The Emergineers

It's a banner publishing year for me.  First my SF suspense with romantic elements, ETERNITY, was released in ebook in May and then in Print in July.  This month my romantic suspense, EXPENDABLE, was released in both ebook and print and has already garnered a very nice review from Sizzling Hot Book Reviews.

Scheduled for September and October are the first two books in my Sweetwater Canyon Series.  They are Contemporary Romances leaning toward the Women's Fiction side--UNDERTONES and HEALING NOTES.

I hope you will take advantage of all the book giveaways I have going on and pick a few up to read.  It is exciting times.  Stop by my website to keep up with the news and the giveaway options.


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My book cover for my romantic suspense, Expendable, has arrived. Kudos to the cover artist, Kim Mendoza, and The Wild Rose Press. I'm quite happy with it and already people are saying it definitely exudes suspense.  Now, it's an impatient wait until May when the book is released.

Because this is a blog about emerging into publishing or to the next level of publishing I thought I would share what has happened to date and the timing. Remember, each author's and publisher's timing is different. Because I'm publishing with a small press, and I was able to accomplish all my major edits in one round, my release probably happened faster than it might for others. 

In August, while at my first Margie Lawson's Immersion Master Class, I received the email stating that the publisher was interested in contracting for my novel.  The Senior Editor, Lori Graham, identified one thing I needed to be willing to do before getting the final contract signed: reduce the number of point-of-view (POV) characters to three--hero, heroine, and villain.  I had five POV characters.  We ended up agreeing that I could have four POV characters because one of them was critical for a plot turning point that could not include the hero or heroine in the scene. I did what she asked, which required rewriting two chapters from the POV of the hero or heroine.  Ten I sent it back.  In November, right around the Thanksgiving holiday, I signed the contract with The Wild Rose Press.

In January, I got my first round edits.  This is where the editor marks everything that she would like changed in the manuscript.  Some of the edits are grammar corrections, some edits are to match to house style (when to italicize, when to capitalize), and a few are changing from passive to active voice.  Fortunately, I didn't have much of these basic types of edits. It's important not to have a need for a lot of basic edits because chances are you wouldn't get a contract if there are too many. The majority of the edits, however, are comments and suggestions.  Comments frequently involved items that needed clarification or were confusing to the editor--often it had to do with choreography and description.  Here's an example of one such comment:

Little unclear – can you rewrite and make it so the reader doesn’t have to “think” what this means?

The original paragraph read as follows:
Something wasn’t right. It didn't seem like the desert mountains, but the sound had certainly been gunfire. Reed glanced over his shoulder. Where was the rest of his unit? They never went on a mission alone in broad daylight. They must be hiding in the trees. He scanned left and right, then he left the cover of the chair and jumped off the deck, crouching low as he ran toward the tree line. 


Here is how I changed it to clarify the scene to the reader:
Reed peered into the stand of trees. Something wasn’t right. Afghanistan didn’t have Redwood trees. Where was the rocky, desert mountains?  Reed glanced over his shoulder. Where was the rest of his unit? They never went on a mission alone in broad daylight. They must be hiding in the trees. He scanned left and right for the enemy.  Seeing none,  he jumped off the deck, crouching low as he ran toward the tree line.

Other comments were things like, you need to cut this flashback section down to at least one-third.

My reaction to that request went something like this (in my mind, not in email) That flash back section? You mean the 10 page one that is the inciting incident and the heart of why I wrote this story in the first place? You mean the one I already cut from 20 pages to 10 pages before submitting? That one? Nooooooo. Anything but that.

Lori Graham, Senior Editor Crimson Rose Line, The Wild Rose Press

Of course, I didn't say any of these things to my editor, Lori Graham. Really, she'd been so nice and I had to "woman up" and be professional.  Actually, deep down, I knew it had to go. I just never had the guts to face the pain of it myself.  In the end, I did myself proud. I cut ten pages down to three paragraphs.  Gulp! Of course, she was right. It reads better now. It moves faster.

Some authors mistakenly believe the editor rewrites everything for you. NOT TRUE!. You still have to do the hard work of rewriting and cutting.

