Is All the Hard Work Ever Going to Pay Off?

How can we achieve success?

As writers, most of us are struggling with that question. Day in and day out we sit in front of our laptops, write book after book, spend time building our brands, and hope that someday we’ll have something to show for all our hard work.

Most of us have to squeeze our writing and marketing around our day jobs and other responsibilities. And when we find the time to write and market, we’re often tired, stressed, and thinking about all the other things we should be doing instead.

At some point we say something like: “I don’t want to go to all this hard work for nothing.”

Truthfully, if we didn’t want to get an agent or book deal, if we didn’t want to see our sales rocket, if we didn’t have dreams about doing well enough to quit our day jobs, then we probably wouldn’t exert ourselves to the degree we do.

Sure, we’d likely keep on writing even without success, because we love telling stories. It’s in our blood and we’d do it even if no one else ever read our work.

But . . . most of us have big dreams. We aspire to have a readership beyond just our faithful dog.

We go the extra mile, get up at 5:00am, skip our lunch breaks, give up our free time, sacrifice our favorite TV shows, let the laundry pile up, and feed our families frozen pizza, so we can chase after our dreams of successful publication.

But will all the work really pay off? Can we really achieve success?

Recently I got an email from a blog reader with some great questions: “Is it worth it? All the time, writer's conferences, writing, and editing, book tours, and blogging . . . Is it worth all the time writing consumes to finally see your novel in print and on a bookshelf? Is pursuing the dream worth the end result?”

Here are several of my thoughts about achieving success in the writing industry:

1. If we want to climb the ladder of success, we have to start at the bottom and work our way up one rung at a time. Most of us can’t skip steps and make the leap to the top in one bound. Instead we have to take small, slow, steady steps upward.

The big names on the bestseller lists didn't get there after just one book. They worked hard year after year to earn their spots on the list. And if we want to end up there someday, then we'll have to do the same thing.

I love this quote: “Don’t expect overnight miracles. But have faith. If you persevere, the chances are very good that you will achieve some success.” ~Bickman

2. Success is illusive. Once we reach the top of the ladder of success we’re climbing, we see another higher point we want to reach—and we’ll think, “Now THAT is really success.” (A better book deal, bigger publisher, two books on the shelf instead of one). So we start climbing another ladder. When we reach the top of that one, we’ll redefine success again (more recognition, bigger royalties, bestseller list). And so on.

The truth is success can’t really make us happy. Oh, maybe for a few days or weeks. But then we’ll see something else we want and discontentment will settle in once again.

Yes, keep climbing, but we need to learn to enjoy each step as it comes, celebrate the small accomplishments, and find joy in the process of creating.

3. Ultimately, the writing journey will be as successful and worthwhile as we make it. Each one of us has to determine how much time and energy we can or want to devote to it.

I’ve reached a stage in my life where I’m able to handle the pressures and responsibilities of being an author. I’m not sure that I would have been ready sooner. But now, amidst my busy mothering phase of life, writing gives me a creative outlet, a quiet retreat, a break from the intensity of real life.

So yes, writing is worthwhile to me personally, no matter the level of success, no matter if I have one book on the shelf or ten, no matter if I make hundreds of dollars or thousands.

Of course, I’m going to keep on stepping up the ladder of success one rung at a time. But ultimately, I’m not in this journey for success. I’m in it because I love writing.

What about you? Have you ever asked yourself if all the hard work will someday pay off? Is all the time you put into your writing worth it to you?

How To Find Original Ideas When You Have None

Recently I got an email from blog reader, Emma, and she said:

“I haven't written in a long time because I can't think of a single thing to write about. I've been trying for weeks now, but I just keep on hitting blank walls. Nothing grabs my attention anymore. When I used to write, if I got a good idea I would get really excited and the story would almost write itself. Now, if I do come up with an idea, my mind automatically thinks of other books or tv shows I've seen that have a similar plot line . . . I was just wondering if there was any advice you could give me?”

I could feel the frustration in Emma’s email. First of all, Emma, I want you to know you’re not alone. Most of us have struggled to find ideas at one point or another—especially creative, fresh, original ideas.

And second, since I don’t have all the answers, I’d love for ALL of YOU to chime in the comments with your advice to all those who are struggling to find original ideas. I want this to post to be a way we can help each other.

The fact is, it does seem like almost every good idea has already been done. And it’s all too easy to second-guess ourselves and to let our worries leech the joy and passion from writing.

So here are a few pieces of advice I have for Emma and anyone struggling to find original ideas when they feel like they don’t have any:

1. Uncage the beast:

I’m in the beginning phase of writing my next book. This is the stage where I spend hours upon hours brainstorming and coming up with ideas. I have a spiral notebook handy wherever I go, and I keep a running list of any and every idea that I could possibly include in my new book.

