Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "e-book"
BestsellerBound Recommends, a new blog to promote the best in Indie writing!!
Those of you who follow my blog will know that I am also a resident author at the indie writer's forum, Bestsellerbound.com.
Darcia Helle, J. Michael Radcliffe, and I, have set up a spin-off blog, called "BestsellerBound Recommends", which is a blog dedicated to finding and promoting/recommending the best in indie literature.
If you're a reader, I hope you will stop by the blog often as we will be reviewing our favourite indie books and letting you know which ones we think everyone should read. There will also be guest posts by indie authors that will also be of interest to readers.
If you're an indie author, we hope you'll send us submissions. We don't accept purely promotional posts about your books, that's not what the site is about, but we will accept well-written, entertaining posts from you. Check out our submissions guidelines on the blog for information. There are lots of ways we can help you promote your books, for example, if you have a books trailer, we can feature it on the blog, or you can ask us to host a giveaway of one of your books.
There are already a couple of reviews up on the site, Darcia has reviewed Charles Colyott's novel, Changes -- A Randall Lee Mystery, and I've reviewed, Quentin R. Bufogle's book, Horse Latitudes.
To celebrate the launch, we are running a giveaway where you can win your choice of an e-book from myself, Darcia, or Michael. You have until 31st August 2012 to enter!
Here's a link to the blog: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
I hope to see you there!
A-Z of Self-publishing and writing tips: Q - S
Continuing with my series of writing and self-publishing tips, today I will be dealing with a few common mistakes writers make in their manuscripts and also giving you a list of resources for writers and readers.
Q
Quotes, quotation marks
It doesn't matter whether you use single or double quotation marks for dialogue. Double quotes are more common in American English, whereas in the UK we tend to use single quotes for dialogue. The thing to note is that where you use double quotes for dialogue, you should use single quotes when you have speech within speech, and vice versa.
An example:
'Margery said she would be coming to tea; I asked her what time and she said, "See you at four".'
"Margery said she would be coming to tea; I asked her what time and she said, 'See you at four'."
Quotation marks are often used wrongly to emphasise a word in a sentence, when italics should be used instead, e.g.:
The meal was "delicious".
Italics should be used for emphasis:
The meal was delicious.
The reason I say that this usage is incorrect in this case is because the accepted use for quotation marks in prose (when not relating to the word itself) is for irony. So for example, in the above sentence by saying "delicious" in quotes, one might assume that the narrator didn't really like the meal.
You can use quotes to single out certain words in a sentence when the emphasis is on the word itself, e.g.
If you wanted to single out the word, 'horse' in a sentence, it is acceptable to use the quotes as I have just done.
Have I confused you enough yet? Good.
Who said writing was easy?
Another other thing I want to say about quotes is that the general rule is, where you use double quotes for speech, you should use single for highlighting other words. An example:
'Where are you going?' asked Jessica.
I wanted to tell her I was going home; I was tired, and needed to sleep. To be honest, I didn't really know where "home" was.
Question marks
Incorrect use of question marks. Another common mistake. I used to do it quite a lot which is why I'm an expert. (Having said that, I still do it quite a lot in my first drafts... )
Question marks should only be used at the end of a sentence when a direct question has been asked.
How are you?
Where are you?
Are you sure you know how to use question marks?
Some examples of inappropriate use of question marks:
It was possible Duncan was feeling the same way about it?
If he went to bed now, he might not be able to sleep?
Perhaps Matthew would ask her out?
I've also noticed a common usage of question marks in the wrong part of the sentence. For example:
Would he end up alone; someone once told him he might?
(Yes, that sort of mistake happens a lot!)
Would he end up alone? Someone once told him he might.
Much better, see?
So, we just need to think a bit more about where the question mark should be in the sentence.
R
Reviews
I could probably write a whole book just dedicated to these little things that mean a lot and then again don't mean much at all... Reviews... can't live with them, can't live without them.
For readers:
A heartfelt plea:
Please, please, please, WRITE A REVIEW IF YOU LOVE/LIKE A BOOK. IT MEANS A LOT, WHICH IS WHY I AM TYPING IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!!
