Can I Bite My Own Teeth?

As I recently tweeted, I love quotes. They're everything I want to say but never can. So, I thought it's be fun to have a Quotable Quotes day, which apparently is going to be Tuesday since that's today.

Every time I see or hear a quote that strikes my fancy, I'll jot it down or email it to myself for later reference. For those of you who don't know me very well, I tend to ramble about the inconsequential without ever making my point. A quote for me is a lifeline. And in the (sort of) words of John Mayer, quotes help me "Say what I need to say," in a charming and succinct fashion.

Today, for the first ever Quotable Quotes day, I'm drawing from the obvious yet brilliant Alan B. Watts. I read this and couldn't help but laugh at the truth behind his statement.

"Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth."

As I've been working on my author bio, putting together missing pieces for various blog posts, and generally answering questions about myself, I've come to the conclusion: I'm not that interesting, and it's really hard to sound otherwise.

When I read other people's bios I think, "Oh wow! How cool it must be to have a jellybean farm or a pet worm rodeo. I don't have anything like that." And so, a moment passes by with me pouting about my lack of general interesting-ness before I realize, "Hey, Alan B. Watts felt the same way as me and he was all kinds of awesome!"

That little revelation keeps me motivated. I'm odd and quirky and all around backwards, but I have a wonderful family and a great group of friends who love me for me. If those are the only two things I could ever claim in a bio, well that's more than a lot of "accomplished" people can claim in a lifetime. I'm blessed to be me :)

As a Matter of Fact, You Can Judge a Cover. Pt II

Hey guys! Thanks for coming back for part II of our cover discussion. Today I want to address the ever lingering questions: How do I find a good cover designer? (The word "good" is super important there.) And of course, What should I expect from them?

Well, coming at this from a what-I-experienced-myself mindset, I'll tell you. Finding a the designer(s) is the tough part. There is countless talent out there, but one talent isn't a fit for every project. You MUST find someone who shares your vision. Being an awesome designer is a broad term.

I'll give you some examples. Just image for a moment you see this:


That's a sick cover, right? I mean, it's enticing. It alludes to some darkness in the story. It feels creepy and mysterious. Brilliant design.

Now, what do you see here?


I see something light and girly that is probably full of whimsical felicity and charming princes.

**Disclaimer: I haven't read either of these. This is just a cover post ;)

Now, perhaps the same person designed both these covers and he/she is very good. Most likely though, a designer was chosen by their experience and taste in that particular field. They both did an outstanding job, but if you have a dark, mysterious story with a Tim Burton-esque feel to it, you don't want whimsical. (If you do have a dark, Tim Burton-esque story, please email me with details ;) Likewise, if Princess Fluffernutter is seeking her one, true love, an ominous forest surround by glowing eyes isn't going to fit the bill.

Now then, what should you do? Search through several designers. Talk to them. Get a feel for their personality and style. SEE EXAMPLES OF THEIR WORK. Get referrals and compare prices. Tell them what you want up front, and ask them what they envision. Clear the path before you sign a deal! And please don't think you have to spend a fortune to get a great cover. I promise you that isn't the case. But shop around to find the designer who will best suit your needs.

Next time, we'll discuss ideas, styles, and layouts. By the end of this mini-series, you will know what I learned the not so easy way!

As a Matter of Fact, You Can Judge a Cover. Pt I

This is going to be a mini-series of posts since I have a knack for following the most difficult path possible, before I randomly stumble over the writing-stone of obvious.

As many of you know, I've been on the all-encompassing journey to develop the perfect book cover. I openly admit, I went about it somewhat blindly, and it made for a very stressful adventure. **I don't recommend this route, just so you know.**

A book cover is the first thing people see when they're Googling your novel or perusing the shelves at the local bookstore. It has to stand out, to beckon the wandering eye with promises of excitement, romance, or mystery. A good cover tells the story of what's inside without being overstated. A good cover is hard to come by.

There are may factors that go into cover design. I'm by no means an authority on the matter, but I've learned a few things in my own process. Shall I share them? It'll cost you 25 cents. If you said "No, thanks. I don't like you anyway," well, you can have your quarter back. If you answered, "Yes! Why shouldn't we benefit from your ignorance?" then you can keep your quarter as a reward for your honesty!

There are a couple of ways of going about design.

The first way is the easiest: You don't care what's on the front or what your font looks like as long as it's eye catching and awesome. Good for you. Your designer loves you.

