Tag Archives: Stacy-Deanne

My Steps to Being Reborn as a Writer by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneI blasted into 2014 with a vengeance and that was my plan. I had some professional shakeups in 2013 but it was all for the better and I looked forward to moving on. I wanted to share what I am doing personally and the changes I’ve made to become reborn as a writer. Some are minor, some major, but all of them are changes I needed to make to become the best writer (and person) I can be.

These are not guidelines or tips anyone has to follow, but I’m simply sharing what I’m doing and how I’ve changed things for myself so that others might find inspiration. Remember, we all have our own paths to take, but it can be so rewarding to take a step back and implement changes. It can bring happiness and fulfillment for not just writers but people in general.

Below are things I am doing now that contribute to my rebirth:

Gearing up Production

I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions but mine for 2014 was production and so far I am living up to my goal. Since late 2013, I’ve completed eight books. All of these are novellas of around 25,000-30,000 words. These books are in two different series. So far, two of these have been released and the rest will come out in upcoming months. At the rate things are going, I will have a new release around every month or every two months depending on the publishers’ scheduling. I’m a writing machine. I always took writing seriously, but I am even more committed to it now than before. One thing that’s helped me is outlining. I used to always write down scenes for my stories but now I outline my work from beginning to end before it’s written. That saves me writing time as well as editing time. The more I outline, the faster I finish books. I love it and I know this will all pay off.

Minimizing Promotion

I used to kill myself promoting my books, but after years of doing that I realize promotion (from authors) is overrated. The trick is not how much promotion but what type of promotion. You can do all the promotion in the world, but you can’t force people to buy your work even when you do all the right things. I’ve learned (and been told by a few NYT bestselling authors) that writing more books is how you capture and keep your audience. It seems like authors forget that writing is the most important thing, not sitting on a social network all day. Times have changed since Facebook and Twitter became popular. There are so many authors trying to promote online that voices get lost. These days I do the most effective but minimal promotion I can do because the best promotion is creating new books!

Ditching Facebook

I’ve been pulling away from FB for a while but now I’m done with it for good. I am still on there but I only plan to pop on to share info about new releases. I don’t plan to socialize or hang out there anymore. Facebook used to be a fun place but there are too many negatives in my opinion. I’m a positive person and I always try to be, but lately FB has been the devil to me. I find myself feeling anxious, jealous, or depressed when I get on there. I also don’t like the clique environment that’s rampant in the writing circles, especially in many of the book groups. There is always some hostility or drama on Facebook and that’s not what I like to be around. FB was screwing up my outlook, psyche, and it just wasn’t worth it. The funny thing is that many of my author friends have pulled away and only pop on once-in-a-while too. I see why. When something is causing negative thoughts or not fulfilling you then I feel like it’s time to move on. I want to concentrate on things that benefit me and FB doesn’t do that.

Writing for Digital Presses

I’ve started writing for digital romance presses and I am really enjoying the experience. I’m pleased with the houses I’m working with right now, and going from print houses to e-publishers has been great for my workload. I need a publisher that can keep up with me because I write fast. Another thing I like about digital presses is that you are only contracted to one book or series. They don’t hold you to any rights grabs of any other work so you can sub to as many houses as you want and have multiple books with several places. These days, authors should not have their eggs in one basket.

Stop Worrying About Sales and Rankings

This is about the worst and most unproductive thing a writer can do so I no longer do it. My plan is to check every once in a while, but not all the time. Hanging on to every sale or watching your ranking or trying to see how many reviews you have is COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. It doesn’t matter! Sitting there watching these things will make you depressed and angry then you won’t want to write. My advice to all those obsessive authors (which is most of us) who do this, stop. Don’t even pay it any attention. Focus on writing which is something you can control.

Well, these are some of the steps I’m taking on my rebirth journey. I feel more alive than I have in a while. I feel like I did when I first started writing professionally years ago. I don’t know how things are going in everyone’s world but if any of the things I’ve shared today have brought you some insight, I’m glad.

Happy Writing!

Sign up for my newsletter to keep up with all my upcoming releases: http://www.stacy-deanne.net/newsletter.htm

 

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author is used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or $9.99 (print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

Reasons Why it Might Not be Your Fault Your Blog Tour Sucked by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneI’m sure you all remember the post I did before I embarked on my blog tour called, “Why it Might be Your Fault Your Blog Tour Sucked”. That was in July and I mentioned that my first blog tour was about to begin and I was so excited. Well, here it is October and I have a few stops this month and then I’m through. And you know what…I’m glad!

I gave a lot of helpful advice last time and I utilized that advice for my own tour. I figured that revisiting this topic after my tour would help others even more. It’s not important to just give advice when talking about promotional things unless you follow-up and report findings, results, etc.

So let’s get started with what I learned and my thoughts about blog tours now.

Blog Tours are Exhausting:

You would not believe how much energy a blog tour takes out of you. You think since it consists of you sitting at your computer and typing posts, that it would be smooth as silk right? I am so tired. I cannot tell you how tired this blog tour has made me.  Putting it together, gathering the material for the blogs, and popping in and out during the visits, becomes extremely tiring. I know you’re probably saying, “Oh poor baby.” But I’m not whining just to whine. Believe me, handling a large blog tour by yourself (along with other things you have to do outside of the tour) is not an easy task. Don’t forget, my blog tour began in August and ends in October and I visited about two or more blogs each week and I realized quickly how draining a blog tour can be. I was well prepared and turned in my posts weeks ahead of time and still felt bogged down during the tour. So for those who think a blog tour is easy…not so much.

They are Boring:

I know this might sound weird, but after a while I got bored with the tour. I can’t explain it but the more visits I did, the less interested I was in the tour. This has nothing to do with the blogs I visited, they were great. I appreciate every host I had and they pulled out the welcome mat for me when I arrived. But after the first four or five stops, I’d grown tired. It went from something I looked forward to, to something I dreaded doing. It’s good that I had my posts done ahead of time. It would’ve been awkward to get bored in the middle of a tour and still have to submit material. Good luck being creative when bored!

People Don’t Participate:

Sigh. I’m glad to say that I’m not the only author seeing this. Authors are mentioning how less and less people comment on blogs or even peek into the content. I knew that with blogs it can be a hit and miss sometimes, but I was not prepared for the complete silence I got from some of my stops. I did all I could to provide interesting topics and giveaway questions that would get visitors involved and still on most of the stops, nothing. I might as well have thrown up the same exact post for every stop. I can’t tell you how many of my hosts apologized to me for the lack of participation. In my other post I mentioned the importance of offering a giveaway to participants. Well from what I see that doesn’t matter. I offered free copies of my book and still only a few takers. I also participated at every stop and promoted the tour. Still some places garnered crickets. On the flipside there were a few blogs I visited that had excellent traffic and I picked up some new fans from those. I believe the lack of participation is what got me bored with the tour.  When you show up somewhere and feel like you’re talking only to yourself, how can you be excited? But hey I guess it’s better than doing a book signing in a store and no one shows up. Oh…been there and done that too. Sigh.

My Opinion of Blog Tours Now:

I still think they are a good promotional option if you find them worth the effort. That’s the question. Is the effort worth it to you? I have no idea if I will see any real investment from this down the line, but I did garner some new readers and newsletter subscribers. More people know of me than before so that’s always a good thing. I got some exposure from it even if it didn’t go like I’d hoped. Honestly I can’t say if I’ll ever do a blog tour again. I was very unimpressed. It was a lot of work for a small reward. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate any new reader I’ve picked up, but the time and effort I put into this tour was too exhausting for me to do it again without a better turnout. It would be a waste of my time to do another tour for it to turn out like this one. I’ll still continue to do guest spots on blogs, but I don’t even wanna hear the term “blog tour” any time soon! I can see now why some authors pay tour organizers. It’s a lot of work to organize your own tour. But, I don’t know if either way is worth it for me. I welcome others to try it though.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news on this. My last post got so many authors excited about trying blog tours, so I hate to stomp on that excitement. I don’t mean to do that. Once again, I’m just sharing my own thoughts and experiences. I suggest authors try blog tours for themselves if they are really interested. They might have a better experience than I did. But honestly, from what I see, blogs are just not the ticket anymore. People barely participate on most of them and the most popular blogs are very difficult to get on. If you can score a popular blog, go for it. But blog tour or not, I don’t think blogs have the power with readers (unless you’re writing YA or NA) they once did. Seems like it’s getting harder and harder to find effective promo options these days so I recommend just writing books as your main source of promotion. That’s what I do. I advise writers to buckle down and get new work released regularly. You’ll get way more from that than a blog tour.  Also group promo with other authors is always a good thing. Cross promotion can do wonders. I now run two blogs where I feature books and interview authors, and I gain promotional opportunities as well as new contacts.

