The wonderful world of book bloggers and how I evaluate blogs as an agent

Don’t y’all just love book blogs? I do! I add books to my to-be-read list based on what bloggers say. I forward links to my clients when one of their novels is reviewed. I read blog comments to see what’s hot. Book blogs drive buzz and sales and excitement and they help promote reading (which is always a great thing). I grew up a reader, but back then (think dinosaur age), books were recommended by teachers, librarians and occasionally by friends. Today, I can compare notes with other readers via book blogs and be part of a big online world of people who love books.

As an agent, how do I evaluate book blogs and how do I use them?

One of the main ways I leverage book bloggers in my job is by sending out Advanced Reader Copies of my clients’ books. Yes I do this. Is it a conflict of interest? No. I’m not trying to “drive business” – I’m just trying to connect books to reviewers. When submitting, I always follow the blog’s submission guidelines and then it’s up to the blogger to review or not and to be positive or negative. I try to provide opportunities for my clients and their books – I don’t try to censor what becomes of those opportunities. By the way, yes – our publishing houses also send out ARCs for review, but you never know who I know that they don’t.

Another way I use book bloggers is by reading their reviews. I want to know what readers think – particularly about books in genres that I represent (young adult & middle grade, romance and science fiction & fantasy). The reviews and the comments on those reviews help me understand the market from a reader’s perspective.

Do I comment on book blogs? Yes I do. I know this has been a hot topic lately and I’m sure that different agents approach this question in different ways. My personal philosophy is that I never comment in a negative way on any book or on any review. Sure, I’ve read books that I don’t love – no one will ever know what those books are. And, I’ve read reviews with which I disagree. I simply nod my head and move along. When I do love something, though, I tend to reach out to the author or to the blogger with a positive comment. Publishing is thankless more often than not and “nice work” goes a long way.

How do I evaluate a book blog? This is the checklist I use when adding a blog to my hot reading list:

- Do I read the blog and enjoy the writer’s comments and style?
- Are the submissions guidelines posted clearly?
- Is the overall layout of the blog professional and engaging?
- How regularly does the blogger post (I like blogs that post 3-4 times a week. I don’t read anything every day, but I also forget about the ones that only post once a week)
- Is the blogger on twitter? Many times I follow bloggers on twitter and their tweets remind me to read today’s post. I personally like this kind of cross-promotion.
- What is the selection of books reviewed? For me personally, I prefer blogs that review some big names AND some smaller releases. So, a blog that reviews the same 10 books that I’m seeing on the NYTimes Bestseller list is a “meh” for me whereas a blogger who takes chances on some “quieter” titles tends to be more my style. I look for the review list to include books from big press and small press and books from big authors and debut authors.
- For me to actually submit an ARC, I make sure the blogger has some sort of disclaimer clearly listed. This disclaimer should say in a pretty direct way “I receive books from publishing houses and review them fairly and for no compensation.”
- I personally love blogs that host a variety of content – reviews, author interviews, guest blog posts.
- Surprisingly, book giveaways don’t do much for me. I know they are very popular so I would never suggest removing them. It’s just that giveaways sometimes make me feel that commenters are more interested in trying to get free books than they are in initiating discussion.
- Does number of comments matter to me? Sure – I love to see a ton of comments on a blogger’s post. To me that means the community at this blog is active and engaged.

So, if you ARE a book blogger, I hope this helps illuminate how your blog can be evaluated. If you are a writer and/or reader, I hope this helps explain how book bloggers can advance your craft and your career. Network with these people when you can – book blogs have proven to be an innovative and important way to promote literature!

For the record, here are some of the book blogs I adore:

For romance novel reviews:
USA Today’s new Happily Ever After blog
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/index

Smart Bitches Trashy Books
http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/

Dear Author
http://dearauthor.com/

Ramblings from this Chick
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/

Romancing Rakes
http://romancingrakes.blogspot.com/

Smexy Books
http://www.smexybooks.com/

For young adult novel reviews:
The Hiding Spot
http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com/

The Story Siren
http://www.thestorysiren.com/

A Book and a Latte
http://bookandlatte.blogspot.com/

***

So, do you blog?  What are you doing and what will you start doing to address the points discussed by Sara?

On Friday, Handsome Hansel joins us to give us a mans eye view of the world of romance.

***

And for one lucky commenter, Sara is giving away a copy of FIRELIGHT by Kristen Callihan.

BOOK 1 IN THE DARKEST LONDON SERIES

Once the flames are ignited . . .

Miranda Ellis is a woman tormented. Plagued since birth by a strange and powerful gift, she has spent her entire life struggling to control her exceptional abilities. Yet one innocent but irreversible mistake has left her family’s fortune decimated and forced her to wed London’s most nefarious nobleman.

They will burn for eternity . . .

Lord Benjamin Archer is no ordinary man. Doomed to hide his disfigured face behind masks, Archer knows it’s selfish to take Miranda as his bride. Yet he can’t help being drawn to the flame-haired beauty whose touch sparks a passion he hasn’t felt in a lifetime. When Archer is accused of a series of gruesome murders, he gives in to the beastly nature he has fought so hard to hide from the world. But the curse that haunts him cannot be denied. Now, to save his soul, Miranda will enter a world of dark magic and darker intrigue. For only she can see the man hiding behind the mask.

***

Bio: Sara Megibow, Associate Literary Agent
Nelson Literary Agency, LLC

Sara has worked at the Nelson Literary Agency since 2006. As the Associate Literary Agent, Sara is actively acquiring new clients! The Nelson Literary Agency specializes in representing all genres of romance (except inspirational or category), young adult fiction of all subgenres, science fiction/ fantasy and commercial fiction (including women’s fiction and chick lit). Sara is an avid romance reader and a rabid fan girl of super sexy and intelligent stories.

Nelson Literary Agency is a member of AAR, RWA, SFWA and SCBWI. Please visit our website http://http://www.nelsonagency.com/for submission guidelines, FAQs, resources and sample query letters. Sara’s Publisher’s Marketplace site (www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SaraMegibow) is a great place to find more about her personal tastes, clients and recent sales. You can also cyber stalk Sara on twitter @SaraMegibowHow an agent chooses what books to read.

What do query critiques, blogs, and men fumbling through romance on Valentine’s Day? This week’s fabulous lectures! Join us for an enlightening and entertaining line-up of Visiting Professors.

Mon, 2/6 – Monthly columnist C.J. Redwine returns with a critique of a reader submitted query letter. Join C.J. as she celebrates the release of her query book and kicks off QUERY PALOOZA! http://cjredwine.blogspot.com

Wed, 2/8 – RU columnist and agent Sara Megibow shares her thoughts on blogs. Are they an effective tool in an agent’s toolbox? http://www.nelsonagency.com

Fri, 2/10 – Handsome Hansel’s humorous take on the trials, tribulations and occasional triumphs men experience while attempting to pull-off romance (with some form of sincerity) on Valentine’s Day. It seems most men still don’t have it figured out. http://thedanceofromanceonline.com/

All Romance University lectures are generously provided by our Visiting Professors. RU is a tuition-free zone!
All our best,
Tracey Devlyn, Jennifer Tanner, Becke Martin-Davis, Kelsey Browning, Adrienne Giordano, Robin Covington, and Carrie Spencer

Welcome back, Jeanne. 

Your Write Environment – Making your writing space WORK for you!

Hello Romance University Students!  Thanks for having me here today!

