Why Series Help Sales

As a little girl, I was a huge fan of series books before I really understood what that meant. I read every “Boxcar Children” book. We had this book ordering club, where you could order books every month, and the day those books arrived into the classroom and on my school desk, was always like Christmas.

As authors and indie publishers, as you take your career into your hand, think about how you can create your books into series. Why not sell 5 books instead of just 1? That’s how people buy series, they buy one, if they like it, they’ll buy the books to follow.

But, you need to make sure you have your series books come out in a timely fashion. Waiting too long between releases and you’ll lose your audience.

As publisher, one of the first things I would do, is to see and creatively direct how a new relationship with an author could turn their books into a series. Usually, the author would pitch me one book to start, and my brain would go into overtime (if I loved their work, and hedged a bet it would sell), on how to create a series.

Selling a series, you sell not just one book, but the entire series, and that makes good sense.

I have a friend, Winona Rasheed, founder of Sugarberry Press, she has a series of books, Broken Voices, and When Silence is Not Golden; both books are about Ella Rose, and Winona calls these books, “sister” books because they are tied together. I think this is brilliant, unique and creative.

Some of the award-winning, bestselling series I directed are between 5 books to 30 books each, in a series, and have sold thousands of copies.

I also co-wrote a book, Motherhood is not for Wimps (50,000 print copies sold), and was offered to write a column for the online entertainment magazine, The Celebrity Cafe, based on motherhood and family humor, which I did. So, out of one book, the idea (and title) was turned into a series of columns (Motherhood is not for Wimps), which I wrote for over a year, and was multi-nominated for several Blogger’s Choice Awards. Then… those columns I wrote were the basis for the bestselling book I penned, Motherhood Moments.

Then… I was honored to be included in the book, Merry Wives and Others: A History of Domestic Humor Writing, as a top domestic humorist (alongside Dave Barry and Erma Bombeck) in the United States. Wow, see how, from one book, one idea, can take you places you never dreamed or imagined?

So, keep your mind open to all the possibilities that may arrive in your in-box, or better yet, go out and grab and create your own success ring.

The bottom line of thinking about when you begin your publishing journey, is to think more widely than just one book, think series. Promote the series and you are promoting all the books in that series, and that can add up to a lot of sales.

Me, every morning!

 

 

Why you should watch your sales, and if YOUR Pub doesn’t tell YOU, that sucks

If you are a self-published author or author of an indie press, or any press for that matter, you really need to watch your sale stats. I know what you’re thinking, I’m already doing my website, uploading, editing, Twitter, social media, and all that. But hey, you wanted to be your own boss! You wanted to be self-published, so you need to do the work. Just that simple.

So, here’s the thing. You need to watch your sales, every day. And here’s why. After awhile, you’ll know how many books it takes to sell to make a best seller list. Best seller list? Yes, if you have “categorized” your book properly on, say for example, Amazon, you can land on a best seller list, and if you’re not checking your sale numbers, you wouldn’t even know.

Use it to your advantage. Once you make a best seller list, let the world know. Twitter, Facebook. Follow by example. One of my authors, Winona Rasheed says that, I “make her feel like a celebrity,” when she makes a best seller list. Good! She is a celebrity.

I also know that Winona, for example, is going to Tweet, Facebook, and promote herself once I’ve passed the information on to her. As a publisher, an author who does this, is gold. If you are your own publisher, you have to be on both sides of the coin and do it all.

I log in every day and look at the sales numbers. And when I see that a certain number of books sold, I high-tail it to the ranking area on the book’s page (i.e. Amazon), and I screenshot it, and I write up a blog/press release, and send out a notice to the author, Tweet it… All before I’ve finished my morning cup of coffee.

And, as a publisher and cheerleader for my authors, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Follow me on that Twitter thing. @catherineburr

Follow our company on Twitter @newlinepress

Thankful for you

I am very blessed to have 21 books (including ebook and print versions) on Amazon and to have published 117 books.

