Are you Open to Learning?

I recently reviewed a manuscript from an aspiring writer. We've all been there--in the early exciting stages of creating. We invest our emotions into our work, believing it's ready for publication, only to be told there's still room for improvement. 

As writers, though we aspire to become better, the journey towards mastery often takes time and continuous effort.

It's easy to become overly attached to our work, not necessarily because it's outstanding and ready for publication, but rather due to the substantial time and effort we've invested in it. We argue, our heart was in the right place. And Christian writers argue, but this is what God told me to write. 

But we exist in the real world and it's important to become aware that even if we've poured our entire being into a project, it's important to stay open to criticism and correction.

The individual I mentioned earlier appeared to believe that her three manuscripts were ready for publishing. From my brief interactions with her, it was clear she was defensive about her work.

Attachment Issues 

I understand where she was coming from. One book I was writing for stay-at-home moms I began when my children were just entering school. That was twenty-five years ago now. I worked on it off and on over years and submitted it to a publisher eventually. But it was rejected. I revamped it and put out a shorter self-published ebook version a few years ago and I haven't sold one!

I invested so much of myself into that project. I was sure it was part of God's plan for me to get it out there for women who were at-home moms as I had been for many years! 

After dedicating countless unpaid hours to the manuscript as I had, my natural inclination was to desire tangible returns. Whether it was seeking acceptance from an editor or publisher or opting for self-publishing on platforms like Amazon, my ultimate goal has been to earn royalties and see the fruits of my labor acknowledged. 

The Value of Critiques

The reality for a writer is that rejections and critiques are part of the journey. (And don't get me started on reviews. It's best for my self-esteem that I don't read reviews.)

To become a good writer requires ongoing learning and multiple edits of our work. We can always learn from other writers--not just from their books, but from their input in online support groups or through local meetups. There are also online articles and ebooks on the topic of writing that can help us learn and grow in our writing. 

Tough Skin 

My web content articles are always edited/critiqued before I am allowed to offer them for sale. I've had to develop tough skin. Sometimes the editors have been off base. Sometimes an editor points out a stylistic change which I don't agree is necessary, it's just what they prefer. I become frustrated in those cases. So, when I get that type of feedback, I often walk away for a bit of time and face it when I'm ready to. 

Where my eBooks are concerned, I'm a little more timid about putting them past another set of eyes. I once paid $500 to have a manuscript critiqued. In the end, the comments were valuable, but at the time I felt massacred. I scrapped the entire manuscript and started over eventually self-publishing it on Amazon.

Are you prepared to take feedback on your writing? Or are you convinced you are stellar enough? 

Will you dedicate yourself to ongoing learning so you can improve your writing?

Do You Have Role Models?

Do you have role models in your life?

Every now and then you meet someone who inspires you.  It may be their smile, their friendly personality, their demeanor, their thoughtfulness, their spiritual faith...

Role models can be picked up through books too. It's amazing how certain authors have impacted my life personally. I like to follow them on social media to stay inspired. I like to buy more of their books as they come out. 

We are always drawn to others who have something we'd like to emulate or who impact us in positive ways.

Social networking and the Internet are great ways to pick up mentors or role models that can come right into your home virtually at any time. 

It's good to keep a few good models in our relationship satchel even if we only admire them from afar, through the pages of a book, or through their blog posts.  When we get side-tracked they will inspire us.  When we are lost, visiting them in person or virtually helps us feel "found" again.

Who do you have on your list?

Reference Your Work

I'm popping in here to write about a thought I wanted to share. 

When I had a book critique done, the editor doing the critique criticized me for having dictionary definitions in my work. She said it was the sign of immature writing. I took them out. 

What do think about that comment? 

The decision to include dictionary definitions is entirely yours. In the end, the impact of integrating definitions hinges on how seamlessly they enhance the overall quality of your writing.  However, it is advisable, at the very least, to enclose direct quotes in quotations and provide proper citation or footnotes to acknowledge the sources.

The same goes for Bible verses. But be aware, some of today's publishers prefer writers paraphrase the meaning of a Bible verse rather than fill their manuscript with direct quotes. 

If you do quote a Bible verse word for word, please also apply the proper quotation marks and add the reference.  

