Why Are So Many Writers In Such a Hurry?

My youngest son will be celebrating his eighth birthday at the end of August. For the last several weeks, he’s been getting impatient for that big occasion.

One day a couple of weeks ago, he asked, “Mom, how many days are there until my birthday?”

Knowing how excited children get at the thought of receiving presents and cake and a special meal, I indulged my little guy. We pulled out the calendar and counted off the days.

I wasn’t too surprised when I got the same question a couple of hours later, especially when I noticed the Lego magazines strewn across the floor. But after about the third or fourth time my son asked, “How long until my birthday?” I knew he needed a lesson on patience.

So, I scooted next to him on the couch, wrapped my arm around him, and said, “Honey, I know you’re really excited about your birthday, but if you keep thinking about it and wishing it were already here, then you’ll miss out on enjoying the rest of the summer.”

I reminded him that while his birthday would be fun, it also signified the closing of summer and the beginning of the next school year. I urged him not to become so anxious for the future that he forgot to savor the delightful, carefree days of summer.

Sometimes we as writers get so focused on the future—what we’d like to see happen next in our writing careers—that we miss the enjoyment of being right where we’re at. We look ahead and we think we’ll be happier if only we get an agent, or if only we have a book contract, or if only we make a bestseller list, or if only we make triple figures.

We fantasize about the satisfaction we’ll finally have once we reach that next point in our careers. But in the process of looking forward, we sometimes forget to truly enjoy the present. And we forget that once we do reach a milestone, we’ll be satisfied for a day or two. But once the newness wears off, a different set of responsibilities will stretch endlessly before us (much like my son celebrating his birthday but then starting school not long after).

I urge all of us (myself included) to not wish away the present because we get so focused on what we hope will come in the future. And I add an extra caution for newer writers. With the ease of self-publishing, it’s all too tempting to rush the process of publication, to think that getting your first book out there will make you happy.

I like what author Bob Mayer said in a recent article, “If I were an unpublished author, would I self-publish?” As a former best-selling author for traditional publishers, he’s now been self e-publishing for the past two years and doing very well at it, selling over 1,100 ebooks a day.

I really respect Bob’s balanced approach. Here’s what he said: “The problem right now is too many writers are putting their first manuscript up and spending 75% of their time trying to promote as they try to write their second book. The focus isn’t on the writing, it’s on the selling.”

He goes on to suggest waiting until completing three books before taking the next steps forward, focusing first on learning the craft of writing before jumping into publication and promotion.

In other words, we don’t need to rush the process. We don’t need to race forward, getting ahead of ourselves, and fostering discontent for where we’re at.

After all, what’s the rush? Why do we need to be in such a hurry to reach that next point in our careers? When we focus too much on what we’re missing, the discontentment often clouds the simple joys and pleasures that come from the creative process of writing. And we lose out on the satisfaction of each step of our unique journey.

The big birthday celebration will happen . . . eventually. And with enough patience and hard work, so will those big career moments.

In the meantime, we can’t forget to savor the present.

What about you? Have you ever tried to rush your writing career? Or are you learning to savor the journey?

P.S. Don't forget to stop by The Doctor's Lady Trailer Contest! Watch the trailer and win prizes! The deadline for the contest is Sunday at 10 pm (Eastern Time).

10 Ways to Prepare in Advance for Publication

In the months before the release of my first book, I didn’t really know how to prepare for a writing career. I was busy gearing up for marketing and promoting my book, but I was also fumbling to do all of the things that were necessary to brand myself as a professional author.

I struggled to know what things were important and which were optional. Did I really need a website, PO Box, business cards, Facebook Page, etc.? Now, in hindsight, I can see what kinds of things were helpful and what I wish I’d done sooner. The time during the release of a book is already stressful and busy. If writers establish a professional foundation ahead of the big date, they’ll be able to focus more on their promotional efforts.

Here are 10 things writers can do ahead of publication (along with my thoughts on the importance of each):

1. Establish a website.

This is a must-do. Once your book is contracted and by the time it shows up in online bookstores (which can happen 6-8 months ahead of release), you should have a website—preferably one with your author name as your URL so that readers can easily find you. At some point they will look you up and you need to be prepared.

2. Start a blog.

This is optional but helpful. Blogging is probably more imperative to non-fiction writers attempting to build platforms. In my experience, fiction-readers are not flocking to author blogs on a regular basis. However, even if our genre readers won’t haunt our blogs and wait for every new post with bated-breath, blogs can help writers in many other ways. (See these posts: The Snowball Effect of Social Media, 3 Reasons to Start Blogging Before a Book Contract). Once again, use your author name as your URL. Always make it as easy as possible for people to find you.

3. Start a Facebook Page.

This is optional but helpful. A Facebook Page (versus a personal account) allows readers to post thoughts about your book and to connect with you without having to wait for you to get around to approving of their friend request. And as an author, I can post book news, awards, and release information on my Facebook Page without feeling like I’m spamming my friends. With Pages you can also add a “like” box to your blog or website. (See mine in my sidebar.)

