How do we grow as a writer? Or a better question is how do we track that growth?
I’m not talking about sales numbers or something easily trackable. I’m talking more about goals for our inner selves.
My word for 2024 is grow. And I have had a hard time finding things related to that word to motivate me specifically in my writing. Quotes or examples of that word playing out throughout the day. Last year was change and that was no problem. In fact this year could’ve been change, too. And there are so many more quotes related to change, than there is grow.
Yet change is what helps you grow. And when I took this picture, it occurred to me how much I have grown. It’s just difficult to see it.
This past week, I cleaned out a large stack of papers. What would seem like a very easy toss was not. It represented the entire set of printed papers of all the different versions my story went through before it became a published book.
Twelve years worth.
I don’t need them anymore. But when I look at this stack I see where it all began and what it then became.
When I started this writing journey I had no idea what I was doing. I read a lot of books and had story ideas, but how did you actually write one?
I started out by joining a writing group that held workshops every month and online classes. Then I joined a few more and took more classes. I printed out scenes. Had writing friends review. I then worked on sections during these online classes. I entered contests (a lot) and printed out all the feedback. Some was hard to accept, but I’d come back stronger and try again.
I’m not sure what drove me. God, definitely. He never gave up on the story He wanted me to write. I also wanted to follow through with what I started.
To read some of my early early scenes helps me see how far I’ve come. How I wrote scenes over and over again to find the words people would want to read. I also found some gems in side notes that came from those classes (I did save a few of those).
I most likely won’t print out pages like this with future books. Or if I do, I toss as soon as I’m done. I trust myself and what I’m doing more. But I won’t have this huge stack to remind me of all the work and change and growth that went into writing my story.
It’s now time to say goodbye to this stack, but I took a picture to remind me that anything worth doing is a journey. A process. I’m really thankful for all of it. I don’t think I’d change a thing.
Denise’s first novel, When Plans Go Awry, published June 4, 2024 and can be purchased on Amazon, both in print and digital formats. She has a section on her website where she shares about her Focus Words or you can see past articles by Denise here on A Slice of Orange in her archives.
In case you missed the cover reveal for the sequel to Sisters at War #sistersoftheresistance Sisters of the Resistance, check out my TikTok video…
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7403660448920522027?lang=en-US&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fjinabacarr.wordpress.com%2F&embedFrom=oembed
2 sisters at war with the Nazis and each other…
The Wartime Paris Sisters 2-book series
I want to mention that everyone’s back in the sequel including that awful Gestapo man… but will Eve and Justine finally get some loving with the men they adore? It’s touch and go… especially for Eve.
Not to mention there’s a surprise for everyone at Maison Bleue when a Nazi general requisitions their home for his headquarters…
And of course, little Ninette is adorable… just love her. But then something happens…
Find out in Sisters of the Resistance!
Amazon Series Link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLGLTCMG
PS — Sisters of the Resistance, the sequel to Sisters At War will be published September 29th!! (audio, too). I am so very pleased with the sequel and I hope you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for your patience…. this was a rough one, you guys. A mental meat grinder. Keep you posted!
Wartime Paris Sisters series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLGLTCMG
‘2 sisters at war with the Nazis…. and each other.’
=====================
SISTERS OF THE RESISTANCE (sequel to SISTERS AT WAR) and it’s a wham bam finish even I didn’t see coming… thanks to my editor’s fabulous edits and notes. Thank you, Isobel!
Keep you posted…
The Beaufort Sisters are at war with the Nazis… and each other
‘A must read for anyone’
‘Hard hitting and heart breaking’
‘An absolutely gripping, powerful story’
Who are the Beaufort Sisters?
They’re beautiful
They’re smart
They’re dangerous
They’re at war with the Nazis… and each other.
I find it fascinating to learn where other authors write. I know friends who prefer coffee shops, the library, or even the beach, and I’ll admit, I tend to be more productive when I leave the house…no laundry to do, or dishes to put away. But I’m kind of a homebody, so I prefer to write at home.
When the weather is nice, I’ve been known to write on the patio, or our rooftop deck, when we lived in a townhouse overlooking the harbor and ocean a few years back. I’ve had a desk in the bedroom when the boys lived at home, and at times a little office of my own.
For years, I’ve dreamed of a home library. A place for all my books. A place to close the door and immerse myself in the pages of a new story…one I’m reading, or writing. In homes where I had an office, I also had a couple of bookshelves. I’d longingly refer to it as ‘my library’.
Some of you know, Hunky Hubby and I recently moved to Arizona, and I finally have a real library. It’s not finished. My new dream is to make the closet into a reading nook stuffed with pillows, and a more book storage, because of course, I have MORE BOOKS! But I’m happy with it as is.
One bookcase houses autographed books. They’re not all unpacked yet, but every book on the shelf is signed by the author.
The next bookcase holds vintage books, and my own books.
Then more novels, again, not all are unpacked, followed by a full bookcase of cookbooks. That’s right. Just cookbooks. For years, I wrote a food column for The Antelope Valley Press, and then Quick ‘n Easy Cooking magazine. This is a small number of the cookbooks I’ve collected over the years. Next to the cookbooks you’ll find reference books, then my desk.
