tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41053405777462871212024-03-13T15:00:54.124-04:00ShoreIndieThis site contains information about a 1-time contest for indie authors that ran in 2017.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-36347969101971239002018-06-19T00:41:00.003-04:002018-06-19T00:41:59.691-04:00Published! ALL FOR ONE by Sophia BeaumontWe could not be more pleased to announce that the 2017 ShoreIndie Runner Up's book has been released into the world! <i>All For One</i> by Sophia Beaumont went live on Amazon this month, and Sophia took time out of her busy launch schedule to do a brief
interview with us about her book and her experience with the ShoreIndie
Contest. Read on to learn about this gender-bent retelling of <i>The Three Musketeers</i>, what Sophia got out of the ShoreIndie Contest, and what advice this self-publishing author has for those who are considering the path.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7aqR_A3h4o/WyiGIFIdZeI/AAAAAAAABXI/10hrW3Gw56ALWkd5RlbKcbxq8ImvWoDXQCLcBGAs/s1600/All%2BFor%2BOne%2Bsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="773" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7aqR_A3h4o/WyiGIFIdZeI/AAAAAAAABXI/10hrW3Gw56ALWkd5RlbKcbxq8ImvWoDXQCLcBGAs/s320/All%2BFor%2BOne%2Bsmall.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
<b>SI: Congratulations on the publication of your novel <i>All For One</i>! What inspired this book? </b><br />
SB: I love reading classic literature, and one of my all time favorites is <i>The Three Musketeers</i>. I love the comedy and the setting and the characters, and I just wanted to do something with that. But so many classics are rife with sexism, racism—every form of bigotry imaginable. If I was going to work with an old story, I wanted give it new life through a more modern lens.<br />
<br />
My mom also happens to be from Montreal, so when I was playing around one day, brainstorming, combining the two just seemed natural. Adding elements of the American Civil War, steampunk, women’s rights, immigration issues—it all just came together very naturally.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>SI: Tell us a little about why you decided to self-publish this novel. What are the benefits to self-publishing? </b><br />
SB: One of the things I like about self-publishing is that there are fewer restrictions. For example, with my first series I wrote a lot about mental health. When I first started working on querying and publishing <i>Evie</i>, that was kind of taboo. After my publisher closed, I felt like I had a lot more freedom with the subsequent two books. <br />
<br />
With <i>All For One</i>, I felt like it gave me the freedom to tell the story I wanted to tell without being hindered by word counts. It’s a little on the short side—less than 70k—so a lot of agents/publishers wouldn’t look twice at it. At the same time, I am not Alexandre Dumas and I am not paid by the word. I saw no need to add an extra 20,000 words just to meet an arbitrary “industry standard.” I think we can all agree that Dumas, Dickens, et al could have done with removing a few thousand words from their novels, no matter how wonderful they are.
<br />
<br />
<b>SI: What do you find to be the most challenging aspect(s) of self-publishing?</b><br />
SB: Promotion! I am such a natural introvert, it can be very hard for me to talk about my books, especially with strangers. It can also be expensive, which is a huge difficulty when you’re living hand-to-mouth already. Since I can’t afford ad space or any of the big promotions on Amazon, I rely a lot on social media, word of mouth, and forming relationships with readers and reviewers. I also attend as many events as I can that are free or low-cost to authors so I can hand sell and get face-to-face interaction with my readers. <br />
<br />
<b>SI: What had your writing and revision process entailed at the time you entered the 2017 ShoreIndie Contest? </b><br />
SB: This book was a lot different from other books I’ve written. Because it was inspired by another novel, I already had a blueprint to follow in terms of the plot arc. In <i>The Three Musketeers</i>, D’Artagnan goes to the city, gets in a fight, meets Milady and the Musketeers, is rejected by the Musketeers, gets in a duel, etc. All of those plot points happen in <i>All For One</i>, I just have a different take on them. I think I wrote the first draft in 4-6 weeks, revised it myself, maybe sent it to one beta reader, and then entered the contest. I wasn’t even planning to enter this manuscript, but there was so much enthusiasm for it on <a href="http://twitter.com/knotmagick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> that I really buckled down to try to get it finished in time for the contest. It was a very near thing. I put in a lot of long days trying to get it done by the deadline, so it was really only a 2nd, maybe 3rd draft at most that I entered, but it’s the…9th? book I’ve written (not all of them are published), so I’ve pretty much got my writing and editing process down to a science at this point.<br />
<br />
<b>SI: What were the highlights of working with your ShoreIndie editor, Jeni Chappelle?</b><br />
SB: Jeni has been great to work with. She has been so enthusiastic and encouraging, and she made some really good points about character development. For example, she pointed out a weakness in the plot and character arcs that resulted in me turning Louise’s partner on the guard from a woman to a man, to provide more balance, and adding another character from scratch. Both were excellent decisions that I think add a lot to the world and the book in general.
It's also always good to get another set of eyes on any manuscript. As clean as I tried to make it, there were, obviously, a lot of really basic errors (typos, grammar, punctuation, etc). It was so embarrassing to have all of them pointed out! It made me really glad the story was so strong, and lucky to make it as far as I did in the contest.<br />
<br />
<b>SI: Now that you've got a few books out there, what advice would you give authors who are at the beginning of their self-publishing journey?</b><br />
SB: It is a lot of hard work. The best thing you can do is make a lot of contacts, and learn from them. Just talking to other authors, editors, and agents can be so educational. I’m a notorious lurker (ironic as that may sound), but don’t be afraid to ask questions if there’s something you don’t understand. <br />
<br />
Also, it’s vital to invest in a good support system, whether that means paying a little extra to make sure you get the right cover artist or editor, or investing your time to work with an amazing critique partner or forming relationships with readers and bloggers. <br />
<br />
<b>SI: What can we look forward to seeing from you next?</b><br />
SB: I will be releasing a mystery novel later this year (also self-published; <a href="http://www.knotmagickknitter.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">check my blog</a> in August for more info), and I’m hoping to make <i>All For One</i> the first part of a collection—not a series, per say, with sequential books all in the same world, but a series of re-imagined, gender-bent classics. Next on my list is <i>Robin Hood</i>, but I won’t have more info on that until 2019.<br />
<br />
<b>About <i>All For One</i></b><br />
In 1775, Quebec joined forces with America to declare independence from England. Marie Antoinette fled another revolution around the same time, becoming Monarch in Exile and establishing a constitutional monarchy in the New World. Ninety years later, the Republic of Quebec, under the influence of their matriarchal leaders, is the first country to grant equal rights to all citizens, regardless of gender. <br />
<br />
Louise Drapeau is willing and eager to take advantage of these rights as she travels from her small town to the capital to join the most elite fighting force in the country, the Queen’s Guard, also known as the Musketeers. She’s barely in the city twenty-four hours, however, when she uncovers a plot to kill the queen, headed by Quebec’s First Minister, Cardinal Lefebvre. <br />
<br />
With the help of her three new friends—Portia, Athena, and Arabella—Louise must unravel the increasingly complex politics of the palace in order to save not only the queen, but to keep neutral Quebec out of the Civil War raging just a few hundred miles south in the United States. <br />
<br />
Surely this will be enough to get her into the Musketeers—if she can survive.<br />
<br />
Check out <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1976315778" target="_blank"><i>All For One</i> on Amazon</a>! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ITqvtB6GjTQ/WyiGBSmCImI/AAAAAAAABXE/eFHIw8zp9E428z2hj1uZqAGPqICJ6DJ-gCLcBGAs/s1600/Beaumont_Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="854" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ITqvtB6GjTQ/WyiGBSmCImI/AAAAAAAABXE/eFHIw8zp9E428z2hj1uZqAGPqICJ6DJ-gCLcBGAs/s200/Beaumont_Headshot.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<b>About the Author</b><br />
Sophia Beaumont is an author, knitter, and occasional seamstress from Ohio, where her degree in textile conservation eventually led to volunteer work as a living history interpreter. When not writing, she spends most of her time immersed in fashion and history from 1860-1960. <br />
<br />
Her Evie Cappelli series (<i>The Spider’s Web, The Ferrymen</i>, and <i>Moreau House</i>) is #ownvoices for mental health representation. The series is now complete and available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/sophiabeaumont" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-54606186877795659522018-01-19T13:57:00.000-05:002018-01-27T01:14:17.300-05:00Writescast E29: Self-publishing Part One<b>So you have a book, and you've decided to self-publish. Now what?</b><br />
<br />
This question will be the focus of the ShoreIndie community for all of 2018. This year we're excited to bring you content and Twitter chats designed to help you prepare to self-publish your book. And who knows? Maybe there will be a giveaway or two. ;*)<br />
<br />
So what <i>do</i> you do once you've decided to self-publish? One place to start is this Writescast podcast episode, hot off the presses today, featuring ShoreIndie editor Sione Aeschliman.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Sione Aeschliman walks us through the early steps of the self-publishing
journey. In this episode, we talk what you need to have done before
looking to publish, the platforms through which one can self-publish,
cover design and cover art resources, and best case practices for each
of these critical phases."</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gt5IyfR4yVo/WmI70Nzk0QI/AAAAAAAABUg/mpxIfsGEgiQEAPuHI36plM4yVpNkhvTZgCLcBGAs/s1600/029%2BPart%2BOne%2BPromo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gt5IyfR4yVo/WmI70Nzk0QI/AAAAAAAABUg/mpxIfsGEgiQEAPuHI36plM4yVpNkhvTZgCLcBGAs/s400/029%2BPart%2BOne%2BPromo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> <a href="https://rrcampbellwrites.com/podcast/writescast029/" target="_blank">Self-Publishing Part One: a How-To Featuring Sione Aeschliman</a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://rrcampbellwrites.com/podcasts/" target="_blank">Writescast</a> is a writing and publishing podcast created by author and freelance editor R.R. Campbell, whose debut novel, a romantic suspense titled <a href="https://rrcampbellwrites.com/books/" target="_blank"><i>Accounting for it All</i></a>, is slated for release in November 2018 from Nine Star Press.<br />
<br />
Jan. 26, 2018 UPDATE: <b><a href="https://rrcampbellwrites.com/podcast/writescast030/" target="_blank">Part Two</a></b> is now available! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>And now we'd love to hear from YOU: What questions do you have about self-publishing? What topics would you like the ShoreIndie community to address this year to help you on your journey? Leave a comment below or email us at shoreindiecontest(at)gmail(dot)com</b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-75317780866030039712017-12-11T23:58:00.000-05:002017-12-11T23:59:51.365-05:00Published!: WHAT WE KNOW NOW by Mo ParisianWe are positively thrilled to welcome another ShoreIndie Round 1 winner's book into the world! <i>What We Know Now</i> by Mo Parisian went live on Amazon on November 17th, 2017, and Mo was kind enough to do a brief
interview with us about her book and her experience with the ShoreIndie
Contest. Read on to learn why Mo decided to self-publish <i>What We Know Now</i>, what it took to get it publish-ready, and Mo's advice to emerging indies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LO52HWw4gUo/Wi9fovKonvI/AAAAAAAABTY/EG6dlcgpGtART161UXmOtlNVDsihgWUzACLcBGAs/s1600/WhatWeKnowNow%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LO52HWw4gUo/Wi9fovKonvI/AAAAAAAABTY/EG6dlcgpGtART161UXmOtlNVDsihgWUzACLcBGAs/s1600/WhatWeKnowNow%2BCover.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>SI: Congratulations on the publication of your novel, <i>What We Know Now</i>! What inspired this book?</b><br />
<br />
<b>MJP:</b> Thank you! I am so excited to finally be able to share this book with everyone. The idea for <i>What We Know Now </i>started in Frankfort, a small beach town in northern Michigan. We were vacationing over Labor Day weekend and checking out some of the lighthouses. There is a row of beautiful beach homes located on the beach in Frankfort, and one in particular caught my eye. I knew immediately this was the setting for my book, and it was just a matter of figuring out who lived in that house and what the conflict would be! Obviously, it isn’t that easy, but the setting never changed for me. I can still see it so clearly.<br />
<br />
<b>SI: Tell us a little about why you decided to self-publish this novel.</b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b>MJP:</b> I have always found the writing part of a project to be easier than getting published part. I went the route of trying to acquire an agent with no success and felt pretty defeated by that part of it. I didn’t know enough about self-publishing to make that leap either, so I did absolutely nothing for about a year. When I read about ShoreIndie and started to get involved, I realized that self-publishing (or indie) is a huge outlet, and while I had/still have a lot to learn, I never would’ve done any of this without that contest.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>SI: What had your writing and revision process entailed at the time you entered the 2017 ShoreIndie Contest? How many drafts had you written before you entered, and from whom had you received feedback?</b><br />
<br />
<b>MJP:</b> I had probably written two drafts - the main part of the story has never changed - but I spent a great deal of time cleaning things up or adjusting scenes I had found cringe-worthy. I had sent [the book] to about five different friends (avid readers, but no writers) and received very positive feedback from them. More than anything, it gave me confidence in my story.<br />
<br />
<b>SI: What were the highlights of working with your ShoreIndie editor, Katie McCoach? (For example: What did you find most valuable about the process?; what did you learn about storytelling and/or your writing process?; do you feel your book is better as a result?; etc.)</b><br />
<br />
<b>MJP:</b> Oh wow, how much time do we have? I have said that I used to write before I met Katie, but now I’m a writer. She taught me to see the story and ask different questions. Questions to help the reader know more without telling them everything. She taught me what was important in the story and what could be cut. I learned to leave myself out of the story and to make sure to see the story from the main character's perspective. I realized during the whole process that I do love to edit. I never knew that before. Is it perfect? Probably not, but it’s so much better than before. The most important thing I learned from her is that I am so eager to learn no matter how challenging it feels at the time. I am so excited about writing now, and I hadn’t felt that in years. THANK YOU, KATIE!!!<br />
<br />
<b>SI: Now that you've got your first book out there, what advice would you give authors who are at the beginning of their self-publishing journey?</b><br />
<br />
