Polish, Prepare & Pitch!

Please welcome Jordan K. Rose to the blog. Her first book, Perpetual Light, releases in March of 2012 from Crescent Moon Press.

As conference season is almost upon us, I think this post will be very interesting to you all.

Here's Jordan: Hi Rebecca. Thanks so much for having me on Shy Writers today.

I thought I’d talk a little bit about the dreaded task of pitching. I think most writers will agree they’d rather hide in their hotel rooms or take every seminar offered at any conference they attend rather than pitch.

I have found a few things to be quite helpful in this process. My first two tips are very basic.

1. Finish, scrub, and polish your manuscript. Have it ready to go at the pitch. Then, when you get the request, march back to your room and send it. Don’t delay. Get it done. You want the agent/editor to remember you.

2. Know your audience. By this I mean research the agent or editor to whom you’re pitching. Don’t pitch your hot paranormal romance to an editor who only accepts sports biographies. What are you, nuts? Don’t waste your time, his time, or your precious opportunity to network with the right editor, the one who wants that romance.

This next one is probably the most difficult tip I have because it’s all about you and your mindset. But it’s really, really important.

3. Take control of the pitch. It’s your pitch, your story, your eight minutes of uninterrupted time with a publishing industry professional who wants to hear with you.

Did you get that last part--“wants to hear from you.” Yes, that’s right. The agents and editors who agree to take pitches at conferences want to hear your pitch. They want to buy books. They want to sell books. And why is that? Because that’s how they make their money.

This is a business. You hold multiple cards in your hands. They hold one.

You’re the creative manager, the artiste, the person who gets to decide who will publish your book. You drive this process. Without you there is no book.

They get to say, “I’d like to buy your book.”

You still have veto power. You decide if this house is the best house for you or this agent is the best agent for you. Just because Pamela Publisher is one of the Big Six doesn’t mean she can help you achieve your goals.

Know your career goals. What is it you’re hoping to achieve by publishing this book? Be realistic. Very few careers have flown into the stratosphere on one book. Don’t set yourself up to be disappointed.

Put it all in perspective. The pitch is an opportunity to meet an industry professional who wants to meet you. Don’t panic, just prepare. Bring notes in case you fumble. And realize that everyone does it.

Everyone has that moment of, “Oh my God, why am I doing this to myself?” But the successful pitch is made by the writer who shoves that question to the far recesses of her mind with the swift answer, “Because I want this.”

If you truly want to be published, polish, prepare, and pitch! You can do it!

Blurb for Perpetual Light:
Fate is cruel. Especially when the one you’ve sworn to love for all eternity, the very soul who changed your destiny is the last person you should trust.

After more than three hundred years of running, Lucia Dicomano must make a choice.

Forced to take her place as a Pharo of Redemption, the divine slayer needs to master her forgotten powers. Lucia turns to Vittorio, the one vampire she’s failed to deliver from eternal damnation. But overcoming smoldering remnants of love, lust and anger aren’t their only obstacles.

Samuel, who may know Lucia better than she knows herself, hunts her with a fervor stoked by a thousand years of vengeful hatred. His plan—capture and enslave the weakened Pharo then take control of her elusive power.

Can Lucia trust Vittorio long enough to reclaim her powers? Or will she have no choice but to kill him and battle Samuel alone?

About Jordan: After trying her hand at many, many things- from crafting and art classes to cooking and sewing classes to running her own handbag business, Jordan finally figured out how to channel her creativity. With an active imagination and a little encouragement from her husband she sat down and began to write, each night clicking away at the keys with her black Labrador, Dino curled up under the desk.

A few short years later she’s entered the publishing arena with no plans to ever turn back.

Jordan’s a member of Rhode Island Romance Writers, as well as RWA National, and the New England (NEC), Connecticut, and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal (FFnP) Chapters.

Find Jordan on her website at http://www.jordankrose.com/.


Follow her tweets on https://twitter.com/#!/jordankrose


Friend her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jordankrose

Q&A with romance author Jami Gray

Q Thanks for being here today, Jami. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?

A Let me see if I can expand beyond the ‘I was born, grew up, and here I am’ status. I hit the world on an Air force base on the southeast coast and within twelve months had moved to the Northwest, where I remained until age six. Then it was southward bound to drier climes. I bounced around the Southwest until age twelve when I became the fifth eldest in a very, very large family (think double digits for kid amount). After graduating high school, I did the college thing for so long friends and family thought I’d be a professional student. I’ll admit there were days when I thought the same thing. In my late twenties I married by best bud from high school after we reconnected. We tried living back in the Northwest but it was way too damp so we ended back down in the desert where we now live with our two boys and a lab who doubles as a mini-pony. Yes, I do have a job that pays the bills on top of writing, but lucky for me, it’s a position that allows me to telecommute.

Q Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?
A I do, but some friends disagree. Here’s the thing, I am much more comfortable staying at home or in the background and watching others. I find it intriguing to people watch, but once I’m comfortable around a group, I’ll start to peek out of my corner or from around my very social hubby.