I have wanted to do nothing but write books my whole life. When I was 13, I wrote a book for my sister, a book of essays and poems. There’s something about the written word and words in general that I love. I love searching my brain for a word to describe something. I love to take a scene and then close my eyes and think of the words to describe the scene.

When my kids were little, I kept a diary of life as a mom. Once my son wrote in it, “How many of these stories are about us?” Well, they all were! I turned those stories into several books, “Motherhood is not for Wimps” and “Motherhood Moments.”

When my eldest child started college, I literally dropped him off at the university, drove home and started writing. My other son was still in high school and when he’d see me in my den writing away, he’d say to me, “Should I order a pizza for dinner?” Yes! What a kid he was. With great family support, I finished my first novel, “Silicon Secrets” and low and behold if it wasn’t published and it was well received.

I followed “Silicon Secrets” up with 2 more novels (Desires and Deceptions and Orchids to Die For), and also started a publishing house along the way and published 117 books. Like I said, I love books.

One day, out of the blue, I wrote a children’s book, then another, then another, until I had 7 children’s books published.

I have to admit, it’s a bit easier when you are your own publisher!

I am back writing novels again, oh, I forgot to mention I also wrote more parenting humor and women’s fiction stories and books along the way. One book spent 52 weeks on Amazon’s top 100 Bestseller list. It was mostly in the top 20, but varied over the course of a year.

I thank my readers and everyone who makes my life with books possible with my entire heart. You are appreciated beyond words!

Love,
Catherine.

Blog Hop with Author Winona Rasheed

Join us here at CatherineBurr.com on Feb 15th and on Feb 16th at New Line Press.com for an in-depth Interview with prolific children’s and YA Author Winona Rasheed. Winona recently released her 8th book and is working on book #9 to be released soon. We’re hoping to have Winona spill some of her publishing secrets as she is both traditionally and self-published. She love to connect with readers and fellow writers, so please stop by and ask Winona about her books or publishing in general! Follow her on Twitter @winonarasheed and on Facebook.

How to Write a Novel

Video: Learn how to write a novel from bestselling author Catherine Burr, in this 5 minute video

UPDATE: Removed, sorry!

Catherine Burr is a bestselling author and publisher of more books than she can count. Her first commercial book was published in 1996. In 2004, she started her own publishing house and is now mentoring and guiding authors through the self-publishing maze. Google Plus her +Catherine Burr

Layers of fiction that Catherine discussed in 5 minute video on how to write a novel.

Think you don’t need social media to be an author? Think again

Think you don’t need a website or social networking to be an author? Think again.

I am simply amazed how people write to me and announce that they do not have a website, do not have any social networking, do not have any web presence, and yet they want me to publish them, oh, and they will get those things, “if” I publish them.

No! No! No!

Dear writers, if you want to be considered for publication, start a web, a blog, Facebook, Twitter, you know what all the social networking sites are. Set them up, post, write, don’t be lazy. Don’t tell me you’ll get serious, “Once you have a contract.”

Oh boy.

Promotion 101 from a publisher’s POV. How am I going to promote you if you don’t have anything for me to promote? When you query me, here’s a heads-up, round about the FIRST thing I’m going to do is Google you. No website, two strikes against you, No Facebook, No Twitter, ditto, ditto, ditto. You submitted to me, where is your seriousness of becoming an author? And yes, your ms will go to the sludge pile if you do not have a serious web presence. Without one, I don’t see you as a serious writer and promoting you is next to impossible. Don’t tell me you have a friend who can slap up a website if only you get a contract.

My friends. Writing as a career is a serious business, don’t treat it as an after school assignment.

