Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 287, Market Focus, Marketing Materials

22 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 287, Market Focus, Marketing Materials

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

Before you can market a novel to the public, you have to market it to publishers or potential publishes.  This means you need to develop materials to market your novel.  These marketing materials can be used when the book is published.  We've already looked at two main pieces used in marketing: the title and the book cover proposal.  These are necessary for a web design, and they are also necessary for a publisher.  You can live without a cover proposal for a while, but you need a title right away.

The next step is to build the marketing information you will use to present your novel to publishers and to the public. Here is an outline:

Title of Work:

Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer

Author(s) Name:

L. D. Alford

Type: Either Screenplay or Book

Book

Length: Either # of words for books, or # of pages for screenplays

105,300 words

Keywords and Market Focus:

Fiction, Washington State, Tacoma, Spanaway, Seattle, Computer, Pacific Lutheran University, Hacker, goddess, sushi, Redemption, kami, Japan, Shinto, torii, Shrine, engineering, math; will fascinate anyone interested in the spiritual, mystery, and suspense—will appeal particularly to those who enjoy historical mystery and suspense novels.

Genre:

Fiction Suspense

 

Author Bio: Approximately 120 words

Synopsis:  Approximately 500 Words

Concept of the Work:  Approximately 250 Words

Registration: WGA, ISBN, or Library of Congress, Write the number.

Other Information:  If you have more work, a website, anything interesting and professional, especially any awards or recognition.

 

Reviewer’s quotes.

Market focus is your idea of who might want to read your novel.  For example, if you wrote a Christian inspirational novel, you might write: will appeal to a Christian audience.  If you wrote a homoerotic novel, you might write: will appeal to readers with a sexually energized gay perspective.  The point isn't to hide your perspective or your audience.  Publishers usually focus on specific audiences of readers and specific types or genre of literature.  The point is to match the two 

In general, you don't apply to publishers who don't publish the type of literature you are writing.  Putting on paper the audience and the focus will help you to know your audience, and your perspective publisher to know your novel meets their most basic publishing audience.  In the example above, you wouldn't usually present your Christian inspirational novel to an erotic literature publisher, and you wouldn't present a homoerotic novel to a Christian inspirational publisher.  Because of their audience and their publishing focus, they will not be interested in publishing your novel.  Publishers, especially smaller publishers, are very specialized about the literature they publish, and their audiences are pretty fixed.  You need to understand your audience--that's the only way you can appropriately target the correct publishers for your writing.

The second point is the focus.  A focus isn't an audience, but is related to the audience.  A focus is closer to a genre.  Here is the example from Lilly:  will fascinate anyone interested in the spiritual, mystery, and suspense—will appeal particularly to those who enjoy historical mystery and suspense novels.  The audience is general, but the novel is specifically targeted to spiritual, mystery, and suspense.  Lilly isn't a criminal mystery, but a person who enjoys a mystery novel might enjoy it.  The second statement clarifies the novel genre as historical mystery and suspense.  This places it in an audience and a genre and is the basis for the genre listed below. 

As an author, you must understand your audience and determine who might potentially publish your novel.  If you want any real hope of being published, your potential publisher must first read your marketing materials and then your novel examples or the completed novel.  If they don't or won't, you will have no hope of being published.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 284, Name, Marketing Materials

19 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 284, Name, Marketing Materials

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

Before you can market a novel to the public, you have to market it to publishers or potential publishes.  This means you need to develop materials to market your novel.  These marketing materials can be used when the book is published.  We've already looked at two main pieces used in marketing: the title and the book cover proposal.  These are necessary for a web design, and they are also necessary for a publisher.  You can live without a cover proposal for a while, but you need a title right away.

The next step is to build the marketing information you will use to present your novel to publishers and to the public. Here is an outline:

Title of Work:

Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer

Author(s) Name:

L. D. Alford

Type: Either Screenplay or Book

Book

Length: Either # of words for books, or # of pages for screenplays

105,300 words

Keywords and Market Focus:

Fiction, Washington State, Tacoma, Spanaway, Seattle, Computer, Pacific Lutheran University, Hacker, goddess, sushi, Redemption, kami, Japan, Shinto, torii, Shrine, engineering, math; will fascinate anyone interested in the spiritual, mystery, and suspense—will appeal particularly to those who enjoy historical mystery and suspense novels.

Genre:

Fiction Suspense

 

Author Bio: Approximately 120 words

Synopsis:  Approximately 500 Words

Concept of the Work:  Approximately 250 Words

Registration: WGA, ISBN, or Library of Congress, Write the number.

Other Information:  If you have more work, a website, anything interesting and professional, especially any awards or recognition.

