Diary of all blog posts – Page 15 – Read First Chapter.com

Organizing Writing Projects Workflow – Part 2

WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN PART 1:

In the last installment, I described how to start your duties and obligations list with realistic times associated with each one. The list will prove itself over a week or so. Then you will be ready to expand on that list and make a series of workflows, templates, and procedure lists or diagrams. I have posted my own above to jog your memory as to where we left off.

HOW TO RECLAIM TIME:

First let's talk about strategies for finding, making and clawing back time from your days that may be wasted right now.

Looking at your list, are there any obligations that you can take care of while waiting for other things in your life? For example: Can you make some calls as you wait in line to pick up kids at school?
Can you save yourself a trip out of the house by hooking two or three errands together on the same day?
If you are spending your lunch breaks listening to coworkers blathering on and on about inane things, can you write during your lunch hour? Or can you run an errand to clear a Saturday for a greater goal?
Can you listen to an instructional video while driving home from work or some other obligation to make better use of time in traffic?
Go through the list and see how you can mop up wasted time out of your days and reclaim that time for more or better things.
If you have 10 minutes here and 20 minutes there, don't waste it. Clean out your purse with the 10 minute time slot. Do online research for that 20 minutes.

Every minute that you make better use of will free your schedule for the higher goals you want to pursue. Will your life suffer if you miss out on office gossip at lunchtime? I doubt it.

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT GETTING LOST IN SOCIAL MEDIA:

Social media can be wonderful or it can be a time-wasting trap like none other. Be particularly careful with short videos or reels. This can be mindless and mind-numbing. One short video can lead to the next almost without willing it. We've all been there. Think of the times the internet, in whatever form, has stolen an entire morning or afternoon. In order to reach higher levels of accomplishment, this has to stop.

Assign yourself some mind-numbing social media time at night. You will have already met your daily accomplishment goals. By checking social media in the evenings, the news of the day has had time to ferment. You'll be reading news instead of 'breaking gossip' or hours of speculation. You can see what your favorite social media people have said all day instead of in the last hour.

If you must go on social media during the day, set an alarm to sound in fifteen minutes. Then get back into accomplishment mode.

START THE WORK FLOW FROM THE TOP:

As a self-publisher, all of the hats I wear in writing and publishing books are noted in the chart above. Analyze and translate your business and make a similar chart. As we move along, we'll drill down into each section and make work-flow diagrams, procedural lists, or informational sheets for just about everything that has to be done.

EVERY BUSINESS OR WORKFLOW NEEDS A FILING SYSTEM:

As you begin, it's important to know how you will organize and file the work product you are about to produce. For example: How will you file your book manuscripts so you can put your fingers on them in two seconds? How will you file all the marketing graphics you produce once you create a social media presence? How will you file and store video files that may be too big to store on a laptop or a desktop?

It's a good idea to think about this in your analyzing phase. Below, I'll go into details about how I set up my book files to keep everything orderly and consistent.

STARTING AT THE TOP OF THE HIERARCHY:

Below is a snapshot of the top layer of my Self-Publishing Business. Each area represents another hat I wear in publishing my novels -- or any other books I may decide to publish. I created this mindmap on a free tool called Freemind. What I like about this mindmapping software is that I can close each of the sections and only focus on what I need depending upon which segment of the self-publishing process I am in.

ORGANIZING MY BOOK FILES | MANUSCRIPTS & COVERS:

Above is the Book Files Hierarchy opened. It contains a list of all of the folders, sub-folders and files I need for each of my books. By having this visual, I can be consistent in the names of the folders, It's even possible to set up the folders before you even finish a first draft.

When I wrote my first novel, I can't tell you how many "drafts" I had and how mixed up I got with it all. This system makes everything clear and self-explanatory.

SELF-PUBLISHING ROADMAP:

Above is the Self-Publishing Roadmap section opened. This is more of a chronological list of everything that has to be done. I have Procedural Lists and/or Informational Sheets with more detailed instructions for each of these steps. It seems a bit excessive, right? Not really. By using organizational tools, diagrams, and lists, it prevents me from having to reinvent the wheel each time I have to do something. I also don't have to use valuable mental energy 'figuring things out'.

There are many things I do on autopilot and I don't use a list for those things. Anything I do everyday or once a week, I don't need a list for. The lists come in handy when I'm doing something I only do occasionally. I believe by having these lists, I cut through any confusion or a bad memory. I have more energy to write!

LET'S LOOK AT THE PROOFREADING LIST:

Above is a snapshot of the Proofreading tab opened. It has a chronological list of how I proofread. I proofread in layers because it makes it easier and less taxing.

LET'S OPEN THE FORMATTING TAB:

Above is the Formatting Tab opened up. It too has a chronological list of how I take my books from formatting the eBook, making the ePub for best upload on Amazon, to the paperback and Hardcover.

If ever I'm at a loss as to what comes next, no matter where I am in the self-publishing process, I just have to go to my list, and the next step will become as clear as day.

Below I have a short snippet where I open all of the sub categories and you can see the chronological lists that serve as guides and reminders of what every facet of the process requires.

INFORMATIONAL SHEETS | PROCEDURE LISTS | DIAGRAMS:

In creating workflow information for the entire self-publishing process, I use a series of Informational Sheets, Procedure Lists, and Diagrams. They all serve the same purpose: To make sure I know what is needed, it functions as a memory jogger, and gives me a sense of knowing I'm not forgetting anything.

Below is a Video Snippet showing one my Informational Sheet on Formatting. I have been adding information and specific notes about experiences I've had with formatting for the last several years. I check this list before beginning any formatting so I refresh my memory about any little snags that happened in the past. This is a great time saver.

Below is a video snippet scrolling through the Formatting Info Sheet.

In the next installment, I will cover my Blog and Video Procedural List. This allows me to easily write a blog, convert it to a video script, and make blog graphics and video overlay panels at the same time. Multitasking supercharged! See you in the next installment!

Organizing a Personal Workflow Based on Your Life’s Needs – Part 1

TIME TO PLAN AND ORGANIZE AN PERSONAL WORKFLOW:

organizing-files There comes a time when any author or creator starts to accumulate a lot of documents. Manuscript files, first drafts, editor drafts, book cover files, social media images, how-to information, checklists, not to mention a work calendar of some kind. You can see that it can get overwhelming very quickly.

The trick to getting and staying organized is to analyze what type of work flow you have and what solutions and systems you need to cover all your bases. That’s what this blog post is all about.

There are lots of videos where people show you their work-flow setups, or their personal filing system. But every single person — even those producing the same type of work — will have different needs, different goals and even different outcomes.