If you don't love/like a book... be kind!! I cannot stress that enough. There will be things we don't like about a book, and I am all for free speech, BUT there is always something to like/love about even a rubbish book. DO NOT give a 1 star review unless you can back it up with a REAL reason. If a book has offended your soul, you can give a 1 star review... I have done so in the past. Otherwise BE KIND. Do you know how many months... if not years... of a writer's life is spent writing a book? They have written something AND had the courage to let others read it. That alone should warrant a bit of respect. No matter what a writer tells you, our books are personal to us. Most of my fiction contains stuff from my personal life which is fictionalised. Writers are often sensitive souls and may use their writing as a way of trying to comprehend the world we live in. DO NOT write a review without thinking about what you are writing. By all means, if you notice something the writer could have done better, point it out. Many of my more 'critical' reviews have pointed the way for me to become a better writer. HAVE A HEART when you're writing a review as most authors (especially independent authors who are just starting out) will read your review and WILL take it to heart.
Most writers will admit that their first book is not their best work, but having someone completely tear it apart in a review does no one any good. A writer improves with each book he or she writes. A little encouragement can go a long way.
Whenever I read a book that I don't like much, I try to point out the good and bad aspects in my review. If I honestly cannot give 3, 4, or 5 stars, I won't review it.
Be honest with your reviews. Even if you have a few negative things to say (among the nice things!!) the writer will thank you. Maybe not immediately, but later when they are more experienced.
A final and important point is -- your review does not have to be a masterpiece. It can be one or two lines saying what you liked about the book. You do not have to rehash the whole storyline in a review; in fact, I don't like the reviews that give away too much of the story. Be brief but say what you want to say. Why you think others should read the book. And, yes, say what you didn't like about it, that will help the writer; but try to be kind.
For Writers:
The best advice if you want to stay sane is DO NOT read the reviews. But most writers are curious creatures. Curiosity is one of the things that fuels our creativity. We cannot help but read the reviews, word for word... and then we concentrate on the negative parts of the review and start to cry... yes, I've been there a few times.
As you get more experienced as a writer, the bad reviews will not faze you as much (hopefully because you will have many good reviews to balance them out). I read a great piece of advice recently; it goes something like: one third of the audience will love your work, one third will be indifferent, and one third will hate it.
This puts things in perspective. If you have lots of bad reviews you're just not reaching the right audience.
Reviews are needed because the more reviews you have, the more sales you get; that's just the way it goes. Readers will be more likely to buy a book with 1000 reviews than one that only has 10. It seems more popular.
Whenever you're feeling down about a 1 star review, go and check out your favourite bestselling author's Amazon page; you'll see that even the big names get lots of 1 star reviews.
Finally, and probably the most important thing: a review is only ONE person's opinion. It doesn't mean your book is fantastic or rubbish. It means the book is fantastic or rubbish in THAT person's OPINION.
NEVER think that your work is that great that it should only ever get 5 star reviews... you are fooling yourself.
Resources for writers
We all know it's important for writers to make use of companies/websites that can help to perfect and promote our work. Here is a list of useful sites I have found and would recommend:
E-Book Formatting:
eBookBuilders: http://www.e-bookbuilders.com/
This is an e-book formatting company that will format your book as an epub and Kindle/mobi. I used the company for the kindle version of my novel Haunted, and was very pleased with the professional looking results, and the speedy service.
Ellie Mendez: http://www.ebook-format.com/
When I was looking for someone to format my book Coincidences for Smashwords I found Ellie via a fellow author, Susan Buchanan. eBookBuilders don't do Word formatting and Smashwords only accept .doc files, so I used Ellie's service for formatting. I was very pleased with quick and professional service, and the results!
Proofreading:
Proofread Julia: http://www.facebook.com/ProofreaderJulia
I usually use fellow writers for proofreading/beta reading, but have recently been introduced to Julia, who does this for a living, and she is good because I have read a book that she proofread You Wish... by Terry Tyler. She is in fact, Terry's sister. I am thinking of using her services for my next book. It's always good to have professional results.
Editing:
West of Mars: whttp://westofmars.com/susans-editing-...
Author Susan Helene Gottfried offer an editing service. I used her for my book, Haunted, and was pleased with the results.
