Book Production Prep Begins Before You Write the First Line!

After turning in a manuscript to my editor several months ago and having it approved, I moved on to other projects while awaiting more details about the publishing schedule. When my contact from the editorial office emailed me last week requesting cover art information and other items needed for front and back matter, that book was the very last thing on my mind!

And she wanted everything returned to her within one week’s time!

Okay, I told myself. It’s not like I was in the middle of anything pressing—if you don’t count the Christmas season, having our daughter’s family of six living with us temporarily, and everyone in the house getting over colds. Not to mention I still hadn’t settled on my blog topic for today!

But deadlines are deadlines. It was time to put everything else aside, pull up the manuscript files, and start filling out all those information forms.

Then . . . 

Pleasant surprise . . . 

Brilliant person that I am, I discovered I had already gathered many of the details I would need, including representative character and setting photos, applicable scripture verses, and important bits of description. Now, all I had to do was insert everything I’d already collected into its proper place on the editorial forms and then fill in any missing pieces.

Whew!!!

The moral of this tale? Plan ahead! The very best time to begin collecting anything relevant to the production of your book is while you are writing it. 

So what are some ways to do that?

Character photos. In the earliest planning stages of a new book, I’m already getting ideas for what the central characters look like. One of my favorite sources of character inspiration (physical description, mannerisms, etc.) is the Hallmark Movie Channel. Those actors just generally seem more down-to-earth and believable. Sometimes I recall particular actors from the movies I’ve watched and can look them up on the Hallmark Channel website. Other times, I just go to the site and scroll through the movie images looking for close matches to the characters I’ve already started picturing in my head.

Once I’ve cast my characters, I create a computer folder and download several photos, looking for a variety of poses and attire that in any way fit my story. I’ve also started creating secret Pinterest boards where I save anything relevant to a particular work-in-progress. Since I write in Scrivener, I copy my favorite images into the character files there for quick reference. 

Setting details. Just as with character images, I keep an eye out for pictures that could represent the characters’ homes, workplaces, etc. These images will also be saved to Scrivener and the appropriate Pinterest board. No matter how vividly I’ve described a scene in my manuscript, when it comes to helping the art department create a cover that suits the story, a well-chosen picture is definitely worth a thousand words!

Alternate title ideas. My editors typically ask for several additional title possibilities, so as the story begins to take shape and the strongest hooks reveal themselves, I can start my alternate title list. A tool I’ve been working on to help brainstorm titles is an Excel spreadsheet with four columns of title buzzwords I’ve been collecting based on popular romance hooks. As I come across interesting new title words, I add them to the appropriate word list. Then, to create a title, just mix and match! Here’s a screenshot showing the first several rows:

Quotes and scripture references. When any meaningful quotations or Bible verses inspire an aspect of my story or are referenced in a scene, I add them to a folder in my Scrivener project. One of these quotes may be just right for front matter in the published book or as part of the back-cover blurb. My list may include scripture, verses from old favorite hymns, snippets of poetry, or quotations from famous people.

Dedication and acknowledgements. Early on, I start thinking about friends, family members, or other important people in my life who may have inspired the book in some way or otherwise contributed to its development. Perhaps someone answered research questions or supplied important information during the course of writing the book. As those names come to me, I add them to my front/back matter notes.

Author’s note. For historical novels or any story requiring extensive research, it’s helpful to include a section at the end of the book offering interesting details and deeper insights about places and events referenced in the novel. My research folder in Scrivener has all the information right there for me to sift through and refer back to as I draft my author’s note.

Back cover blurb. While the publisher doesn’t always use my version of the back cover blurb, I’m usually asked to provide a couple of paragraphs along with a short, catchy lead-in. For this, I can usually refer back to what I created for the initial proposal. Some plot and/or character details may have changed since then, but the central concept should still be intact and gives me a starting point for a more relevant tag line and blurb.

Join the conversation! What other pre-pub prep work do you consciously fit into your writing routine? Do you have a system that helps you keep everything organized and ready when you need it?

Since it’s almost Christmas, today I’m offering three giveaways! Winners can choose any one of my three Christmas stories: One Imperfect Christmas, Rancher for the Holidays, or my Christmas novella, Designs on Love (originally part of the Seekers’ Hope for the Holidays Historical Collection). Print copy OR ebook to U.S. residents; ebook only if you live outside the U.S. (but you must be able to receive a Kindle ebook gift). Please mention in your comment if you’d like to be entered in the drawing AND which book(s) and formats you would like to win.

