Ideas for Tightening up Your Manuscript - Tips for Authors

Self-editing is probably my least favorite of all the writing tasks, but it, along with the other proofreading and revising steps, are the most important to your manuscript. Here are some ideas of ways to tighten your work and make it more polished before you send out queries. You often only get one shot with an agent or publisher, so your manuscript needs to be the best it possibly can.

• Read the dialogue out loud. If you don’t want to be the reader, use the “Read Aloud” function on Microsoft Word’s Review tab. You will often hear things that need to be adjusted.

• Look at your dialog. Make sure it moves your story forward. Remove the chitchat if it doesn’t add to the story. Fluffy filler needs to go.

• Review your dialog tags (he said/she said). Use the Goldilocks method. You need what’s just right (not too many and not too few). The reader needs to know who the speaker is, but every line doesn’t need a tag.

• Look for places where the action is mundane. If you are bored, your readers will be too.

• Print out a copy of your manuscript and read it chapter by chapter. You will see more mistakes on paper than you will on the screen.

• Use your spell checker to catch extra spaces and typos.

• Search for “be” verbs (is/was/were…). Try to substitute a stronger verb. These are usually parts where you’re doing a lot of telling and not showing.

• Look for examples of passive voice and make those sentences active.

• Review long paragraphs and make sure all the detail adds to your story. Backstory (your character’s history) is important, but it needs to be sprinkled in. Long chucks of history read like a police report or a data dump. They take the reader out of the story’s action.

• Look at the action in your story. You do not need to describe every single step and thing that your characters encounter. If your story is about your character flying to Europe, you really don’t need to tell us about all the things she does to get to the airport unless it is key to the work.

• Make a list of your overused words We all have our favorites. Mine are “just” and “that.” During my editing, I search for these and replace or delete as many as I can.

• Pay attention to the details. If you rename or change something, make sure you’ve removed or updated all references. I beta-read a few chapters for someone the other day, and this person had two different names for the main character and two different spellings of one of the names.

To me, editing is harder than writing, but it is so important to the overall project. What else would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kristin Kisska

I am so excited to welcome the amazing Kristin Kisska to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave:

I always have some sort of beverage near me in my writing cave, usually coffee, tea, or water. Sometimes I have more than one at hand!

Things that distract you from writing:

Noise, such as voices and music, keeps me from entering my writing zone. Oh, and social media is a huge temptation for me, but one that I have a hard time managing.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Staring at a blank page with no idea what to write next, especially if you are writing on a deadline. Writer’s block is very real, and I dread the experience. I’m grateful it doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, my blood pressure escalates.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Those rare, blissful moments when your characters hijack the story take over. Then, you are no longer creating the story but recording it as best as you can while it unfolds in new directions you hadn’t planned. The best part is that these writerly waves usually require the least amount of revising later on.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight:

Coffee grounds, especially if I don’t have enough to make a pot the next morning!

Things you never put on your shopping list:

Soda.

Favorite snacks:

Cheese, cheese, and cheese. My favorite type is brie, which I enjoy on pretzel chips, sandwiches, omelets, and even straight up by itself. Oh, did I mention cheese?

Things that make you want to gag:

I can’t stomach olives or liver. Yuck!

Something you’re really good at:

Parallel parking. I lived in Chicago for five years and learned how to street park the hard way.

Something you’re really bad at:

I can’t pronounce *epidemiologist* on the first try. EVER. And it’s been a fairly common word these past couple of years, for obvious reasons.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

As a kid, I always wanted to be a veterinarian. In high school, I was able to volunteer at a local (human) hospital and changed my career aspirations to be a doctor. All it took was one chemistry lecture in college to reject medicine in general.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do:

A writer! I ended up majoring in business and even got my MBA. I worked on Wall Street and have owned a marketing firm for almost twenty years. So, about fifteen years ago, discovering that I had a story (actually many stories) to tell was a shock to my system, but here we are…I’m very grateful for my writerly muse!

Something you wish you could do:

I’d love to be able to whistle through my fingers—the really loud whistle. I’ve been attempting for years but still can’t get the hang of it, even by accident.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do:

Sewing buttons. I somehow became the button-sewer-oner in my family & I quit!

