Can a First Chapter Make a Great Short Story Submission?

This is one topic I've been mulling over for some time. I like to read short stories; I'm not so good at writing them, and I've learned that many speculative fiction writers aren't either. I think our problem caters back to the necessity of world-building, the common practice of using a large cast of characters, and lots of plot and/or character development. Let's face it, most speculative novels are door-stoppers in size and scope.

So when a speculative writer wants to submit a short story for a contest, magazine, or anthology, all to often the train of thought seems to be: "I'll submit the first chapter of my novel and that will entice readers to want to read the rest of my novel!" Meh. Points for trying to be original about short-cutting your marketing strategy, the problem is, nearly everyone's trying to do the same thing - and I don't know of any first chapters being accepted as a true short story.

Because they're not.

The other form of logic may run: "I don't have time or energy to write out a short story because I'm working on my novel, but I really really want to be part of (insert whatever your submitting to), so I'll just submit the first chapter." You may want the writing credits or a prize to help boost your chances of landing something bigger with your entire novel down the road. Let's be honest, this is lazy. And it still falls back on the fact that a first chapter is NOT a short story.

Nope. There are no arguments to the contrary.

And there are a couple of good reasons why.

To start with, what is a first chapter? It is the beginning of a story, meant to draw in a reader and introduce them to your characters, your world, and the problem they are facing. First chapters don't resolve the main problem, they present it. First chapters don't reveal (or shouldn't anyway) your main character's entire backstory. They don't show off all the nuances of your novel's theme. You're just putting your story into gear and moving forward.

Now, maybe if you took your first chapter and completely rewrote it to the barest of barest bones, tacking on your ending chapter's resolution you could call it a short story. You'd have to pare your character list way down, skip nearly all of your world-building, chop out all your subplots, keep your action down to a minimum, cram your book's theme into one to two scenes, and still make it enthralling enough to read. But then, we've just destroyed your novel. And this grossly stunted version won't entice readers to want to go pick up and read the expanded form of the same story.

See what I mean?

So what is a short story? Let's turn to some resources for the answer:
From Merriam-Webster:
"...an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot."

From Wikipedia: (not my favorite go-to place as a resource, but I like this definition)
"A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood, however there are many exceptions to this."

From universalclass.com:
"Because of the length of short stories, most short stories just have an exposition, climax, and an abrupt ending. Short stories are known for having a "moral of the story" or a practical lesson, although this is not expected or required."

From liminalpages.com: (I recommend reading this entire blogpost, even though it's going in the opposite direction from short story writing to novel writing.)
"...let's think about the main difference between a novel and a short story:

• A novel is a journey - not only for the characters, but for the writer and the reader.
• A short story is an intense experience - something to linger over and savor (sic).

To capture these differences, you're going to have to write in a different way."

For a step-by-step guideline, you could take a look at this wikihow.com demonstration. It's pretty easy to understand and gives concrete examples.

From jerz.setonhill.edu:
"A short story is tight - there is no room for long exposition, there are no subplots to explore, and by the end of the story there should be no loose ends to tie up."

Just about every reference I've found or that you may find will also recommend reading short stories to get a handle on them. If you want to write fantasy short stories, find some legit ones to read, the same goes for any genre.

One strategy I thought of that might be helpful is to look at your novel and ask yourself if you have any side stories you could use as a short story, or any "episodic" parts with a beginning and a conclusion. There are lots of side stories that end up on the editing room floor as you revise. Why not pick one of them up and see if shows promise? If you have an "episodic" or short subplot in your novel, you could strip out the references to the rest of the novel at large and focus on that "episode" as a short story. Side stories are especially useful to garnering a readership for your story world.

To recap:

• A short story has a limited number of characters and settings - really limited.
• A short story has a conclusion. You don't leave the reader hanging, wondering where the rest of the story is. You don't entice readers with the idea of a full-fledged novel.
• A short story is smaller in scope, but should pack a punch as far as reader experience.
• A short story most often has one central conflict that is introduced and resolved. No tangents or subplots.
• A short story is concise. You don't have room for elaborate world-building, tons of action scenes, lengthy character development, etc. No lengthy build-up either. You get right into the heart of the problem at the get-go.
• Writing a short story is a different process from writing a novel and it will show if you're trying to get away with a first chapter. They are two different animals.

And there we have it.

You'll actually save time and effort on your part - and on the part of whatever contest, magazine, or press you're wanting to get into, by writing an actual short story. Sending in a first chapter usually means a polite rejection answer.

I hope this doesn't discourage anyone from wanting to write short stories. They're good practice at showing instead of telling, getting to the point, and being concise. All of which are great skills to have as a novelist too.

And I'm sure there are some anthologies, magazines, and contests out there that specifically want first chapters for the purpose of enticing readers. But don't they usually have a stipulation that the novel the chapter goes to be finished and/or published first? It makes practical sense.

If you know of any other good resources or references to the art of the short story, please share in the comments. Likewise if you've ever been on the receiving end of submissions for short stories and you'd like to share some friendly advice.

Elephant's Bookshelf Press Call for Short Story Submissions: Science Fiction

Matt Sinclair, a long-time writer/publishing colleague and friend of mine, has launched a call for submissions for Elephant's Bookshelf Press's latest anthology. The genre is science fiction with a connecting theme of flight for all submissions. Word count is up to 5,000 and the deadline is Jan. 15th, 2019. No erotica. Submissions are vetted by a panel, and go through a complete editing process if accepted.

The theme is more broad reaching than you might think. To quote directly from Matt's announcement:

"One of the reasons I like this theme is because it’s a term that has multiple meanings and therefore multiple interpretations. Of course, flight can involve human or alien spaceships, heroes with super-human abilities, winged creatures, but it just as easily could include flight from danger. Heck, I bet there’s a clever person out there who can make a flight of stairs into a vital element of a science fiction story.

"I don’t want to be too restrictive in this description. The story should incorporate flight; I leave the details to you."

While contributors aren't compensated monetarily, you do get a free print and ebook copy of the anthology. This will count as a viable writing credit for your bio. You'll also be in good company with other published writers who have contributed to past anthologies.

Previous anthologies published by EBP
 
Why not give it a whirl?

What Do You Look for in a Writing Group?

That question has been on my mind a lot lately. When we write, we're usually alone; it's a solo process. When we want feedback or advice or direction, we want to turn to other writers, not non-writers. That means we need to be part of some kind of writing community.

I've been part of four writing communities over the past decade. One fizzled out, one was so huge you felt like you'd never get noticed or respected, one is a local online group that I'm fairly new in and am not sure if I'm going to stay, and the third I helped carve out and create. You'd think the last one would still be solid gold, but it's not. It's kind of existing right now. The writers who originally were a part of it have either reached a measure of success and no longer need a writing group, or they're too busy, or have gone in an entirely new direction. The remainder are still seeking publication or a sense of community, but the hunger isn't there any more.

What do I mean by hunger? That thirst to figure out how the writing/publishing world works and where we stand in it. There's vulnerability and its partner, courage. Eagerness to interact and try new things. A sense of wanting to help make a writing community something to be proud of.

