Hemingway, We Hardly Knew Ye (But, Nice App!)

Full disclosure: he isn't/wasn't my favorite author. But, he's one of those icons, right?

And, gotta say - nice app!

The Hemingway App is designed to make us all better writers.
Banish adjectives!
Write declarative sentences!
Make a point!
Keep it short!
(And, presumably, don't overuse exclamation points.)

Well. Fiddlesticks. A post with two Wikipedia links. I've done all the damage I can for one day.

Harumph.

Research Before Writing: Essential to do, then stop

Would you spend a year learning to quilt or paint before writing a book about a character who quilted or painted? If you did, you might find your name on best-seller lists, like author Tracy Chevalier.

Or not. 

The trick is not just falling so hard for your story that you're willing to do the research - it's knowing when to quit researching and then having the discipline to write. (And revise, and rewrite, and revise, and rewrite...)

The History Girls' excellent blog asked Chevalier when was the right time to stop researching and her short answer was, "Never." The long answer was a bit more illuminating, particularly for fiction writers. 

But what about copywriters? How much research is enough? Unfortunately, the answer is usually determined by deadlines and budgets - neither of which, in the commercial world, have much respect for the writing process. 

Which means the writer must be a quick study, of both subject matter and of the personalities in play - who are you really writing for? The customers, about whom you have reams of data (of questionable significance) or the CEO, the sales manager, or the marketing director (who hired you)? 

While it's a conundrum and not one a blog can answer, I'll go back to Chevalier's answer, because she's right: as a writer, you'll probably never do enough research.  And I can safely say you'll never quiet all the critics - book reviewers, editors, clients or the CEO's sister, for that matter. 

It's frustrating, but the tremendous reward in this messy ball of wax is that writers are truly always learning. 

Tracy Chevalier's latest book is set in northern Ohio. She spoke at commencement to Oberlin's class of 2013 - 29 years after her own class graduated from the school - and she gave the grads a lot of advice. Five of her points were supposed to be all about writing - but they can be interpreted broadly. Most of the advice was good, for fiction writers, copywriters, and everyone. My favorite bit was this:

"Make your life one long string of punchy verbs."

Go on, now. Stop researching - and see what you can do. 

Add Skloot to the 'Excellent Examples' List of Debut Authors

"Debut author" sounds a little bit like "overnight success." It's a label, and it doesn't say much. We must know there's a unique story behind each person we slap that label on, but slap we do.

So with due respect and admittedly not knowing her story, the label's been slapped on Rebecca Skloot. Skloot uncovered the story of Henrietta Lacks and wrote about her with integrity, determination, (a grant) and a hell of a lot of sacrifice and hard work. She ignored lots of labels along the way and cared enough to discover the unique story behind many of those labels. While reading the book, I marveled at Skloot's work at the same time I realized it paled in comparison to the amount of work Lacks did in her life. But that's just me seeing the world through my own lenses. My focus and perspective leave a lot to be desired.

Let me try again. From my writer's perspective, Skloot's account is a stellar work; it exemplifies (very) long form  journalism and historical nonfiction storytelling. Journalists, nonfiction writers, and students, please add this to your "excellent examples" list.

From my reader's perspective: damn! what a story!

 ~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~

Skloot earns a spot next to Michael Lewis 

on my list of non-fiction, 

journalist/storytellers worth reading  -

and Henrietta Lacks' story was worth telling. 

Write On, Wordnik, Grammarsnark, Chaucer, and God

The more time I spend on Facebook, the less I like it. Yes, I know that makes me sound like a joiner - ever since its IPO, the social media behemoth has been losing fans (friends?) at an alarming rate. But after a mere three years, apparently Twitter and I are still in our honeymoon period.

There's something deliciously challenging about Twitter. The wittiest wordsmiths seem to hang out there, and they offer up their fruits in tempting bite-sized morsels, because they have to - which leaves me almost gasping for more.

I wonder if other writers feel the same?

A sampling of the morsels I haven't been able to get enough of, just recently:

Favorite words of The Week, thanks to Wordnik

Grammarsnark's bio alone is worth reading, as are most of its tweets.

