Writers – Page 79 – Jean's Writing

How to avoid mistakes with your story

Published on January 28, 2016January 27, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

Avoiding writing mistakes is not as easy as it sounds.

oops

At least for me. So I loved finding more helpful tips.

I enjoy short stories. Especially flash fiction. Maybe it’s my imagination. I think Flash Fiction leaves a lot to imagine. Having said that, this article helped me think how I write both short stories and Flash.

In the following post:

Mistakes to avoid in Short Story Writing By Anne Leigh Parrish

Ms. Parrish explains not only what mistakes to avoid, but also what is and is not a story.

What she said really resonated with me.

The reader should leave a story, seeing something they didn’t see in the beginning.

That’s a story, it’s not a description goes how things are or were, it’s not a sensibility, or a mood. These things are elements of the story, but not the story.

I don’t know about you, but I’m guilty of getting bogged down with too much detail and description which can slow down the story.

Read the post by Anne Leigh Parrish and let me know which part of writing a story do you have difficulty with.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

How to make your own editing rules sheet

Published on January 27, 2016February 26, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell15 Comments

Professionally known as a Style Sheet.

I’m not referring to a list of what matches what hanging in your closet.

Or the hottest trends from InStyle Magazine.

No, this is a document where you define the writing style and rules that apply to your WIP.

Is the style of your WIP American or British English?
Do you use contractions? (This is one of my problems. Sometimes I feel like a contraction sometime I don’t.)
Are you going to spell out the numbers or not?

See where I’m going? Finding these errors first is very important to presenting quality work to an editor that you’ve done some of your own redline editing.

I call mine a cheat sheet. Some writers use an electronic file folder, others like Scrivener’s templates to help with character info to keep the story uniform.

But, now that I understand the importance of an actual Style Sheet is, I’m going to streamline the process for my next project.

Why do I want to use a Style Sheet like Sue Archer shares in her blog? Because my “cheat sheet” has grown into a large folder. And as such, too big to be of much use.

This one sheet, when applied to each individual project will make polishing my stories much easier. You might want to click on Sue Archer’s blog and check out the template she provided. I did.

Robin Rivera gives 3 Reasons Authors Need Style Sheets

Take special note of #2. Amazon will soon be holding writers to a higher standard and consistency in our books will be more important than ever.

Hopefully, using this process will produce a more professional piece and prevent an editor from cringing at first glance.

What about y’all?

Do you use a Style Sheet for consistency? For editing?

If not, what do you use?

Talk to me people. My inquiring mind wants to know.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Something you need to know on your road to self-publishing

Published on January 26, 2016January 25, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

Should you use both CreateSpace and IngramSpark?

Maybe. That’s the short answer.

However, it does depend on what you hope to accomplish with your book.

Will it be an ebook only? Like Kindle?
Do you want to see your book in print?
Do you want it available in libraries and bookstores?

Me? I think printing with both distributors is the way to go.

But please for the love of God, I hope you can avoid some of my mistakes. Although, I didn’t crash and burn, I did bang up my poor little book a bit along the road to self-publishing. This was not a happy trip.

car-943256_640

Sheesh, I’m a slow learner sometimes. Hopefully, you will benefit from my mistakes.

First, let’s start with what the two distributors do or don’t offer.

CreateSpace

Easy to use.

CreateSpace provides an easy to use MS Word template for you to set up your book.

Free.

free

CreateSpace provides a free ISBN number for both your print and Kindle versions. But, and this is a big but, they not you own the ISBN.

Expanded Distribution.

Expanded distribution is available, however, not all libraries and bookstores use Amazon. Some consider Amazon the block bully and competition.

IngramSpark

Not so easy.

I made a lot of rookie mistakes my first go. But the customer service is very helpful. I found using the same PDF document I uploaded to CreateSpace worked for the interior file. The template at Ingram is not as user friendly but doable.

Not free.

money-29047_640

But not outrageous and I did receive a discount to upload my first title, after establishing an account. An additional cost is the purchase an ISBN number.

Distribution

Your book will automatically go into catalogs to bookstores and libraries for orders. It will be available at Barnes And Noble.com as well as other bookstore websites.