I get it: after so many years, people get burned out or tired, or pretty much have things figured out. Sometimes we're so wrapped up in the writing or revision process that the timing isn't right. Life happens and pulls us away from that sense of community. Writing forum leaders get burned too many times, or find that their writing time has been sucked away into trying to make their forums relevant and fun so they quit. I've come dangerously close to that a time or two. Yet, I like being part of a writing community, and I like the friends I've made who are sticking it out with me.

So I ask myself, what do I want in a writing forum?

Honestly ...
1. Friends who understand the writing journey and can commiserate with me.
2. Conversations about writing and publishing. It's the lifeblood of any good forum.
3. Networking. Helping each other connect with others and expanding our reach.
4. Critique partners that will want to read my work as badly as they want me to read theirs.
5. Mutual respect. Recognizing that not all writing paths are the same, and even though we may like each other as people, it doesn't mean we have to love what each other writes. And that's okay. It's a huge bonus if we love each other's genres and styles, but that shouldn't be the deciding factor of our friendship. We also don't have to follow the same pathway to publication.
6. A forum where I don't have to feel like I have to carry the entire burden of making it a great experience for everyone else. Or where anyone else feels like they have to either. Some people love to dominate conversations and threads, of course, but no one should feel compelled to.
7. Fun. Games, trivia, contests, getting-to-know-you activities. A place where I can enjoy the company of other writers.
8. No fear. Meaning, no one is patronizing or rude or a troll to anyone else. No worries about someone else copying anyone else's work or ideas. No fear that if someone takes that leap of courage and puts their work out there for feedback that everyone else won't descend like a pack of bloodthirsty sharks and rip not only their work, but them as a person, to pieces.

Sounds idyllic, I know.

The most important thing I've learned, as both a participant and a forum leader, is that it takes more than bells and whistles and guests and fun to make a forum work. It takes participation and dedication from the members. A forum dies when people only come to take and never give back. I am grateful for the many people I've known who understand the give and take of a writing community. I wish I could collect them all and stay together.

What do you look for in a writing group/forum? What would make the perfect place for you to be nurtured and/or do the nurturing of other writers? What would make you want to come back to that place for years?

Big News!

(In which my Trefury saga starts to resemble the interstellar phenomenon that connects worlds in the first book ... Virtual brownies to the person who can tell me the name of that phenomenon in the comments below!)

I'm excited to announce that Book 2 will not be released by itself. Book 3 will be right on its heels! In fact, the two of them will be companion novels, happening simultaneously. Which means there will be a Book 4 which brings everything back together for the conclusion.

What sparked this?

As I and my critique partners have been going through the process, I realized that keeping both main storylines together would give everyone a very large, (although not inflated as to content), book to read. It started to make more and more sense to split each storyline into its own novel. I had all of you in mind, dear readers. It will not only keep page counts down, but it will be easier to keep track of what is going on. It also gives me a little more wiggle room to flesh out the characters' journeys so the pacing doesn't seem rushed.

All-in-all, this splintering has alleviated a lot of stress and spurred new excitement into the process. I'll continue to share developments as they come, including the title of Book 3.

Writing Update for April 2018

I know, I've been absent for a long time.

I think everyone reaches a stage as a blogger when you feel like you're only rehashing your own thoughts or the thoughts of others. The main purpose of this blog is to share my discoveries as I aim to be a better writer in the hope that it helps others miss some of my mistakes or gets a lift in the right direction faster than I did.

So what have I learned lately? To chill out mostly, especially when it comes to writing. There are going to be good and bad days, entire chunks of time agonizing because of writer's block, or real life gets in the way of writing. I imagine it's much harder for people who are under contract to get their books done by a certain deadline. I don't want to imagine how stressed I'd be if I had to submit to a deadline like that! I do set my own goals and deadlines, but I've learned that's its okay if I don't meet them exactly - as long as I tried my best to meet them in the first place.

Book 2 has taken longer to put out than I originally planned. Firstly because I was burned out after publishing Book 1. I strained my eyes badly in the editing process, and when it was all over, I didn't even want to write. It wasn't enjoyable. Plus, I couldn't shake editor mode for the longest time. I hated it, because I had a goal, but I had to have a year off. Then slowly, I got back into writing again. I'm making great progress now. Book 2 is in the final deep revisions stage before heading into those tweaking and copy editing drafts. This time I won't blow my eyes out by staring at a screen too long.

And to support that, I won't announce the release of Book 2 until after copy edits are over. I'm all for a more laid-back release this time. Book 2 is garnering more excitement from critique partners than Book 1 did, which is saying a lot. Mostly, that I have chilled out and am enjoying the writing process, and secondly, I'm a better writer than before. It's progress, and I'm glad.

Along with ramping up my enthusiasm and time on Book 2, big changes have been going on for me in the social side of writing. I created a group for speculative fiction writers on Agent Query Connect a decade ago, and now we've branched out into our own private forum. It took some time to get the new site figured out and to make the move. I have two wonderful co-moderators helping me run things and a loyal core group of writers who wanted to stick together. I expect there will be lots of tweaking for awhile before we get into a strong rhythm. I look forward to continuing the process of improving my writing skills and helping others do the same on the new site.

What words of wisdom or advice can I offer with this post? Have goals and be realistic with them. Know your limits. Writing a story should be an enjoyable process in the long-run. And I still say it's best to take your time to write the best story possible than to rush in order to meet someone else's deadline or try to make a bestseller list. A lot of those best selling books do fade away in time. Books that endure have a better quality to them than meeting a trend. They have something to say or to show. It really depends on what your motivation to write is. Knowing that, can help you with the rest of the picture and knowing what to expect.

Why is Writing So Hard?

The simple answer is: because writing is nothing more than making lots and lots of decisions.

Think about it. First you decide you want to write, either because you have come up with a great idea or simply because you enjoy the written word. Then you have to decide to make time to write and how you're going to write: computer or pencil and paper, or perhaps out loud into an audio recorder.

Once you're sitting down facing that blank screen or page then the hard work starts. Some decisions you may have made mentally while brainstorming your idea, but most others will happen while you are actually writing. Whose point of view is the story from? What tense will it be in? What is the setting or time period? Who are the characters? What are they like? What do they want? Is there conflict? What is their individual vernaculars? What words do I choose to use to describe? What if the plot goes this way - no wait, what if it went in the opposite direction?

Every moment of writing is decision making and that is what makes it hard. Unless you've brainstormed a lot mentally, it's not going to be easy to just start writing and knock off a hundred pages in a day. In fact, even with all your prior preparation, you're going to find that putting those images and scenes down in actual writing isn't as glib or smooth as you thought it would be. New ideas will sometimes bombard you, changing the course of what you've previously decided. Characters won't behave the way you originally envisioned. And sometimes you write yourself into a corner and get stuck. Getting unstuck can utilize some of the hardest decisions. It may mean cutting out a lot of what you've already written to go in a new direction. Or perhaps you need to decide to do some research to help solve the problem your characters are facing.

Character A is on one path, should they collide with Character B? When, if at all? How will the arcs of both these characters affect each other? How much action versus explanation should go into this scene? Do Characters C and D hate each other? Do they secretly love each other? Will the fate of Character E end in death? Will the villain win? Is there an identifiable villain? Decisions.

