Writers in the Storm

Writers In The Storm welcomes back literary attorney, Susan Spann, with her next installment of her author’s business plan series.

By Susan Spann

Welcome back to our ongoing series on writing an author business plan!

We’re almost through – just two more sections to go. Today, we’re taking a look at Section 6: Operations and Management.

The Operations and Management Section of the author’s business plan contains a detailed list (sometimes more than one) of the people and entities on the author’s publishing “team.”

On one page, you should list each step in the writing, production, distribution, marketing, sales and fulfillment process for the book or other work in question, along with the name and contact information of the person (or company) who is responsible for its completion. Some authors prefer to use spreadsheets. Others like organizational apps, and still others use word processing software. The key is finding the method that works for you.

I recommend making two separate lists:

List #1:

The first is organized chronologically in accordance with the book’s production and publishing schedule.

“Writing the book” comes first – and yes, you should include that even though you’re the responsible party. Other entries might include peer editors or critique partners, professional editors, publisher names, marketing personnel and publicists. Independent authors may also have cover artists, distribution contacts, and printer information.

List #2

The second list contains all the names and contact information of everyone taking part in production, publication, and marketing the book – organized in alphabetical order for easy reference.

With the two-list system, the author uses list #1 – the chronology – to make sure each person does his or her job in the proper order and time. When properly cross-referenced with the production timeline, operations and management information is a powerful tool.

List #2 is the quick reference guide and also a helpful resource for the future. Smart authors often add notes to the contacts, identifying the ones the author intends to work with again on future projects.

The length and complexity of this section is mostly a matter of author preference.

Some people work from a list of contacts containing only basic information like telephone numbers, email and mailing addresses. Other writers like having a detailed list that names each person involved in the publishing process, along with specific functions that person will handle. At the end of the day, that choice is up to you.

At a minimum, each author should have a list of the names and contact information of people involved in the publishing process.

Keeping that information together, and easily accessible, helps the author save valuable time and energy. After all, every minute you don’t spend hunting down numbers is time you can spend on writing!

Are you writing your author business plan with us as we progress through this series, or saving the posts for use later? Do you have questions for Susan?

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Susan Spann is a publishing attorney and author from Sacramento, California. Her debut novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Minotaur Books, July 2013), is the first in the Shinobi Mystery series featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori. Susan blogs about writing, publishing law and seahorses at http://www.SusanSpann.com. Find her on Twitter @SusanSpann where she founded the #PubLaw hashtag to offer law and business instruction for authors.

By Laura Drake

About ten years ago, I had back surgery. After I healed, I went back to Domestic Goddess duties, but found I couldn’t vacuum anymore.

Something about the pushing and pulling killed my back. So I informed Alpha Dog (did I mention he’s also Texan?) that this duty would have to fall to him.

He didn’t disagree, but less than a week later, we had a delivery from the UPS guy. A top-of-the-line robotic vacuum. Alpha Dog demonstrated it like a kid with the hottest new Christmas toy. I dubbed her, “Rosie,” after the robot in The Jetsons (Yeah, I’m old.)

I was lying in bed this week, laid up by foot surgery, listening to Rosie do her thing. We could all learn some important things about writing from her!

Top 3 Lessons I Learned from My Robotic Vacuum:

1. Make a Plan.

Rosie actually has a computer chip that allows her to map out the room as she goes. Every time, around, she gets smarter, and more efficient, adjusting the plan for the next time.

We all have a writing process, even if you’re on your first book, and still discovering what it is. Don’t be afraid to adjust the plan, or change it if you find a better way. Keep your eyes open. Even if this is your thirty-second book, try new things. You may find one little tip that will help with the thirty-third.

2. Mistakes aren’t failure; they’re an opportunity to learn.

When Rosie bumps into a corner, or some piece of furniture that wasn’t there last time, she stops, backs up, turns a few degrees and tries again. If she hits it again, she turns a bit more. Eventually she gets out of the corner, or around the obstruction, and that area is clean. She’s done her job.

She doesn’t sulk, she doesn’t whine, she doesn’t give up. She keeps trying until she succeeds.