Check out my new blogs. One highlights romantic serials and series and the other highlights romantic suspense.

http://romanticserials.wordpress.com/

http://romspense.wordpress.com/

I’ll give my blog tour a 5/10 score. If it wasn’t so exhausting then I might rate the experience higher but it was just too much work put into it for the outcome I received.

Well that’s my update!

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author is used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or$9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

The Pros and Cons of Going with a Genre-Specific Publisher by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneI wanted to speak on a topic today that you rarely see spoken about. To many authors, genre-specific publishers are a blessing. Genre-specific are publishers that specialize in certain genres. For example, Harlequin specializes in romance. There are also publishers that specialize in mysteries, erotica, street lit, etc.

Genre-specific publishers most likely can help their authors sell books easier than the average publisher because they are quite knowledgeable in the genre they publish. They know the specific market and how to reach readers. They most likely have close relationships with genre-specific reviewers and publicity outlets that can deliver promotion for their authors.

While being with a publisher that has a built-in customer base for a certain genre can be rewarding for a lot of authors, it can also be a detriment if an author decides they would like to switch from one genre to another and their current publisher does not publish the other genre.

What sparked me writing about this was a friend of mine who recently decided to switch genres. In her current genre, she worked with genre-specific publishers. Well, she is proof that authors don’t always know where their hearts will be as time goes on. You might start your career writing in one genre, and a few years later you’re so sickened by the genre you never wanna write it again. Now, if you’re with a publisher that publishes all types of genres, it’s no big deal. But if you’ve been publishing with a genre-specific publisher for your entire career, your journey will have to start all over again. Not only will you have to find another publisher, but you’ll have to find new fans. Especially if the genre you switch to is not a genre your current fans tend to read.

Man it’s tough for an author isn’t it? Yep but that’s why I am here to help. Below I list the pros and cons of being with a genre-specific publisher. I hope this gives insight to those who are deciding what type of publisher to look into.

PROS:

Guaranteed Sales:

Now I’m not saying every book by a genre-specific publisher will be a bestseller, but authors with these types of houses have a better chance of guaranteed sales because if it’s one thing a genre-specific publisher can do, it’s sell books to the right audience.

Customer Auto-Buys:

Once again this ties into guaranteed sales. Most genre-specific publishers have the advantage of auto-buy customers. These are customers who buy or checkout almost every book the publisher publishes, not necessarily because of the author, but because of the customer’s familiarity with the publishing house. This is one of the main reasons that Harlequin has been the king of romance for decades, and still is. Harlequin has a huge, loyal fan base and this can cause a book to soar.

Author Branding:

Being with a genre-specific publisher makes it easier for a new author to build their brand. Why? Because associating with a publisher that only publishes certain genres makes it clear what the author’s personal brand stands for, and readers will not be confused.

Effective Promotion:

Genre-specific pubs know how to get the word out to the right readers. It’s not how you promote, but who you promote to. You can promote to one hundred people that will never read your books, or ten that will. Which would make more sense? Promotion is to get people who are sincerely interested in your books to buy them. Also, with a genre-specific publisher, authors have more effective cross promotion opportunities. They can promote with other authors from their house and since they have the same audience, it’s a win-win situation.

CONS:

Authors Can’t Stray:

When you’re with a publisher that only publishes a certain genre, you do not have freedom to write in other genres with that same house. You’d either have to find another publisher or self-publish. So if you decide to be with a genre-specific house, it’s best to know all expectations and weigh pros and cons ahead of time. As I explained about my friend above, a writer’s interests could do a one-eighty without warning.

Note: Most authors use a pen name when writing different genres and this is not an easy task. When you use a pen name you start from the bottom again to build up an audience. Most likely your existing fans will not come along for the ride.  See more about reader loyalty below.

You Develop a One-Note Fan base:

There are many people that read different genres, but there are many who do not. If you’ve built a following of readers who are obsessed with your current genre, don’t expect those people to follow you if you switch. You might not even be able to get them to follow you if you stick with the same genre, yet leave your current publisher. This is the downside of the customer auto-buy. Many customers of genre-specific houses buy books because of the house, not the author.

For example, I love Historical romance and I’ve gotten many from Harlequin. Out of probably over a hundred I’ve read, I could probably tell you the names of three of the authors. Why? To be honest I didn’t care to know the names of the authors. Sorry but I didn’t pay a lick of attention. All I knew was they were Historicals and I am obsessed with Historicals, I trust Harlequin to give me quality, so I scooped up the books. No disrespect to the authors of course, but this is true for me. A lot of readers are like me. We trust a publisher for delivering quality so we’d check out almost anything it publishes. So while auto-buy customers might be an easy way to build a base, there is a huge chance that these “fans” were not really your fans at all.

You Run Out of Things to Write:

Many genre-specific publishers have content guidelines for what they accept. As time goes on this might stifle your creativity. Some authors work well when guided on how to write and what to write. There’s nothing wrong with that. But some authors require more freedom or they’ll develop a block. You should understand the type of writer you are. It doesn’t matter how much you love a genre, you might end up scrambling for ideas or become creatively dead because you’re tired of the genre.

Deciding on what types of publishers you wanna work with is never easy. Of course, they gotta accept you to, but you still need to know your expectations and how things work. Remember, no situation is absent of cons no matter what it is. But as long as you know the cons before going in, you should be just fine.

Happy Writing!

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author is used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or$9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

Reasons Why It Might Be Your Fault that Your Blog Tour Sucked by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneI see many authors complaining about the results of their blog tours. The common complaint is that they didn’t sell any books. Of course there are two sides to every story. Most of the authors I see complaining about a failed tour turn out to be the main reason the tour failed in the first place. Almost every author (lately) I’ve heard saying their tour failed, didn’t do a darn thing to help it have a chance to be successful. A blog tour is not some magic pill that will turn your book into an overnight success. They can and have done this for many books, but that’s not the norm. A blog tour is not something you set then ignore and expect things to fall into your lap. A blog tour takes hard work just like anything else. It takes dedication, making contacts, research, and patience.

At the time I’m writing this, I am about to start a blog tour in August to celebrate my upcoming book, The Wild Life. I am very excited and anxious to do the tour. I know it will be fun because with a blog tour you only get back what you put in. If your blog tour fails and you don’t sell books, it’s so easy to blame the blogger or to say that blog tours just don’t work. I know it’s hard to look at yourself and see that you might’ve done something wrong, but once you do this, you will have more success down the line.

We all make mistakes. We all screw up but how we deal with it is the key. I just don’t want people to cave to the negativity they might hear concerning blog tours. Blog tours are a blessing that authors should take advantage of. There are pros and cons to everything but if you take the steps to ensure your tour will be successful, the good will outweigh the bad.

So for those who’ve had a sucky tour or for those who might wanna try having a tour, I’ve outlined reasons why it could be your fault that your blog tour wasn’t successful. Now I’m not doing this to make you feel bad or to poke fun. I’m doing this to help. Most times when something does not work out, it’s our own faults. Maybe my reasons will help authors to approach blog tours in a more productive way.

1.      Picked Blogs with Low Traffic

I know it might be hard for a new author especially to get placement on high-traffic, or middle-traffic blogs but low-traffic blogs will not help you on a blog tour. You’re just wasting your time. In order to have a decent blog tour, you have to pick the right blogs. These should be blogs that cater to your genre, and blogs that have decent viewership. You don’t wanna have a blog tour with a bunch of blogs that lack traffic. If they don’t get traffic anyway, why do you think that would change just because you stop by there? No. You want a blog to help maximize your exposure. If it can’t do that then there’s no point. Your best bet is to reach out to blogs that can get your book in front of readers.

2.      Didn’t Have a Giveaway

Why do you think some bloggers require authors do giveaways with blog visits these days? It’s because authors who do giveaways get the most traffic and viewership on their tours. Readers want some reason to pop in and even though you might be as adorable as the Pillsbury Doughboy, you are not enough. You want to give your tour the best shot it can get at being successful so you need to have some type of giveaway. I think giving free copies of your book to people who pop into the tour is good enough, but some authors give out gift certificates, and even e-readers! Bottom line is you gotta make readers wanna come in and check you out. All of this will lead to exposure for your book. So you should at least consider giving away a copy of your book.

3.      You Were Disorganized

It’s your responsibility, not the bloggers’ to make sure you get all your materials and anything else you need to the bloggers in time. If you work with a tour organizer, you should be proactive and keep up with them to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. If things become chaotic it’s gonna be you who looks bad and no one else.

4.      Did Not Promote The Event

If you’re setting up your own blog tour it’s your responsibility to promote your blog tour. Bloggers will likely promote too, but don’t count on it. Every blogger is different and assuming a blogger will promote your tour is Blog Tour Mistake 101. This is your responsibility as the author. Sure you can ask the blogger to help promote just to make sure it’s not just you, but sitting back and assuming a blogger is gonna promote your event is irresponsible. They’re being kind enough letting you be on their blog so promoting you would be a bonus.

