Misc. Ramblings

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! $20 Full Manuscript Critique Offer

KWhipkey 15 Comments

I know, I’m posting a day early. But if you were on social media earlier, you already know that I’ve stepped off the deep end into a pool of utter (and awesome) madness. Hence the need to post a day earlier than normal this week.

See, one of my best friends — the brilliant and fabulous Cait Spivey — is trying something ambitious for the release of her debut full-length novel, From Under the Mountain. She’s putting together a high fantasy fashion show for her launch party. It’s a unique, fantastic way to bring readers into the world of her novel right from the get-go, and I’m always one to applaud innovation. (As does REUTS Publications, who — to the surprise of no one, I’m sure — is behind the book’s publication.)

The thing is, she can’t do it alone. She needs help to make this ambitious dream a reality. And, with the aid of IndieGoGo, she’s created a way for you to be involved, offering a variety of bonuses and extra perks in exchange for a small-to-generous donation to the cause. (Which, in case you’re curious, funds only the event’s production and not the book’s.) From custom art to autographed copies and exclusive bonus content, there’s a lot to choose from.

But I have one more to add to the pile:

Anyone who donates $20 – $50 to the campaign between 9/3/15 and 10/1/15 will receive a FULL MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE from me.

Check my Freelance Editing Page, that’s worth $200-$500 dollars all on its own, without the added value of the perks Cait is offering too. That’s a crazy good deal, right? You know you want it. 😉

Here’s how it works:

Between now and the end of the campaign on 10/1, Cait and I will keep track of the eligible donations. I’ll add them to a special two-week schedule on a first come, first serve basis. So the sooner you donate, the higher up on the list you’ll be.

Then, starting 10/2, I’ll contact everyone and work will begin. Due to the other constraints on my schedule, I will be working on them one at a time, so the closer to the top of the list you are, the faster the turnaround time will be.

(Side note: if you won something from me previously and have not received it yet, don’t worry. I have not forgotten you and will be working on those first. You’ll even receive a bonus for your patience and the inconvenience.)

All right, that’s pretty much all you need to know about the terms and conditions of my offer. As always, if you have questions, feel free to contact me directly or leave a comment below. I’ll be back next week with more book reviews, editing/writing advice, or whatever other randomness grabs my attention. But for now, what are you waiting for? GO DONATE!

About From Under the Mountain

ivy cropped

The novel follows Guerline, a young woman who ascends to the throne of the empire after her entire family dies in one fell swoop. Now Empress, Guerline must address the suspicion growing in her court toward the four witch clans that protect the empire’s borders. Among the seditionists is Guerline’s best friend and lover, Evadine.

Guerline’s political balancing act is upset when the palace is attacked by powerful magic, bringing all Evadine’s fears to bear—but magic saves them too. In the wake of the attack, with an even greater threat looming, Guerline must decide who to trust, and summon all her strength to meet the challenge.

From Under the Mountain is a high fantasy for the modern world, drawing on the foundations laid by great female fantasy writers of the past twenty years to tell the story of one young woman. Guerline’s journey to establish her place, protect what she loves, and do right by her people will resonate with readers across the board.

The Infamous Wall of Post-it Deadlines

KWhipkey 5 Comments

The Editing Desk

You remember this photo, right? It was first featured in The Editing Life Laid Bare: A Brutal Look at the Statistics, and since then, has become affectionately (not to be confused with facetiously) known as my Wall of Post-it Deadlines. (I have a weird penchant for dubbing random things in my life. I’m sure you’ve noticed.) It details, in overwhelming, in-your-face, screaming brilliance the insanity that is my life. It’s changed a bit since I took this photo — post-its have come down, others have been put up, and a stack of paper vomited all over what little desk space I actually have — but the idea behind it is the same: it helps me keep tabs on exactly which projects are due when, and where they are in the process.

Now, I know some of you love seeing the nitty-gritty details of what the editing life actually looks like (as evidenced by the popularity of the aforementioned statistics-oriented post and your resounding encouragement via Twitter earlier this week), so I’m going to show you a slightly different version than I did last time. Namely, I’m going to show you exactly what I face on a daily basis. Not a breakdown of the finances vs time invested, but my own personal horror show of deadlines.

