Good Stuff To Know

I've decided to start a monthly post about all the helpful things I've spotted or stumbled across through Facebook, Twitter and blog reading.

Sometimes it's nice to have tips condensed into one place and that's what this post is all about.

So - for the month of September, here are some of the helpful things I discovered...

Magic Monday Tip from Laura Pepper Wu. I subscribe to a weekly e-mail which delivers me a really helpful marketing tip. So far, they have been awesome. Short, sweet and easy to implement. You can sign up here, under FREE CONTENT - http://www.30daybooks.com/

Tuesday Tutorial on Indies Unlimited. Every Tuesday Indies Unlimited posts a tutorial about something useful for indie writers. The next day, they tend to hold some sort of Like-fest. I find both of these things so helpful. I have learned so many great tips that are once again easy to follow and implement. Being involved with the follow-up Like-fests has led me to some fantastic connections. You can subscribe to Indies Unlimited here, under Subscribe at the top of the page - http://www.indiesunlimited.com/

Here is a great article about Time Management when using Twitter. I have just signed up to Commun.it and I think it will be awesome. Here's the article link: Time Managing Twitter with Commun.it by Jim Devitt

I stumbled across a great book the other day and purchased it immediately, it's all about character emotions and how to portray these in a variety of ways that are unique and compelling. It's available in paperback and e-book. Here's the link: The Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman.

Melissa Maygrove does a grammar tip on her blog every Monday. I'm not the world's best at grammar so I find this kind of thing really helpful. You can check out her blog here: http://melissamaygrove.blogspot.com/

That's all from me for today. I'll be collecting articles and resources throughout the month of October and be back with more goodies in early November.

If you have any helpful tips you'd like to share, please feel free to share them in the comments section :)

YA Indie Carnival - The Wolf Pack

YA writers and bloggers unite each week to share their thoughts on what it's like going indie in today's publishing world.

Today we are talking about the importance of the wolf pack when it comes to producing a novel.

"The wolf pack?" you ask. Yes - all the people involved with bringing your book together - making it a work of art.

I personally think that perfection is extremely hard to come by. There is always room for improvement and that is the way I approach my writing. I want it to be the best it can possibly be. It will never be perfect, because writing is subjective so there is no possible way I can please everyone. However, I can do everything I can to make it as close to perfect as I can.

This is where my wolf pack is vital.

Here are the people that I include in the creation of a book. 

- I do the first part on my own - planning, researching, writing the first draft - sometimes I'll bring in my bestie to throw some ideas around with. This is really helpful as talking a concept through can help you iron out any kinks. 

- Next I rally up some critique readers. These are people who are already writers so they know the rules of writing and are able to spot plot holes and inconsistencies. Because they write themselves, they can give you very specific feedback and the writers I use are also honest - which is exactly what I want.

- After my second draft is finished, I think it's a good idea to hirer an editor. Having a professional look over your work is SO incredibly helpful. Like critique partners, they are very good at finding holes in your story structure and also pulling out grammatical errors. 

- Once the third draft is finished, I like to call on beta readers. This is my target audience. Because I write for teens, I tend to visit local schools and ask if the book club or writing club students would be willing to give me some honest feedback. They always are and they always do. I've made quite a few changes to my work thanks to beta readers. 

- Fourth draft then gets finished and I hand it out to proof-readers. These are the fine tooth comb people who are not reading your story for enjoyment or structure, they are simply looking for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. 

- Fifth draft is finished and formatted and then I call on reviewers. I have been lucky enough to rally up quite a few for Betwixt and I'm really hoping it will boost my sales. The more word and buzz you can spread about your book, the better exposure it will get.

- I also think it's really important to put together a blog tour. I have one being put together for me this time around and I'm loving that. A Tale of Many Reviews are SO great to work with and I'm really looking forward to this tour kicking off.

- The final part of my wolf pack are all my social media connections - asking my friends, family and fellow tweeters and FB peeps to help me advertise my work, LIKE my book pages and basically spread the word as far and as wide as they can.

Each role in this process is important. Your writing needs to be brilliant and your marketing needs to be top notch or your book will not even make it off the ground. Having a group of loyal helpers and supporters around you is key. Make sure you appreciate all their time and effort. It's a two way street. You need to be part of other people's wolf packs as well. I think that's the difference between just writing a few books and turning writing into a career.

If you'd like to hear what the other carni's have to say about wolf packs, you can check out the links below.

And don't forget to check out the YA Indie Carnival site for all the latest updates.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	Heather Self	4.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga	6.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
7.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed	8.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter
9.	Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga	10.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
11.	Ella James	12.	Maureen Murrish
13.	Valerie Sloan	14.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings
15.	A Little Bit of R&R	16.	Melissa Pearl

So Many Things To Tell You!

I can't believe it's October already. Where is the year going?
Well - as I always do at the beginning of every month - it's time for a progress report.

