Writers On The Move

Story Pricing

My friend, Lana Voynich, and I were having a discussion the other night about the price of ebooks, specifically short stories. I've put all my short stories on Kindle (for now, and had them enrolled in the KDP select program) at 99 cents each. The story length varies from just under 1800 to just under 5000 words. So, the question is, "Is 99 cents too much to pay for a story that is under 5000 words?"

If I tried to price them lower than 99 cents, I can't make any royalties, so anything below 99 cents is not eligible for any type of royalty payment. She suggested that I compile the similar stories and put them up at $1.99 for the one combination of stories (3 or 4). Looking at my short stories and some started stories I probably could flesh out, I could combine four of the ones I already have published coming in at just about 12,000 words (the four romance stories), but by the same token, by doing this, I would only make 70 cents for the combined stories as opposed to 35 cents for each one that sells at 99 cents (not that any of them are selling well anyway). If I price the compilation at $2.99, I would make 70% royalties, roughly $2.10 for each copy sold, but with only 12,000 words, I wouldn't feel right about doing so. What are your suggestions on this pricing dilemma?

She has priced her novels or novellas (roughly the same length as FINALLY HOME, mine being 56,000 words; hers being 51,000 and about 58,000 (I think that is what she told me)) at $3.99 and $4.99 and I've priced FINALLY HOME at $2.99. What do you all think of pricing of ebooks? Do you mind paying 99 cents for short stories and a bit more for longer stories or do you think 99 cents is too much to pay for a short story?

Remember, no matter how the writer sells her stories, she still has to make royalties in order to make it worthwhile. The big name writers don't count here since we are all struggling to make a little piece of the pie in order to survive in the writing world, what with the market being saturated with everything since it is so easy to self-publish these days and most of the time, self-pubbed can be done at much lower costs than even five or ten years ago. I'd love to hear some of your comments on how to price stories and still be able to make a small amount of money from my writing.

Leave a comment and be entered in the drawing for an "earth day"(* - see note below) bookworm bookmark. Conserving trees all around the world, one bookworm bookmark at a time.

Elysabeth Eldering
Author
FINALLY HOME (A Kelly Watson, YA, paranormal mystery)
coming soon THE TIES OF TIME (A Kelly Watson, YA, paranormal mystery) http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com

*Earth day bookworms are essentially available in over 20 colors, not just the "earthy colors" any more, and can be mailed anywhere, not just in the United States. For choices and pictures of colors, please stop over and visit my blog, http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com

Three Reasons Why You Can't Afford Not to Go to Writers Conferences

If you follow my blog, you'll know that I've been waxing lyrical over the past month over the Newcastle Writer's Festival, a writer's conference that has now taken place twice in my locale. I've been extremely enthusiastic about the festival, not only because it was easy for me to get to (very few of the big festivals are), it was supported through my local Writer's Centre and it was full of people I knew well enough to enjoy hanging out with, but also because it was seriously good for my writing career. I know that, for some of us, our writing time is limited, and networking is often tiring, time consuming, and expensive, but attending a writer's festival, maybe once or twice a year, can make a huge difference to your work itself, the opportunities that present themselves, and your public profile in a way that nothing else can. Here are three reasons why it's worthwhile making time.

1. The courses. You can attend courses at a writer's conference for a fraction of the price that you'd pay anywhere else and they're often the kinds of courses you won't find anywhere else. I'm thinking of the masterclass. Most conferences hold these, and they're usually taught by very high-profile authors in small groups where you can get extensive one-on-one criticism. For example, at the upcoming Sydney Writer's Festival, you can attend masterclasses on such things as writing for young adults, writing comedy, writing a memoir, screenwriting, and writing for digital media. Most tickets are around $75 for a full day of it. The learning is invaluable, but you can also then say that you've "studied with..." which is a nice thing for a literary resume, promo kit, etc.

