Forsooth, Shakespeare.
I think I’ve mentioned him about eighty jabillion times in this context, but once again, hat-tip to my dad, who sent me a link to this via Big Geek Dad. Which is totally appropriate.
Book Bomb for Caller ID by Rachelle J. Christensen
My friend Rachelle J. Christensen has just had her second novel come out, and today, she’s organizing a book bomb to help get the word out! Here’s a little about her book:
When twenty-three-year-old Courtney Beckham is abducted near her home, the search turns up more than just a kidnapping crime. FBI agent Jason Edwards investigates the ten-million-dollar ransom and stumbles upon something he wasn’t meant to find. When Courtney catches a glimpse of the caller ID in her kidnapper’s home, what she sees turns her world upside down.
To participate, go to Amazon and buy Caller ID (aff) today!
Why should I participate? I know, I’m mostly participating to help out a friend, but there’s a lot more in it for you. Rachelle is holding a contest for an Ultra Flip Camcorder!
Also, if you buy the book on Amazon today and email her the receipt (you can take your address out and things), Rachelle is offering dozens of freebies from a great group of friends (including me)—including nine free ebooks! Considering Caller ID is less than $11 at Amazon right now, that’s a pretty great deal! You can read about all the freebies on Rachelle’s blog.
So go buy Caller ID today (aff)!
Reading your work aloud
Should you really?
“Read your work aloud” is pretty standard critique advice. I do it—I really do—and yet I’ve had critique partners read the same chapters and basically tell me there was no way I could have read it aloud.
The thing is, when I read something I’ve written aloud, I know how to read it. I know how to turn the phrases and the intonations and set aside the asides and make a very long sentence flow smoothly. Honestly, when I read my own work, it’s almost cheating.
It is important to read your work aloud—but it can’t be the only way we determine whether 
something is good writing or not. There are so many things that people say that you’d hardly bat an eye at in conversation, but written down, you’d be left to puzzle over them.
I came across one great example in a chat I had with a friend a long time ago. Here’s what I typed:
I read once that in Sweden you get 3 years maternity leave.
The person that said that said that returning to work was mandatory afterwards, though.
You catch that? In speech, you could easily said “the person that said that said that.” Try it. (Here’s a hint: it means “the person who said the foregoing also said that . . .”) Grammatically speaking, you can’t even put a comma in there. (“The person, that said that, said that”? Restrictive clause, no commas. “The person that said that, said that”? Separating the subject [the person] from the verb [said].)
Not great writing. But I can totally work that circumlocution in speech. I mean, if I’d been talking, I wouldn’t have even noticed the oddity of “that said that said that.”
Speech and writing are two different arts. I loved how The New Yorker put it in an article about writing voice my dad stumbled across recently:
Writers often claim that they never write something that they would not say. It is hard to know how this could be literally true. Speech is somatic, a bodily function, and it is accompanied by physical inflections—tone of voice, winks, smiles, raised eyebrows, hand gestures—that are not reproducible in writing. Spoken language is repetitive, fragmentary, contradictory, limited in vocabulary, loaded down with space holders (“like,” “um,” “you know”)—all the things writing teachers tell students not to do. And yet people can generally make themselves understood right away. As a medium, writing is a million times weaker than speech. It’s a hieroglyph competing with a symphony.
Ouch. And yet somehow, writing seems more powerful than speaking, doesn’t it? Writing requires you to get across your meaning based only upon the words, and the words, then, must be even more powerful. It’s condensed and distilled and, most of all, it’s refined over and over again.
The author of the article gives a better metaphor for finding that voice:
A better basis than speaking for the metaphor of voice in writing is singing. You can’t tell if someone can sing or not from the way she talks, and although “natural phrasing” and “from the heart” are prized attributes of song, singing that way requires rehearsal, preparation, and getting in touch with whatever it is inside singers that, by a neural kink or the grace of God, enables them to turn themselves into vessels of musical sound. . . .