<b>MJP:</b> First and foremost, get on Twitter (or whatever social media interests you) and meet people. Be a part of a discussion. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or put yourself out there. Before ShoreIndie, I don’t think I ever responded to a tweet. It forced me so far out of my comfort zone and I learned so much from each editor and writers who were in the chats. It was the boost I needed to move forward in the contest. I felt more comfortable submitting my work, knowing I had asked so many questions. Ask and be open to learning new things. If you had told me at the beginning of the year that I would have a book published, I would’ve thought you were crazy. It was a lot of hard work, but I wouldn’t change anything.<br />
<br />
<b>SI: What can we look forward to seeing from you next?</b><br />
<br />
<b>MJP:</b> Currently working on another ms in the <i>WWKN</i> family. Same characters, different MC. More challenging story topic for me, but loving how it’s evolving. My goal is for an early summer release. <br />
<br />
<b>About <i>What We Know Now</i></b><br />
What would you do if your husband had a double life you knew nothing about?<br />
<br />
According to her five-year plan, Grace Foster’s life is right on schedule. After marrying her college sweetheart, she has fought to earn her dream job of evening news producer at WKND. When a story breaks, and her husband is suddenly arrested, she flees for the last place she thought she’d ever find solace: Her mother’s home. The picturesque cottage on the shore of Lake Michigan appears to be the perfect hideout, or is it the battleground she left ten years ago?<br />
<br />
Being the daughter of Julia Dunham, best-selling self-help author, has always made Grace cynical. But watching her mother go through her own personal crisis, Grace experiences compassion she’s never felt before. With support from her family and friends, Grace begins to follow the steps in her mom’s latest best-seller to rebuild her own life. Will what she learns give her the courage to let go of the past and move forward, or will Julia push Grace out of her life for good?<br />
<br />
Check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P2G339" target="_blank"><i>What We Know Now</i> on Amazon</a>! <br />
<br />
<b>About the author</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jwlJBiAsiNw/Wi9fbxc6KuI/AAAAAAAABTU/VX6CIZODjowQFcyjLSR2KLBM6kladFM3ACLcBGAs/s1600/MoParisian%2BAuthorPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jwlJBiAsiNw/Wi9fbxc6KuI/AAAAAAAABTU/VX6CIZODjowQFcyjLSR2KLBM6kladFM3ACLcBGAs/s200/MoParisian%2BAuthorPhoto.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>
Mo Parisian lives in Lansing, Michigan with her husband and two sons. She works full time as a nanny for triplets and is also the creator of <a href="http://thenovelway.com/">thenovelway.com</a>. If she’s not writing, you can find her reading or baking. <i>What We Know Now</i> is Mo’s first novel.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-81530776857547758762017-10-12T00:00:00.000-04:002017-10-12T00:00:02.882-04:00Published!: MALFUNCTION by J.E. PurazziToday on the ShoreIndie blog we're celebrating the publication of one of the books that was a 2017 Round 1 Winner, <i>Malfunction</i> (The Malfunction Trilogy, Book 1) by J.E. Purazzi, which went live on Amazon on Sunday, October 8th. J.E. was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to do a brief interview with us about her book and her experience with the ShoreIndie Contest. Read on to learn about the inspirations for <i>Malfunction</i>, what it took to get it publish-ready, J.E.'s advice to emerging indies, and more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-59i_kRfPX1g/Wd5l2zPvx2I/AAAAAAAABSE/xYKQQECXAU8No6EZ8OPfaFMFMXABMeokwCLcBGAs/s1600/911-Purrazzi-Malfunction-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-59i_kRfPX1g/Wd5l2zPvx2I/AAAAAAAABSE/xYKQQECXAU8No6EZ8OPfaFMFMXABMeokwCLcBGAs/s320/911-Purrazzi-Malfunction-small.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>ShoreIndie (SI): Congratulations on the publication of your novel <i>Malfunction</i>! Will you tell us a little about the inspiration for the trilogy? </b><br />
<br />
<b>J.E. Purazzi (JEP):</b>
Sure! The original idea was just going to be a short story for Wattpad, something to try to gain an audience for my fantasy project before I really knew good marketing practices. My first glimmer of the idea was focused on the virtual reality and was about a kid (a blend of Menrva and Cowl back then) in a subterranean city, escaping through Virtual Reality only to find out that the game they were playing was real. As I worked on the concept, hammering out the plot holes and applying existing science, I ended up sticking with the one image of the climax in the second book and wrote the first draft of <i>Malfunction</i> in about a month.<br />
<br />
One of the ideas that carried through all the drafts was that of human beings being reduced to objects in order to provide safety and pleasure to others, a concept that I think is really relevant to the issues of modern-day slavery and human trafficking.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I took a lot of hints from Gothic Horror and focused on the darkness in our own nature as the source of fear while still providing a small glimmer of hope. Some of those books I turned on their heads: like taking the idea of Frankenstein's monster and imagining what he would have been like if he’d been loved. Some things are pretty much intact, like with the duality of human nature as in Jekyll and Hyde, or the concept of the supposed “monster” who is seen to be much more once he’s given the chance, like in <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i>.<br />
<br />
I also drew a lot from scripture (the friendship between David and Jonathan and the Garden of Gethsemane for instance) and from history (with multiple hints and references to the Protestant Reformation and Sun Tzu).<br />
<br />
I explore a lot of my favorite themes, like nature vs. nurture, friendship and family, man or monster, comparison and contrast, the meaning of true strength, and heroism.<br />
<br />
It is always important for me to fit those things into my stories, however, and not to fit my stories around the inspiration. As a result, most of the inspiration is so diluted I doubt many people could point it out anymore.<br />
<br />
<b>SI: What had your writing and revision process entailed at the time you entered the 2017 ShoreIndie Contest? How many drafts had you written before you entered, and from whom had you received feedback? </b><br />
<br />
<b>JEP:</b>
I was still mostly learning my writing process when I entered the Shore Indie contest. I had used the <a href="http://www.storygrid.com/" target="_blank">Story Grid method</a> as much as I was able with my novella, but was still having trouble understanding how to apply it to a larger project. <i>Malfunction</i> had some major trouble areas that I had basically given up on. I had listened to a lot of podcasts that had stressed quality and speed but emphasized speed over everything else. Many suggested you couldn’t make it as an indie without putting out a book every three months which, let me tell you, is a stressful concept!<br />
<br />
I had done a lot of rounds with betas at different stages and had used their feedback as much as possible, but I knew I needed something a bit more individualized if I was going to take everything I had studied and applied it appropriately.<br />
<br />
My feedback started with Wattpad readers...good for gut-instinct, but take it with a couple cups of salt. My critique partners were helpful, and had great instincts, but were all newbies themselves. By the time I applied to ShoreIndie I was probably on my fifth draft with that hit-or-miss method. Finding good, available beta readers was HARD. I have a system mostly in place now, but each project looks a bit different.<br />
<br />
Even after working through just one book with Sione, thanks to ShoreIndie, I feel like I can apply all the heaps of information I’ve collected and start working through my books professionally and with a lot of pride in my work.<br />
<br />
<b>SI: What were the highlights of working with your ShoreIndie editor, Sione Aeschliman? </b><br />
<br />
<b>JEP:</b>
I really appreciated how well Sione was able to identify the structure in my novel and clearly communicate it to me. She was able to identify the main issues with my two biggest problem areas immediately and explain to me just how to fix them.<br />
<br />
One of the best parts about her work was how well she communicated with me. She was quick to answer my questions, always made sure to get my ideas on what I felt needed the most focus, and made sure that keeping my voice and vision was foremost.<br />
<br />
She geeked out over my characters just like I did, and I was impressed at the level of detail she went into. Not just in the scenes (remembering every little thing) but also with the characters. Often, when she suggested a change she kept in line with my characters, their motivations, personalities and the heavy character-focus of my style.<br />
<br />
I don’t think I could even begin to communicate how much I have learned and continue to learn as I apply the results of the intense ShoreIndie contest to my writing and reading. I don’t doubt that <i>Malfunction</i> is a better book, and I know the next two in the trilogy will be better based on what I’ve learned as well.
<br />
<br />
<b>SI: Now that you've got two books out there, what advice would you give authors who are toward the beginning of their self-publishing journey? </b><br />
<br />
<b>JEP:</b>
I always suggest that people do their research. There are a ton of amazing resources out there: podcasts, YouTube, books, articles, and a lot of very willing writers.<br />
<br />
The best way to learn is to have a fast feedback loop. It’s hard to find trustworthy readers and writers who can give you the best advice, but if you put in your work it’s always worth it. Whether it’s a trustworthy editor (which, believe me, good idea!) or a writer whose work you love, getting another set of eyes is great.<br />
<br />
Of course, doing one without the other is a bad idea. Too much research and no feedback, and you will get stiff and formulaic (and maybe a bit arrogant; I’ve gone there). Too much feedback without research and you run the risk of losing your voice and getting some really bad advice.<br />
<br />
Finally...and we all say it…read and write a LOT.<br />
<br />
<b>SI: What can we look forward to seeing from you next? </b><br />
<br />
<b>JEP:</b>
I have quite a few works in the pipeline here. For now, I’m focusing on The Malfunction Trilogy, with the second and third books going into some pretty intense edits. I hope to have those out in six months and a year, respectively.<br />
<br />
I am also continuing with more stories in that universe, so there will be a lot of short stories, novellas with possibilities for a follow-up trilogy, and a prequel series if there seems to be interest. I am a couple thousand words into a prequel novella for a character named Starke that has been requested by a few people now.<br />
<br />
I’ll be working on a paranormal novelette serial for NaNoWriMo, with the intention of releasing it next year. The series is called The Raventree Society (for now) and is sort of <i>Supernatural</i> meets blended family drama.<br />
<br />
I’m really looking forward to picking up work on my epic fantasy again and turning that into an expanded universe like <i>Malfunction</i>, with many stories to tell. I’ll probably be publishing that in 2019.<br />
<br />
I’m also in the early planning stages of an urban fantasy/noir based on the prohibition era with necromancers. I am considering a traditional or small press publisher for it, with an aim of going hybrid.<br />
<br />
Of course, like any author, I have a million ideas; it’s just about what I can get done and what my readers want next.<br />
<br />
<b>Thank you so much for your time, J.E.! We're thrilled to help you welcome your book into the world and wish you much success with it.</b><br />
<br />
<b>About <i>Malfunction</i></b> <br />
When Menrva, a geneticist in the subterranean city of survivors known as Bunker, responds to a call for help from Cowl, her former best friend, and Bas, a renegade cyborg, she makes a vital mistake and places all three of them in danger. As they struggle to escape City guards, cyborg soldiers, desperate scavengers, and ravenous aliens, they find in each other something they never expected: family.<br />
<br />
During a battle, an attacking cyborg manages to overcome her programming just long enough to deliver a cryptic message. The trio is forced to decide if they will risk death - or worse, capture - to seek out the truth about the City, or if they will fight only for themselves.<br />
<br />
This fast-paced, gritty first book of The Malfunction Trilogy introduces a future caught between destruction and oppression, where Menrva and her friends must decide if the ends justify the means.<br />
<br />
Buy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0762SK93V" target="_blank"><i>Malfunction</i> on Amazon.com</a> <br />
<br />
<b>About the author </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XVfU3mTApd4/Wd5mqOmvpmI/AAAAAAAABSI/4sqwUKi8mKoYbxiaNPuqRNKWIUHjZDwSACLcBGAs/s1600/author%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XVfU3mTApd4/Wd5mqOmvpmI/AAAAAAAABSI/4sqwUKi8mKoYbxiaNPuqRNKWIUHjZDwSACLcBGAs/s1600/author%2Bphoto.jpg" /></a></div>
J.E. Purazzi grew up on a steady diet of adventure, both real and imagined. It wasn't enough. So what was a girl to do? The answer: live in a fantasy world. Whether in art or writing, she's always trying to live multiple lives. You can find her lost in a maze of thoughts, occasionally emerging for her full-time job as a nanny and the common distractions of being a housewife, church member, and mama's girl. She lives in sunny Florida with her husband, cats, and fish, where she never visits the beach and avoids going out of doors in summer.<br />
<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.jillanepurrazzi.com/" target="_blank">J.E. Purazzi's website</a> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-61161490780956782982017-10-11T15:35:00.000-04:002017-10-11T15:35:48.348-04:002017 ShoreIndie Contest WinnersA HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our 2017 Grand Prize Winner, Jacy Sutton, and our Runner Up, Sophia Beaumont! We're incredibly proud of these authors and can't wait to help them celebrate when they self-publish their books. Read on to see what our judges had to say about the winning entries.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>2017 GRAND PRIZE WINNER</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/08/editing-round-showcase-jacy-sutton.html">JUST ONE YOU</a> by Jacy Sutton (<a href="https://twitter.com/authorjacy" target="_blank">@authorjacy</a>)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Edited by Rebecca Heyman (<a href="https://twitter.com/RFaithEditorial" target="_blank">@RFaithEditorial</a>)</div>
<br />
"This entry drew me in from the very beginning. The language was beautiful and lush, and from the very first lines, the characters felt like real people: complex, flawed, & fascinating. Artful storytelling!” - <a href="http://embercasey.com/" target="_blank">Ember Casey</a><br />
<br />
"This novel grabbed hold of me from page one. The writing is beautiful, the characters rich and intriguing, & the slow boil narrative utterly riveting. It did the thing I love best in a book, which was to leave me pondering it even when I had to set it down, and eager to get back to it as quickly as possible. The ending presented a satisfying blend of 'Ah ha!' 'Oh my god!' and 'Of course!' all at once This book is a genuine and thought-provoking pleasure." - <a href="http://bill-cameron.com/" target="_blank">Bill Cameron</a> <br />
<br />
"A depth of character combines with an almost lyrical nature to the language used to create an equally satisfying and engaging story primed with romance, tension, and growth.” - <a href="http://elisekova.com/" target="_blank">Elise Kova</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>2017 RUNNER UP</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/08/editing-round-showcase-sophia-beaumont.html">ALL FOR ONE</a> by Sophia Beaumont (<a href="https://twitter.com/KnotMagick" target="_blank">@KnotMagic</a>)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Edited by Jeni Chappelle (<a href="https://twitter.com/jenichappelle" target="_blank">@jenichappelle</a>)</div>