2. The networking. Writing is such a solitary profession that it's very enjoyable to come out of the cave and hang with other writers. But it's also very healthy for your career. If you're seen, and known, then you'll be invited to participate in projects. You can spend time trading notes with others working in your genre, which will give you perspective and a greater understanding of the market. You'll create an impression that you're a writer, and although an impression is no match for an excellent piece of writing, it's a critical part of promotion. If you're a relative newby, shy, or broke, you can always volunteer to help (volunteers get plenty of perks, like free admission to many events, free food and drink, direct exposure to the guest writers, and a lot of appreciation - plus you'll learn from every event you help out at). It may be that you volunteer to help at the first one, but you actually offer to run a session at the next. Getting known to the organisers is the first step towards being a direct invited participant.

3. The Pitch. Most writers conferences offer the opportunity to pitch your work directly to agents and publishers. In a noisy world where getting noticed is hard, this can be a very worthwhile exercise. Make sure you do your homework, perfect your elevator speech, and come very prepared if you intend to do this (and make the most of the rest of the conference too). Don't bother pitching to a publisher who doesn't publish your genre (pitching your work as a 'cross-genre' manuscript is probably doomed to failure unless you're already famous, in which case you don't need to pitch), don't go in without a prepared and super-concise pitch, and above all, appear relaxed and professional (even if you don't feel it).

There are plenty of other reasons to give writer's conferences a go, not least of which because they're utterly fun and if you pick your sessions carefully to match your own writing challenges and interests (as a reader too!), can be very energising, providing you with ideas, material, and inspiration that you can carry with you into your solitary work, so you produce better writing. That's what it's all about.

Magdalena Ball is the author of the novels Black Cow and Sleep Before Evening, the poetry books Repulsion Thrust and Quark Soup, a nonfiction book The Art of Assessment, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Sublime Planet, Deeper Into the Pond, Blooming Red, Cherished Pulse, She Wore Emerald Then, and Imagining the Future. She also runs a radio show, The Compulsive Reader Talks. Find out more about Magdalena at www.magdalenaball.com.

Helpful Critiques

I don’t know what I would have done without my critique groups over the years. They keep me accountable, give me a deadline to meet, and each person has had a strength that helped me improve my writing. Without feedback, I get too close to the writing and can no longer be objective or see the mistakes.

Here are some hints for critiquing:

As Critiquer: This is important! Always start out your critique with the positive—what you liked about the scene, what worked well, what evoked emotion, memory, nice descriptive phrases, etc. When you talk about something that didn’t work, say “I bumped on . . .” Try not to “fix” the problem or tell her what to do—let the author do that.

As Critiquee: When you are being critiqued, remember the motto “JUST NOD AND SMILE.” It is best not to try to explain too much and especially not to get defensive about your work (it’s a natural reaction, but not constructive).Just take in what the critiquer is saying and use it or not as you see fit. It may be something you might not agree with at the moment, but after thinking about it, maybe it starts to make sense. Or, it’s a question that you know you’ve answered in a previous or upcoming scene. When the critiquer asks a question, you are not required to answer it—it’s just food for thought.

Things to look for in doing a critique:

Point of View (POV)—not switching from one to another within scenes. Trying to avoid the omniscient.

Character Development—emotions and feelings. Does the character stay “in character?” Growth/change as the story progresses. What does the character learn from his/her experience?

Setting and Grounding—Descriptions, using the five senses (Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch, Taste). Keeping the reader “grounded”—reminding him/her where the characters are and what they’re doing during dialogue.

Dialogue—realistic, concise, not overly didactic (giving info to the reader through dialogue where the character would obviously know it and not have to state it). Watch for overdoing dialect. Watch overuse of “taglines” (he said/she whispered). Whenever possible, substitute with an action or a reaction by the character. This helps with grounding and helps you develop each character’s individual voice.

Show vs Tell—Hint: Any time you write “He/she felt something” or “He/she was something” you are TELLING. You want the reader to identify with your character, to be inside his/her head. Do you identify with the first or the second example?

