WRITER, SPEAKER, PUBLISHER & QUILTER: A WOMAN OF MANY TALENTS
February 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Quilting, romance, writing, Writing Something Romantic
Debra Dixon has published with major publishers, written ten books, contributed to twelve anthologies, and served as Vice President of RWA, and her popular GMC:Goal, Motivation, and Conflict workshop spawned a book that has become a how-to bible for writers.
These days, she’s better known as Publisher for BelleBooks and its imprint Bell Bridge Books, which tackles a broad spectrum of genres in both print and ebook formats. A 2011 company highlight was holding the # 1 spot on the full Paid Kindle list for more than two weeks. Their titles have been picked up in translation and by major New York publishers in subrights deals for mass market paperback, book club, audio and large print. The company has published work from NYT’s bestselling authors: Anne Bishop, Susan Addison Allen, Deborah Smith, Sharon Sala, Sabrina Jeffries, Sandra Hill, Jill Marie Landis, and Jill Barnett. As well as USA Today bestseller Kalayna Price.
Debra lives in the South with her husband and son. When she’s not working in publishing or Corporate America, she moonlights as an award-winning quilter. The current home-remodeling-project-that-will-not-end began because Debra thought it would be nice to have a quilt studio for her art.
Jann: We’re starting February out with a bang!! The phenomenal Debra Dixon, is here with us today.
Jann: Let’s take a look back. How long had you been writing before you published your first romance Tall, Dark and Lonesome? Why the romance genre?
Debra: I had written all of my life, but seriously submitting fantasy for a few years before switching to the romance genre. I read romance as well as many other genres, and I’d met someone at a dog show of all things who was going through her page proofs. I thought, ‘Gee, an everyday real person is published in romance. Maybe I should try that.’ I joined RWA, one of the few professional writing groups that allowed unpublished authors to join. Shortly after that I found an agent. Carin Rafferty came to my city and founded the River City Romance Writers. That was my signal to really invest in romance because I had a support group and an agent! I went to conferences and the rest is history or some small dark corner of history.
Jann: In 1996 you published GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict. This phenomenal book is on my bookshelf and is mentioned in the majority of writing workshops I’ve attended. I’ve been privileged to hear two of your workshops based on this book. What was the motivation for you to write this book (no pun intended)?
Debra: I gave this workshop at my local chapter in a much abbreviated format when I was still an unpublished author. They’d told me they needed me to come speak about plot. Then I had to figure out the “how” of plot for me. Those writers told people, and I started getting requests for the workshop. Then a very tiny company who specialized in books for writers came to me and badgered me to write a book. I kept telling them, “No one is going to buy this book. I don’t think this is a good idea for your investment.” Well, they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They were very clear that they wanted the book to be almost a conversation. They absolutely did not want the book to be stuffy, ponderous or pedantic. I had to revise to get the tone right, but I’m so happy now that they had a clear vision for the kind of book that GMC should be.
Jann: With your writing career in full swing, you decided to open a small press with seven other authors—and BellBooks, Inc. was founded in 1999. Since then Bell Bridge Books and ImaJinn Books joined the family. In this constantly changing world of publication, what bits of wisdom can you share with today’s writers—both published and unpublished.
Debra: I’m so sorry to trot out the obvious, but “write.” Write a lot. Keep writing, improving. Building an audience is great, but if you can’t feed that audience they’ll wander off and forget you. I can’t say how many books to write a year because every writer has a different ability to output and writing a 150k word fantasy takes a little more time than a 70k word mystery, etc. But writers should think long term and plan to put out books as frequently as they can write a GOOD book. We see most successful authors today have found a way to engage with their readers in an authentic way through a variety of social media. And then read. Read a lot. Most of all I’d say there is no ONE path. Every writer has a different idea of what success looks like. Enjoying the process is always good advice. Don’t be afraid to carve out your own path that looks quite different from someone else’s.
Jann: Do you see writing another romance in the future?
