Creative writing – Page 21

Authors beware, watch out for this scam

Published on December 15, 2017January 10, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell48 Comments

Tis the season for scamming everyone with a pulse.

More scammers appear every day, like ants at an all they can eat picnic. These varmints call, text, email and show up on Facebook and Twitter.

Y’all need to watch out for this scam. A company preying on writers want to sell books and reach readers. Apparently, this particular scam has been around for a few years but I heard about them until…

Today they tried to hook me.

Now let me tell you, getting through on my home phone is no easy feat. A few months ago we bought a landline phone with Smart Call Blocker. This phone screens out all robo calls unless I’ve added a number (like a docs office) to the directory.

So, anywho—when the phone rings I expect someone I know and have approved to be on the line.

But today I picked up the phone and a caller identified herself as a Book Scout for the publishing company Readers Magnet. They wanted to republish Tryouts for Ben, for a fee of course. I won’t bore you with her attempt at flattery. Might’ve worked if the connection and her English hadn’t been so horrible. LOL

At first, I tried to be polite and say “no thank you.” But she would not stop talking.

Finally, I said, “NO, I do not want to do business with you.” And hung up the phone before she could continue her spiel.

Let’s get real Y’all. Publishers and agents do not need Literary Book Scouts or Talent Scouts. A legit company has more writers banging on their door than they can count. So, don’t fall for a “Scout” who calls or writes you. They are scammers.

And the scamming doesn’t stop there. If you Google scams, you’ll get websites that want to sell you a service or program to avoid scams. REALLY!

Good grief. Enough already.

Know more about this company before your phone rings. Read the links below.

Questions of the day…

Have you been called by a Readers Magnet, Literary Book Scout?

Do you know of another publishing scam we need to avoid?

I HOPE YOU’LL TAKE A MINUTE TO FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST CLICK ON THE BUTTONS BELOW. I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

Don’t get scammed by companies like Reader’s Magnet By author Christopher Schmitz

Complaint Review: READERS MAGNET

Do you think Bestseller lists have lost value?

Published on December 13, 2017December 17, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell6 Comments

Do you know what it means to be a bestselling author?

Well, for one thing, it may no longer mean a lot of books were sold. Think about that for a minute.

These questions, plus a few more, bounced around in my mind after reading a blog post on the Texas Authors website. (If you live in Texas be sure and check out this great organization.) Now back to the blog post that caught my attention.

Does Anybody Know What a Bestseller Is? By John Maher, with reporting by Rachel Deahl and Claire Kirch | Nov 03, 2017

The post pointed out something I’m sure most of us have noticed or read about, an overabundance of categories and subcategories on Amazon. You name it and the giant e-tailer most probably has a subcategory for the subject. Under Art & Photography, I counted 17 subcategories, one named Vehicle Pictorials.

Before the gold rush of ebooks, there were two main categories for bestselling books—fiction and non-fiction. These two categories were broken down further into three major print formats—hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market paperback. The simplicity of this system made for easy tracking of bestselling books.

But then came ebooks, a new fourth category, and sold online. Online sales aren’t monitored or cataloged by brick-n-mortar stores, therefore, sales are not tracked in the same manner as print books.

While Amazon reports print sales, provided by Nielsen BookScan, it does not, for the most part, disclose sales of e-books. This sales number also does not include, sales to libraries, purchases by wholesalers such as Ingram, sales of used books, fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sales or pre-orders—orders for a book before the book is released.

So who provides the most reliable guide for a bestseller list?

From John Maher’s article, I learned…

The two most transparent and reliable tracking organizations are:
- NPD BookScan’s and PW (Publishers Weekly) point-of-sale data, tracks 80%–85% of print sales in the country, but there again doesn’t (or can’t) track ebooks. Which, although good, provides an incomplete overall view.
Due to the number of lists, and Amazon’s decision not to share its e-book sales figures, it’s next to impossible identify what the top-selling books are across all formats in a particular week.
Which Bestseller lists carry weight with bookstores and readers?
- NPD, PW, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and NYT.
I know it would stoke my ego, but having a book dubbed a “Bestseller” may not always translate into sales. Not like in the past. But what does translate into sales are:
- Good reviews, coverage in high-profile media, and word-of-mouth.

Okay! I’ve got a few questions for you…

Do you think the term “Bestseller” or Bestselling Author” has become watered down by Amazon?

Do you believe it helps book sales? Print or ebook?

Did you know Amazon doesn’t report ebook sales?

Have you been disappointed after buying a book listed as a “Bestselling Novel?” (I have.)

Want to read more on the subject? Click on these posts!

Behind the Scam: What Does It Take to Be a ‘Best-Selling Author’? $3 and 5 Minutes. By Brent Underwood

How Many Books Do You Need To Sell To Become A Bestseller?

I HOPE YOU’LL TAKE A MINUTE TO FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST CLICK ON THE BUTTONS BELOW. I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

Do you need help with dialogue?

Published on December 8, 2017December 5, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Do your characters sound realistic?

The dialogue in my work-in-progress sounded a little stilted to me. So I was excited to find a helpful post.

No one wants their characters to sound like robots.

We all want the characters in our story to jump out at the reader. To engage them and give them fun “ah-ha” moments. Maybe connect a character to a friend or family member. Nothing would make me happier than to hear, “That character reminded me of my best friend. Did you spy on us?”

After reading Gina Conkle’s post, I learned…

Tags are not stop signs.
- Use them judiciously.
Don’t overuse non-verbal cues.
- Be creative.
Men speak differently than women.
- This is something we know but forget to incorporate into a manuscript.
- Viva la difference.
Not all character voices are created equal.
- Men command, women, have conversations.
Dyads
- Even in a group setting, the conversation is between two dominant characters.
- Unless I’m with my sisters. The five of us talk over each other, and that would present a nightmare to write on paper. LOL
- Don’t confuse the reader about who is talking to whom.

Gina goes into a lot more detail. Be sure and click on her link and read the entire post. Believe me, her tips are very helpful.

I’m I the only writer who has problems with dialogue?

Do you have a tip or two that you use to make dialogue realistic?

How to Create Page-Turning Dialogue by Gina Conkle

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Do you need to add a villain to your story?

Published on December 4, 2017November 28, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

Then you need to understand your villain.

We’ve heard lots about a protagonist’s motivation and character but often times we forget that the villain is just as important.

I don’t know about you but I struggle with making sure I understand my villain’s motives, back-story, and desires.

How do I go about giving the necessary importance to a villain without overshadowing the protagonist?

Well, when I needed this information, a post from Now Novel popped into my email with all the right answers. There are examples and suggestions to make sure your villain is scary as hell.

What did I learn from this post about bad guys?

All villains have a history. Don’t forget to incorporate it into the story.
- Their backstory explains how they became a villain.
Show why the villain has power and influence over the protagonist.
- Are they scary, intimidating, powerful…
Explain how the villain gets away with their devious actions.
- Sneaky, great liars, pretty, convincing…
Let your villain be vulnerable.
- Everyone, even bad guys have a weak spot, find and exploit.
Give the villain a story arc.
- Do they grow worse, or better over the story?
Understand Villain’s motivation.
- Is it greed, jealousy, hatred…