What writers hear when they are trying to write is something more like singing than like speaking. Inside your head, you’re yakking away to yourself all the time. Getting that voice down on paper is a depressing experience. When you write, you’re trying to transpose what you’re thinking into something that is less like an annoying drone and more like a piece of music. This writing voice is the voice that people are surprised not to encounter when they “meet the writer.” The writer is not so surprised. Writers labor constantly under the anxiety that this voice, though they have found it a hundred times before, has disappeared forever, and that they will never hear it again. Some writers, when they begin a new piece, spend hours rereading their old stuff, trying to remember how they did it, what it’s supposed to sound like. This rarely works; nothing works reliably. Sooner or later, usually later than everyone involved would have preferred, the voice shows up, . . . and walks onstage.
We’re getting a little far afield here, but I like the concept—and I like knowing that the anxiety over rediscovering one’s writing voice isn’t so unusual.
All that being said, there are valid reasons for reading your writing aloud. Here are just a few:
- Getting to know your character’s voice. My authorial voice doesn’t overlap with my characters’ voices 100%, for a number of reasons. My characters speak more plainly and don’t use thesauruses as often as I’m willing to 😉 . My characters have different backgrounds and outlooks on life. My characters might even speak different languages or dialects than I do. I’ve found that many of these differences are easier to pick up on while reading aloud. I’ve gotten better at catching them while reading silently over time, but they can still slip through. And they usually only hit me when I’m reading to someone else. Sigh.
- Grammar check. Sometimes we don’t recognize dangling modifiers or sentence fragments until we try to read them, and as we’re reading we get all bogged down.
- Flow and cadence check. Reading aloud can help us to identify the places where we trip up too easily, and there’s no better way to find the rhythm in our writing (or lack thereof).
Another awesome technique is to have someone else read your work aloud to you, especially a “cold read” (they haven’t read it ahead of time). This person has to interpret what they’re reading to get the inflections right. If they have to start the same sentence over again several times to get all the stresses and phrasing right, or if they just can’t get it at all, that’s a sentence you want to take a closer look at.
Because of the nature of speech, reading writing aloud cannot be your sole judgment over whether that writing is good. And because of the nature of writing, reading writing silently cannot be the sole judgment over whether it’s good, either.
What do you think? What are your good reasons to read aloud? Have you ever read something aloud and made it sound so much better than the writing really did?
Photo credits: dramatic reading: “Pip R. Lagenta“; young man reading: Judy Baxter
Five more things an author’s website must do
Continuing with some good advice from years past, part two of the post from last week!
Last week, we started to look at four things an aspiring author’s website must do. We looked at the “get ready” and “get set” phases—gearing up for submitting your work for publication. This week, we have a few things that all authors—aspiring or not—should be doing with their websites, as well as just a little advice for soon-to-be published authors. There are volumes more to say on what an author’s website should do and have and be, but we’ll stick to these few today.
The 1-2-3 phase: attract interest for your book
After your book has been accepted for publication, your website is an even more powerful tool. If you’re still solely on a blog on a free domain (i.e., ilurvewritin.blogspot.com), it’s time to buy your own domain, preferably YOURNAME.com. And along with a new domain, this is a good time to upgrade to a “real” website—keeping your blog, of course, but also hosting a stable website—or at least a blog with a full complement of pages. Ideally, the blog and the website design will be integrated seamless.
In this phase, it’s time to focus on that book to attract as much prelaunch interest as you can.
How can you do this? There are a few things you’ll want on your site before the book launches to help drum up interest:
- An awesome, engaging description of the book
- The cover (so people will recognize it in a bookstore)
- An excerpt, preferably from that incredibly intriguing beginning (with permission from your publisher)
- A link to your book on Amazon—hello, pre-order! (Also, you can use an affiliate link [how to sign up as an Amazon affiliate] to make a few extra pennies off any sales).
- Your book trailer, if you’re doing one.
- Anything else that will make people want to run to the bookstore on launch day!
- Send author friends (especially ones with newsletters) a short paragraph about your book, with links.
