3 Incredibly Useful Ways to use Pacing in Dialogue

Guest Blog  by Anthony Ehlers

Pacing in dialogue is like fuel-injection for your writing. Have you ever noticed how you start reading quicker when you get to dialogue in a story?  It’s a great way of showing and not telling — and allows your characters to ‘act’ out a scene.

Here are three ways you can use pacing in dialogue:

① Tighten it

1. ‘Will you please quit hassling me?’ Tim asked in exasperation.
2. ‘Quit hasslin’ me!’  Tim snapped.

The pace is better in the second example. We use half the words of the first. The missing ‘g’ and exclamation point add vigour. And ‘snapped’ implies exasperation.

② Give it rhythm

1. ‘I know the husband is responsible for the murder!’
2. ‘You see, I know, I know who did it, Inspector. It’s the husband. It’s always the husband, isn’t it?’

The first example is shorter, yes, but it’s also bland. The second shows the cadence and excitement of the speaker. The repetition, italics, and rhetorical question add to the rhythm.

③ Know your genre

1. ‘If we leave now, it’s only a two-hour trip to the barn where the body was found,’ Mary said. ‘We probably won’t find any new clues, but someone may have seen something.’
2. ‘Get Alpha team on standby!’ Hawkins hissed. ‘Suicide bomber. 12 o’clock. Hotel roof.’

Both examples could be from suspense novels. Yet the first one’s leisurely pace could be from a cosy mystery. The clipped pace of the second example means it could be from a military thriller.

What ways do you use pace in your dialogue?

If you want to learn how to write a book, join our Writers Write course in Johannesburg. 

by Anthony Ehlers

Guest Post How to Market a New Release

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015

Misty Beller has broken records selling as many as 10,000 books a month of her first book. She is a member of our ACFW-SC Chapter and we are so proud of her. Here are her secrets summarized.-Elva Cobb Martin, Pres. ACFW-SC Chapter

How to Market a New Release

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

One of the questions I receive most often is from authors is, 

"How do I promote my new book?" 

Whether it be your debut release or book #5 (or #105) 

marketing a new release can often be daunting. 

But it doesn't have to be!

Through the months of June, July, and August, I shared all

 the different marketing options available to authors. And there 

are a lot of opportunities! But the list can be intimidating, so 

let me break it down into critical steps for a new release. 


This list is accurate for either indie or traditionally published books

 (although indie authors certainly have a few more steps related to                                  book production). 

Let's get started!

1. Make sure your book is posted on your website, Goodreads, your Amazon Author Central page, and all your social media profiles. In other words, if people are looking for info about the book, make sure they can find it!
2. Choose whether you want to do a blog tour. If yes,                                           get started and enjoy the ride! For more info on the steps                                           and best practices, see this post. 
3. Line up your influencers and early reviewers.                                                       One of the most helpful tools to gain traction with book                                                sales, is to help your book garner reviews early. I've                                                  shared a lot of strategies to gain reviews here.
4. Share the new release to your newsletter list, blog and                                                 
   
   
   social media channels. In other words, get the word out to                                    your people! Get excited and your enthusiasm will be infectious!
5. Schedule paid advertising. This is the step many authors                                       try to skip,but I've very rarely seen a book take off without some                        amount of paid advertising. There are so many choices out there,                              it's easy to waste money. My go-to sites are                                                           ereadernewstoday.com and Facebook Ads. (You may remember,                                I shared the Facebook ad process in detail here.) 

So that's it! Not so hard, is it? 

After you've accomplished these five, you can step back and send 

up a prayer of thanksgiving. Then assess whether you're happy with                                   the book's sales (and rankings) and develop your marketing strategy 

moving forward. 

Now it's your turn! Do you see a critical step I've missed? 

Anything additional on your book release task list? Let's hear

 your thoughts!

Misty M. Beller writes Christian historical romance, 

and is author of the bestselling novels The Lady                     and the Mountain Man and The Lady and the                  Mountain Doctor.