Why not learn how to create your own system and workflow by analyzing what goals you have now and what needs to be done to achieve them?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GET SCATTERED AND OVERWHELMED?

What happens? You lose momentum. Without enough organization and a defined mission, most of us fall into a state of chaos. Some worse than others. You can’t see the forest for the trees because you can’t envision how to get from point A to point B. Your energy scatters. You lose your stride. The next thing you know. an invisible white flag goes up and you find yourself watching mindless videos as a distraction. Don’t let this happen to you anymore.

Organization-of-system-diagram

Before we start into mapping out any specific business strategies or personal goals, it’s important to get a handle of your everyday obligations as they stand today. Make a list of all you need to accomplish on a regular basis, plus your everyday must-dos, plus setting up your location, having your supplies and tools handy — this creates the perfect setup. This will lead to your personal work-flow. Once you know your unique workflow, then organizing a calendar and a filing system to match it will be easy.

BENEFITS TO ORGANIZING A WORKFLOW

Once you implement this system, you will eliminate all of the time eaters and time wasters. You can reacclimate yourself at any moment of the day. You can find your place in an instance. No more lost days or lost weekends. Most of the stress and worry about getting everything done will disappear. You will rely on your proven plan and proven system. You’ll accomplish almost double of what you’re accomplishing now.

IT ALL BEGINS WITH A LIST OF THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

First Things First To Do List Most people are balancing a personal life and a work life. Thinking about what you need to accomplish at work without taking into account all that is required in your personal life is a recipe for disaster. Your goals will be unrealistic and it will be a setup to fail.. It’s important to plan around realistic personal and business goals.

I am a self-published author writing in retirement right now. I own a home and live alone. So taking care of and maintaining myself as well as my home is my responsibility. Going to church, keeping up with friends and family, and even leaving time for a hobby or two, these are all sketched into my work flow plan. Everything you do requires time and energy. So having a realistic over-arching monthly plan of accomplishment will be the basis of your own personal workflow and system.

IT ALL STARTS FROM YOUR ROUTINE AND A REALISTIC LIST OF THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH:

checkline and outline Make a list of what a week in your life looks like. For me, I write novels, do book marketing, write blog posts and make videos (for marketing reasons as well as sharing my experience and knowledge with others).

On the personal side, I do freezer cooking once every three to four weeks where I spend the greater part of a day cooking for the month. I go to the gym three days a week with my cousin. And I organize a lunch with my neighborhood friends once a month as well. My workflow is knitted around these events, activities and goals. This is where my workflow starts. Your workflow design will start with your week-in-the-life information about yourself.

ASSIGN REALISTIC TIME SLOTS TO THE VARIOUS TASKS:

I can’t stress it enough how important being realistic about how much time things normally take is. For example: When I set aside time to write on a novel, I use two to 3 hour spaces in a day. If I can schedule one or two of these spots a week, I can continue writing at least two novels a year. If I can afford more time in some weeks, all the better. I choose quiet days without doctor appointments or other family or friend obligations where I will have quiet time to write.

woman-multitasking-distractions

I save some general research to do when I do my freezer cooking. During this time, I play writing videos in the background, so I can learn from other authors. Sometimes I play marketing videos. But I use the cooking time efficiently. I’m still moving forward with my goals, even when I’m cooking! Multi-tasking works!

Go through the entire list of things to do and put down realistic time slots for everything.

LOCATION | LOCATION | LOCATION:

Alongside the time allotment, add the location you need to be in to do this work. Also list what supplies, trinkets or tools you need to accomplish each. Plus, add whatever you like to have on hand like coffee.

coffee-in-cup-on-table Here’s a personal example: To write, sit in corner of my bedroom in a chair, with my laptop, with a table set up next to it. I like to drink coffee when I write, so I make sure I have a pot ready and on hand. I also place a pad and pen on the table so I can down any new names I choose during the writing process. I write in Scrivener which is loaded onto my laptop, so that’s all I need for the entire writing session. By recreating your perfect environment you can design a setup or gathering list so you won’t keep interrupting yourself with forgotten items.

When I am videotaping, I need my laptop, Snagit tool, printed video script, ideas for the YouTube thumbnail, a pen, ideas for text overlays, ideas for video graphic elements, and a ring light. To shoot a video, I also use a two to three hour workspace. I’m new at making videos so younger people may be able to work faster than this.

BUT I DON’T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME:

If you are someone who has a limited amount of time to achieve the goal of writing a novel, it’s okay. You can convert an hour a day into a book as long as you are organized and can protect your writing time. I published my first five books while still working full time. So I know it can be done.

Go through your life — at least those parts you are attempting to organize for efficiency — and analyze them as I suggested below. That list will become the basis of your personalized work flow and your ultimate work calendar.

MAKE A WEEKLY CALENDAR:

Add on your church and family obligations, school obligations, and you can then see realistically how much time you will have to write or do whatever your passion is.

It’s a good idea to make your list and live with it for the first few days or a week. A couple of things may happen. First, the time slots you gave each item may be much shorter than you thought or much longer than you thought. So adjust them as you go along.

Another thing that will happen is other obligations will arise that you didn’t remember when making the list. So before you write the list in stone and start planning around it, give yourself time to make the necessary and realistic adjustments. By the end of a week or two, you will be clear on what you need to do to set up a winning and successful plan to take you to where you want to be.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

words-what-comes-next In the next installment of this series, I’ll talk about getting more efficient. How to rid yourself and your life of time eaters, energy zappers, and other dead-end roads to nothing but time loss with zero accomplishments.

We’ll also talk about how to reclaim time and energy from your life to better apply it to your personal goals.

Here is a video I recorded covering most of the above material:

How to Write a Book Series

I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE MY FIRST BOOK SERIES:

I didn’t set off to write a book series. How did it happen? My first novel turned out to be way too long and there was way too much going on. So I broke it down and wrote two separate stories.

Once I finished the first two novels, I realized that because my main character was a private investigator, it was possible to continue to solve crimes in new books, so that's what I did. The series is now four books, but I could easily add more in the future.

During the process of writing my first, second and third series, I learned a lot of tips to make it easier. There were so many things I didn't know I didn't know in the beginning. My purpose in this blog post is to pass on my best tips in writing a book series.

I found out later that more experienced authors even suggested that newer authors consider writing in series because it's easier to market the books. But my venture into writing book series was a happy accident.

TIP NUMBER 1: KEEP A LONG RUNNING INFORMATION LIST

Keep a long running names list. I call mine an Information Sheet. I put down every character I ever name. I learned the hard way to only trust my memory. It doesn't work!

By having a long list of every character, street names, crime locations, neighbor names, job titles, etc., you will have all of this information at your fingertips.

