Introduce yourself! How did you get into editing and what are your qualifications? What genres do you enjoy editing most? Hi! I’m Lennon. I’ve been editing for 10 years, covering a variety of genres and author working styles. I began professional developmental editing during a workshop for the literary organization in Portland called Literary Arts. Before that, I copyedited for online magazines. I enjoy editing fantasy, romance, and mystery most – in YA and adult.
What is the biggest mistake you see indie writers making right now? (For example, info dumps at the beginning of their book, not enough conflict, too much tell vs. show, etc.) Lately, I’ve seen structural issues, such as a whole book basically being Act I, either delaying the adventure (Act II) and resolution (Act III) too long or forgetting them completely. I’ve also seen a lot of dialogue that could use improvement. Dialogue that doesn’t sound realistic or consistent with the character.
How do you keep the author’s voice intact while also guiding them with suggestions on how to make their book the best it can be? When I make a recommendation, I always include “I recommend…” and an explanation for my recommendation. For example, it could be I recommended a change because something with a character was inconsistent, something came off to the reader in a way that the author didn’t intend and I want the author’s intentions to come through on the page, or something was unclear and difficult to follow and I want to help the author clear it up. I ensure the author knows this is a partnership and I only want to help make their work better. I am their biggest fan and none of my edits come from a place of “I think this is bad.” All my edits come from a place of “I love this and I know we can make it the best it can be.”
Is there ever a time when a book requires too much work? What do you tell a writer whose manuscript isn’t ready for a professional edit? What resources do you refer them to? I just had an author hire me for scene and line edits, but they really needed a developmental edit. I did complete the job for the manuscript, and I included some dev editing suggestions to help them get started on their own – at no extra charge. I also gave them resources on outlining, pacing, character development, how to raise stakes, etc. to help them work on their self-developmental editing.
What advice can you offer an author who can’t afford a professional edit? Are there things they can do to sharpen their own self-editing skills? Pinterest is a great place to go for free editing resources. Writing blogs have a lot of great information to help authors self-edit, and Pinterest is a centralized location for all of the blog posts out there to be found in one place.
I also offer affordable editing services and payment plans, for those who can’t afford to pay a full sum when they hire me. I recommend getting an editor for at least one round of edits, as there are things that a second pair of eyes will see that no author will be able to. I’m a self-published author and a professional editor, and even I hire an editor for my completed manuscripts. There are just some things I know I won’t see because I am too close to it.
Have you noticed AI writing tools affecting the manuscripts you edit? What are your thoughts on authors using them in the writing process? I don’t take on any clients who have used AI in their work.
As an editor, it’s important you’re honest and give critical and actionable feedback. How do you offer this feedback so a writer doesn’t take it personally? I never say “I don’t like this” or “This doesn’t work” or leave any comments that don’t have an explanation and a recommendation. My feedback is always kind, justified, and labeled as a Recommendation. All my edits are simply suggestions. The author has the right to ignore my edits if they disagree, and I don’t take that personally either.
Are there any other tips or thoughts you would like to add about editing or publishing? Publishing is a rough world right now. If you’re struggling, just know that it isn’t you. If you’ve gotten feedback from professional editors, writing groups, and others in the industry that your story and your writing are good, listen to those voices. It’s really difficult to get published these days as a debut or indie author looking to break into traditional publishing. Things have changed a lot in the last six years. It’s the industry, it’s not you.
And lastly, where can readers find you online? Readers can go to my website at lennonkriley.com for information on my books, other writings, and my blog giving writing advice and reading recommendations to visitors. They can also find me on Instagram, Threads, and YouTube at @lennonkriley.
Last week was kind of a bummer. I was down, not really because of book sales, which have actually sprung up lately since it seems like Amazon has gotten their reporting back under control, but mostly the weather has been dragging me down. We got a lot of snow and it hasn’t warmed up enough to melt off completely yet. Along with all the brown grass and mud, it’s depressing to look at. I haven’t been hit by SAD in a long time, but I really hope that the sun starts coming out regularly and everything dries up. I think it will make me feel better.
I also had a painful carpal tunnel flare up that took me out for a couple of days. They happened to be my days off work which, fine, I didn’t feel terrible while I was working, but it did ruin my time off. That happens every couple of months where my elbows feel like they’re softballs on fire, and the pain goes up into my neck and back. Stretching helps a little, but mostly I just have to suffer until it goes away. I was taking a lot of Tylenol since it seems like with my health issues my body has a harder time tolerating ibuprofen. The Tylenol took the edge off, but really all I could do was wait it out. I feel okay now, besides a little puffiness in my hands that will never go away because I type forty hours a week for my job (I’m a relay operator for the deaf and hard of hearing which requires a lot of fast typing), and then on my days off and after my shifts I’m working on my books in some way.
If you’re reading this on the Monday it posted, I’m almost done going over my proof. I only have about the twenty-five percent left, thank goodness. I’m still fighting to make my prose and dialogue sound more conversational, and in this proof pass I’m still getting rid of a lot of words, though not so many that I should have to adjust my cover. It will be a heavy weight taken off my shoulders when this project is done. I promised myself I’d take a break, and I’m going to finish watching the second season of Faceoff: Inside the NHL on Prime as part of my research for when I start writing my hockey duet. I also saw the trailer for Finding Her Edge on Netflix, and between the hints of a love triangle I thought I saw and all the ice, I figured I could add this to my list of . . . research. If I’m going to take a break, I might as well make it worth my time, haha.
I don’t have much else going on at the moment. I’ve been scrolling Substack more and more and I came across this article by Zoe Lea about newsletters. You can read it here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-191487138
Like with a lot of things indies are “supposed” to do, I had a really difficult time deciding not to offer a “real” newsletter anymore and just blog on my author website. I know that blogging doesn’t offer the same benefits, like compelling readers to sign up with bonus content they can’t get anywhere else. If I write something, it will be for everyone. The free book on my website also doesn’t seem “special” when it’s available to anyone who happens to land on my subscribe page. I get all that. So reading Zoe’s Substack article about what she found out when she asked readers what they really wanted out of an author’s newsletter made me feel better about my choices.
We’re told to send out a newsletter once a month. To remind readers of who you are when you’re not releasing books. That’s hard to do when you’re a slow writer, maybe releasing a book a year, which is the rhythm I’m going to fall into now that my day job has changed things and I have less time to write. What do you write about when you’re not launching a book? More importantly, what do you write about that doesn’t waste a reader’s time and make them click the unsubscribe button, or worse yet, mark your newsletter as spam?
Zoe’s findings aren’t going to be representative of every reader out there, but when readers say they don’t want: cover reveals, slice of life posts, and newsletter swaps, I think we can listen and at least consider what those things are giving, or not giving, our readers. A cover reveal doesn’t do much without a CTA like a preorder link or a buy link. Slice of life posts don’t have much weight either. How many times can you say you like reading during a thunderstorm? But what surprised me was when they said they didn’t care when you featured a book by an author who writes in the same genre that you do. Newsletters swaps are one of the biggest marketing opportunities that indies have. You share your audience and I’ll share mine. So when readers say they don’t want book recommendations? That’s surprising and maybe a little unsettling.
I feel like I’ve reached a happy medium on my blog. I do the cover reveals and slice of life posts, but they don’t go out to my newsletter subscribers. They hang out on my website where they’re open to the public and will show up in the WordPress Reader. I also have those posts connected to my LinkedIn profile. I used to have it connected to my Facebook author page, but I stopped that since I usually do a condensed version of my blog post over there anyway. Then when I do have something huge to say, like a new release or a free book promo, I send that out to my newsletter subscribers as well as put it on my website. I haven’t gotten many new subscribers since moving my MailerLite newsletter to a blog, and I understood that going in. Why give me your email address for something you can read for free. Sometimes I’ll get a couple people sign up if I’m doing a huge push like a book launch and I’m boosting a lot of posts on Instagram. I think the only way I can “force” someone to sign up now is if I add email collection to my reader magnet, but Bookfunnel announced recently that they were upping their prices, so I doubt I’ll ever pay to do that again. That just starts a cycle of trying to build my newsletter list so I’m not wasting money, and I’ve been happier not getting caught up in that hustle. According to my Bookfunnel stats, I give away about fifteen copies of My Biggest Mistake every thirty days. That readers are coming to my site and downloading is enough for me.
