The Business Side: Letting Go of Things You Can't Control

Hello Secret Lifers! I'm a bit late with my post this week, but hopefully it'll be worth the wait ;)

So, we've talked a lot about writing on this blog (duh) lately, but one thing we haven't explored too much is the business side of writing, so that's sort of vaguely what today's topic is about.

First, though, a bit about where I'm coming from: it's been over seven months already since my debut book sold. Seven months! When it sold, and we started talking Fall 2014 as a release date, one of my first thoughts was "this next year and a half is going to take foreverrrrrr".

Is it Fall 2014 yet?

But um, well, no. My (tentative) release date is September 16, 2014, which means I'm already coming up on only a year to go! And that's a bit...scary. And before you all attack me with pitchforks and shouts of STOP WHINING AT LEAST YOU HAVE A BOOK DEAL, hear me out, because I want to tell you some things that I'm slowly learning as the months blur by and I get closer to "published author".

The title of this post is "Letting Go of Things You Can't Control". And here's why this is crucial to not going crazy if you want to make a career out of this writing gig: because there is a heck of a lot you can't control. 

You can't control trends. Readers are loving sci-fi this year, but by next year maybe they'll be over it. Bad news for my book.

You can't control what other authors are doing/writing/etc.... Want an almost surefire way to send yourself into a downward spiral? Go to Publisher's Weekly, go to Goodreads, look for any deals/ upcoming books that sound similar to yours. Then have fun mourning the fact that they're going to be out before your book, and that those authors are better-connected and more popular than you, and then you can sob uncontrollably in the corner while you think of your poor little similarly themed/plotted/etc... book getting left in Popular Author's dust. It's lots of fun, trust me.

You can't control what's going on in publishing. It's easy to get caught up in all of the doom and gloom headlines, talks of more brick and mortar stores closing, participate in the ongoing battle between traditional publishing and self-publishing, etc...And while there's nothing wrong with being informed with industry news, at some point it's all only a distraction--only an excuse to keep you from writing, because "if the publishing industry is circling the drain (which I don't think it is, for the record)", then why bother?

You can't control--at least not completely-- how well your book ultimately sells. I don't have personal experience with this yet, of course, but I know people who do. I know people whose books are doing well, others...not so well. Books--even big ones with huge marketing budgets-- sometimes just flop. It's like anything in entertainment; some books just don't find the exact right people, the right readers, the right booksellers who will passionately get the word out about it (and as a former small-business owner, I can tell you that nothing sells like that wonderful thing known as word-of-mouth). Granted, you can do everything you can: be active on social media, join other writing groups for support, go to conference, that sort of thing to try and up your chances of your book finding the right people--but in the end, there are still no guarantees. If there was an exact formula for selling a crazy amount of books, and publishers/authors knew it, don't you think they'd all be using it?

So. As an upcoming debut author, all of these things run through my head on a daily basis (trust me: you do NOT want to be in my head right now; it's a crazy place). Everyone might not be like me, though. I'm a bit of a control freak, I'll be the first to admit--and I don't like leaving things to chance or luck if I can help it. But if you ARE like me, then here's a secret for you: focus on what you have the most control over. Because there is, at least, one thing you do.

And what is that, you ask?

Regardless of where you are in the writing game, whether aspiring, agented, to-be-published, whatever, the answer is always the same: writing. You're a writer. Everything else is just white noise. At the end of the day, you can control the words on paper, and that's about it. But hopefully, if you focus hard enough and learn to control that well enough, then everything else will fall into place.

Happy writing!

Stefanie Gaither writes YA novels about killer clones and spaceships, with the occasional romp with dragons and magic-users thrown in for good measure. Said writing is generally fueled by an obscene amount of coffee and chocolate, as well as the occasional tennis and/or soccer break. She's represented by Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary, and her debut novel, FALLS THE SHADOW, is forthcoming from Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers in 2014. You can add it on Goodreads here!