4. Get a quality, updated author photo.

This is a must-do. We don’t need to go broke having a photo shoot. (I had mine done by a high school senior who ran a home-based photo studio.) But we do need a professional-looking picture that we can use on all our social media sites (consistency across the sites makes it easier for people to keep track of who we are).

5. Use an email address with your author name.

This is important but not critical. Our author name is the one that will appear on the cover of our books. We should be using our author name everywhere (twitter, facebook, etc.), including our email addresses if at all possible. Mine is jodyhedlund (at) jodyhedlund (dot) com. Simple. Uncomplicated. Easy to remember.

6. Set up accounts on reader sites.

This is optional but helpful. Sites like Goodreads, Shelfari, and Librarything allow authors to set up accounts, list their books, and link to their website and blogs.

7. Set up an account on Amazon’s Author Central.

This is optional but helpful. Amazon allows authors to create a place where readers can come and find out more about you, your other books, videos, etc. (Here's a link to mine.) You can also keep track of sales statistics through Author Central’s BookScan.

8. Get professional business cards.

This is important but not critical (especially if you have something else you can hand out like bookmarks or postcards—see below). I’ve used my business cards to pass out to local businesses (like bookstore managers and libraries). I include the cards in written communication with other professionals (like writers, radio show hosts, etc.). My web design team made my business cards to match my website. But there are many, many options available for making business cards.

9. Set up a PO Box.

This is very optional and probably unnecessary for most writers. Before designing my business cards, I wavered on whether I needed a PO Box, but in the end I set one up (rather than using my home address). I wanted to be as accessible as possible and yet still maintain some privacy, so I put a PO Box address in my books, on my website, and on my business cards. But I also write in a genre in which a percentage of my readers still send handwritten notes.

10. Get bookmarks or postcards for each book.

This is optional but beneficial. I’m fortunate that my publisher designs and provides bookmarks, postcards, and other promotional items at my request (which usually includes a picture of my book along with a blurb and my blog/website address). I hand these out in various places, send them in letters, and include them in book giveaways. There are a hundred-and-one ways to use bookmarks, postcards, or other promotional items.

So, what do you think? What have you done in advance to prepare for publication? Is there anything else you’d add to my list? Do you feel you’re on track or are there some things you need to get working on?

P.S. Make sure you check out The Doctor's Lady Trailer Contest! I'm giving away prizes! (Including Amazon gift certificates, a copy of my new book, and a 15 page critique!)

Some Reasons Why I Have a Trailer For My New Book

Yes! I have a trailer for my newest release, The Doctor’s Lady.

I know, I know. There’s an intense debate among the industry as to whether trailers are really a worthwhile marketing device. I’ve seen as many posts for them as I have against them.

But, I couldn’t resist the pull to try a trailer at least once in my writing career. When I broached the subject with my publisher’s marketing department, of course they had their hesitancies too. In their experience, they’ve come to recognize that quality is important because every promotion is a reflection on the author. In other words, a well made trailer can help, but one that is poorly constructed has the potential to harm a book's promotion and author’s public image.

When I asked the head of marketing what went into making an effective trailer she said it should be short (1:30 maximum), it should engage the viewer emotionally, and it should leave the viewer hanging so that they want to go purchase the book to find out what happens.

Of course, my trailer isn’t in the same high budget category as some of the professionally produced trailers that are made for top sellers, but my publisher did use a professional designer, still photos from the cover model shoot, and they had the ability to do a video shoot with costumed actors.

Here are some of the benefits I hope to gain from having a trailer for my new book:

• Videos involve more senses (sight AND sound) which help solidify the product in the consumer's mind. It doesn’t really matter what the product is—toothpaste, pizza, and yes, even books—the multi-sensory facet of videos (commercials) can help facilitate interest.

• Video communication is growing in importance. Think about the increasing usage of videos through mediums such as YouTube, vlogs, Skype, etc. As more people begin to use videos, we as writers need to tap into that medium and not be left behind. PulsePoint Founder/Creative Director, Kelli Standish, listed some statistics in a 2008 post Book Videos & Online Trailers: Fad or Future? 

73% of U.S. Internet users viewed video online in February 2008.

Consumers are 47% more engaged in television commercials online than on television.

Over 70% of Internet users under the age of thirty actively visit video-sharing sites.

• Trailers are one more way to generate book buzz in cyberland. The more times readers hear about our books, the more likely they’ll be to purchase it. Trailers can provide an additional avenue for increasing the chatter around the internet.

• Online bookstores can utilize the trailers for their promotional efforts. My publisher will offer the trailer to most of their online bookstore distributors. This can help put a book into more of a spotlight position.

• Authors can use the trailers on their author pages on various reader sites. Goodreads, Shelfari, Librarything, and even an author’s Amazon page have spots for putting in videos. Getting the trailer into as many places as possible will only increase the chances of the book’s exposure.