Zoe’s article did offer a couple of things that readers did want, which is just as valuable, or even more so: bonus content related to a series they loved or behind the scenes research. While I was mulling this article over and trying to come up with what I could offer as bonus content, I realized that if I were to offer “extras” like a chapter written in the opposite POV from the one that’s in the book, I need to write that stuff while I’m drafting, or I don’t care about it. For example, in Wicked Games, the book opens with Seth’s POV. He drives into Lakehaven Falls and finds the house he rented for the summer. A fun bonus would be if I had written when Avery had also arrived in Lakehaven Falls and checked out the house she had rented. I can’t write that now because she has her HEA and I wouldn’t be able to get back into her head before she was fully formed in mine. I need to get all the extras that I want to offer written so when I move on, I don’t have to worry going back when I’m no longer interested. That does mean planning ahead and figuring out what I want to give my readers while I’m drafting or even plotting out the book so I know ahead of time what I want or need to write.
I think the information that readers shared with Zoe about their likes and dislikes is important–rarely do we get to hear what readers really want. But then my first question was, what do you write to your readers to keep them warm between releases? It’s something slow writers will always struggle with. You can’t send your readers eleven months’ worth of fluff, and bonus content will only go so far. And if they don’t want to hear about what you’ve been reading, the shows you’ve been watching, or what your cat is doing when she thinks you aren’t around, there’s very little else to say.
This will be something I’ll need to tackle after the release of Wicked Games in May because I’m not going to publish anything else until next year. I have Bitter Love written, but I’m sitting on it to have something to publish twelve months from now while I write my hockey duet and get them ready to go. That might not take me twelve months, but I can’t only talk about Bitter Love for six months or however long. I’ve been hyping up Wicked Games for the past two months and most days I feel like a broken record whenever I post to social media.
Anyway, I just found it interesting because what worked in the past might not be working now (for example, people’s tastes obviously changing and shorter attention spans) and it’s always better to be aware than be taken by surprise later.
That’s all I have for this week. Short and sweet, which normally I don’t do, haha, but the past few days have kicked my butt and I’m still trying to bounce back. I think I really will feel better after I get this duet re-published, and I’m looking forward to relaunching them with *cough* cover reveals and promos.
As a PS, I have seen some really terrible behavior online with authors sharing their chats with KDP support. Some authors have gotten downright nasty with those poor reps and then they think it’s cool to put the screenshot of the actual chat up in a public space. They get a lot of people agreeing with them or sympathizing with them, but all it does is make them look . . . You know, it’s kind of like how you don’t wanna date anyone who’s going to treat a server like garbage. I don’t wanna read a book written by anyone who’s going to treat KDP support staff like crap and be proud of themselves enough to splash it around. I’m sure I’m not the only reader who feels that way, nor do I want to work with anyone who would do that.
It makes me sad that people are doing this and I just hope the KDP support staff is treated well on the employer’s side of things and are compensated for dealing with . . . what they deal with. They’re just working a job that helps them take care of their families. I hope if you need ever need to contact KDP support you treat the reps with kindness. The Amazon’s issues are not their fault.
Special thanks to Zoe Lea for sharing what she learned in her reader groups and other places online. If you’re on Substack, give her a follow! Next week I’m going to post another lovely editor who is participating in my editing series. Lennon K. Riley was very nice and happily answered all of my questions. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you. Have a great week, and I hope the sun is shining where you are! ☀️
There’s a lot of talk online right now about Amazon closing KDP author accounts for what seems to be no reason. This isn’t an alarmist post, but this is activity you should be aware of and be prepared for. Five years ago, this didn’t seem to be happening so frequently, and I believe we can thank Amazon’s adoption of AI tools for this sudden increase in account terminations. Because there is little to no human input when accounts are closed, this really is something we all need to keep in the back of our minds.
I used to think it wouldn’t happen to me because I don’t do anything sketchy and never have, but the fact is, you don’t have to be doing anything suspicious for them to close your account. Someone on Threads had their account terminated all because they changed the price of one of their books after running a sale. I sometimes put my books on sale too, and I would hate for that option to disappear because I’m scared of Amazon’s inconsistent enforcement of their unclear guidelines.
But, I am a “hope for the best but be prepared for the worst” kind of gal, so here are a few things I’m going to do for myself and some resources I’ve collected that you can bookmark in case you or someone you know ever needs them.
• Know this can happen to anyone and that it’s not your fault. You might automatically think you did something wrong, but bots don’t have brains–they just snag on something while they scan. I know you’re gonna panic–I’ll panic too if it happens to me–but first and foremost, don’t blame yourself.
• Don’t panic. I know this is going to be easier said than done. Hell, I get nervous now checking my reports, thinking one morning I’m not going to have access, and then when I check my email I’ll have the BAD NEWS. It’s very anxiety inducing, and I’ve heard that from other people too. Still though, not panicking will keep you from lashing out and replying to one of those emails in a not-so-nice manner. Staying courteous and level-headed will serve you well. I’ve had a pretty crappy last few years, so if this ever happens, I’ll probably literally throw up. It’s just not something I need on my plate right now.
• Get all your stuff together. *Find your KDP account number and keep it in a safe place. In one of the Facebook groups I’m in, someone said to write down your KDP account number because if your account is terminated, you won’t have access to that information. That’s a really good idea, and I did it the minute I read it. To find it, sign into your KDP dashboard and click on Account in the upper right hand corner.
You’ll be asked to enter the two-step verification code, and once you do that, the account number is on the left where the red box is on my screenshot:
Save that in a place where you can find it easily.
*Keep all your ASINs of your books in one place
*Start a list of contacts of anyone you think can help, like an author who might have access to an Amazon rep.
*If you’ve gotten your rights back from a small press or publisher, keep their rights reversal letter handy.
*Keep copyright information of all stock photos and art you used on your covers.
*If you’re a member of an author’s association like the Authors Guild or the Alliance of Independent Authors, find their contact email so you don’t have to hunt for it.
*Find an attorney that handles this sort of thing. Not everyone can afford an attorney, and I completely understand that. Hopefully between contacting KDP on your own and having help either from someone who has access to an Amazon rep or through an author’s association, it won’t come to that. But it never hurts to find an attorney now so you don’t have to choose one while you’re under duress.
Gather all this information now so you have it when you’re blindsided and can’t think.
• Email your association now and express your concerns. There are a few authors I saw who aren’t waiting until something happens to email their author organizations. I am going to email the Alliance of Independent Authors as well–I’ve been a member for a few years now. I’ve heard from some authors that when they’ve asked for help, some organizations aren’t doing anything. I will take that with a grain of salt because they could be doing something in the background, and dealing with Amazon can take days or even weeks. So I’m not going to jump to any conclusions about their assistance or lack thereof, but one of the biggest reasons I joined Alli is to have someone on my side in case something like this ever happens. An email will also let your organization know that this is a huge concern in the author community. Stay polite, of course, because we have to believe we’re all in this together. And if you aren’t a member of an organization, it might be a good idea to look into it: The Alliance of Independent Authors Authors Guild Independent Book Publishers Association SFWA RWA
Should you verify your identity if you haven’t been asked? I wondered about this, since not long ago KDP was asking quite a few authors to verify their identity. I was not one of those authors, and maybe you weren’t either. I looked around online, and most people seem to agree that if you haven’t been asked, don’t volunteer the information. When dealing with Amazon, I think it’s safer just to give them the information they request when they request it. You may be tempted to overshare, thinking it will help, but giving them too many details when they don’t ask for it might actually muddy the waters and slow things down.
Make sure you do have proper identification on hand in case they ever do ask. Don’t let your state ID or driver’s license expire, and keep your banking information up to date. I know not everyone can afford to, but my kids and I recently got our passports. I’d recommend going through the process if you can. Not just to have it on hand if KDP asks to verify your identity, but to have it as a form of identification in general. The world is a messy place right now. Protect yourselves in every way that’s possible for you and your situation. If you want to read KDP’s help page on verification, you can find it here: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GH7TYHP6FR9QAUM9
No one likes to think that something like this could happen to them, but being proactive can take a lot of the stress off if you find yourself in this kind of situation.
I hope you all had a lovely Easter holiday if you celebrated, and that you’re having a nice spring so far. We just got a few inches of snow dumped on us, which is never great. It might be another month before the ground finally dries out, but, that’s Minnesota living for you.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you here next week!
Introduce yourself! How did you get into editing and what are your qualifications? What genres do you enjoy editing most? Hi! I’m Sara, fiction editor and owner of Write Way Edits. I work with authors at different stages of the editing process—from big-picture developmental feedback through to copyediting and proofreading. I love working with fantasy, romance, soft sci-fi, historical fiction, and women’s fiction—and all the subgenres and spice levels. I’ve also worked with authors writing thrillers and memoirs. I’ve always loved stories and language and dreamed of working for one of the Big Five publishers. In college, I interned with a professor and helped research and edit a political process textbook. After graduation though, life took me in a different direction and I ended up managing a classic car restoration shop. Editing still found its way into my life. I volunteered with nonprofits and edited business materials, but eventually felt the pull to officially work with words. In 2019, I applied for UC Berkeley’s Professional Sequence in Editing instead of pursuing a master’s program, and I officially launched Write Way Edits in 2024. I’m committed to continuing my professional development because editing—like writing—is a craft you keep refining over time. I’ve completed multiple courses through organizations like the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and Club Ed, and I aim to complete one to two professional courses every year.