Debra: I occasionally fantasize about writing the most awesome Regency historical <g> or other project, but the reality is that I have authors who are counting on me to do my job and put their books first. So, I don’t think I’m going to find the time to write anything in the near future.
Jann: As a Publisher, public speaker, and a writer your schedule must be full. Do you have time to travel? Would you share some of your favorite travel adventures.
Debra: Not much time to travel for pleasure! We do take the occasional road trip. Hubby loves to drive, and I’m fortunate to be able to read, knit, and play on the iPad in the car! My favorite story about traveling to speak, is one time before cell phones were ubiquitous. When I landed in a foreign country, no one was there to pick me up. (My designated handler was stuck in a horrible 2-hour long traffic jam unbeknownst to me or anyone else.) When I called the hotel to check on a shuttle, they didn’t have the event on their schedule. (The group had changed the venue and never told me.) So there I was—marooned in a foreign land (Canada). Okay, so they spoke English, but it was pretty funny trying to figure out where to go or what to do. I finally tracked people down at the restaurant after managing to sweet talk the phone number for the old Workshop Chairman out of the cancelled hotel. She was no longer a member of the chapter, but she gave me some phone numbers. Then those numbers led to the restaurant. They were amazed I could find them. So was I. LOL! Thank heavens for the rental car place that let me tie up their phone!
Jann: Do you have a bucket list of future destinations?
Debra: I’d like to go back to Australia and New Zealand. Maybe spend a month in Italy just eating cheese, olives, and bread! My uncle does adventure vacations to unbelievable places in the world, and every time we get a chance to sit with him and go through his slides of a trip, it’s almost like we’ve been there! He’s even been to base camp at Everest. I’m not sure I want to adventure vacation and climb mountains. I really like the traditional “sleep late, what are we eating tonight?” vacations!
Jann: Do you still find the time to quilt? Do you have any pictures you can share?
Debra: Yes, quilting is my stress relief! I quilt every day, even if it’s only ten minutes. Sometimes it’s handwork, sometimes it’s working on the machine or designing the next quilt. Never ask a quilter if they have pictures…you’ll be there all day. But I’ll limit to applique, a pieced quilt, and a bag I made to carry around my knitting.
The applique quilt with the vase of flowers is one I’m working on hand quilting now. This is an original quilt design with the exception of the vase and flowers. Those are adapted from the line drawing of another quilter—Sandra Leichner.
Next is a pieced sampler (teal & brown) that I finished sewing the binding on when my husband was in the hospital. (Yep, I even took quilting to the hospital.) And for those who really are curious, here’s a link to a little photo tour of my quilt studio.
Jann: Thanks Debra for being here with us on A Slice of Orange and sharing bits of wisdom and your lovely quilting.
Jann Ryan grew up with the smell of orange blossoms in Orange County in sunny Southern California, where she has lived her entire life and dreamed up stories since she was a young girl. Never an avid reader, she was in her thirties when she picked up her first romance quite by accident. She fell in love with happily ever after and has been reading romances ever since.
Wanting to put pen to paper, Jann joined of Romance Writers of America®. Currently, she is working on a romantic suspense series set in Stellar Bay, a fictitious town along the California central coast to fulfill her publishing dream. Jann is also a member of Writing Something Romantic critique group.
Tari Lynn Jewett: February Featured Author
February 1, 2018 by marianne h donley in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Debut Author, Featured author, romantic comedy, Tari Lynn Jewett
A Slice of Orange is please to announce Tari Lynn Jewett‘s debut novel: #PleaseSayYes.
#PleaseSayYes is a romantic comedy to be released on February 13, 2018 as a part of Romance Collections Love Me Tender: A Limited Edition Collection of Sweet Romances. In addition to Tari’s story, you will find thirteen other sweet and endearing love stories that will warm your heart, fill you with joy and remind you the true meaning of what it is to fall in love.
We hope you will all take a moment to congratulate Tari on her debut novel.
The Love Me Tender box set is available for pre-order below (just hover over the book cover).
