You're In It For The Money

Novel Spaces is in its 10th year! Over the coming weeks we'll be featuring some of the most popular posts from our archives. This one was first published April 13, 2014.

By Sunny Frazier

Oh yes, you are! And that's nothing to be ashamed of even if it sounds crass to admit your intentions aloud.

I've been blacklisted on at least one artsy site and bad-mouthed on others for blatantly saying "I like to make money from my writing." I blame my attitude on my early years as a journalist. In those days I was paid to put words on paper and I grew to like having an income. It felt good to have people reading my articles, even when my precious words were tossed in the recycle bin after a day. Now there are few newspapers and my degree languishes, but I still like the notion that my words are worth a few dollars.

Kudos to those who write simply for the sake of their art. Perhaps satisfaction comes from pieces published in literary magazines for limited readership. Me--I want lots of people reading my stories and books. I want those hours (years) I put into my work to be rewarded. This is a business for me and the IRS concurs.

Not that it's ALL about money. I have no problem contributing to Novel Spaces because I'm investing in a site I respect and hope readers will possibly invest in me. I give books away when I'm on panels to pepper the pot for sales. I've donated my novels to the local Senior Center and VA Hospital. I've even gifted to people who were too broke to spend $12 on one of my books.

Does expecting money for my work make me a hack? Possibly. I know what readers want and I strive to give it to them. They want an entertaining story, interesting characters, a few cringe-worthy moments (I write mysteries) and a satisfactory ending. But, to keep my standards high, I also give them craft, personal insights, soul-searching questions and a bit of astrology. Yes, it's worth much more than the few dollars I'm asking in return.    

What I'm against are those people who make money off of the one segment that can't afford the cash--new authors. When starting out, it's hard to resist the carnival barkers promising quick routes to the bestseller list. They come in the form of costly conferences, webinars, PR people, paid reviewers and businesses that impersonally shovel titles to the Internet. All of this can be done for free--and should be. The info is readily available in your computer if you know where to look. Since we're close to Easter, I'll liken the process to hunting for those colored eggs. The search will take exploring websites, following leads and a bit of time.

Time is money. I realize that and I also understand the World Wide Web can be a very confusing place. My solution was to start a Posse. Several years ago I decided to share my own searches with others. Authors just send me their email addys and they're in. They get emails from me pointing them to articles on marketing, platform building, inside business info, places looking for guest bloggers and yes, my blogs.

There's no charge because the effort is minimal on my part. It's my way of paying it forward. Consider it a gift from one author to another. I hope others do the same with their future network. And, who knows? Perhaps I'm make a fan or a friend who will buy one of my Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries. Because, as the L'oreal ads say, I'm worth it!  

Be Aware Who's In the Room!

Novel Spaces is in its 10th year! Over the coming months we'll be featuring some of the most popular posts from our archives. This one was first published February 14, 2015.

By Sunny Frazier

This is my favorite anecdote from my career so far.

There used to be a small writers conference called Bare Bones. The San Diego Sisters in Crime put it on and it was in a church camp in the hills of Julian, CA. The site has since burned down in one of the forest fires.

I was pretty distraught when I walked in to register. My friend J.A. (Judy) Jance was talking to someone and she motioned me over. She wanted to know why I looked so upset.

I told her that a week ago, I'd sent two of the narc detectives I worked with to go check out a chemical drop from a meth lab at one of the Indian rancherios. I was getting phone calls that children were playing in the river where the chemicals were seeping. On the way to the site, another call came from dispatch that a man was chasing his parents around with an ax. My detectives were the closest in the area and they responded. One of the detectives shot and killed the man.

"Today's the day he's coming back to work and I feel I should be there, not here," I explained to Judy. "They said it was a good shoot but what's a good shoot to a young Mormon kid?"

"Honey, sit with us and talk," said her companion.

I really didn't glance at the woman, but I declined. She insisted, patting the seat emphatically. I finally turned to look at her.

"You're Sue Grafton," I exclaimed.

"Yes, I am. Now honey, just sit right down and tell me all about it."

The rest of the conference she kept me close. She wanted to come and visit my narcotics team, but that's not allowed. Not even if you are the #1 female crime writer in the world.  

What Is a Platform and Where Do I Find One?

Novel Spaces is in its 10th year! Over the coming months we'll be featuring some of the most popular posts from our archives. This one was first published January 14, 2013.

By Sunny Frazier

The hot topic today, the buzz word in the writing industry, is “Platform.” Writers are constantly told they need one, but nobody seems to have a clear idea of what a platform consists of or how to construct one. If you build it, will they come?

Here's the problem. Many writers, in the thrall of creating a book out of their imagination, haven't bothered to learn how the industry works. Everything has changed, but too many potential authors believe what they've seen in the movies--the romantic vision of art and the written word with publishing hacks doing promotion and getting their book on the bestseller list.

I doubt if that dynamic ever really existed, but if it did, it's as dead as Hemingway. The reality is that Big Publishing isn't interested in any work that doesn't have guaranteed sales right out the door. That's why Snookie got a contract and you didn't. But then again, she has a platform. One built with substandard materials, but one that exists.

Independent presses also have to try for guaranteed sales. They struggle enough without handing out contracts to people who have no sense of promotion. That's why we hope to see something in place, to hopefully hedge our bet that the book will sell. This is why we look hard for the author's platform.

