Allison,

Is there a story behind the story in Stitch? What was your inspiration? Where did the characters come from? Did you know the ending when you started or did the story create its own ending?

Hannalore, I just have to pop in long enough to say don't give up! If you need clips, try searing out clubs in your area and ask them if they need a newsletter. Bam! You've authored a newsletter for XXX Club. Read your local newspaper and see what kinds of things are being written, on a daily basis...then submit a short article along the same lines, but with a BETTER twist. VIOLA! You've got clips. Go to your local Dentist or Doctor offices and see if they would like someone to start a newsletter for the area...or a brochure....or a phamplet....there you go! You've got clips...

Rejections say you are in the game. They don't say you are out of it. Keep going....and everytime you think you'll quit, visualize the Little Red Engine....remember him? I think I can...I think I can....I think I can.

I KNOW you can.

Allison, my email is on its way.( hurry hurry little email).

JJ, your words just went down like oil lubricating a very rusty Little Red Engine. Thanks so much for your excellent tips! I'm not kidding, I never thought of doing clips. I think I'll enter writing contests too. Just so I have something to show in my query, that is, if I win any.
Boy oh boy, you got me motivated.
I read your newsletter today for the first time too; belly laughs really!

What is the Catch 22? I think it's that the publishers want a writer to have an agent, and an agent want to take on an author that's been published.

Hanelore has the talent, believe me...She just needs someone to see that and they'll want to publish her book. Its hard with her being in Germany, but it is not impossible.

Allison,
Could you tell us what you feel is your most important marketing tool? Is it radio interviews? Press Releases? The dreaded book signings? Public appearances? What has been the most rewarding to you (and not just in monetary terms).

Hello ladies!

We woke up to roughly ten inches of snow on the ground today! Sometime in the night I recall waking up and hearing the wind and the sound of rain or sleet or something hitting the window but I went back to sleep without looking. Today, the blanket of white is beautiful! It’s 27 degrees right now (bur!) and I am so thankful I write from my home office!

To answer some questions…

#1. I LOVE your quote, Dotsie! We should all write that and put it on our computer screens! Here’s another quote I refer to often: DO WE CONFUSE MOTION WITH PROGRESS? Hmm, food for thought, eh?

#2. Dianne asked about Query letters. The KEY with any query is to make sure to follow the requested guidelines. If a publisher asks you to “Query with a sample chapter,” then send a sample chapter and not the entire book. If they ask you to “Query with a chapter outline,” then send a chapter outline, and not the entire book. (See where I’m going with this?) If they ask you to “Query with a Proposal, then send a proposal and not something else.

You would be surprised how many people do not read guidelines. For example, I get query letters all the time about story ideas for my God Allows U-Turns anthology series. My writer’s guidelines clearly indicate NO QUERY NEEDED, SEND COMPLETED STORY. We don’t have time to respond to queries; we want to read the complete true short stories from the get go.

So make sure to give the publisher or agent what they are asking for in your query letter.

The next major issue I see a lot of is poorly formatted query letters. Seriously. The competition is intense, ladies, you must make the query letter stand out! That means a crisp, clean, and perfect letter. That means NO typos, NO weird formatting and NO fancy bullets, bells, whistles, graphics, colored thingamajigs, and/or talking icons. Short and sweet, NOT long and laborious. Professional presentation is paramount. I know editors at major publishing houses who won’t bother to read a query letter if it comes in looking less than perfect. If you don’t take the time to present yourself as best as possible, why should an editor take the time to read what you have to say? Cruel…but true.

As authors we cannot fear an assignment of any type, including query letters. This is an opportunity to shine!

#3. Jane asked about my debut novel (bless your heart.)

About the story line… I had gastric bypass surgery in 2000 and thought it might be fun to write about a character that also had the surgery. There is so much “behind the scenes” stuff in weight loss surgery that most folks don’t know about and I could give this fictional character an added dimension that readers might find interesting.

I was also a professional fundraiser many years ago and giving my lead character a career that allowed for some outrageous situations, events, locations, clothing and a host of added elements made for a lot of fun.

My debut novel IS NOT my life story…but it’s often said that many debut novels are sometimes somewhat autobiographical in that a new novelist gleans from real life to get that first book down on paper. That was true for me. “Write what you know,” is also a frequent mantra in writing books and workshops.

What was my inspiration? Along with giving her some of my own personal characteristics, I wanted to write about a character who was a new Christian—whose walk of faith was relatively new and thus enable her to lapse back and forth between two worlds from time to time. I was also inspired by the transformational inner journey a person goes through when their outer journey is so transformational as it is when having weight loss surgery. My character lost 150 pounds and it was a new life for her. But was the grass greener on the other side? Ahhh, the age old dilemma.

