5 Easy Steps To Surviving Your Release Day

You worked hard writing the love of your life and your big day has finally arrived. Here are five tips to make your release an epic success:
 

1. Don’t worry about sleep. You won’t need it: It’s not like you’ll need the energy for all the tweets, Facebook posts, emails you will be responding to throughout the day. I mean, sure you’ll want to thank everyone who congratulates you and let them rejoice in your big day, but isn’t that what an adrenalin rush is for? Unfortunately, the adrenalin rush won’t last long into the afternoon, but that’s okay, tip #4 will get you through the downward spiral.

2. Obsess over your rankings: Nothing makes your release day more complete than checking your ranking on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Chapters-Indigo (Canada), iBooks, every five minutes. Who cares if they are only updated hourly? You wouldn’t want to miss it when the numbers change. Right?

3. Prepare your acceptance speech for hitting the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists: It doesn’t matter that your publisher didn’t give you the PR support it gives its bestsellers. It doesn’t matter that bestselling authors aren’t tweeting and posting on Facebook that your book is better than anything by J.K. Rowling and Stephen King, combined. It doesn’t matter that no one has heard of your book before today, it will hit #1. Guaranteed. So instead of working on your next book (because really, who needs to write a second book anyway?), research the Academy Award winning actors you want to star in the movie adaptation. That is a much better use of your time.

4. Stock up on wine and chocolate and caffeine: Since you’ve skipped on the goodnight sleep, OD’ing on chocolate and caffeine will keep you awake when your adrenalin levels crash. And because you will be experiencing an emotional rollercoaster over the next few days, where one minute you’re happy and the next you’re weeping*, the wine and chocolate will help balance out your mood swings. 

5. Don’t do anything to prepare for your launch date: Or better yet, spam like crazy. Tweet every five minutes about how awesome your book is. Start doing this a month before your release day. Tweet EVERY SENTENCE from all your positive reviews. This way, readers don’t have to go to Goodreads or Amazon to read the full review. Tweet teaser pictures with pornographic photos. Mom’s just LOVE IT when those show up in their feeds as their kids walk into the room. They’re bound to buy your book after that. Tweet every link to every post that mentions your book, and do this at one-minute intervals. When conversing on Twitter with friends and other people you follow, make sure you slip in your title in every tweet. And while you’re at it, DM everyone you can about your new release. Repeat the same on Facebook. And don’t forget to mention your book on every blog and Facebook post you comment on.

*While the post is mocking what you shouldn’t do to celebrate your release day/week, the part about mood swings is true. I talked to several authors and they agreed that it happened to them, too. If we had known about it ahead of time, we would have known it’s normal to feel this way, and we wouldn’t have let it stress us out. 

This is your big day, enjoy it. Go out for dinner or do whatever it takes to make it special. You deserve it!

Do you have any advice for surviving the release day/week (both the dos and the don’ts)?

Stina Lindenblatt @StinaLL writes Young Adult and New Adult novels. In her spare time, she’s a photographer and can be found at her blog/website.  She is represented by Marisa Corvisiero, and finds it weird talking about herself in third person. Her debut New Adult contemporary romance TELL ME WHEN (Carina Press, HQN) is now available.

Catching Up with Our Now-Published Contest Winner

Amy Sue Nathan was one of the five winners in our April 2010 contest with agent Jason Yarn. She went on to become one of Jason's clients, and her first novel, The Glass Wives, came out yesterday. We're pleased to be able to find out how far she's come since our last interview with her!

Tell us a little bit about your novel and where people can learn more about it and where they can get it. 

THE GLASS WIVES is about Evie Glass, a divorced mom whose ex-husband dies suddenly leaving her the only parent of ten-year-old twins. Then, when Evie finds she’s strapped for cash, she takes in her ex’s widow and baby, so they can share living expenses and childcare. Troubled by this decision, Evie’s friends and family try to intervene, forcing Evie to walk out on long-time friendships until the widow causes a ruckus of her own. That’s when Evie has to decide who she can trust, and what really makes a family.

