I was visiting a friend of mine who happens to be a best-selling paranormal author today and we got to discussing the best ways to track complicated worlds and series. You see, unfortunately, I am simply NOT capable of keeping the various information in my mind. Part of that may be because I’m writing in more than a single world but part of it is just that it’s a big job. As a reader, I hate it when authors violate their own world rules and I really don’t want it to happen to me.

I am also a neurotic planner. I storyboard, I write out character sheets for my main characters, I have world notes, etc. This is good UNTIL I need to look up something and I can’t remember which file its in or on which computer. Then I can quickly drive myself to insanity. Okay - MORE insanity. This is even more true right now when my primary writing laptop is awaiting a hardware repair and files are backed up but not in their usual places.

My friend showed me the story binder she keeps for her complex paranormal world and a light went on for me. This is what I need to do.

The binder is divided into a few primary sections:

• Primary Characters
• Secondary Characters
• Villains
• Locations
• World Notes
• Reference and Research Material

She updates the binder when she writes each book. She happens to be a pantser (shhh—she hates that term) so she does it after each book is out of edits.

To me, at least, it makes perfect sense. Here is a home for all the various info I create or collect before I start to write the story. I bet I can even get in the storyboard (or a photo or transcription thereof).

So, since I have three worlds created that need to be tracked, I stopped at the office supply store on the way home and bought a couple of binders and dividers and one of my goals for the times when it’s too busy/noisy for me to concentrate on writing is to set up the binders for my worlds. It’s a great way to keep track of the information and world rules and have it handy to leaf through without hunting through the electronic files for them.

So you’re looking for a publisher. Are you looking for strictly ebook? strictly print? Both? Those are just three of the many things you will need to decide when you undertake the enormous task of picking the right publisher.

Piers Anthony lists many publishers and comments on them based on emails he receives. (So if you have positive things to say, you should email him instead of having him receive only negative comments.)

http://www.hipiers.com/publishing.html

Preditors and Editors lists publishers and comments on them. http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/peba.htm

A list of book editors that acquire manuscripts from first time authors: http://www.bookmarket.com/newnovels.htm

When looking for a publisher, I make sure the ones that interest me are accepting manuscripts of my genre and heat level. Then I check them on the Pred and Ed list and Piers’ list. After that, I will join the publishers chat loop and ‘listen’ in on how active the authors are, and if they seem happy. I will also visit a publisher’s website and check for several things.

1-How professional is the design?

2-How many authors have books available?

3-How many books do those authors have available?

4-If I can find out the owners name, I will look to see if the owners and senior editors and cover art staff all have books released and how many of the total authors in their stable are also on staff. To some people that does or doesn’t matter. I check to see how many non staff authors there are because I want to make sure they are pushing other people’s books, not just their own.

Then if I am still interested, I will purchase at least two books to see the quality of editing. Let’s be realistic, after staring at our story for weeks or months, we don’t see some things that good editors will catch. If the editing in the stories is acceptable, then I think about how well written the stories were and if I enjoyed them. If the editing sucks, I cross that publisher off my list and move on. If the editing was good, and the story likable, then I keep them on my list.

5-Search bars and author lists. How easy is it to find listings of authors and books? The harder it is, the less a reader will want to visit that site and waste time searching for a book they saw promoed that looked really enticing, but now is impossible to navigate the site to find.

6-Shopping cart. How easy is it to purchase the book, and how many formats is it available in? Does the publisher lists books on 3rd party sites, and which ones? (ie: ARe and Fictionwise - Authors do not make much on books sold through those sites, however the exposure is great.)

7-How many years have they been in business? (the longer, the better )

After all that, and having visited the chat loops, and privately emailed any author I feel comfortable asking about their happiness with their publisher, I will then sit down and check the pros and cons and decide which publisher would be best suited to me.

Hopefully what works for me will work for you, and you can happily find a good publisher.

Michelle

Here’s an unedited excerpt from my novella, The Shape Of a Heart, which will appear in the Hot Comfort anthology from MLR Press.

Blurb

Grieving after the death of his partner, Zach finds comfort amidst bookshelves and coffee beans in the arms of his new employee, but a secret from Keith’s
past will threaten their new-found happiness and test the strength of their tender, new love.

Copyright 2008 by Kimberly Gardner, all rights reserved.

Excerpt
Keith opened the refrigerator, grabbed the wedge of Locatelli Romano from the top shelf and set it on the counter. What else? While the cool air caressed his heated skin he reviewed the ingredients for the dinner he was cooking for Zach.

The salmon in its white paper sat next to the colander of spring mix, rinsed and ready to go. The little basket of raspberries for the vinaigrette peeked out from behind the tall, dessert glasses filled with chocolate mousse. Maybe they would eat the mousse in bed. That would be fun.
Read the rest of this entry »

November is the month of the full Snow Moon. If the lovers in my new release DESERT FEVER by Adele Dubois were driving through the Mojave Desert in Marybeth’s convertible, the moon would cast bright light over the Joshua Trees ahead. Marybeth and Jake would hear the sounds of coyotes, mountain lions, crickets, and katydids in the distance. The ‘booming’ noise of the Kelso Sand Dunes, where rose quartz particles and residual sand collide to form a distinctive pink, would echo in the cool autumn air. The citrus fragrance of ragged rock flowers that grow through cliff side cracks would scent the night.