Example Number 1: In my first novel in the Jack Nolan Detective Series, I needed an immediate boss' name. So I chose Lieutenant Duane White. But then when I needed to refer to him in Book 3 but I forgot what I named him! I had to hunt him down in the manuscript of the first book. This can take hours, especially if you don't have any clue what you may have called him.

Now I keep the all proper names and other information that I may need again on a long list that travels with me through each book. No matter how insignificant the character seems, I write it down on my information list.

Example Number 2: I referred to Jack Nolan's wife, one of the characters, as having left him eight month's previous to the start of the series. By having this information recorded, I was able to track how many months passed and how this time increased over the time of the series.

Example Number 3: Town names, Plaza names, Mall names, etc. All of these seem insignificant when you are pulling the names out of the air during the drafting of the book. But with cops working in the same town, you may need to reference that same mall again.

Special Note to Fantasy Writers: They use what they sometimes call a World Bible, and this is a more extended information list. It's important to keep track of everything I've just mentioned, as well as the world rules and the rules regarding whatever supernatural power you may write about.

TIP NUMBER 2: KEEP A SHARED MARKETING LIST FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES:

Keep all of information about the books on one shared marketing sheet. I keep the names, publication dates, book links, categories, and keywords for the books all on one page.

Once you begin to market the books, you will need to use this information over and over again.

You may also want to keep a few short blurbs because when uploading to advertise on Bookfunnel, Bookbub, FussyLibrarian, or Freebooksy, you will need all of this information handy.

At the time of the writing of this blog post, Amazon only allow an author to put their book in 3 genres. If you have 4 books in a series, you can put the last three books in different genres thereby extending your marketing reach.

It goes without saying that you should have a link in the back of each eBook so the reader can click on the link and go to purchase the next book inthe series.

Amazon only allows seven keywords for each book. Use the best keywords for the first book or two. Then use longer-tail keywords and different keywords to broaden your reach for new readers. By having them handy, especially if you do keyword research, it will make all of this much easier.

Let me give you an example: In my Jack Nolan Detective Series, I put the first book into Police Procedurals, Mystery Romance, and Mystery Suspense. But Books 2 to 5, I can add into general mystery categories and women's fiction, literature and fiction, etc. You can imagine how much broader your reach for new readers will be.

TIP NUMBER 3: USE A BROAD STROKE CHARACTER ARC OVER THE ENTIRE SERIES:

I use broad-stroke character arc for the main characters that extends over all the books in the series. Each individual book, however, the character grows and changes a little bit. So each book contains its own arc, but there is a longer series arc for the main characters. It helps to know this before you start writing the series.

Each book has a crime or mystery that plays out and is solved. The characters grow during the subplot of each book. Once the mystery is solved, a new normal is shown with the characters embracing their new-found growth. In the next book, the same template will be followed. The mystery or crime will play out or be solved, and characters will grow, and there will be a new normal that reflects that growth.

TIP NUMBER 4: I WRITE THE BOOKS AS STAND-ALONE BOOKS

This tip is about writing the books in the series as 'stand-alone books'. This allows me to market the books as a series, but also as stand-alone books. As stated above, each book has a full plot that completes but I put in enough background information in order to fill in stand-alone readers on what is going on with the characters in case they haven't read the initial books.

I write in Scrivener and I set up a meta tag so I can keep track of what background information I need to drop into the story for those stand-alone readers. This makes marketing the books much easier.

Where to Find Beta Readers

WHERE TO FIND BETA READERS
DEPENDS ON TWO THINGS:

Some writers have no-to-little money to work with and they will take one route. Other writers have no time but have some money to work with. Where you are on this road will determine what your choices are.

I HAVE TIME BUT NO MONEY:

This could be a person who works full time, lives alone, or has a few kids and there is just not enough extra money around to fund all the things necessary to do when self-publishing a book. Not to worry. There are a few choices for you.

Goodreads.com is an active website for readers and authors and is filled with other authors who are also looking for help to publish their books. The trick is to find them.

If you search "Beta Readers" in the search box on Goodreads, it will bring up all of the beta reader groups that are available to you at that time. You can access this under the community tab on the navigation menu. Be sure to read the rules and regulations for the specific group because the last time I looked, there were a few Gestapo-like warnings and instructionals about how people should post.

If you happen to be extraverted or bubbly, good with people, you will have no trouble finding someone in one of these groups or forums to help you. I'm introverted and don't do well in these large groups because I always feel like I'm bothering people. But not everyone is like this, so if you are good at making acquaintances and friends, give Goodreads a try.

Try to google "beta readers" as well and you will find other forums that claim to have people willing to read your book. I never gave this much patience because I chose to just pay someone.

TRY A FAMILY MEMBER AS A BETA READER:

If you have a family member who you can trust to give you honest feedback and gentle criticism, this is probably the best choice. Make sure it's someone who will want to do a good job for you and they will know you are counting on them. That's what I did. My Aunt Gen offered to read my books and I jumped at the chance. She read them and kept a notepad by her book and jotted down everything she thought about.

I also had a friend who needed computer help and I bartered with her for beta reading. That was also a great experience.

The trick to making working with amateurs, so to speak, work is knowing two things. (1) Your readers will feel that they have to give you some level of criticism so you have to be ready to make that work for you. I'll go into that below. (2) The second thing is that sometimes people will give you advice about writing books that come out of left field. They will not know what they are talking about, so it's important to be prepared for this. Just be ready to thank them for their ideas.

Once you have chosen a family member or friend to beat read for you, you need to direct their attention to what it is you are interested in having them do. Tell them that after they read the book, you will want to know the following 5 things:

Do you like the characters?
Is the plot easy enough to follow or was it confusing at any point?
Were there any plot holes or anything about the plot that felt unfinished?
How were the character and location descriptions?
Did my prose read easily or did you find yourself having to re-read sentences sometimes?

That's it. Let them have the book with those questions. Then after they're done, you can ask them other questions. By guiding them as to what you want to know, you will get feedback and criticism that is helpful.

I HAVE MONEY BUT NOT TIME:

If you are working, raising kids, or just working 60 hours a week, you probably have a few extra dollars and will need to get someone two help you for a reasonable price. There are full industries that have sprung up around the entire self-publishing industry, but it's important to know how not to be ripped off!

I used Fiverr.com for my beta readers. I found someone who was willing to read my book and give me feedback. The person I chose read the book in Microsoft Word and she used commenting in the Track Changes feature. I hadn't thought of this myself at that point. She commented all throughout the book. This was so valuable because it was like being in the reader's head when she read the book.