Tips: Ways to promote include getting with your publisher if you have one. Publishers should be willing to help you promote your tour and even make promotional materials for your blog tour. Don’t be afraid to ask your publisher for help. If you are self-published, you might benefit from working with a blog tour organizer or cross promoting with other authors. Also you should start spreading the word long before the blog tour begins.

5.      Did Not Participate in the Event

The main authors I see complaining about having an “unsuccessful” blog tour are the ones who sat back and didn’t participate. You must show yourself on the day of your event and you should come through more than once. This is your day. You are the one that should be initiating the conversations and keeping people interested. There’s nothing worse than checking out a guest blog post and seeing the author never bothered to show up. That’s rude. It’s like throwing a party then never coming through to greet your guests. Not only does this rub visitors the wrong way, it will kill your chances of bloggers inviting you back to their blogs. If you’re not interested enough to participate in your own promotional event, why should others be?

6.      Boring Content

Most bloggers let authors choose the type of content they wish to post. You should mix things up. You can do interviews and book spotlights here and there but not for your entire tour. That gets boring fast. It’s best to do guest posts and this way you can talk about different things. Don’t forget to showcase your book. This is not just about you, but the book. Make the book the star on every blog you go to. Whatever happens, it’s a sin to be boring on a blog tour. This is also why it’s important for an author to participate in the event so they can keep the conversation going.

7.      Provided the Wrong Content

Once again the book should be the star. Your posts should be of interests to readers. If you are promoting your new mystery or New Adult book, don’t post about how to write a book or how to sell a book. These are not posts readers wanna see. They wanna know more about your new book and why they should get it. Posting writing tips when you are trying to promote your novel is the kiss of death and readers won’t stick around.

8.      Skipping Blogs that Can’t Promise Reviews

This is a big mistake. I see many authors skipping bloggers who say they can’t review. You know what? You’ll be skipping many bloggers because many bloggers are full when it comes to reviews. That’s the way of the world now. But this is no reason to cross the blog off as a potential blog tour stop. You can still get exposure by doing guest posts. You don’t have to have reviews done on a blog tour. All you want is to get the word out and to get people engaged. Just appearing on the blog will give you good exposure. Also, this is why giveaways are good. If you give away free copies of your books to people, you most likely will end up with some reviews down the line. But don’t ignore the exposure that being on a blog can give your book whether they review it or not.

9.      You were an A** and Treated the Blogger Like Crap Because They Made a Mistake

The blogger is not your slave or minion. Don’t bark orders to the blogger. Don’t make demands. Remember a blogger who allows you to come to their blog is doing you a favor. It’s free promotion that they don’t have to give you so you should respect that. Also, if the blogger makes a mistake, don’t get upset with the blogger. Everyone makes mistakes. I’ve worked with many bloggers and a few have made mistakes when it came to my blog visits. Sometimes a blogger will have you down for the wrong date, or they will forget to even put you down. They might forget to give you materials to be featured on their blog. Remember that bloggers are humans too. Sometimes authors are so selfish we act like our books are the most important things in the world. A blogger making a mistake is not the end of the world, but you treating a blogger like crap could be the end of you ever getting promotional opportunities again. I don’t mean just from that blogger, but from many because bloggers travel in packs if you haven’t noticed. They make sure word gets around. If you’re rude and arrogant, that blogger is gonna tell her blogger-friends and they won’t want anything to do with you.

10.    Not Contacting Author-Bloggers

Don’t skip out on contacting other authors who have blogs for your tour. Author-bloggers love to host other authors. Many authors are also reviewers. Authors are the most supportive of the blogging community so this is why they most likely will roll out the red carpet for another author on their blog. It’s a beautiful thing. Cross promotion is the ticket so it’s important to guest post on blogs of authors in the same genre. Their audience can potentially become your audience. The more popular the authors the better for your tour so especially reach out to your popular author friends. While it’s great to score a visit on a big review blog, don’t underestimate the level of exposure you can get from a fellow author’s blog.

11.  Tour Too Short

I see authors arranging blog tours for a week or two. You should give yourself the best chance of exposure and unless you’re hitting the biggest blogs on the net in two weeks, or are a famous author, two weeks is not enough to get things rolling for your book. Your tour should be a month at least. You should be visiting blogs at least two times a week. Some authors visit a different blog every day. You should go with what’s best for you but I’d try for two blogs a week and a tour that’s at least a month. You want your book to saturate the blogosphere. The longer the tour, the wider your reach will be. If you do a week-long tour people will forget about you the minute your tour is over. Remember, exposure is the whole daggone point of the tour!

I hope my post helped those who might’ve had bad experiences but didn’t know why. If you did everything you could for your tour to be successful and it fell flat, you can’t control that. Nothing is guaranteed but you need to take planning a blog tour seriously. Stop measuring the success of your tour by how many books you sell. Blog tours don’t sell books directly. The main purpose of a blog tour is for exposure, not sales. If you present your book to your target audience, you should get some sales in the end.

Meanwhile join me on my tour! Check out my site for details: http://www.stacy-deanne.net

Be sure to check out Setting Up Virtual Book Tours by Deatri King-Bey

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author is used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or$9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

 

 

It’s Not That You Shouldn’t Promote to Other Authors. It’s How You Should Promote to Other Authors by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneNote: So no one is confused as to what I am saying, I am not saying you should promote ONLY to authors or nonsense like that. I’m saying that you should remember that authors are readers too and to completely cut someone out of your audience because they are an author is a mistake.

Read on.

This subject has always been debatable depending on who you ask. People have different opinions about it. But let me tell you why you would not wanna cut out authors as your audience. Do you realize that no one, NO ONE on earth reads more than writers? Writers read constantly. We have to, plus we enjoy it. Writers became writers because of their obsession with reading. Writers and authors are a huge part of the literary audience. To ignore them would be insane. Now I understand when folks say you shouldn’t promote only to authors. Yes, that’s true and I agree, but for those who say not to promote to authors at all, sorry but I don’t agree. You won’t find many people who read as much as authors.

I know many authors and readers and in comparison, the authors read way more on a regular basis than the readers who are not also authors. I am a member of many online book groups and book club groups and let me tell you, most of the “readers” in there are authors, aspiring authors, book bloggers (reviewers), or reviewers. Some of the book groups I’m in have over 800 members, I’d say around 200-300 are active on a regular basis. Out of that active group, over half are authors. And they are not authors pitching their books or writing tips. No. They are authors buying books and looking for new books to read. Oh trust me. Authors are a part of your audience. I can vouch for that because many authors buy my books, and they are authors I don’t even know personally.

The trick is how you should promote to other authors. Most authors don’t do this correctly. In order for an author to become engaged in your book and your writing, you need to treat them like a reader. See what I’m saying? But most authors don’t look at it that way. You can’t just pop up and hock your book to other authors who are doing the same thing. Nope. You have to capture the reader inside that author and that’s by reminding the author that when you’re around, they wear the reader’s cap only. You have to switch your mind frame and stop looking at other authors just as authors but as readers because that’s what they are.

One way to do this is to make up your mind, are you gonna appeal to READERS or WRITERS? If you’re gonna do both then you need to be very creative because many people cannot do both effectively. They end up promoting to one side more and alienating the other. I would think that most fiction authors want to appeal to readers. I know I do. Because readers (even if they are also authors), are the ones who will buy your books.

So how do you appeal to readers only? Better yet, how do you remind other authors that they are readers when it comes to you? You’ve got to stop appealing to their writer side. You do this by making your promo reader-friendly. Let’s start with your website. Do you have writing tips on there or do you have stuff that advertise your books and tells visitors who you are? If you wanna capture readers (and the reader inside the author), then get rid of the writing tips, writing guidelines, etc. that’s on your site. You need to have stuff about your books, your work in progress, your news, and your events. Any and everything a reader would want to know. Readers don’t wanna know about your writing process. Writers wanna know about your writing process. I know when I’m searching for books to read and I go to an author’s site to learn more about them, I could not care less about their writing rituals or them telling me how to publish a book. Why? Because when I check out your site, I’m in reader mode. I don’t wanna get tips on writing. If I want that I know where to go. I want your site to show me stuff about you as a published author. I want it to persuade me to checkout your work. I wanna see excerpts, book covers, reviews, anything that appeals to the reader inside of me. That is how you remind writers that they are readers when they step in your domain. Once you remind them, they will remember and they flick on that reader cap and they become interested in you and your work.

