Working Titlez

You know, I’ve always heard them called scare quotes. Those words you put within quote marks in a sentence because you are using a word with irony or even that you mean the opposite of what you are saying. I recently read that Grammar Girl, the voice of all things proper in the grammar world, calls them sneer quotes. Love it! I never understood the term scare, but sneer works quite nicely, don’t you think? Here’s what she has to say:

Double Quotation Marks for Scare Quotes

Double quotation marks can also be used sometimes to indicate that a word is special in some way. I bet you’ve all seen quotation marks used as something called scare quotes, which are quotation marks put around a word to show that the writer doesn’t buy into the meaning. For example, I could write the sentence:

Women achieved “equality” when they were granted the right to vote in 1920.

That would indicate that although women getting the right to vote was heralded as equality at the time, I don’t think it was enough of a gain to merit the word equality. More often though, scare quotes (which are also sometimes called sneer quotes) are used to impart a sense of irony or disdain. They’re especially common in nasty political commentary, as in Politicians “care” about their constituents*.

You can read here entire post, full of helpful rules and tips on using quote marks here.

Grammar is “fun” stuff. Really!

One of my favorites events, year after year, is the opening kick-off reception for the Las Vegas Writers Conference. It is just so much FUN to hang out with literary-minded folks — writers, editors, agents, publishers — who love their craft and encourage each other. Their creative spirits and determined optimism inspire me.

My Working Titlez readers know that I’ve always recommended would-be authors both join a critique or writers group and also attend a writers conference or two. You’ll learn so much. You can find out more about the LVWC here.

But wait, there’s more! All interested writers are welcome to attend the reception, even if you can’t attend the conference this year. This is a super event for getting together with other writers and networking in the publishing biz. Add it to your calendar and come on over!

Whether  a novice or veteran, writers need inspiration – and sometimes instruction – in developing or improving their manuscripts. But where to turn for sage advice?

Local colleges, community centers, and writers’ groups offer advice and support, and often classes … but they can be costly as well as difficult to schedule.

Now through iTunes, writers can access a veritable plethora of courses, both general and genre-specific, for free! Check out the list below, courtesy of MediaBistro.com:

New Mexico State’s Mythology Course

Open University’s Creative Writing Course

Washington College’s The Tolkien Professor Course

Oxford University’s Approaching Shakespeare Course

Liberty University’s Composition & Rhetoric Course

Open University’s Start Writing Fiction Course

Oxford University’s Tolkien at Oxford Course

Stanford University’s Literature of Crisis Course

Missouri State University’s Knights & Maidens Literature Course

University of Alabama’s Zombies! The Living Dead in Literature Course

For great cities aren’t just described by great novels. They are defined and shaped by them.

It comes as no surprise to writers (and readers, for that matter) that the setting is an important part of a story – whether novel or non-fiction – and often, can become a character in itself. The surprise is in finding a literary work that creates an identifiable backdrop – or captures the essence of a city’s character.

Las Vegas is certainly a character – and as a setting – quite popular. Unfortunately, Sin City is also an enigma, as book reviewer Patrick Coolican of the Las Vegas Sun remarks,  and few writers have been able to harness its pulse and put into words. Cynical by profession, Coolican readily admits that tackling the city that never sleeps is a challenge best left alone.

But then came Crit, Andrew Kiraly’s fast-paced vividly descriptive debut novel that isn’t about Las Vegas and until the end, doesn’t even take place in Las Vegas, but still, manages to impress Coolican with its “on-the-money” portrayal of the 24-hour desert town.  Kiraly’s talent gives hope to Coolican that the great Las Vegas novel is within reach. For the full article, read here:

Book signings, blog posts, Facebook entries … all are great ways for a publisher to introduce a new book and its author (or authors) to the public. An easily dismissed medium, but equally as powerful, is the good old-fashioned radio talk show. In fact, listeners get an added bonus: they can actually hear excerpts in the authors’ own voices!

