by Lynne | Feb 17, 2014 | Uncategorized
Self-Publishing Dilemma
With a fourth mystery launching late this spring, I have a decision to make. Stay with BookBaby or switch to Amazon KDP. Here’s how Bookbaby (and I assume Smashwords, et al) operates:
I upload my manuscript to them for formatting in e-version. They design the cover for the e-version and they’re pretty good at this. They will then make it available to something like 11 e-book distributors. This includes Amazon, Barnes and Noble, SONY, Copia, Kobo, iBooks, etc.
If you want a paperback, Bookbaby offers those services too, but they’re expensive. Remember, all you have for artwork, is the front cover design, no back design or spine. Plus interior formatting is a bear but they will be happy to do it all for a fee. A large fee.
The really big hitch is that the Bookbaby printed books are not POD (print on demand.) That means you get a bunch of paperbacks printed and you have to distribute or sell them yourself or you’re stuck with them. By the way, bookstores will not usually take books from self-published authors. They must come from a big distribution houses. So I was never able to get my paperbacks on the Barnes and Noble shelves.
For my three e-books, I made the decision to go with Bookbaby. For the paperbacks, however, I went with Create Space. I used the Bookbaby cover art and hired an artist to complete back cover and spine. I struggled with the interior formatting until I finally paid Create Space a small fee to do it for me. In the end, Create Space did a good job of formatting, printing and, of course, the paperbacks are POD. Create Space does distribute to smaller bookstores but from my experience they never wind up on the shelves.
One more point here. Bookbaby is very slow to report e-book sales. They are usually three months behind. Right now, my last reported sales were in mid-November. Create Space is entirely different. You can find out paperback sales daily. Good for you, Amazon.
My next book has me re-considering this process. I’m thinking of going with Amazon KDP for everything. This means I lose any sales outside of Amazon, which, to date, I estimate to be less than one-quarter of all my sales. Amazon makes up three-quarters. If I make the leap to KDP it must be an exclusive contract for a specified amount of time. I can always switch back, I suppose, if I’m not happy.
I understand Amazon also helps authors with marketing the product but I don’t know if that really makes up for the lost sales. Or what it means at all, frankly.
Is KDP for me? I would love to hear about your experiences.
by Lynne | Feb 11, 2014 | Uncategorized
It’s a Mystery to Me
I just recently read Michael Connelly’s book, “The Black Box.” Frankly, I wasn’t riveted and when I tried to figure out why, I realized it was because Harry Bosch had become soft. His relationship with his daughter played a large role in the story and it annoyed me. He was much too solicitous of her feelings. Nah. He’s an LA cop.
Okay, you say. It’s nice to see he has feelings for his daughter and wants to make her happy. And, you may be tired of the clichéd cops: drunk, surly, never around for family, whatever. I agree with that to some extent. But Harry was almost too human here. This made me think about other books in which I originally liked the characters but began to lose interest when the plot, or mystery, became mired in relationship issues.
Inspector Lynley, Elizabeth George’s character, is a perfect example. Her first books had me hooked. Great plots, well-drawn but human characters with personal foibles lurking about. But once Lynley fell for this Helen woman, suddenly the stories (the cases he had to solve) took a back seat and the relationship was up front. No thanks. If I wanted to read about relationships for half a book, I wouldn’t buy a mystery. I’d watch a series like Downton Abbey, where the characters, very much “real” people, are the main story. Or read one of my favorite authors, Anne Rivers Siddons, whose novels are about people and their relationships with other people.
When I read a mystery, I want to cogitate, figure out whodunit and why. The more pieces that are missing, the better. Sure, I like good characters but in mysteries, I enjoy them second to the mystery. Val McDermid’s Tony Hill series is a great example of both. Tony, a police psychologist, is quirky and weird, and his relationship with the police inspector, Carol Jordan, leaves you wondering what’s going on. But it doesn’t usurp the story. The crime they’re solving together is key.
How real should characters be? Since most people are relatively banal and their lives somewhat boring, a book character must be more than “realistic.” Sue Grafton is an example of humdrum to me. I could care less that she cleans her bathroom every time she’s stressed and certainly don’t want to know the cleanser she uses.
Characters must be colorful, able to be distinguished from another character — perhaps by their speech patterns, their looks, or their mannerisms. Again, their peculiarities don’t need to take center stage all the time. Just on occasion. You want to know them but not at the expense of the mystery.
It doesn’t take much to paint a picture of an interesting character, either. A roll of the eyes, a huff of breath, an about-face and stalking off can do the job. Tony Hill carries his paperwork in a blue plastic bag rather than a leather briefcase. This tells you oodles about him but doesn’t take up pages.
