Rumblings and Rumours

O what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive.*

The more authors dig under the cockygate saga rocks, the more slimy practices are being exposed. They seem to be going in a circle as David Gaughran has sleuthed a connecting rod from one chancer to another.  Book Stuffing - a scam to fool the page read algorithm so the author can grab more from the pot of money in Kindle Unlimited gets a close look. 

Following closely on this is the bribery and the bullying tactics being placed on readers. This hurts everyone in your genre. We want to nurture our readers not pillory them.

Kris Rusch has written an interesting post on learned helplessness.  Do you suffer from it? Have you got fixed in your mind that you need to have help to achieve in your writing career? Many writers actually suffer from it though they might not know it. 

Stephen Pressfield is writing a new book on the writers journey.  He's writing it as a serial on his blog first. Stephen is pretty famous for his writing book, The War of Art, which is a fabulous read. Take a look at some of his serial entries.

Now that Book Expo is over, the analysis of the new format begins. Separating the rights area off from the main display hall might have been a sound idea in theory but in practice...

Publishing Perspectives looks at what they got right, what they got wrong and where to next for these big book expo's. 

Bookbub looks at all the shiny new marketing tactics on display there.

The Author's Guild is like the American version of the Society of Authors. They have been changing their way of operating to make it more responsive to its members needs. Regional chapters and a help desk with a direct line into Amazon have made writers sit up and take notice.

There are rumblings and rumours about whether Amazon is winding down Createspace in favour of KDP Print. Nate Hoffelder takes a look at what might be happening within the world of Amazon Print On Demand.

As the Northern Hemisphere slides into summer, thoughts turn to all the big writing conventions that happen over summer.  Gail Carriger has the must pack list for authors who are planning their professional development trips.

In The Craft Section,

Are sneaky plot holes lurking in your story- Jami Gold- Bookmark

Writing exposition in your science fiction novel

How writing romantic and fight scenes are the same- Now Novel-

Bookmark

What to do when there is no clear antagonist- Janice Hardy

Writing rules vs Writing Guidelines- Anne R Allen- Bookmark

A cop reveals how to write a realistic crime scene

In The Marketing Section,

How do you work out what your brand mantra is?

Turning your readers into fans- Bookworks- Bookmark

5 tips for getting a non fiction deal- C S Lakin

6 book marketing lessons from the big guys- Bookbuzz- Bookmark

5 ways to build your local market- Indie Reader

To Finish,

Kate Krake has listed 52 fears of writers. Who knew we were such a fearful lot?  Naming your fear and confronting it can help. Spending too much time worrying about your writing fears can paralyze you. 

Check out this post by Ann Kroeker on filling and stilling your mind so that you can cope with your writer fears.

Maureen

@craicer

In my monthly newsletter, I round up the best of the bookmarked craft and marketing links as well as some other bits and pieces. When you subscribe you also get a nifty book crammed full with marketing notes. If you just want to say thanks for the blog you can hit the coffee button up top... Thanks.

Pic: Flicker Creative Commons- Steve Glover

 * Walter Scott

The Publishing Playground

Throughout the week I have been watching the same old issues make the publishing news... I thought we would be over #cockygate by now but NO we got #tiffanygate. A judge heard the opening arguments over why the trademarked word  cocky should stand... and ruled against but it doesn't stop there.

Jami Gold writes why every author and reader should care about this case and it does make sobering reading. You do need to read what she says.

While we are in the realms of people not playing nice with others, David Gaughran, (tireless justice warrior of the oppressed author) has taken a look at the new rules that Amazon has just rolled out over how much promotional material should be allowed in books. To save you scratching your head... promotional materials are extras outside of your actual story. If you include a chapter from your next book... sign up pages, pictures of all your other books... bonus chapters... whole complete other books the reader wasn't expecting.

The new rules are an attempt to stop story stuffing- where savvy or unscrupulous authors stuff hundreds of pages into their books to gain more page reads and game the page read payout system. However Dave points out some scams that Amazon seems to have overlooked.

Anne R Allen has highlighted a few more scams that are targeting authors so take a look and be prepared to warn newbies about them. Because we are all nice supportive members of the publishing community aren't we....

This leads on to something I have been closely involved with... the announcing of the shortlist for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. I am one of the five judges this year who have been reading all the books submitted since December. And it was really tough. The two authors on the panel of five were left in awe of just how good the writers are in New Zealand. When you see book after book at such a high standard it makes you look at your own work with a more critical eye. Which is only a good thing. Settling on the shortlist was not easy. It is an experience I think all writers should do at least once. Either that or make it a priority to read the shortlist books and a few extra in your genre to see what I'm talking about. It is an education in the craft.

Over the years of the Indie publishing rise and rise, Traditional publishers have hung onto their flagship authors almost as a last bastion of their castle walls. Indie authors who have had great success, after being dumped in the great contraction of publishing houses earlier this decade, have warned that it was only a matter of time before Amazon snagged a big writer. So Patricia Cornwell's move to Amazon took some people by surprise but not the Indie community- A new flagship series is on the cards for her fans.

Debbie Young of The Alliance of Independent Authors blog has a plea for all the writers out there. Don't neglect to learn your craft. Marketing won't save a bad book. She details what you should be looking at in your own writing to work out how to improve.

In The Craft Section,

Examples of foreshadowing- Harvey Chapman- Bookmark

The Writers Spice cabinet - James Scott Bell

Use Theme to determine subplots- Amanda Rawson Hill-Bookmark

Crafting characters- Jean Hall

10 simple tips for plot twists- WritersEdit

Two great posts from Reedsy How to recognise Chekovs Gun and a Character profile template.- Bookmark

How to craft high impact scenes- Go Teen Writer

In The Marketing Section,

Creative ways to use images- Bookbub- Bookmark

4r's of ranking a book with category selection- Draft2digital

Website tools to build your email list

Podcasting for authors- Suz Kelman

When and how to change your title- Dave Chesson (Dave has a great podcast too)

Simple tips to create video content- Penny Sansevieri

To Finish,

Sometimes you just need to get back to why you are writing in the first place. An inspirational quote can put things in perspective and help you refocus away from negativity. Now Novel has collected some wonderful quotes to challenge and inspire you.

Go forth and conquer....

Maureen

@craicer

 In my monthly newsletter, coming this weekend, I round up the best of the bookmarked craft and marketing links as well as some other bits and pieces. When you subscribe you will also get a nifty book crammed full with marketing notes. If you just want to say thanks for the blog you can hit the coffee button up top... Thanks.

Pic: Flicker Creative Commons- Elliot Brown