If you decide to publish through both outlets here are a few tips that might help you.

Prepare, prepare and prepare before you hit that key to go live.

Double ISBN numbers, does not double your fun.

Multiple ISBN numbers for the same title is a nightmare. Trust me, I know. You can choose to use the same ISBN number purchased for IngramSpark with CreateSpace book. Wish I’d figured this out earlier. This is one knot I’m still working on untangling. But as the saying goes, better late than never.

Using the same ISBN number does a couple of things:

1 – You avoid multiple ISBN numbers for the same title floating around, and as such mass confusion.

2 – Your book will have the same ISBN regardless of the retailer. Again, avoiding mass confusion.

squirrel-304021_640

Be careful! If you want to do this so that all your ISBN numbers match, do not publish with a free one from Createspace first and then try to double back and fix it. Won’t work! Once an ISBN number has been used and books sold, it is out there forever.

How to avoid distribution confusion.

Simple, just do not select the Expanded Distribution on CreateSpace. IngramSpark will take care of that for you much more efficiently.

Results – Happy Ending!

girl-148866_640

You have only one ISBN number for your print book so everyone knows what to order. Amazon is happy you used their company CreateSpace. And most of all you’re happy because your baby has the powerhouse of IngramSpark behind it and the opportunity to appear on a bookstore shelf.

For a really good in depth article, and information packed comments, click and read:

How to Use Createspace and Ingram Spark Together by Karen Myers

Happy travels down the self-publishing highway.

trip-307920_640

Okay folks, you know the drill. Tell me what you think. Anyone used both distributors? What was your experience? Any more tips for us newbies? Talk to me baby.

Stop by and say hey on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com. Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Do you want to know more? Read more!

Published on January 25, 2016January 23, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell13 Comments

Don’t you just love the internet!

It’s so easy to spend hours reading article after article on how to do any and everything from, publishing an ebook to refinishing a table.

First off, let me start by saying I am not an expert. I’m still learning, but I’ve learned a lot over the last few years. A lot about writing, publishing and blogging. The world-wide web is a wonderful place. And with the help of other writers, editors and bloggers learning more every day. One thing I’ve learned. There is only so much editing a writer can do on their own.

Unless you are a professional editor, hire one. This is one thing, it’s best not to do yourself. At least not all of it. For a book to be edited to a polished spit shine it takes a professional.

So If you’re looking for an editor here are a few tips.

First, a couple of don’ts.

For the love of God, don’t ask friends to edit your book.
- Well, I guess it’s okay if you have too many friends and this one has gotten on your last nerve.
And, unless you hate your family, don’t ask Aunt Tillie, that’s got disaster written all over it.
- Of course, maybe you don’t want to attend Thanksgiving dinner next year.

Now that we’ve gotten the don’ts out-of-the-way, where do you find an editor?

You can start at your local library.

This might surprise you, they might fuss because you didn’t bring back that book from 1989 but they’ll still help you out.

You can ask for referrals on Linked In

I found my wonderful editor through a contact on Linked In.

After you’ve found an editor – now what?

Ask lots of questions.

Do they have a website?

Does the website look professional?
Having a website is not a must but it does raise more questions?

Does their style match yours? The correct genre.

Remember, different strokes for different folks. Blood and guts, BDSM, or Hot in Texas is not everyone’s cup of tea. If you write murder mysteries, but they edit children’s books this editor is going to barf at the first bloody scene.

What is their price?

Ask for a flat fee based on your project. You don’t want any last-minute surprises.
Don’t know about you, but I don’t have money to burn!
Will they charge for additional consultation should you want a last look-see?

When is payment due?

Will they provide a sample based on your manuscript?
Most editors will edit a section of your book so that you can see how they work.
This should be done before a contract is signed.

Ask for details of the editing services they will provide.

Grammar, rewrite suggestions, flow, structure, concept, etc.

Determine and understand the expected schedule.

Remember, you aren’t their only client – chill.
The editor is an artist too. Patience is a virtue.

Someone, once said, “Information is power,” or something like that. So don’t be afraid to ask questions.

What did I forget? What questions did you ask your editor?

What did you learn about editing your first book?

Tell me in the comments section.

You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.