The same thing goes with the mailing list. Your mailing list should appeal to readers unless you are writing nonfiction writing guides. I have seen author lists where it was 20% about them and their books, and the rest was all on writing tips yet the author was a romance author. You couldn’t tell that by her newsletter. I dropped her list because I got confused. When I signed up for her list, I expected her to send me some news about her books. I wanted her to share some blurbs, let me know when the next book was coming out. Except for her spending one tiny paragraph on her books, she spent most of her newsletter on writing tips and that was not fulfilling to me at all. So imagine how a reader who is not even a writer would be turned off by that type of newsletter. You need to appeal to readers. If you have a site or mailing list geared toward writers then readers are not gonna be interested. Some people might argue this point, but let me tell you that Sally Williams who is a school teacher who loves to read romantic suspense and has no interest whatsoever in being a writer does not wanna see How to Format Your Manuscript for Kindle or How to Make that Book Proposal shine when she comes to your site. Sally wants to see when your next book is coming out and why the heck she should buy it. If your site doesn’t appeal to Sally, she’s gonna get confused, pissed, and go to another writer who treats her like a reader.

Check out my site: http://www.stacy-deanne.net. I practice what I preach. Now I’m known for writing articles for writers and giving writing tips. Well if you notice, you don’t see any of my writing articles or writing tips on my site. My site is geared toward readers. If I wanted a site for writers, I’d create one. I’m trying to sell books and gain fans through my site. My writing tips and writing articles belong on the sites I write them for, not my author site.

Get the picture?

So let’s go over my points. Now I am not saying you can’t promote to writers and readers at the same time. Some authors do and do it well, but many don’t do it well. There’s a risk of confusing your audience if you can’t pull this off. If you’re gonna have your sites or lists geared toward both it should be done where most of the content is geared toward readers (and the reader inside the author). The 20% percent geared toward readers and the remaining 80% geared toward writers is not gonna work unless you’re selling writing guides. If you’re writing fiction, your site and your list have to reel readers in. You need to promote to anyone who reads your genre. That’s your audience. Once again, I’m not saying promote only to other authors, no. Heck no. I am saying promote to anyone who is your audience and that includes authors. Authors who write in your genre are your audience so remember that.

The Wild Life by Stacy-Deanne (Coming July 2013)!

Read more about it here: http://peaceinthestormpublishing.com/authorbooks/wildlife.html

Sign up for my mailing list (where you won’t get any writing tips whatsoever): http://www.stacy-deanne.net/newsletter.htm?newsletter=

Ciao!

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author is used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or$9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

Why Your Butt Should Be Writing a Series by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneMany things have changed since ebooks took over. Types of writing that had become obsolete in print publishing have been reborn. I think we can agree that nothing has seen resurgence like short stories, series, and serials. I’m not gonna BS you. Look I think every writer should just break out and write a series. I think in genre fiction standalones are dying. I didn’t think that way at first but as the years go by, I’m beginning to see this happening.

Now I’m not saying standalones don’t have their place. Every book is not meant to be a series, but standalones these days do better in literary fiction. The genre world has been completely taken over with series, trilogies, sagas, and series. There is no denying that. If you wonder why this is happening, it’s commonsense. Series writing is a win-win for authors and readers. Readers get more stories with the characters they’ve grown to love, and writers get to spend more time with the characters they loved creating.

As far as sales, nothing guarantees sales but it’s a proven fact that concerning today’s genre fiction, series are the hottest sellers. A series gives the author the best chance to connect with loyal readers. If a reader reads a book in a series, they are more inclined to check out the others. Even if readers sometimes did not care for the installment they read, they might still check out others in the series. The number one reason series sell so well is because readers enjoy the characters and they wanna follow them from book to book.

I’ve been writing a series since 2011 and I’m fully enjoying it. I find that people are more open to your work when it’s a series. I love writing series and aside from maybe two more standalones that I plan to release, I don’t think I will ever wanna write another standalone. It’s gotten to where I am bored when I try to write a standalone. I feel like if I am not gonna commit to these characters for a series, then why bother? That’s just how I personally feel. I no longer have joy in writing standalones. They don’t hold me and I think that’s what’s going on with many readers. Readers have come to expect a series. Now a day when a reader reads a book, the first thing they ask is, “Is there a part two coming? I hope this is going to be a series!” Readers want series so we need to give them what they want.

A series also helps an author build up their backlist quicker because when you’re familiar with characters and setting, you don’t have to go through all the beginning steps for the next book. That allows you to write a bit faster on those next stories. The faster you finish, the more books you have out. You don’t have to try to get to know the characters or set the stage because you’re already comfortable and familiar with what you’re writing. Another great thing about series is that the world is the author’s oyster. There is so much you can try within a series. Also a series can be done in any genre but they do particularly well in romance, mystery, crime fiction, and fantasy.

It’s not rocket science and I’m sure I’m not telling some of you something you don’t already know, but this is for those on the fence when it comes to writing a series. I’m telling you to write one! If you write in a genre where series do extremely well, why not? If you love those characters, spend time with them! Let them have many adventures and let your readers come along for the ride.

There are different types of series and you should decide which you wanna write. You can write a novel series, short story series, novel serials, short story serials, etc. Write all different kinds if you want! Play around and explore!

So if you want some advice from me then I’d definitely invest in a series, point blank. I think that it’s the best option for a writer to gain a loyal audience in the digital age.

Stacy-Deanne

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author is used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or$9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

How to Promote When You Write in a Niche Market by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneAs more authors grace the industry with their presence it can become difficult for an author to stand out. It is especially difficult for writers who write in niche markets. Believe me I know. My primary genre is mystery and suspense, which is one of the biggest selling genres, but my novels are also interracial. Interracial books sell well but they do not receive mainstream attention, and the interracial market is extremely limited compared to books in other markets.

Don’t worry. I’m here to help. Well, at least I wanna try to help. I’m not trying to give you advice on how to sell more books, but how to reach your audience. Selling books is a matter of hard work and a whole bunch of luck. Heck, sometimes you don’t even need to put in the hard work if you’re lucky for your book to take off right out the gate. The average author isn’t so lucky and will have to put in some minimum work to get the word out.

Below are some tips that can lead you to your target audience:

Target Facebook Groups

Wait a minute. I know you’re saying, “And what’s so new about that tip? I’m already busting my chops on Facebook.” Yes but are you busting your chops the right way? When I say Facebook groups, I don’t mean book groups, reading groups, or book clubs. No. I mean Facebook groups geared toward the subject of your book. I am talking about regular groups targeted to those with an interest in what you write. For example, there are many interracial dating groups on Facebook. Many of these groups are geared toward black women and white men couples, which is the interracial pairing I write about the most. I’ve been a valid member of many of these groups. I didn’t join just to sell books but because of the common interest I had with these people. The key is to become a part of the group, and not just promote your books. You don’t have to go to a book group or reading group to find readers. Readers are everywhere and if you write in a niche market, you have to be creative to get in touch with your audience.

Establish Your Niche as Your Brand

Do you write multicultural stories that take place in Southeast Asia? Do you write gay and lesbian books for the urban crowd? Do you write lesbian Chick Lit? Establishing your brand as an author is important anyway, but it’s a must if you write in a niche market. In order to stand out you need to make yourself look like an expert. Your niche needs to become your brand, and you need to make sure that wherever you go as an author, that niche follows along with you. Say you write gay and lesbian street lit books. The normal street lit crowd most likely aren’t interested in them, and the gay and lesbian crowd most likely won’t want to read street lit. You must get creative because your work doesn’t fit anywhere. You have to create a place for your niche to fit. Start a blog geared toward nothing but gay and lesbian issues in the urban community. Write articles geared toward the gay and lesbian street crowd. Start an Internet radio show where you discuss how being gay fits into the street community. No matter what you do and where you go, you need to become the poster child for what you write. Niche authors do not have a choice.

Write for Online Magazines and Sites

There are online magazines and sites geared toward all types of subjects. You’re bound to find something that fits your niche. Once you do, read the magazine (if you don’t already) and become familiar with the things they feature. Pitch articles or blogs to the magazine or site. You might end up with a regular gig, but even if you’re just featured in the magazine or on the site you will gain credibility through the subject you write about. When you write about things pertaining to your niche, you’re putting yourself out there for readers interested in your work. Many readers who read magazines or articles on sites check out the authors who’ve written the piece. It’s a solid road to getting your book into your targeted readers’ hands.

Start Your Own Magazine

No I’m serious. Did you know that you could start your own online magazine free? There are sites that provide you with free magazine templates and will even send out the magazines to subscribers free. Some have the option of print magazines and some only online magazines. You can start a magazine geared toward your niche. You can feature other writers and people who share your interest. If you stick to it, you might have a popular magazine one day. It might seem unbelievable but many online magazines started as simple sites.

Join a Cause

Are there any groups or organizations that focus on what you write? Do you write romances featuring plus-sized women? There are many Fat Acceptance groups to join and this is a great way to establish your brand. Your readership is most likely heavyset women who wanna read romances that feature women like them so joining groups they are interested in will alert them of your books and they’ll buy to support you. Do you write graphic novels featuring superheroes with disabilities? If you write characters with disabilities then consider working for disability organizations. They will embrace you and appreciate the fact that you feature disabled people in your books. You might also get offers for people to sponsor your book and help you spread the word. The best part though is to join these organizations because you honestly want to help. Never join something just to get book sales. Disabled people deserve the support of the community so if you decide to join a group, be there for the cause and not just to sell books.