Misty was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her

 Southern roots run deep. About eleven years ago, 

she made a career change from farm life into                             the business world, where she worked as a                                Senior Manager and Director of Process &                                                                           Training. She's now loving the life 

                                             of a full-time writer, wife, and mother.

Guest Post 12 Questions to Ask a Book Cover Designer

12 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Book Cover Designer

OCTOBER 8, 2015 by DIANA URBAN

Your book’s cover provides a reader with a first impression of your work, and despite all advice to the contrary, people will judge your book by its cover. Our testing has shown that a cover alone can account for a 30% difference in clicks on a BookBub listing, and other sources have reported similar results.

Since your cover design is such a huge factor in a book’s success, it’s worth the cost to hire a seasoned professional to create or redesign the cover. While you might have an ambitious do-it-yourself or in-house approach, a polished cover from a professional designer can make a book much more appealing to readers scrolling through retailer sites or BookBub’s daily deals email.

Before you commit to a cover designer, you should know what questions to ask him or her first. With so much at stake, you want to be sure you’re hiring the right person for the job! Remember, not every designer works the same way, but it’s important to find someone whose expertise and working style best fit you and your books. Here are some questions both independent authors and publishers should ask a potential cover designer and why they matter:

1. What covers have you designed in my genre?

It’s important to get a sense of the designer’s track record in your specific sub-genre. Once you’veidentified a target market for your book, you may want to hire a cover designer who has experience with that genre. This way, they’ll know what styles are trending and perform well, what tone readers expect, and what images and fonts resonate best with your audience.

If they don’t have experience in your sub-genre, they should be willing to do research and become familiar with trending tropes in your genre so they know how to convey your book’s premise and make your book stand out. So make sure they have a thorough process for researching and brainstorming concept art before getting too far into the design work.

2. What is your process for developing a concept for a design?

Get an idea for your potential designer’s approach to brainstorming concepts for their cover designs. Here are some ways they might dive into the research process:

• Consider your creative brief. Whether you provide a written creative brief or discuss your requirements over the phone, be sure they take your ideas and suggestions seriously. While they are the design experts and will likely have other ideas in mind, you’re most familiar with the content of your book, so they should at least be willing to listen to what you have in mind.
• Research your genre. How do they research what covers are successful in your genre? If they take a thorough approach, they should look through retailer site sub-genres and see what covers are selling well in your area. For example, if you write dystopian science fiction and they only suggest browsing through other sci-fi covers to see what’s trending, you might want to dig deeper here and make sure they know to look at dystopian sci-fi covers specifically.
• Access image libraries. An experienced designer should have access to image libraries such as Shutterstock, Getty Images, or iStockPhoto. This will give them a wide selection of images to get inspiration from or choose from if they’re not doing custom photography or artwork for your cover.

3. Are you available to create custom images for which I’d have sole rights?

Choosing from image libraries is a cost-effective way to get a high-quality image for your cover, but it means you wouldn’t have sole rights to that image. While rare, it’s possible to find the same image used on other books or marketing collateral out there. If this isn’t something you want to risk, you may want to commission your designer for a photoshoot or to create custom artwork for you. Keep in mind that this can significantly increase the price of your cover design. Also, not all cover designers offer these services, so if it’s important to you, you should discuss this up front.

4. Can I see your complete portfolio?

This question might seem obvious, but in your enthusiasm to publish your book, you might be tempted to rush into an agreement with the first designer one of your friends refers you to. Don’t do this. Make sure you have the chance to review the designer’s work so you can see if you even like the designs they’ve created before.

5. What are your fees and payment structure?

Some cover designers list their pricing packages on their websites. Others provide custom quotes based on exact specifications.

Some designers require a deposit prior to beginning any research or design work to make sure you are committed and will be good for the money — they’ll be spending their valuable time working on your project, so this is to be expected, especially for more expensive designers. The deposit can be anything from 20% – 50% of the overall quote. Whatever their payment structure, be sure it’s something you’re comfortable with toward the beginning of your conversation.

6. Do you offer a no-risk money back guarantee?

Some cover designers are of such a high caliber that they’re confident enough in their work to offer a 100% money-back guarantee in case you’re not satisfied with the final product. Not all designers offer this, but you may personally want to choose someone who does.