You can also look at the terms people are advertising and searching on in search engines, to see if any of those people might be interested in your site—then use those terms (“keywords”) on your site, in page titles and content, in natural language. (You’re a writer, right? So write!)
The Go! phase: sell your book
As with the 1-2-3 phase, your website can be a major vehicle for selling your book (and your backlist, if you have one). Candace E. Salima gave a great presentation on this subject at a conference I attended in April.
How can I do this? Well, along with the above ideas, it’s also a good idea to spread the word on other websites through advertisements, reviews, releases, contests, and other publicity.
But that’s not on your website. On your website, always, always, ALWAYS have a purchase link. Have “bonus features” to your books on the website—recipes, play lists, deleted scenes—anything you think will interest your readers.
Also, make your website somewhere that people will want to come back to—do something for them, reach out to them (see building a community), be accessible. Even if they’ve already bought your book, they’re still your customers, your readers, your fans, and striving to build a relationship with them (individually and collectively) can help sustain you, both emotionally and financially.
Always: sell YOU
Your website is also a great way to sell you—and I don’t mean prostitution. I mean building a brand that will lead to agents, editors, fans, loyal readers, subscribers, fame* and glory* (*results not typical). If you have something to say, some kind of message, that’s part of your brand. If you write in a specific genre, that’s part of your brand.
How can I do this? Make your site professional and consistent—use the same layout, color scheme, graphics, etc. on each page. If you have a theme running in your published books (especially their covers or color schemes), go with it on your website.
On your site (perhaps the about page), talk about what draws you to your genre or your message. Encourage your visitors to share their stories of why they’re interested in the same topics.
Also, talk about or at least hint at future projects to keep your readers—your potential customers—interested. If it’s feasible, think about running a regular newsletter (monthly, bimonthly, quarterly). You can keep your most loyal, interested fans updated on your progress, offer special contests, and interact with them.
Have photographs of yourself (for visitors and high quality ones for media contacts). Feature other peoples’ interviews with you (or interview yourself). Allow people to get to know you (somewhat—we all need our privacy, and we don’t all need to know if you’re wearing clean underwear right now!). This goes hand in hand with the next point, something you should always strive for with your author website:
Always: build a community
A community based around a blog, forum or website means that people feel welcome. People can participate and interact with you. People come back.
How can I do this? Building a community around your blog or website can be as simple as encouraging discussion, responding to comments and writing on requested topics. Whatever you do with your website, interact with your visitors. Even if you don’t have a blog, you can interact with your website visitors—host a forum or weekly chats to connect personally with them. Use your email newsletter to appeal to them.
Always: build your platform
If you’re lucky enough to have a unique selling proposition just by virtue of who you are and/or what you do, bank on that. If you’re a computer engineer writing about high-tech computer hacking, tout those qualifications on your site. Once you’re published, you can also use that platform to launch yourself into public speaking opportunities on related topics—building your brand and your platform in the real world.
How can I do that? Feature your qualifications on your about page—maybe even write a “sub” page to your about page, just devoted to that. Include it in your FAQ (if you have one). Create an FAQ around that industry. List your speaking engagements on related topics, and make it clear you’re available for such gigs. (What would you speak on? Something related to your platform and your writing or research—if you’re writing fiction on high-tech computer hacking, you could speak about how to protect yourself from hackers, for example.)
Always remember: your website will be the major way you’ll interact with most of your readers and potential business associates. Use it wisely!
Next week, we’ll take a look at an easy way to set up a website!
What do you think? How else could you do these things on your website? What else should an author’s website do?
Photo credits: excited reader—Chris Johnson; bookseller—Herman Brinkman; bricklayer—Jovike
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I know it’s a little early
St. Patrick’s Day is probably my favorite pointless holiday of the year! There are two basic reasons for this—and neither of them are my rich Irish heritage. (Incidentally, I do have Irish heritage, but considering those people died in the US a century before I was born, I don’t really have a strong attachment to the culture from them.)