You can find her on Twitter @: https://twitter.com/stefaniegaither

Or drop her an email at: stefanie.gaither@gmail.com

And also visit her website @: www.stefaniegaither.com 

Writerly Wednesday: One word or Two Thousand--It all counts!

Listen. We all have those days where you know you should be writing, but you just don't have the motivation to do so. Whether that's because you have a dozen errands to run that day, or your kids refuse to nap, or you just can't pull yourself away from that Veronica Mars marathon--life happens. And you know what? That's okay. 

If you're like me, you feel so guilty any time you don't sit yourself down at the computer and jot a few words down. But the one thing I have to remind myself is this: Sometimes it's better for you to skip a day and recuperate, than to force yourself to write words you'll most likely delete anyway. I've decided with my current WIP that I was going to take my time. And I mean REALLY take my time. For a while I always felt like I was rushing to get something done, and I think that's because I was anxious to get it into the hands of an agent/editor. That doesn't necessarily mean the work was sub par, but I know when to admit that I could have taken a bit more time to flesh things out. Of course, this is always a good reason to have beta readers/critique partners. Though, I can't help but consider that if I had given myself more time, I would have seen what the manuscripts were missing that I eventually added or edited out.

Recently I've taken more time on the WIP than any other. And what I mean is that I've allowed myself to take a few days to a week for some breathing time. Usually I push myself to write EVERY. DAY. It would get to the point where I just felt burnt out. But now that I've told myself that it's okay to take a step back for as long as I need, my writing has been better because of it. And more importantly, when I do write, I remind myself that it's OKAY to only write a few words each session. Sure, I usually aim for 2k or more, but if I only jot down a hundred give or take, I don't feel horrible about it. It doesn't do you or your writing any good to put more pressure than you need on getting your word count up. There will be plenty of pressure to come when you get an agent or a book deal. And even then it's all about finding a balance.

Even if you only write for 15 minutes every day, or every other day; don't feel bad for not getting in as many words as everyone on your Twitter feed. We all work at a difference pace, and that doesn't make your work or anyone else's any less. The fact of the matter is: you're writing. A book, mind you. That is damn hard and it doesn't matter when you finish (unless you're on a deadline) but you're getting it done, and that's all that matters.

Heather Marie is a YA writer who loves all things creepy. She enjoys writing horror/supernatural stories that make you question that feeling of someone watching over your shoulder. Heather spends most of her days reading and writing and plotting her next idea. When she's not in her writing cave, she enjoys watching creepy TV shows with her husband and picking apart plot holes in movies.





You can find her on Twitter @: http://twitter.com/xheatherxmariex
And visit her website @: http://heatherxmarie.blogspot.com/

Author Interview: L.M. Augustine

Hi, guys!

Today I'm interviewing author L.M. Augustine about his YA novel CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE, and his decision to self-publishing. Check it out below!

1. Tell us a little about your YA debut, CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE. Where did you get the idea, and did the final product turn out the way you'd envisioned it? 

Click was actually inspired by--yes--a YouTube video. I was watching a John Green vlog where he mentioned that two of his fans (one boy and one girl) met online and hit it off so much that they were organizing a real life meet up, and I thought it was so cool that they were falling in love through YouTube videos. Over time, the idea started to develop in my mind, and I kept thinking about how plausible that could be. I wondered all about what kind of person it would take to fall in love through the internet like that, what would happen to them, how the relationship would work, and then all of a sudden it was midnight and I was scribbling down the first chapter of what would eventually become Click To Subscribe.

2. What was your writing process for this novel? (Basically, are you a plotter or a pantser? And does that change every novel, or stay consistent?)

I am the most inconsistent writer ever, in that my writing process varies dramatically from book to book. I try to pants (*cough*) every book I write, but sometimes I find it not working at all and have to go back and write either a very vague or very detailed outline. It's mostly trial-and-error for me.