This Sunday night from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Coast to Coast AM radio (100.5 AM and 840 AM, Las Vegas), Emmy award-winning journalist and radio host George Knapp will be sharing the microphone with Vegas Rag Doll co-authors Wendy Mazaros and Joe Schoenmann. They’ll reminisce about days gone by, the Las Vegas mob, and Wendy’s former life as the wife of a hitman.

It promises to be a (late) night to remember: a prize-winning interviewer, an accomplished writer, and a woman with a story that’s difficult to imagine come together to burn up the airwaves with humor as well as drama. If you’re not a nightowl, or won’t be in Las Vegas for this holiday weekend, you don’t have to miss the entertainment; check out the radio’s website here for archived shows and station call numbers across the country.

Congrats and kudos to our Stephens Press authors and editors who won Nevada Press Association 2011 awards this past weekend. We knew we were keeping good company! Bravo to Joe Schoenmann, Andrew Kiraly, Joan Whitely, Lynette Curtis, John L. Smith, Michael Green, Deborah Wall, Heidi Knapp Rinella, Danielle Kelly and Ginger Meurer.

Kevin Janison

Writers used to squirrel themselves away in remote cabins, dusty offices, revealing themselves only briefly to hand over completed manuscripts to their publishers or to appear shyly at the corner bookstore or coffee house for a book signing or reading. Rarely did authors speak to large audiences or get involved in marketing their great American novel.

But times have changed. Bookstores are closing — both big chains and little indie shops — providing fewer opportunities for book signings and appearances. Authors develop follows through their websites, tweets, and Facebook pages, but never meet face-to-face with their audience. Readers buy online or download straight to their Nooks and Kindles.

Stephen Nasser

What’s a writer to do? Stephens Press authors have found a way to reach out to the community and share their stories by visiting schools and speaking to students. Stu Michaels, author of You Can’t Make This Up! spent time with high schoolers in a creative writing class. Stephen Nasser, author of My Brother’s Voice, has presented stories of the Holocaust at middle school assemblies and Kevin Janison, has entertained elementary-age students with his Deputy Dorkface series. What a delightful partnership! Professional authors doing what they do best — telling stories — and inspiring a whole new generation of budding readers and budding writers.

Stu Michaels

Most writers workshops involve hundreds of people. Which is a good thing — many people to meet, connect with, network with, and learn from. But what if you could enjoy a different kind of experience? A handful of writers and a couple of pros. Three days of personal interaction focusing on you and your writing? Throw in a magnificent fall in a lovely Vermont inn. Sound good? It sure does to me. I’ll be there. Come and join us! Downloade a PDF of the workshop details and schedule here. Maralys Wills, writing teacher extraordinaire, and yours truly, will be leading a small group of writers over three days, from October 11 to October 13. We’ll cover everything from the essential great first page to the current climate in the publishing landscape. Plus there will be plenty of one-on-one opportunities and instruction tailored to the student’s needs.

Any writer who asks my advice gets it — and inevitably that advice includes find a critique group. They aren’t all the same, and sometimes you need to visit two or three before you find the perfect fit between nurturing your creativity and stretching your abilities. Guest blogger Tim Sunderland shares some tips for finding and participating in the best writer’s critique group for you. ~ CHU

By Guest Blogger Tim Sunderland

I can scarcely concentrate long enough to vacuum the front room, let alone create a literary work that may take more than a year. But after more than two-and-a-half years I now have a finished draft—117,000 words, 456 pages—and it’s readable and even good.

I never would have made it without the help of a literary critique group.

We meet weekly for two hours in a local chain bookstore (hint—the only chain left): a small group of people taking turns reading novels and short stories, trying to be heard over the Musak. Afterwards we sit bravely while the rest of the group makes comments, from punctuation to lapses in logic to a shake of the head followed by, “I’m not sure that would happen in real life.” Our members range from unpublished writers with promise to a retired educator with more than 300 published poems and a dozen short stories in print.

Because of this group, I’m a better writer.

Here is a list of my observations about what makes a good critique group, and how you can make the best of them:

Frequency—The group should meet weekly. Especially for writers working on novels and lengthier works, you should meet often enough that members recall the story line.