“Sally felt so sad and depressed after John died that she cried all day.” Do you feel her sadness or depression?

Or-- “Suddenly she realized the sound in the room was her own sobbing. Tears burned hot on her cheeks. She raised a hand and it trembled before her eyes. She could end it all right now.

Orchestration/continuity. At the beginning of the scene she was wearing a blue dress, by the end she had on brown pants. Or how did he get from sitting in the living room to suddenly standing in the kitchen? Are all the arms, legs etc. in the right place, doing things that are physically possible (in a love scene or a fight scene etc.)?

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A native Montanan, Heidi M. Thomas now lives in North-central Arizona where she blogs, teaches writing, and edits. Her first novel, Cowgirl Dreams , is based on her grandmother, and the sequel, Follow the Dream, won the national WILLA Award. The next book in the series, Dare to Dream, will be published in May 2014. Heidi has a degree in journalism and a certificate in fiction writing.

Turn Your Main Character's World Upside Down

“Turn Your Main Character's World Upside Down” by Joan Y. Edwards

If your main character has everything he needs, take the most significant thing from him. Pick his pocket. Get it out of his closet or take it off the shelf. Turn your main character’s world upside down.

Let me explain.

For instance, some children must have their blankets with them wherever they go. Baby Bop called hers,"Blanky." Others may call it Wooby, like they did in the movie, Mr. Mom. It is their security blanket. If they can’t touch it, they become emotionally unglued and devastated.

Here’s the definition of Wooby from Urban Dictionary:
Urban Dictionary: wooby

(noun) Security blanket, teddy bear, or any physical item (for children) or emotional feeling (for adults) that gives a safe, fuzzy, warm aura.

What is your main character's security blanket? Take your main character’s security blanket away so that he becomes emotionally unstable and in a state of despair great enough to cause him to risk change in order to get it back or get that same feeling of security from reaching his goal.

If your character is addicted to a schedule, change it.
If your character is addicted to coffee, have a coffee shortage.
If your character is addicted to fancy, expensive clothing, have him spend time with the homeless with a torn T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
If your character needs to have his wallet with him at all times, have him lose it.
If your character needs a car to get to where he’s going, have it break down.
If your character needs to have a security system to feel safe, have a storm knock it out.
If your character depends on another character for his money, have that character disappear and make him have to get a job.
If your character is a runner who needs good running shoes, have someone switch his shoes to one of a smaller or larger size or a shoe that is not a big name brand..
If your character needs an alarm clock, break it.
If your character needs a great hair style, have the hairdresser chop it off.

When you take away your main character’s security blanket, he will have to deal with his anger, loss, and will have to make changes to reach his goal. When you take away his security blanket, he becomes vulnerable. Readers relate to vulnerable characters. A reader might say, “I can’t stand to be without my lucky pen, I understand how he feels.” When readers find characters similar to them, they are drawn to them and find them lovable.

Try taking away your main character's security blanket. You’ll like it. Your readers will, too.

How do you make your main characters vulnerable and lovable? Please leave a comment to let me know.

Celebrate you and your gift of writing,

Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

I hope you'll read Flip Flap Floodle to your children because even mean ole Mr. Fox can't stop this little duck from playing his song.

Paperback, Kindle and Nook

Joan’s Elder Care Guide, Release December 2014 by 4RV Publishing

Website/Blog

Twitter/Linked in/Facebook Author Page

Paying Attention to Advertorials Or What Niche Can Do for Your Career

I learn amazing things by reading advertising, especially the ones known as advertorials. Advertorials are usually written by experts in their fields and are sometimes a bit arcane, but they can make me rethink what I am doing with my books. You can find them in your local newspaper of in respected magazines like Time. Most media marks them clearly as "advertising" but the headlines usually feel more like great nonfiction topics.