 

Reviewer’s quotes.

I'm a little out of order here.  I should have started with names first.  There are few reasons for not using your real name on your novels, but like all marketing decisions, it may mean the sale of more or less books.  This is a critical lesson for many who have already made a place in the business.  Every decision about a novel is a marketing decision--even to the name the author uses.  Because of this, I recommend you think long and hard about the name you will use to publishers and to the public.  I did.

Think of the names of authors.  Many are contrived (pen names).  Many are intentionally changed.  Most are shortened or modified in some way to make them easier to say or more majestic on the cover.  Think of celebrities.  Many of them (if not most) change their names to be more dynamic and special.  Authors don't necessarily need to change their names for marketability (although some do), they need to just evaluate the name they will put on the cover of their novels for the way it looks and how it sounds.

I decided to use my initials and last name, "L.D. Alford."  This looks good on the cover.  It is easy to say.  It is a good handle.  Plus it represents the kind of writing I would like to be associated with--literature.  If my specialty were Romance novels, I might have chosen a different pen-name.  If my specialty were horror novels, I might have chosen something different.  Just look at the name Stephen King--it looks like the name of an author of horror novels.  This is how you want your pen-name to be viewed--matched appropriately to your writing.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 282, Marketing Materials

17 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 282, Marketing Materials

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

Before you can market a novel to the public, you have to market it to publishers or potential publishes.  This means you need to develop materials to market your novel.  These marketing materials can be used when the book is published.  We've already looked at two main pieces used in marketing: the title and the book cover proposal.  These are necessary for a web design, and they are also necessary for a publisher.  You can live without a cover proposal for a while, but you need a title right away.

The next step is to build the marketing information you will use to present your novel to publishers and to the public. Here is an outline:

Title of Work:

Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer

Author(s) Name:

L. D. Alford

Type: Either Screenplay or Book

Book

Length: Either # of words for books, or # of pages for screenplays

105,300 words

Keywords and Market Focus:

Genre:

Author Bio: Approximately 120 words

Synopsis:  Approximately 500 Words

Concept of the Work:  Approximately 250 Words

Registration: WGA, ISBN, or Library of Congress, Write the number.

Other Information:  If you have more work, a website, anything interesting and professional, especially any awards or recognition.

 

Reviewer’s quotes.

I'll get to how to fill in the rest in the next few days.  For now, note that I put in the title, the author's name, the type, and the number of words.  The name is my pen-name.  It isn't much of a change from my regular name, but I thought a log time about what name should go on the front of my novels.  Perhaps I'll discuss that next.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 281, even more Mystery Title

16 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 281, even more Mystery Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

If you are setting a title on a work yourself or your publisher asks you for ideas (assuming you don't have a title already), here are some ideas for developing a title.

1.  It needs to be pithy. 

2.  It needs to be marketable. 

3. It needs to be short, but not too simple.            

4.  It needs to be unique, but not too unique. 

5.  It should not be too similar to works with negative connotations. 

6.  It should encapsulate some measure of the theme. 

7.  It should build mystery.  Why should a potential reader buy your book and read it?  This is step one of marketing.  The cover must attract, the title must seduce, and the first page must convince.  We are looking at the title.  Let's evaluate some of my published novels.  Centurion begs the question--who?  There isn't that much mystery, but for a single word title, it conjures thoughts and ideas outside the norm.  The reader thinks of the Roman Legion and should wonder enough to pick up the book.

Aegypt is an obvious mystery.  The potential reader wonders at the spelling and the ideas the word Aegypt conveys.  The whole idea of mystery is encapsulated in a word--plus, who doesn't like old Egyptian ideas: mummies, Pharaohs, Queen Nefertiti, Cleopatra, pyramids, the Sphinx... I mean the word mystery could e defied by such things. 

The Second Mission brings the immediate question to mind: what was the first mission?  That's the point of the novel.  The End of Honor is a mystery question itself.  The immediate question is how did the honor end and what caused it to end?  The Fox's Honor is similar.  The potential reader asks herself, what is the Fox's honor?  A Season of Honor keeps in the same vein--what is a season of honor and what brought it about? 

My two novels and the series that should be published are Sister of Light, Sister of Darkness, and Ancient Light.  These also pose mysteries through their titles--we hope enough mystery to encourage a potential reader to pick up the novel.  The next step is the first page, but that is an entirely different subject.

Once we have a title, we can move to the marketing materials.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 280, more Mystery Title

15 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 280, more Mystery Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

If you are setting a title on a work yourself or your publisher asks you for ideas (assuming you don't have a title already), here are some ideas for developing a title.

