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Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 02/27/15

LOVE CAN SHINE A LIGHTthe boys next door

 

Not long ago I caught the end of a conversation in a grocery store parking lot.  In a very animated voice, the woman was saying, “…but you just can’t do that to someone who depends on others to do the right thing by them.”  My imagination flew into action as the group—two ladies and two gentlemen—got into a van and drove away.  The sign painted on the side door read: HELP For Disabled Children Is Here.  I wondered.

Do you remember Mother Teresa?  She passed from this earth in 1997.  However, while on the planet she taught us a lot about LOVE.  “I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like,” she is quoted saying, “but I know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, He will not ask, ‘How many good things have you done in your life?’ rather He will ask, ‘How much love did you put into what you did?’”  How will I answer that question?  Will examples of what I’ve written become evidence?

Back in 1996, I watched a TV movie titled: THE BOYS NEXT DOOR.  It was adapted for film from a stage play by playwright Tom Griffin. The story centers on a social worker (Jack) who found himself in a “job” that basically made him the “house-father” of four mentally challenged men living “regular” lives (to the best of their abilities) in a neighborhood house.  At one point in the story, there is a State Senate hearing that will decide the sustainability of this group home.  Jack and one of his charges (Lucien) are seated at the defendants table.  In this formal setting, the writer developed a short soliloquy, spoken by Lucien who steps aside from his mental illness for a few brief moments and speaks to the senators as if he were a “normal man.”  This superbly written dialogue is forever etched in my memory.  I would like to share the whole scene, but with limited space I will offer one quote.

Lucien stands up from the defendants table, straightens his rumpled suit and says: “I stand before you a middle-aged man…whose capacity for rational thought is somewhere between a five-year-old and an oyster.  I am retarded…damaged…sick inside from so many years of utter and profound confusion.…But I will not go away.…Damaged though I may be, I shall not wither, because I am unique and irreplaceable and part of you all.…Civilizations are judged by the way they treat their most helpless of citizens.  I am that citizen…and if you turn away from me, you extinguish your own light.”

Do you have such thoughts—such words—in your collection of BOOK ideas?  Are those concepts tossed about on scraps of paper or organized neatly in files?  PLEASE!  Don’t waste another minute!  Get your stories written!  The human condition of our world NEEDS to be encouraged!  There are too many lights hidden away under self-doubt and the fear-of-success.  You’ve been given the GIFT of writing—the skills and inspiration—to make a difference.  GET TO IT!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Choosing a Publisher, Jodee Speaks, Publishing Trends, Self-Publishing, Uncategorized

What makes for a great self-publishing company?

Many of the questions I hear most often, working as I do in the self-publishing business, can be distilled down to one very simple one: “What makes for a great self-publishing experience?”  The answer is equally simple: “A high-quality self-publishing company.”

First, we have to consider the business side of things.  A self-publishing company is, in the end, a company––and a company works according to profit.  As end users, either clients or readers, we want to know that we are receiving the best possible product and service for our investment.  You definitely want to look for a balance of:

  • reliability
  • affordability
  • quality production
  • excellent customer service, and
  • out-of-the-box thinking and solutions on offer

Of course, we don’t want to reduce the process of writing and publishing a book down to a simple exercise in corporate dynamics.  Book lovers, both writers and readers, know that there’s something, well, special about literature.  The advent of self-publishing has seen fierce debates spring up over the role of literary agents and publishing companies as “gatekeepers” for the written word, and rightfully so.  The stakes are very, very high when it comes to the stories we create and let influence our lives.  And because the stakes are high, it’s important that we look for a few more things out of a great self-publishing company, in addition to sound business practice.  We should look for:

  • sound ethics (from start to finish)
  • self-awareness (including of the company’s place and stance on being a “gatekeeper”)
  • authenticity (including a genuine interest in the client’s and reader’s satisfaction), and
  • sensitivity to a changing market and a changing world (which can translate to adaptability, but also to advocacy in the broadest and best sense)

Do your research!  Check online for customer satisfaction ratings––impartial ones––and contact the companies you’re interested in beforehand to gauge their possibilities.  After all, once you commit to a self-publishing company, you’re likely to be in close contact with them for quite a long time.