There is an accountability to writing. A law of the universe not often discussed is that for every decision made there are consequences. For your characters, and yes, even for you as the writer. Decisions about the words we use may either draw readers to our work or push them away. The point of view we choose will often determine our target audience. What elements we choose to put into the story will also draw or repel readers. Whether or not we choose to get feedback and improve our writing can have some very powerful consequences over how successful our novels may be.

It is not a mere moment of deciding "I am going to write a story today," although that is always a starting point. We can just as easily decide "This is too hard; I'm going to quit." Once you are determined to set down the winding path of writing a story, you will stop frequently - more often than you'd like - to assess, rethink, and choose. It's not a path for the fainthearted or lazy.

After you've crossed the finish line on your first draft then comes the next big decision: "I am going to go through it and rewrite it, edit it, and improve it." Subsequent drafts of editing and revision require even more decisions, some of them painful. Deciding to get feedback from others in order to improve your story has powerful consequences at well. Ideally, you should be given sound advice from people who read a lot and know a thing or two about writing and editing. Sometimes the feedback is unhelpful. You have to decide who to listen to. You have to decide which advice will make your story better and then choose to make the appropriate changes.

You choose if you want to go after publication or not. You choose which publication route you want to take. If going the traditional route, you have to choose your words carefully for a query letter and choose which agents and publishers you are going to solicit. You have to choose whether to keep going that route as rejections come in. And hopefully you'll get to choose who'll you'll work with and help make decisions in the publication of your novel. If you choose the indie route, you have even more decisions to make. Who will your printer service be? What format(s) will you publish in? Who do you get for cover artwork or do you do it yourself? You need to choose good editors and copy editors. You have to choose fonts and layout. And with either route there's all the marketing choices you'll have to make to let people know about your book.

And then you have to choose whether or not you will start all over with a new novel.

Writing isn't some blow-in-the-wind hobby, not if you're serious about it. Writing takes decision-making skills and lots of determination. Many people have taken up writing this month for fun. For those new to the game, you're probably finding out it's not so easy as you probably thought. I would hope that by trying it out, you'd gain a better appreciation for the books you've read and those determined people who have moved forward by the hundred thousands to make decision after decision to create the stories you read and love.

And for those of you who are not new to the game, I share your frustration and joy of the process. The hours seem to slip by so quickly and yet so little seems to make it to the page. I believe at least 75% of our writing time is spent up in our heads making decisions.

This is why NaNo's word count is a true challenge for those taking it seriously. Writing is hard.

Reflections: One Year Later

Today marks the one year anniversary of the publication of my debut novel, Trefury: Mendi's Curse the first book in the Trefury trilogy.

No big hoopla, no big internet splash planned. I'm a rather simple person at heart. I'm marking the occasion with the release of the book in trade paperback format. You can find out the details by clicking on the Trefury button at the top of the page or clicking on the sidebar cover to enter the giveaway.

It's hard to believe it's been a year. I remember how stressed I was, how much time was consumed in the production of the book. All the details that go into a publication ... just wow. And I'm by no means an expert on the subject. Donning editor-mode for so long nearly killed my love of writing anything new. To make the switch from demanding perfection of yourself to freely spilling word vomit in a rough draft is hard. It took me months to let go of the iron fist.

I want to thank again those who contributed time, expertise, and a sympathetic shoulder to my endeavor. Sometimes writing is a very solitary process and it's easy to feel alone, abandoned, or forgotten. You're constantly mixing reality with the fantasy scenario and world going on in your head. People ask what is preoccupying you and then have a ho-hum attitude when you enthusiastically or shyly admit you're writing a novel. Everyone's a critic. Some people love the story concept. Others just don't get it. The world continues to move on with their day-to-day lives whether you meet your deadline or not. So it's the wonderful few who support and encourage you that make all the difference.

I've been asking other people for years why they write what they write and what inspired them. Lately I've turned the interrogation on myself. Why? Why did I write this book? Why do I intend to finish the other books piling up on my desk? And why in the world did I decide to publish? There is a difference, you know, between writing a story and publishing one.

I literally dreamed up Trefury a little over twenty years ago. I was a teenager, already engrossed in writing novels, sometimes with friends. I wrote a very short, very summarized rough draft as soon as I woke up. The first official draft came soon after. I wanted to share this cool idea of an invisible girl and the living whip she worked with to protect a country and the young man destined to lead it, with my circle of friends and family. I remember sitting on my bed with my sisters at the other end listening as I read it out loud to them. I always end up reading out loud to someone. Seeing and hearing how excited they'd get with each development in the story made my day. Trefury was the first story that got enthusiastic approval from my cousin, who was my harshest critic and first teacher in the art of good storytelling. That felt wonderful. To have her care and even demand more of the story meant more than any review, rating, or high-acclaim I might receive now. I had reached my audience and touched them.

Trefury went into a 3-ring binder and took up space on a shelf while I pounded out several other novels in the years that followed. Then I took a ten year hiatus from writing. I jotted down a descriptive sketch or brief scene or two, but for the most part I was too involved with living life and learning from it. It wasn't until soon after my third child was born and I was cooped up at home, because he was under quarantine for six months since he was a preemie, that I pulled out some of my old novels to read. I wanted to see if they were as entertaining then as they had been when I was younger. I'd like to say I'd been a brilliant writer in my youth, but I'll be frank, some of those manuscripts were awful. The stories were pretty sound but the execution *shudder*.

I didn't have a circle of writing friends at the time. They'd all grown up and moved far away. Every once in awhile one of my sisters would ask me about her two favorite stories. I read through the critiques I'd been given for Trefury and decided that if I were to jump back into writing, I'd pursue doing it professionally, not as a hobby. This manuscript had received the highest praise. It was a good place to start.

Many drafts ensued. Many revisions. Many heartaches and sublime moments where the inspiration was so good I surprised myself. I developed an online community of writing friends. And I'll admit I'm terrified of most of them because of their talent, ability, and the way they can socially navigate the online world a million times better than I can. I had moments where I felt like a total fake, a fraud, like dross among so many stars. Always in the back of my mind I felt grateful for the kindness of these other people, all the while worrying they knew how inept I was and were too polite to say so. Well, some did come out and say so in critiques, but that's good. You want to know where you are inept so you can fix your writing.

I had a lot to learn, but I'm a pretty motivated person once I set my mind to something. I dived into the pool of learning with both feet. I read blogs, books, followed authorities, experimented with so many different techniques. Sometimes I think Trefury ended up being a patchwork of these things. I hesitated to let people read it. I was a small fish. I knew I could always make my writing better. I didn't want anyone to read it until I deemed it palatable. Eventually I did let others read. How my heart skipped a beat when the first two critiques came in after reading my first three chapters! While there were things to fix, my two beta readers were mostly impressed. I climbed to the sky then.

Of course that didn't last long. My opening chapters weren't as well received by the next couple of beta readers. I went back and made cuts and changes. The feedback was better. New people read. Everyone had suggestions. It got to the point where I didn't recognize chapter one anymore at all. It was no longer fun to read or work on it. I was a hack who apparently wrote in alien gibberish because no one understood what was going on. I put it aside and finished up the rest of the book. The next beta readers were as enthusiastic and excited as the first two. They loved the opening. They loved the rest. I was ready to pull my hair out.