<br />
"I loved this entry! The premise was so fun and original, the worldbuilding was vivid and colorful, and I loved how the book kicked off the action from the very first chapter! An enjoyable adventure!" - <a href="http://embercasey.com/" target="_blank">Ember Casey</a><br />
<br />
"As I read this novel, I kept thinking that the author must have really enjoyed writing it because every page is infused with an infectious joy. The concept is fun to begin with, and the author’s handling of it was simply delightful. It made me wish I lived on the timeline where Marie Antoinette formed a monarchy in Quebec though I wouldn’t want to find myself at the tip of Louise’s blade." - <a href="http://bill-cameron.com/" target="_blank">Bill Cameron</a> <br />
<br />
"The story hooks you from the first line and doesn't let go, pulling you along with action and a rich sense of world-building that leaves you excited for more.” - <a href="http://elisekova.com/" target="_blank">Elise Kova</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-29073472883395687532017-06-25T16:26:00.000-04:002017-07-24T00:51:00.777-04:00Your Novel's Structureby Sione Aeschliman<br />
<br />
<b>What is structure?</b><br />
When we talk about the structure of a novel, we're describing <i>the order of the major plot points</i>, <i>the work that needs to be done</i> by the major plot points and between those plot points, <i>and the timing</i> of the major plot points, with the goals of ensuring that the story 1) hooks the reader, 2) sets up accurate expectations in the first fifty pages about what the story's about, 3) maintains forward momentum, and 4) delivers an appropriately intense emotional payoff.<br />
<br />
My approach to narrative structure is influenced primarily by
the three-act structure as explained to me by my friend Diane Gilman,
who wrote screenplays for many years, and by Viki King's description of
the nine plot points in her book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062730665" target="_blank"><i>How to Write a Movie in 21 Days</i></a>. <i>Influenced</i> being the operative word; what I offer here is not a simple mash-up
of those two approaches but rather my own interpretation of them with modifications to fit commercial and upmarket fiction for today's readers. <br />
<br />
<b>Act I: The Beginning</b> <br />
This is The
Beginning of your story, starting on on Page 1. It introduces the
novel's setting, tone, characters, and theme(s) and includes two
inciting incidents: the one that happens within <a href="http://sioneaeschliman.blogspot.com/2016/05/your-first-5-pages.html" target="_blank">the first five or six pages</a>, and the one that heralds the end of Act I, around page 50.<br />
<br />
Yes, that's right: Act I is only 50 pages long, if that. Here's a post that discusses <a href="http://sioneaeschliman.blogspot.com/2016/09/your-first-50-pages.html" target="_blank">Act I in detail.</a><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Some
people might argue that if your book is longer than average,
your first act can be longer. I would advise against that, and here's
why: Act I is about hooking the reader on your story. If it takes more
than 50 pages to get to your second inciting incident, that means it
takes more than 50 pages for your story to get underway, and you're more
likely to lose readers. If your book is longer, then your middle
and/or resolution can be longer, but not, I would argue, your first act.<br />
<br />
On
the flip side of the coin, if your book is shorter than 50K words, I'd
argue that your 2nd inciting incident should come before p. 50, so Act I
can certainly be shorter than 50 pages.<br />
<br />
<b>Act II: The Descent into Hell</b><br />
This section of
the novel begins with the 2nd inciting incident and ends with the
Darkest Moment. The Middle of the book is about things going from bad to
worse, what my friend Diane calls "dwelling in hell." It is the longest
act by far and includes a series of challenges (dark moments) and
victories.<br />
<br />
The primary purpose of each scene in Act II
needs to be clearly
related to the main plot and driven by your MC's goal. But it's not a
clear
path for your MC to their goal; they have to fight for it. They
probably have to make sacrifices. There will be ups and downs along
the way and multiple inducements for the MC to give up on or recommit
to their goal.<br />
<br />
The Middle also includes a Turning Point
for the MC, where they've grown enough from the events that they let go
of what they thought they wanted in the beginning and articulate a new
goal. If the 2nd
inciting incident swept your MC up in a series of events beyond their
control, there will come a point in Act II, probably around the
middle of the book (and no earlier than the 50% mark), where your MC
decides to take control of the situation and aim for an outcome they
want. <br />
<br />
Act II may or may not contain your book's climax, but it definitely contains your book's <a href="http://sioneaeschliman.blogspot.com/2016/06/your-books-darkest-moment.html" target="_blank">Darkest Moment</a> (DM), and the end of the DM marks the end of Act II.<br />
<br />
<b>The Climax</b><br />
This
is the most emotionally charged moment in your story, and it shows up
late in your story, either toward the end of Act II or in Act III. It
can happen before the DM, in the same scene as the DM, or after the DM.<br />
<br />
<u>Examples</u><br />
<i>The Wizard of Oz</i><br />
Climax: Dorothy defeats the Wicked Witch (before the DM)<br />
<br />
<i>The Lord of the Rings (whole trilogy)</i> <br />
Climax:
Golem attacks Frodo at the same time that Aragorn et al battle Sauron's
army at the Black Gates (same-ish time as the DM)<br />
<br />
<i>The Princess Bride</i><br />
Climax:
Westley, Iñigo and Fezzik storm the castle during Prince Humperdink and
Buttercup's wedding, and Iñigo kills Count Rugen (post-DM, during
Resolution)<i> </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Act III: The Resolution</b><br />
The
Resolution is about how your MC responds to the Darkest Moment. It's called the Resolution because it's here that your MC either
gets what they were after or doesn't. In a
book with a happy(ish) ending and a long-ish Resolution, this act has
the feel of an upward climb because it's about the MC recommitting to
the goal, coming up with a plan to achieve it, and carrying out that
plan. <br />
<br />
If the climax of
your book corresponds with The Resolution, this is where the MC has to
triumph over their inner conflict or fatal flaw in order to be
victorious over the primary conflict. In a tragedy, The Resolution is
about the MC not changing enough, not changing at all, or changing too
late and not achieving their goal.<br />
<br />
The length of your
Resolution will depend on several factors, including how long your
book's middle is and how much work it'll take for your MC to achieve
their goal. But remember this: the Darkest Moment should come no sooner
than 75% of the way through your book, which means that your Resolution
should account for no more than 25% of your book. For example, if your
book is 300 pages total, then your Resolution can be up to 75 pages long
if you have no denouement. Generally speaking, a long Resolution works
best when your story has multiple POVs and some of the characters' DMs
happen within it (as is the case with <i>The Princess Bride</i>).<br />
<br />
<b>Act IV (optional): The Denouement</b> <br />
And
finally, your book may include a denouement that ties up all the loose
ends and shows what the new normal looks like. This is hands-down the
shortest act of the book. It's a place to wrap up any loose threads and
give readers a moment to revel in the MC's victory (or mourn their
defeat). It is by definition anti-climactic because it's the release
after all the build-up of emotion and tension, but if it goes on very
long, it starts to feel anti-climactic in a bad way.<br />
<br />
Everything that comes after the ring being destroyed and the fall of Sauron and his army in <i>Return of the King</i> is the denouement. And, in my opinion,
it's waaaaaaaaay too long, in both the book and the movie. Yes, we want
to make sure all the threads are wrapped up and we feel secure in our
characters' happy ending. And because
LOTR is a trilogy with one continuous story line, the denouement in <i>Return of the King</i>
can absolutely be longer because it's
the denouement of the entire story, not just the third book/movie. But
there's Sam and Frodo being rescued by the Eagles, Frodo's recovery,
Aragorn's crowning ceremony, the return to the Shire (which, in the
book, contains that weird mini-adventure with Saruman and Wormtongue),
and then there's Bilbo and Frodo saying goodbye and sailing off with the
elves.... It just seems to drag on forever. I love you, Tolkien, but
it's too much. At least for today's readers.<br />
<br />
In contrast, the denouements in <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> and <i>Hamlet</i> are appropriately short. In<i> Hamlet</i>,
the denouement is Fortinbras's speech wherein he says, "Hey, y'all.
This was really sad. But now I'm gonna take over." (I may have
paraphrased that.) And in <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>, it's Dorothy waking
up in bed, surrounded by friends and family and saying, "And you were
there, and you, and you!" and "There's no place like home!" and really
that's it.<br />
<br />
Do you need a denouement? You do if there
are still loose ends after the Resolution or if for other reasons the
story doesn't feel complete after the Resolution. A denouement is also useful if you want to leave readers on a different
emotional note than the one they're on at the end of the Resolution and/or if your book is a first-in-series and you want to hint at the next book's primary external conflict.<br />
<br />
<b>A couple of caveats</b><br />
I'm incredibly wary of anything prescriptive, especially when it
comes to a creative endeavor. There are no hard-and-fast rules in fiction writing. Having a philosophy for structure is
helpful in identifying what's not working, but that doesn't mean that a
novel will only work when it follows this structure. <br />
<br />
It's
also important to note that the structure is pretty flexible in some
places. For example, I don't believe there's a particular Right Place
for the MC's Turning Point. If your MC is particularly stubborn, I could
even see it coming in Act III and still being relevant, so long as
there's appropriate challenge and conflict all throughout Act II.
(Example: Han Solo's turning point doesn't happen until the Act III
climax of <i>A New Hope</i>, when he shows up out of the blue just after
the DM to help them take out the Death Star.) As discussed above, the
placement of your book's climax is also very flexible.<br />
<br />
That
said, there are a few guidelines that I *do* treat as hard-and-fast
rules because I think they provide a really important structure for
pacing: the 2nd inciting incident needs to come before or on p. 50, the
Turning Point can't come before the 50% mark (because otherwise it seems
too easy), and the Darkest Moment has to wait until you're at least 75%
of the way through the story (because otherwise there isn't sufficient
emotional build-up). I fight hard for these beats in my own books and
when editing client work.<br />
<br />
Last but certainly not least, I think it's important to establish <i>when</i> it's
appropriate to think about structure (and when it isn't). Appropriate:
in the planning phase of writing a novel and during editing. NOT appropriate: during
drafting. As <a href="https://twitter.com/azpascoe" target="_blank">Ana Pascoe</a> writes in her blog post "<a href="http://azpascoe.com/?p=290" target="_blank">The Pressure Cooker of Advice</a>,"
if I try to keep All The Things in mind when I sit down to
create, I become overwhelmed by the pressures and shut down. It's what
Diane Gilman, in her forthcoming nonfiction book tentatively titled <i>How to Not Write a Book</i>,
talks about in terms of barriers: all those rules for good writing and
good storytelling become barriers between ourselves and the page. I've
done this to myself too many times to count. So long story short: I
don't think about structure while I'm writing. But I do use the concepts
during the planning phase to help me think about whether I have enough
conflict and what needs to happen roughly when. In the editing phase,
both of my own and of clients' work, I lean heavily on my understanding
of structure to figure out pacing of the plot and characters arcs.<br />
<br />
<b>Other resources on novel structure</b><br />
After my post about the Darkest Moment, a client also mentioned Larry Brooks's take on plot structure in his book <a href="http://storyfix.com/books-by-brooks" target="_blank"><i>Story Engineering</i></a>. Following that trail led me to author Jami Gold's website, where she has created and made available several different <a href="http://jamigold.com/for-writers/worksheets-for-writers/" target="_blank">plot beat sheets</a>, including ones based on Brooks's approach and on Gold's own. I also have clients who have found Joseph Campbell's <a href="http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero%27s_journey.htm" target="_blank">The Hero's Journey</a> helpful in thinking about major plot points.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Have questions about your own novel's structure? Join Sione on Friday, July 28th at 8pm on Twitter's #ShoreIndie hashtag for a 60-minute workshop on "Your Novel's Structure."</b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F0ah3ktk8B8/VA53yxHk0uI/AAAAAAAAAd4/hoyE4SIvcWYCXajrBlOf3p8ZNdbrBD3QgCPcB/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F0ah3ktk8B8/VA53yxHk0uI/AAAAAAAAAd4/hoyE4SIvcWYCXajrBlOf3p8ZNdbrBD3QgCPcB/s200/IMG_0755.JPG" width="199" /></a>
<b>Sione Aeschliman</b> (pronounced see-OWN ASH-lemon) is an editor and writing coach with a Master's degree in English and over fourteen years of editing experience. Since becoming a full-time freelance editor in 2012, she’s had the honor of working with authors from several countries on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction projects. Last year she was an editor in the Pitch to Publication Twitter contest and faculty at the inaugural The Work Conference in New York City. This year she’s a #RevPit editor, creator of the ShoreIndie contest, co-editor of an anthology of floating-inspired prose and poetry for Coincidence Control Publishing, and teacher of genre fiction writing at the Show:Tell Workshop for Teen Writers and Artists.<br />
<br />
Under her own name Sione writes prose and poetry (and prose poetry) about dusty heart-drawers and being chased by nunchuck-wielding ducks. Under pseudonym she is the indie author of seven books published in the last five years.<br />
<br />
Although she lives in Portland, Oregon, she does not own a bicycle and is woefully underprepared for the zombie apocalypse, but her adorkable dog, Milton, is an Expert Urban Forager.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-76566699189701132082017-06-11T17:00:00.000-04:002017-06-11T17:00:00.971-04:002017 Round 1 & Blurb Critique WinnersIn case you missed it on Twitter...<br />
<br />
<b>Round 1: Author-Editor Pairs </b><br />
Editor Rebecca Heyman will work with author Jacy Sutton on the adult commercial fiction JUST ONE YOU<br />
<br />
Editor Carly Hayward will work with author Jenny Lambert on the YA dystopian THE MEMORY VISIT<br />
<br />
Editor Jeni Chappelle will work with author Sophia Beaumont on the YA adventure ALL FOR ONE<br />
<br />
Editor Katie McCoach will work with author Mo Parisian on the women's fiction A MOTHER'S GUIDE TO LIVING<br />
<br />
Editor Cynthia Luna will work with author Erica Sumner on the NA mystery CHRONICLES OF A WINEAUX<br />
<br />
Editor Julia A. Weber will work with author Sandra Budiansky on the YA contemporary TAKING UP SPACE<br />
<br />
Editor Sione Aeschliman will work with author J.E. Purazzi on the adult dystopian biopunk MALFUNCTION<br />
<br />
Editor Kisa Whipkey will work with author Lora Couch on the adult paranormal thriller ABANDON<br />
<br />
Editor Kyra Nelson will work with author Timothy Collins on the YA thriller EXSANGUINATION: DYING IS THE EASY PART<br />
<br />