Go ahead, scoff at my sarcastic banter. You won’t be laughing by the end of this. In fact, you’ll either nominate me for Superhero status or insist that I must somehow be insane, because no normal person would ever voluntarily take on what you’re about to see. Are you ready?

You sure?

Okay, here goes!

My Life in Deadlines: aka One Woman’s Battle with Stress

As most of you know, I work a day job. It’s not a bad job, and it’s actually given me quite a few useful skills I’ve applied to my “secret” life in publishing, but it does take up a good part of my day. On top of that, I spearhead not one, but TWO departments for REUTS Publications and run my own freelance art/design/editing company on the side. Oh, plus I write, have a husband I like to actually spend some time with, and partake in hobbies that don’t involve any of the previously mentioned occupations. So, an average week on my calendar looks something like this:

Total weekly hours: 168

Hours spent at the Day Job of Doom: 40

Hours spent sleeping: 56

Hours spent on non-work life shenanigans: 20-44

Hours spent editing/reading/whatevering for REUTS & Freelance: 28-52 (and sometimes more if I’m under the gun on a deadline and have to sacrifice sleep.)

Number of days off: 1 every second blue moon on the third Tuesday of every fourth leap year. (Okay, it’s not quite that bad, but it feels like it sometimes.)

Scared yet? Just wait! It gets worse.

Now that we’ve established I’m in the running for Workaholic of the Year, let’s look at what all those lovely little post-its actually mean, shall we? All the things that pull at me during those 28-52 hours of REUTS/Freelance time. (I know that’s the part you’re all really curious about anyway; I just had to set the stage first. 😉 )

Acquisitions:

  • Total Number of Unread Queries: 217
  • Total Number of Unread Partial Requests: 20
  • Total Number of Unread Full Manuscripts: 82

Yeah, that’s a lot of reading. 82 full books! Imagine what that would look like if they were physical copies instead of digital . . .

Terrifying, wasn’t it? But on top of trying to find time to read that many potential gems, I also have to deal with these:

Editorial: (Can be either REUTS or Freelance)

  • Total Number of Projects in Process: 45
    • Number Awaiting Structural Edits:  41
    • Number Currently in Line Edits: 2
    • Number Currently in Proofreading: 2

That might not seem so scary. I mean, those numbers are smaller than the number I have waiting for me in the TBR pile, right? Except editing takes significantly more time than simply reading does. So let’s look at how those numbers really stack up, on a monthly basis.

Editorial Deadlines by Month:

Total Number of Projects I’m Behind On: 2 (What? I’m a human, not a robot. It happens.)

August 2015:

Structural Edits Due: 4
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 2
Proofreading Projects: 1

September 2015:

Structural Edits Due: 2
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 2
Proofreading Projects: 2

October 2015:

Structural Edits Due: 2
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 1
Proofreading Projects: 0

November 2015:

Structural Edits Due: 2
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 2
Proofreading Projects: 0

December 2015:

Structural Edits Due: 2
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 3
Proofreading Projects: 0

January 2016:

Structural Edits Due: 2
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 1
Proofreading Projects: 1

February 2016:

Structural Edits Due: 1
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 1
Proofreading Projects: 0

March 2016:

Structural Edits Due: 1
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 1
Proofreading Projects: 1

April 2016:

Structural Edits Due: 1
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 3
Proofreading Projects: 1

May 2016:

Structural Edits Due: 1
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 1
Proofreading Projects: 0

June 2016:

Structural Edits Due: 1
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 1
Proofreading Projects: 0

July 2016:

Structural Edits Due: 1
Line Edit Projects to be Completed: 1
Proofreading Projects: 0

My schedule is actually booked clear into 2017, but I think you get the idea. There’s never a moment in my foreseeable future when I don’t have at least two projects approaching a deadline. And those empty spots I listed are likely to fill up well before I actually get to the month involved.

Also, let’s not forget that I sometimes like to pretend to be a professional artist (because I really should use that expensive art-school degree for SOMETHING, right?) Currently, I have this many commissioned art projects on the schedule, all due by the end of the summer. As in next week.