With Click To Subscribe, I only had a very basic idea of what the book was going to be about when I started writing. The characters sprang to life almost immediately, though, and they controlled the story and kind of ran with the plot which made for a totally awesome writing experience (but a lot of needed revisions).

3. Why did you decide to self-publish CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE? Perks? Downfalls?

I've always been fascinated by the idea of self-publishing. I'm kind of a control-freak (*ahem*) and there was something so appealing to me about the idea of publishing a book and doing it exactly how I wanted to do it, getting the book cover and the marketing plan and the overall control Iwanted. Self-publishing is certainly not for everyone, but I always had a feeling it's something I would love given my DIY tendencies. Plus I knew some authors who had been having major self-publishing success, and I wanted to try it for myself. I had a book I thought would be a good fit, so I decided it couldn't hurt to self-publish it, right? But still, I wasn't certain I wanted to commit to self-publishing. I put the book, Click To Subscribe, up on Goodreads and got on Twitter and Facebook as an experiment, still not sure if I would go through with it all, but when a few excited readers trickled in and I met some amazing authors and bloggers, I knew I had to do it.

For me, I love the control self-publishing offers. There's something totally thrilling about being responsible for your own book. I knew I wanted to be in charge of how this book in particular was edited (I didn't want the book to be changed to someone else's vision--I wanted the story to be mine, although it definitely needed the amazing beta and editor feedback I got on it), the kind of cover the book got, the marketing, the release date, and I wanted to be able to be my own boss. I work fast, and as much as I love and appreciate the one book per year standard of traditional-publishing, I felt as though I would work better controlling the release dates myself, putting out more books per year but setting my own deadlines, and not having to worry as much about not finishing a draft in time. Basically, I wanted to publish my way, and self-publishing let me do that. Plus, the royalties are better, you get to see your sales real-time, and best of all, self-publishing lets you develop a personal connection with your fans that you don't get otherwise. The last one has been hugely important to me.

The major downfall of self-publishing, for me, is the fact that I don't get a professional industry-standard editor behind me and my book, and while there are plenty of incredible freelance editors out there, there is something about a great editor at a publishing house that I really wish I had. I also think publishing with a major house offers built-in distribution and exposure; although there is no guarantee you'll be stocked in a B&N, the fact that you have someone out there pitching your book to bookstores is kind of incredible.

4. Do you see yourself continuing to self-publish your novels, or traditionally publish as well? Why?

I am definitely going to continue self-publishing. I actually already have a second book ready for release. :-) However, I am really excited about the prospect of potentially being a hybrid author and traditionally publishing as well. As I mentioned, I would love having a professional editor and the wide distribution traditional publishing offers, and I'm sure I could learn a lot with a whole team of professionals behind me and my book. Still, after Click To Subscribe, I can't see myself completely abandoning self-publishing either. It's too much fun (although stressful and hard work!) and it's too practical for me to stop. Let's keep our fingers crossed that I can find a way to do both!

5. What are you working on next? Can you give us a little hint? 

Yes! I am actually finishing up edits on Two Roads, my NA romance releasing on August 26th. The blurb is:

The only person poetry-loving Cali Monroe hates more than herself is Logan Waters, the geeky kid who lives in the dorm building next to hers.

Ever since Cali's parents told her she would amount to nothing, she has felt entirely inadequate. Friendless and alone, she takes on the mean girl role in hopes it will make her feel better--and Logan serves as the perfect target. He infuriates her with his obnoxiously long lashes, his all too perfect dimpled smile, and his complete lack of personality outside of his intelligence. So she begins hating him, and he returns the favor. Thus, their prank-filled, insult-driven rivalry is born, and torturing Logan quickly becomes the highlight of her life.

But when Cali's parents set them up on a blind date, she begins to realize Logan might not be as boring as she always thought. He shares her love of poetry, takes a sadistic pleasure in making fun of crepes, and he makes her blush when he calls her smile pretty.

