How much editing is enough?

The QOTD (Question of the day) on one of my writers groups the other day was simply… “How much is reasonable for an editor to charge?” That is a very good question. Something even more important, I found, was the different kinds of editing that writers were looking for. Some want total content editing, while some are simply looking for a second set of eyes. Some editors will charge more than $2000 for a manuscript of 100,000 words and some will charge 5 cents a page. I have friends who self-publish and pay exorbitant amounts for people to edit their work. But I do have to ask. If they are editing content, how do we know that they are right? And even if they are simply editing grammar, how much training do they have in this area? I will be the first to admit that I certainly need a second set of eyes. Dyslexia has made identifying homonyms a bit of a challenge for me. And certainly if I was part of a publishing house that wanted me to alter my content, I would comply. But how much content do we want edited? Especially if we’re self published or using an independent publisher. Just a little food for thought.

Genre and Marketing

As some of you already know, I have been re-evaluating the genre I use to market my books. Although literally speaking, they are romantic suspense novels, if we’re talking about what we expect when we pick up a romantic suspense novel and what you get when you pick up one of mine, they are two totally different things. Although there is certainly some loving going on in Lilly’s wild adventures, the scenes are not graphic and I use almost no foul language. Although I find Stephanie Tyler and Maya Banks incredibly talented, as an author, I am simply not one of them. The first time I picked up a romantic suspense novel, I thought it was just a difference in style. But after I read quite a few of them it became painfully clear: This is not me.

Originally, I simply thought they were romance novels but the ending is not always wrapped up in a little bow. I am notorious for leaving you hanging at the end. I must admit that while I was sending out queries, I was a little disappointed that no one even mentioned that I had the wrong genre. I guess it is not their job to let me know but as a new author, it surely would have helped. So removing the word, “suspense” from the title is apparently necessary. Romantic Thriller might be a more accurate description of what I write and perhaps it is time to change the genre in my marketing. If people who read romantic suspense novels on a regular basis are looking at Easter’s Lilly to satisfy that kind of thirst, it will certainly not be what they expected. However, if you’re looking for a romantic thriller, it certainly will fill the bill.

Not that I’m complaining. I seem to be getting positive feedback and I get quite a bit of support from my fellow author friends, my local friends and friends from my hometown in New York.   But I do think it is important that we are able to identify our work properly so that it gets into the hands of those who will most enjoy it. What are your thoughts on the subject? Does your book have an HEA ending but not enough romance? Or does it have an unidentifiable style? Can’t wait to hear from you.

The popularity of the series. Will there be a book two? How do you Decide?

When I first started writing Easter’s Lilly, I wasn’t thinking to myself, I must produce a series, it just sort of happened that way. I have become so attached to my characters that I didn’t want to let them go. Even though book four doesn’t “star” Lilly, so to speak, the people that we learn to love and watch grow up, while reading of Lilly’s turbulent life, still live on. I have been unable to end it thus far and am not sure when and even if I will. In the mean time, however, I have decided to try something different and write a book that stands on its own. So far, no series is planned for this one. But will it stay that way? Only time will tell.

I just finished reading a book called “Between Morning and Midnight” by Cindy Gerard and I was sad to actually finish the book. I would have liked to read a “book two.” I got totally caught up in the romance and the characters and wanted more. Now I see how the series is born. How do you decide if you want to continue on or simply let your book stand alone? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Book signings- Don't surround yourself with books!

I went to a marketing class a few months ago and met a few published authors. I asked one of them how her book signings were going and she said that they were going very well. Since book signings have not been my forte as of yet, I was interested in her successful methods. She let me in on an interesting secret. “Go to places where you are not surrounded by books.” What a concept! She went to a winery, another author friend of mine suggested a bakery and the list just goes on from there. What a wonderful idea. It was at least worth some investigating.

I live in a small town that does not really pride itself in promoting local authors. I suspect there aren’t many, so I have been branching out to cities close by. Greenville, probably the closest city, was where I went first. There is a winery out there called The Blue Armadillo and ironically the owner’s name is Friendlee. If any of you have ever seen the television show Cheers, this place is the Cheers of Greenville. The customers all seem to know each other and are as warm as a Texas summer day. Then the strangest thing happened. I sold some books. People were actually buying books. I didn’t have to solicit or run over to people and ask them if this was their genre, they came up to me, sat down and started to chat. I hope to be back soon, and not just to do a signing. Apparently they have comedy nights and music from time to time. So until I become a household name, where every body knows my name at the local book store, I’m going to have to agree with my author friend from the marketing class: “Don’t surround yourself with books.” I would love to hear your book signings stories. Any new good ideas? I'm listening...

