Writers in the Storm

by Janice Hardy

While there’s something exciting about writing a first draft, I always look forward to the revisions. It isn’t until I see how my story unfolds that I fully understand where I can make it stronger, and turning that literary lump of coal into a diamond is quite rewarding–and a lot of fun. I won’t lie, it’s also a lot of work, but well worth it.

The list-maker in me has a whole folder filled with revision tips and tricks, from lists of words that commonly indicate weak prose, to templates to check my goal-conflict-stakes structure, to questions to ask in every scene.

Here are my three favorite tips for revising a novel.

1. Create an Editorial Map

Also called a book map or a story map, an editorial map is a hugely useful tool to identify what’s in my novel and where it happens. This lets you quickly capture the action, conflict, stakes, and resolution in a few sentences and see the plot elements that will move the story forward.

Simply summarize what happens in each chapter and scene. I mostly look for plot and character arc details–the protagonist’s goal, what they physically do in that scene, what problem they face, how it turns out and how this leads to the next scene. But you can break down your scenes however you’d like, so if lists or bullet points are what works for you, use that.

This also creates a handy reference guide for later when you need to remember when something happened or when a character first did or realized something critical to the story. You can even make notes in the editorial map on where you want to flesh out the story and easily see how it works with the overall novel. I like adding those revision notes in a different color to help differentiate them.

If you find a scene where nothing happens, that’s a big red flag that you might need to add goals, conflict, or stakes, or even get your protagonist out of their head. It’s also a good way to see if you have a lot of scenes where basically the same thing happens, such as like five chase scenes, or six “almost caught” scenes. Too many similar scenes will make the novel feel flat and repetitious.

Extra Tip: 

One neat trick here is to pinpoint the action and see how it causes the next scene's goal. For example, if you have a lot of scenes that link together with “and then X happens, and then Y happens,” that’s a red flag that you have no real forward plot movement. But if you have a lot of scenes that say, “and then X happens, so the protagonist has to do Y, but Z happened” then you can see how the plot is moving forward.

2. Do a “Problem Words” Search

Weak prose can make even a great story read flat. Although it’s not a hard and fast rule, there are words that are commonly found lurking in weak prose, such as those pesky “to be” verbs. For example, Bob was running isn’t nearly as strong as Bob ran. Just looking at all the “to be” verbs and adverbs that creep into a manuscript can help you spot a slew of potential areas to tighten the prose.

Other words to watch out for: adverbs, filter words (such as looked, heard, thought, saw, etc.), telling red flags (to verb, as, when, before, etc.), and prepositions. While there’s nothing wrong with any of these words on their own, they do frequently equate to lazy writing.

Zero in on your favorites.

Then there are the words you know you overuse, and we all have our favorites. Maybe you have a lot of scowling, or smiling, or a simile you can’t help but use all the time. My overused crutch words are, just, only, and the phrase “eyes widened.”

Make a list of your words and search for them in each scene (use your find function of your writing program), then look at the sentence. Ask yourself:

• If I cut the word, does the sentence read better?
• If I rewrote the sentence to eliminate the word, does it read better?
• Is there a stronger verb or noun I could use?
• Can I rewrite the sentence in a more active fashion?
• Can I be more descriptive or am I relying on boring words?
• Can I rewrite it so it’s more in the voice of my character?

If editing to eliminate the word makes it better, then do it. If it says exactly what you want it to say, leave it in.

Searching for these words individually allows you to focus on the sentence and not get caught up in the larger story. It also forces you to notice any lazy writing that might technically be fine, but could be stronger with a little effort.

Extra tip: 

Adverbs are very useful placeholder words, and they’re often used in areas that can be fleshed out to better show that emotion or action. Most times, if you see an adverb, it’s an opportunity to show a little more and tell a little less.

3. Check the Transitions: Chapters and Scene Breaks

Author Elmore Leonard has a famous quote: “I cut the parts people skip.” Scene breaks are a great example of this advice in action, as they allow transition between scenes without all the pace-slowing “and this is how we got from Point A to Point B” description. It’s not a bad idea to go through each chapter and see how scenes end and how they hand off to the next scene. If a scene isn’t ending with a reason for the reader to keep reading, that’s an opportunity to tweak it so it does.

Sometimes this means cutting some travel description or stage direction, or even end a scene much earlier. Look for moments that would make a reader want to turn the page and revise to end there instead. A book a reader can’t put down is one where the author made sure every scene break and transition keeps that reader hooked.

At the end of every scene, ask yourself what will make the reader want to keep reading? If the answer starts with “To find out if…” or something similar, odds are you’re on the right track.

