Once again, Mills and Boon are conducting a search for New Voices in Romance! If you are interested in writing romance and are unpublished, you are eligible to enter ~
From there website:
New Voices is the search for some more glittering writing talent to join our galaxy of romantic fiction writing stars! And we need YOU!
Still need convincing about whether to enter? How about…
Publication of your book
A Mills & Boon Editor for the year
An iPad
A Mills & Boon hamper
…and lots of other prizes for our Top 20 too!
It's going to be an exciting couple of months - look here for more details and we hope you'll come along for the ride!
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Here's the link:
http://www.romanceisnotdead.com
Also, in the month of October, I'm hostessing the Coffee Write in the forums at Coffee Time Romance where my readers and I will be collaborating to write a ghost story a paragraph at a time. I hope you consider joining me there.
Ericka Scott
www.erickascott.com
Showing posts with label Ericka Scott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ericka Scott. Show all posts
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The Three R's in Writing
Yes, I do know how to spell and I can clearly see that there's only one R up there...
The R's I'm talking about are the one's in an author's life, Rejections, Rewrites, and Reviews.
Rejections. Those are tough to take in whatever form they are dished out. But the real thing to keep in mind is that they aren't personal. Subjective, yes. What doesn't grab one editor may thrill another. It's all a matter of taste and preference. It doesn't make it any easier to get the rejection, but it's something to keep in mind. And remember, no matter how many NOs you get, it only takes one YES to get published.
Rewrites. Even once the door to publication is opened, it's not a guarantee. There's usually rewrites suggested. Sometimes it's just simple punctuation and/or clarification. In my own experience, I've run across disappearing Volkswagons and clothes thrown on the floor in one room that mysteriously migrate to the foot of the bed in the other room. Important to fix those things or you'll lose more than just the editor, you'll lose readers as well.
Reviews. After your book is finally under the cover (either physically or digitally), there are reviews. Authors crave them like chocolate and dread them like weight gain. Unfortunately, sometimes reviews are less than stellar. Keep in mind it's just one person's opinion. Take the nuggets of gold from them and toss the rest.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Ericka Scott is a multi-published, bestselling author of seductive suspense. She's written stories for as long as she can remember and reads anything under the sun (including the back of cereal boxes in a pinch). She got hooked on romantic suspense in her college days, when reading anything but a textbook was a guilty pleasure. Now, when she’s not chauffeuring children around, wishing she had a maid, or lurking at the library, she’s spinning her own web of fantasy and penning tales of seduction and suspense. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. You can find out more about her at www.erickascott.com.
The R's I'm talking about are the one's in an author's life, Rejections, Rewrites, and Reviews.
Rejections. Those are tough to take in whatever form they are dished out. But the real thing to keep in mind is that they aren't personal. Subjective, yes. What doesn't grab one editor may thrill another. It's all a matter of taste and preference. It doesn't make it any easier to get the rejection, but it's something to keep in mind. And remember, no matter how many NOs you get, it only takes one YES to get published.
Rewrites. Even once the door to publication is opened, it's not a guarantee. There's usually rewrites suggested. Sometimes it's just simple punctuation and/or clarification. In my own experience, I've run across disappearing Volkswagons and clothes thrown on the floor in one room that mysteriously migrate to the foot of the bed in the other room. Important to fix those things or you'll lose more than just the editor, you'll lose readers as well.
Reviews. After your book is finally under the cover (either physically or digitally), there are reviews. Authors crave them like chocolate and dread them like weight gain. Unfortunately, sometimes reviews are less than stellar. Keep in mind it's just one person's opinion. Take the nuggets of gold from them and toss the rest.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Ericka Scott is a multi-published, bestselling author of seductive suspense. She's written stories for as long as she can remember and reads anything under the sun (including the back of cereal boxes in a pinch). She got hooked on romantic suspense in her college days, when reading anything but a textbook was a guilty pleasure. Now, when she’s not chauffeuring children around, wishing she had a maid, or lurking at the library, she’s spinning her own web of fantasy and penning tales of seduction and suspense. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. You can find out more about her at www.erickascott.com.