I don’t throw out anything at this point. I allow myself to list everything—even if it’s already been used, even if it sounds dumb. I scour books and biographies and I jot down all the things that sound even the least bit interesting. I don’t hold anything back.

I uncage the wild and untamed imagination deep inside.

I don’t leash it or try to fence it in with proper boundaries. Instead, I let it run around like a screaming naked banshee. The less we interfere with the wild beast of our imagination, the more creative it will be.

2. Make the beast even bigger.

Once I have pages of ideas, I start going through my list and pick out the things I like best. Then I start to say things like, “This is wild. But what could make it wilder?” “I like this situation, but what could make it more tense?”

In other words, at this stage, I want to begin to narrow down some of my ideas, pick the freshest and most original, and find ways to dress them up into something different and bigger than what’s been done before.

We may not always be able to find ideas that are utterly and completely unique. In fact, most writing gurus will tell us that every plot has already been written. But . . . we can take our ideas and ad a twist that is uniquely ours.

3. Finally, take the good, bad, and hairy and just write.

At some point, we have to take what we’ve got and just start writing. Even if we think our ideas are boring, cliché, and predictable, we have to write.

I’ve found that the process of writing is one of the biggest keys for stirring my creativity even more. No matter what beastly ideas I come up with before the first draft, invariably once I start writing, my ideas metamorphose into something so much more than I could have planned.

When we fill the page with words, when we work our writing muscles hard, when we push ourselves to get something on the paper, then we’re able to open our imagination in ways that aren’t possible during the planning phase.

Writing friend Heather Sunseri said this in a recent tweet, “Sometimes when you're unsure of what is supposed to happen next in your story, you just have to start writing. 'Next' will reveal itself.”

Summary: “You need to come up with hundreds of ideas, toss out the ones that don’t grab you, and then nurture and develop what’s left.” ~Bell (Plot & Structure)

So, what advice would you give Emma or anyone else struggling to find ideas? What’s the best way YOU find original ideas when you have none?

How to Make Your Book Play Out Like a Movie

Recently I received a reader email that said this: "My friend gave me The Doctor's Lady and I devoured it in two days . . . The scenes play out like a movie in my head, and I felt the characters were all real people!”

The scenes play out like a movie.

The comment was interesting and pushed me to analyze some of the techniques that I utilize to bring the book to the big screen of the reader’s mind. Because ultimately, we want to bring our story to life in such a way that the reader feels they are there experiencing the story right along with our characters.

So how do we make our books play out in the reader’s mind like a movie? Here are just a few things I do:

1. Choose scenes strategically.

In the most recent book I wrote (which I recently turned in to my publisher), I had approximately 40-45 scenes. How did I choose what scenes to include and which ones to leave out?

Part of the decision-making will have to do with genre expectations. Romance readers want to see the developing love-relationship between the hero and heroine. So we usually need to play out the key relationship-changing moments (dates, conflicts, important meetings, etc.). Readers will be disappointed if those kinds of scenes happen off-screen. Other genres will have reader expectations as well (that’s why it’s important to study our genres!).

I also try only to display scenes that move quickly and have the most tension, conflict, and action—scenes that could truly play out on a movie screen. I eliminate having a bunch of slower-paced, smaller, static scenes with little happening in them. Instead, I economize by finding ways to slip minor but necessary details into my conflict-laden scenes.

2. Eliminate unnecessary transitions.

Obviously we can’t include everything that happens to our characters spanning many months. So we’ll summarize what happens between scenes (often called a sequel). I like to think of those summaries as transitions—a way to get from one important scene to the next critical happening.

Yes, transitions are sometimes necessary—especially when we want to skim over a large passing of time. However, movies have very few transitional scenes. Instead they jump-cut from one important point to the next, leaving it to the viewers’ imagination and intelligence to piece together what’s happened in the interim.

We can use that technique in our books too. Our readers are just as intelligent as movie-goers and don’t need to know anything other than what’s truly important to the story itself. If we must fill them in with the between-time happenings, we can often do so by dropping the information into the current scene in quick bites or subtle ways.

3. Craft the setting carefully.

We want the setting to become so vivid that our readers visualize, smell, hear, taste, touch, and are immersed into the scene right along with the characters. On the other hand, we don't want our readers to realize we’re describing things. Too much portrayal (or describing unnecessary or unimportant details) will bog the reader down.