I gave her my list of 5 questions above and between her answering the questions and commenting throughout the book, she did a great job. She charged me $80. This was back in 2022 so it may have gone up to $100, but I believe it's still worth it.

I have become a repeat Fiverr user as I have had nothing but good experiences on their website.

Here is a video you may like where I go over pretty much the same material I just explained in the blog post.

Beta Readers vs ARC Readers – What’s the difference

What's the Difference Between a
Beta Reader and an ARC Reader?

A Beta Reader is someone who reads the book to give you feedback as to whether people will even like the story. A beta reader knows they are reading a book that is not ready to be released. They are aware or should be made aware that they will be asked for feedback as part of the final crafting of the book process.

An Advanced Copy Reader is a different animal. They are readers who are also expected to give feedback, but many are not quite aware that the book is not yet "finished". They also don't look at giving feedback an obligation.

WHICH ONE IS BETTER? A BETA OR AN ARC READER?

In my humble opinion, they are different readers for different reasons. But I will share how releasing my book as an ARC copy came back to bite me once or twice.

I chose to use Bookfunnel or SiteOrigin to release my ARC copies so that I could get the readers' emails to be able to contact them with a gentle reminder to review the book when it was released. Sounds innocent enough, right?

Well, what I found out later was that often readers will volunteer to be an ARC reader but they just want a free eBook. I don't necessarily have a problem with that. However, then some don't read the book for up to a year or more. And when they do, they forget they are reading "an early copy" or an "imperfect copy" of the book.

I can point to several snarky remarks about spelling and/or punctuation in a few Goodreads and/or Amazon Reviews. I learned the hard way to never send out any ARC copies to any eReaders unless or until it has been beta-read, professionally edited and it's just waiting to be listed for a pre-order.

I STILL USE ARC READERS BUT FOR A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PURPOSE:

I will continue to request ARC readers and I include a questionnaire in the back of the ARC copies. Several readers do take the time to fill them out for me. It's so valuable. Each one has a different take on things.

Going forward, I may also put a statement at the end of the ARC book copies reminding the reader that they are reading an ARC copy of the book and to forgive any last minute errors that are still uncorrected. Many of my past ARC readers did take the time to alert me to a typo or two on top of filling out the questionnaire and I can't tell you how valuable someone like this is. I now also put my ARC readers on my Acknowledgments page. They have no idea how grateful I am for them. I usually offer them a small gift or a free eBook for their trouble.

After release, I only send one gentle-reminder email asking for a review after the book is released. Not everyone posts a review, but that's okay. If I get a few, again, I'm thankful. If they are members of my newsletter list, I usually put an announcement that the book has been released and this serves as a second gentle reminder.

If you are interested in seeing more about my ARC reader procedure, click here.

WHAT'S THE TAKE AWAY?

The take away is -- at least in my humble opinion -- you don't need a whole team of 10 or 20 people to release a book. If you have one beta reader, a professional editor that you trust, and get feedback questionnaires from a few readers, that's enough. After all, at the end of the day, some people will love your work and some may hate it. You're writing for your own readership -- not for those people who don't like your work.

ONE FURTHER NOTE ON WRITING IN BOOK SERIES:

I write in series of four to five books. In the first book in any series, when the characters are new, this is when I may hire two beta readers. You want more than one or two opinions when main characters are new. When I released Murder in the Sanctuary, I had no idea if people would like the main characters -- Jack and Fiona. But it turned out most of the readers really liked them. What a relief! The additional beta readers gave me the confidence I needed as I went forward into releasing the book.

ADVANCED COPY READERS | ADVANCED FEEDBACK READERS - CHECKLIST AND CHEAT SHEET

Now, you know I love to have checklists, worksheets and cheat sheets. So of course I have one for this blog post and video.

The most important lesson I ever learned about Beta Readers and ARC readers -- in releasing a book in general -- is that it takes time. I need at least eight weeks to do a full ARC campaign, and two weeks for a beta extra for the beta readers and editor. When I was new, I had no idea of needing to do so many things before release.

This Checklist will lay out everything that has to be done, how much time you will comfortably need, and it will give any newbies the added confidence that you're not forgetting something!

BOOK MARKETING FOR THE SHY AND INTROVERTED:

Every self-published author -- and even some who have literary agents and publishers -- have to learn basic marketing skills today. I have developed many marketing skills that work for the introverted and camera-shy. If you can relate to that, subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on social media as I post about book marketing strategies all the time.

Here is a link to download the checklist in PDF format

I made a video where I speak about this topic that may be helpful:

MYSTERY NOVEL BRAINSTORMING WORKSHEET

This worksheet is geared for those who want to write a mystery or crime novel. Even those wanting to write literary fiction, you will need some level of mystery or suspense to keep readers hooked into your story. Literary fiction is about character studies and life studies than technical mysteries, but every book needs at least some level of suspense or surprise every so often to keep a reader’s interest. Even in a slice-of-life novel or a family saga, there needs to be something that is mysterious about the plotline.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORKSHEET:

When I first decided to write a novel, it took me one full year (I’m not kidding!) to even come up with a crime. Today, using these methods I’m about to reveal, it only takes me two to three days to think up three or four mystery scenarios.

My wish is that this worksheet will help those beginners who don’t know where to start and are still trying to think of a good crime.

THE LISTS | CHOOSE FROM COLUMN A AND COLUMN B:

Below I have lists of crimes and also mystery genres. This list is meant to jog your memory and get your creative juices flowing. All of the crimes can be swapped into any genre. The list at the bottom is of multiple genres, but this is not an exhaustive list by any means. Just look at the categories on Amazon to get a feel for how many book genres there are today.

START THE WORKSHEET BY CHOOSING A CRIME OR MYSTERY:

Let’s talk about how to use this work sheet. Choose a crime or mystery from the list below and make up a potential perpetrator. Don’t waste time on what he or she looks like. Then start asking the following questions:

Why would this person want to commit this crime?
What could be going on in his/her life that would make him/her feel they needed to commit this crime?
How would he want to cover his tracks?
What specific knowledge would a character need to pull off a crime or swindle like this? In other words, is he/she an accountant and that makes it easier to commit a financial crime?
Then ask: Who would need to help him or give him/her cover? Add necessary characters and think about a connection. Is it a family connection? Is it a romantic connection?

THE NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS TO ASK:

Once you have a perpetrator and the cast of necessary characters, then it’s time to answer the following questions:

What could go wrong in the commission of this crime that would create tension or mystery? (He drops a glove or a drop of blood.)
How will these clues ultimately lead to his/her exposure? (How will this clue be found?)
How can this end in a way that would let justice prevail? (How and who will find the clue?)
How will the culprit ultimately be caught? (Is he cornered by an accuser? Is he arrested? Does he confess?)
What is one clue that can be minimized in the beginning of the story but will turn out to be the one who catches the bad guy?

NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS:

List the things that could go right for the perpetrator -- like a second, more-likely suspect pops up and suddenly all eyes are not on the real culprit anymore?
Could there be other likely suspects that would also have motivation to commit the crime?
As the story grows, add whatever crucial characters are needed (witnesses, husbands, wives, bosses, helpers, etc.) who you will need to make the crime and solving of the story happen.
If you get this far, it means that you have a viable storyline.

THE SKELETON OF THE CRIME:

Before you exert too much energy fleshing out any character or story details, be sure to check to make sure you can design a three-prong storyline out of this budding storyline. One prong will be a red herring storyline, someone who may look guilty, but is exonerated in the middle or end of the story. The second prong is a second suspect or a wrong suspect who will look guilty for a large segment of the storyline. And the final prong will be for the real culprit. In order to have a story that works, you will need a believable crime that can meld these three prongs into one suspenseful story.

As you use this worksheet and these techniques, a crime skeleton will emerge. Some attempts at this will go flat in the early stages for any number of reasons. But some storylines will begin to almost shape themselves.I always make four believable storylines and then choose the best one. Then I know I have the best of my ability at that time in my life. Once you know you have a storyline and a lineup of stick figures and character roles that can technically pull off the mystery, so to speak, then you can begin to build real characters and an actual story.

THE CHARACTERS BUILD THEMSELVES:

Once you know what will be needed for the three-pronged storyline and what traits the lead characters will need to play out their parts, the characters will start building themselves into two-dimensional characters. You can take the characters up to deeper, three-dimensional characters as you flesh out your main story and subplots.

LIST OF MYSTERIES, CRIMES & GENRES

I hope this is helpful. Once you know you have a workable storyline, then it’s time to take a look at my Ultimate Character Development Worksheet. This will help you bring the stick figures to three-dimensional with a full character arc.

Book Marketing – The Toolbox and File System

THE TOOLBOX:

Now that you have a generic marketing calendar, it's time to assemble your toolbox. These are the things you will want to have close by when it's time to dedicate an hour or two to marketing.

GRAPHICS PROGRAM

First into the toolbox is a graphics program. I used to use Photoshop, but since I retired from work, I now use Gimp because it's free. I try to do everything as free as I can because I devote all monies spent on producing my books on an editor and paid book ads that work. I say 'ads that work' because many of them don't. More on that in the next few blog posts.

MARKETING CALENDAR:

I used to use Hootsuite, but it got too expensive and I couldn't see enough in their desktop area. I switched to using a Microsoft Excel sheet. This allows me to continue to just Right-click and add a row above, so it is easy to build out the calendar. Within 6 months, I had about 4 to 6 daily marketing ads to post everyday. I find this the easiest.

THE CRUCIAL BOOK INFORMATION:

Below is a snapshot of the excel sheet as calendar I use. Below that is a list of everything else you will need to make any and all ads that come up. By having all of this at your fingertips, you can decide to dedicate one or two hours to marketing, and then be able to dive in without having to stop to fetch one thing after another.

I like using the Excel sheet because I can see a bird's eye view of what's coming up over the next few days or weeks. I can also use the scroll bar to zip around and see what else is coming up. I can use the find feature -- Control F -- to find anything by using a keyword or two. And last but not least, I can copy emojis and they paste out in the color onto social media! I'll post one below. All I do is copy and paste this from the excel sheet:

🚨🚀💥🧨✈️ 👉 BOOK MARKETING 👈✈️🧨🚀🚨
Where and How does Book Marketing Start?
First you need a generic marketing calendar to user year after year
Learn More 👉https://readfirstchapter.com/book-marketing-for-new-authors/
#bookmarketing, #selfpublishing, #marketingads

A BOOK COVER IN THE RIGHT RESOLUTION:

You will need a digital book cover in 72 dpi size format. This is smaller than the size needed for a printer. If your book cover pictures are too big, then you can shrink them down using Gimp. I'm making a mental note to do a short video on how to do that.

MAKE A CHEAT SHEET OF INFORMATION

Next you want to make a cheat sheet by gathering all of the following information in one document so you can copy and paste it easily. I use a Notepad document because they are easy to open, can stay up when other programs are open, and they have the "find feature" as well.

Along with the 72 dpi book cover, you will need short blurbs about your book or books. Starting at about 150 words, keep whittling the blurb down until you have several blurbs with the last one being about one sentence (for Amazon ads).

The quickest way I have found to do this shrinking blurb routine is to start with the blurb from the back of the paperback. I copy and paste that into my cheat sheet. Then I whittle that one down by 20 to 30 words and save that one too. Somewhere after 75 words, you're down to just what I would call 'an ad blurb'. I do this whittling down using a Word document, so I can record how many words the blurb is. I keep that with each blurb.

Copy and paste any and all purchase links for your book. Be sure to keep track of which merchant each link belongs to. Besides the purchase links, you may want to keep the paperback and hardcover links handy -- you never know!

If you have a sample of the book posted online, be sure to record this link as well. Using free giveaways of the first few chapters is a good sales pitch. Record any Bookfunnel and Site Origin book links. Anytime you can use the giveaway links, it's another opportunity to build your reader list, also known as a mailing list or a newsletter list.

HASHTAGS:

Most younger people know what hashtags are. If you're a boomer like me (hee hee), you may need to brush up on what hashtags are. Go to YouTube and search out videos explaining hashtags. Someone will explain them to you.

For others who know what they are but don't know how to use them, I'll give you the first few to get you started.

readersoffacebook
#readersofinstagram
#readersoftiktok
bookstagram
#booktok

ROYALTY FREE IMAGES:

For any advertising, you will need royalty free images and graphics. I use DepositPhotos.com . There is another place called pixabay.com and they offer totally free pictures and graphics. You may want to start with them.

Did you know that if you are a Microsoft 365 customer, there are thousands of pictures, illustrations, icons and more available to you in the Powerpoint program? I've started using those as a new resource for free photos.

Anyway, you will need to have royalty free images to use in marketing.

PICTURE AND ADS FILING SYSTEM:

For the first year, I had pictures and ads all over the place. This year I sat down and devoted about two hours to organizing all of my various pictures on my computer. Everyone has their own filing systems and I'm not claiming mine is the best, but for anyone who wouldn't know where to begin, this can get you started.