About Myra: Award-winning author Myra Johnson writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. Myra is a two-time finalist for the prestigious ACFW Carol Awards and winner of Christian Retailing’s Best for historical fiction. Originally from Texas but now residing in the beautiful Carolinas, Myra and her husband love the climate and scenery, but they may never get used to the pulled pork Carolinians call “barbecue”! The Johnsons share their home with with two very pampered doggies who don’t always understand the meaning of “Mom’s trying to write.” They’re also currently harboring their younger daughter and family (six in all plus a kitty!) as they transition toward their next missionary calling. With grandkids underfoot ranging in age from 14 down to nearly 3, there’s never a dull moment! 

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Twitter: @MyraJohnson and @TheGrammarQueen 

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Providence or Luck? Setting Yourself Up for Success With His Help... and Yours

I was reading Reader's Digest the other day, and an article on luck caught my eye... The article was credited to Kate Rockwood from Health.com.

It made a whole lot of sense to me, no matter how old you are or what your profession is, but I totally paired it with the "Road Less Traveled" aka: Becoming a Writer.

If you Google "finding your own luck", pages flood your laptop. There are all kinds of articles and books out there geared to helping you get lucky...

Wait, not THAT kind of advice!!! The other kind. You goofs.

But as Kate's well-thought article points out, our luck is often influenced by our daily decisions, how we put ourselves "out there".

How do you find a mate/husband/wife/friend if you never step out of your comfort zone? And if your comfort zone is narrow, by virtue of a Venn Diagram, you're toast! In order to intersect with potential, we have to widen our parameters to give the Venn diagram a fighting chance, right?

See those thin ovals in the middle, and that teeny-tiny wedge, dead-center?

That's your potential by using self-limiting behaviors.

Are you scoffing or recognizing something familiar? (rhetorical question, you are not required to answer...)  :)

In Kate's article, she cited a woman who moved to a big city and joined a group right off... and found a husband.

What if the new arrival had clung to her own little pad in her own little neighborhood, twenty feet from her "L" stop?

Self-limiting behaviors are common to introverts AND extroverts. Sound surprising? It shouldn't because a lot of extroverts self-limit by being overly decisive. (I didn't want to say "know-it-all") That decisiveness can lead them (us!) to being less open to others' opinions, circumstances, options.

How does this affect us?

The very nature of limiting ourselves has a direct affect on our chances for success, joy, experience, and yes, even faith.

Christ set the best example of stepping outside the box, breaking rules (the ones that needed to be broken) and expanding his perimeters to be inclusive.

But then, He's GOD, so maybe it was easier for him.

Or maybe... just maybe... it's a bad habit we can break if we focus on it.

Like any habit, change doesn't occur in a day. Nor a week. A month?

That should start to show some level of difference.

But how do we change these behaviors to open up ourselves and our chances for success or good fortune?

Extroverts:

Be quiet sometimes.
Don't shout.
Listen.
Smile and nod, it is not necessary to engage every single person in debate.
Pray more.
Talk less.
Work harder (which should be easier if you are, indeed, talking less)
Use the Mother Teresa approach: "Peace begins with a smile".
Brag less.
Encourage more.

And now for you introverts!

(Yes, yes, I know exactly which group I'm in and I'm looking at my list and taking my own advice!!!)

Introverts:

Drive farther. If the store is close to home, drive on by and go to the next one.
Offer an opinion instead of stewing.
Listen more (even introverts need to be open to others' opinions).
Smile and nod, it is not necessary to engage every single person in debate.
Pray more.
Get out of the house on purpose. Push yourself.
Jump at opportunity. Not everything is ideal, but to achieve the ideal, sometimes we must eat the frog. You never know when small opportunities lead to great discoveries (a kite, a string and a key electrified a world)
Comfort zones aren't really comfortable. They're restrictive. Consider them prisons and act accordingly. Bust out.
Also employ the Mother Teresa rule: "Peace begins with a smile".
Encourage more.

Generally we think of extroverts as having an edge, and physically, they might. They're more willing to expand their limits, but they may behave in a manner which becomes self-limiting...

Which means they level the playing field (especially in a competitive business like this) for introverts!

But then the introvert needs to bust out. Break loose. Jump free. (How many of these do I have to put here before I can stop???? Am I done????)

Writers are small business owners. As such, we need to be our own boss and our own best employee. When we fall down, it is useless to blame others... we dust off our knees, climb "Back in the Saddle" (shameless plug, quite intentional!)... and we move forward.

Now tell me,  do you consider yourself an introvert? Or an extrovert? And what can you do to turn that to your advantage?

I've got THREE COPIES of "Toss the Bouquet" to give away today, so stop into the coffee room, grab a seat, and we'll chat about.....