Things to say to an author:

I can’t wait to buy/read your (upcoming) book. Can you talk to my book club? I just loved your (insert story title).

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:

“You write fiction? What do you do for real?” Or, “Anyone can write a novel.”

Best thing you’ve ever done:

After college, I bought a one-way flight ticket to Prague. I ended up finding a job and lived there for three years. The best part was I got to travel all over Europe while I stayed there. My family and friends all thought I was crazy for doing it, but they all ended up visiting me and touring Prague anyway. I guess I got the last laugh.

Biggest mistake:

I turned down an offer to spend six months in Australia with my cousins while my uncle was on sabbatical. It meant I would’ve had to delay starting college by a year. Back then, a gap year wasn’t as common as now. Years later, I had the opportunity to visit Down Under and learned exactly what I’d missed by not saying “yes.”

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

“I wish I’d written your story.” This was from an author I idolized, so the compliment was especially meaningful.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

A critique partner once read the first third of my draft novel and commented that nothing was happening in the story. The comment made more sense once I realized he was expecting the story to be a high-stakes thriller, not a slow burn suspense novel, but still…a lot was going on in the story. Ouch!

The most exciting thing about your writing life:

I absolutely adore book signing events. They make me feel like Cinderella at the ball.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life:

After writing and polishing my first novel, I focused my time on researching and querying literary agents. In retrospect, I wish I’d continued writing during those months as it would’ve offered me both a distraction from what is a deflating process and a new manuscript to shop around sooner. At the end of the day, though, I found my writerly home with The Stringer Literary Agency, so everything worked out for the best.

About Kristin:

Kristin Kisska used to be a finance geek, complete with MBA and Wall Street pedigree, but now she is a self-proclaimed fictionista. Kristin contributed short suspense stories to nine anthologies, including Malice Domestic’s Agatha Award-winning anthology, MYSTERY MOST EDIBLE (2018). She’ll be releasing her tenth short story, “Vendetta by the Sea” in VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES: VOL III in February 2022.

Kristin is a member of International Thriller Writers, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, James River Writers, and is the Vice President of the Central Virginia chapter of Sisters in Crime. When not penning suspense novels, she can be found reading murdery books while cuddling with her kitty. Kristin lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook – KristinKisskaAuthor

Twitter - @KKMHOO

Instagram - @KristinKisskaAuthor

Website - www.KristinKisska.com

#WriterWednesday Interview with Jackie Layton

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Jackie Layton to the blog for #WriterWednesday. I love this series!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: I love to hang out at the beach, and we now live withing five minutes of the beach. I enjoy walking, looking for shells, watching for dolphins, and just sitting and reading a good book.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: In my job as a pharmacist, I’ve spent hours on the phone. At home, I’ll put off making a phone call as long as possible (except to my family).

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: I write better if I’m showered and dressed for the day. I must have coffee or tea beside me.

Things that distract you from writing: Heinz, my Westie, likes to distract me. Social media is also distracting, especially if I’m stuck on a plot point.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Not getting your feelings hurt. You’ve got to be able to deal with rejection and criticism.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Brainstorming is the easiest and most fun thing about writing.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Rocky Road ice cream.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Jerky. I don’t even like the smell of it.

Favorite snacks: Pretzels or pecans.

Things that make you want to gag: It’s one of my husband’s favorite snacks, but Nacho Cheese Doritos make me want to gag.

Something you’re really good at: I feel like I’m a good encourager. I love to encourage people to follow their dreams, and I’ll cheer them on to victory.

Something you’re really bad at: Confrontation.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: My dad was a pharmacist, and he inspired me.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: I always dreamed of being an author but didn’t believe I could write. Finally, I decided I’d regret not trying. It took years, but it has been a thrill to get published.

Last best thing you ate: A chocolate Parlor donut. It’s a layered croissant with chocolate glaze.