Other editors that have been recommended to me by other authors are:
Dionne Lister http://dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.c...
Robert Helle: https://twitter.com/cubfan0217
All of the above services have reasonable rates, and it's definitely worth spending a bit of money to make sure you have a professional product.
Websites that are good for promotion:
BestsellerBound Recommends: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
This is a blog started by Darcia Helle, which I contribute to and help to maintain, along with author J. Michael Radcliffe.
If you're an indie author and would like to be featured, check our our submissions page and rules here: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
Celebrating Authors:
This site is similar to BestsellerBound blog; indie authors can choose from a list of promotional opportunities: http://celebratingauthors.blogspot.co...
World Literary Cafe: http://www.worldlitcafe.com/
This site does everything from promoting free Kindle books to interviews, and has special features; for example, there is a #WLCTwitterFollows group where you list your Twitter name and then people from the writing community follow you on Twitter & you follow back. A good way to build up a following.
Also, don't forget that doing interviews on your fellow authors' blogs is also good for promotion. As are giveaways (mentioned in one of my earlier posts in this series).
Review sites:
Orchard Book Club: http://www.facebook.com/OrchardBookClub
http://orchardbookclub.wordpress.com/
Juniper Grove: http://www.junipergrove.net/
BestsellerBound Recommends has a list of reviewers: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
The above review sites are also great places for readers to find new authors and books.
S
Spelling
Please don't only rely on spellcheck on your PC. It will not pick up words that can be spelt in different ways, e.g. there, their, they're, may have been used wrongly or you may have used 'if' instead of 'is'. Just because a word is correctly spelt, it doesn't mean there are no errors in the document. Again, this is where a good proofreader can come in handy.
Show Vs Tell/Storytelling
One of the most common things that editors complain about is how much 'telling' instead of 'showing' there is in a book.
Telling would be e.g.
Adam used to work for a supermarket. He worked long hours. Never came home until late in the evening. His wife didn't like that. She always used to complain at him. Nagging. He hated the nagging.
Showing this would be, for example:
Adam turned his key in the front door.
'Where have you been?' asked Jodie, frowning. Her arms crossed in front of her showed that she was not happy.
'I've been at work.'
'You're always working! How long do bloody supermarkets stay open these days?'
'It's a twenty-four hour store.' Adam pushed past her and walked into the living room.
As you can see, there is more action in showing as opposed to telling, and readers prefer something that will help them imagine the story.
Having said that, I believe there is a place for both showing and telling in a good novel. Finding the balance is the tricky bit.
I find that my first drafts are always full of telling. This is because I believe in getting the story down on paper as quickly as I can. I then take my time to edit. I look for scenes that can be developed from the 'telling'. It's all part of the editing process.
Where there is too much 'telling' in a book, it often makes the reader feel dissatisfied. It make me (as a writer) feel that the book could have been improved if more time had been taken to develop the scenes.
Smashwords
Smashwords.com is a site where indie writers can publish an e-book so that readers can download from the site in any e-book format they choose. I think it's a great site and believe that many readers haven't heard of it. It tends to be only indie authors that use the site, which is a pity because there are lots of bargain books and fabulous reads on the site.
For writers, you can also choose to publish the book so that it's distributed by Smashwords to Barnes & Noble, Sony, iBookstore, and other sites.
If you're an author outside the US, you will need to submit tax details to avoid the withholding tax (much in the same way as Amazon KDP).
************************************************************************************
I hope you'll find the above tips and recommendations useful.
Thanks for reading.
Q
Quotes, quotation marks
It doesn't matter whether you use single or double quotation marks for dialogue. Double quotes are more common in American English, whereas in the UK we tend to use single quotes for dialogue. The thing to note is that where you use double quotes for dialogue, you should use single quotes when you have speech within speech, and vice versa.
An example:
'Margery said she would be coming to tea; I asked her what time and she said, "See you at four".'
"Margery said she would be coming to tea; I asked her what time and she said, 'See you at four'."
Quotation marks are often used wrongly to emphasise a word in a sentence, when italics should be used instead, e.g.:
The meal was "delicious".
Italics should be used for emphasis:
The meal was delicious.
