I love the summer months, but as it gets closer and closer to the day after Labor Day--when school starts here in Minnesota--I'm loving the proverbial end of summer.
During the summer, the kids get to bed later, which means Dad--me, in other words--doesn't get to his writing until much later. This wouldn't be a problem normally, but the city-run pool in our town closes at 8pm. Which means the kids are usually swimming until the eight o'clock hour. Then, it's a bit of unwinding before taking baths/showers and going to bed.
Many nights, it's after ten when this happens.
The upside to my morning routine is as such: the kids don't normally get up before eight--unless my son has football practice or weightlifting, which he does for most of the summer--so this means extra morning writing for me.
You need to find the time for writing wherever you can. If you need to go to bed earlier and get up earlier, do it. If you need to cut your night short a little, do it. Be aware of your body telling you if you're overdoing it. I used to be a nightowl. Many nights I'd be up until 1 or 2 in the morning hunched over my computer. Nowadays, I'm finding the morning to be a better fit for me.
If you need to make a change to your routine, do it. How much time do you need for your writing? That's up to you. Even if 15-30 minutes is all you can spare out of your busy day, you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you devote those precious minutes entirely to your writing.
What's cooking for me?
I finished a round of editing for inspirational novella titled (temporarily) Obituary of a Loser. I am also working on editing my next short story submission to Writers Of The Future. Things are going well, and sales for Beholder's Eye are trickling in--if you haven't picked up your copy on the Kindle, the link for it is along the side. You can even borrow it if you're an Amazon Prime member.
I also have the first five chapters up for free on this site too--the link is next to the Amazon link.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Do you have an Amazon author page?
Do you have an Amazon author page?
Yes or no. You either do or you don't. There's no sort of here.
This is my Amazon author page: Mark S. R. Peterson
Having this link in all of your books, blogs, and correspondence is a great landing page for someone who wants to know what you publish. You can list blogs you write, have a schedule of guest appearances, videos, even your Twitter posts.
How do you set it up? Easy, if you have an Amazon account. Click this link for Amazon's Author Central to get started.
Then, with each published book, make sure you add it to your author page. Somehow Amazon does not do this for you.
Yes or no. You either do or you don't. There's no sort of here.
This is my Amazon author page: Mark S. R. Peterson
Having this link in all of your books, blogs, and correspondence is a great landing page for someone who wants to know what you publish. You can list blogs you write, have a schedule of guest appearances, videos, even your Twitter posts.
How do you set it up? Easy, if you have an Amazon account. Click this link for Amazon's Author Central to get started.
Then, with each published book, make sure you add it to your author page. Somehow Amazon does not do this for you.
Monday, August 26, 2013
The importance of book descriptions
I recently revamped the book descriptions for both Beholder's Eye and Guest of Honor. Check them out:
Beholder's Eye: A Thriller Novel (Central Division Series, Book 1)
Guest of Honor: A Novelette
When you self-publish on the Amazon Kindle, you have roughly 4,000 characters (the equivalent of 28+ full tweets) to use. You don't have to use them all, but you should use quite a bit--unless you're Dan Brown or Stephen King, in which case they can just get by on their name; you can't. Now, there's nothing wrong with using the full allotment of characters--an estimated 700 words, based on popular belief. But overkill on a description may be too much.
If you have testimonials, put them in. Awards? By all means, add them. Brag upon yourself, if you must. Not only flowery and don't let yourself sound like a used car salesman.
I'm no expert in book descriptions, but I will quickly lay out the method I used for both of mine. If you find another way, use that. There is no one way to do so.
For Guest of Honor, I start with an overall view of the main character's world, then get into the story. Originally, I had a chronological view of the story--it didn't work. For Beholder's Eye, I go with the huge "what if" surrounding the genesis of the story. Whatever works for you, do it. Read an assortment of book descriptions in the same genre to get a sense of what they sound like.
Some say to make it sound like a movie trailer. I agree--to a point.
Do whatever works for you. Give it to a few people and ask what they think, if it will get them to buy the book. Ask for honest feedback. Because, as a self-published author, you can change it.
You can always change it.
Beholder's Eye: A Thriller Novel (Central Division Series, Book 1)
Guest of Honor: A Novelette
When you self-publish on the Amazon Kindle, you have roughly 4,000 characters (the equivalent of 28+ full tweets) to use. You don't have to use them all, but you should use quite a bit--unless you're Dan Brown or Stephen King, in which case they can just get by on their name; you can't. Now, there's nothing wrong with using the full allotment of characters--an estimated 700 words, based on popular belief. But overkill on a description may be too much.
