Regular readers of my Blog know that I usually provide posts about books that have won awards. Such as the Edgar, Rita, Agatha and others. This one is about the Daphne du Maurier Awards given out at the annual RWA Conference by the Mystery/Suspense chapter, affectionately known as KOD or Kiss of Death.
It gives me great pleasure to announce this year’s winners, in six categories, plus an Overall Winner.
1. Series Romantic Mystery/Suspense finalists were:
Loreth Ann White for GUARDING THE PRINCESS, Harlequin Intrigue
Paula Graves for MURDER IN THE SMOKIES, Harlequin Intrigue
Paula Graves for SMOKY RIDGE CURSE, Harlequin Intrigue
Rebecca Zanetti for UNDER THE COVERS, Entangled Publishing
And the winner was Gail Barrett for A KISS TO DIE FOR, by Harlequin Romantic suspense
2. Historical Romantic Mystery/Suspense finalists were:
Jeannie Lin for THE LOTUS PALACE, Harlequin HQN
Katy Madison for LORD COLERAINE’S SCANDALOUS OFFER, Katy Madison Pub.
Erica Monroe for A DANGEROUS INVITATION, Quillfire Press
Christine Trent for LADY OF ASHES, Kensington Pub.
And the winner is Linda Lappin for SIGNATURES IN STONE, Caravel Books
3. Inspirational Romantic Mystery/Suspense finalists were:
Robin Caroll for STRAND OF DECEPTION, B & H Publishing
Debbie Guisti for THE GENERAL’S SECRETARY, Harlequin Love Inspired
Irene Hannon for TRAPPED, Revell Books
Susan Sleerman for NO WAY OUT, Harlequin Love Inspired
And the winner is Dani Pettrey for STRANDED, Bethany House
4. Paranormal (Futuristic) Romantic Mystery/Suspense finalists:
Tamara Hogan for TEMPT ME, via Amazon
Mina Khan for WILDFIRE, Rashda Khan via Amazon
Daniellle Monsch for STONE GUARDIAN, Romantic Geek Pub.
Jana Oliver for TANGLED SOULS, Nevermore, Atheneum, Simon & Schuster
Rebecca Zanetti for SHADOWED, eKensington
And the winner is Angie Fox for MY BIG FAT DEMON SLAYER WEDDING, Angie Fox Pub
5. Single Title Romantic Suspense finalists were:
Toni Anderson for HER LAST CHANCE, via Amazon
Kaylea Cross for IGNITED, Kaylea Cross Pub. via Amazon
B. J. Daniels for FORSAKEN, Harlequin HQN
Melinda Leigh for MIDNIGHT SACRIFICE, Montlake Romance
And the winner is Kendra Elliott for BURIED, Montlake Romance
6. Mainstream Mystery/Suspense finalists were:
Gretchen Archer for DOUBLE WHAMMY, Henery Press
Allison Brennan for COLD SNAP, Minotaur, Macmillan
Rosie Genova for MURDER AND MARINARA, NAL, Penguin
Diane Hester for RUN TO ME, Random House, Australia
And the winner is Hank Phillippi Ryan for THE WRONG GIRL, Forge, Macmillan
And the Overall Daphne winner is Linda Lappin for SIGNATURES IN STONE, the winner of the Historical category.
What a difference two years make. Although some books published in 2011 received nominations and four of the 31 finalists were self-published books, this year’s 2013 finalists included many small press or self-published books, plus the Overall Winner.
Previously, Harlequin dominated the categories of Inspirational and Series, but this year they had to share awards with B&H, Bethany House, Revell and Entangled. Harlequin had six finalists (one winner), Kensington also had two finalists (no winners), and of the Big Five publishers, Macmillan had two finalists (one winner) and Random House Australia had one finalist (no winners). Half of the six winners were either self-published or Montlake (Amazon’s imprint) published. Which were most represented among finalists and winners? Small presses and self-published books had 18. The BPH, including Harlequin, had only 13. The tide has indeed turned. Congratulations to all.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
ANOTHER AMAZON PROGRAM FOR WRITERS
An article from Bloomberg.com, which I read on my favorite blog, The Passive Voice, tried valiantly last week to counteract Matt Yglesias’s article stating that “Amazon is doing the world a favor by crushing book publishers.” It listed all the steps Big 5 publishers go through to produce a book, and insisted that the process is too difficult and expensive for self-publishers to do. Before the day was out, that was countered by at least 95 comments from self-publishers who are doing just that, and far cheaper - to say nothing of faster - than the big guys.
