Posts by Heather Webb
The summer months–July in particular–are often quiet in the summer; industry folks are on vacation and many of the offices close by noon on Friday. Not this year. July has brought a hotbed of activity with the continuation of the Amazon-Hachette debate and the rise of the unlimited book subscription. If you’d like to keep on top of all of the changes in the industry, how writers are coping, and engage in an intelligent discussion, (other than right here at Writer Unboxed) be sure to check out #FutureChat on Fridays at 11 a.m. EST with @PorterAnderson. And now, for the month’s best links.
#WUPrint
"The subscription debate: Publishing's all-you-can-eat concern" @thebookseller http://t.co/frkKOrQR8R #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) July 22, 2014
Amazon Unveils E-Book Subscription Service, Big 5 Publishers' books aren't available @nytimes http://t.co/wCSbQEOhQ3 #WUPrint #WUDigital
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) July 21, 2014
.@Porter_Anderson asks us this week if Publishing Will Change The Tone?http://t.co/kGt9bXutFQ #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) July 15, 2014
#WUCraft
“Grammar Mistakes That Label You “Amateur”" by @JanetKGrant via Books and Such http://t.co/vyrMQbfQhc #WUCraft
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) July 22, 2014
“Seven Deadly Sins of Prologues” via @KristenLambTX http://t.co/nGN4GwVDqY via @feedly #WUCraft
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) July 15, 2014
“Choreograph Direct Action Scenes” by Adam Firestone via @RomanceUniv http://t.co/A0zhpoYGOX #WUCraft
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) July 3, 2014
#WUAgent
Read MoreJune has been a lively month of competition and corporate showdowns in the industry–the Hachette-Amazon debate drew responses from many of the big dogs in the industry, including J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, James Patterson, and Stephen Colbert. The rift has brought an influx of Hachette book-buying at Wal-Mart and indie bookstores who happily harbored those boycotting Amazon (even when we don’t really know what’s going on behind the scenes). At any rate, while speculation swirled through the industry like a tornado, we writers kept doing what we love best–making music on the page. To assist you on your quest for truth, knowledge, and better craft, we bring you links galore.
#WUPrint
Barnes & Noble and Nook to Break Up, Wall Street Likes Split http://t.co/0qz1iBihRq & http://t.co/7jQyTmIr3R #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) June 26, 2014
Massive photocopiers found, 3 arrested in Spain for book pirating @thebookseller http://t.co/24FG4ETcOa #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) June 23, 2014
"Amazon demands Hachette pay for 'inventive' services" @thebookseller http://t.co/zxiWMImlxR #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) June 23, 2014
#WUCraft
“Is Your Protagonist a Thinker or a Feeler?” via @write_practice http://t.co/Q7RhgF1G1y #WUCraft
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) June 24, 2014
“How To Fall In Love With Writing Again” by @coachcindym via @OllinMorales http://t.co/vVUgqfugxD #WUCraft
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) June 23, 2014
“A Tangled Plot Structure" via The Writers Alley http://t.co/Z5YK0gd2TG #WUCraft
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) June 18, 2014
#WUAgent
Read More
I don’t watch much TV. In fact, I binge on one show per year on Netflix, maybe two if it’s a good year in television, but that’s about it. (There are just too many good books to read.) But recently I’ve become addicted to the political thriller House of Cards and the indomitable Frank Underwood. With each episode, I find myself absolutely gripped—both fascinated and horrified by this character. I wait with bated breath for his next brilliant comment, his crocodile smile, and the twist of his knife in someone’s back. Another superb detail I adore is that Frank is from a small town in Georgia, so his lilting accent and charm almost make you believe he’s a gentleman. Almost.
Frank Underwood got me to thinking. What’s so great about him? He is egotistical, driven, conniving, adulterous—even murderous, yet he’s an amazing orator, a statesman with manipulative skills that are unparalleled, and above all, powerful. Also? He loves his wife. Though his needs are often first and foremost, he truly loves his wife and it shows. Frank isn’t the only anti-hero that has drawn my attention in recent months. I’ve really locked on to them in the last year. But why?