Now, someone might honestly point out that I work for one specific self-publishing company and therefore that I’m likely to view my own company in a favorable light, but here’s the thing: a great self-publishing company doesn’t need to be territorial.  All a great self-publishing company needs to do is offer a good product––a great package––and a service that puts its clients first and advocates endlessly for them.  The wonderful thing about the self-publishing industry is that at its core, it is a kind of fellowship of free (or freer) spirits who believe that the more voices that are heard, the more stories that are told, the better off we will all be.  So I’m not just an advocate for one company; I’m an advocate for the whole movement!

 

These are just a few thoughts to get us started.  What do you think makes for a great self-publishing company?  Drop me a line in the comments section to join the conversation.

 

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 02/20/15

LOVE CAN TURN HATE ASIDEthe long shadow

 

The month of February is also the celebration of BLACK HISTORY—recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans from the foundation of America to this very day.  I felt it fitting to highlight this concept of LOVE as stated in the heading, not to dredge up painful events but to demonstrate that WRITERS throughout history can—and have—made a big difference in creating harmony in the lives of millions around the world.

Do you recognize the name Daisy Gatson Bates?  I would have said “no” just a few years ago.  However, this publisher, journalist and lecturer played a leading role in the Little Rock Integration Crisis of 1957 and is honored for her lifetime accomplishments in the state of Arkansas on February 19th (or the 3rd Monday of every year) right along with remembrances of George Washington’s birthday and Martin Luther King.  As a foster child, Daisy attended the city’s segregated public schools.  In her teens, she learned that her birth mother had been raped and murdered by three local white men. No one was ever arrested and hate festered in her.  Her father told her: “Hate can destroy you, Daisy.  Don’t hate white people just because they’re white.…hate the humiliations we are living under…hate the discrimination that eats away at the South…and at the soul of every black man and woman.…Then try to do something about it.”  And so she did.

As an adult, Daisy and her husband published a local newspaper, the Arkansas State Press, utilizing her writing talents in her chosen field of advocacy journalism.  Stories about Civil Rights ran on the front page as well as the violations of the Supreme Court’s desegregation rulings.  However, the main stories that filled the paper spotlighted achievements of the black community in Arkansas.  Daisy had turned the painful events of her life into actively supporting those who wanted to change the segregated school system and increase opportunities for everyone.  Her clear and organized writing skills and positive attitude eventually led her to a position in the administration of President Johnson, working on anti-poverty programs.

Daisy wrote a memoir in 1962—The Long Shadow of Little Rock—which was banned throughout the South.  However, in 1988 the University of Arkansas Press reprinted it, after which it won an American Book Award.  President Bill Clinton (then Governor) said Daisy Bates is “the most distinguished Arkansas citizen of all time.”  In her later years, Daisy moved back to rural Arkansas, to concentrate on improving the lives of her neighbors (anyone who needed help) by establishing self-help programs that were responsible for new sewer systems, paved streets, a water system and community center.

Highlighting this woman’s life and accomplishments—as a person, journalist, publisher, author and advocate—exemplifies the points made by author Francine Rivers in my blog last week.

  • Tell the TRUTH, no matter how messy it is and get the details right.
  • Bad things happen. Ugly things. Sad and malicious things. There is also the TRUTH that good people make a difference. Their concepts of love, Faith, values, and doing what is right because it is right will make a difference.

Who is the person (or people) in your life demonstrating this element of LOVE?  Can their examples be incorporated into what you’re writing?  Do you need to write a True Story/memoir about their lives?  What is holding you back?  The WORLD needs more examples like this!  Write it! Get it PUBLISHED!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 02/13/15

redeeming loveLOVE CAN BE MESSY

Someone once told me that “being in love…is like marching through knee-deep mud.”  “Wow!” I answered (with compassion), “that’s a great piece of dialogue for a Romance novel!”  As you might imagine, my friend rolled his eyes at me and shook his head.  However, he didn’t “march away” mad.  Instead, we spent the next couple of hours weeding through his reactions to his girlfriend’s actions in an attempt to clearly understand what was happening.  I won’t delve into that specific situation here; however, I will say that my opening statement, “Love can be messy” is not an understatement.

There is also a parallel statement that must be recognized when writing love stories.  LIFE CAN BE MESSY.  In dramatic fashion, my friend’s parting words that day were, “I don’t know if I can live without her.”  Oh, that’s cliché you say?  Maybe.  However, it is also the way many people feel when experiencing a messy relationship.  In steps, the Romance Writer who develops characters, scenes/settings, plots/actions demonstrating how “real” (fictional) people can not only survive rocky relationships, they can become stronger and mentally/emotionally healthier.

