In writing circles, November has become known as National Novel Writing Month -- or NaNoWriMo. The premise of NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000-word novel in thirty days, and the idea has grown exponentially over the last few years -- from 21 participants in 1999 to almost 37,000 "winners" in 2011. ("Winners" indicates those who reached or surpassed the 50K-word mark. Many more begin, and many do not finish.)
For some writers, this caffeine-fueled writing frenzy is the kick in the pants they need to sit down and actually finish a project. But is it for everyone? Probably not. Some find the daily goal of 1,666 words too hard to reach. Others find if they miss a day it's too much pressure to get back on track. It all depends on your writing style and your willingness to turn off your internal editor and put anything and everything down on the screen.
On the other hand, some folks thrive under the pressure and produce work that they hadn't known they were capable of. Others find it completely freeing to write without constraints. It's hard to predict how it will go for you until you attempt it.
Follow the link at the top of this blog post for more information. If you decide to go ahead and give NaNoWriMo a try, good luck! Let me just give you one more tiny piece of advice on behalf of all editors and agents everywhere: when December first rolls around, please don't just submit that novel to any and all publishing houses and agencies willy-nilly. It will need work. It will need editing. It might even need a complete rewrite. It will certainly not be ready to submit! Take some time and work on it. Better yet, let it sit for a while and then go back and take a look. Publishing professionals everywhere thank you.
So good luck, NaNo-ers. Come back when the dust settles and let us all know how you did!
Cheers!
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
What's It Worth To You?
Someone I know posted a link to a very interesting blog post recently regarding the costs involved with self-publishing a book. The costs listed were those needed for professional editing and cover design services.
Personally, I find the numbers quoted in the post a bit too high. I can see them as certainly being prohibitive for the average person trying to self-publish.
This doesn't mean that I think authors should try to do it all themselves, however. A good editor and a good cover designer are worth their weight in gold. So this is where you start doing some research. Ask around for referrals. Your writers' group should have some information (and if you aren't a part of one, you might want to consider the idea. One or two serious critique partners are also worth their weight in gold) or you can utilize your friend and mine, Google.
If you're attempting to make your writing into a career, you can push the odds of success farther into your favor by making use of the resources available to you and doing what you can to produce a better-quality book. With a little effort, you should be able to find reputable editors and cover designers whose rates fall into your acceptable range. They're out there, so don't stop looking! Check for their work history and experience, and if there's a list of testimonials or former clients, take a look at that, too. It shouldn't take you long to find someone who suits you.
Good luck!
Personally, I find the numbers quoted in the post a bit too high. I can see them as certainly being prohibitive for the average person trying to self-publish.
This doesn't mean that I think authors should try to do it all themselves, however. A good editor and a good cover designer are worth their weight in gold. So this is where you start doing some research. Ask around for referrals. Your writers' group should have some information (and if you aren't a part of one, you might want to consider the idea. One or two serious critique partners are also worth their weight in gold) or you can utilize your friend and mine, Google.
If you're attempting to make your writing into a career, you can push the odds of success farther into your favor by making use of the resources available to you and doing what you can to produce a better-quality book. With a little effort, you should be able to find reputable editors and cover designers whose rates fall into your acceptable range. They're out there, so don't stop looking! Check for their work history and experience, and if there's a list of testimonials or former clients, take a look at that, too. It shouldn't take you long to find someone who suits you.
Good luck!
Friday, 21 September 2012
Things To Know: Designing Covers
Hello, all!
I hope everyone's autumn is going well and that you're all settling into your familiar routines.
How's the writing going? Have you set any new goals or achieved any of your old ones? Good for you!
I know that many of you who read this blog and who have contacted me are interested in self-publishing your books. I came across a blog entry today that might be of interest to you. It's written by author Sherry Thomas and was posted on the excellent Dear Author blog and it's all about cover design.
Take a gander here and make some notes. There's some excellent information available.
Until next time, keep on truckin' and good luck!
I hope everyone's autumn is going well and that you're all settling into your familiar routines.
How's the writing going? Have you set any new goals or achieved any of your old ones? Good for you!
I know that many of you who read this blog and who have contacted me are interested in self-publishing your books. I came across a blog entry today that might be of interest to you. It's written by author Sherry Thomas and was posted on the excellent Dear Author blog and it's all about cover design.
Take a gander here and make some notes. There's some excellent information available.
Until next time, keep on truckin' and good luck!
Monday, 6 August 2012
Hello, August!
Happy August, everyone...and happy Labour Day for the Canadians in the crowd! I hope everyone is enjoying summer thus far. It's certainly been a hot one, hasn't it?
Along that vein, have you been spending time at the beach or your cottage, curled up with a good book? We were on vacation last week and I started George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. It's a tome of a volume, that's for sure! It's a truly engrossing read, although I must admit I'm three-quarters of the way through the book and still having trouble keeping various characters straight (there are *many*!). It's a given at this point that I will be continuing the series -- I'm certainly hooked!
So let me ask -- what are you reading? Anything good you'd like to talk about? Let me know!
Happy writing (and reading!)!