And hey, maybe those long lashes of his aren't that obnoxious after all…

***

6. Since this is The Secret Life of Writers, you have to tell us a secret. :) So spill. 

Um... *ducks for cover* Well, vanilla ice cream are Cat and West's major obsession in Click To Subscribe, so I guess my secret would be that I actually hate vanilla ice cream. I know, I know. I'm awful.


If you want to hear more from L.M. Augustine, check out his Twitter and blog, and add CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE on Goodreads!

Andrea Hannah is a YA writer represented by Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider. She writes stories about criminals, crazy people, and creatures that may or may not exist. When she's not writing, Andrea teaches special education, runs, spends time with her family, and tries to figure out a way to prevent her pug from opening the refrigerator (still unsuccessful). Oh, and she tweets a bajillion times a day, mostly about inappropriate things. 
You can find her on Twitter @: http://twitter.com/andeehannah

Drop her an email @: andeehannah@gmail.com
And visit her website @: http://www.andreahannah.com/

SeCrit #10

By the time the dragons found me, I figured it was too late. The blood leaking from my torn skin slowed from a trickle to drops, like the steady ticking of a clock. Drip, drop, drip. Time was up—when I needed it to call out for someone, to fight, to run, but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. Because I saw the Olympians, the gods; therefore, I must be dead.
But reality returned in a violent lurch, releasing me from the darkness dragging me down, down, deeper down. They arrived in a frenzy of movement and sound. Pounding footsteps crushing the grass parched dry from summer's heat. Faces whirling above, varicolored masks. Swelling voices. Hands on my body, touching the wet, sticky scarlet stains.
The twelve gods watched, stoic and silent. The sight of them fading didn't make me realize I still lived, that my heart still pumped and my lungs still inflated with precious air. It was him, the sight of the boy with the pale skin and messy auburn hair and improbably bright blue eyes. It was his words of Hang on grounding me in the here, the now. It was him calling my name, calling me. He kept me from letting go.

The critique:

By the time the dragons found me, I figured it was too late. (You definitely had me at dragons.) The blood leaking from my torn skin slowed from a trickle to drops, like the steady ticking of a clock. Drip, drop, drip. Time was up—when I needed it to call out for someone, to fight, to run, but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. (Who is this character? Where is this situation taking place? I love the tension of this paragraph. Starting your story here is definitely an attention grabber, but the reader is left unsure of the time and place. We need a little more solid detail to really connect with the narrator.) 

Because I saw the Olympians, the gods; therefore, I must be dead. (I'm not sure I understand what this line means. Why does this mean he/she is dead? With dragons existing in the world, I feel like Olympians and dragons could co-exist. So I'm a little thrown by this last part. I'm intrigued by the mention of the Olympians, that's for sure. But I'm still not entirely sure what's happening. The narrator is fighting a dragon, clearly. But how did the character get here?)

But reality returned in a violent lurch, releasing me from the darkness dragging me down, down, deeper down. They arrived in a frenzy of movement and sound. Pounding footsteps crushing the grass parched dry from summer's heat. Faces whirling above, varicolored masks. Swelling voices. Hands on my body, touching the wet, sticky scarlet stains. (Who? The Olympians? Where did they came from? What is their relation to the narrator? Initially you tell us that the sight of them means he/she is dead, so the Olympians come off as bad. I'm not sure that's how you meant it. Perhaps this could be clarified by tweaking the sentence in which they are first mentioned.) 

The twelve gods watched, stoic and silent. (They come running but then they stall. Where did the urgency go?) The sight of them fading didn't make me realize I still lived, that my heart still pumped and my lungs still inflated with precious air. It was him, the sight of the boy with the pale skin and messy auburn hair and improbably bright blue eyes. It was his words of Hang on grounding me in the here, the now. It was him calling my name, calling me. He kept me from letting go. (I'm still not sure if the MC is a boy or a girl, but I think the first 250 could be fleshed out a bit more to give the reader something to work off of. As I mentioned before the tension is fantastic, but I'd like to feel more like I was there watching this happen, as opposed to confusing myself by trying to catch up to a story I was thrown into. With that being said, this is a great start! I'm absolutely intrigued with this story and would love to read more, but would like to see a few more details to really get a grasp on the time and place and the why of what's happening.)