Friday, April 1, 2011
To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish...
Is that really the question? Or is it part of the answer?
Amanda Hocking, of self-publishing fame signed a multi-million dollar contract with a publisher. In direct contrast, Barry Eisler told his publisher to take a leap and has gone the self-publishing route.
So, you are looking at your manuscript and thinking "What should I do?"
Contrary to what EVERYONE thinks, how you publish your work is a very personal decision. No matter what advice you are given, it all comes down to you. YOU are the person responsible for your success. Not the agent, the publisher, or the marketing executive.
Authors should invest the time to find out the value of agents, editors, and publishers. Ask questions of people in the field. How much did Madam Self-Published spend on copy editing, cover art, and marketing. Is that an investment you can afford to take. Or will sharing the risk (and royalties) with a publisher enable you to do what you do best -- write? If you decide to self-publish, what distribution channels are you going to utilize? If you go with a publisher, determine which have the most author-friendly contracts and highest royalty rates.
Even better, a smart author can use a combination of traditional, e-pub, and self-pub to spread their risk and, hopefully, capture a larger share of the market.
Knowledge, combined with an author's personal yens and know-how, allows her/him to use resources to the best advantage and not be tossed around like a leaf every time the 'winds of change' breeze through the industry.
Happy Writing!
Ericka
www.erickascott.com
Amanda Hocking, of self-publishing fame signed a multi-million dollar contract with a publisher. In direct contrast, Barry Eisler told his publisher to take a leap and has gone the self-publishing route.
So, you are looking at your manuscript and thinking "What should I do?"
Contrary to what EVERYONE thinks, how you publish your work is a very personal decision. No matter what advice you are given, it all comes down to you. YOU are the person responsible for your success. Not the agent, the publisher, or the marketing executive.
Authors should invest the time to find out the value of agents, editors, and publishers. Ask questions of people in the field. How much did Madam Self-Published spend on copy editing, cover art, and marketing. Is that an investment you can afford to take. Or will sharing the risk (and royalties) with a publisher enable you to do what you do best -- write? If you decide to self-publish, what distribution channels are you going to utilize? If you go with a publisher, determine which have the most author-friendly contracts and highest royalty rates.
Even better, a smart author can use a combination of traditional, e-pub, and self-pub to spread their risk and, hopefully, capture a larger share of the market.
Knowledge, combined with an author's personal yens and know-how, allows her/him to use resources to the best advantage and not be tossed around like a leaf every time the 'winds of change' breeze through the industry.
Happy Writing!
Ericka
www.erickascott.com
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Calls for Submissions, Deadlines, and Response Times, oh my!
I love a deadline. I'm not being facetious here. Nothing, and I mean nothing gets me in my seat and sets my fingers on fire like a deadline. So, I'm always browsing the internet for Calls for Submissions. Steampunk, Erotic, BDSM, Paranormal...
Just last week, HQN announced a pitch contest for their new Nocturne Cravings line. Cravings evolved from the Nocturne Bites. They are a little bit longer and a lot sexier.
Here is the link, if you are interested.
But, what I really wanted to chat about today is response times.
Waiting has to be THE WORST part of being an author. Once that package has been put in the mail (virtual or snail), the days drag by as you wait. Now, if you are a professional writer (or dream of being one), you know what you should be doing is writing the next book. And you are...between checking your e-mail a thousand times a day.
You also wonder...how long does it take them to get back to you?
I have a handy link I'm going to share with you. Duotrope's Digest.
Duotrope's Digest is a great website. Not only does it give information on hundreds of markets (short story, calls for submissions, themed submissions, etc.), whether they take your genre, offer an advance, and take simultaneous submissions (or not), but if you register, there's a lovely section where you can track your submissions. Because of the large author network, there's also some fantabulous statistics included for the publisher -- avg days to respond, percentage of acceptances, etc.
Hope you can find a use for this little tool.
Happy Writing!
Ericka
www.erickascott.com
Just last week, HQN announced a pitch contest for their new Nocturne Cravings line. Cravings evolved from the Nocturne Bites. They are a little bit longer and a lot sexier.