Back and forth, back and forth. I didn't know who to believe and came to the conclusion that clearly this book wasn't a mass appeal book. Either you're going to love it or it's not going to be your thing. I had to come to terms with that. I revisited the beginning and put the love and fun back in. I had reached the point where I knew the story was what it was and that was enough. Like dealing with me in person, you're either going to want to love it or keep your distance.

I was Thssk. I was Cortnee. I split my personality and then let them develop in their own directions, becoming less like actual me. Anyone who communicates with me will find traces of both their vernaculars in my writing and speech. That was fun. They had to have very different and distinct voices. How I agonized over Ientadur! He's a necessary and huge part of the story, yet my first chapters with him were wooden and lackluster. I remember writing on a sticky note: Make myself care about Ien. And I did. I drew deeply from the people around me composing the other characters, especially Damon. Without realizing it at first, I copied many of my father's mannerisms into him. It became especially poignant as I neared publication and my dad died of cancer. He'd helped me often with research and making sure I wasn't too far fetched with the science-y things I included in the book.

I went for hardcover first, which is the opposite of what writers are advised. You have to understand, I wanted the best version of this book for my own bookshelf and for the bookshelves of my core, original audience. I knew it would mean very limited sales because of the cost. My marketing budget was ... well $0.00 and still is. I wanted to give free copies to those closest to me, I just couldn't afford to do more than a couple of giveaways. The paperback version's cost allows me to do a bit more this time around and when the ebook comes out, there will be a lot more giveaway options.

I got lucky with editing help. I also took a crash course, building upon what editing skills I already had. I had to do extra jobs to earn the money to pay my cover artist, although she gave me a fantastic first-timer deal.

Basically, publication represented a mountain with sheer vertical sides and very few handholds. But I climbed it and I have the scars to prove it. I proved to myself that I could finish a writing project completely. The view on top of that mountain has brought me enormous peace, even though I know my view is not as breathtaking as it is for others, yet I'm content.

I learned a lot about myself and what my priorities are. For so many years I was convinced I had to get an agent and a traditional publisher, especially to get vindication that I wasn't a fraud and a hack. I did the research, I went through the query trenches. And then I discovered I was miserable and not because of the inevitable rejections everyone gets. I wasn't connecting to any of the people I queried. The ones I thought would match up with best, I found that the other books they were putting out I didn't like at all and they certainly weren't like my story, or the agent's personality and goals clashed with mine. We didn't fit. I couldn't find an agent who did so I stopped querying. I didn't like the dating feel of the whole process. The trending, the favoritism for certain elements and styles, and all the suck-up courting going on from writers. The thought of actually signing with someone and dealing with publication negotiations made me physically ill. I realized I didn't want the traditional route, vindication or not. I dreaded the thought of possible book signings, public appearances, all that extra marketing, the short deadlines that would stifle my creativity and clash with the pressing schedule of my actual life ... I absolutely don't want it and I'm no longer envious of anyone who has chosen to go that route. If that's what my friends wanted and got, I was happy for them. But I don't feel one bit jealous.

So where am I now? I'm a writer who has learned to enjoy the ride again. If I never make it onto anyone's list, that's okay. If my stories resonate with you, they will. I don't seek for online reviews and ratings, I got my five stars long ago. I intend to keep on learning and improving my craft, to strive to put out high quality projects but not at the cost of my self-respect, my integrity, or my sanity. Writing should be a joy. Sharing what we write should also be. The world is large enough for many more stories and more types than the trends and bigwigs of the business allow. Perfection and what is deemed professional quality - the standards are always changing. Give me a story to read that I can connect with and I can forgive a number of things on the technical side.

Once upon a time ...

It's still magic.

Trefury: Mendi's Curse Book Birthday Giveaway!

Sept. 30th marks the one year anniversary of the publication of my first book, Trefury: Mendi's Curse. To celebrate, I'll be launching the book in paperback the same day. For the best prices offered on either the hardback or paperback, be sure to click the Trefury tab at the top of this blog or click the cover of the book in the sidebar. It will save you time and money.

Is this story right for you?

Cover art © 2014 by Nicolle R. Murray

An ancient legend is about to be remade.

The land of Callorin is dying, cast off from divine aid and adrift in cold seas, with dark powers swooping in for the kill. As they have for thousands of years, Callorin turns to Thssk to fix the problem, but Thssk wants to avoid everyone. He failed last time, and his human handler put a curse on him as he abandoned her on a battlefield. She would be avenged through the next girl Thssk forced to become his handler.

Thssk is sent on a mission to another world to rescue the long-lost heir of Origiba, in the hope of developing outside support for Callorin. While there, he tries to thwart the curse by taking Cortnee, a tech savvy, arts major as his new handler, it is only when Thssk has gained the upper and over his enemies and everything seems to be working out for a change that he discovers he is not the game changer any more—Cortnee is.

On a world where starships are born, homes grow, and flowers can flatten entire cities, millions of lives are at stake. More importantly, Thssk's notorious past comes back to bite him. The girl who has become a catalyst politically and astralgically won't communicate with him, and she has some crazy ideas about how to get their job done. With her, Thssk may fail for a second time, without her, he may never attain the great future he was promised.

“Trefury is a mental feast for those who crave science fiction with well-crafted world-building, intriguing characters, and an unusual partnership which defies the odds.” —Angie Sandro, author of the Dark Paradise series.

Read other reviews on Amazon.com.

Recommended age: 15 and up

Genres: science-fantasy, adventure

Profanity: none

Sex: none

Violence: yes, non-graphic

Tags: bio-engineering, alien worlds, magic, weapons, mind manipulation, ghosts, invisibility, cultures, home schooling, geology, war, kidnapping, natural disasters, political struggles

Want to read before you buy? No problem.
Read a sample.
Or enter the giveaway (Please note that giveaway copies are ARC proof copies and there may be some minor differences in the cover than shown above):

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My Biggest Piece of Query Advice

The first query letter I ever sent out was snagged by my target publication and the piece bought shortly thereafter. That still blows my mind today because, at the time, I hadn't done much research on the infamous query letter and its tricks and traps. Now that I have years of research and trial and error behind me, I think I can safely target what I inadvertently did right with that first query and I'd like to pass on that info to you.

The first correct thing I did was target exactly the right publication. I was familiar with what they published, was a subscriber, and I knew my audience. Research is vital. Some agents have a great online presence and get flooded with queries because of that. They are familiar personalities, but personality aside, were they really the right fit for your project? I'm finding that the answer is often, no. I may like the advice or the charisma of one of these agents, but when I dig deeper into my research, I find that they aren't the perfect fit. Why? Sometimes what they say they want to find and what they are actually selling are very different beasts. I'm skeptical of agents who say they want epic fantasy but they haven't sold a single epic fantasy novel. Likewise with agents who generically say they want YA in any genre, but when you look through their client list and recent sales, find they gravitate to contemporary YA and not speculative. Another eye-opener is to notice which publishers the agent is selling to. Are they big publishers, mostly indies, or a mixture? How many times do you see publishers that are in your target bracket?

This type of research narrows down your query list, but it also strengthens your chances of not wasting either your time or that of the agent. After you know who's actually selling and reading your type of novel, then you can check out their online personality.

Okay, so the second big thing I've learned about querying deals with something much more close to home - your story, itself. That first query of mine not only went to the right publication but it showed a unique and different angle to the type of story I was telling. And that's what landed it.