Editor Elizabeth Buege will work with author Nicole Ochoa on the NA inspirational romance UNDER WESTERN SKIES<br />
<br />
<b>Blurb Critique Winners</b><br />
Brian Decker<br />
Kip Rabidou<br />
Colleen Akin<br />
Shelley O'Rourke<br />
M Greenhill<br />
Darin TaDream<br />
Charles A Malosh<br />
N.M. Brott<br />
Travis Peck<br />
Russ TrautwigUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-67629129302736427382017-06-10T17:18:00.000-04:002017-06-10T17:18:53.329-04:00AskAuthor chat with Rebecca Syme (& giveaway!)We're kicking off our ShoreIndie AskAuthor series on <b>Sunday, June 11th at 8pm ET</b> with <i>USA Today</i> bestselling romance and cozy mystery author Rebecca Syme!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xq8QI6oemqU/WQfcP-j-TEI/AAAAAAAABF4/lsitdtAKhiQC2miguVaAu4ZULhLAxDl2gCEw/s1600/Becca%2BSyme%2Bheadshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xq8QI6oemqU/WQfcP-j-TEI/AAAAAAAABF4/lsitdtAKhiQC2miguVaAu4ZULhLAxDl2gCEw/s200/Becca%2BSyme%2Bheadshot.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Rebecca Syme writes small town romance as Becca Boyd and cozy mystery as R.L. Syme. She is a long-time foodie and loves fancy cheese. Becca calls the mountains of Montana her home and draws inspiration from the beautiful vistas and heartwarming people. She is the <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author of the Line of Fire series of sweet romances and part of the Chick Tales continuity series set in Somewhere, TX. Her newest series, The Matchbaker Mysteries, falls into cozy culinary mystery and releases on July 1st. You can find her on Twitter talking #fancycheese or #Chopped, and on Facebook with her fans in Becca Nation. She is represented by Lane Heymont of the Tobias Literary Agency.<br />
<br />
Connect with Rebecca: <a href="http://rlsyme.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/beck_a_tron" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rlsyme" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQ8RAl4vfSo/WQfpVyF8HDI/AAAAAAAABHo/YDdwEyPFdFcDYZrlDpQBpeAoVZn3TH1QACLcB/s1600/Vangie%2BVale%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQ8RAl4vfSo/WQfpVyF8HDI/AAAAAAAABHo/YDdwEyPFdFcDYZrlDpQBpeAoVZn3TH1QACLcB/s320/Vangie%2BVale%2Bcover.jpg" width="209" /></a>
Editor's Note: Not only is Rebecca is the author or co-author of over a dozen published books, but she also co-hosts the <a href="https://cksyme.com/podcast/" target="_blank">Smarty Pants Book Marketing Podcast</a> and teaches courses on craft and indie authorship through the Margie Lawson Writer's Academy - including the <u>excellent</u> Indie Insider course, from which I learned everything I wish I'd known about indie authorship when I was starting out - and is a ShoreIndie sponsor. <b>Bring all your questions about self-publishing and indie authorship over to the #AskAuthor hashtag on Twitter, and get ready to learn TONS.</b><br />
<br />
We're also running a giveaway all day Sunday of Rebecca's latest book, VANGIE VALE AND THE MURDERED MACARON, due out August 1st! Enter below before 11:59pm on Sunday the 11th to win a paperback or an ebook copy of her new foodie cozy mystery!<br />
<br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="128629d21" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/128629d21/" id="rcwidget_ef7aamka" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-76766445602260389362017-06-05T09:00:00.000-04:002017-06-05T09:00:29.712-04:00Submissions to the 2017 contest are CLOSEDAs of 9am ET on Monday, June 5th, submissions to the 2017 ShoreIndie Contest are closed.<br />
<br />
<b>Now the real fun begins! </b><br />
<br />
Tune in to #SIsubs & #ShoreIndie on Twitter for <b>writing tips</b> on the book blurb and first five pages as the <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/editors.html">editors</a> tweet anonymous feedback about their submissions from June 5-10.<br />
<br />
Attend the <b>Author-Editor pair announcements</b>, tweeted by <a href="http://twitter.com/shoreindie" target="_blank">@ShoreIndie</a>, at noon ET on Sunday, June 11th to see which 10 authors the editors have chosen to work with for the 7-week Editing Round. The 10 winners of the <b>blurb critique raffle</b> will also be announced on this day.<br />
<br />
Keep an eye on the website for the <b>Editing Round Event Schedule</b>, which will include the days & times of:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>#AskAuthor chats</b> with the ShoreIndie <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/featured-authors.html">Featured Authors</a> and <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/judges.html">Judges</a>. Want to know more about how to format for ebook and print? Whether to join the KDP Select program or distribute your book more widely? How to grow your audience and sell more books? These chats are fabulous opportunities to learn more about other indie authors' experiences - what's worked for them and what hasn't.</li>
<li><b>Mini-workshops on craft</b>, hosted by ShoreIndie editors.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/prizes.html">Giveaways</a></b> of marketing consultation, <a href="https://writeapp.co/">Write!</a> word processing software, ebooks about the business side of indie authorship, and books by our Featured Authors.</li>
</ul>
<br />
HUGE THANKS to everyone who entered the contest and to all who have watched and cheered our authors and editors on from the sidelines. We look forward to a summer full of rich conversations about indie authorship and tons of writerly and bookish fun!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-87495657004896481862017-06-02T20:39:00.001-04:002017-06-02T20:39:18.367-04:00How to Process Feedback<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s200/logo.png" width="200" /></a>by Carly Hayward <br />
<br />
ShoreIndie is a community full of editors and fellow authors wanting to help your manuscript be the best it can possibly be. The community this contest fosters is one of the most valuable prize you could win. Even if you aren’t picked by an editor or you don’t win during the judging round, there is a lot of value to this contest. The ShoreIndie editors are a fabulous resource, and lucky for you, they are chomping at the bit to give you feedback. They all have your best interests in mind, and they want to help you make your best book.<br />
<br />
The way to get all that feedback is to engage. Don’t just submit your manuscript, talk to the editors on Twitter. Ask them as many questions as your heart desires. It’s what they are here for. They want to get to know you and your book. And believe me, we love giving advice! <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Now, once you have all that feedback, what do you do? It can become a little overwhelming to try to apply advice to your manuscript when the feedback is only 140 characters long (or if you got a couple of paragraphs back from one of the editors on your submission).<br />
<br />
First of all, approach both praise and constructive criticism with curiosity. Open yourself up to the advice and feedback the editors give. Remember, no manuscript is perfect, and no advice is perfect; it is all about how you question both and find a way to meld them together. Approach the feedback with the intent to understand it, not agree or disagree.<br />
<br />
Next, ask questions! If you need clarification, there is no harm in asking for it. The editors won’t mind, and maybe you’ll help clarify a confusing tweet for someone else. Understanding the feedback and the intent is key. If you don’t think it works for your piece, why? Ask the editor why they gave you that advice. The intent and reasoning is just as important as the advice itself.<br />
<br />
Be prepared to have an emotional reaction to the feedback, and have a plan for how to deal with it. This is your baby, your darling. Whenever anyone gives constructive criticism, it can feel like just plain old criticism. But remember the benefits of constructive feedback. No author is an island. Every good book you have ever read had multiple eyes on it, helping the author tweak it to make it better.<br />
<br />
Then, take some time and mull over the feedback. Remember, the editors only have a limited amount of information to go on. While their advice is good, it might be difficult to apply that feedback to your piece. Don’t dive right in and start deleting huge swaths of writing just because an editor says to get to the inciting incident quickly. Instead, take time to figure out how to best apply the feedback and what it really means for your piece.<br />
<br />
If you disagree with the feedback, try to figure out why. You might not like the suggestion, but is there a kernel of truth within it that will improve your manuscript? There may be something about it that hits home, even if the details of the suggestion don’t work for you.<br />
<br />
Above all, remember that the editors want to help you create the best book possible. They are invested in fostering authors and their manuscripts. They do not want to change your vision; they want to bring your vision to readers. The job of an editor is to give you the tools to create your vision, help you shape your book, and give you the support to publish it. Try to keep all that in mind if the feedback gets difficult and feels impossible.<br />
<br />
Utilize the feedback, and not only will your manuscript improve, but you will become a stronger writer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z62rMZYSpJg/WN_oWVY8_gI/AAAAAAAABAs/Z61ptBzyGb8TK04RU96waTfodx0uZVb8wCPcB/s1600/Carly_BornsteinHayward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z62rMZYSpJg/WN_oWVY8_gI/AAAAAAAABAs/Z61ptBzyGb8TK04RU96waTfodx0uZVb8wCPcB/s200/Carly_BornsteinHayward.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Carly Hayward is a developmental editor specializing in genre-fiction, including but not limited to romance, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, erotica, and YA. Carly will help you find your voice and bring your vision to the reader. She will be your book’s best friend.<br />
<br />
She has worked in the publishing industry for 9 years, including at a big 5 publishing house, a literary agency, and an indie publishing house that helps self-publishing authors. Carly graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in English. She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and Chicago Women in Publishing. Carly was a panelist at Book Expo America 2016 and an editor for #RevPit and #P2P16.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-45471666716124174542017-05-31T14:55:00.000-04:002017-05-31T15:11:16.062-04:00Top 8 Problems That Turn Readers Offby Carly Hayward<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s200/logo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
ShoreIndie is about to begin, and I bet you’re wondering what you can do to catch an editor’s eye. We editors see hundreds of manuscripts during these contests, and there are some common problems that will turn us away from your manuscript. While all these problems can be overcome by a fabulous voice or a plot that we can’t look away from, it’s best to avoid them.<br />
<br />
Let’s dive right in! Here are the top eight problems we see over and over again:<br />
<br />
<b>1. Head-hopping</b>: This term can be easily misunderstood. Head-hopping is not the same as multiple points of view or omniscient narrators. It’s when you are within the head of one character, understanding their opinions and viewing everything through their perspective, and then suddenly you are hearing the thoughts of another character. Multi-POV changes points of view after chapter or section breaks and remains in one character’s head at a time. And an omniscient narrator may be able to see into everyone’s head but has a bird’s-eye view; their POV is distinct from the characters. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Don’t head-hop! It leaves readers lost and confused while they scramble to figure out whose head they are in. It also puts distance between readers and the characters because they are always trying to figure out which character they are connecting with. If they finally start to relate to the character and then are suddenly thrown into another’s head, you lose the relationship that you were building between reader and character.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Missing Main Character</b>: This doesn’t mean that your character goes missing within your plot—it means that the reader doesn’t get to meet your main character within the first five pages. If your main character isn’t in the first five pages, it’s often a sign you are starting in the wrong place. More often than not, either you have decided to start with action that doesn’t involve your character or you are filling in too much backstory.<br />
<br />
If readers are going to be invested enough to keep reading your story, they need to connect with your main character and quickly. They need that personal connection with a character to care about what is happening, and the one to build that connection is your protagonist. Readers often feel cheated if they become invested with one character only to find out later that that character never shows up again. Give the reader a chance to connect!<br />
<br />
<b>3. Too Much Backstory</b>: This is definitely a common piece of advice floating around out there, but it bears repeating. Modern readers prefer getting right into the inciting incident of the story. Don’t bog them down with family histories or information that was found out off-screen. Pepper in this information through the action and dialogue. Show the reader your backstory throughout the piece. This can be particularly difficult with sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian stories because you have a lot of world-building to do. Ground readers in the world with the bare minimum of details and slowly build their understanding of your world throughout the story. As you’ll see from the next couple of problems, this piece of advice can be taken too far.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Floating Head Dialogue</b>: You’ve all heard the advice, start <i>in media res</i>, but don’t let that overtake you. Starting with pure dialogue can be tricky and leads to a lot of confusion. It is difficult to read a scene where the characters are talking but you don’t know anything about them. If readers don’t have anything more than a name to tie to a snippet of dialogue, why should they care what the character is saying? Ground readers in the scene before you throw them in the middle of a conversation.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Action Without Grounding</b>: As with the previous piece of advice, this error comes from writers taking advice too far. Yes, you want to start in the middle of the action, you want the story to have begun and you want to get to the inciting incident. But you need to ground the reader in the story a bit while the action is happening. If we don’t know who the characters are, if we don’t understand the cause of the action, we won’t care. Hook the reader in with meaningful action.<br />
<br />
<b>6. The Recap</b>: Often writers try to grow the character—and hook the reader in—by having them go over past events, either in their head or in dialogue with other characters. Readers will quickly get bored. They don’t want the character to tell them about important events; they want to see important events. This is easily corrected. Option 1: if it’s really important, just show the reader the action instead of having the character go over it. Or option 2: If it isn’t important action, then cut it from the story and start with action that is relevant to the plot.<br />
<br />
<b>7. Distant Beginnings</b>: Sometimes a writer tries to foster an air of mystery and, in doing so, leaves too many important details vague. You’ve seen it before, where the main character is a mystery man with no specific details. Try to avoid this unless you have a very good reason. When you create this mystery, you also create distance between the reader and the main character. The most important thing in the first few pages is to get your reader connected to your main character. This connection is what draws a reader in and makes them want to read more.<br />
<br />