September left me behind in a blur. Writing wise I managed to get some major work done on my fantasy trilogy for next year. I have now profiled every character, created a map of my world and a history. I have also completed a rough outline for all three books. Very soon I will be embarking on the individual scene plans where I break down each scene in detail. I actually really love that part, so I'm looking forward to it.

Another super awesome thing about September was sending out ARCs of Betwixt. I have heard back from a few reviewers already and the feedback has been so positive and overwhelming. I am so excited to share this book with the world. Bring on November 5th!!

So, as you can probably guess, I am going to be spending October getting ready for the release of Betwixt. EXCITEMENT!!

I will be posting excerpts, teasers, character interviews, a book trailer and more throughout this month. Plus I thought I might run a little giveaway, because they're always so much fun. Keep an eye out for these updates.

Speaking of updates, if you're interested, I have just started up a "Book Updates" newsletter. If you sign up, you'll be the first to know my latest book news. It will include updates on my writing progress, book release dates and any giveaways. If you'd like to sign up, follow this link to the form - Melissa Pearl Book Updates Sign Up Form.

Another fun thing I'm getting ready for is Golden Blood's first birthday. Can you believe it? On November 4th, I will have been published for one whole year!! If you'd like to find out more details of how I'm celebrating, sign up for my newsletter :)

On my YAlicious site this month, I am running an Author-fest. I thought it would be fun to highlight some authors with a quick interview. It's always fun to see what other writers are up to and get to know them a little better. If you're a writer and would like to be involved, you can message me via my Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/melissapearlauthor.

So that's me for now. I'd love to hear what you're up to as well, so please feel free to give me your own update in the comments section :)

YA Indie Carnival - Do You Audiobook?

YA writers and bloggers unite each week to share their thoughts on what it's like going indie in today's publishing world.

Today we're discussing audio-books. To be honest - I don't have much experience with this. I've tried listening to books on CD before and it soon became apparent that I'm a visual learner. I need to see something with my eyes or I just tune out. 

However, I know plenty of people who love audiobooks. My brother is case in point. He used to listen to books as he drove through rush hour to work. I know many authors are starting to look at getting their books made into audio books. I think it's a great idea. I have investigated briefly, but the site I found is only open to the USA. I will keep my ears and eyes open for other options in the future, but for now, people are going to have to read my work :)

Are you an audiobook person? 
Do you prefer listening to or reading a book?
If you're a writer - have you made your books into audios? Is it worth it?

If you'd like to find out what the other carni goers have done, check out the links below.

And don't forget to check out the YA Indie Carnival site for all the latest updates.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	Heather Self	4.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga	6.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
7.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed	8.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter
9.	Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga	10.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
11.	Ella James	12.	Maureen Murrish
13.	Valerie Sloan	14.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings
15.	A Little Bit of R&R	16.	Melissa Pearl

Indies Unlimited Is Worth Checking Out

I have a post on Indies Unlimited today. You can check it out here. "What Makes A Good YA Novel by Melissa Pearl."

I am actually lucky enough to be a monthly contributor.

I know I have posted about these guys before, but their 1st birthday is coming up on October 6th, so I thought I'd take a moment to highlight Indies Unlimited again. I think it is an awesome site that indie authors should check out. Here are my reasons why...

- There are so many ways you can highlight your work on there - guest posts, book trailers, excerpts and announcing your latest releases.

- Every day there are five posts and usually one or two of them is a really helpful article about writing or marketing. The others are new releases or snippets from books. I have discovered some great reads.

- They also do Like-fests and Twitter-fests. I have gained some great followers by participating in these and I've also stumbled across some very cool people.

- They have a large following of a variety of authors, bloggers and readers. You never know what you might learn or who you might meet.

If you haven't flittered over to their site yet, then you may want to take a moment now. I hope it can help you as much as it's helped me.

YA Indie Carnival - Indie Words of Wisdom

YA writers and bloggers unite each week to share their thoughts on what it's like going indie in today's publishing world.

This week we are sharing some pearls of wisdom we have gleaned along the road of indie publishing. I can't wait to see what the other carnival goers have posted this week, because no matter how long you've been published, I always think there is room to learn more.

Now I am actually still pretty new to this game. November 4th is the birthday of my first published novel - Golden Blood. Since then, I have published 3 (nearly 4) more books and I have learned so much. And I continue to learn more and more as I meet new people, read blog posts and articles and discover amazing links through Twitter and Facebook.

What I want to touch on today is a piece of advice I was given when I first joined the indie publishing world. "The first thing you need is a good book." I read this in an interview with Mark Coker, he's the founder of Smashwords - an online publishing company. 

I couldn't agree more. Anyone can write a book, but it takes practice and study to write a good book - one worthy of publishing. Now I know that reading is subjective. What I might love, you might loathe, but there is still a difference between a badly written book and one that has been crafted and edited to become something worthy of selling. 

So - how do you write a good book?

My advice is to:

Study the craft of writing. There are so many amazing books out there that can help you with structure, word choice, character development and much more. My favourites are Story by Robert McKee, The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. I didn't just read these books, I studied them, I took notes, I implemented what they told me to do and I truly believe my writing has improved hugely since doing that.

