Tag Archives: publishing

My Greatest Fear (As an Author)

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I have mixed anxiety and depression, so almost anything can make me anxious. However, there is one thing that cripples my mind and my writing more than anything else.

I only recently started working on this fear, and so far it’s been going well. I’ve been writing and posting more, and I’ve felt more creative and more like myself lately. But even so, this fear still sits heavily on my chest.

So what am I so afraid of?

It’s NOT bad book reviews, or rejection letters from agents.

I have a fear of success.

It comes at me from both sides: part of myself believes I shouldn’t bother trying because I will fail anyway, and the other part of myself believes that even if I did succeed it wouldn’t last long, or I wouldn’t be able to handle the big change in my life that success might cause (like quitting my day job and becoming a full-time writer).

So, I sabotage my own career.

I stop myself from writing, I delete posts and stories that I write, and I trash email submissions of my work.

Is it because I haven’t been successful before?

No.

During the free giveaway weeks for two of my novels, they both were downloaded between 2 to 4 thousand times and reader number one in their categories on Amazon.

I’ve had short stories published through my university, online journals, and one that will be published in an anthology in the UK sometime in the next year.

But, I’ve also had some traumatic publishing experiences, including my family’s attempt to silence my writing career when I published my first debut novel. I was so excited to share my stories, but now I have to write in secret and stay silent around those closest to me when it comes to my stories.

How have I been working on my fear?

By writing something small every day. I set out a schedule for myself that consists of small posts or writing only a page or so a day. The more I check off that list, the more confident I become.

Seeing that nothing bad happens, and celebrating small wins has boosted my confidence and my creativity.

If you suffer from the same fear as me, I highly recommend setting up a simple checklist so you can grow your career one step at a time.

What Makes Fictional Settings Feel So Real? Examples from Popular Fiction

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I love books where the setting is central to the plot.

In fact, I would say that in these cases, the setting itself is a character in the story.

In this post I’d like to share with you three things that make these setting so memorable. (And, if you are a writer, how you can write settings that will really have an impact on your readers.) I’m also going to share some examples from Popular stories to give you an idea of what this looks like in action.

A setting plays a deeper role in a story when it:

  1. Uses all the senses. When we walk around the world we aren’t just seeing the places we go, we are experiencing them will all of our senses. Instead of just describing the way a setting looks, be sure to add the way it feels, sounds, and smells to help your reader feel immersed in the setting as they read.
  2. The characteristics of the setting allow it to affect the plot and the other characters in the story. If a character is dealing with feelings of seclusion, loneliness, or self-reliance, then setting your story on an island or a cabin up in the mountains would be a great way to reflect these inner struggles. Having a setting that reflects the inner world of your characters or that physically affects their choices or conflicts can really make the setting stand out.
  3. The little details matter. Every story has a setting, but the little details about the settings are what make it real. It’s one thing to say a character is standing in a garden. It’s another to say that they are standing in an overgrown garden with a chipped white fence where the gate creeks loudly and the weeds snag at their skirt as they walk down the rocky path to the dirt road. The details give the setting its personality.

Below I’ve provided some vivid examples from literature where the setting has a lot to do with the overall story and the charter’s experiences.

  • Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang – The first novella in this collection starts with beautiful descriptions of the house and garden, but it intentionally reflects the blend between Eastern and Western aesthetics. This sets the deeper themes of the story by reflecting the characters’ struggles in navigating a social class system that blends Chinese and English cultural expressions.
  • Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – The setting in this story is really the central focus, while the characters are merely moving through this world at the mercy of what the setting has in store for them. Neverwhere is unique in that the setting is both fantastical and modern at the same time. The story takes place in London, but not just the way we experience it today, and instead in a parallel universe of sorts where fantasy becomes reality. Gaiman’s more popular story, Coraline, uses those sensory descriptions I mentioned earlier, and even though the book is short, the setting really makes the story extra creepy.
  • The Writer’s Retreat by Julia Bartz – This story, like many other thrillers, utilizes a house in a secluded area as the backdrop of the terrifying drama that unfolds. Similar stories include The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, and We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer. These stories, and the circumstances faced by their characters, would not be possible if they were set anywhere else. That’s the power of a well-chosen setting.
  • Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling – The magical world and Hogwarts Castle are half of what makes this series so captivating. Just take a look Universal’s “Harry Potter Land” in Orlando. It really is the setting of a hidden magical world within our modern world (much like Neverwhere) that makes these stories feel so real for us. And more than that, this setting was well-crafted down to the details awhile also containing expansive world building.

Settings really do have the power to take us to a whole new world, and to feel the emotional depth of a story as we walk side-by-side with the characters, wherever they go.

*Author’s Note: In my blog I might reference stories or authors that are considered controversial. However, throughout my studies I have taken the stance that removing the artist from their art is sometimes necessary in order to see the beauty of the fantasy behind the grim reality. After all, that’s what stories are for. They give us hope when the world lets us down. Unfortunately, sometimes that person that lets us down was the one holding the pen.

How to Publish a Book on Amazon KDP

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So, you’re ready to publish your first book?

First of all, congratulations! Writing a book is the hardest part. In fact, the percentage of authors who actually complete their first manuscript is estimated to be as low as 3%.

But books are made to be read, so if you’re ready to publish your manuscript, keep on reading. Below is a step-by-step guide to publishing your book TODAY!

What is Amazon KDP?

KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. It is a self-publishing platform that is owned by Amazon, which helps your book to reach the audiences that order books and ebooks through Amazon and Kindle.

There is no need for paying for printing because KDP is print-on-demand, so the cost is immediately covered by their share, and you receive the money left over after production.