How did I develop the characters? In fiction, you need your protagonist and your antagonist and a host of other characters as well. When I sat down to write A STITCH IN TIME I made a list of characters I thought would be fun to follow. Some stayed in the book; some went by way of the big fat red ink pen. (smile) I then wrote out detailed character descriptions, including the back story of every character…those things you’ll never know as a reader but things I MUST know as a writer, such as where they grew up, what their parents were like, what their childhood was like, etc. etc.

What about the ending? I knew the basic ending I wanted, but as I wrote and the characters evolved, the route I took to get to the end changed- but not the end I had in mind. Some writers say they never know how their story will end up until they get there. I find that so hard to understand. Certain things need to occur in order for a certain ending to happen…so we must write to that end result….of course like I said, things leading up to that ultimate ending may change, but I feel the end needs to be clear in my mind when I start.

NOTE: What do you folks think of how I ended the book? Please let me know what characters you liked best or least. I’d love your feedback! Did you enjoy First Person POV?

#4. Lynnie…the “Catch 22” is that typically a publisher doesn’t want to see your work until you’ve been published but how can you get published? Or…often an agent will not review your work until you can show them something has been published but you can’t get published because the publishers want you to have an agent first...and on and on it goes…a vicious circle. Of course there are always exceptions to those rules, but it can be frustrating at times!

#5. And last but by all means NOT least, Da Queen asked about the most important “Marketing Tool…” and the most “Rewarding…” (leave it to her, huh?)

While there are a host of marketing tools I utilize, by far the most vital has been my STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN. I went into my business/ministry with a detailed 5-10-15 year business plan that I used as my guideline, as well as sharing it with my potential publishers and literary agent. When they were able to see that I was clearly focused on my writing as a business, that I fully understood all of the variables to conducting my writing as a business, it made them more receptive to taking a chance on me.

As for rewarding…I love teaching and speaking at writer’s conferences. I love to see new authors get published. I love mentoring folks along the path. We’re all in this together and it will all come back around full circle one day. I receive great joy in watching others succeed.

Okay ladies! That’s all for now. I’ll be back online later tonight. Have a blessed day to all!

Chatty, thank you, ...here's sending you a big hug!

Allison, I'd like to quit work right now...and just follow your plan. Who needs food and heat? Got to get my old slippers, mittens, dry crackers and tea and work through your post step by step.
It takes someone very special to
"receive great joy in watching others succeed."

Hannelore

Allison, you gave us excellent information. I never considered a business plan for an author. JJ, why do you call it the "dreaded book signing." It seems to me that it would be fun to have humor books to sign. I would expect that everyone would be in a good mood when they buy your book, then ask you to sign. Dianne has also said she doesn't like signings but prefers presentations.

Good question and I don't mind answering it at all. WE are not in charge of book signings and I'm just the type that likes to be in charge of everything I do. (like that was transparent! hahaha .. ahem)...They are a hit and a miss. It depends on how much time I have to advertise, talk it up, put out flyers, call TV and radio stations, etc..etc. Some book stores do this leg work FOR ME, while others say they will, then you find out they not ony DID NOT, but they didn't even order ANY of your books.

I've NEVER gone to a book signing without books in my car. Just for that one reason right there. And if possible, I tell them up front not to worry with ordering them because I'd be happy to supply the books. I count um, I control um. I have been to signings where I've sold as little as 10 books. Then I've had others where I sold as many as 65. By all rights, the place where I sold 10 should have been the biggest seller. It so unpredictable.

You wouldn't think weather would play a part, but it does. Rainy outside? People don't stop off at the bookstores. Snowing? Worse. College Football season? Could be your big selling time because wives escape to town while the games are on. Then again, in some towns, EVERY freakin' body goes to the football games.

So the variables are there and they don't apply to everybody or every town. If I say rainy weather keep people away, someone else would say, "But I sold 100 books during a storm." So...like I said, it's a hit and a miss.

When I speak, I sell to nearly everyone in the crowd. And it's not because I'm a great speaker, but because I threaten to keep talking unless they buy...what?

My biggest complaint at book signings is the author usually goes to a lot of trouble to make it work for them (and usually happily so!), to sell books. You get excited, you have everything perfect or as good as you can, and then some times it works ... and some times it doesn't.

But it has been my experience that the place to sell lots of books is NOT at a book signing. It's through newsletters, networking, contests, and word of mouth.

Have I beat that dead horse enough? hahahaha..ahem...cough...ahem...JJ