Legendary Author Anne McCaffrey Passes Away

Anne McCaffrey, one of science fiction's most popular authors, passed away yesterday from a stroke, her publisher reported today. She was 85. McCaffrey, who often referred to herself as "Annie," was widely known for her Hugo award-winning, bestselling DragonRiders of Pern series. She authored nearly 100 published books since 1967.

Severe health issues surfaced on her blog back in August where Annie's son Todd McCaffrey alerted her readers that she would have to cancel her appearance at Dragon*con. "What seemed to be indigestion last week has now turned out to be something more serious – some incident with her heart, the full details of which are still to be determined by tests," Todd reported.

Her final blog entry, "A Letter from Rick," accurately represents the overall positive effect she had on her loyal readers worldwide. Annie inspired countless writers and generously offered advice throughout her long and successful career. She will be sorely missed!

Rest in peace, Anne McCaffrey. You were one of a kind.

Writers: Kill the Self-Entitlement Monster

Lately I've seen a sense of self-entitlement among aspiring authors (in online forums, etc.). Some of these would-be writers actually believe that writing a book is enough and readers should automatically flock to the book and consider it a privilege to read the material. This couldn't be further from the truth! I know plenty of you know this already, but it doesn't hurt to reiterate and share: Authors are not owed customers/readers. Even if you've written an amazing book, you can't expect thousands or millions of readers to find the book on their own. You have to work for the readership. This means you need to take part in book marketing, publicity, advertising...not passively waiting for readers to stumble across your masterpiece. Effective marketing, publicity, and advertising will create a buzz around your book and word of mouth should result in lots of sales--but expect to work thousands of hours for those results! 

Kill the "Self-Entitlement Monster" now if it exists within you. If we're really honest with ourselves here, the Monster probably lives somewhere within all of us. Kill it now. Seriously. Allowing it to live will only ruin your writing career and make you look like a fool in the end. 

You are owed nothing.

(Image via De kleine rode kater @ Flickr)

20 Valuable Writing Resources

I recently compiled a list of writing resources, including books, videos, and articles. The books, each one available at Amazon.com, provide info on writing from bestselling authors. The articles come from popular writing/publishing blogs, while the free videos--advice from Stephen King, Anne Rice, Nicholas Sparks, Michael Connelly, and John Irving--are all available via YouTube. Now...onto the list...


Books: 

• On Writing  by Stephen King 
• Plot & Structure (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) by James Scott Bell
• On Writing Well by William Zinsser
• Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
• Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life by Terry Brooks
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

Videos:

• Advice from Stephen King
• Michael Connelly: Tips for Young Writers
• Nicholas Sparks Shares Tips for Aspiring Writers
• John Irving: The Thrill of the Blank Page
• To Write or Rewrite – Anne Rice
• Taking Risks – Anne Rice
• Developing Plot – Anne Rice

Articles:

• Top 5 Writing Lessons from J.K. Rowling
• 40+ Tips to Improve your Grammar and Punctuation
• 31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing
• 20 Creative Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block
• 11 Types of Bad Writing Advice
• 10 Rules for Writing Fiction
• 10 Things You Can Do to Help Your Writing Career Before You’re Published

Want more resources? Click here for the full list of over 30 writing resources!
(Image via JimK1 @ Flickr)

Is Caffeine a Writer's Friend...or Enemy?

Drinking caffeine seems to go hand in hand with writing, but have you ever stopped to think why? I mean, other than temporarily relieving sleepiness and increasing alertness, do writers actually notice any improvement in writing ability while consuming caffeine? I personally haven't found that caffeine enhances my writing skills in any way. I sometimes write a bit faster if I've consumed large amounts of caffeine, but there's never any noticeable difference in writing quality.