On May 14th THE GLASS WIVES became available in bookstores (indies and Barnes & Noble) as well as at Target stores. It's also available online everywhere books are sold.

What inspired you to write The Glass Wives? Where did the idea for this story come from? 

Like my main character, Evie, I’m a divorced mom in a suburb where everyone is married. And like Evie, my ex-husband passed away suddenly. When I divorced, I felt that some people were uncomfortable having a single mom for a friend. When my ex-husband died, well, they just didn’t know what to do with me, or my kids. We didn’t fit into any of the fixed suburban circles and frankly, I think the sadness in our lives overwhelmed them. Writing this novel allowed me to put this kind of discomfort—and its ramifications—on display and show that families are equal no matter their parts, and that the term broken home is outdated. There may be a few cracks in our walls, but broken? No way.

The sales aspect of writing—producing a good pitch and query and providing a great excerpt—can be very challenging for some writers. How did you learn to produce such catchy material? Were there any particular resources you used?

I have always belonged to writing groups and online forums, but I'd say in the years leading up to up querying my novel, the best resource was Backspace, where traditionally published authors (Karen Dionne, Randy Susan Meyers, Keith Cronin, and A.S. King, for example) and a few literary agents, were kind enough to give me tips, guidance, and advice that I always took to heart.

Do you have a writing routine?

When I'm on track I write fiction in the morning and non-fiction—essays, blog posts, interview questions, and interview answers (like these)—in the afternoon and evening. Working at home and being a single mom means I have to be flexible. Today my daughter had a doctor's appointment in the morning, so I did my fiction writing in the afternoon.  But my preference will always be morning. I'm an early bird!

What is the single best piece of writing advice you've ever gotten?

Recently, while working on the beginning of my new novel, I kept thinking about best-seller trends and what my editor would be looking for.  I considered fitting elements like magical realism or a heated romance, into my new story. And then Therese Walsh, author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy and co-founder of Writer Unboxed told me something very simple: separate the craft from the business. I wrote it on a sticky note and stuck it to my computer. She was right. I couldn’t worry about whether the book would sell, all I could do, at that moment, was to tell the story I needed to tell. And for me that story does not include zombies or a hot shirtless hero. At least not today.

What has been the hardest or most surprising thing you've learned on the journey between the time Jason began submitting to editors and your publication date?

That patience in publishing is not simply a virtue, it's a necessity.

What is the most important (or surprising) thing you've learned about publicity as you near your publication date? Do you have any advice for others on publicity?

I've learned there's no such thing as too much publicity. I'm not sure about "any publicity is good publicity" adage, but we'll see!  My advice would be to seize every opportunity to build relationships with readers and other writers because in the long run that will go farther than hundreds of "buy my book" tweets.

Are you working on any new projects? Can you tell us anything about them?

Absolutely! I'm always working on a few things, and right now I'm writing a novel about a blogger who tells lies online and keeps secrets in real life and what happen to make her finally truth. I'm also jotting down notes for two more book ideas I'm excited about. I know if I don't write down my ideas I'll lose them. Sometimes my best scenes are written on the backs of envelopes or napkins while I'm standing in the kitchen or parked in a parking lot!

Visit Amy Sue Nathan on her website, Twitter @AmySueNathan, or Facebook!

Interview: From Slush Pile to Publication

Karen Sandler is our latest Querytracker.net success story with a book coming out (September, 2011). We hope you enjoy her interview. If you have any questions, I'm sure she would love to answer them.

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Can you tell us about your journey from The Call to now?

Looking at my records, my first query for TANKBORN went out October 13, 2009. Before the process was over, I’d sent out 28 total. In some cases, the agents’ submission requirements allowed me to send part of the manuscript. In a very few cases after sending only a query I got requests for the partial and even the full. Two agencies that requested the full eventually made me offers of representation within days of each other in late February 2010.