In search of an answer, I skimmed my myriad of bookshelves (Yes, I’m a print girl, despite my smart phone, fancy computer, and e-reader device. The experience of reading a la device just isn’t the same for me. I like to stroke the book covers and…I digress.). So I skimmed my books, looking for these dark characters and after I had gathered a few, I analyzed what made them so dadgum fun to read. This is what I discovered:
Read MoreSpring brought its warmth and with it, lots of happy news in the publishing industry. This month we say three cheers for independent bookstores! Not only are they thriving, but expanding. We also enjoyed watching the digital debate at the London Book Fair, and the happy co-existence of e-books and print books. There’s so much more news where that came from. Take a look at the sampling below or head on over to our #WU hashtags.
#WUPrint
What If the real problem is– "Boys Can’t Find the Right (Reading) Stuff?" via @Porter_Anderson http://t.co/KxZzht6cGi #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) April 23, 2014
Print Books Lead to Higher Reading Comprehension Than Digital via @nytimes http://t.co/05QPaeO27C #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) April 17, 2014
"Lessons Learned From A Game Changing London Book Fair 2014" via @thecreativepenn http://t.co/PNLZSxEQ74 #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) April 14, 2014
"Self-publishing vs. Traditional: Some Straight Talk" via @nathanbransford http://t.co/y70YWEglFy #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) April 18, 2014
Read MoreAs March comes to a close, I think those of us in northern climes have found ourselves singing Let it freaking go, Elsa! We’re done with winter! But much writerly goodness happens when it’s cold outside. This month we’ve seen publishers engage directly with consumers, women’s issues become popular topics in novels worldwide, and the rise of crowd-funded bookish projects, including a bar and bookstore. Of course, there’s so much more. Take a look at this month’s top tweets:
#WUPrint
"If Everything Goes Open Access, How Will Authors Make Money?" @pubperspectives http://t.co/nH8K7wm4iV #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) March 27, 2014
How Books Can Win the War for our Attention via @washingtonpost http://t.co/RYT0OcfWAX #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) March 20, 2014
"The White Noise of Falling Royalty Rates" via @porteranders @janefriedman http://t.co/5mNLvFs0qY #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) March 7, 2014
#WUAgent
AGENT ALERT: Lindsay Ribar seeks YA & MG, LGBT themes, sci-fi, mystery, fantasy, anything musical http://t.co/uQoJwqNS6i #WUAgent
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) March 25, 2014
AGENT ALERT: Cate Hart seeks fantasy, steampnk, historical, mystery, magical realism, erotica, LGBT, YA, MG http://t.co/RYdVBK8eog #WUAgent
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) March 3, 2014
WRITER BEWARE: Questions to ask your literary agent http://t.co/3Zh3SxYrBy #WUAgent
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) February 28, 2014
#WUCraft
Read MoreIn continuing the look behind the scenes in publishing here at Writer Unboxed, I felt compelled to share something I very recently went through—the baby blues. My debut novel BECOMING JOSEPHINE—about the woman who stole Napoleon’s heart and enchanted an empire—just released last month. I should be so proud and still on a high. People are actually reading my words for the first time! I’m so grateful, but the natural high? Not so much. But how can that be? I’m the luckiest girl in the world!
Let’s back up for the long view.
When I got the call my book had sold, the wheels began to turn. Beyond the excitement(!) and utter joy (!!) of being a lead title at a big 5 publisher, I experienced the first REAL pressure since I had started writing.
Yes, surviving rejections, finding an agent, and landing a contract are STRESSFUL and emotionally EXHAUSTING, but they’ve got nothing on the pre-launch jitters, at least not for me. I couldn’t sleep at night as my to-do list grew: blog tours, publicity plans, touring schedules. Do I order bookmarks or postcards? WHAT IF THEY HATE MY BOOK? Which advertisements should I invest in? What sort of publicity was my publisher doing to promote the book? WHAT IF THEY HATE MY BOOK? Who do I distribute ARCs to? How should my new website look?