I had a different reaction to “The DaVinci Code.” Here plot, action, adventure, solving the puzzle are paramount. I felt the characters were quite wooden and mechanical and there was little chemistry between the male and female leads. Now, you think, which way do you want it? Characters or plot? Darn, I want both, but I want both done well. The storyline of The DaVinci Code is grand, the characters mediocre. Can you have both? I don’t know. Ask Dan Brown. (Catch him on the way to the bank!)
So, Harry Bosch, yell at your daughter once in a while when she gets on your nerves. Be human. Be real. But do your job and focus on the mystery. I might like you better next time. If I give you another chance.
by Lynne | Feb 3, 2014 | Uncategorized
Moving Your Story Forward
All good books (and movies) contain subplots. Like real people, main characters have a lot going on in their lives. They go to work, make breakfast for the kids, feed the dog, pick up the groceries, and pay the bills. Are these mundane tasks subplots? I don’t think so. For me, they are often background noise.
I don’t care what kind of pancakes the kids get, although they can be mentioned to add flavor to the characters. I do care about paying the bills if the main character is in debt and worried about her sick mother and is considering suicide to redeem the life insurance policy.
Subplots can be very important, however, if they keep the central story moving forward. This is particularly true when new characters make their appearance. Why is this character here? What’s their purpose to the story? I’ve read a number of books where characters were introduced then went nowhere. In fact they disappeared without any reason for their existence. Did you ever wonder what happened to the suspicious woman seen in the same coffee shop the main character frequented? What was their point? To make us feel nervous that our heroine was in danger?
Moving the story forward is paramount. In every scene, every chapter, every section, every episode. There are times when information and descriptive details can add to the story. You want to know, perhaps, what kind of furniture is in Sam’s bedroom, particularly if Sam is a stud who brings women back to his apartment and later kills them. A glass and steel, black and white décor Sam is quite different from an Italian Mediterranean Sam with rich, warm woods and quilts of gold and red. I would say these descriptions are not subplots. They are part of character development.
Let me use a popular PBS series, Downton Abbey, as an example of what I mean by subplots that take away from (or even take over) the main plot. For Downton fans now watching the current season, what would you say the major plot is? The family is once more in financial straits and in danger of losing their home? Or would you focus on the individual character s, ie: will Mary find a new mate? Will Edith eventually marry Michael? Will Tom take his baby and run off to America? I guess these are all subplots that keep the main storyline going. Each subplot must be resolved somehow.
Also, as writers we must take care not to drag subplots out too long – or end them too quickly. For instance, the maid that Lady Grantham hired back without consulting with Mrs. Hughes once again made a play for Tom. Duh. When Mrs. Hughes found out, she made quick work of her and she was out of the series in a couple of episodes. Ahh, too quick for me. There could have been an excellent subplot here.
I felt the opposite when Anna refused to tell Mr. Bates about her rape. Even though it lasted just a few episodes, I was impatient to have the story told. Now, I want to see what Mr. Bates does in response. Tension.
Veering too often from the main story in unrelated directions will make your readers impatient. I know because I’m one of those impatient readers . . . eager to follow the storyline to its final resolution.
by Lynne | Jan 27, 2014 | Uncategorized
Traditional Vs. E-Books
The house was dark. It was raining outside, chilly inside. I had no appointments, no particular place to be for a rare afternoon. I didn’t feel like writing (my book, that is.) I didn’t feel like Facebooking or Tweeting or Linking In. Not even Pinteresting.
So I curled up on the couch with what I hoped would be a good book.
“The Emperor of All Maladies,” is a beautifully written non-fiction tome on cancer. 550 plus pages. Pulitzer prize winner. I bought it in an expensive paperback version because it has a series of picture plates inside, which are easier to examine than in an e-book. I also bought it because I had a gift certificate from my in-laws to Barnes and Noble. And I bought it because, well, Pulitzers should be read in traditional book style.
So on this dark, dreary day, I propped myself up on my soft leather couch with this amazing book. (It really is wonderful!) But I had to get up and readjust the lights in the room because there was no Nook glowlight in this edition, and I had to find a cushion to lean the book on because cancer is so heavy – physically and figuratively. Honestly, did you ever try reading a large book on your lap in dim light with old eyes?
After an hour or so, my eyes and my arms got tired, so I switched to a light (inexpensive indie) mystery I had started on my Nook. Ahh, the glowlight made it a delight to read and it was so light in my hands, I wound up dropping it a few times. But then I forgot who one of the characters was and wanted to go back to the first chapter to check. Hmm. Not as easy as flipping the pages. When I finally returned to my current page, I got a signal that the battery was low. Ach.