Here are examples of how to show Bible verse quotations (notice the brackets and the punctuation). In the ebook that included these, in the opening remarks, I posted this statement: 

Scripture quotations marked are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.

Whenever I used an alternate version of the Bible, I added the version in the quote as in this example: 

 

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you,

saying, “This is the way, walk in it, when you turn

to the right or when you turn to the left”

(Is. 30:21 ESV).

 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa 55:9).

Edit Until...

Writing is the easy part. You sit at a computer or pull out your journal and spew your thoughts. But if you want to share or publish your writing, editing is necessary. Blog posts can get away with a little less work, but articles take more editing. 

When I edit something I've thrown together, I first try to decide where I to go with it. It has to serve a purpose. It has to ask and answer a question. There needs to be flow. The sequence has to make sense. 

(That being said, I've gone back over some things I've written and published and much later see it could have flowed better. We are always a work in progress.)  

Cut Words

Cutting unnecessary words is an important edit. When I write eBooks, not only do I cut the unnecessary words I notice, I go to lists of words I've saved that professional editors say to cut (you can find lists online). I do a word search on various words or phrases and cut them out drastically.

It's always a good idea to give yourself time between edits even if it is simply minutes. 

I edit an article, leave it to work on another, and return to it later. I do this on and off until I can read an article through without making a change. Then I know it's ready. 

Of course, the perfectionist in most writers keeps seeing more to change. When this becomes problematic, I just call it quits. I say it's good enough, and I send it in to the editors. 

Today's Tip

Today's Tip:



Write like nobody's reading.



Write for fun.

Improve Your Writing Skills

The best way to improve on your writing is to write, then go back in a few days and re-read what you've written. 

A second way is to write, and then ask an outside writer, proofreader or editor to give you feedback.

A third way is to write and submit your work to a site that screens it through an editor.  Then take heed to the feedback, if any is offered.

Blogging is another great way to grow your writing skills.  You are nudged to update your blog, and thus write.

One suggestion of how not to test your writing skills is through contests.  Many contests are set up to earn money off new writers who pay an entry fee.  Your piece may not even be read.  Look for other ways to have your writing viewed and then try to sell your writing, not the other way around!

Whats the ROI for your Reader?

What is ROI in the World of Writing?

ROI means return on investment. Of course, a writer hopes to gain a return on investment of their writing time and sense of commitment. But it's important to note, the reader also wants an ROI on their money invested and time taken to read the book or article. 

Aside from the eBooks I write, I'm also a web content article writer. I write on a variety of topics customers use in print publications and in online websites. When I write articles, I try to have an ROI for the reader in mind. That is, I try to give them something in exchange for the time they've given to read my article. There has to be a takeaway.

ROI for Readers 

After reading my article or ebook, I hope my reader has learned something new, become more motivated, been inspired, or become better informed about the subject matter. I want my readers to discover easily understood takeaways. 

One book for writers I read so long ago (I can't remember its name) suggested every page have a takeaway--something that makes them want to turn the page and stay engaged. Now, that is a tall order!

What's Your Takeaway?

If your book doesn't have an easily understood takeaway, perhaps you should take a second look. Here is an exercise that may help you hone your writing. 

Finish these sentences:

This book will give the reader information or hope about ______________; this book will give the reader greater faith or inspiration because ________________; the reader will feel a greater sense of _____________ after reading this book because _____________. This book will help the reader take this type of action ________________.

There is so much more to say on this subject, but I'll save it for another post.  In the meantime, feel free to share your comments below.

Writing for Pay is Hard Work and Demoralizing

A book critique I had done by a published author almost turned my writing world upside down! 

I expected she would love my book. But she tore it apart with red ink everywhere! 

I let it simmer for some time, packing the brown envelope away into a drawer, before ever returning to it. 

When I returned to the manuscript, I took her criticism to heart and re-wrote almost the entire book. Then I went ahead and published a new version on my own deciding not to get another critique or hire a professional editor. 

I charge about the price of a Starbucks Grande for my books. KDP takes their cut of the payment. In that case, why would I invest $500 or so in something where I may earn back less than $100? 

This is my blog and a place where I'm allowed to vent. It is my safe space. So here it goes:

Writers give up plenty of free time because they have something to say and love writing. It's as simple as that. 