Obviously I'm not a scientist. I haven't tested caffeine on numerous writers to track their responses. I'm not sure anyone has, really--but there have been many broad, less targeted studies performed throughout the world. Some studies suggest that:

• Caffeine may actually cause insomnia and daytime sleepiness. I'd dare say that many writers struggle with insomnia on some level, so it's quite alarming to think that your caffeine consumption could be making things worse! 
• High doses of caffeine can be toxic and impair coordination. Now this mostly applies to athletes, but writers could experience a drop in typing and organizational skills, two very important aspects of writing.
• Caffeine doesn't usually improve learning or memory tasks, so don't expect to gain some sort of super brain due to caffeine consumption.
• Caffeine withdrawal may be debilitating for some writers. Withdrawal symptoms seem to occur about 12-24 hours after abstinence and can include: headache, fatigue, decreased alertness, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, flu-like symptoms, and more. I've personally experienced heart palpitations, nervousness, and headaches after drinking about 3 cups of coffee. Needless to say, I couldn't continue writing with those symptoms.

In conclusion, a cup of Joe each day shouldn't negatively impact your writing, but it probably won't enhance your writing, either. Maybe you should try getting some extra sleep before grabbing for that extra cup (or two) tomorrow! How does caffeine affect you?

(Photo by Philip Squires)

Top 5 Writing Lessons from J.K. Rowling

I've been meaning to blog about J.K. Rowling for a long time now... Well, yesterday I purchased and watched Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (and yes, I had already seen it in the theaters). Definitely the best of all the Potter movies, in my opinion. But I'm not here to blog about the movie itself. No, I'm here to discuss the special features on Blu-ray, specifically "A Conversation with J.K. Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe," which revealed the answers to some big questions and also indirectly offered fantastic writing lessons. Here are my top 5:

1. Persist: Here's where some aspiring authors fail. They get caught up in a get-rich-quick mindset and expect overnight success. They hear stories about how the idea of a spectacled wizard boy popped up into J.K.'s mind...and then they hear about the billion dollars she's made and see her name all over the media. According to her own words, writing the complete story of Harry Potter was a 20-year process! 20 years! Maybe you're struggling with writer's block at the moment or you've developed some doubts. Please, don't give up. Persist. Don't give up after 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, a decade, two decades, three decades, four decades... If you love writing, write and persist. Don't expect overnight success. It's a marathon, not a race, okay?
2. Treat your characters as real people: "They're in your life the way real people are ... I love writing dialogue ... I miss Dumbledore the most ... He was telling me things I needed to hear sometimes ..." Notice the connection J.K. Rowling has with Dumbledore. She apparently misses hearing from him like she would a far-away friend. As a writer, you need to form a special connection with your characters. Let yourself go and allow each character to speak his/her own dialogue without interruption. Don't get in the way of your characters.
3. Know where the story's headed [SPOILER ALERT]: "Within the first year of writing, I wrote a sketch for what I thought the final chapter would be... I knew we were always working towards the final battle at Hogwarts. I knew that Harry would walk to his death..."
4. Stay true to the story and yourself: "I went where my pen took me, and bad though it may seem to some people, I never really considered my readership in that way... I wrote what I wanted to write..." Rowling didn't allow critics or readers to influence her writing. 
5. Focus only on relevant backstories: Many writers, especially newbies, get lost in backstory. They write as though the reader needs to know everyone's backstory in excruciating detail ... Now, many of us heard through the media that Dumbledore is gay. Rowling never mentioned his sexual preference in the Potter books, but did confirm that he's gay: "The relationship he [Dumbledore] has with Grindlewald--he fell really hard for this boy... His [Dumbledore's] one great experience of love was utterly tragic. It was with someone who was dangerous and demonic [Grindlewald]...so that was my idea of Dumbledore's tragic backstory..." But why didn't she add this backstory to the books? Because it wasn't relevant to the story, she implied. I also gathered from Rowling's conversation with Radcliffe that Professor McGonagall had a somewhat tragic backstory as well, but Rowling ultimately felt that that backstory wasn't relevant to the story either.