The November full moon will arrive November 13, 2008, when the astrological calendar is in Taurus. The full Snow Moon is also called Frost Moon or Fog Moon, due to the month’s predominant weather pattern, and Beaver Moon in American backwoods tradition. I like the sound of Snow Moon best, because its name is the most romantic.

The Joshua Tree is the symbol of the Mojave Desert; the only American desert where these trees will grow. The full moon is a symbol of love. The Celts called November the time of beginnings and endings, and I think Marybeth and Jake would agree. Their love began in the Mojave Desert, where DESERT FEVER is set; the place Marybeth found Jake after his motorcycle became disabled.

What about the hero and heroine’s ending? In romance, there can be only one.

Happily-Ever-After, of course.

http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419919060

Adele Dubois will be joining us on November 13th to promote her new book, Desert Fever

No, I’m not going to start singing from the movie Aladdin.

I’ve come back around to a story that involves building an entirely different world. It didn’t really hit me until recently, but before my latest project, I hadn’t built a full world since the Dark Elves. The Leashed world is pretty much modern day with a few changes so that doesn’t count. Heaven Sent is based on the real world, so that doesn’t count.

For the elves, I had to come up with an entirely different way that things worked. There was magic and a medieval sort of setting not to mention a race of elves that lived underground and never saw the sun. So that took some adjustment, to say the least. But it turned out okay. Read the rest of this entry »

If writers only wrote for money 95% of us would quit.  Yes, sad but true is the statistic that tells us 5% of the authors out there are making 95% of the money.  Why do the rest of us do it?  It has to be for love.  Love of the creative process?  Maybe, but in my opinion that isn’t enough, either.  Would we be happy just writing our stories and letting them sit in our desk drawers?  I wouldn’t. 

So what is it?  Do we write for the love of our publishers?  Hell no.  I may be wrong, but I think I’ve noticed a trend of money making the world go around and that includes the publishing industry.  My publisher might love me if I made her a rich woman, but I’m not in that 5% yet…so no.  I’m not one of the fortunate authors “singled out” for special treatment because I could afford to put my boss in a yacht.

So where are we getting our love from?  Simple.  Readers.  Who else have no obligation to love us, but do, simply because we shared something we created and they loved it? Readers, reviewers, fans…call them what you will, that’s who keeps us going.    

I received a fan letter two days after Love Cuffs was released. I recently asked the reader if I could share her letter and she gave me an enthusiastic ‘yes,’ so here it is.

Unsolicited fan letter

Hi; I just finished reading Love Cuffs and wanted you and your writing partner Dalton Diaz to know how much I enjoyed it.  It was just about the most entertaining and funny story I’ve read to date; certainly up there with the likes of Amarinda Jones who also writes humorous erotic fiction (a favorite Authoress of mine).  I almost didn’t read it Love Cuffs either and boy, would I have missed out on one fabulous tale.  I normally don’t read stores written in the first-person and that is what almost kept me from reading Love Cuffs BUT thankfully the subject of the story attracted me and I dove-in!

It’s a wonderfully humorous story and I loved it from beginning to end.  You (Ashlyn) and Dalton did a fantastic writing job and I’ll be looking for more of your stories in the future.  I did notice that there are already stories out by you and I’ll be checking into those shortly. 

Thank you for such a find story.  It’s always a pleasure to find new favorite writers. 

Take care.

Colleen

Goleta, CA

Thank you, Colleen. It’s words like yours that keep us putting our words together in semi-coherent ways for the love of it, and you make it worth everything we go through to share the love with you.  I don’t know where I’d be without kind words from my readers.  There are so many people out there ready to tear you down without blinking, but a letter like this can make all the difference in my day, week, month and career! 

So when we’re not making as much money as we know we’re worth, what makes up for it?  You do, readers!  You do.

Ash

Can you believe it’s winter already? OK, so almost winter. Either way, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means Christmas is looming out there like that monster at the firehouse on Halloween scaring all the kiddies.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This is my favorite time of year. From Thanksgiving until Christmas, there is so much to do I get nervous just thinking about it. J But it’s a good nervous. I tend to not get much writing done, but it’s a wonderful time for my son, who’s five. He loves all the cooking and baking, not to mention the toys on Christmas. I think my holiday spirit is contagious.

I’m not big on decorating, though my son loves the tree if it has lots of lights. He could care less about anything else. Naturally, I cram as many lights as my little four-foot tree will hold, and rig up more extension cords than I should, but hey! Ya gots ta have da lights at Christmas.

My mother gave my son a “cooking pumpkin” this year instead of a “carving pumpkin.” It was fun gutting and pealing the thing. *rolling eyes* But it tasted out of this world when I made the pie! I’ve frozen what was left to make for Thanksgiving. Should be fun.

I’ve already got the turkey and will defrost it the week of Thanksgiving. I could have gotten a ham, but after doing that the year before last, we decided it was worth the extra money for the turkey. Cause, it’s just not Thanksgiving without a turkey. Ok, at least that’s what my husband said. Personally, I was good and the little one didn’t care. He’s like a human garbage disposal at this point. He eats anything not nailed down to the table.

So, while all that stuff is cooking, while I have my husband and son untangling miles of Christmas lights. I’ll be plotting. Thinking. Devising all kinds of sexy things I’m going to do to Santa while everyone sleeps.

Hum. Wonder if I should put it in a book?

*evil grin*

Teeka
www.marteekakarland.com

Join Kimberly Gardner when she visits the ladies of LAW here on Sept 18th and Oct 18th.

Kimberly will also be joining us Nov 18th and Dec 18th.