"How to Fix Ourselves and Our Business in One Easy Ruthy Lesson: By Making Our Own Luck..."

With God's help.

Multi-published, bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne has more than 3/4 million books in print, and still wakes up pinching herself each day to see if it's real. A mother and grandmother, she lives on a little farm in upstate New York where she successfully bosses all sorts of kids and animals around. When not bossing people around or shoveling snow, she writes sweet books with unforgettable characters that folks love to keep... and that makes Ruthy very happy! You can find her here in Seekerville with her writing buds, on facebook/Ruth Logan Herne, on Twitter @Ruthloganherne and at her website Ruth Logan Herne.com or as the Thursday barista at our sister blog "Yankee Belle Cafe".

She loves God, her family, dogs, chocolate, gardens and coffee.... and she bakes a mean cookie like this one here at Yankee Belle Cafe! 

Where is Your Warrior? --with DiAnn Mills

Where is Your Warrior?

DiAnn Mills

If you’re like me, writing can be a war zone. Every day I march to my computer and battle with words. Sometime I carry the flag and stand on my desk and scream victory. And other times I hide under my desk and cower like a . . . little girl. I make the choice to be successful. I don’t choose my circumstances, and neither am I controlled by them. I am a writing warrior.

Writing tactics vary according to personality, and all of us have ways to achieve our objective in a strategic manner. We approach our stories with proven maneuvers we’ve learned from other writers, and we’re not afraid of making adjustments. The crazy truth? There isn’t a perfect way to create a novel.

If you doubt your fighting and survival abilities in the writing and publishing world; if you want to crawl out of your foxhole and write a marketable story, here are ten ways to champion the writing warrior in you.

The Writing Warrior

1.      Purpose: A warrior understands the goal of his craft is to pen a manuscript that exceeds anything the writer has created in the past. The elements of story are deepened through vigorous practice and a review of skills. The first line of defense is creativity.

2.      Motivation: A warrior finds the drive to begin and finish a story by understanding his purpose and ignoring the enemy flanks approaching on all sides.

3.      Determination: A writing warrior isn’t afraid of an ambush. In fact, the writer is prepared. Revisions from the editor, changes in the industry, and personal situations don’t have to be an ambush. A writer is ready with a counter-attack. We arrange our schedules to finish manuscripts before the due date so a hitch in our professional, personal, and psychological life doesn’t flatten us. We find the resources necessary to do the work. Period.

4.      Mental: Courage takes its form in ways that are often unpredictable. A writer is prepared by mentally being aware of what success entails, training the mind to review and add ammunition to his arsenal. The writer isn’t afraid to invest in how-to books, explore the best methods to use social media, or research the best writer conferences. A warrior seeks the tools to keep his morale up.

5.      Physical: A warrior trains his body so his mind will respond accurately. This means eating nutritionally healthy foods and exercising daily. Put the good stuff into your body, train it, and watch it operate more efficiently by defeating self-doubt and exhaustion.

6.      Spiritual: The Bible says to put on the armor of God so we can stand firm in our faith. Do you wear your faith like a set of new clothes? Are you clothed in the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, boots of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit? A warrior without faith is defeated before he begins. Look up for your marching orders, not at your fingers on the keyboard.

7.      Objective: A warrior knows his objective before he straps on his weapons. He trains with courage. Don’t be afraid of guerrilla warfare. If your story isn’t flowing the way you envisioned, take a step back. Look at the story from another angle. What happens in the middle of your story that changes everything for your characters? What detail in your backstory pushes a character into unexpected action? Reach out for a critique partner. Work your way back from the story’s resolution.

8.      Hunger: A warrior craves his very best and leads the charge. Do you hunger for your work to be viewed as respected, a strong story that entertains and inspires the reader? Does your heart want a manuscript that fulfills a need?

9.      Love and compassion: A warrior takes every weary step forward because of his love for people. The world is filled with hurting people, and he wants to protect and help them overcome adversity by showing them how to be warriors.

10.   Commitment: A warrior faces the challenges of the ever-changing writing and publishing industry by seeking information that teaches new concepts. His allegiance to story and pleasing readers links him to all areas of writing and publication. A warrior doesn’t admit defeat; he’s armed with knowledge that ensures he’s still writing when the smoke clears.

Have you discovered your hidden warrior? A writer without a battle is a writer who’s given in to the echoes of defeat and forgotten the will to create.

I’m a writing warrior. What about you?

GIVEAWAY!!

Okay warriors! Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Firewall.

Firewall

After a whirlwind romance, Taryn Young is preparing to board a plane at Houston International Airport, bound for a dream honeymoon, when a bomb decimates the terminal. Injured but still alive, she awakens to discover her husband is missing and they’re both considered prime suspects in the attack. Further, the FBI is convinced her husband isn’t who he appears to be.