(J.K. Rowling image via Daniel Ogren)

The Formula for Conquering Writing Distractions

I'm convinced this is the Age of Distractions. If you're like most Americans, you encounter distractions every day. The technology that most of us own has created a stay-connected mentality, ensuring that we're always ready to return text messages, answer emails, respond to comments and messages, tweet and retweet, watch the next TV show on Netflix or movie on demand, etc. Understand this: I love staying connected and enjoying the benefits of technology. Really, I do. I'm a huge technology and social media advocate and I LOVE how the Internet has made lives easier and free book marketing accessible to writers everywhere...but all of this can also become an huge distraction for writers....

Surely, there has to be some formula for conquering writing distractions, right?

Try this: As a writer, have you ever logged the amount of time you spend on the Internet (including social media, browsing, chatting, whatever); watching TV and movies; texting; emailing, etc.? Go ahead and give it a try, even if just for a day or week. I bet the results would shock you...and perhaps motivate you... For example, say you're like most Americans and you watch TV for about 4 hours per day and tool around the Internet for 1.85 hours per day as well. That's 40+ hours per week, 2,080+ hours per year, or 86+ days per year--and we didn't even count texting, movies, or your misc distractions (I bet many exist)! I'm not encouraging you to remove all distractions from your life. Some distractions are necessary and balancing.You'd live a sad life if all you did was work. But how about cutting those distractions in half? How much writing could you accomplish with an extra 1,040+ hours per year?!

This post is just as much for me as it is you... I'm working on this. Will you?

(Image via Flickr)

Defining Success

I communicate with authors every day, and I've found that one of the most popular topics is success. Of course every author wants to be successful, but since success is so incredibly subjective it's crucial for an author to define success. For Author A, success might mean selling 1,000 copies. Author B might focus more on touching lives. And maybe Author C considers the act of publishing a success and anything beyond that is gravy. Perhaps Author D is a bit of all of the above. That's why I constantly ask authors for their definition of success. I believe it's important for the author to have a clear goal in mind so the author can strive to meet his/her definition of success and recognize "success" when it arrives. I believe it's the same with life, really...

Do you have a clear definition of success in your mind? Let me know...

MindStir Media Launches SelfPublishForLess.com

SelfPublishForLess.com, an imprint of MindStir Media, provides paperback-only self-publishing and distribution ... for less. There's one simple offering, an inexpensive package that includes all the basics: Template book cover (choose from a catalog of pre-designed themes & (optional) submit your own front cover image); ISBN; barcode; unlimited online availability through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and numerous international sites; fast printing; complimentary copy; quarterly royalties; book discount program; and more.

MindStir Media, the parent imprint that I originally founded, will continue to serve authors who want a custom publishing experience in multiple formats (e.g. paperback, e-book, and audiobook) as well as marketing, mentoring, and professional editing services. MindStir also offers royalties up to 100% and a full array of author services such as ghostwriting, author website design, virtual book tours, press release development and distribution, and national television advertising.

Publish In Hardcover?

I know lots of authors are in love with the hardcover format. For them that love affair needs to end. It certainly is a neat feeling to see your book in hardcover, but most avid readers are unwilling to pay hardcover prices nowadays. Self-publishing authors need to keep that in mind! Why will readers pay $24.95 for hardcover when they can buy a paperback for less than $15 and eBook for less than $10 (sometimes less than $5)?

I've always said that it's wise to publish in multiple formats (you've probably heard me say it). I believe the most important formats are paperback, eBook, and downloaded audiobook. Why?