Do you love where you write?  Most of us love what we write – we have to, to live with it in our heads as much as we do! – but not many of us stop to consider WHERE we write.  Much less if it actually helps us, or suits us, or is even comfortable.  Most of us are just happy to have a square foot or two that we can say is “ours” to devote to this maniacal passion called writing.

But your space matters.  Studies show that when a person is truly comfortable in their working environment, they are dramatically more productive – gaining up to 30% more productive work time.  That’s a lot of pages my friends.  If you normally write 5 pages (1250 words) when you get sit down and write, a 30% increase means you’d get 6.5 pages (1500 words) in the same amount of time.  One more page and a half toward a completed manuscript – that’s a LOT!

I’m sure we’d all love to have a great-looking, private, separate, luscious office space just for writing (bookshelves, music, a comfy chair….) but few of us can afford that. So how do you make that improvement?  What works?  What doesn’t?  And what if you have little to no time or money for making the changes?

First, let’s talk style.  Most of us have a certain way we learn.  Learning styles aren’t news, most of us have heard about the modalities of learning – Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic.

Full out Visuals like color and neatness, things in their place, color, items filed by color or shape, attractive lamps, pretty rugs and curtains.  A visual treat.  They may have knickknacks, but they’re pretty.  And neat.  If there’s music, it’s good, but sometimes they won’t want it because it distracts from the work.  Visuals ask first, how does it look?

Full out Auditories like neat, but clear.  Crisp.  Effective and efficient.  Color is okay, but neutrals are better.  An auditory may like music on, but may not – they talk to themselves and working things out may require a lot of quiet. And above all, it has to be organized.  Auditories as first, how does it sound, or how clear is it?

Full out Kinesthetics don’t care what it looks like, or how its organized – or even if it IS organized – but it has to be comfortable.  It has to be warm, cozy and welcoming.  There has to be stuff to look at and mess with.  Color is good, but it can be a lot or a little; music is better, and the more stuff, the merrier. Kinesthetics ask first, how does it feel?

Now don’t pigeonhole yourself just yet into one or another.  We’re each a mix, usually more one than another, but often one with a strong secondary that influences our space needs. Writers often have trained themselves so well to see all modes, that they test as virtually even in all modes.  However, there ARE differences, so read on!

We’ve got two volunteers who’ve allowed me to show their spaces.  I’ve given them an assessment to determine their learning style. (If you’d like to take it, email me at Jeanne@JeanneAdams.com and I’ll send it to you)  So, based on that, I’m going to make some suggestions about how they can make their spaces work better based on their modality, they’re going to come on and tell me what they think of what I have to say!  Ready?! Let’s do it!

First, let’s talk about Kelsey.  Kelsey is primarily Kinesthetic with a strong secondary in the Visual mode.  Based on her comments, Kelsey is very influenced by that strong secondary.  Kinesthetics like comfort.  They like movement, as you can well imagine, and they like warmth.  Put a K in a cold, ugly, comfortless cubicle, and forbid them music and food, and they might as well be in Hell.

Now someone who’s strongly auditory could easily work in an environment like that because they wouldn’t see it as sterile.  They would see it as clean.  Streamlined.  Efficient and effective with no visual distractions.  I have a friend who’s an accountant who’s very auditory.  Clean, clear workspace.  Everything filed properly.  Nothing to distract you from the work on the desk.  If you’re A – Auditory – you’re probably nodding your head.  You don’t have knickknacks around, you don’t have those pesky distractions that other people seem to find necessary in their space.  That works for you.

Not for Kelsey!  So, what does work?  Kelsey has to share this space so alas, it isn’t “all about her” in this office.  The good things, and one of the most important is that she has a comfortable chair. (Kelsey’s taken my class and bought the chair to be comfy.  WTG, Kelsey!)  This is important for everyone, and is the first and best place to spend whatever dollars you have in making changes.  However it’s even MORE important for a Kinesthetic.  A Kinesthetic has GOT to be comfy or they’ll fidget their way right out of that uncomfortable chair and space and wonder why the novel never gets done.

Here’s Kelsey’s space:

So according to Kelsey, the pro’s are, the chair is comfy, the desk is “cool” and the storage is pretty darn good.  Great start!

The challenges are myriad though.

1. She has to share – to a K that’s going to feel cramped, even if it physically isn’t – this almost always bothers a Visual, btw, which tells me Kelsey has a pretty strong secondary here.
2. Sharing also means she has to deal with another person’s mode.  To a K, this isn’t AS problematical as it is with an Auditory (clean/clear/quiet) having to share with a K (messier/comfort driven), but it’s still a pain.  To a High Visual, sharing is torture because they can’t control what’s on the other person’s desk, or in their space.  Eek!
3. There’s no overhead light, which is a tough thing because light is radically important to comfort for all modes.
4. She’s renting so she can’t put color on the walls or put up permanent things.  Tough for that Visual secondary!
5. With that High Visual back-up, things being open – the bookshelves – and messy annoy and distract.

What to do!?!  I have some suggestions!  I’d start by arranging the room in a different way.  First, turn the desk toward the closet, so the window is to the right.  That gives her the warmth of the wall at her back.  Sound odd?  I know, but for a Kinesthetic, having walls behind them provides a feeling of safety and security.  For a K, it’s all about how a space FEELS.  Right now Kelsey’s back is to the window, not a bad thing, but often subconsciously a little unsettling.  It’s frequently something you don’t even notice until you change it.

Then, if there’s enough square footage (walking room) I’d ask her to move the rolling bookcase to the side of her son’s desk, blocking her view of his desk and his mess, effectively walling off his portion of the room.  She could also clip fabric or a curtain panel to the front of the rolling shelves, or get one of the canvas covers made for these types of shelving units so that it looks neat and tidy, while still keeping her rolling library of reference material handy.  This would have two advantages – it would add color to a bland room, and neaten up the open shelves appealing to the Visual part of Kelsey’s nature.

Did you notice the sticky notes up on Kelsey’s window?  Look closely behind the blind and you’ll see a neat row of colored Post-its.  This may work brilliantly for Kelsey, but for some of you, you won’t have a handy window!  I recommend a big corkboard, magnetic chalkboard or whiteboard.  In this space, I’d probably recommend a cork-board so that the brown cork adds color and warmth to the space as well.  Her notes can stay visually neat on a board, and add color on the walls by way of a useful hanging piece, doing double duty as organizer and art.

Kelsey said she wasn’t happy with the window topper she chose for the space, and I’d agree.  I would advise her to put long, full curtain panels on either side of the window.  Even if she only does one panel to each side, rather than enough to close over the window, it offers two bands of virtually floor to ceiling color, something she desperately needs.  If she coordinated that color block with fabric she puts on the rolling bookcase, she’d add a tremendous amount of color, movement and neatness to the room without spending very much.

The last picture is of Kelsey’s storage with her printer in the closet cubby.  Since she can close these doors for visual neatness, she’s probably fine with this space, but if she wanted to, she could frame some of the photos for visual effect and/or put up a colored fabric panel to warm up that space as well.