Start with name recognition. Sell yourself by getting on sites where you get a page to decorate and interact with people. Book Town, Crime Space, and of course, Face Book. Put up photos, post blogs, jump into forums, initiate discussions. Have a personality that people will remember.

Start collecting your fan base. Anyone who communicates with you is a potential reader. Research each one, take notes on bits of info (do they have a cat? What part of the country are they from?). Everyone likes feeling they get personal attention. So, make the effort.

Get a website up. Create a bog. Make it compelling. Offer people something they can use, not just your idle thoughts on a subject.

It takes the sale of 200 books for a publisher to break even. Can you come up with that many buyers? Indie presses have distribution, but it's hard to get libraries and bookstores (the ones that still exist) to stock POD books. The public still has trouble seeing the economically feasible format as “real” books. That's why authors have to convince the reading public that their book is worth buying. You do that with a fan base and by physically promoting your work.

This is what a publisher looks for—not promises by writers uneducated in promotion, but those who have an established presence before publication. A platform. This is the author we are willing to invest in and hope for a return.

12 Myths Writers Believe

Novel Spaces is in its 10th year! Over the coming months we'll be featuring some of the most popular posts from our archives. This one was first published March 13, 2016. 

By Sunny Frazier

The other night I went to dinner and met someone for the first time. I was introduced as “a published author.” This young woman, looking way too impressed, gushed “How exciting!”

“Not really.”

It wasn’t the response she was looking for. She thought she’d given me a compliment. I gave her an honest reply.

I’m over it. All the shiny newness of being a published writer has worn off. I can’t maintain the façade anymore. The pedestal has crumbled, my feet are firmly on the ground. Maybe in the mud. Sometimes it feels like quicksand. I’m beginning to understand why Salinger went into hiding, Hemingway killed himself and Hammett became an alcoholic.

There’s no fooling myself anymore. They say fiction writers tell lies for fun and profit. Can writers handle hard truths? Here goes:

1.    Writing is a gift. No, it’s a curse. It’s rejection. There are easier ways to make a living.

2.    We are born with natural talent. Doubtful. “Talent” takes years of reading and absorbing. It takes time in the classroom. It takes studying spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and craft. It takes trial and error.

3.    It’s a labor of love. No, just labor. Below minimum wage. The payoff is we don’t get Alzheimers as often. We keep the brain cells firing.

4.    We have to write. No, we don’t. Nobody is twisting our arm. Nobody holds a gun to our head. Readers aren’t waiting with open arms for our golden words. What we have to do is eat, keep a roof overhead, pay taxes. 

5.    There’s a “writer’s high.” Maybe a rush when the right words hit the page, a sentence that sings, a perfect paragraph. Want a high? Take drugs.

6.    Writing a book is like giving birth. Really? While you may bloat from eating crap for 9 months I seriously doubt there is as much pain unless the pages are expelled via your vagina. Men excluded.

7.    These are my children. Oh, do your manuscripts need to be fed and clothed? True, it sucks the life out of you. Yet, when it’s time to leave the nest and go to a publisher, you cling and hold back.

8.    Writer’s block? More like laziness. Excuses. Fear. Will I be able to finish the book? Will it be as great as I hear it in my head? Do I have talent? The mantra repeats until we have to block it out.

9.    You have to open a vein and bleed all over the page. That’s suicide and you’d be dead. Maybe you’ll become published posthumously. Probably not.

10. We live glamorous lives. Seriously? Is perpetually living in pajamas and slippers with endless cups of coffee, tea, diet soda (or booze) a lifestyle to aspire toward? Things go unattended like grooming, housework, bills, yardwork. We have insomnia with thoughts rumbling through our heads. In the wee hours plots and doubts decide to show up.

11. We make lots of money. Only if your name is Rowling, Crais, Evanovich, Patterson, Steel or any one of the 1%. The rest of us barely scratch out enough to keep us in printer paper and ink cartridges.

12. We make important contributions to the world. Then why hasn’t society caught on? Oh wait—they are too busy living productive lives. They have little time for our insights. They are Philistines who would rather watch Dr. Phil. 

What we do have is a community to commiserate with us. We recognize our kind, seek them out at conferences and online. We can tell the clueless beginners with stars in their eyes to jaded veterans who’ve had too many empty book signings. We’ve heard unrealistic expectations and Hollywood dreams and wait for reality to set in. We’ve finally admitted we are nothing special, just people who choose to be miserable.

But, we keep all that a secret. Instead, we smile at readers and try to charm them into being fans. We nod when friends tell us we’ll get on the best seller list someday. We tolerate disappointment from family members who think we should do something practical. Like make money.

We continue to ignore the odds, the pitfalls, the walls thrown up to stop us. We put one word behind another and fingers crossed it all makes sense. We continue to hope when it feels hopeless. Even if you agree with the above, chances are you’ll ignore the advice. After all, I write fiction.     

Let's Cozy Up or Not

by Linda Thorne

Anything you hear regarding cozy mysteries will likely slot them into a sub-genre that promises the reader escape from things objectionable, real-life hardships and horrors. Profanity is eliminated or so imperceptible to hardly be noticed. If sex is written into the book, it will always be low key and definitely off-stage. The protagonist is never physically harmed or subjected to true violence. I recently read a post online that said crime in a cozy would be “bloodless.”

The setting is a small town and characters drink tea, have cats or dogs for pets, sometimes other animals. The lead character will be a female amateur sleuth, often described as a sincerely nice person in an endearing sense. The definition offered here is what I've read in posts and articles. It’s the same when I listen to authors speak on the subject.