You have to get creative. You can’t just throw a niche book out into the world and promote it like a mainstream book. That won’t work. You also have to accept that your audience might be limited so have realistic expectations. If you write books in an extremely small niche then you might not sell over a certain amount of books no matter what you do. Some niche books however do have a large market of readers, but reaching them is the key. The possibilities are endless.

Stacy-Deane

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author is used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or$9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

Yes You Do Need Book Clubs! by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneI don’t care how talented you are. I don’t care what you write about. You could be the best darn writer on this planet but it wouldn’t mean jack if no one reads your books.

There are tons of articles and sites giving authors advice about how to get their work in the hands of readers. What a lot of them forget to mention is that readers get an author’s book in front of other readers. This is a powerful asset of book clubs.

I don’t care how much social networking you do or how many ads you buy on Facebook. Just like how the writing industry is changing, so has the world of promotion and publicity. Authors and publishers must rely on readers in order to move books. Oh yes. No more is it enough to market to readers but readers actually must help you sell a book for it to have a chance at success. Word of mouth is even more important in the age of ebooks.

So what exactly do book clubs do?

Book clubs open doors you cannot open yourself. They help to build your brand to a higher level, and they can put your name on readers’ lips. Do you realize how many book clubs there are? Do you realize how many clubs have hundreds of members? Some clubs span the entire nation! Can you imagine how powerful it would be if you got just one of the larger book clubs to pick up your book? Imagine your chances if you got many to pick up your book.

But it’s so hard to get a book club to pick up a book.

Stop whining. Some authors complain about how hard it is to get book clubs to pick up their books. Newsflash but the industry is competitive. That doesn’t change when you publish a book. Book clubs are picky because there are so many books fighting for attention. You’re not the only cowgirl or cowboy at this rodeo. It’s good for a book club to have standards. You want a club with a good reputation and one that has standing in the industry. That will help you in the end.

I practice what I preach. My latest novel, The Season of Sin has gotten some good exposure. I owe a lot of that to the book clubs that picked up the novel, enjoyed it, and passed the word. In addition, many book club members are members of several different clubs. That means if they read your book and liked it, they will spread the word to every one of their clubs.

That’s exposure, baby!

Book clubs are powerful because they are full of readers always hungry to find books. They are obsessed with the written word and love to support authors. If a book club picks you up then most likely they will again in the future if they enjoy your work. It’s a long-term advantage you can’t afford to miss.

Whether you feel the book club scene is for you or not, you’d better have some kind of plan on how to get your books in the hands of readers because without readers working alongside you to sell that book, it won’t stand half a chance.

Stacy-Deanne

 

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or$9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

 

Ten Ways for Writers to kick off a Fantastic New Year by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneSo we’ve all made it to another year! Isn’t that wonderful? Let’s be grateful to not only still be on this wonderful earth but a new year means new horizons and goals for your writing! The first thing I want you to do is throw away all that negativity. Just throw it away and don’t think of it again. Take a deep breath and let all those worries slip away. Negativity leads to destruction and you want your new writing year to start right. Because of this, I want to inspire you by providing ten rules, well not rules but more like helpful tips of motivation and positivity to keep you going.

I hope they help!

1.      Be positive

Leave the negativity in 2012. It won’t follow you unless you let it.

2.      Set goals you can control

It’s important for all writers to have goals but make them goals that you can control. Don’t have your mind set on getting a six figure advance or making the bestseller list. You cannot control those things but you can control how much you’re going to write and work on your craft. Making goals that you can’t deliver sets you up for disappointment.

3.      Be open to learning from your fellow writers

Have an open heart and mind this year. Sometimes we are too busy thinking we know everything that we can’t learn from others. Your fellow writers are a sea of information and you owe it to yourself to appreciate that and take advantage.

4.      Don’t get discouraged

Not everything works out how we expect it to. Some books don’t sell well and some authors can’t get their books published in the first place. So what? You can’t control it so don’t let it steal your joy. Aren’t you here because you love to write? Well then, nothing else matters. Be faithful to your priorities. Remember why you want to be a writer and you’ll be satisfied with whatever comes your way.

5.      Stop worrying about other writers and just do you

Stay in your own lane. Revisit my successful author post on writer jealousy if you don’t remember why you should mind your own business. It’s best for everyone.

6.      Make this the year of no excuses

If you’re gonna be a writer, write. If you’re gonna start that editing business, start it. If you’re gonna self-publish and your book is in professional shape, do it. If you got revisions that you’ve been fighting off since last year, get to it. This is the year of no excuses and like Nike says, “Just Do It”.

7.      Challenge yourself and continue to learn

A closed mind is a waste of time. Part of the writing life is learning. You will never stop having to learn in this business so you need to embrace it. You also need to continue to challenge yourself. Once writing has gotten too easy then there is a problem. You want to be the best you can be and you do that by learning.

8.      Share your knowledge with the peers of your industry

Don’t be greedy with what you’ve learned. Help your fellow writer out sometimes and lend them a hand. You never know what you might end up with in return.

9.      Be open to new ideas

Don’t limit your writing. Venture out and don’t be afraid to try new things. Just make sure you do it because you want to and not for book sales.

10.  Believe in yourself

If you don’t, who will?

Stacy-Deanne

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or $9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

It’s Who Follows You, Not How Many by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneYou know what I’m talking about. How many authors do you see scrambling to gather online supporters like their lives depend on it? It’s a waste of time to focus on “how many” and not “who”. The amount of followers you have mean jack squat when it comes to book sales. Instead authors should focus more on who they reach because word of mouth depends on it.

The truth is that it does not matter how many Facebook and Google Plus friends or Twitter followers you have. IT DOES NOT MATTER. Nine times out of ten the amount of people who follow or friend you will not buy your book. It might be hard to hear but it’s true.

Authors are confusing expanding their readership with expanding their FB and Twitter following. What is more important, gathering real fans who will read your book and follow your career or stacking up the names of strangers just to say you have 10,000 fans on your FB page? How many of those 10,000 fans even remember they are members of your page let alone visit it within the year?

I’m guessing not many.

Now it’s cool to add anyone you want if you just wanna be their friends and interact with them. But if you’re gathering people for the sake of selling books only, you are in for a rude awakening. It takes a lot more than sending out friend requests and Twitter invites to make someone interested in your book.

You: So who the heck do I target then?

Stacy: True followers and true friends.

Let me break it down.

So You Got 30,000 Twitter Followers? And?

So you got 30,000 followers on your Twitter! Good for you. That is an accomplishment. Yet you had a book signing last week and not one of your “followers” showed up.

Ouch. That one stung didn’t it? Don’t feel bad because it happens more often than you think.

You gotta accept the fact that whether you have 30 followers or 30,000 that does not mean that any of them will buy your book or care about it.  Please. If only it was that easy. You think all those people actually go to your links or pay attention to your book tweets?

Sorry to bust your bubble but unless you’re famous or the latest Internet sensation I doubt that anything close to half of 30,000 people even pay your tweets any attention.

I know the truth hurts but that’s how the Krispy Kreme crumbles.

You’re Not the Twitter Rock Star You Think You Are:

You do realize Twitter is a melting pot of authors and literary professionals don’t you? There are gazillions of authors hocking their books on Twitter. You have to first make followers care about you before you expect them to care about your books. This takes interaction and participation on your part. And even then it won’t be 30,000 that care. You’re lucky if you can get 100 people on Twitter to pay your book tweets any real attention let alone actually buy the darn thing.

The little fish often gets lost in the big sea.

Wouldn’t you rather have a list of 100 people who will actually buy your books than a list of 30,000 who won’t?

Earth to Writer: People Are Lying to You:

Yep let that sink in for a minute. While social networking you might run into many who claim they will buy your book and can’t wait to read it. Most of these “supporters” will not buy it and neither do they intend to. That’s just the doggone truth. It’s something polite folks tell authors because they don’t wanna hurt our feelings when we’re slaving to promote our books.

Pay attention to folks who actually bought the book and read it. Anyone can say they will right? We all say a lot of things we don’t mean sometimes. I admit I’ve lied and told a few authors I would get their books and yes I had no intentions of getting them when I said that.

Sue me.

Too many authors bank on what folks say they are gonna do when they need to concentrate on readers who have actually proven their support by reading your book.

The Amount of Friends and Followers Mean More to You Than Anyone Else:

This touches on the insecurity of a lot of authors. This reminds me of the people back in high school who had to always be with the popular kids or else they didn’t feel important. Some authors treat social networking like a popularity contest. Well let me tell you that the amount of people on your lists does not make you popular nor does it impress anyone but you.