• Trailers offer a quick, concise summary of the book in an emotionally enticing way. The sound of the music, the clear pictures, and the short blurb about the book can engage viewers’ emotions in a way that words alone often cannot do.

Kelli Standish of PulsePoint says this in her article, “Television viewers are migrating to the Internet for their entertainment. It means that more users than ever are sharing and watching online video. And it means that if you want to meet them when they arrive at your cyberdoor, a book video or trailer could be a solid addition to your book promotion arsenal.”

Like any marketing effort, however, promoting a trailer requires some work and savvy. Among all of the voices on the internet clamoring for attention, we can’t just throw a trailer onto our websites and expect people to flock to it. We have to look at creative ways we can draw interest to the trailer.

One way to promote a trailer is through a contest! Which is what I’m doing this week! Click here to check out the details and to enter! (And I'm giving away fantastic prizes!)

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with book trailers. Have you used one or considered the possibility? What do you think are the pros and cons of trailers?

P.S. Make sure you read the comments for more wisdom from Kelli Standish about book trailers!

The Doctor’s Lady Trailer Contest! Win Prizes!

Here it is!! The trailer for The Doctor’s Lady! The book is scheduled to release in about 1 month on September 1st! And to celebrate the release I'm holding a contest.

Prizes: I’m offering TWO separate prizes to TWO lucky winners!

1. $20 Amazon gift card
or
Critique of first 15 double-spaced pages of a fiction manuscript.

2. $20 Amazon gift card
or
Be one of the first to get a free copy of The Doctor’s Lady.


How to enter the drawing:

1. Watch the trailer (it’s only about 60 seconds!)

2. Then tell me what you liked about the trailer in a comment. (Or just mention that you watched it.)

3. Leave your email (so that I can contact you if you win).


To enter your name into the drawing more than once:

1. Hit the tweet button at the bottom of this post and share the contest on Twitter (1 extra drawing). (Make sure you tell me in your comment that you tweeted.)

2. Hit the facebook button at the bottom of this post and share the contest on Facebook (1 extra drawing). (Make sure you tell me in your comment that you posted to Facebook.)


Contest deadline:

1. Deadline for entering is Sunday, July 31 at 10:00 pm Eastern Time. I’ll draw TWO names from the comments of this post (and remember if you tweet or post to Facebook you’ll be eligible to enter your name more than once).

2. I’ll announce the two winners on Monday morning August 1.


Thanks for sharing in the excitement of my trailer’s release! Remember to leave a comment and tell me you watched the trailer!

What Is a Blogger’s Role in Responding to Comments?

In the blogging world there are plenty of opinions and expectations about what equates appropriate and effective blogging. Even among blogging experts, the advice varies, the rules change, and the lines get blurry.

If you’re like me, you read contrasting posts, throw up your hands, and wonder what you really should be doing. You begin to doubt that all the time and effort you’re putting into blogging will pay off.

On the one hand, not having clear and concise parameters for blogging is a good thing. The lack of set “rules” allows each of us to shape our blogs into a unique reflection of who we are. The blogosphere would be downright boring if each of us were doing the same things.

But on the other hand, sometimes, we do need the voice of reason amidst the clamoring of opinions. We need reminders about what comprises good blogging etiquette, how to make our blogs more professional in appearance, and what we can do to meet reader needs.

I don’t claim to be a social media expert. I defer to others for that. But because I’ve been blogging for a while, I can share what’s worked for me and what hasn’t. So, today I’m going to attempt to answer Nina B’s questions about blogging comments. She asked: “What do you feel is the blogger's role in responding to comments? Do you think if a blogger rarely responds that people stop commenting?”

I’m sure we all have various opinions (or have heard experts give their opinions) about interacting within the comments of our blog posts. And as I said, the varied approaches is beneficial. The differences keep our blogs from being robotic copy-cats.

However, in thinking about a blogger’s responsibilities with responding to blog comments, I would offer these three gentle pieces of advice:

1. Let go of the pressure to have to respond to each comment.

Let’s face it, most of us don’t have the time to respond back to each comment. Even if we do have the time, how do we find interesting things to say to each comment? How do we prevent our responses to everyone from looking like a checklist, like something we had to do instead of something we wanted to do?

Some comments have a “reply” function. The positive aspect is that a blogger can directly chat with specific people. The negative aspect is choosing whom to “talk” to without looking like you’re playing favorites.

My solution is to let go of the expectation of having to reply to every person. Most people don’t have the time to come back and read a response anyway. I never do when I leave a comment unless I ask a question.

2. Maintain visibility in one form or another.

So maybe we won’t write a personal comment to each person who stops by. But that doesn’t mean we should throw our post out there and disappear. If we never make an effort to interact or rarely respond, then yes, I do believe comments will decline. When we don’t show our visitors that we’re listening, they’ll stop talking and perhaps even cease coming.

