Getting Published, Part 1,

Traditionally, few writers were able to see their books in print because a small percentage of books written, maybe five percent or less, were ever published.

Today, however, thanks to the increase in the number of small publishing houses and to the availability of resources for Independent Publishers, many, many more books are being published.

Consequently, your chances of becoming a published author, your chances of becoming a multi-published and a regularly published author are better than ever.

As you may know, I've had books published in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats by traditional publishers. In fact, my very first book MONTANA MATCH was published exactly 10 years ago this month by Avalon Books, New York in hardcover.

However, in the last couple of years I have begun to publish my back list of books Independently, and I've been pleased with the results.

In this series on "Getting Published" I'd like to help you become a published author too whether you're writing your first book, second or your twentieth. So let's begin.

1. Write your book. The very first thing a writer must do in order to be published is to write a book. Easier said than done, right? Believe it or not (and I'm sure you believe it if you've already written a book), writing a good book is much more difficult than publishing it these days.

If you're still in the pre-published stage, here are some tips to help you insure your book is at it's best.

A. Let it set. Once you've finished your first draft, let the manuscript set for at least a month (two months is better) and work on your next project.

B. Critique. After a month or two, go to your manuscript and read it as though someone else had written it. Be critical and site the good and the bad. Be ready to cut, add, rewrite, recheck facts, look for inconsistencies, etc.

C. Let it set again. Once you've finished the second draft, let it set again as you did with the first draft.

D. Share it. Repeat as above with succeeding drafts. When you're satisfied your book is at its best, you may want to share it with a critique group, friends whose opinions you value or a professional editor you trust.

2. Your book is ready. Okay, your book is looking great, and you're ready to share it with the world. Next, it's up to you to decide whether you want to publish the book traditionally or independently.

A. Traditional Publishing. If you've set your sites on having a major publisher distribute your book, you will have to get an agent first. Major publishers generally look only at projects submitted through agents.

If you choose to submit your manuscript to a smaller publishing house, you may be able to submit directly without using an agent. Once you submit your manuscript be prepared to wait three to six months or more. Publishers usually have a backlog of submissions. Oh, and be sure to follow the publisher's guidelines when submitting. If they want a query first, don't send a completed manuscript.

B. Independent Publishing. If you'd rather have full control over your book's content and distribution, then Independent Publishing may be right for you. In the past writers who published their books themselves undertook a very difficult, expensive venture. They had to find a printer they could work with and afford, order a set number of books to be printed and pay for them up front. Then came the daunting task of finding bookstores willing to try to sell their books. Obviously, unless these writers were willing to front a great deal of money their distribution was very limited.

Today, because of Internet companies, Independent Publishers have access to worldwide distribution of hardcover, paperback and e-books at little or no cost to them at all!

Next week we'll discuss publishers who offer free services to authors for e-book, paperback and even hardcover publications.

Fran

Fran Shaff
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff

Relax with Classic Love Stories

Classic stories of love have been favorites among readers for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.

I love all kinds of stories of love, that's why I write stories about love.

But my stories aren't only about romantic love. They're about family love. Except for the love of God, is there any more powerful love than that shared within a family?

Love doesn't mean life is all flowers and sunshine. Sometimes families which are filled with love can also be filled with strife, but if true love exists just about anything hurtful and negative can be overcome--at least in fiction this can happen. (Hopefully in real life too, at least some of the time.)

I call my books "Family Novels" because they are about families and because they are suitable for most members of the family. My classic romances are written for adults, but they are suitable for teens. My "YA" books are enjoyed by those aged ten and older. [I, like many other writers, enjoy YA and Middle Reader books. They aren't only for kids. :-)]

In a world where things move quickly, and our lives often leave little time to enjoy the slower pace of relaxing and reading something besides e-mail, text messages and headlines, the moments we take to enjoy classic stories about love are precious ones indeed.

Here's hoping you enjoy whatever it you're reading this week...

Fran

Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff

Writing Tip ABCs, Part 8, V to Z

We have finally reached the final post in my Writing Tip ABCs series of blogs.