Q In what ways has being shy or introverted hindered your writing career?
A For me it was finding a critique group and putting myself or my writing out there. It was one thing to submit works if I could mail it in and no one would ever know who I was, but it was a whole other bag of worms if I had to physically sit there and listen to a critique. I always, always over think things and receiving a critique was like running razors over my soul. It took me years of trial and error to find my current critique group, The 7 Evil Dwarves. What worked for me was keeping my critique group small with like minded individuals. If they could get my twisted sense of humor, then it was less likely I would end up being carted off in a straight jacket. In the six years we’ve been together, they are a huge reason I was finally published. If I hadn’t had their constant threats…I mean encouragement…I don’t think I would have had the guts to keep submitting my writing to editors and publishers. Even now when I attend conferences and do those editor/agent pitches you would think I was going in to be skinned alive and my critique partner is pretty much dragging my shaking, nervous wreck in behind her.


Q In what ways has being shy or introverted helped your writing career?
A This is probably easier to answer than any other question. I live so much in my head that transferring those worlds spinning around in there to paper is the easy part. For me, the fact that I tend to sit back and watch the world around me, allows me to create detailed characters and worlds for my stories. Delving into what motivates my characters and causes them to react they way they do in various situations makes them more “real”, which in turn draw readers deeper into a story. Life and people are naturally complex, and that complexity should be reflected in your writing.

Q What’s the hardest part of this business for you?
A Pitching in person. Doesn’t matter if it’s an editor, agent or my next door neighbor, trying to creatively explain my books verbally is hard. My work around is to write out various pitches or blurbs so I’m not caught flatfooted when I’m asked, “So, what’s your book about?”. Even though I’ve spent years doing theater, I still stutter when I’m not prepared. Maybe it’s being introverted, or maybe it’s being OCD, but either way I find myself doing mental rehearsals of what to say in case I’m faced with this situation.

Q Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone, either in your writing career or in your personal life?
A I was attending a writer’s conference a couple years ago with my critique partner and I had two pitch sessions. One with a big name New York editor and one with a large e-pub house editor. I spent days before hand writing up various pitches, word for word. Then I would torment myself with the “what-if” scenarios…what if they ask this question? I wanted to be prepared and not sound like an airhead. I have the unfortunate tendency to sound spacey when I’m nervous. It didn’t help that little voices in the back of my head were going on about how these very important people had heard it all and what if your idea was trite, or that I would appear to be a very obvious newbie writer. It took a great deal to block out that annoying little twit. I had to offer it lots of chocolate to get it to shut-up.

The pitch session with the New York editor was not good. Nerves had my words spilling out at a hundred miles per hour, my hands shook so bad I had to hide them under the table, and we just didn’t connect. I had a few minutes in between pitch sessions and as I went over to my second session, I was almost in tears. I pulled up my big girl panties, took a deep breath and sat down making sure my smile was in place. This time I would treat the pitch as if I was talking to someone in my critique group. Boy did it help. I made a real connection to the second editor as we talked. Strangely enough we ended up discussing a possible story idea I had been tossing around for few minutes and then I was able to get some great answers to questions I hadn’t realized I had about the whole publishing industry overall. It was lovely as I realized that even the editors and publishers can be just as nervous as the writers sitting across from them.

Q What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?
A Wow, that’s a tough one. Shy writers tend not to want to put their writing out there because it’s such a piece of them, but remember your readers don’t know you, but they get to share in your stories. How are they going to enjoy the worlds and characters you create if you don’t set it out there? When it’s been too hard for me to do on my own, I wrap my shaky, cold fingers in a death grip on my critique partners’ hands and hold on. They’re there to stand beside me regardless of how the reader winds blow. They haven’t steered me wrong yet, so I think I’ll keep holding on, because I’ve learned it’s okay to lean on my friends as they push from behind!

Q Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?
A I’d love to! Shadow’s Edge is the first book in the Kyn Kronicles and can be bought e-format or trade paperback at Black Opal Books (www.BlackOpalBooks.com ). It’s also available at Amazon, ARe, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.


It takes a monster to hunt one, and for Raine McCord, forged in the maelstrom of magic and science, she’s the one for the job. In a world where the supernatural live in a shadowy existence with the mundane, a series of disappearances and deaths threatens the secrecy of her kind and indicates someone knows the monsters are alive and kicking. Partnering up with the sexy and tantalizing Gavin Durand proves to be a challenge as dangerous as the prey she hunts.


When the trail points back to the foundation which warped Raine’s magic as a child, her torturous past raises its ugly head. Gavin and Raine sift through a maze of lies, murder and betrayal to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community.


Q Where can my readers find you on the web?
A You can hunt me down at:


Website: http://jamigray.com/


Blogs: http://7evildwarves.wordpress.com/ or http://jamigray.wordpress.com/


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jamigray.author


Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/JamiGrayAuthor

Thanks for being here today, Jami!

Wheel of Fortune

Guest blogger: Maya DeLeina

I am at a time in my life where I am incredibly comfortable in my skin. I’ve learned to accept they way I look and appreciate who I am. Ok, so I am a bit weird, yet it hasn’t caused me to make a b-line for a darkened corner of a room in a social setting and I am far from being timid. This is me, like it or not.