Am I smitten with Twitter? You betcha. Where else can you read the tweets of God and Chaucer and learn how to rhyme like Eminem? Plus there's Twitter's inspired use of hashtags. As a journalist nothing gives me a sense of satisfaction quite like seeing so many in one place.

##

Guest Post: Debbie Alferio

Debbie Alferio is the award-winning author of the Forever Love fictional romance series. She writes without outlines and is quick to say she hasn’t received any formal writing training, and gushes about her crush on Country Music recording artist Chuck Wicks, the inspiration for her books' main character.

Unapologetic about her aversion to outlines and her self-published status, Debbie offers practical and encouraging advice for other writers, and reminds us how important it is to remain true to yourself.

   ---

Q:

You’re the Ohio rep for Authors Across America and a member of the International Writer’s Association, American Author’s Association, OhioProfessional Writers, and Writer’s Ink. So you’re obviously steeped in writerly advice. But, really, you’ve never used an outline?

A:  

I know of a lot of authors who prefer to use outlines and swear by them, and others who find them restricting.  I fall into that latter group.  On the few occasions I have tried to outline, I've felt like, if I didn't stick to the thing like glue, my finished product wouldn't be worth its weight in salt.  When I write, I like to let the muse take control, and if the plotline or characters happen to change direction midstream, I can go with it.  For me, outlining means feeling too rigid and structured with my writing.  I enjoy the freedom to let the elements of the story unfold as I go along.  Luckily for me, it's worked very well so far!

    ---

Q:

Please, tell us what it’s really like working with AuthorHouse. (And don’t just say “great!”)  Do you act more like an entrepreneur than author? How does the editing process work? What kind of marketing support do you get?

A: 

Am I allowed to say wonderful?  How about fantastic? LOL.  Seriously, my experience with Authorhouse has been very positive.  The company produces a quality product, the staff is always friendly and knowledgeable, and although they're one of the larger independent publishers, I've never felt like I was just a number to them. Authorhouse makes my books available through thousands of online outlets worldwide, and they can be ordered via Ingram, Bowker's, and Baker & Taylor. To be honest, I believe that all authors, regardless of the method they use to publish, are entrepreneurs of sorts.  Your book is your business, and ultimately, no one can promote it the way you do.  The company does offer marketing support, and the advice I've received from my Author Services Representatives over the years has been priceless in getting me to where I am now.  As for editing, the company does offer this service; however, I preferred to use my own editors.

    ---

Q:

Would you describe your editing process, then – and how you've found editors?

A:

Let me share a little story.  When it came time to edit A Forever Kind of Love, I was not in a financial position to pay for professional editing services through Authorhouse or from the private sector.  Knowing enough about the process to understand editing is a must, I chose a group of close family and friends to take on the job for me.  I was very grateful for their help; and while they spotted many of the more "obvious" errors like grammar and punctuation, there were a few things overlooked which ended up getting published in the book.  Fortunately, those things are very minor so as not to detract from the overall quality of the story or be picked up in most cases by the reader.  Do they bother me?  Of course---no one wants mistakes in their work, but it does happen, and sometimes even with big-name authors. 

Anyway, the second time around I guess you could say I had "lived and learned" enough to find someone with more actual editing knowledge.  The lady, Arlene Towne, was one of my high school teachers.  Mrs. Towne worked over my 470-page manuscript for "Waiting for Tomorrow" five times--word by word, line by line.  She not only edited, she also mentored me in the proper usage of commas (I tend to be comma-happy!) as well as where dashes and semicolons can be used instead.  She took the time to make sure the work was polished before it went to the printer.  Her diligence paid off in one of the highest compliments I have ever gotten--actually from a friend who is a freelance writer and editor herself.  She told me that "Waiting for Tomorrow" was one of the most perfectly edited works she has ever read!  So, the moral of the story?