The biggest thing, however, which Kelsey needs to address and probably spend a little money on, is lighting.  She has six lamps in the room.  No overhead, remember?  And no way to add one.  Here’s where I’d make some changes.  First, once the desk was moved, I’d put a torchiere – an uplight – behind and to the right in the corner to which the chair won’t ever roll.  She has one in the room already, near the door (not pictured) That adds ambient light behind her.   Then, two desk lamps at either corner of the desk, with 75 to 100 watt bulbs in them.  Right now she has a focused light, like a flashlight, on her desk, it doesn’t give enough overall light to the space.  It’s meant to be task lighting, but it only illuminates the papers right under it.  That doesn’t do enough.  There’s another directed task light on the filing cabinets.  I’d put another punch of color here by getting a ginger jar lamp, or colored ceramic lamp – again with high-wattage bulbs – rather than the direct angle light.  It doesn’t give enough light, the right way, to be effective.  (The hanging light in the closet is fine, but she could, if she wanted, replace this with stick-on, tap-on halogens, used only when needed.)

So Kelsey, what do you think?

Our next vict…volunteer is Jamie.  Hi Jamie!  Jamie is a strong Kinesthetic.  Her backups are exactly equal in weight, but unlike Kelsey, they don’t seem to influence her style as much on the secondary level.  They’ll play in, but her K is more than 5 points higher than either V or A.  That makes her a pretty strong K!

I’m going to bet that Jamie actually works fairly well in her room.  First thing I notice is that the room is a warm, comforting color.  Love it or hate it, that color is cozy and enveloping.  Ever notice how often Starbucks or bookstores use that warm brown?  They want you to stay!  Buy!  Grins.

Another very interesting (and revealing) thing is that Jamie has a treadmill desk.  Even without the test I could have told you Jamie was Kinesthetic.  High K’s are about the only ones who can stand to be moving and working – multi-tasking! – at the same time.  In fact, they often work better if they DO move.  Sitting still is frequently torture to a High K.  (Think athletes, actors, singers)  You know these people, they move constantly, tap their pencils in meetings, jiggle their feet as they sit across from you.

Jamie says that when she gets stuck, she’ll switch from one area to the other.  From sitting to walking.  From walking to sitting.  High K.  Either moving or comfy and snuggly.  A sterotype, surely, but something to work with.

Now Jamie is also coordinating a conference so there are boxes around the room, but being a High K, that probably doesn’t distract her as much as it would a V or an A.  An A would have to have every book on the shelf (lined up and alphabetically arranged), all boxes closed, the blinds perfectly aligned, etc.

So what suggestions would I make here?  First I’d harp on light again.  Between those brown chairs, neatly tucked into that corner, there needs to be a table with a good lamp and a high-wattage bulb.  There’s an overhead light in this room and a torchiere for overall lighting, but there needs to be something closer to where Jamie is working, right next to that chair!

That table will also be handy for snacks or drinks, something she wouldn’t want spilling on her reference books, if she perched it on the shelf.  Kinesthetics like to have food and drink as they work, a small way to keep the body in motion while forcing themselves to focus and be still.  I’d also suggest a fan on the table for warmer months.  And maybe even in the winter.  Having the air moving, even if you’re not, can sometimes keep a High K in the chair and working!

I’d also suggest that she bring in a blanket or throw so that when she gets still and into a scene – and gets cold because she’s not in motion! – she has something handy to throw over her legs or around her shoulders so she can keep working without being distracted by being cold.  For a K, once you get too cold, or too hot, forget working.  You’ve lost the groove and have to get up and change your position, get warm, get cool, whatever.  That’s one way, as a K, that you lose time and productivity.  So better to have that blanket or fan handy!

I’d suggest curtains on the windows for one reason, and one reason only (for Jamie) – I’d bet she’s frequently distracted at night, by cars driving by and blinds closed and curtains closed will help her focus.   During the day, the light is more important than the distraction, but she may want to put them at an angle so the mere sound/sight of a passing car isn’t as distracting.

I’d also suggest that she lower the painting on the wall by about 6”, to “person-height” rather than have it be above the eye-level.  I’d recommend putting other things on the walls as well, including different frames, or a corkboard, or pinboard for keeping visual notes, and inspiration pieces.  An extra pillow or two, in case she wants to raise her feet or curl up and have cushion between her and the chair’s arm.

This is all about comfort.  For me, as a Visual/Kinesthetic, there are other things I would do if this were MY room  – baskets on the shelves to stack the papers in, more art on the walls, and curtains for sure! – but that’s MY style, not Jamie’s, so I won’t suggest that to her unless she wants that to satisfy those other, secondary modalities.

In her other space, with the treadmill (awesome treadmill desk, Jamie!), I’d suggest first that she cover the bare wood with a cloth or something cushy so she doesn’t scrape her hands as she works, and it’s attractive to her.  She should always keep a water bottle in the holder, and perhaps have another fan on a table in the corner where one of the chairs are now.  Moving and working get you hot – especially if you write romance! – and that fan may keep you working longer.  And you’ll be in awesome shape too!

There’s an overhead light behind the treadmill, which looks like a chandelier.  Chandelier bulbs don’t give off enough light for you to work in this room at night.  I’d suggest a torchiere in the far right corner behind you, and a big, bright lamp on the table you’re going to put in the corner by the window.  More light means more comfort and less eye-strain!

There appears to be a brick wall outside the window, for the view.  I’d like to ask Jamie to tell me what she sees through that window and I’ll make further suggestions, but off the bat, I’d say be sure to have something ON that brick wall – a metalwork piece, or a vine that goes up the wall.  Otherwise, as a K, you’ll find it cold and unwelcoming.  Again, the painting needs to come down to eye level, about 6” (below the window height) so that it is more comfortable for viewing.  That’s a “visual thing” but even a K will be tweaked by it, without even knowing why.

So that’s how I see it, ladies!  Let’s start the ball rolling with Kelsey and Jamie’s responses, but feel free to jump in anywhere and ask whatever you’d like!  I’ll answer as best as I can.

***

Okay, RU Crew, what do you think of Jeanne’s suggestions for Jamie and Kelsey? How do you tweak your own workspace to make it “write” for you?

Don’t miss Monday’s lecture when monthly columnist CJ Redwine returns with a critique of a reader submitted query letter. Join CJ as she celebrates the release of her query book and kicks off QUERY-palooza.

***

Bio:

Jeanne Adams lives in Washington, DC and along with being a consultant and mom, she writes Romantic Suspense for Kensington. Her 2010 book, Deadly Little Secrets, garnered 4 1/2 Stars and a TOP PICK rating from Romantic Times, won the Golden Leaf for Best in Romantic Suspense, and was featured in the April 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. The follow up book, Deadly Little Lies is also an RT TOP PICK, and is nominated for the Australian Romance Readers Award, and the Romantic Times Best Suspense of 2011.

Jeanne is also a multi-published non-fiction writer, writing for Llewellyn Publishing, and a marketing consultant with credits in magazines such as Forbes and Nature.

She works with writers and homeowners to make their offices work more efficiently and effectively using the principles of design, light and space planning. (As well as good organization!) She has a design degree as well as a landscaping certification and has worked in design in the Washington, DC area for nearly a decade.

You can find Jeanne at: www.JeanneAdams.com or www.RomanceBandits.blogspot.com.

Have you ever experienced that moment every writer dreams of? That moment when “the call” from a publisher comes because they want to buy your book?

Only, the call is not for you. It’s for your critique partner. Suddenly, the moment you dreamed of is happening for someone else and, as thrilled as you are for your friend, there’s a bit of a pity party going on inside you. Tracey, Kelsey and I thought it was time to share our own experiences with professional jealousy.