• Paperback: The majority of readers still prefer physical books over digital. Offering the paperback format caters to printed book lovers while keeping the price affordable. Without this format, you will miss out on sales!
• eBook: We've all heard and read about eBooks, their impact on the publishing and book selling world... Major publishers are either scared out of their minds or embracing the new digital technology (or both) and physical bookstores are going out of business as book buying becomes less expensive and more convenient... Last time I checked, eBooks account for somewhere around 20% (probably less, but all reports I've seen differ) of the US book market. You don't want to ignore this part of the market!
• Downloaded audiobook: This format is popular among commuters. Folks driving to work enjoy listening to a good book (and it's much safer than trying to read and drive!). And don't forget people who love to listen to books while exercising.... Audible.com was one of the biggest things to happen to audiobooks. If you decide to publish in this format, make sure your audiobook ends up on Audible.com!

Don't get me wrong, though... Hardcover still controls part of the market (I just don't consider it as important as the other formats). If you insist on publishing in hardcover--and it'd better be along with the other formats--use the hardcover format as a "special edition," in which you include exclusive goodies like deleted scenes or back stories, maps, character images, a link/code to redeem something at your website, etc. Basically help readers justify spending the extra money on your hardcover.

(Hardcover image via Horia Varlan)

MindStir Media Helps Authors Advertise Books on National TV

MindStir Media has kept me very busy working on exciting new projects, including this one that allows authors to advertise their books on national television and reach around 500,000 viewers! Yes, the service is available for self-published titles (ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook)! Please share this with your author friends! : )

An ATM for Books: Espresso Book Machine

Many of you have probably heard of DVD ATM machines such as Redbox, but have you ever heard of an ATM for print books? Introducing the Espresso Book Machine... The EBM uses "digital files to produce physical books, and by matching supply to demand at point of need, the Espresso Book Machine® (EBM) enables retailers and libraries to sell (or lend) more titles without the extra inventory, eliminates supply-chain costs, and opens up a new market for retail self publishing. With the push of a button, the technology prints, binds, and trims a bookstore-quality, perfect-bound paperback book, in any language, with a full-color cover, in minutes while the customer waits." 


Will this change the publishing industry? Will we see more of these EBMs popping up around the world? As of now, there are less than 50 of these units worldwide. Feel free to comment by clicking here.


Watch this video. If you're an email subscriber, click this link to view the video: http://youtu.be/ZDe_Jy4HnMY. Enjoy!

MindStir Media Author Paula Wiseman's Contingency Wins Award

MindStir Media author Paula Wiseman -- Congrats! Paula's debut novel Contingency: Book One: Covenant of Trust Series just captured the 2011 Readers Favorite Gold Award in Christian Fiction.

Author, Where's Your Email Address?

So you have a website for your author brand... Your book covers are visible. You've got the social media icons proudly displayed. You even have ordering information, plus links to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc. Good job! But what about your e-mail address? Is it there, too? It should be!

I'm amazed at the amount of author sites that don't list an e-mail address. I understand why some big brand name authors don't list an e-mail (they'd be deluged with mail), but come on--if you're an independent author or mid-list author, you need to have your e-mail address somewhere on the website, preferably within a CONTACT section. Believe it or not, plenty of readers enjoy e-mailing authors instead of/in addition to interacting via blog and Facebook comments and tweets.

Remember, your "author brand" needs to be accessible. That's good customer service. Your author brand, like any brand, must practice good customer service or ... out of business you shall go!

List. Your. E-mail. Address. Period.

MindStir Media Will Provide eBook Publishing Packages

I'm sure you're aware that eBook publishing has become extremely popular lately. Most of you have probably heard numerous author success stories surrounding eBooks... As the CEO & President of MindStir Media, I continue to hear from writers who want to publish their work solely in the eBook format. These writers generally stay away from do-it-yourself (DIY) self-publishing because they would rather spend their time writing and marketing books than studying and learning formatting, design, distribution, etc. That's when a self-publishing services company--MindStir Media, for instance--comes in handy.

When writers like the ones mentioned above contact me, I try to steer them toward publishing in multiple formats. I believe readers want choices. To publish in only one format (I've "preached" this before) will limit sales most of the time. However, these authors--hearing the success stories of Amanda Hocking, etc.--usually have their hearts set on eBook-only publishing... My official response as of this moment: Well, if you insist. Soon I'll make it easy for you....