But I haven’t always been this way.


If I had to pinpoint a time where I first started being uncomfortable with myself, it had to be the moment I got satellite equipment on my face- orthodontic headgear. This was the start to my very awkward-looking stage. I didn’t shy away from doing things completely, but I certainly had reservations that I never had before and I did everything in my power to blend in so I wouldn’t standout. And that is pretty dang hard to do with blinding metal on your face.


All in all, I wasn’t a cute kid. In fact, I remember my younger brother and I took photos together. He was so perfectly adorable in the foreground and then there I was, looming in the background and ruined the portrait. To really paint the picture, at one time, I donned braces with the rubber-band closures, the headgear, pimples and chin-length hair that was so extremely poofy, I looked like a walking mushroom. Then, my nose grew from a cute button as a baby into what looked like a freaky arrow. I remember one kid in school, Jason, would constantly call me “Wheel of Fortune”, you know, because my nose looked like that little white arrow on Pat Sajak’s wheel?


I can’t tell you how many times I heard “Free Spin”.

So this is where my shyness developed. Seems a bit shallow, but this had a real impact on my self esteem and confidence. I didn’t want to get teased, so I stayed low. Although a lot of the adolescent years experience this, for me, I was unable to shake it completely. Later in life, I was still enraptured with the thought of blending, taking it as far as fantasizing about the day I could afford plastic surgery so my nose would look like everyone else.


Then something just hit me like a flash.


If we all looked, thought, dressed like each other, what a boring world this would be. The headgear is gone now, but my nose ever present. The thought of plastic surgery for a new nose is no longer in my thoughts (boob lift, maybe). It’s me. It’s who I am. And suddenly, when I accepted this, everything else started to fall in place.

Acceptance is a powerful tool.


Today, I am an erotic vampire author of all things, unleashing my wicked, twisted and weird creativity in my writing. No reservations or shyness here! And it is all due to acceptance. This acceptance has given me an inner strength I never felt before. This inner strength promoted confidence. This confidence helped breakthrough that wall I built years ago that has allowed me to find my true voice.


It’s crazy when I think back on this.


In Tarot cards, the Wheel of Fortune is all about luck and change. The wheel symbolizes completeness, the rise and fall of fortunes and the message that what goes around comes around. The card indicates happiness and elevation; a change that just happens, and brings with it great joy.


This is where I am now.


Makes me wonder what Jason is up to these days.

***

You can learn more about Maya on her website 

and Facebook. Her newest release, Flesh Fantasy

is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble

and Siren-Bookstrand.

Q&A with paranormal romance author Catherine Bybee

Thanks for being here today, Catherine. Would you please share a short bio about yourself?

I'm a wife and mother... not always in that order. I've been reading romance since I was an early teen and never, ever plan to stop. I've spent most of my working life as an ER Nurse but have taken a break the past few years.

Q Do you consider yourself a shy and/or introverted person?
A Me, shy? Hell no.


Q  What's the easiest part of this business for you?
A Writing the book is the easy part. Ideas swim in my head until I get them down on paper.

Q Tell me about a time that you had to step outside your comfort zone either in your writing career or in your personal life?
A I think the first time I did a book signing it was a little outside my comfort. Again, I'm not shy, so sitting there talking to people isn't hard. I love that part of the job, but wondering if anyone was going to come up to me and tell me I write crap somehow crept in the back of my mind.


Q What’s one tip you could share with shy and introverted people that’s helped you?
A Life is to short to spend it sheltered. You probably learned the word NO when you were a few months old. You'll hear it again and again in life, but if you don't try, you'll NEVER hear the word yes.


Q Would you please share a short blurb of your book and where my readers can buy it?
A Soul Mate by Catherine Bybee
Available Now
The Wild Rose Press
Blurb: Kari Pearce lives the life of a lone werewolf. No one knows of her affliction, not even her sister. When she hears of a missing child up in the Sequoias, Kari goes on the hunt to find the child and her abductor before tragedy can occur. Saving the child is easy, avoiding the FBI agent associated with the case is not.


Agent Nick Murdock knows he's seen Kari before, but damn if he can remember where. There's one thing he knows for sure. Kari Pearce, with her blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, is hiding something. And Nick is going to find out what.

Download your copy today here.

Q Where can my readers find you on the web?
A http://www.catherinebybee.com/ - I'm on Twitter @catherinebybee and I'm on facebook so look me up. My website has links to all the places I roam on the web.

CONFERENCE JITTERS

Please help me welcome multi-published paranormal and erotic romance author Suzanne Rock to the blog.

Here's Suzanne: Hi! Thanks so much for having me here today. To start, I'd like to share a little secet with all of you.

I'm shy. Painfully shy.

I think most writers are. It takes a lot for me to come out from behind a computer and talk to people face to face. I'm not quite sure why that is. It isn't like one time I said 'hello' to someone and they bit me. It's just a part of who I am. I'm introverted. Some would say I'm introverted to a fault.