Thank you so much to all who submitted! Please be sure to check back for more critiques. And thank you to the awesome author of this entry for allowing us to share this on our blog. If you'd like to add some constructive feedback to this entry, feel free to voice your thoughts in the comment section. 

SOME QUIET PLACE Giveway!

UPDATE: AND THE WINNER IS....

Dena Paterson McMurdie !

Thanks to everyone who entered! Dena, if you will please email your address to secret.life.of.writers@gmail.com, I'll send a copy of SOME QUIET PLACE your way! 

Happy Friday lovelies!

In case you haven't heard, our very own Kelsey Sutton had her first official book release this week!

I'M SO EXCITED I CAN'T EVEN

I had the pleasure of reading an early version of this manuscript way back when Kelsey and I first met, and it blew me away even then. It has such a uniquely awesome premise, which she handles beautifully, and I'm SO glad the rest of the world finally gets to experience this book too! And if you're one of the many people dying to have the chance to read, then you're in luck! We're giving away a shiny new copy of it below. The giveaway will run through the weekend and into Monday, and the winner will be announced Tuesday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And just in case you haven't seen it yet, here are the details about this GORGEOUS thing:

Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them in human form. Longing hovers around the shy, adoring boy at school. Courage materializes beside her dying friend. Fury and Resentment visit her abusive home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, except beautiful Fear, who sometimes torments her and other times plays her compassionate savior. He’s obsessed with finding the answer to one question: What happened to Elizabeth to make her this way?

They both sense that the key to Elizabeth’s condition is somehow connected to the paintings of her dreams, which show visions of death and grief that raise more questions than answers. But as a shadowy menace begins to stalk her, Elizabeth’s very survival depends on discovering the truth about herself. When it matters most, she may not be able to rely on Fear to save her.

Praise:

“Haunting, chilling and achingly romantic.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"An utterly original, compelling story—with maybe the most irresistible love interest of all."—Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of the Evernight series

"...teens will find this a haunting and fresh psychological thriller."—Publishers Weekly

Buy the book!

Writerly Wednesday: Critiquing & Critique Partners

I've been actually writing here lately. Believe me, this is a big deal because I'd hit a wall. I'm not sure what the problem was that was keeping me from moving forward, but I hope I've gotten over it. And I didn't get over it all by my lonesome. It took some very encouraging words from one particular awesome CP *cough* Stefanie Gaither *cough*. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Critique partners/writer buddies are INVALUABLE to the process!" If you're the type of writer who doesn't want/need writer buddies, then you are better than I, but this girl right here neeeeds someone to talk to who truly understands.

Me when someone who isn't a writer tries to cheer me up.

So, today I'd like to talk about what I think makes an awesome critique and an awesome CP. First off, I think finding someone you mesh with is very important. When Stef and I first started emailing, I decided to ask a few questions. They were very important questions like "Which do you prefer: Star Wars or Star Trek?" And I must say that Stef got a point against her when she said that she hadn't seen Star Wars.

My reaction when I read her response.

But I let that slide because she was funny and awkward and wrote in the same genre as me. And then when I got her first critique of my work, I knew I had to hold on to her. She wasn't afraid to be honest about my writing like some of the other potential CPs I'd been emailing with. BUT she wasn't harsh about her opinions, either. I'm pretty sure she was the one who told me about the "sandwich" method of critiquing.

Mmmm, sandwich...

This is where you give a compliment before and after a critical comment. This just makes sense to me because we don't want to bring our friends down, but we do want to help them. So, wrapping a comment like "This character action doesn't seem to fit who the character is. Seems more like author intrusion," with a couple of *honest* comments like "Love this word choice" and "Excellent description" can soften the blow. 