Which book version is more practical? That’s up to you to decide. Maybe some books are better bound in paper, others digital.
For me, at the moment, it’s time for a nap while my Nook re-charges.
by Lynne | Jan 20, 2014 | Uncategorized
History Teaches Us Inventive Ways to Kill
Research for my latest book has taken me to the darkest corners of our past: the witch hysteria of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. This grim era in early America occurred during the waning of the Inquisition in Europe, more recently, Spain, and demonstrates how far-reaching the concept of “terror in the name of God” has traveled.
When I read mysteries about serial killers or watch programs like “Criminal Minds,” I am continually amazed at the ingenious ways people come up with to torment and kill their fellow humans. I don’t know this for a fact, but I assume many of these stories are based, at least partially, on actual events.
The witch hysteria was, in a sense, descended from the Inquisition, where fear and loathing of certain people or groups of people was transformed into something deadly by using religion to justify the bloodshed. It’s a notorious example of how persecution can pervade any society. Even America. Witches were tortured, imprisoned in horrendous conditions and then hung by their neck until dead. (They were sometimes burned but not in Salem.) In one case an accused man was pressed to death. Nice.
We, as a species, are fascinated by this whole machination. There’s an exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Man on “Instruments of Torture.” Of course, I visited. I also visited the famous Medieval Torture Museum in San Gimignano, Italy, along with millions of others who gawked at devices like the rack, the head crusher, the Spanish Tickler, the Heretic’s Fork, the Pear, and the Knee Splitter. You don’t need much imagination to visualize what these will do to a human’s body. Much of the traveling version in San Diego came from here: http://www.torturamuseum.com/this.html As you can see from this website, some instruments of torture are quite inventive and horribly gruesome. Just thinking about them makes me shudder.
These instruments of torture were aimed at heretics and were not, strictly speaking, considered a punishment. They were a way to extract the truth — or the truth as the Inquisitors wanted it– from a victim. It worked pretty darn well and you can guess why. Similar devious devices are used in modern films and books today. In fact, today’s mysteries and thrillers borrow a great deal from history.
If you’re wondering how to create innovative ways to kill for your thriller or mystery, it’s easy. Just look to the past.
by Lynne | Jan 13, 2014 | Uncategorized
It’s a Book – It’s a Movie
Don’t be misled by the subtitle. We’d all love to have our books turned into scripts for movies. But what I’m referring to is how to make the reader “see” your scenes.
Getting the reader to visualize what they are reading is not easy. It reminds me of an exercise we did at the Science Center on “following directions.” Try to tell someone in words how, exactly, to build a helicopter out of Lego blocks. Trust me, it’s not easy and takes many tries. Writing a scene that a reader can actually see in his/her mind is also not easy.
Take one of your scenes. First, where are you? Indoors, outdoors, a living room, a car, on top of a horse, on the beach? Paint that scene. Is it hot, cold, windy, rainy? What color are the walls of the room? Does a smell waft in from the kitchen, the open window? What’s under your feet? Sawdust, ratty carpet, wood floors, sand?
Next, who’s in the room? People? How many? Animals? How many? Are they male, female, young, old, etc. What animals and where are they? Lying in front of the fireplace? Curled up on the windowsill? What are the people wearing? Robes, undies, tuxedos? Show some facial expressions or body movements to describe their mood. Same for the animals. Is the cat hissing or purring?
I would try some background ambiance to add color to the scene. Is there music playing and what kind? French café, heavy metal or front porch Cajun? Is there a guitar leaning against a wall? A violin? Piano? Are there bookcases stuffed with books? Plants hanging in every window? Food decaying on the kitchen sink? A clock ticking on the mantel or an alarm clock ringing in the bedroom.
If the scene is outdoors, there are still many possibilities to set the scene. Weather, locale descriptions ie: small town, park, parking garage, tavern, university campus. Maybe add noise- sounds like car horns, birds chirping. Or smells like newly-cut grass or a pizza being unboxed.
All of these can help the reader visualize the words on the page. I don’t think you need paragraphs to convey the general meaning. Less is always more. But you might sprinkle in the five senses to help set the scene so the reader sees (hears, smells, tastes, and feels) it as vividly as you do.
Finally, as you re-read your work, close your eyes and picture each scene as if it were in a movie. Can’t do it? It may be time to re-write.
I upload my manuscript to them for formatting in e-version. They design the cover for the e-version and they’re pretty good at this. They will then make it available to something like 11 e-book distributors. This includes Amazon, Barnes and Noble, SONY, Copia, Kobo, iBooks, etc.