I undertook the first round edits during my Margie Lawson Advanced Immersion Master Class in January.  I think there is a pattern here. Does this mean I have to always go to Margie Lawson's home to get deals and do edits?  Not that I mind, but she might. :)  Also during that same week, the editor sent me the back cover blurb for approval. I had sent in my idea for a blurb when I first signed the contract. The editor then modified that.  I accepted everything the editor did except to change the last two words in the blurb. She agreed.

At the end of February, I received the second round edits.  Thankfully, because I did a lot of hard work on the first round (I mean my whole manuscript had pages and pages of red track-changes from what I added, deleted, changed, improved, cut). I also looked it over at least three times before sending it. I think this is why my second round edits were minor. I think about 10 total (things like a missed closed quote or a comma) items were marked.  Some people go through third and fourth round edits with their manuscript. It all depends on if the editor thinks you resolved all the problems or not.  Again, I have Margie Lawson's workshops to thank for my ability to get the first round edits done and accepted.

In the second week of March, I received the preliminary galleys.  This is a formatted version of the book showing how it will look in print or ebook.  It doesn't have all of the copyright details and may be missing other front or back matter; but it's all the content of the novel. It is the author's last opportunity to find errors and to make sure the chapter endings and page breaks all make sense.  If you have been doing your job all along, there shouldn't be much to change here. This is the point at which The Wild Rose Press starts their production scheduling. If you are with a big NY publisher, the production is scheduled at the time you sign your contract (usually 18 months to 2 years out). One of the advantages of small presses is that you can usually get your book into reader's hands more quickly.

At the end of March I received my cover.  The Wild Rose Press cover artists create the cover based on the author information you provided at signing about your characters, your story and any ideas you have.  The contract specifically states the cover is final. In other words, if you don't like it you really don't get any say in changing it.  This is typical, by the way, of most publishers (small and large). I know many authors who don't like their covers, from NY published to small press. I think the process of writing the book puts a number of detailed scenes in your mind, and no matter how wonderful the artist she'll never capture your mind's scene exactly.  The good news is that the cover doesn't have to capture the scene exactly, but it does have to capture the genre enough that someone who doesn't know you will say "Hmmm. That's interesting. I think I'll read the back cover blurb or the first chapter and see if I want to buy it."

However, if the cover really did miss the boat completely (e.g., it is an erotica cover and your book is an inspirational OR your book has two young laughing characters on the cover and your book is all about death and destruction), you can go to your editor and ask for a change.  It is then up to the editor to determine if your issues with the cover are significant enough to lobby for a new cover. There are never any guarantees it will happen. 

About the same time as I got my final cover, I also got the final galley.  This is the one they will use to go to print and ebook.  This also finalizes a date in their schedule and starts their work for creating the various ebook formats needed for the widest distribution. Again, the timing of all this with a big NY publisher is significantly different.  They tend to do their covers 6-9 months in advance of book release because they are already selling to bookstores for the next year.

For me, the whole process was nine months from "the call" to release.  It was six months from actual contract signing to release.  Remember: Each author's results will differ.  A nice ride. Now, I'm ready to do it again. Oh, and I'm ready for some royalties to start rolling in. :)

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to share whatever I know.

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Twitter and blogs are all buzzing with the Amanda Hocking story.  The young 26 year old who is now a millionaire by self-publishing her paranormal books that agents and editors wouldn't take on.  Her story raises questions about digital pricing (her books are between 99 cents and $2.99), about the "gatekeeping" function perceived by agents and editors, and about what readers want. The story also plays into the discomfort around the rapidly changing marketplace that has been created with digital readers.

Some authors are predicting the end of traditional publishing. Some agents are running scared.  Publishers are investing more in pursuing their digital rights and trying to make decisions about what type of line in the sand they wish to draw.  Some publishers are doing this better than others.