(Sidenote: Know that when you make the step up to getting an agent or an editor, this isn't the normal style of critique. When those awesome people mark up your manuscript, they won't flatter you for every time they want you to change/cut something. They took you/your work on so you know already they like it.)

I'd also like to mention that even if a CP doesn't give as many compliments as you'd like, you should never, ever completely dismiss their critique. If you don't agree with something, that's fine, it's your writing and you should follow your gut. But take their comments into consideration, at least.

A lot goes into giving a good critique. You're focusing on the work as a whole a lot of times. Does the plot make sense? Are the characters likable? What about the grammar, word usage, and punctuation? I think it's a good idea to ask if there's anything in particular the author is curious about. Are they just looking for an overall feeling/vibe the reader gets or maybe they're looking for how a relationship between two characters is developing? 

Also, I think an awesome writer buddy doesn't only critique. They're there to bounce ideas off of, to listen to you ramble until you hit that one thing that makes sense. And returning the favor is part of the relationship. 

And that's all I can say on the subject at the moment, but I'd like to hear from you! What makes a good critique in your opinion? Are you looking for a CP? Feel free to tell us about what you're writing and reply to others' comments. You never know where you'll find your perfect match! Can you tell that I love match making? ;)

SOME QUIET PLACE is Out Today!

This is the day I've been working towards ever since I was, oh, maybe five years old. Even then, I was writing stories. Granted, the handwriting was horrible and the plot was pretty much nonexistent, but I kept at it. And now, all these years later, I can walk into a Barnes & Noble and find a story I actually wrote on the shelf. It's an overwhelming feeling, seeing that. Surreal and wonderful and terrifying all at once. I won't tell you guys about my path to publication - it's been told so many times before - so I'll just leave you with this:

Don't give up on your dreams. Even when it seems like it's never going to happen, it's just too far out of reach, keep going. Keep fighting and hoping and believing that something amazing will occur and the impossible is possible. Because something like this could come out of it.

Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them in human form. Longing hovers around the shy, adoring boy at school. Courage materializes beside her dying friend. Fury and Resentment visit her abusive home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, except beautiful Fear, who sometimes torments her and other times plays her compassionate savior. He’s obsessed with finding the answer to one question: What happened to Elizabeth to make her this way?

They both sense that the key to Elizabeth’s condition is somehow connected to the paintings of her dreams, which show visions of death and grief that raise more questions than answers. But as a shadowy menace begins to stalk her, Elizabeth’s very survival depends on discovering the truth about herself. When it matters most, she may not be able to rely on Fear to save her.

Praise:

“Haunting, chilling and achingly romantic.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"An utterly original, compelling story—with maybe the most irresistible love interest of all."—Claudia Gray, New York Timesbestselling author of the Evernight series

"...teens will find this a haunting and fresh psychological thriller."—Publishers Weekly

Buy the book!

Kelsey Sutton has done everything from training dogs, making cheeseburgers, selling yellow page ads, and cleaning hotel rooms. Now she divides her time between her full-time college classes and her writing, though she can also sometimes be found pounding out horrible renditions of Beethoven on the piano and trying bizarre drinks at her local coffee shop. Kelsey lives in northern Minnesota with her dog and cat, Lewis and Clark. She is represented by Beth Miller of Writer's House, and her debut YA novel SOME QUIET PLACE is forthcoming from Flux in 2013.

You can also find her on Twitter @: https://twitter.com/KelseyJSutton

Drop her an email @: kelseyjsutton@gmail.com

And visit her on her blog at www.kelseysutton.blogspot.com

Summer Vacation Time!

Hey lovelies! Just a heads up: we're taking the week off to partake in a little summer rest and relaxation and enjoy the Independence Day holiday and such. We'll be back with more awesome next Monday! In the meantime, enjoy this Gif that always makes me laugh, just because I like you all so much.