A few places to get started:

• Amazon Author Central
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google Plus
• Rebel Mouse
• Good Reads
• Website 
• Linkedin
• Pinterest
• Instagram

Catherine Burr is a bestselling author and publisher of more books than she can count. Her first commercial book was published in 1996. In 2004, she started her own publishing house and is now mentoring and guiding authors through the self-publishing maze. Google Plus her +Catherine Burr

Bookstores Closing: Where to Hold Author Events

In my previous blog post, I discussed the closing of Barnes and Noble brick and mortar stores. As authors, most of us would agree that it is a sad time to see bookstores shut down, especially authors who have not yet had the experience of book events in physical bookstores. Where does this leave authors who want to have an in-person event to showcase their books?

Publishing has entered a new era and it’s time for authors and indie publishers to take a hard look at other options that are available for us for book events. We need to start by brainstorming. I’ve posted some ideas to get us kickstarted.

Book Groups: Just about everyone knows someone in a book group. Offer to attend a meeting if the group chooses your book, or offer to attend to pitch your book so they will choose it!

Coffee Houses: There must be a Starbucks on every corner in America. Where else better to have a, “Meet and Greet” with an author. A local event brings customers into buy coffee and Starbucks has those comfy chairs. Ask the manager or area manager about arranging an event.

Work: Perhaps your office would consider an author holding an event during lunch or after hours? I know an author who works at a hospital and they ok’d an event in the hospital gift shop.

Video Chat: Authors can hold events, including book groups via online video chat. Have relatives and friends a thousand miles away? No worries, set up a book or reading group chat and away you go.

Utilize Who You Know: People are intrigued by authors. People want to know more about them and the writing process. Think about everyone you know and figure out a way to get the people you know involved in having an event that features a discussion with you, the author and your books.

Talk up eBooks and tablets: Some people may not want to admit it but they might not know how the process of reading a book on a tablet or cell phone works. Offer to explain it to them at a book group or event. I once arranged for an author to give a demonstration of the Kindle reader at a library. The room was packed and the author got to sell books afterward.

As authors and publishers, we have to start thinking outside the box. Just because bookstores are closing, does not mean there will no longer be author events. People love to read, always have, always will. It’s not the end of publishing, just the beginning of a new era. It’s up to us format the chapters of the new book.

How to Be Successful in Self-Publishing by Catherine Burr

How to Be Successful in Self-Publishing by Catherine Burr
OR Everybody in Self-Publishing Needs to Just STOP and Take a Deep Breath

“Take a deep breath.”

That’s exactly what I want to tell newbies in self-publishing. There seems to be such a sense of desperation out there with a plethora of people that just don’t know what they are doing. And it needs to stop. Lol. I know, good luck. I received a
nasty email from someone because I dared asked to be removed from their mailing list (something I never signed up for in the first place). I looked them up, they were vanity published. Nuff said. I won’t even discuss vanity press here, I’ll save that for some other time.

Please note, just because you have someone’s email address (including publisher’s whose attention you are hoping to catch), does not give you the right to spam them. And, if you are going to be sending emails to a self-created list, there are requirements you must include in the email, like an “unsubscribe” button.

People who consider themselves published because they are self-published or vanity published, need to be careful that they are not throwing themselves to the wolves without any professionalism or a clue as to what they are doing, and when things backfire, become angry and disgruntled. It’s not a pretty sight for publishing and gives self-publishing a bad wrap.

Everyone in self-publishing needs to take a deep breath and relax. It’s going to be ok.

There seems to be this sense of urgency, this “we have to get in on the gold rush before it’s too late” mentality. There seems to be this “upload my unfinished, unedited book and no one will notice that it’s crap” methodology happening, and it ain’t working.

Self-published people, you must:

• Be professional (always)
• Do not rely on “critique groups” to edit your book (trust me on this).
• Find a GOOD editor
• Take your time with your manuscript
• Hire a professional cover artist (who uses professional images)
• Don’t try and design the cover yourself (just don’t)
• Do not ask your friends, neighbors, and countrymen to read your book (period.)
• Listen to your editor
• Hire a good proofreader (not your friend’s cousin twice-removed)
• When you think you are ready to upload your book, post a large red STOP sign above your computer. You are not ready. Repeat the above steps over and over and over before you hit the upload button.
• Do not vanity publish.
• Do not send mass emails and show everyone’s addresses. Always include an “unsubscribe” button.