<b>8. Overdone Beginnings</b>: As a writer, you’re definitely a reader. And as a reader, you’ve seen a ton of openers that are exactly the same. It’s nearly impossible to come up with a new opener that has never been done before, but you should be wary of anything that’s too common. Try to find something new and different. If it’s a romance, don’t do the typical meet-cute of having them literally bump into each other. If it’s a fantasy, don’t start with a prophecy. If a reader is going to be engaged, they need to be pulled in by something new and interesting. Hook them with what’s unique about your story, not the moments that every story has.<br />
<br />
Whether you are sending in your manuscript to an editor or trying to draw readers in, the most important things to keep in mind is your readers and what will attract them to your book. With all the advice floating around out there, it is easy to overcorrect. Remember, these bits of advice are to help you refine your manuscript and make it better, not to completely rid it of your unique voice. Take it all in, and apply it in a way that works for you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z62rMZYSpJg/WN_oWVY8_gI/AAAAAAAABAs/Z61ptBzyGb8TK04RU96waTfodx0uZVb8wCPcB/s1600/Carly_BornsteinHayward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z62rMZYSpJg/WN_oWVY8_gI/AAAAAAAABAs/Z61ptBzyGb8TK04RU96waTfodx0uZVb8wCPcB/s200/Carly_BornsteinHayward.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Carly Hayward is a developmental editor specializing in genre-fiction, including but not limited to romance, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, erotica, and YA. Carly will help you find your voice and bring your vision to the reader. She will be your book’s best friend.<br />
<br />
She has worked in the publishing industry for 9 years, including at a big 5 publishing house, a literary agency, and an indie publishing house that helps self-publishing authors. Carly graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in English. She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and Chicago Women in Publishing. Carly was a panelist at Book Expo America 2016 and an editor for #RevPit and #P2P16.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-87976131801862792402017-05-28T09:00:00.000-04:002017-05-29T23:46:17.647-04:007 Signs You're Not Ready for That Editing Contestby Elizabeth Buege<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s200/logo.png" width="200" /></a>After several rounds of helping authors get their manuscripts agent-ready through Pitch to Publication and RevPit events, I’m excited to get on board with ShoreIndie, helping indie authors get ready to share their books with the world. In these contests, I’ve read through hundreds of entries, and now I can quickly tell the difference between people who are ready for an editing contest and those who aren’t.<br />
<br />
Are you thinking about entering ShoreIndie or another editing contest? It’s important to make sure you’re ready first. Take a look at the seven red flags below—if any of them apply to you, stop and take notice. It doesn’t mean you should give up and walk away; it means you should think about why they apply, how you can fix them, and whether or not it’s a good idea to enter the contest. How are you doing in each of these areas?<br />
<b></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b>1. You haven’t read the directions.</b><br />
This one is the big one. If you aren’t planning to read and follow the contest’s guidelines, you shouldn’t be entering. Contest hosts, judges, and editors want to know that you understand what the contest is about and that you’ve read the rules carefully. Do your research on participating editors, too—as an editor for past Pitch to Publication and RevPit events, I often saw entries that included elements I had said I wasn’t accepting. Don’t submit what the editors don’t want to read. Your entry won’t be considered, and you’ll be wasting your own time and efforts. Along with this, make sure you’ve read the instructions well enough to include all required info in your submission. If an entry doesn’t follow the directions, that’s a big warning flag to the editor that an author probably won't be easy to communicate and work with.<br />
<br />
<b>2. You’re not willing to make big changes.</b><br />
The main point of an editing contest is the chance for authors to work with a professional on big-picture improvements to their story. In the past, I’ve seen a few cases where an author hires an editor or is picked by one in a contest only to reject the editor’s input on strengthening the manuscript. If you believe your book is already perfect or doesn't need content changes, then a contest where the main prize is help with major content changes isn’t right for you. Whether or not your book actually needs large-scale revisions, you’ll be missing the point of the contest entirely if you aren’t looking to revise. A contest about growth isn’t a good fit for a book that has already arrived—or one that isn’t ready to make the journey yet.<br />
<br />
<b>3. You don't have a full manuscript.</b><br />
To enter an editing contest, you’ll need to have a completed, quality draft of your story. This contest is about revising, not drafting, so don’t try to enter a partial manuscript. Also, bring the best possible draft you can produce on your own. Make the changes you already know you need to make—that way, you’re not wasting time having an editor tell you what you already know. That way, if you win, your editor will be able to help you make it shine beyond what your first round of revisions could.<br />
<br />
<b>4. You haven’t researched what a good blurb looks like.</b><br />
You don't have to be an expert, but you should know what a blurb or other required pitch format looks like—and then follow it. While ShoreIndie is blurb-based, the other contests I’ve helped with have required query letters. Some of the entries I have seen have looked nothing like industry standards, even with an example entry and letter available on the site. If you’re new to pitching your story, don’t just guess wildly with your entry. Take a look at the contest’s website for examples, and reach out to the contest hosts, other writers, or even a search engine for help if you need it.<br />
<br />
<b>5. The grammar still needs a lot of work.</b><br />
A good story is lost in shaky writing, and while you may be able to make it shine with a copyeditor’s help, the contest editors want to know that the authors they pick have a good handle on writing and will be able to present a visibly strong manuscript after the revisions are completed. Brush up on your grammar and self-editing skills before putting your story out there.<br />
<br />
<b>6. You haven’t yet found your voice or writing style.</b><br />
Editors and writing coaches can definitely help you strengthen your voice, but there’s not a lot of time for that on a contest schedule. If you haven’t paid a lot of attention to what your writing actually sounds like, there’s a chance it won’t stand out from the pack and catch an editor’s eye. Check for everything from character voice to varied sentence structure and word choice—if you’re not sure if it all comes together smoothly, get another set of eyes on it for feedback. More often than not, it takes a lot of practice before your writing voice clicks and is ready to present to readers.<br />
<br />
<b>7. You’re not ready to share your story with strangers.</b><br />
If you want to keep your story private until it’s published, an editing contest may not be for you. Multiple editors will be reading your entry’s pitch and pages and possibly asking for a synopsis and/or a partial (e.g. the first fifty pages). If you win, your entry may be posted publicly—for example, it’s posted online in both RevPit and ShoreIndie. If you’re not sure how much exposure a contest will be giving your manuscript, check with the contest’s website and hosts—know what you’re getting into and make sure you’re comfortable with it. If you’re not, you might not want to enter.<br />
<br />
<b>Are you ready?</b><br />
Did any of these signs apply to you? If there are any steps that you feel you’ll never be ready for, don’t be afraid to find a different path for your book. Contests are a lot of fun, but they’re not for everybody. If you still want to enter, think about what you can do to grow in these areas. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get ready in time; instead, think about what you can do to be ready for the next contest. If you can get ready in time for the contest you’re considering, great! When you’re prepared with a strong entry, you’ll have a great experience during the contest and a greater chance of catching an editor’s eye.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-trqt_KYLrDA/WOB46MHdc7I/AAAAAAAABBM/XVOblH43gtYVPW8NQaVWD3O_XQPxEbHQgCPcB/s1600/ElizabethB%2BPhoto%2B3-17%2BSquare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-trqt_KYLrDA/WOB46MHdc7I/AAAAAAAABBM/XVOblH43gtYVPW8NQaVWD3O_XQPxEbHQgCPcB/s200/ElizabethB%2BPhoto%2B3-17%2BSquare.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Elizabeth Buege is a Midwestern girl with a lifelong love of
words. She graduated from the University of Northwestern—St. Paul with a
B.A. in English writing and internship experience in nonprofit writing
and book editing. She now teaches secondary writing classes for
homeschool students through a local co-op, where her job is to help
teens fall in love with words and learn to express critical thought
clearly. Elizabeth also loves helping authors become better writers, so
she offers book critiques and editing services at <a href="http://www.elizabethbuege.com/">elizabethbuege.com</a>,
where she blogs writing tips and related topics to help authors grow in
their craft. When she’s not editing books or grading research papers,
she’s probably reading, writing, or enjoying the world around her.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-43996015946031532202017-05-27T15:53:00.001-04:002017-06-02T01:12:34.649-04:0010 Reasons I'm Excited about ShoreIndieby Sione Aeschliman<br />
<br />
[Note: this post was updated on June 1, 2017 to reflect last-minute changes to the submission process.] <br />
<br />
A few weeks ago I wrote a post called "<a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/04/6-reasons-to-follow-shoreindie.html">6 Reasons to Follow #ShoreIndie</a>," in which I gave some arguments for why writers should follow the ShoreIndie Contest regardless of whether they intend to submit. Today I'm going to focus on my own personal reasons for being excited about this contest - as its creator, as an indie author, and as a member of its editing team.<br />
<br />
<b>1. I know of no other contest like this for indie authors.</b><br />
Existing
contests open to indie authors fall into two main categories: published
manuscripts and unpublished manuscripts. This contest falls into the
latter category, and it distinguishes itself from existing contests in
that 1) it is run by freelance editors, not by a self-publishing
service; 2) TEN authors, not just one, will win professional editing;
and 3) the prize packages are designed to include services and resources
to help emerging indie authors begin to grow and sustain their careers,
not just publish a single book. So yeah, I'm pretty darn proud of what
we've put together. The contest being the first of its kind? Bonus.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s200/logo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>2. Supporting indie authors as leaders in the publishing industry.</b><br />
I
am a person who is driven by a fierce independent streak and a strong
commitment to social equality and self-empowerment. So it makes total
sense that I'd be excited about the fact that we who write the books now
have access to the means of production and distribution. But it goes
beyond that, too. One of the biggest opportunities that self-publishing
authors have is to push the boundaries laid down by traditional
publishing - by publishing content deemed too risky for traditional
publishing, by blending and inventing new genres, by introducing readers
to voices and perspectives that aren't yet making it through the gates
of traditional publishing. I firmly believe that once the
self-publishing community has proven that there <b>is</b> a market for a
wider range of voices and perspectives, more traditional publishers
will be willing to take these projects on. Everybody wins.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>3. I get to make a difference doing something I love.</b><br />
This
is another of my driving forces. It's important to me to know that what
I'm doing affects others positively, to know that I'm making a
meaningful contribution to others' lives. One of the most unexpected and
magical outcomes of my participation in Twitter contests for querying
authors (such as #<a href="http://reviseresub.com/" target="_blank">RevPit</a>)
has been hearing that even the little bit of feedback I'm able to offer authors on their submission materials resonates with them, helps
them see their work in new way, and leads to changes that result in better books. This is why I clear my schedule during selection week so
that I can send at least very brief feedback to every single author who
submits to me. Hearing that it makes a difference to them makes all the
hours I volunteer for the contest completely worth it. And I'm eager
to do it again, this time for indie authors.<br />
<br />
<i>Side note in the interest of setting up realistic</i><i><i> expectations for those who plan to submit to ShoreIndie: </i>Although all of the <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/editors.html">amazing editors</a>
are committed to this contest and will do as much as they can to make
it worthwhile for all entrants, not all are able to offer feedback to
everyone who submits to them. If you want to know what an editor's plans
for giving feedback are, I encourage you to ask them during one of
their <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/schedule.html">AskEditor session(s)</a>.</i> <br />
<br />
<b>4. <strike>It only costs $5 to enter.</strike> It's now free to enter!<strike><br /></strike></b><br />
On June 1st, ShoreIndie got even more awesome: we ditched the submission fee. Find out more in <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/06/shoreindie-just-got-more-awesome.html">this post</a>!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>5. Uh...have I mentioned the prizes?</b><br />
I
have? Well, it bears repeating. Ten authors each get to work with a
professional editor on their books for FREE for SEVEN WEEKS to get them
ready for copy editing. You all, this is HUGE! Not only will this whip
their current manuscripts into shape, but working with a professional
editor is like a personalized crash course in writing that will help
them produce better early drafts on their own in the future. Just ask
anyone who's worked with us before on their full manuscript.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>But wait! What about the copy editing?</i> That's where the Grand Prize and Runner Up prize packages come in. Have you seen the contents of the prize packages?!? No? <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/prizes.html">Check this out</a>! Thanks to our amazingly generous <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/sponsors.html">ShoreIndie Sponsors</a>,
both of the prize packages include copy editing, cover design,
mentorship with an established indie author, promotional graphics, and a
copy of Write!, and the Grand Prize package contains marketing
consultation and a NetGalley listing to boot! I can only imagine how much
more solid my start would've been when I first began self-publishing
if I'd had these kinds of resources and support. (Why yes, that *is* a
hint of jealousy you detect.) <br />
<br />
<b>6. It's the community of support I needed when I first started self-publishing.</b><br />
When I first began self-publishing
my fiction five years ago, I made all the classic mistakes: being an editor myself, I knew the
importance of hiring an editor but thought I
couldn't afford one, I did not hire a professional cover designer (because money again), and I subscribed to that magical thinking that if I
put my book out there it would show up in Amazon's search results and
people would buy it. That's how it works, right? (Spoiler alert: nope.)<br />
<br />
Over
these last several years I've learned a lot about what it takes to be a
successful indie author. Oh, if only I'd known half as much when I first started out!
