This month I define some common but little understood terms that frequently cause confusion for people who don’t work in a publisher’s office.
Simply Writing | THE BLURB PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS…
The Oxford Dictionary defines a blurb as ‘a short description of a book, film, or other product written for promotional purposes.’ A great definition, yet a blurb is so much more than the word ‘description’ suggests.
Cover Crush | November
The end is almost here. November has come. We only have a few weeks left of 2018 and I’m not sure where all the time went. As usual, our member’s latest monthly releases are a feast for the eyes and there is nothing I look forward to more than opening up the RWA’s Heart’s Talk to celebrate what this community has to offer.
The Tasting Table | A Romantic Degustation
Welcome to a different Tasting Table, a lovely gathering of three successful authors to share experiences from their careers. Please join in welcoming Anne Gracie, Annie Seaton, and Anna Jacobs. The wealth of experience at the table makes for interesting insights and I invite you to choose your favourite drink and come sit with us for a while. Anne Gracie, Annie Seaton and Anna Jacobs
Just a Love Story – Winnie and Richie
It was the summer of 1959 and I had just turned eighteen. Life was tough and my family weren’t wealthy. My siblings and I didn’t have the means to be going out on the weekends to the cinema or the local hang out for milkshakes like a lot of others our age. But friends were free and my parents were social people, so there was a constant stream of friends and family popping in for a cup of tea and a chat. One of those people was Leonard Johnson. He was a big man, with a booming laugh and rosy …
Kiss and Tell | Meet Ainslie Paton
Fool Me Forever is the newest contemporary romance from enigmatic Australian author, Ainslie Paton. Full of laugh-out loud moments, a hero named Halsey and a heroine called Lenny, the novel takes a fast-paced ride through the world of professional con artists and leaves you wanting more.
Simply Writing | THE SYNOPSIS – NOT AS SCARY AS IT SEEMS – Wrapping up
Over the past two months we’ve covered two major sections of the synopsis – the opening paragraphs, namely, the ORIENTATION, and the main body, namely, the MAJOR TURNING POINTS.
Ten Simple Ways to Improve Author Emails by Lana Pecherczyk
For some reason, a lot of authors are a little bit afraid of email marketing. But I see email as just another format of writing stories for your readers … only with a sales focus in mind. Emails provide a direct link to your readers, and when you have a new release coming out, this is invaluable. No one else controls this list. Not your publisher, not some social media platform, but you! And these days, you can achieve great email marketing at virtually zero cost, making the return on investment the highest out of any e-marketing channel. So what are you waiting for? Here’s …
Focus on the First Five — A tale of seduction by Samantha Bond
If you’re like me, before committing to a book, you’ll open it and read the first page in a store, or download the free excerpt of an ebook, before buying it. That’s also what an agent or publisher does with your manuscript. Needless to say, there’s massive pressure on your first few pages because their job is to hook your reader (be that agent, publisher or eventual everyday reader) and convince them to commit to reading the rest of your story. A reader will not “wait for it to get good. You must wow them now, immediately and right away. …