I have several friends who are currently self-publishing. Some of them are mid-list authors who never sold their digital rights and are now putting up out-of-print books. Authors are traditionally published authors who have books-of-their-heart that were never deemed marketable by agents or editors.  They are not publishing those themselves.  Yet others are authors who did reasonably well in sells in the small press market or e-press market but now see self-publishing as a means to get better returns on their work.  All of these friends are doing quite well, making money ranging from a few hundred dollars per month to thousands of dollars per month.  The one constant is they are all authors who have published with traditional or epubs in the past. They are at a place in their craft where they can self-edit pretty well.  On the other hand I know a number of writers who have not been published by any non-vanity press and who are now self-publishing.  So far, these writers are making little to nothing.  Does that mean there work is not good?  I'm not sure. I haven't read most of it.  But I do think it is a warning to all those who are frustrated with getting in the door at publishers and think they will make millions by self-publishing.

Unfortunately, whenever there is a story of great success, publishers and authors scramble to try to make sense of it.  Then the "haters" come out in droves as well.  On the one side are those who spew rhetoric about the evil satan of traditional publishers who have acted as gatekeepers and kept out great literature (usually the blogger's great literature). On the other side are those who believe that without the "gatekeepers" we will be forced to wade through the detritus of writers, who were previously kept from our innocent eyes, in order to find one gem.

To both sides I say "Get Real."  Throughout history the introduction of new technology has been met with skepticism and then, when taken up in sufficient numbers, people on both sides find ways to adapt and sometimes things actually get better for everyone.  Publishers are not evil. They need to make money like any other business.  There is nothing evil about the need to make money.  On the other side, the belief that all (or even most) traditionally published books are literature is also unrealistic.  For me, Twilight was not literature--not even close--even though it sold millions.  It did not sell because the writing or editing was of amazing quality. It sold because it was a good story--a story with the right combination of traditional tropes but enough of a twist on the vampire mythos to make it interesting.  It also hit a nerve with a younger generation that was yearning for adventure beyond Harry Potter.  But great literature? Not.

I agree with others in the blogosphere that there is room in the market for both traditional and self-publishing to do well. One doesn't compare McDonald's to a five star restaurant--or even a three star restaurant, yet it's very profitable and has an important place in the market. The traditional publishers who will come out ahead in this market, will be the ones who find a way to do both.  Notice some major publishers who are now starting ebook only lines--Harlequin, Avon.

For myself, I will pursue both publishing avenues.  I do believe that a good editor can make my book better.  I've already experienced that with my non-fiction books, and now with my novel debut as well. I like working with editors. I like working with professional artists who design my covers.  I like the distribution reach of traditional publishers.  So, when it works, I will go that route.

However, there are some books that easily fit into genre definitions and agents/editors can see them as logical sales. Others don't fit as easily and IMO the only way those other books will get in readers hands is through self-publishing. That doesn't mean they aren't as good as my traditionally published books. It just means agents/editors, who look at books as widgets to fit in a known market, don't see the market or don't feel comfortable making a sales prediction they are willing to stake their jobs on. That's okay. But I am no longer held hostage to their opinion. I can choose to take the chance on those books. With the new technologies and the royalties being at 70% it makes it worthwhile for me to take that chance. It's better than giving up on them if I still believe in their value.

Will I become a 99 cent millionaire? I doubt it.  But a few hundred dollars, or a few thousand dollars is better than having something I spent six months to a year writing gathering dust. It's an exciting time with lots of opportunities for authors in both traditional publishing and self-publishing. Tweet This

This picture was taken New Year's Eve 2001 in Niagara Falls (the Canadian side).  Boy was it cold!  Fortunately, my husband and I were in a nice hotel room with a fireplace.  It was my first time to Niagara Falls and I loved every day there--even with the snow and ice. That evening we did go out near midnight to see and hear the amazing Natalie McMaster and several other wonderful musicians.

In some ways 2001 doesn't seem that long ago, and yet so much has happened in the past decade. I have always been someone who uses the week between Christmas and New Year's to reflect on what went well in the past year and make new goals for the coming year.  I don't call them resolutions because that word "resolution" as a negative connotation for me.  Somehow it is like admitting something went wrong and I now resolve to not do that anymore.  It's probably related to all those years I resolved to lose weight. :)

2010 ended up on a positive note for me.  After six years and six novels, I finally contracted a book. My romantic suspense, Expendable, will be with The Wild Rose Press.  I  hope to see it released in 2011. My goal for 2011 is to contract at least two more novels.