But while it's too late to fix my mistakes (unless you have a time
turner or time machine you want to loan me?), I've created this contest to help others avoid
them.<br />
<br />
<b>7. Learning from other indie authors what works (and doesn't) for them.</b><br />
Okay, so maybe it's the community I *still* need. The publishing technologies keep evolving, Amazon's algorithms keep changing, new resources and marketing techniques are cropping up all the time . . . and I just can't keep up with all of it by myself. Which is why having a community of indie authors with whom I can share my experiences and from whom I can learn is so crucial. I'm excited to hear from other members of the ShoreIndie community what tools and resources they use and what book marketing strategies have been the most (and least) effective for them. We have planned the AskAuthor chats with the ShoreIndie <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/p/featured-authors.html">Featured Authors</a> to facilitate that exchange of ideas and information (schedule coming soon), and I'm looking forward to the spontaneous conversations that crop up on the #ShoreIndie hashtag throughout the contest period, too.<br />
<br />
<b>8. Our judges. </b><br />
Speaking of amazing authors to learn from: I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT OUR JUDGES!!! I wanted to enlist judges who are active writers who have self-published (of course), whose writing I admire, who have experienced a degree of success beyond the average so that I/we could learn from what they're doing well, and who all write in different genres, since the contest is open to all genres of fiction. It was also important to me to enlist people who are passionate about supporting other indie authors. And I got EXACTLY what I wanted. I could not be more thrilled with our lineup, and I can't wait to learn more from them over the next few months: both <a href="http://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/05/judge-bill-cameron.html">Bill Cameron</a> and <a href="http://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/05/judge-Elise-Kova.html">Elise Kova</a> have agreed to do AskAuthor chats on the #ShoreIndie hashtag sometime in June or July, and <a href="http://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/05/judge-ember-casey.html">Ember Casey</a> will be doing an interview for the ShoreIndie blog. CAN. NOT. WAIT.<br />
<br />
<b>9. Opportunities to learn more about writing and storytelling.</b><br />
I had a ton of experience already with writing and editing before I began freelancing, but I've learned a bunch more in the last year and a half - especially about good storytelling - in large part due to my participation as an editor in Twitter contests like this one. I learn because the participants ask excellent questions that prompt me to make my implicit knowledge explicit or to seek out other publishing professionals' perspectives to get more information. I learn by attending my fellow editors' AskEditor sessions and by paying attention to the ongoing conversations on the hashtag. I learn by reading submissions and articulating my impressions and by working on manuscripts. In this contest, I've already learned a thing or two from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QrdaAkkSNY&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=ShoreIndie+Webinar+2017&utm_campaign=29d956aa34-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fea07edb66-29d956aa34-217366285" target="_blank">ShoreIndie webinar</a> "How to Refine Your Blurb and First Five Pages," hosted by Reedsy. And in this contest, we're adding mini-workshops with some of the editors into the mix during the Editing Round; I can barely contain my excitement about what I'll learn from those!<br />
<br />
I'm particularly excited about all these opportunities for learning because I know I'm not alone in how much I get out of these contests. We got overwhelming feedback on #RevPit this April from authors who gushed about how valuable the experience was for them and how much they learned, even if they didn't win an editing spot. WINNING ANYWAY.<br />
<br />
<b>10. Fun, connection, community.</b><br />
Last but certainly not least, I have SO MUCH FUN doing these kinds of contests: the energy and excitement building around the hashtag, meeting authors, tweeting my fingers off, creating connections, playing games on Twitter, hearing about people's writing, the aforementioned conversations and learning, torturing entrants with the anonymous feedback tweets during selection week.... Every time, I end up meeting people with whom I stay connected, whose successes I am eager to celebrate and who are equally interested in keeping up with what I'm doing. It gives me a sense of belonging to a community of writers who are into the geeky things I'm into and who understand my struggles. And it tickles my heart pink to see authors making those connections with each other, too.<br />
<br />
If you want to know more about what you can expect to take away from participating in a writing contest like ShoreIndie, I recommend reading Nicole Evans's post, "<a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/05/you-should-enter-that-contest.html">You Should Enter That Contest</a>," in which she talks about all she's gained from entering - and losing - Twitter contests.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iFxN7SVbCA0/WSzrbNbu_yI/AAAAAAAABNg/EE3QUSAMUcMRGFy56e5u8mnc9MyHdG83QCKgB/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="544" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iFxN7SVbCA0/WSzrbNbu_yI/AAAAAAAABNg/EE3QUSAMUcMRGFy56e5u8mnc9MyHdG83QCKgB/s200/IMG_0755.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
Sione Aeschliman (pronounced see-OWN ASH-lemon) is an editor and
writing coach with a Master's degree in English and over fourteen years
of editing experience. Since becoming a full-time freelance editor in
2012, she’s had the honor of working with authors from several countries
on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction projects. Last year she was
an editor in the Pitch to Publication Twitter contest and faculty at
the inaugural The Work Conference in New York City. This year she’s a
#RevPit editor, creator of the ShoreIndie contest, co-editor of an
anthology of floating-inspired prose and poetry for Coincidence Control
Publishing, and teacher of genre fiction writing at the Show:Tell
Workshop for Teen Writers and Artists.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-21852827219689987142017-05-23T14:21:00.000-04:002017-05-31T15:06:14.505-04:00You Should Enter That Contestby Nicole Evans (<a href="https://twitter.com/thought_stained" target="_blank">@thought_stained</a>)<br />
<br />
If you stumbled upon this blog post, you might be considering entering #ShoreIndie, a new contest for emerging Indie writers to win free editing and support through your writing journey. (Want more details? Check out this blog post <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2016/11/shoreindie-contest-2017.html">here</a>.) But you also might be feeling some apprehension or some nervousness thinking about submitting your work into a contest. You might still be on the fence whether that’s a risk you want to take. <br />
<br />
As someone who has entered into three such contests and not won a single one, I want to encourage you to enter that contest.<br />
<br />
A year ago, I was also in your shoes. Only battling in the query trenches a few times before and receiving rejection after rejection, I was wary about opening myself up to “failure” once more. I had doubts that my work was truly ready. I was nervous to send my work out to be critiqued, worried that the feedback would find it wanting and I’d be discouraged to keep trying. Before finally convincing myself to enter, I had this false idea that you could only gain something from Twitter-based contests if you won.<br />
<br />
I was very happily mistaken.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The first contest I entered to was Pitch to Publication (#P2P16). The weeks before the submission window opened, I frantically edited my manuscript and the nerves continued to build, doubt constantly trying to convince me to not enter at all. In a rare moment of bravery (because submitting your work in any form is brave), I submitted my work and then voiced my worries in the feed that was buzzing with activity, my nerves and reservations echoed by other frantic writers ten times over. <br />
<br />
And then, something really neat happened.<br />
<br />
I started making friends. A community formed around both the contestants and other people who were stalking the feed—not to mention the kind editors who graciously gave their time and expertise. Then, once teasers like #tenqueries (or #SIsubs for #ShoreIndie) started popping up, I was hooked. Of course, I was trying to deduce whether it was my submission they were talking about, still hopeful that I could be chosen to win. But then I started noticing trends amongst the submissions: what worked and what didn’t, common mistakes and the things that made stories stand out. Without realizing it, I was made aware of so many different elements that, upon self-reflection, were weaknesses in my own manuscript. And that didn’t even include the direct feedback I got weeks later from the editors I subbed to!<br />
<br />
When the winners were announced and I wasn’t chosen, I was still pretty bummed. Yet I was also pleasantly surprised. Between the casual conversations I had with editors, the friendships and connections I made with other writers and all the valuable information I learned being proactive in the community and interacting with the feed, I have no doubt that I came out of that contest a better writer—perhaps even proven when I made it to the shortlist with a different novel when I entered a contest this year, during #<a href="http://reviseresub.com/" target="_blank">RevPit</a>. But even more than that, I made connections and friendships that have led to more growth and opportunities that I never imagined I would be lucky enough to experience, especially only after a few minutes of bravery when submitting my work into the contest.<br />
<br />
I still have plenty of room to grow. I still haven’t won any contests or gotten any requests in the querying trenches. But I’ve discovered one of the best ways to grow is to take risks and continue pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, especially with your writing. Because if you aren’t willing to risk it all for the stories of your heart, who will? <br />
<br />
Still unsure about whether or not you should enter? Check out <a href="https://melissacaruso.net/2017/04/24/why-query-contests-are-awesome/">this post</a> by author Melissa Caruso, where she explains other reasons and benefits of putting your work out there.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rb7GteglTt8/WS8T_6HCgQI/AAAAAAAABOA/d7CR5NaMoRol4dONls-gJVtdFe2dDQbZwCLcB/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rb7GteglTt8/WS8T_6HCgQI/AAAAAAAABOA/d7CR5NaMoRol4dONls-gJVtdFe2dDQbZwCLcB/s200/image.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Nicole Evans is an unpublished fantasy and science fiction writer. When not writing about dragons or killing off her favorite characters, she is your typical mega nerd, book worm and tattoo junkie. Nicole is also a librarian, an intern for Naomi Davis of Inklings Literary Agency, and #ShoreIndie's contest assistant. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-80618031272539594872017-05-17T18:59:00.000-04:002017-05-17T18:59:01.187-04:00What are the different types of editing?by Katie McCoach<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-STYzYUZl4s8/WQTeFpfVDmI/AAAAAAAABEQ/iQ_DHeTuW9UTLMhQ_qf9GbrJWDm4OfvzACPcB/s200/logo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
If you stumbled on this article and aren’t familiar with ShoreIndie—an amazing contest for emerging indie authors—then I encourage you to learn more. The contest begins June 3rd!<br />
<br />
The main focus of this contest is providing authors a chance to work with an editor to prepare the best possible version of their book for self-publishing. If you win, you’ll be working with an editor for several weeks on the <i>content</i> of the novel. And the grand-prize winner will receive copyediting!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Developmental/Content </b></span><br />
Developmental editing, also often considered content editing, <b>is editing that focuses on creating the best <u>story</u> possible.</b> The editor will work with the author to strengthen the author’s big-picture story, as well as help them develop their craft of writing. This is the first stage of editing.<br />
<br />
Editing of this nature usually involves things like <b>critiques or manuscript evaluations</b> to address big-picture items. <b>It also often may be paired with substantive editing (also considered line editing). </b><br />
<br />
These edits look at the writing style, voice, pacing and flow, characters, readability, intended audience, genre, narrative, plots and subplots, etc. These edits are designed to help an author tighten their manuscript. Does the protagonist grow or change from beginning to end? Are the characters’ actions believable? Does the plot feel forced or organic? Are the characters’ goals and motivations fully developed? Is there internal and external conflict? Is this actually a romance novel or is it women’s fiction?<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
This is also where writing mechanics such as backstory, Show Don’t Tell, POV, dialogue and more are addressed.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Copyediting </b></span><br />
The next stage of editing is copyediting. <b>Copyediting is the final stage of editing before a manuscript goes to typesetting.</b> A copy editor provides one of three level of edits: light, medium, or heavy. During these edits, a copy editor looks at things such as grammar and word usage, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, numbers, clarity, missing words, basic fact checking, querying anything questionable, and more. They typically work with Chicago Manual of Style, which is the standard style of copy in the book publishing industry.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Proofreading </b></span><br />
The final stage of editing is called proofreading. <b>This is NOT copyediting</b>; proofreading and copyediting are very different things. Proofreading involves one of two things: checking the final copyedited manuscript with the typed proof copy (the hard copy or electronic galley), or reviewing the final copy (without the edited copy to refer to). It used to be the former, but as the publishing industry has changed the latter happens more often. <b>The role of a proofreader is to make sure no typographical errors remain or appeared when the work was typed as the final copy. </b><br />
<br />
Copyediting is the last look at a manuscript before it’s sent to production. Proofreading is last look before the book is distributed.<br />
<br />
Keep in mind with all levels of editing that the goal is to help you create the best product for publication. <i>And, a good editor doesn’t try to change your writing voice. A good editor helps you enhance it. </i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where do you find an editor? </b></span><br />
You can find an editor through word of mouth, social media, and online marketplaces.<br />
<br />
A great place to find editors, and many other book professionals at that, is <a href="https://reedsy.com/loves/shoreindie" target="_blank">Reedsy</a>. Reedsy is an online marketplace of professional editors, designers and marketers, created to help authors reach their publishing dreams. Reedsy is also super selective about the professionals they add to their marketplace—they’ve only accepted the top 3% of applications—so you can feel confident that you are working with high-quality folks. (Side note: Reedsy has teamed up with ShoreIndie to host a <a href="http://bit.ly/2pLu34b" target="_blank">webinar</a> with tips for polishing your back cover copy and opening pages, this Saturday, May 20th at 12pm EST.)<br />
<br />
Another good online marketplace to find editors is the <a href="http://the-efa.org/" target="_blank">Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) site</a>. Authors can use this site to search the directory and find an editor based on the services they offer, their specialties or genres, and to see editors’ resumes. Another way an author can use this site is to post a job ad. This is free for the author to post and it is sent as an email to all the members who’ve subscribed. Any interested editor is free to contact the job poster and submit a proposal for the job. Sometimes authors are overwhelmed by this because they may receive a hundred responses and could have trouble narrowing it down.<br />
Searching blog posts/articles that include links of recommended editors, or posts by editors full of helpful tips. Google is actually quite useful, as well as social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. And of course, something like this wonderful contest!<br />
<br />
And finally, of course one of the best ways to find editors is through word of mouth. Ask writers and authors, especially those you trust and admire, who they worked with. Even try asking some editors that you do find for names of other editors they recommend, especially if maybe you two aren’t the best match. The publishing world is smaller than you’d think, and many editors have gotten to know each other over the years. I have a solid base of well-recommended editors I refer potential clients to if the genre is outside of my wheelhouse, or I’m booked up too far in advance.<br />
<br />