I jump into the discussion when a comment strikes me with an additional thought. Even if I don’t have anything to add, I still try to make a comment once or twice throughout the day. This lets anyone who comes back know that I appreciate the input. And it lets future commentors know that I’m reading and available.

Also, I always make a point of answering questions. Even if I don’t have the answer or if I decide to use the question for a future blog post, I leave a responding comment to that effect.

Sometimes, if the person has an email address in their blog link (which everyone SHOULD have!), I’ll shoot them a quick note. Other times, I’ll check in with them on twitter and let them know my thoughts on their comment.

3. Be thoughtful and genuine in our interactions.

In a perfect blogging world, we’d all have the time to chat back and forth with each other in the comments. But since our time is limited and we want to be good stewards of the actual writing time we have, we can’t expect to keep up with leaving comments for everyone.

However, we can always attempt maintain a genuinely friendly, kind, and thoughtful attitude among the interactions we do have. The inviting atmosphere of our blogs will make them attractive and keep people coming back.

It boils down to remembering that each person who comments is a real person, with real dreams and aspirations just like me. No one is better than anyone else. We’re all in this together. I want to treat others the way I like being treated--with respect and kindness.

What’s your opinion? Is there a right or wrong way interact within blog comments? How do you handle responding to comments on your blog?

4 Ways To Deepen Romance Relationships in Any Type of Story

I’ve hesitated to do a post about writing romances since not everyone who visits my blog reads or writes within the romance genre. What’s more, even romance writers have a wide variety of preferences and expectations.

But . . . since today is my twentieth wedding anniversary to my wonderful husband, I figured you wouldn’t mind if I got a little mushy and sentimental!

Besides, in a recent Skype interview with Joanna Penn of TheCreativePenn.com, I discussed my thoughts on writing romances. The more I thought about it, the more I realized the elements that are necessary in creating a captivating romance are transferable to relationship development in any genre. After all, nowadays most stories have a romance thread whether they’re thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, or whatever.

So, what are the elements critical to developing a satisfying romance?

Of course, there will always be romances that break the rules. But here are two romance elements I mentioned in my interview with Joanna along with a couple more I’ve added.

1. Create a hero & heroine that readers can fall in love with.

By the end of the story, readers want to ooh and ahh over our larger-than-life heroes and heroines. That doesn’t mean they need to be perfect. But in the process of making our characters fall in love with each other, we want our readers to fall in love with them too.

Think about the heroes that you like the most. They’re usually the ones who have more than just good looks. They DO noble, kind, or otherwise praiseworthy things that make us secretly swoon. Those are the kinds of unforgettable characters that we should strive to have, so that our readers secretly swoon too.

2. Give the relationship a happily-ever-after (HEA).

At the end of the first draft of The Preacher’s Bride, I had my hero stuck in a dark, dank prison away from his beloved. Not a happy ending. My publisher asked me if I’d be willing to change it so that my hero gets out of prison and is reunited with his wife. In hindsight, I’m so glad agreed. I frequently get comments from readers telling me how much they liked my ending. I cringe to think of their response if I’d left my hero in prison as I’d originally planned!

Readers want to walk away from the book with a contented sigh. They’ll do that much more readily if we have an ending that leaves them at an emotional-high—with a deep satisfaction that true love might not be easy but is possible in the face of difficulties.

3. Prolong the HEA until as late in the story as possible.

We need to have realistic and believable reasons to keep our hero and heroine from getting together. And if they proclaim their love for each other early in the book, then we need drive a wedge between them and break them apart until the end.

If we have them living happily-ever-after too soon in our story, we release plot tension. Instead, we want to keep readers turning the pages to find out how the two are going to beat incredible odds to finally get together.

4. Develop the attraction but heap up problems at the same time.

We should strive to gradually build up an emotional awareness of our characters to each other. We want to have them notice each other and find specific traits appealing. But at the same time we need to continually place obstacles and tension between them, so that they’re unable to act on their growing feelings for each other.

Preferably, we’ll engage in a constant push-and-pull where we push our characters together and things seem like they’re going to work out, but then at the last second we pull them apart. The problems that come between them are best when they’re inherent to the external and internal plot developments.

There you have it. That’s my short list of what helps to deepen the impact of a romance within any story.

What are your imperatives for a romance? What kinds of things do you think are necessary to make a romance relationship fulfilling?

Barking-Dog Days of the Writing Life

We have a three-year-old Golden Retriever. She’s apart of our family because my husband and I are the kind of parents who love our kids a whole lot. And so, when they begged and begged for a dog, how could we say no to five pairs of big eyes pleading with us?

Besides, we wanted to give our kids the idyllic childhood experience of living with man’s best friend. Annabelle (yes, that’s her picture with my daughter!) is a very sweet dog. The kids absolutely adore her. And she does keep my kitchen floor clean (which I appreciate).