So, you can imagine what was going through my mind when I went to my regional RWA conference this past March. The thought of talking with other writers both excited and terrified me. Last year I went to the same conference and pretty much kept to myself. With my head down and pen in hand, I attended all of the workshops, guest lectures and agent/editor panels, eager for knowledge. I came home with a ton of things I could apply to my own writing. All in all, I considered it a success. But this year, I knew I wanted to do something different. I had done the lecture thing. This year, I wanted to network. That meant had to talk to real living and breathing people.

Yikes.

Workshops are important, but so is networking. Writing is such a solitary endeavor. For hours we sit in front of a computer screen, typing away the book of our heart. We may have the support of our friends and family, but do they really 'get it?' Do they understand the longing, the frustration, the cry of victory when, after months of agony, we finally filled that gaping plot hole?

This year I did something radical: I stepped out of my comfort zone. In the entire 2-day conference, I only attended one workshop. The rest of the time, I spoke with other writers, all at different stages of their writing career. I had cocktails with an unpublished author just starting to submit her fourth manuscript to agents. Then I had dinner with a self-published author, and then dessert with a 20-year veteran. Coffee with a multi-published ebook author, breakfast with a NY times best-selling writer, snacks with someone who just published their first ebook, lunch with an unpublished Harlequin hopeful, and finally, chocolate peanut butter cups with category romance writer who just made her first sale.

Yes, all of these encounters involved food, but that isn't my point, lol.
What this gave me was perspective. While everyone was at different stages of their writing career, we all shared a common bond: we loved to write. There is something about putting a pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) that gives all of us shivers of excitement. We have stories to tell, and emotions to share. We may look different, or act different, but in our hearts, we all share the same dream: to share our stories with the world.

When I went to this conference I was feeling a little down and somewhat inadequate as a writer. I left feeling inspired and energized. I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and approached other writers. I know that my life, and my writing, will be better for it.

So how about you, have you ever had to step out of your comfort zone? What was the result? Tell me about it!

While you think about your answer, check out my newest release from Red Sage, called Dark Deception.

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRw_BspWIXg

About Suzanne: After over a decade in the scientific world, Suzanne needed a creative outlet. She tried scrap booking, cooking, crocheting, painting, and piano, none of which held her interest for very long. Then one of her friends suggested writing. Thrilled with the idea of creating her own worlds, she opened up her laptop and never looked back. When Suzanne’s not writing, she can be found playing with her two daughters, testing her husband’s latest kitchen creations, or curled up with her favorite romance novel in her central Massachusetts home.

Backlist:
Spyder's Web, Loose Id
Up on the Housetop (Book 1 of the Kyron Pack), Loose Id
Cria, Loose Id
Down on the Boardwalk (Book 2 of the Kyron Pack), Loose Id

Dark Deception (Book 1 of the Immortal Realm), Red Sage

You can learn more about Suzanne here:
Website: www.SuzanneRock.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Suzanne_Rock

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suzanne.rock

Embrace the Shadows Blog: http://embracetheshadows.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2982868.Suzanne_Rock
Youtube Channel (so you can see my other book trailers)

Be True to Yourself

Please welcome multi-published author J.A. Saare to the blog.

I have a confession to make. When Rebecca approached me about visiting her blog, I was apprehensive. The truth is, as often as I think of myself as shy, I’ve been told I’m quite the opposite. I love to talk, meet new people, and share my love of books, old eighties horror movies, and music with as many folks as I can. Don’t believe me? Then join me on Twitter sometime. There is a damned good reason I have to limit myself when it comes to “friendly” networking. If you’ll let me, I’ll shoot the breeze all night long.

So what advice could I possibly offer to those who aren’t as, how should I say, vocal as I am? It’s a tough question, one I wasn’t sure I would be able to answer, until in a stroke of brilliance (not really, but it sounds impressive *smile*) a light bulb went off.

This year I attended Lori Foster’s Readers and Authors Gathering. It was my first ever “meet and greet,” and I was extremely nervous. How would all of these new people (including several of my peers) react to me? Would the southern accent be too obvious? Would my penchant for wearing black and speaking off the cuff be a turn off? I can’t tell you how sick I felt when I walked into the room with everyone present, clutching at the ever-wonderful author Madelyn Ford for support. We chose a table, settled in and scoped out the joint, and before long I relaxed and calmed down. Once that happened those worries and doubts vanished, and I found myself having a wonderful time. And far more importantly, I avoided a pitfall I always fell into in college, and I remained absolutely true to myself.

In my opinion, authors carry a pretty heavy burden as it is. We are not only putting our stories out there for the world to love or hate, but a piece of ourselves as well. No matter how often I hear people state that there is no portion of them in a story, I’m not sure I buy it. On some level, you have to be able to relate to your characters. Be it in their happiness, their pain, or their darkness. So when I meet those brave enough to put a piece of their soul to paper, I want to get to know the real person behind the story. Each of us are extremely complex, no matter how normal we appear on the surface, and getting to meet and talk to the unique individual within is like finding the coveted prize children seek inside their box of Lucky Charms.

If my trip to Lori’s gathering taught me anything it is that there is a lot of fun to be had when you put pretenses to the side and open yourself to those around you. Chances are if you allow yourself to do this, you’ll be able to absorb far more about those you meet as well.

