Dealing with Writing Deadlines

 ISBN: 978-1-4930-0569-7
Release Date: October 7, 2014
 Globe Pequot/Lyons Press

The publisher gave us a choice of three awesome covers. It was a difficult decision, but we went with this one.

Now all I have to do is get the book written. The book sold on a proposal, which was the exciting part. So was getting the first part of the advance. But the proposal only had one of the sixteen chapters, so I'm still writing the others. That's the hard part. So is the tight deadline.

We wanted an October release to coincide with Domestic Violence Month, because many of the scenarios in the book are about relationships gone bad. Relationships that move from love to hate, or from friends to enemies. And when those relationships end, people can do all kinds of cruel things to get revenge. There are other scenarios in there too: teen bullies, coworker sabotage, and even cyber danger from strangers.

But to make an October release meant only a few months to write the book. And even worse, I had two other book deadlines between January and March. So I've been writing and writing and writing. That's the not-so-glamorous part of being an author. Working when you'd rather be playing. Editing when you'd rather be reading. Researching when you'd rather be sleeping.

So many people dream of being authors. They think it would be exciting to see their name on the cover of a book. And it certainly is. But most people don't think about the long hours of learning the craft, or of forcing yourself to write to make an approaching deadline, or of learning to take criticism so you can improve.

I belong to an online group of writers who all hope to be published someday. Some have succeeded, but others are newbies or working hard to get there. In December when I mentioned a tight deadline for some articles I was writing, one wanna-be author wrote: "I could never write anything under that kind of pressure."

I was tempted to write back that she should quit now, because if she reached her goal of getting an agent or editor, she'd find her whole life revolving around deadlines. Submission deadlines, editing deadlines, marketing deadlines... And if she sold more than one book, those deadlines might even overlap. Agents and editors don't want a one-book wonder. They want authors who will keep writing. Many authors sign a 2- or 3-book contract, which means even more deadlines, because usually book two is being written as book one is edited. Meanwhile book three is in the planning/outline stage. Once your book is accepted, there's no getting away from deadlines. So be sure that you really want to be published.

If you can't handle deadlines and pressure, you can still write. Write for yourself, for your family, for magazines that take completed articles. Write blogs, write for pleasure, write when the muse strikes. All of these are valid ways to enjoy your passion.

But when you long to see your byline on a book cover, be sure you understand the reality of getting to that point. Long hours of work and dedication to your craft. Participation in critique groups, attending writers conferences, submitting and getting rejected. And deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.

If you're willing to endure all of that, then you have what it takes to succeed. You will get there.

Marketing with Influencers

So many writers dream of getting published, but then once they do, they hard work begins -- marketing their book. I watch in awe as some of my published friends come up with great ideas to get their books into the hands of the public and spread the word. One of my friends who's a whiz at marketing is Jill Williamson. She has a new book coming out in September from Marcher Lord Press.

Jill has awesome book trailers (see one below) and a large cadre of influencers. What are influencers? They're people who agree to spread the word about your book in exchange for a free copy.

One of the best ways to start a buzz for your soon-to-be-published book is to get people talking about it--on Amazon, Goodreads, and social media. That's what influencers can do for you. Influencers are bloggers and people connected to the writing community --and even more importantly, they're connected to the reading community. Look for librarians, teachers, or special interest groups that love what you write about. Then contact them to see what they can do spread the word about you're upcoming book.

Can you guess I'm one of Jill's influencers? I love talking about her books and can't wait to read this one. As a YA editor and reader (yeah, I never grew up!), I always enjoy thrillers with strong leads and lots of conflict, and this certainly sounds as if it will have both.

Here's the blurb:

The New Recruit is a young adult supernatural/suspense novel about a guy who gets recruited into a spy organization that fights the supernatural. It’s book one in the four-book Mission League series.

Here is a little info about the story:

Forced to choose between military school and a Christian spy organization, skeptic Spencer Garmond signs on with the Bible geeks. But before he even boards the plane for Moscow, Spencer realizes this is no Bible club.

These guys mean business.

Stumbling onto a case involving a gang of homeless boys, a chilling tattoo, and the always beautiful Anya Vseveloda, Spencer struggles to find the faith needed to save the Mission League from enemy infiltration.




If it looks like something that would interest your teens (or you), here's a link to learn more about Jill and her books.And be sure to check out Jill's resources for writers, particularly if you're a teen looking to publish your work.

Pardon our construction

In an attempt to evoke the lush central Pennsylvania region, we've been searching for a new look.

