Tip O'Day #399 - A Writer also Reads

Guest blogger Ellen Grogan on how technology and becoming a writer simplified her reading life – Not!

Two years ago when I got my first e-reader (a Nook Color), reading was simple. I read what I love, and I love historical fiction. Nine months later, things got a bit complicated when I decided to try my hand at writing. My reading time got divided between historical fiction and “how to write” books. Then, of course, genre books had to be added into the mix to further complicate things.

Several more months went by, during which time I discovered Facebook and started “friending” authors, telling them how much I appreciated their books, how helpful their writing had been, yada, yada, yada. More months passed and it was time to purchase a second Nook, the Simple Touch. It was lighter, more portable, easier to use for studying all those “how to write” books when on the go. Now things got even more complicated. So many wonderful authors, so many wonderful books they’d written, so many reviews to post on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads and Smashwords. Yikes! How did things ever get this complicated?

It’s been two years now and I’ve broken down and added a Kindle Touch to my collection, but only because of those dastardly DRM’s that prevent me from converting Kindle books to epub format for my Nook. Well, at least now I have all my favorite types of books, all my “how to write” books, and all my favorite authors’ books at my fingertips all the time on one or another of the e-readers. I am one happy camper, let me tell you. (Not!)

Most mornings, I spend five hours with my “how to write” books, learning and writing. In the afternoons, I spend three hours sampling books by authors who are new to me. After dinner, I spend another three to four hours reading books by authors I’ve already become familiar with and whose writing I enjoy.

I know, I know, you’re wondering how I find time in between all this learning and writing and reading for the editing work I do. No problem! When an editing job comes in, everything stops until that manuscript goes to print. Everything. Except at night. I will steal three hours each evening to stop and rest and read historical fiction – usually something by Margaret George because her writing calms me down and keeps me sane.

A little sanity in my life – priceless!

Tip O'Day #275 - Wet Behind the Ears

Guest blogger Tami Kidd on some surprising (to her) achievements.

(After raising two children and the turmoil of an unhappy marriage,) I now have the time to do what I've always LOVED to do, write.

Until last year when I entered the NaNoWriMo challenge, I never dreamed I'd actually finish a novel. I did. As part of finishing, the winners were allowed to get hard copies of their books published through CreateSpace.

I never previously considered self-publishing, mostly because it was called vanity publishing and real writers didn't do that. They were supposed to get published through traditional publishing houses. I decided to give it a shot and now my book is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble and it has gotten some great reviews. I still consider myself wet behind the ears and I'm learning as I go. I know one thing: the hardest part about publishing is promoting.

Tip O'Day #274 - Covers that Kill

Blog host Dixon Rice on effective e-book covers.

I’ve been editing comments for a blog post I'm planning next week about how readers decide to choose the e-books of unfamiliar authors. There seem to be five primary factors: cover design, the blurb, sample pages, reviews & ratings, and recommendations from friends. As authors, there’s little we can do about the last two, but I’ve got some thoughts on the others. Although I’m no graphic design pro, I’ll start with book covers.

In my humble opinion, it seems many self-published writers (and some designers) begin with a concept that works well at hard cover size, and then reduce it to thumbnail size for the e-book. This often results in a cover with jumbled images and teeny-tiny, illegible text.

Other problems with e-book covers may include: (1) Not reflecting the genre or subject matter; (2) Type that’s out of sync with the imagery or genre; (3) Typography that’s too complex, too busy, or lacks contrast with background; (4) Visual confusion from competing images and types; and (5) A lack of focus.

Let me share a bit of the journey with my thriller e-book, the first of a serial killer vs serial killer series set in the early 1970s. I worked with Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott - after discussing The Assassins Club with me, she emailed a series of rough concepts, shown here. I liked the feel of the body outline but thought it was too clichéd. The black/gray bearded character doesn’t appear in later books of this series, so that was out. I liked the scarlet winged logo a lot, and that ended up in second place. The beer stein pierced by a knife appeared dramatic, but I never warmed to that image - not sure why.

Since quite a few scenes take place in a rundown Montana roadhouse where the antihero bartends, the cocktail glass best reflected the story. But it didn’t yet “say” serial killer. And there were perspective issues – the top and base of the glass were equally in focus, as well as the cocktail napkin. Turning the glass to a sideways view solved the perspective problem. Suzanne and I brainstormed a few changes – the handle of a pistol in the corner, or a couple of bullets standing next to the cocktail glass. We wanted to better reflect the story, without making the cover too busy. Then I mentioned “bullet holes” and Suzanne sucked in her breath. The next day, she emailed me a design which became the final cover with very little refining.

Dixon blogs, well...right here at Wredheaded Writer. The Assassins Club is available on Kindle or Nook.