The Art of Ending

“Great is the art of the beginning, but greater the art of ending.” So said Longfellow. He was talking about stories, of course. But Longfellow’s sentiment may be even more applicable to life in general. A year feels like a chapter of life. The 2010 life chapter is about to end and the 2011 is about to begin.

As far as stories go, I’m not sure I agree with Longfellow. Is the ending more important than the beginning? It’s been said that Hemingway rewrote the ending of A Farewell to Arms 33 times before he felt he had it right. So endings must be important. But if the beginning doesn’t entice the reader to journey into the book, the reader will never see the ending, no matter how brilliant it may be. On the other hand, the ending can’t be neglected. The beginning persuades the reader to read this book. The ending persuades the reader to read the author’s next book. It’s obvious that both are important if the author is to have a career in writing.

So what makes a good book ending? Actually, it may depend on how the book began. Readers usually want to see how the protagonist and/or the world of the novel have changed, so the ending often echoes the beginning. Some endings touch on all the main threads of the novel, usually very subtly, showing the reader how one thread wrapped up, how a different thread did not, a tip of the hat to the issues and characters that played major roles. Select some of your favorite books. Read the first couple of lines, then the last couple. See how the author wrapped up. Were you satisfied? Why or why not?

As for life, there is also an art to ending a year: Forgive others and yourself. Leave the 2010 baggage behind. Set your sights on the year ahead. Turn the page and begin a new chapter. Happy New Year!

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Congrats to Elevensies Launching Today

Congratulations to fellow Elevensies members Christopher Grant, author of Teenie, and Shawn Goodman, author of Something Like Hope. Both books are launched today – meaning they’re in bookstores, available for purchase! All the best to Christopher and Shawn! Here are their tags:

TEENIE: High school freshman Martine, longing to escape Brooklyn and her strict parents, is trying to get into a study-abroad program but when her long-time crush begins to pay attention to her and her best friend starts an on-line relationship, Teenie’s mind is on anything but her grades.

SOMETHING LIKE HOPE: Shavonne is a fierce and desperate seventeen year-old who finds herself in a large juvenile lockup hundreds of miles from home. She wants to turn her life around before she turns eighteen, but her problems seem too big, and time is running out. Amidst corrupt guards, out-of-control girls, and shadows from her past, Shanvonne must find the courage to fight for a redemption she’s not sure she deserves.

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Silent Noise

Is it just me, or does anyone else come away from social networking feeling as if you’ve been in a very noisy crowd – even though you’re alone with your computer/phone in a comparatively silent room? I’ve been facebooking, blogging, and tweeting only since August, but every time I zip onto the information freeway, I feel like I’ve entered frantic traffic at rush hour where the bumper to bumper never slows down. As they speed past, each driver waves and shouts at someone else. (Lots of them wave and shout at everyone, clamoring for attention.) So I wave and shout too.

But when I exit, I’m grateful for the quiet, the calm of the slower, scenic route. Now I can hear birds (the real tweets) and the breeze and the whispers of story ideas in my brain.

The truth is, I appreciate the connection of social networking, and I don’t intend to stop driving this freeway. But I’m learning which lane to drive in, which honking drivers to pay attention to, which to ignore, and when to head for the exit that will take me to the scenic overlook. It’s not a bad thing to travel the back roads.

So…as you head for the new year, my hope for you is that you’ll occasionally make the deliberate choice to leave the silent noise of the information freeway and take the exit once in awhile. You’ll be richer for enjoying the real touch-it, smell-it, taste-it scenery along the way.

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A Strange Limbo

Remember the fairy tale “Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Andersen? In some ways as I head into the marketing/PR season for Breath of Angel, I feel like I’m standing on her frozen corner, calling to passersby: “Please buy my book. Please read my book. Take a look. Give it a chance,” while the world is rushing by, bundled in its own cares and interests; there’s so much to think about besides me and my fantasies. Of course, even that thought is a fantasy, since my book isn’t even on the shelf yet!