7. What will the design process look like?

Professional designers will have an effective process they follow for each of their clients. It may look something like this (though every designer may have a different process):

Step #1: Schedule an initial consultation call. The designer will ask about your genre, what your book is about, and get some ideas from you regarding what you hope the cover will look like. You should also discuss things like timeline and communication expectations, and make sure the designer’s working style seems like a good fit for you.

Step #2: Discuss payment. The designer will deliver a quote based on what you’ve discussed, or finalize the pricing based on the pre-defined design package you choose.

Step #3: First concept round. The designer will send you some mock-ups of what they’re thinking the cover will look like. These usually won’t be polished, since they’ll want your feedback before putting on the finishing touches. Some designers will even provide you with multiple first-concept covers, and you can choose which one you’d like them to run with.

For example, designer Simon Avery creates a range of concept covers:

While not every book designer does this, this is great for authors who are interested in A/B testing different cover designs or asking their existing audience which design they prefer before the designer moves forward with the final design.

Step #4: Final concept round. The designer will send you a final version of the front cover, back cover, spine, and any other elements you discussed in your consulting call. Some designers also offer a final fine-tuning round to make sure you’re happy with the final cover.

Since you’re paying for your cover design, you should be happy with the final result. While it is perfectly reasonable for a designer to set a limit on the amount of rounds of revision you go through, you want to be sure your designer will be flexible in terms of accepting your feedback and working it into the revisions.

8. How will you deliver the final product?

At the very least, your cover designer should send you a high-resolution JPEG and/or PDF file of your final design — the front cover, the back cover, and the spine (unless you’re only hiring them for the ebook front cover).

But this isn’t enough for some authors. If you want to be able to make tweaks to your own cover in the future (for example, if you’re not 100% set on the title), make sure you also ask for the Photoshop or InDesign file — depending on the program the designer will be using. Not all designers are comfortable providing these files, but if it’s important to you, discuss this ahead of time.

9. What is your average turnaround time?

If you have a tight deadline to stick to for sending out advanced reader copies, locking in a pre-order, or a preset publication date, you should make sure the designer you’re considering has the bandwidth to complete your project well before your own deadline.

At the same time, you want to make sure the designer puts enough time into your project to deliver high-quality output. If they’re turning around covers in a day or two, maybe they’re not putting the necessary effort into making your book stand out in its genre.

10. Will you also be available for additional projects?

If you want the design of all of your marketing elements to be consistent, make sure up front that your designer will be available for follow-up work. Some things you may want design help with in the future may include:

• Covers for a sequel or subsequent series books
• Box set 3D covers
• Audiobook covers
• Online display ads
• Bookmarks
• Website logos
• Twitter header photos
• Facebook cover photos

11. What is your communication style?

Just like if you’re working with any other publishing professional (an agent, an editor, etc.), it’s important to set your communication expectations up front. While it may not be realistic to expect anyone to respond to your email within five minutes, 48-hour response times is a reasonable request to make. You might also want your designer to be proactive in letting you know if they will be unavailable for an extended period of time, whether for vacation, a conference, etc. These are all things you should talk about up front so there aren’t panicked moments or resentment along the way.

12. Do you have any references?

Even if the designer has a testimonials page on his or her website, it’s a good idea to speak to or exchange emails with one or two of the designer’s past clients. This will give you a better idea for what to expect from the working relationship (as you can review the designer’s portfolio for yourself).

It can be well worth the additional cost of hiring a professional designer to create a custom design for your book, especially if you want your book to stand out in its genre or are trying to get your book selected for a BookBub Featured Deal. With the additional appeal it will lend to your book, the design could end up paying for itself in short order!

Do you have any cover designers you’d recommend? Give them a shout-out in the comments below!