What is the biggest mistake you see indie writers making right now? (For example, info dumps at the beginning of their book, not enough conflict, too much tell vs. show, etc.) Honestly, editing and writing are pretty subjective. What one reader loves another reader hates. What one writer excels at another writer struggles with. What one editor prefers another editor avoids. That said, a common developmental issue I encounter often is a weak opening. Whether you’re querying or self-publishing, the opening pages are your chance to hook the reader and give them a reason to keep reading. If those early chapters are overloaded with background information or focus more on setting the world than introducing the main character, you risk losing your reader before the story really begins. Another common issue is when the story problem isn’t introduced early enough. The reader doesn’t need to understand everything right away, but they do need a sense that something is happening and that it matters to the main character. A strong opening usually gives the reader three things fairly quickly: a character to connect with, a sense of the situation they’re in, and the hint of a problem or tension that will drive the story forward.
How do you keep the author’s voice intact while also guiding them with suggestions on how to make their book the best it can be? One of the most important rules an editor should be following is to never change an author’s voice. Author A, Author B, and Author C could all write the same story—a gallant knight on a quest to save the beautiful princess from her evil stepmother—and each version would feel completely different. Our life experiences, education, and writing styles shape how we tell stories: the words we choose, the punctuation we favor, how emotions appear on the page, and where we lean more toward showing or telling. An editor’s job isn’t to rewrite a story but to strengthen it. Before I make any suggestions, I take a step back to understand my motivation for that particular change. Is it simply my personal preference? Is it rooted in my experience and training, industry standards, or reader clarity? Oftentimes what a reader labels as an error is actually a stylistic choice. A good editor recognizes that and makes sure those choices are intentional and consistent throughout the manuscript. I also try to explain the reasoning behind my suggestions. When authors understand why and how something might be improved, they can better decide whether that change fits with their vision for the story. At the end of the day, it’s always the author’s book and the author’s decision.
Is there ever a time when a book requires too much work? What do you tell a writer whose manuscript isn’t ready for a professional edit? What resources do you refer them to? One of the first things I ask authors is what stage their manuscript is in and whether anyone else has had eyes on it yet—alpha readers, beta readers, critique partners, or another editor. If a first-time author comes to me requesting a developmental edit on a first draft, I’ll usually recommend they go through a few rounds of self-editing first then get feedback from a few beta readers. That outside perspective can help identify bigger story issues before a professional editor comes in. Sometimes I’ll also read a sample and suggest a few areas the author can focus on in their self-edits. I’m a big believer in focusing each revision pass on a specific element of the story. For example, one pass might focus on structure and plot. Another might focus on the characters, ensuring their choices make sense and their motivations are clear. A later pass might look at pacing or tension. Breaking revision into smaller goals can make the process much more manageable. I also try to point authors toward helpful resources whenever I can. Over time I’ve built a collection of articles, craft books, and guides from other editors, writers, and organizations that I’m happy to share.
What advice can you offer an author who can’t afford a professional edit? Are there things they can do to sharpen their own self-editing skills? Self-editing is super important, even when you’re planning to hire a professional editor. I’m sure everyone is sick of hearing this, but practice really does make perfect. The more you write, the more you learn—not only about writing but about your own habits, strengths, and patterns as a writer. Another helpful strategy is stepping away from your manuscript for a period of time before revising. Distance helps you come back to the story with fresher eyes and notice things you might have missed before. Reading your work aloud is also effective. Whether you read it yourself or use tools like Word’s Read Aloud feature, hearing the text makes it much easier to catch awkward phrasing, pacing issues, and repetitive language. These are some great craft books that focus specifically on revision: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and David King; Intuitive Editing by Tiffany Yates Martin; 5 Editors Tackle the 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing by C. S. Lakin, Linda S. Clare, Christy Distler, Robin Patchen, and Rachel Starr Thomson.
Have you noticed AI writing tools affecting the manuscripts you edit? What are your thoughts on authors using them in the writing process? I don’t think generative AI has any place in creative spaces, so the authors I interact and work with are also anti-generative AI. I include a section in my contract that states I reserve the right to refuse to work on a manuscript written with the help of a generative AI tool, and I will never use generative AI in my editing process. But just because I want nothing to do with generative AI doesn’t mean that there aren’t authors using these tools to aid them in their writing. Some use them for brainstorming ideas or organizing their thoughts. I have mixed feelings about this, honestly. On the one hand, I understand these authors’ arguments for needing something to help them organize the creative jumble in their brains. On the other, scientific studies are proving that a reliance on generative AI tools like ChatGPT is leading to intellectual laziness and a decline in reading comprehension, literacy, and logic skills. I’ve also seen some authors use ChatGPT in place of beta readers or editors. The issue with this is that generative AI has no capacity to actually understand human emotions. It bases “revisions” on other authors’ works—aka, theft—and doesn’t have the ability to make editorial decisions based on stylistic choice vs grammar “rule.” As much as people tout that ChatGPT can “learn your voice / style,” it always reverts back to generic styles and specific patterns of language. It also hallucinates “facts” and sources. (And it’s killing our environment and targeting marginalized communities, but that’s a rant for another time.) Now assistive AI, on the other hand, is a great asset. (Think spellcheck, basic Grammarly, and Speechify and other accessibility tools.) And if a generative AI tool enters the landscape that sources its information ethically and doesn’t contribute to the doom of our planet, I’ll give it a try and see if it’s up to the task of actually helping writers. Until then, I’ll stick to human writers, artists, and editors.
As an editor, it’s important you’re honest and give critical and actionable feedback. How do you offer this feedback so a writer doesn’t take it personally? When I was in college, I briefly considered becoming a teacher—until I realized my tendency to say the word “fuck” in every other sentence would probably slow down my career advancement. Even though I didn’t go into teaching, that instinct to explain and guide people stuck with me. I’m also a mother, which involves a lot of teaching (and learning) every single day. Those experiences shape the way I approach editing. Whenever possible, I ask authors how much explanation they’d like during the edit, whether they prefer deeper comments and guidance or a lighter touch. Editing isn’t about tearing a manuscript apart or telling an author how to write their story better; it’s about working with an author toward the same goal: making the story stronger. My feedback is always specific and actionable. I don’t just say “fix this” or “this is wrong.” That’s not helpful for anyone. Instead, I explain what the issue is (or might be) and suggest ways it could be improved or strengthened. When it’s helpful, I’ll even include an example revision to demonstrate what I mean—though the author is always free to ignore it or take the idea in a completely different direction. I also make a point to highlight what’s already working well. Every story has strengths, and it’s important for authors to know what readers are likely to connect with just as much as where the manuscript could improve.
Are there any other tips or thoughts you would like to add about editing or publishing? Editing is part of the creative process, not a sign that you’re doing something wrong. Even NYT bestsellers go through multiple rounds of editing before publication. The most important thing is to stay curious about the writing and editing process and remember that every draft teaches you something new about the story you’re telling and the craft of writing itself.
There was a lot of stuff on my mind last week and over the weekend. Things that I saw online that bothered me, things that pertain to the publishing industry that bothered other people, and content for this blog. None of it’s bad… just stuff I simmer about while I’m taking a shower because I’m not writing a new book right now so something has to go through my head while I’m shaving. Yes, if you’re curious, I do shave all year around. I cannot stand being prickly. Anyway, we don’t need to get into that. The point is, if I’m not writing scenes in my head, there’s a lot of space in there for other things. And really, it doesn’t help that I scroll Threads while I’m drinking my morning coffee and trying to wake up. It just sets the rage-y tone for the rest of the day. That might not be a bad thing. I mean, how many of us just keep going out of spite? But, it can get a little tiring too. If you’re wondering if there’s a point to this, yes, there is, thank you for asking.
Spring is here, and for once it actually looks like Spring in my part of Minnesota. It’s dirty and wet, and big, grimy piles of snow are all that’s left. But, it’s proof that we made it through the blizzards and the wind chills. There’s something about the warmer temperatures and the sun shining that lets you breathe a little bit, and the longer days–of sunlight, I mean–aren’t so depressing. Not that I mind the dark so much. But you know, Spring is just a different vibe and it’s nice to get some fresh air in here after the windows have been frozen shut for four months.
Author Update Not much has changed for me since last week–the second (and hopefully last) proof for Wicked Games came so when I have longer than a minute I can look over the formatting changes I did (I had blog posts and interviews in there that look better set off from the regular text) and make sure the cover is how I want it.