There are many ways to find a good editor; just be sure that whoever you choose actually knows what to look for.  Be sure they understand the principles of sentence structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation, as well as what sounds right to make the story flow.  A good editor is a great asset to you and the success of your work.

  ---

Q:

When you conduct writing workshops, what’s the most surprising thing you tell new (or old!) writers? What do you think is the “aha” moment for those listening to you?

A:

New writers often are surprised when I tell them that I make a higher royalty per sale being independently published than some of the traditionally-published authors I know, and that they often do as much marketing as I do.  There seems to be a misconception that traditional publishing houses automatically shower you with money and publicity when you land a contract.  I tell them sure--if your name is Nora Roberts or Clive Cussler!  LOL.  Now, I'm not knocking anyone's choice on how to publish--that's a personal preference.  Traditional publishing has its advantages, but in most cases for the new author, don't expect to get rich or famous overnight.  You still have to work at it.

   ---

 Q:

Promotion is a tough nut to crack for most authors. You’ve shared some very helpful, practical advice on your blog.  Have you done anything sort of quirky or unusual that really paid off?

A:

I'm not sure if it qualifies as quirky, but I've developed a knack for incorporating the phrase, "I'm an author" into just about any conversation or situation I find myself in.  I've been known to tell everyone from the UPS guy to the clerk at the grocery store what I do, and in many instances, it's either resulted in a  book sale or sometimes even a speaking engagement.  I simply make sure to listen and watch for an appropriate window in the dialogue, make a casual mention of my art, and go from there.  It helps, too, that I always carry brochures in my purse for those occasions so that I have something to offer about my work.  Word of mouth is still the best way to advertise!

   ---

Thanks, Debbie! Your advice is helpful and I'm sure it will be appreciated by many new (and not-so-new) writers.

Now, dear reader, can you help me out? I’ve been lucky enough to post advice from Debbie, Derek Taylor Kent, Carmen Ambrosio, and Andrea Richesin so far this year and now, I’m looking for guest bloggers again. If you’re a published author or professional copywriter, and would like to share a few words of wisdom here, please contact me.

I’m also looking for guest writers for my reading blog, where you can chat up your favorite (or most disappointing) reads. I hope to hear from you soon! 

Next up... what should a writer do for the holidays?

Five Book Marketing Mistakes I've Made (So Far)

Here are a few of the mistakes I've made while marketing my book, 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland. These are, of course, only the mistakes I KNOW I've made. I'm still learning. (I have a funny feeling this could become a multi-part series.)

1. Did too much homework
I spent hours (hours!) learning about bookplates, their uses, where they're printed, who might print them locally, how authors have used various designs, and recommended tech specs for printing. I think bookplates are a nice-to-have item, but frankly, I over-did the research. (Translation: wasted time.)


2. Didn't do enough homework
My first set of bookplates were very pretty, and generic. In fact, they were from the first vendor I found online when I searched for "bookplates." Like, duh. After all that research to find a nearby vendor and secure a reasonable price, ultimately, the best option for me was to order from BookplateInk. Sheesh.

3. Gave too freely, gave too little, or gave the wrong thing
When the first edition of my book was published, I followed the oft-heard advice to "give a copy to all of your friends." Well, there are some problems with that. First, which friends? No matter how excited I am about my book, it's financially unwise to hand a $17 book to each of my friends (even with my author discount). So I redefined "friend," this time looking critically at my contact list to select those who appeared to be most likely to tout the book to others, or (in a few cases) buy a bunch of books for other people. In other words, I learned to give to the friends of my book, but sadly, not to all of my friends.

I haven't mastered this yet. I try to be well-organized and yes, over-prepared, for book signings and other appearances, but still I find I'm loading the car in a rush at the last minute. A couple of times I have forgotten to bring along an extra copy of the book, which would have been a nice thank-you gift for the event host. That's more time-management (and Checklist Manifesto-type stuff) than book marketing know-how. The other side of the coin is book-marketing savvy. As in, what's the right thank-you gift for a book-signing host anyway? Perhaps it's not a book (many event hosts already have one) but a photo or notecards featuring one of the trails, instead. (Any book promotion experts out there?? Speak up - just, please, go beyond 'bookmark,' ok?)