Want to share this post? Here are ready-made tweets:

Click to tweet: 12 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Book Cover Designer – http://bit.ly/1ZbNIDh by @DianaUrban at @BookBubPartners #pubtip #publishing

Click to tweet: #Authors: Cover design is a huge factor in your book’s success,  so here are 12 Qs to ask when hiring a designer – http://bit.ly/1ZbNIDh

About Diana Urban

Diana Urban is the Industry Marketing Manager at BookBub, and was previously the Head of Conversion Marketing at HubSpot. She's an expert in inbound marketing, content marketing, and lead generation. Diana is also the author of two Young Adult thrillers, and is writing her third novel. Follow her on Twitter at @DianaUrban.

Novel Researching at St. Augustine

by Elva Cobb Martin

The projected Book 2 in my Southern Trade Winds series will be set in the Caribbean and the Spanish Main in the 1700's. So this year we made a trip to St. Augustine, Florida, to do a little research into the Spanish presence in North America.

St. Augustine, founded by Spain in 1565 with 700 soldiers and colonists, is actually the oldest continually occupied European settlement in North America.
Bet you thought Jamestown was which was founded in 1607. And, of course, JT became one of the original American permanent colonies.  But the Spanish were here before that.

Here are some photos I collected in St. Augustine which has a great historic section and a trolley to carry you back and forth to all the sites instead of driving your car.

One interesting tidbid is that the first thing Pedro Menendez did, the founder of St. Augustine, was to erect a huge cross and claim the land for Christ (and Spain, of course). Isn't it great that Christianity was planted here from the beginning?

Here is my hubby Dwayne at the marker. Several other photos follow, including a couple of the historic fort of the original walled city, a cannon and an historic gun.

Have you visited St. Augustine? 

Thanks for stopping by.  Please do leave a comment and share this post.

Elva

Heroes and Heroines Who Don't Drink Alcohol

by Elva Cobb Martin

Why would I want the heroes and heroines in my inspirational novels to be non-drinkers or convert to non-drinkers?

A key verse of scripture that has led me to this conviction is Proverbs 20:1

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

This verse strongly warns about inherent dangers associated with drinking alcohol.

The key phrase is "whosoever is deceived (by fermented wine, beer, liquor) is not wise." I do want main characters who are wise or who become wiser, as they grow. On the other hand, my villains might partake and be shown suffering many of the consequences. I believe I owe this contrast to my readers.

Here and elsewhere in this book of wisdom, Proverbs warns about a variety of personal and social evil consequences associated with drinking alcoholic beverages. The following notes are listed in my Life in the Spirit Study Bible published by Zondervan.

• As a "mocker" it leads to a decreased capacity for self-control, a weakening of inhibitions and a disdaining of prudent behavior and righteous values.
• As "raging" it contributes to disturbances, conflicts and violence in families and society.  
• It is also associated with inefficiency, poverty, and injustice. Rulers are advised not to drink alcohol since it can affect their decisions.

In our contemporary world in such nations as the United States, the drinking of alcohol is a factor in more than 50% of all fatal car crashes, 75% of all crimes committed, and more than 30% of all murders. It is also implicated as a factor in sexual immorality, pregnancy outside of marriage and high divorce rates. As Christian writers we can show some of these very conflicts.

Abstinence helps guarantee avoidance of the pitfalls associated with drinking so why not inspire readers and the next generation to choose the better way?

Here is a scene from my contemporary wip Summer of Deception showing one way I dealt with alcohol involving my hero and heroine. The novel is set on a Charleston Tea Plantation.

The h/h, Luke and Rachel, are at a party on a yacht in the Charleston Harbor owned by friends Archer and his sister Morgan. Luke is with Morgan, Rachel is with Archer.


       Archer balled his fist and pressed Luke on the shoulder. “Boy, am I thirsty after that carriage ride through history. What are you drinking, old man?”

     “A Devil’s Triangle,” Luke answered, swirling his glass and staring straight at Archer. “Minus the devil.”

     Rachel glanced at Luke, but he had turned back to Morgan. They were the most striking couple in the room. Something about Morgan  leaning close to him annoyed Rachel.

     “Luke’s still walking his teetotaler plank, I see.” Archer’s voice brought Rachel back to face him. “I’m going to have a Wild Affair, what would you like, most beautiful lady in the room?”