Forthcoming eBook Publishing Packages from MindStir Media will include:

• Custom cover design (no templates used)
• Expert eBook design/conversion 
• eBook distribution
• Readability on the Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, Apple iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, PC, and Mac.
• MindStir Media bookstore inclusion
• Advertising/marketing
• And more

Details will be posted at the MindStir Media official Web site very soon. If you're on Twitter (@mindstirmedia) or Facebook, you might want to follow/like MindStir Media, as the launch of these eBook Publishing Packages will be announced on FB and Twitter as well.

MindStir Media Celebrates Award Finalist

Hey, folks...just want to share this exciting piece of news from a press release distributed today:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


HAMPTON, NH - Aug 18, 2011 - Paula Wiseman's Contingency (MindStir Media; ISBN 9780981964829), which has spent time on Amazon.com Christian Fiction bestseller lists (paperback and Kindle), can now add "2011 Readers Favorite Award Finalist in Christian - General Fiction" to its impressive list of achievements, including two National Indie Excellence Awards in May 2011.

To view Contingency's placement--and the full list of finalists--visit the Readers Favorite Web site: http://readersfavorite.com/2011-award-contest-winners.htm. Winners will be announced September 1, 2011. 


Author bio:

After working several years as research chemist, Paula Wiseman was blessed with the opportunity to stay home with her children and follow the writer’s path. Contingency: Book One: Covenant of Trust Series, her debut novel, frequents Amazon.com bestseller lists. Indemnity Book Two: Covenant of Trust Series, which has also landed on bestseller lists, is her second novel. Official Web site and blog: http://www.paulawiseman.com.

About MindStir Media:

MindStir Media provides unique Mind-Stirring Publishing Solutions that help authors successfully self-publish, distribute, and market books. J.J. Hebert, bestselling author of Unconventional and founder of MindStir Media, works closely with MindStir authors in order to supply unparalleled self-publishing mentoring and one-on-one support. MindStir focuses on paperback book, e-book, and downloadable unabridged audiobook formats. Authors retain all rights and receive royalties up to 100%. Web site: http://www.mindstirmedia.com.

MindStir Media Launches Tumblr Blog

MindStir Media, custom self-publishing company, just launched a new Tumblr blog, which will feature MindStir Media news, book release information, author posts, and self-publishing & book marketing tips. Please follow the blog and/or bookmark it.

Release A Free Podcast Novel With Podiobooks.com

Ever hear of a "podcast novel"? It's basically an audiobook and podcast combined. Also known as a "Podiobook," it's usually read and recorded by the author and then released to the public as serialized audio downloads (each "episode" represents a certain number of chapters). The concept is about 6 years old, I believe. Evo Terra, Chris Miller, and Tee Morris -- co-founders of Podiobooks.com -- created a Web site where (mainly science fiction) authors can share free podiobooks with the site's 81,000+ members.

Back in 2009, TIME even published an article entitled "Podcasting Your Novel: Publishing's Next Wave?" in which they mentioned Podiobooks.com and some of the site's hugely successful authors, including Scott Sigler and J.C. Hutchins. Sigler is now a NY Times bestselling author with Crown Publishing. Hutchins is with St. Martin's Griffin. Both authors attribute much of their success to their free Podiobooks and the thousands of fans who downloaded them. Building a fan base is one of the toughest parts of being an indie author, but Podiobooks.com makes is pretty easy to grow an author brand. I even released a free Podiobook version of Unconventional. It's a Christian novel, so the audience on Podiobooks.com was limited (compared to the science fiction titles), but the Podiobook still attracted thousands of downloads (and appeared on the Podiobooks.com charts), helping me create a fan base. Unconventional has been the #1 Inspirational Book in the Kindle Store (it peaked at #102 overall in the Kindle Store) numerous times and the paperback has landed on several Amazon.com bestseller lists as well. I owe a great deal of this success to Podiobooks.com for helping me form a fan base early on. Mark Jeffrey's Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant first reached an audience as a free Podiobook which was downloaded over 2.4 million times. HarperCollins noticed the success and decided to sign Jeffrey. Max Quick is now available in bookstores nationwide, thanks to the deal with HC.