Speaking of Lori’s gathering -- if any of you decide to make the trip next year, be sure to look for me. I love a gabfest and, even if you’re shy at the beginning, I’m sure I can convince you to sit back, relax, and kick off your heels.

J.A. Saare is a multi-published author in varying genres and has written stories featured in horror magazines, zombie romance anthologies, and flash fiction contests. Her work has a notable dark undertone, which she credits to her love of old eighties horror films, tastes in music, and choices in reading. Currently she is penning numerous projects within the urban fantasy, erotic and contemporary, and of course, paranormal romance categories. You can learn more about J.A. at her website and her blog. Those interested in her "naughtier" side can visit her alias, AlineHunter, at http://www.alinehunter.com/.

Currently she is penning numerous projects within the urban fantasy,erotic and contemporary, and of course, paranormal romance categories.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

Guest Blogger: BETH TRISSEL
Please help me welcome fellow Pixie Chick, Beth Trissel. A 2008 Golden Heart finalist, Beth has published four romance novels and has several more in the works. A self-described romantic, she weaves history and paranormal elements into her love stories. Three of her novels made the Publisher's Weekly BHB Reader's Choice Best Books of 2009. You can learn more about Beth at her website, http://www.bethtrissel.com/ and her publisher's website http://www.thewildrosepress.com/.

As a historical/light paranormal romance author published primarily in the digital media with The Wild Rose Press, I strive to find ways to reach my target audience, mostly women who read romance. However, I also have some male readers. In my quest to connect with people, think globally here, I happened upon a venue right under my nose, making better use of Myspace. I’m also tapped into Facebook, Twitter, Gather…the internet is full of networking opportunities. With the rapid growth of E-readers and other reading devices, the digital market is only expanding.

I have an ‘If you build it they will come’ mentality based on that famous quote from the movie Field of Dreams. It seems apt for an author reaching for the stars. I decided it wasn’t enough to simply hope potential readers found me, so I went in search of them. In the process, I’ve made some wonderful new friends. I’m also building a readership.

Regarding Myspace which has been very good to me, first create an appealing profile. Be very specific about what you write and where your books are available, as you would with key words for your blog posts. That way when readers do a search for a certain genre/topic, your page will come up. Then think what Myspace sites are likely to be frequented by readers.

Successful authors who write in a similar genre as yours are a good place to start. Take a look at their friends and those of such sites as The Romantic Times, Coffee Time, and various book clubs/groups, again, particularly those that specialize in your genre. But any reading or book lover group is worth exploring. Not overlooking librarians, booksellers, reviewers and others in the literary world who might be interested in your work.

Read over their profiles and see what you can identify with. Send a short greeting along with your friend invite saying something about yourself. If an individual accepts, follow up with a note commenting in a positive, at times even sympathetic way, on whatever strikes you in their profile; include a few lines about what you write and your website.

I’ve been deeply touched by many of these women and the courageous lives they lead. Initially, I reached out to readers, but it’s their reaching back that touches me. Women want to feel a connection with each other. Authors and readers are no different. *Again, not to neglect my male readers/friends.

Making valuable connections on social networking sites may be an excellent way to build your readership. The possibilities are limitless and growing all the time. Plus, you may make some lifelong friends. And, after awhile, people will come to you.

About blogs, I’m a big blogger and have multiple blogs: Wordpress (it feeds into Goodreads), Blogger, I’m a member of the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers… My blogs at Myspace and Authorsden get the most hits. I know this from the stats, not the comments left. I have Lots of lurkers who count just as much.

Amazon Connect provides authors with a profile page and blog that allows up to three posts at a time. To get the most mileage from a post I REPOST on my primary blogs and try to put up something new every day or two. Strive for good key words to help drive traffic. An appealing, well maintained author website is vital. I link my website with my favorite blog and vice versa: http://www.bethtrissel.com/

*Always give your website and blog in your signature line and whenever you leave comments on other blogs. I need to remember this one myself.

I often announce my posts on various loops, Facebook, my update status at Myspace (linked to Twitter) and give the blog link. My current favorite blog is: http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/

The reason I have so many blogs is because they each have readers, so why drop one? And they’re FREE, except for a minor fee at Authorsden. There are also innumerable sites like Readers and Writers of Distinctive Fiction where I have a profile and post occasional blogs, pics, book trailers, etc. The Wild Rose Press has various blogs their authors have access to.

I post on a variety of topics: the history/inspiration behind my stories, old Southern recipes, herbal lore & gardening, anything that interests me. I tie the themes in with my books wherever applicable. And of course, I do promo, but endeavor to make it appealing. I illustrate my posts and excerpts with photographs taken by my talented family, purchased from royalty free stock, or from the net if the image isn’t copyrighted. Being a Virginian with roots reaching well back into our state’s history, I set many of my books here. Local pics of the Shenandoah Valley and mountains are a great asset.

This info should give you a good jumping off place, but there’s much more to promo, like appearing on blog radio, getting an interview in the paper, tapping into groups with a shared interest in the subject of your book, entering contests for authors...Speaking of which, I’ve gone after Reader’s Choice Awards and won with the support from my wonderful online friends!