I’d always thought it would be very cool to have more than one agent “fighting” over me. But I loved them both and it was difficult and sort of heartbreaking to have to choose one. Eventually I decided on Matt Bialer at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

Based on Matt’s notes and those of his fabulous assistant/junior agent Lindsay Ribar, I did an extensive (but not the first) re-write, with much back and forth with Matt & Lindsay. When we were all satisfied, the book went out in early April 2010. We got an offer for Italian rights in early May (seemed very unusual to sell foreign rights before a U.S. sale. Then in late August, came the offer from Lee & Low Books. TANKBORN would be one of three launch books for Lee & Low’s new YA/MG imprint, Tu Books.

Once the contract with Lee & Low was in place, there were two more extensive re-writes based on notes from my editor, Stacy Whitman. Along the way, we discussed cover art and Stacy also commissioned an artist to draw a map of Svarga, the main continent on the planet Loka where the story takes place. The map (based on a very crude one that I drew) will be included in the book. Stacy also had an expert in Indian culture read the manuscript to be sure I didn’t commit any major faux pas.

The most recent milestone for TANKBORN is that the cover was just released and I’m waiting on copyedited galleys.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

I had gotten very used to writing what are called “category” or “series” romance novels. In my particular line, six books are released every month. They’re quite short (55K-60K for the ones I wrote) and the turnaround time is short as well. So I could write a book in about four months (and I know authors who write them even more quickly). I was used to writing at least two a year, with time left over for other projects. There would be one round of very light editing for my book, then later a quick read-through for typos and that was it as far as editing was concerned.

For TANKBORN, a full-length (~97K words) science fiction book, there were four rounds of very extensive re-writes. Based on my past experience of being lightly edited, I thought this meant that there was something wrong with me as a writer. Lindsay assured me that what we were going through was par for the course. I’d just never had the luxury of an editor being so focused on my book and being able to give me such thorough notes.

Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn’t you?

There have been many times when I considered giving up. Back in the late ‘90s, early 2000s when I didn’t have a sale for three years. More recently when I submitted five (yes, five) proposals to my editor at Harlequin and he turned down every one. Luckily, I’d been working on TANKBORN during that time, so I had somewhere to turn when I got discouraged.

I didn’t give up because I’ve always wanted to be a writer (at least since I was 9 years old). I identify so strongly with being a writer, it’s hard to imagine not doing it. I will always find a way to write.

What is the hardest/least favorite part of being a writer?

There are two very difficult aspects to writing, and they’re related to one another. First, I despise the waiting—to hear back from an agent, to find a publisher willing to take a chance on your book, to have to wait for reader reactions because the book doesn’t come out for a year or six months. The other aspect is that so many other people seem to control at least part of your career. Often, without an agent, you can’t get your book to a publisher. Without a publisher, you can’t get your book published. Even if it’s published, you can’t make readers fork out their money to buy it and you certainly can’t make them like it.

Nowadays, the opportunities for self-publishing have the potential for removing the “obstacles” of agents and publishers. But there’s still the issue with finding readers (or readers finding you), which is even more difficult with that mode of publishing your book.

If you could give a message to aspiring authors everywhere, what would it be?

If you truly want to see your work published, keep working at it. Don’t allow yourself to mope for longer than a day when you get a rejection. Remember, you’re only getting rejections because you’re getting your work out there. If you’re persistent and talented, you will likely reach your goal of publication.

What is your advice to new or unpublished writers? 

Improve your craft. So many editors or agents say “write the book of your heart” or “write the best book you can.” But you can’t do either one if you don’t know the basics of spelling, grammar, character development and story construction. So take classes if they’re available (there are many online). Go to writer’s conferences where you’ll not only learn your craft, you’ll have a chance to meet bestselling authors, agents and editors. Join or form a critique group. You need outside eyes to read your work.

What kinds of things are you doing to promote your books? Did you do anything before you found an agent? If so, what?

Keeping my blog, website and Twitter feed up to date. Doing school visits, book signings, attending conferences. If television or radio interview opportunities come up, I’ll be glad to do them. I’ve been doing these kinds of things for years, both while represented and not.