Recently I decided to participate in a query critique contest, as a critiquer, something I'd not done before. What I really loved about the contest was that we had to think like a literary agent and we could only say yes to three queries. It made it more challenging, yet realistic. There were query letters in different genres and at different levels of polish. The ones I said yes to, without any hesitation, were the ones who showed their unique idea/point of view side. It didn't matter if the query letter was 100% perfection. They weren't generic sounding premises and that made me excited. It's the same deal when I go on Goodreads or browse at the library for something new to read. Generic premises make me skim or put down the book. If you show the unique twist, gimmick, voice, or angle to a story, you'll get more reader attention.

Once I had my obvious yes votes, I still wanted to critique the other queries to hopefully help out the writers. The next bracket of letter were the ones who had the right formatting, length, and sometimes even voice, but the premises fell flat or were too vague.

For example:
A girl (insert whatever cute name you like) has just discovered she has (a superpower, magic talisman, or hidden past) and the fate of the world rests in her hands. This has got to be the most common premise in modern literature. Okay, so sometimes the protag is a boy, but the rest of the premise runs the same. If that's all you're presenting in your query letter, you're shooting yourself in the foot because there are thousands (no exaggeration) of other writers using that exact same premise in their stories. And most of these aren't getting published.

Assuming that your actual story isn't just as generic sounding, you need to show that in your query letter. What's your fresh angle on that premise? What makes your version of this storyline unique and different from the thousands of other people. Type and personality of character isn't enough. If you've got an amazing piece of world building behind your story, show it in the query. If your protag is destined to be the savior of that world, please explain why her and not anybody else. Do you take this over-used premise and turn it on its side, or inside-out? Show it in the query letter.

Detail is your friend. And I don't mean by using strings of adjectives or explaining every plot point or nuance of the story. Instead of saying "she has to save the world" say "she must hack into Evil, LLC's computers to plant a virus, preventing them from delivering their new brainwashing toy to millions of children."

Be specific, be bold, be unique when explaining your story. Sometimes that's all you need to really stand out from the pack. Proper formatting and rhythm are important, too, but if you're being generic with your story description, technical brilliance won't make a difference.

Am I a genius at query letters? Ha! No. That first query letter was for a piece of non-fiction. I've toiled, struggled, and revised 'til I bled on fictional queries. A few of you may have seen one of my horrible earlier drafts. But regardless of whether it's fiction or non-fiction, the same two principles apply: know your target and show your story's unique angle. Now, let's all get back to work.

The Courage To Be You

What do you think you're doing? You've got to be kidding, right? You—write stories? What makes you think anyone will want to read what you write? You're over your head here. This MS is written all wrong. Someone else already covered this story/angle. You're wasting your time. You should do something else instead...

Do any of these sound familiar? I like to think of them as The Great THEY sayings. THEY like to tear people down. THEY like to make us question every little decision we make. THEY don't want us to be ourselves or succeed. THEY want to control us.

THEY don't exist.

Individuals parrot The Great THEY all the time but there really is no secret institution controlling society. Knowing that makes life a little rosier. Convincing yourself that THEY aren't going to murder you in your bed some night for taking a risk, well, that's another thing.

Putting yourself out there is scary for most people, even if you are only presenting a collection of written words to the public.

Sure there are actual institutions and rules set up to follow. It's not a myth that publishers and agents have guidelines to follow when submitting a manuscript to them. It's not a myth that very few people actually make millions on selling what they write. A savvy writer must navigate through rules and guidelines, and work hard to grow and improve their writing.

In all places where people gather there is a natural tendency to size each other up, judge our strengths and weaknesses, and decisions made regarding other peoples' value to the group as a whole or to other individuals. Sometimes it's easiest to expect the same thing from everyone and sometimes some individuals carry this too far. We hate the rule breakers, those who have leaped to the top of the pile, those who seem to have it all, those who blatantly tell the rest of us to jump off a cliff. We also secretly envy and admire them. We want to be someone who is comfortable in their own skin and who can snap their fingers at the censure and ire of others.

So how does one gain the courage to take those risks?

As a writer, how can you make your story stand out from the rest of the pack? The pack is humongous! There are thousands of other hopefuls out there who also have the same dream. The savvy writer also knows that the dream slots to fill are much fewer.

The first step is arming yourself with knowledge regarding writing craft and the industry of publishing. It's not as straight-forward and simple as it sounds. Many would like to skip this step. "I'm a storyteller. All I need to do is write my story and the rest will fall into place." Um, right.

The second step is not becoming a zealot with what you learn. I can always tell who has just embraced some doctrine of writing craft. These individuals (and I had my little zealous bout too a long time ago) will rigorously step forward online or among other writers to champion the death of all things that run against the rule they've embraced. They're brutal in their critiques. They hammer their pet piece of writing doctrine down the throats of the willing and unwilling alike. You can picture them sweating, beet-red in the face, maybe with their tongues peeking out of the sides of their mouths, and their eyes bloodshot in their never-ending quest to prove the point.

Don't be a zealot.

The third step is to pause. You're still digesting what you've learned and you realize there is more to be learned. Like any learning process, there never is a point of arrival. Learning never ends. Coming to terms with that realization and accepting it gives a writer a necessary dose of humility and gratitude. This step is treated as optional by some. It shouldn't be. Appreciating what has gone on before, what is going on around you now, and speculating on the possibilities of the future will keep a writer from becoming an arrogant jerk.

Step four, reach out to others. Take the time to network and make friends with other writers. Be a giver more often than a taker. And above all else, accept others for who they are. Recognize their individual voices and visions. Don't condemn, don't judge.

Step five, embrace yourself. It's okay. You can like yourself. You can love what you write and you can also hate it. You'll be able to see your weak points and your strong ones. These need to be identified. Come to terms with what is important to you, what you want to say and how you want to say it. Remember that everyone has a voice and a distinct point of view. Remember also, that you will not convert everyone to your way of thinking, and there will be many others who will disagree with you. There is no way to avoid this.

Courage isn't a quality one is given, it must be acquired. Bravo to those who gain the courage to step up, present yourself to the world, and say "This is me." Laurels to those who can continue to stand there while others size you up, ignore you completely, or try to drive you away. If you are humble, accepting of others and yourself, and knowledgeable there is no valid reason for you to run away. At this point THEY are not as all-powerful as you think, the one with the power to make or break you is yourself.

It's not easy standing there but it is important to stay put. Some people are instantly embraced and adored, some are charismatic, others are mysterious, and some will shout and shout so no one can ignore them. Some face exclusion, ridicule, or are taken for granted. Some people are used for awhile or scoffed at from behind. Remember your vision is unique and that you have your own stories to tell. No one else can tell your stories the way you can. No one else should replace your words with their own. And yes, sometimes you must admit that a story or two will never have a wide audience—and that's alright.

Relax and breathe. Do everything you can, keep learning, keep trying, and never give up. No one ever arrives, this is one continuous journey.

Bonus: From the blog Writer Unboxed, contributor Jan O'Hara shares some inspiration on conquering writing fear, and fellow contributor Jon Vorhaus gives some perspective regarding letting the worries of the future stymie today.