Publishers, the middlemen between writers and readers, were once the only game in town, so authors had no choice but to sign the one-sided contracts that gave authors only 15-17% of the profit from selling their books. Compare that to the 70% of the profit Amazon gives authors who self-publish with them.
Amazon didn’t start out to crush publishers. Jeff Bezos was looking for industries where technology could make a difference, and “books” was just one of the six he found. I suspect that, in the beginning, even he didn’t realize exactly how far behind the times publishers were. Little by little he improved life for writers, and, when, instead of following Amazon and making improvements, the industry’s answer was to dig in, to fight progress and to demonize Amazon, he continued to prove how modern methods could change lives.
Now, just a few years later, the site AuthorEarnings.com offers statistics proving self-published authors (mostly through Amazon’s divisions) earn more money from their writing than all the traditionally published authors combined. Over 500 such authors have shared their stories that, for the first time, they can quit their day jobs and make a living selling their books.
How did Amazon do it? First with cheaper books, then with the Kindle e-reader, then its self-publishing program. Later they added their own publishing lines for every kind of book: romance, mystery, science fiction, children’s, young adults, textbooks.
Since then, they’ve added Kindle Worlds, where authors can write, and earn 35%, for stories based on popular “worlds” created by best-selling authors. Then came Kindle Unlimited, where readers can choose, for less than $10 a month, among thousands of books to borrow and read. Plus authors get paid for the “borrows.”
Now another program is starting. Kindle Scout gives authors an opportunity to be published, with a $1500 advance and the possibility of earning $25,000 in royalties, with no long-term commitment and the choice to leave the program at any time. The only requirement is submission of a never-before published book in one of the three most-popular genres, recommended by a group of readers as something they think should be published.
In my opinion, all of these innovations give authors an opportunity they never had before: to write whatever they want, get their books in front of waiting readers, be paid fairly, and treated like the indispensable partner that they truly are. When many authors take advantage of all the ways Amazon provides, who would willingly go through the trouble of trying traditional publishers? Who will wait for months to learn if they’re accepted (99% are not accepted), then forced to give up most of the income from their creations, to give up control of titles, covers, and prices, often for their lifetime plus 70 years, and to be prevented from writing other books? When enough writers take advantage of Amazon’s programs, then, truly, big publishing will be crushed, because there will be no one left for them.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned Kindle Scout because I intend to submit a book and, if hundreds of other writers do the same thing, I’ll have more competition. But, unlike some of the one percent of trad-published authors, I don’t want to keep it all for myself. Like most Indie writers, I’m willing to share.
Publishers, the middlemen between writers and readers, were once the only game in town, so authors had no choice but to sign the one-sided contracts that gave authors only 15-17% of the profit from selling their books. Compare that to the 70% of the profit Amazon gives authors who self-publish with them.
Amazon didn’t start out to crush publishers. Jeff Bezos was looking for industries where technology could make a difference, and “books” was just one of the six he found. I suspect that, in the beginning, even he didn’t realize exactly how far behind the times publishers were. Little by little he improved life for writers, and, when, instead of following Amazon and making improvements, the industry’s answer was to dig in, to fight progress and to demonize Amazon, he continued to prove how modern methods could change lives.
Now, just a few years later, the site AuthorEarnings.com offers statistics proving self-published authors (mostly through Amazon’s divisions) earn more money from their writing than all the traditionally published authors combined. Over 500 such authors have shared their stories that, for the first time, they can quit their day jobs and make a living selling their books.
How did Amazon do it? First with cheaper books, then with the Kindle e-reader, then its self-publishing program. Later they added their own publishing lines for every kind of book: romance, mystery, science fiction, children’s, young adults, textbooks.
Since then, they’ve added Kindle Worlds, where authors can write, and earn 35%, for stories based on popular “worlds” created by best-selling authors. Then came Kindle Unlimited, where readers can choose, for less than $10 a month, among thousands of books to borrow and read. Plus authors get paid for the “borrows.”
Now another program is starting. Kindle Scout gives authors an opportunity to be published, with a $1500 advance and the possibility of earning $25,000 in royalties, with no long-term commitment and the choice to leave the program at any time. The only requirement is submission of a never-before published book in one of the three most-popular genres, recommended by a group of readers as something they think should be published.