Once you’ve gone public:

• Do not respond to negative reviews. DON’T. Just don’t. Turn, run, look the other away. Yell and scream at yourself but not at the reviewer, even if the reviewer is your friend, neighbor, and countrymen.
• Continue to work social media (as you have been all along) but DO NOT bombard everyone with 24/7 “Buy my Book” updates. It’s tiring and boring. And it’s not going to get us to buy your book.
• Do not send spam emails to publishers who turned you down in an attempt to “throw it in their face.” They probably will not remember you, so it’s lost yards on the football field and will only make the publisher now remember your name as an author who is foolish and unprofessional.
• Give us a glimpse of your new life as an author; feed us your hints. What have you learned? Extend a helping hand to the up and coming authors who are following you and haven’t yet made the leap themselves yet into self-publishing.
• Be positive.
• Stay professional.
• You are now self-published, you are now a small business owner. Treat it as such.
• You’re in the publishing business now, it is not an after school assignment.
• Publishing is a small community, especially the romance world. Don’t burn bridges. Don’t gossip. Don’t smack talk. Be kind.
• Get busy and write your next book.
• Don’t beat yourself up over what you did wrong, but learn from your mistakes and move forward.

Catherine Burr is a bestselling author and publisher of more books than she can count. Her first commercial book was published in 1996. In 2004, she started her own publishing house and is now mentoring and guiding authors through the self-publishing maze. Google Plus her +Catherine Burr 

How to be Successful in Self-Publishing

How to Be Successful in Self-Publishing
OR Everybody in Self-Publishing Needs to Just STOP and Take a Deep Breath

Take a deep breath

That’s exactly what I want to tell newbies in self-publishing. There seems to be such a sense of desperation out there with a plethora of people that just don’t know what they are doing. And it needs to stop. Lol. I know, good luck. I received a nasty email from someone because I dared asked to be removed from their mailing list (something I never signed up for in the first place). I looked them up, they were vanity published. Nuff said. I won’t even discuss vanity press here, I’ll save that for some other time.

Please note, just because you have someone’s email address (including publisher’s whose attention you are hoping to catch), does not give you the right to spam them. And, if you are going to be sending emails to a self-created list, there are requirements you must include in the email, like an “unsubscribe” button.

People who consider themselves published because they are self-published or vanity published, need to be careful that they are not throwing themselves to the wolves without any professionalism or a clue as to what they are doing, and when things backfire, become angry and disgruntled. It’s not a pretty sight for publishing and gives self-publishing a bad wrap.

Everyone in self-publishing needs to take a deep breath and relax. It’s going to be ok.

There seems to be this sense of urgency, this “we have to get in on the gold rush before it’s too late” mentality. There seems to be this “upload my unfinished, unedited book and no one will notice that it’s crap” methodology happening, and it ain’t working.

Self-publishing doesn’t have to equate crap

Self-published people, you must:

• Be professional (always)
• Do not rely on “critique groups” to edit your book (trust me on this).
• Find a GOOD editor
• Take your time with your manuscript
• Hire a professional cover artist (who uses professional images)
• Don’t try and design the cover yourself (just don’t)
• Do not ask your friends, neighbors, and countrymen to read your book (period.)
• Listen to your editor
• Hire a good proofreader (not your friend’s cousin twice-removed)
• When you think you are ready to upload your book, post a large red STOP sign above your computer. You are not ready. Repeat the above steps over and over and over before you hit the upload button.
• Do not vanity publish.
• Do not send mass emails and show everyone’s addresses. Always include an “unsubscribe” button.

