Jon Bon Benjamin

Show Me The Market!

2011-02-21T19:56:00.001Z

Howdy peeps,

This week we shall be aiming to ‘Position You, To Them’. Thus far we’ve created a PURPOSE, set some OBJECTIVES and decided how we’ll DO IT. This is where it all starts to happen though. I know, you’re keen to get going and Tweet, Blog and PR like a mad man. First though, you must Segment, a very important process indeed.

So what is this exactly?

Well, as you may have guessed, there are many markets that you can aim for. It doesn’t matter whether you are writing a book, selling magazines, or providing food. Everyone is different and so you need to target them effectively. Now I wish I could give you the secret to make everyone happy. I really do, trust me. Yet I cannot, and that is why segmentation is important.

Thankfully, segmenting for a writer is much easier than many sectors, mainly because books are already to split into genres. How good is that? It’s as if the world wants your book to be a success. Hoozaahhhh.

Before we talk about segmenting your book, let me just say that this section will be split into two parts. Today we shall talk about ‘YOUR’ target market, and next time we will discuss how to take advantage of it (aka, what’s your X- Factor)

Anyway, back to segmentation. So the first question you need to ask yourself is what your genre is?

Are you an action writer, a comedian, a romantic? This is the key here because this will determine the group you are aiming it at. For many this will be easy. You will see yourself as a member of the Thriller Club and nothing else. For others (and I’m one of those people just so you know) you may find putting your book into one category rather hard. So what to do?

Well I’ve asked this question myself and the answer I’ve received has been to read. Scour the charts and read books that look like the kind of thing you’ve been writing about. Even if you just read some chapters and familiarise yourself with the storyline, it may be enough to determine if that particular book is similar to yours. This will take a little while, but it’s worth it, trust me

So you’ve figured out your genre. Good job, well done. I’m afraid it doesn’t end there though, no, that’s jus the start. You may know your genre, but you don’t know your market. At least not yet.

Let’s say you are a Young Adult writer Easy to segment, right? Wrong!

First of all you have females and males who sit in that group. Then you have the sporty types, the Hipsters, the Goth’s, the beauty queen etc. What sort of person would read your book?

For instance, it may be a young adult book, but may also be fantasy. Maybe the lead character is a strong heroine, destined to save the world. If it is, then it’s safe to say that your target market may be young women who are a little alternative (Goth’s and Hipsters, maybe?).

Yet there’s still age. You may know they are young, but how young?

Are they new teens or in College?

This is just the start, you can create such specific groups that it makes your head spin. I’ve always found a good way of keeping up is to name your imaginary target person. Again, there’s no set limit to what you can and can’t have, but don’t over do yourself. Create 3 or 4 personalities and try to target them effectively. For example, you may have:

Harriet – A reclusive 13 year old who loves to draw and fantasise about the future

Danielle - A freshman at College who’s still finding herself. Reminiscing about her school years when everything was a little more simple and safe.

Jack – A 15-year-old boy drawn to strong women. He loves music and to lose himself in a world of fantasy.

These are of course very simplistic (and rather stereotypical) but you get the point. Really analyse your story and decide who would read it. Once you know you are aiming it at, then you can really market yourself effectively.

So there you go folks. Next time we’ll look at your strengths and how to get that X-Factor.

Any questions please let me know, and check out the earlier entries to create that perfect marketing plan.

February Blog Chain

2011-02-18T18:09:00.000Z

The time has come for another AW Forum Blog Chain. For the month of February we are talking about the subject of Antagonists. Make sure you check out all of the AW’ers contributing (see below). I am following on from Aimeelain and next up is Ralph Pines.

So Antagonists? Beyond Parallel doesn’t really have a villain, so my antagonist is really a traditional one. Anyways, that is merely a technicality. So let me begin.

First of all I must explain who my antagonist is (in 50 words). Then, and only then, I must put myself in a situation of conversing with said bad person (in 100 words)! So here we go:

Part 1
The antagonist is Bella, the female lead in Beyond Parallel. She is an emotional being, obsessed with Love. She also, purposefully or not, has a talent at manipulating and making everything about herself.

Part 2
“Hey Jon, good to see you.”

“Oh, Bella, hi,” I can’t believe this is happening, “So I take it you’re here with…”

“David? Yes, he’s just getting some bread. So how have you been?” she said with an exaggerated smile. I used to love that damn smile.

“Oh I’m ok. What about you?”

“Brilliant, really happy thanks. David and I have just got back from a weekend away. Was so relaxing.”

“Great, that’s really nice.”

“Anyway, I best be going... you know, I really miss you” she said, reaching out and stroking my hand.