The reason I say that this usage is incorrect in this case is because the accepted use for quotation marks in prose (when not relating to the word itself) is for irony. So for example, in the above sentence by saying "delicious" in quotes, one might assume that the narrator didn't really like the meal.
You can use quotes to single out certain words in a sentence when the emphasis is on the word itself, e.g.
If you wanted to single out the word, 'horse' in a sentence, it is acceptable to use the quotes as I have just done.
Have I confused you enough yet? Good.
Who said writing was easy?
Another other thing I want to say about quotes is that the general rule is, where you use double quotes for speech, you should use single for highlighting other words. An example:
'Where are you going?' asked Jessica.
I wanted to tell her I was going home; I was tired, and needed to sleep. To be honest, I didn't really know where "home" was.
Question marks
Incorrect use of question marks. Another common mistake. I used to do it quite a lot which is why I'm an expert. (Having said that, I still do it quite a lot in my first drafts... )
Question marks should only be used at the end of a sentence when a direct question has been asked.
How are you?
Where are you?
Are you sure you know how to use question marks?
Some examples of inappropriate use of question marks:
It was possible Duncan was feeling the same way about it?
If he went to bed now, he might not be able to sleep?
Perhaps Matthew would ask her out?
I've also noticed a common usage of question marks in the wrong part of the sentence. For example:
Would he end up alone; someone once told him he might?
(Yes, that sort of mistake happens a lot!)
Would he end up alone? Someone once told him he might.
Much better, see?
So, we just need to think a bit more about where the question mark should be in the sentence.
R
Reviews
I could probably write a whole book just dedicated to these little things that mean a lot and then again don't mean much at all... Reviews... can't live with them, can't live without them.
For readers:
A heartfelt plea:
Please, please, please, WRITE A REVIEW IF YOU LOVE/LIKE A BOOK. IT MEANS A LOT, WHICH IS WHY I AM TYPING IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!!
If you don't love/like a book... be kind!! I cannot stress that enough. There will be things we don't like about a book, and I am all for free speech, BUT there is always something to like/love about even a rubbish book. DO NOT give a 1 star review unless you can back it up with a REAL reason. If a book has offended your soul, you can give a 1 star review... I have done so in the past. Otherwise BE KIND. Do you know how many months... if not years... of a writer's life is spent writing a book? They have written something AND had the courage to let others read it. That alone should warrant a bit of respect. No matter what a writer tells you, our books are personal to us. Most of my fiction contains stuff from my personal life which is fictionalised. Writers are often sensitive souls and may use their writing as a way of trying to comprehend the world we live in. DO NOT write a review without thinking about what you are writing. By all means, if you notice something the writer could have done better, point it out. Many of my more 'critical' reviews have pointed the way for me to become a better writer. HAVE A HEART when you're writing a review as most authors (especially independent authors who are just starting out) will read your review and WILL take it to heart.
Most writers will admit that their first book is not their best work, but having someone completely tear it apart in a review does no one any good. A writer improves with each book he or she writes. A little encouragement can go a long way.
Whenever I read a book that I don't like much, I try to point out the good and bad aspects in my review. If I honestly cannot give 3, 4, or 5 stars, I won't review it.
Be honest with your reviews. Even if you have a few negative things to say (among the nice things!!) the writer will thank you. Maybe not immediately, but later when they are more experienced.
A final and important point is -- your review does not have to be a masterpiece. It can be one or two lines saying what you liked about the book. You do not have to rehash the whole storyline in a review; in fact, I don't like the reviews that give away too much of the story. Be brief but say what you want to say. Why you think others should read the book. And, yes, say what you didn't like about it, that will help the writer; but try to be kind.
For Writers:
The best advice if you want to stay sane is DO NOT read the reviews. But most writers are curious creatures. Curiosity is one of the things that fuels our creativity. We cannot help but read the reviews, word for word... and then we concentrate on the negative parts of the review and start to cry... yes, I've been there a few times.
As you get more experienced as a writer, the bad reviews will not faze you as much (hopefully because you will have many good reviews to balance them out). I read a great piece of advice recently; it goes something like: one third of the audience will love your work, one third will be indifferent, and one third will hate it.
This puts things in perspective. If you have lots of bad reviews you're just not reaching the right audience.