In my opinion, all of these innovations give authors an opportunity they never had before: to write whatever they want, get their books in front of waiting readers, be paid fairly, and treated like the indispensable partner that they truly are. When many authors take advantage of all the ways Amazon provides, who would willingly go through the trouble of trying traditional publishers? Who will wait for months to learn if they’re accepted (99% are not accepted), then forced to give up most of the income from their creations, to give up control of titles, covers, and prices, often for their lifetime plus 70 years, and to be prevented from writing other books? When enough writers take advantage of Amazon’s programs, then, truly, big publishing will be crushed, because there will be no one left for them.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned Kindle Scout because I intend to submit a book and, if hundreds of other writers do the same thing, I’ll have more competition. But, unlike some of the one percent of trad-published authors, I don’t want to keep it all for myself. Like most Indie writers, I’m willing to share.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
SCARY HALLOWEEN
Recently a blog that I follow ran an article, “Nine of the Most Terrifying Two-Sentence Horror Stories ever Written,” presumably in honor of Halloween this month. I’ll share two with you:
* * *
“My sister says that Mommy killed her. Mommy says that I don’t have a sister.”
“‘I can’t sleep,’ she whispered, crawling into bed with me. I woke up cold, clutching the dress she was buried in.”
* * *
Frankly, I would never read a book or story that started that way. I admit it. I’m a scaredy-cat. I don’t like to be scared and I don’t read horror novels. I read one Stephen King book and that was enough to turn me off. Judging by his sales, plenty of other people like his work. Just. Not. Me.
Scary movies are worse than books. In fact, I think my phobia began when I was a child (not sure of my age at the time, maybe five) and my cousins took me to a movie theatre to see THE BLACK CAT, (though I might have the title wrong). If a film we rented on Netflix gets scary, I leave the room.
Since I’ve always been this way, I can’t blame it on my aging brain, but these days, I don’t even want to know the news. Isis decapitating people. Ebola spreading. Climate change. Who needs scary stories when real life gets worse by the day? While my husband reads all the newspaper articles, I read the Funnies page, Dear Abby and the Bridge column.
Perhaps this phobia is responsible for my writing romance, where every story must have a HEA (Happy Ever After) ending. True, I also write romantic suspense novels, but they’re mild and often have humor. They’re not “thrillers.” My favorite mystery novelist is Agatha Christie, and my two novels featuring my amateur sleuth (soon to be published, I hope) are definitely “cozy.”
When those books are available, I’ll let you know, so you’ll be warned, in case even “cozy” mysteries are too scary for you. Hey, trust me. I get it.
* * *
“My sister says that Mommy killed her. Mommy says that I don’t have a sister.”
“‘I can’t sleep,’ she whispered, crawling into bed with me. I woke up cold, clutching the dress she was buried in.”
* * *
Frankly, I would never read a book or story that started that way. I admit it. I’m a scaredy-cat. I don’t like to be scared and I don’t read horror novels. I read one Stephen King book and that was enough to turn me off. Judging by his sales, plenty of other people like his work. Just. Not. Me.
Scary movies are worse than books. In fact, I think my phobia began when I was a child (not sure of my age at the time, maybe five) and my cousins took me to a movie theatre to see THE BLACK CAT, (though I might have the title wrong). If a film we rented on Netflix gets scary, I leave the room.
Since I’ve always been this way, I can’t blame it on my aging brain, but these days, I don’t even want to know the news. Isis decapitating people. Ebola spreading. Climate change. Who needs scary stories when real life gets worse by the day? While my husband reads all the newspaper articles, I read the Funnies page, Dear Abby and the Bridge column.
Perhaps this phobia is responsible for my writing romance, where every story must have a HEA (Happy Ever After) ending. True, I also write romantic suspense novels, but they’re mild and often have humor. They’re not “thrillers.” My favorite mystery novelist is Agatha Christie, and my two novels featuring my amateur sleuth (soon to be published, I hope) are definitely “cozy.”
When those books are available, I’ll let you know, so you’ll be warned, in case even “cozy” mysteries are too scary for you. Hey, trust me. I get it.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
BETTER WRITERS: MEN OR WOMEN?
Grammerly, a website that helps writers with grammar questions, recently did a survey of over 3000 writers and asked that question. 59% said women are the better writers.
Specifically, the results showed that in Plot Development, men are 55% more likely to get to the point quickly. Women, on the other hand, are 83% more likely to take longer and do more character development.