Let me share a secret. Most of the folks on your lists don’t even know who you are.

This is why it’s so hard to attract readers on social networks. You’re competing against so many other things for someone’s attention.

How many of these people on your list actually look at your profile page? Do you ever wonder if any of them ever check out your website? Do they like the type of books you write? Heck do they even read?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions than most likely your friends don’t know the answers when it comes to you as well. Nor do they care.

You have to make them care and honey it’s easier shooting a bumble bee with a rifle.

That’s the hard part. A chimpanzee can send out friend requests but can he be engaging enough to make someone wanna look into him further or buy his book?

Better yet, what would make someone be interested in the chimp compared to the giraffe? The giraffe is out there pumping her book as hard as the chimp. But does either of them spark interest within the jungle of all the other animals who are hocking their books?

The one who does will walk away with readers.

Recognize and Value True Supporters:

Actions speak louder than words. When someone takes the time to help you spread the word about your book without you asking, you know they are a true supporter.

They do things to help you because they enjoy your work and want you to succeed. They aren’t the ones expecting favors in return or kissing up to you in hopes they can get a free copy of your book or writing advice. They aren’t the ones making an excuse as to why they can’t get your book every time you see them. Supporters are those that truly care and it’s a blessing for any author to have them.

So stop looking at people as objects to collect. Believe me you don’t wanna collect everybody.

It’s about quality, not quantity.

Stacy-Deanne

If you found this post helpful, please use the Share buttons to spread the word about it.

Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for?Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or $9.99(print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

Description: The Season Salt of a Novel by Stacy-Deanne

Stacy-DeanneDescription can bring your novel out or it can kill it. It’s the season salt of a novel. In some dishes it works well and brings out the flavor. Some dishes are salty enough on their own so adding tons of season salt is not necessary.

It’s all about the particular dish. When I say dish, I mean scene.  As a novelist you should look at books in terms of their scenes because it’s best to tackle things one scene at a time.  You learn to do that and it helps you retain knowledge to become a more effective writer.

The biggest thing I notice with a lot of newbies is that they tend to over-season their novels. They pour on the description whether they need it or not. Every scene does not need a bunch of description. What you want to do is give enough for the audience to form the image in their minds. You don’t have to describe every single thing in a scene.  Some do it because they think they have to but using description excessively produces novels full of boring filler. This only bogs down the reader scene after scene.

It’s 2012 and readers these days just don’t have the patience to sit through a slow, filler-stuffed book.  Remember not only are there other entertainment options to compete with but also tons of other novels that might be more fast-paced and compelling than yours.

So don’t give a reader more of an excuse to put yours down.

Once you learn how to use description it will help you to write satisfying books of substance minus the filler.

When To:

Use description when it’s important to the particular scene.

If readers knowing Jason’s outfit is important to the scene or what he is doing, describe it. If not then leave it out. Don’t describe an entire outfit just to do it. If it’s not an important fixture then stick with conveying action and bringing out character development through Jason’s dialogue and his actions. This will give readers a much better understanding of Jason and you won’t waste time with unnecessary description.

Note: Sometimes describing a character’s style of dress can be vital if it shows the type of person they are. If Louis always wears a flannel shirt and jeans with holes in the knees then say it. This type of description helps paint a picture in the reader’s mind about Louis because we identify the way someone dresses with the type of person they might be. How? Well in the case of Louis, he might be a blue-collar man. Maybe he works in a warehouse or construction. Add vivid descriptions throughout scenes to show this. His fingernails are always dirty. His Timberland boots are so scuffed up you can’t tell how long he’s had them. This is a great way to describe a character!

In my latest mystery The Season of Sin, one of my main characters fixes cars at a junkyard. Every time I showed him I made sure to relay some type of detail about his appearance. Not only does it help people form an image of Bruce in their heads, but it also sets the tone for his scenes. I brought attention to Bruce’s dirty fingernails, his oil-stained overalls and the fact that he smelled like gasoline even when he wasn’t working on a car.  Some have even said they actually could smell gasoline off the pages during Bruce’s scenes.

These tiny details that I used for Bruce allows the reader to embrace the type of person he is. Description of clothing can be useful as a device to show someone’s profession or even their personality. And don’t forget smells! Does the person wear a certain type of perfume? Are they always smelly and musty?

Describe only particular things of importance.

If your setting takes place in Miss Lonny’s old country home by all means describe it but don’t go overboard. I like to describe only a few items in a room at a time. If this is a place the audience will see many times then don’t sit there and describe her home from top to bottom in the first scene. Why? You not only bog down the reader but the reader will not remember every single thing in Lonny’s home by the next time another scene takes place there.

Don’t add too much seasoning at one time.

So what kind of things should you describe? Don’t describe walls or floors unless they matter. I mean don’t just do it to say what color they are unless the color is important to the scene or informs us about the character.  Stick with things that would stick out. If in your head you see a regular living room with a crooked TV stand, describe the crooked TV stand, not the entire room. The TV stand is what will also stick in readers’ heads. It conveys more than enough because the readers’ minds will wonder on their own just with the mention of that one stand.

Stick with things that stick out.

If Lonny has black walls then mention it because it’s not normal for someone to have black walls.  The first thing the audience will say is, “Black walls? Why in the world does this woman have black walls?”

What else makes Miss Lonny’s home standout? Does she have an Oriental rug by the front door even though she’s living in this little country home? That would be something that sticks into the readers’ heads because they wouldn’t expect someone living in a country home to have an Oriental rug. It would make Miss Lonny more interesting. Black walls, Oriental rug in a country home? Who would have a home like this? It’s amazing what simple details can do.

Details, people. Details!

Practice: Look at your own home. Look at your living room or den. What sticks out among other things? What’s something you think visitors might notice the first time they come to your house?

Use vivid description in sex scenes and love scenes if you intend on writing out the scene.

If you decide not to do a close-the-door thing and wanna show the characters making love, show us. Look this is not the time to fudge on details.

And I mean show. If he is licking her navel, tell us how it feels so we know how it makes her feel. How does it feel when he sucks her toe or she plants kisses down his chest? Speaking of his chest, is it hairy? Is it smooth?  When she kisses him do his chest muscles ripple under her lips when he arches his back?

How do the characters smell to each other? People smell when they make love. And no I don’t mean their privates necessarily. I mean people naturally have a scent especially to the opposite sex.  It’s amazing how skin smells when you’re close enough to someone. Mention this stuff!

How are the characters feeling? Are they comfortable, horny or anxious? Do they have butterflies? Is one so nervous about making love that they might be a little nauseated?

Incorporate sounds. People don’t just make love silently unless it’s not good. (Little joke there). Sounds are an important part of love scenes. They further capture the emotions for the reader. Some people talk while making love, people instruct, people moan and groan.

Incorporate this!

Now admit that those little details got something churning inside of you from curiosity didn’t they? They immediately thrust you into the scene and you feel like you’re there.

That’s what you are supposed to do. It doesn’t come down to how many words you use or how long the scene is. You can have an effective scene with description that’s only a few paragraphs long. The shorter you can get your point across, the better.

And I don’t care how long the people are making love; a love scene should never be boring. If it seems boring to you then most likely it will be to readers.

The When Not’s:

Don’t stop action just to describe something

If Max’s plane is falling to the sea and he’s fighting with the controls, this isn’t the time to remind readers what Max is wearing or the color of the knobs on the plane. You might think this goes without saying but some writers do this. Never interrupt the tension for lame description.

Don’t waste time describing secondary characters

We don’t need to know what the prostitute who witnessed the murder looks like. Who cares? Just let her say what she saw and move on. There is no point to wasting time describing a character no one will see anymore.

Don’t describe for the sake of impressing readers

Some writers think that showing how well they can describe a canister (over four pages) will impress readers or it makes them look more “writerly” and intelligent. Wrong. Less is more. Look you aren’t writing Gone with the Wind.  You need to make sure someone gets through your book without being bored to tears.  Focus on your plots and pacing and not on trying to show how fancy you can describe something.

Stay away from clichés

Look anything you’ve heard a million times before in terms of describing someone or something is probably something you should overlook. Be creative and come up with your own way to describe. On the flipside don’t try to be too clever. It’ll come off as pompous and arrogant if you use a million big words that seem out of place.

Stacy-Deanne

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for? Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or $9.99 (print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

Writer Jealousy: Mind Your Own Business!

Stacy-DeanneOn Facebook the subject of writer/author jealousy came up.  Some people were saying how they couldn’t let go of the green-eyed monster. They just couldn’t stop fixating on other authors and what they were accomplishing.

I think we all know that jealousy is the doorway to self-destruction. It’s a human trait we all experience but it can be incredibly damaging to one’s self if they allow jealousy to overtake them.

