Writing Wednesday: Getting Out There and Meeting Readers

It's almost July and Summer is definitely here - if not in consistently warm temps, then at least in spirit. School is out, people are hitting the beaches, lakes and pools... and reading for pleasure is back on the agenda.

I've posted before about doing book events and signings - and I know the chatter on my author groups always kicks up around now with newbies asking questions and looking for advice. It's not hard, but it can be daunting to think about putting yourself out there.I know I'm horribly shy most of the time, preferring email over phone calls, and reading a book over going to a party. It takes a lot of effort to put myself out there. But if I can do it, so can you.

So here are my top 5 tips for Authors Doing Book Events...

1. Put yourself out there.
Ask at the local bookstore or gift shop. Go in with a few of your books and your calendar to book a day. Be professional, but be positive. Most shops are happy to host you if you're flexible about dates and times. But work out the details up front. Do they want to buy the books from you, on their own, or let you sell them yourself? Figure it out, and what discount they may want. (Most bookstores demand 40%, other shops are more flexible.)

Take a deep breath and go ask. What's the worst that will happen? They might say no. So what? It's not personal. Say thank you and move on to the next shop.

2. Get professional-looking  posters, postcards, etc.
Vistaprint is short money for the impact of having professional looking stuff at your table. Upload your book cover to make a variety of promotional items. Postcards are great giveaways, to remind people to order the ebook if they claim to be a Kindle-only reader. Make banners and posters that can be reused at more than one event. DON'T use handmade signs, not even for prices or anything... You're a published author. Look professional. Act professional. Be professional.

3. Network with Other Local Authors
An event that has more than one author has greater pull - and casts a wider net on social media and friend networks. Plus, if there are more than one of you walking into shops, that's more potential gigs in total. And there's the added plus of someone to chat with during the setup and the inevitable lulls between chatting with readers. Strength in numbers is a real thing.

4. Invite Your Friends!
Even if everyone you know has already purchased your book, invite them to come visit you at the shop or bookstore or festival tent. It's always amazing to see a friendly face in a crowd, and it's even better if the event isn't crowded, to show the shopkeeper that you help draw people into their store.

5. Smile and Chat with Everyone
Be friendly with everyone who comes within shouting distance. I'm not saying drag them over to your table, but definitely smile and say hello, be approachable, draw them into a conversation and be friendly. Not everyone you talk to will buy your book, it's true. But when I was a Girl Scout leader, I always stressed to the girls that the number one reason people don't buy cookies is that NO ONE ASKED THEM TO BUY. Put away your phone and engage with people.

Plan to smile so much that your cheeks hurt by the end of the event, because no one is going to want to chat with you if you're frowning or busy on your phone. 
Be available. Be friendly. Be smiling.

SO that's it. See? Easy peasy. You can do it. Go forth and have an awesome book signing event.

Questions? Comments? Or do you have a TOP TIP you need to add? Go ahead  and share - I know I have a full summer of events lined up and I can take all the advice I can get!

Happy Writing - and Signing - to ALL!


 

Writing Wednesday: ARCs and Betas and SMEs - Oh My!

Good morning! I've got my Longaberger mug of coffee in hand, but no M&Ms for a while, so I'm enjoying staring at this photo - trying to lose a few pounds before spring... But that has nothing to do with the topic at hand: ARCs.

An ARC technically stands for an Advanced Reader Copy. This can either be "official," as in the advanced copies from your publisher of your final work, that you can distribute for reviews, or it can be a draft ARC, which is how I'm using the term today. A draft ARC is the "finished" reading copy you send to trusted readers to get their opinion of the story arc and characters, for them to tell you if it flows, if it works, if it holds together... basically, if you need to dive back in and make changes before you send it to the editor for the last time.

Those trusted readers - those are your Betas. You, the author, are the Alpha, right? You wrote it, you read it first. Betas are the ones who are the first ones to read it besides you. Having a slush pile reader or an acquisition editor be your Beta is a rookie mistake. Big no no. I know I've talked about Betas before, finding someone who will give you an honest opinion and tell you where the plot holes lie.

Something I didn't think too much about until my current work in progress is having an SME, or Subject Matter Expert. There's probably a better literary world term for this type of reader, but in my other world (the tech industry) they love their acronyms, and SME is one of the terms thrown about a lot. It basically means someone who knows what they're talking about for a specific subject.