In the case of pronouns and determiners, men are more likely to write about people 56% of the time and about things 44% of the time. Women, on the other hand, write about people 68% of the time and about things only 32%.
Men and women writers are similar when it comes to writing about those characters. Men write about characters who are like themselves 54% of the time and about characters who are different only 46% of the time. Results for women are almost identical: 55% for similar and 45% for different.
Differences really show up when comparing writing styles. Men write long sentences only 34% of the time, and short sentences 66%. Women are the opposite. They write long, descriptive sentences 76% of the time and short ones only 24%.
Did the survey participants think longer sentences make women the better writers? Who knows? The final result is still very close.
* * *
A few weeks ago, I posted the news that my novella THE WEDDING GUEST, had been accepted for the Kindle Worlds series and many copies have been sold already. However, there are no reviews. If anyone would like a free e-book in exchange for an honest review on Amazon, please let me know and I’ll send one.
Specifically, the results showed that in Plot Development, men are 55% more likely to get to the point quickly. Women, on the other hand, are 83% more likely to take longer and do more character development.
In the case of pronouns and determiners, men are more likely to write about people 56% of the time and about things 44% of the time. Women, on the other hand, write about people 68% of the time and about things only 32%.
Men and women writers are similar when it comes to writing about those characters. Men write about characters who are like themselves 54% of the time and about characters who are different only 46% of the time. Results for women are almost identical: 55% for similar and 45% for different.
Differences really show up when comparing writing styles. Men write long sentences only 34% of the time, and short sentences 66%. Women are the opposite. They write long, descriptive sentences 76% of the time and short ones only 24%.
Did the survey participants think longer sentences make women the better writers? Who knows? The final result is still very close.
* * *
A few weeks ago, I posted the news that my novella THE WEDDING GUEST, had been accepted for the Kindle Worlds series and many copies have been sold already. However, there are no reviews. If anyone would like a free e-book in exchange for an honest review on Amazon, please let me know and I’ll send one.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
HAPPY ENDINGS
The cover article in the latest issue of The Writer Magazine is by Jack Smith and titled, “Start to Stop.” Mr. Smith says, “Crafting the beginning and ending of novels takes careful attention, patience, and a flair for the dramatic.”
We’ve been told from day one that, in order to be purchased and read, our novel must have a beginning that hooks the reader. Because of that advice, authors have spent more time on their first chapters, rewriting as many as thirty times. In fact, first paragraphs, even first sentences, get the lion‘s share of our attention.
Smith gives examples of good novel beginnings that are worth studying. Like all writers, I, too, have agonized over beginnings and worked hard to make them grab the reader. Here are a few from my books which I’m especially fond of.
From CHOICES. “Exactly an hour and fifteen minutes after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport, First Officer Reg Humboldt felt the strange vibration.”
From FREE FALL. “It seemed like only yesterday that Jennifer's boss repeated, ‘You're going to drive an airplane down the highway and park it in the middle of the mall?’”
From NORTH BY NORTHEAST. “Haley Parsons stared into the beauty salon's oversized mirror. A stranger stared back at her. The eyes, nose and mouth looked like hers, but the hair made all the difference.”
From STRANGER IN PARADISE. “Dana knew she’d fallen into a dream job. And, like a dream, it could disappear in an instant. Yet, she tried not to think of that. This was Hawaii. This was Paradise.”
From SOUTHERN STAR. "I wouldn't ask Gary Pritchard to captain Southern Star if he were the last skipper left alive in the Bahamas!"
And yet, I think Mickey Spillane said, “The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.” Smith gives examples of endings as well, although, not knowing the rest of the book, it’s difficult to judge them. However, I once won a contest by San Diego Writers Monthly Magazine for the best ending. From DEAD MEN’S TALES, soon to be published. Less than 250 words, here it is:
The client stood, dropped the check on the desk, and left.
I plopped down in the chair and picked up the check. The number itself wasn't that large but some nice zeroes followed. I waved it in Brad's face.
"So are you going to sit around your house being rich?" he asked.
"No, like it or not, as I said, I'm going to become your partner. I think I'm ready to be a private investigator."
"But what about your charity work, your Bridge parties, travel?"
"Oh, I'll still do my charity work and play Bridge, but compared to this business, the other is a little boring."
"You'll have to come in every day, learn a lot, work hard."
"I like hard work when it's really interesting,” I said.