Last thing you regret eating: Beef stew. Don’t ask for details. Haha

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you on a vacation: I was in the ocean on another beach vacation and got a hooked stuck in my toe. It was a big hook with lots of weights hanging off it. The tide was coming in, and the weights got buried under the sand, and I couldn’t life my foot. Finally, another wave came and I could life my foot, but all the weights were dangling and pulling against my skin. Two people helped me get to the beach. Everyone walking by had a suggestion for how to get it out, and they all sounded painful. A beach cop came on his golf cart and drove me to the nearest exit from the beach. My husband drove me to the emergency room wearing my swimsuit and a coverup.

The funniest thing that happened to you on vacation: We ate at our favorite restaurant on vacation. You walk in, order, leave your name, and pay on the way out. Our young son said we should be creative and not leave our boring name. So, we said Superman. The lady taking our order laughed and wrote down Superman. Hours later, we were sitting on the beach, and my husband asked if I’d paid for lunch. We both forgot and had to drive back to the restaurant and pay for Superman’s lunch.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Signing with my wonderful agent Dawn Dowdle was the most exciting thing. She’s nice and down to earth, and she’s great at her job.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: Before meeting Dawn, I had another agent string me along for over two years. She had me change multiple stories and kept saying I needed to write more like one of her authors. I wasted a lot of time believing that agent would sign me.

About the Book:

When a scavenger hunt turns up a dead body, dog walker Andi Grace Scott will have to make a dogged effort to collar the culprit . . .

Setting out for a day of fun on her town’s first-ever scavenger hunt, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott is dismayed to find an unattended dog wandering the streets—but that’s nothing compared to the shock she gets when she finds a dead man floating in the swimming pool of the dog’s owner. What’s more, she’d seen the very same man having a very public altercation with his wife just the night before. Despite being warned off the case by the local sheriff, Andi Grace can’t help nosing around to find out who’s behind the foul deed.

It turns out the victim was a well-known radio personality who focused on cold-case investigations and was rumored to be breaking a huge story on his next show. As Andi Grace digs deeper to learn who may have wanted him dead, she’s faced with a suspect list that includes a cold-hearted widow who stands to inherit a bundle, a local country star with family demons to hide, and any number of unknown criminals who may have been the focus of the victim’s big reveal. Whether the motive was love gone bad, a career under duress, or a killer’s deadly secret, Andi Grace knows she’ll have to act fast before she becomes the next cold case herself . . .

Praise for the Books of Jackie Layton

“Andi Grace is adorable, resilient, and has a doggedly curious need to solve a murder. A pleasure to read.” —C. Hope Clark, award-winning author of Edisto Tidings

“Completely charming—and exactly what a cozy mystery should be. Amateur sleuth (and dog whisperer) Andi Grace Scott is wonderfully endearing, and her devotion to her pooches—and to justice—will have you rooting for her from the absolutely irresistible page one.  Bow wow—What a terrific debut!”  —Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally best-selling and award-winning author of  The Murder List

“I promptly fell head over heels for this cast of characters, and the dogs burrowed quickly into my heart. The plot of Bite the Dust was intriguing and complex, with plenty of surprising twists and turns. What impressed me the most, though, was the warm tone of the author’s writing voice . . . you just want to snuggle in and keep reading.” —MeezCarrie

About Jackie:

Former Kentuckian Jackie Layton loves her new life in the Low Country. She enjoys time on the beach, despite one vacation that ended with cracked ribs from riding her boogie board with the kids and another trip that ended with a fish hook in her foot and a trip to the emergency room. There’s nothing like time at the beach, although she tends to be a bit more cautious these days. Jackie is the author of four Low Country Dog Walker Mysteries, including Bite the Dust, Dog-Gone Dead, Bag of Bones, and Caught and Collared.

 Let’s Be Social:

Former Kentuckian Jackie Layton loves her new life in the Low Country. She enjoys time on the beach, despite one vacation that ended with cracked ribs from riding her boogie board with the kids and another trip that ended with a fish hook in her foot and a trip to the emergency room. There’s nothing like time at the beach, although she tends to be a bit more cautious these days. Jackie is the author of four Low Country Dog Walker Mysteries, including Bite the Dust, Dog-Gone Dead, Bag of Bones, and Caught and Collared.