3. Don’t stop til the job is done, or your dust bin is full.

When she finishes vacuuming, she turns off her sucking mechanism (I don’t know, what do you call it?) sings a chirpy 7-note song, and returns to her station to recharge. I love that little song. It sounds like how I feel when I type “The End.”

To succeed, first you have to finish.

I learned all that from a dumb little machine and the floors are clean, too!

Should I chalk this up to really good pain meds, or have you also had epiphanies while (passively) cleaning? Have you ever learned anything from an appliance?

Laura

By Shannon Donnelly

When I first started writing, I found out you needed a synopsis to submit to agents. Okay, I thought, I can do that. Well, I did, but not so well—twenty pages later I had a synopsis that rambled, wandered, and just did not do the job. Thankfully, someone pointed this out to me.

These days, I actually like writing the synopsis—yes, that’s right, I like it. Well, okay, maybe, not like, but I find it’s an invaluable tool.

Why?

• A good synopsis shows you where your plot holes are before your book falls into them.
• A good synopsis points out weak conflict and places where character motivation is thin.
• A good synopsis can save you lots of rewriting and thrown out chapters.

Usually, I like to get about 50 to 100 pages done, and then hit the synopsis to make sure I have all the story beats and conflict in place. It’s my road map. I may wander from it, but it helps keep me from getting bogged down.

I’m teaching my “Sexy Synopsis” workshop again this March for Low Country RWA, but in the meantime, here’s the checklist I created to keep me on track with getting a synopsis to be like a little black dress—stylish but covering all the important bits.

Feel free to adapt this to your own list—this came from years of taking apart every synopsis I could read to find out what worked and what worked best for me.

Synopsis Checklist

1. Does it cover the hero and heroine's relevant character traits and goals in a fresh way?

2. Does it tell the scenes with the most conflicts--internal and external--for the hero and the heroine, with an emphasis on the main character's conflict?

3. Does it offer specific dramatic scenes for the main turning points, detailing what happens, where it happens, escalating the risk to the main character's goal, and offering harder and harder choices for the main character in each of these scenes?

4. Does it have scenes that show a developing relationship, including attraction and hero and heroine compatibility, with mention of the feelings of the characters, and also telling what is keeping a relationship from working between these two?

5. Does the story include scenes with sexual developments between the characters and how those scenes impact character conflicts, compatibities and emotions?

6. Does it tell all characters' motivations--including for any villain or antagonist?

7. Are the characters fresh?  Are they developed by looking past cliché to what is core and specific to the characters?

8. Do the characters make choices that come from within that specific person, rather than from the writer manipulating the story?  Can you say, "Yes, if I were this person, I would make this choice."

9. Does it raise questions to keep interest going--and then provide answers to all questions raised?

10. Does it include a scene that is the climax or black moment, and make clear the resolution of the story with an ending that wraps up all story elements?

11. Does it include a strong theme that is woven into the scenes and character choices?  And which is revealed strongest in the climax of the book and the character's ultimate choice?

12. Is the voice active, with all extra words cut, and with the best possible word choices with the clearest, most concise writing possible in a tone that matches the tone of the book?

How do YOU feel about synopsis writing? Do you love it, hate it, or are you somewhere in between?

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Shannon Donnelly’s writing has won numerous awards, including a RITA nomination for Best Regency, the Grand Prize in the "Minute Maid Sensational Romance Writer" contest, judged by Nora Roberts, RWA's Golden Heart, and others. Her writing has repeatedly earned 4½ Star Top Pick reviews from Romantic Times magazine, as well as praise from Booklist and other reviewers, who note: "simply superb"..."wonderfully uplifting"....and "beautifully written."

Her newest book, Riding in on a Burning Tire, the second book in the Mackenzie Solomon, Demon/Warders Urban Fantasy series is just out from Cool Gus Publishing. Her work has been on the top seller list of Amazon.com and includes Paths of Desire, a Historical Regency romance. Her Regency romances can be found as ebooks on all formats, and with Cool Gus Publishing, and include a series of four novellas.

Shannon is the author of several young adult horror stories, and computer games. She lives in New Mexico with two horses, two donkeys, two dogs, and only one love of her life.

Shannon can be found online at:
Her website: http://shannondonnelly.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SDwriter
Twitter: @sdwriter