So how can we make a setting seem movie-screen real without overpowering our readers? Like with other story elements, we'll need to be strategic in what we choose to describe and where we place those descriptions. Often we do a good job of grounding the reader in the setting at the beginning of the scene, but then we allow our characters to act in a blank vortex for the remainder. The key is to look for ways to intentionally thread the setting details throughout the entire scene.

4. Breathe life into characters.

Bringing our characters to life is one the most challenging aspects of writing. We can pick the dramatic scenes to “film,” eliminate pesky transitions that slow down the story, and give the setting a makeover. But then we often fail to breathe life into our characters and instead populate the page with stick-figures.

One way to make our characters three-dimensional, is to get inside her their heads. We need to see what they’re thinking. If all we do is “show” them acting, but never take the time to move into the character’s mind to hear their reactions, then we risk having flat characters. We need to know their intense joys, deep pains, and heart-wrenching conflicts—and we can do this by giving the reader glimpses into the character’s internal struggles and thoughts.

In getting the reader into a character’s head, we help them see the story through the character’s eyes. The book plays out even more like a movie because now the reader has “become” the main character.

Have you read any books lately that felt as if you were watching a movie? What helps bring a book to life for you?

P.S. If you missed voting on the cover options for my next book, there's still time. Head over to this post or to my Facebook Page to pick your favorite cover!

Special Post: Vote on the Cover of My Next Book!

Dear Readers,

My publisher (Bethany House) is in the process of finalizing the cover of my next book, UNENDING DEVOTION (releasing Sept. 1, 2012). They have narrowed down the cover to three that they like best.

But, now they would like YOUR feedback!

Here's a blurb about the book that might help you decide:

In 1883 Michigan, Lily Young is determined to save her lost sister, or
die trying. Heedless of the danger, her search leads her to Harrison and
into the sights of Connell McCormick, a man doing his best to add to
the hard-earned fortunes of his lumber-baron father.

Posing as a photographer's assistant, Lily can't understand why any
God-fearing citizen would turn a blind eye to the crime rampant in the
towns. But Connell needs to earn a profit from the logging camps he runs
and figures living an upright life is all that matters. Lily challenges
everything he thought he knew but will they be able to put an end to the
corruption that's dominated Harrison for so long?

Please take a look at the three options and tell us which one YOU like the best!

 Cover #1

Cover #2

 Cover #3

If you're unable to leave a comment with your choice of #1, #2, or #3, please feel free to head over to my Facebook Page and vote there!

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

One Important Way for Authors to Get Discovered by Readers

With the growing masses of books hitting virtual shelves, how can the average author hope to get noticed by readers? And likewise, how can readers discover new authors without having to wade through thousands of books?

Writers are trying all kinds of techniques in order to help their books stand out—luring readers with free or cheap books, doing social media blitzkriegs, and desperately trying to find any way to push their book into the spotlight.

Readers are growing frustrated too. They buy cheap e-books only to find them riddled with typos or bizarre stories that aren’t worth their time or money.

Authors and readers alike are struggling through the changes brought about by the growth of e-readers and e-books. Authors who’ve put in the time and effort to learn the craft and perfect their stories don’t want to get lost among the dregs. And readers are looking for ways to find good authors and books without having to sift through the masses of books out there.

So what’s the solution?

Smashwords did a survey back in September of 2011, which netted some interesting results. The questionnaire “challenged readers to select the single most common criterion they follow to discover their next read.”

The most-selected answer was "Recommendations from fellow readers on online message forums, blogs and message boards, with 29% of respondents choosing this.” (Emphasis mine)

The latest Romance Writers Report (RWR) reiterated the growing importance of review sites: “In a blizzard of e-books, readers will look to names they trust for recommendations. Review sites are likely to flourish for the same reason . . . Fewer stores and less shelf space in the big boxes will make online reading recommendations increasingly important.” (Emphasis mine)

I like what successfully self-published author Joanna Penn said in her article Book Marketing Tips From Amazon’s Bestselling Self-Published E-books Of 2011: “I am personally convinced that book reviews and an accessible price point are the best sales tactics for selling bulk fiction e-books, providing the book and cover are good enough in the first place.” (Emphasis mine)

In other words, readers are turning to online review sites to help them wade through the flood of books in order to find authors and books they can fall in love with. 

What does that mean for authors?

1. Your marketing plan should include book reviews. One of the keys for getting your book to stand out is to get it into the hands (or e-readers) of online reviewers.

2. Look for variety in reviewers. Asking your twenty closest writing friends and family members to write reviews will only “stack the deck.” I continually hear readers say that they don’t trust reviews that are mostly 5-stars and with good reason if we as authors are arm-twisting or enticing friends into writing good reviews for us.