Being a Christ-follower, I know Jesus said, a worker deserves her wages. That being said, Jesus doesn't seem to shower me with income from my writing. It's pretty independable! That part I will never understand this side of heaven. I mean, if He called me to be his scribe, why not pay me a decent worldly income for doing so? 

Putting out a blog post, article, or Kindle book in front of the general public is scary. Selling any book or article is a risk. It's one I take regularly. 

A Tool Called Natural Reader

Are You Called to be an At-Home Mom 
book on Kindle

I may have offered these ideas before. Just now, I re-loaded a nifty program I had on my last laptop. It's called "Natural Reader." Get it here. 

It's just another way to proofread your documents. Choose the voice you'd like to read your document, upload your document and hear it read. 

I've used this program for editing. It allows me to rest my eyes at times. It allows me to walk around the room, stand, and just listen. If it reads well, I'm set. If it does't read well, I'm sure to catch the needed changes.  

There are times I rush to publish or send in my submissions without leaving a block of time for my mind to simmer. More often than not, leaving a block of time between writing and editing is better. Leaving my writing overnight, over a few days, or even over months or years allows me to return to my writing with fresh eyes. 

I want to put out my best work, which often requires several go-throughs. Natural Reader is one more tool I often use. 

Late Night Writing and Other Matters

It's late at night. I was about to head to bed, but I felt the need to update this blog. 

I am accustomed to staying up late at night. It seems to be a part of my natural rhythm. Since I work from home, I often feel compelled to strike a balance between writing and taking care of household chores that surround me. If I were working in an office, I wouldn't constantly be reminded of the things that need to be done. I find that I can write better during late hours, perhaps because I am free of the competing thoughts and distractions that come up during the day.

Not only do I tend the home, but my dog can be pretty bossy demanding walks as often as possible. She doesn't understand, "Momma's got to sit and write today." 

My dog is a good fitness coach, but everything I do for her is time-consuming too. My writing is often traded off for dog walks, shampoos, and feedings. 

By day's end, it seems natural to push aside all the other responsibilities and finally focus on writing. The husband is in bed, and the dog sleeps at my feet. 

SOMETHING TO CLARIFY 

But the above isn't what I was going to share just now. Here's what I wanted to write about dreary-eyed as I am:

During a recent meeting, a woman shared off to the side her suspicion towards individuals who have experienced a difficult situation, wrote a book or became a speaker and earned a significant amount of money from doing so.

I wanted to correct her. Why? Because most writers don't make millions of dollars from their books. That is a myth many believe.

The person this woman was referring to who had solved her problem and written a book wasn't a high-profile individual with a broad platform. Today, publishers will rarely take on an average person. They want writers with credentials. They want to know the writer will bring in book buyers and do successful marketing themselves. Becoming published is hard enough and selling books is harder. 


DEBT

The idea that an average woman who's written a book will make millions is inaccurate. Most writers put in more unpaid time than they will ever make back. Publishing on Kindle is free, but Kindle takes a cut of the sales. Personally, I only make about $2 to $4 per book. It makes it hard to justify all the time I put into my ebook writing.

Self-publishing hard copies is even more problematic. It's difficult to sell hard copies especially when shipping costs need to be factored in. Shipping across borders is even more problematic as there may be exchange rates and duty payments included. 

I know a few women with garages full of unsold self-published print books. And these are books they paid out-of-pocket to have produced. Some will see a financial loss. 

Why Writers Write 

I pondered this friend's statement and reflected on it as the web content and eBook writer I am. I decided the purpose of writing for most writers is to share our story with the hope to encourage or inspire someone. We may hope to hit it big financially, and that's not unheard of, but we write because we have something to say. And more of us write because we love writing. 

The woman seemed to mock the idea of the woman writer's sad story. But most good stories have a crisis and turning point in them. Even self-help books point to problems and provide solutions. Hallmark movies always have a crisis and turning point. (I know there are more official terms, but I can't think of them just now.)  

Sad stories are part of telling a story. 

I'm not sure what the woman was so skeptical of unless she sensed impure motives by the woman speaker she'd recently listened to who had a book for sale. Maybe she wasn't impressed with her story. That's okay. She doesn't have to buy the book.