Reviews are needed because the more reviews you have, the more sales you get; that's just the way it goes. Readers will be more likely to buy a book with 1000 reviews than one that only has 10. It seems more popular.
Whenever you're feeling down about a 1 star review, go and check out your favourite bestselling author's Amazon page; you'll see that even the big names get lots of 1 star reviews.
Finally, and probably the most important thing: a review is only ONE person's opinion. It doesn't mean your book is fantastic or rubbish. It means the book is fantastic or rubbish in THAT person's OPINION.
NEVER think that your work is that great that it should only ever get 5 star reviews... you are fooling yourself.
Resources for writers
We all know it's important for writers to make use of companies/websites that can help to perfect and promote our work. Here is a list of useful sites I have found and would recommend:
E-Book Formatting:
eBookBuilders: http://www.e-bookbuilders.com/
This is an e-book formatting company that will format your book as an epub and Kindle/mobi. I used the company for the kindle version of my novel Haunted, and was very pleased with the professional looking results, and the speedy service.
Ellie Mendez: http://www.ebook-format.com/
When I was looking for someone to format my book Coincidences for Smashwords I found Ellie via a fellow author, Susan Buchanan. eBookBuilders don't do Word formatting and Smashwords only accept .doc files, so I used Ellie's service for formatting. I was very pleased with quick and professional service, and the results!
Proofreading:
Proofread Julia: http://www.facebook.com/ProofreaderJulia
I usually use fellow writers for proofreading/beta reading, but have recently been introduced to Julia, who does this for a living, and she is good because I have read a book that she proofread You Wish... by Terry Tyler. She is in fact, Terry's sister. I am thinking of using her services for my next book. It's always good to have professional results.
Editing:
West of Mars: whttp://westofmars.com/susans-editing-...
Author Susan Helene Gottfried offer an editing service. I used her for my book, Haunted, and was pleased with the results.
Other editors that have been recommended to me by other authors are:
Dionne Lister http://dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.c...
Robert Helle: https://twitter.com/cubfan0217
All of the above services have reasonable rates, and it's definitely worth spending a bit of money to make sure you have a professional product.
Websites that are good for promotion:
BestsellerBound Recommends: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
This is a blog started by Darcia Helle, which I contribute to and help to maintain, along with author J. Michael Radcliffe.
If you're an indie author and would like to be featured, check our our submissions page and rules here: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
Celebrating Authors:
This site is similar to BestsellerBound blog; indie authors can choose from a list of promotional opportunities: http://celebratingauthors.blogspot.co...
World Literary Cafe: http://www.worldlitcafe.com/
This site does everything from promoting free Kindle books to interviews, and has special features; for example, there is a #WLCTwitterFollows group where you list your Twitter name and then people from the writing community follow you on Twitter & you follow back. A good way to build up a following.
Also, don't forget that doing interviews on your fellow authors' blogs is also good for promotion. As are giveaways (mentioned in one of my earlier posts in this series).
Review sites:
Orchard Book Club: http://www.facebook.com/OrchardBookClub
http://orchardbookclub.wordpress.com/
Juniper Grove: http://www.junipergrove.net/
BestsellerBound Recommends has a list of reviewers: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...
The above review sites are also great places for readers to find new authors and books.
S
Spelling
Please don't only rely on spellcheck on your PC. It will not pick up words that can be spelt in different ways, e.g. there, their, they're, may have been used wrongly or you may have used 'if' instead of 'is'. Just because a word is correctly spelt, it doesn't mean there are no errors in the document. Again, this is where a good proofreader can come in handy.
Show Vs Tell/Storytelling
One of the most common things that editors complain about is how much 'telling' instead of 'showing' there is in a book.
Telling would be e.g.
Adam used to work for a supermarket. He worked long hours. Never came home until late in the evening. His wife didn't like that. She always used to complain at him. Nagging. He hated the nagging.
Showing this would be, for example:
Adam turned his key in the front door.
'Where have you been?' asked Jodie, frowning. Her arms crossed in front of her showed that she was not happy.
'I've been at work.'
'You're always working! How long do bloody supermarkets stay open these days?'
'It's a twenty-four hour store.' Adam pushed past her and walked into the living room.