Break, Reason, and Spreading My Wings

I know the blog has been silent for awhile. I apologize. I've been wrapped up in helping my mom buy a house, go through renovations, and then the actual moving. We're nearly done. Sometimes life calls and you're happy to answer, even if it means dropping other obligations.

Which brings me to announce that I will be taking a few months sabbatical from writing. Blog posting will be sporadic, but the posts I mean to write will hopefully be very useful for my readers. I am engrossed in learning right now and am excited to share some of the concepts I've picked up. I am also taking time to work on other talents, which for me, means a more enriching environment and set of experiences to draw upon when I pick up my writing again. Since I have the freedom of not being under a publisher's contract, I can take the time to rejuvenate and then finish writing the best book I can, based on my ever growing capabilities. I know this announcement will be disappointing to some, but please know, I won't be able to write well unless I take this break. Writing has been a primary focus for the past decade, often getting in the way of other pursuits and obligations. Now that book one is done and out, it's time to get realigned and in better balance.

I personally believe the usual publishing model is skewed wrong, based entirely upon the impatience of the consumer, rather than for the benefit of the writer. Writer's aren't given time to rejuvenate. If they try to they are dropped or forgotten. I suppose I'll be dropped and forgotten in the next few months. I'm okay with that. Better to be left behind by the crowd in order to do something better than continue along with the crowd and suffer constant fatigue.

In my long journey as I've studied and sought publication, I've come to learn that my initial instincts were correct, and while I don't regret having diverted so much energy into pursuing the norm because it taught me a lot, I probably would have published sooner and with less stress if I'd listened to that instinct. No one should assume that my decision to self-publish is a sign of failure or second choice, I voluntarily quit the process. I am very happy with where I ended up. I have never wanted many of the things that come with a traditional contract, even when I tried to convince myself that I did, because that's what the industry was saying I had to want. I was a sheep, and I apologize if I ever made any of you feel like you had to be a sheep as well. Choosing which side of the publishing spectrum you want to be on is an individual thing. What is right for one person is completely wrong for another. I've learned that now. It took ten years of butting my head against a figurative concrete wall to realize what an idiot I had been.

So the break begins now. You can still contact me via email or in my writing group. I won't be on Facebook or Twitter as much. I wish you all the best in your writing and publishing endeavors. Thank you for the companionship on the last ten years of the road.

Release Day for Trefury: Mendi's Curse! Info, Soundtracks, and Quizzes

Copyright 2014 Nicolle Raty Murray; original artwork

My debut novel, Trefury: Mendi's Curse, is now available for purchase in hardcover format.

The land of Callorin is dying, cast off from divine aid and adrift in cold seas, with dark powers swooping in for the kill. As they have for thousands of years, Callorin turns to Thssk to fix the problem, but Thssk wants to avoid everyone. He failed last time, and his human handler put a curse on him as he abandoned her on a battlefield. She would be avenged through the next girl Thssk forced to become his handler.

Thssk is sent on a mission to another world to rescue the long-lost heir of Origiba, in the hope of developing outside support for Callorin. While there, Thssk tries to thwart the curse by taking Cortnee, a tech savvy, arts major as his new handler. It is only when Thssk has gained the upper hand over his enemies and everything seems to be working out for a change that he discovers he is not the game changer anymore—Cortnee is.

On a world where starships are born, homes grow, and flowers can flatten entire cities, millions of lives are at stake. More importantly, Thssk’s notorious past comes back to bite him. The girl who has become a catalyst politically and astralgically won’t communicate with him, and she has some crazy ideas about how to get their job done. With her, Thssk may fail for a second time, without her, he may never attain the great future he was promised.

You might like Trefury if you are into:
1) Adventure stories.
2) Stories spanning multiple worlds.
3) Diverse characters in both gender and race.
4) Fascinating, exotic, and mind-boggling settings.
5) Entwining plot lines.

 Trefury also fits into a rare niche, it's clean speculative fiction. No sex, no profanity, no graphic violence. The readership age range is from 15 on up (based on vocabulary and themes in the story).

While I am very excited to finally share this story with everyone, I am mostly feeling a sense of relief and calm. It is very satisfying to complete a project like this. And it's also nice to realize that achieving a dream is neither a summation of who I am, nor is it a place of arrival. This is a milestone in my life and I'm grateful that I have it as a foundation for writing future novels and improving my talent as a storyteller.

I want to thank the many people who helped me brainstorm, revise, edit, and who supported me in this effort. You've made me a better writer and have helped me make this story something to be proud of.

And to finish off my writing soundtrack, at least the big highlights, here are the last two tracks, including the song that epitomizes the whole thing.

First up, "Whiplash" by Selena Gomez. (No pun intended, for those of you who have read the book.)

This song became my "Trefury mode" anthem.

And here is the song that is my book, "What You're Thinking (Pure Energy)" by Information Society. While I listened to the original version a lot, the remixed version is my favorite. If you listen to any of the soundtrack songs, make it this one.

Original Version:

*Remixed Version:

For more soundtracks and previous Trefury posts click here.

And finally ...
Read the book and think you know it? Try out one of the new quizzes about Trefury: Mendi's Curse on Goodreads.


Today's the last day to enter for a free copy here on my blog, but starting tomorrow you can get a second opportunity to snag a free copy on Goodreads. The link in the sidebar will be updated to direct you.

Rethinking the Process: Formatting Your Novel for Print

*Note: This post is a compilation of what I've learned while putting together my first book, and is in no way authoritative. Everyone's experience is different, but hopefully this post will help those of you thinking about indie publishing, or who are trying to figure out the ropes.

I've discovered you develop an entirely different perspective when you decide to indie publish, especially when it comes to formatting your manuscript.

When you are getting your manuscript polished, formatted, and ready to be viewed by agents and publishers, you get stuck on guidelines like these:

1 - Double space
2 - Use Times New Roman or Courier font only (or else!)
3 - Page numbers go in the upper right hand corner
4 - Use a header to state the title of your book and your name
5 - When printing it out, print on only one side of the paper
6 - Don't add spaces between decorative breaks in the narrative
7 - Word count

And so forth. There are lots of tailored guidelines, depending on the publisher or the agent, but the ones I've listed are pretty general.

But, once you've decided to become the publisher, it's a whole new ball game. You can throw out those guidelines once your manuscript is completely polished, edited, and proof edited.

1 - Double spacing serves to help your editor, or critique partners make notes in your manuscript. You won't need it for your print copy. 14.4 pt. or 1.5 pt. spacing is your new target range. You still want enough white space so your lines don't look crowded, but you don't need as much white space as when you double space. (Different fonts have different spacing built in.)

2 - If you're using MS Word, the Styles and Formatting section becomes your best friend. If you aren't familiar with it, you must do the tutorials to get familiar. It will save you tons of time, and avoid a lot of mistakes and irregularities in your manuscript. You can find Styles and Formatting by looking up at your top menu bar and clicking on Format. Under the Format menu, you'll see Styles and Formatting. Click on it. From there you can set your font and font sizes for different parts of your manuscript. Things like chapter headers, or special pages where you want things centered or in italics; you can set these in Styles and Formatting.