Once you’ve gone public:

• Do not respond to negative reviews. DON’T. Just don’t. Turn, run, look the other away. Yell and scream at yourself but not at the reviewer, even if the reviewer is your friend, neighbor, and countrymen.
• Continue to work social media (as you have been all along) but DO NOT bombard everyone with 24/7 “Buy my Book” updates. It’s tiring and boring. And it’s not going to get us to buy your book.
• Do not send spam emails to publishers who turned you down in an attempt to “throw it in their face.” They probably will not remember you, so it’s lost yards on the football field and will only make the publisher now remember your name as an author who is foolish and unprofessional.
• Give us a glimpse of your new life as an author; feed us your hints. What have you learned? Extend a helping hand to the up and coming authors who are following you and haven’t yet made the leap themselves yet into self-publishing.
• Be positive.
• Stay professional.
• You are now self-published, you are now a small business owner. Treat it as such.
• You’re in the publishing business now, it is not an after school assignment.
• Publishing is a small community, especially the romance world. Don’t burn bridges. Don’t gossip. Don’t smack talk. Be kind.
• Get busy and write your next book.
• Don’t beat yourself up over what you did wrong, but learn from your mistakes and move forward.

Catherine Burr is a bestselling author and publisher of more books than she can count. Her first commercial book was published in 1996. 

Here’s How to "Show, Don’t Tell"

In many writing guides, you will see the instructions to, “Show, don’t tell.” But what does that really mean and how does a writer go about it?

When I’m writing a novel or short story, I do so in layers. Many layers. It’s like painting a picture, you start with one layer and add more paint, then more, and soon, you add the details, and you keep working on it until you have a finished product.

Each layer is essentially a draft. When I write the first draft (or layer), I write out the story in narration. I am “telling” the story by laying the foundation. But of course, you don’t want to “tell” a story, you want to “show” it. But at this point, I’m not concerned about that; I want to get the outline of the story down. In this initial draft, I do not worry about details. I get the story down in a broad sense. I know that I will later go back and add the descriptives, similes, all the details that create characters and dialogue that bring the story alive.

In the second draft, I go through and add details. A character’s eye colors whereas I initially wrote as “blue” becomes “as blue as the Caribbean Sea.” Or something like that.

The key to show, don’t tell, is changing the narration into dialogue. In the second draft, I take the narration and convert it to dialogue. This is where the characters and story comes to life and visualizes the details for the reader.

Once I have the dialogue down, I go back and put in more details. I try to convert as much narration as possible and make the details very specific to create an atmosphere where the reader feels like they are part of the story.

How many layers or drafts do I do? I am always tweaking. I always read the story out loud because then you can catch the way the dialogue sounds, and you want the dialogue to sound as natural as possible.

Remember the process of “show, don’t tell” is pretty simple. Convert your narration into dialogue and you’ll have an active story that shows, not tells.

About the Author:

Catherine Burr is a bestselling author of over 15 books. She has served as publisher, publishing 115 books. She is currently writing her next novel. Tweet to her @catherineburr.com.

Writer’s Block or Self-Knowledge?

Sometimes when I think I have writer’s block, it’s more of a case of self-awareness of who I am.

I know that when I’m in writing mode, I become one with my story. I disappear into the dialogue of the characters who have become part of my family. I travel with them to fictional (and not so fictional) cities and towns. We journey together, in their highs and lows, their conflict and resolution. Sometimes, it’s a place I don’t want to go because once I’m in that mysterious writing mode, there’s no exit strategy until I’ve written, “The End.”

Writing encompasses every aspect of one’s daily life.

For me, I know that when I’m deep into writing a story, I will essentially vanish off the face of the planet. Meals will come and go, people in my house have to fend for themselves. I take the phone off the hook, turn off my email, avoid social networks, close the door, and stay in my jammies all day. If I venture out (probably in my sweats, no makeup, and hair in a ponytail), my story shadows me. My characters follow me like stalkers.

Ideas come when you least expect them

When I’m in writing mode, I write notes wherever I go. One time in church, the pastor said something about a serpent, so I went home and incorporated a line about a serpent into the novel I was then writing.

Ideas pop into my head when I least expect it when I’m in writing mode. I could be at the checkout stand in the grocery store when the clerk says something, and it tweaks a thought in my brain and I have to run out to the car to write it down before I forget.

