BOOKTOBER FEST

If you are a writer, want to be a writer, or know a writer, we would love to have you participate/attend our first annual Booktober Fest Fair on Saturday, October 23 from 10-2 at University of Phoenix in Meridian. This is an event designed to unite all the writers in the Treasure Valley. Each writing group is invited to have a booth and an author speak during the author spotilight. There will also be a kids corner with a writing contest because you're never to young to follow your dreams. I hope to see you there.

AM IDAHO

If you're interested in learning more about me, my book, or Borderline Publishing, tune into 590 KID on August 20th from 6am-9am. I get to be interviewed by Aaron Kunz while in Idaho Falls for the Write Your Own Adventure workshop. Looking forward to it.

SUMMER CONFERENCES

Summer is a great time to work a writing conference or two into your vacation schedule. Writing conferences give you the opportunity to network, educate yourself, find inspiration and take a shortcut around the slush pile of manuscript submissions editors have haunting them. They often offer appointments with your dream editor.

Not that I'm your dream editor, but I will be representing Borderline Publishing at the Oregon Christian Writer's Conference the first week of August. This is a conference I have attended multiple times and paid hundreds of dollars to participate in. And it was worth much more than I paid. If you want to move forward with your writing career, I strongly suggest attending a conference like this one.

MARKETING MAVEN

Tomorrow is the fifth workshop in the Borderline series "So You Want to be a Writer..." We will be meeting at the Overland Hastings from 10:00-12:00. Former literary agent Rosemary Sneeringer will share her experience and marketing tips. Rosemary is now a freelance editor for Borderline Publishing.

The next series starts in July at Borders in the mall, so if you missed any of the workshops, this will be a another chance to attend. Or if you have a friend interested in writing, please let them know of this free opportunity.

AUTHORS WITH HEART

I have to share about a guy who was in here this morning. He wants to publish a picture book written by his late wife when she was in 5th grade. This is why I love working in short-run publishing. I get to help clients who have personal reasons/heart connections that are more important than the publishing industry as a whole. And what makes this project even better is that the story (and the story behind the story) are absolutely charming.

We are still trying to come up with a title for this spin off The Frog Prince. And the author's husband is an artist who is still working on the illustrations for the story. After it's finished, it will be a beautiful product. But perhaps the most powerful part of the book will be the author bio of the woman who died prematurely at the age of 35. When asked in 5th grade what she wanted to be when she grew up, she responded, "Myself." And herself is a woman still honored by those whose lives she touched.

Y?

Episodic. That's something you don't want your book to be. It means that scenes are independant of each rather than building off each other. It's the reason I didn't like the movie Four Christmases or Did You Hear About the Morgans? None of the scenes really mattered.

If you are plotting out your book, it all needs to lead to a climax. So what you do is give your characters a lot of Ys in the road. Every situation they find themselves in should be based on a previous decision they made. Like one of those old Choose Your Own Adventure novels.

Sometimes your character will make good decisions and sometimes they won't. But because of each decision they make, they eventually end up at the life-changing Y--the Y where they feel like they really don't have the control and the decision is already made for them or that they are going to lose either way.

This is where they realize that the lie they've believed all along is not true. They embrace the truth and overcome the Y.

Simple? Yes. Easy? No. Realistic? Unfortunately. Y? Because we've all been there ourselves.

VOICE

Many beginning authors are afraid of sharing their idea in case it gets stolen. This is a silly fear. First of all, there are no new ideas under the sun. Even your idea (as brilliant as it may be) has been done before in some way. Second, even if someone takes your idea, they can't take your voice.

Voice is what agents and editors look for. Your voice is what is going to set you apart. Ever buy a book because the storyline sounds fabulous, but when you take it home to read, you have to force yourself to finish it...or it just ends up being a paper weight on your nightstand? The author hadn't found his/her voice yet.

So what is voice? It is personality on a page. It makes your writing style unique. For example, my chritique partner just judged a contest and on one entry she wrote: You have a voice like Angela Meuser. This means there is a certain style to my writing. Just like the Beatles had a certain sound. Just like Jerry Bruckheimer movies have a certain feel. This is voice. But how do you find yours?

Here are the fundamentals that will clarify your voice for you...
1) Precision--state what needs to be said without making it lengthy
2) Don't Overwrite--avoid redundancy, resist the urge to explain
3) Simplicity--simple sentences will creat impact
4) Avoide Weak Words--such as adverbs and adjectives
5) Use Active Voice--avoid using words like was, is, had been
6) Use Specific Nouns--don't just say "car" but say what kind of car
7) Write Positively--don't say what ISN'T happening, say what IS
8) Avoid Cliches--take them apart and write in a fresh way
9) Use All 5 Senses--make the readers experience the story for themselves
10) Put the punch line at the END of a sentence--you want your jokes to sizzle not fizzle

You know how in movies there is a voice over of the character who wrote a letter actually reading it as another character looks at the words on a page? You hear their voice. This is what you want your readers to hear as they read your book. This is what will get your writing noticed and remembered.