I’ve been making slow progress on my Cedar Hill Duet, but they are going to ✨ shine ✨ when I’m done. It’s always an aggravated pride when I re-edit a book. I’m annoyed I had to do it in the first place but I’m proud that I took the time. It’s strange, but I’ll be happy when those are done and republished with new covers. Proofing the proofs is slow going though, and new files probably won’t be ready until the end of April. It just takes a long time because I fight with myself between my natural voice and style and the conversational tone I’m now aiming for, but, fortunately, I’m not finding many actual typos. Just still smoothing out prose and finding the occasional discrepancy. Chunking out a timeline is a lot easier on paper. So, progress doesn’t feel like it’s being made, but it is, even if I’m grumbling about the whole thing.
It’s okay to have help One of the things I saw on Threads the other day made me mad. She was saying how getting feedback and brainstorming was essentially “outsourcing” a skill writers need to learn for themselves. She brought AI into the mix because apparently she had read something where a writer used AI as a brainstorming partner. I disagree with her on so many levels. Not the AI part–I have chosen to be Switzerland when it comes to that–but the part where if writers ask for help, they’re keeping themselves from learning craft. I’m not quite sure where she came up with that idea, but seeing it on Threads made me mad and a little sad, too. New writers don’t need to be told that if they can’t do it alone they’re not building their skills. Writing is already so lonely.
So, yes, I think it is okay to have help. Get developmental feedback from an editor or beta reader. Brainstorm plots and twists with a fellow author. Read that craft book. Look up lists of tropes and mini-tropes for inspiration. My reader magnet exists because a long time ago back when she was on Twitter, Zoe York tweeted a list of tropes that included “ugly duckling.” It intrigued me–how could I write a MMC that didn’t sound like an arrogant, shallow bastard–and I wrote a whole book around it. Brainstorming with peers, reading craft books, and reading in your genre is how we learn. On top of writing and writing and more writing. It doesn’t matter where you get help, be it a friend or a writing class, you still have to sit down and write. But having support and someone to turn to if you’re stuck makes it a lot easier. There are a lot of gross takes out there, and yeah, I guess AI hasn’t helped, but pre-AI, there were always plot generators, trope lists, and writing prompts. I have no idea where all of a sudden having outside resources helping you write your novel is bad, but writing isn’t done in a vacuum and never has been. You can find a simple and fun plot generator here. I would mess around with it, but I have enough on my plate as it is. Likely, I have enough projects to keep me going until 2030. https://artisthu.com/plot-idea-generator/
Goodreads’ New DNF Shelf This is another subject that came up last week on socials. Apparently Goodreads created a Did Not Finish (DNF) shelf for their users. Authors were a little perturbed by it, but I don’t see the harm. What does it really matter if readers don’t finish a book? I know authors wouldn’t like to see one of their books on that shelf, but more and more people read by mood, and I could see a DNF shelf turn into a Come Back Later shelf instead. I also think that authors just forget, or don’t want to admit, the sheer number of books out there right now, and readers don’t have to push through a book that doesn’t grab them.
I feel guilty if I don’t finish a book, so I usually try, even if that means skimming until I reach the end. I have to at least read the last chapter to know how the couple gets their HEA. Why I start skimming varies, but my top reason for skipping to the end is that there’s not enough male POV. I remember a while back that I really wanted to read a book two in a series. The premise sounded good, but being who I am, I needed to read book one first. Even though it was “dual” POV, there were too many FMC chapters in a row, and I didn’t keep reading. Unfortunately, I just figured that the author preferred writing the FMC POV and I didn’t make it to book two. You’re never going to please every reader, that’s just a fact, and whale readers will always keep track of their books. That’s just a fact too. Goodreads doesn’t tell you what readers are doing with your books, so it’s better just not to hunt for information you don’t want to know in the first place. If you want to read a little more about the DNF shelf on Goodreads, you can do it here: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/entertainment/books/a70504162/goodreads-dnf-shelf/
Editor Series A couple of weeks ago, I asked on Threads if there were any editors who would be willing to answer some questions about what it’s like editing for indies, common mistakes they see, their take on AI, etc. I got quite a few responses, unlike when I tried on Twitter a few years ago. So, I’m happy to say that I will be able to start posting those interviews starting next week! I like the idea of it because it seems like editing is a necessary evil. It’s expensive, you don’t know who to trust, and you need to find someone who’s a good fit. I’m hoping that these interviews will shed a little light on the process and maybe you’ll find your next editor.
I’m not going to post them all in a row, though. I think you would get tired of them, and you know me. I have too many opinions to be quiet for that long. So, I’m going to post one a month starting next week. I hope you enjoy reading their responses as much as I did!
That is all I have for today. Lots of talk about the Shy Girl debacle, but I really don’t have a lot to say on it. AI is everywhere, it’s not going away, and we just have to try to find our way around it. People are going to use it to write, authors are going to use it to edit, brainstorm, and research, and I’m not saying we have to live with it, but until there’s an infallible way to identify AI writing, it’s going to exist in the industry. If you want to read the Times’ article, you can here, and hat tip and big thank you to Cat Johnson and to various others on Threads for the gift link.
Hello, and happy Monday! It’s not that happy as I am working, but I am a relieved puddle in my chair because I finished proofing Wicked Games’ proof, got all the changes put into my Vellum file, and ordered a new proof. For some reason, reading this proof and putting the changes in kicked my ass. It was a constant tug-of-war between keeping my style and my characters’ voices, yet keeping my writing conversational enough that it’s easy to read. Making changes like: “A yes or a no will suffice” to “A yes or a no will work” made my head pound and I really truly hope that I found a happy medium between how I wanted to sound and how I wanted to sound after edits, if you know what I mean.
It was also tedious because I was double-checking everything my characters said against the timeline, and I tore my book apart again day by day just to be sure things matched up with a character disappearing. This was one of those books where a beta probably would have made me feel a little better about the whole thing but people are busy and unfortunately, you don’t always get what you pay for either. I hope between giving time between my editing passes and the kind of editing that I do, screen, audio, then proofing the proof, that I caught all there is to catch. But let me tell you, this is going to be the last twisty book I write for a while. I didn’t even mean for it to be as twisty as it turned out. There was just a lot going on in a very short amount–the entire book takes place over two weeks–and when chapters and chapters can cover just one day, there’s a lot to keep track of. It was easier to do it with the paperback so I could flip back and forth to double-check details, but it was all time-consuming anyway. After all that, I am very much looking forward to my gritty hockey duet, even with all the research I’m going to have to go back over to write them.
Anyway, I am happy to say that I got it done, and I made a few changes to the cover like swapping out the tagline on the front and repositioning the blurb on the back–it was too close to the edges and didn’t look good. I also tinkered with the formatting inside since there were a few things like an interview and a blog post that looked better set apart from the normal text. Hopefully everything looks good as I’ve had some interest in the ARCs already, and I’d like to offer a few paperbacks this time around. This one isn’t as slow and as heavy as Loss and Damages, so maybe it will do a little better, meaning, people will actually read their copies and review. You never know.
I got my taxes done last week and I was able to bring my credit card balance back to zero. But I didn’t have any kids to claim this year, so I may be debt-free, but I wasn’t able to put any money into my book spending account. I’ll have to be more careful with what I spend on promotions, so I’ll probably skip the Goodreads giveaway for Wicked Games. It’s too bad, but not much came out of me giving away Loss and Damages either, so likely it’s just my FOMO coming out. I can always do Freebooksy and BargainBooksy, and Fussy Librarian, but there are so many author-led promos out there right now that it seems a little silly to even pay for a blast like that. I’ll have to keep better track of who is hosting them and when they are so I can decide if I want to participate and which book to put in. There’s still a lot of debate when it comes to giving books away, how useful it is, but I figure it can’t be your only way to market. Book sales are like the middle of a wheel, and like spokes, there are many ways to market that can lead to those sales. Book blasts are only one way, but they’re free besides a little time you have to spend helping push the blast out. We’ll see what I end up doing as I really don’t have too much energy for things like that and marketing right now just feels like swimming upstream in a river I don’t want to be in anyway.
People on Threads were talking about POV again because of the article I Before She that appeared in Slate last week. The POV conversation comes around every few months, and every few months there’s just another layer to add to the debate. In this article, they were talking about how first person is easier to read and readers prefer it because it lets them self-insert. I understand that, but it makes third person writers feel defensive. From what I’ve seen, third person authors have been, maybe not defensive, but wondering, at least, if not changing to first person would keep them from finding readers since, I don’t know, 2019 or so. In these times of market-saturation, we want to do everything we can to find readers, right? All the while not selling our soul to the Devil.