I remember what it was like to be unpublished and let me tell you newbies something, writer jealousy does not stop when you have a contract. Oh no. Even published authors are jealous of each other sometimes. There’s always someone you feel gets the better deals, the bigger advances, more acclaim. So don’t think that you can escape the demon once you release a book. No. It’s about getting your head straight. That’s where it starts.

You wanna put that energy into bettering your own writing so that one day you’re so super that you’re the recipient of one’s jealousy, not the jealous person. It’s not always easy to face being jealousy. It makes you feel even more inadequate.

You have to work at it and change how you approach yourself and your goals.

I’ve outlined some steps to help you go from being jealous to having superstar confidence.

Stop Watching other Writers:

Stop paying so much attention to other writers’ business. What another writer accomplishes or does has nothing to do with you or your career. Their book deals, their publishing company, their advance is none of your business! Concentrate on your work and being the best you can be and you won’t have time to “hate on” someone else.

Reevaluate Your Expectations:

Yep that’s right. Writing is not the type of career where having high expectations helps. If your expectations are too high you can end up losing your drive because most writers cannot live up to their unbelievable expectations. When things go wrong it’s natural to believe we’ve failed and that feeling of inadequacy opens the door to jealousy simply because someone else’s career seems to be going perfectly and yours is stagnant. Writers should have goals of course but if your expectations exceed the normal realm of possibility you’re setting yourself up for developing career jealousy when things don’t turn out as you expect. And most times they won’t.

Figure out Why You’re Jealous:

The misconception is that jealousy means we wanna be someone else or have their lives. Jealousy stems from us being depressed and unhappy about ourselves. A lot of jealous writers have things going wrong in their lives that have nothing to do with writing but the jealousy might be leveled to someone in our field because that’s who we’re around the most. If you’re unhappy, try to figure out why. Left ignored, depression can cause jealousy among other destructive thoughts to fester.

Write:

Maybe you just aren’t busy enough. If you’re sitting there worrying about other writers then you should take that wasted energy and write your book! Poor the emotions you feel in your writing. Turn it from negative energy to a positive result. Sometimes writers are just lazy. They want the rewards but don’t want to put in the work then wonder why things might be going better for others. The only way to stop being jealous is to accomplish something of your own and that starts with writing.

Separate Yourself from Other Writers:

Sometimes you can’t fight jealousy no matter what you do. Separate yourself from other writers if you can’t escape their “good” news. Some days it’s like you get online and everything is going great for every writer except you. When things aren’t going as well for you then hearing loads of good news at every turn can be very depressing. Step back for a while. Stop going to writing forums, Facebook writing groups or anywhere that makes you uncomfortable for a while. You’ll come back with a better out look and realize that another writer’s success does not affect yours.

Stacy-Deanne

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

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Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for? Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or $9.99 (print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble 

Grabbing Writers Block by the You-Know-What

Stacy-DeanneAll writers deal with the dreaded writers block from time to time. It’s the enemy of all of us. It makes us huddle in corners, chew our nails to the nubs and go completely insane! But no more! You hear me? Writers no longer have to bow down to the big WB! You can beat it and it’s not as hard as you think.

It’s about how you approach it. Some argue that WB isn’t real. That it’s all in our heads. Others are convinced it’s as harmful as a deadly disease. Well maybe that’s a little dramatic but if you’ve ever experienced writers block you know it can be a frustrating and sometimes terrifying experience because you don’t know if you will ever get an idea again.

Writers block is different than procrastination. Procrastination is our own fault. It’s when we have ideas, can write, but don’t. Writers block is when you’d sell a chunk of your soul for just a tiny bit of direction for your next story or scene. It’s miserable but there are tips to help you conquer it.

You guys know that by now I tend to only give advice that I use myself. So when I say these tips work, they work. Do not doubt me. I challenge anyone who is dealing with writers block at this moment to try at least one of these tips and I bet it will help you.

Leave the Work Alone

Yep, there is nothing wrong with walking away. This is what’s wrong with writers. We think we have to always write even when we can’t. Sometimes a lack of direction is a message from our bodies. Maybe our brains need a break. Maybe we are just exhausted. Maybe we are dealing with things in our subconscious we don’t realize. Learn that it is okay to take a break and just walk away. Ideas will come back to you and when they do, they will be better than ever. You will be surprised at how not writing can jumpstart ideas.

Stop Trying to Be Perfect

You can tell a perfection wannabe from a mile away. They can never write one single word without second-guessing themselves. They struggle over every single sentence, bellyache about every misused comma, cry about how the sentence just “doesn’t seem right”. If this is you, you my friend are your own worst enemy.

You cannot expect your work to be perfect, point blank. You especially can’t expect a first draft to be perfect. If you agonize over everything to the point of obsession you will never finish a book. So you need to remember you are allowed to make mistakes. Let your muse run freely. Stop interfering with its flow. Once you give your muse control you’ll be able to write and you’ll feel at ease doing it.

The first draft is the time to just get those ideas on paper to resemble some kind of story. Save panicking for when it’s time to edit and revise.

Don’t be a Rule Whore

Sorry for my choice of words but needed to be blunt. That’s how I do. A rule whore, oh yeah we know it. It’s mainly writers just starting out who think they gotta follow every writing rule they see. They tie into the perfection crowd. Look writing rules are there for a reason but you do not have to live by them. Once you’ve learned the basics of writing and you’re good enough, rules can be broken. You’re only hurting yourself if you try to write to a rulebook. You will stifle your own creativity because you’re too busy worrying about how many exclamation marks or adverbs you can use than writing the darn story!

Once again, the first draft is not the time to panic. You can go back and edit by using the rules that can make your work better. Don’t, and I repeat, don’t write strictly by the rules.

Stop Trying to Shortcut Drafts

Some writers try to be squeaky clean during the first draft so they don’t have to go back and edit. Give it up.  You’re making it hard on yourself because once again you’re fighting to be perfect. You are going to have to edit and probably even revise that thing plenty of times so deal with it. Also would you wanna be an author who just throws up one draft and put it out into the world? No. And if you plan on being published you are gonna have to realize that you might go through as many as ten or more drafts of the same book before it’s ready. It’s just part of the business.

Ditch It

Hmm, sometimes things are commonsense. And no I’m not trying to be condescending. I’m trying to get writers to see that we do more harm than good to ourselves in terms of writers block. If something is not working whether it’s a scene or even a story, ditch it. If you cannot make that sucker work maybe that’s a sign that you shouldn’t write it.

Writers have huge egos. Yes, yes we do. And we can’t stand having to walk away from anything especially permanently but sometimes the story you want to tell is not the story your muse wants to tell and honey you aren’t getting anywhere without the muse agreeing.

Stacy-Deanne

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Stacy-Deanne (Dee-Anne) is an award-winning novelist of crime, mysteries and interracial romance. She is known as “Interracial Romance’s First Lady of Crime and Mystery.” She’s been writing professionally since 19-years-old, and her work includes “Divas of the New Millennium,” “Everlasting,” “Melody” and “Giving up the Ghost.” Stacy is profiled along with notable authors in the NAACP-nominated 2006 book, “Literary Divas: The Top 100+ African-American Women in Writing.” She is a 2011 African-American Literary Award Show nominee.

Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for? Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author for only $4.99 (eBook) or $9.99 (print) from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble

What to Do When Seeking Reviews

Stacy-DeanneIn my last article I outlined things that writers shouldn’t do when seeking out reviews. The article got a lot of attention and it led people to ask what they should do when seeking reviews.

So by popular request I’ve outlined some pointers below concerning what you should and can do when seeking out reviews.

Do#1: Check out other author’s reviews to find reviewers

I’ve done this myself plenty of times. Look up books of your author pals or authors in your genre on Amazon and Goodreads for example.  Read through their reviews from professional reviewers. Once you’ve found a reviewer you’re interested in, click on their profile. On Goodreads especially, it’s easy to contact reviewers. You can inbox them on the site. If they have a link to their website or blog, visit it. Make sure you pay attention to guidelines before contacting a reviewer. Do not spam them with advertisements or blurbs of your book. Just ask if they would like to review it.

Do#2: Create a list of book review sites and blogs that cater to your genre

You can find book reviewers by doing searches on Google, social networking sites and asking around. Once you’ve found the reviewers you want, gather them up in a list. Some authors prefer to only deal with reviewers who accept ebooks. Some need reviewers for self-published books. Whatever you need, write it down. Keep this list for your future books. You want to gain a bond with reviewers so they will be more willing to review your work down the line.

Do#3: Send out review copies to mainstream reviewers

Mainstream reviewers are reviewers like Publishers Weekly, New York Times, Romantic Times, etc. Mainstream reviewers tend to have strict guidelines. Most accept only print copies. There is no guarantee they will review your book. Most of these places are closed to self-published and ebook authors. Some require publishers to send copies, etc. Mainstream reviewers are more likely to review a book from Simon and Schuster than a book from a small niche press. These reviewers are usually bombarded with submissions so the chances of some authors being reviewed no matter who published their book are slim.