AWARD NOMINATIONS

I've nominated both STUMP by Michael B. Sessions and THE OLD MAN WHO TALKED TO THE TREES by Diana Baird for the Idaho Book Award. Both are set in Idaho and of high quality. It will be exciting to see how they fare.

Other exciting award stuff includes my critique partner's nomination for the Christy Award. This is one of the highest honors for Christian fiction, and the book actually has my name in it. Yep. I'm listed in the acknowledgments. What a thrill to know I contributed to a book of such high caliber.

I see this as just the beginning. Please give me a call here at Borderline if you need any direction in getting your dreams into print.

READY, GET SET, SUBMIT

A good way to publicize your book is to sell an article to a magazine. It's also a great way to build your bio. So how do you do it?

You need a query letter: Start with a hook, include the pertinent information on your story (i.e. word count), tell why it will appeal to the readers of that particular magazine or why you think such a publication is a good fit for your work, then end with information on yourself and why you are the right person to write such a story.

Enclose/Attach: In the top left hand corner of your manuscript, include your name, address, email, and phone number. Word count goes on the top right. Then, halfway down the page, type your title in all caps. You'll also need the title/your name in the header on the left. Page number goes on the top right.

When you find the publication you want to submit to, make sure to check their guidelines online. Some prefer printed submissions through the mail, in which case you will want to send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Others will have an email address and either want you to attach your file or include it in the body of the email. Whatever you do, make sure to follow particular submission guidelines.

A good place to start is actually Chicken Soup for the Soul. They let you know which editions are looking for stories, and you can submit right there on their website. Pays $200 a story. You'll also want to check out our IDAhope Anthology.

SIX MAJOR PLOTS

So I went to a writer's workshop this weekend where I learned so much that it feels like I knew nothing about writing before. A little overwhelming, but fun at the same time. Here's something fun I learned...

All novels fall into one of these basic plots:
1) Overcoming the Monster--Star Wars, The Pelican Brief, Ferris Bueller's Day Off
2) Rags to Riches--Cinderella, My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman
3) The Great Quest--Raiders of the Lost Ark, National Treasure, Saving Private Ryan
4) Home Again, Home Again--Wizard of Oz, Sweet Home Alabama
5) Beast to Beauty--The Sound of Music, Gladiator (A tragedy is a takeoff of this without the happy ending, like in A Beautiful Mind.)
6) See the Light--Devil Wears Prada, Return to Me

My novel coming out in December is a Home Again, Home Again. Which plot fits your writing?

HOOK 'EM

One of the biggest words used now in the book publishing world is "brand." Here are the purposes of having a brand:
1) Create emotional velcro
2) Build a perception of higher quality
3) Offer a little "something special" that no one else has

For example, people don't buy a Nora Roberts book because it sounds like a story they want to read. They buy a Nora Roberts book because they like Nora Roberts. And when Nora wanted to try writing in a different style, she wrote under a pen name that has a whole different brand to it.

I don't have a brand yet because there is not a large audience that has read my work and expects something from me. But I'm thinking about what my brand should be since my book comes out this December.

My stories are pretty light-hearted, and I've been told that I have the gift of making tough situations entertaining. So I want everything with my name on it to give such an impression. I've made my website fun. And now that my cover is being designed, I really care that it conveys my brand. The desinger told me that the cover is beautiful with a wedding dress and boquet. My response? "Can't she be holding flip-flops instead of a boquet?" Now that little bit of quirkiness would fit my brand.

If you want to learn more about cover design and how to hook your readers, join Borderline for writing workshop session #4 this Saturday, April 24 at A Novel Adventure from 10-12. For more information, visit the events page on our website.

PATH TO PUBLICATION

Tomorrow I get to speak at the Pacific Northwest Association of Church Libraries. I'll be talking about my journey of becoming an author, as well as the journeys of the other authors here at Borderline.

Most authors didn't have the headstart I did. Because of my mom's passion for writing, I had my picture and stories about me published in magazines when I was little. (Yes, that really is a photo of me with the Dorothy Hammil haircut.) So submitting my own stories to magazines when I wrote them was a natural next step. And it's a great first step for anyone interested in writing.

I always recommend to authors that they submit excerpts or articles to magazines to help promote their books. It's like getting paid to advertise. And it looks good in your bio.

What is a magazine that you could submit to? Which magazines do you read? Which would be interested in the subjects you have experience with? Look up their submission guidelines and give it a try. Writing an article is definitely good practice for writing your book.

