Category: Guest Posts

Writing Romance

What is Romance?
Guest Post
by Paty Jager

When I tell people I write romance, most of the looks and comments I get are condescending. As if they feel a romance book isn’t worthy of the time and effort that goes into the making of an emotion story between two characters.

Two years ago I attended a weekend writers conference with suspense writer Larry Brooks. While going through his information, he’d ask us—all romance writers—questions. He brought up the need for a character arc for the main character. We would then pipe up and say, “No, there has to be two character arcs, one for the hero and one for the heroine. And a third if you have a villain.” After the third time we said this, sparking discussion about making sure the character arcs, the plot and subplot all mesh, that he said, “I stand in awe of romance writers. You have to do twice the work I do and come up with a satisfying ending that makes the reader feel your characters have completed their journey.” (I paraphrased Larry’s second sentence)

Writing romance is not easy. You have to make sure your hero and heroine have clear and defined growth throughout the story. This growth comes from their growing interest in one another and the obstacles they encounter through the plot and subplots. Continue reading “Writing Romance”

The Editor’s Fedora (Part 2 of 2)

Guest post
by David Antrobus

[This is part 2 of a 2 part post. See part one here.]

Now we arrive at the crucial topic of cost, and the seemingly arbitrary variations in same. Some editors are so brilliant that they really can and do charge top dollar. I know someone who can quote $5,000 for editing an 80,000-word manuscript. Before you gag on that, two things: at that rarefied level, it’s an incredibly skilled and precise and comprehensive service that almost literally dots every I and crosses every T. Each word is examined, plus the context of the words amid the whole. Each punctuation mark is carefully considered. For example, did you know that Microsoft Word will turn smart quotes the wrong way if you type them after an em-dash (something that’s quite common in dialogue)? A good editor/proofreader will catch every instance and flip them back the right way. Same with the single quote you get when you type an apostrophe at the beginning of a word, as in ’80s. Or double spaces between sentences. Consistent indents. Catching homophones. POV shifts. There are myriad ways in which a good editor’s eagle eye is essential. Done well, it truly is the greatest hybrid of art and science. But the writer’s job at this point is simply to ensure that prospective editors are as good as they claim. Feel free to test them. Send them a sample rife with errors and see if they catch them all. If they miss a couple, that’s not disastrous—no one catches 100 percent—but if they catch only half or two-thirds, politely move on. Continue reading “The Editor’s Fedora (Part 2 of 2)”

The Editor’s Fedora (Part 1 of 2)

Guest post
by David Antrobus
[This is part 1 of a 2 part post. See part two here.]

As an independent writer myself, and a passionate believer in the indie ethic, I also have to acknowledge one of its major downsides: a real or perceived shoddiness in the final product of self-published authors. Which is where I now switch hats and replace the bohemian beret of the writer with a more conservative form of headgear: the editor’s fedora, if you like. And no, I don’t actually wear hats; it’s a metaphor. Keep up.

But look. When it comes to editing, I have noticed a surprising amount of cluelessness out there in indie land. So, in the interests of demystifying it somewhat, I came up with this post. Let’s state some obvious stuff first. Continue reading “The Editor’s Fedora (Part 1 of 2)”

Tips for an Online Social Event

Guest Post
by Kim Mutch Emerson

Authors are awesome! We know how to create a universe, solve murders, negotiate with someone bent on destroying the world, and how to match lovers up with their perfect partner. What most of us are not great at is marketing our books. It makes us all squishy inside. We would rather face a three headed giant than write an ad. That is one of the big reasons I try to create fun ways to help authors “market” their stuff. I put the word market in quotes because it’s more about building relationships to me than selling stuff.

Big advertising and marketing campaigns are too expensive for most indie authors. The most affordable tools we have are the social media sites. The keyword here is “social”. We can’t treat them like billboards or people will tear out their hair and go screaming for the hills. People are not on these networks to read ads. They are on the networks to socialize and build relationships. One good way to build relationships online is to team up with other authors and create an online social event.

I can hear it now, “how are we supposed to sell books at an online social event?” Glad you asked. I have a few pointers. Continue reading “Tips for an Online Social Event”