Agent Grayson Hall’s number-one priority is to catch those responsible for the day’s act of terror. All evidence is pointing to Taryn and her new husband. But his instinct tells him her pleas of innocence are genuine. Is her naiveté just for show, or could she truly be another victim of a master scheme, possibly linked to the software she recently developed for her company?

With both their lives and reputations on the line, and the media outcry for justice increasing with each passing minute, Taryn and Grayson have no choice but to trust one another . . . and pray they can uncover the truth before they become two more casualties.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She currently has more than sixty books published.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2014 president of the Romance

Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; and a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a craftsman mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.

She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. Visit her website at www.diannmills.com and connect with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DiAnnMills), Twitter (@DiAnnMills), Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/DiAnnMills), and Goodreads

(www.goodreads.com/DiAnnMills).

Chance favors only the prepared mind. Louis Pasteur ** Chance favors only the prepared author. Mary Connealy

Think of this day as

SURVIVOR-SPEEDBO!

Do you ever want to be on Survivor? 

Me? I'm pretty sure I'd be gone the first day. 

I'd be all, "But I want to check my email!"

and... "Where's my recliner?"

and... "Is there a thermostat...I want the air conditioner turned on...on this desert island!"

However...SURVIVOR-SPEEDBO! is another story

Now you're in my wheelhouse.

THIS I can survive. Not saying I won...not with Carol Moncado in the house.

But I made it in my own way.

Which brings me to the title of today's blog. 

(Yes, I do have a point here.)

 "dans les champs de l'observation, le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés" 

Translation...In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind...Louis Pasteur

Well, here's my spin. 

"In the field of writing, chance favors only the prepared author!"

Louis Pasteur, he was a real big deal right? 

What was it? 

Electricity? 

Penicillin? 

Rabies!!! 

That it.

Also Pasturization...aptly named, huh?

(thnx wikipedia)

Louis Pasteur studied. He had degrees. He worked as a professor. He also had three of his five children die of typhoid.  This was an learned man who had powerful personal motivation to find the cause of and cure for disease. He worked hard and he studied hard. He became the director of an elite French college and he began to reform it to rigid scientific standards so the research they did was dependable and provable.

This man was prepared. And when little breakthroughs would come...he would be there, documenting it. Through his studies his MIND was prepared when an experiment would reveal some new bit of information.

Which brings me to AUTHORS

Chance favors ONLY the prepared author

I'd like to pitch a little idea here that we don't talk about much.

We talk about hard work.

We stay motivated.

We study.

Think of this...

Seekerville...professional organizations...online classes...

All the things we all do to be prepared...it's like college.

We are studying and it takes a while usually, but so does a bachelor's degree.

So does a master's degree.

So does a Ph.D. 

You are studying, working, PREPARING FOR YOUR CHANCE.

BECAUSE

Chance favors ONLY the prepared author.

Seekerville and SPEEBO are part of your advanced degree, your college level study.

Now, I'd like to show you some screenshots I took of my computer files.

I use the word Screenshots because I've heard the term, but honestly, I have no idea how to do that, so I used a camera and snapped a picture of my computer screen.

Note the file that says More Books...fifth on the right

 I don't know how well you can see it but those are files of my books. If you look close you can see 'a Trouble in Texas'. I label it 'a Trouble...' to keep it at the top of the file list. 

Anthology Thomas Nelson, that's a book called 'A Bride for All Seasons'. A novella collection that is coming in June with co-authors Robin Lee Hatcher, Margaret Brownley and Debra Clopton.
But the third one in the list is Countdown, that's a book that's yet to sell. A contemporary romantic action/adventure novel, below that is Devil's Nest. A gothic romance that is just about the most fun I've ever 
had writing a book. These books have their own folder because I've worked on them, done revisions, I still am working on those books. Now look on the right side, can you see the 

folder that says MORE BOOKS?

When I click that, the window below opens.

Here's what's inside

Some of these are in here mainly because they're long published and I rarely open them but want to save them. Petticoat Series, Montana Marriages, Of Mice...and Murder.
Not all of them are published though.
A Soft Answer...it's got it's own folder which means revisions, attention has been paid. Probably there are proposal and blurb files in there...and a couple more finished books that could be made into a series. Two more down, Safe Series. That's a series of sweet romances starring fraternity brothers, one of them was plucked out and became Clueless Cowboy but the other two books remain and there is
NOTHING WRONG WITH THOSE BOOKS. 

(No editor has agreed with me unfortunately.)