Tari Lynn Jewett lives in Arizona just off Route 66 with her husband of more than thirty years (aka Hunky Hubby). They have 3 amazing sons, and 2 beautiful grandsons. For more than fifteen years Tari wrote freelance for magazines and newspapers, wrote television commercials, radio spots, numerous press releases, and many, MANY PTA newsletters. As much as she loved writing those things, she always wanted to write fiction…and now she is.
Tari writes light, fun romcoms, but she is also working on a historical women’s fiction series set in the Los Angeles area, spanning from the late 1920’s to the ‘50’s. These are darker, edgier full length novels.
A voracious reader, Tari’s favorite treat is to turn off her phone and computer and curl up with an un-put-downable book.
She also believes in happily-ever-afters,
…because she’s living hers.
Website: http://tarilynnjewett.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/tarilynnjewett
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/tarilynnjewett
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/tari-lynn-jewett
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tarilynnjewett/
Facebook Group Tari Lynn & Friends: https://www.facebook.com/groups/501972056849831
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarilynnjewett/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TariLynnJewett
Dear Extra Squeeze Team: Can I Publish with Amazon and Submit That Same Book to a Traditional Publisher?
January 31, 2018 by The Extra Squeeze in category The Extra Squeeze by The Extra Squeeze Team tagged as Hybrid Publishing, Indie vs. Traditional, publishing, The Extra Squeeze Team
Dear Extra Squeeze Team: I asked a published writer if one could publish with Amazon and submit that same book to a traditional publisher.
She said, “Yes, and if your book is accepted for publication, you then take it off Amazon.”
I’ve wondered if this is true. Can an Indie writer do this?
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Rebecca Forster
USA Today Bestselling author of 35 books, including the Witness series and the new Finn O’Brien series.
Love the question. Here’s the answer. An indie author can do anything she darn well pleases.
Now ask the really important question: should she do it?
When I first started writing, I was rather impatient. Against the ‘rules’ I submitted to editors and agents simultaneously. My thinking was this: if an editor replied an agent would love to take me on because the hard work was done and if an agent replied first they would be happy to follow up with an editor who already had the manuscript. It all worked out fine. I sold my first book without an agent, got picked up by an agent because I had a deal, and life went on without a backlash or wrist slap. The strategy was mutually agreeable because the same book was being pitched and would benefit everyone on the food chain. Fast forward. Traditional publishers are now trolling the Internet for books that are doing well, they are signing hybrid deals and they are more open to creative publishing than ever before. However, if you break it down it looks like this.
1) A hybrid deal is not made for the same book but for unique material for each platform (i.e. one series for the traditional publisher and another for indie publication).
2) When a publisher picks up a successful digital book, the rights then are sold to the publisher and the author is no longer both an indie and traditional author. The indie books catch a traditional publisher’s eye earn their way into those deals by having great reviews and sales.
Therefore, if you have published your book on Amazon and submitted it to a traditional house you have put yourself in a risky position. The first thing an editor will do is look to see how many reviews you have and what the sales rank of the book is. If you have few reviews – and worse, bad reviews – and a sales rank in the high six figures your query will go into the round file.
My advice would be to determine your goals. Do you want to gain author cred by being published traditionally, or do you want creative freedom and a good chance of making decent money off your writing? Decide that before you actually do anything.
So, can you simultaneously publish and pitch? Sure you can. Would I do it? Nope. Traditional publishers have too much information at their fingertips. If you publish that book and the results are lackluster there is no incentive to pick you up.
I say set goals, create content appropriate for each opportunity and follow a focused plan to get the notice you want.
Robin Blakely
PR/Business Development coach for writers and artists; CEO, Creative Center of America; member, Forbes Coaches Council.
The published author has correctly answered your question, but only from a literal standpoint.
The issue is more complicated than it appears. The published author answered a simple question simply… without fully explaining the deeper details that need to be understood. You probably wondered if it could possibly be true because it seems too easy. Your intuition is correct that there is more to it, and it is good that you are questioning the information to find out more.