Thanks for the positive feedback on this project. I'm glad it's been of help to so many of you.

Letters V to Z coming up.

V

Readers want to live VICARIOUSLY through your characters. They don't get to be super heroes, villains, FBI agents, temptresses, doctors, chamber maids,dog trainers, natives of Venus and Pluto, astronauts, cowboys or ballerinas in their normal lives. While they're reading your book, however, they can do or be anything. Give them a good ride.

The VOICE you use to tell your story depends on your book's genre, the time period it's set in, its setting, the type of writing you want to convey, etc.

Achieving VERISIMILITUDE in your writing is critically important if you want readers to believe your manufactured world, people, premise, etc. are believable.

W

Heroes and heroines shouldn't WAFFLE when it's time for them to make decisions. Decisiveness even in the face of fear is a trait readers admire in protagonists.

When a violent or erotic scene is required by the plot, authors who intend their book for a PG type of audience may have to WHITEWASH the scene in order to make it less objectionable to sensitive readers.

Choose your WAYS AND MEANS of telling your story carefully. The methods and resources you use should suit your genre and your audience.

X

A XENOPHOBE can make an interesting archetype, whether he is a hero or a villain. A political drama (or comedy) comes to mind because hardline party members are often contemptuous or even afraid of the competition.

Y

Sidekicks who are YES MEN add comedy (Lex Luther/Otis) or insight (Sherlock Holms/Watson)to stories.

When spinning your YARN be sure to knit your scenes together smoothly.

The use of YOKELS and their vernacular will make a setting which is foreign to readers seem clearer, more believable.

Z

The battles of protagonists against antagonists result in ZERO SUM GAMES. One side wins, the other loses. The best stories allow victories and losses on both sides.

Once your story has reached its ZENITH, resolutions and an ending should follow quickly.

Decide whether readers should see a scene in macro view or if you should ZOOM in on a critical action within a broad situation.

As always, for more Writing Tip ABCs, go to my Twitter page at: www.twitter.com/franshaff

Thanks for sticking with me throughout my Writing Tip ABCs series.

Remember, later this month I'll be starting a blog series on Independent Publishing. You won't want to miss it!

Fran

Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff

Writing Tip ABCs, Part 7, S-U

We've got this week's and next week's posts, and then we've reached the end of the Writing Tip ABCs series of posts. Shortly after that, I'll be discussing publishing your books right here on Cavewriter.

S

Engage the reader's SENSES, and he’ll become more involved in your story. Think about it, when you smell pine, don’t you think of Christmas, a forest, etc? Smells, sounds, locations you convey to your reader affect his involvement in a story.

Every SCENE should have a character goal which he may or may not achieve. Ending the scene with a cliffhanger propels the reader onto the next scene. If we writers succeed in doing this with all of our scenes we’ll lead the reader on a non-stop journey from the first scene to “The End.”

Where a story takes place should always be germane to the plot. Could “Gunfight at the OK Corral” be the same story if the SETTING were in Florida?

Stories usually have multiple TURNING POINTS. For example, the protagonist is going along living his normal life when 1. the inciting incident happens, and she’s got to set some new goals and make plans to meet her goals. 2. After she implements her plans, setback one happens, then setback two and so on. Each time a protagonist experiences a setback and determines she must reevaluate her goals and decide whether or not to make new goals, plans to meet them, etc. the story has likely had a turning point. Necessary turning points in stories include A. the climax, B. the dark moment, C. the resolution in addition to those cited above.

Call it drama, conflict or TENSION. If your story isn’t full of it, it’ll lack reader interest.

A TWIST is the addition of an unexpected event to a story used to heighten drama. Readers love to be surprised by logical TWISTS. Don’t contrive--be sure the twist is plausible. Foreshadowing it obscurely will add even more reader enjoyment.

U

UNDERDOGS can make great heroes. (Right Rocky?) Readers love to see a disadvantaged protagonist defeat tough odds and soar to victory.