However, having a dog isn’t all sweetness and beautiful memories. As much as we want to glamorize the childhood dog-experience, sometimes having a dog is hard work and, yes—even annoying.

On the Fourth of July we had company for a cookout on our back deck. Every time we let Annabelle outside, she’d try to sneak food off plates. But when we shut her inside the house, she’d stand at the sliding glass door and bark incessantly to be let out. As we chatted with our friends, we talked louder and tried to pretend we weren’t bothered by the dog’s noise. But in reality, the barking grated on our nerves.

We’ve learned that as much as we love our dog, she isn’t perfect. In addition to barking whenever we have company, she drags mud onto the carpet, eats boxes of candy that are left out (and I do mean literally eats the candy AND the box), digs into the garbage and litters the front yard, and lets herself in the house without closing the door.

Often we have high expectations of so many things in life—marriage, raising children, having pets, and even having a writing career. We enter into the experiences with hopes and dreams of how everything should be.

But then reality hits. We have barking-dog days, weeks, even years. We soon learn that people, pets, and professions don’t live up to our expectations. We face difficulties, disappointments, and even drudgery.

Very few things in life are truly idyllic, including the writing life.

Many writers start off with ideas of what a writer’s life should be like—hiding away in a peaceful mountaintop cabin overlooking a picture-perfect pond with the reflection of the sunset permanently embedded into it. There the prose flows endlessly, the muse knows no limits, and we write a NYT Bestseller on our first attempt. Of course we get a film deal and make millions too.

However, the truth is that a writing career has its share of annoyances like anything else. There are days when we’re tired, the words stick in our brains and refuse to reach our fingertips, our creativity is as shriveled as a moldy onion, and we’d rather dust knick-knacks than sit in front of our laptops.

It’s when we hit those less than idyllic times in writing and life that the oft-forgotten “C” word can hold us in good stead.

Commitment.

Yes. Commitment can help us through the tough times. When we start something, we make a conscious decision to stick with it until we finish the job, even when it is no longer fun, even when it hurts, and even when we’d like to give up.

That’s not to say we can’t look for ways to renew our joy and find fresh energy. And there will be times when we’ll have to let go of painful situations and plans altogether.

However, I’ve found that usually commitment helps me through the difficult barking dog-days—those less-than-perfect times that will haunt even the best of us. I commit to write a certain number of words every day. Or I commit to edit a specific amount of chapters. I commit to posting my blogs. I commit to seeing a book to completion.

The writing life isn’t perfect. But those writers who accept the annoyances and wrestle through them will come out further ahead in the long run.

What about you? Have you ever had any barking dog moments, where you expected the ideal but were hit with reality? What annoys you most about the writing life?

Making Marketing More About Them & Less About Us

Most of the time authors—especially new ones—think the focus of marketing is “selling more books.” I know that’s what I believed—that marketing is about me and all of the various ways I could entice people to buy my book.

But over the past year, during the release of my debut book, I’ve realized I had everything backwards. The whole marketing and publicity campaign isn’t so much about how to make MYSELF more appealing. Rather it’s about putting the spotlight on the READER.

The needs of the READER should be at the heart of our marketing and publicity efforts.

One of the first times I realized I was being author-centric was during the development of my website. I had written up content for all of my web pages, spotlighting my books, my news and events, my biography, and my blog. Do you notice a pattern? Everything was about me.

My wonderful web design team gently encouraged me to think about having a couple of pages devoted to the people who visit my site—readers and other writers.

What I began to realize was that I needed a way to reach out and engage people who stopped by my website. I didn’t want them swinging by for a one-time visit, seeing a showcase to myself and my book, and then skipping away never to be seen again.

When a reader landed in my cyber home, I wanted them to feel welcome, to stick around, and to even come back for a future visit. But in order for that to happen, I needed to provide them with content that would meet their needs—whether that was encouragement, helpful information, or just fun things for them to do/learn.

So over time I developed a page devoted to readers where I post pictures of them, have a fun quiz, and other interesting historical tidbits that relate to my book. I also developed a page for writers that list links to helpful writing articles.

But I didn’t stop there. I began to look for other ways to make other marketing and publicity efforts more about the reader. I held a “Reader Appreciation Day” on my blog and gave away a Chocomize gift card. I began to send cards and bookmarks to readers who’d taken the time to write handwritten notes to me. And I worked hard at genuinely interacting with readers on both Facebook and Twitter.

Finally, when I was getting my first newsletter ready to email to those who’d signed up for it, I was reminded once again that I needed to think of the reader. The first version of my letter was—yep, you guessed it—all about ME and my books.

However, rather than focusing all the attention on myself, I realized I needed to find ways to refresh my readers through my newsletter. How could I encourage them? What could I give them to bring joy to their day? How could I show them my appreciation for their support?

With a little tweaking to my letter, I added a fun and easy family recipe, made a point of thanking them for helping my book be successful, and tried to find a quote that could uplift them.