Kelsey: I won’t BS you. Being the last of your group of critique partners to be offered a contract is hard. As many of you know, I still haven’t been offered a contract, but in all honestly, I haven’t submitted much over the past couple of years. Life and relocation have interfered some. However, rightly or not, I take pride in the role I’ve played in Adrienne’s and Tracey’s success. I’m sure they’d still be published without me, but I love that I’ve been along for the journey. There’s nothing better than sharing in the success of someone who truly deserves it!

I’ve also learned a ton by watching my two buddies ride the often choppy waves of edits, reviews, and publicity. Who do you think I’ll run to for advice when I’m facing the same issues? You got it: the gals in the know.

I’ve also had to come to the realization that no two writers walk the same path to publication. It’s a unique journey for each person and only s/he can determine the map to use. I’m still trying to unfold mine (you know maps never fold up neatly again either), but I know when I get it wrangled into shape, Tracey and Adrienne will be right there helping me navigate my way!

Tracey: On the flip side, being the first to sign a contract was both exhilarating and heart-breaking. Never in a million years did I think I would be first–and I’m not just saying that. The difficult part was knowing how my good news affected Kelsey and Adrienne. I knew they were genuinely happy for me, but I also understood they would be struggling with the news as well. I knew this, because I would have fought all the same emotions had our roles been reversed.

But being the clever girls that we are, we had also prepared ourselves for “The Call” moment. We knew it was only a matter of time before one of us sold. It would be awesome, but it would hurt. So how did we handle the moment we were all dreading and anticipating? We had a conference call. LOL Yes, that’s how we always work through our issues, whatever they may be. We turned this exhilarating/heart-breaking moment into an RU-style lecture, a private educational session just for the three of us. With all the awareness provided by RU, I still experienced many surprises through the process. I shared these with my CPs. We gasped, we oooh’d, we chuckled. And most importantly, we learned.

Will I share that level of detail with them after signing my next contract? Probably not, unless I believe my experience can help either Kelsey or Adrienne with something they’re going through. But this time it felt right. It was in keeping with our strong belief in educating writers–at all levels–about writing craft and the business of publishing.

Interestingly enough, the first to contract did not mean the first to publish. Two years ago, I had the great pleasure of sharing my successes and challenges with Adrienne and Kelsey. Today, I’m picking Adrienne’s brain (first to publish) about reviews, marketing, book tours, etc.

So take heart, if you’re not the first to sell. You never know what your first will be. Contract? Published novel? New York Times bestseller? RITA winner? Next Nora?

Adrienne: I think it’s natural to feel a bit of envy when a critique partner experiences a measure of success that hasn’t yet come our way. The day I got the call from Tracey telling me that she’d sold I was sitting on a baseball field watching my son’s team get crushed. We cried together (in this moment there was indeed crying in baseball! ) and I had a feeling of exhilaration for her that overwhelmed me. She’d done it! She’d sold. That fact told me that, yes, it could happen. It gave me hope that hard work paid off in publishing.

Over the next few hours, I experienced a range of emotions that quite literally knocked me on my butt. I was thrilled for Tracey. My heart soared because she had worked so incredibly hard, but at the same time I began to wonder what I’d done wrong that the rejections kept coming in for me. I felt like a horrible person. She was my friend and I adored her. How could I be feeling this way?

And then my husband convinced me it was okay to feel great for her and feel like crap for myself. I thought long and hard about it. I realized the jealousy really had nothing to do with Tracey. It was about me and what I hadn’t achieved. I decided the best way for me to deal with it was to recognize the envy, give it a voice for a brief period of time and then use all that emotion to motivate myself. Which is exactly what I did.

I did not tell Tracey about it until a few months later. I didn’t think it would be fair to her. It was a life changing moment for her and I didn’t want to make it about me. I’m actually grateful for the experience (as horrible as I felt about it) because I think my friendships with Tracey and Kelsey became stronger. We now know how to talk about these things without it being something that will destroy our relationships.

So now that you know the good, bad and ugly about our critique relationship, feel free to ask us questions!

***

What challenges have you faced with being offered a contract or representation at different times from your critique partners? How did you cope?

Join us Wednesday when Damon Suede returns to discuss how the dark moment in a romance can make the HEA even sweeter!

***

Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance and women’s fiction.

She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her work-a-holic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog, is a member of Romance Writers of America, Windy City RWA, Kiss of Death, and RWA’s Women’s Fiction chapter.

Tracey Devlyn writes historical romantic thrillers (translation: a slightly more grievous journey toward the heroine’s happy ending). She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and the Women’s Fiction, Beau Monde and Windy City Romance Writers of America chapters.

Tracey accepted a three-book deal from editor Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks, Inc. in April 2010. Her first release, A Lady’s Revenge, will hit the bookstores in April 2012. Tracey is represented by Donald Maass of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.

Tracey lives in the Midwest with her once-in-a-lifetime husband.

Kelsey Browning writes contemporary and paranormal romance with a hint of southern sizzle. In her former life, she worked at one of the ten largest universities in the U.S., raising money and teaching students how to land their dream jobs. These days she pursues her dream job of freelance and fiction writing, which provides excellent benefits such as unlimited coffee and an office dress code that permits flip flops.

Originally from Texas and after four years in the Middle East, she now lives in Southern California with her IT-savvy husband, baseball-obsessed son and seriously spoiled dog. She’s currently at work on a paranormal novella.

When Indie Publishing Is a Viable Option 

I completed my first “real” manuscript in 2005 and entered it in the 2006 Golden Heart contest for romantic suspense. In a freaky run of good luck that book, “The Watcher”, won the award that year. 

To say I was elated is understatement. I’d entered on a lark, had no expectations or illusions about doing well, and even less understanding of what the award meant. 

On the excitement scale winning was a perfect ten, but in the real world of publishing it doesn’t guarantee anything. Realistically, winning RWA’s Golden Heart Award represents the fact that five of your writing peers deemed the first 50 pages of your manuscript strong enough in all elements of the scoring guide to win in a category of perhaps 150-200 entrants, depending on which category you entered. 

While that’s a big coup in the romance writing world, it guarantees nothing but the slim possibility of being published. 

News of my win brought lots of requests and an agent, but ultimately every publishing house passed on “The Watcher.” My agent was certain the book would go to auction, but it didn’t. 

That’s when I learned that “spin” is very important in selling a book, and that editors aren’t the be-all and end-all of the industry. There’s a hierarchy that has to be scaled before a book is acquired by a publishing house; the larger the house, the taller the ladder. And there are literally dozens of factors that must align like the stars for your book to get published. 

However, ever the optimist, I didn’t sit on my tush and complain. I finished a second book, “The Avenger,” which won the 2007 overall Daphne Award under another name, mutually parted with my agent, and continued to shop my books around. The contest wins garnered requests for partial and/or full manuscripts, but never amounted to a sale. 

I continued writing and learning about the craft and the business because, really, that’s the only part of the business the author can control. I wrote a third book in that loosely connected trilogy and two historical thrillers. I wrote a young adult paranormal.

Nothing sold. 

And, yes, in spite of my head telling me I was a solid writer, my heart felt like something you’d scrape off your shoes. Even though I never considered giving up, I got very weary of the highs and lows of submission and rejection, submission and rejection. 

I felt like I was on a merry-go-round that wouldn’t let me off, and I didn’t have the courage to leap toward the dizzying ground below!

Finally, I began to think about publishing “The Watcher” myself. My family and friends wanted to read it, and I thought they deserved at least a complimentary print copy. Perhaps my books would never be read outside my family, but that would bring me satisfaction. 