For a general guideline of editorial rates, refer to the chart on the <a href="http://the-efa.org/res/rates.php" target="_blank">EFA Rates</a> page.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What should I do before hiring an editor? </b></span><br />
<b>Send them the BEST version of your work so far.</b> Just because you are hiring someone to evaluate your manuscript or check for errors doesn’t mean you should send them your first draft. You should have gone through your manuscript content-wise first—work with a critique partner and/or beta readers—then after revisions, go through it with a fine-toothed comb and fix all the errors or strange wording that pops out at you. This not only helps you grow as a writer, but it also gives the editor a chance to focus on other, deeper parts of the book instead of spending valuable time fixing the obvious. Wouldn’t you like to get your money’s worth?<br />
<br />
<b>Get a sample edit.</b> This is usually a sample edit on 500-1,000 words of your work. This benefits you and the editor because you get a chance to see how the editor works, determine if you two are in sync, and it gives the editor a chance to see what’s involved, estimate the amount of time the project will take, and provide a quote.<br />
<br />
<b>Discuss expectations.</b> Be sure that you both agree on the work involved, and if you are unsure of anything or have questions ASK ahead of time. Adding something on later will cost the editor more time (which they may not have because of the way the booked their schedule) and it will cost you more money.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you have additional questions about the editing process, or how things will work in the ShoreIndie contest? Ask below!</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4mglN0lH7I/WN_jwDHZBdI/AAAAAAAABAQ/2RHHkCxTGWQH8WAJ972Qtf7tVXoRHU-tQCPcB/s1600/Katie%2BApril%2B2016%2B1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4mglN0lH7I/WN_jwDHZBdI/AAAAAAAABAQ/2RHHkCxTGWQH8WAJ972Qtf7tVXoRHU-tQCPcB/s200/Katie%2BApril%2B2016%2B1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Katie McCoach</span>
is a developmental editor working with authors of all levels. Her motto
is, “Let’s create your best story!” Her specialties are romance, young
adult, new adult, sci-fi, fantasy, and memoir. She is an active member
of Romance Writers of America, Contemporary Romance Writers, and Los
Angeles Romance Writers. She’s a featured editor for Revise & Resub
(#RevPit contest) and #ShoreIndie contest (2017). Katie was also a
participating editor in Pitch to Publication (2015, 2016), and has
judged the 2016 & 2015 Golden Hearts Awards and 2014 Stiletto
Contest. She is based in Los Angeles. Find her ShoreIndie Contest MSWL <a href="https://shoreindie.blogspot.com/2017/05/katie-mccoach.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<b><br /></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-1888543082751081232017-05-13T12:13:00.002-04:002017-05-13T12:13:31.362-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Judge Ember Casey<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sOColszFInI/WRNnhPT6mAI/AAAAAAAABL0/rC2k4L1G5dg3zfbolafifEqr6mo7dZQlACLcB/s1600/EmberCasey%2BAuthor%2BPhoto%2BLARGE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sOColszFInI/WRNnhPT6mAI/AAAAAAAABL0/rC2k4L1G5dg3zfbolafifEqr6mo7dZQlACLcB/s320/EmberCasey%2BAuthor%2BPhoto%2BLARGE.JPG" width="320" /></a>We are jumping up and down with excitement to have <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author <b>EMBER CASEY</b> as a 2017 ShoreIndie Contest judge!<br />
<br />
A prolific indie author since 2013, Ember was a powerhouse straight out of the gate with her debut NA contemporary romance, <i>His Wicked Games</i>, which, to date, has a whopping 626 reviews on Amazon. Since then, she's gone on to finish the Cunningham Family Series and write books in four more series, plus a standalone. And every one of her books has higher than a 4-star rating on Amazon. Ember is a master at keeping her readers engaged with her platform. One of her brilliant strategies is to release novellas and short stories related to her ongoing series in between novels. She also has a fantastic <a href="http://embercasey.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="http://embercasey.com/newsletter/" target="_blank">newsletter</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/140041209538572/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> presence that are great models for how to do this indie author thing right. (Seriously, go check out what she's doing. She's an absolute genius.) <br />
<br />
We are thrilled that Ember has agreed to do an interview for the ShoreIndie blog - stay
tuned to find out more about how she has achieved her indie awesomeness - and that she's allowing us to host a giveaway of a signed copy of <i>The Billionaire Escape Plan</i> (date TBA). In the meantime, we highly recommend checking out her <a href="http://embercasey.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="https://facebook.com/embercasey" target="_blank">Facebook</a> group, and <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ember-casey" target="_blank">BookBub</a> listing; signing up for her <a href="http://embercasey.com/newsletter/" target="_blank">newsletter</a> to get a sense of what a great, engaging newsletter looks like; and following her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/embercasey" target="_blank">@embercasey</a>.<br />
<b></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Ember's Bio </b><br />
Ember Casey is a <i>USA Today</i> bestselling romance author living in Atlanta, Georgia in a den of iniquity (or so she likes to tell people). She’s been an indie publisher since 2013, when her first book, <i>His Wicked Games</i>, was released into the wild. Since then, she’s written and published fourteen books, cowritten fifteen more, and scribbled out many other words that will never, ever see the light of day. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YF9WvPeUeyE/WRNoAsxJHZI/AAAAAAAABL8/MMuI0QJakSItsSB63B99WmIKcci8fv_2gCLcB/s1600/Royal_Heartbreaker_1_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YF9WvPeUeyE/WRNoAsxJHZI/AAAAAAAABL8/MMuI0QJakSItsSB63B99WmIKcci8fv_2gCLcB/s320/Royal_Heartbreaker_1_Final.jpg" width="213" /></a>
When she’s not writing steamy romances, you can find her whipping up baked goods (usually of the chocolate variety), traveling (her bucket list is infinite), or generally causing trouble (because somebody has to do it).<br />
<br />
<b>Ember's Books</b><br />
<a href="http://embercasey.com/the-cunningham-family/" target="_blank">The Cunningham Family Series</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://embercasey.com/the-fontaines/" target="_blank">The Fontaines Series</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.royalheartbreakers.com/books/" target="_blank">Royal Heartbreaker Series</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.royalheartbreakers.com/books/" target="_blank">Royal Mistake Series</a> <br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://embercasey.com/the-billionaire-escape-plan/" target="_blank">The Billionaire Escape Plan</a></i> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://embercasey.com/the-devils-set/" target="_blank">The Devil’s Set Series</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-81339219855236392762017-05-13T12:08:00.000-04:002017-05-13T12:08:25.493-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Judge Bill Cameron<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qTpOazB3TuE/WRISaotfZUI/AAAAAAAABLU/cUrNyUBuSXQ2m4yQyfJVPfqZzAAJ9xMUwCLcB/s1600/bill-cameron_author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qTpOazB3TuE/WRISaotfZUI/AAAAAAAABLU/cUrNyUBuSXQ2m4yQyfJVPfqZzAAJ9xMUwCLcB/s320/bill-cameron_author.jpg" width="213" /></a>We are over the moon to have mystery author <b>BILL CAMERON</b> as a 2017 ShoreIndie Contest judge!<br />
<br />
A hybrid author of adult and young adult mystery novels, Bill also writes short fiction, some of which has been included in anthologies edited by Lee Child (yes, THAT Lee Child - <span class="a-color-base">the bestselling author of the Jack Reacher thrillers). </span><span class="a-color-base">We recommend checking out the <a href="http://www.sentencetoparagraph.org/2016/10/10/inaugural-interview-with-bill-cameron/" target="_blank">interview</a> Bill did with Sentence to Paragraph about his latest book, <i>Property of the State</i> </span><span class="a-color-base"><span class="a-color-base">(2016, Poisoned Pen Press), </span>for an engaging discussion about how to capture the modern teen voice and
writing about social issues without the book becoming a polemic.</span><br />
<span class="a-color-base"><br /></span>
<span class="a-color-base">Bill is a generous human being who has supported other writers for many years. Sione met him, in fact, through a weekly community </span><span class="a-color-base">reading series Bill organized that was open to writers of all ages, genres, and skill levels. In addition to judging the inaugural ShoreIndie Contest, Bill has agreed to field questions about writing and his decision to become a hybrid author in an #AskAuthor chat (date/time TBD), and we are thrilled to host a giveaway of<i> Property of the State</i> on that same day. We are so grateful to have Bill as a ShoreIndie judge, and we hope you'll help us show him the love!</span><br />
<br />
Bill tweets <a href="http://twitter.com/bcmystery" target="_blank">@bcmystery</a>. Be sure to check out his website, <a href="http://www.bill-cameron.com/">www.bill-cameron.com</a>.<span class="a-color-base"> </span> <br />
<b></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Bill's Bio</b><br />
Critically-acclaimed mystery author Bill Cameron is the author of the dark, gritty mysteries <i>County Line, Day One, Chasing Smoke</i> and <i>Lost Dog</i>—featuring irascible Portland homicide cop Skin Kadash. His first young adult mystery <i>Property of the State</i>, introducing troubled yet resourceful Joey Getchie, was named one of <i>Kirkus Reviews</i> Best Books of 2016: Teen.<br />
<br />
In 2012, County Line won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Northwest Mystery. <i>Lost Dog</i> was nominated for the 2008 Rocky Award and was a finalist for the 2008 Spotted Owl Award. His short story, “The Princess of Felony Flats,” was nominated for a 2011 CWA Short Story Dagger Award. Bill’s short fiction has appeared in <i>Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Portland Noir, Murder at the Beach, Killer Year</i>, and <i>First Thrills</i>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-enk2kXTs6tw/WRISrGBUUoI/AAAAAAAABLY/MVw0o1UHxwM1i0kGjIEIPY0oTYPJCDUiACLcB/s1600/Property_of_the_State_cover_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-enk2kXTs6tw/WRISrGBUUoI/AAAAAAAABLY/MVw0o1UHxwM1i0kGjIEIPY0oTYPJCDUiACLcB/s320/Property_of_the_State_cover_Final.jpg" width="200" /></a>Bill lives with his wife in Oregon. He is an eager traveler and avid bird-watcher, and likes to write near a window so he can meditate on whatever happens to fly by during intractable passages. He is currently at work on the first in an adult mystery series set in central Oregon.<br />
<br />
<b>Bill's Books</b><br />
Skin Kadash Series<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bill-cameron.com/fiction/novels/lost-dog-book/" target="_blank"><i>Lost Dog</i></a></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.bill-cameron.com/fiction/novels/chasing-smoke-book/" target="_blank">Chasing Smoke</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.bill-cameron.com/fiction/novels/day-one-book/" target="_blank">Day One</a></i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://www.bill-cameron.com/fiction/novels/county-line-book/" target="_blank">County Line</a></i></li>
</ul>
<div>
The Legend of Joey Series</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.bill-cameron.com/fiction/novels/property-of-the-state/" target="_blank"><i>Property of the State</i></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-11811878480865280822017-05-06T12:18:00.000-04:002017-05-06T17:00:45.608-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Editor Sione Aeschliman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F0ah3ktk8B8/VA53yxHk0uI/AAAAAAAAAd4/hoyE4SIvcWYCXajrBlOf3p8ZNdbrBD3QgCPcB/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F0ah3ktk8B8/VA53yxHk0uI/AAAAAAAAAd4/hoyE4SIvcWYCXajrBlOf3p8ZNdbrBD3QgCPcB/s200/IMG_0755.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
<b>Sione Aeschliman</b> (pronounced see-OWN ASH-lemon) is an editor and writing coach with a Master's degree in English and over fourteen years of editing experience. Since becoming a full-time freelance editor in 2012, she’s had the honor of working with authors from several countries on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction projects. Last year she was an editor in the Pitch to Publication Twitter contest and faculty at the inaugural The Work Conference in New York City. This year she’s a #RevPit editor, creator of the ShoreIndie contest, co-editor of an anthology of floating-inspired prose and poetry for Coincidence Control Publishing, and teacher of genre fiction writing at the Show:Tell Workshop for Teen Writers and Artists.<br />
<br />
Under her own name Sione writes prose and poetry (and prose poetry) about dusty heart-drawers and being chased by nunchuck-wielding ducks. Under pseudonym she is the indie author of seven books published in the last five years.<br />
<br />
Although she lives in Portland, Oregon, she does not own a bicycle and is woefully underprepared for the zombie apocalypse, but her adorkable dog, Milton, is an Expert Urban Forager. She can't wait to read submissions and connect with members of the Twitter indie author community.<br />
<br />
<b>For ShoreIndie 2017, Sione is excited to accept...</b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Character-driven YA, NA, and A novels that explore important questions about being human in ways that are fresh, accessible, deeply connecting, and entertaining in any genre, including but not limited to: <br />
<ul>
<li>Romance (all subgenres)</li>
<li>Science fiction, fantasy, science fantasy</li>
<li>Dystopian</li>
<li>Alternative history</li>
<li>Surrealism, absurdism </li>
<li>Magical realism</li>
<li>Mystery/suspense/thriller*</li>
<li>Blended genre</li>
</ul>
<br />
I gravitate toward work that's a little off-center from the mainstream, such as work that doesn't fit neatly into one genre and work that challenges societal norms and/or the conventions of a genre. I'm particularly interested in moral complexity/dilemmas; new twists on tropes; ownvoices POC, mental illness, person with a disability, or LGBTQA+; stories that present normalized diversity; and books with real feels.<br />
<br />
If your book contains graphic depictions of rape, torture, or pet murder/mutilation, I will consider it, but please include a trigger warning at the end of your book blurb. <br />
<br />
*I am NOT a good fit for military thrillers, were-creatures (unless lighthearted or tongue-in-cheek, e.g. <i>The X-Files</i> S10E3); horrotica; gory horror; eroticized non-consensual sex; or stories that perpetuate any form of discrimination.<br />
<br />
Follow Sione on <a href="http://twitter.com/writelearndream" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, check out her <a href="http://writelearndream.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SioneAeschlimanLLC" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, and ask her all your questions during her <b>#ShoreIndie #AskEditor sessions on Saturday, May 27th at 6pm ET and Tuesday, May 30th at 7pm ET.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-8810375388782073682017-05-06T12:16:00.000-04:002017-05-06T17:01:23.071-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Editor Carly Hayward<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z62rMZYSpJg/WN_oWVY8_gI/AAAAAAAABAs/jzrVnW7TcBk2BGz-FksiREh43uw15LmdQCLcB/s1600/Carly_BornsteinHayward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z62rMZYSpJg/WN_oWVY8_gI/AAAAAAAABAs/jzrVnW7TcBk2BGz-FksiREh43uw15LmdQCLcB/s1600/Carly_BornsteinHayward.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Carly Hayward</span></b>
is a developmental editor specializing in genre-fiction, including but
not limited to romance, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, erotica, and YA. Carly
will help you find your voice and bring your vision to the reader. She
will be your book’s best friend.<br />
<br />
She has worked in the publishing industry for 9 years, including at a
big 5 publishing house, a literary agency, and an indie publishing house
that helps self-publishing authors. Carly graduated Magna Cum Laude
with a B.A. in English. She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers
Association and Chicago Women in Publishing. Carly was a panelist at
Book Expo America 2016 and an editor for #RevPit and #P2P16.<br />
<br />
<b>For ShoreIndie 2017, Carly is excited to accept submissions that fit the following MSWL:</b><br />
<a name='more'></a> <br />
In YA, NA, and A, I basically accept everything (with a few exceptions). I love romance (all sub-genres), erotica, fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, magical realism, historical, and mystery. Didn’t I tell you I accept everything?<br />
<br />
The only things I DO NOT want are: nonfiction, horror, or contemporary (unless it has magical elements or is a retelling).<br />
<br />
Some elements that will make me flip: an immersive world, retellings based on mythology/fairy tales, time-travel, new twists on old tropes, LGBTQA characters, characters that are seriously flawed, and characters that are bibliophiles (although, to be fair, this is common because we are all bibliophiles).