"But it's so erratic: chicken today, feathers tomorrow. And, even when we get clients, sometimes they don't pay on time, or at all."
"I have an independent income." I waved the check again. "And a nice cushion besides."
"Worst of all, it can be dangerous."
I leaned back in the chair and smiled. "Don't be shy, Brad. Tell me what you really think."
He burst out laughing, leaned across the desk and gave me a high-five. "Welcome aboard, Partner."
THE END
We’ve been told from day one that, in order to be purchased and read, our novel must have a beginning that hooks the reader. Because of that advice, authors have spent more time on their first chapters, rewriting as many as thirty times. In fact, first paragraphs, even first sentences, get the lion‘s share of our attention.
Smith gives examples of good novel beginnings that are worth studying. Like all writers, I, too, have agonized over beginnings and worked hard to make them grab the reader. Here are a few from my books which I’m especially fond of.
From CHOICES. “Exactly an hour and fifteen minutes after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport, First Officer Reg Humboldt felt the strange vibration.”
From FREE FALL. “It seemed like only yesterday that Jennifer's boss repeated, ‘You're going to drive an airplane down the highway and park it in the middle of the mall?’”
From NORTH BY NORTHEAST. “Haley Parsons stared into the beauty salon's oversized mirror. A stranger stared back at her. The eyes, nose and mouth looked like hers, but the hair made all the difference.”
From STRANGER IN PARADISE. “Dana knew she’d fallen into a dream job. And, like a dream, it could disappear in an instant. Yet, she tried not to think of that. This was Hawaii. This was Paradise.”
From SOUTHERN STAR. "I wouldn't ask Gary Pritchard to captain Southern Star if he were the last skipper left alive in the Bahamas!"
And yet, I think Mickey Spillane said, “The first page sells that book. The last page sells your next book.” Smith gives examples of endings as well, although, not knowing the rest of the book, it’s difficult to judge them. However, I once won a contest by San Diego Writers Monthly Magazine for the best ending. From DEAD MEN’S TALES, soon to be published. Less than 250 words, here it is:
The client stood, dropped the check on the desk, and left.
I plopped down in the chair and picked up the check. The number itself wasn't that large but some nice zeroes followed. I waved it in Brad's face.
"So are you going to sit around your house being rich?" he asked.
"No, like it or not, as I said, I'm going to become your partner. I think I'm ready to be a private investigator."
"But what about your charity work, your Bridge parties, travel?"
"Oh, I'll still do my charity work and play Bridge, but compared to this business, the other is a little boring."
"You'll have to come in every day, learn a lot, work hard."
"I like hard work when it's really interesting,” I said.
"But it's so erratic: chicken today, feathers tomorrow. And, even when we get clients, sometimes they don't pay on time, or at all."
"I have an independent income." I waved the check again. "And a nice cushion besides."
"Worst of all, it can be dangerous."
I leaned back in the chair and smiled. "Don't be shy, Brad. Tell me what you really think."
He burst out laughing, leaned across the desk and gave me a high-five. "Welcome aboard, Partner."
THE END
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
SHORT STORY VERSUS MEMOIR
To my blog post readers, the following is my talk today at a meeting of the Writers’ Circle, a club I started seven years ago. This may be too elementary for most of you, but, as you’ll see, some writers don’t know the difference between memoirs and stories, and perhaps you’ll find something of value in this.
Many of you may have entered the News & Views Short Story contest. Some may have entered it last year too. The winner and finalists were published in News & Views throughout the year. Like some of you, I was a finalist, but, perhaps unlike you, I noticed - on reading the stories when they were published - that most were not stories, but memoirs.
Why do I say that? Because they sounded like someone telling me about an event in their lives, an event that really happened, instead of a made-up story.
Apparently the News & Views judges felt the same way I did, that the entries were not stories, but memoirs. How do I know that? Because this year they required the writer to include three specific elements in the story they entered: an annoying boss, a bikini and a fake illness. Since it was unlikely a writer really experienced an event containing all three elements, it seems to me they were trying to encourage writers to write “made up” stories, not memoirs, real things that happened to them.
It’s obviously too late for my advice today to show up in that contest entry. However, Writers Circle holds a contest every year too and when we say we want “Fiction,” we mean Fiction, which Websters dictionary defines as ”something invented by the imagination, an invented story.”
Therefore, if you turn in something with the pronoun “I," the judges have been instructed to consider that “non-fiction” meaning something not invented, but true, and they will put it with “non-Fiction.”