Strong Management—The group needs a leader. This person doesn’t need to be a published writer, few of us are. But they need to be a leader. They make sure people get a chance to read, that one person does not dominate, and that the criticism is constructive. There is a difference between a leader and a Nazi. Stay away from the latter.

The Leader Needs to Make Some Tough Decisions—Sometimes a member crosses a line—inappropriate material or harsh criticism. The leader has to control these things. Our leader has even had to suggest that some people leave the group.

The Group Should be Nurturing—Some writers have good ideas and themes, but they haven’t found their voice (I reread some of my early chapters and I shudder—what drabble!). A good critique group will nurture. They instinctively know not to rip you apart and destroy your fragile ego, even though the writing is a little raw. They will carry you along and wait for you to get better.

Recognize the Weaknesses of this Format—Few members have perfect attendance. One of your chapters may be relying heavily on action in an earlier chapter. If some of the members were absent for that reading, there will be a disconnect. One of the final chapters in my novel draws heavily from a chapter near the beginning. I emailed everyone the earlier chapter so they could fully appreciate the relevance. Critique groups are good for the immediate stuff, but as a judge of the work in its entirety, few of the members will hear your complete book, and if they do, it will be over a longer period of time.

Listen to the Group—In a scene midway through my novel a homeless man—a second-tier character—loses his shopping cart. The event furthered the action in the book and helped develop another character. Afterwards a member confided to me that she was very concerned about the character losing his cart. I thought about it and realized he needed to get a new one. In fact, it figures strongly in the resolution of the plot. Had she not made that comment, I’m not sure that ending would have occurred to me.

You Don’t Have to Take Every Piece of Advice—There are some absolutes. Typos, misspellings, grammar and punctuation (unless you’re Cormac McCarthy) are hard and fast rules. But if someone makes a comment on the story line or your style, it’s your choice to heed it.

I can write much more about critique groups, but these are the highlights. If you are looking for a group, shop around. Don’t settle for the first one. Also, make sure you reserve a page in your book for acknowledgements, and please spell everyone’s name correctly.

Tim Sunderland recently finished the draft of his first novel, Rules for Giving.  He is currently editing the piece and plans on seeking an agent in early 2012. Visit his blog at What If You Could Not Fail.

Can you make a bunch of money selling books like burgers? Possibly. Guest blogger Sue Campbell analyzes the commonalities of the e-books that make the bucks. You might be surprised at some of them. ~CHU

Can Anyone Sell a Million Books on Amazon …

By Guest Blogger Sue Campbell

I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. I recently read, How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months by John Locke. Yes, I was one of the multitudes who clicked that “1-click” buy button. So, you’re asking, what is his secret sauce? How’d he do it? Could he do it again? The short answer to that last thing is yes. And he will, again, and again, and again.

His strategy boils down to just three obvious things. He writes for his niche market, and he uses Twitter/Blogs/and an Email list of his buyers to get the word out, and the third is price. That’s it. If you’re like a writer friend of mine who hasn’t sold a million ebooks yet, you’re thinking, “Well, that’s not new, it’s no different than what I, or thousands of other self-published authors are doing.”

So what’s really the secret? He’s writing for a niche. A niche he’s identified, learned what they want, and is delivering it, over and over and over as fast as possible.  Remind you of a super-successful business model? It should.

1. The niche—it’s a very popular one. Light, but often violent, and funny, sexy thrillers. He says his a small niche—I would argue that one of the biggest “niches” in bestsellers today. He writes to it religiously and doesn’t waver much from his formula. He’s found if he does, his readers don’t like it. And you piss off your readers at your peril.

So if it’s such a big niche, how are his books different from the pack and how is it they are they selling up there with the bigger names? Well there is a difference. And you’d think it wouldn’t be a good one.

The difference is slight, but noticeable. Sort of like the difference between a Big Mac and Fat Burger, (or In-N-Out, or Carls Jr.’s $6 Burger—name your favorite poison). The first is adequate, and will tide you over until your next meal, but somewhat less satisfying than a really superb burger. Something is missing, even if you can’t quite pinpoint what it is.

What it is—is the richness, the details, the building of characters, that subtle nuance of language in the hands of a master. And there are masters of language even in these genres, I know this, because I’ve read these genres, and I like them. A lot.