The second, since easiest is taken, is the hardest: You have an idea of what you want...or better yet, you have a whole vision of how your cover is going to look sitting next to NYT best-sellers! You imagine the perfectly formed Ocelot no one can create, overlaid with embossed spots made from every texture imaginable, and you smile. Congratulations, your designer hates you now. Just kidding! ...but not really. It's true.

If you follow the same path as me, there are a few things you should know about your cover and how things work. Today, I'll address images since you have that complicated little Ocelot in your head. This is an Ocelot by the way...



STEP ONE: Images.

Your image MUST be A) public domain. What does that mean? It means it belongs to no one in particular, B) your own image that you created either on your own or a combo of PD pics and Photoshop, C) a picture you yourself took, or D) you have written permission to use a copyrighted image for profit. That profit word is very important in asking for permission. People are less generous when there is money to be made. Just a fact.

STEP TWO: Fonts.

Fonts fall under a similar agreement, but with a couple of differences.
Option One: Standard fonts. These come on your computer when you buy it, and are fair game. No worries when you use them for any reason profit or otherwise.
Option Two: Downloadable fonts. There are multiple factors here, and more factors to those factors. I'm going to attempt to break these down further.
*Free to download: You are free to download them. You MUST check user license from the CREATOR to use these for profit. I myself had to do this. Just because it's free to download does not mean it's free to use if you're going to benefit from it. Under this falls the question: How frequently will you profit from the font use? You can only sell so many if you don't have an unlimited user licensing agreement. Be forewarned!
*Purchasable fonts: Those are pretty self explanatory. You pay for them from the get-go. Each site is different when it comes to user licensing. There are Standard End, Multi-user, Web-server, and so on. Please research each site's requirements and find the one that best suits your needs. Most of these people are pretty helpful.

STEP THREE: Anything written on the front or back.

If you have a quote from your favorite author, poet, or song, you'd better give full credit. Seems like an obvious, and I hope it is, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it.

So, for part II of the series, I'll be talking about finding a good cover designer and what to expect.

Wordsmith Wednesday: Am I Happy About This?

I love words. All words. Even the words I don't like, I do -- which is one of the reasons I became a writer. I also love the smell of bleach, but that's neither here nor there. Even as kid, I was the little introvert who sat in the corner, perusing the dictionary or medical journals, because knowing words like "miscreant" or "Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency" is as good as speaking Icelandic when you're eleven.

So, when my wonderful friend (and personal Yoda) Chi suggested a fun new meme, I jumped on board. And Wordsmith Wednesday was born. See here for more details.

Each Wednesday, we'll select a few words which are often misused or misunderstood. The power of words is a wonderful thing, but losing that power can be devastating when you're trying to get your point across. So, the whole idea behind Wordsmith Wednesday, is to allow people to share some of their favorite (or not-so-favorite) words and explain the differences in the way we see them or what they mean.

I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to misapplying a meaning to a word, so I want to try and clarify my opinion. Here are a few I often see writers using interchangeably. While some may disagree, these are my thoughts.

Anxious
Anxious implies nervousness. While there may be a hint of excitement residing there, the primary emotion behind being anxious isn't a positive one. A doctor may have bad news to deliver to a family. She's experiencing dread at the thought of their reaction and having to be the one to share it. While she may want to simply get it over with, there's nothing good about her feelings.

Eager
Eager denotes a good mixture of nervousness and excitement. A new writer is expecting to hear back about a book deal. He is waiting on pins and needles, hopeful the response is a positive one, but hesitant that it might not be. Eager has the best of both worlds.

Excited
The definition of excited is: stirred emotionally; agitated. This is possibly the most wrongly used of them all, and I'm as guilty as the next. For me, excitement is simply that -- I'm happy to experience the thing I'm living through or expecting. There's no negative connotation at all. However, the dictionary would disagree with me. The original intent behind the word denotes having one's feathers ruffled, though honestly, I don't see anyone reworking this word to fit its archaic definition again any time soon.

Now you know, all three words have a similar tenor but each a different emotion. What are a few misused words you guys come across?

The Reader VS the Writer

A friend and I were discussing the differences between readers vs writers, especially in the YA realm, and it got me thinking. Another way of phrasing this would be: Who Are You Writing For? VS For Whom Are You Writing? (And no, the aforementioned "for" and "are" shouldn't be capitalized. It just looked odd in lower case. 10 points if you picked up on it ;)

First of all, I want to differentiate between the Writer VS the Reader in this instance.