 Let’s Be Social:

Jackie Layton Caught and Collared available Feb 15 (@Joyfuljel) / Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/JackieLaytonAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/Joyfuljel

https://www.instagram.com/jackielaytonauthor

https://amzn.to/2Z8VsMp

https://jackielaytoncozyauthor.com/ 

Book links:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q97LD5M?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-and-collared-jackie-layton/1140871860?ean=2940161056226

Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jackie_Layton_Caught_and_Collared?id=IdJYEAAAQBAJ&hl=en

Apple iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/caught-and-collared/id1604628619 

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/caught-and-collared-1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1126350

The Church Hill Train Disaster and VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES 3

My story, “Derailed,” appears in the third edition of Virginia is for Mysteries. In it, sassy, private investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, gets more than she bargains for when sleezy strip club owner and her best, cash-paying client, Chaz Smith, hires her to find out who’s blackmailing him and his buddies. She and her partner, Duncan Reynolds, have to find out what happened one summer evening twenty years ago and what it has to do with the Church Hill Tunnel cave-in. While trying to figure out the connection to the spooky, abandoned site where the train and several victims lie buried beneath a busy Richmond neighborhood, Delanie discovers the origin of Chaz’s mysterious teardrop face tattoo.

I have been fascinated with the Church Hill Disaster for years. The train and several of the crew were walled inside the tunnel when it became too dangerous to continue recovery efforts. It lies beneath the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond. Both ends of the tunnel have been sealed, and you could drive by them and not ever realize what lies within. Today, one end is in the courtyard of an upscale condominium community, and the other, several miles away, is in an overgrown, forgotten area covered in weeds, debris, and standing water.

The events of 1925 have spawned all kinds of ghost stories, legends, and theories. People who live atop the hill talk about the characteristic “Church Hill Lean” that some of the structures have because of shifts in the tunnel below, and there have been cases of building collapses through the years.

In my story, I added another body to the tragic memorial. In my fictious account, readers learn how sleezy strip club owner, Chaz Wellington Smith, III acquired his infamous, teardrop tattoo.

Virginia is for Mysteries III launches February 16, 2022. It is available for preorder in paperback, hardback, or ebook.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Paul Bahou

I’d like to welcome author, Paul Bahou, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions:

I write and edit my books on my computer, but I write my short stories on my phone. All I need is one or the other and some quiet so I can focus.

Things that hamper your writing:

TV, other people, anything that takes me out of the zone.

Things you love about writing:

Writing clears the cobwebs of the mind. You get so much mental clutter and junk over the course of the day, especially for someone like me who has a short attention span. It’s almost like meditation in a way; forcing my brain to hone in on a single train of thought for an extended period of time.

There’s also this creative itch that I have to scratch, or I go batty. I used to satisfy it by playing and writing music. Since I’ve had kids that’s been pretty difficult, so writing stories has been a very satisfying way of engaging with that call to create.

Things you hate about writing:

That I don’t get to do more of it. I have a list of story summaries on my phone that I work on when I get the time. I’m currently working on a series of short stories to release as a collection. I’m usually working on two different stories at any given time, one that’s being written on my phone and one that’s being edited on my computer.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Writing the first sentence.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Writing everything that comes after that.

Favorite music or song:

My favorite band in the world is Tool. Their music just hits me in a way that nobody else’s does. It’s heavy, it’s melodic, it’s lyrically dense and damn if they don’t sound absolutely flawless live. Their album Lateralus changed the way I look at music.

My second favorite is Carly Rae Jepson. She writes the musical equivalent of warm hugs you can dance to. I love her music. I know it’s the furthest thing from progressive metal, but aren’t we all full of contradictions in some way?

Music that drives you crazy:

100 Gecs is the group that made me realize I was old. And I’m not even old. I just can’t do whatever that is. My brain just isn’t wired for it.

Favorite beverage:

Coffee.

Something that gives you a sour face:

Anything with too much sugar in it.

Favorite smell:

Your kid when they’re a newborn and you smell their head. No greater high my friend. Fellow parents, you know what I’m talking about.

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Meat. I don’t think I’ve eaten a cheeseburger since George W. Bush was president.

Last best thing you ate:

The tacos my wife made for dinner last night. The woman is Mozart in the kitchen.

Last thing you regret eating:

That fourth taco. Oof.

