To Me In That Tone of Voice! by L.Leander

propic11_1This post by L.Leander, Author of Fearless Fiction

Don’t Raise Your Voice To Me…

Ever heard that from a parent, friend or loved one?  I have.  Sometimes when we’re young we get a little sassy.  It’s normal for children to become independent and, well, a little bratty sometimes when they speak to those in authority.  Occasionally, (but only if I’ve had a bad day) my voice just might have a different timbre when I speak to my husband.  Now, I’m one of the lucky ones.  My husband is very low-key.  Nothing like his wife, who is always so busy flitting from one place to the other that she forgets where she’s supposed to be next or if she left the iron plugged in.  No, my sweet spouse doesn’t say a word, just gives me the raised eyebrow.  Stops me every time and we laugh.

What does that have to do with writing you ask?  Think about it.  Is your character’s voice syrupy sweet or belligerent?  Is it timid or confident?  Your reader needs to know through discussion what type of person is speaking.

action1_1We work for hours on character descriptions and setting, but occasionally we forget dialogue.  Simple conversation can make or break a novel.  If the reader is invested in the personalities that emerge from the pages of the book he or she will devour it until the end and tell everyone what a great read it is.

On the other hand, if the discourse falls flat and goes nowhere the reader will put the book down and walk away.

As writers we don’t need to be overly descriptive of our characters.action2_1  Show readers through good dialogue what the person is like.  Make their words strong and forceful or quiet and meek.  Allow the personalities to shine, to make a mark, to entertain and leave the reader in anticipation of what will happen next.

For instance, here’s a ho-hum sentence and an action sentence.

Shawn entered the smoky room and took a good look around.  He saw Rita at the bar and walked toward her, anger building up inside him.

And:

Shawn coughed as he entered the smoky room.  “Where on earth have you been?”  Beer splashed as he slammed his glass on the bar and took a seat next to Rita.  “I’ve been waiting for two hours for you to call.”

The first sentence is descriptive, yes, but the second is powerful.  We get from the dialogue that Shawn is angry through his words and his actions.  In the first sentence we are told those things, in the second we experience them.  Also, I’m one of the Stephen King believers in not using too many exclamation points.  Show the action.  It’s better than using the punctuation mark.

Here are a couple of good posts on descriptive dialogue that you might want to check out.  I found them very interesting.

Lafenty from Hubpages.com

http://lafenty.hubpages.com/hub/Writing-Great-Dialogue-Part-Two

Sarah Billington from WriteSideways.com

http://writeitsideways.com/dialogue-description/

Will your characters raise their voices today?  What will they say?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Books by L.Leander:INZARED Book Cover_1