Once Upon a Blog . . .

You say you want to get published?

2011-06-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to sound harsh at all, but a career in writing is a hard way to go! Breaking into the publishing world is difficult and often heartbreaking. Once, a really good story had a fair chance of getting your foot in the door, but these days, it's next to impossible to find a publisher, even if you do have a fantastic story. Collectively, publishing houses receive literally thousands of submissions per day. You have to interest them from page one and do it professionally, or they won't read past the first few pages at most.

Today, the would-be author has to have a killer story, possess a better than average command of the language and know where and how to market herself. More than that; you have to have raging tenacity, get used to rejection, be willing to continue to submit your tale aggressively to dozens, maybe even hundreds of publishers and not be at all attached to the belief that your story is perfect as it stands. You may think you have written the next New York Times bestseller, but in all honesty, it isn't always the best story that makes the cut. Aggressive promotion and lots of very hard work go into making a book a bestseller. Often it's the author's own "elbow grease" that gets a book into that highly coveted position.

My advice? Unless you love writing so much you would do it even if you never sold anything, quit NOW, before you get turned down 100 times. Still want to be a writer? Okay. Some of us HAVE to write, just like we have to breathe. If you are one of us, here are some tips:

1. READ a LOT, especially in the genre you are interested in writing. If romance is your "bag" for example, read all the bestselling romance novels you can get your hands on--not all the novels out there, just the best ones! But don't just read. Absorb the way the authors write, the things they say and how they phrase their sentences. Analyze everything.

2. Proof your manuscript for spelling, grammar and dum-dum mistakes, and then proof it again . . . and again. Keep a good thesaurus and dictionary by you at all times (or use the online ones). If it isn't professionally presented, it won't get read past the first few sentences, and it certainly has very little chance of being published. Inexperienced writers think editors are there to rework their books. Not true. Editors will rake you over the coals, make you re-write it until you get it right and still not ever lift a finger to help you whip it into shape, beyond making a few suggestions. After all, this is your book; you are the one who needs to write it. If you need someone to make your work shine and you can't do it yourself, you need to hire a professional ghostwriter. Your editor is too busy to re-write your book for you, so don't expect it.

3. Join a local writer/critique group (or several) and get their feedback. DON'T be insulted if these people tell you all kinds of ways to improve your writing. Just follow their advice! Join online groups and read all the tips of authors who are making making their way out there (avail yourself of the many writer's resources these groups post to their files), because it's a tough business (have I mentioned that?) and only the fearless and strong make it. These would be the ones who kept on keeping on until they got published, so follow their examples.

4. When you think your manuscript might be ready, look through a new (as in up-to-date) copy of Writer's Market and find a dozen or so (for starters) publishing companies you want to submit to. Read their submission guidelines and do exactly what they say. Warning: this is likely to be somewhat different with each different publisher, so don't think you can put your manuscript together and just shoot it out to everyone. If you want their attention in a good way, tailor your submission and query letter just for them, as though you wrote your book with them alone in mind. You will have to rework your submission and query for each different publisher, probably; and many publishers don't want you to submit to more than one place at a time, so get ready to WAIT . . . three to six MONTHS just to be rejected and start over. Here's a hint: Don't submit to the big guys until you have made your mark with a book or two sold to less prominent publishers, unless you long to start a collection of rejection letters. I know plenty of authors who have had a dozen or more books published and they still have trouble finding a home for the next one in the world of the traditional publishers.

5. Write and write and write. Read what you have written aloud and see how it flows; check to see if it sounds dull or plodding . . . Look at it like it was someone else's work and ask yourself if you would continue reading it if it wasn't your baby. Be honest, even if it hurts. Writing is a skill which can be learned and improved on with practice, but you have to write a LOT, re-write even more and accept the critiques like they pure gold, because they may be that valuable in terms of improving your style and technique. Successful writing (and selling) begins with hard work: start with a good concept for a story; create strong, memorable characters who are real, compelling and believable; hone your presentation with sentence variety, correct grammar and immaculate usage; find a way to grab and keep your readers' interest, because if you don't, your book won't sell. Sounds simpler than it is, and it sounds like a tall order, because it is.