Art:

  • Logo Design Projects: 1
  • Illustrations: 4

Not to mention having to find time to answer emails, deal with administrative work, and all the other hats I wear throughout an average day at REUTS. It’s exhausting to even look at that list, isn’t it? Which is why this is often my anthem:

So, there you have it, in all its gruesome detail: the explanation behind the infamous Wall of Post-it Deadlines and an inside look at what I’m working on. How do I juggle it all? Even I’m not completely sure. One thing at a time, I suppose. The takeaway here, aside from the fact that I’m a madwoman, is this: next time you think about sending an agent or editor a “friendly” nudge about the status of your whatever, take a moment to think about this. I’m not the only one out there with a frightening wall of deadlines. Do you really want to be the one that pushes the balance of stress too far? “When Editors Attack” isn’t something you really want to experience firsthand. Trust me.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work before that 2 in the “projects I’m behind on” category becomes an 8. See you next week!

A Zebra in a Herd of Mustangs

KWhipkey 9 Comments

Photo of zebra with horses

This past weekend, as many of you likely know, I attended the Willamette Writers Conference. It wasn’t my first time attending (I went last year under the guise of just being an attendee), but it was my first time attending as faculty. That, in and of itself, added a layer of terror and anxiety. But there was one thing in particular I found myself struggling with, not because of anyone at the conference (seriously, everyone I met and had the opportunity to interact with were friendly and awesome, and I highly recommend going if you have the chance), but because of a set of deeply entrenched scars that are the product of my battle with elitism in the arts.

This particular demon surfaced in the form of a tweet that some of you probably saw:

And obviously, it inspired the title of this post. But it’s not as negative as you might think. Instead, I’m going to show my fellow zebras exactly why it’s okay to be slightly left of center, why conformity is over-rated, and why there is value in every experience you bring to the table, whether it be literary or not.

The world of publishing is a strange, slightly archaic one, full of tradition and whispered secrets and closed doors. The Old Guard would have you believe that in order to be successful as an editor or agent or author, you have to follow the traditional path — earn a degree in creative writing or literature or publishing, put in your dues serving other literary people coffee (or publishing short story after short story) while living in a closet in New York, and eventually, maybe, you might actually get your foot in the door.

I don’t have a literary degree.

In fact, my path to a career in publishing is probably the most circuitous, winding thing ever. (You can read all about how I became an editor at that link there.) And I’ve noticed that I’m not the only one. Like the invasive species the Old Guard would paint us as, non-literary backgrounds are slowly infesting the halls of publishing and forcing an industry that’s fiercely protected its traditions for hundreds of years to do the very thing it fears most — change.

And I, for one, think that’s fantastic. However, those of us without literary degrees face something the rest of you don’t: a perceived judgment and condescension. Snobbery, if you will. (Note that I said “perceived.” Most of the time, the person with the literary degree isn’t actually judging or condescending; it’s our own insecurity demon and sense of inadequacy getting in the way.) What makes us worthy of competing with those who have the “proper” training? What could we possibly know about the business of writing and selling books without a certificate of accreditation from a prestigious university?

Turns out, quite a lot. In fact, I would hazard that some of us without literary degrees might even understand the business better than some who have them.

Now, before anyone gets all offended, I want to set the record straight. Following the traditional path to a career in publishing is perfectly fine. I have nothing against English degrees and actually loved everything about college (I often daydream about going back). And I’m certainly not saying that everyone who has a literary degree is a pretentious snob. What I’m commenting on is the internalized perception of snobbery many of us “non-literary” folks wrestle with. It may not be as insidious as some forms of prejudice, but it definitely hovers on the border.

Let’s veer away from that dark topic, though, and get to the point of today’s post: having a literary degree is not a requirement for success in publishing. In fact, if you look closely at your background, you just might find that every skill set you’ve learned, from formal education to working that crappy day job, has added something to your bag of tricks.

For example, here’s how my life stacks up:

  • Being home-schooled through grade school/high school/college gave me an ability to learn from my surroundings, to be resourceful in finding answers, and an understanding of deadlines and self-motivation.

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  • Battling depression and anxiety has taught me empathy, self-awareness, and inner strength in the face of negativity and seemingly insurmountable odds.

    •  

  • A background in film (animation) has given me a different vocabulary with which to talk about story, POV, narrative tense, and other mechanics of literature normally obscured behind jargon.

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  • Similarly, my experience in video games has given me a way to understand and impart things like non-linear storytelling, cause-and-effect in narration, and crafting the all-important stakes that drive a plot.