If you have testimonials, put them in. Awards? By all means, add them. Brag upon yourself, if you must. Not only flowery and don't let yourself sound like a used car salesman.
I'm no expert in book descriptions, but I will quickly lay out the method I used for both of mine. If you find another way, use that. There is no one way to do so.
For Guest of Honor, I start with an overall view of the main character's world, then get into the story. Originally, I had a chronological view of the story--it didn't work. For Beholder's Eye, I go with the huge "what if" surrounding the genesis of the story. Whatever works for you, do it. Read an assortment of book descriptions in the same genre to get a sense of what they sound like.
Some say to make it sound like a movie trailer. I agree--to a point.
Do whatever works for you. Give it to a few people and ask what they think, if it will get them to buy the book. Ask for honest feedback. Because, as a self-published author, you can change it.
You can always change it.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Happenings In The Outhouse 23-Aug-2013 / New "Guest of Honor" ebook cover
Guest of Honor recently got a face-lift. Here was the old cover:
Now, I have a new professional cover. Check it out:
Pretty cool, huh?
You can purchase it through the Amazon Kindle store for near the same cost as a cup of coffee. Cheap coffee, that is.
What else is going on? First, I'm going through and cleaning up the book description for Beholder's Eye. I'm also working on editing my inspirational novella titled Obituary of a Loser. I'm about 75% done with it, and I need to add another 1500 words to get it to the 17.5K word novella mark.
Maybe by next week it will be done. Not sure if it will be ready for publishing yet . . . but it will be close.
Now, I have a new professional cover. Check it out:
Pretty cool, huh?
You can purchase it through the Amazon Kindle store for near the same cost as a cup of coffee. Cheap coffee, that is.
What else is going on? First, I'm going through and cleaning up the book description for Beholder's Eye. I'm also working on editing my inspirational novella titled Obituary of a Loser. I'm about 75% done with it, and I need to add another 1500 words to get it to the 17.5K word novella mark.
Maybe by next week it will be done. Not sure if it will be ready for publishing yet . . . but it will be close.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
A caregiver's guide to writing
For those people who care for the needs of others, I know how it feels to have your time sucked away. This is beyond the normal needs of children and loved ones. This is for those caring for people dealing with debilitating diseases like cancer and even Alzheimer's, but not just limited to those.
How does one find time to write?
The short answer: very carefully, and if it's only in short bursts, then do it.
It's how I write. Now, as my wife has been cancer-free from her leukemia for the past 2 years, she still deals with many of the side effects, such as tiredness. She's been going through severe eye problems these last few months too--she did back in October 2011, and things have progressively gotten worse this summer. And because of this, I end up doing the majority of the daily chores along with the kids. Keep in mind, I don't want pity from people nor do I want anyone to feel sorry for me. That's not the point of this post. What I want is to encourage those caregivers out there that you can do it, you can still realize your dream while at the same time care for the needs of others.
Are there times when I get frustrated and so tired from the long hours that I don't feel like writing? Yes. Do I still put words down on the digital paper. Sometimes. Depending on the day, most days I do, but mostly on the weekends I do not.
Your writing time may be limited as a caregiver, but even five minutes here and ten minutes there can add up over time. Be deliberate about your "free time." Commit to writing even 100-200 words a day if needed. A typical 75K novel at 200 words a day will be completed in 375 days--just a little over a year. Increase that amount of 250 even, and that number drops to 300 days. If you can't write daily, set weekly goals. Write those goals down, and track your progress.
You can do it. Don't be discouraged. Be deliberate with your time. Commit to doing the work you were meant to do.
How does one find time to write?
The short answer: very carefully, and if it's only in short bursts, then do it.
It's how I write. Now, as my wife has been cancer-free from her leukemia for the past 2 years, she still deals with many of the side effects, such as tiredness. She's been going through severe eye problems these last few months too--she did back in October 2011, and things have progressively gotten worse this summer. And because of this, I end up doing the majority of the daily chores along with the kids. Keep in mind, I don't want pity from people nor do I want anyone to feel sorry for me. That's not the point of this post. What I want is to encourage those caregivers out there that you can do it, you can still realize your dream while at the same time care for the needs of others.
Are there times when I get frustrated and so tired from the long hours that I don't feel like writing? Yes. Do I still put words down on the digital paper. Sometimes. Depending on the day, most days I do, but mostly on the weekends I do not.
Your writing time may be limited as a caregiver, but even five minutes here and ten minutes there can add up over time. Be deliberate about your "free time." Commit to writing even 100-200 words a day if needed. A typical 75K novel at 200 words a day will be completed in 375 days--just a little over a year. Increase that amount of 250 even, and that number drops to 300 days. If you can't write daily, set weekly goals. Write those goals down, and track your progress.