No, my real reasons are at least half ridiculous:
1.) When I was in college, I spent Thanksgivings with my aunt. Randomly one year when we got up silly early for Black Friday, we began speaking in an Irish accent. These things only make sense before 5 AM.
2.) My first novel, due out next year, features a character from Ireland. I just finished a round of 
edits on the sequel, which features even more characters from Ireland (6!), so I’m up to my neck in Irish accents and slang and culture. I’ve spent approximately 1,000,000 hours studying it 😉 .
So to celebrate, I’m going to share a little “true” Irishness with you.
Eight Myths about Irish Culture and St. Patrick’s Day Dispelled—complete with tips on brushing up your Irish accent and how best to celebrate this weekend!
Irish Potato Candy—real!
Complete with recipe!
Irish Flag Apron—kinda kitschy, but real!
Complete with instructions—and it only cost me $5!
Photos all by me! Okay, and my husband.
The debt I owe to Davy Jones
In the ’90s, Nick at Night began airing The Monkees. My sisters and I got hooked on the absurdity pretty quickly right before I started high school. (What can I say? We were the target audience, 30 years too late.) Over the next couple years, I met and saw two members of the Monkees in concerts (three different events)—Peter Tork and Davy Jones.
Two weeks ago, I got a text message from two of my sisters within seconds, basically saying the same thing:
I’m so sorry about Davy Jones!
That was how I found out he’d died. He had a heart attack at 66. For some odd reason, the youngest of the Monkees was the first to go.
It was a sad surprise, even if it’s not completely unheard of (I mean, Peter Tork, the oldest of the Monkees, hit 70 just two weeks before). It hit me that night as I saw a clip from the old TV show that he was really gone. But let’s be serious here: he wasn’t a close personal friend, and I’m not going to mourn him like one. His death didn’t make me face my own mortality, or give me a sobering wake up call, or anything else. It was a sad note.
One of my favorite songs actually sung by Davy
But then over the last weekend, I remembered what I owe to Davy Jones.
When my sisters and I started watching The Monkees, I liked the show so much, I had to write about it. Yes, it’s true—I came to writing through fanfiction. Monkees fanfic. (Is this as shameful as I think it sounds?) And though Davy himself wasn’t the biggest reason for my doing that, he was part of the ensemble. He was part of the reason I started to write.
From left to right: my sister (holding one of my favorite photos of Davy from the 60s), my friend, my sister,cropped to just Davy and me (holding records?), in 1998. And yes, that extra hand on my waist is Davy’s. I’m 15, he’s 52. Is that skeevy? Oh well. (Don’t know where my other sister was 🙁 .)
So thank you, Davy Jones.
How did you get started writing?
Four things an aspiring author’s website must do
Continuing with our series, a repeat of another post from three years ago, part 1 of 2!
We’ve covered the seven things an aspiring author’s website must have. But in addition to having convenient features and good appearance, an aspiring author’s website must do certain things to fulfill its purpose, depending on what phase your career is in.
(Side note: I have a blog where I talk a lot about blogging, I reference some posts on my other blog here.)
The get ready phase: networking with other writers
When you’re in the “get ready” phase, you’re actively writing and seeking out other writers, but at present you’re not ready to submit to agents or editors. Since your career is just starting out, your website may just be starting out, too, though it won’t hurt if you already have a fairly well-developed site.
Before you’re ready for publication, your website can help you find critique partners, talk with other writers about writing, explore your genre with other writers, and make the connections that help smooth the path for your career—or at least make a solitary profession a lot less lonely. This is your time to start building a community of writers.
How can I do this? The easiest way to make your website into a networking tool is to make sure there are plenty of ways other writers can connect with you—and often the easiest way to do that is through engaging blog content and comments.
The get ready phase: find your niche
While you’re preparing for publication, it’s also a good time to get your web presence ready—especially to find the niche where you’ll fit in the blogging and publishing (and publogging?) worlds.
How do I do this? To find your blog/site niche, ask yourself why you’re blogging and what you’ll be blogging about. It needs to be more than just blogging about your book and your career—and at some point, it will probably need to transition to be more than just appealing to other writers, too.