In Vegas at a high-tech event, scribbling notes for novel.

When I was in Vegas at a high-tech event, and I was writing a high-tech romance novel, I couldn’t scribble notes on my wine-stained cocktail napkin quick enough. These scribbles turned into dialogue in my novel, “Desires and Deceptions.”

When I’m in writing mode, it’s full-steam ahead. I think that’s why sometimes I avoid writing and think of it as, “writer’s block” because I know how my life becomes when I’m in that other dimension, called writing. It’s a place I can’t get out of once I enter, so sometimes I procrastinate getting there because I know once I start the journey, I’m in for the duration, and that it’s not really writer’s block, but stubbornness.

If you were to ask me if I believed in writer’s block, I’d say, “No.” I’d say that a writer has had a moment of self-doubt. A writer has had a temporary cessation of their creative thought process. I’d say a writer has hit a detour and needs to make a left turn instead of a right. I’d say go back and delete the last sentence, paragraph or chapter.

I’d say it’s more important to keep the fingers dancing on the keyboard until the moment of nothingness turns the corner and that once again you trust in who you are, a writer.

About the Blogger: Catherine Burr is a bestselling romance novelist, inspirational blogger, publisher, and children’s author. Tweet her @catherineburr.

Smashwords Streamlines Publishing

When I first started publishing books, believe it or not, ebooks had not come into existence. There was no Smashwords, no Nook, no Kindle. I published books the old-fashioned way, with a print run with a printer (not print on demand), and had stock of books in my garage until they were sold. Cut chase years later and this thing called Kindle came along. I was instantly intrigued.

Having grown up in Silicon Valley, technology was all around me and being on the forefront of the digital revolution was a thrill. When I started publishing ebooks on Kindle, most people had a confused look on their faces when I mentioned the word, “ebook.” My sister used to explain it to people that I was on the “cutting edge” of books. Still, most people hadn’t heard of ebooks and I must’ve explained a thousand times about ebooks and the new technology called e-readers.

I was publishing ebooks before most people knew what they were.

From the beginning, I loved the idea of having thousands of books at disposal in a portable device. And, people bought ebooks. I published a few books to start, and was wowed at the result. I bought a Kindle and took it with me everywhere. It was something that most people hadn’t seen and curiosity abounded.

Now as I look back since my entry into the digital world of ebooks, the many choices for readers are endless, not to mention reading books on our phones. I for one, usually start reading a book on my phone, then switch over to my Kindle. I download a sample book onto my cell and if I read straight to the end and want to buy the book, I can download to both my Kindle and cell phone for the price of one book. My husband can also download the book onto his cell phone, Kindle, or more likely iPad, since we are on the same account.

I started off mentioning Smashwords, and the reason I mention it is because if I were to give a new author advice about where to start, I would probably lean them toward Smashwords, for the simple reason that one can upload a single title and have it distributed to all the same places that otherwise you’d have to open accounts for and upload one by one.

When I started publishing ebooks, Amazon was the major, if only player. Barnes and Noble, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, none of the ebook retailers that are prevalent today, carried ebooks. So when I published an ebook, it was to Amazon. Then years later, came along the other venues. But now, with Smashwords, the process of publishing to distribution channels is streamlined.

I will admit, I have found the Smashwords “meat grinder” very unforgiving as far as formatting ebooks. You must follow the Smashwords guidelines exactly if your ebook is to be processed for their premium channels. The process can seem daunting, it is daunting, and when I was initially uploading to Smashwords, I had many frustrations, the way they want the books stripped of URL’s, ads for your other books, the list went on and on, as far as what you could have in the book and couldn’t. You had to have the copyright page exactly as they stated or face rejection.

But, the beauty of Smashwords, for all the pain, is that you only have to upload once and if your book passes their regiment, then it’s distributed to most of the same accounts that otherwise you would have to go in individually and upload, channel by channel.

