Readers help Authors produce a better product discussion

Hi Folks,

I hope some-one will be able to give me a hand. I have a book that I set aside at 30,000 words, partly because I had a house to build but mainly because of technical issues.

The book is set in the far north of Queensland (where I live) and revolves around a city girl who has inherited a local house (shed!) built over the river by her uncle.

I have a good idea of where the plot is going but have a couple of issues that I could use second opinions on. So if you like romantic adventures and would be willing to help, please send me a message.

How's the book coming along? I hope you've found help and are moving forwards. PS. Hope the new home is full of joy for the holidays! Janie

Hi Janie,
I have not managed to get any intelligent help and just went ahead anyway. It's now at about 45,000 words - probably half way. The way I'm writing at the moment, I hope to have finished by the end of February.
Happy New Year!

The best help I can give you comes from personal experiences in the Writing World, But, I see you have several books published, so any advice in exchange is welcome...;)..

When it comes to getting your 'baby' published, be sure and pay for a professional (not friend or family member) to have it "vetted" (storyline structured) and "Copy Edited". No book, no matter how great the storyline or the cover, will sell to a publisher or a "larger" audience if it has mistakes--especially if self-publishing the book. Why? Because the self-published books cost the readers three times more to buy, and readers are taking a chance on new authors by pumping that kind of cash into their future success. A single reader who writes a review, can make or break us on individual websites as well. A fan base is a great thing to have for BOOK SEVEN..lol..:)...

I use three Copy Editors; One is from the Boston Herald, her hubby a Copy Editor from a sports magazine, and an author who has published 22 works. It ends up costing me around fifty bucks a chapter,but, I've tried the penny a word folks, and so far, my books that were flawless has sold the most. A book agent looks for flaws and tells you that you cannot sell without having it ran several round through editing anyway. My theory, write it, polish it, then send in for editing at least two rounds. Good Luck, your stories sounds intriguing.

Any advice for me, I'd love to share tips or publishing ideas?

Janie

For what it's worth... I started out with an ebook publisher that did not believe in editing. I did my best but the money I make from ebooks is not enough for me, let alone anyone else!

Anyway, that publisher was slow to jump on the hot romance bandwagon, so I moved my books to Siren-BookStrand. The editor there pays for editing and sends your books back to be worked over. Then again for a final rooting out of typos etc. I have spent a lot of time this year working over my existing books, and found that there were lots of things to improve, especially on the oldest one.

The question I am struggling with in the current book is the amount of sex to include. So far, only one sex scene and that's a touch kinky. I can forsee one more (also not quite straight) and hints of another as the hero and heroine ride off into the sunset, but that's all.

This can be a problem as American women buy the most ebooks by far, and I am afraid that erotic books are currently outselling straight romance by ten to one.

By the way, I am completely disillusioned with agents. How many times have I sent out a query letter only to get a form reply that makes it quite obvious that they did not even read the query, let alone asking for a synopsis. Of course that does not stop them making judgemental statements about the quality of your novels... A submitted book needs to be as free as possible of errors, but any professional can judge its potential before editing. If they have the time, the inclination, if the sun is shining, if the kids did not make trouble getting to school etc.