6. Don't think just because you have a book (or even a dozen) published that you are going to be rich and famous. Over 99% of the authors out there never get rich or famous, even though their work is worthy of recognition. Besides that, once you are published, that's when your work begins. You have to hustle to get readers, because no one will buy your book if they never heard of you or your book. You have to eat, drink and sleep promotion, and it still may not get you the results you want. If you can't promote yourself, you probably won't sell your books; and if you don't sell your books, publishers won't publish any more of your work. A publisher--even a big, established traditional publisher--can/will do only so much to promote its authors, and only authors who are already bestsellers will get a lot of promo from the publisher. You gotta do it yourself! You want to be a bestseller? Go for it, but know in advance it's going to take all the courage, stamina and consistency you can manage.

In the world of eBook publishing, the outlook on getting published is not quite as bleak . . . yet, although competition is very stiff and getting more so every day. Face it, probably more than half the people you know have written, are writing or will write a book, and they all want to see their work out there. So even eBook publishers have to deal with a lot of submissions. You should take no less care in submitting to a small indie eBook publisher than you would submitting to the cream of the top traditional publishers. Attention to detail, correctness and consistency will eventually get you where you want to be, so don't skimp in attention to details. You want them to think the best of you, so give them your absolute best.

My publishing company, Gypsy Shadow Publishing, is a small, indie publisher. We have been open since September, 2009, and to date we have 75 authors and about 150 eBooks under contract. When I say small, I mean two women read, proofed, edited and produced all those books (125 are out right now; the other 25 are in various stages of completion) in less than two years. We've had to turn a lot of stories down, just as all publishers do. It didn't mean they weren't good stories; only that there isn't enough time, energy and enthusiasm between the two of us to accept all of them. Check out our Submission Guidelines, and if you want a more detailed description of the dos and don'ts of writing and getting published. I invite you to check out a new book we just released by Jim Woods, titled: So You Want to be an Author?

Another Year, Another Move . . .

2010-12-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

Wow, another year has come and gone (almost!). Hard to believe, but we have less than a week of 2010 to go and it will be 2011.

I’ve been thinking about New Year’s Resolutions, but I’ve yet to come up with anything adequate. The first thing that comes to mind is to make this upcoming move my last . . . EVER . . . but I know better. Even the best laid schemes of mice and men, not to mention my own, often go wrong, so I’d be kidding myself to think this is positively my last move. Still it would be nice . . .

Maybe it’s because one of my major life goals is to continue growing and learning that I find myself moving on every couple of years. Could be in a short amount of time I manage to grow as much as I can in my current location, though I have to believe I can never learn everything a certain place can provide the opportunities to master. Somehow I feel I can never learn everything there is to learn, no matter where I am. Thirst for knowledge? Yes!

Nevertheless, I confess to growing tired of being a rolling stone. I long for a “home” I can claim for the rest of my days. For one thing, my strength and energy levels are not what they once were. Back in 1986 my barely teenaged daughter and I packed the back of our hatchback full of boxes and began our migration from West Texas to Central Texas. Every couple of weekends we made the 325 mile (each direction) drive to load the car again. We actually managed to get everything we thought we had to have with us moved, one carload at a time.

Now I find I’m not even capable of loading the back of the car and taking the boxes a few miles to storage by myself. Not only that, but I’d be so hard-pressed to decide which of my things I have to have with me and what I can store that I am rendered almost unable even to begin the task. Does this mean I have become officially old, or merely that all my possessions are indispensible now? I prefer to fight the idea I have grown too old to make these kinds of decisions; yet, I must admit I probably haven’t managed to weed out all the unnecessary things from my life, so what gives?

I have to stop writing now, because I can tell there will be no suitable resolution to this post, let alone any forthcoming New Year’s resolutions. Happy New Year, everyone. May you have a beautiful and bright 2011!

Testing . . .

2010-10-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, I was trying to link my blog to my Facebook Page, did it work? It's been more than a year since I posted (hmmm . . . seems like I should have prefaced that with, "Father, forgive me, for I have sinned . . . ") . I was just looking over past posts and I had posted on September 9, 2009 about starting Gypsy Shadow Publishing. I proudly posted we had six authors and twenty e-Books to start our little business. Just over a year later, I find we now have FIFTY authors and EIGHTY-THREE e-Books, plus SEVEN print books. Is it any wonder I haven't found the time to post to my blog? Wow! What a whirlwind year it's been! Please check out our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Gypsy.Shadow.Publishing!

New Trailer for my Actor's Guild Paranormal Mystery Series

2009-09-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

Same trailer, new publisher! Check out Gypsy Shadow Publishing!

I'm a Publisher Now!