Along that vein, have you been spending time at the beach or your cottage, curled up with a good book? We were on vacation last week and I started George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. It's a tome of a volume, that's for sure! It's a truly engrossing read, although I must admit I'm three-quarters of the way through the book and still having trouble keeping various characters straight (there are *many*!). It's a given at this point that I will be continuing the series -- I'm certainly hooked!
So let me ask -- what are you reading? Anything good you'd like to talk about? Let me know!
Happy writing (and reading!)!
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Anthologies? Yea or Nay?
Hello, all! I hope everyone's having a lovely summer so far! Are you suffering from the heat?
I thought I'd ask you today what you all think about anthologies. I am fortunate enough to be editing a great one that is being self-published by a group of ladies and should be available for purchase later this summer. (I'll certainly give you all the details when I have them!)
I know that some people love anthologies because they allow a reader an opportunity to sample "new-to-them" authors that they might not have found on their own. As I've heard it put, it's a great way to find a new author and then subsequently hunt down their backlist. It's a win-win all around, right?
Others, however, dislike anthologies because of the brevity of the stories. The format doesn't allow a reader to be fully immersed in the story's world, nor do they get the opportunity to really know and love the characters the way one might when reading a full-length novel.
What about you? Where do you stand on the anthology question? I suppose I'm on the fence -- I don't mind anthologies, but I do love settling in to a big, juicy book and really getting to know characters.
It's nice to know there are choices for all of us, right?
I thought I'd ask you today what you all think about anthologies. I am fortunate enough to be editing a great one that is being self-published by a group of ladies and should be available for purchase later this summer. (I'll certainly give you all the details when I have them!)
I know that some people love anthologies because they allow a reader an opportunity to sample "new-to-them" authors that they might not have found on their own. As I've heard it put, it's a great way to find a new author and then subsequently hunt down their backlist. It's a win-win all around, right?
Others, however, dislike anthologies because of the brevity of the stories. The format doesn't allow a reader to be fully immersed in the story's world, nor do they get the opportunity to really know and love the characters the way one might when reading a full-length novel.
What about you? Where do you stand on the anthology question? I suppose I'm on the fence -- I don't mind anthologies, but I do love settling in to a big, juicy book and really getting to know characters.
It's nice to know there are choices for all of us, right?
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Happy Birthday To YOU!
Actually, it's Happy Birthday to ME today, but in the spirit of giving and gifts, I'm passing on a present to you!
Have you finished that manuscript and are now hemming and hawing about the next step? Are you ready to publish but not completely satisfied with your completed book? Waiting for an opportunity to have another pair of eyes take a look? Well, now's your chance to move forward toward your dream of being a published author!
To celebrate my birthday, I'm giving a 25% discount on a proofreading or copyediting service to the next three people to sign a work agreement with me*!
So what are you waiting for? Let's celebrate together!
*Offer extends to the next three separate work agreements signed with Tanya Saari, Fiction Editor, or June 30, 2012, whichever comes first.
Have you finished that manuscript and are now hemming and hawing about the next step? Are you ready to publish but not completely satisfied with your completed book? Waiting for an opportunity to have another pair of eyes take a look? Well, now's your chance to move forward toward your dream of being a published author!
To celebrate my birthday, I'm giving a 25% discount on a proofreading or copyediting service to the next three people to sign a work agreement with me*!
So what are you waiting for? Let's celebrate together!
*Offer extends to the next three separate work agreements signed with Tanya Saari, Fiction Editor, or June 30, 2012, whichever comes first.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Spring Has Sprung!
Hello, everyone!
My apologies for the lack of recent posts. Our family suffered with some serious illnesses over the last couple of months and that set me back with a few things, including blogging.
However, here I am and I'm curious how all of you who made writing resolutions back in January are faring now? Any successes? Setbacks (we won't call them failures!)? I'd love to hear how things are going.
For those who've suffered setbacks, what happened? Was it a change in routine? Writer's block? Perhaps the challenge was overwhelming? Regardless of the reason, I hope you've found a way to make writing a part of your life. If you want to be successful at this endeavor, you need to treat it as a job -- not a hobby.
Remember, as cliched as it is, tomorrow truly is another day. It's a chance to start fresh. So if that story is still rattling around in your brain, not leaving you alone, then perhaps it's a sign to sit down at your desk and give it another shot. The only person stopping you is you!
Good luck!
My apologies for the lack of recent posts. Our family suffered with some serious illnesses over the last couple of months and that set me back with a few things, including blogging.
However, here I am and I'm curious how all of you who made writing resolutions back in January are faring now? Any successes? Setbacks (we won't call them failures!)? I'd love to hear how things are going.
For those who've suffered setbacks, what happened? Was it a change in routine? Writer's block? Perhaps the challenge was overwhelming? Regardless of the reason, I hope you've found a way to make writing a part of your life. If you want to be successful at this endeavor, you need to treat it as a job -- not a hobby.
Remember, as cliched as it is, tomorrow truly is another day. It's a chance to start fresh. So if that story is still rattling around in your brain, not leaving you alone, then perhaps it's a sign to sit down at your desk and give it another shot. The only person stopping you is you!
Good luck!
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