Do#4: Join Goodreads

Goodreads is the most popular book site on the net. The cool thing with GR is that your books are linked to your profile when you become a Goodreads Author.  It’s a wonderful way to network and interact with readers and other industry professionals. Librarians and book reviewers use GR to keep up with new releases. Book reviewers use it to scout for books to review. There are entire groups on GR that are dedicated to giving book reviews. There are also bloggers who offer promotional opportunities like blog tours, interviews, guest blogs and more for authors. The possibilities are endless. Just don’t resort to spamming. Become a part of the community, not just a drive-by author.

Do#5: Only send self-published books to reviewers that review self-published books

It can be hard to get a self-published book reviewed but not impossible. There are many sites dedicated to reviewing self-published books, Kindle books especially. If you’re coming to a dead end then get with other self-published authors and ask who have reviewed their books. A Google search will help too of course. If you are not sure if a particular reviewer reviews SP books (most will say they do or don’t on their sites) then contact them and ask. The downside is that SP authors tremendously outnumber SP reviewers. The competition to get a review is fierce since most SP reviewers are overloaded with requests.

Do#6: Give a list of book reviewers to your publisher

After publishers send ARC’s (advance review copies) they might ask you if you have any reviewers you’d wish to contact. Send a book reviewer list to your publisher. It’s a good idea to send your publisher a list whether they ask or not.  Sometimes publishers aren’t aware of potential reviewers that might be interested in your book.  It’s your job to make sure everything is squared away where reviews are concerned.

Do#7: Create press kits and press releases

With the age of ebooks some people believe press kits and press releases are no longer needed.  It’s always great to have a press kit handy for promotional purposes. Some publishers will create a media kit for you. Some will not. You need to learn how to create an effective press kit and press release. There are many sites where you can post your release for free. Book reviewers will often contact an author if they come across a press release of an upcoming book that seems interesting.

Do#8: Send books to magazines

Most magazines allow authors to send unsolicited books to their review editors or review departments. Look for magazines that cater to your audience and genre. Getting a magazine to review your book is a competitive sport but if you are lucky enough to be granted a review, it can bring you fantastic exposure.  Be aware that most print magazine reviewers don’t accept ebooks or self-published books but some online magazines do.

Do#9:  Follow book reviewers on Twitter.

Book reviewers are notorious for tweeting their latest book reviews as well as soliciting books to review. This is a great way for you to get to know reviewers and there are tons on Twitter. You can send them a direct message asking if they would like to review your work. Do not spam them with advertisements for your published works. Only contact them about a book you’d be interested in them reviewing and leave it at that.

Do#10: Take caution when picking out reviewers

I suggest reading a reviewer’s reviews before contacting them. You wanna make sure the reviewer is reputable and respectable. You don’t want a review from just anyone. Also you wanna look at the reviewer’s personality and tone when they review a book. Some reviewers are harsh. If you can’t handle the possibility of a tough review then don’t contact tough reviewers. Some reviewers will tell you like it is without sugarcoating so these are not for those authors without a thick skin.

Do#11: Thank the reviewer if they agree to review your book

If you are contacting reviewers on your own, you should thank a reviewer for agreeing to review your book.  You aren’t obligated but politeness goes a long way in this industry.

Do#12: Follow up with a reviewer if they haven’t gotten back with you on an accepted request

If a reviewer is late with a promised review then contact the reviewer. Some reviewers get thousands of review requests a day so keep that in mind. Smaller sites like book blogs aren’t usually backed up but large review sites often are.  Sometimes reviewers have to pull out of doing a review altogether. Don’t take it personally. It’s best to contact reviewers about three months before your book is released.

Do#13: Keep a positive attitude

If you think you can’t get any reviews then you won’t get any reviews. The art of positive thinking is a necessity during review searching. Keep an open mind and be organized.  It starts with a solid plan.

Resources:

John Kremer’s Book Market

http://www.bookmarket.com/newspapers.htm

(A fabulous writer’s resource for reviews and promotional opportunities)

Step-by-Step Self-Publishing

http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/reviewer-list.html

(Great resource for SP authors to find reviewers)

Stacy-Deanne:  Crime/Mystery &  Suspense Novelist

NOTE: Be sure to view What Not To Do When Seeking Reviews

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Hello All, Dee here. I’ll be conducting a FREE eBook formatting workshop for people who are signed up for my monthly newsletter.
Topic: eBook Formatting Basics for Fiction Titles Cost: Free Date: March, 24, 2012 Time: 3-4 p.m. Central Location: Become A Successful Author Website (link and password will be given the day before the event)

Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for? Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author (eBook) for only $4.99 from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble  or print copies for only $7.99 by using the Contact page of this website and tell Dee know how many copies you’d like and shipping address. She’ll email the ordering information. Or you can purchase the print version from any book store for $9.99.

What Not to Do When Seeking out Reviews

Whether you like it or not book reviews are an important tool when it comes to promoting books. The jury is out on whether reviews actually influence readers to make their decisions but one thing’s for sure, reviews bring attention to books and you can’t have sales without attention.

I hear you mumbling from here. “Oh but Stacy it’s such a pain in the butt to gather reviews.” True but this is a necessary evil you must learn to like.  Most new authors don’t realize there are certain rules in the industry when it comes to seeking reviewers. Well, I’m here to help.

Below are nine things you shouldn’t ever do when seeking out reviews.  Imbed these into your mind and learn from them.

Don’t #1: Approach published authors you do not know for a review

This is definitely not recommended. There is a difference between asking an author to blurb your book but never ask an author you don’t know to review or critique your work. Soliciting an author for a review is intrusive. Unless the author is also a reviewer and actively seeking books to review, cross authors off your reviewer list.

Don’t #2: Send a reviewer your book before asking them for a review

Make sure you follow guidelines for a reviewer before contacting them. Most reviewers prefer an author or publisher to contact them before sending them a book to review.

Don’t #3: Hold a grudge against a reviewer who declined to review your book

Sometimes reviewers will decline to review your book. It doesn’t mean they don’t like you or wouldn’t be interested in reading it. Reviewers have TBR lists like you wouldn’t believe and sometimes it’s impossible for them to finish the books they’ve already committed to. If a reviewer declines your book remember that rejection comes with the territory of writing. Suck it up and cross the reviewer off your list for now. But don’t hold a grudge against them on a personal level.  You might wanna contact them for a review again some day.

Don’t #4: Hassle friends and family for reviews

Friends and family members are the first ones to promise reviews and most of them never even read your book. That’s life. Whether your book is already out or is soon to be released, don’t beg and hassle friends or family to write a review for you. If you got to ask them there might be a reason. They might not like your book or might not have even read it. That might be tough to swallow but this is where you gotta realize that the world doesn’t revolve around your book. Let family and friends decide on their own whether to review your book. You don’t wanna be the annoying dope they all run from because they are afraid you’ll ask them about your book.

Don’t #5: Contact reviewers who do not review your genre

 Enough said.

Don’t #6: Beg people on Facebook for reviews

I can’t count how many times I see authors and even publishers begging for reviews on Facebook. This is unprofessional and tacky. The more you annoy people, the less they’ll be interested in reviewing your book.  You can contact reviewers on Facebook unless they say otherwise but leave the general public alone.

Don’t #7: Stalk readers who have read your book and hound them for a review

If you see that someone on Goodreads has read your book don’t contact them asking them to review it. This will put the reader on the spot. They might not want to review it. If a reader intends to review the book then they will. They are not obligated to review a book.  Don’t be that nutty author that stalks for reviews. No one will want anything to do with you.

Don’t #8: Speak negatively about a reviewer in public

Don’t badmouth reviewers or anyone in public. Whether the reviewer declined to review your work or didn’t respond back to you, don’t post about it on FB, your blog or anywhere else.  If you do and other reviewers see this, they most likely will keep their distance from you and your book.

Don’t #9: Expect the publisher to get reviews

Most publishers will get reviews for you or at least aid you in getting them. But some won’t lift a finger to get you one review.  It’s your responsibility to know which type of publisher yours is beforehand. Don’t sit around for months before your release date assuming your publisher will get you reviews. You’ll end up scrambling for reviews at the last minute.

Stacy-Deanne

Be sure to view the post: What To Do When Seeking Out Reviews

Please help your fellow authors by sharing posts you find helpful.

Don’t have a copy of Become A Successful Author? What are you waiting for? Become A Successful Author will be used in the “How To Write That Novel” course at Chicago State because it covers everything from branding to writing to editing to formatting and uploading electronic and print books to marketing and so much more. Your time is money. Look at all the time, thus money, you’ll save by ending your search for answers: Purchase Become A Successful Author (eBook) for only $4.99 from: Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble  or print copies for only $7.99 by using the Contact page of this website and tell Dee know how many copies you’d like and shipping address. She’ll email the ordering information.