Getting Started: An Indie Frame of Mind

About 12 years ago, I went to my first writers' workshop hosted by a chapter of Romance Writers of America somewhere on the east coast of Florida. This was the first time I interacted with writers on any level other than online.  It was also the first time I came across people who had self-published their books.

I bought books from every writer who had a book for sale at the book signing.  An avid reader, I went home and started reading. Every single one of the self published books was quite terrible.  The editing was BAD.  The stories were BAD.  The plots made no sense.

From that moment on, my mind was made up about self published books.  My thought was, "If a publisher won't pick it up, it's probably not any good."

In my arrogance, I ignored all of the TERRIBLE books I'd read that had been published by major markets.  I ignored how angry I would get that "crap like that" got published when I KNEW I wrote better.

After that, all of my spare time was spent writing instead of reading.  For about ten years, I didn't read a piece of fiction. Right now, my reading list includes cookbooks, homemaking books, and Christian life style books, and I have a huge list of fiction I WANT to read and just simply no time to read.  So, while I have state of the art computers and a house that is so wired that my television talks to my hand held computer, I don't have an e-reader and haven't really delved into online reading.

Consequently, nothing ever really came across my path to change my impression about self published books until I joined the Kentucky Romance Writers. There I met a group of women who were amazing writers who had ventured out on their own and just published -- for different reasons and motivations. Some of them didn't have time to wait for a publishers. Some of them didn't have a publisher that fit their niche. Some were burnt out on traditional publishing and all of the bonds and chains that come with it. Whatever the case may be, they were independent published authors who were getting amazing reviews from their readers and were, by all intents and purposes, successfully published.

It really opened my eyes and it really encouraged me to step out there with them. I have a style of writing that will not fit into any preset "publisher" mode. It simply won't. It's too edgy for the Christian market and too Christian for the romance market. So, despite the prejudices of my youth, I ventured into the self publishing world. Doing so forced me into the world of marketing my book and REALLY introduced me to the world of self published authors and removed any blinders I had left.

It also really introduced me to how many people think, mistakenly, like I used to. 

Here is a for instance:

I sit on the board of an inspirational chapter of a major romance writing organization. I've been a member for four years and a board member for over two years. During a board meeting, it was discussed what to do about the definition of a "published" author because until this year, many organizations did not consider e-pubbed authors to "officially" be published. During the conversations, I cautioned the board about disregarding self-published authors because of the changes blooming in the publishing industry.

While there was a consensus from a very few members of the board that it is certainly something that will need to be addressed in the future, the discussion didn't continue. I don't think anyone really realizes just how much that NOW is what is forming the future.

When I published my book, Sapphire Ice, I was so excited.  I sent links and information to everyone I knew, including the email loop for this particular group. I didn't receive a single acknowledgement -- not a congratulations, not a good luck, not "great cover" -- not a single word. Recently though, a member got "the call", that one from a publisher that affirms "you're good enough". The support and encouragement and excitement flooded that particular email loop for over a week.

I think that instance, more than anything at all, really brought home to me just how much people STILL think like I used to think. I have been gifted by being surrounded by the extraordinary writers in the Kentucky Indies Writers group that publishes this blog. I have realized that despite preconceived ideas, I'd dare to say that MOST of the self published books out there, if they've been professionally edited, are probably quite good.

Organizations are going to have to change. Yes, we know that. Successful e-book and indie authors are leaving print authors in their prosperous wake.

But above and beyond organizations, the mindsets of the individuals who make up the general writing world need to change. I don't know what will make that happen other than time and exposure, or simply realizing that what we've always thought isn't what IS anymore. Times have changed, the industry is changing. Indie books are prominent in the molding and shaping of the future of publishing.

And, that isn't going to change.

Posted by Hallee Bridgeman

Interesting Links: Kindlegraphs

Sign up your Amazon books to allow your readers to request a Kindlegraph from you. A Kindlegraph is a way for an author to autograph a book electronically.  I have been doing this for my readers since I started publishing in 2011, but was reminded of it this weekend when I received new requests.