It’s a very strange limbo, this waiting for a first novel to be published. In a way, it’s a good, safe time to feel the thrill and anticipation of what could be, to have hopes and to be aware of the possibility of readers judging my novel worthy of their time and attention. On the other hand, it’s terrifying, like the moments before you go onstage…or stand at the top of the ski run…or realize you’re going into labor. I’ve experienced all those things and know that once you step on stage, once you head down the slope, once you go into labor, everything is a flurry of action and you’re on. You call on all the skill and courage and practice, and you do your best, and then…just like that…it’s over. Done. You’ve succeeded or failed or landed somewhere in between with a thud.

But the moments before find you staring into the face of the unknown. Erma Bombeck said it well: “It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line, to hold them up and say, ‘How good or how bad am I?’”

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What’s Your Platform?

Ever worn platform shoes? The platform is the thick layer between the inner and outer soles. The bigger the platform, the taller you are. You might say the same of an author’s “platform.” In case you haven’t heard, in the past few years, “platform” is one of the major issues for authors, agents, publishers, and even readers, who may or may not be aware of the word.

By definition platform is literally a base to stand on and figuratively 1) a plan or design, 2) a declaration of the principles on which a group stands. Back to the author: Platform is the author’s plan – the “big meaning” according to Justine Musk in her blog Tribal Writer. She explains that a platform is the “big idea, a theme, an obsession, a vision, a mission statement, a full-fledged manifesto.”

Why is “platform” so important for an author? Because authors who declare clear principles, vision, and ideas gain followers. Followers translate into readers, who translate into dollars for agents and publishers. It’s easier to get an agent and publisher if you already have a platform.

A nonfiction writer’s platform is fairly easy to figure out. It’s what the author writes about, his or her philosophy or point of view on diet or sports or cooking or craft or history or finance – whatever the author’s area of expertise. Platform is what the author stands for.

My question has been: What about fiction writers? What counts as a platform? In some cases, I think the genre becomes the platform: mystery, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction. A good writer can gain a following by writing consistently good novels in his or her chosen genre. But really, I think platfirm goes deeper into the themes that appear in the author’s novels, revealing what the fiction writer stands for, whether it’s a point of view about relationships, justice and other social issues, or spiritual exploration.

So what’s my platform? I’ve been searching for it a long time and recently discovered I was standing on it all the time. It’s this: We’re on this earth for one purpose: to learn and practice lovingkindness. Here’s the deal: as a fiction author, I don’t write with an agenda. I don’t write to preach my platform. I simply live my platform. But because it’s a part of who I am, it will naturally show up in all I write. How can it not?

You have a message too, whether you know it or not. (In that sense, you’re an “angel,” because the word “angel” means messenger.) What’s your message? What is your life telling people? Take a peek at what you’re standing on. What’s your platform?

 

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Round Two

“List all websites you have. How often do you update? Do you have MySpace or Facebook account? Do you have a blog? How often do you post? Do you track visitors? How much traffic do you get? Do you have a database of readers?” These are just some of the questions in the author questionnaires that the marketing department of my publisher sends me. Notice it’s plural: questionnaires. I got one for book 1: Breath of Angel, and I just got another for book 2: Eye of the Sword. Hmm. Do you think they want me to have a web presence?

Other questions are more interesting – and instructive – especially for those of you who are writers: “Supply at least three ideas for the title of your book (and series if applicable). Describe the purpose of the book, what you hope to convey to readers. Who is the specific intended audience? What do you consider the book’s chief benefit or take-away; in other words, what do you want a reader to be left with or to gain from reading your book?” Sometimes writers don’t ask themselves these questions, but they’re worth answering before you pitch your book to an editor or agent.