From my perspective, the real rabbit hole in this scenario is about the transparent status of the book BEFORE you offer to sell it to the publisher, not the issue of what to do with the work AFTER a publisher has agreed to purchase it. The publisher, the buyer of your created content, needs to be fully aware of your product’s real status in the marketplace when considering your work. It’s kind of like the notion that you have the right to know if the shiny car you are buying is new, used, or something in-between, like never driven, but hail-damaged. If your work is or has been for sale on Amazon, that is information that the traditional publisher has the right to know when the work is being considered by that publishing house.
There is no harm, no foul in asking what is required here or what is possible. Publishing is a mysterious business sometimes and it is hard to know what the rules are. In any business world the best practice is to shine a bright light on whatever seems unclear. I think that the question you really may be asking—or should be asking—is this: “If I decide to submit my book to a traditional publisher, do I have to tell the publisher that the book is already available online under my own name, or under a pen name, or under a different title?” The answer is “Yes.”
Jenny Jensen
Developmental editor who has worked for twenty plus years with new and established authors of both fiction and non-fiction, traditional and indie.
There is one fixed rule about today’s publishing industry: the rules are always changing. You can count on that. Not that many years ago an author who submitted their work to two different publishers at the same time had committed an unredeemable faux pas. Simultaneous submission, or double submission, was enough to get an author blackballed. This query sounds a bit like making a simultaneous submission, but the rules have changed, the playing field is radically different.
Publishers no longer hold all the power. Anyone can offer their work on Amazon, Nook, Smashwords. If your book has a compelling premise, is well written, well edited, well formatted, well designed, and well marketed, then you have a product that could catch the eye of a traditional publisher. It’s happened before.
Amanda Hocking, Louise Voss, J. Carson Black are examples. The strength of their writing propelled their independently published books to No. 1 sellers, which caught the attention of traditional publishers who then offered these writers deals to publish future work. In the case of Louise Voss her successful indie book Catch Your Death was also reprinted and redistributed traditionally. That’s the only example I know of where a traditional publisher re-released an indie success. You can look at it as Voss’s indie serving as an audition that won her a traditional book contract.
If an author publishes their own work and then submits that same work to a Random House type imprint I don’t see where that is against the rules that are ever changing. I would suggest that they be up front about the indie offer. And it would be smart to hold off seeking a traditional publisher until the indie book has garnered a sales record and favorable reviews. A measure of success with an indie book not only showcases the writer’s talents but also their marketability.
H.O. Charles
Cover designer and author of the fantasy series, The Fireblade Array
Yes, you can submit your book to a publisher even if it is already on sale on Amazon. It is up to you how you negotiate the terms of the deal they offer (if they offer one). Some writers keep their existing back catalogue self-published, but only give the publisher the rights to sell later books. I understand that is what fantasy author Daniel Dalglish did with Orbit. There is another thing to consider, however, and that is your book may appear less attractive to a publisher if it has already been published, but either doesn’t sell well/is not well-received, or is already too widely distributed and they feel they cannot make money from it. If you’re someone like E.L. James, however, that’s not as much of a problem!
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Do you have a writing or publishing question?
Send them to the Extra Squeeze Team!
https://www.asliceoforange.net/contact/the-extra-squeeze/
Ever wonder what industry professionals think about the issues that can really impact our careers? Each month The Extra Squeeze features a fresh topic related to books and publishing.
Amazon mover and shaker Rebecca Forster and her handpicked team of book professionals offer frank responses from the POV of each of their specialties — Writing, Editing, PR/Biz Development, and Cover Design.
Surviving Danger by Kat Martin
January 30, 2018 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Guest Posts, Spotlight tagged as best-seller lists, bestselling romance, historical, intrigue, newly released, romance, romantic suspense, Suspense, women's fiction
Surviving Danger
As a writer, I’m always looking for new story ideas. I often find that past experiences can be a great help. Have you ever survived a dangerous situation? How did you do it?
When I was first learning to snow ski, I got caught after dark on top of Stowe Mountain in Vermont. It’s a huge ski area. It was my first day on skis and, somehow I got separated from my friends. I wound up on a black diamond run and of course I started falling—throwing myself down in the snow was the only way I knew how to stop!