The Reader: She picks up a novel, looks at the cover, reads the description, and dives in. Based on the general plot and pacing of the book, the Reader will decide how she feels. It seems more often than not, the feelings swing one way or the other on the feelings scale. Love or Hate.

The Writer: She sees a cover, analyzes the logistics of design, reads the description--deciding if the plot sounds new and original--and creeps to page one. A thorough analysis is done regarding the plot, pacing, verbiage, passive voice, use of adverbs, and style. It's a sad fact: Writers can't enjoy stories as much as we used to, because we pick it apart. Based on every conceivable notion, the Writer either hates, dislikes, likes, or loves the story. But there must be purpose for every word on the page. If your purpose strays, the Writer's opinion is affected.

Now, I said all of that to say this: Readers are much more abundant than Writers. I've seen many books do extraordinarily well, and the writing was nothing exceptional. That isn't a slam to the Writer or their writing style in any way. I commend anyone on the ability to please the Reader. Best-Selling authors hold that spot for a reason. They know how to relate. The Readers don't care about you're writing as long as it strikes their fancy.

So, where does this leave the Writer? Interesting question. As Writers, the lit world beats into you: Don't use adverbs, ever! Never write with passive voice! Dream sequences are useless info-dumps, and no one cares! And so on and so on.

But...are you ready? The Reader loves a good story. They want characters who are real and engaging--most don't care if you leave a modifier dangling. They want entertainment.

I know, I know. Stifle your horror and stop gasping before you pass out. We learn all the rules in writing, and yeah, as a writer you have an obligation to not write crap. None of your work should be done halfway in the name of the Reader not caring. YOU, as the author, should care. You should always put 110% into making your work the best possible.

However, the story shouldn't suffer for the sake of grammar.

If I were to label this post, For Whom are You Writing? I'd lose some people who think I'm stuffy and pretentious. Yes, that's the correct way of asking that question. Really though, who talks like that anymore?

My point is, don't allow your work to suffer because of rules. As with everything in your writing process, you must ask yourself: Does this benefit or hurt my story? If you have to go against the grain for your writing to come across as real, don't hold back!

How Do You Spell Integrity?

Something came up today, and it was another lesson-learned kind of incident. I've always hoped to lend something to others in life. Not because I think I'm some experienced guru, but because I believe everything happens for some reason or another, and if you can't grow and learn from the experience, then there was no point in having it. Both good and bad incidents are memorable. I've learned to love the good because God was kind enough to share them with me. I've learned to mature from the bad, because He brought me through them with a lesson in hand. If I don't share the knowledge I gain from both, I'm taking it for granted and it was a wasted effort all around.

Now, because it's important to know: I'm not an overly emotional person; I tend to be snarky and somewhat sarcastic, though never in a malicious way. But overall, I'm a decent person by rational standards.

The thing that happened today (which I hope turns out to be a misunderstanding, though I suspect otherwise) really upset me. Someone I had a fair amount of confidence in, made a very negative remark about something I hold dear. My intent was to send information about something I thought the commenter would find interesting. So not only was it passed over with criticism, it became an attack on a path I'd chosen for myself.

At first I was shocked and hurt that the commenter would say something so low and rude...then anger crept in. It took every part of my will not to light into the commenter and say what I had to say because he/she not only offended me, but many of those I hold very dear! But after a few dozen times of hurt feelings, arguments, and moments of regret, I've learned to shut up until I'm not mad anymore. I kindly passed on a message of, "I made made in mistake in thinking you'd be interested," and left it alone.

But my anger hadn't subsided. So I sucked my wonderful friend into the mix, (sorry, girl ;) and polluted her day with it. Maybe I shouldn't have done that, but I needed an out, and she's always so willing to listen to my rants and raves. You don't know how much I appreciate your virtual shoulder, Trish :)

After I thoroughly talked it out though, it dawned on me. Why do I even care? What does this mean-spirited person even mean to me? Suddenly, I found myself feeling sorry the commenter. Clearly, he/she is either having a bad day, or they're not happy in their own existence. This isn't a condescending remark on my part. I'm not trying to seem holy or better-than by making a nice statement when my intent is to "be more mature" about it. It's a sad state.

I will, however, make this distinction because it involves more than just me. The route I and others choose in Indie publishing is an admirable one. We are making our own futures. I'm building my own platform, which is absolutely no different than what commenter has done! When choosing to be independent, the author shoulders everything. We're the ones paying for editors and cover designers. We're the ones doing the leg work in marketing and distribution. How others see this as rolling over or an easy way out is beyond me. I've never worked so hard at anything. So to be fair and speak as a group of entrepreneurs: WE, my friend, are the dedicated ones. And if anyone has a problem with that, feel free to walk away now. We don't infringe on your turf, so show the same respect and leave ours alone.