    •  

  • The Martial Arts instilled the concepts of humility, integrity, respect, dedication, perseverance, and the joy of giving back to a community.

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  • Running a martial arts demo team taught me how to create a curriculum, how to manage a team, how to listen to others and address concerns without undermining the integrity of the whole, and how to teach.

    •  

  • Going up against the Old Guard in the martial arts world taught me to believe in myself, in my own innate talent and skills, even when I was repeatedly shut out and faced with a lack of validation or acknowledgment.

    •  

  • Working in sales has taught me how to network and how to understand the business side of production costs, profit margins, distribution, sales proposals/purchase orders and even marketing.

Yes, it’s an eclectic arsenal, but wrap it all together and it’s what makes me, well, me. One of my best friends called me a powerhouse the other day (which is seriously one of the best compliments ever!) and it started me thinking about myself differently, trying to see myself not through the lens of my own insecurity and fear of coming up short in the presence of my peers, but through her eyes. And you know what I realized? I may be a zebra among mustangs with my odd mixture of experiences and non-literary background, but I’m actually kind of proud of that. And when it comes down to it, I can keep pace with my non-striped cohorts.

So, to everyone who’s ever felt like they weren’t good enough to be where they are, that they were too different to fight for their dreams, that they’d never be accepted by the Old Guard, I say this: Wear your stripes proudly, my fellow zebras. Embrace what makes you different. Own what sets you apart. It’s not a weakness, and its just as beautiful. Believe in your stripes, slay that insecurity demon and feeling of inadequacy, and you just might find that the mustangs around you aren’t running away, but are instead running with you.

The Challenges of Writing Historical Fiction

KWhipkey 2 Comments

Happy Friday, everyone! I know some of you were expecting a different sort of announcement today — one revealing the winner of my epic holiday giveaway. But truthfully, you all made it so difficult to choose that I need a little more time. Which, as frustrating as it is, should be a testament to the talent pool I’m perusing. I promise not to leave you in suspense for much longer though, and will be posting the results by the end of next week.

In the meantime, I’ve invited Tammy Farrell, author of The Dia Chronicles and whose newest release I featured on Wednesday, to come talk about the challenges of writing historical fiction. As someone who writes historical fantasy, she’s intimately familiar with the struggles of accurately portraying history in fiction. So please give her a warm welcome, and be sure to check out her highly reviewed series!
 

The Challenges of Writing Historical Fiction

by Tammy Farrell

 
When I started writing the first book in The Dia Chronicles, I was fresh out of university and had spent the previous few years studying everything from Greek mystery religions, to the development of post-Roman Britain. At the time, I felt that I had a good understanding of the Middle Ages, but when the inspiration struck and I started to write a novel set in 6th century Britain, I realized there was still a lot I needed to learn.

RESEARCH

Researching the time period was my first order of business. I re-read my history textbooks, scholarly articles, library books, historical maps; I ordered books from Amazon, and I even read real medieval letters (particularly those between Peter Abelard and Heloise) to get a sense of the language. I did some Googling, and even looked at Wikipedia from time to time, but I made sure to source that info before I accepted it as fact.

As I quickly learned, simply reading a lot about a certain time period wasn’t enough to make me an expert. I had to research as I wrote. At first, I found that writing a scene was a slow process because I had to keep stopping to look things up. But this process actually helped cement facts in my mind. The further into the book I got, the more confident I was with the details of the world I was building. And while I still don’t consider myself an expert, I can now write a scene without stopping ten times to research. 🙂

LANGUAGE

Deciding how my characters would speak was no easy task. I’ve read historical fiction that uses modern language and lots of contractions, and I’ve also read historical fiction that uses formal language, old English, and no contractions at all.

What I found is that the best way is somewhere in between. The truth is, in the Middle Ages people used contractions all the time (i.e. ‘t is), and they often placed words in a different order than we do today.

It took some practice and playing around with dialogue, but I chose to give my characters both formal and informal voices, with some old English mixed in. If a character is speaking to someone of authority, or if the tone of the conversation is serious, they often speak more formally and with fewer contractions. When they are in a more casual situation, I give them a more relaxed dialogue with more contractions. If you pay close attention, you can almost always tell how one of my characters feels about a person by the way they are speaking.