4. Spent too much time on Facebook.
I'm still struggling with this one, too. Check out my Facebook page, where I waste a lot of time I could be spending on the trail. Or not.

5. Failed to maximize my face time 
As friend (and award-winning author) Debbie Alferio points out,* word of mouth is the best form of advertising. I've been too cautious about mentioning that I'm an author in the past, a habit I vow to correct before it's time to make New Year's resolutions.

I've also stumbled when promoting events. Once I lost a sale because I didn't show up early (aim to arrive at any signing at least 30 minutes in advance) and another time, I planned a GRAND event with another author... and turnout was abysmal because I didn't chat it up enough. I Facebooked** the heck out of it, though; yet another reminder the original social networking tools - your face! and your mouth! - are often more effective than newer ones.

I'm sure I'll discover many more mistakes I've made... but until I'm willing to admit them, what about you? Got any mistakes to share?


*OK, she wasn't the first to say so, but she makes the point eloquently in an upcoming guest post.

**I know it's not a verb. But you knew what I meant, didn't you?

Great Advice Abounds, Time Doesn't

Whew. Just back from a web-surfing trip I didn't have time for. I learned a ton, but now I'm late for the rest of my day, and didn't make that teeny-tiny update to my website that was on my Saturday morning to-do list. Sound familiar?

I not only don't have the answer, I'm going to add to the problem. Sorry? Not really. This is smart, savvy advice. So don't waste your day surfing around potentially-info-laden sites, I've done the legwork and I officially declare these really worth the time.

1. This guest-post on Writers and the Threat of Digital Theft  from The Urban Muse comes from Sandra Aistars, Executive Director of the Copyright Alliance and former VP and General Counsel at Time Warner, Inc.
Full URL: http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/2011/06/guest-post-writers-and-threat-of.html

2. Practical Tips on Writing a Book from 23 Brilliant Authors is almost exactly what its title promises. (Why almost: I'm copywriter enough to appreciate the use of "brilliant," and journalist enough to say, "overkill" - but that's my problem.)
Full URL: http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/2011/06/guest-post-writers-and-threat-of.html

3. After you've read these two articles, either get back to work putting this good advice to good use, or unplug yourself from the screen and get out and enjoy the day. It's the weekend, you know!

---
If you're reading this, you must be really good at procrastination. (Takes one to know one, I guess.) So ok, then - can I ask you for a favor? ReTweet this or Follow me on Facebook. Please?

Animoto for Authors

Want to make a 30-second commercial for free? You can, with Animoto. While the "lite" version is free, a more full-bodied program that can make longer videos (among other things) is available for $5/month.

Below, a video promoting the new edition of my hiking guide, 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Cleveland, available in June. Happy hiking...and happy movie making!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

New hiking book available June 2011

Grab one and hit the trail!

Good Grammar Shouldn't Slow Us Down!

Social media marketing concepts are important and yet they haven't made grammar obsolete, have they?

I don't think so, but then, I still favor complete sentences when I'm texting.

I was very glad to meet the alot earlier this week. (See my last post) The seemingly unassuming beast offers a lighter look at grammar gaffes, but however friendly alots might be, they scare me. I understand (and agree with) the argument "since social media moves fast, so we have to move faster." To that argument I add, we can move faster better with clear communication.

If I'm a grammar snob, I'm a low-level one. Improper use of its and it's and its' and apostrophes in general are my primary complaints. In fact, the rules governing the proper use of apostrophes are so simple, I'm amazed the basic spelling/grammar checker features in most word processing tools can't be programmed to highlight at least half of the potential culprits. It wouldn't be cheating! C'mon. Some of us grew up "cheating" with paper dictionaries before spell-check saved us from countless typos and our own ignorance.

What ignited my rant today: two misused apostrophes in a short blog post by a marketing professional. That is, two remaining AFTER a visitor to the site pointed out another, which the author then fixed. I repeat: we all make mistakes.