You will need your Amazon ASIN number to sign up and I believe each book must be listed to be eligible. The directions on the site give you all the information you need. Happy Kindlegraphing!  (I believe I owe my knowledge of this to either Kim Jacobs or JM Madden who told me about it last year.)

http://www.kindlegraph.com/books/new

Interesting Links: List of bestselling fiction writers

This is from Wikipedia, so it is subject to change by Wiki librarians. I liked that Shakespeare was at the top and was happy to note that I have read the work of most of them. Note how many romance authors are on the list and how close to the top those authors are.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_fiction_authors

Setting From A Sensual POV

For eons writers have been told setting is the culture, time, and place in which a story is set. But that definition only scratches the surface.

Setting is a character. That observation edges closer to how important a role it plays, but doesn’t quite go far enough. Setting interacts with characters, affects their physical beings, triggers an emotional response, plays upon their senses, and can even set a mood. It shares an intimacy with the characters only second to the relationship between the characters themselves. Intimacy-- what better term to use in explaining the relationship between character and setting?

Intimacy is characterized by a close, thorough acquaintance, and first hand, personal knowledge. It is developed through the interaction between two entities.

And for every moment of every scene Setting is there observing, tying the characters to a place and time in a physical manner, and deepening the point of view to draw the reader more thoroughly into the story.

Writing about Setting in terms of the five senses gives an elemental sensuality to every description and makes it more active. Setting does not have to be an inanimate location. In fact, locations are seldom inanimate.

As an example I’ll use a short passage from my paranormal suspense novel, TIMELESS:

           Loch Maree provided a purplish-blue backdrop to the circle of twenty stones topped by lintels that stretched nearly the width of the inlet. A knoll of ground provided a natural dam holding back the water. 
          Braden led her beneath the crossbar spanning a narrow path between two of the stones. Atop the limestone altar in the center of the site sat her basket, the long stems of several plants sticking over the sides. The edge of her tartan shawl, bunched beside it, fluttered in the breeze. Braden paused in the shade of one of the slabs, a sudden wary tension in his stance. 
          Warm moist air looped around them. A prickling sensation fluttered over Coira’s skin as though a lightning strike had just dispersed. The smell of smoke lingered on the breeze. 
          Braden’s grasp tightened around her hand, holding her at his side. 
          More curious than alarmed, she ran a soothing hand down his arm. “Be at ease. There is nothing to fear in this place.” 
          She closed her eyes and embraced the power that lingered on the air like mist. Pulling away from Braden’s grasp, she walked clockwise along the edge of the circle. A low hum traveled through the bottoms of her feet to the top of her head, the vibration intensifying as she neared one particular stone. The Ogham designs carved into the pillar writhed black, against the reddish light the setting sun painted upon the slab’s surface. 
          The air grew still and weighted with moisture. She tasted it, like dew, on her tongue. Her skin grew damp. The sound of the wind, the movement of the trees, her own breathing, ceased. Her ears felt full as if she had climbed a tall peak and needed to swallow to clear them. What was about here?

The physical interaction between the elements of Setting and characters can drive the plot, create a mood, and provide foreshadowing. By the elements I mean earth, air and water.

Earth

Possession of the land has triggered feuds and wars, cost life, limb, toil and strife, and been a source of power since mankind first banded into tribes. And a man’s or woman’s home can be their cave, hut, castle, or the spooky old house they’ve bought to renovate. The possibilities are limitless as are the scenarios the locations can inspire.