3 - Understanding fonts. Just because your writing program comes with a list of fonts, doesn't mean you have permission to use them. Fonts cost money. And depending on where you are publishing your print book, your printing company may or may not have the rights to print in the fonts you want. You need to check. I went through Lulu.com, and they make it clear which fonts you can use and which fonts you need to purchase. They'll upload a MS file and convert it to a PDF. If you don't use one of their recommended true-type fonts, they'll change your font. If you have purchased a specific font, you need to embed it into a PDF file. Check with the company you are going through to make sure you're following their guidelines and are using a font legally.

Make sure when you choose a font for your text that it is easily readable. Decorative fonts are pretty, but they're better used for party invitations and banners. It's your responsibility to choose a font that reflects the genre/tone of your novel and that is essentially invisible to readers, meaning, they aren't going to stop and stare at your pretty or complicated font instead of reading the actual story.

Some authors like to use a slightly more decorative, or a different font for their chapter headings. You don't have to. It's a style choice.

Likewise, don't make the size of your font so tiny it's hard for most people to read. You'll alienate potential readers. If you've written an extremely large book, think on the possibility of breaking it into two books versus keeping it together. Some printing companies have limits on the number of pages you can have for a book. Don't freak out and try to make your font smaller or reduce your margins to nothing, in order to cram more words on the page. That screams "Unprofessional!" A good average for lines on the page is between 30 - 35.

4 - Forget about the standard 8 x 11 inch paper size. You need to go into your document and resize your paper to the size it will be printed at. For me, that meant resizing to 6 x 9 inches. And boy, does that open up your eyes regarding the size of your book! Forget about word count, you'll be dealing with page count now. Printers usually print 4 pages per sheet. If you don't want unnecessary blank pages added to your novel, make sure your total page count is divisible by 4.

5 - Watch out for widows and orphans, those bits of text that end up on a new page all by themselves, whether it's part of a sentence, or just one sentence or small paragraph. You're using up an entire sheet of paper for that one little bit. You'll either need to take out things from your chapter to get rid of them, or add things to make use of that extra page.

6 - Set your margins, including the side ones (gutters). One inch all around is pretty standard. Decide where you want your page numbers. For hardcover books, page numbers are usually centered at the bottom. For paperback, they are in the right and left corners. Some books have even put page numbers in the center of the side of the page. It's a style issue.

7 - Learn something about book design. Follow book designer blogs and pay attention to what they are sharing. Get a feel for what you like and what elements reflect the tone and subject of your novel. Realize that you probably won't be able to do all the bells-and-whistles on your own (unless you are book designer). There are a lot of style elements you can do, but if you want something really unusual or spectacular, it would be a good idea to hire a book designer to help you.

8 - Learn recto and verso. From The Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition:
"Publishers refer to the trimmed sheets of paper that you turn in a printed-and-bound book as leaves, and a page is one side of a leaf. The front of the leaf, the side that lies to the right in an open book, is called recto. The back of the leaf, the side that lies to the left when the leaf is turned, is the verso. Rectos are always odd-numbered, versos always even-numbered."

Certain pages are expected to be either recto or verso. For instance, your half-title page and title page are always recto. Your copyright page is usually verso. The first chapter of a novel is always recto. I have divided my novel into three parts, so I had to make sure the Parts pages landed recto with a blank verso page after them before starting the next chapter. (Don't forget to factor in your blank pages into your overall page count!)

9 - More on page numbers. Your front matter (the pages that come before your actual story starts) aren't numbered. The same goes for your back matter (the extra pages that come after your story ends). You will need to learn how to use section breaks to divide up your novel in order to start and stop your page numbering. There are online tutorials for using section breaks and adding and altering page numbers. I didn't know before that there are two ways to add page numbers and that one way is trickier than the other.

10 - Use page breaks for each of your chapters. If you go up to the top of your MS Word toolbar and click on Insert, choose Break, then you can access both page breaks and section breaks. Page breaks are handy because they keep the text of one chapter from bumping the text of the next chapter down the page. So your chapter heading formatting doesn't have to be double-checked and realigned. Don't use hard returns (hitting the Enter key on your keyboard) to separate one chapter from another because it's a formatting nightmare (time wise) to fix.

11 - The pilcrow button is your friend. If you look up at your toolbar, you'll see a button with what looks like a colored in, backwards P with a line running parallel behind it. This is the pilcrow button. If you click it, is shows the formatting in your manuscript; nifty things like spacing between words, hard returns, page breaks, and where you've used the tab key. This is a great tool to help you spot places where you have hidden formatting issues.

12 - Want a drop cap at the start of each chapter? (A drop cap is the over sized first letter at the beginning of the first paragraph.) Highlight the letter, go up to your toolbar and click on Format. There should be a Drop Cap button. Click on it and you're taken to a little window with drop cap formatting options. *Note: Not all fonts work well with drop caps. Some fonts will make the drop cap letter too high or low compared to the regular letters. You can click and drag your drop capped letter to realign, but it doesn't always come out right when you print the page.

13 - For easier uploading to your printing company, keep your entire novel in one file instead of a bunch of little ones. (Learning page and section breaks will help you format everything just the way you want it.) *Note: Do not include your cover art in the same file. Just the interior of your novel.

14 - If you have illustrations or maps, make sure they're resized to the proper page size and that you've inserted them properly into your manuscript. Don't use a link and hope it sticks. Also, bear in mind, that if you want them in color, it's going to cost more to print the book. If you want to keep costs down, make sure your color pictures are converted to grayscale or black-and-white.

15 - You've been used to using a left alignment in your manuscript. Guess what, you'll need to change it to justified before sending it off to the printing company. And along with justifying the text, is deciding where to break up larger words to avoid huge gaps in your lines. Don't go overboard with dividing words. It's okay if there are some small white gaps, you just want to avoid really big ones. Another thing to watch out for is having the same word right on top another. This usually means reading through your newly formatted manuscript with a fine-toothed comb, slowly, with your focus on spotting gaps, too many broken words, or stacked words.

16 - Spacing between gaps in the story. Some people will insert an extra return so there is one line of space to indicate a change in the setting, POV, or that you're heading into a flashback. More common for the first two is to insert something symbolic or a tiny illustration between story sections. You need white space above and below these so they don't look crammed. It's a style issue. Keep your readers in mind. If you use a tiny illustration, make sure you own the rights to it.

A lot of these tips are good for formatting for ebook too, like using the pilcrow button, learning Styles and Formatting, etc. I've included some resource links to help get you started in your research. Don't be frustrated by all you have to do and learn. Once you get it down, your next published book will be easier. Take your time and do it right.

Helpful Links:
Front Matter, Back Matter, Why Does It Matter?
Indie Writers: Make MS Word Work  for You Instead of Against You
The Book Designer
Lulu
Createspace

*Note: Createspace is the more popular printing company, but I went with Lulu because they put out hardcovers as well as paperbacks, and I liked their simpler pricing and payment structure.

Giveaway with No Strings Attached

Today starts my blog giveaway for my debut novel, Trefury: Mendi's Curse. Trefury comes out in hardcover Sept. 30th, with a paperback edition to follow and eventually an ebook version. I prefer the good, old hardcover for my personal library, but I know they can be expensive. So if you're serious about wanting to own this book and want the best print version of it, you'll want to sign up for the giveaway.

No strings attached. Simply enter to win through any of the available options. I'm not asking for reviews or ratings. If Trefury sounds like the kind of book you want to read, then read it. If it doesn't, then don't. At the moment I'm offering one free copy of the book here through my blog, but if there are a lot of entries, I'll add more.

