The LAST Word

 I wrote a series of posts for a writers' group. I am rehashing some of them here. Fantasy Plotting There are tips to be gained about plotting. This month, we focus on fantasy genre. Here are some rules to keep in mind when writing fantasy. 1. Medieval Times -- Even though you create a new world or a fantasy world attached to our current world as in Harry Potter books, you usually set it in medieval times. That means clothes and weapons of that era. If you choose to use modern day, you can add medieval elements. 2. Swords, Wands, Magic -- Most fantasy novels involve sword play, wands and some magic. How much you use these things is up to you. Some books are full of them. Others put in a little here or there. 3. Relatable World -- Make sure the world you create is relatable to your audience and is understandable. If you create a language, make sure you define words. If you create laws and rules, make sure you tell the reader what those are. In every book, magic has cert...

      January is a great time to start fresh on the year. I like to clean out my files on the computer that I no longer need, and I also move the file folders I don't need going forward in the new year. That gives me a new beginning for my writing and my business. I also re-evaluate what I do for marketing for the year. You can decide where to focus your marketing and what you can do differently. It always is a good idea to try something different in the new year. This is true whether you are an author, small business owner or employee. Although employees are told what to do every day, they do have to market themselves to land the job in the first place and to keep their job. Here are my tips for your market plans this year. 1. Do Video Marketing -- Authors often don't like being in front of the camera, but they should do some videos about their books. Having someone interview you on their podcast or YouTube channel would be great. Creating your own YouTube chan...

Whether you write horror, fantasy, self-help or cookbooks, the process doesn't have to scare you. If you trust your abilities and your instincts, you could create the perfect book without being frightened. Here are tips on publishing so you are not scared this Halloween when writing. What to Say If you feel like you need to write a book, you also will know what to say. For example, you want to inform readers of a new technique and believe you need to write a short book about the technique. After you have done your research, your mind will help you organize your thoughts into the book. If you are writing fiction, you will hear the characters' voices in your head as you sit down to write. Your writing coach will guide you on what is important to say and what you should eliminate.  What Art to Use All books, fiction and nonfiction, print and electronic, must have a professionally designed cover. In your mind, you know what art would ...

 I noticed that I have not been posting a regular blog. This has made me think about being persistent in marketing . Whether you are marketing books , a writing business or another business, if you are not persistent in how you market , you are probably going to not be successful. You want to use all your resources available to you , including blogs. I have been remiss in keeping up my blogs, which has been hurting my business. Sometimes, it is hard for writers to promote their own business when they are helping other companies and authors . This year, I plan to write my blogs more often even when I go on vacation . Here are reasons why you want to be persistent in your marketing. 1. Google Rankings -- When you are persistent in your marketing, you will consistently be on top of Google in search results. Regular and fresh content on your Web site is one of the criteria used to establish who comes up when people search. Without regular and fresh content on your Web site, you mig...

  I recently met with a potential book client. She asked me about query letters and what she needs to do to get published by a traditional publisher, such as Random House or Simon and Schuster, etc. I answered her honestly. Traditional publishers are difficult to reach. They are picky and get slammed with book proposals. They can't read all of them. Here are some tips for publishing. 1. Traditional Publishers -- They want best-selling authors, celebrities, great stories for fiction and a high market potential for nonfiction. They don't want memoirs, unknown authors and women's literature. These don't sell. Traditional publishers want books they know will sell because of how the book industry works. In retail, companies buy from manufacturers at wholesale and sell. They can't return the items to the manufacturer unless there are defects. In book industry, bookstores are allowed to buy at wholesale and send back whatever doesn't sell back to the publisher. So, l...

  I often from people that they want to write a book, but most of them never will publish anything. They aren't committed to creating a book. They think that some day, they might get something together. To author a book, you have to be committed to the project with your heart and soul. You have to be willing to follow through on the steps: idea, outline, research, compiling, book cover design, editing and marketing. Often, people are overwhelmed and think writing a book is daunting. It doesn't have to be that hard. Break up the project in to smaller pieces to make it less overwhelming. This is exactly what teachers tell their students who feel overwhelmed. The same is true with writing. Idea – Whether you want to write about ministry or persecution , think about your idea. Brainstorm how you can fertilize the idea. Write down the key points you want to make and determine whether your idea has merit. Pray about it.  Write about it in a journal . Eventually, you will s...

In northern states, changing the clocks ahead allows for more light in the evenings, which makes people more productive in spring and summer. People in the north like to go out in the sunshine after spending winters locked indoors. Southern states don't have much of a winter. Although it might be cold, it doesn't snow and is not dark on a daily basis. They have sunshine all the time. I have lived in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Arizona and Florida. In Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, I felt the benefits of Daylight Savings Time although it still hindered my inspiration and writing. More on that later. Arizona doesn't change the clocks. It was great not having to worry about changing clocks, but I noticed no difference in the light without Daylight Savings Time. I don't agree that Florida should change clocks. The state has so much sunshine that it could be similar to Arizona and feel the same whether clocks are changed or not. Becomes False Benefi...

Most people tend to look at the new year as a way to start fresh. They begin new diets, exercise more, plan vacations they’ve always wanted to take or invest in opportunities to be smarter with their finances. But what about your business? Have you ever thought of trying something new, but didn’t know exactly how to start? Have you ever wanted to motivate your employees, have closer relationships with your customers or learn to use social media to your advantage, but didn’t know where to begin? While I can't help with many of those issues, I could show you how to promote book events this year. Many business owners and authors believe all events should be promoted the same way, but as there are different types of events, there are different ways to promote them. Some examples of events are: online events, meetings, grand openings or book launches , seminars and workshops, conferences, book signings, book-selling opportunities and networking events. Now, how do you go ...

Not too long ago, getting a book published was an accomplishment that many people didn't do. It was to be congratulated and celebrated. Today, because of the explosion of self-published books, getting a book published is not celebrated as an accomplishment. However, I say that people still should congratulate new authors and celebrate their success. Even a self-published book is an accomplishment. It takes hard work to complete a book or novel. You should count it as a blessing happening right now in your life. Ways to Celebrate Your Book Throw a Party – Although it still is done sometimes, especially for best-selling authors, book launch parties are not as popular as they once were. In the past, traditional publishers would throw a party the day a book was released to the public. This did two things. First, it allowed friends and family to get a copy of the book without going to a store. Second, it began a marketing buzz. Even if you self-publish or use pr...