2009-09-20T14:23:00.001-07:00

We're called Gypsy Shadow Publishing. Check us out! We opened September 1, 2010 and we have 6 authors and 20 titles! UPDATE!! October 10, 2010 . . . would you believe 50 authors and 83 titles??? Wow, no wonder I've been too busy to post to my blog!

"Kreativ Blogger Award"

2009-09-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

Not really sure how this is supposed to work. I dont' really have anyone to pass it on to, but I got it, so I'm writing about it.

With this one comes Q/A …

When posting the award, list 7 of your favorite things, 7 of your favorite activities, and 7 things no one knows about you.

Okay then, I’ll give it a go but as long as I’ve been blogging, there may not be 7 things I’m willing to share that’s not already known. ;-)

Favorite Things:
1- Beading
2- Writing
3- Art
4- Music
5- Gorgeous Scenery
6- My daughter and grandkids
7- Chocolate (of course) , chai, a good salad

Favorite Activities: (hmm . . . second verse, close to same as the first . . .?)
1- Writing
2- Reading
3- Beading
4- Sleeping in late
5- Going to movies
6- Going to the mountains
7- Doing anything artistic/creative

Unknowns (at least largely unknown):
1- I have a phone phobia. I rarely pick it up even to call family.
2- I detest doctors
3- I have applied for disability
4- I'm an only child and a recluse
5- I wanted to be a movie star
6- I wanted to be a singer/dancer
7- I like reading spooky books at night

Termination of Contract/Official Notice

2009-07-18T14:08:00.001-07:00

Official Notice: I am no longer affiliated with Mystic Moon Press and am currently in process of regaining my rights for my manuscripts. For more information about buying my work and updates on same, please refer to my website (to be updated in the next day or two): http://www.theactorsguildseries.com

New Review for The Bakery Murders: Challenge

2009-05-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

MR Review
The Bakery Murders: Challenge - Book Two
by Charlotte Holley

The Bakery Murders: Challenge is the second book of the Actor’s Guild series and picks up just a short time after the events of the first book in the series, McCann’s Manor: Portal.

Liz Carr and Kim Henson agree to look into why there is a ghost haunting the local bakery but before they even get started the owner’s boyfriend is brutally murdered and the baker charged with the murder. But Liz and Kim think there is more going on and do not believe their friend is guilty. Something evil is again threatening Liz and Kim and once again they will have to use their wits and unique abilities to stay a step ahead of the murderer and remain alive themselves.

It takes a really sick and twisted mind to develop the evil diabolical monsters and plots running through this series -- I enjoyed every page!! In this second book, the reader is exposed to the secondary plot running behind each of the stories in the series. There is real evil at foot and the bad guy is escalating his schemes along with the attacks against Kim and Liz. While Liz and Kim are battling in the present, the men are off on their own mission through the portal to save the earth and discover their connection to the past and the mystery surrounding the portal contained in McCann’s Manor. It is like reading two completely different books at one time but the connections are obvious and the ending of this story leaves no doubt that there will be a third adventure where the main story lines will come together in a good versus evil battle for the world and their souls! I can’t wait for the third story.

Review at Manic Readers
by Stevie B.

Read the review here:
http://manicreaders.com/index.cfm?disp=reviews&bookid=2829

My website:
http://www.theactorsguildseries.com

2009-04-23T13:23:00.001-07:00

The Actor's Guild Paranormal Mystery Series Trailer--NEW cover art

2009-03-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

All New Cover Art for The Actor's Guild Paranormal Mystery Series

2008-11-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

Here are the New Images! Check out all my writing at: http://www.theactorsguildseries.com

My Second Published Novel now in Paperback!

2008-08-27T07:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, it was supposed to have been out MONTHS ago, but due to unforeseen difficulties with the printer, the paperback has just now been released. The second novel in The Actor's Guild Paranormal Mystery Series will take you deeper into the mysteries of Benjamin McCann and the 200 year-old manor he built for the woman he loved. Contrary to some beliefs, these books are not romances, but instead they delve into the realm of the supernatural while packing a hefty helping of fantasy/sci-fi and a pinch of horror.

To buy the book, go here: http://www.mysticmoonpress.com/authorpages/charlotteholley.html

New and Upcoming Releases

2008-07-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

To learn more about individual titles check here: http://www.mysticmoonpress.com/authorpages/charlotteholley.html

Am I in Danger? Should I Worry?