Favorite places you’ve been:

I love Coachella. There’s magic in those polo fields. I really love music festivals in general. I’ve got a pretty wide palate when it comes to music, so I appreciate being to check out different types of artists in a fun, vibrant setting.

Places you never want to go to again:

I’ll go anywhere as long as I’ve got my wife with me. It’s less about the place and more about the company. I think that’s the trick to living a good life in general.

Favorite books (or genre):

I love authors like Kurt Vonnegut or Chuck Palahniuk. People who tell stories out of left field that defy typical plot line conventions.

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Anything written by someone with an opinion show on a cable news channel.

Favorite things to do:

Write music. Write stories. Talk about music. Talk about stories. Watch music. Watch stories. My novel Sunset Distortion is a story that heavily involves music. I’d say I found a way to mix my two favorite things.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing:

I’d say running through a fire and eating bugs are two things I’d like to avoid if possible.

Things that make you happy:

My children

Things that drive you crazy:

My children

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

My wife.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video:

I once saw Justin Timberlake when I was coming out of the bathroom at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. My friends and I were in college and seeing Dane Cook. We were all hammered. And not just hammered, but like, irresponsible college level wasted. Justin was in line waiting for me to come out. He was taller than I imagined. Though then again, I was pretty inebriated, it’s very possible I was slouching like some sort of confused hunchback who stumbled into the light after years in the belfry. I wanted to say hi, but I think I just grumbled incoherently at the poor guy.

About Paul:

Paul Bahou is the author of Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Cal State University Long Beach with a minor in Music. He began his career writing grants while playing in his rock band, eventually moving out of music and into the sustainability sector. He lives in Southern California with his wife Melissa, daughter Sophie and son Harrison. He writes fiction and the occasional dad joke in his spare time.

Let’s Be Social:

Website

facebook.com/paulbahouwrites

Discussion Questions for Your Books

Book clubs, whether in-person or virtual, are great ways for authors to reach readers. It’s a good idea to provide discussion questions on your website. Many authors and publishers also include them at the back of the book. Here are some ideas that can help as you think about your book from a reader’s perspective.

• It’s good to provide readers with 6-10 discussion questions about your book and its characters.

• Try to avoid spoilers as you craft your discussion points.

• These are to spur discussion and thought, so avoid ones that can be answered with a yes, no, or quick fact.

• Look for themes in your book that you can highlight for readers.

• Make a list of pop culture and other references in your book. These can be incorporated into discussion items.

• Google '“book club questions.” There are lots of sites with generic questions that you can sprinkle in your list.

• If you have different books in the series, make sure that your questions vary and aren’t the same for each book.

• Create a page on your website for book clubs with the discussion questions.

• Think like an English teacher as you compose your questions. Look for items to compare, contrast, or explain.

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Robert P. French

I’d like to welcome author, Robert P. French to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: My laptop of course but more importantly the tools I use on it. I use SimpleMind to keep track of all the story ideas and the general flow of the book. I also have developed a spreadsheet that tracks each chapter and scene. It shows the date, time and location for each scene and all the characters who appear or are referenced in the scene and who is the point-of-view character. Other essentials are a thermos of good coffee and my writing playlist which is seven and a half hours of classical music.

Things that hamper your writing: Getting started. But once I start writing, I’m in the zone and nothing gets to me until I run out of steam.

Things you love about writing: The feeling I get as a new book starts to take shape and ideas pop into my head. I don’t plan my books in detail and let the writing and the characters take the book where it needs to go. This approach brings some wonderful surprises and plot twists. In my first book, Junkie, I didn’t know who the killer was until I was about seventy percent into the book. I also love the joy of expressing something in a really interesting way; sometimes, I will chew over a single sentence until I get it just right. But by far the best things are the emails and reviews I get from my readers after the release of a new book.

Things you hate about writing: Three things: getting stuck, getting stuck and getting stuck.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The constant worry that the book you are currently writing is not going to be as good as the previous ones.

Easiest thing about being a writer: People often ask me, ‘Where do you get your plot ideas?’ Getting plot ideas is the easiest part of writing. They pop into my head all the time. The trick is to spot that some random thought which has appeared, unbidden, in your consciousness is a potential plot line. Just make sure you write it down because it can pop out of your head just as easily as it popped in.