WHEN TO MAKE THINGS UP

In The Dia Chronicles, I try to insert as much historical fact as possible, but there’s a lot of fiction involved in writing history. For the most part, I invented village names, people (with the exception of King Erbin and King Gerren), and some historical events. In The Embers of Light, one of the main settings is a mountain called Ayrith. I created Ayrith, but this fictional place is set on Snowdon in Snowdonia—a real set of mountains in Wales.

Sometimes inventing history is necessary, but I’ve found that as long as it’s believable, readers don’t mind.

FIND THE RIGHT EDITORS AND BETA-READERS

You can’t pick just any editor when it comes to historical fiction. I had to learn this lesson through experience. Unless your editors and beta-readers are somewhat familiar with historical fiction, you might find them trying to do things like: reword dialogue (e.g. “What of Malcolm?” vs. “What about Malcolm?”), question word choices (e.g. dais instead of platform, mantle instead of cloak), and question your characters actions and behaviors (such as the execution of justice, a woman’s place in society, the importance of land and titles). If an editor or beta-reader isn’t familiar with the basics of historical fiction, you’re wasting their time, and your own. I was really lucky to have Julie Hutchings work as a DE on The Embers of Light, and I feel like she understood the tone, the language, and the actions perfectly. Make sure your team can help improve your historical writing, not misunderstand it.

The Lesson — LEARN BY DOING

I think some writers avoid writing historical fiction because of the many challenges it presents. But the ONLY way to get past the obstacles is to write! Sit down and write as much as you can. No matter what genre you write in, you’ll always need a plot, you’ll need to know your characters, and you’ll need to know your setting. The best way to build the foundation for historical fiction is to write the story you need to tell, research as you go, and add in the details later. The more you research and the more you write, the more confident you’ll become and, one day, you’ll be the expert of your own world.

Announcing the 2014 Holiday Giveaway

KWhipkey 35 Comments

 

Image by Ashley Ruggirello of Cardboard Monet

It’s no secret that Christmas is my favorite holiday, and those that have hung around here for awhile know that I tend to celebrate it by doing a giveaway every year. This year’s no exception, though I am starting it earlier than normal due to the fact it’s my birthday today, and I’m feeling especially generous. 😉

What do I have hidden up my sleeve this time? Something I think many of you will be super excited for. See, I’ve teamed up with the design genius behind the REUTS Publications book covers to bring you a self-published author’s dream — a full-fledged, FREE prize that will take your manuscript from draft to publication-ready. Yep, Cardboard Monet’s Ashley Ruggirello and I have combined our freelance prowess to offer one lucky person the following:

  • A comprehensive, top-to-bottom, full manuscript edit (including structural & line edits)
  • A polished, publish-ready eBook cover design
  • Assistance creating the all-important book blurb
  • A final proofread of the type-set, ready-for-print galley (typesetting/formatting itself is not included though)

It might not be all-inclusive, as you will still need to find a formatter and to create your own marketing materials, but I think you’ll agree that’s a pretty significant monetary value being offered up for free. Every author knows that the two most expensive aspects of self-publishing are the editing and the cover design, so why not take advantage of this rare chance to gain both in one fell swoop?

I’ve got your attention now, yes? 😉

Here’s what you have to do:

Round One:

Starting right now, you can enter to win via the Rafflecopter form. Simply fill out the various possibilities, and your name will be added to the hat. Enter as many times as you’d like until the form closes at midnight on January 2nd, 2015.  On January 3rd, I will select 100 names at random via Rafflecopter’s handy little service. Those lucky people will move on to round two. (And yes, they will be announced on the blog, so you’ll all know who to congratulate.)

Round Two:

This is where the competition gets a little fierce. The 100 winners will be required to submit a query, along with the first 5 pages of their manuscript, via email. (Specific instructions will be sent to the winners on the appropriate date.) I will review them all, and much like an acquisitions editor, I will select the final winner based both on potential and the quality of your pitch. I’ll be looking for the person I think will gain the most value from our help, so your manuscript definitely doesn’t have to be perfect yet, but it does need to be complete. Also, I will consider novellas, but not short stories.

My final decision will be made by January 30th, 2015, and the lucky winner will be announced. So sharpen those pitches, people. Make it so I absolutely have to pick you.

Good luck!