Marketing Your Book on a Budget 2013 Needs Reviewers

Do you want to get your hands on an electronic copy of Marketing Your Book on a Budget 2013?

 

FOR FREE?

Release date: March 21, 2013

Well, I'm in need of some book reviewers!

Here's what you need to do if you're interested:

• Write me back here, telling me of your interest. I will get a pdf out to you within the day. (The book is a short read: under 50 pages).
• I'm not looking for experienced reviewers, but I am looking for writers who need help with marketing their book(s). You can be a new or established writer, but you have to also be in the market for learning more about getting the word out about your book.
• I need reviewers who are willing and able to post their reviews on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com. Goodreads is nice as well. If you have a blog, and can post it there, that's even better.

If this is you, please let me know.

Marketing Your Book on a Budget 2013 will be released on March 21. Without getting ahead of myself, there will be some fine deals during that time too, but keep in mind that if you decide to review my book, you'll get a nice head start!

One more thing!

You're not comfortable doing a review? Here's what I'll do. If you take a picture of yourself reading one of my books--and that means any of my books--and send me a photo of yourself reading one of my books,  I'll send you a free advanced copy! But March 20th is the deadline. Send your photo to: kathy@ariverofstones.com and I'll send out your pdf copy! That's all. Just be prepared for your photo to show up somewhere soon on my website!

I'm getting excited to share even more inexpensive marketing tools! If you read my book last year, Marketing Your Book on a Budget 2012, you found some great ideas. Be prepared for an update, including more links!

I'm excited to hear from you!

Kathryn

Is Your Setting Hiding Behind a Bush?

What about setting?

Does your dialogue take over; so much so that you have no idea where your characters are standing, what colors surround them, how it smells in the summer where they are standing?

Yes, for some of us, using setting is sort of like plucking our eyebrows, either we do too much or we do too little.

What do you think this woman is saying to herself? What does the setting reveal?
Photo by: titoy', courtesy of Flickr

Here's how to balance it.

Start with what you do best. If it's dialogue, go at it. Get those characters speaking. If it's setting, get it all out; the smell of the grapes, the taste of the watermelon, how the light flickers off of  her hair, but get it out.

Now, after you've finished with your chapter, go back and fill in the gaps. You'll know where they are. Either you'll have dialogue with characters sort of floating somewhere, or you'll have tons of setting that is beautifully written but that really doesn't move your story along. Read what you've written out loud and make adjustments.

If you find that your dialogue and setting is fairly balanced, good for you! Go on to chapter 2. Continue the process until your book is finished.

If you need some help with dialogue: Record some dialogue at a restaurant you're at, in the bus or at a park. Play it back at home. Notice how people really speak and incorporate that into your story.

If you struggle with setting: Cut out some pictures from a magazine. Use them in a binder and when you feel the block coming on, open up the binder and choose a photo to write about.

Your setting might be beautiful, but is it too much?
Photo by: thekeithhall, courtesy of Flickr

You don't want your setting to get lost behind a bush, but neither do you want it to stand out like a sore thumb. You want readers to finish your book, not get bogged down because of all of the setting details.

I'm done. Now have some fun.

Do Your Characters Take Over Your Book?

No?

Let them.

I mean it. Say you have a great outline, and the story is moving along steadily as you outlined it, when all of a sudden your character says to you:

"Wait, I don't want to do that! I wouldn't do that!"

Or

Photo by: Jagz Mario, courtesy of Flickr

They simply stop speaking and turn down another lane.

I don't know about you but I like it when my characters take over. They know themselves better than I do anyway, and if something in their story isn't feeling right to them, I like it that they have the confidence to do something else.

I'm glad I no longer hang onto them with a short rope.

There's something amazing and good that happens when your characters take over. It's kind of like inspiration and dictation all at the same time. And I'd like to think that my story will be better for it.

• So, you have a great ending, but your characters don't like it. Change it.
• You're midway through your book and your main character says, "I shouldn't be doing that yet, I've got these other mountains to climb first," or something under those lines. Slow down.
• Your stumped, you're stuck. Listen.

I promise you, it will be worth it.