Is there anything you wished you had done differently?

There are individual decisions I sometimes second-guess myself on, hindsight being 20-20 and all. I always wish I was more disciplined in my writing. But everything I’ve done, right or wrong, has been a learning experience.

What are you working on now?

I just submitted a proposal for a TANKBORN sequel. I’m also working on a re-write of a paranormal YA.

Karen Sandler can be found on her website, blog, and Twitter (@karensandlerYA)

Publishing Pulse: 12/03/2010

Around the Internet

Agent Rachelle Gardner discusses royalty rates, and while all the figures are hypothetical, they give a good idea of what to expect.

Writing a novel? Nathan Bransford takes a leaf out of Dante's book and describes The Nine Circles of Writing Hell.

And agent Mary Kole gives her insights on what makes a novel fall into the Young Adult or Middle Grade category. 


Announcements

And we're excited to announce that fellow QT blogger Jane Lebak's book THE BOYS UPSTAIRS is coming out with MuseItUp Publishing.

In The Boys Upstairs, Father Jay Farrell is a priest who's begun housing homeless kids in the unused rectory. When his estranged brother, a cop, brings him three more kids a few nights before Christmas, their struggle to provide for these children brings them to confront the long-buried emotions that have them apart.

To celebrate, QT readers can get 25% off theirs from today until December 10th.

Use code QTPROMO2010 at checkout in the discount code box before going to Paypal. 

And the winner for the WGTP book giveaway is Cheri Williams. Carolyn will be contacting the winner directly in the next day or so to arrange for shipping.


And for all those that are still hoping to win a copy, stop by Carolyn's blog to check out another opportunity to win.

Have a great weekend!

Danyelle Leafty writes YA and MG fantasy. She collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers in her spare time. Details of her writing exploits can be found at her blog.

Amazing Resource for Writers: THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY

QueryTracker Blogger Carolyn Kaufman’s first book for writers, THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY: How to Write Accurately About Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment and Human Behavior hits shelves today!  


To celebrate, we decided to interview her…and give away a signed copy of her book! To enter the drawing, just comment below.  We’ll announce the winner in Friday’s Publishing Pulse.

Carolyn’s doctorate is in clinical psychology, and she is a former psychotherapist turned full-time psychology professor at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio.  She is frequently consulted by journalists as an expert source, and her specializations are clinical/abnormal psychology and media psychology.  


THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY has been praised by bestselling thriller writer and psychologist Jonathan Kellerman as “thoughtful, scholarly, comprehensive and a boon to writers aiming for accuracy when depicting the world of abnormal psychology and clinical treatment.”  Another bestselling author, Jilliane Hoffman, adds, “Every writer who even thinks about creating or explaining a character with a psychological disorder should have a copy on their desk, right next to their dictionary and thesaurus. A well-written, easy-to-read guide to understanding the most complicated of psychological disorders that’s sure to help writers abandon the stereotypes and develop realistic characters.”

Why THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY? What prompted you to write it and what do you hope your readers will get out of it?

While I was in graduate school [to get a doctorate in clinical psychology], I noticed a lot of discrepancies between what I was learning in class and seeing in my therapy office, and what I saw in movies, books, and TV.  When I started investigating the professional academic literature on misconceptions perpetuated by the media, I saw that the problem is one the psychology field is well aware of.  But part of the problem, it seemed to me, was that the psychological professionals were mostly talking to each other – no one had yet figured out how to bridge the gap between professional psychology and the people producing the media: writers.

As I searched farther, I found some writers’ books dedicated to helping authors get their forensic psychology right.  But there was absolutely nothing for those interested in clinical and counseling psychology – the people who do therapy.  So I decided to write one.

I want to help writers get their psych right!  So many beliefs about psychology are outdated or inaccurate, and because we keep seeing them in the media, we keep assuming they’re true – so they get passed on, one writer to the next, like urban legends.  My book is an accessible, interesting, practical guide to help writers avoid all those common mistakes.

