Hello, all!
I hope that wherever you are you're enjoying lovely weather. Spring has finally sprung here in Northern Ontario and everything outdoors is beginning to turn a lovely shade of green. It's about time!
I know you're all busy planning your summer writing schedules and setting achievable goals for yourselves, and as you're doing that, please be advised that I will NOT be scheduling any projects from August 5th, 2013 to September 2nd, 2013. I will be traveling overseas during that time and will obviously not be doing any work.
There will be slots available up until the fifth, and on my return scheduling will continue as usual.
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
Thanks!
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes*!
*With apologies to David Bowie.
Good morning, all! I wanted to post some new information for all of the Canadians out there! Effective immediately, you will also have the option of paying via bank e-Transfer, as well as via PayPal. This is a safe and secure way to make payments, so if you would like to use this option please let me know when contracting your project!
Unfortunately, this option is only available through Canadian banking institutions (and not all of them have it; please check with your bank to be certain), so my apologies to those of you in the United States and elsewhere on the globe.
More news is coming soon; please stay tuned!
Good morning, all! I wanted to post some new information for all of the Canadians out there! Effective immediately, you will also have the option of paying via bank e-Transfer, as well as via PayPal. This is a safe and secure way to make payments, so if you would like to use this option please let me know when contracting your project!
Unfortunately, this option is only available through Canadian banking institutions (and not all of them have it; please check with your bank to be certain), so my apologies to those of you in the United States and elsewhere on the globe.
More news is coming soon; please stay tuned!
Sunday, 24 February 2013
And The Oscar Goes To...
Did you watch the Oscars tonight? What did you think of the show? I didn't watch this year for two reasons -- 1) my husband had claimed the TV tonight to watch the final game of the Scotties women's curling event, and 2) well, truthfully, I just wasn't really interested. I've seen very few of the Oscar-nominated films this year, unfortunately, and while it's always entertaining to celebrity-gawk, I had other things to do.
But I digress. As this is a blog about writing and publishing, I thought I'd ask this question: do you have a favourite book that became an Oscar-nominated film? Several nominated films this year started as books, including The Life of Pi, Les Misérables, The Silver Linings Playbook and The Hobbit.
Have you read any of these titles, or any of the others? Would you classify any as your favourite book? What about the movie adaptation? How do you think the transition from page to screen was handled for these stories?
On the other side of the coin, are there any books out there that haven't been made into movies that you'd just love to see on the silver screen? Me, I'd love to someday see Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series on screen. What a visual spectacle that could be!
What are your thoughts?
But I digress. As this is a blog about writing and publishing, I thought I'd ask this question: do you have a favourite book that became an Oscar-nominated film? Several nominated films this year started as books, including The Life of Pi, Les Misérables, The Silver Linings Playbook and The Hobbit.
Have you read any of these titles, or any of the others? Would you classify any as your favourite book? What about the movie adaptation? How do you think the transition from page to screen was handled for these stories?
On the other side of the coin, are there any books out there that haven't been made into movies that you'd just love to see on the silver screen? Me, I'd love to someday see Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series on screen. What a visual spectacle that could be!
What are your thoughts?
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Happy New Year!
Well, hello there, and welcome to a fresh new year! Feels good, doesn't it? I don't know about you, but the changing of the calendar always fills me with excitement and anticipation. Because who knows just what a new year will bring, right?
How many of you out there are resolution makers? I like making them, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'll follow through. It comes with being human, I think!
But I believe I've learned my lesson for this year -- I've made my resolutions a little less strict, a little more general. More achievable. It's much easier to say "get outside and move more" instead of "lose twenty pounds", don't you think?
What about writing goals? Have you any for this year? Is this going to be the year? Are you finally going to give it a shot and put that story down on paper or on the screen? Good luck! Make sure to set goals and keep them reasonable and achievable. Try for "500 words a day" rather than "a whole book in a month". I think your chances of success will vastly improve with the former and not the latter!
Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to blog about specifically this year, and I'll see what I can do!
In the meantime, raise a glass with me to 2013 -- here's to success, to accomplishments big and small and most of all -- lots of fun!
Cheers!
How many of you out there are resolution makers? I like making them, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'll follow through. It comes with being human, I think!
But I believe I've learned my lesson for this year -- I've made my resolutions a little less strict, a little more general. More achievable. It's much easier to say "get outside and move more" instead of "lose twenty pounds", don't you think?
What about writing goals? Have you any for this year? Is this going to be the year? Are you finally going to give it a shot and put that story down on paper or on the screen? Good luck! Make sure to set goals and keep them reasonable and achievable. Try for "500 words a day" rather than "a whole book in a month". I think your chances of success will vastly improve with the former and not the latter!
Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to blog about specifically this year, and I'll see what I can do!
In the meantime, raise a glass with me to 2013 -- here's to success, to accomplishments big and small and most of all -- lots of fun!
Cheers!
Sunday, 16 December 2012
2013 Is Coming!
Hello, all!
Well. This year's been quite the ride, hasn't it? Thank you to all of my clients for your support and your business -- I couldn't be here without you!
Anyone out there a resolution maker? What are your goals for 2013? Will this be the year you decide to take the plunge and finally write the story that's been swirling around in your brain for months (or even years!)? Or will you finally decide to try and get your manuscript published -- either on your own or with a traditional publisher? Whatever it is, I wish you the best of luck with it!
Personally, I'd like to help as many of you make your writing and publishing dreams come true as possible!
In the meantime, however, I do wish all of you a safe and joyous holiday season. Let's make 2013 a year to remember!
Cheers!
Well. This year's been quite the ride, hasn't it? Thank you to all of my clients for your support and your business -- I couldn't be here without you!
Anyone out there a resolution maker? What are your goals for 2013? Will this be the year you decide to take the plunge and finally write the story that's been swirling around in your brain for months (or even years!)? Or will you finally decide to try and get your manuscript published -- either on your own or with a traditional publisher? Whatever it is, I wish you the best of luck with it!
Personally, I'd like to help as many of you make your writing and publishing dreams come true as possible!
In the meantime, however, I do wish all of you a safe and joyous holiday season. Let's make 2013 a year to remember!
Cheers!
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
NaNoWriMo -- Is It For You?
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!
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!
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!
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