*BHB Reader's Choice Best Books of 2009 (Barbara Vey’s Blog at Publisher’s Weekly)

Somewhere My Love, my murder mystery/ghost story romance with flashbacks to early nineteenth century Virginia, is in the ultimate Cover Contest at Embrace The Shadows Blogspot. I’d appreciate your vote for it at: http://embracetheshadows.wordpress.com/

Never underestimate the value of shameless begging.

Facing our fears...whatever they are

Sixteen days from now I face one of my greatest fears. Sitting behind a table with a pile of my books, in an actual bookstore, hoping like crazy someone will show up and actually buy one of my books. But, you know what I’m starting to learn? This fear is a result of something far deeper. It’s the same thing that feeds my anxiety of getting out from behind my PC and venturing into the world as a bona fide author. A real, honest-to-goodness author. I began to understand this fear a bit more after my first meeting with a bookseller. Suddenly I was incredibly shy (more so than my natural shyness), my heart was pounding, my face was burning – all because I was about to admit I was an author.

You see, the problem is embracing this new identity, this great, dream-come-true identity that I have longed for since a child. And suddenly I’m afraid to step out into the light and admit what I am. An author. A writer. A creative person.

I have no advice, no report from the trenches since I’ve yet to leave the confines of my peaceful home, but if you’re like me and you find yourself approaching a milestone you’ve worked hard for, whether it be sending out that very first query, or pitching to an agent, or going to your first book signing, and you find yourself more shy than normal, anxious, afraid, or all of the above, then remember this:

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
Talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
People won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people
Permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

--Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

So my greatest fear is not the booksellers. It’s not a book signing, or a reading in front of a hundred people, or the fact that I’m a naturally shy/introverted person. It’s an inability to believe I have the right to be successful, to believe that I am worthy and deserve this, that I am ‘powerful beyond measure’.

So when I’m sitting behind that table, I’m going to keep telling myself that it’s okay to let my light shine.

Hmm. Maybe I should hand out sunglasses.

WRITING: A Solitary Pursuit?

Please help me welcome this week's guest blogger, my friend and fellow Pixie Chick (aka 2008 Golden Heart® finalist), Avery Beck.

A two-time Golden Heart® finalist, Avery writes contemporary romance for Samhain Publishing and is currently celebrating the release of her second book, For His Eyes Only. For more information about Avery or her books, please visit www.averybeck.com.


There’s a common misconception that writing is a lonely career, with romance novels specially reserved for bored housewives or spinsters with fifteen cats. Writing is antisocial, quiet and private—after all, it’s just the writer and her computer. Right?


Wrong. Once you’re published, it’s you and the whole world. At the very least, it’s you and the millions of people on the Internet. Google me or my books, and up come pages and pages of results. Search images, and there’s my face plastered across the WWW dozens of times over. Ack!

Promotion is a must in this business. Readers can’t buy your book if they don’t know about it. Authors are encouraged to do workshops, signings, contests, guest blogs, social networking, you name it. Online and off, there are a barrage of opinions on each book, whether they be intelligent critiques from seasoned reviewers or scathing posts about how much “this book sucks”—written by anonymous twelve-year-old boys. How many people visit my website every day? Read my blog? What about the readers who might come across that scathing post from the twelve-year-old boy and believe a book is horrible…and the hot, explicit excerpts available to Mom and Grandma with the click of a mouse?


ACK!


For writers who expected to hide behind book covers and Word documents, finding ourselves in the public eye can be a bit intimidating. But books are entertainment, and authors are entertainers (though most of us, sadly, go without the bling and the red carpet), so take a breath and consider how to make the most of being “out there”.


Take advantage of the opportunity to edit yourself. In college, I took a required public speaking course. The planned, written-before-delivery speeches were fine and good. However, I also had to give two improvised speeches—as in, the professor handed me a topic and five minutes to come up with an argument to present to the entire class. Oh, boy, did I stink those up. In fact, I bailed on the second one and told the guy to give me a zero, because seriously. I don’t do improvisation. Being the center of attention is nerve-wracking enough with preparation!


When it comes to shyness, the best part of being a writer is that much of our interaction takes place in print. Our stories are revised multiple times and approved by editors before they go public. Online, we can use the magical delete button and rewrite sentences, entire posts or emails before hitting “send”. The computer serves as a great filter to help you put your best self forward. Unlike my miserable speech class, you have time to make sure you say what you mean—tactfully—and avoid foot-in-mouth syndrome later.


Make friends—and not just to raise your Facebook tally. Facebook is a useful tool, of course. But there are myriad ways to meet readers and other writers, all without having to worry if your shoes are cute, your breath fresh and your opening line interesting enough to carry a conversation. Comment on blogs, join forums, and if you find someone you enjoy talking to, send an email about a topic of interest to both of you. Ask questions. Give compliments. People I’d never met approached me at RWA’s national conference because they recognized my name from online communities. My fellow GH finalists and I greeted each other with the kind of squeals and hugs usually reserved for long-lost friends—and we didn’t have to fumble for a reason to approach and say hello. We already knew each other because we’d participated in joint activities online.