Even more important: “Sum up your book in two sentences. Now, how would you sum up your book in around 150 words? What other books might compete with yours? List at least three comparable titles (and, when possible, the leading/best-selling ones in this category). Please provide author name and publisher with each title. How is your book similar to or different from these books? “

Here’s the deal: After you’ve written your first draft, you should describe the story in two sentences, then in 150 words. These descriptions may change as you revise, but they give you a handle on your goal, a measuring stick that helps you see if each scene moves your story forward. And what’s the take-away? That, too, can be a guide. Plus, if you’re going to pitch your book, to send it into the world to compete with others, it helps tremendously if you can tell an editor or agent that your book is like specific titles in the genre, but is also unique in very important ways.

I’ve answered all author questions for Eye of the Sword except one, and I have to look that up: How much traffic do you get to your sites? Ah, that means you, dear reader friend. You get to be counted! Ultimately, it’s you who matters most.

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Noah’s ARC

If Noah were alive today, he’d probably write his memoir and get a six-figure publishing deal. Then at some point his ARCs would be ready to go out into the world – at least to a favored few. There’s a lot riding on those ARCs. I guess Noah’s ARCs would float around the sea of reviewers, librarians, and booksellers for forty days and forty nights before landing on top of the New York Times bestseller list. Ah, to be so blessed!

We lesser known mortals also have a lot riding on our ARCs (Advance Reader’s Copies). ARCs look almost exactly like the real book, but on the front, they’re marked as an ARC, and there’s a disclaimer that indicates this is not the final version. In other words, it may have some mistakes in it, and it’s not in final form. Sometimes, the cover isn’t even final.

What are ARCs for? An ARC is supposed to leave a buzz in its wake. They’re handed out to sales reps at the publisher’s sales conference so the reps will get excited and know what they’re selling to bookstores and other outlets. ARCs are also sent to book bloggers, librarians, media, and other reviewers, and they’re used to garner endorsements (for the back or inside of the book and for PR and marketing purposes). ARCs are also used as giveaways.

My ARCs were given to sales reps a month ago. I got my copies last week. They look real. Very real. The cover is final (unless we add endorsements on back), but a few minor details have changed inside, so this copy does have a few mistakes in it. Still, we’re sailing into the sea of reviewers and media. And I’ll be giving away an ARC, probably in the spring, so stay tuned. More fun to come!

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Myth of the Rich Author

Authors are often thought of as celebrities like stars in music, sports, and film. Authors have fans, get interviews, and get rich, right? Fans, yes, we hope. Interviews, most do. Rich? Well, not so much.

For the most part “rich author” is an oxymoron. Many authors supplement writing income by teaching, speaking, working another job, or being subsidized by a working spouse. If writers do make enough to pay the bills, they have to keep their butt in the chair, always working toward the next project, because income comes in bunches – often small bunches. If you’ve never seen how it works, you might be interested to know:

The first money an author gets is called an “advance,” which means an advance against the royalties collected, a part of what’s earned as each book is sold. Publisher’s Lunch reports on a few book sales each week, sometimes using a code to indicate the amount of the author ‘s advance. “Nice deal” = $1 – $49,000; “very nice deal” = $50,000 – $99,000; “good deal” = $100,000 – $250,000; “significant deal” = $251,000 – $499,000; “major deal” = $500,000 and up.

For Breath of Angel and Eye of the Sword, both books together, I got a nice deal – and not at the top of the “nice” range. (The economy is partly to blame; also I’m a first time novelist, and that’s a risk.) Still, it’s “nice” for my bank account. But here’s the clincher. The advance does not come in one lump sum. Part is paid when the contract is signed, part when Breath of Angel is accepted in its revised form, part when Breath of Angel is published, part  six months later. Then when Eye of the Sword is accepted in revised form, I get another part; part comes when it’s published, part six months later. So spread “nice” out over a couple of years, and I bet you earn more than I do.

“What about royalties?” you ask. The publisher must earn back what it paid in the advance before the author sees a dime of royalties. And many books are “cross-collateralized” – as mine are. In other words, if book 1 doesn’t earn back its advance but book 2 does, the publisher takes the earnings of book 2 to make up what they lost on book 1. It’s not unusual for a book not to “earn out its advance,” which means the author never sees royalties.