It was in 2019 that I wrote a blog post saying that first person in romance didn’t make any sense, that the “I” naturally followed one person. Or should, anyway. But romance authors were writing in dual first person POV which took care of the “I” argument I was ready to die for. I do see some authors still struggling with that–questioning if readers would read a book with no male point of view, or wondering if readers would DNF if there was more female point of view than male. (I DNF those books because the male POV is my favorite part and you can tell that reading my books.) Those conversations never came up when most adult fiction was written in third person because we assumed there was more than one character’s POV, or it didn’t matter depending on the genre, like Women’s Fiction. But now we get authors who market their books as “dual third person POV” which doesn’t sound quite right. I grew up reading third person past, and romance authors like Nora Roberts, Robyn Carr, Brenda Novak, and Susan Mallery never had to make declarations like that. It was just understood. I don’t think current third person writers need to do it either, simply put a couple on the cover and give the male POV space in the blurb.
I guess writers are always going to chase readers and hope what they’re writing is good enough. When I switched to first person present, it wasn’t to chase readers, per se, but the number one rule to writing to market is to fit in. When 75% of the top 100 in your genre is written a certain way, you want to be a part of that 75%, not behind in the 25%. I don’t think if I wouldn’t have come to enjoy writing in first person present I would have forced myself to keep writing it. Luckily, I never minded first person to begin with, reading books like The Hunger Games and Twilight without an issue.
So where does this leave writers and authors now? Is first person easier to read? Not necessarily. I’ve read boring third person and I’ve read boring first person. You can have crappy craft in either POV, and if you’re not leveling up, you’ll lose readers. That’s just a given and why I can’t compare my third person sales to my first person sales. My third person books weren’t great–I was still learning and finding my voice. Then my first person books weren’t written that great just because my prose wasn’t conversational enough to “disappear” and give the reader a good experience. It’s only been in the past two years that I’ve been going back through my backlist and re-editing those books with the knowledge I’ve gained over the years. I have re-edited some 3rd person, doing my Rocky Point series and The Years Between Us last year. I would like to do Wherever He Goes at some point, just because I took a look at the Look Inside not long ago and the beginning sounds awful. And you all know I’ve been slowly going through my first person books as well. So, I can’t say one way or the other which readers prefer, and honestly, I really think if the writing is good, readers don’t care.
One thing that did bother me about that Slate article, though, is the assumption that all third person has a “narrator” or is written in omniscient voice, and that’s not true (and that’s called “close” or “deep” 3rd person POV, if you didn’t know). Not all third person books have head-hopping in them, either. So if you’re going to write about POV and craft, then at least understand the fundamentals. If you want a couple of examples of third person omniscient, pick up any Stephen King book. If he’s not your jam, Nora Roberts, in some of her books, has gone from head-hopping to full omniscient voice, and you can try her Chronicles of The One trilogy for that.
There isn’t a war between third person and first person. There are readers for both. Maybe first person readers skew a little younger, and readers my age who grew up reading third person still prefer it. I’m not in any reader groups to know that for sure. But if it’s true, it does leave my books in a weird in-between. I write older characters and a lot of romantic suspense, and I have wondered more than once if I would have been better off staying in third person. It’s really difficult to know, but I think I made a mistake when I switched to first person. I should have written younger characters and chased those younger readers. Now my books are in first person and I have older characters–thirty-five and up. I can’t do much about it now. I enjoy writing in first person and don’t plan to stop. Or, you know, I could be over-thinking it, since Fifty Shades of Grey was read by all age groups, and maybe that was enough to convert older readers into reading first person. It would be an interesting study, but the only information I have about that pertaining to my books are the age groups that click on my Facebook ads, and interestingly enough, the top age groups that clicked on my last one were the 35-65+ age ranges. This is from the ad I ran last summer when I was giving away ARCs of Loss and Damages. The link went to my Bookfunnel download page:
Anyway, I’m kind of a writing craft nerd, and I like talking about writing and what’s selling. Especially these days when it seems like for every reader there are ten authors who have enormous backlists. It’s fun to speculate, but what it all boils down to is writing what you enjoy. If that’s third person, great, if not, write first until your little heart’s content. But always always keep learning. That’s the difference between a debut and your tenth book. You want to get better as you go along, or you might get stuck in habits that are killing your read-through. Readers want to pay for a good book. That’s it. They have a lot to choose from, so do your best, keep learning, and oh, I was going to say never give up, but that’s old Vania-speak. Give up if you want. Or at the very least, take a break. Read some books.
Or watch a show. Right now I’m watching The Hunting Party on Netflix and it’s really good. No wonder I like writing twisty books. There’s just something delicious about a man in a suit who isn’t what he appears to be.
Thanks for reading! Oh, and no one has said they want Joe’s book. Come on, guys. I know giveaways aren’t super fun anymore, but you could pop over to my last post and comment. Reviews are good. Joe tells you how to get them. Free books are good. I have one for you.
Have a great week, everyone, and I’ll see you next Monday!
When Joe Walters, editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review, told me he bumped into one of my blog posts scrolling the WordPress reader and asked if I would be willing to review his book, I said sure. Why not? If you know me, you probably know if you ask me to do something, I’ll do it. Whether that’s a flaw or an attribute, who knows, but I downloaded his book that was free when he contacted me, and during slow times at my work (not many which is why it took me so long–he emailed me back in September!) I read it. Even though it took me a while, I wanted to finish since I said I would, and besides, I wrote about reviews not long ago and thought maybe there would be some advice I could follow in my own book business.
Did Joe’s book deliver? Yes.
Is getting reviews a lot of work? Yes.
Did he offer to do that work for you? Unfortunately, that answer is no, though writing the book in the first place is a big help all on its own.
There are lots of different kinds of reviews, and I think the kind indies think about the most are from readers who put their reviews on platforms like Amazon and Goodreads. You can’t do much about those–all you can do is sell a lot of books and hope readers review when they’re done reading, or pay for a review service like Booksprout and hope the readers who pick up your book follow through. Joe focused a lot on editorial and trade and media reviews and gave you several examples of what to say when you reach out to them.
That was probably one of the best parts of the book. Unless you’re having Al write your requests for you–and I would advise against that being all the AI spam that authors have been getting lately–it’s difficult to figure out what to say that doesn’t sound smarmy, like you’re begging for a favor, or flat because you’re scared to reach out. He gives you plenty of examples of what to say, taking the guesswork out of it.
Not only does he tell you what to say, he tells you how to find people who review in the first place, which is a godsend if you have no idea where to start looking.
But, I’m not going to lie, and he doesn’t either. Finding people to read and review your book is a lot of work. You have to make a list of the reviewers who read your genre, write the email (follow their submission guidelines!), and wait. Do that over and over again, and be prepared to follow up if they don’t answer you. He even says in his book that the majority of his reviews come from the followup email, and that’s how it was with me too. I forgot I said I was going to read his book and he nudged me a couple months later. I emailed back and apologized, showed him a picture of his book on my Kindle Fire as proof of life and intention, and even left his email in my inbox to remind myself that I said I would review. (Even that has been a while, so he’ll probably be shocked I followed through.)
Another thing I liked about reading his book is that he speaks indie, and that helps a lot. He knows what Bookfunnel is, knows about sites like Booksprout, and understands Kindle Unlimited limitations if your book is enrolled. He has a sense of humor that keeps the material from becoming too dry, and I appreciated that very much. He also has a thing for ghosts, and though he says dead people can’t review your book, the next time you go to Barnes and Noble, grab a ouija board out of their games section. Every little bit helps!
One last thing that I really liked was not only does he tell you where and how to get reviews, he includes a short section on what to do with them once you have them. He explains how to access your book’s editorial reviews section on Author Central, how to use Canva to create A+ content for your book’s Amazon product page, and how to make graphics to feature reviews on social media and in your newsletter.
Overall, if you’re at a loss as to where to look for reviews and how to go about getting them, this book is very useful, but also keep in mind that there is a lot of content out there and chances are good you won’t be the only one asking. Tenacity and patience are key, like a lot of areas of indie publishing.
With my release of Wicked Games coming up soon, I’m going to try a different review service and also, I take back what I said about Booksprout. I wasn’t going to use them anymore, but I felt bad not giving the readers I have there a warning that I was leaving. I do have a few people who enjoy my books and leave real reviews, not just plot summaries or generic AI commentary, and I would hate to disappear without telling them how to find me in the future. So, in the “Notes to the Reader” section, I’m going to tell them this will be the last book I put up and if they want access to other ARCs, to follow my social media or blog. With Loss and Damages, I just got so disheartened, and it doesn’t seem like something I need to keep paying for.
Anyway, I’ll keep Joe’s book as reference if one day I decide I want to chase reviews written by other people than just readers, like Joe and his review team over at the Independent Book Review. If you want to read Joe’s book, The Truth About Book Reviews: An Insider’s Guide to Getting and Using Reviews to Grow Your Readership, you can find it on Amazon. It’s available on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7C3WFM5
I also purchased a paperback copy as a giveaway to go along with this blog post–and in true Amazon fashion, it came a little banged up. I know giveaways aren’t popular anymore, but if you’re in the United States, comment below and I will draw a name next week.