Frankly, just don’t give a damn. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received is this: do what you need to do, and don’t worry about anyone’s reaction. I have a bad habit of hesitating to do or say things because I constantly think, “What if he says this? What if she does that? Oh, surely they’re going to laugh at me.” You know what? It doesn’t matter. You get nowhere fast trying to please everyone. Blow off the bad reviews, the internet pirates, the journalists who pull bits and pieces from your interview answers to make romance novels sound like the trashiest things ever.


If you spend your career trying to hide from that stuff, you won’t get your name or your books in front of your audience. And isn’t that the point of being an author?


Writers: what do you think? Has author-dom brought on more attention than you expected? Readers, do you care how much effort an author puts into public appearances (online or off), or do you just want to pick up a good book?


Next week: Debut erotica romance author, Cari Quinn, talks about busting out of her introverted comfort zone to write and sell erotica!

Pitching With Confidence

Please welcome our guest this week, Jeannie Lin. Not only did she just win the 2009 Golden Heart® award for historical romance, she also sold to Harlequin Mills & Boon. She writes sweeping historical romances set in Tang Dynasty China. After finishing two manuscripts, she queried and pitched like crazy for nearly a year before signing with an agent. Her winning and selling manuscript, Butterfly Swords, is her second manuscript. Learn more about her at http://www.jeannielin.com.



When I’m writing something like this, I sound so confident like I have no fear and this is all so easy. But that’s not me at all! I’m the shy girl, the girl that people come up to and say, “Why are you so quiet?” as if that will help me come out of my shell. My hands shake every time I’ve pitched. My toes feel numb and my stomach goes all swirly.


How do I get through it then? I remember that I want this bad! I remember that I know my story like the back of my hand and that it deserves a chance. I remember that confidence can be faked.


I also remember these three things:


1. Agents and editors will usually request.


2. Don’t think of it as a pitch. Think of it as a job interview.


3. The worst thing you can do when pitching is to try to tell your story (according to Michael Hague)


Agents and Editors Will Usually Request If they represent or publish what you write, they’ll usually ask for at least a partial. Some people are disappointed when they find this out because it means they shouldn’t be overjoyed by a request, but I think of it as a huge relief. This is your foot in the door. You can wow them with your writing, which is what you’d need to do anyway, right?


Just by the fact that you’re pitching indicates a certain level of seriousness about publishing that a query letter can’t necessarily convey. Your submission will now have the magical words “Requested” on it. But your job is not done. You still want to make a good impression so that when the submission arrives, it’s the one the agent/editor opens first and WANTS to fall in love with. Which leads me to my second point.


Think of the Pitch as a Job Interview  In a job interview, you have two goals. You want to make a good impression and show that you’re someone who would be great to work with, but you also want to find out whether you want the job. So instead of you quivering before that all powerful agent, think of it as a chance for them to get to know you and for you to find out about them as well.


Almost every pitch I’ve done has been a conversation. The agent/editor will ask questions about your projects, but they’re also very open to answering questions and giving suggestions. In the end, the actual book I was pitching was definitely the centerpoint of the conversation, but it wasn’t the only point of pitching.


The Worst Thing You Can Do Is Tell Your Story Michael Hague said that in Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds and it’s a good motto to remember.


Before I’d ever pitched, I saw people writing long summaries that they would memorize. I was scared to death! After researching and doing a few pitches myself, I realized that the agent doesn’t want a summary of your entire story crammed into five minutes. They want to know the hook and the premise. They want to get enough flavor to pique their interest. After that, it’s the writing that will sell the book.


So if you’re not supposed to tell your story, what do you say? Here are some guidelines that have helped me.


Putting The Pitch Together  I’m going to stick to the pitch appointment as opposed to the art of the elevator pitch or what I prefer to call the cocktail pitch.


First, do not start telling your story from start to finish. Do not start explaining who your characters are and why they’re there and how you came up with the idea. Of course, you may in the course of the pitch be asked to expand and that’s fine, but from the moment you open your mouth, you want to boil down your pitch to the marketable elements. You want to immediately set up a picture in the editor or agent’s head of where your story fits on the shelf and what’s the hook that makes it marketable.


1. Be very specific about the details up front: genre, word count, title.
Most importantly, do not be wishy-washy on genre! You may think that your book doesn’t quite fit into a specific category, but do not lead with that uncertainty. It makes the editor or agent uncertain. Remember you’re not trying to explain exactly what your story is with all of its nuances. You’re trying to position it in the market. Look the editor in the eye and say something like, “It’s a romantic suspense with paranormal elements” instead of “Well, it’s a mystery, but it’s also got vampires and werewolves even though it’s not focused on the paranormal.”

Here was my pitch for my unusual premise:


“Butterfly Swords is a historical romance set in the Tang Dynasty. It also has an alternative history twist that brings medieval warriors from Europe into 8th century China.”

 2. Marketable elements
Common plots or premises - These are the elements that are easy to recognize. They can be common or popular elements within a sub-genre.


Examples: secret baby stories, arranged marriages, vampires, shifters, Navy Seals, private investigators, etc.