A lot of authors, myself included, can get by with learning and writing about a profession other than our own or a place we've never actually visited through research. The internet is a fabulous tool for that, as is the public library. When I wrote Ghosts Don't Lie, I did a lot of internet research on diabetes, crack, and of course various psychic powers. I didn't have a drug dealer read through that specific chapter to make sure I portrayed him realistically, but I did read a lot of police accounts and first person narratives to get a feel for that scene.

But other times an author needs to get it right. Julie James, for instance, was a lawyer before she started writing romantic suspense, so she "knows" the lawyer parts of her story. But she still consults with SMEs about the FBI and police procedural parts of her stories to be certain to get that right. If you look at the Acknowledgements sections of a book, they will often thank the SMEs they spoke to or who beta read for them to get the details right.

Why is that important?

Well, first of all, if a storyline is talking about something the reader is familiar with, they will KNOW when it's wrong, and the author immediately loses credibility. For just a simple example, I was reading a book supposedly set on Martha's Vineyard in March, where everyone was wearing tank tops and shorts for spring break. Umm, really? This is New England, not the Caribbean. The clothing should have been more L.L.Bean warmth than the barely there get-up the author described. Did I finish reading that book? Of course not. She insulted me by not knowing what she was talking about.


In my current WIP (work in progress), a cop goes undercover at a 5-star resort to catch a drug dealer. You'd think the cop stuff would be my sticking point, but my bigger problem was actually the resort.

I've worked in kitchens, but not a 5-star resort, and not recently. There are rules my story violated that I had no idea I was breaking, despite both my research and prior knowledge. For one of my Beta readers, I went back to the trained chef who first helped me understand the outline of 5-star kitchen hierarchy. She pointed out the health code violations my supposed trained kitchen staff were breaking. Would readers have caught these flaws and stopped reading because of them? Maybe. (Certainly she would have.) But I feel better knowing I got it right. And it gives the story more credibility as a whole.

There's a reason for the advice "Write what you know." The reader has to be able to trust what they're reading, or else it pulls them out of the story. But. If you don't know, research. And find an SME to help you out. Most are more than happy to chat about their jobs, and walk you through the finer points you might need for a story.

What do you think? Have you ever used an SME for a story?

Writing Wednesday: Kickstart your 2015 writing with Suz deMello's ABOUT WRITING

It's a new year and I'm renewing my commitment to both this blog and my writing career. As in, I need to take it all a lot more seriously.Write every day. Blog about more than book reviews and promos. Talk about, think about, seriously discuss both the craft and business of writing. And most of all, write.

Do you have new writing goals for the new year? I'd love to hear what other authors are thinking and your plans to take your writing to the next level. (I can use all the encouragement I can find!)

 * * * *

When fellow romance author Suz deMello, aka Sue Swift, contacted me recently to see if I wanted to feature her latest book about writing, I said sure. A book (or two) about writing should definitely get onto my TBR list sooner rather than later! Here's what she sent me about her new book, ABOUT WRITING.

 

Both of Suz deMello’s writing manuals - Plotting and Planning and Write This Not That, are now in one handy paperback.

Here’s what folks said about Plotting and Planning:

Sue has written a concise manual that is valuable for both beginning and seasoned writers. Going to write a book? Read this first!

--Bestselling suspense author Kylie Brant

Suz deMello's PLOTTING AND PLANNING is a concise, informative, and entertaining look at writing a novel.

--Paranormal author Silver James

Not only did Write This, Not That! reach #2 on Amazon’s writing reference list, but it also garnered many five star reviews:

Five stars...good advice and fun to read.

--Jo Frye

Five stars... Kudos to the author for a well-written manual!

--Book CraZ

Five stars from me... This short guide covers the essentials and is

useful for both new and experienced writers.

--Author Catherine Cavendish

BUY IT HERE:

http://tinyurl.com/deMelloAboutWriting

About Suz deMello:

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written nineteen books in several subgenres, including nonfiction, memoir, erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for such firms as Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

Stalk Suzie online:

--Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com

--For editing services, email her at suzdemello@gmail.com

--Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suzdemello

--She tweets @Suzdemello

--Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/

--Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads              

--Her current blog is http://www.TheVelvetLair.com