Analyze other books. If you find an author you love or a book you devoured, figure out why. What did you love about the story, the characters, the words? What did the author do to keep you turning pages? You can do the same with books you couldn't finish. Why couldn't you keep reading? What mistakes did the author make? I also do this with movies as they are great to analyze for story structure. Where are the climaxes in the story? Does it follow a progression with each climax getting more intense? How did each event change the character and shape them? What mysteries were held back? When were they revealed? How were they revealed? There are so many things we can learn just from watching and reading. If you ask me, it's a very enjoyable way to study.

Get your work critiqued. I send my first draft out to a few fellow writers that know me well enough to give me honest feedback. If there's a plot hole or a character is not fully developed or a certain scene just doesn't work - they'll tell me about it. I then send my second draft to an editor who can point out anything my critique writers may have missed. I then recommend giving your third draft to beta readers - these are your target audience. It's best to choose people you don't know so that they can give you honest feedback. Because I write YA, I approach local high schools and test out my work on the book and writers clubs. My fourth draft goes to a line editor/proof reader so that I can make my work as mistake free as possible.

If you take the time to make sure you have a nugget of gold, your chances of publishing success are much higher. Remember - a book can stay online forever, and a well-written book has a much higher chance of discovery and success than a bad one.

I see writing as a career and I want my readers to trust me, which is why I always do my best to produce the best work I possibly can.

To find out what other indie's are advising, check out the links below.

And don't forget to check out the YA Indie Carnival site for all the latest updates.

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	Heather Self	4.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga	6.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
7.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed	8.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter
9.	Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga	10.	Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
11.	Ella James	12.	Maureen Murrish
13.	Valerie Sloan	14.	YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings
15.	A Little Bit of R&R	16.	Melissa Pearl

The Next Big Thing - Week 13

It is very cool to be a part of this! I love finding out about another writer's work in progress, so you can imagine my excitement when I was tagged by Leigh K. Hunt to participate.

Let me explain...

The Next Big Thing is a chance for authors around the world to tell you about what they're up to. I get tagged and I then tag other authors and so on and so forth.

Totally awesome idea, right?

Okay - so here's mine...

What is the working title of your book?
Betwixt

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I saw a movie once with a similar premise. I loved the concept, but I really didn't like the way it was executed. The idea stayed with me for years and slowly changed and morphed into something really cool. That's when I decided to write it. 

What genre does your book fall under?
Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I always find this question really hard, because sometimes there is no actor that fits the profile perfectly. The closest I've come to is this:

Nicole Tepper - Mila Kunis. She can be very sassy and I love this particular picture of her. To me, it is very Nicole. I can imagine her looking at a lot of people that way. 

Dale Finnigan - Penn Badgley. When I first created Dale, Penn Badgley in John Tucker Must Die, jumped into my head. I think it was his springy curls :) His manner in that movie reminded me of Dale and I think it is a really fit actually. 

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Wild child Nicole is lost in the woods dying, but her spirit is searching for someone who can hear her and the only guy who can is the one guy who has more reason to hate her than anybody.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-published. I'm an indie through and through :)

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I was really lucky and received a writing weekend for my birthday present this year. I had already planned the novel really thoroughly so writing the first draft was quite fast. I got through half of it on my weekend away and the rest was wrapped up within a week or so.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I guess Here After by Tara Hudson is kind of similar, although Betwixt has a slightly more contemporary feel.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
As I said earlier, the idea came from a movie I didn't enjoy :) However, the story grew to become what it is now by reflecting on some of the things I've faced in my own life and also some of the tragedies my family has had to deal with. Sometimes in life you need rescuing. 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I have never written a character like Nicole before, she can be a smart mouthed, temperamental cow, yet she's lovable and easy to empathise with. I had so much fun creating her and I ended up falling in love with her little quips and sharp tongue.

Betwixt is very close to release now... November 5th. Can't wait!!
If you'd like to add it to your reading list, here's the link: Betwixt on Goodreads.

And the five authors I would like to tag are:

Jeff LaFerney - Mr. LaFerney is a fantastic writer and has published three books. He is such a great guy and very supportive of fellow writers. I am really excited about his next project and can't wait to see it finalized so I can read it!

C. M. Keller - Ms. Keller is the author of Screwing Up Time, a book I very much enjoyed. The sequel is due out very soon and I was lucky enough to be an advanced reader. I really, really enjoyed it. Can't wait for it's release.

Michelle A. Hansen - I was lucky enough to work with Ms. Hansen on an anthology project - A Taste Test. She was so fantastic work with. Her first book, Painted Blind, was released this year and I am very excited to see what she's working on next. 

Melodie Ramone - I just met Ms. Ramone through Twitter. She is awesome. Her blog is fantastic and if it reflects her writing style, I'm super pumped to find out about her work in progress.

Have fun reading about their WIPs as well. They will be posting theirs next week.