I hope you like the latest, and hopefully last, at least for awhile. It's cleaner and easier to read.

Susan Gourley/Kelley posted an interesting discussion on her blog about whether authors needed both a blog and a web site. I wonder the same thing. What are your thoughts? If an author makes his/her blog look professional, does it impact your impression if that author has no web site, but only a blog?

Susan did such a wonderful job redesigning her blog, don't you think? It made me want to redesign mine too, so I did. Now mine looks much cleaner. I'm considering doing away with my web site, which now seems redundant.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Is a web site necessary for an author, or will a blog suffice?

Author, Google thyself

by Cate Masters

One of the easiest and quickest promo methods is the use of Google Profiles. It takes about two minutes to set up your author profile. Best of all, it’s absolutely free.

What does a Google Profile do?

For U.S. searches, this guarantees a listing on the bottom of the first page of every Google search for your name. This helps a lot if you have a common name. Even if you don't have a common name, it gives you an additional listing on that first page.

Next, set up a Google alert for your name to learn which sites your name appears. Be sure to put each phrase in quotes to reduce the number of “waste” returns that include one but not both of your search terms.

If you find that another person with the same name is an artist, say, you can also put - minus sign in front of the string of words, thus:
-artist
to remove the artist's hits.

Simply using my name usually picks up on reviews too, but you can add those to your alert as well. Again, be certain to enclose the title in quotes to eliminate irrelevant results. Google sometimes is late – sometimes months late – in alerting me to certain things, but those are usually unimportant. Sometimes results can be as boring as reminding me I commented on someone else’s blog, or as cool as the time I learned a reader in Finland loved my short Sixties-era romance, Seventh Heaven. Very cool. Sales of that story spiked after that, whether due to her review, it’s impossible to tell. In any case, it was amazing to find my story had traveled the world.

If you use Google’s Blogger, be aware of the importance of adding tags. Search engines pick up on tags, so be careful which key words you select. Someone who searches for one of your books will be directed to any blog post using the title in the tag field.

If anyone knows any other quick and easy promo tips, please share!

Cate Masters writes fantasy/dark fantasy, historical, contemporary and speculative fiction, described by reviewers as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” “such romantic tales that really touch your soul,” “filled with action scenes which made it a riveting story,” and “the author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read.” Visit Cate online at www.catemasters.com, www.catemasters.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Looking Up

I just spent part of today in a redwood forest. I find forests inspiring; they have a hushed, holy feel. And this one with its undergrowth made me think of untouched wilderness. I always come away with a deep desire to write, to pour out my soul on the pages.

But as I stood there today, I was reminded of the writing process. The primal understory with its tangle of vines, the deep, fertile ground of subconscious. Those huge redwoods towering overhead grew from a tiny seed, and each one was different. Some had many branches and offshoots. Others went straight to the sky. So like the writing process that springs from a tiny seed buried deep in the subconscious and grows... and grows... Until like the towering redwood, it's large and impressive, awe-inspiring.

When we stand there and marvel at the trees, we often forget how long it took them to get to that height and all the hardships they endured along the way--droughts, fires, being overshadowed by other larger trees. Still, they persevered and lived through the pain, struggled to reach their heights. And so will we.

When I look at the Susquehanna Writers, I feel the same awe as I do in the forest. I knew many of them when they were struggling, unpublished writers. We were saplings together. Sharing the pain of rejections, the frustration of learning the craft, the struggle to find someone--anyone--who appreciated our work enough to take a chance. And now we've all arrived at the stage where we're published authors; most of us are multi-published.

At one time, we thought that was the goal, the be-all and end-all. Now we know, though, that like the redwoods, we still have much more growth ahead of us. We all continue to write and submit, of course, but now we're branching out with a new skill--marketing. Which means the growth process is ongoing. But someday soon we'll all be towering redwoods that inspire others.

Do you tweet?

by Cate Masters
As an author, I look for effective ways to connect with others. So far I've made the leap to Facebook and recently launched a web site. I've had a blog for about a year. I also have a page on Ning, though it's woefully outdated.
Because I've been required to join so many email loops that suck away valuable time, I resisted Twitter. Until yesterday. Twitter looks deceptively simple, but can have many functions. All of which I must now acquaint myself.
The tipping factor came when Joanna D'Angelo, who runs the Love Romance Novels group, planned to have a romance author chat day on Twitter. If you read or write romance, you'll want to participate in this #askromancewriter chat. Check out my blog for more info. If you're not tweeting already, you should be! And follow me, and I'll follow you.