Always remember, people come and go in life. Some, like my wonderful writing family, are meant to build you up and encourage you. Others, they're only purpose is to tear you down and become a stumbling block or snare.

Cherish those you love. Walk away from the rest.

Learn from the darkness--just don't become part of it. Because at the end of the day, I can hold my head up knowing I didn't give into my flesh and say something cruel and mean-spirited. When it comes down to it, integrity is more important than the last word.

***Please note: This is isn't meant to serve as an excuse to assault anyone else. It's lesson in forgiveness and walking in love. Just saying. :)

See Bob Shoot Himself in the Literary Foot.

This has been a hot topic for a couple of weeks now, but seeing as it hasn't necessarily become the blog-heard-round-the-world matter, I'm going to take my own crack at it.

Pimping Yourself Out or in better terms: What Not to Do.

There's been quite a bit of debate lately on how to market yourself without being obnoxious and pushy. The source of the problem lies in overzealous writers with no sense of personal (even virtual) space OR lack of know-how. I'm more than willing to admit I'm learning the marketing game myself, and I don't pretend to be the end-all of end-alls when it comes to promoting your work. It is pretty obvious, though. No one likes to feel used. Ever. Especially not the people writers look to for support: potential readers.

Here's the issue. The author, we'll call him Bob, befriends you or vice versa. You're excited to meet Bob. He's a fellow writer and he seems like a generally knowledgeable and responsible fellow.

But this is how it plays out in a private message between you and Bob:
Hi! I'm Bob. I want thank you for friending me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc. I'm looking forward to getting to know you. Please stop by my blog, website, blah blah blah to find out more about me...because I'm awesome. (Okay, so I added that last part myself. Still, it's how it comes across, right?)

Now, why don't we see a problem here? Oh wait. You do? Does Bob sound like a total d-bag with an overinflated sense of self--like Bob thinks he's some unimaginable gift to the masses and the people who friend him are so incompetent that we don't see the link under his name leading to his site?

Bob, Bob, Bob, you're acting like a tool.

Does this sound harsh of me? Yeah, maybe a little. Bob probably doesn't mean to be pushy or sound like an arrogant jerk. Likely he doesn't know better, which is why, for the sake of all, I want to reiterate the problem with this.

It turns people off.

Bob, I friended you because I like you. You don't need to peddle your wares to the literary masses. When you do, they either A) un-friend you, or B) hide your feed so they don't have to see your incessant posts about yourself. Neither of these things are desirable, Bob. Now, because you've irked your new friends, they won't see what you have to say when it really is something cool. That great giveaway you're hosting, I have no idea because I hid your feed. (I'm the nice one who doesn't block you) You want to ask if anyone has a solution to the writerly problem you've been having? We may have the perfect solution, but you'll never know. Sorry, Bob.

This is where Bob *should* say: Well, Hope, I didn't mean to be a total wanker. How do I go about a thoughtful introduction that allows you and I to be well-informed friends? I can't pick up followers for that all-important marketing game if I don't introduce myself properly.

This is my answer: I'm glad you asked, Bob! I really thing we could learn from each other if you'd be willing to just step off for a minute. (Naturally, I'm smiling through this as not to make Bob feel bad)

Here's the solution in my humble opinion. Are you ready?

Show some interest, Bob. Go to my blog, website, or other venue. Pick out something specific to comment on, and introduce yourself. It also doesn't hurt to follow my blog or site so you can say so. Do you see what you've done differently? You've impressed me, Bob! You've stroked my own desire for recognition and appreciation. This leads to me returning the favor. Not only do you have a friend who listens now, you have a friend who cares because you're being considerate! Way to go, Bob!

I do want to add a couple of side notes here. Bob is my generic friend. If you happen to share the name, please don't be offended or think I'm talking about you :)

The second thing, if you litter your feed with tweet after tweet announcing the sale of your book, I stop looking or take you off my frequently-viewed list. I really don't like doing that either. You've made a list because you're cool. I'm not saying don't tweet about your sales, accomplishments, etc. But perhaps limit it to less than 20 times a day :) You can't learn from others when you're always talking. You know what you have to say--listen to them for a change. You might just grow!

As always, keep writing, guys!