Okay, that said, why do the cozies I read (and write) not meet the criteria? I’ll give you some examples.

Before my debut novel, Just Another Termination, was contracted for publication, I’d submit it to agents, publishers, contests, always referencing it as a mystery. My reject letters referred to it as a cozy mystery. One year when I entered Just Another Termination in the Colorado Gold Writers Contest, one of the judges wrote notes in the margin beside my description of the first dead body, a crime scene far from “bloodless.” He said I was stepping outside the bounds of cozy. I made all the other changes both judges suggested, but held on to the initial grizzly, real life, description of the dead body as it seemed important to my story. When I found a publisher, the graphic details of my murder scene survived their edits, yet my book is still called a cozy, along with other names like traditional mystery.

Are there cozies that are a hybrid, mostly mystery with a touch of cozy? I presented the question to a panel of authors of cozies at a Killer Nashville Writers Conference many years ago, before I was published. I used Carolyn Haines’ Sarah Booth Delaney Bones series as an example. I told the group that I’d noticed Sara Booth’s sex life escalating in each new book and her consumption of Jack Daniels increasing. After some pause, one of the panel authors said, “Maybe we could call her books naughty cozies.” The whole room had a good laugh, but then the questions and responses moved back to the elements of cozies.

Goldy Schultz, the caterer protagonist in Diane Mott Davidson’s series, has been knocked down, bonked, bruised, and stabbed. She’s been left unconscious numerous times and has found herself confronted by many murderers after her. Any reader of the series should find solid reason to believe she is in true danger of physical harm or death. Often. 

As for M.C. Beaton’s series character, Agatha Raisin, I’d hardly describe the character as nice. Certainly not endearing. To me, Agatha, is a fun protagonist in her sarcastic, grumpy cigarette-smoking self-centered way.

Jennie Bentley has some horrific things happen in her cozy renovation series. The skeleton of a baby is found in a crawl space above an attic, a 98 year-old woman is pushed to her death down steep stairs, and more.

In Sunny Frazier’s second book in her Christy Bristol series, Where Angels Fear, Christy gets involved in a membership-only S&M sex club. I have to say, the subject added spice to the story, but an objectionable topic to some? I would think so.

Okay, so the books I’ve mentioned are missing a lot of tea drinkers and in one way or another have taken a brazen step outside the boundary of their subgenre. Regardless, I came away from reading these books with a feeling I’d been on had a fun ride. One without gloomy afterthoughts or bad dreams. As these authors’ examples illustrate, books called cozies can move outside their definition and still hold their label, cozy, so long as they leave the reader with their hallmark - a warm and comfy feeling. It works for me.


http://www.lindathorne.com

Are Women Better Than Men At Social Media?

Oh, that title should raise some eyebrows. Am I worried that men might take offense and respond? Not really. Men don’t tend to read my blogs, my FB page, my Coming Attractions or my Christy Chronicles. With the rare exception they don’t buy my books. They are not my target audience.

Out of 1,257 FB friends, 215 are male. Some of those men “friended” me when I was acquisitions editor and they wanted publication. Some are men from foreign countries looking for lady friends. Some are authors who sought my promotion and then dismissed me after I gave them publicity. The rest are actually friends from my former time in law enforcement, the American Legion, high school, relatives, Misters in Crime, the Posse and Novel Spaces. With the exception of the last two groups, I seldom hear from the others.

Women have always been social. We talked while pounding laundry on rocks in ancient times. We’ve been belittled for our cafe klatches in the ‘50’s when women didn’t work, got the kids off to school and took a housework break to talk over the kitchen table. Before men became enamored with cell phone technology, women were the ones who dominated the telephone lines. We gossip, we bare our souls, we commiserate. We are the shoulder to cry on, the person to bitch to, the sisterhood for support, the ladies who lunch. We talk. And now we Face Book and blog.

While men may not read my blogs, I do read theirs. They are usually focused on their expertise, intent on schooling the rest of us and putting their knowledge on display. Often, they are trying to sell me something, a book on how to get rich with my writing or buying their services for mass promotion. It’s a one-way conversation.

That’s not “social.” Defined by Webster it’s time “passed in pleasant companionship of one’s friends or associates.” It’s checking in for no other reason than we care about their daily lives. We share on Face Book funny memes, recipes, craft tips, cat videos, kid photos, anniversaries and books we love.

My Coming Attractions column promotes primarily female cozy authors. At first, I was afraid I was being prejudiced. But I noticed that when I gave male authors kudos, I seldom got thanked in return. Even the most well-known women mystery writers appreciate any free publicity. Maybe it’s because we’re still behind men at selling books. While women buy books written by either sex, men in general don’t buy fiction or anything with a female byline. Just ask J.A. Jance who used her initials and for years men believed she was a man writing edgy fiction. I was even told early on to spell my name “Sonny” to garner more readers. Not gonna happen.

In my mysteries I write about drugs, sex and murder. I couch it in a strong female friendship between two women as well as astrology. Male readers are pretty skeptical about horoscopes and planetary predictions; women are much more open-minded. If men read my books they might gain insights into female logic (or, illogic) and intuition as well as the role women are thrust into within the law enforcement workplace. They would definitely learn how my area became the meth capitol of THE WORLD while I was working at the Sheriff’s Dept. I write about the San Joaquin Valley of California, an oft-overlooked section that covers the whole middle of the state. I know my stuff.