BE IN IDAHOPE ANTHOLOGY

Borderline Publishing is putting together an inspirational anthology--like a local Chicken Soup for the Soul. We need 15-30 encouraging stories that will touch the hearts of others in our community. If you've ever thought your life should be written about in a book, this is your chance.

Submissions are due by August 31 and must be 12 point Times, double spaced. Length should range between 500-2,500 words. Please send as a Word attachment to angela@borderlinepublishing.com.

The authors of the stories selected will be notified by September 15, and the books will come out October 15. All that is required in the publishing contract is for the author to agree to buy ten books at wholesale cost. Authors can then in turn sell the books at retail price to make some extra money or to use as a fund-raiser for a charity.

If you have any questions on this opportunity, feel free to email me. More information to come.

SUCCESS BY ASSOCIATION

Just renewed my membership to American Christian Fiction Writers today. Joining them was one of the best things I've ever done for my writing. Probably the coolest thing about them is their Yahoo group where you can network with most of the big names in the industry. It's a great resource for anything from asking questions about research to finding out the latest news on publishers, conferences, and awards. There are also tons of book give-aways and marketing ideas. Plus, they have a newsletter that I actually got to be featured in when I sold my first novel. It's a wonderfully encouraging community.

Now not everybody writes Christinan fiction like I do. But I'm sure there's an association for your genre, as well. One other group I've joined was Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. They offer similar opportunities, including scholarships to their annual conferences in California and New York.

If you want to know where to start with your writing and publishing dreams, these are good kinds of memberships to have. Include them on a cover letter to agents and editors and they'll know you have actively pursued the improvement of your craft.

ACCEPTED

Even more important than acceptance from an editor, is the writer's acceptance of feedback for their writing. Some writers can't take it. And it keeps them from achieving their dreams.

The truth is that if you want to write, you're going to have to learn to take criticism. First from your critique group. Then from editors. Then from reviewers. Then from readers. You can't please everybody. And you shouldn't. But you should be able to look at the feedback objectively and ask, "What did I do to illicit such a response?"

I learned this the hard way. I had an editor request my very first novel manuscript. Then they requested revisions. I made the revisions and sent it back in. Sounds promising, right? Then I got an agent...who told me to withdraw my manuscript from submission and make even more changes. I chose not to listen to her.

So what should I have done differently? I should have walked through the steps that any victim has to take to become accountable for self-improvement...

1. Denial--Did I read that right? She wants me to withdraw my manuscript when I made all the changes the editor asked for? Rediculous.

2. Blame--She doesn't get it. She's not my target audience.

3. I Can't--I can't change that because then I'd have to change everything else, and it would ruin the story.

4. Wait and Hope--I'll just cross my fingers and hope they buy this book.

5. Acceptance--My agent thinks my manuscript needs more work.

6. Own It--If it needs work, I'm the one who has to do it.

7. Make a Plan--How can I tweak the manuscript to be stronger without losing its original flavor?

8. Get On With It--I should have withdrawn, made changes, and resubmitted like my agent suggested.

So I discovered these steps while waiting for the response from the editor. Which prepared me for the rejection I received. Since then, I've made changes. And recently the manuscript was requested by Random House. Still waiting to hear back. But you can bet that I'll be ready to accept any criticisms they might have. And I'll be a better writer because of it.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Writing can get lonely. And only other writers will understand your passion/obsession. It's so important to network. That's how I got my agent. That's how I got the first request from an editor for my manuscript. That's how I got a scholarship to a writing conference. That's how I met my amazing critique partner. That's how I got to judge the Genesis book contest. If you aren't sharing ideas and information with other writers, then you are missing many opportunities.

For this reason Borderline Publishing put on an author appreciation coffee this past Friday. Thanks to all who showed up for the event. I enjoyed getting to know you better. And I loved watching the connections that were made. One fantasy author connected with a sci-fi author who was able to help in getting him into local sci-fi convention Fandemonium to speak on the author panel. Then I introduced two other ladies who have a similar audience and now want to do their book launch parties together. And of course, Di loved showing off her picture in the newspaper. Such enthusiasm is contagious.

I encourage all writers to find a way to connect with others. Look for a writer's conference or join a Yahoo group. Or hey, sign up for the writing class I'll be teaching through community ed this spring. And if you can't wait that long, meet me at Red Letter Books at 10:00 this Saturday to learn about plotting your novel. ;-) It's the second session in my six-week-series. Hope to see you there.