By the time I got half way down the mountain, the ski lifts had all stopped running and it was dark and freezing cold. I tried taking off my skis and walking, but the snow was deep, and it was even harder than trying to ski. I knew I was in big trouble.
Maybe the reason I started writing Romantic Suspense had something to do with that day. Just when I was ready to give up and just wait for whatever was going to happen to happen, a guy came skiing down the hill out of nowhere.
Instead of skiing on by, he swished to a stop right next to me. He must have realized I was in trouble and if I didn’t get down the mountain, I could die in the subzero weather that night. The guy—my hero—helped me get up and start “skiing” back down the mountain. He showed me how to snow plow, helped me turn and never left me, no matter how many times I fell.
It took hours to get off that mountain. We wound up in an empty parking lot, where I his car was parked, and he drove me back to the main lodge where my friends were waiting. I never saw him again, but I’ve never forgotten him. There is a chance he might have saved my life that night.
So, I guess there really are heroes out there in the real world. At least I believe that. Beau Reese, the hero in BEYOND DANGER, is that kind of guy.
Mega-rich, black-haired, and blue-eyed, Beau was a highly successful race car driver before he left the circuit, sort of a Texas Paul Newman. Beau loves fast cars and fast women, but under it all he’s a one-woman man and Cassidy Jones is just the right woman for him.
Unfortunately, Beau is wanted for murder.
The good news is, Cassidy is a detective. She’s convinced of Beau’s innocence and determined to prove it.
I hope you’ll watch for BEYOND DANGER, and in June, you’ll look for BEYOND CONTROL, Josh Cain’s story. If you haven’t read BEYOND REASON, I hope you’ll give it a try.
Till next time, all best and happy reading, Kat
Bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, in Missoula, Montana, Kat has written sixty eight Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Her last novel, INTO THE FIRESTORM, took the #7 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list. This will be the 15th novel in a row to be included on that prestigious list. Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.
A Dashing Valentine
January 26, 2018 by A Slice of Orange in category Things That Make Me Go Mmmrrh . . . by Geralyn Corcillo tagged as Anthony Andrews, Baroness Orczy, Jane Seymour, romance, Scarlett, Scarlett Pimpernel, Valentine, Valentine's
As Valentine’s Day approaches, will you be looking for something achingly romantic to read? Throughout my life, I’ve read so many romantic stories, and some have stayed with me … probably because I have re-read them so many times! But probably the most romantic book, the one that fueled so many of my romantic dreams as I was growing up, is … drumroll, please … The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. I read it when I was in 6th grade. I can still remember going to our school’s library, checking it out, and sitting down to read as much of it as I could before English class was over and I had to go to social studies. My house was pretty noisy as a kid, so I remember heading out to the old swing set in the back yard and sitting on the teeter totter to read through to the exciting and swoon-worthy finish.
I had recently seen the 1982 TV movie starring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour, and it swept me away – so in the days of no Netflix, Amazon, or even VCRs, I got the book so I could keep re-living the tale. Since then, I have re-watched the Anthony Andrews version a number of times. I have also seen the 1934 version with Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon and the 1999 version with Richard E. Grant and Elizabeth McGovern. I have even seen the stage musical. But the book features moments of heart-fluttering romance and dashing derring-do not included in any of the dramatizations I’ve seen.
This season of love is a perfect time to re-visit the old classic or read it for the very first time (I am so jealous of you if you get to enjoy this one for the very first time!) Or watch any of the film versions – the Andrews/Seymour version is, by far, my favorite. And in this version, a young Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, plays the King of England. The Scarlett Pimpernel is available in libraries and readily available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. Enjoy!
Geralyn Corcillo
loves getting reviews that say “I will re-read this…” or “I know I will read this again and again…” because then she knows that she has provided a bit of magic for a reader – the kind of magic she has been getting from books her whole life! Chat with Geralyn on her Facebook page by commenting on her many posts – she will comment back – she loves to connect with readers!
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