So, I will keep on writing blogs and the women who follow me will keep on reading and responding. We are a loyal community. And, we are social with a capital “S.”     

Should Your Book Have an Agenda?

     I was enjoying coffee and cheesecake with three published friends when I asked something that had been niggling in my mind. 

     “When you write your books, do you have an agenda?” 

     It was not an innocent question. I had a feeling I knew what their first response would be. 

     “Absolutely not. I write for enjoyment and to give the reader a good novel,” said friend #1. 

     “Really?” I said, stirring creamer into my coffee. Then I pointed out that her first book dealt with past lives and the Mayan people. Her second book was about ancient Japan. “Seems to me you want to open people up to other cultures. 

     “Well, yes,” she agreed. “And I want to talk about the possibility of past lives because I believe in the idea.” Her next book will be about “the lack of harmony man has with the earth because of ego.” That's an ecological agenda. 

     The woman who just debuted her first novel in the fantasy genre still maintained she didn’t have an agenda. But, with a little nudging she admitted she believed in alien visitations and wanted her book to be about love, trust and honor. “But I didn’t do it consciously.” 

     Friend #3, a mystery writer, readily admitted “I wanted to create Christian characters but not in a book just for Christians. Although my characters screw up, they have a higher power. I didn’t want to write stereotypes.” 

     “Agenda” is not a dirty word. It doesn’t mean hitting people over the head with your viewpoint. It doesn’t have to be blatant. Webster defines it as “A plan of things to be considered.” I think that’s very important. An author needs to understand their own motivation for writing and to be very clear in their minds when they prepare to set down words on paper. 

     Authors have changed the world via novels with agendas. In 1906 Upton Sinclair wrote “The Jungle” and uncovered horrific practices in the meat packing industry that led to reform. Aldous Huxley warned us about a Brave New World, one of reproduction control and human conditioning as early as 1932. Ray Bradbury scared us with a future without books in Fahrenheit 451. 

     My friend, James Callan, posted about his latest in the post previous to this one. In A Silver Medallion he wrote a mystery about current slavery in America. J. A. Jance at the end of one of her novels tagged a warning to us about air bags taken from wrecking lots for the dangerous chemicals they contain. Would I have been aware of these issues without these books? Perhaps not.  

     I always have an agenda in my novels, my short stories and even my blogs. The seed of an idea stems from something that is currently bothering me. I’m not talking about major events like the recent deaths in Dallas. Yes, that is massive and needs to be addressed, but I’m not up for the task, it’s beyond my abilities. I would rather couch my agenda in the confines of a mystery and entertainment. 

     In Fools Rush In I wanted to present the meth drug culture and how it grew in my part of the country. It was something I dealt with every day in my job with the narcotics unit at the sheriff’s department. In Where Angels Fear I wanted to defend the right of people to their sexual preferences, whether I agree with them or not. In A Snitch In Time I addressed the issue of “Who is the better friend?” after discovering I fell short in that category. I also added lots of dead bodies and astrology. My more obvious agenda was to pull the curtain aside and demonstrate how astrology is used as a tool.  

     Do readers know they are being spoon fed my agendas? No, I don’t really think so. I believe they are reading for fun. But I do hope they are subconsciously absorbing what I have to say. Like Mary Poppins, I'm giving them a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. 

     And books that have no agenda? Like the photo above, they are simply beach reads.

The Universe of Novel Spaces

I’ve been thinking a lot about Novel Spaces, especially since Liane brought up that the site might be threatened by disbandment. Some of us have become lax at meeting deadlines, myself included. They seem to sneak up, don’t they? I know I should work ahead of time and just set the date for publication. It’s not that I’m not disorganized (well, kinda) but often the ideas don’t pop into my head until the deadline looms, usually the night before. On the plus side, the results is  often more topical than generalized. And, many times what I write about is something that’s been like an irritation under my skin that I just gotta scratch in public.

I have a lot of writing obligations and commitments. It seems every day I have a homework assignment, just like high school. I can grumble, but I remind myself that I created this career, I worked hard for it and I have fans. I love that readers respond to my words. I don’t write fluff, definitely not for this blogsite. I wanted to lead where I could. I have ideas for promotion I wanted to test. I wanted to have an impact on the writing life of others, even more so now with my health so iffy.

I don’t have a personal blog, I realized early on how exhausting it would be to keep fresh. But, I never rushed to belong to many group blogs. This is the only one I actively pursued for inclusion. I have been convinced to blog for a friend who runs Buried Under Books, but I don’t post about writerly stuff over there. It’s more of a reader’s site. The fact that I get a high number of hits from my blogs that appear here tells me I’m doing something right. Also, I know how to promote my work here.

I signed with Novel Spaces for one simple reason—I like this group. I like the racial and cultural diversity. I like the people behind the words. I enjoy the variety of topics and level of discussion. Nobody over-intellectualizes. Nobody dominates. I’ve never seen anyone get riled as I’ve seen on other sites. I feel I can be myself and any grammar or typos will be forgiven. I don’t feel judged. I feel embraced. Out of respect for all of you, I try to showcase the best I have to offer.

Blogging may be saturating the Internet but I know there would be an empty space in my life if Novel Spaces disappeared.

The One Book Every Writer Needs

 I came across “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print” by Renni Browne and Dave King in the local library. I loved the book so much that I went on Amazon and got a used copy very cheap. I’m not only going to tell you why I like it but also how to effectively use this book. 