The one I found in December was in a slick magazine called BookBusiness. It was paid for by a short-run printing company called Canon Solutions America. In it they talk about book for niche markets and niche markets have always fascinated me. I write for two of them—writers and retailers.

My point is that this is not a topic that is new to me. But this article made me think. The author (unknown) said “ . . . today you can get the same book with a different cover based on your preference. That’s only going to increase.” The idea of the same book with only one tweak—the book cover—may be slightly overstated, but it fits with what I’ve always said about marketing when I encourage people to read my The Frugal Book Promoter and just substitute the words “books” and “author” for whatever is appropriate in the world of that particular reader. I tell them, “Marketing is marketing is marketing.”

So, I should probably go back and replace those words with something appropriate to almost any niche market instead of expecting my faithful readers to do it for themselves. That might be the ticket to having a whole series of books—very nearly like the Dummy books that have done so well. After making those tweaks, I could slap on a new cover and reword the title and suddenly my “marketing is marketing” mantra makes more sense (and is easier) for a whole range—a whole new niche-- of readers!

The idea sure fits with my advice to plan your marketing campaign so the work you can do can be recycled. We authors are not islands. We can only do so much on our own. After that, it’s either get more mileage out of what we do or start outsourcing like crazy. Actually, I kind of like both ideas.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a Writers On The Move contributer. She brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the classes she has taught for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program.

The first edition of The Frugal Book Promoter was named USA Book News’ “Best Professional Book” and won the coveted Irwin Award. Now in its second edition, it’s also a USA Book News award winner and received a nod from Dan Poynter’s Global Ebook Awards. Her The FrugalEditor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success was also honored by USA Book News and won Readers’ Views Literary Award. Her marketing campaign for that book won the marketing award from New Generation Indie Book Awards.

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of 14 women of “San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts.

Strategies to get Book Reviews

Guess what book it is,
and write your answer in the comments below.

This is what we all want: 20,000 reviews on Amazon, mostly good. But even the author pictured here had to start somewhere.

Getting reviews for your book takes time, effort, and lots of patience, but it'll help your visibility and sales.

People hold varying opinions about the ethics of reviews. Paying for GOOD reviews is always unethical, while some argue that it's okay to pay for HONEST reviews, especially through big impersonal organizations like Kirkus. Whatever your opinion, here are some strategies for getting reviews without any money changing hands.

Strategies to Get Reviews

-If you belong to a critique group, many of your fellow critiquers will be happy to review, as will some of your other author friends. To avoid potential awkwardness, make it an invitation instead of a request, and don't pressure or feel offended if they don't. Some people don't like mixing friendship and reviews.

-In your e-book, be sure to add a call to action in the end matter, something like, "If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review on Amazon or your favorite book site, even if it's just a sentence or two telling what you liked. Thank you." A lot of readers don't realize how important this is, and might not think of reviewing, even if they loved your book.

-Nicely ask for reviews from the fans on your e-mail list.

-Reach out to bloggers who do reviews of books similar to yours. You can find lists of book blogs online, like on The Indie View (for Indie Books). You can also search for reviews of books in your genre. Bloggers often post their review policies and instructions about how to contact them. Most are pretty selective, but if your work looks right for their tastes, pitch them.

-Blogtour.org is a free site where you can meet up with bloggers willing to do guest posts, excerpts, blurbs, interviews, etc for blog tours. Some also do reviews.

-Participate actively in Goodreads groups. Many have sections where you can offer free books in exchange for reviews or participate in review circles and read-to-review groups. Be sure to advertise in the appropriate section, and only after you've contributed to the group by commenting on other posts.

-If you have a paperback version, do a Goodreads giveaway. People enter to win a copy and then you mail it to them. Winners of these competitions tend to review more often than random readers, especially if you mention that reviews are appreciated. Giveaways also get your book added to members' "to read" lists, which may eventually lead to sales and reviews. In your description for the giveaway, put eye-catchers first, like short quotes from reviewers or "FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPY."