As you can see, there is more action in showing as opposed to telling, and readers prefer something that will help them imagine the story.
Having said that, I believe there is a place for both showing and telling in a good novel. Finding the balance is the tricky bit.
I find that my first drafts are always full of telling. This is because I believe in getting the story down on paper as quickly as I can. I then take my time to edit. I look for scenes that can be developed from the 'telling'. It's all part of the editing process.
Where there is too much 'telling' in a book, it often makes the reader feel dissatisfied. It make me (as a writer) feel that the book could have been improved if more time had been taken to develop the scenes.
Smashwords
Smashwords.com is a site where indie writers can publish an e-book so that readers can download from the site in any e-book format they choose. I think it's a great site and believe that many readers haven't heard of it. It tends to be only indie authors that use the site, which is a pity because there are lots of bargain books and fabulous reads on the site.
For writers, you can also choose to publish the book so that it's distributed by Smashwords to Barnes & Noble, Sony, iBookstore, and other sites.
If you're an author outside the US, you will need to submit tax details to avoid the withholding tax (much in the same way as Amazon KDP).
************************************************************************************
I hope you'll find the above tips and recommendations useful.
Thanks for reading.
Epic Fantasy Saga, Shadows of the Realm, on Sale Jan 8-22!
**Guest post by Dionne Lister**
Shadows of the Realm is an epic fantasy for teens and adults. Join Bronwyn and Blayke, two young realmists, and their animal companions, as they are forced to leave the only home they’ve every known to undertake a dangerous journey towards Vellonia, city of the dragons.
The gormons are invading, slipping through the corridors between realms, and they want blood, lots of Talian blood. Will the young realmists learn enough of the Second Realm magic to prevail, or will everything they love be destroyed?
The first book in The Circle of Talia series is on sale from the 8th to the 22nd of January for the bargain price of $1.99 on Smashwords and Amazon.
Grab it now and escape into an original and enchanting world filled with mystery, danger, dragons and adventure.
Shadows of the Realm is an epic fantasy for teens and adults. Join Bronwyn and Blayke, two young realmists, and their animal companions, as they are forced to leave the only home they’ve every known to undertake a dangerous journey towards Vellonia, city of the dragons.
The gormons are invading, slipping through the corridors between realms, and they want blood, lots of Talian blood. Will the young realmists learn enough of the Second Realm magic to prevail, or will everything they love be destroyed?
The first book in The Circle of Talia series is on sale from the 8th to the 22nd of January for the bargain price of $1.99 on Smashwords and Amazon.
Grab it now and escape into an original and enchanting world filled with mystery, danger, dragons and adventure.
Introducing Tasha Harrison, author of Pearls
My guest today is a talented author I recently came across on Twitter, Tasha Harrison. Even though I have over 300 unread books on my Kindle (mostly free downloads!) I decided to buy one of Tasha's books because the cover caught my eye and the description sounded like something I would enjoy.I'm so glad I decided to read Pearls; it's one of the best books I've read recently. You can see my review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
After reading the book, I was keen to invite Tasha here to introduce her to all of you. She has told me that she is planning a free promotion of the Kindle version of Pearls on 13th & 14th February! So, mark those dates in your diary and make sure that you download a copy.
Here's a useful link for the Kindle book (it should take you to your local Amazon store): viewBook.at/B00A8RJE8O
Without further ado, here's my interview with Tasha:
'Pearls' is all about people finding themselves and how it's never too late for someone to change. Your character Charlie likes the mantras she finds on the cards in Kate and Gary's house. Do you have a favourite mantra that helps to inspire you?
‘Everything is exactly the way it’s supposed to be at this moment’ is a bit of a hard one to get your head around when life isn’t going your way, but I’ve found it gives me a sense of comfort, knowing that I’m not in control and that maybe something else is.
Ah, yes, I like that one :)
Your character, Miriam, has a paranormal experience in the book. Have you ever had any similar experiences?
No, but I’d like to! I believe in life after death, although I don’t subscribe to any particular belief as to how it all works. I was watching Brian Cox on TV the other night talking about the beginnings of life on our planet and I was finding the scientific explanations a bit hard to follow until he said, ‘Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only conserved or transformed.’ And that made sense to me. I suppose that Miriam’s experience – seeing a young woman’s soul leave her body at the point of death – is something that while on the one hand, would be quite disturbing, on the other, could also bring much peace of mind.