Scent of Heaven, a contemporary HP length romance set in the summer in the Ozarks, became The Christmas Candle, an ebook novella from last Christmas. I cut a 50k book to 20k, changed it to historical and set it at Christmastime....with two weeks notice.
This is no more than a person would do with a term paper, right?
Or a doctoral thesis? 

See How They Run, a borderline sci-fi spy action romance. It's not really sci-fi but they're dealing with a drug that doesn't exist. A super steroid. Two spies with no connection to each other, find out they've been made guinea pigs....when someone decides it's time to HARVEST THEM.

Down below the folders are files, some of these have been worked on and copied into other folders. Hostage is a book I love and I've teamed it with Countdown and See How They Run and A Soft Answer, see, that's now a four book series.
An editor can have them together or as stand alone books.

Anyway, my point to all this is...
Chance favors ONLY the prepared author.

The harder I work the luckier I get.

Success is one part inspiration and ninety-nine parts perspiration.

Writing is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration...
which is why authors always smell so bad

So, time to report. How'd SPEEDBO go for you? Are you now a much more PREPARED author.

I hope so. I hope you're in this to work hard, to earn your degree, to graduate into publication!
To be PREPARED when your chance comes...because

Chance favors ONLY the prepared author.

Tell me how it went or leave any comment to get your name in a drawing for a $25 Christianbook.com gift card.
And I'm involved in a giveaway called Novel Lovers. 
Find details on my facebook page.
You must find the entry form and like all the authors, even if you already 'like' them, just click on the buttons to confirm it.
Facebook Novel Lovers Giveaway

http://www.maryconnealy.com

Preparing Your Product by Guest Blogger Mia Ross!

Good morning, Seekerville! Mia Ross here, cruising in from Upstate New York, ready for some writing stuff.

With the ACFW Conference coming up, you’re probably all getting LOTS of advice on what to do while you’re there. Don’t approach editors and agents in the bathroom. Don’t talk with your mouth full. And, for goodness’ sake, sit up straight so everyone can read your nametag. As with most things, though, preparation is the key. I’m not talking about practicing your elevator pitch so you can recite it in your sleep, or about making sure you can pronounce the name of the editor or agent you have an appointment with. I’m talking about your product.

Whether you’re an established author or trying to break into the business, there’s a basic idea you have to wrap your head around at some point. Your eventual success (or failure) depends mostly on the quality of what you have to offer. Think of yourself as an inventor who’s come up with a great new idea. The concept isn’t enough. You have to design and make whatever it is, introduce it to consumers, and then hope people want to buy it. Because failure is expensive, companies test the market for their new wingding ahead of time. If it’s not immediately popular, they tweak it to make it more appealing.

For writers, our product has two facets: our book and ourselves. Nobody has a sure-fire formula for making that work, but there are some things we can do to improve the chances that editors, agents, and readers will like what we’ve worked so hard to create.

1.      Before you submit your work to a pro, ask critique partners and writing friends for feedback. Just be careful to take their comments with a grain of salt and blend them with your own instincts. Too many cooks can spoil the unique soup you’ve put together.

2.      Go the contest route to get unbiased input. Brace yourself for this one, because unlike your friends, many anonymous judges won’t try to spare your feelings. But if you consistently get low marks for grammar, figure out why before you send your book to a pro. You’d hate to see your wonderful project get rejected because the manuscript required too much effort to fix its basic grammar.

3.      RWA’s Golden Heart Contest might be perfect for you because you’ll be up against the best unpubbed writers in the business, and only the highest-caliber manuscripts get through to the editors in the final round. You don’t have to worry about judges’ comments because there aren’t any, just a rank of 1 to 9. For these exact same reasons, the Golden Heart might not be your cup of tea. As Obi-Wan told Luke Skywalker, it all depends on your point of view.

4.      Finish your book. I know about the whole 3 chapters and a synopsis thing, but you just might have a stellar interview with an editor who says, “Send me the full when you get home.” So, really, finish your book. You’re going to have to do it eventually--why not now?

5.      Finally, and most importantly: Be nice. Online, in person, on the phone, at the grocery store. In this hyper-connected world, you never know who’s listening or watching or reading what you’ve put out there. A consistently positive message will reflect well on you, now and always. Negative things will come back to bite you at the worst possible time. Follow the Golden Rule while you travel the high road, and you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

Okay, I kicked things off, and now it’s your turn. Help us all out by adding your own items to this list, asking questions, whatever. Three commenters will get a free autographed copy of Circle of Family, the second book in my Sawyers series for Love Inspired. If you’d like a peek first, head over to http://www.miaross.com. Have a great day!