First off, the chapters:

Show and Tell

Characterization and Exposition

Point of View

Proportion

Dialogue Mechanics

See How It Sounds

Interior Monologue

Easy Beats

Breaking Up Is Easy to Do

Once Is Usually Enough

Sophistication

Voice

Even the most seasoned writer needs a remedial course on all these things once in a while. Beginning writers are probably clueless on many items, such as voice. This book concentrates on craft. Craft is hard to explain, it’s one of those “I know it when I read it.” But finely crafted writing elevates a book to a whole other level.

In addition to clear writing, great examples and even cartoons, each chapter follows with a “Checklist” that asks questions to make sure you have a clear understanding of what was covered. Then there are exercises and answers to the exercises in the back of the book.

While there is a tendency to sit down and consume a writing book as if it were a novel, I feel with so much info, nothing really sinks in. The most effective way to use this book is to read a chapter, go to your manuscript and check your first chapter to see if you covered all the points. Read Chapter Two, apply what you learn to your second chapter while also correcting what you learned in the first chapter. The more you put the ideas into your own manuscript, the more automatic it becomes.

Whenever I lecture to writing classes, I push this book. At this point, I should be receiving royalty checks for sales.    

Save the Cozies

   Well, Big Publishing did it again. With the merge of Penguin and Random House, the powers- that- be decided there were too many cozy mysteries on the market. Now it’s slash & burn time as authors find their series discontinued.

   I’m having déjà vu. In the 90’s, as I was finishing my first Christy Bristol mystery, the bottom fell out of the mystery genre. All the houses were cutting out one mystery line and retaining only the top selling authors. Midlist authors were abandoned.

   People stepped up to the plate and created independent houses. With print-on-demand technology and computers, anyone could be a publisher. Amazon gave validity to ebooks and self-published authors.

   I have felt the cozy market was saturated. Every hobby has a mystery, everyone is an amateur detective with a law enforcement boyfriend or ex. Authors were even assigned subject matter. The main readers are women. Perhaps this is an effort to give hard-boiled mysteries a stronger market. Men who write them already make more money.

   If you love mysteries, there are things you can do: follow authors you love on their Facebook page, webpages, blogs and twitter. Subscribe to their newsletters. Pre-order your books—first week sales are important. And complain! Let Random House know how you feel. Here’s the link:

http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/about-us/contact-us/  

  

12 Myths Writers Believe

The other night I went to dinner and met someone for the first time. I was introduced as “a published author.” This young woman, looking way too impressed, gushed “How exciting!”

“Not really.”

It wasn’t the response she was looking for. She thought she’d given me a compliment. I gave her an honest reply.

I’m over it. All the shiny newness of being a published writer has worn off. I can’t maintain the façade anymore. The pedestal has crumbled, my feet are firmly on the ground. Maybe in the mud. Sometimes it feels like quicksand. I’m beginning to understand why Salinger went into hiding, Hemingway killed himself and Hammett became an alcoholic.

There’s no fooling myself anymore. They say fiction writers tell lies for fun and profit. Can writers handle hard truths? Here goes:

1.    Writing is a gift. No, it’s a curse. It’s rejection. There are easier ways to make a living.

2.    We are born with natural talent. Doubtful. “Talent” takes years of reading and absorbing. It takes time in the classroom. It takes studying spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and craft. It takes trial and error.

3.    It’s a labor of love. No, just labor. Below minimum wage. The payoff is we don’t get Alzheimers as often. We keep the brain cells firing.

4.    We have to write. No, we don’t. Nobody is twisting our arm. Nobody holds a gun to our head. Readers aren’t waiting with open arms for our golden words. What we have to do is eat, keep a roof overhead, pay taxes. 

5.    There’s a “writer’s high.” Maybe a rush when the right words hit the page, a sentence that sings, a perfect paragraph. Want a high? Take drugs.

6.    Writing a book is like giving birth. Really? While you may bloat from eating crap for 9 months I seriously doubt there is as much pain unless the pages are expelled via your vagina. Men excluded.

7.    These are my children. Oh, do your manuscripts need to be fed and clothed? True, it sucks the life out of you. Yet, when it’s time to leave the nest and go to a publisher, you cling and hold back.

8.    Writer’s block? More like laziness. Excuses. Fear. Will I be able to finish the book? Will it be as great as I hear it in my head? Do I have talent? The mantra repeats until we have to block it out.

9.    You have to open a vein and bleed all over the page. That’s suicide and you’d be dead. Maybe you’ll become published posthumously. Probably not.

10. We live glamorous lives. Seriously? Is perpetually living in pajamas and slippers with endless cups of coffee, tea, diet soda (or booze) a lifestyle to aspire toward? Things go unattended like grooming, housework, bills, yardwork. We have insomnia with thoughts rumbling through our heads. In the wee hours plots and doubts decide to show up.

11. We make lots of money. Only if your name is Rowling, Crais, Evanovich, Patterson, Steel or any one of the 1%. The rest of us barely scratch out enough to keep us in printer paper and ink cartridges.

12. We make important contributions to the world. Then why hasn’t society caught on? Oh wait—they are too busy living productive lives. They have little time for our insights. They are Philistines who would rather watch Dr. Phil. 