High concept - This is a trope or a description that immediately describes your story in few words. Often this is a comparison to a classic and timeless story, but that’s not always necessary to be high concept. People have used X meets Y such as “Buffy the Vampire slayer meets Regency England”, but that’s not always necessary either.


Examples: An ordinary boy finds out he’s a wizard. A Romeo and Juliet story between two rival gangs. The Wizard of Oz told from the perspective of the Wicked Witch.
Comparable Titles - You may not want to risk comparing yourself, but you should know who else does something similar to what you write. It shows you’ve done your homework and they may end up asking to get a better idea of the project you’re describing.

 3. The pitch - Hero, Heroine and Conflict
 There are many different formulas for pitching and they all can work. I find Hero, Heroine and Conflict is a good one for romance. Jessica Faust points out that within that framework, the conflict has to be something besides the romance, because the romance is a given. Also within the initial pitch, you should have “The Hook”. (Ah, the magical word. More later.)


a. Who’s the heroine?


b. Who’s the hero?


c. What’s the inciting incident the kick starts the story and brings them together?


d. What’s the conflict?

 4. Hook
The hook is what makes your story unique. Having a high concept hook that is easy to visualize can help, but don’t feel that it’s necessary. You want to highlight what makes your story different from everything else out there. Really take the time to identify this and push it in your pitch.


Sample Pitch--Here’s what my pitch sort of sounds like. This is a recreation of my pitch because I’ve never had it written down and it sounds rough on purpose.


Butterfly Swords is a 90,000 word historical romance set in the Tang Dynasty. It has an alternative history twist which brings medieval swordsmen from Europe across the Silk Road into 8th century China.


Ai Li is a princess who's running from an arranged marriage armed with her butterfly swords. She's discovered her husband-to-be is plotting against the throne. Ryam is a western swordsman who rushes into a gang of bandits to save her when she gets attacked. As the two of them try to return to the palace, of course they start falling for each other. But she's a princess and he's a barbarian. So they have to challenge a powerful warlord as well as the Emperor in order to be together.


I deliver it very conversationally. The sentences are very short, not run on. I don't like to memorize or drop into what I call blurb-speak because I know I get very nervous and I'll forget. I know it's not flashy, but it's what I can deliver while shaking. I rarely get to the end of this pitch before the agent/editor interrupts for questions or (hopefully) to request!


I found that if you're missing something the agent really wants to know, they'll simply ask about it. You don't need to make the pitch super detailed. It is important to have an end to your pitch planned so you don't just trail off and there's an awkward silence when they don't know if you're finished or not.


Though I’ve never said these out loud, here were the marketable elements I was trying to get out in the pitch:


Stranger in a strange land


Culture clash - hero and heroine from two different worlds


Swordfights and action


Exotic setting


High concept hook: East meets West


Jeannie’s Quick and Dirty Pitch Essentials:


1. Dress professionally. When you look around a pitch room, you can almost tell who’s in it to win it. You want the agents to think the same thing when they see you after a long day of taking pitches.

 2. Show up early to the pitch room to check in and get comfortable. If you’ve never done it before, you may pitch in a small meeting room or a giant conference hall. The pitch session moderators will check you in and line you up outside before leading you into the room.


3. Don’t read your pitch if you can help it. It’s okay to be nervous, it’s not okay to be robotic and monotone which can happen when people read or memorize. Remember you want to sound personable and dynamic. People tend to write long flowery pitches, but the agent/editor will glaze over the details if you ramble on. Speak in short succinct sentences that you can remember. Don’t lose the details in complicated verbiage. Of course, if you’re too nervous and need to read, please do! No one wants anyone to be uncomfortable during the pitch session.


4. Finish early to leave time for conversation. Your pitch should really be around 1-2 minutes long. See, a lot easier than planning to speak for five or ten minutes, right?


5. Have at least one question up your sleeve to ask them. This is where it helps if you’ve looked up some recent blog they’ve done or done your homework on their authors. Some fallback questions I’ve used: Ask about their agency/publishing line, clients, history, etc. Where do they see your book fitting in the market? How would they suggest you position your book?


6. Be ready to speak about another project. Agents will commonly ask what else you’re working on, so have that backup ready to go.


7. When you get a request, get the details! Find out if they want it snail mail or e-mail, how many pages, and whether they want a synopsis. Do they want you to send to a special address or put something particular in the subject or on the envelope? Write down these details because you’ll forget and then feel like a ditz later. Trust me, I speak from experience.


8. Finally, before you pitch to an agent or editor, say it out loud to somebody to iron out the jitters. Remember, don’t be so concerned about memorizing it word for word. Just practice in front of supportive people so you can be aware of what sort of questions will come up. I was blessed to be invited to a practice session before I pitched at Nationals for the very first time. At the pitching party, I was able to learn from more experienced writers about what to focus on when pitching. I suppose that’s one of the reasons I wanted to give back by doing this post.


I know I couldn’t cover it all so I’ll be hanging around to answer questions. And if you’d like to throw your pitch out there, maybe we can all help out.


Enjoy the conference and good luck pitching!

For the list of my pitching resources and links, visit my blog and click on the “Coffee Talk: Pitching” tab. Blog: http://www.jeannielin.com/blog