I use one file called "Royalty Free Photos" where I keep all the photos I download from Deposit Photos, Pixabay or even Powerpoint. I use a naming style shown below so I know where I got the picture:

DP-Picture-Description.png ==> DepositPhotos.
GI-Picture-Description.png ==> Google images
PX-Picture-Description.jpg ==> Pixabay picture
PPT-Picture-Description.png == Powerpoint picture

I keep my marketing ads that I make in a large folder called "MarketingImages". I keep pictures of the ads and my 72dpi book covers in this file. I use a naming taxonomy as follows:

RMPI-Ad-Description.png ==> Ryan Mallardi Private Investigations
NVS-Ad Description.jpg==> Newport Vampire Stories Series
JNDS-Ad Description.png==>Jack Nolan Detective Series
Groomed-Ad-Description.png ==> Ad about Groomed for Marriage
Sanctuary-Ad-Description.png==> Ad about Murder in the Sanctuary

I keep all of these pictures and graphics in the Marketing Images folder. I allow them to all swim free in the one folder. It seems chaotic, but I can use the find feature to fetch anything I need. When I want to find a picture of the ads I've made for a series of books, then I click "Control F" and type in "RMPI" and all of the ads that I have with that naming nomenclature come up. Then I can pick one. There is nothing more frustrating than having to enter and exit subfolders!

I hope you enjoyed this segment of my Book Marketing for Authors series. Be sure to see my YouTube Channel for more marketing videos.

Next I am planning on demonstrating how to make the first ad that you will need, the book cover and summary like the one i have below:

Next Blog Posts: The first ads - All About the Book

Book Marketing for New Authors

WHERE DOES BOOK MARKETING START?

Book Marketing is a huge undertaking, but it starts with baby steps. When I was brand new, the mere subject of book marketing was enough to make me feel completely overwhelmed. However, now looking back, I see that it started with baby steps and book marketing isn't something you do, it's something you build.

Every book marketing video I watched would exhaust me just thinking of how much more I was expected to do to market my books. I'm writing this blog post to offer the most important tips I would give to myself as a new author and an other new authors and book marketers.

This first installment is to set the framework of your marketing plan. The calendar list below is meant to be sort of a file box. Think of each holiday as a marketing opportunity. You will build your marketing plan by starting with this calendar.

When you make Christmas or Halloween ads for your books, they will go in your file and next year, you will have two ads instead of one. Make all of your marketing ads generic so they can be used over and over again. This is one way to build your arsenal of marketing.

ORGANIZE EVEN THE FIRST MARKETING EFFORTS!

I'm not an expert on marketing, but have learned quite a bit in the last three to four years. One problem I had in the beginning is I would be caught short -- not prepared for all the different marketing opportunities. I was focused on marketing platforms, but I never far enough ahead and prepared for the various marketing seasons.

Below is a Generic Holiday Marketing Calendar that I now use to 'think ahead'. It's January 9th as I write this, and I'm thinking about Valentine's Day and how I will take advantage of that holiday to market my books.

January

New Year’s Eve – December 31st
New Years Day
January 7^th – Little Christmas (Magi reached Jesus)
Martin Luther King Day – 3^rd Monday in January

February

Valentine’s Day – February 14th
Washington’s Birthday – 3^rd Monday in February

March

International Woman’s Day – March 8th
Patrick’s Day – March 17th
1st Day of Spring March 19^th or 20^th
Easter – Date varies in March or April with moon

April

April Fool’s Day – April 1
Earth Day – April 22nd

May

Mother’s Day – 2^nd Sunday in May
Memorial Day – Last Monday in May

June

Father’s Day – 3^rd Sunday in June
First Day of Summer – June 20^th or 21st

July

Independence Day – July 4th
Prime Day – 2 Days – mid July – dates vary

August

The Dog Days of August – the entire month is applicable

September

Grandparent’s Day – 1^st Sunday in September
Labor day – 1^st Monday in September
National Hispanic Month – Starts September 15th
1^st Day of Autumn – September 22 or 23

October

Prime Early Access Sale: October 10-11 – dates vary
Columbus Day – 1^st Monday
Halloween – October 31^st

November

Thanksgiving Day – 4^th Thursday in November
Black Friday – Day after Thanksgiving
Cyber Monday – Monday after Thanksgiving
Amazon Prime Day – 2 Day holiday – date varies

December

First Day of Winter – December 21st
Christmas Eve – December 24^th
Christmas Day – December 25^th

MARKETING ADS AND BOOK COVERS:

Earlier this year I started uploading YouTube videos targeting beginner writers and marketers who want to learn how to make their own book covers. Gimp is a free photo manipulation program -- completely free. Volunteer coders from around the world, unsung heroes, have worked on this computer program for the masses.

Many authors are on a tight budget, especially when there are many businesses that have set up around self-publishing authors who are only too happy to take money. That's why it's so important to plan where you will spend your money in publishing and marketing books.

The Gimp program is a Photoshop knock-off, so to speak, but an author only needs to learn how to operate about 8 of the tools in the program in order to create marketing ads and book covers. This is a way to save money. So be sure to check out my YouTube Playlist here.

If you would like to download this generic Book Marketing List, sign up below.

Novel Scene Improvement Checklist

MYSTERY NOVEL SCENE IMPROVEMENT CHECKLIST

This is a checklist I wish I had when I first started out as an author. With the internet and research being at our fingertips, anyone can figure out how to write a first draft. In the world I live in, a first draft is nothing more than blurting out the story onto paper so you have something to begin working on.

When writing the first draft, you don't even have on your author's hat yet. You are only a mapmaker really. You are putting down the basic storyline that can be massaged into a real story and ultimately into a real novel.

In my opinion, we are all limited by our capabilities as they exist in time. That means that you can only write the story to the best of your ability, based on what you presently know.

The purpose of this blogpost and checklist is to go over techniques that will allow you to expand your horizons. Let it guide your creative mind in certain areas with the intent purpose of "taking the story up a notch". These questions helped me along the way, but like I said earlier, I wish I began to ask them earlier in my author journey.

I offer them now to new authors in the hopes that this will help you take new ground as an author and improve your scenes beyond what you may be capable of at any given time.

This questionnaire is meant to be applied after you have written a first draft and have gone over the draft once in order to make sure the story flows from scene to scene and from chapter to chapter.

A Special Note to Beginners: Any attempt to "write perfectly" with these questions in mind will only slow down your draft process. I have other beginner advice in my Peek Behind the Novel series you may be interested in.

This checklist is meant to be applied to each scene individually during the massaging stage. What is the massaging stage? Each new novel begins with a draft stage, goes into an overall check for the flow of the story and then to a single focus of making sure all clues and twists are all in their proper place. Then you enter the massaging-the-story stage. This is where this checklist will be very helpful.

QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT EACH SCENE:

Whose point of view is the scene being written in?
Where is the location of the scene? Is there an outer location and an inner location? For example: Is there a cabin that is located a long drive away? This may require two location descriptions.
What is the purpose of the scene?
Is the main character “arcing” in the scene? Is there something that is changing about him or her? How is this being shown (not told)?
What is the high point of the scene? Where would there need to be a “close-up”?
Is there at least a ribbon of suspense still running through the scene?
What clues have been dropped in the scene?

By focusing on each element individually with these questions in mind, it will allow a new author to focus on only one element at a time. It prevents new authors from becoming overwhelmed by a general suggestion to take the whole novel up a notch.

In my opinion, by focusing on each scene individually, you will erase any rushing that may have occurred in the draft process. It will give you a second chance to see if you can better describe something or foreshadow something early on in the plot.

Below are the questions that are designed to refocus a new author to how and where each scene can be improved.

HOW CAN YOU TAKE THE SCENE UP A NOTCH?

Make sure all viewpoints, feelings and thoughts are attached to the person who owns the point of view of the scene.
Using vivid memories or pictures, how can you describe the location or two locations of the scene in a way to add information that brings depth to the storyline? Is there a way to use this subtlety to foreshadow something? How can you add atmosphere and/or impending doom and/or rising stakes into your location descriptions?
Check to make sure the purpose of the scene is clear for the reader who is reading the story for the first time. Remove anything that’s boring or unnecessary. If something doesn’t serve the story, it should be removed.
Can you add a bit of drama to the high point of the scene without being melodramatic?
Identify the way in which your ribbon of suspense is lacing through the scene. Do you have a statement, an event, a feeling, something that holds up the suspense in the scene?
Are the clues dropped in such a way that they are actual data points that the reader will recognize and use to try to figure out what is going on?

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES: TAKE THE SCENE TO THE TOP

Metallic bird cage with open door and two bird silhouettes.

The following writing techniques may be hard for new authors. They are still hard for me after 12 novels. But they are good suggestions to keep in mind as you get more experience as an author.

These questions can be used over and over and you will see your writing take new ground with each scene as you push yourself to one tiny improvement at a time.

Can you add a hook into the beginning of the scene? Will something happen that will make the reader want to keep reading? Is there something that will invite readers to feel they are going deeper?
Can you add a surprise, a shock, or a twist at the end of each chapter? Having a tiny cliffhanger or surprise or shock at the end of the scenes is a way to add to the overall suspense of the book – and keep the readers reading.
Can you add a motif of some kind? For example: In the Harry Potter books, Good vs. Evil was a classic motif that ran throughout the story. The red rose in The Great Gatsby signifies Gatsby's love and longing for Daisy.
In my opinion, these two are advanced techniques that will come with experience. This is another reason to not spend too much time fussing about anything in the first draft. The first draft is only a starting point, words on paper. It’s where the art of writing begins.

Book Review – Frankenstein

Book Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelly

Description from Amazon.com:

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, generally known as Frankenstein, is a novel written by the British author Mary Shelley. The title of the novel refers to a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who learns how to create life and creates a being in the likeness of man, but larger than average and more powerful. In popular culture, people have tended to refer to the Creature as "Frankenstein", despite this being the name of the scientist. Frankenstein is a novel infused with some elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. It was also a warning against the "over-reaching" of modern man and the Industrial Revolution, alluded to in the novel's subtitle, The Modern Prometheus. The story has had an influence across literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories and films. It is arguably considered the first fully realized science fiction novel.

REVIEW AS A READER:

It was hard to separate the reader and the author in this read because I chose this book to do a gothic study. I saw a video by Tristan and the Classics from YouTube where he suggested reading the top 5 to 10 books in the gothic genre to get a sense of not only what the genre contains, but also how one book led to the other historically. I did just that and Frankenstein was one of the suggested books.

Like many people, I assumed the book was about a monster named Frankenstein. Not so. The scientist's name is Frankenstein and the monster is his creation.

Knowing that Mary Shelly was only 18 or 20 years old when she wrote this story was shocking to me because the book deals with a deep subject for the times in which she lived. Science had been delving into the issue of where does medicine stop and meddling in God's handiwork begin. There is always a certain amount of fear associated with new scientific discovery. In our day there are those who fear that AI will take over the world. This book was written in the face of some scientific fear that was prevalent in her day.

The book opens with a series of letters that anchor the reader into the time and place this story will unfold. Dr. Frankenstein is fascinated by all things scientific. His family sees that he has talent in this area and they insist he get extended education and experience, which he does.

At first Dr. Frankenstein is motivated by the ability to help people, to affect a positive change in the world. But slowly, this motivate gets twisted into a hunger for the fame and acclaim he will get for being able to rid humanity of illness. In this state of mind, he meats another scientist of his day, who shows him the ropes, so to speak, about doing scientific exploration. It sounded from the book that this type of cutting edge scientific exploration was done in the proverbial "garage labs" -- sort of like where Bill Gates and Steve Jobs started out.

I won't give away any of the details of what happens from this point forward because this is the story. Everyone knows, of course, that he creates this monster that is known world wide by the name of Frankenstein. But there is much more to the story than that.

As a reader, I had the usual struggle of reading "British" idioms and colloquialisms. I get the feeling that I'm missing something at times when I'm reading English writers. There was also the tiny struggle associated with reading a book that was written so long ago. The language changes and it's easy to miss things. I kept with it. With my Kindle highlighter, I kept track of all the characters and the plot points.

I would say this was a moral gothic tale about mankind overstepping our bounds scientifically. It was also a moral story about how the absence of virtue and living a life based on revenge can destroy people.

I enjoyed the book and did learn a lot about the gothic genre from it. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was one of the first gothic books, one of the books that launched the gothic genre.

REVIEW BY AUTHOR:

Structurally, the book opened with a series of letters back and forth between I believe Dr. Frankenstein and his sister. I say "I believe" because I find myself not always "sure" of things when it's a British writer. I don't know if I'm alone in this, but in any event, the series of letters was a vehicle of dropping information about the backdrop of the story.

I have seen this method used many, many times in books today and always notice what the purpose of the letter-structure is. It added a bit of interest and intrigue into layout out the backdrop of the drama that was about to unfold.

The next part of the book reveals Dr. Frankenstein as quite a young man. He is filled with excitement and an unquenchable thirst for scientific knowledge. As stated earlier, he had all the best intentions in the beginning, but somewhere during his "forming" as a scientist, his ego took over and he stepped over the line. He develops the ability to give life to the lifeless and decides to create a man -- I mean, why not? Well, it doesn't go exactly as expected.

The main story is about how this experiment affected the creature as well as Dr. Frankenstein. The doctor's knowledge stopped at how to create a creature, but he didn't know how to care for and love a creature.