I had long clung to the traditional publishing model even though my common sense told me the landscape was changing, the internet was exploding, and writers were taking their careers into their own hands. Most of my writer friends gave me advice contrary to my own instincts, or I would’ve indie published a year before I actually did. I was ready to take the leap in early 2010. 

Still, I hesitated. ”Self-pubbed” had such an ugly ring to it. Did I really want to give up the “dream” of a book published by one of the NY Six? Would I sacrifice sensible and alternate publication to get my books in a brick and mortar establishment? Or did I simply want readers to enjoy my stories?

What finally moved me toward indie publishing was not Amanda Hocking’s or John Locke’s incredible success. It wasn’t my instinct that electronic books were the waves of the future. It wasn’t even my son-in-law saying, “It isn’t what percentage of the book market is now electronically published, Jo. It’s how fast it has happened.” 

Exponentially! 

Finally, it was my own mortality that kicked my ass. I thought of Andrew Marvell’s poem “To His Coy Mistress.” The thrust of the poem is “I could take more time to woo you, but ‘time’s winged chariot’ is at my back and I don’t have ‘world enough and time enough’ to waste.” 

I felt I could no longer woo New York. 

As a mature writer, I bring many skills and assets to the table, but youth isn’t one of them. As Marvell concludes in his poem, I cannot “make the sun stand still,” but I can give it “a good run.” I can “tear [my] pleasures with rough strife/through the iron gates of life.”

So I struck out on my own, grabbed the golden lasso and trudged through the incredibly exciting and wonderfully straight-forward journey of indie publishing. 

The first electronic copy of “The Watcher” went live on August 18; “The Avenger” went live on September 3; and “The Traitor,” on December 31, all in 2011. 

I haven’t looked back, haven’t harbored regrets, and haven’t stopped to count my sales or money earned (not much anyway, <g>) because really the only thing in the writer’s control is producing the next book. Our careers should always be about that. 

I do know I’ve achieved more in sales and income  in the last five months than I could’ve possibly done in traditional publishing in a full year. Clearly some of it is luck, much of it is hard work, and I like to think a smidgen of it is talent. 

The vagaries of the book industry are wide, wild, and unpredictable. Who knows what readers will like? Often they don’t know themselves until they see the cover or read the blurb. No one can predict what will flop and what will fly. Not NY, not indie publishers, not the woman on the street.

As an independent writer, you must do it all (or hire someone to do it for  you). If that scares you to death or you lack confidence in your own vision, then possibly indie pubbing is not for you. 

But if you’re confident in your writing, if you have strong resources in family and friends, and if you enjoy managing your own career and relying on the sweat of your own brow, then you might consider dipping your toe into the indie publishing pool. 

What do you have to lose? 

You can find the entire Andrew Marvell poem here: http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/marvell/coy.htm 

*** 

I’m giving away one free download of “The Watcher,” “The Avenger,” OR “The Traitor” to one random lucky commenter.

Here’s a quick blurb on Jo’s latest, THE TRAITOR 

Assistant district attorney Isabella Torres and DEA Agent Rafe Hashemi want to prosecute the same man, notorious and vicious Diego Vargas. But Isabella believes Vargas knows something about the disappearance of  her older sister twenty years ago and wants to charge him for his current human trafficking operation. Rafe wants to nab the corrupt councilman for drug trafficking.  

When Isabella and Rafe meet anonymously at an upscale bar and end up spending a passionate night together, only to learn the next day who the other is, sparks fly and the game is on for control of the case. Forced to cooperate with each other, they must balance the danger of the case against the danger of their hearts. 

 ***

Have you ever begun a sojourn that ended up being a much longer journey than you’d anticipated? Have you ever started one thing only to see it turn into something else?

 ***

Join us tomorrow for a Q &A with fire arms expert Adam Firestone.

 ***

Bio: Like many writers, Jo Robertson penned her first story at a young age. However, a family and a teaching career put her writing dreams on hold until her Advanced Placement seniors conned her into writing her first complete manuscript. That story, which subsequently won RWA’s Golden Heart Award in 2006, was THE WATCHER. Contact Jo at:  http://www.jo.lewisrobertson@yahoo.com. Also follow her on www.twitter.com/jorobertson29 or www.facebook.com/jorobertson44.

The class is yours, Wendy!

Hello RU Crew! Thank you for having me here today to discuss Reviews and What Not to Do.

I remember my days as a pre-published writer, compulsively checking my e-mail and regular mailboxes for contest results and editor/agent replies, desperate for feedback on my writing, for validation. Am I good enough? Will they like my story? I remember sitting in my quiet office reading what others had to say about my writing and thinking: Wow! That’s harsh.

Fast track a year and a half later. I’m a published author – still looking for feedback on my writing, for validation. Am I good enough? Will they like my story? Only now I don’t have to stalk my mailboxes and wait to find out what people think about my books.

I can go looking. And look I do! On Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Goodreads. I can (and do) search my name and the title of my book on the Internet to find blogs and websites where my books have been mentioned.

(Imagine a skull and cross bones here.) WARNING. When you search out reviews of your books, you’d better damn well be prepared for what people have to say. In a public forum. For all to see. And newsflash: Not everyone is going to like the story of your heart, the one you spent hours and hours of time at the computer, away from family and friends, to create. And let me tell you…You think contest judges and editors can be harsh? Just wait.

I am very lucky to have received mostly wonderful reviews of the two books I’ve published with Harlequin Mills and Boon. However, like any seasoned author will tell you (in addition to telling you to avoid reading reviews!) it’s the negative ones that will stick out in your mind.

For the purposes of this post, as a learning experience to all of you (a what NOT to do sort of lesson) I will share my worst review ever and how I handled it.

Picture this: I’m basking in first release new authorness, drinking in everyone’s congratulations. I’m interviewed in magazines and on blogs. My book has finally reached the masses and they LOVE it! Four and five star reviews are popping up all over the Internet. I’m linking them to my website, blog, Facebook, and Twitter to create buzz about my book. I am living on a cloud much higher than nine – maybe twenty-five. Or the penthouse cloud. Each positive review fuels me to search out more. Validation. I deserve to be among my fellow authors. My book is a success! I am a success.

Then WHACK! (Imagine a HUGE reality slap to the cheek here.) I come across this one star review:

JFC. This wasn’t at all enjoyable. It took me almost three days to read less than two hundred pages!

The hero could be a bit of a jerk, and him keeping secrets wasn’t a particularly smart move but god, the heroine!

She was an immature brat. She was completely bipolar in her emotions and decisions. She’s say or think one thing and then do completely the opposite. She blamed everyone else for her actions, and there was not one stage where she didn’t act like a child. All that was missing was for her to stamp her foot and say ‘NO!’.

I could go into detail about certain events, but I honestly couldn’t be bothered. She was one of the worst heroines I’ve ever come across. Not to mention that when she fell pregnant her behaviour just escalated to completely stupid and moronic. If I was a character in this novel I would be slapping her round the face and telling her to grow the fuck up and move on and stop comparing herself and every man in her life to her parents.

This was a terrible novel. Apart from the unlikeable characters, the author threw around medical terms, some without explanation, and some with, and it felt like she was staring down her nose at readers (not literally of course). But she wrote in such a way that reader’s felt completely belittled, and as if they should be ashamed because they haven’t be a nurse/doctor/whatever for X amount of years.

Avoid this book and this author like the plague. I wish I could UN-read this. 1/5.

Now I’m not naïve. I know not everyone will like my book. (Even though deep down inside I wish they would!) But do people have to dislike it so meanly and hurtfully. And publicly?