Here is an example of using location as a resting place for internal speculation such as in my contemporary Navy Seal novel, BREAKING FREE:

          Zoe helped herself to a small bowl of salad and wandered out to the screened-in back porch. She sat down in the old metal glider Hawk had renovated and placed against one wall. Green striped lounge pillows cushioned the seat. She propped her feet up on the brown wicker coffee table, and set the glider in motion. The sunset deepened to rose, maroon, and then purple painting the laminate floor with color. Through the screened windows, the sweet scent of honeysuckle wafted to her on the breeze. The cadence of the crickets thrummed in a synchronized ebb and flow. 
         The porch was fast becoming her favorite spot. She gravitated there to unwind when she arrived home from the hospital. Her bowl empty, she set it aside on the wicker end table beside the glider and eyed the sunken hot tub a few feet away. Maybe she could fill it after dinner when everyone left. With the aid of a few potted plants, and the canvas shades that could be lowered over the windows, she could find some privacy. Perhaps it would ease the pain in her calf from standing too long. 
          Imagining Hawk in the hot tub with any number of buxom, blonde beauties cost her more than a twinge or two of jealousy. A jealousy she tried to deny. Along with the feelings that inspired it. Every time she experienced the rush of excitement when he entered the room, or the hypersensitive tingle of heat when he touched her, a lingering ache centered just beneath her breast bone. 
          Better the ache of regret than the pain of caring for him more deeply and something happening to him.

By using the five senses to paint a picture you can add atmosphere to any location. Here’s an example from the horror novella I’m working on now called WITHIN THE SHADOWS.

          The heavy metal beat pounded against Julia’s ears drowning out the beep of the cash register as she keyed in the order. The base drum thumped in time with the headache throbbing behind her eyes. Jesus! She rubbed her temples. The rock and roll bands Hector hired were loud enough, but for the last two weeks, The Skulls’ music fell just short of an assault. 
          She scanned the dance floor where a strobe light flashed capturing stop-action gyrations of the couples dancing. Not couples, but the group, the collective. They moved as one. The smoke machine backstage provided a backdrop for the band and the audience. Painted and garbed in Goth style, the special effects lent the patrons the look of extras on a Day of the Dead movie set. 
          She wiped her workstation down with a damp sponge, tossed it in the sink, and turned her attention to the next order, a primal scream. The singer on stage broke into a demonstration. Julia flinched. Geez what was with this band? 
          As she snatched up the bottle of Kaluah from the packed shelves, the mirror behind the bar captured a brief glimpse of her pale face and exaggerated eye makeup. Movement, a form, stealthy, fast, and gray rose up behind her in the glass. With a startled yelp, she twisted around to face the threat. 
          Nothing. Nothing was there.

Air

There is nothing inanimate about the weather or how it can become a thriving character in a story. Snow/Cold adds an element of physical threat to even the most lighthearted story. Typhoons, tornadoes, and hurricanes can add tension and suspense to any plot line. Fog has always added a sense of foreboding and atmosphere, a Gothic feel, to every manuscript. Prolonged periods of rain can act as an irritant and have your characters at each other’s throats, or can add a sensual backdrop of sound to which your characters can make love. Sunlight can add warmth and an exuberant mood in a scene or can contrast an emotional battle between characters.

Allowing your characters to experience the weather through their senses makes the very air they breathe an adventure in action-reaction.

Out of all the elements of weather, lightning is my favorite. Here's an example from TIMELESS.

          Lightning singed the sky like a molten vein of gold and arrowed down to the stones below. Temporarily blinded by the strobe-like effect, he threw up a defensive hand. The thunder caught him unaware. Startled, he yelped as it crashed around him, vibrating through the bottoms of his feet. 
          Goose-bumps erupted on his forearms and he flung aside the umbrella. Tilting his head back, he screamed into the cloud- darkened sky in a show of defiance. Lightning would not frighten him away. Never. Once again, he was standing in the stones’ presence, absorbing their power, like static electricity racing over his skin. 
          A bluish-white bolt slashed downward, hitting a twenty ton lintel balanced between two posts, sending up a shower of sparks. He jerked, covered his ears against the thunder’s onslaught, and looked about for some cover.
          The boxy shape of a structure stood fifty feet away. He ran through the rain, his feet slipping on the grassy bank, his breath coming in jerky spurts. He leapt inside the wooden storage shed. The heavens opened with a display of angry power as bolt after bolt lashed and whipped at the stones, again and again. The thunder rumbled like deep, terrible music.
          As suddenly as it began, it ended. For a moment, he remained crouched against the door of the shed. Silence stretched first one beat, then another. The frantic drumming of his heart eased, though excitement still thrummed through every nerve ending.