I’m still in the process of learning how to move from being author-centric to reader-centric. I’m still looking for ways I can make my marketing and publicity less about me and more about them. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth the effort every time I hear from a reader who shares how they were touched by something I said or did.

What about you? Are you author-centric or reader-centric? Have you been putting the spotlight mostly on yourself? Or are you thinking about your reader and how to make marketing more about them?

How Flexible Are You?

I’ve never prided myself on being a flexible person. I wasn't one of those girls who could bend over backwards or do the splits. And I certainly never managed to hug my head with my feet or other crazy combinations.

Aside from my lack of physical flexibility, I’ve always had a somewhat firm nature. I like to think of the positive aspects of my inflexiblity—that I’m strong, solid, and unbendable, particularly in the face of hardships.

But along with the positives also come the negatives. For example, when eating at favorite restaurants I’m unwavering in ordering the same thing every time, much to the chagrin of my connoisseur husband. I prefer the predictable. I like making plans and staying organized. And I don’t always leave room in my tight schedule for the unexpected.

With having five children, of course I’ve had to learn to be much more flexible and spontaneous! But it’s still not something that comes naturally.

I also have a hard time switching gears when it comes to my writing. But in a writing industry that is evolving at a fast pace, a writer who isn’t willing to be flexible and bend with the changes, is likely to be left far behind.

I recently did a Skype interview with author Joanna Penn (known on Twitter as @TheCreativePenn). Joanna successfully self-published her e-book Pentecost and has also built a large web presence. In our interview she asked me, “How do you see your writing future shaping up? Will you stay in traditional publishing or try indie? Will you stay in historical romance or do another series under another name?”

While I might not have definitive answers about my future at this point, Joanna’s question really got me thinking about the various areas in which we as writers need to be flexible:

1. Be willing to embrace new ideas for our stories.

My first two books are inspired by real life people. The Preacher’s Bride (which is on sale on Kindle for only $4 right now!) is a fictionalized version of the romance between the prolific writer John Bunyan and his wife Elizabeth. The Doctor’s Lady (releasing in less than two months!) is based on the first American woman to travel overland to Oregon. I love writing stories inspired by women of the past and I want to bring these forgotten heroes to life.

However, my third book (and possibly the next couple after that) won’t be inspired by real people. They will still be historical romances. But my publisher doesn’t want my brand to be too narrowly focused on inspired-by stories and so has asked me to broaden the scope of what I write.

As difficult as it was for me to switch gears, when I finally started writing Book 3, I fell in love with the story. My point is that to stay alive and relevant in this industry, we have to try new stories, hold our ideas loosely, be open to suggestions, and be willing to change with the times.

2. Be flexible with publishing choices.

I have a good working relationship with my publisher, and we’re in the process of talking about another contract. I’d love to keep writing for them long term.

However, like most published authors, I can’t ignore the growing trend toward self e-publishing. I need to remain open to the various possibilities that the future might bring. We may quickly be losing the distinction between self and traditional publication as more and more authors put a foot into both. We’ll likely see a lot of overlapping, perhaps parallel career paths.

Modern writers need to have an open-mind about publishing options and realize there isn't "one right way" anymore (if there ever was).

3. Be willing to accept social media changes.

No writer in today’s publishing world can afford to snub social media. But surprisingly I still run into writers who turn up their noses at some aspect or another of social media, largely because they don’t understand it, but usually under the guise of not having enough time.

The good ol’ days of a writing career being all about writing are long gone. In the twenty-first century a professional writer needs to learn as much as they can about social media and how to utilize it effectively. Writers who insist on sitting on the sidelines will miss out on playing the game. (However, we also need to be wise about when to jump in to social media. Read this post by agent Rachelle Gardner for more advice: "First Things First.")

For those of us already making good use of social media, we need to remain flexible too. Various social media sites will come and go with importance and relevance, and we need to be willing to evolve with the changes.

Your turn! How flexible are you? Is it easy for you to roll with changes? Or (like me!) do you struggle to switch gears? In what area(s) do you struggle the most to remain flexible?

P.S. Here's the Skype interview I did with Joanna. It's quite long (24 minutes!). But you're welcome to take a peek!

The Importance of Knowing & Writing For Our Target Readers

One thing has become very clear to me over the past year: I can’t please everyone with my books.

Thankfully, I haven’t had too many stinging reviews on The Preacher’s Bride (my debut book). And it’s still slightly early to have reviews on The Doctor’s Lady. But they will come . . . eventually. As much as I hope everyone will like my second book, I know it won’t resonate with each reader. I’ve accepted that. In fact, negative feedback doesn’t bother me as much as it once did.

Recently a dear friend shared with me her thoughts about my book. She started by explaining some of the things about my writing she appreciated. And then, she expressed her concerns (very kindly!) about the aspects of the book she didn’t like. When I walked away from our conversation, I wasn’t upset in the least.