To add to the money puzzle, authors these days are expected to pay for a good deal of their marketing and PR. Luckily the internet provides a cheap way to contact fans. But many authors pay a major part of their advance for PR so they can get sales – so they can get royalties – so they can get another book deal. Oh, yeah, I failed to mention that if a book does not earn out its advance, there likely won’t be any more book deals for that author.

But if the book does earn royalties, and the author starts getting paid, it simply means the author needs to stay busy writing the next book and the next, because it’s only when several books are earning royalties and advances that the author starts consistently paying the bills.

Then, of course, there are those who do become rich and famous, so the myth lives on. The rest of us laugh. We write not to become rich and famous, but because we love the process and have stories to tell.

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What’s a Copypack?

Copypack? What’s that? If you’re scratching your head, I know the feeling. I did the same when I saw “copypack” in the subject line from my editor’s email last week. I learned that “copypack” is short for ”core copy package” – which is ad copy for use in marketing Breath of Angel to consumers. They sent it to me so I could tweak it as needed and send it back approved.

First in the pack was: BACK COVER COPY [125-200 words, not including the author bio]. It’s similar to the blog I wrote recently, so I won’t reproduce it here. Then there’s the Author bio [no more than 80 words].

Next was: CONSUMER COPY [25-30 words of summary written for the consumer to be used in brochures,  secondary catalogs, and Web sites]. Three choices are listed.

1. Melaia, a young priestess, finds herself in the middle of a blood feud between two immortal brothers and discovers that the payment for their ancient debt involves her destiny.

2. Melaia, a young priestess, discovers that angels are real—and that her destiny is intertwined with an ancient debt that must be paid to restore the stairway to heaven.

3. Melaia is only a young priestess until she stumbles upon a stranger—with wings. Angels, shape-shifters, and mythical creatures collide as her destiny unfolds.

Third section (and the most fascinating to me) was Headlines [5 strong headlines that could be used for in-store promotional materials and advertisements].

1. Angels. Shape-shifters. Immortals. The stuff of myth and legend—until now.

2. An ancient debt must be repaid…by breath of angel…blood of man.

3. Melaia witnesses the murder of an angel—and her life is forever changed.

4. A blood feud between two immortal brothers—and a young priestess caught in the middle.

5. A blood feud, an ancient debt, and a payment that involves Melaia’s heart and soul.

Last section was WEB DESCRIPTION, i.e. Web Advertising copy: [2-3 two to three sentence summary statements] – so close to the back cover copy, I won’t repeat it. Besides, if you’re on the web, you’re likely to see it popping up in four or five months.

It’s amazing to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes! I’m glad you’re going through it with me, holding my e-hand.

 

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Fad, Trend, or Just Good Storytelling?

Anyone tired of vampires and werewolves? I’m not sure the creatures have run their course, but trend-spotters say they’re on their way out. The hot new trend is a dystopian world and . . . angels. Can it be? Anne Rice , who once wrote vampires has turned to angels. Popular books for young adults by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Lisa Desrochers star angels. (Lisa is in my group of debut authors, Elevensies, –which for some reason is not linking right now.)

I have my friend Helen to thank. I was in the trenches with my novel, knew it was falling flat and needed something – but what? Together we perused the vampire-laden YA shelves of my favorite bookstore. “I just can’t get into vampires,” I said. “Could you do angels?” Helen asked. Bingo.

Truly, at that point, I didn’t think fad or trend, I thought story. Exploring light and darkness, good and evil, the spiritual realm. (Which is, frankly, what good vampire novels do – see the aforementioned writers.) Angels I could do.

Little did I know that angels would become the next big thing. “Angels are HUGE,” says one reviewer. Hmm . . . fad? Trend? I hope the Angelaeon Circle novels are just good storytelling. Oh, and Helen said, “Push the romance.” And the first thing my agent asked was, “Does the romance in Breath of Angel grow in the following books?” “Oh yes,” I said. And it does. Thanks, Helen – you’re an angel!

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