When a professional communicator makes a mistake in a blog post (or any other document that remains available 24/7) and can correct that mistake, he - or she - should.

A nifty little tool that catches apostrophe errors and other grammar goofs would make us all look better. Bored programmers? Are you listening?

Words I Didn't Know

I love a few "new" words sprinkled in a good book... at least, I love them when I recover from my initial feelings of stupidity.

So here they are, the words I had to look up, from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society:

fulsome
metier
melange
mien
tractable (I think I learned, and then forgot, that one)
vociferous (ditto this one)

The new (to me) vocabulary words were used perfectly, when each was the absolute right word to use. Writers who do that further communication in general and the art of writing in particular. I am in awe of (and grateful to) Mss. Barrows and Shaffer for producing such a fine book.

Think you can produce writing of a similar ilk? Try - for the month of August, Random House is soliciting entries for its The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Essay Contest. Contestants should describe, in 430 words or less, their favorite book and what it taught them about a particular place and/or time period. Pens at the ready - and good luck!

The Book I Want to See

I'd love to see a book written by, or heavily packed with interviews from, the '08 presidential candidates' speechwriters. Specifically, the ones who had to write the candidates' acceptance AND concession speeches.

Crafting either must require a blend of skills employed in both fiction and non-fiction. Imagine your candidate wins: the acceptance speech should be worthy of a page or two in the history books; it must address joyous supports and angry detractors from the other guy's camp; and it must set the tone for the next four years, at least.

No pressure.

Oh, and when you finish that, could you spend a few minutes drafting a just-in-case-I-lose speech?

HA.

Top-level speechwriters in both campaigns probably began their drafts in May, if not before the spring primaries.

I'd sure like to find out how they did it, how much the candidates themselves contributed to the process, and how far McCain and Obama veered from the written document in their live addresses Tuesday night.

Pssst...I'll write it! Simon & Schuster, are you listening?

Becks Writes? Yeck.

David Beckham will lend his name to a series of children's books.

There's a lot wrong right there, in my opinion. But wait! There's more! Read the press release and you'll see the publisher isn't mentioned (they must be very proud) nor is the title of even one of his upcoming (ghostwritten) books.

And there's a typo in the press release.

Can you say, "sour grapes?" I can. Yes, I'll admit it: the celebrity-turns-children's-book-author trend really turns my stomach.

Yeck.

Agent Info

To have one or not have one, that is a question writers ponder at length. I'll wager few have done it as eloquently as stellar ya author Cinda Williams Chima. Chima's website offers two pages of thoughtful and articulate pros and cons related to the "should I get an agent?" question. The only advice I can add: read it!

Oh, leave Mr. Colfer alone!

Eoin Colfer, middle-school teacher turned best-selling author, has droves of critics - which I find perfectly absurd. He's a fine writer; of course he's not perfect.

It annoys me to no end to see how writers get picked apart almost to the extent that presidential candidates do. Is it not enough to have an overall grasp of the language, be able to connect with millions through mere words, imagine (and describe) a world that doesn't exist, create rich, full-bodied characters, and tell a gripping story in under 400 pages? How 'bout six of 'em (in one series) or sixteen?

Apparently, it's not enough.

As I'm preparing to review a book, I try to do a fairly broad analysis of existing criticism on the author and his/her works. So I've done with Mr. Colfer, and found many - most! - reviewers all but gloss over the main points (here's a gifted storyteller with a fabulous imagination, good-to-great writing skills, and a terrific sense of humor) to put (right up front, in the lead paragraphs sometimes!) little digs like "Colfer writes B-movie dialog" or "characters speak in cliches," or "not as action-packed as the first book."

Oh, give me a break.

I love Jane Austen's work, folks, but even Jane didn't always write up to Jane's standards. She delivered damn fine books, though. Not perfect, but good enough.

As my favorite boss liked to say, "Sometimes good enough is good enough."

I say, great writers have to know when good enough is good enough, or we (the reading public) will never get our hands on great books, or even good ones.

So leave Mr. Colfer alone! He's great! Enough.