Instead, get to know your audience and target them. In a practical article that outlines his success with blog reviews, Tim Ferriss says: “You are not after the biggest audience possible, you are after the right audience.”

3. Give reviewers permission to be honest. They need the freedom to rate our books with as much subjectivity as they want. If we’re barging in and berating reviewers for less than stellar reviews, then we risk losing the trustworthiness of the review system that readers are looking for.

Remember review sites are for readers. I know that seems like a no-brainer. But if authors jump into review conversations, their presence or comments may prevent readers/reviewers from feeling like they can share openly and truthfully about the book.

4. Maintain a level of professionalism. Yes, this will be hard at times especially when we feel personally or unfairly attacked. But if we want the good part of reviews which can help us stand out in the crowded market, then we also have to be willing to take the more difficult aspects of it as well, including negative feedback. Often the most professional thing we can do is refrain from saying anything altogether and just let reviewers and readers enjoy interacting without our interference.

5. Above all give reviewers a book they will truly WANT to review. Enough said.

6. Finally, authors beware of writing reviews. Authors usually take two extremes—being overly critical or overly praiseworthy. I find that I’m much more critical than the average reader. My internal editor rarely turns off. Thus, my reviews will likely be more picky than most readers—which is why I rarely post public reviews.

On the other hand, in efforts not to hurt our fellow writers, we can move to the other extreme of only posting glowing praise (with the ulterior motive of hoping our fellow authors will do the same for us).

As writers, if we can’t find a middle objective ground, then we should probably shy away from writing reviews and look for other ways to support our fellow writers.

What about you? What’s your preferred mode of finding a new book or author? Do you look to online review sites for help? Or do you look elsewhere?

Walls on the Path to Publication: a Necessity or a Nuisance?

How can writers know when they’re ready for publication? How can they know when their writing skill has reached a quality that rises above amateur? And likewise, how can they know if they have a story that will resonate with readers?

These are age-old and very sage questions. I wrestled with them back in the days when I was querying. I think any wise writer will wrestle with such questions—trying to gauge their readiness and show caution before plunging into publication.

In the past, particularly with traditional publication, writers would hit brick walls that would cause us to evaluate our readiness. And those walls usually came in the form of rejection letters or agent or editor passes. The rejections would force us to work harder, challenge us to learn more about writing fiction, and push us to take our stories from mediocre to standout quality. If we had any hope of breaking through, we had to strive really hard to become better.

But nowadays, with so many writers opting to self epublish, the traditional wall of rejection has crumbled. The walls of waiting, persevering, and the pain of the journey are no longer barriers either.

The road to publication is wide open. Anyone, anywhere can publish anything without any barriers. Writers no longer have to push through the walls that once stood in the way.

Some would claim that’s a good thing, that the wall prevented too many good writers with good stories from having the chance of publication. Others would claim that the crumbling wall is now contributing to a new problem—a flood of poorly written self-published manuscripts crowding virtual shelves making it difficult for those good books to stand out.

Whatever the case, we would all do well to remember the mantras: Nothing good ever comes easy. No pain no gain. There are no shortcuts to any place worth going (thanks Christy Farmer for that one!).

In other words, walls of some kind or another are worthwhile to each of us. Whether those walls come externally or internally or both, we’re usually better off for having scaled them rather than skirted them.

I liked how my agent Rachelle Gardner recently described walls. She said, “Obstacles to our dreams are like brick walls, put there to test how badly we really want something . . . those brick walls stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.” And the brick walls strengthen those who persevere.

So, back to the original question: How can writers know when they’re ready for publication?

My answer: Set up a few walls.

What do I mean?

Before rushing into publication, put into place some barriers or trials that can test your writing skill and story-telling ability.

Of course, those heading toward traditional publication will still hit the walls of rejection from agents and publishers. But even so, all of us, no matter our publishing venue can put into place walls that will help us test our work and abilities. Instead of rushing to put something out there whether on Smashwords or CreateSpace or in a query to an agent, first we should evaluate if we’re ready.

Here are just a few ways we can do that:

• Hire a freelance editor. This is a must for anyone self-publishing. But even those seeking traditional publication can benefit from the skillful eyes of an editor. The lists of freelance editors has exploded over the past year. I suggest beginning with recommendations from other writers you trust. I also suggest my agent’s list of editors as a place to start.

• Get into a critique partnership or group with other skilled writers who can give qualified and objective feedback about the writing craft.

• Give the book to beta readers who can test your story-telling ability. They may not be qualified to catch editing mistakes or writing craft issues. But they can give feedback on the story.

• Enter writing contests that offer written feedback from judges. Sometimes the contest scoring can let us know how we’re doing compared with other writers.

