Writing - part x538, Developing Skills, Marketing Materials, Your Name

28 June 2018, Writing - part x538, Developing Skills, Marketing Materials, Your Name

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but my primary publisher has gone out of business—they couldn’t succeed in the past business and publishing environment.  I'll keep you informed, but I need a new publisher.  More 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.

     4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

These are the steps I use to write a novel including the five discrete parts of a novel:

1.      Design the initial scene

2.      Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.       Research as required

b.      Develop the initial setting

c.       Develop the characters

d.      Identify the telic flaw (internal and external)

3.      Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.      Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.      Write the climax scene

6.      Write the falling action scene(s)

7.      Write the dénouement scene

I finished writing my 29^th novel, working title, Detective, potential title Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective.  The theme statement is: Lady Azure Rose Wishart, the Chancellor of the Fae, supernatural detective, and all around dangerous girl, finds love, solves cases, breaks heads, and plays golf.  

Here is the cover proposal for Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I am continuing to write on my 30^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 29^th novel, working title Detective.  I’m planning to start on number 31, working title Shifter. 

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Since I’m writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.  Here is an initial cut.

For novel 30:  Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

For novel 31:  TBD 

Here is the scene development outline:

1. Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2. Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3. Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4. Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5. Write the release

6. Write the kicker

          

Today:  Time again to look at marketing materials.  I just finished a new novel—actually, I finished it a few weeks ago, but I’ve been working on the marketing materials.  I always develop the specific materials first, then the condensed materials for my currently defunct publisher, and then the cover.  You can see above, I made a proposed cover. I haven’t put any of this information on the internet yet, but I’m building up to that. 

Here is my proposed cover:

Cover Proposal

Marketing materials are a must.  I’ll be straight up with you.  I know most people have not completed their novels.  Some of you might have.  You might be still working on your editing and proofing.  You might be still perfecting your novel.  All of that is important, but none of it matters if you don’t have a plan for marketing your work.  Marketing means you have some plan and know what a publisher might want to know about you and your work.  What you need is a format for your marketing materials, and here it is.

Title of Work:

Blue Rose: Enchantment and the Detective

Author(s) Name:

L. D. Alford

Just list your name—right?  Wrong.  What name goes on the front of your novels, and how you are addressed as a write is as big a deal as the title.  Some names have a natural resonance—thank your parents.  Most if not many names do not. 

Ever noticed that many if not most celebrities in movies and plays change their names.  Let me tell you a little secret almost all of them change their names.  Whether you like it or not, people judge you by your name, so you might as well check it out before you market your novel.  The name you choose will probably follow you forever, and that’s good and bad.

You don’t actually need to change your name—you have lots of options.  I chose the George R. R. Martin path.  I played around with my full name, first and last name, just last name, middle name, and just first name.  I tried different combinations of the initials.  I thought L.D. Alford looked and sounded the best for my novels.  I still think it does.  My publisher would refer to me as L.D.  I think L.D. Alford looks good on the cover and the name rolls of the tongue cleaner than my whole name.  This is likely what George did too.  I didn’t look up George’s full name or even if those are his real initials.  The point is that George, or his publisher, chose George R. R. Martin as the name for his novels.  However you get to it, this is exactly what you need to think about for your professional name.  There are further steps.

If your name is not accommodating in any sense to the dignity of a novel, you want to hide who you are, or you just don’t like your name, you can go for a pen name.  Now, technically the name association I wrote about above is a type of pen name, but we are writing here about a Mark Twain or George Elliot or Andre Norton pen name.  All three of the fore mentioned authors used names that were not at all like their own.  The why really doesn’t matter, but the pen name does—they and their pen name will be remembered with their novels forever. 

I mentioned that there are three reasons for having a pen name.  The second is kind of interesting.  George Elliot and Andre Norton wanted to hide that they were women.  Their sales were better and their chances of publication greater with their pen names.  In the modern world, I know some people who write erotic novels and use the pen name to hide who they really are.  Depending on your genre and your community, you might want to do the same.

About the other two reasons—dislike and lack of dignity.  We all know people whose names are odd or unfortunate.  There is no reason you can’t change your name to fit your view of yourself or your writing.  Be cautious here.  I wouldn’t choose a pen name in a vacuum—you could choose poorly and then where would you be?  In any case, if your pen name is much different than your actual name, your publisher needs to know before they start cutting checks you can’t cash.      

Type: Either Screenplay or Book

Book

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

108,475 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.

What I will do is go through each step and give you my answers based on my latest novel.  I did leave the top parts filled. 

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic