Self-publishing is actually getting some legitimacy…sort of.

So there’s been a lot of talk lately about whether to self publish or not.  I even attended a writers conference where an agent actually said there are two legitimate ways of getting published:  the traditional method with an agent, etc. and self-publishing.  It was the first time I’d actually heard self-publishing referred to as legitimate.  In the past everyone’s kind of steered clear.  It was only the desperate ones who couldn’t find an agent that went this route.  Things have changed.

With the big publishers accepting fewer books, and consequently agents signing fewer clients (at least that’s what I’ve heard), there are some legitimately good books that are being self published.  And some of the authors have made in the millions of dollars.  Sounds great, right?

The problem is that there is still a lot of terrible stuff out there in the self publishing world.  Often it’s never been seen by an editor.  And the bigger problem:  no publicity.  How do you get your book name out there?  How do you advertise?  How do you attract the right audience?

So it may all boil down to a few simple things.  Hire a freelance editor.  Hire a publicist (or at least have some idea of what you’re doing and come up with a plan).  OR still go with an agent.  Not surprisingly, with the change to digital media (and all the monetary issues writers and publishers have been fighting about) and the ease of self publishing, there are agencies who are starting to guide their clients through the self publishing arena instead of just submitting to big traditional publishers.   But then again, you have to attract an agent first.  Are you starting to get as confused as I am????

Who knows where the future of books is going.  Even Toys R Us is going to start selling the Kindle.  Books at the push of a button?  Sounds good.  I’ve even done it.  Maybe that should be my next post.

Pitch Contest

So one of my writer friends is having a pitch contest with her agent.  The prizes are critiques of full and partial manuscripts!!!  Totally worth it if you have a completed manuscript you’re ready to submit.

Here’s the link if anyone’s interested: http://chanellegray.blogspot.com/2011/07/pitch-contest-with-victoria-marini.html.

 

Family Vacation: Yellowstone

So we took the kids to Yellowstone over the Fourth of July weekend.  It was awesome, and beautiful, and…great!  The kids weren’t always big fans of the driving, but the animals, waterfalls, geysers, springs, mud pots, sulfur smell (and yes, the boys did make “boy” comments about the smell ), and being stuck behind a herd of buffalo blocking the road for an hour more than made up for it.  If you’ve never been, I totally recommend it.  It truly is one of the most beautiful places in the country.  Here are a few of our pictures.  The first is a picture of Great Fountain Geyser erupting, and which we were really lucky to see since it only erupts ever 12-13 hours.  The second and fifth are some of the hot pools.  The third, is of course a bison (a.k.a. buffalo).  The fourth is a picture of the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  And the last is a picture of the Grand Tetons, which we drove through on the way home.  They are truly spectacular, and this is coming from a girl who’s been surrounded by mountains her entire life and lives in a mountain valley.  Truly spectacular.

Book Recommendation…”Anna and the French Kiss” by Stephanie Perkins

So, “Anna and the French Kiss.”  This is a book I’d heard a lot about from a group of ladies on a forum I belong to.  Some of them loved it some thought it was just good.  I don’t read a lot of YA contemporary, so I didn’t quite know what I’d think.  However, from the very first page I was hooked.  Here’s a blurb from Amazon before I go any further.

Anna is not happy about spending senior year at a Paris boarding school, away from her Atlanta home, best friend Bridgette, and crush Toph. Adapting isn’t easy, but she soon finds friends and starts enjoying French life, especially its many cinemas; she is an aspiring film critic. Complications arise, though, when she develops feelings for cute—and taken—classmate Etienne, even though she remains interested in Toph. Her return home for the holidays brings both surprises, betrayals, unexpected support, and a new perspective on what matters in life—and love. 

Ok, so girl goes to boarding school, likes guy with girlfriend…in Paris.  Not the most unique premise ever.  BUT, it’s’ hilarious.  The first paragraph of the book talks about all the things she knows about Paris, which is really very little and revolves around pop culture.  It just gets better from there because  Anna’s voice and her outlook is just so enjoyable to read.  I found myself laughing out loud more than once — and one time in particular I was laughing so hard I was crying and my husband was looking at me like I’d lost it.  :).  But the humor isn’t the only thing about the book I enjoyed.  The characters felt real, the intricacies of teenage romance believable, and the misunderstandings relatable.  All in all, one of my few ventures into YA contemporary was very enjoyable.  Maybe I’ll even try again.  :)

One note:  I know there are some of my blog readers who are more conservative than others.  There is a tiny bit of strong language and sexual reference that might be offensive to some.

 

Book Recommendations…”Matched” by Ally Condie”

Yes, I’ve decided not to call them “book reviews” any longer.  I think it’s better for me to call them book recommendations and then only let you know about the books I would actually tell someone to read.  It’s not that there aren’t books I don’t like, I just don’t want to publicly say bad things about other authors or their work.  Heck, if I’m lucky, I might meet some of them someday.  On Goodreads, I do rate books, and some have higher ratings than others, so take that however you want.

Anyway, I have a list of about seven or eight books I’ve read and haven’t posted here.  I’m going to start today with “Matched” by Ally Condie.  Here’s the blurb from Amazon:

For Cassia, nothing is left to chance–not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the “burden” of choice. When Cassia’s best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable–rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. As author Ally Condie’s unique dystopian Society takes chilling measures to maintain the status quo, Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice.

I really liked this book a lot.  It was written well and kept my interest.  It is very similar to “The Giver” by Lois Lowry if you’ve ever read that.  This felt very realistic, and the world was easy to get into and enjoy.  I also liked the main characters and their interactions and how they dealt with the issues that faced them.  Some really rose above and I found myself really rooting for them.  I’m excited for the second book in the series and would recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian, and even those who don’t.

If for no other reason, read it just because the cover is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!

My own web site

Yes, I did it.  I broke down and bought a domain name and got a web site designed.  Please check it out and let me know what you think.  www.sharilambert.net.

Strong Female Characters

I’ve been hearing a lot lately about strong female characters.  One comment was about six months ago from a beta reader who mentioned that a particular scene in my book made the female character (who had previously been so strong) seem weak.  My first reaction was:  ”But, but, but…”  And then I looked at a few things.  There were some word choices in that scene that I obviously hadn’t realized were creating the wrong impression.  I changed those and it made a huge difference.

However, the actual events that played out in that scene weren’t things I wanted to change.  AND I felt they were exactly true to the character.  Yes, she’s a strong character.  Yes, she is independent and capable.  That doesn’t mean circumstances couldn’t be out of her control.  Which is exactly what is happening in that particular scene.

Which led to a few questions…  Aren’t there times when even strong characters are in over their heads?  Isn’t that when they show the most strength?  Does being strong mean you are always sure, confident, and under control?

My answer to all of those is that strength may not be just in the moment, but how you deal with that moment, what you learn from it, and how it influences future decisions.

And strength is different for different situations.  For example, in “Pride and Prejudice” Elizabeth’s strength was not going to come in fighting armed bandits.  She was confined by the world she lived in.  She had to be strong in her own circumstances.  On the other hand, a modern heroin might not have Elizabeth’s strength to make decisions even in the face of social disapproval and family concerns in a world where those were paramount.

I guess the point of all this is that your character has to be strong in their own way, in their own world, and in their own time.  As long as they’re true to who they are and act in a way that doesn’t make the reader say something like “well, she was a believable character until…”