Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 297, more on Reviewer's Quotes, Marketing Materials

1 February 2015, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part 297, more on Reviewer's Quotes, 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.

None

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

Reviewer’s quotes.

Lilly is a fun novel filled with mythical creatures and Japanese gods and goddesses—how Lilly handles becoming a goddess herself is delightful and suspense-filled. 

Dane Vale became the infatuation of a genius math girl, Lilly who unexpectedly became a Japanese goddess—Lilly’s problems go well beyond the normal or the spiritual.

Lilly Lin Grant became a kami, a Japanese goddess—her kannushi, priest, is her boyfriend—their adventures in saving a Shinto shrine involve every Japanese creature of myth, dragons, and Japanese gods and goddesses.

Find someone who will tell you the truth about your writing.  I know, I know, most authors have no desire to know the truth about their writing, but if you don't, you will never become better.  I love feedback--I desire strong and emotional feedback.  I always like positive feedback, but any feedback that shows me the reader actually read and thought about my work and characters makes me happy. 

Everyone wants to be praised, but praise can never improve your writing.  What improves your writing is discussion and strong editing--not editing for grammar, spelling, or punctuation, but editing for content, feel, plot, and characters.  I don't need more grammar checkers, I need someone to say: this part is choppy, or this doesn't sound right, or I don't know who is speaking here.  These are editorial comments that can make good writing great--but only if you use them.  This is why I tell my readers and reviewers and editors, I use every comment and idea they give me.  I might not take their ideas of editorial comments without putting my own touch on them, but I use them all.  I don't believe anyone can give you bad editorial comments.  Remember, it may be just their opinion, but where writing is concerned, their opinion is always better than your opinion--novel writing is about entertainment.  Entertainment is in the eye of the beholder.

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