Extra Tip:

Look at the last line or two of every scene. Does it leave a question hanging the reader will want an answer to? It doesn’t have to be a literal question, as a sense of foreboding can work just as well and create a “what’s going to go wrong?” question for the reader. Do those final few lines tease or just end the scene with no sense of forward momentum?

Revision is often where the real writing magic happens, turning a rough idea into a polished novel. A writer has a myriad of ways in which to do that, but these three tips are my favorites and always get me started on the right path. Once I do these tasks, it’s a lot easier to see what else in the novel needs to be done and I can revise effectively.

What are some of your favorite revision tips? Have you tried any of these? Please share with us down in the comments!

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About Janice

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy. When she's not writing fiction, she runs the popular writing site Fiction University, and has written multiple books on writing, including Understanding Show, Don't Tell (And Really Getting It), Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure, and the Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft series. Sign up for her newsletter and receive 25 ways to Strengthen Your Writing Right Now free.

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Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

by Penny C. Sansevieri

Book marketing and promotion can feel like a full-time job, and not one that’s always easy to excel at.

That’s because effective promotion takes consistency and creativity, and it’s challenging to not only stay on schedule, but to continually come up with new ideas.

So that’s why I’m a huge proponent of tapping into what you already know, which is your work, by creating bonus content and using it to bolster your book marketing efforts. Especially when you’re trying to be mindful of your budget if you’re taking the DIY route. Or when you’re looking for ways to support the work you hired a marketing team to do.

Creating and using bonus content is a fabulous way to contribute to the success of a professional marketing campaign! And the reason I recommend bonus content so enthusiastically is because in many cases, authors already have everything they need to make this strategy work.

So let’s dig into some ideas for promoting a book and enhancing reader engagement using bonus content!

How bonus content differs for fiction and non-fiction.

Fiction authors should think of bonus content as “world-enhancing” elements of their brand. Ask yourself a few questions to get the creativity flowing, like:

• What don’t readers know yet?
• What did I have to cut for the final draft?
• What can I share from my research and creative process?

Non-fiction authors should think of bonus content as “business building” elements of your brand. Again, ask yourself some smart questions, like:

• How can I break down my unique perspective into single, easy-to-tackle tips?
• What did I have to cut from my final draft that I think people could still benefit from?
• What else is in my arsenal of knowledge that compliments my book’s topic?

How bonus content enhances your brand.

Bonus content gives readers a reason to keep coming back after they buy your book, when it’s otherwise far too easy to move onto the next things and forget about you altogether. Sounds harsh, but it’s the reality when there are over 4,500 books being published every single day.

Bonus content is also super special because it’s entirely unique to you and your brand, your creative platform, or your unique point of view.

It can’t be replicated by anyone else. Pretty incredible, right?

Bonus content engages readers in a way that adds value to their experience with you and your brand, which is also a bit standout in today’s market. Value-added is always the goal of any business, including the business of being an author.

Bonus content is free.

And we should all be capitalizing on what we can do for free or give away for free – because of how much weight that carries, both for you as the author and for the recipient.

Yes, there may be some small production costs to creating certain kinds of bonus content, like printing, or hiring a designer if you’re not open to tackling some of the creative on your own, but it will be nominal, especially if you consider the potential return. And don’t worry, there are lots of great designers out there on sites like Fiverr that are budget-friendly, we’re not talking book cover design costs here at all.

Bonus content adds longevity.

As I already mentioned, bonus content keeps people coming back for more. It’s a great way to keep people engaged with you long after they finish reading, and a strategic way to ensure you stay on their radar between releases.

Bonus content helps boost the effects of a new release.

Every time I release a book, I like to do something “extra” to make that title stand out, to make it unique to what I have to offer in the industry, and creating bonus content in the form of additional resources gives me options at the ready.

For my books, I create trading cards, but I’ve also done marketing planners (which readers love), and quizzes. Again, the goal is to figure out what easily compliments your work and enhances the experience of your buyer, reader, and future superfan if everything goes according to plan.

Bonus content is a great reader magnet.

Everyone’s time and privacy is precious, so if you’re asking people to sign up for your mailing list or newsletter and giving them nothing in return, I guarantee you’re missing out on a lot of sign-ups.

The reality is no one wants to sign up for nothing, they already get enough email, and they’ll tell themselves they’ll know how to find you again if they want another book…and by that point, you’ve lost them.

We use bonus content as a reader magnet, it’s a monthly planner, a freebie for folks why sign up for our newsletter, so figure out something you can deliver automatically that adds instant value, and your signups will increase dramatically.

Examples of popular bonus content.

For fiction writing like novellas:

• a couple chapters of an upcoming release,
• a reader’s guide, scenes or concepts from the cutting room floor,
• unexpected real-life inspiration for characters or concepts,
• character interviews, digital character trading cards,
• recipes that compliment a theme or location in your book,
• casting ideas for your movie deal,
• insight into your research and other cool, interesting facts you learned along that way,
• maps of towns, planets, or nearby fictional kingdoms…the list goes on.

Again, just remember it’s supposed to enhance the reader’s experience and strengthen their connection to you and your brand.

For children’s book authors, a lot of the above can apply, but you can also do downloadable coloring pages and craft ideas that align with your characters or topic and theme, these are always big winners because they help parents entertain their kiddos!

For non-fiction popular ideas include:

• quizzes,
• workbooks,
• action items or checklists,
• daily productivity prompts,
• a list of your recommended resources,
• helpful platforms and hacks,
• a series of helpful videos,
• trading cards with your top tips or motivational reminders.

Non-fiction authors should have the same goal as fiction authors – give readers more of what makes you unique, give them a reason to keep coming back, show them you have more to offer than just the book – and your perceived value will skyrocket.

Ready to get to work?

Hopefully you’re inspired, because bonus content, if done right, can be used in a variety of ways!

Just a few ideas include:

• a reader magnet to build your list,
• something to give away at events,
• a special promotion for your new release,
• promotions to build social media followers and engagement,
• promotions to reward superfans,
• incentives to get current fans to introduce your work to their friends, the list goes on.

I’ve known some authors to use bonus content to help boost pre-orders as well, something like, “Pre-order my book and send me the receipt to get XYZ free!”

Bonus content is often overlooked, but a really great addition to all the other marketing you’re doing for your book, and a really fabulous way to ensure nothing that’s already in your arsenal, or part of your process, goes to waste – which I think we can all get behind.

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About Penny

Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a bestselling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU. She was named one of the top influencers of 2019 by New York Metropolitan Magazine. 

Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Amazon visibility campaigns as well offering national media pitching, online book marketing, author events, and other strategies designed to build the author/book visibility.

She is the author of 18 books, including "How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon," "Revise and Re-Release Your Book", "5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors," and the newly-released “From Book to Bestseller.”

AME has had dozens of books on top bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal. 

To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, visit www.amarketingexpert.com. 

Top Image by olga volkovitskaia from Pixabay 

by James R. Preston

Once you finish your story, the penultimate step, proofing the nasty thing one more time may feel a bit like a chore. You can practically recite all of your sparkling dialog and dazzling descriptions, so how can you read it again and this time look for comma splices?

First, stop a moment and pat yourself on the back. 

You have finished a book! And you are willing to show it to someone! Let’s evaluate what you have accomplished. 

Many years ago, I read an essay by James Michener in which he said “there are half a million people in the U. S. who say they want to write a novel.¹ Most of them will never start, and most of that group will never finish the book. Out of the fraction who do, most of them will never show it to anyone.”

You are part of a select group. 

Some Galley Perspective

Now comes the hard part -- Galleys. There’s so much time between completing a manuscript and publication that, if you are like me, you are on to other projects. Even though it’s not always fun, it’s time to go back over that novel. It has to be done, and you have to do it. 

Below is a timeline of my last Galley Journey, so you can see an example.

September 9

I get galleys of my new Surf City Mystery from the publisher. I’m stoked, to put it mildly. I start proofing. But, but…something is nagging at me, a little voice saying, “Didn’t I change that?”

I keep going. 

After five days of work, near the 80% mark, that little voice was now shouting. I couldn’t stand it, so I stopped work, got out my electronic copies and started comparing.

My galley was based on an out-of-date document.

I console myself. “Hey, it’s only five days of work. It could have been six.”

I talk to the publisher and we identify what happened.

September 20

I start over with the correct document. (I got it on September 15, but had to take a few days off.) 

September 30

I finish the proofing and send it off. There’s time, barely, to get a few early copies for my book signing. 

November 1

The paperbacks arrive. All is well. 

November 2

The hardbacks arrive. I proof the dust jacket. The leading — the space between lines — is off. The dust jacket cannot be used. 

November 4

The publisher creates new, corrected, dust jackets. Whew!

November 10

My publisher is now gun-shy and wants me to double-check to make sure all the corrections have been incorporated. Once more into the breach, dear friends.