Thanks to the Internet, readers have been given a forum to voice their likes and dislikes. And if you want to be a published author, you’d better be prepared for it….at least better than I was!

So. On to what not to do….basically, don’t do what I did.

Prim Victoria Forley’s perfect life changed forever the night she slept with Kyle Karlinsky, baddest boy in town. These days, single mum and uber-perfectionist nurse Victoria has goals that nothing – not even Kyle’s shocking reappearance! – can derail. But behind Victoria’s oh-so-frosty exterior is a heat that only Kyle can unleash… maybe it’s the right time to be with the wrong guy after all?

First, I internalized this review and took it personally. I cried. A lot. I e-mailed it to my sister – my biggest most supportive fan – who did a negative review of her own (of the reviewer.) But I digress. I was so upset she didn’t like my book I considered posting a comment offering to refund what she’d paid for it. Thankfully, the businesswoman in me quickly shutdown that idea! (Don’t want to set a precedent that will have bad reviews popping up all over so people could request their money back from me!)

Then I got insulted and angry. How dare the reviewer say such horrible things? I’m a nice person. I worked really hard on that book. I went back to read the review again. And wouldn’t you know? Hands shaking with outrage, instead of clicking the read more button so I could see it in its entirety, I clicked the LIKE button. Holy crap! Now this evil (in my opinion) reviewer was going to get an e-mail that I, the author she hated, liked her review. I unliked it. But the damage was done. She’d know I’d seen it.

Then I reported the review. And I e-mailed some friends to report it as well. But the site refused to take it down. (Note: It is very difficult to get a review taken down and basically amounts to wasted time and energy.)

So I took to Twitter! (You’re sitting there shaking your heads in disbelief, right?) At the time it seemed the logical progression. Although looking back, I’d been anything but logical. Of course my friends and fans came out in full force to support me and protect me. And it made me feel better. But it also gave this negative review much more attention than it would have gotten if I’d simply ignored it. (Kind of like posting it here! But here I’m using it as a learning tool.)

You want to be an author? Be prepared for public reviews like the one above. You think you won’t get one? Every. Single. Author. Does. Even if you’re lucky enough to never stumble across it.

The most important lesson of bad reviews: Do not engage the reviewer. (At least I remembered that!!!)

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

* * *

Two lucky commenters will win a copy of my latest Harlequin Medical Romance, Once a Good Girl… Available in paperback from Harlequin.com and in e-book from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

To learn more about me, to read an excerpt, or to see some of my good reviews (to counteract the bad one I shared), visit my website: http://WendySMarcus.com

Find me on:     Facebook         Twitter        Goodreads

***

Are you a published author? Have you received any bad reviews? How did you handle them? As a reader, how do you feel when you see a bad review up on the Internet? Have you ever written a bad review? Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of ONCE A GOOD GIRL.

Be sure to stop back on Friday for Theresa Stevens post on line editing.

***

Bio:

Wendy S. Marcus lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband, two of their three children, and a much loved Bichon Frise named Buddy. A nurse by trade, Wendy has her master’s degree in health care administration. After years of working in the medical profession, Wendy has taken a radical turn to writing hot contemporary romance with strong heroes, feisty heroines, and lots of laughs. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and blogging/e-mailing/tweeting with her online friends. To learn more about Wendy visit her website, http://www.WendySMarcus.com.

Audio Books Sales

Happy New Year!

Audio Books and how I manage audio sales for my clients…

Here’s an overview of one of the most important subsidiary rights for a fiction author: Audio Books. Typically I spend 10% of my week reading slush pile and 90% of my week supporting current clients. A huge chunk of that time is spent pitching, negotiating, auditing and promoting subsidiary rights sales. Most agents don’t sell your book into print and then sit back drinking martinis (tempting though it sounds). Instead, there is a whole world of activity going on and many authors never see these details. So, here’s an inside glimpse at how I work audio rights sales.
Late 2011 was marked (at least in my experience) by an increase in pressure from publishing houses to retain audio rights. Audio books are selling well right now – especially driven by an increase in digital downloadable audio sales. Hard copy audio includes the CDs one may buy in a bookstore while digital downloadable audio are those we press “buy” from our e-devices in a similar way we buy ebooks. Authors are finding the audio rights to their books very valuable right now because of this trend.
If our agency retains audio rights, then it’s my job as an agent to shop your book for an audio sale independently. If the publishing house has acquired audio rights (true in the vast majority of my sales in 2011), then my job is to follow up with the publishing house to make sure THEY sell audio rights.
Here are some of my tasks for clients whose audio rights we control. First, I make a list of acquiring editors at various audio publishers (including Audible, Brilliance Audio, etc). I compose an email introducing the book (including the pitch, information on the publisher, the projected print run, early reviews and publicity) and I email the proposal to those editors. Sounds like a book submission, yes? Then, I spend anywhere from one to six months following up and hoping for an offer. Once there is interest, I negotiate the offer and audit the contract. One important aspect of the process is managing the production elements – for example, we try to arrange it so authors have consultation on the voices used and pronunciations in the final product. On the back end, it’s my job to watch sales and audit the royalty statements. Audio rights are one reason my work week fills up so quickly!
If the publishing house retains audio, then once a month I contact them to ask “any audio sales yet? Anything I can do to help?” It’s their job to pitch, but it’s my job to make sure that pitch happens. To reassure you authors out there – audio companies rarely differentiate between books pitched by agents and books pitched by publishers. The one major exception to that rule is Harlequin who has a wonderful relationship with Audible. Many Harlequin novels are picked up by Audible just because they are with that house (of course, this means Harlequin usually retains audio for themselves).
How does the money work? In general (and of course there are a billion variables and exceptions) – an author makes more money if the agent retains audio rights and sells those audio rights independently. Audio companies typically pay an advance and royalties on sales and if your agent sells directly, you keep 85% of those monies (and the agent keeps 15% just like when selling print rights). If the publishing house retains those rights, then they keep a percentage on top of that. Either way, a subsidiary right sale means further income on your book. This is one reason agents spend so much time negotiating these rights. For the record, all this time I spend on audio is similar to the time I spend on film rights and foreign rights.
So, why would we ever sell audio to the publishing house? For one thing, it’s become a deal breaker in many cases. There are now publishing houses that only offer for a book if the deal includes print, electronic AND audio. Authors may ask, “well isn’t it the job of the agent to fight for those rights?” Yes – that’s absolutely true. I’m a good agent though and the majority of my sales in 2011 granted audio to the publishing house. Naturally, there are some benefits to going with the publisher. For example, you all know that authors earn royalties on their books only after the advance is earned out, yes? Well, when the publishing house sells a book to audio themselves, payment is credited toward the advance and the author is that much closer to earning out. So, an audio sale via publisher means you are closer to earning royalties and that’s a very good thing (both from an income perspective and for the profit and loss statement at the publisher). Also, there is some evidence that publishers are willing to pay a higher initial advance when audio is included. An offer for $20,000 for print MIGHT turn in to $25,000 for print and audio.
One important thing to note when selling rights to the publishing house: As the agent, I ask for a contractual reversion of audio rights. What that means is if the publishing house has not successfully sold audio rights after a set amount of time, those rights revert to us. If that happens, my next step in the process is to take over shopping the rights and start back at step one. This reversion allows us a second chance at shopping the book. I don’t always succeed in getting that reversion, but I sure do try.
Finally, here are the important things to remember: whether the author retains audio sales or the publishing house retains audio sales, the important step is to make sure your book is PITCHED to audio companies. If we retain audio, then I shop it aggressively. If the publishing house retains audio, then I follow up aggressively with them. In either case, my job is to make sure you get every chance possible to make that sale. Three good questions to ask your agent include “who owns audio” “is my book being pitched for audio” and “if we’ve sold audio to the publishing house, will there be a reversion of those rights after a specific amount of time?”
May 2012 continue to be a year of profitable audio books! Cheers!