Hello, hello, from the frozen north. You know it’s cold when you have to warm up your car so when you actually have to go somewhere it will start. Of course, you get bonus points if you can do that wearing flip-flops and shorts and a tank top. Only two more months of this business and then hopefully spring will come, though that’s never a guarantee. I was equally inspired and disheartened that so many Minnesotans had to demonstrate in this weather but it makes me proud to live here. I saw a picture of Minneapolis’s mayor and he’s not looking too good. I would imagine he hasn’t gotten much sleep since ICE came into the city. Stay safe and warm, y’all. No matter where you are.
For the past few days I’ve been busy listening to Wicked Games. I find so many missing words and typos that no matter how clean I think my manuscript is, this step will unfortunately be part of my editing process forever. I re-edited Captivated by Her between the last read-through and this listening pass, hoping to keep from getting too bored and zoning out while “Samantha” reads to me. When I’m done listening and I have it formatted, I’ll re-edit Addicted to Her, the second in that duet, while I wait for Wicked Games‘s proof to come. I never used to work on two things at once, but it helps keep my eyes fresh. It will still be a couple of months before Wicked Games is ready for ARCs and I have my duet’s new files uploaded to KDP, but I should be able to start writing my hockey duet this spring. If all goes well, I’ll be done writing them by the end of the year.
Lately I’ve been thinking about paywalls and what the point is. I mean, besides the fact that they make a creator money (and I truly believe certain content creators deserve to be paid). I’ve been scrolling Substack a lot, the reciprocal patting each other on the back and the “you got this” attitude amusing at times. It’s like LinkedIn Lite, where motivation is plenty but solutions to real issues are vague or hidden behind paid subscriptions. What’s really funny is that all I hear on Threads is “Be careful where you put your money” then I’m over on Substack where I could become a paid subscriber until I’m broke. I mean, being a writer with limited funds myself, I get it, the hustle is real, but I also blog and create content, and I guess I just don’t think I have the information or life experience worthy enough to pay for.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t people who do, such as publishing insiders like Kathleen Schmidt and Jane Friedman, or nonfiction writers like Claire Taylor and Becca Syme (if they have paid subscriptions), I’m sure have content worth the cost. But then I see other authors set up a paywall for things that might not be valuable to certain audiences . . . or at all. There’s an author who gives marketing advice behind a paywall, but he’s a trad author, so how would his marketing advice help me? Even if trad authors have to do most of their own marketing, he has distribution channels and connections that I can only dream of as an indie. I saw another author offering a branding class, but he hasn’t published in close to three years, so is his class worth the money? I won’t name these authors because I’ve gotten in trouble for that in the past, and honestly, what they think their experience is worth is their own business. It just makes me wonder how people determine what their words are worth and how everyone else determines if their words are worth the price.
A couple of years ago I tried putting a Ko-Fi link at the bottom of my posts, but it felt kind of icky and I stopped doing it. Every once in a while I’ll get an email or comment that asks if they can pay me or thanks me for not charging for the information I post. I don’t charge because I don’t think my experiences are that valuable. I can tell you what my life is like as an indie author who does everything herself, but that’s only valuable if what I’m doing is working. My .26 cents might impress someone, as it proves a reader saw one of my books and liked it enough to download it and start reading, but I have a hard time believing that my .26 cents is worth your .26 cents.
It’s just interesting to think about, and of course, that’s Substack’s whole reason for existing. They want you to make money so that they make money. That’s not so difficult to understand, but not just anyone has experience and information worth paying for. Not in my opinion, at least. Especially since a lot of what you need to know about the publishing industry is free somewhere. Even if that means stitching together bits and pieces of ten different blog posts to figure out what you need to know. And, I guess it doesn’t need to be said, but just because you pay doesn’t mean that information is correct, either. So, I’ve just been mulling that around. As a writer and an author, you’d hope that what you have to say is worth something, but there are a lot of writers and authors out there. Especially on Substack who are very eager to pat you on the back and tell you to keep going.
Yesterday I was checking my email and came across an email from James Blatch who pretty much took over the Self Publishing Formula after Mark Dawson’s fall from grace. I left Mark Dawson’s Facebook group a couple years ago when he was outed by someone on Reddit for plagiarizing. Mark stepped back from everything that was Self Publishing Formula related, including the podcast. It’s not that I really cared if Mark Dawson plagiarized. I mean, people make mistakes, blah blah, but the fact that he never publicly apologized for it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Authors get slammed for pithy “apologies” all the time, but even in that case, I’d think something would be better than nothing. So James took over the podcast, and then after a bit shut it down completely. He started up a new podcast with Cara Clare, and that lasted for a while, but in the email I got yesterday, James says she’s stepping back to focus more on writing. He says he’ll have another co-host on the Self Publishing Show, but I have a difficult time thinking that it will be Mark.
I really liked Mark and James’s podcast. They had a lot of informative interviews and their recorded intro, “There’s never been a better time to be a writer” always gave me chills. I don’t know if I’ll give the new podcast a chance. I like staying on top of the indie industry, and listening to a podcast while I did chores or ran errands was an easy way to do that, but Mark’s silence after the plagiarizing thing never sat well with me. Even just a “I’m learning, I’m listening” statement that authors issue when they’ve done something wrong and got caught, would have been better than the nothing he gave us. And, you know, I just kind of feel like he was such a prominent figure in the indie community that he really did us dirty just going underground. If you have the balls to do it, have the balls to own it and apologize.
If you’re interested in the podcast, you can find it here on YouTube or wherever you regularly listen: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnSelfPublishing James describes the first comeback show as (taken from my email):
Episode 434 (Feb 12th) I will introduce my new co-host! A closely guarded secret until then. From that episode onwards we’ll alternate between discussing the latest issues and taking your questions with guests. I don’t want to do the type of separately recorded interviews I used to, so guests will join us as a third wheel in a more casual environment. I want the Show to add value to your indie life. If there’s a subject or a guest you want to see, just drop me a line support@selfpublishingformula.com and we’ll respond. If you used to subscribe to SPS, it’s likely your subscription is still live and you’ll see episode 433 on your feed in two weeks. If not, just search The Self Publishing Show on your podcast platform of choice. I can’t wait to be back in the SPS hot-seat!
Probably curiosity (and my FOMO) will have me listening just to see what the podcast is going to be like–and who he chose as his new co-host. I’ve been searching for something that I can vibe with, the other podcasts out there not doing it for me. I will keep you posted and report back.
Threads isn’t short on drama, and I saw that author Ruth Stilling was getting slammed for something one of her characters said in the book, Within Range. The character says, “It’s Valentine’s Day, so I came to make sure that you weren’t. hanging from your ceiling.”
I like looking at something from both sides, and I can see how, with the right couple and the right set up, this could be potentially funny. We don’t know the couple from just that line. There could have been lots of jokes like this throughout the entire book and someone who hasn’t read it would never know that’s just how they are. On the other hand, I write about depression and suicidal ideation in my books, and in the first book of my rockstar trilogy, before Olivia met Sheppard, that’s how her fiancé killed himself. And I many many years ago, one of my friend’s husbands took his life that way. So, I can definitely see how it can be very tasteless as well.
I don’t think it would be difficult to choose a different “joke” but on the other hand, we can’t censor ourselves because we think we’re going to upset someone. If we truly did that there wouldn’t be horror or thrillers. I suppose you can say that with those genres you’d expect upsetting content and in what looks like what is a romcom, upsetting jokes could come out of nowhere. It really depends on the person. I was suicidal for many years, even landed in the ER once getting my stomach pumped, but that line didn’t bother me and it wasn’t triggering. I just think at some point everyone who writes is going to write something that upsets someone. I know with this blog I’ve made some people upset and there’s no putting yourself out there and avoiding it.
There’s no real answer to this, because for as many people who are bothered, there are going to be just as many or even more who aren’t. I think we’ve all written something and then thought, “Yikes. Maybe I need help.” But then we laugh it off because we’re just over here making shit up. In the way I bought Colleen Hoover’s latest book because I saw some people on Threads making fun of it, I kind of want to buy Ruth’s book to see what all the fuss is about. I’m writing hockey soon. I can call it research. I dug up the link for you if you want to read it too: https://www.amazon.com/Within-Range-Blade-Kings-Book-ebook/dp/B0FTTL3Q4M
That’s about all I got this week. I’m just trying to use every free moment I can to work on my books. Last week it felt like all my free time kept getting eaten up with chores, errands, and little things like getting my hair cut and a dentist appointment. The next biggest things I need to take care of are making us appointments at the post office to apply for our passports and getting my taxes done. I still haven’t added up all my book spend for 2025 yet, and I’m waiting for my work to release our W2s, but hopefully I can take care of that in the next couple of weeks. If life could just slow down for me, that would be great.