This is almost like a market analysis—using a search engine, look for other sites of authors with similar books/niches. See what they’re blogging about (if anything). See what angle you can add to the discussion, especially if it relates to your books. If you can use your website to show how you and your books will fit on a bookshelf, your site is ready for the next phase.
The get set phase: show you’re professional and marketable
In the “get set” phase, you’re in the process of searching for an agent or editor. (You may also fall in the “get set” phase if you have an agent who’s currently shopping your manuscript.) In this phase, one of your big goals will be to show your target audience (agents and editors) that you’re serious about your writing and your career.
How can I do this? Professional appearance—check out advice from professional website designer Kathleen MacIver of KatieDid Design in the free PDF guide to aspiring author websites.
Also important in professional appearance is the “demeanor” on your website. It’s fine to use casual, laid back text and images—but a website for your career might not be the best place to air out your dirty socks (or any of the rest of your dirty laundry!). Also, be sure to read over (and have others read over) your site for typos, misused words, broken links and images, or anything else that would detract from your appearance.
In this phase, you can still rely heavily on a blog, but it’s a good idea to at least set up a few pages (about, contact, works) with links in the sidebar or create a menu bar to help visitors learn more about you and your writing, and navigate your site.
The get set phase: show off your storytelling
Also in the “get set” phase, and more important in the long run, your website is a place to show off your storytelling abilities. In the end, that’s what’s going to get you an agent, get you sold to a publishing company, and get you sold on the bookshelves.
How can I do this? Showing off your storytelling doesn’t mean that every page and every blog post has to be written as if it were flash fiction. (Unless you want to . . . but that’d probably be weird.) It does mean making sure that you have at least an excerpt of your writing on your site—especially if you’re submitting to agents that don’t ask for or allow sample pages with their queries.
However, do not use your website as the only medium an agent can see your query or sample pages, especially not if they ask for any writing from you. An agent or editor will expect you to email them words (either in the body of the email or as an attachment)—not a link to their website. Never make an agent do more work for your writing when they’re interested. Odds are good that they won’t follow links.
(Side note: if you’re sitting there thinking, “But it’s just one click. Why can’t they do that?”, stop. It’s not just one click. It’s one click per person per item submitted. It’s dozens of clicks per day, minimum, if agents/editors are even interested enough to click on the link anyway. Also some email programs also strip out links.)
What do you think? What must an aspiring author’s website do? What does your website do—and what do you want it to do?
Photo credits: bookshelf by Josh; handshake by ThinkPanama; Click by Jordan McCollum
Commentator Spotlight!
So I’ve added a Top Commentator widget on the sidebar, and I’d like to spotlight a couple of the top commentators today!
Our first spotlight is:
Trisha!
Trisha hails from Western Australia! She’s a writer, a singer-songwriter, an artist and a travel(l)er (to get our American/Commonwealth spellings covered)! This week, she knocked off the first of her goals for the year: completing one of (one of?!) her Nano 2011 novels! DANNA (title tentative, of course) is a YA paranormal novel.
(That’s right: for Nano 2011, she wrote 50,000 words each on two different novels!)
Hooray for finishing! And hooray for 100,018 words—now that’s 30 days and nights of literary abandon.
You can catch up with Trisha on her blog, Word + Stuff! Thanks for commenting here, Trisha.
And our second spotlight is:
Deniz!
Deniz is from Canada! She is a writer and a knitter (I knit too!).
She writes historical fiction of many kinds. And, like, really historical. When I say “the 40s,” I don’t mean the 1940s. Just straight up 43. And the 1490s! (I guess I’m the only one who sees 1492 and thinks about what a seminal year that was for Spain, huh? Well, me and Deniz, amiright?)
She’s in QueryLand, so send her good vibes!
You can keep up with Deniz on her blog, The Girdle of Melian. Thanks for commenting here, Deniz!
And thanks to everyone who leaves comments here. Every one of them (and you!) makes me smile.