***

Whew! Sara started the year off with a bang-up discussion.  The forum is open – what do you want to ask her?

On Friday, Laurie Schnebley Campbell wants to talk to you about the tricky parts. Are you game?

***

And for one lucky commenter, Sara is giving away a copy of CRASH INTO YOU by Roni Loren.

Brynn LeBreck has dedicated herself to helping women in crisis, but she never imagined how personal her work would get, or where it would take her. Her younger sister is missing, suspected to be hiding from cops and criminals alike at a highly secretive BDSM retreat–a place where the elite escape to play out their most extreme sexual fantasies. To find her Brynn must go undercover as a sexual submissive. Unfortunately, The Ranch is invitation only. And the one Master who can get her in is from the darkest corner of Brynn’s past.

Brynn knows what attorney Reid Jamison is like once stripped of his conservative suit and tie. Years ago she left herself vulnerable only to have him crush her heart. Now she needs him again. Back on top. And he’s all too willing to engage. But as their primal desires and old wounds are exposed, the sexual games escalate–and so does the danger.  Their hearts aren’t the only things at risk. Someone else is watching, playing by his own rules. And his game could be murder.”

***

Bio: Sara Megibow, Associate Literary Agent
Nelson Literary Agency, LLC

Sara has worked at the Nelson Literary Agency since 2006. As the Associate Literary Agent, Sara is actively acquiring new clients! The Nelson Literary Agency specializes in representing all genres of romance (except inspirational or category), young adult fiction of all subgenres, science fiction/ fantasy and commercial fiction (including women’s fiction and chick lit). Sara is an avid romance reader and a rabid fan girl of super sexy and intelligent stories.

Nelson Literary Agency is a member of AAR, RWA, SFWA and SCBWI. Please visit our website http://http://www.nelsonagency.com/for submission guidelines, FAQs, resources and sample query letters. Sara’s Publisher’s Marketplace site (www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SaraMegibow) is a great place to find more about her personal tastes, clients and recent sales. You can also cyber stalk Sara on twitter @SaraMegibowHow an agent chooses what books to read.

With this topic in mind, let’s give a big RU welcome to Harlequin Special Edition author Helen Lacey who will tell us where she finds inspiration.

As a writer I’m not much of a plotter. I simply think of an idea, let it roll around in my head for a while, work out the names of my characters and then I start writing. Being a panster isn’t exactly a fool proof process – there can be loads of re-writes, revisions and sometimes a whole lot of frustration not experienced by my much better organized plotter cousins. But it’s the process I have and mostly it works for me. Ideas for new stories always seem to be in abundance. A television program I watched late one night about twins separated at birth and then reconnecting years later was the basis for a book I wrote last year. A teenage friend from long ago who gave a child up for adoption is the core idea for the third book I recently sold to Harlequin Special Edition. Sometimes a song can spark the creativity, or a picture in a magazine, or just two people talking in the street. But I think ideas are different to inspiration. When I wrote Made For Marriage I literally had a 2am epiphany. I’d spent years trying to write a book to ‘fit’ the Harlequin line I was targeting. Rejection after rejection made it clear that wasn’t working. But on this occasion I actually bolted up in bed in the dark and said out loud ‘write what you know’.  Which wasn’t anything new – I’d been hearing this from other more experienced writers for years – but until that moment I didn’t actually understand what it meant.

It didn’t mean that since I’d once been a florist I should write about a girl who sells flowers because I knew how to bundle up a bunch of roses in pretty paper and ribbon. Or that because I’d been a horse riding instructor my heroine should also be interested in horses. Or did it? My two a.m epiphany got me thinking. Seriously thinking. Maybe I’d got it wrong? Because as it turned out, the heroine in Made For Marriage is a horse riding instructor and former elite equestrian.  And once I started to write about this woman I understood what ‘write what you know’ meant. Because I knew her.

You see I love horses and they’ve been a big part of my life since I was twelve years old when I got my very first horse – a big bay called Oakey. I had him for fourteen years and to the often moody and restless teenager that I was, in many ways he became my best friend. They’ve also felt like my totem animal since I was a child. I mean that I adore my dogs too – but my horses – they squash any feelings of discontent or unhappiness life might toss my way. I’m never cross or cranky when I’m around my ponies. My husband and I own eight horses of varying ages and breeds and each has a special place in my heart. I work with them every afternoon for a couple of hours – feeding, grooming or riding. This is ‘my’ time – when I stop thinking about work and just enjoy the hours I can spend with them. And yet until I wrote Made For Marriage I’d never written a heroine who shared that love and connection. And honestly I’m still not sure why. Perhaps it was too close, too personal, too raw. But as I wrote the book I discovered that the raw honesty I always avoided, suddenly made my heroine come to life.  She felt incredibly ‘real’. Like someone I’d met before – maybe a sister, or friend, or neighbour. She was suddenly someone I wanted to get to know. And as the story progressed ‘write what you know’ became about the feelings she had, the depth of emotion in her character, the way she responded to things, and not about her occupation. I finally had a heroine whose journey I understood. And my love of horses inspired that. Because my heroine shared that same love and connection.

So once I decided not to fight myself the words flowed out and the story was written. A year or so later my agent called to say Harlequin Special Edition wanted to buy my book. So maybe that’s the trick. We are all the sum of our experiences. Not defined by them, but made up of likes and dislikes, passions and fears, love and loss. Of course not every heroine I write about in the future will be a horse enthusiast – in fact my heroine in my second book out in Fall this year is an artist – and I can’t draw a stick figure. But her passion is there. Her connection to her art is just as strong as my heroine in Made For Marriage is connected to her horses. I learned to ‘write what I know’ and my characters met me half way.

Made For Marriage hit the shelves in January 2012 and I have copies to give way on my blog tour. I’m also giving away a $50.00 Amazon Voucher and for those who like a little bling, a fabulous Pandora silver bracelet!

***

RU Crew, what inspires you? Your kids? Your job? Your pets? We’d love to hear from you.  Leave a comment and you could win a copy of Made For Marriage.

Thank you to Helen for hanging out with us today. Readers, join us on Wednesday when literary agent Sara Megibow gives us the scoop on managing audio rights.

BIO: Helen Lacey grew up reading Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables and Little House on The Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven years old, a story about a girl and her horse. Although, it wasn’t until the age of eleven when she read her first Mills & Boon, that she knew writing romances was what she wanted to do with her life. Her parents’ love of travel meant she saw much of the world in those early years and she feels fortunate to have had a diverse and interesting education over several continents.

She continued to write into her teens and twenties with the dream of one day being a published author. A few years and careers later, including motel operator, florist, strapper, dog washer, and retail manager, she got the call from Harlequin Special Edition. She loves writing about tortured heroes, both cowboys and CEO’s, and heroines who finally get the love of the man of their dreams. She now works part time in her sister’s bridal shop, where she gets to meet fascinating people, some of whom might one day end up being in one of her books.