And to my writer friends: You're under no obligation to buy or read my books just because you know me. In fact, if after reading the story summary you're truly not interested, I prefer it if you don't. Life's too short and there are too many books out there; no one should have to read fun novels by obligation. I write because I enjoy telling stories and I'd rather reach my target audience than a superficial one. Thank you for the support and help, but know it won't hurt my feelings if you pass on my novel.

If you read Trefury, love it, and want to help promote it, thank you. The best promotion is simply word of mouth. If you want to read the book, but aren't sure you want to plunk down the money for a copy, request it through your local library.

Here's the story summary:

Meet the oddest, most-likely-to-fail partnership the planet Niyhel has ever known. He’s cunning, intelligent, and dangerous. She’s slow to trust, reckless, and loyal. And both of them have their own ideas about how to do things.

Thssk, a six-thousand-year old norhendra, has unwittingly caused the near extinction of his kind. Then he abandoned his handler, momentarily forgetting that she was an astral. She curses him as he flees the battlefield: the next handler he chooses will avenge her. Hunted by his past, it takes a divine summons and a volcanic eruption to rekindle Thssk’s competitive spirit after a long hibernation. Racing against his enemies to rescue a boy from another planet?—he’s the only one capable of pulling it off. But there’s a catch, he has to select a new human partner to work with.

Tech savvy Cortnee Feyandihar is tracking down the people responsible for her mom’s death while trying to gain a footing on a career path in the fields of music and dance. But when she goes too far with a corruption exposé, a last-ditch effort to salvage her future sticks her in the middle of an inter-world showdown and right into Thssk’s coils.

On a world where starships are born, homes grow, and flowers can flatten entire cities, the fates of two lands hangs in the balance, as do the lives of millions of people. Yet it all pales in comparison to Thssk confronting the repercussions of discarding his previous partners as he struggles with his unpredictable new one. Everything Cortnee thought she understood has turned inside out and she must utilize every skill in her arsenal to get a grip on her new reality. If they can’t learn to communicate and work together, he won’t achieve the great future he was promised, but if they do, Cortnee could fall like her predecessors—into madness.

If you enjoy books with multiple points of view, complex plot lines woven together, detailed world-building, intense adventure, and characters that aren't strictly good or bad, then you'll probably enjoy this one. And this book is clean: no sex, no profanity, and no graphic violence.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't win this time around, there will be a second opportunity through Goodreads that starts at the end of the month. More details to come. 


Contest is closed.
And the winner is ....









 Angie!

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Tips to Help Indie Authors Help Their Cover Artists

I used to work in travel as a tour wholesaler, which basically means I would package together travel elements such as a plane ticket, a hotel stay, and transfers to and from the airport then turn around and sell the package to travel agents, who would then sell it to the public. The most annoying part of my job was dealing with travel agents and/or through them their clients who had no idea what they wanted.

I'd get calls that ran something like this:

Travel agent: "My client wants to go to the Caribbean."

Me: "When would they like to go?"

Travel agent: "Oh anytime between June and August. When would they get the best airfare?"

Me: "That depends on where they want to go."

Travel agent: "Somewhere cheap. I'd like pricing on four, five, six, and seven nights."

Me: "I need you to narrow it down."

Travel agent: "Why?"

Me: "Because you know your client better than I do."

Travel agent: *gives a big, annoyed sigh* "Try Jamaica, Barbados, Aruba, and Turks and Caicos."

You get the idea. Often people don't have a clear idea of what they want. Dumping their vague expectations on someone else is not only unfair, but it's always bound to lead to disappointment for both sides.

If you're an indie author getting ready to publish your book, you need a great cover for your book. Sometimes this means working with an artist. It's important to do your research when selecting an artist, checking into pricing, availability, and getting an idea of what an artist's work is like. But your job isn't over once you have all that figured out and lined up.

In fact, even before you select your artist, it's a good idea to do cover research first, since that will give you a pretty good idea of what you want and help you find an artist that has that vibe or capability.

1 - Visit bookseller or reader websites. Select the genre your story is written in (or genres if you're writing a cross-genre book) and scroll through the list of books. Don't spend time reading the book summaries. Examine the covers. Take note of which covers leap out at you and make you curious to read the summary. Look for patterns in not only layout, but color, and the type of art being used for your genre. Take copious notes.

***Your cover needs to reflect the genre it is written in. A potential reader should be able to glance at your cover and instantly get a feeling for what type of book it is.***

2 - Doodle. Experiment with layouts for your cover. Use block shapes and circles. You don't have to be an artist. Doing this helps you realize how important the placement of the title and other words are, how big the images might be, and whether you have too much or too little in mind.

***Coming up with two or three possible layouts will cut down on time for your artist. Which could save you money.***

3 - When choosing elements to go on your cover, think about your novel. Maybe you want the lead character(s) featured on the front. How much of them do you want to show? How much do you want to leave to the reader's imagination? Maybe you want a setting which will showcase your world-building. Maybe you want something symbolic. What elements are going to entice readers without giving too much away? Don't throw these questions at your artist. They didn't write the book. You did. Your artist will need you to come up with the details, such as what your characters look like and what they are wearing, or what your setting looks like. Make up a list or even better, give you artist excerpts from the book to show them what you want.

Sometimes it's helpful to make up a sort of scrapbook, using pictures that have the flavor, look, or idea of what you want. Models in the right stance, people who look like your characters, scenery (whether real or made-up) that have echoes of your world, fabric or color swatches, even fonts or decorative script samples. These samples don't necessarily represent your idea in full, but they will help your artist stay on track.

***This will also save time and money. It will also help prevent your artist from having too much freedom of interpretation that could mean coming up with characters, settings, or symbols that look nothing like what you want.***

4 - If you are not purchasing a font for the words on your cover, you will need to design your own, and that made-up font will need to be embedded into the artwork. Check to see if your artist will help you design a font. Make sure that you consider carefully your word placement on your cover. Will your name or the name of the book be bigger? Do you have a subtitle? Which words will get the flashy treatment and which ones will be plainer? What colors are you going to use?

5 - Know your deadline. Make sure you give your artist plenty of time to complete the project, with extra time for revisions. Don't demand a great cover within a few days or even a week. You'll need time to discuss your ideas with your artist, time for preliminary sketches, time for them to do the actual artwork, and then revisions (there will always be revisions). Your artist may have other clients at the same time. Check with your artist to find out their timetables, availability, and how fast they can work.

***Remember, the more research and prep work you've done, the less time the artist should need to complete the project.***

6 - If you have a good rapport with your artist, and they have both the time and inclination, let them read your novel before starting on the cover. It makes a world of difference if they understand the story and where you're coming from when you give them your list of cover elements.

7 - If your novel is the first book in a series, or you plan on hiring this same artist again for other novels, you'll want to cultivate a good relationship with your artist. Be grateful for their time and work. Promote them to your other writer friends. Make sure you've mentioned them on your copyright page and in the acknowledgements of your novel. Artists, like authors depend on that precious word-of-mouth recommendation for their work.

Question for you: Do you have an artist you've been very satisfied with? What was your working relationship like? Go ahead and promote them in the comments.

Do you know of any other good tips for indie authors who will be working with an artist?

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