Even in a fantasy world your story should be believable. If your tale is UNBELIEVABLE, illogical within the world you’ve created, readers will be very disappointed. I don’t know about you, but when I see a character in a movie running at top speed when he’s at 20,000 feet above sea level or when I watch one character hit another in the back with a lead pipe and in both situations the runner and the man hit by a pipe have no ill effects from the thin air or the ribs which must have been broken, it really ticks me off. Our heroes should be tough, but no human being can run at 20,000 feet, probably not even with oxygen usage. And no man can take being hit with a lead pipe at full force and not have broken bones. Superman can bounce back from almost anything because he’s Superman, and his “superness” is believable in the world where he exists.

Even though you as a writer do have the UPPER HAND in your story, readers are happier when your story is told well enough to make them feel they have the advantage over your characters at least part of the time.

For more Writing Tip ABCs go to: www.twitter.com/franshaff

Thanks, Everyone.

I'm sorry my post was late this week. I had a birthday to celebrate on Monday and didn't complete all my work--but I did have fun! :-)

Fran

Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff

Writing Tip ABCs, Part 6, P-R

We can see the end of the alphabet now from our stop at letters P, Q, R in the Writing Tip ABCs Series of blogs.

In mid October I'll be doing a series on publishing your book independently. Be sure to visit "Cavewriter" then for tips on how to self publish your book in e-format and paperback.

ABCs, Letter P

POINT OF VIEW (commonly known as POV) refers to the PERSPECTIVE in which a story or scene is told. This point of view may be done in first person (I saw), third person (she saw) or omniscient (the story teller sees everything, like God). It is usually best to use one POV per scene. If you want to change POV during a scene make the transition as smooth as possible so you don't disorient readers.

Never make things happen while PLOTTING. Let them happen in a way that suits the personalities of the characters. For example, let's say your main character is "Superman," and he stubs his toe. You want the readers to know Superman is sensitive, so you depict him crying when he stubs his toe. Readers probably won't buy this reaction which could cause them to stop reading. Better to show your superman as sensitive in a more believable way--maybe he could cry when his dog dies.

Forcing things to happen as you want is contriving a PLOT instead of constructing one. A reader knows the difference. Be honest and true to characters.

The PACE or movement of a story depends on the type of story, its intended length and the logical sequence of events necessary to tell the story.


Letter Q

Every story is a QUEST. Without goals and a plan to reach them (the QUEST)there is no story.

Don't overload readers with details. Tossing them into a QUAGMIRE of trivia may frustrate them and encourage them to close your book.

Leaving readers in a QUANDRY at the end of a scene entices them to read on. Leaving them in a QUANDRY at the end of the book might tick them off. If they don't like the way one of your books ends, they may not want to read another.


Letter R

Writers should constantly consider READERS when writing stories. It's a good idea to build characters and stories which will entertain and connect with READERS.

After breathing a sigh of relief once the first draft is complete, authors must face the task of REWRITING. Creating consistency, fixing character development flaws, sequencing scenes and events logically, correcting grammatical problems, deletions and additions are all part of REWRITING a story.

Scenes are either action or REACTION segments in a story. If in scene five the hero tries to solve a problem and is thwarted by the villain, scene six will feature the hero's reaction to his setback.

For more Writing Tip ABCs go to: www.twitter.com/franshaff

Have a great week!

Fran

Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff

Writing Tip ABCs, Part 5, M-O

The Writing Tip ABCs Series continues this week with the letters M, N, O.

We might as well get right to it!

M

Characters must be highly MOTIVATED. Stakes should be high--life or death or at least a state at which life would be greatly changed in a negative way if the hero is unsuccessful in meeting his goals. If the protagonist's motivation isn't high enough, readers won't care what happens to him. In the movie "Firewall" Harrison Ford's family is held hostage while he must rob his own bank. Stakes are high--both his family's lives and his business are at extreme risk.

Writers sometimes choose words with double MEANINGS to add a special flavor to a phrase or sentence. Take a look at this sentence: Annmarie suddenly realized her stock broker, the man who'd just let her in on a lucrative new venture, had an office on the ground floor of the high rise.