The picture over the desk represents two of the main characters in the 1920’s book that I’m writing. In fact, I’m going for a vintage feel in the room. (I don’t actually use the vintage typewriter, but I love the way it looks.)
So, when you can’t find me, I’ll be, hiding in the library with a good book, or writing. I’d love to hear where you like to read…or write.
A short post this month to tell you about something new and exciting — RAVE, the Reader Author Vegas Event. If you’re active on the 20BooksVegas Facebook group, you probably know all about this.
The annual 20BooksVegas writers conference has a new owner/manager, Joe Solari, and it’s now called Author Nation. This November is the first conference with the Author Nation name, and the first one I’ll be going to! One of the new things Joe and his team are doing is creating a full-day reader event. (I attended this sort of thing in Vegas in 2012 or 2013 when the guy behind Romance Novel Covers did a conference and reader event. It didn’t work as well as he expected. But I’m hopeful Joe can make it work!)
You have to be an author attending Author Nation to get a table, but then you can put your books in the online store for the RAVE event and start getting presales before the conference. Author Nation and the authors attending will be promoting the site. And guess what? I’m excited to say I’ll be there at a table!!
Here is the link to the Author Nation conference, and here is the link you and your readers can check out for going to RAVE. Additionally, here is The Signing Store where the authors will upload their books (I just signed up so I still have to hurry and get that done!) and where readers can pre-purchase them before the conference so they can get them autographed. 🙂 Do books need to be pre-purchased? No, but if the author doesn’t bring any books or sells out of their table stock…well, readers will have to take the time to purchase them elsewhere and miss out on getting them autographed.
I think that’s everything I know at this point. I’m sure I’ll learn more before my post next month so I’ll keep you updated. And if you know more about any of this, please leave a comment! Will you be at Author Nation this year? If so, let me know!
This year I took the leap and made my first hard cover special edition books.
I have been wanting to create some special edition books since attending Steamy Lit Con last year and talking to readers. Creating special edition books have become a trend in the past few years. I will admit I was a little apprehensive about creating one, but then I spent a little time with some readers and my mind was changed.
Here’s a little information I had the privilege of getting. If it’s a book a reader likes, they will buy it in all available formats. So that means if it’s available in ebook, audio, paperback, hardcover and special edition, they will but it. The reason for so many copies is really simple.
The reasoning for all of these versions makes a lot of sense.
I was also shocked to discover the large price tag attached to hardcovers and special editions didn’t dissuade them from purchasing. I have to admit, when I go to book stores, I gravitate to hardcover books and special editions. I didn’t realize how much I had in common with my readers when it came to stocking my library.
So what did I do? Eager to dip my toe in the water, I took two series and created what I call series compilations. Thank God for Vellum. I was able to create these books in less than a week with this tool. The most time consuming part of this project was creating the covers, a small clean up and coming up with a title. Although these compilations are series in their entirety, I figured a different title would be an attention grabber. I also made sure the covers didn’t resemble the original books.
I had two series which were eligible for this project…A Southern Gentleman and Generational Curse. A Southern Gentleman became Southern Comfort. Generational Curse became Just One Kiss. The titles represent elements in the stories. These books have images or florals as the covers. They are also larger than my standard print books. I also created paper and hardcover versions. I love how the books came out.
So who did I use to help me create these books…Book Vault and Barnes and Noble Press. Side note: These books will only be available on my website or at book signings.
My initial order was with Barnes and Noble Press because I could get clean proofs without the ugly bar that KDP uses. The other reason, B/N Press’s print quality is better. But then I heard about Book Vault. OMG! This is my new first choice when it comes to print books. I love the quality, the features and production tracking. They also offer support. There was an issue with one of my files and I was able to book a video call to get help.
I reached out to some other vendors with similar print options, but the minimums are huge even to get a proof. Book Vault offers three plans based on how may books you will be printing plus the print setup fee. However, do a little research and you might be able to secure a free setup code…that’s what I did.
Book Vault also offers select color pages. This is a game changer. I’m going to do another version of my special editions, but those will have a few color pages. Unlike B/N Press when you include a few color pages, the entire book is considered full color. Book Vault only upcharges on the color pages, not the entire book. Rumor has it they might be offering sprayed edges. Once that happens, I’ll do another version of these special editions giving readers another option.
So how did my books do at the conference? All of the hardcovers sold out and I had to take orders. YEAH!
What am I charging for these books? Southern Comfort $18.00 paper back and $32.00 for hardcover…Just One Kiss $28.00 paperback and $42.00 for hardcover
Will I do more of these special editions? YES Will I do hardcovers of my other books? YES
I hope you take the leap and create a special edition and a hardcover. I think you’ll be surprised at the reader response.
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A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, A Booklist Editor's Choice
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More info →A Slice of Orange is an affiliate with some of the booksellers listed on this website, including Barnes & Nobel, Books A Million, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords. This means A Slice of Orange may earn a small advertising fee from sales made through the links used on this website. There are reminders of these affiliate links on the pages for individual books.
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