      Rachel had never heard of the drinks mentioned but assumed they included alcohol. “Coke—or ginger ale, please.”   

      “Oh, no, another teetotaler in the house?” Morgan  bemoaned with a mock grimace.

        Luke regarded Rachel. He motioned toward the black bartender. “This guy’s been trained on Barbados, and he’s famous for his fruit and berry concoctions. You don’t want to settle for a soda, not here,  Rachel. At least try my drink—you can get it minus the alcohol.”

        So that’s what Luke had meant.

       “Okay, I’ll take a Devil’s Triangle—minus the devil.” The bartender handed Rachel a tall glass. She took a sip and delighted in the rich strawberry-lemon fruit drink with a touch of mint.

How do you treat alcohol in your novels? Leave a comment and please share this blog if you have time. Thanks for stopping by.

Elva Cobb Martin

A Collection of Heroes. . . or Villains

by Elva Cobb Martin

Do you collect photos of possible heroes and/or villains?  I decided to share my file with you today. I don't know the names of some of these, but something about them inspires my imagination. What makes up a hero or a villain to you, historical or contemporary? Do any of these inspire your creativity? I chose one of these as my current pirate hero. Can you guess which one?

The one and only Colin Firth. What's not to like about this guy?

George Knightly, the perfect gentleman in Emma.

And here's a plethora of photos to stir your creativity.

And here are some famous ones from times past, starting with Rhett Butler!

What at team!

Eoin Mackey

Hope you've enjoyed my hero/villain file today. Send me your fave photo to add to my file!

Elva Cobb Martin

17 Screenwriting Scenes to Use in Your Novel

by Guest blogger Amanda Patterson

Hope you enjoy the following guest blog. I certainly did. --Elva Martin

17 Screenwriting Scenes To Use In Your Novel

I found this list of the 17 most common scenes found in screenplays on The Script Lab and it got me thinking that authors can, and do, use all of these when writing novels. When we write books, we tell a story in scenes (action) and sequels (reaction). I divided the screenplay scenes, with their given definitions, into these two groups.

Although you are not writing a screenplay, these 17 scenes may give you more ideas for creating conflict, and, for making peace, in your plotting.

Scenes: This is where your characters act. They mostly plan, seduce, argue, escape, search, meet, talk, pursue and investigate in scenes. Scenes take up about 70% of your novel. 

1. Preparation - What will it take to prepare for the task at hand?
2. Revelation - The reader/audience finds out something important.
3. Investigation - Gathering information.
4. Recognition - The character finds out something important.
5. The Gift - Using a prop with emotional investment and turning it into a weapon, emotional or otherwise.
6. Escape - The character is trying to get away, avoid, or hide.
7. Pursuit - The character is trying to follow, capture, or secure.
8. Seduction - Someone must convince someone else.
9. Opposites - Two characters from seemingly opposite poles are forced together.
10. Unexpected Visitor - Someone unexpected shows up. Problems arise.
11. Reversal of Expectations - A character expects a certain, very clear outcome, but another character surprises him, influencing him to reverse his intention and do something else - practically the opposite of what he planned to do.

Sequels: This is where your characters react. They think, reflect, process, rest, accept, and make peace in sequels. Sequels are also used to establish setting, reveal backstory, and show theme. 

1. Setting - Where are we?
2. Atmosphere/Mood - What is it like there?
3. Introduction - Who is it we are dealing with here?
4. Exposition - Necessary information through telling. Quick and brief.
5. Transition - Getting from one place to another. Fast.
6. Aftermath - How does the character feel about what just happened? 

I hope these scene ideas inspire you when you write your book.

If you want to learn how to write a book, join our Writers Write course in Johannesburg. 

 by Amanda Patterson. Follow her on Pinterest, Facebook,  Google+,  Tumblr  and Twitter. 

If you enjoyed this post, read:

• The 16 Top-Earning Authors - 2015
• Make Me Care - Nine Ways To Ensure An Unforgettable Read
• Social Media 101 Series      

Hope you'll comment if you enjoyed this guest blog and share on Twitter and FB.

Elva Cobb Martin