From a Christian perspective, his ego led him down the path of arrogance. He is overconfident and this blinds him to the fact that he has now crossed the line into "God's domain", the creation of life. As just stated, although he was able to give life to this creature, he wasn't able to care for him or provide a world where anyone could care for him. It shows the limitations of mankind and the disaster that occurs when arrogant men play God.

The story is about what happens to Dr. Frankenstein, his family and the creature. It is also a statement, although very subtle, of how the absence of virtue mixed with an obsession for vengeance can destroy a person's life, even their family's lives.

Again, as an author, I couldn't help but be so impressed with what young Mary Shelly was capable of not only understanding but her ability to craft a story around some very difficult issues.

It is a must read for anyone interested in the gothic genre. I would highly recommend it.

SOME MEMORABLE QUOTES:

". . . but it is the custom of the Irish to hate villains"
"I pursued him, and for many months this has been my task. Guided by a slight clue, I followed the windings of the Rhone, but vainly . . ."
"She was a hired nurse, the wife of one of the turnkeys, and her countenance expressed all those bad qualities which often characterize that class."

MY FAVORITE TURN OF PHRASES:

She perished on the scaffold as a murderess.
. . . sudden turn of a promontory, flourishing vineyards with green sloping banks and a meandering river and populous towns occupy the scene.
The soil was barren scarcely affording pasture for a few miserable cows and oatmeal for its inhabitants, which consisted of five persons, whose gaunt and scaggy limbs gave tokens of their miserable fare.
. . . hardly conscious of its extreme profundity until my ear was arrested by the paddling of oars near the shore . . .
A few fishing vessels alone specked the water
the gentle breeze wafted the sound of voices as the fisherman called to one another.
. . . astonishment was exhibited in my countenance,
. . . languishing in death, the dark orbs nearly covered by the lids and the long black lashes that fringed them;
He wished me to seek amusement in society. I abhorred the face of man.
The murderous mark of the fiend's grasp was on her neck . . .
wandering ministers of vengeance
I now related my history briefly but with firmness and precision, marking the dates with accuracy and never deviating into invective or exclamation.
Everything was silent except the leaves of the trees, which were gently agitated by the wind; the night was nearly dark, and the scene would have been solemn and affecting even to an uninterested observer.
He had heard my story with that half kind of belief that is given to a tale of spirits and supernatural events.

WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN PART 1:

HOW TO RECLAIM TIME:

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT GETTING LOST IN SOCIAL MEDIA:

START THE WORK FLOW FROM THE TOP:

EVERY BUSINESS OR WORKFLOW NEEDS A FILING SYSTEM:

STARTING AT THE TOP OF THE HIERARCHY:

ORGANIZING MY BOOK FILES | MANUSCRIPTS & COVERS:

SELF-PUBLISHING ROADMAP:

LET'S LOOK AT THE PROOFREADING LIST:

LET'S OPEN THE FORMATTING TAB:

INFORMATIONAL SHEETS | PROCEDURE LISTS | DIAGRAMS:

TIME TO PLAN AND ORGANIZE AN PERSONAL WORKFLOW:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GET SCATTERED AND OVERWHELMED?

BENEFITS TO ORGANIZING A WORKFLOW

IT ALL BEGINS WITH A LIST OF THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

IT ALL STARTS FROM YOUR ROUTINE AND A REALISTIC LIST OF THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH:

ASSIGN REALISTIC TIME SLOTS TO THE VARIOUS TASKS:

LOCATION | LOCATION | LOCATION:

BUT I DON’T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME:

MAKE A WEEKLY CALENDAR:

WHAT COMES NEXT?

I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE MY FIRST BOOK SERIES:

TIP NUMBER 1: KEEP A LONG RUNNING INFORMATION LIST

TIP NUMBER 2: KEEP A SHARED MARKETING LIST FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES:

TIP NUMBER 3: USE A BROAD STROKE CHARACTER ARC OVER THE ENTIRE SERIES:

TIP NUMBER 4: I WRITE THE BOOKS AS STAND-ALONE BOOKS

Like to Read and Listen?

Short on time? How about a Novelette?

rshannonauthor

WHERE TO FIND BETA READERS DEPENDS ON TWO THINGS:

I HAVE TIME BUT NO MONEY:

TRY A FAMILY MEMBER AS A BETA READER:

I HAVE MONEY BUT NOT TIME:

What's the Difference Between a Beta Reader and an ARC Reader?

WHICH ONE IS BETTER? A BETA OR AN ARC READER?

MORE ABOUT BETA READERS:

I STILL USE ARC READERS BUT FOR A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PURPOSE:

WHAT'S THE TAKE AWAY?

ONE FURTHER NOTE ON WRITING IN BOOK SERIES:

ADVANCED COPY READERS | ADVANCED FEEDBACK READERS - CHECKLIST AND CHEAT SHEET

BOOK MARKETING FOR THE SHY AND INTROVERTED:

THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORKSHEET:

THE LISTS | CHOOSE FROM COLUMN A AND COLUMN B:

START THE WORKSHEET BY CHOOSING A CRIME OR MYSTERY:

THE NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS TO ASK:

NEXT SET OF QUESTIONS:

THE SKELETON OF THE CRIME:

THE CHARACTERS BUILD THEMSELVES:

LIST OF MYSTERIES, CRIMES & GENRES

Sign Up Below to Download the Brainstorming Form

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? WANT TO SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER?

THE TOOLBOX:

GRAPHICS PROGRAM

MARKETING CALENDAR:

THE CRUCIAL BOOK INFORMATION:

A BOOK COVER IN THE RIGHT RESOLUTION:

MAKE A CHEAT SHEET OF INFORMATION

HASHTAGS:

ROYALTY FREE IMAGES:

PICTURE AND ADS FILING SYSTEM:

WHERE DOES BOOK MARKETING START?

ORGANIZE EVEN THE FIRST MARKETING EFFORTS!

MARKETING ADS AND BOOK COVERS:

WHAT COMES NEXT?

The Need to Establish Where You Are:

MYSTERY NOVEL SCENE IMPROVEMENT CHECKLIST

ESTABLISH WHERE YOU ARE

QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT EACH SCENE:

QUESTIONS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL SCENE

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES: TAKE THE SCENE TO THE TOP

REVIEW AS A READER:

REVIEW BY AUTHOR:

SOME MEMORABLE QUOTES:

MY FAVORITE TURN OF PHRASES:

WHERE TO FIND BETA READERS
DEPENDS ON TWO THINGS:

What's the Difference Between a
Beta Reader and an ARC Reader?