Words that describe you: Friendly, cheerful, humorous, logical, fair and not quite as intelligent as I like to think I am.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Stubborn and sometimes dogmatic.

Favourite beverage: I love craft beer. When I first emigrated to Canada, I really missed the beer of my native England. When the craft beer revolution started I was an instant fan. I am lucky enough to now live within a seven-minute walk of seven excellent craft breweries.

Something that gives you a sour face: Any drink with a cherry flavour. I love to eat cherries, they are one of my favourite fruits, but somehow, the taste of the fruit in a drink gets morphed into something I gag on.

Things you always put in your books: Unexpected twists and turns in the plot and in the lives of the characters.

Things you never put in your books: Long descriptions of a character’s physical characteristics. As a reader, I like to create the characters in my mind the way I want to see them, so I give my readers the same choice.

Things to say to an author: “Why do you write?” “How can I become a writer?” Where do you get your inspiration for plots and characters?” and of course, “Where can I buy your books?”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I’ve never read any of your books because I only read literary fiction.”

Favourite places you’ve been: New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Hong Kong, London as it was in my youth.

Places you never want to go to again: Prison… just joking. Hong Kong as it descends into becoming an oppressed city.

Favourite books (or genre): I enjoy crime fiction (I am a huge Michael Connelly fan) and sci-fi (my favourite sci-fi book is still Asimov’s Foundation trilogy). My favourite author of all time is John Steinbeck. Although I am not a huge fan of fantasy, I have read Lord of the Rings twelve times over the years.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Books where the protagonist is perfect. Paranormal fiction.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Philosopher and neuroscientist Sam Harris, physicist Bryan Cox, astrophysicist, Neil Degrasse Tyson, actors Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman, author Michael Connelly.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone who is famous for being famous, for example a Kardashian or a Jenner or any reality TV personality.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Getting lost in your book gave me a wonderful respite from the worries of being a caregiver for my sick father.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Confusing me with my protagonist, Cal Rogan, one reader asked. “Have you stopped using the heroin now?”

About Robert:

Robert French is a software developer, turned actor, turned author. He is the writer of the seven (so far) Cal Rogan Mysteries crime-thrillers about a drug-addicted ex-cop who fights his way from living rough on the streets to being a much-sought-after PI. The series, set in Vancouver, Canada, reflects the best and worst of the city. He is passionate about having the right words on the page and with every new book, his goal is to make it better than the previous one. His loves are his family, science, language, certain elements of philosophy and craft beer.

Let’s Be Social:

Website

Facebook

Make a List to Help You Market Your Book

As you start to market your book, it’s a good idea to have ideas for blogs, podcasts, interviews, and author talks. Here are some things that have worked for me through the years.

• For every new book, make a list of the themes and references in the story. You will find things that interest readers outside of your genre. Highlight these in your book promotions. For my Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, my list includes: vintage trailers, tiny houses, the Blue Ridge Mountains, glamping, cybersecurity, bluetooth devices, and Jack Russell Terriers. These are subjects that you can use as you promote your book.

• Look for online and local groups that share these interests and approach them about doing a guest post or a talk.

• Also make a list of your interests and areas where you have expertise. These can be used for blogs, workshop topics, and marketing ideas. It is much easier to pitch a workshop topic if you have expertise to share.

• When I create handouts and slide shows for classes that I teach, I always make sure that they are branded with my website and include my contact information.

• Libraries and other groups are always looking for speakers for programs. I keep a list of topics for readers, mystery lovers, and writers. I have a synopsis of each in a file that I can pitch to possible event sponsors.

• Look for other groups in your area that offer classes. There are many active senior communities, clubs, and learning centers that look for guest speakers. Many of these also have book clubs that host meet-the-author events.

• When you do guest blogs, many times, it will be up to you to come up with the topic. You’ll have more success if it’s entertaining or informative instead of 800 words about “buy my book.” The idea is to introduce yourself and your writing to a new group of readers. You want your headline and post to catch the reader’s attention.

• When you do interviews, podcasts, and author panels, make sure your anecdotes are fresh. Don’t tell the same story at every event or interview.