I am a runner. I was reluctant to call myself that for years. After all, I’m not an elite runner. Not like Shalane Flannagan or Paula Radcliffe. And I never ran track or cross country in high school or college. But after more than 10,000 miles of putting one foot in front of the other at a faster-than-walking pace, maybe it’s time to assert that title. And after typing tens of thousands of words on a keyboard, I may lay claim to another epithet, but that’s a subject for later in this article.

I ran my first 5K a couple of decades ago. I knew nothing about training or strategy, but an acquaintance suggested it and I was game. Back then there weren’t electronic timing devices, so the organizers would hand you a card when you crossed the finish line that indicated your place. The idea was to write your name on the card and drop it in a basket for your age range.  I was such a novice I thought they were handing out door prize cards at the finish line!

There weren’t any door prizes, of course, but when I discovered I did well in my age group, it lit a fire in me that’s still burning. I wanted to become a runner.

I jumped in with both Nikes. I knew one thing: that I didn’t know much about running. Doesn’t that sound a lot like those of us who decided to write a book? We may have the desire but lack the experience, confidence, and tools to succeed.

I acquired all the equipment and knowledge I could, but it isn’t enough to have the right shoes and show up on race day. To become a good runner, one must train.  Intervals at the track to increase speed, long runs and hills along park trails to strengthen muscles, tempo runs through the neighborhood to build endurance. For every 5K I ran, I must have put in hundreds of miles of training. It was hard work but I was getting stronger and faster. Isn’t that the same with writing? Few people can sit down and whip out 80,000 words of first rate fiction. Even talented writers have to train by forcing themselves to tone their writing muscles every day.

My training runs didn’t always go well. Some days I felt tired and didn’t meet my training goals. There were aches and pains and a few injuries along the way. But all runners know that improvement isn’t easy, and it doesn’t come all at once. You pay for it one mile at a time. You accept that there will be setbacks, but you don’t give up. It’s all about slow and steady progress. Anybody see the similarities to writing?

Training eventually leads to racing, and racing requires even more stamina and determination. Good runners learn to pace themselves through a marathon one mile at a time. Sometimes the race doesn’t go the way you expected and you have to re-think your strategy. Negative thoughts, frustration and discouragement are always close at hand, ready to sabotage your efforts, but you know the real reward is in finishing the race. The only disappointment is if you don’t try. Same with writing.

When I began my novel several years ago, I assumed it would be an easy task. After all, I had always done well in English classes. Teachers loved my essays. But like my novice runner self, I soon learned that there was a world of information I didn’t know. And a sophisticated skill set I didn’t have.

But just like running, there are plenty of resources for novice writers: books, podcasts, online courses, conferences, and tons of blogs. Professional editors can help an author turn a mediocre manuscript into a polished deliverable.

I learned that writing strength comes slowly and steadily, through consistent practice and attention to all the good advice that’s available. Like a seasoned runner, the writer keeps her eye on the finish line while carefully navigating the next chapter. And she deals with disappointment and rejection as part of the learning process, but hard work and persistence are bound to pay off.

And so I write on, one word after another. A slow jog of backstory here, a quick dialogue beat there, until miles of sentences build up. My novel, The Watch on the Fencepost, is being published by CrossLink Publishing and is due to be released later this year. It was my first literary race, but, God willing, it won’t be my last. Now it’s time to start training for the next one. I am a writer.

• What experiences have you had with running or writing that enlightened you?
• What’s the best advice you have for new writers? Or runners?

I’m honored that Beth Lottig has agreed to guest post on my blog. Beth is the co-founder of AuthorSource, a full-service self-publishing company, and has helped hundreds of authors bring their works to publication.

Whether you’re just beginning to think about writing or you’ve finished that manuscript, Beth’s words of wisdom will be a valuable resource.

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I WROTE MY BOOK — NOW WHAT?

Developing Your Publishing Vision

When you first start writing a book, it’s possible that you are carried away with inspiration and eager to get the book “out of you,” buoyed by the thrill of becoming an author. You willingly spend late nights typing at your computer when everyone else is asleep. You wake early, gripping your coffee mug for dear life as the sun rises, writing furiously before the great idea you dreamed about disappears with the daylight.

You edit and rewrite the same sentence twenty-two times, and revise whole chapters, all with the final destination of authorship in mind. But what happens when you finally finish that last sentence and figuratively, or literally, type the words “The End”?

What’s next after writing your book?

Whether you plan to go the traditional route and secure an agent who will shop your book around to publishers or pursue the self-publishing route, it’s a good idea to give some thought to what you want to get out of your writing career. Some questions to consider:

• Do you plan to continue your full-time gig while you pursue your writing dream?
• Do you want to eventually leave your day job and become a full-time writer?
• Are you willing to travel to do book signings and readings while you promote your book?
• If you write non-fiction, does your book set you up as an expert in your field?
• Do you dream of holding your book on stage and speaking about your passion?