Some of my favorite thrillers are books by Joseph Finder, Lee Child, Harlan Coben, John Grisham, and yes, even James Patterson (though he’s perilously close to the flavor of a Big Mac). There are more. This is a big wide and deep field—people eat this stuff up. Like McDonalds. But like fast food, there’s room in this field for Carls, In-N-Out, Fat Burger, and McDonalds too.

To be fair, I needed to understand what it was these new millionaire authors were peddling to understand why they are so successful. So I read some. Locke’s, Saving Rachel; J.A. Konrath’s Shot of Tequila and he and his writers friends’ Draculas; Barry Eisler’s Lost Coast; Amanda Hocking’s, Switched; and other titles by lesser known, self-published authors. But those four authors in particular are notable, because they have all done very, very well in this arena. All but Hocking are writing in the thriller/crime/police procedural/hard boiled—whatever you want to call that “niche” genre. (Draculas was a horror/splatterpunk romp).

The young Miss Hocking writes young adult fantasy, and paranormal romance (ala Twilight) also a particular niche audience with rabid fans who’ll slurp up anything with fangs and broken hearts. But she too writes to her niche and only her niche.

All of them have something in common, aside from writing similar stories in similar ways, they share a strategy. (No Locke didn’t reinvent the wheel as he likes to think he has.) These books are, by and large, fairly short fast reads. Predictable, hmmm, maybe. They are like junk food—you get what you want and you don’t have to work very hard to receive it. They don’t challenge you; they don’t ask anything of you; they don’t make you think; and they aren’t likely to stay with you long after you’ve finished one. In fact I’ve started one, and skipped to another (by another author) and hardly knew I was reading another character, let alone another book.

And let me say right now, unequivocally, that they aren’t bad, well, not really bad. These stories are entertaining, fun, and an easy way to spend an afternoon and perhaps the evening too, depending on how fast you read.

I can’t say they are really good either, but that’s the bookish snob in me. I like good literature too, and I swoon over a well-wrought sentence. Probably because it’s something that I’d like to aspire to, but realistically don’t think I’d ever achieve. Sometimes I want a gourmet meal, other times a burger suits me fine. There’s a place for both. And that analogy brings me back the strategy and How He Did It.

2. A low, low price. It’s vitally important.

Let’s say that I have a choice between a known writer, like a Stephen King or a John Grisham, or an unknown. Like McDonalds, I know what I am going to get. I’ve read them before, they’re good at what they do—some would put them in the masterful category (I’d be one of them). High art? Maybe not, but master writers just the same. Their ebooks are selling for between $5 and $10. Granted they are longer, some of them much, much longer—and I know that I’ll get what I paid for—I’ll have a relationship with that book for several days. Also, because I’ve had good experiences before with the author—I’m pretty sure I will enjoy it. These are bargains really—newer titles may be priced in the $20 range. (I know why they are priced there—they have publishers, costs are higher… it’s not greed. Another story for another time.)

Then there are the books by authors completely unknown to me, selling from 99¢ to $5. Thousands of them, in every genre imaginable, and some I can’t begin to imagine. Most of these works are hanging right around $2.99. This is the magic number, or so it seems. Why? There’s no scientific reason I can figure out. Except that it’s as low as you can go and still get Amazon’s 70% royalty rate. Books sold for under $2.99 or over $9.99 earn the author (or publisher) 35%.

Pricing your book this low isn’t instinctive to most new authors. After all they want to become rich and famous and the may have toiled for years over their masterpiece. Right? Right, but they won’t, and it doesn’t matter.

An author must put on their reader’s hat and ask, “Which would I rather do? Spend nearly $20 on a book by someone I know, and will need to spend a week reading, or hey here’s a book almost like that one for less than a buck? Does it matter that I don’t know the author? Will I think twice about spending a buck to see if it was worth it?” Did you think twice about buying that pack of gum, or can of soda? Now also factor in that you (unknown author) are not Stephen King or John Grisham and your prospective reader doesn’t know what they are going to get.