You can do it. Don't be discouraged. Be deliberate with your time. Commit to doing the work you were meant to do.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Books are like kids
For a disclaimer, I have three kids--all of which are still at home. My oldest is a 9th grader and the other two are in elementary school (we have no middle school in our district, and if we did, one would be there).
So, how are books like kids?
Prior to sending it out into the world, either traditional publishing or self-publishing, you pour over the first draft, then edit it so many times, getting it just right. The same with children. You give them all they need (shelter, food, clothing, guidance), and then, when they reach that age, you send them out into the world. Maybe, as teenagers, we give them a bit more freedom. The same with a book. We let a few choice readers go over it and give an honest critique.
Depending on the type of parents you have, most don't interfere too much in your life nor do they contact you several times a day. They give you immense freedom. I mean, how often should parents be in contact with their middle-aged children anyways?
The same with book publishing. Once they're out on book shelves or in electronic readers (i.e. Amazon Kindle, iPad, Nook), how often do you see how much progress they're making? Depends on what type of author you are. How often do you check the Amazon ranking? How often do you read the reviews?
Me? There was a time where I was checking the Amazon ranking for Beholder's Eye every few hours. I was excited when, after being out for two days, I started getting sales.
But I need to move on. I need to continue writing. And so do you. Obsessing every single hour about where the ranking is will only distract you from doing what you need to do: write. Write another story. Put it out there. Then write another.
Like a parent, you need to trust that the story is written well-enough and will handle itself. Now, you do need to be marketing the book--I will not deny that--but make that part of your writing process. Take the time to market it.
Then write.
So, how are books like kids?
Prior to sending it out into the world, either traditional publishing or self-publishing, you pour over the first draft, then edit it so many times, getting it just right. The same with children. You give them all they need (shelter, food, clothing, guidance), and then, when they reach that age, you send them out into the world. Maybe, as teenagers, we give them a bit more freedom. The same with a book. We let a few choice readers go over it and give an honest critique.
Depending on the type of parents you have, most don't interfere too much in your life nor do they contact you several times a day. They give you immense freedom. I mean, how often should parents be in contact with their middle-aged children anyways?
The same with book publishing. Once they're out on book shelves or in electronic readers (i.e. Amazon Kindle, iPad, Nook), how often do you see how much progress they're making? Depends on what type of author you are. How often do you check the Amazon ranking? How often do you read the reviews?
Me? There was a time where I was checking the Amazon ranking for Beholder's Eye every few hours. I was excited when, after being out for two days, I started getting sales.
But I need to move on. I need to continue writing. And so do you. Obsessing every single hour about where the ranking is will only distract you from doing what you need to do: write. Write another story. Put it out there. Then write another.
Like a parent, you need to trust that the story is written well-enough and will handle itself. Now, you do need to be marketing the book--I will not deny that--but make that part of your writing process. Take the time to market it.
Then write.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Happenings In The Outhouse 16-Aug-2013 / What next?
Beholder's Eye is out on the Kindle.
I have also enrolled it in the KDP Select program so you may borrow it, if you're an Amazon Prime member. I'm not doing the "free thing" (yet) as I have nothing else out in the series.
But I'm working on it--the next in the Central Division Series. I'm still undecided yet if I want to do the "free thing" or not.
I got it uploaded Sunday (after getting a cover done by a professional) and already I've gotten a few sales. Not bad for a relatively unknown author.
What's next?
I'm holding off on the Beholder's Eye sequel for the next few weeks as I have two projects I'm working on: an inspirational novella tentatively titled Obituary Of A Loser and a short story to be submitted next month for the Writers Of The Future contest.
The Obituary novella is about a third complete in its edits, and should be closer to complete by next week. The short story has a little more work to it. When Obituary is complete, I will be uploaded it to the Amazon Kindle too.
I have also enrolled it in the KDP Select program so you may borrow it, if you're an Amazon Prime member. I'm not doing the "free thing" (yet) as I have nothing else out in the series.
But I'm working on it--the next in the Central Division Series. I'm still undecided yet if I want to do the "free thing" or not.
I got it uploaded Sunday (after getting a cover done by a professional) and already I've gotten a few sales. Not bad for a relatively unknown author.
What's next?
I'm holding off on the Beholder's Eye sequel for the next few weeks as I have two projects I'm working on: an inspirational novella tentatively titled Obituary Of A Loser and a short story to be submitted next month for the Writers Of The Future contest.
The Obituary novella is about a third complete in its edits, and should be closer to complete by next week. The short story has a little more work to it. When Obituary is complete, I will be uploaded it to the Amazon Kindle too.
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