So why not consider releasing a free Podiobook version of your book? I know the word "free" scares some authors, but the concept works. Just ask any of the authors mentioned above.

Kindlegraph Helps Authors Digitally Autograph Kindle eBooks

Kindlegraph, created by software developer and entrepreneur Evan Jacobs, is quickly becoming the place for readers to obtain inscriptions and digital autographs from their favorite authors. As of now, Kindlegraph is just shy of 1,000 authors and 5,000 books, according to the official @kindlegraph Twitter. Speaking of Twitter, it seems to be exploding with tweets regarding Kindlegraph. Twitterers all over have a lot to say about this innovative idea of digital inscriptions and autographs.

Kindlegraph is expected to continue to grow at a rapid rate, especially since "it took two months to get the first 2000 [books] and one week for the next 2000." If they remain at this pace, 2,000 eBooks added to Kindlegraph each week, they'll have around 45,000 books listed by January 2012. That's some huge growth!

Paula Wiseman, Amazon.com bestselling author of Contingency and Indemnity (published by MindStir Media), didn't waste any time getting on board. Both her books are listed on Kindlegraph.

How exactly does Kindlegraph work? Evan Jacobs created an easy to understand video right here. It's free to sign up at Kindlegraph.com and you sign in with your Twitter account.

So what do you think? If you're an author, will you sign up? If you're an eBook lover, will you start requesting digital inscriptions and autographs? I welcome your comments.

What Are People Saying About You?

As your author brand continues to grow, more articles, blog posts, etc. will appear on the Internet. This is great but can become a bit overwhelming... How in the world will you keep track of it all? Two words: Google Alerts. Google Alerts will email you every time your name is mentioned on the Internet. This will allow you to closely monitor what people are saying about you.

How To Get Book Reviews On Amazon

Many self-published authors will tell you that one of the most difficult aspects of self-publishing is trying to get their book reviewed. If you pay close attention, you'll notice that the average self-published book has fewer than 5 customer reviews on Amazon.com. That doesn't need to be the case with your book! I've mentioned giveaways via Goodreads and LibraryThing, using those tools to get your book reviewed, but here are some other proven methods to get your book reviewed on Amazon.com and stand out among the crowd:

• Hold a contest on Facebook: Use your Facebook page (not your profile) to post an offer of free copies to fans who answer a question that you posted. Let the fans know when you plan to select a winner. You'll need to contact the winners directly to obtain their addresses (or they can email you). At that time, kindly encourage them to post reviews on Amazon.com after they've read your book. Don't be pushy, but do tell them that every review helps you tremendously.
• Hold a contest on Twitter: People love free stuff on Twitter more than anywhere else, I'm convinced. I don't know why. Here's what you need to do: Devise another contest similar to your Facebook contest and post the contest and its rules on your blog. Maybe the entrants have to tweet an answer to a question you ask? After you've blogged about the contest, tweet the post's link and a very brief description of the contest. Your followers will notice the contest and hopefully start tweeting entries.
• Contact book bloggers: Search for book blog directories and directly contact book blog owners. Politely ask them to review and/or feature your book on the blog. Of course, you'll probably have to provide free review copies. That's standard... Most book bloggers will post their review on Amazon as well as their blog. If they don't automatically end up posting the review on Amazon, just ask them nicely and I bet they'll do it.
• Contact Amazon.com reviewers: Why not contact Amazon.com reviewers as well? They are listed here and most of them can be reached by email.

Have you used any of these methods? Will you? What has worked for you? I welcome your comment(s).

Good luck!