I hope everyone is doing okay during these turbulent times. Stay safe out there!
This isn’t exactly what I meant, but he’s yummy to look at.
There are a lot of things that I just don’t care about anymore, and maybe with what I’ve seen and what I’ve been through, how I’ve been treated and where I am now compared to where I wish I was, that you would consider that statement as apathy. But I don’t think I’ve fallen that far. It’s more like, I’ve lost the will to put out all the dumpster fires I see every day and would rather just step back and roast marshmallows with the flames.
As we get older, it’s common that what used to be important no longer is, and I can tell every day when I see fights online that I’ve softened. There are a lot of indies out there who speak with their whole chest about things that matter to them, and their version of facts can either be right or wrong or somewhere in between.
I’ve written this blog for ten years now, and when I dare scroll backward that far, I can feel the heat on my face from my own flames. I was very “This is how you do it if you want to do it correctly” and I didn’t leave a lot of grey area. It was my way or the highway, and man, I don’t even have a highway anymore. I have a path, through the woods, that goes to a lake, where I sit and watch the ducks.
Going back and reading my older blog posts is almost cringe in a way. That you had conviction is supposed to make you proud, that you had the nerve to stand up for yourself, or in my case, the industry/readers, but usually all I sounded like was a pompous idiot who hadn’t been in the trenches long enough to realize that I’m not going to be right all the time. Not even some of the time. I only thought that I was.
Here are some of the things I’ve stopped fighting about.
Craft is a personal choice: I’m not going to argue with you (anymore). Probably one of the biggest things I don’t care about anymore is how people write. Especially romance. In 2019, I was pretty against writing romance in first person. Not because I didn’t like reading it–I enjoyed Hunger Games and Twilight like everybody else–but from a craft point of view, I didn’t like the dual first person idea of a romance. The “I” belonged to one person, not two. Which, fine. I can see where I was coming from, but then what the fuck was I thinking when I started Zane and Stella and what would become my King’s Crossing serial in December of that year? I couldn’t have been that appalled by it.
Now days, I don’t care who writes what. Write a chapter in first, then the next in third, then the next in first if you want. Some authors actually do that. I don’t care anymore when the idea before would have made me throw up in my mouth a little. The thing is, I don’t have to pay for it. I don’t have to read it, and I don’t have to write like that. So live and let live. If you want read that stunning piece of craft critique, you can do so here: https://vaniamargene.com/2019/07/22/changing-your-point-of-view-how-you-write-and-thoughts-on-1st-3rd-past-and-present-tense/
Trigger Warnings: To add them or not to add them. Another thing I don’t care about anymore is trigger warnings. You may be surprised to know that I was against them, or at least, I wasn’t for them, and I’m not sure when I changed my mind. This year? Last? I used to say stupid shit like, “Life is triggering.” I was callous and agreed with people who said to “Just get over it.” I didn’t consider them spoilers–I have never thought spoilers ruined books–only that books about life can be hard. But that’s the whole point. Life is hard, and if a warning can help a reader avoid more hard, why not add it?
The only thing with adding triggers anywhere to your book now is that Amazon takes that to mean it’s full of naughty, filthy things, and they’ll bury it. Or so some authors say. Publishing a book on KDP is like playing Russian roulette, so I never wanted to take my chances adding something to the blurb or author’s note in the front matter that could get my book locked in the dungeon or taken down completely. I should make up a list and put it on my website, but the only list I have there so far is for my King’s Crossing serial because yeah, those books are full of some shit.
Do I think you should add trigger warnings to your books? I think they should be somewhere accessible for your reader to find so people can choose if they want to read your books or not. It’s okay for people to self-select out. It’s the best way to keep readers happy and avoid bad reviews.
When should you redo a book?Whenever you want. Back when I first started writing, I would get frustrated when I saw authors redoing their books after they were already published. I had this kind of purity rule that I followed and believed that once you published a book you shouldn’t go back and re-edit it or change the cover because people had already spent money on that edition. It was kind of a strange stance, especially since I’ve re-edited and re-covered many books since I’ve been publishing. In fact, re-editing and updating the cover and blurb is encouraged these days to give older titles a little breath of fresh air. It’s smart marketing when you have time to circle back to older work. I’m re-editing my Cedar Hill duet now, and I have new covers made that look fabulous. And of course I’m going to do the whole cover reveals and ads and treat them like new releases because these are good stories and mediocre covers and so-so writing was holding them back.
My blog post, When Should You Redo a Book, https://vaniamargene.com/2017/08/08/when-should-you-redo-a-book/, goes a little deeper and discusses old books completely redone with new titles, covers, and ISBN numbers. I’ve known indie authors who have done this too, trying to give their debuts a better second chance. I always figured that was too much work–to pull a book, waste an ISBN, get a new cover and title. I figure, let that one go and just write a better book next time. The blog I linked to was written back in 2017, a year after I jumped into the indie trenches with both feet. I should probably just unpublish it because I talk about trad authors like Robyn Carr, and when their backlist gets revamped and re-released, they probably don’t even get a say, or if they do, they agree because who wouldn’t want to breathe new life into a thirty-year-old book? New cover and title could mean thousands of new readers who weren’t familiar with that particular story.
So, yeah. My viewpoint has definitely changed. Do I think you should go back and redo a book from top to bottom? You do you, boo, because one day ten years from now, I might wanna do it too.
Should you write a series? If you can handle the commitment. Because I started publishing back in 2016, I repeated, and believed, a lot of the advice that was thrown around back then. There was no reason not to when you could listen to any six-figure author tell you how they built a readership and made all their moola. But, as Exposé sings, seasons change, and 2026 isn’t the same as it was back in 2016. When I wrote this blog post– https://vaniamargene.com/2019/09/02/why-i-wrote-a-series-and-why-you-should-write-one-too/— back in 2019, I was very much in favor of writing a series, and a lot of what I believed is still somewhat true. Read-through is good, if you can get it. More ways to market–free/discounted first in series, boxed sets.
But since then, I’ve changed my mind (you can read why here: https://vaniamargene.com/2025/09/22/is-writing-a-long-series-worth-it/). I put a lot of time into my King’s Crossing serial. Five years, to be exact, and while I love love love Zane and Stella and Gage and Zarah, it’s really nothing I want to do again. Even if there is nothing to support my theory that short attention spans and second-screen syndrome are keeping readers from wanting to read a long series, with the way my life is now, that level of commitment doesn’t even seem possible.
Do I think you should write a long series? It depends. Do you want instant gratification? If you do, a series is not the way to go. It takes time to complete a series, and with the number of complaints I see online about readers waiting until a whole series is available to start (which is completely understandable, in my opinion), if you don’t want to write the entire thing first, definitely adjust your expectations. You might find it’s not worth it. You have to go into writing a series for yourself–because you love the world and love the characters. If you think you’re not going to have the motivation to finish, don’t start. A six book series could be six standalones, two trilogies, three duets, or a four-book series plus two standalones, etc. Easier to chew through, yeah? As for me, it will be a long time, if ever, before I decide to do another long series. I still have two out of six of an interconnect series that I wrote during COVIID on my computer, so, we’ll see. I’m not dead yet.
You can be consistently inconsistent, and it’s perfectly fine. I still think if you want to get anywhere, content is king and consistency is queen. Showing people you’re in the game to stay is pretty important with so much content out there now. Lots of authors are flash-in-the pan. Their debut sinks, they lose heart and disappear. I talk a lot about where I am in this industry and how sometimes it feels like it’s not far enough, but I wouldn’t have all that I do if I hadn’t built it on ten years of consistent work–this blog and my books. But. But, you can be consistent in lots of different ways. Consistency isn’t the same for everyone, nor should it be. Maybe in this blog post I wrote back in 2021 I was just a little too hardcore about making sure readers know what to expect from you (https://vaniamargene.com/2021/12/20/buzzword-consistency/), especially since I’ve stopped being that consistent too. I’ve done billionaire for a bit, but I’ve been kind of moving into romantic suspense and small town. I’m going to write hockey next. The important thing is you don’t lose your joy. Stay happy. That’s the only consistency that matters.
I’m not really sure what other hills I was ready to die on nine, ten years ago. There are some things I still believe, maybe not super hardcore like I used to, but there are still things that make sense to me, like not cross-posting the same content everywhere. Twitter isn’t Threads, Threads isn’t Facebook, Facebook isn’t Instagram, Instagram isn’t Lemon8, and Lemon8 isn’t Pinterest. There are different ways those audiences consume content and certain content does better than others. Don’t give the algorithms even more reason to ignore you. Besides, if you have the same people following you everywhere, give them something different to look at.