What we do have is a community to commiserate with us. We recognize our kind, seek them out at conferences and online. We can tell the clueless beginners with stars in their eyes to jaded veterans who’ve had too many empty book signings. We’ve heard unrealistic expectations and Hollywood dreams and wait for reality to set in. We’ve finally admitted we are nothing special, just people who choose to be miserable.

But, we keep all that a secret. Instead, we smile at readers and try to charm them into being fans. We nod when friends tell us we’ll get on the best seller list someday. We tolerate disappointment from family members who think we should do something practical. Like make money.

We continue to ignore the odds, the pitfalls, the walls thrown up to stop us. We put one word behind another and fingers crossed it all makes sense. We continue to hope when it feels hopeless. Even if you agree with the above, chances are you’ll ignore the advice. After all, I write fiction.     

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

I’ve finally separated from the mainstay in my life after a decade. It was a good run and lasted longer than anyone expected.

My “ex” is Windows XP. I loved that operating system. My Dell was reliable, we understood each other. It knew the intimate details of my life. It supported my writing. It was always there when I needed it. It was patient and taught me a lot about its inner workings.

As it aged, my better half got temperamental. It became slow, no matter how much I prodded and pleaded. It stubbornly locked up on me at inopportune times. It got unsociable, refusing to communicate with other PCs. The final straw was when Microsoft decided not to support XP anymore. I felt like the bottom fell out of my world. Damn you, Bill Gates!

After careful research, I ordered a new Dell. Not Windows 8, I’d heard horror stories. Windows 7 was more my speed. It was delivered and the box sat there for nearly a year. I couldn’t do it. I was still loyal to my old computer, even though it seemed to be getting Alzheimer’s.  

I know my idea that a computer should last a lifetime is unrealistic. But, when you’ve invested your life, thoughts and career into those wires and microchips, you expect loyalty in return. My computer knows more about me than my parents or my lovers. I have confided in this piece of equipment and it has been faithful.

You never forget your first computer. I’d had affairs with office computers, learned by trial and error and always had experts on-call for problem solving. I bought my own personal computer in 1997, a huge, black Toshiba. It cost me $2,000 and I made payments for a year. The Internet was still in the infancy stage and dial-up was easier to access at 3 a.m.  Toby was hard to part with, but it couldn’t keep up with the times, which were a-changing.

The next one was a cast-off of my sisters, some off-brand. It was a difficult relationship right from the start. I was almost glad when it died, although it happened right in the middle of getting a novel to the publisher. I quickly had to order a new one without knowing much about what I wanted. It cost $800. Now it was time for an upgrade.

I opened the box on New Years to fulfill my resolution to stop procrastinating. There were no operating instructions and an Office program didn’t come with it. I still have to get speakers, although I question why every computer can’t come with ones when even my Surface has sound. The tutorials are worthless without sound. It’s been trial and error as I’ve had to deal with this younger and faster PC. Often I chide myself that I’m too old for this nonsense.      

We’re working out our differences. I lost email addresses, but I’m building my contacts back up. The more expedient features don’t seem as easy as my XP. This young computer plays hide-and-seek with my documents. It asks questions I’m not prepared to answer. The icons are different or missing. I long for the familiarity and comradeship of my former PC. We’d been through two novels and countless blogs together.

Then I remembered—I wrote my first book on a Brother electric typewriter. We thought Wite-Out (invented by one of the Monkees’ mothers) was the best invention ever. When word processers came on the scene, it was a revolution. I adjusted to progress so easily back then.

This is a new millennium and the world is changing, perhaps too quickly for my comfort. I need to adapt to survive. That’s what evolution is all about. But, I still pray that this will be my last relationship. If breaking up is hard to do, starting over is just as difficult.

1,000 True Fans

1,000 True Fans

by Sunny Frazier

I stumbled across an article by Kevin Kelly, Senior Editor of “Wired” magazine. This piece has been circulating since 2008. Kelly's premise is that if you can acquire a thousand “true” fans, you can raise your sales and make a living off your art. The entire article is posted at http://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/

Kelly believes you don't have to have a hit to survive, or in writing terms, a bestseller. What you do have to do is collect a loyal fan base that will buy whatever you're selling. By pulling in one new fan a day, you will have your 1,000 fans in 3 years. The challenge is to create and maintain DIRECT CONTACT with fans. You will also need to nurture them, something not everyone is willing to do.

My problem with this article is the same problem I have with every “How To” article I find on the Internet. It's a good idea, possibly a sound one, but what I'm looking for (and I bet you are too) is the magic formula on how to implement this theory. Information is no good if it leaves you in the dark.

I have nearly 1,000 fans. I haven't tested to see if they are “true” fans yet, I'll do that when Black Opal Books reprints my entire series of astrology mysteries. For now, I'm creatively building my fan base. I'm going to explain EXACTLY what I'm doing and perhaps you'll pick up some ideas of your own.

First of all, readers are inundated with all sorts of come-ons. “Buy my book,” “Read my blog,” Watch my video.” I delete most of those and so do you. Instead, I offer fans something other than my own work. I entice them with what they want, which is free books. Oh, not my books—I refuse to offer my work for free. I write a monthly column for Kings River Life Magazine called “Coming Attractions.” I announce titles a month before they come on the market. There is always a drawing for about 8 or 9 books just by making a comment.

