Learning Center

We constantly hear about ‘voice.’ Your voice is the way you say things, what you say, the way you present things to the reader. Many readers can tell an author by the way the book reads e.g. J D Robb’s Eve responds to adversity in quite a different way from say a Gayle Wilson heroine. Whereas Eve punches her way through problems, solving them by putting herself in the perpetrator’s shoes, Gayle Wilson’s Susan (Wednesday’s Child) or Sarah (Victim) are more covertly intellectual. They have waited and agonised and wondered and eventually, when a clue is discovered, take action. Eve is more likely to discover the clues herself and roar into action.

I’ve gotten a few inquiries from our Savvy members that reside outside of the U.S. with regards to the issue of whether there is such a thing as an ‘international’ copyright. So let’s start this discussion with that topic.

Carina Press launched in June with 37 titles and industry-wide acclaim. Executive Editor Angela James joins us here to answer a few questions about Carina, publishing, and her next vacation.

SavvyAuthors: Carina Press Press launched June 7th after months of careful planning. This must have been an amazing journey for you and the Carina crew this year. What has surprised you most?

Before you can promote your books, you need to figure out who your audience is and narrow it down as much as you can. (You probably already did this when you wrote your book in the first place, but if not, don’t delay.) Next, ask yourself how you can reach that particular audience. Where do they shop, what sites do they visit and participate in online, what do they watch on TV, what do they read (newspapers, blogs, books, magazines), where do they spend most of their time (at work, at school, at Star Trek conferences?), what music do they listen to, and what is important to them (are they vegan? Environmentalist? Republican?). Keep your answers in mind as you explore different promotion options.

Are you writing a story where your fictional PI, law enforcement officer, or amateur sleuth needs to find a person? Here are 7 tips that your fictional character can use:

1. Check the phone book or dial 411 (after all, directory assistance has the latest, most up-do-date listings). If you're looking up a business, dial a "free" 411 service from Google: 1-800-GOOG-411.

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Blissing Out Your Summer Writing Tools
By Kathleen Damp Wright, guest reviewer

We've only just met, but I want to give you a present.

Consider it the birthday present you wanted and didn't get, the anniversary gift you lusted after and were denied, the book you wanted at the writer's conference and couldn't afford. I'm giving you freebies.

I love many things, but this time of year, plums are my favorite. Dark purple skin and fruity orange flesh. The other day when I bit into another sweet plum I thought that eating plums is just like reading stories. You take a bite. The flesh is soft and sweet, and so full of juices they run down your chin. You take one more bite, and one more...

The last bite of that plum makes you realize that half a worm remains in the fruit.

If you want to pique the interest of an agent or editor with your pitch, it’s best to jump right in. With only three lines in your pitch, there is no extra space to wax poetic. Get down to business and tell us what the story is about.
And speaking of getting down to business…