1.  It needs to be pithy. 

2.  It needs to be marketable. 

3. It needs to be short, but not too simple.            

4.  It needs to be unique, but not too unique. 

5.  It should not be too similar to works with negative connotations. 

6.  It should encapsulate some measure of the theme. 

7.  It should build mystery.  Your title must be able to get the potential reader to want to look closer at your novel--this means the title must immediately build interest.  I wrote mystery because that is ultimately what you want.  You want the potential reader to be intrigued.  Let's look at some of my titles.  First the newest. 

Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer.  The name Lilly isn't so great a pull although, as I mentioned before, tying it with computer and enchantment does convey some mystery.  The question in the potential reader's mind is: what does this girl, Lilly, have to do with enchantment or computers?  I noted the name pitch.  I chose the name, Lilly, intentionally because it sounds gentle and innocent and the protagonist is gentle and innocent, but acts the opposite.  Lilly as a name does convey some degree of interest and matched with enchantment and computer gives mystery.

The words computer and enchantment in the same sentence and the context of a computer being enchanted or a enchantment and a computer do indeed convey mystery.  The potential reader will think: what does enchantment and computer have to do with each other?  The book doesn't disappoint because the title is ted directly to the theme.  Lilly isn't published--yet--so I should use some examples of mystery from my published novels.  The point is to choose a title that conveys mystery.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 279, Mystery Title

14 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 279, Mystery Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

If you are setting a title on a work yourself or your publisher asks you for ideas (assuming you don't have a title already), here are some ideas for developing a title.

1.  It needs to be pithy. 

2.  It needs to be marketable. 

3. It needs to be short, but not too simple.            

4.  It needs to be unique, but not too unique. 

5.  It should not be too similar to works with negative connotations. 

6.  It should encapsulate some measure of the theme. 

7.  It should build mystery.  You want your potential reader to pick up your book or at least look closer on line.  If they don't, you don' have a sale or a reader.  The cover is a huge part of this.  That is why I try to make my covers eye-catching.  That is why your publisher tries to design eye-catching covers.  The cover is everything. 

In a brick and mortar shop, the potential reader will notice the cover first.  Based on the cover or the title, they will pick up the book and look through it.  Most potential readers will read the first paragraph.  If they like what they see, and the price is right, they will usually buy your book.  You have one chance to grab their attention with the cover or the title.

The reason I tell you this is that many times the title may be all they see at first.  Literate people tend to focus on words first and pictures second--this is the basis for more than one parlor trick with words and pictures.  Many times your potential reader will see the title before they comprehend the picture.  Or, they may work to grasp the title out of the cover.  I find myself doing this with some books on the shelf.  In any case, they will get to the title if they have any interest in your book.  The title must grab them, or you won't get them.  The title must give them something to mull over.  Without that, you have nothing.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 277, Negative Title

12 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 277, Negative Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

If you are setting a title on a work yourself or your publisher asks you for ideas (assuming you don't have a title already), here are some ideas for developing a title.

1.  It needs to be pithy. 

2.  It needs to be marketable. 

3. It needs to be short, but not too simple.            

4.  It needs to be unique, but not too unique. 

5.  It should not be too similar to works with negative connotations.  There is a lot of stuff on the internet.  When you make your search on your title, be on the lookout for negative works with similar titles or similar titles of any kind with a connotation negative to your writing. 

I looked at this closely for my novel, Centurion.  Believe it or not, the theme of the Roman Legion is used and regarded as a standard motif in many erotic homosexual stories.  A general search for the word Centurion will bring up some.  I didn't feel this was negative enough to not use Centurion as the title, but you can see where this might be an issue.  My novel Centurion appeals to all ages and groups--it is a novel for adults, but it is not an erotic or homosexually themed novel. 

Likewise, my novel, Sister of Darkness has a title that is similar to a single erotic horror novel.  Sister of Darkness is suspense and might be considered by some to have horror elements in it, but it is not erotic by any measure.  Still a single other novel outside the main genre of the novel didn't seem like too much of an issue to me.  The problem of negativity becomes obvious when you make a search and come up with thousands of results of a similar negative nature.  You might be able to guess which titles could result in these kinds of results--then again, that's the point in making a search.

Here is a simple example.  If you choose the title: Big Johnson takes a Trip.  You may already know the connotations of Big Johnson.  If you don't, perhaps you shouldn't google it.  In any case, unless you intend, with this title, something sexual, you shouldn't use it.  Plus, the title might not be used (I didn't check it), but the search will bring up thousands of similar negative results.  Negative, if you don't want to be associated with erotic content.

Whatever you do, just check your title in  search before you set it. 