Here is the link, if you are interested.
But, what I really wanted to chat about today is response times.
Waiting has to be THE WORST part of being an author. Once that package has been put in the mail (virtual or snail), the days drag by as you wait. Now, if you are a professional writer (or dream of being one), you know what you should be doing is writing the next book. And you are...between checking your e-mail a thousand times a day.
You also wonder...how long does it take them to get back to you?
I have a handy link I'm going to share with you. Duotrope's Digest.
Duotrope's Digest is a great website. Not only does it give information on hundreds of markets (short story, calls for submissions, themed submissions, etc.), whether they take your genre, offer an advance, and take simultaneous submissions (or not), but if you register, there's a lovely section where you can track your submissions. Because of the large author network, there's also some fantabulous statistics included for the publisher -- avg days to respond, percentage of acceptances, etc.
Hope you can find a use for this little tool.
Happy Writing!
Ericka
www.erickascott.com
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Never Underestimate the Power of a Good Story!
What does this have to do with publishing? Lots.
The suspension of disbelief is vitally important in writing fiction. It's what makes zombies, vampires, and werewolves believable.
So, enjoy!
Ericka
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Unwritten Goal
...is an unaccomplished goal.
At Partners in Crime, my IRL critique group run by Diana Killian, author of the Mantra for Murder Yoga Mysteries, we were talking about goals. With a start, I realized I haven't done any for this year. Oh, I had half an idea of what I thought I wanted to accomplish, but honestly, I hadn't written anything down.
Bad, bad Ericka.
Not long ago, a friend of mine sent me a quote from one of her friends that reminded her Dreams are goals without plans.
So, this year, along with writing two novellas and one full-length novel, I plan on compiling all of my previously published short stories and jumping onto the self-publishing bandwagon and see for myself what everyone is bragging about. I do so with the caveat that the stories I'm compiling have already been published (so someone, somewhere liked them) and they've already been edited.
Saying this, I will also say that I don't believe self-publishing is the way everyone should go to get published. Over the years, 'self-publishing' came to mean a sub-standard product. Horrible covers and little to poor editing did nothing to abolish that impression. Self-publishing should not mean "do it yourself" -- as with a child, it sometimes takes a village to raise a book to bestseller status. Take pride in your work and make it the best product, one you'll be proud to put your name on. Get help if you need to! Pay for professional cover art and editing. It WILL make a world of difference in the way your book is received.
So, what are your goals for 2011?
Remember --
Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; cant's into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don't just think it - ink it! - Author Unknown
~~~~~~
Ericka
At Partners in Crime, my IRL critique group run by Diana Killian, author of the Mantra for Murder Yoga Mysteries, we were talking about goals. With a start, I realized I haven't done any for this year. Oh, I had half an idea of what I thought I wanted to accomplish, but honestly, I hadn't written anything down.
Bad, bad Ericka.
Not long ago, a friend of mine sent me a quote from one of her friends that reminded her Dreams are goals without plans.
So, this year, along with writing two novellas and one full-length novel, I plan on compiling all of my previously published short stories and jumping onto the self-publishing bandwagon and see for myself what everyone is bragging about. I do so with the caveat that the stories I'm compiling have already been published (so someone, somewhere liked them) and they've already been edited.
Saying this, I will also say that I don't believe self-publishing is the way everyone should go to get published. Over the years, 'self-publishing' came to mean a sub-standard product. Horrible covers and little to poor editing did nothing to abolish that impression. Self-publishing should not mean "do it yourself" -- as with a child, it sometimes takes a village to raise a book to bestseller status. Take pride in your work and make it the best product, one you'll be proud to put your name on. Get help if you need to! Pay for professional cover art and editing. It WILL make a world of difference in the way your book is received.
So, what are your goals for 2011?
Remember --
Write it down. Written goals have a way of transforming wishes into wants; cant's into cans; dreams into plans; and plans into reality. Don't just think it - ink it! - Author Unknown
~~~~~~
Ericka
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