2008-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

I don't think so. I read on the Internet that this is a preamble to a demand for money, but I had to put it out there, just in case I turn up dead!

The following is a copy (verbatim) of the email I got this morning. One has to wonder what anyone could be thinking sending this kind of email if they weren't planning to attempt extortion. Funny thing about these pfishing emails and such is that I have absolutely nothing anyone could want. If they took over my identity, all they would get is a lot of beads and a WHOLE LOT of debt. The only ransom I could offer anyone is the residual sales on my patterns and the hope that SOMEDAY my books will start to really sell!

Here it is, folks, for your reading enjoyment . . .

Your calls are not safe
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 5:11 AM
From: "farcsx@hotmail.com"
To: farcsx@hotmail.com
Red Alert !!!

This is Puzzo Region head of the FARC NETWORK. I wish to let you
know that i have been paid by a client to assasinate you at
convenience, and i have signed a contract for this yesterday. I have
never met you before, but they gave me the full description of your i
dentity and contact which my boys have used to trace you.

The reason why they want you Dead is not disclosed to me as i was not allowed to know,but you are now not better that the dead ok.

My GUYS are now contantly watching you,they are following you home,
office, everywhere....., you go and they are waiting for my instruction to terminate you and they will strike at convenience.

THIS IS MY MESSAGE-

LISTEN VERY WELL !!!, the Police cannot do much to help you out in this right now because you are being watched and any such attempt is very risky cause you will push us to terminate your life without option.

Your calls are not still safe. BYE for now!
-------------------
Email sent using ComDAK Mail (http://www.comdak.com)

You REALLY gotta love the Internet!

Please sign my Guestbook!

2008-04-08T14:05:00.001-07:00

More about the Covey Cover Art and Trailer Awards

2008-04-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hey! I have posted my Cover Art (designed my moi!) at the New Covey Cover Art Awards and my trailer for The Actor's Guild Paranormal Mystery Series at the Covey Trailer Awards! Voting for the Most Artistic and Most Eye-catching covers started over the weekend and will run through April 4.
Please go to: http://thenewcoveycoverawards. blogspot. com/ and check out all the neat cover art in this month’s contest and vote for your favorite! It won’t hurt my feelings in the least if you vote for McCann’s Manor, #23 in the posted Cover art entrants and/or The Actor's Guild Paranormal Mystery Series, #12, in the Trailer entrants!

Also, if you're an author looking for exposure, this is a monthly contest, so you might consider posting some cover art or a trailer of your own next month! Submit according to the guidelines and get all your friends to vote! You can enter again if you don't win the first try!

The New Covey Cover Awards

2008-03-28T13:16:00.001-07:00

Hey! I have posted my Cover Art (designed my moi!) at the New Covey Cover Art Awards! Voting for the Most Artistic and Most Eye-catching covers is the last week of the month, so it should be going now! Please go to: http://thenewcoveycoverawards.blogspot.com/ and check out all the neat cover art in this month’s contest and vote for your favorite! It won’t hurt my feelings in the least if you vote for McCann’s Manor, #23 in the posted entrants! My cover looks like this:

What it Means to be an "Author" . . .

2008-03-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

I started writing fiction when I was thirteen, my ambition to write fueled by my English teacher who recognized in me a gift for telling tales. I wrote at every opportunity and after I was widowed at the age of twenty six, I put myself through college to further my ambition to become an author. During and after college I wrote news articles, reviews, investigative pieces, poems and short stories, all of which were published, but I still didn't consider myself an author. Authors write books, not just newspaper and magazine articles--at least that's what I believed.

So, even though I've been published since the seventies, I didn't become an author until January of this year when McCann's Manor, first book of The Actor's Guild Paranormal Mystery Series, was released by Mystic Moon Press. It was released in eBook format first and came out in print within the month, with the second of the series, The Bakery Murders, released in eBook format the end of February and scheduled to come out early in April in paperback. I am working on the third, Whispers From the Past, but it seems most of my time is going toward promoting the books!

Ah, so that's what it means to be an author . . . write; promote, promote, promote . . . and try to find more time to write! I have set up a new website for just promoting my books and short fiction. If you'd like to find out more about my paranormal mysteries, check out the site at: http://www.theactorsguildseries.com/. Additionally, I also try to continue to design a few new beaded jewelry patterns from time to time, because I sell the patterns. For more information on my designs and patterns, click here.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-25T17:20:00.001-07:00