I still think books should be formatted properly, but with tools like Vellum and Atticus and free software on sites like Reedsy and Draft2Digital, that’s not so much of an issue anymore. I just bypassed one book the other day because he put spaces between every paragraph. That’s okay for nonfiction, but his book was a thriller. I wanted to buy it to support him, but I wasn’t going to read it formatted like that, so there was no point in spending the money. I would have said something, but he didn’t ask and I’m not that person anymore who gives out unsolicited advice. Maybe someone else will tell him. Otherwise, he’s probably going to miss more sales than just mine.
I suppose the only other thing is that I still believe in buying stock photos. There are a lot of authors putting free stock on their books, from sites like Unsplash or Pexels, or using stock from Canva if the have Pro, but I just would never chance it. I use Canva Pro photos on here sometimes, for the graphics, but I’m not trying to sell anything using them. Book covers are different, and it’s part of the “do things professionally and cover your butt” philosophy I’ve always had. Selling books is a business, and Amazon gets a bad rap for trying to cover their own butts and regulating the authors who publish there. Honestly, I can’t even imagine what a headache it would be, policing hundreds of thousands of authors. So yeah, I still think it’s better to buy your stock from a reputable source. It never hurts because you never know when KDP will ask for copyright proof.
As time goes on, I’m sure more of my beliefs will change. Sometimes there’s a better, or best way, to do things, and sometimes . . . there just isn’t. Or if there is, that “best way” varies from person to person. I think in the end, we all want the same thing: happy readers. It’s the way we get there that can be different, and I’m happy minding my own business and doing things the way I want them done.
I used to watch Sullivan’s Crossing. I say “used to” because I kind of bailed on the show like I do most shows I watch. I get bored or I’d rather work on my books. I might go back to Sullivan’s Crossing at some point, if there’s nothing else to watch, but I mostly stopped because I hated the way Maggie and Sydney treated the men who liked them, or, in romance-novel speak, their love interests. I know the show writers just wanted to devise drama for the plot, but even knowing that didn’t stop me curling my lip whenever one of their scenes came on.
I went into that because everything in the universe is connected, and I started getting emails from Reddit about people talking about that show. I engaged a little bit, enough to know that I’m not alone in my dislike and my reasons why. But there was also one exchange that I’d like to show you here:
My mind went in a couple of different ways when I read that. The first was, why are you watching something you really don’t want to watch, and second, as a romance author, I felt bad for Robyn Carr (who wrote the books Sullivan’s Crossing is based on) and the producers of this show. No one wants to be told that their content is “kind of mindless” or is made up of lazy writing.
We’re living in an age where our attention is constantly split between two or even more things. TV shows turn into background noise while we do chores or cook, we scroll on our phones when we shouldn’t like at a movie theater and behind the wheel, or we have a conversation with someone on speakerphone or FaceTime while we shop. It’s almost like if you do one thing at a time you’re failing at life.
I think what bothers me the most when it comes to talking about distraction and split attention is the lack of respect that goes along with it. What do I mean by that? I’ll tell you a little story.
Two years ago I hired my last beta reader. I didn’t pay her very much, but I was supposed to be helping her set up a beta reading service, so it was a win-win situation for both of us. I paid her and emailed her my manuscripts. She was an avid reader and I had known her for a long time, so while I felt a bit apprehensive because we’d had some conflicts in the past, I pushed them aside. She did read, but occasionally I’d get messages like, “At the auto shop waiting with my husband and reading your book,” or “On a road trip with the family, reading your book,” and I started to wonder just how much attention was she giving my story. It turns out she missed an important callback that resulted in some skewed feedback. Meaning, she forgot what a character said, or possibly missed it completely, which made what another character said later in the book not make sense to her. I didn’t need a math degree to put two and two together. She was reading while she was distracted.
Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed. Since then I haven’t bothered to find other beta readers or give my manuscripts to anyone else. I realized that no feedback is better than bad feedback and we can’t always guarantee that our money is going to pay for quality.
When you’re a new writer, accurate feedback is really important. You’re still learning and leveling up your craft depends on useful, thoughtful, and relevant critique. What is a new writer going to do if they can’t find someone who’s willing to actually sit down in a quiet space and give their words the attention they deserve? And why offer to beta read or help someone if you’re not going to do the work that’s required and expected? I’ve seen other beta readers say they’re settling down to beta read a client’s work and that they’re reading with the TV on for background noise. I can understand if that’s part your process, but not everything needs to put online. If you’re charging the going rate to beta read or edit for someone, it might be better to keep that kind of detail to yourself.
When people don’t pay attention while reading they can come back with questions, accusations, or even complaints, and an author can lose confidence that their writing is good and that plots and character arcs make sense. Books require a person to be present while they consume those words or the meaning, nuance, and themes can get missed entirely. Is that going to be the author’s fault? Was the plot too complicated? Were the characters too complex? Was the prose too purple? How is an author going to know? Maybe the real reason that reader couldn’t follow what was going on was because she was playing Bingo with her grandma at the VFW. I mean, things happen.
Distraction is also bad news on the author side. I used to be able to listen to music while I wrote, but I can’t do that anymore. I start listening to the song instead of writing, and now when I have a writing or editing session, I do it in silence. Sometimes I’ll pick up my phone and scroll, and I’ll ask myself if I’m going to write/edit or scroll because I can’t do both. That’s enough to get me to put my phone in another room and focus on the task at hand. Editing while distracted is just an invitation to edit more typos into your manuscript rather than fix what’s already there. Readers deserve respect because they invest in an author’s work twofold: they pay to read and give hours of their time as well. The last thing an author needs is a reader saying, “What was that?” at the end of their book because a main character had five careers, her hair changed colors six times, and there’s a plot hole big enough for the Grand Canyon to fall through. The setting of Sullivan’s Crossing is beautiful, but it’s not that important.
That’s not to say that a comfort watch is invalid. In these times finding comfort and a little peace where you can is more important than ever. Being able to sit and watch something relaxing is critical to mental health. Our brains aren’t meant to work twenty-four hours a day, seven days week, and authors and writers are often encouraged to take a break and fill their creative wells. Maybe that means doomscrolling while sitting through bland dialogue and watching a shirtless and sweaty Chad Michael Murray chop wood. But that doesn’t mean every show on TV needs to be that way and dumbing down scripts and books isn’t the answer to a culture that’s becoming used to doing two or three things at once.
What is the answer then? I’m not sure. I’m at a place in my career where going without feedback isn’t ideal, but having beta readers who will read with only one eye on the paper isn’t any better. We can’t police how people live, and putting a clause in a contract asking people to please don’t beta read or edit while watching TV or playing Bingo probably won’t work. People will do what they’re gonna do. But I don’t think it’s wrong to expect the service providers you pay to give you quality. Important callbacks, breadcrumbs, twisty plots, and complicated character arcs demand attention, not someone singing the theme song to Sullivan’s Crossing under their breath while they read.
What made me think of this topic was the Substack article I read a couple of weeks ago, https://thecreativegood.substack.com/p/what-is-second-screening-and-why, about screenwriters at a certain streaming service being asked to dumb down their writing. People scroll on their phones while they watch TV causing them to miss important details during a show. This article reinforced what has already been circling in my brain for a while now, especially when it comes to long serials and series where it’s imperative that readers pay attention from the very first page so the very last page makes sense.
In the article Jamie Feldman argues that dumbing down isn’t the answer, and of course it’s not. We can’t dumb down everything to appeal to the people who can’t put down their phones because that means people who do want to invest time and attention in a murder investigation or kidnapping case will get left behind. There will always be people who want to turn their phones off and get lost in a world to forget their own for a little bit, and those are the people who we should create for. If that’s who you want to create for. Maybe Robyn Carr doesn’t care the show based on her books is considered “mindless comfort.” She’s getting paid either way regardless.
I’ll keep writing my twisty books and it will be a reader’s loss if they’re distracted and can’t connect the dots. I’m not going to take responsibility for someone’s lack of focus and I won’t take feedback personally. Maybe one of the most important rules in writing craft is to trust your reader, and I will. I will trust them to remember what a character said on page 100 so the callback on page 300 makes sense. And if a reader decides my books are too complicated, they can self-select out and find lighter fare. That’s completely reasonable and won’t hurt my feelings at all. There are an unlimited number of readers out there and an author for everyone to enjoy.
There’s a time and a place for split attention, and only you can decide when and where that is. I’ll keep my attention on things that matter: my books and projects and the books and projects I help other people with. No matter how tempting Sullivan’s Crossing‘s eye candy is.
If you read Jamie’s Substack article, tell me what you think of it. The idea of dumbing down content to appeal to distracted consumers is interesting and I’d love to start a conversation in the comments.
Vania Margene Rheault 