The percentage of royalties made by the author (you) depends on the format your book is in:

If you publish a paperback, you will receive 60% of the list price leftover after printing cost. That is WAY more than the average royalty for traditionally published paperbacks which usually hovers around 10-15%.

If you publish an ebook, KDP gives you two different distribution options which come with different royalty percentages. The first one is called KDP Select, and it comes with a whopping 70% author royalty. For a book to qualify for Kindle Unlimited it needs to be sold exclusively on Amazon and needs to be prices between $2.99 and $9.99. KDP Select also comes with perks like enrolling your book into Kindle Unlimited and having access to different types of book promotions. All other ebooks will receive a 35% author royalty, which is still considered a great cut for authors.

How to Publish Your Book on KDP

Before you start publishing, make sure you format your book. This should include mirrored margins with a .5 on three sides and a .75 on the internal side. Choose the right font and type size for your book to be easy to read and make sure you have any copyright pages, a table of contents, and any other book format requirements your book needs to be complete.

Once you are ready to publish go to KDP and create an account. When you get to your dashboard you will see options to create your book in either paperback, ebook, or audiobook. (This is a new feature they are still perfecting, and it can only be done with current ebooks for now.)

Here is a list of all of the things you need have ready to input when you publish your book:

  • Title and subtitle or series name
  • Names of authors, illustrators, editors, or others that worked on the book
  • Description of your book (this should be at least 1-2 paragraphs)
  • ISBN (This is basically the product number. You can buy your own at Bowker or you can let Amazon assign one to you. Note: If you use Amazon, this will automatically identify your book as being self-published to sellers.)
  • Book cover. I recommend Self Pub Book Covers if you don’t want to make your own. If you are creative, Canva has great options for designing book covers.
  • Book genre and key words
  • Book blurb for the back of the book
  • Price you want your book to be listed for
  • Manuscript of you book (you should have both a Word document or Google doc and a PDF)

Hopefully, this guide can help you get started publishing today.

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Review: Andromeda by Therese Bohman

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I just finished a book that was so painfully relatable and so well-written that it took me two months to read.

I had to take it one page at a time, stopping and pondering on what it had said as if it were a book of poetry.

Each paragraph was written in flowing prose, usually on a mundane topic, but the final sentence for each paragraph was a sharp statement that carried weight and truth, even if it was only a couple of words.

This book held my heart and my senses. It read almost like a diary or as if you had found old letters that were too personal to read. Like you were peaking into the life of a person that was both relatable to yourself while simultaneously heartbreaking to relate to.

The themes discussed in the book were the old versus the new, tradition versus modernity, age versus maturity, art and literature versus life, and most of all the complicated emotions and relationships we find ourselves in.

The book is ANDROMEDA by Therese Bohman.

This book is NOT for everyone.

It tells the story from the perspective of two characters. One is a young woman who interns at a publishing house, and the other is an older man who is the editor of the publishing house.

I know what you are thinking, but hold on….

This isn’t one of those power dynamic relationships that leads to trouble. This isn’t about the ways in which men are controlling or women are victims. In fact, this technically can’t be considered a romance at all. Nothing happens.

This book is about relationships, yes. But it is more about how we want to be seen, how we see others, and how the little things in life all add up to equal our experiences. How life happens in the in-between spaces.

As someone who has had similar situations to the one in the book, I found it beautiful and heartbreaking. The topic was personal, but more than that, the execution was flawless.

It was aesthetic and poetic, and perfect. I almost cried when it was over. It was simultaneously about everything and nothing, and I highly recommend you read it if it sounds at all interesting to you.

5 Easy Steps to Character Creation

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So, you have a character in mind but you can’t quite put them together? Or maybe you only have a story idea. Or, even more stressful…maybe your story is just to short or empty and you have to create more character to fill the space!

Have no fear! Here are 5 easy steps to create new characters:

1. Name

This, for me, is the hardest part. I am terrible at naming characters. But I’ve found some amazing resources that have helped me. The first is to find an app for your phone that generates names. It’s free and you can get a name in just one click. Second, you can try baby name books. These are great, and you can check off names you have already used so you never repeat names. And last, you can become a “name collector.” This means that when you meet new people in public, or online, if they have a name you like, you write it down. You create a notebook of names to come back to later.

2. The Good Stuff

Now it is time to list why your character is so great (or not great if they are the antagonist). What are they good at? Why do others like them? Are they strong? Good at knitting? Smile all the time? Treat this section like someone asked, “Hey, your friend seems nice. Tell me about them.”

3. The Bad Stuff

Well, we can’t be good at everything. And neither can our characters! A flawed character is necessary to not only move the story along, but also to make them relatable to the reader. So, what about them gets in the way? Are they lazy or easily confused? Or so they have a physical disability or perhaps emotional scars from the past?

4. Backstory

Unless your main character is a newborn baby, then they had stuff happen to them before the opening of the story. Even if you never talk about these things directly, it is important to know them. The character’s past will be the reason they act the way they do in relation to others. And, it is how they got to where they are now. Act like their therapist. Ask them what their childhood was like, and what were they like in school? Things like that. And write them down for later.

5. Goals

Now that they are here, where are they going? Even small side characters have goals. Your characters are like people. They have hopes and dreams. They are trying to accomplish something. What is it? A new job? A new relationship?

But wait…even more that the goal…is the WHY? Anew relationship because they got a divorce? A new job because they dream of being rich? Or are they moving somewhere?

Once you get all these down you should not only have more rounded characters, but it will be easier to write them in relation to one another. They will interact with other characters and their surroundings more naturally.