I was introduced to one of my favorite Romance and Historical Fiction authors Francine Rivers when a student of mine gave me a copy of REDEEMING LOVE.  It is set in the California Gold Rush days.  The heroine, Angel, becomes a woman in the midst of “life’s” messiest of circumstances—sold into prostitution at the age of eight.  The cruelty of men (basically all the men) in her life is heart-wrenching. Then Michael comes into the story and falls in love with Angel.  This author moves readers through realistic bitter/sweet, happy/sad, emotions that speak the truth of how sincere, honest, real love conquers all ills.

I’ve included an illustration of this book to point out the statement highlighted in the beige inset: ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD!  And, it’s still selling!  What are some of her creative writing secrets?  Here are a few of the best interview excerpts I’ve found.

  • Research! Research! Research! Details about time periods and events are crucial.
  • It rarely works to develop a fictional character using all the specifics about a “real” person. Trying to bend actions/events around them will keep you from developing enough drama and conflict to make the story interesting to readers.
  • Imagination NOT “speculation” shapes and develops characters and events. Some readers think it strange to say that fiction characters take on a life of their own. But they do—in our imaginations. When their stories begin to move in unexpected ways, that’s when writing becomes really exciting!
  • Don’t be afraid to TELL the TRUTH. Bad things happen. Ugly things. Sad and malicious things. There is also the TRUTH that good people make a difference. Their concepts of love, Faith, values, and doing what is right because it is right will make a difference in the plot, too.

SO…I leave you today with these encouragements.  This author is an excellent example of what you can do, too.  If you’re not already deep into typing your novel, BEGIN TODAY!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 02/06/15

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Last week I wrote about creating a personal Motivation Diary.  One primary purpose for a writer to do this is to keep grounded and focused on the real reason for writing what we write.  In the process, many of us discover that our resolve centers on the desire to pass forward the best of who we are to those we love.

Some genres naturally lend themselves to writing for those we care about.  Children’s books, from toddler to young adult, are mostly written to encourage and inspire young minds as they grow.  Nature books, magazines and blogs are written to share the beauty that surrounds us and draw others into “loving” nature.  Comedy, in stage and screenplays, novels and short stories, allows both writer and reader to see the humor in “love relationships” that have their ups and downs and sideways moments.  The epic Family Sagas create a timeline that demonstrates how “love conquers many things.” However, the mainstay of sharing concepts of love is still the Romance novel, which includes Historical Fiction, Western/Pioneer Fiction, Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance and Inspirational Romance.

The successful Romance writers I know develop the backbone of their plot on true stories—actually a collection of true stories that they can “clip” from depending on what is needed in their current “love scenario.”  The list below is what they look for in research material.

  • Hero/Protagonist (male) types who 1) holds women in high esteem/respect;” 2) doesn’t hesitate to chase the purse thief; 3) almost always speaks with a positive attitude; 4) isn’t afraid to take a risk in relationships and looking for a lifetime commitment.
  • Hero/Protagonist (female) types who share the same characteristic as those listed above with the additional elements of: 1) needs evidence that her hero is actually who he presents himself to be; 2) speaks her mind freely; 3) has developed a strong set of values that she plans to stick to and/or develop further in her FOREVER relationship and in her children.
  • Main Antagonist (male) types who 1) disrespect women; 2) enjoy “using” a woman’s position or intelligence for their own benefit; 3) always points out the impossibility of a situation; 4) has a string of broken relationships, always blaming the woman for the breakup.
  • Main Antagonist (female) types who again demonstrate many of the above antagonist characteristics with the additional elements of: 1) greater levels of deception to obtain selfish goals; 2) speaks before thinking—often causing harm to others; 3) demonstrates the definitions of “ego” and selfishness.

SO HOW (you ask) do the successful Romance writers blend such opposite characters into novels that fly off the bookstore shelves?  They AIM for happy endings—or if not totally happy then realistically happy endings.  Romance Readers—more than in any other genre—picture themselves IN the scenarios they read about.  No one wants to find themselves in hopeless and/or helpless circumstances.  In fact, they want to learn how to GET OUT of those kinds of situations.  They pick up a Romance Novel and see the hero/heroine conquer “life” (all the messy stuff) and build healthy relationships—all based on LOVE.

Yes, love is a great motivator for both readers and writers.  It is also the stimulus that moves writers to their computers, completes the novels and gets those novels PUBLISHED!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.