Water

Water can be the cause of death, the answer to the quest, and the playful, sexy lure for adventurous skinny-dipping.

The sight and sound of waves rolling upon a beach strikes an elemental chord in the human psyche. They can inspire loneliness or ignite passion.

Water is sensuous, dangerous, and mysterious which are perfect characteristics for an interesting and versatile setting. From the bottom of the loch in TIMELESS:

          Don’t panic. Don’t panic. The mantra played through Regan’s mind like a prayer as she propelled herself through the turbid water with strong even kicks. Heavy sediment clouded her range of vision and gave the water a greenish cast. It reflected back the feeble glow of the watertight dive light she held clamped in her hand. The grayish scales of a lone fish sparkled as it swam within the small, illumined circle, then darted away along the brown bottom of the loch.
          It looked as though she’d been dropped on a waterlogged moon, desolate and distant. Her face ached from the cold temperature of the water, but her dry suit kept her reasonably protected. She forced herself to stop and take stock of the situation. She’d lost her dive buddy, Henry, in the hazy water, but still had her compass and remained on course. Her heart beat hard against her ribs and she tried to slow her breathing. He’d been right beside her only moments before. Where could he be?

Allowing your characters to experience Setting through their senses switches it from an inanimate stage to an interactive environment. It will cement your characters within their story by bring the time period, culture, and place into sharp focus for them and for you.

The action-reaction you have to your world should be as equally tactile, as sensuous an experience for your characters. It should be as intimate a journey as any other you create for them. By deepening the Point of View in such a way, it enriches your writing and in turn enriches your readers’ experience. And that is what writing is ultimately all about.

Post by Teresa Reasor

Interesting Links: Growing your author platform

Here's great link with a helpful list of book marketing ideas compliments of author, Hallee Bridgeman, who found this.

89 Book Marketing Ideas That Will Change Your Life


More links with good marketing ideas based on your author platform (blog, website, other online presence)

Book Marketing Makeover: Why a Blog Is an Author's Best Marketing Tool

Creating a Goodreads Advertising Campaign

In the Indie world, sometimes the marketing you do is experimental. What does this mean? It means you are trying something and have no clue if it is going to help you or not, but you have take a few risks now and again. Welcome to the business world. Personally, I like the marketing campaigns that don't cost much initially because you can always come back to a higher priced version later.

So I've been conducting Goodreads ad campaigns for about six months and have seen some increase in sales that maybe I could attribute to them. What I have seen for sure is an increase in Goodreads reviews and my work being added to libraries a lot.

However, sometimes you come across someone more knowledgeable in what you're doing who posts about the process and THIS is one of the reasons Indie authors read so many blogs!  So thanks this time Lindsay Buroker for her articles on Goodreads campaigns:

Her Goodreads advertising results and process

How to improve your ebook sales at sites other than Amazon

I like the idea of creating targeted campaigns that have links to the Nook sales pages. I am one of those "publish everywhere" people and like to think I can increase my sales at all places not just Amazon.  I include Amazon links to all my sites, but only recently made a concentrated effort to include all the others equally.

Post by Donna McDonald

Interesting Links: Using Facebook in Author Platforms

This are both really good articles about using Facebook as part of your author platform. Thanks to Teresa Reasor for finding them.

5 Principles for Using Facebook

3 Principles for Facebook Fan Pages

Here's another interesting one:

How To PimpYour Facebook Page

Interetings Links: What novelists can blog about

This is a post that was either circulating on our group loop or one I found off a link there. Either way it is useful info.

http://blog.bookmarket.com/2011/06/45-ways-to-blog-as-novelist-tips-for.html