For more information on The Blue Armadillo go to http://www.Bluearmadillowinery.com

Book Review

 Between Midnight and Morning

by Cindy Gerard         Book Description

A tall, cool cowboy with a heartbreaker smile, J.T. Tyler had a line of women swooning in his wake. Then he met Alison Samuels, the town's new veterinarian, and found himself face-to-face with a challenge he couldn't ignore. J.T. wasn't interested in relinquishing his bachelor status, but he was definitely interested in learning what the new doc was like between midnight and morning.

Alison had moved to middle-of-nowhere Montana to start a new life—not start a fiery affair with a hunky young rancher. But she couldn't deny J.T.'s persistence...or fever-inducing powers of persuasion. After a few passionate nights wrapped in his muscular arms, suddenly Alison wondered if their sizzling relationship could survive the hours after dawn....

My Thoughts:

This book will leave you breathless. Although it is written in the third person, it is a very personal read. I felt like I was Ali being wooed by the dangerously sexy cowboy.  J.T., the perpetual bachelor, comes across as the heartbreaking cowboy, who gets caught up with the one girl he can’t have. Ali isn’t the usual protagonist that you come across in a romance novel. Although she is fiercely independent, she has a loving disposition, which draws J.T. to her on an emotional level that he doesn’t know he has.

I give this book five out of five stars and if there was a sixth one available, it would get that one too. This novel is beautifully written and will peak your interest from the very first page.

To tour or not to tour...

I have done the research! I just finished a book tour and I must admit that some bloggers are not very delicate with their opinions.  I did not feel that my demographic had been tapped and even some of my good reviews were a little mean. One girl who actually called me a name while reviewing me, decided to mention me on twitter just to show me that she was posting my review everywhere. Although it was a four star review, I would never show anyone her review on purpose. Another girl, who I am not even convinced read the book at all, simply said that it was not her genre and had a give away. So the question is… was it worth it?

While the tour was going on, my sales skyrocketed. The truth of the matter is that not everyone will love your book and even if you do hit your demographic, every time, there will still be a few people who will simply not enjoy the read. So I would say that even though some of the reviews were less than marketable, these young ladies certainly had “interesting” things to say. While some were obviously trying to say something mean, they just accentuated parts of the book that people who enjoy a soapy kind of series would love.  And despite some of the negative reviews, my star rating didn’t suffer much at all. Other people, whom I do not know, saved the day with something nice to say about one or both books.

After much consideration, I have decided to tour book two. The sales are not nearly as high as the first book and I think it’s because I haven’t toured it yet. I found someone who I think has a handle on it and am looking forward to another round of holding my breath in anticipation. I think, all in all, a good product will sell itself (as an author friend of mine said to me after I got my first poor review) and if it’s a good book, it will sell, plain and simple. Getting the word out is of course, the challenge. I have found myself running a little low on steam as far as enthusiasm goes for marketing. But…I have turned over a new leaf. If I want the same results with Brother Number Three as I got with Easter’s Lilly, I’d better get moving. So yes, it was worth it, it is worth it; the virtual tour is the way to go. Find someone you trust, look for references and spread your wings a little. Book three is coming out in January, so I’d better jump over the cliff now, if I want to swim later.

“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.” – Leo F. Buscaglia 

The Eleventh Hour- Tides of Atlantis by Natalie Bushnell

Book description:

Veronica Lark is hunted by the dreams of a husband and past that don't exist. Desperate for answers, Veronica is caught snooping around the local museum by the manager, Troy Hemmingway. Who also has a secret? United by a love stronger then death, they unlock the truth of their past life together in Atlantis. Where they embark on a journey of self-discovery, true love, betrayal and destiny!

An extremely gorgeous stranger was attached to my lips and I was so kissing him back. His warm supple mouth melted mine. Convincing me he had been over my lips a thousand times before. This kiss was undeniably staking a claim; even calling me home. A kiss to say, "I have missed you my love."

My thoughts:

Hold on tight!

This book was full of action and suspense.  There was no telling which turn the story line was going to take at any given moment. The descriptions of the characters were so detailed; I would swear that one of them was Brad Pitt. (But I won’t ruin it for you and tell you which one).

As a writer myself, I must say that the only way to keep a book moving along at such a pace is to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and that is what Natalie succeeds in doing. I woke up this morning and grabbed my Kindle, just to see how it ends. Prepare for take off when you open this book. It will send you spiraling out of control.