Now, it’s possible to write fiction in the first person, that is, using the pronoun “I.” I’ve written novels that way myself. So how does a reader know if the material is a memoir, or a short story written in first person? Well, one obvious clue will be the subject matter. If I write as if I’m a Private Eye, or a mass murderer or the president of a large country, you can be sure it’s fiction. But if there’s any doubt, be aware the judges may decide it’s a memoir.
So let’s define Short story versus Memoir. What’s needed to be sure it’s a story?
1. Pronoun. Stories generally describe characters as “he” or “she”, not “I”.
2. The plot. What happens in a story is generally very different from ordinary life. Not always, but usually. And those are the stories people “usually” prefer to read. Think of the popularity of what’s called “genre” fiction:
Romance, where the girl meets the Billionaire who falls in love with her and they marry and live happily ever after.
Mystery. Someone is killed and a smart sleuth figures out “whodunit.” Justice is served.
Thriller. A bad person wants to take over the world, but someone else prevents it and saves humanity.
Science Fiction. A strange new world is invented where strange things happen. Even if there’s romance or mystery, too, the strange world makes it fiction, not memoir.
If you read a book or attend a class, or a writing workshop which teaches how to write a short story, you will probably be taught what I was a long time ago. Namely,
(1) a character has a problem or goal or desire.
(2) the character is unable to reach this goal because of obstacles.
(3) the character tries - maybe many times - to succeed and finally he either reaches his goal and has a “happy ending” or he fails and has an “unhappy” ending.
What are the possible obstacles to achieving his goal?
(A) Man against man. Hero against a bad guy.
(B) Man against nature. He’s on a mountain and a blizzard comes up.
(C) Man against himself. He has a character flaw he must correct before he can win the job or the girl.
Read some short stories in anthologies until it becomes clear what a short story is. Deadline for entries is our February WC meeting. Good luck.
Many of you may have entered the News & Views Short Story contest. Some may have entered it last year too. The winner and finalists were published in News & Views throughout the year. Like some of you, I was a finalist, but, perhaps unlike you, I noticed - on reading the stories when they were published - that most were not stories, but memoirs.
Why do I say that? Because they sounded like someone telling me about an event in their lives, an event that really happened, instead of a made-up story.
Apparently the News & Views judges felt the same way I did, that the entries were not stories, but memoirs. How do I know that? Because this year they required the writer to include three specific elements in the story they entered: an annoying boss, a bikini and a fake illness. Since it was unlikely a writer really experienced an event containing all three elements, it seems to me they were trying to encourage writers to write “made up” stories, not memoirs, real things that happened to them.
It’s obviously too late for my advice today to show up in that contest entry. However, Writers Circle holds a contest every year too and when we say we want “Fiction,” we mean Fiction, which Websters dictionary defines as ”something invented by the imagination, an invented story.”
Therefore, if you turn in something with the pronoun “I," the judges have been instructed to consider that “non-fiction” meaning something not invented, but true, and they will put it with “non-Fiction.”
Now, it’s possible to write fiction in the first person, that is, using the pronoun “I.” I’ve written novels that way myself. So how does a reader know if the material is a memoir, or a short story written in first person? Well, one obvious clue will be the subject matter. If I write as if I’m a Private Eye, or a mass murderer or the president of a large country, you can be sure it’s fiction. But if there’s any doubt, be aware the judges may decide it’s a memoir.
So let’s define Short story versus Memoir. What’s needed to be sure it’s a story?
1. Pronoun. Stories generally describe characters as “he” or “she”, not “I”.
2. The plot. What happens in a story is generally very different from ordinary life. Not always, but usually. And those are the stories people “usually” prefer to read. Think of the popularity of what’s called “genre” fiction:
Romance, where the girl meets the Billionaire who falls in love with her and they marry and live happily ever after.
Mystery. Someone is killed and a smart sleuth figures out “whodunit.” Justice is served.
Thriller. A bad person wants to take over the world, but someone else prevents it and saves humanity.
Science Fiction. A strange new world is invented where strange things happen. Even if there’s romance or mystery, too, the strange world makes it fiction, not memoir.
If you read a book or attend a class, or a writing workshop which teaches how to write a short story, you will probably be taught what I was a long time ago. Namely,
(1) a character has a problem or goal or desire.
(2) the character is unable to reach this goal because of obstacles.