Well there you go everyone. I hope you enjoyed my little piece. Please read everyone else on the list. There’s been some great one’s before me and I’m sure there’s more to come

JB

Proach: http://desstories.blogspot.com direct link to my post
Steam&Ink: http://steamandink.blogspot.com/ direct link to her post
AuburnAssassin: http://clairegillian.com/ direct link to her post
dolores haze: http://dianedooley.wordpress.com/ direct link to her post
xcomplex: www.arielemerald.blogspot.com direct link to her post
LadyMage: http://katherinegilraine.com/ direct link to her post
aimeelain: www.aimeelaine.com/blog direct link to her post
Ralph Pines: http://ralfast.wordpress.com
orion mk3: http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com/
Forbidden Snowflake: http://www.silversnowflake.net/liv
knotane: http://knotane.wordpress.com/
JerseyGirl1962: http://writerlystuff.blogspot.com/
ElizaFaith13: http://girlspwn.blogspot.com/
yoghurtelf: http://thefarseas.blogspot.com/
Amanda McDonald: http://writeramandamcdonald.blogspot.com
FranYoakumVeal: http://thejourneyofthewriter.blogspot.com/

The BIG PLAN, Part 2

2011-02-14T21:12:00.003Z

Ola World,

Welcome back to a ‘Marketing Strategy for Writer’s’. This is part 2 of the BIG PLAN (Part 1 is HERE). Last time we created some objectives to set the foundations of the plan. Today we shall add some tactics to these (Tactics don’t need to be SMART).

What's the difference between Objectives and Tactics?

Very similar really. If the mission statement (or YOUR PURPOSE) is the intent, and the Objectives are the specifics of this intent. Then the tactics are how you will go about achieving it all. For example, let’s take the objective that we created in last week’s entry:

- To become a published author in the young adult market within two years, and to sell a minimum of 1,000 books.

Before we create the tactics for this, let’s look back at our work in Step 3 (The market) and Step 4 (Your strengths and weaknesses). It’s these strengths and observations that will form the basis of your tactics. Are you starting to see how it all comes together?

Let’s say that one of the strengths you discovered was that you have a strong online presence (via forums, Twitter, your Blog etc). This strength would be ideal for this particular objective because it is aiming at the young adult market (a sector full of tech savvy individuals). So a tactic for this particular objective could be:

- To engage with the potential market (14-21 year olds) via Social networking.

This explains how you will engage with your customer, and therefore narrows your thinking considerably.

Another tactic could focus on the ‘Published’ part of the objective. For example, let’s look at the Young Adult market. Overall, it’s a pretty popular genre at the moment, due to series such as Harry Potter and Twilight (although, it’s probably had its day to be fair. However, let’s pretend that it hasn’t for this particular exercise).

Therefore finding an agent who gives a damn may be much more likely. This automatically draws focus on a more traditional publishing route, which could create a tactic such as:

- To send manuscripts to at least 5 agents each and every month.

Are you starting to see a process occurring? Let’s take a look at all the examples we’ve used thus far:

‘To have my work published and loved by many. To create stories that young adults can relate to, and to act as security in their times of need. To continuously create characters, stories and scenarios that will allow a person’s mind to wonder and dream.’

- To become a published author in the young adult market within two years, and to sell a minimum of 1,000 books.

-To engage with the potential market (14-20 year olds) via Social networking.

-To send manuscripts to at least 5 agents each and every month.

As you can see, each section becomes more specific. As a general rule, I’d recommend a target of about 3 or 4 objectives, with each one having 2 or 3 tactics attached to it.

It is at this point that the backbone of your marketing plan is complete. You have set out your overall purpose, refined it with some SMART objectives, and focussed on the means in which you will do it. Everything from here on in, will be based around these particular points (Be happy with what you have here. If it’s flawed, the rest of it will be too. No pressure or anything).

Next time we look at ‘Positioning YOU, to THEM’ (aka, competitive positioning). Good luck everyone, and as always, if you have any questions please let me know.

A few good little reads:

The American Way - They basically switch around the objectives and strategy (aka, the objective is the Purpose and the strategies are the objectives)

Goals & Goal setting

Goal Setting

The Big Plan is Really Very BIG

2011-02-07T18:53:00.000Z

Bon journo World,

Welcome back to a Marketing Strategy for Writers. If you have yet to read the other steps, then please follow these links:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4

They might just come in handy. But onwards and upwards is what I say, so lets begin on Step 5, The Big Plan!

Sounds rather important, right? Well you would be correct my lovely reader, it’s very important. Basically, this is where you will create your objectives, and in the next entry, the tactics that go with it.

In order to do this in an efficient and timely manner though, we shall use the golden oldie that is; SMART (you can beat a good old golden oldie). This stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time Bound

Now, in my opinion, it is what you do here that makes or breaks a strategy. The Mission statement (or Your Purpose) is vital, don’t get me wrong, but this is where you lay the foundations and actually start making some ground. That is why I think it’s important to use the SMART system.