The column is nothing more than fun, quippy blurbs I concoct (for the latest column go to http://kingsriverlife.com/11/28/coming-attractions-visions-of-sugerplums-edition/ ) . I get the material from Amazon. Under the blurb are listed other books coming out in the future by the publisher. I also made a point of subscribing to Romantic Times Magazine which announces a variety of books two months in advance. And, a site called “Fantastic Fiction” lists every series an author has written plus books the author recommends http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/  (if you aren't listed on this British site, get in there!) . I keep these on file and right now I can tell you books coming out in August, 2016.

I began collecting the names of people commenting and “friending” them on Face Book by thanking them for their interest. I noticed my readership was primarily older women wanting to win cozy mysteries. With that info I decided to gear my column to their tastes. I also regularly checked in on them and from their FB postings discovered the name of their pets and their hobbies. I “liked” their memes and soon they were “liking” mine as well.

I'm the type that knows there's a next step. I divided up my list of fans into those who read dog mysteries, cat mysteries and culinary mysteries. When a book of that sort is offered as a prize, I contact them individually and nudge them to enter with something like “Fluffy thinks you'd like this new dog mystery.” It works because I take the time to remember their pet's name and readers are flattered by the attention. I also post the link to Cozyville Cozies then “friend” responders from that site. When an author posted my column on her site, I hijacked 24 of her fans. And, by researching authors who write astrology mysteries, I've been stealing that fan base as well.

What I'm doing is paving the way for readers of my own novels. I haven't done the “hard sell” yet, I want readers to know me as a friend and one who has their interests at heart. Because I really do enjoy each and every one of them.

Anyone can copy me and do their own column, either through blogging or by offering it to an ezine or reader's site. There are plenty out there. I'd like to see someone do one for romance novels, historical fiction, thrillers, erotica, sci-fi and horror. Authors are more than willing to give away free books for free publicity. Two things are crucial: publishing the column on a regular basis and promoting it. Growing 1,000 true fans takes commitment and creativity.

Summer of the Big Burn-Out

Fires raged on the West Coast, from Washington all the way down to the bottom of California. With the drought, forests were a tinderbox. As I write, there are still fires raging too close to the Giant Sequoias. The Big Cats sanctuary had to truck the lions, tigers and bobcats to a safer haven. Smoke has traveled as far away as Salt Lake City. Ashes dust the cars in Fresno. The air quality has been so bad, the Central Valley stinks like a fireplace that needs cleaning. We're all suffering from allergies and sinus infections. My eyes and nose won't stop running.

I ventured outdoors to go to lunch with my friend Lorie at our favorite Chinese restaurant. As we fed on fried rice and chow fun, we talked about mounting obligations to our time and energy. A local bookstore owner wanted us to pull together a series of 90 minute writing workshops, no pay but plenty of chances to promote and sell our books.

“I just don't know where I'm going to find the time,” Lorie said. She puts out the online magazine called Kings River Life and I'm one of her writers. Her plate is full. So is mine.

“Yeah, but think of the opportunity,” I answered. A bookstore that supports writers. A chance to organize events. Being a major player in our local writing community. But, Lorie was right. We both had too many people pulling at us to contribute our talents. We were exhausted.

Plain and simple: we were burned out. Juggling career and family for her, dialysis and writing for me. Every time we looked around there was a deadline chasing us. Very flattering to be wanted but very exhausting trying to meet obligations. Life was less complicated years ago when we were starting out. We were younger, we had more energy, more drive and embraced opportunities.

When the local library called asking if I would give a speech on a Saturday afternoon, I tried to say no. I've supported the library in the past and they have supported me. Dealing with yet another session with few in attendance and nobody buying books seemed too much to handle. Plus, this was short notice. My friend Sherman, the librarian, bribed me with a Chinese dinner afterward. He knows my weakness.

I had to stop and put the brakes on. Isn't this what I'd hoped for at the start of my career? When nobody knew me, didn't I work hard to get my name and reputation out there? Why was I sniveling? I knew authors who would kill for the opportunities that fell in my lap. When did I become so ungrateful?

I went ahead and publicized the meeting. I copied a short story I'd written based on a local murder case from the 60's that many locals were familiar with. It was a freebie to demonstrate my writing. To my surprise, there was a packed house. Turns out the class of 1965 was having their 50^th reunion and my classmates had notified their older siblings. Friends I hadn't seen in awhile were there, despite the extreme heat and bad air. I sold out of all the books I had and wished I'd ordered more. And yes, I got well-fed afterward.

This morning we got a sprinkle of rain. Winds came in like a big fan, whisking the air clean. The weather finally dipped below the hundred mark. The sky is brighter, and so is my mood. I feel energized and realize that I was just suffering from temporary doldrums. Hopefully, the fires will subside soon and the flame in me for my career will become stronger.

         

When Free Advice Is Worth a Million $$$

When I was doing horoscopes for free for friends and those in crisis, I would spend hours pouring over charts and my books. I cast predictions far into the future, preparing them for the best of times and worst of times. I even made a calendar for one person so she could track the planets on a daily basis.

Guess what? People treated all my hard work like a parlor game. They lost their horoscopes and asked for a repeat. I didn't keep copies and at this time computers didn't exist to save my work.

Later, when I needed money, I started charging $25 for a horoscope. Pretty cheap when you realize other astrologers charge at least $100 and give what seems to me generic readings. But people VALUED the charts I charged money for, believing them to be worth more. They didn't lose them, referred back to them and paid for updates. I realized this was human nature: the more one has to pay for something, the more valuable it is perceived to be.