METAPHORS enhance literature by making it more powerful in some way. Example: The sunset was a collage of purple, red, yellow, blue and green.

N

The NEMESIS in every story must be a strong challenger to the protagonist. Think Lex Luther vs Superman but also consider the mild mannered trustee in "Rain Man" who was Charlie Babbit's (Tom Cruse) nemesis. Luther knew how to zap Superman physically, and the trustee had all the legal power over the money which Charlie wanted so badly.

Keeping NOTES on characters, events, important facts (and minor facts too) as you write helps an author maintain continuity in her book.

A character's NAME can say a lot about him/her. Consider an Old West sheriff named Matt versus one named Percy.

O

The "point of view" character in a scene tries to meet an OBJECTIVE. His antagonist in the scene has his own objective. Watching these two opposites collide makes the scene compelling for the reader.

Though readers will expect a "happily ever after" OUTCOME for most novels, a prudent writer will enhance the HEA with something better than the reader expects.

Be sure to include the OLFACTORY system in your writing. The sense of smell is potent. Using a familiar odor or aroma can make an object, event, location, even a character more real. Tell me, don't these words conjure up some vivid images or pleasant or unpleasant associations? fresh-baked apple cinnamon pie, steaming chilli, a dead skunk on the highway.

For more Writing Tip ABCs go to my Twitter page at: www.twitter.com/franshaff

Have a great week!

Fran

Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff

Writing Tip ABCs, Part 4, J-L

Thanks to everyone who's letting me know how much they appreciate my Writing Tip ABCs here and at my Twitter page.

This week we're working on letters J to L.

J

Get your characters in a JAM immediately. The deeper they’re in trouble the more engaged readers will be.

A JEZEBEL, a wicked scheming woman, makes a terrific antagonist. Readers love to hate this archetype. Of course, like any other villain, don't forget to give this nasty person a redeeming quality or two.

A JILTED man or woman is reluctant to enter into a new romance which makes him/her a great type of character to put into a romantic novel. (Once burnt, twice shy.) A hero left broken hearted by the rejection of a woman he'd loved is going to think more than twice before giving his heart away again. And doesn't this type of situation make the titanic struggle in a romantic novel all the more compelling?

Up next, K.

Readers love KARMA in their stories. They want to see the antagonist punished and the protagonist rewarded.

The KEY holds the answer to the mystery. It’s the object everyone is after. A/k/a the MacGuffin, particularly in screenplays. Think "National Treasure." Everyone was after the Declaration of Independence. Some wanted to learn the code contained within it which would give them riches beyond their wildest dreams. Some wanted to possess it for historical purposes, some wanted the document for historical and treasure purposes. The Declaration of Independence was the KEY and the MacGuffin.

That unexpected twist in a plot is known as the KICKER. Kickers add an extra element of enjoyment for readers (as long as they’re believable).

Lastly, L

Using well known LANDMARKS as a setting or element in a plot can heighten reader involvement and interest because the locations are familiar to them. Maybe they've even visited one of these landmarks. Familiarity always increases a connection between the reader and the story, protagonists, etc. Think Devil’s Tower in “Close Encounters” or early American landmarks featured in “National Treasure” and its sequel, "Book of Secrets" or Mount Rushmore in “North by Northwest.”

Determining the LAYOUT of your plot is crucial. Events should occur in the order best suited to enhance your genre as well as your story.

Don’t neglect the LEGWORK required before you begin to write. Research, develop characters, outline, plan your plot. Writing without completing the legwork makes writing the first draft and succeeding drafts even more difficult. I know many writers like to "write by the seat of their pants," and this is okay, of course. Whatever method suits the particular author is fine. However, even if you're what's known as a "pantster" it's terribly important to know characters thoroughly and to do necessary research completely before a writer begins to write the first draft.

J, K, L completed here now. However, for more J, K, L tips, visit my Twitter page at: www.twitter.com/franshaff

Thanks!

Fran

Fran Shaff, Award-Winning Author
http://sites.google.com/site/fshaff