So how do you create an objective?

Well, first of all, let’s look at what an objective actually is. If Your Purpose was a statement of intent, then the objectives you create here are the specifics of this. For example, lets take the Purpose I created in Step 2:

‘To have my work published and loved by many. To create stories that young adults can relate to, and to act as security in their times of need. To continuously create characters, stories and scenarios that will allow a person’s mind to wonder and dream.’

An objective I could create here could be:
- To become a published author in the young adult market within two years, and to sell a minimum of 1,000 books.

Is this SMART?

Well, it is somewhat specific (Published author in the YA market) but leaving it somewhat flexible (I didn’t say self published or not). I think it’s important to not be too rigid at this point. Unless you have a really specific intention, it’s probably best to leave a little bit of room for manoeuvre here.

Anyway, back to SMART… is it measurable? Why yes it is. You can tell because a specific number of books to be sold is mentioned. A deadline of two years not only makes it measurable, but also bounds it in time. Perfect!

As for it being achievable, well opinion may differ here, but overall I feel getting published isn’t totally out of the question.

Finally, it’s relevant because it’s staying in line with the Purpose I previously created. Now that wasn’t too hard was it? You may be asking now, how many of these objectives you will have to make. No right or wrong answer here, but there shouldn’t be too many. I would say three or four is ideal in most circumstances.

So how do you go about creating objectives of your own? Well, look at the work you have done so far. Take a look at the Purpose you created and what exactly you want to achieve out of all of this.

You should also consider the work done in Step 3 and Step 4, which focussed on the market you are looking to get into and the strengths and weaknesses you portray. By looking hard at these, it will help you keep your objectives specific, relevant and achievable. In my opinion, the time frame and measurable part is the easiest. It is, however, very hard to create some specific and achievable objectives.

Finally, this might be a good time to go back and make any alterations to your Purpose (yes, this allowed, don’t worry). You certainly don’t want to change this further down the line (unless you reach an epiphany) but now is a perfect time to evaluate things. Have you learnt something from your strengths? Maybe you are looking at your particular genre or market differently?

This is perfectly fine. Go back and make any changes you deem to be necessary, and start creating a few fantastic little objectives. Remember to base them on what YOU want though. It’s YOU who’s the business here, and it’s YOU who’s the brand. Your objectives should portray this.

So that is all for now. Next time we will do Part 2 of the BIG PLAN (it was just far too big to do in one sitting). It will be in this entry that we will add some tactics to these objectives of yours (aka, how you will actually go about making this intent a reality).

Until next time,

JB

Your Strength, Weakness and Self Esteem Please

2011-02-02T19:56:00.001Z

Welcome back world

If this is your first visit to the ‘Marketing Guide for Writers’, then welcome on board. Also, you may like to visit Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3, to see what exactly I’m talking about.

Today on the Big Graph Thingy we are looking at analysing YOU!

Scary I know, but very much necessary. To make the best plan possible (and indeed create achievable objectives in the next blog) you need to understand exactly what you are good at. This needs you to be honest with yourself. We all like to think we are good at things when we actually are quite rubbish. Nothing wrong with this, I do it all the time. However, this isn’t the time nor place. Sorry folks.

They always say you need to maximise your strengths and improve your weaknesses, and oh how true it is. So to start with I want you to write down everything you think you are good at, and everything you think you are not so good at. Don’t worry about being specific. You can always filter it later, but you might be surprised at just how relevant they all become.

This list is really important for you to create some realistic and effective objectives. Which in turn will be the backbone in your amazing marketing plan.

I wont try and pretend that I know what your strengths and weaknesses are. But I will demonstrate how some things, that may seem irrelevant to a marketing plan, can in fact be gold dust.

For starters, let’s take your writing strengths. Are you funny, poetic, build immense intrigue? Whatever your talent in writing may be, it could help develop your entire plan.

For example, let’s say you are rather good at making people laugh with your amazing humour and witty dialogue. How can you insert this into your plan?

You can base your entire plan around humour, that’s how. Whether it be Tweeting, Blogging, creating competitions, it doesn’t really matter. If you are funny, base your entire campaign around humour.

But you shouldn’t just think about your writing skills. For example, are you one of those lucky people who just seem to connect with folk? Do you walk in the room and people automatically engage with you and your stories?

If so, then you can use this to your advantage too. You might be ideal for networking events, doing speeches and touring from town to town. Such talents may be wasted online, so a more traditional and hands on approach is needed.

And finally, don’t forget your weaknesses. It is important you recognise these and look to improve them. Let’s say you are a rather shy and introvert person (which many artists are). You may not feel comfortable with the idea of networking, online or otherwise. Not an ideal situation, I won’t lie to you. It is certainly something you should look to address, and slowly improve, but the best thing may be to take the plan away from YOU. An alter ego, for example, could be the ideal way forward.