A BORDERLINE MUST READ

Here's the gorgeous new cover for one of our best books from 2009. Historical fiction set in Idaho, STUMP is the story of a man who went fishing with dynamite to provide for his family, but ended up blowing off his hand, thus destroying his livelihood as a farmer and forcing him to turn to bare-knuckled boxing instead. Listed as the number one read in 2009 by The Rabid Reader, STUMP is also being picked up by Barnes and Noble. And as soon as it comes off the press this week, I'll be submitting it for Idaho Book of the Year. Very excited for this author.

LOVE OUR RAVING FANS

One of our new freelance editors comes with the background of being a literary agent. She's got experience and knowledge, and I'm so excited to work her. Apparently, the feeling is mutual. This is what she raved about Borderline Publishing:

• You allow authors to print a small amount of books, allowing them to print as they gain popularity and money.
• You offer the best of both worlds: they can make 100% of the profits selling their own books online, at bookstores, or on Amazon.com. But you also offer marketing to get books into major bookstores. I think this is an amazingly good deal. It's usually one or the other but not both.
• You make free to the public wonderful how-to talks on writing on Saturdays.
• Your business is local, and you have many years of experience.
• You print with quality, standards, and integrity.

Currently Rosemary and I are looking into teaching community ed. classes together. I'll keep you posted.

My first workshop this last weekend was fabulous--so nice to meet all you writers. :-) I apologize for my lack of blogging lately. Been home with a sick little girl. But I look forward to working with many of you. Let me know if you have any questions about anything you see here or anything I discussed on Saturday.

BOOKING BOOK EVENTS

So, the first book in Lynn Hardy's PROPHECY OF THE FLAME series is re-releasing next month. It's fun to see the following she has developed from attending sci-fi conventions and renaissance faires. There is even a video game being designed based on her characters--which gives me "coolness points" with my son. But the coolest thing about Lynn's book is how all proceeds will be going to Agape Assistance (http://www.agapeassistance.org/) to help get homeless families off the street. So we've cooked up a little event to bring in even more money for the charity...

Lynn and I are meeting with the promotions department at Edward's Stadium 22 today to finalize the coordination of Lynn's book launch with the premier of fantasy movie Percy Jackson. Basically, we are going to be having a little party in the lobby of the theatre Feb. 12-13. We'll have radio stations broadcasting live and models dressed up like the characters from PROPHECY OF THE FLAME handing out information on Agape Assistance. A raffle for movie tickets will also help raise money. Cake will be served. (What's a party without chocolate?) And of course, Lynn will be autographing copies.

Lynn has been a blast to work with. At first we went the sci-fi route, planning to launch her book at a convention, but with nothing scheduled nearby we had to come up with a Plan B. The funny thing is that Plan B is going to B so fabulous that I already have other authors asking for similar movie star treatment.

My response? Don't limit yourself to what's been done already. If you've got a horror book, maybe launch at a haunted house. If you write cowboy poetry, go to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering like author John Cline is doing. Or try to break a world record like I'm going to do when my middle-grade novel THE WATER FIGHT PROFESSIONAL comes out. (Anybody up for the world's biggest water fight?) If it's your book, make it a fun and memorable experience for you.

WHAT EVERY AUTHOR MUST KNOW ABOUT THEIR BOOK

In my new position, I now have writers calling me with questions. I even got an email from a writer in Thailand last week. And I love giving encouragement and advice, but that's kinda hard to do when the writer can't explain their manuscript to me. For example, if I ask, "What audience does your book appeal to?" I don't want to hear, "It's really a book for all ages. There's something for everybody in it." That tells me nothing, and it's comes off as a little arrogant. So...

Genre--What category of books would your book be shelved with at Barnes and Noble?

Word Count--Give at least an estimate if your not finished writing it yet. For a novel, aim between 75,000 and 100,000 words no matter how much you want to be like Stephanie Meyer.

Audience--What kind of person will you be marketing your book to? Ask yourself, "If I were going to put a commercial for my book on television, what time slots or T.V. shows would I want to run it during?" (Answering with "the Super Bowl" doesn't count.) Now, that's your audience.

Pitch Line--Describe your book in one sentence. Basically, what does your protagonist want more than anything in the world, what is keeping him/her from it, and what does he/she have to do to get it? Imagine you are on an elevator with me and you have to sell me your book before I get off. What is going to hook my interest and make me remember your idea in that short amount of time?

Comparable Titles--What other books are out there like yours? And don't tell me your idea has never been done before. It's all been done before, though hopefully you've given the subject a unique twist. Know your competition. Know what other books are going to appeal to the audience you are aiming for. These should be the books that appeal to you too.

Bio--Why are you the one who needs to write this book? What qualifies you or makes you passionate about the subject?

If you haven't analyzed these aspects of your writing before, it'll be a great exercise for you in narrowing your focus and really finding out more about yourself and your work. And when you get it all figured out, give me a call.