6.  It should encapsulate some measure of the theme.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 276, Unique Title

11 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 276, Unique Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

If you are setting a title on a work yourself or your publisher asks you for ideas (assuming you don't have a title already), here are some ideas for developing a title.

1.  It needs to be pithy. 

2.  It needs to be marketable. 

3. It needs to be short, but not too simple.            

4.  It needs to be unique, but not too unique.  This is easy to check.  Pick your title and make an internet search or make a search on amazon.  If you get a thousand results for that title, your title is not unique enough.  If you get a few that are similar or even one or two that are the same--especially outside the decade--the title might be about right.  If you don't get any results or any results that are books, you might be too unique. 

The sweet spot is a few book related results.  If you get no book related results, people won't find your novel without putting in the specific name (and/or your name)--they can't accidentally find your novel.  In the world of the internet, accidental finds are what you can hope for.  You can set up websites, and you can advertise, but the most effective finds are accidental.  This is also why the title should represent the theme or a major idea in your novel.  For example, Aegypt my novel about Egyptian ideas and concepts. 

If you get way too many results with your title, the searcher will not be able to break your novel out of the crowd--plus who wants to have a title that is so similar or overused.  Too unique is too much.  Not unique enough is too much.  There is also another consideration in looking at titles--similarity to negative works.

5.  It should not be too similar to works with negative connotations.

6.  It should encapsulate some measure of the theme.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 275, Short Title

10 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 275, Short Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

If you are setting a title on a work yourself or your publisher asks you for ideas (assuming you don't have a title already), here are some ideas for developing a title.

1.  It needs to be pithy. 

2.  It needs to be marketable. 

3. It needs to be short, but not too simple.  Short or shortable--you can make it short.  That's why, for example, Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer is a reasonable title.  It is a classic title with a subtitle.  The title itself is short Lilly.  The subtitle is hip, Enchantment and the Computer.  Is it hip and marketable ?  Who knows.  When the time comes, I'm sure my publisher will want to weigh in.

My novels, Aegypt and Centurion, have short but complex titles.  This is exactly what I mean by short but not too simple.  The single words, Aegypt and Centurion conjure in your mind a whole set of thoughts and associations.  This is and isn't true of other words or titles.  For example, you might get away with the title Bowling Ball.  Then again, maybe not.  If you want to build the picture of bowling alleys and bowling teams in the mind of your potential readers, bowling ball is there.  I don't feel any magic in the word or the title.

Aegypt makes you imagine Egypt, the ancient, and exotic circumstances.  Centurion makes you imagine the Roman Legions, the ancient world, and warfare.  These titles fit their books well.  They are short, and they have complex antecedents--they make you imagine much more than many simple single words.  That doesn't mean single words are the way to go. 

My other published novels are: The Second Mission, The End of Honor, The Fox's Honor, and A Season of Honor.  Each of these required a longer title and the title well represents their thematic ideas.           

4.  It needs to be unique, but not too unique.

5.  It should encapsulate some measure of the theme.

There is more and more to being pithy.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 274, Marketable Title

9 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 274, Marketable Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

If you are setting a title on a work yourself or your publisher asks you for ideas (assuming you don't have a title already), here are some ideas for developing a title.

1.  It needs to be pithy. 

2.  It needs to be marketable.  As writers, you and I don't fully comprehend what is marketable--we write.  Publisher spend an inordinate amount of their work and free time trying to discover what is marketable.  They want marketable writing--that's why unique and entertaining are the watchwords.  In a title, they want one that will draw a potential reader to pick up the book or at least thumb through the electronic or physical copy.  I your title (and cover) can do that, you may have a marketable piece of literature.  The number one pull is the cover and the title and titles have become much more important in the internet world.

There really are marketable and unmarketable titles.  There really are styles and fads of cover and titles.  Titles luckily have better staying power, but if you look at the covers of my novels published in 2008 and the new proposed covers, you can see a difference.  The older covers look slightly dated.  The styles of covers have changes slightly in less than ten years.  As I wrote, titles don't have that kind of shelf life, but some titles and styles of titles do sound dated.  For example, Oliver Twist, is subtitled The Parish Boy's Progress.  I don't care who you are, you aren't going far with a novel named after a person with that kind of subtitle.  It ain't gonna happen--not today.  My enchantment novels might not get the proper attention because subtitled novels today are usually YA or Juvenile fare--especially those with a single woman's name.  They would have to go with the subtitle or with an entirely different title.

That is not to say a single word title can't give good play to a novel.  Both of my novels with single word titles, Aegypt and Centurion, have done well.  My publisher looked at having all single word titles for my other novels as well.  Again, the point is marketable and the measure is always this: will a reader pick up the novel and thumb through it based on the title (and cover). 