• Give ourselves some distance from our manuscripts. After completing the first draft of a book, I edit it, but then I usually wait several months before I go back to it and do my in-house rewrites. The time and distance help me approach my book with a fresh perspective. I’m usually able to see the story more objectively.

• Use a how-to-edit book during our self-editing. I highly recommend Revision And Self-Editing by James Scott Bell and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King.

The point is to establish some walls that keep us from rushing headlong into publication, some bumps that slow us down, some checks that help us evaluate more clearly just how ready we really are.

What’s your opinion? Are walls a necessity or a nuisance? Do you think the road to publication has become too easy? Or do you think the crumbling wall has been a good thing for writers overall?

How Can Authors Get Their Books Into Bookstores?

Many authors dream of the day when they can walk into a bookstore and see their masterpiece displayed on a shelf. They dream of picking up the book, smelling the ink on the pages, kissing it, and crying tears of joy.

However, the sad reality is that many authors browse the store only to find that their book isn’t where it’s suppose to be. They cross their fingers and hope the store has already sold out or given it a better spot because it’s so popular.

But the reality is that the bookstore has never carried the book and doesn’t have any plans to.

After the initial dejection, the author can’t keep from wondering this aloud: Why do some books make it into stores while others don’t? And wondering this privately: Why are all those other poorly written books sitting on the shelf and not my Pulitzer-Prize winning novel?

As bookstores close and shelf space shrinks, obviously stores won’t have enough room to hold all the books being published.

So how can authors get their books into the limited space? Who determines what books make it in? And what (if anything) can authors do to carve out a spot on a shelf?

I took my questions directly to Bill Shady, National Accounts Manager for Baker Publishing Group. (My publisher, Bethany House, is a division of Baker.) Bill leads sales efforts to key CBA accounts such as Family Christian Bookstores and LifeWay. Previously, he also sold books to stores like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Borders, and a plethora of other accounts.

With his many years of experience in getting Baker books (including mine!) onto shelves, he graciously answered my questions. During our phone conversation, I quickly concluded that the process of publishers selling their titles to bookstores is much more complicated than most authors realize.

Nevertheless, here’s a simplified version of how the process works:

Bookstores & Publishing Houses:

Before ordering any books from a publisher, bookstores have to open accounts with the publishing house. The process of setting up an account requires a lot of paperwork and often the logistics can be overwhelming. (This will vary from publisher to publisher—some may be difficult and others might be much easier.) That means bookstores are more likely to buy from publishers with whom they’ve already established accounts. Often it’s not worth the work and trouble for bookstores to set up accounts with smaller or newer presses.

Bookstores & Sales Representatives:

Once the bookstore has an account with a publisher, they work with the sales representative like Bill to obtain the books they put onto shelves. When Bill meets with the store’s buyer, he brings catalogs, pictures, and a spreadsheet which lists authors’ titles for the past 2-3 years along with sales figures. The bookstore buyer looks at the spreadsheets and makes decisions accordingly. Previous sales play a critical role in which books the retailer buys.

Debut authors are harder to sell. Obviously new authors don’t have past sales records for stores to look at. So stores pay more attention to the genre, the catalog information regarding the book, and the marketing value a publisher is assigning to the debut author.

Bookstores & Individual Authors:

So what happens if an author walks into a bookstore and notices it isn’t carrying his or her book? First the author can approach the manager with a gracious attitude (instead of one of entitlement) and say something like: “I’m from the area. I have a newly released book. People are asking for it but aren’t finding it. Can we fix that?”

Some managers will be more savvy about the business than others. If they’re busy or don’t understand the process, they may say they can’t do anything, that decisions are made on a corporate level. And to some extent that’s true. But, on the other hand, if the bookstore already has an established account with the publisher, the manager still might be able to order the book.

The hard reality is that much of the control of getting a book into a store is out of an individual author’s hands. And even harsher is the reality that unless the publisher is already established in the store, authors have very little chance of getting the book in.

Bookstores & Ingram:

Lest I end this post on a depressing note, Bill held out a ray of hope for all authors no matter their publisher. He indicated that an author can check if Ingram carries their title. Ingram is one of the largest distributors of books in the US. Every chain and bookstore uses Ingram to some degree. If Ingram carries the book, then a store could order it from Ingram (versus the publisher).

There you have it—the ins and outs of how books make it onto the shelves in brick and mortar stores. Many thanks to Bill Shady for taking the time to share his wealth of knowledge with us!

So, raise your hand if you’ve ever dreamed about walking into a bookstore and seeing your book on a shelf (here’s my dream post!). Do you still have the dream? Or as the times have changed, has your dream evolved into something else?