<br />
<br />
Follow Carly on <a href="https://twitter.com/fromcarly" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, check out her <a href="http://booklighteditorial.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/booklighteditorial/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/booklighteditorial/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and ask her all your questions during her <b>#ShoreIndie #AskEditor sessions on Tuesday, May 30th at 6pm ET and Thursday, June 1st at 6pm ET.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-43587584046744545662017-05-06T12:14:00.000-04:002017-05-06T19:27:31.649-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Editor Elizabeth Buege<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-trqt_KYLrDA/WOB46MHdc7I/AAAAAAAABBI/3RqTW9tRUr8Ex4WmbIFEWLCDBQs1A7cpQCLcB/s1600/ElizabethB%2BPhoto%2B3-17%2BSquare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-trqt_KYLrDA/WOB46MHdc7I/AAAAAAAABBI/3RqTW9tRUr8Ex4WmbIFEWLCDBQs1A7cpQCLcB/s200/ElizabethB%2BPhoto%2B3-17%2BSquare.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Elizabeth Buege</b> is a Midwestern girl with a lifelong love of words. She graduated from the University of Northwestern—St. Paul with a B.A. in English writing and internship experience in nonprofit writing and book editing. She now teaches secondary writing classes for homeschool students through a local co-op, where her job is to help teens fall in love with words and learn to express critical thought clearly. Elizabeth also loves helping authors become better writers, so she offers book critiques and editing services at <a href="http://www.elizabethbuege.com/">elizabethbuege.com</a>, where she blogs writing tips and related topics to help authors grow in their craft. When she’s not editing books or grading research papers, she’s probably reading, writing, or enjoying the world around her.<br />
<br />
<b>For ShoreIndie 2017, Elizabeth is excited to accept...</b><br />
<a name='more'></a><ul>
<li>I’m open to YA and Adult entries. </li>
<li>Some of my favorite stories are speculative fiction—think fantasy, science fiction, and magic realism—but I’m pretty picky. It’s not the descriptions of your world-building or complex premises that draws me in—it’s a main character who feels like a real person with a compelling struggle. </li>
<li>I’m open to faith-based fiction of all genres (except the ones listed below) this spring. No cliches, though—if your story is overly allegorical or based off overused tropes, I’m happy to talk through it with you at some point but probably won’t pick it in this contest. I’d love to see authors writing characters who deal with faith issues in an honest, well-written way. </li>
<li>NO horror, erotica, or paranormal (zombies, demons, vampires and their friends are all out) for me in this contest. </li>
<li>It’s all about character! If I can’t tell from your blurb & pages who your character is as a person and what they need/want, I probably won’t pick your entry. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Follow Elizabeth on <a href="http://twitter.com/ekbuege" target="_blank">Twitter </a>, check out her <a href="http://elizabethbuege.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>, and ask her all your questions during her <b>#ShoreIndie #AskEditor sessions on Saturday, May 27th at 7pm ET and Thursday, June 1st at 7pm ET. </b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-77531244541916445342017-05-06T12:12:00.000-04:002017-05-06T17:02:50.895-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Editor Jeni Chappelle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBLlmTBs_IY/WN_iRPpngZI/AAAAAAAABAA/tXb9m_sW-40bu8Lnq-VOa2ubNdcuMBMLQCLcB/s1600/Jeni%2Bsquare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBLlmTBs_IY/WN_iRPpngZI/AAAAAAAABAA/tXb9m_sW-40bu8Lnq-VOa2ubNdcuMBMLQCLcB/s200/Jeni%2Bsquare.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Jeni Chappelle</b> is a freelance editor with eight years of editing experience and a lifetime of word nerdiness. She has worked on #P2P16, #RevPit, and now #ShoreIndie.<br />
<br />
Jeni and her husband used to own and run a little bookstore. Part of the plan for the store was to give local and self-published authors (much less common in those early days of Kindle!) a venue for their work. In 2009, one of their self-pub authors asked if Jeni could look over her new manuscript and give her opinion about its marketability with the bookstore’s customers. The feedback was extensive, the author was impressed, and Jeni was hooked!<br />
<br />
Most importantly, she learned that although she has the know-how to write a book, her real passion is helping writers bring their books out into the world. Editing is the perfect blend of her analytical skills and her creative spirit–it keeps both sides occupied so they’re not always fighting!<br />
<br />
Jeni lives in an itty-bitty town a few miles from Charlotte, NC with her family and a menagerie.<br />
<br />
<b>For ShoreIndie 2017, Jeni is excited to accept submissions that fit the following MSWL:</b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
What I’m really looking for is impeccable voice, characters I immediately connect to, and strong plot.<br />
<ul>
<li>I have eclectic tastes, so any genre works for me.</li>
<li>YA, NA, and Adult</li>
<li>Strong, natural voice and compelling characters are a must.</li>
<li>Fresh plot or a new twist on old favorites</li>
<li>Other editors would be a better choice for military-based plots, Christian fiction (especially apocalyptic or biblical), love triangles, or slasher-style horror. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Follow Jeni on <a href="http://twitter.com/jenichappelle" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, check out her <a href="http://www.jenichappelle.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/jenichappelle" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, and ask her all your questions during her <b>#ShoreIndie #AskEditor sessions on Monday, May 29th at 7pm ET and Friday, June 2nd at 5pm ET.</b> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-24094221638355830902017-05-06T12:10:00.000-04:002017-05-06T17:03:22.709-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Editor Rebecca Heyman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJP3pZWrxS0/WN_nimvgiwI/AAAAAAAABAk/hTleNUcgBOMnLC5vRabC31-HsXk2ioiWACLcB/s1600/IMG_8636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJP3pZWrxS0/WN_nimvgiwI/AAAAAAAABAk/hTleNUcgBOMnLC5vRabC31-HsXk2ioiWACLcB/s200/IMG_8636.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Rebecca Faith Heyman</b> started editing in 2007, while completing her Masters in English & American Literature at NYU. Her no-nonsense editing style is precise, spacious, honest, and compassionate, and has fostered countless collaborations with indie and traditionally published authors alike. Rebecca serves as an advisor to the board of Reedsy, a curated marketplace for book industry professionals and winner of the 2015 Futurebook award for BookTech Company of the Year, and is the founder/director of The Work Conference, an annual writers’ event in NYC. Notable releases (2017): <i>The Alchemists of Loom</i> (Kova, Silver Wing Press); <i>Queer, There and Everywhere</i> (Prager, HarperCollins); <i>Project Semicolon: Your Story Isn’t Over</i> (Bleuel, HarperCollins); <i>Welcome to the Slipstream</i> (Burian, Merit/Simon&Schuster); <i>Hot Mess</i> (Belden, Graydon House/Harlequin).<br />
<br />
<b>For ShoreIndie 2017, Becca is excited to receive submissions that fit the following MSWL:</b><br />
<a name='more'></a> <br />
For both adult and YA audiences, I'm looking for urban/contemporary fantasy (no high fantasy); historical fiction/historical romance; contemporary romance with strong female heroines and lots of consensual sexiness (no badly portrayed "dom" men who don't actually understand sub/dom culture, please and thank you); adult commercial fiction; and contemporary YA. I am particularly interested in the compassionate representation of mental illness, LGBTQ+, and underrepresented identities/cultures that reflect an author's reality.<br />
<br />
Manuscript word count MUST be at or below 90k words for consideration -- I will automatically reject anything over 90k, no exceptions.<br />
<br />
If your manuscript opens with a character waking up, or relies heavily on amnesia/forgotten memories/nightmares, please DO NOT send it to me.<br />
<br />
Follow Becca on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://twitter.com/RFaithEditorial&source=gmail&ust=1491151323443000&usg=AFQjCNFXI2f0aA9bFQMIk-Lv7qq2HGrUaQ" href="https://twitter.com/RFaithEditorial" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, check out her <a href="http://rebeccafaitheditorial.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> and her writers' conference, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://theworkconference.com&source=gmail&ust=1491151323444000&usg=AFQjCNGOQkUOFWA86yMryzFX1EaSR0ggqg" href="http://theworkconference.com/" target="_blank">The Work Conference</a>, and ask her all your questions during her <b>#ShoreIndie #AskEditor sessions on Monday, May 29th at 8pm ET and Wednesday, May 31st at 8pm ET.</b> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-79787047345508983722017-05-06T12:08:00.000-04:002017-05-06T17:03:56.757-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Editor Cynthia Luna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOCmIgeqUQw/WN_g-1MYLGI/AAAAAAAAA_0/pGQRvXBEreA-S8Gqhbs410CW9gshpRCFACLcB/s1600/CLuna%2Bphoto.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOCmIgeqUQw/WN_g-1MYLGI/AAAAAAAAA_0/pGQRvXBEreA-S8Gqhbs410CW9gshpRCFACLcB/s200/CLuna%2Bphoto.png" width="200" /></a></div>
As a marketer and linguist, <b>Cynthia T. Luna</b> has been editing and reviewing people's writing for more than 10 years. She began editing works of fiction in earnest with her brother's debut novel. Since then, she has helped several new and seasoned writers structure their books to be better calling cards for their businesses and advised indie authors on ways to structure and develop their stories. If there's only one thing Cynthia has learned while editing it's this: good writing emerges during edits!<br />
<br />
In fiction, Cynthia most recently completed edits for a couple of young adult romance novels. In nonfiction, she rounded the corners of an upcoming book for indie authors on writing better villains. Cynthia wrote and self-published <i>The Aspiring Author's Guide: Write Your Marketing Strategy</i> (2016) for indie authors. And she contributes semi-regularly to her own blog, LivinginCyn.com.<br />
<br />
Cynthia earned an M.Sc. in Public Relations (with distinction) from Boston University College of Communication and holds a B.A. in French Language & Literature (summa cum laude) from University of Maryland, College Park. Born in Trinidad, she grew up in Washington, D.C., and today lives in Winterthur, Switzerland. In her free time, Cynthia loves to read, binge watch Netflix series, eat delicious foods, take long walks in nature with her husband and travel.<br />
<br />
<b>For ShoreIndie 2017, Cynthia is excited to accept...</b><br />
<a name='more'></a> <br />
Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult fiction with female characters who are going through a marked change. Action/Adventure, Upmarket commercial, Espionage, Humor, LGBTQ, Literary, Magic realism (if your story has a voodoo priestess or a downtrodden psychic, fine; if it’s loaded with shapeshifters and vampires, it’s probably not my bag), Romance, Women’s Fiction (especially from marginalized voices).<br />
<br />
Whether your project is adult, YA or NA, I hold the same criteria in reviewing your work: incredible voice, good pacing, compelling characters who grow--and maybe even transform. I strongly believe we need diverse books and am looking for an authentic representation of all characters.<br />
<br />
Follow Cynthia on <a href="http://twitter.com/CynthiaTLuna" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, check out her <a href="http://www.livingincyn.com/about/c-t-luna-editor/" target="_blank">Website</a>, and ask her all your questions during her <b>#ShoreIndie #AskEditor session on Wednesday, May 31st at 3pm ET.</b> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-14543039259177312282017-05-06T12:06:00.000-04:002017-05-28T15:52:07.074-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Editor Katie McCoach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4mglN0lH7I/WN_jwDHZBdI/AAAAAAAABAM/JZaxduX7oyIoYlcSUh0ulA47iKfuhx_kwCLcB/s1600/Katie%2BApril%2B2016%2B1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4mglN0lH7I/WN_jwDHZBdI/AAAAAAAABAM/JZaxduX7oyIoYlcSUh0ulA47iKfuhx_kwCLcB/s200/Katie%2BApril%2B2016%2B1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Katie McCoach</span></b> is a developmental editor working with authors of all levels. Her motto is, “Let’s create your best story!” Her specialties are romance, young adult, new adult, sci-fi, fantasy, and memoir. She is an active member of Romance Writers of America, Contemporary Romance Writers, and Los Angeles Romance Writers. She’s a featured editor for Revise & Resub (#RevPit contest) and #ShoreIndie contest (2017). Katie was also a participating editor in Pitch to Publication (2015, 2016), and has judged the 2016 & 2015 Golden Hearts Awards and 2014 Stiletto Contest. She is based in Los Angeles.<br />
<br />
<b>For ShoreIndie 2017, Katie is excited to receive submission that fit the following MSWL:</b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I am all about character-driven stories with strong voices. The main character can be unlikeable, as long as they are compelling and readers can understand/relate to their actions, even if they don’t agree with them.<br />
<br />
I also love tension between characters. Whether they are love interests, best-friends, enemies, or parents & children. Maybe your book features unlikely characters are on a journey together. I think there’s a huge need right now for stories about friendship. So, I’d love to see a YA or NA story about a building friendship between two or three characters with very different backgrounds and views on world. I’d especially like it if this friendship formed through unexpected means.<br />
<br />
I’m also interested in romances—possibly two people falling in love despite how much they disliked each other to start. Or a love triangle. Or even reverse harem.<br />
<br />
I do tend to lean toward strong, independent female characters. BUT there is a <i>world</i> of voices we haven’t heard from yet, and I want to work on those stories. Fresh, unique, diverse voices. I read to experience emotion, learn something new, or view things in a perspective I haven’t before.<br />
<br />
*I’d also be happy to work on the first book in a series.<br />
<br />
I want to see stories in the following age categories and genres:<br />
<br />
<b>Adult</b>: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Upmarket Fiction, Suspense<br />
<b>YA & NA</b>: Contemporary, Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Speculative, Retellings, Dystopian<br />
<br />
<i><b>Not</b></i> interested in: Historical, Horror, Erotica (different than erotic romance), Epic Fantasy, Paranormal, MG or younger
<br />
<br />
Follow Katie on <a href="https://twitter.com/katiemccoach" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, check out her <a href="http://www.katiemccoach.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KatieMcCoachEditorial/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, and ask her all your questions during her <b>#ShoreIndie #AskEditor sessions on Sunday, May 28th at 2pm and Tuesday, May 30th at 5pm.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105340577746287121.post-12249011180945894322017-05-06T12:04:00.000-04:002017-05-06T16:58:40.334-04:00Meet ShoreIndie Editor Kyra Nelson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6SHRDR9ifyA/WN_mV4PuniI/AAAAAAAABAY/WXOwIsKBsTEl3rEks0s3qcw2eXoXk8QJQCLcB/s1600/profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6SHRDR9ifyA/WN_mV4PuniI/AAAAAAAABAY/WXOwIsKBsTEl3rEks0s3qcw2eXoXk8QJQCLcB/s200/profile.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<b>Kyra Nelson</b> is a YA author and freelance editor. She earned her BA in English language and Editing from Brigham Young University before completing her MA there in linguistics. She is now pursuing a degree in applied linguistics from Northern Arizona University. Before becoming a freelance editor, Kyra spent several years interning at a literary agency and working in house for various publications. She has also taught university courses in composition, grammar, and editing.<br />
<br />
Kyra is a recurring character on the YA WordNerds vlog. She likes keeping busy whether she's reading, writing, baking, hiking, playing violin, or just goofing off with friends. Kyra loves adventure, even if it's a small adventure like roasting Starbursts over the open flame of her stove top.<br />
<br />
<b>For ShoreIndie 2017, Kyra is excited to receive submissions that fit the following MSWL: </b><br />
<a name='more'></a><ul>
<li>YA is my main jam. I read anything and everything YA. All subgenres welcome! Especially historical fiction and fantasy. </li>
<li>Adult: I'm picky with my adult books. Please only send contemporary or historical fiction. I'm not a good fit for adult speculative fiction (I don't read enough of it to help you!). Some adult books I love include <i>Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Girl You Left Behind, The Thirteenth Tale</i>, and <i>The Rent Collector</i>. </li>
<li>No manuscripts over 100,000 words. </li>
<li>No erotica, please. I don't edit books with graphic sex. (Fade to black sex scenes are fine.) </li>
<li>I love funny books. If your book is funny, please send it to me. Also sass. I'm all about that sass. </li>
<li>Diversity! This includes LGBT+, religious, body type, and disability representation. </li>
<li>I love historical fiction. Here are some time periods/ events I would especially love to see: French Revolution, American Revolution, Mughal India, Heian or Edo periods Japan, pre-Imperial Russia, Incan or Aztec Empire, 1950s, ancient Persia, ancient Greece, and ancient Egypt. </li>
<li> Other random things I would love: Geek culture romance (<i>The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You, All the Feels</i>), wordplay, enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, characters with interesting extracurricular activities, an ensemble of misfits, unreliable narrators, anything that can be compared to a Taylor Swift music video. </li>
<li> I am NOT a good fit for books with: a portal that takes the main character to a new world, third person present POV, insta-love, fairy tale retellings (retellings of classic literature are fine!), or animal protagonists.</li>
</ul>
Follow Kyra on <a href="http://twitter.com/kyramnelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, check out her <a href="http://kyramnelson.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>, and ask her all your questions during her <b>#ShoreIndie #AskEditor sessions on Wednesday, May 31st at 7pm ET and Friday, June 2nd at 8pm ET.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0