3. It needs to be short, but not too simple.    

4.  It needs to be unique, but not too unique.

There is more and more to being pithy.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 273, more Title

8 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 273, more Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

If you are setting a title on a work yourself or your publisher asks you for ideas (assuming you don't have a title already), here are some ideas for developing a title.

1.  It needs to be pithy.  I'm not certain how Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer hits you, but I do intend for it to be pithy and eye-catching.  If someone comes across your novel on the web or sees it in a bookstore, you want them to be intrigued and interested in the work.  I like single names for my books, and in fact, my publisher proposed that I develop single names for all my novels.  I kind of thought about it and did make some, but that went by the wayside.  I'll write more about this--that is, publisher and marketing ideas in titles.  A single name is intriguing especially an intriguing name like: Valeska, Hestia, Khione, Aksinya, and Lilly.  I chose the name Lilly for many reasons--that was a character development concept, but the name itself has simple power.  It is a simple, but interesting name.  You don't necessarily put it with computer, so there is a dichotomy.  There is a further dichotomy with enchantment and computer.  You can kind of imagine a Lilly and an enchantment--hard because the name is so innocent sounding, but Lilly and a computer are outside the norm of consideration.  When you put them all together, you have multiple odd intersections.  These intersections, I hope will interest a reader into picking up the book and thumbing through it.

2.  It needs to be marketable.

3.  It needs to be unique, but not too unique.

There is more and more to being pithy.

At this point everything I'm doing with and for this work is about marketing to a publisher and building a website.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 272, Title

7 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 272, Title

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

Every novel needs a title.  In most cases, I start with a working title.  The working title for this novel was computer.  I see this novel as thematically one of my "enchantment" novels.  One of my  enchantment novels is a novel whose these concerns ancient gods and goddesses within the context of the modern world.  Since the first enchantment novel, Hestia, I've named them after the protagonist/main focus of the novel plus the secondary enchantment.

For example, Hestia is about the goddess Hestia and was titled, Hestia: Enchantment of the Hearth.  The reason was that the hearth is important both in the novel and to Hestia.  The enchantment relates to the element that brought about the novel.  Hestia is about an accidental enchantment that invoked the goddess Hestia into the modern world.

Lilly is a little different.  I'll give you the synopsis later, but Lilly is about a young woman who befriends a Japanese god, kami.  The Japanese god wants to endue Lilly with his power and responsibility.  Thus, Lilly is the name of the main character and the enchantment relates to the element that brought about the novel (Lilly becomes a Japanese kami).  Computer relates to the particular skills of Lilly and her boyfriend, Dane.  Lilly is a computer genius.

Now, this is how I named this novel, but I don't think it will necessarily be its title when it is published.  Perhaps, if my enchantment novels are published sequentially, it will be the title.  Chances are I may write a sequel to Lilly or my publisher may not choose to publish the novels as a set.  In any case, I trust the knowledge of my publisher concerning the market and market perception of a title.  There is more to setting a title on a work.

The cover proposal is simple--the idea is to provide a starting point and a basis for a website for he novel.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com

Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 271, Cover

6 January 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 271, Cover

Announcement: My new novels should be available from any webseller or can be ordered from any brick and mortar bookstore.  Information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.
2. Entertain your readers.
3. Ground your readers in the writing.
4. Don't show (or tell) everything.
5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:
1.  The initial scene (the beginning)
2.  The rising action
3.  The climax
4.  The falling action
5.  The dénouement

The theme statement of my 25th novel, working title, Escape, is this: a girl in a fascist island nation will do anything to escape--a young cargo ferry pilot not following the rules crashes on the island.

I'll make a slight digression because I'm developing advertising and publisher materials for my newest completed novel, Lilly.  Here is the cover proposal for Lilly: Enchantment and the Computer. 

Cover Propsal

Every novel needs a proposed cover.  The cover you develop for your work can be used in a website and will be necessary for your publisher to create the cover for your novel.  When a work will be published, the publisher will ask you for a cover proposal.  They will usually ask you to look at available art and photos and to recommend the photos you like to represent your novel.  I recommend you already have a cover as an example for your publisher. 

The publisher will take your proposal and give it to their cover company or artists.  They will make a cover based on your recommendations and ideas.  They may produce more than one cover recommendation for you to choose from.  If you go to the secret pages for my novels, you can see the preliminary art and my cover recommendations. 

You an also use a proposed cover to populate your website.  This can stand in for the cover until you have an actual cover from your publisher.

The cover proposal is simple--the idea is to provide a starting point and a basis for a website for he novel.

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com