My other writing-related goal is to be more strategic in how I use social networking.  I'll still use Facebook to keep in contact with friends and family, and fans.  But I need to have a real plan for everything else--twitter, blogs, linked-in, articles, tags, and whatever else may appear in 2011.  My approach so far has been haphazard. I need to make a strategic plan and stick with it.

How about you? Do you do resolutions? Set goals?  Or just let the new year unfold and deal with it has it comes? Tweet This

The day before Thanksgiving I signed the contract for my romantic suspense, EXPENDABLE, with the suspense line of The Wild Rose Press.  I'm really excited about this small press publisher. After talking to a number of authors who write for them, I am impressed.  The authors say the editors are excellent and the press has a reputation for treating their authors well.  After looking over the contract, I can see why.  With options for both e-books and print books it is a great way to go in this new publishing era.  I've personally read several of their titles and have also been impressed with the quality.

The next step is now working with my editor to make the book the best it can be.  As I move through this journey I will share it with you--editing, book covers, and release date.   Life is sweet!

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It's October. Late October.

The month before NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. The month we signed up for Cherry Adair's Finish the Damn Book challenge, and realize we'd better have an actual plot if we're going to start that damn book.

So what does that mean? Black cats, scary pumpkins? Murderous ghosts?

Yeah, that would be the standard Halloween fare.

But wait!

Why not take advantage of the season? Let's lift the black cat off the keyboard and make that murderous ghost pull his weight...or at least pay for all those dry erase markers he uses to communicate his evil intentions.

You see, October is plotting month. The time we prepare for those crazy days of November when our writing goal meter is pegged at 1667 words each and every day, the month we fail to cook, clean and do laundry in order to get those 50,000 words into the NaNo file.

We shuffle through orangey-bronzey-flamey leaves, taking the long way to work just to have a few more moments to add another intriguing layer to our fearless hero, a quirky pet to our heroine. We open the plot board and pull out the box of Post-it notes, determined to capture at least a hint of the black moment and the main turning points -- structural bones for our first draft.

We give our new darlings hair and eye colors, clothes and accessories, and dead people in their pasts. Lots of dead people. The more, the more motivated.

We take Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook checklist and fashion a crude synopsis. It's okay. There are 6 days left in the month to make it better than crude.

And then. Then it's November.

Where we give the ghosts...and the Muse full rein to play.

Happy writing.

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If you go to any writer's conference or workshop these days, your probably going to hear something about how important self-promotion is to your career. A number of PR and Media people talk about author branding. Publishers want you to have a platform or check out your website, blog, twitter followers. REALLY!! I figure I might as well stand on a street corner and just wear a sandwhich board. I've been watching the little dances professional sign holders do at the shopping center corners. I have the steps down, but the twirling of the sign not so much.

But when is it too much? Is it too much when the only time you hear from people anymore is to push their next book? Is it too much when half the posts in your writers groups are people asking for you to vote them to the top of the next contest? Is it too much when someone tweets twenty times about their book release? Personally, I find it scary and I wonder if we've reached saturation yet. I miss just getting that newsy email, or reading a tweet about how to solve a particularly difficult plot problem.

I must admit I'm a natural recluse. Yes, I can speak to 5,000 people in a conference and I have done it. Yes, I can get dressed up, answer questions, and even smile and actually mean it. I have a web site, a blog, a twitter account. But I don't think I can use all that only to sell my books or only to get something from someone to help me sell my books.

Maybe there is an art to selling yourself, and I just haven't learned it. What I do know is that I want to put the "social" back in social networking. I want to support fellow authors and I do want to know about the books coming out. But social networking tools are designed to be SOCIAL. Yes the word "social" starts with the same letter as the word "sales tool," but it's completely different. I'd like to get to know people a little. Understand what they do, how they think, what's important in life.

Contemporary author Maureen Johnson put it really well when she came up with her Manifesto against becoming a brand. Check it out. It's about time someone called a halt to using social networking only for blatant self-promotion. Really, a little friendly banter mixed with actual caring about people will go a long way. At least that's what my mother always taught me. I figure if we give back first, then when we do have a book to sell, that blatant self-promotion will be so much more appealing.

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