Of course, her presentation of feedback was textbook perfect. But still, how could I NOT be hurt that a friend didn’t like my book?

Why wasn’t I disappointed?

Because I’ve learned to listen to comments about my book and weigh them on different scales.

Not all readers are created equal.

In other words, we as writers need to know which readers’ opinions matter the most and give their words the most weight.

That doesn’t mean I don’t value my friend and her thoughts. But she’s not my target reader. My target readers are those that adore and devour inspirational historical romances. And they’re the ones I’m aiming to please first and foremost.

Sure, we as writers can work at trying to broaden the appeal of our books so that a wide variety of people will enjoy and appreciate our stories. But ultimately, we need to find out who our readers are (or will be) and make sure we’re striving to make them happy.

Here are three methods I’ve used in getting to know and please my readers:

1. Know your genre inside & out.

One of the best ways to get to know your genre is to read just about everything you possibly can within that genre. Look at publishers you want to target, read all of their authors, and get a feel for what is selling.

Even though I’m published, I still regularly read other inspirational historical romance authors. I want to see what other writers are doing not only with my publisher, but also from other competing houses. I look at other authors’ styles/voices, what works for them, and how my writing fits into the bigger publishing picture.

2. Figure out what YOU like best about your genre.

When I’m trying to decide what readers will like best, I first have to ask myself what I like the most. After all, I’m a huge fan of my genre. It’s what I like reading the most. And obviously, if we don’t like reading within the genre we’re writing, we have to ask ourselves why we’re writing it.

Over the years, I’ve narrowed down the things within my genre that keep drawing me back, the techniques I especially love in books I read, or the things I miss when an author doesn’t include them. I’ve learned what makes an especially enjoyable read for myself. And now, I try to include all of those things in my books.

3. Investigate the aspects of your genre that are magnetic to most READERS.

Yes, we need to craft stories that WE as writers absolutely love. That’s the starting point. But beyond that, we also need to know the genre aspects that are magnetic to readers.

Most genres have non-negotiables—criteria that are essential for pleasing a reader. We can usually figure out what those things are through voracious reading and studying of our genre. But it helps to partner with other writers or editors within our genre, who can help us see what we might be missing.

My critique partner writes historical romances too, and she offers insights about what readers will or won’t like about my first drafts. My in-house editors also point out areas that I’ve needed to change to make my books as appealing as possible to my genre readers.

My Summary: We can’t please everyone. In fact, if we strive to please everyone, we might end up with a story that doesn’t please anyone. Instead, when we hone in on our target readership, we’ll likely hit the bulls-eye.

Do you agree or disagree with my theory? Should writers strive to make their books appealing to a wide audience? Or do you think they should focus primarily on pleasing genre fans? And what methods do you use to find out what your target readers like best? 

The Myth of Having More Time Someday

Have you ever put something off, telling yourself, “I’ll do it someday when I have more time” but then never get to it?

I’m particularly good at putting off mending. In fact, a couple of years ago, one of my twins ripped a gorgeous dress, the kind with the black velvet top and gauzy skirt. I folded the dress neatly and placed it next to the sewing basket in the closet, assuring myself I would fix it when I had more time.

This summer—two years later—as I was de-cluttering the closet, lo-and-behold, I came upon the badly neglected dress. Obviously, my twins have now outgrown the beautiful garment. And as I cleaned out the messy closet, I decided I would keep the dress for my five year old to wear when she’s older. So there the dress continues to sit, waiting for me to sew it someday, when I have more time.

The question is, will I ever fix the dress? And the other question is, when will I ever have more time?

As I interact with other writers, occasionally I hear things like, “I’ll finish the book when my kids are older” or “I’ll devote more time to social media once I’m published” or “I’ll be able to do more writing and marketing once I quit my day job.”

The underlying assumption with each of these statements is that we’ll have more time at some nebulous point in the future to devote to our writing career. In reality, we’re likely only fooling ourselves. Here are three reasons why it’s a myth to think we’ll have more time someday:

1. Busyness will always haunt us, if we let it.

When we finish one activity, there will be ten other things needing our attention. Perhaps we’ll be able to quit our day job, but then maybe we’ll have more family responsibilities that need our attention. Maybe we’ll finish running our kids around during spring track season, but then we plunge headlong into all the summer activities.

The fact is, in a modern culture that’s obsessed with busyness, we can always find ways to fill our time, even when we’re not looking for them. The demands come knocking on our doors and grip us by the neck.

The best way to avoid over-committing is to keep the door closed on the busyness-ogre. We can set personal boundaries and limit what we do (and perhaps even limit our kids’ activities). We try to make ourselves feel better about the busyness by telling ourselves that we're giving ourselves and our kids “advantages” through all the activities. But in reality we’re gaining stress and often forgoing things that should be a priority.

2. We make time for the things that are important.

When we say we don’t have time for writing or marketing, we’re usually just making an excuse, aren’t we?