THE WRITER’S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY helps writers get the psychology right in their stories.  What are some common misconceptions you see in the media?

Many, many people believe that schizophrenia,  “split” or multiple personalities, and bipolar disorder are the same thing.  In fact, schizophrenia, multiple personalities (officially called “Dissociative Identity Disorder” or DID), and bipolar disorder are three distinct disorders.

• ·      Schizophrenia is a biologically-based psychotic disorder, which means that the individual has lost contact with “normal” reality and instead experiences hallucinations or delusions and possibly other unusual or even bizarre behaviors.
• ·      Dissociative Identity Disorder is a dissociative disorder caused by massive and often sadistic trauma/s during childhood, before the individual has developed adequate coping mechanisms.  As a result, the trauma/s are “split” off from the rest of the personality.  If they are “out” enough, those split-off parts can develop into separate personalities.
• ·      Bipolar disorder is a biologically-based mood disorder, with extreme downs (depressions) and ups (manias).  Though many people feel good when they are manic, some become extremely irritable or volatile, and a few experience brief psychosis.

A few other misconceptions that are addressed in the book:

• ·      People don’t shake during “electroshock” therapy, nor are they awake.
• ·      Serial killers are almost never psychotic, though they may be psychopathic.
• ·      Not all therapists believe the examination of one’s childhood is important to therapy.

The book contains “Don’t Let This Happen to You!” sidebars, in which you describe mistakes other writers have made.  Could you give us an example?

On a season eight episode of Smallville, a show that chronicles Clark Kent’s life before he becomes Superman, EMT Davis Bloome is unable to control his dark side, Doomsday. Desperate to stop turning into a monster, Davis steals packages of “antipsychotics used for multiple personalities.”

In reality, multiple personality disorder (aka dissociative identity disorder or DID) is not a psychotic disorder. Therefore, there is no such thing as an antipsychotic (or any other medication) that suppresses personality changes in DID. Sorry, Davis!

How much and/or what kind of research went into writing this book?

I researched everything.  Even the facts that I knew, I verified with research.  I have two big binders full of relevant journal and news articles, and I also relied on numerous professional books, interviews with other psychological experts (particularly people who understood medications, hospitalization, and electroconvulsive therapy) and even a couple of tours through psychiatric units.

What is your writing process like?           

When it comes to nonfiction, I’m a very methodical person.  I like to brainstorm, usually writing by hand on regular paper or on a Tablet PC. (For some reason, typing isn’t freeform enough for me when I’m brainstorming.)  Then I like to gather research  that supports the ideas, so I’m starting to build a framework to support the ideas.  After that, it’s time to start writing.  Since publication involves the production of a proposal, I’m usually able to pull summaries out of the material I’ve begun producing.

Honestly, writing nonfiction feels a lot like writing a (doctoral) dissertation to me!

In terms of actually writing, I sit down at the keyboard and just start pounding away.  Even when it feels like I’m producing garbage, I keep going.  Often it just feels like I’m producing garbage, and I’m actually doing just fine for a first draft.  Editing is easier for me, anyways, so if I can get something on the page, I’m moving in the right direction.  I learned to do this from writing fiction – just keep writing and worry about editing later!

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

My biggest “writer’s block” trick is probably letting my unconscious roll the problem around and come up with some possible solutions.  Psychologists call that “incubation” of an idea.  Then I try to just start writing and hope I see some good stuff.  And even if I don’t the next time I write, I’ve pushed the thought process forward and can let the problem incubate some more.

I also find that switching from typing to writing by hand can be helpful for me.  Writing by hand is more right-brained for me, or something.  I come up with ideas more easily that way.

How can we purchase your book?

The book is available from all the big and small online retailers like Amazon.com.  You should also be able to find the book in brick-and-mortar stores like Borders!

You can visit Carolyn’s WGTP website for more information including the media kit and a detailed table of contents, follow her on Facebook, visit her YouTube channel, or send her your psychology and writing question at Archetype Writing, her website on psychology for writers.