Yes, it's kind of like the scene from Ghost when Sam dies!
How long did it take to write 'Pearls'?
I guess about a year to write the first draft, while trying to juggle part-time work and family life. My working day stops at 3 when I pick my kids up from school. Some days I write in the evening if I have the energy! I’m a speedy typist, so if I’m on a roll, I can cover a fair bit of mileage in a short amount of time.
Apart from 'Pearls' you have 2 other books. Can you tell us a bit about those?
Package Deal and Hot Property are both beach reads through and through. Package Deal is set on the Greek island of Kefalonia and is about a group of British holidaymakers whose lives become entangled on their two-week holiday in a newly-built apartment complex. The caretaker there, ladies’ man Dimitri, immediately eyes up singleton Mia, but for once his charms are having little effect.
Hot Property is similar but is set in Crete and is about a group of ex-pats who are striving to live the perfect sun, sea and sand lifestyle, but thanks to a devious local property developer, life is not quite as idyllic as they’d hoped. Both novels are humorous holiday reads, and are told from lots of different characters’ viewpoints.
They sound like fun! I will be adding them to my list of books to read :)
Your bio says that you studied journalism, and worked as an editor for various magazines. Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction writing?
I worked as a sub-editor, so not as high up the ranks as an editor, but doing the job of editing nonetheless! I love writing fiction and can’t imagine not doing it, but since starting a blog, I’ve rediscovered how fun writing non-fiction can be. However, I find it hard to find the time to fit it all in – writing a blog, promoting my books, writing books, kids and work – there aren’t enough hours in the day!
Do you do the editing and formatting for your books?
Both Package Deal and Hot Property were taken on by agents, and therefore underwent several drafts before being submitted to publishers. Sadly neither agent was able to sell, so when I decided to self-publish them as e-books, I asked sub-editing friends to proofread them for me. With Pearls I didn’t have an agent’s guidance, but I paid a friend I used to work with to edit and proofread it for me. You can never have too many fresh pairs of eyes to spot the mistakes you missed! On magazines, every single page gets proofread by a whole team of sub-editors, and still mistakes can slip through the net! As for formatting, I’d be lost without my husband’s help – though that said, I did manage to format my own table of contents on Pearls which I was very proud of! It was actually very simple, but I can usually be trusted to mess up even the simplest of technical tasks.
I'm like that... a bit of a technophobe, but have found that most things are easier than they first seem once you set your mind to doing them!
All the characters in 'Pearls' struck me as being very realistic. Are any of them inspired by people you know, or are they totally fictional?
All the characters are completely fictional apart from Miriam, who was inspired a fair bit by my mum but also by a friend. Many years ago, after losing her sister to cancer, my mum turned to AA when she felt she’d become too dependent on alcohol. Her drinking was nowhere near as bad as Miriam’s, but she felt she needed to take control of her life and turn over a new leaf. I went to a few AA meetings with her and they were incredibly humbling and inspiring. As a result, I joined Al-Anon (a self-help programme for friends and relatives of alcoholics) for a few years and it turned my life around. My mum conquered her demons, too. More recently she’s been exploring Buddhism (as does Miriam in the book), so thanks to her, I’m always getting some kind of spiritual education that challenges my way of thinking!
Which one of the characters in 'Pearls' can you most relate to?
I can relate to all of the three main female characters to some extent. There’s a bit of me in each of them. In my early twenties, I was like Charlie, lacking in confidence and self-belief, while like Kate, I was also holding onto a lot of anger from the past. Today, like Miriam, I’m more at peace with myself.
Who designs your book covers?
My brilliant husband! I tell him what I don’t want and he works out what I do want and puts it all together.
I must admit I was drawn to read Pearls because of the cover! That happens to me sometimes LOL
Who are your favourite authors?
I love Lionel Shriver, Anita Shreve, Sarah Waters, Khaled Hosseini, to name but a few – all such gifted storytellers. Recently I read The Legacy by Jill Rowan, a witty time-travel novel with a romantic twist – I couldn’t put it down.