(3) the character tries - maybe many times - to succeed and finally he either reaches his goal and has a “happy ending” or he fails and has an “unhappy” ending.
What are the possible obstacles to achieving his goal?
(A) Man against man. Hero against a bad guy.
(B) Man against nature. He’s on a mountain and a blizzard comes up.
(C) Man against himself. He has a character flaw he must correct before he can win the job or the girl.
Read some short stories in anthologies until it becomes clear what a short story is. Deadline for entries is our February WC meeting. Good luck.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITERS
Amazon may be “The Everything Store,” and perhaps that’s what CEO Jeff Bezos is most interested in. However, writers are the beneficiaries of his interest in books. He started just selling books from publishers, but he made them cheaper than anywhere else, easy to order with “one Click” and gave fast shipping. And that’s not even counting inventing the Kindle and its later versions which has turned readers onto digital instead of paper books. Not that paper is dead or ever will be, but most writers report their biggest sales come from e-books. Some are making six figures and many have quit their day jobs because of that income.
Thanks to Amazon, self-publishing has taken off in a big way too. True, there was lots of it going on before they came along, but it was by vanity presses and a few scams where authors paid huge sums to get their books printed. Amazon’s prices are low and the books are high quality. If you price your self-published e-book between $2.99 and $9.99, you get to keep 70 percent of the price and payment is made monthly, not every six months like the BPH.
In addition, Amazon publishes books, and so many writers query them with manuscripts, it’s sometimes hard to get the work looked at, much less accepted for publication. Their lines include Montlake Romance for romance novels, Thomas & Mercer for mystery and 47-North for science fiction. There are also imprints for translated works, literary fiction and classics, among others.
Wait. That’s not all. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, Amazon hosts Kindle Worlds where best-selling authors create “worlds” to which writers can submit novellas, and if accepted, receive 35 percent of the price of every copy sold.
And there’s more. Within the next 45 days, Amazon will begin another program for writers in which full-length novels can be entered for possible publication with advances and a guaranteed minimum income. I won’t name all the other perks, but it’s an awesome list. I suspect the goal for this program is to lure authors contracted by the BPH (especially Hachette) because those writers can only dream of getting such a good deal from them. It’s no secret that the big publishers treat their writers very badly, with terrible contract clauses, to say nothing of keeping 82 percent of the money so they can afford their New York offices and fancy lunches.
But even if that is Amazon’s goal, I’ll be happy to sign on and try to get one of those deals. I’ve already been treated well by Amazon, with the books they self-publish for me, as well as having my romance novel SOUTHERN STAR in their Montlake imprint and my novella, THE WEDDING GUEST, in a Kindle World. I’m not earning six figures, but I’m a very happy camper.
Thanks to Amazon, self-publishing has taken off in a big way too. True, there was lots of it going on before they came along, but it was by vanity presses and a few scams where authors paid huge sums to get their books printed. Amazon’s prices are low and the books are high quality. If you price your self-published e-book between $2.99 and $9.99, you get to keep 70 percent of the price and payment is made monthly, not every six months like the BPH.
In addition, Amazon publishes books, and so many writers query them with manuscripts, it’s sometimes hard to get the work looked at, much less accepted for publication. Their lines include Montlake Romance for romance novels, Thomas & Mercer for mystery and 47-North for science fiction. There are also imprints for translated works, literary fiction and classics, among others.
Wait. That’s not all. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, Amazon hosts Kindle Worlds where best-selling authors create “worlds” to which writers can submit novellas, and if accepted, receive 35 percent of the price of every copy sold.
And there’s more. Within the next 45 days, Amazon will begin another program for writers in which full-length novels can be entered for possible publication with advances and a guaranteed minimum income. I won’t name all the other perks, but it’s an awesome list. I suspect the goal for this program is to lure authors contracted by the BPH (especially Hachette) because those writers can only dream of getting such a good deal from them. It’s no secret that the big publishers treat their writers very badly, with terrible contract clauses, to say nothing of keeping 82 percent of the money so they can afford their New York offices and fancy lunches.
But even if that is Amazon’s goal, I’ll be happy to sign on and try to get one of those deals. I’ve already been treated well by Amazon, with the books they self-publish for me, as well as having my romance novel SOUTHERN STAR in their Montlake imprint and my novella, THE WEDDING GUEST, in a Kindle World. I’m not earning six figures, but I’m a very happy camper.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)