I am aware that Amazon entices authors with their KDP Select program. Be aware, that you are making a commitment to a certain period of time to not have your book on other channels. KDP Select didn’t work for me because my books were already published on other channels when they came out with this program and so I do not have first hand knowledge of using it, but by Google searching, you can find others who have thoughts on the program.

Wherever you begin your ebook publishing journey, the resources and distribution channels extend around the world and bridges readers and authors like never before in this history of publishing.

About the Author: Catherine Burr is a bestselling romance novelist, inspirational blogger, and children’s author. Her books are sold in over 60 countries in both print and ebook formats. She lives in a small country town where she writes books on her cell phone.

Follow Catherine Burr on Twitter.

Editors, friend or foe?

I’ve had decades of publishing experience and here are some thoughts on working with an editor from my POV.

A writer should not be offended when an editor asks questions or requests them to elaborate a point in their manuscript.

My first fiction editor guided me on how to write with conflict; how to avoid cookie cutter characters, what drop caps were (I seriously didn’t know). She also did one thing for me that I think is very important for editors to do with their writers, and that is she asked questions. For me, some examples were, “Why is that girl on the beach?” “What is her name?” “Where does she live?”

For me, those simple questions helped me create a story that I hadn’t anticipated. When I originally started my first novel, Silicon Secrets, “Heather” was just a girl on the beach who was walking her dog. She didn’t even have a name. But my editor asked me those questions, and as I started to expand by writing answers to those questions, suddenly the girl on the beach became “Heather” and she became a major player in the novel and my novel took shape with characterizations and depth.

When I started to expand on the Heather character, I thought she should have a friend, but I couldn’t see her with girlfriends so I wrote in the character of Robbie, who worked with her at the restaurant. When I started describing Robbie, as I wrote him (I did not have him pre-planned, I just wrote on the fly), he seemed to have a feminine side to him and I realized that he was gay. So then he needed a boyfriend, and that’s how I wrote Gabriel into the story. Both became main characters. I never planned on Heather, Robbie, or Gabriel being main characters but because of my elaboration of who they were, they became integral to the story.

Not only does an editor need to ask a writer these probing questions that will help the writer expand on their story and develop the characters fully, but the writer really needs to listen and take their advice (most of the time).

There is a very fine line with working with an editor and taking their suggestions. They should be just that—suggestions. I have been on both sides of the coin with editors, and I know that it is very easy for an editor to get carried away and start not only editing their author’s piece, but re-writing it. This is crucial that an author or publisher doesn’t let this happen. And it can happen very easily.

An editor can get wrapped up in the story as if it is their own—and it’s not. An editor can change the voice of the author, and that’s not what should happen. I’ve seen where suddenly where an editor is just supposed to EDIT, but before anyone knows it, they have re-written the entire manuscript, in the editor’s voice. The story needs to be in the author’s POV, otherwise it’s not their story. That seems logical but you’d be surprised how many times an editor gets carried away.

In wrap up, it’s a fine line working with an editor. The writer needs to stand up to them and not be afraid or to be timid by their editor, and on the other hand, the editor has to be respectful that the work is the author’s, not their own.

Catherine Burr is a bestselling author and publisher of more books than she can count. Her first commercial book was published in 1996. In 2004, she started her own publishing house and is now mentoring and guiding authors through the self-publishing maze. Google Plus her +Catherine Burr

So you want to write a book?

From: Catherine Burr, author of the books:

Orchids to Die For
Desires and Deceptions
Silicon Secrets
Motherhood is not for Wimps

So, you want to write a book. You’re not alone. According to the latest Bookscan results, last year, there were 1.2 million books published. That’s a lot of books!

I can’t tell you the number of people that ask me for advice on writing. Well, it’s not the authors of all the 1.2 million books published, but quite a few.

I am not an expert, I do not have a degree in Literature, in fact after attending college for 3 1/2 years, studying to be a nurse, I dropped out and entered the work force. I married at 19, and had 2 babies by the time I was 23. For the years to follow I became a stay-at-home mom, and hence came the birth of my first published book, co-authored with my sister, Motherhood is not for Wimps.