Do you prefer e-books or paperback/hardback?
I’m not bothered. I think e-books are a brilliant innovation – they make reading so much more instantly accessible. But when I read a book that really bowls me over, I quite like to own it in paperback and put it up there on the shelves for keeps!
Me too!
Are you working on any other books at the moment?
Yes, my current WIP is called Blown-Away Man and is set in the '80s and the present day in London and Lincolnshire. For the first time ever I’m writing in the first person, the story is told from one character’s viewpoint only, and that character is a man. Uncharted territory for me!
That is a challenge, but those types of thing can really help with our development as writers.
Where is the best place for readers to connect with you online?
Come visit my blog at www.tashaharrison.com or look me up on Twitter http://twitter.com/TashaHarrison_
Where can people buy your books?
Currently they’re only available on Amazon. But I’m hoping to put them on Smashwords at some point this year.
Do you have any tips for someone who might be considering self-publishing a book?
If you don’t get your book properly edited and proofread by someone who does it for a living, there will undoubtedly be more mistakes than you realise in it and you risk not being taken seriously. That said, I don’t think I’ve ever read a trad-pub book without a typo or two in it! Also it’s well worth sending your manuscript to somewhere like http://www.literaryconsultancy.co.uk/ who, for a fee, will give you some professional, honest feedback in a written report. The more professional feedback you can get before you self-publish, the better.
Yes, I did that with a couple of my novels. I sent them to Cornerstones. That type of professional feedback is very helpful, I've found.
Thanks so much for being such a great guest and for answering all my questions, Tasha! I wish you continued success with you writing!
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Remember to download your free copy of Pearls during the free promotion on the 13th & 14th February: viewBook.at/B00A8RJE8O
A few FREE e-books I've heard about...
There are going to be some free promotions on Amazon next week that I thought you should know about.
Firstly, as revealed in my interview with the lovely, Tasha Harrison, last week, her book, Pearls will be free to download on 13th & 14th February.
Here's a link that should take you to your local Amazon store: viewBook.at/B00A8RJE8O
The next free download is of a newly released book. J. Michael Radcliffe has just published the third book in his 'Beyond the Veil' fantasy series: Rise of the Shadow
This one will be free to download on the 14th- 16th February. Here's the link you need: viewBook.at/B00B923LN6
Once Upon Another Time by Rose McQuestion will be free between 12th and 14th February: viewBook.at/B00AEGD70A This is one that I haven't read, but have been told it's very good.
Another one I haven't read yet, The Gay Mardi Gras Murders, by Sylvia Massara, will be free on Amazon Kindle on 11th and 12th February. Here's the link: viewBook.at/B00BBS2R88
Enjoy!
If you're an author with a free promo next week, or if you've heard about a free book, you're welcome to post about it in the comments section below :)
Firstly, as revealed in my interview with the lovely, Tasha Harrison, last week, her book, Pearls will be free to download on 13th & 14th February.
Here's a link that should take you to your local Amazon store: viewBook.at/B00A8RJE8O
The next free download is of a newly released book. J. Michael Radcliffe has just published the third book in his 'Beyond the Veil' fantasy series: Rise of the Shadow
This one will be free to download on the 14th- 16th February. Here's the link you need: viewBook.at/B00B923LN6
Once Upon Another Time by Rose McQuestion will be free between 12th and 14th February: viewBook.at/B00AEGD70A This is one that I haven't read, but have been told it's very good.
Another one I haven't read yet, The Gay Mardi Gras Murders, by Sylvia Massara, will be free on Amazon Kindle on 11th and 12th February. Here's the link: viewBook.at/B00BBS2R88
Enjoy!
If you're an author with a free promo next week, or if you've heard about a free book, you're welcome to post about it in the comments section below :)
Christmas Giveaway!
Just a quick blog to let you know that Books Direct is running a special Christmas giveaway! There are tons of great books to be won, including an e-book copy of my novel Coincidences
Here's the link you'll need if you want to enter: booksdirectonline.blogspot.co.uk/2013...
Good luck, everyone!
Here's the link you'll need if you want to enter: booksdirectonline.blogspot.co.uk/2013...
Good luck, everyone!