-You can also run giveaways of e-books at places like LibraryThing.

-The most effective way to get good reviews, according to Jim Kukral of AuthorMarketing, is to find people on Amazon who have positively reviewed books similar to yours. Check their profile pages. If they've listed their e-mail address, you can contact them. Send a nice personalized e-mail telling them that you saw their review on such and such book, and that you've written a similar book. Ask if you could provide them a free copy in the hopes that they'd consider reading and reviewing it too. Be sure to emphasize that if they take it, they can choose not to review it, and if they review it, they're under no obligation to give a positive review. Thank them. This takes a lot of work, since you have to find reviewers that are still active and have listed their contact information, but you're more likely to reach people who will like your work and possibly become long-term fans.

-Work on getting your book out there, using the promotional strategies on this blog and any others you've learned or imagined. The more readers you have, the more reviews you'll get.

So…

When is the best time to start looking for reviews? Before your book launches. Can you still work at it long after the book is published? Of course.

Keep plugging away. All these strategies take time, and only a fraction of the people you contact will actually end up posting a review, but every review helps—even the not-so-positive ones. And as always, keep writing!

Melinda Brasher's short story, "Stalked," about an ill-fated space colony and a camping trip that doesn't go as expected, appears in March's edition of On the Premises. Read it free by clicking above. When she's not writing, she loves traveling and plotting ways to escape the Phoenix summer. Visit her online at http://www.melindabrasher.com/

Content Marketing - Is Blogging Worth the Time and Effort?

By Karen Cioffi

The writer and marketer must do lots and lots of things to keep their head above the marketing waters. And, those marketing waters are constantly moving. How do you keep up? And, what are the most effective marketing strategies to use?

Since the game is always changing, it’s important to keep up with marketing trends. One useful tool for this is Technorati’s 2013 Digital Influence Report.

According to their new report, which is based on “over 6,000 influencers, 1,200 consumers, and 150 top brand marketers,” blogs are now heavy hitters with consumers. Blogs are regarded as trustworthy, they are popular, and they wield influence over consumer buying decision making.

So, to answer the title question: Yes it is.

To further validate the importance of blogs, the report shows that blogs have more motivational buying power than Facebook (FB). That’s pretty amazing since FB is the top social network brands use to create visibility and develop relationships with consumers. In other words, brands use FB more than other social networks and they put more budget dollars into it than other social networks.

Reviewing the Technorati Report, Social Media Examiner explained that the reason blogs are so influential is because “bloggers tend to be very honest and sincere in their reviews of products and services. They talk about both negative and positive aspects of a brand, and in doing so become a trusted source of information. Trust drives action, and thus consumers look to bloggers before they buy.”

The study also showed that FB cornered 91 percent of brand presence, while Twitter cornered 85 percent.

Another important finding of this study is that over 50 percent of consumers feel that smaller communities offer more influence. Even new sites were trusted over social networks.

Summary of Findings

From this study it would seem that people like connecting with other people, not crowds. They like the personal relationship, the kind of one-on-one relationship that social networks don’t necessarily offer.

While the study focused on brand marketers, the results are applicable to your author or freelance writing site. Knowing that people in general trust blogs and look to them for information along with help and guidance to make purchasing decisions is powerful.

It’s understandable that this information may not be interesting to most. You may not care about knowing which social network is more popular with the heavy hitters or the percentage of marketing budget dollars brands spend on social networking. But, having proof that you’re not blogging in vein should put a smile on your face.

Take advantage of this knowledge. Blogs matter. They’re important and can be influential. Keep blogging!

Article Source: http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/2013/08/online-marketing-is-blogging-worth-time.html

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I hope you found this information interesting and helpful. Too advanced, not enough, just right? I’d really love to know, so please leave a comment – good or bad.

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Karen Cioffi, the Article Writing Doctor
Prescription for Your Content Marketing Needs
Content Writing Training for Small Businesses, Solopreneurs, and the Freelance Writer

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