From Welsh parents and a large family, she lives on the east coast of Australia in a small seaside town at the southern most point of The Great Barrier Reef, with her wonderfully supportive husband, many horses and three spoiled dogs.

Buy Links:

Amazon        Amazon UK      Book Depository

Helen Lacey on the web:

Website     Facebook     Twitter     Blog           Helen’s Page at RomanceWiki

For full itinerary on Helen’s Celebration tour check out Helen Lacey- Author Page.

Setting Goals for Your Writing.

The one question I get asked most often is how I can write as much as I do. For me, the answer to the questions is quite simple: I set goals and I meet them. Now, before to go into my goal-setting philosophy, I should tell you that in 2011 I wrote ten novels and as many shorter works, ranging from novellas to a few short stories. I didn’t do that based upon a simple notion or the onset of a particular bout of inspiration. I wrote and consequently sold that many stories because I set a specific series of goals for myself. (I’m going to use my 2011 goals as an example, but the numbers aren’t important. It’s using the process to push yourself that really counts.)

Annual Goal
Set an annual goal. This should be at a high level and in increments that are easily broken down. It should also stretch you, but be attainable in the long run. As an example, my goal for 2011 was 600,000 words.

Hint: This goal should not be anything that’s out of your direct control. This goal should not include something like getting an agent or selling a manuscript. While great things, those are out of your direct control and can lead to failure. You could add to your goal that you will send out a certain number of submissions. But keep your goals to things you can control, that way you’re more likely to succeed.

Break It Down
Now that you have an annual goal, you need to break it down into manageable pieces. First, break it down into a monthly goal that you can track and report to your support group, your best friend, or anyone who will kick you in the butt if you don’t succeed. Based upon my 600,000-word annual goal, that meant a monthly goal of 50,000 words.

With that monthly goal, that meant writing 2,000 words a day for 25 days, or 1,667 words a day for 30 days. So now we’ve gone from a huge annual number to a manageable daily number.
Hint: When I’m setting my daily targets, I consider a month to be 25 days. There is at least one day a week that I don’t write, and other things always come up. Using a 25-day month builds in some time for interruptions.

Find the Time
Writing takes time and dedication, and meeting your daily writing goal requires some planning. You need to determine where you are going to find the time to meet your daily goal. If you feel that writing 2,000 words a day is going to take three hours, then you need to determine where those three hours are going to come from. If that isn’t possible with your schedule, then adjust your monthly and annual goals accordingly. But don’t do that at the drop of a hat. Really look at your daily schedule and figure out where you’re going to find the time to write. (I write during my lunch hour and can usually get 1000 words. That means that by the time I get home, I’m already halfway there.)

Hint: Once you have set your goals, write them down and share them with anyone who will listen. Setting goals is one thing, but having a support group will help you meet those goals. I can’t stress too much the importance of the support group who can kick your butt when you’re not meeting your goals. (I belong to my local chapter of Romance Writers of America, and every month, I have to stand up in front of the group and tell 20 other people whether I made my goal or not. I have stayed up until well after midnight to write that last thousand words so I would make my goal rather than have to report that I didn’t make my goal. Besides, there are goal prizes, and I’ll all about the prizes.)

You can always start at the bottom and work your way up to an annual goal. 1,000 words a day leads to 25,000 words a month and an annual goal of 300,000 words. But the real objective is to push yourself. Set the goal you really want and then figure out how you’re going to achieve it, rather than the other way around.

I understand that this method may not work for everyone, but it’s what I do each year. I just set my writing goal for 2012 and I’m off to a great start. I hope you are as well.

***

What is your method to meet your writing goals?  What’s worked for you in the past?  What hasn’t?

Harlequin Special Editions author, Helen Lacey, shares the inspiration for her book on Monday.

***

Bio:
Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Andrew’s website

I’m thrilled to be a part of Romance University during the first week of the new year and I hope all of you guys enjoyed a wonderful holiday season. Now that we’re all rested and have eaten waaaay to much, I hope you’re as excited to get back to work as I am!
On January 19th, Market or Die will launch its third book in the series titled, “Market or Die: Integrated Marketing Plans for Writers.” In this book, I’ll go into detail on how a writer should market using an integrated strategy. For those who can’t wait for the release, here’s a sneak peek.
There are 7 key components to constructing a successful book marketing strategy. Hopefully, all of you have thought about one or all of them, somewhere along the way to marketing greatness. With marketing now resting in the author’s hands, it’s important to have a strategy before you release your book.

#1 – List your goals. So, you have a book to market, what’s your goal? To sell $1000 worth of books? To make it an Amazon.com bestseller? To have your e-books out sell your print copies 3 to 1?

Whatever your goal is, write it down. Writing down your goal(s) will keep your marketing strategy focused. When you see your goals on paper, you work harder to find a way to achieve them.

#2 – Research Social Media Sites. Make a determination of which social media sites are right for you. You’ll probably start with Facebook, Twitter and a Blog. Make a note to monitor these sites with what is being said about you and your work using an application like Google Alerts. Knowing what is being said about you online, helps you stay in the know without spending countless hours online.

#3- Build a list of connections and content. Play the who do you know game. Write down all the connections you have in the industry and how they can help you achieve your goal. Do you need marketing help? A book review? An endorsement? If so, who do you know that can help you achieve those things…write it down and reach out to the people on your list and ask for their help. You have a book to sell and a goal to achieve. Now isn’t the time to be shy.

#4- Join in. Whether you belong to an in person writers group, or online. Get involved and start making new connections. Meet new people and start networking. Post thoughtful comments on industry-related blogs or topics relevant to your books. Confident, secure people in the industry LOVE helping others.

#5- Strengthen and build on existing relationships – Now, isn’t the time to get lazy with the friends you’ve already made in the industry either. Work to get to know them more closely. Meet them in person if you can. You’ll not only learn more about your industry, you’ll build stronger advocacy connections within your existing group.

#6 – Measure your results. You will need to be able to make sure that you can measure your goal. List out how you plan to do that? Maybe it is via sales numbers? Numbers of Facebook Fans? Amazon.com rankings? Knowing how you will succeed is just as important as succeeding.

# 7 – Analyze, test and change. No matter if you achieve your goal or not, it’s important that you look at what happened during the marketing phase of your book. Do you have the right connections? Was your goal realistic? What, if anything, did you fail to consider? Change up your plan for the next release in order to position yourself for greater success.

***

Jennifer would like to hear from you. What is your greatest marketing challenge?

Tomorrow, the fabulous and prolific M/M romance author, Andrew Grey, helps us with our writing goals.

***

Bio:

Jennifer Fusco is the Creative and Brand Manager for the General Electric Company, North America and the author of the Amazon.com bestselling series, MARKET OR DIE, marketing books for writers.

A two time winner of the Advertising Excellence Award for 2010, Jennifer has launched successful national print and digital ad campaigns. Currently, she is a member of the (ANA) Association of National Advertisers and believes brand building is a key to professional success.

Due to the overwhelming response Market or Die received from writers, Ms. Fusco launched a website and blog designed to educate writers of all genres.

In her writing life, Ms. Fusco is a member of RWA’s PRO network and serves as the President of the Connecticut Romance Writers. She is represented by Eric Ruben of The Ruben Agency. Jennifer has also completed two paranormal romance manuscripts and will be a monthly contributor to the Romance Writers of America’s RWR Report, beginning in 2012.

Born in North Carolina, Jennifer currently lives in Connecticut with her husband and young son.