Publishing Tips for Indie Authors

Hello everyone!

On Tuesday, I went to an event called “Journey of an Author” where Dr. John Benedict spoke about his writing process and some of the ins and outs of self-publishing.  Below are four articles that restate and expound upon Dr. Benedict’s advice for indie authors.  I hope you find the information to be as helpful as I did.

“Indie Publishing Paths: What’s Your Distribution Plan? Part 1” by Jami Gold: http://blog.janicehardy.com/2015/09/indie-publishing-paths-whats-your.html

“Indie Publishing Paths: What’s Your Distribution Plan? Part 2” by Jami Gold: http://blog.janicehardy.com/2015/10/indie-publishing-paths-whats-your.html

“‘Going Wide’ – Gaining Traction on non-Amazon Vendors Part 1: The Upload Process” by Angela Quarles: http://blog.janicehardy.com/2016/08/going-wide-gaining-traction-on-non.html

“Is KDP Select Right for You?” by Marcy Kennedy: http://blog.janicehardy.com/2016/06/is-kdp-select-right-for-you.html

Happy writing!

Katie

Music: Lyrical Melodies or Melodious Lyrics?

Hello everyone!

Music is a powerful medium. I love the way words and instruments work together to elicit a heightened emotional response. Some might think I’m strange, because, I hear the lyrics better than the accompaniment. What I mean by that is I will sing a song to the wrong tune because I learned the words but still don’t have the melody down.

For me, the lyrics are what make or break a song. My favorite songs are from musicals because I love the way they move the story along and/or reveal something new about a character. Some of my favorite lyricists are Sir Tim Rice (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Evita, Aladdin, The Lion King), the late Howard Ashman (Little Shop of Horrors, Oliver and Company, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin), and Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Hamilton, Moana).

Since we are still at the start of 2017 and trying new things, the prompt for the next two weeks is to write a song. To help you get started, listen to your three to five favorite songs. Look up the lyrics. See if you can figure out what makes those songs appeal to you and then try to duplicate those elements when creating your own song.

Happy writing!

Katie

Query Letters

Hello everyone!

Once you have completed your novel (keyword being completed) it is time to write the query letter.  Basically, be professional and keep what you have to say short, to the point, and error free.  Below are some articles with more in-depth advice.

“How to Write a Query Letter” by AgentQuery.com: http://agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx

“The Complete Guide to Query Letters” by Jane Friedman: https://janefriedman.com/query-letters/

“How to Write the Perfect Query Letter” by Mary Kole: http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/how-to-write-the-perfect-query-letter

Happy writing!

Katie Merkel

New Dreams

Hello everyone! Happy 2017!

The beginning of a year is a time to start fresh. People set goals and make resolutions for how they will improve themselves. Many hope the new year will be better than the former year.

Your writing challenge for the next two weeks is to choose one of the five settings listed below. Then, create a character based off the quote at the end of the prompt. Use the quote and location to create an interesting conflict. When it comes to deciding what your character wants, be creative. After all, it’s a new year, don’t go with an obvious choice. (e.g. A high school student dreams of becoming an engineer. He has a beautiful singing voice and his mother forces him take voice lessons and audition for American Idol instead of letting him get involved with math and science clubs.)

Settings

1. Thebes (Ancient Egypt)
2. Virginia (The Civil War)
3. Paris, France (World War II)
4. A reality TV show (e.g. American Idol, Shark Tank, The Bachelor, etc.)
5. Mars (3000 AD)

Quote

“Stay true to yourself, yet always be open to learn. Work hard, and never give up on your dreams, even when nobody else believes they can come true but you. These are not clichés but real tools you need no matter what you do in life to stay focused on your path.” – Phillip Sweet

Happy writing!

Katie Merkel

Writer’s Voice

Hello everyone!

A new year brings endless possibilities.  As 2016 was closing out, I thought a lot about voice.  My goal was to discover what a “writer’s voice” is and how to develop my own.  I found the articles below to be helpful.  I hope they are for you as well.

“The Author’s Voice ” by Sydney Bauer: https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/the-authors-voice

“Defining Author Voice” by Ava Jae: http://avajae.blogspot.com/2011/09/defining-author-voice.html

“Unleashing Your Voice” by Ava Jae: http://avajae.blogspot.com/2011/09/unleashing-your-voice.html

“On writing…author’s voice…” by Jill Eileen Smith: http://www.jilleileensmith.com/blog/writing/on-writing-authors-voice/

For those of you who, like me, need an example to grasp a concept, check out some of Roald Dahl’s children’s books.  His distinctive voice is evident through recurring themes, character traits, and stylistic choices.  To see what I mean, try comparing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda.

Happy New Year and happy writing!

Katie