WHAT IF THEY HATE MY BOOK?
I was especially nervous about the reviews because I marry two genres with my novel—it’s both historical fiction and women’s fiction, which means some die hards on either side of that coin may not have liked it…or at the very least, didn’t really understand my goal: highlighting the inner growth of a woman coming into her true self AS WELL AS her growth from poor-mannered plantation girl into a role model that would impact the history of France forever.
And then this miraculous thing happened. The reviews started pouring in and they were OVERWHELMINGLY good. Yes, every author deals with negative (or downright hurtful) reviews, but for the most part, readers got it—they not only “got” what I was trying to do, but they really, really liked it. Then the second phase of the anxiety kicked in.
WHAT IF THE BOOK DOESN’T SELL?
All the wonderful reviews in the world don’t mean people will FIND YOU, this drop of water in an ocean of novelists, or even buy, buy, buy. On the flip side, what if the amazing happens? What if the book hits THE LIST? The big list, the one we are all striving to dominate.
But I carried on and launch day arrived to lots of fanfare. I held a Facebook party and a local celebration with friends, all the while I feverishly checked my stats on Amazon, B & N, and Goodreads. I did it! Sort of. The book broke the top twenty on three different lists on Amazon for several weeks, though no sign of USA Today or NY Times. But hey, I’m just a debut after all, and there’s lots more time.
But after the flurry of activity and worry (BREATHE), during those post-launch days, the only thing happening was:
Read MoreI think it’s safe to say we’re all psyched to see the end of January, of long dark days and the infamous Polar Vortex. The only thing keeping us warm is the litany of publishing news. This month we saw research proving print sales aren’t decreasing, but remaining steady and growing in some areas, in spite of trends of increased e-reading. We grew ecstatic over the Digital Book World Conference and the importance placed on putting the author first. Not to mention, we marked our calendars for the next Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest, which now has a set date. There’s plenty more juicy news where that came from. Get started with the links below!
#WUPrint
"Issues on the Ether: Is Self-Publishing a Flying Leap?" via @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectives http://t.co/jEIhRpPgNn #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) January 22, 2014
"The bad side of @Goodreads' Reading Challenge" @guardian http://t.co/nLVsEzDyz0 #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) January 22, 2014
"Does Women’s Fiction Need a Shelf of Its Own?" via @pubperspectives http://t.co/7knXvO7cWX #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) January 17, 2014
"Most Authors Make Less Than $1,000 a Year: DBW" @galleycat http://t.co/FEZ7tE0azq #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) January 21, 2014
#WUCraft
Read MoreIn the spirit of the new year, I couldn’t avoid talking about one of my favorite topics—renewal and growth. Fitting, as my historical debut, Becoming Josephine, just released on New Year’s Eve and a major theme of the book is the hope that comes in starting anew. As a former military brat, I’m no stranger to this topic. New towns, new houses, new friends. I know as well as Josephine did, the feelings of isolation, the gray between of not quite belonging anywhere and searching for a better understanding of self through it all.
Any good writer knows that what we’re really talking about here is CHARACTER ARC, how we—how our protagonists—face obstacles and change over time as a result. So how does one ensure change happens? You’ll need to first choose which path your character will take. Let’s look at our choices of character arc:
FOUR TYPES OF CHARACTER ARCS
REVOLUTIONARY, or THE HERO’S JOURNEY: In this arc, our story opens with a protagonist that is the farthest thing possible from a hero or savior. Yet he/she typically possesses an inner drive or strength that the character has never been forced to access—until now. By the end of the novel, this character will undergo a complete metamorphosis of spirit, mind, and sometimes, body.
Example: Peter Parker, an average teen and science nerd, becomes superhero Spiderman
INTERNAL GROWTH: In this type of arc our protagonist overcomes internal conflict—fear, anger, weakness, loss—all the while, facing down an external conflict. By the end of this arc, the character becomes a better version of himself (or herself), happier and more complete. Note the difference between the revolutionary arc and the internal growth arc. With internal growth, the character basically remains the same person, just a more developed and improved self.
Example: Harry Potter overcomes fear of his own power and his fate, as well as the loss of his parents, in order to become his true, fulfilled self.
PERSPECTIVE SHIFT:
Read MoreIt’s hard to believe we’re wrapping another year of fantastic articles, plenty of camaraderie, and LOADS of new words. But December has come and (almost) gone! Despite the hectic rush of the holidays, many great links hit the Ether. Amazon drones, advice to develop strong characters, and setting up a successful book launch are just a few. We hope you’ll take a break from all of that eggnog and rich food to read some of the great material here.
From the Twitter team, happy holidays and we’ll see you next year!
#WUPrint
"Amazon unveils futuristic plan: Delivery by drone" via @60Minutes http://t.co/1G5VQJsVvL #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) December 2, 2013
WRITER BEWARE: "Crowdfunded Anthologies: Concerns For Writers" via @victoriastrauss http://t.co/el0HZkaXru #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) December 18, 2013
"Scribd & Smashwords Sign Global Deal" @gallecat http://t.co/JV14B0OPJB #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) December 19, 2013
A Revolution in Reading Trends: "Kindle readers make their mark" @guardian http://t.co/yNlXFuF1x0 #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) December 20, 2013
"Self-Publishing: The Myth and the Reality" @huffpostbooks http://t.co/6w6sNWkgnz #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) December 17, 2013
#WUAgent
Read MoreNovember impressed us with its mountain of words for National Novel Writing Month, and its many reasons to be thankful, including all of the wonderful nominations you submitted for us to become writing website of the year at Write to Done , Technorati, and Writer’s Digest. We thank you! (P.S. It’s not too late to submit votes!) As for publishing news, there’s always plenty of that.
Publishing News
(#WUPrint)
"Coming to a bookstore near you: Authors as booksellers" via LA Times http://t.co/l2s5npvns9 #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) November 14, 2013
"What's the Key to Solving the Book Discoverability Problem?" @pubperspectives http://t.co/AvTePBEhlp #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) November 18, 2013
"Indie Bookstores Don't Take Kindly To Amazon's Kindle Offer" via @nprbooks http://t.co/pE68zlhTAd #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) November 7, 2013
Agent Alerts
Read MoreIt’s hard to believe another month has passed and we’re approaching NaNoWriMo, but here we are! October was a busy month of book fairs, conferences, and technology advances. I have loads of great links for you.
Publishing News
(#WUPrint)
"Macmillan to Offer Entire E-book Backlist to Libraries" @PublishersWkly http://t.co/uhz15kGc7R #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) October 22, 2013
"Thoughts on the Great Erotica Panic" via @victoriastrauss at WRITER BEWARE. http://t.co/Wn6T4XE0Iw #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) October 21, 2013
Frankfurt Wrap: "Thinking Beyond the Book: The Future of Publishing" via @janefriedman http://t.co/BsfnCuB6kY #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) October 15, 2013
Agent Alerts
(#WUAgent)
Read MoreIt’s the end of the month and that time again—the Twitter-tastic roundup. For the sake of readability, I’ve highlighted the top three tweets in each category with Writer Unboxed (#WU) hashtags. Peruse the goodies and if you’d like to see more in any given category, click on its hashtag and you’ll be inundated with helpful links.
PUBLISHING NEWS
(#WUPrint)
"Ether for Authors: What Happens When Everybody’s a Critic?" via @Porter_Anderson http://t.co/RDB6f2RXFt #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) September 24, 2013
"Man Booker Prize To Accept Entries From Any Country" via @nprbooks http://t.co/sCzS3Wn0Xr #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) September 19, 2013
"Libraries are trusted spaces, but this doesn't mean they have to stay the same" @guardian http://t.co/5eJeKI6way #WUPrint
— Writer Unboxed (@WriterUnboxed) September 24, 2013
AGENT ALERTS
(#WUAgent)
Read MoreThere is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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