But my dream was to write a novel, so when my children started college I sat down at my computer and set out to write my first novel. But where to start? I’d call my sister everyday and ask, “How do I write a novel?”

“Write an outline,” my sister advised. But that just didn’t seem to work for me. I’d sit at my computer with a blank screen, not knowing where to begin. I eventually squeaked out 3 chapters and the requisite synopsis to send out to publishers and agents, which I did.

Then a wonderful thing happened. I got rejected. “My word count was too short for a full-length novel,” I was told. “Cookie cutter characters,” I read with dismay. “Re-work and resubmit,” I read with a glimmer of hope. “Please submit entire manuscript,” I was at last instructed.

But I didn’t have an entire manuscript. I didn’t know what “cookie cutter characters” meant. And why was my word count too short?

The initial rejection and then subsequent acceptance of my unfinished manuscript sent me scrambling. I thought to myself, I can either give up trying to be or novelist, or learn how to become one. My desire to become a novelist was greater than to give up.

So, I set my writing aside for 2 months and did nothing but study the art of story telling. I watched movies to decipher the story and write notes about the characters. I would write out on note cards what made each character unique. What was their conflicts? Both inner conflict and external conflicts. I learned about the “arc” of the story. I basically learned everything I could about the elements that go into a plot line.

Lesson One: Characters

Characters need to be unique and each have their own voice. When they don’t, they are considered “cookie cutter” characters. (And you don’t want that).

Each character needs to have their own conflict – both internal and external (more on conflict in another post).

I found it helpful as a starting point to print out pictures of people and places I thought looked like my characters and settings, so I’d look at the photo, analyze it, and then write about what I saw … in detail. It helped me learn to visualize and put into words what I wanted to get across.

My son said to me, “Why do you have a picture of Jessica Simpson on your bulletin board?”

I had this picture of Jessica Simpson on my bulletin board, she looked to me like the Heather character.

“Who’s Jessica Simpson?” I asked. At the time, I didn’t even know who Jessica Simpson was. I’d seen her photo of her on the Internet and thought she resembled how I envisioned the character Heather Kane in Silicon Secrets, the novel I was writing. However, once I got deep into the actual writing of Heather, she very much became her own person, with her own look and dynamics. Heather Kane became her own person, her own character.

In my original draft of Silicon Secrets, Heather didn’t even have a name. She was just a passing character that Lucky saw on the beach. Just a girl in a bikini, with no name. Then my editor asked me, “Who is this girl on the beach? Does she have a name? Where does she live?”

And once I started writing about Heather, she developed as her own unique character, and she ended up being one of the main characters in the novel.

One of my son’s friends was the model when it was time for the Silicon Secrets book trailer. She played the “Heather character”

My son modeled for the main character in the book, for the video shoot.

I had this photo on my board for “Lucky.” In the book, I described him as a cross between Josh Harnett and Brad Pitt.

I used this picture to help me with descriptions, when I wrote about the Varic character.

With my first published novel, Silicon Secrets, I started to use index cards. Every single character, including “Winslow,” the dog, had a card. I used colored cards to differentiate the characters. On each card, I would write short notes about the character, from their eye color to their religion. (Well, the dog didn’t have a religion, but his owner, Heather did.)

You need a protagonist and an antagonist. Now when I started writing, I didn’t even know what the difference was between the two. It refers to two types of characters, the good guy, and the bad guy.

Your characters should give a reader a reason to care about them. Detail their good qualities as well as their faults. This makes them human. (Unless you’re writing Sci-Fi and robots).

Your characters should evoke emotions. If somebody comes out from reading your book really loving or hating a certain character, then you’ve done your job as a writer, you’ve evoked emotion and gotten your characters POV across.

Jessica Simpson, image: Web

Promo cover Silicon Secrets. Cover by Go on Write