In the craziness of all the things competing for our attention, we CAN make time for the things that really matter to us the most. How many of us make sure we don’t miss our favorite TV programs every week? (I know I can always make time for mine!)

The reality is that if something is important enough to us, we’ll carve out a place in our lives for it. And the same is true of our writing. If we want to writing and publication badly enough, then we’ll have to give it the time it deserves. If we want to achieve a degree of success, then we’ll have to make time for the marketing too.

3. We can have all the time in the world and still squander it.

Published author life doesn’t give us more time. In fact, we often have more responsibilities to try to squeeze in the same work time we’ve always had. So in a sense we have less time to accomplish the demands.

I’ve learned that often when I do actually have more free time, I’m not as motivated, I’m more lackadaisical, and frequently don’t accomplish as much. When my schedule is full, I find that I need to budget my time better, work more diligently, and can usually get quite a bit done.

My Summary: It’s not always about how much time we have, but rather how we use it.

What do you think? Have you ever believed the myth that you’ll have more time someday? Do you make excuses for why you’re not accomplishing your writing goals? What’s been the biggest obstacle for making time?

*P.S. Thank you to everyone who has signed up so far to be a part of the blog tour for The Doctor's Lady!There's still time to sign up! If you'd like to participate and receive a promotional copy of the book, please email me at jodyhedlund (at) jodyhedlund (dot) com. Or use my Contact Page.

Photo credit: Flickr

Giving Away Free Copies of Your Book as a Promotional Tool

Over the past year, I’ve learned that one of the best ways to promote a book is to give away free copies. Yes, free.

That’s crazy! You might be thinking. If we give away free books, then we’re losing possible sales.

Initially, I thought that too. I didn’t want to give away free copies, especially to my closest friends and family because they were among the few I knew would actually go out and purchase my book without arm-twisting.

But over the past year, I’ve realized I was wrong. My sales didn’t go down through the distribution of free books. In fact, they went up. The people who received my book for free helped promote it through Amazon reviews, blog write-ups, interviews, and numerous other ways. Their promotion helped carry the news and excitement about my book beyond the scope of my personal reach.

When giving away free copies of our books, of course, we’ll want to employ discernment and strategy. We’ll need to evaluate how many copies to giveaway, to whom, and when.

How many?

Many traditional publishers devote a percentage of the marketing budget to giving away books (exactly how many will likely depend on the size of the publisher). Often they’ll send free books to key blog reviewers, magazines, book distributors, major reviewers (like Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times, etc.) to solicit early reviews. This is one of the benefits of having a traditional publisher—they can get your book in front of a wide variety of reviewers.

My publisher also gives each author a specific number of copies for Influencers—people who agree to help spread the news of the book. The author compiles a list of names and addresses of friends who want to help. My publisher sends the free book once it becomes available to those on my list. (See the end of this post if you’re interested in being an Influencer for The Doctor’s Lady.) Obviously, in self-publishing and some small publishers, the author would need to take on the full cost and responsibility.

On top of what my publisher does, I giveaway books on blogs that host me for interviews. Giveaways spark interest, attract more people to the interview, and spread additional buzz about the book. The winner may become a devoted fan who will hopefully talk about the book to others within their circle of influence.

To Whom?

We should ideally fill our Influencer list with people who are excited about and willing to help promote our book. They need to know that in exchange for a free book they’re agreeing to positively support us in some way—usually through a blog review or interview, but the promotion can be something simple too (see this post for more ideas: 10 Simple Ways to Support Authors You Love).

We should also let our Influencers know that if they read our book and can’t support it (for whatever reason), then they aren’t obligated to do anything. In fact, we’d prefer that they not damage our promotional efforts by saying something negative. If they didn’t like the book, we can inform our Influencers that they can still help us by donating the book to a local library or to someone they know would enjoy it.

When?

If possible, we should generate interest and pre-orders by getting free copies out before release date. My publisher starts sending out giveaway copies in the month preceding the book’s release, so those who sign up to be Influencers usually get a sneak peek ahead of the general public.

It’s also helpful to giveaway copies during the couple of months after the release. This helps to keep the momentum and excitement going.

I’m giving away free copies of The Doctor’s Lady!

The Doctor’s Lady releases in less than two months!

I’m currently compiling a list of Influencers to send to my publisher. If  you'd like to read my Christian historical romance AND host me for a blog interview during September or October, please send me an email at jodyhedlund (at) jodyhedlund (dot) com with your mailing address (or use my contact page). I’ll send you additional information about the blog tour and add you to my Influencer list. Then you’ll be eligible for a free promotional copy of my book in August.

As always, I’m incredibly grateful for anyone who's willing to help promote my book in anyway, big or small! Thank you to everyone for your generosity and kindness in supporting me and my books!

So, what do you think? Have you considered the idea of giving away free books as a promotional tool? Do you think it helps? Or do you have hesitations about giving away books?

Photo credit: Flickr