Today, I give a lot of advice on marketing. I'm passionate about the subject. Marketing books, blogs, websites, other authors is, for me, a big part of the joy of being an author. I understand that many don't share my enthusiasm. They approach it with a negative mindset. It's WORK. For the shy, it's calling TOO MUCH ATTENTION to oneself. For those who aren't computer savvy, it's CONFUSING.

Call me Mary Sunshine, Pollyanna, an incurable optimist (I even find things to love about being in dialysis). ATTITUDE is everything. If you approach something expecting to hate it, you're gonna hate it. If you hear others complaining, you're going to resist. So, all the wonderful tips I gather on the Internet and even my own marketing secrets I'm willing to share often fall on deaf or plugged up ears.

Yet I find that when people pay through the nose to go to writing conferences to hear an “expert” lecture on the very same subject, suddenly it's embraced. Not that the marketing takes into account the individual. Not that people are worked with on a one-on-one basis. They aren't taught how to tailor the marketing to their specific book.

Buying a book on marketing is the same thing. Information is usually outdated by the time the book comes out. Much is info compile from sources anyone can gather on their own via the Internet. But again, when it's free, it's worthless.

I worked in detective division of the sheriff's department for 11 years. I'm trained to dig up leads. When social media took off, I scoured websites of authors and investigated sites they listed as their favorites. I put together lists of reviewers, interview sites and sites looking for guest bloggers. I wanted to share all of this and spare beginning authors from wasting time hunting it all down. I created the Posse. Again, a free service. Is it valued? I can name off many of the people who never bother to check their email anymore. You can bet if they were paying me they'd be sure they were getting their money's worth!

The worst advice I've heard comes from the “big” authors who are signed with big houses, pulling in big advances and have publicity machines backing them. They urge new authors to “forget about marketing and social media. Just concentrate on your writing.” Telling people to delay marketing until they have a book out makes about as much sense to me as ignoring your credit score until you go to buy a house. In this day and age when the competition is stiff and anyone with a computer can self-publish it all comes down to this: “He who markets best, succeeds.”

What happens when reality sets in is that some authors frantically hire a publicist to plug them into the system. Again, this is pretty generic and I, for one, delete posts that show up on my screen hawking their client's books. What unseasoned authors don't know is that they will pay more for their publicist than they will ever recoup in book sales. Someone makes money, but it isn't the writer.

In conclusion, I've concluded that people only value what they pay for. They are willing to give money to anyone ready to charge them for a speech, a book, a promotion. Humans are stubborn that way. Like the old adage says “You can lead a mule to water but you can't make it market.”

Now, pay Novel Spaces $20 for the privilege of reading this post!

Harper Lee and Me

By the time you read this post, Harper Lee's new book, Go Set a Watchman, will be unboxed and on the shelves at a bookstore near you. Yep, it only took her 55 years to follow up the success of her Pulitzer prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird (actually, she wrote Watchman prior to Mockingbird). And now rumor has it that Atticus Finch, who we all love, was a bit of a racist in earlier years. Harper Lee has enough clout to insist the book be published with NO editing whatsoever!

Fifty-five years! And here I was feeling guilty for taking six years to complete and release my third Christy Bristol novel, A Snitch In Time. With fans nipping at my heels, waiting for the next installment in the life of my underachieving astrologer, I felt like a slacker. One of my closest friends warned me I would lose my fan base if I didn't feed them another books. That didn't happen. In fact, I increased my visibility. How did I do that without anything to market?

There was no Internet when I started my career. Social media hadn't been thought up yet. I was typing on a word processor. Prior to that innovation, we all thought electric typewriters and Wite Out were cutting edge technology. No more carbon paper!

Next came print on demand and the surge of independent presses. No longer were authors at the mercy of Big Publishing and the agent system. Even self-publishing had respect.

When I volunteered to do acquisitions for a small house, it was a labor of love. My own career fell by the wayside as I helped others get published. What I didn't anticipate was the loyalty of those new authors. By giving freely to the writing community I reaped enormous rewards. And a fresh fan base.

Along the way I discovered I loved promotion, but others were clueless or struggled. Why not lead them to sites I was already monitoring to make it easier? I created the Posse and audaciously told them I could cut five years off their career path. Why didn't anyone think of this before? Reach out and help people who simply didn't know where/how to find information. Train them.

My fan base continued to grow. I revived a column called Coming Attractions that I'd done for a mystery newsletter. This time it was on a widely circulated mystery ezine, Kings River Life. Coming Attractions I highlight books just before they hit the marketplace. Response from readers and authors was overwhelming. My fan base exploded.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. I might not have gone in this direction if life hadn't thrown me a curve ball. I'd been poisoned (cat flea medicine), lost a kidney, one parathyroid was removed and lactic acid in my muscles put me in physical therapy. Basically housebound, I had to find ways to keep my career going. Now in dialysis (and waiting for a transplant) I work around restrictions.

Along the way, I lost faith in my talent. I lost interest in writing. Did the world need yet another mystery?

Who knows why Harper Lee disappeared from the scene for half a century and why, at 88, she's decided to release a new book. Was the spotlight too soon and too much? Did she think she couldn't top her literary masterpiece? Maybe she wants back in the game just one more time.

Just as my fans waited patiently for me to retain my traction, the world has waited for this icon to reappear. Whatever her reasons for making us wait, we will never know. And, it doesn't matter.

Welcome back, Harper Lee!