Having a bigger goal or dream in mind is absolutely critical to getting where you want to be.

If you plan to self-publish, you need to consider important parts of the publishing process that a traditional publishing house would usually handle—editing, creating an eye-catching cover and book interior that works for your genre, distribution and fulfillment. And keep in mind that whether you self-publish or go with a traditional house, you MUST participate in the marketing of your book. There are so many options available, and it pays to do your homework to find the right fit for you.

A few steps to tackle right now:

• Write your author bio, both a short one for the back cover (about 50 words) and a longer “About the Author” one that will appear on the last page of your book.
• Write your back-cover copy. After a person sees your cover and picks up your book to learn more, guess where they go next? They flip the book over to check out your back cover. At about 250 words, the back-cover copy should hook the reader and tell them exactly what they will get out of your book. Imagine the reader asking, “What’s in it for me?” then answer that question in a compelling way.
• Start thinking about the style of your cover design. Flip through pages on Goodreads or Amazon to see which types of covers you are drawn to in your genre. Understand that non-fiction, sci-fi, romance, and fantasy all have specific styles that your readers will expect. Your cover designer will be better able to catch your vision if you have a few examples of styles to point to.

 

If you plan to pursue traditional publishing, you will want to begin research for your proposal, that all-important piece that tells an agent your book is their next best-seller. For a terrific example of what to include in an agent proposal, see agent Steve Laube’s article: https://stevelaube.com/guidelines/.

A few steps to tackle right now:

• Start work compiling the elements for your proposal, which will include your author bio (including social media metrics), one-sentence hook, back cover book description, competitive titles, your marketing plan (Yes, they will expect you to help market your book!), and a synopsis (fiction) or table of contents (non-fiction).
• Research agents who represent your genre and are seeking new submissions.
• Research publishing houses you are interested in pitching. Though most traditional publishing houses only work through agent proposals, a few still accept direct submissions from authors.
• Ramp up your marketing game: Develop an author platform on social media, a website, and start engaging your target readers.

With a clear publishing vision in mind, your next steps after “The End” will be more defined, more productive, and hopefully more enjoyable.

Happy writing!

 

As a freelance writer and editor for more than 15 years, Beth Lottig has worked with hundreds of authors to bring their works to publication through the editing and production process. She now serves authors full-time as co-founder of AuthorSource, a full-service self-publishing company. When she’s not hiking along the coast or sipping cold brew coffee, she is helping writers just like you realize their publishing dreams. Find out more at http://www.authorsourcemedia.com.

It’s been said that everybody loves a mystery. But why?

“It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.” – Proverbs 25:2

The desire to understand, to search out the truth, to solve the problem is a part of the human condition. Scientists look to the heavens to understand the formation of the universe. Biologists want to know the building blocks of life. Psychiatrists pry into the human psyche to find out what makes us tick.

All of these fields are concerned with investigating the unknown, the mysterious. If we can figure it out, we can deal with it. Many eminent figures have commented on the power of mystery.

 “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” – Albert Einstein, “The World as I See It”

And then there are the writers…

The mystery novel is the simplest form of problem-solving. There’s usually one clear problem (the murder) and one solution (who did it).  Mystery novels are characterized by strong characters, lots of suspects, plot twists, and surprise endings.  Along the way we meet fascinating folks and eventually discover the how and why as well as the who.

In a mystery novel, the author drops clues and red herrings along the way while we get a chance to match our wits with the head sleuth. And oh what fun the author can have in creating those memorable sleuths. From the meticulous Poirot to the devout Father Brown to the down-to-earth Jessica Fletcher, we meet and love the personalities who figure it all out.

My favorite mystery? I’m going to go with “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie, possibly the most popular mystery of all time. It was made into a very entertaining movie in 1945. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, have a go and see if you can find the killer.

So what’s your favorite mystery? Book or movie, let us know what you think.

“Attempt the end, and never stand to doubt. Nothing’s so hard but search will find it out.” – Robert Herrick

Okay. We’ve all shared our favorite words. And what a great bunch of words you came up with! Now it’s time to move on to our favorite books. Let’s exclude the Bible from consideration. Otherwise, I suspect most of you will choose it, and we won’t learn about your other favorites. So tell us about the book that inspired you, entertained you, helped you, or educated you. It can be a novel, a biography, historical fiction… any book you’d like to share with the rest of us.

I’ll go first. My favorite book is West With the Night by Beryl Markham. Ms. Markham was a contemporary of Isak Denisen (aka Karen Blixen, the Meryl Streep character in Out of Africa.)

Beryl Markham was born into a well-to-do English family that moved to Kenya when she was a small child. Her writing style is captivating, and the stories she tells about growing up in Kenya in the early part of the twentieth century are amazing.

The title of the book comes from her adventure of becoming the first person to fly non-stop east to west over the Atlantic Ocean from England to North America.

Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite book? And why?