A low price will allow readers to take a chance without even giving it a thought. And writing to the niche, allows readers discovering the new author to get more of what they (hopefully enjoyed the first time). That equals series. Every one of these authors is writing series novels. Almost without exception the first book is 99¢ and subsequent books in the series are $2.99. Like a crack dealer, give them a taste and keep them coming back for more.

But I can hear authors saying, “How can I make a living on that paltry amount?” Volume. They must keep writing more, and publishing more. Of course if they really did spend years polishing that treatise, this strategy is going to be very hard to make it work for them.

In a recent interview in the NYT, Amanda Hocking admitted to spending about two weeks on her novels. (That maybe just the first draft, but they don’t go through more than a couple of rewrites/edits.) Two weeks. That’s … fast. The other fellows are fast too—publishing several books a year, though maybe not this fast. Which brings me to the difference, and the one I said you’d think would not be a good thing.

The fact that these are multi-book series, and fast reads, not long, and not challenging to read—possibly makes them a bit less challenging to write as well? No thesauruses’ were harmed in the writing of these books. Weeks were not spent agonizing over a sentence until it sang like poetry. They are straightforward writing. For thrillers, plot is king—so not much character development takes place. And speaking of plot—plausibility is sometimes optional. But let me reiterate, in case you think I’m hating on them. Not so, they are what they are—enjoyable so long as you understand what you’re getting. Also, they are short, and did I mention, cheap?

That means I am not going to spend a long time with them—they are a weekend fling. Fast food. If I want a relationship—I’ll date Stephen King. So sometimes fast, and shallow is a good thing.

Reviewing: popular niche, series, cheap. What else?

3.  Marketing. In this case social networking.

Here’s where it gets a little murky. Locke goes into some detail to explain that his marketing consists of infrequent blog posts that resonate with his “niche” audience. He has cultivated some 20K Twitter followers and he Tweets regularly, and re-Tweets items by others that relate to his blog posts. Importantly, he says that these posts must be genuine and heartfelt to be effective. Right, well that sounds reasonable. He devotes about an hour a day to this activity.

What he does do that other self-publishers don’t, is to keep his blatant plugs pretty low key, and never presented alone. As in a post that consists solely of “Hey buy my book, you’ll love it because it’s good.” Frankly, I prefer this soft-sell approach.

What he relies on most are his cultivated list of buyers to spread the word. I for one am far more likely to take the word of readers than that of the author that a book is worth my time,. But honestly, I am suspicious of books whose Amazon pages contains 20 five-star reviews and not a one lower than that. I am far more likely to put credence in reviews if there are at least one or two dissenters. For some reason, it looks more realistic, and less like your mother and all your friends reviewed the book, and no one else has read it. But that may be just me.

Getting your fans to sell for you is a smart tactic, and one that takes a good deal of work to implement. This crowdsourcing is a strategy that most publishers cannot employ, because they don’t know who their readers are. I would have guessed that this took time to pay off, but Locke claims it didn’t take but a few months. I suspect that it could have been: right time, right place, and right name-dropping that really got the ball rolling for him. But who knows really how these things go viral?

And that is what has to happen. For you to sell a million ebooks it has (or rather they as a series have) to “go viral”. It has to develop a momentum of its own. Who would have thought a kids’ book about a boy wizard would become the juggernaut that is Harry Potter? You just never know.

Do I recommend Locke’s How I Sold 1 Million Ebooks.… Meh. It’s not exactly earth-shattering material, but honestly, it’s only $4.99. So why not?

I haven’t drawn any conclusions, but I don’t have to. What I’ve outlined here is fact.

If this is so damn easy then, and you can make a million bucks writing “just adequate” fiction, why isn’t everybody doing it? Well, from my perspective it kinda looks like everybody already is. (That’s also another story.) But the truth is, it isn’t that easy. It’s a lot of work—and definitely no guarantees. So my hat’s off to all of those writers working their tails off—and my admiration goes double for those able to make money at it too. No matter what you write.

©2011Sue Campbell. Sue is a freelance book designer and aspiring writer. Her work can be found in bookstores, and at www.suecampbellgraphicdesign.com.