Galley Journey Tips

Tip #1

Figure out how long proofing the galleys will take — then double that estimate. If you finish early, think how happy you’ll be!

How do you figure out how long it will take?

Let’s break that question down. This is really two questions, requiring two estimates.

• How many hours will you spend on it?
• And how many days will it take you to invest those hours?

Let’s break down the timeline for a 300-page manuscript. At 10 pages/minute that’s 30 hours. If you work on it six hours per day, that’s 5 days. But can you do 6 hours a day, 5 days in a row? Should you?

I can’t answer the first question, but my thought on the second is no – don’t do the proofing in marathon sessions. This is intense, fussy work and you want to be at your best.

Tip #2

Decide whether to print the document or edit it electronically. I’ve done both. This time I printed a copy. That allowed me to compare pages side-by-side, and that was useful.

It’s easy to photocopy the pages with changes and send them to the publisher. Electronically you can send the changes off with one mouse click.

Tip #3

I recommend you start with an electronic document naming convention and stick with it. You have to keep track of all the iterations of your book and mistakes can be costly.

Make notes for yourself on what the labels mean. In this era of electronic documents and “Save As” you will probably have multiple versions and that’s okay, as long as you keep them straight. Do not think you’ll remember which is which!

For example, what if you label a document RTBS10.20.22Final.doc. Clear, right? Now you hand it off for the first edit. It comes back marked up so it’s no longer final. How do you distinguish between the two?

One solution is to use numbers along with the dates so that the new one might be RTBS10.20.2022Final2. That works, and I strongly recommend writing down that the one with “2” is the first edit.

Your note might look something like “RTBS10.20.2022Final2 is the edited copy returned on this date and the changes have not been incorporated.”

I know, it’s a pain in the, uh, writing hand, and you may never have any doubt about which document is which, but if you do need to go back and figure it out, you’ll really need clear naming. 

Tip #4

Don’t just read it. Examine it. Focus your attention on each word, then sentence, then paragraph. Look for missing periods (you will find some), missing commas (you have established a convention about using commas with words in a series, right?), and spelling.

Even in this day of spell checkers, you can find “form” where you want “from.”

Tip #5

This is the flip side to number three. Remember that you are not polishing. You will see dialog that could be improved. Don’t do it!

Remember these are galleys, and that means paragraphs and pages count, and adding two words to a sentence can create a new line that moves the last line on that page to the next page — and so on. This way lies widows and orphans. 

Final Thoughts

Why was I willing to devote an essay to this topic? Why do I think it’s so important?

I’ve just been through the process and I’ve learned some things that I believe are worth sharing. But also, errors are “bumps” for your readers. They distract, and pull your reader out of the story. And they are elusive, hard to catch.

True story: years ago, I was reading a hardback first edition of a new techno-thriller by a writer I followed. I’m reading about a guy named “Rand.” In the next chapter, there’s someone called “Rend.” I thought, “Wow have I not been paying attention?” In the next chapter he’s Rend again.

You want more? In the first paperback edition of Larry Niven’s brilliant science fiction novel, Ringworld, a character is extending his birthday by traveling around the world ahead of the date change. Only one problem: he’s going the wrong way! Niven describes this in an essay so I’m not ratting him out. 

In the end, why was I willing to put in the late nights to get it right?

Only other writers like you will understand this, but it was my characters, the ones who spoke to me in the early days and told me their stories. I do this final journey through the galley process for them. They deserve to have a book that is as good as I can make it. 

Now it’s your turn. Have you proofed galleys? What was your experience like? When I read the Michener essay there was no Writers in the Storm. I was on my own, trying to figure it all out. Those days are gone! Help us out with what you have learned.

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About James

James R. Preston is the author of the multiple-award-winning Surf City Mysteries. He is currently at work on the sixth, called Remains To Be Seen. His most recent works are Crashpad and Buzzkill, two historical novellas set in the 1960’s at Cal State Long Beach. Kirkus Reviews called Buzzkill “A historical thriller enriched by characters who sparkle and refuse to be forgotten.” His books are collected as part of the California Detective Fiction collection at the University of California Berkeley. 

Find out more about James at his website.

Top Image by Ylanite Koppens from Pixabay

Notes

¹Helen Hull, ed. The Writers Book. (1950, 1956) Barnes & Noble, 10^th printing.         

One of the best sources for advice I have ever found. I bought it when I was in college, and was struck by the Michener essay, “The Chances Against the Beginning Writer.” Since I was a kid and just starting out, I thought, “Well, that won’t be me. To this day it’s a great resource.