So write down your strengths and weakness, and be really honest as you do it.

Once you have done this, try and grade them all. If you consider it a huge strength, give it a five. If it’s only something you are kind of good at, give it a one. Next time, when we look at creating the BIG PLAN, I will ask you to look back at these lists and create some objectives off the back of them.

Make sure to not delete anything though. Just because you might not use a particular strength now, doesn’t mean you wont do later in the series. Plus, keeping an eye on those dreaded weaknesses is unfortunately a must (self esteem killer, I know)

So that’s it, good luck with your lists and we will put it all into action next time. One thing you may be thinking now is outside feedback. Should you get it? Well, you can if you want to, but personally I think it’s important to look at yourself objectively. In the long run it will be the most beneficial process you can do.

Until next time,

Look at the World You Live in!

2011-01-26T19:50:00.006Z

Ola world,

Welcome back to my series, which focuses on a marketing strategy for writers. Last time we focussed on YOU, and why you do what you do. Today we shall look at the publishing world and what exactly it’s chatting about!

If you look back to the marketing strategy structure, or from now what I will call the Big Graph Thing, you’ll see that we’ve moved onto the Big Plan. Yet it’s so big that we need to split it up into three sections:

- The publishing world

- Your strengths and weaknesses

- The Big Plan (aka, objectives and all that jazz)

Let’s not bog ourselves down in the future just yet though. Today is all about your environment and the state that it’s in.

So if you had to describe the publishing world right now, how would you? Would you say its in decline, booming from all areas, in a transition? This is important because soon you will have to create some objectives. Yet how can you do this if you don’t understand the world you are in?

So to start things off, think back to the last Blog, and specifically to the point that asked you to ‘Define Your Market’. Later in the series we will to segment it and go into great detail. Right now, simply try to understand it.

Are they young or old, male or female? Are they the sort of person who might own a kindle? Or will they only buy hardbacks and sit in a chair smoking a pipe?

I have no idea who you are. You could write fiction, self-help, non-fiction, or a biography for all I know. What I want you to do right now is to think really hard about your writing, and the kind of person you think might read it. There are numerous things you can base this on. You could write a list of published authors that are comparable to your style. Analyse feedback you have received and see if there’s a trend (either in their opinions or their background (male, female, old, young etc.)

What I’m saying is do your homework. There’s no point in starting a marketing plan if you don’t understand who you are aiming it at and where you should be fighting your corner.

You also need to consider the different avenues that you could go down. Do you send your manuscript out to agents and publishers? Do you go it on your own and self-publish? Do you rely on the current trend of E-Books and jump on the bandwagon?

I’m afraid there’s no right answer, as your book will be different to the next. What I would say is research research research! Any marketing plan needs it, and yours is no different. After researching your genre, other like-minded writers, and the people you are aiming it at; you may just discover that your book is primed for E-Books.

It may sound crazy, but take travel guides. Would you rather buy ten huge books for your European adventure, or carry twenty in a 7 inch Kindle? It’s just my opinion, but I feel certain types of books will become a very popular and long lasting within the E-Book revolution.

It all links back to the previous blog and your purpose for all of this. It could be your dream to get published no matter how much grief it causes. Yet you may want to earn money and create a new career. There’s no right or wrong answer, but there is a wrong way to go about it.

Think hard about what you want and research accordingly. Next up are your own strengths and weaknesses. Get ready to be brutal on yourself people.

Here are a few useful links to get you started:

Nathan Bransford - Recently left the editing world but has a great insight into E-Publishing and traditional publishing, and the trends that they offer. A MUST READ

Peggy Blair - A newbies look into the publishing world. Some great little insights, and this particular article is great. Goes to show that analysing your market, even if a tad late, can lead to good things.

Rachelle Gardner - another literary agent, sense a trend yet? Again, some great insights into the publishing world, and some tips on how to target certain genres.

Publishing Trends

- NY Times - talks about current trends but also states that books and older people 'click' per say.

- Red Write Web - The growth of Ebooks

- publishingtrends - The name says it all

This is just a brief list of a few things i have come across recently. Google is your friend, as is Twitter. Research away and discover your market!

What's YOUR Purpose?

2011-01-24T20:27:00.000Z

Hello World

Welcome back to my journey into the strategic marketing world. This little get together is primarily for writers, but anyone is welcome. Last time we looked at the strategic process and how we would structure this series. The time has come for the first step.

Step 1! What is your Purpose?

In the business world this is the mission statement and what not. A key part to any company, product or campaign, as it demonstrates what exactly you are all about. So I ask you this, why do you write?

Maybe you have always been a writer. Maybe it has been your day from that first time you read Alice in Wonderland. Maybe you want to be rich and have Dan Brown in your sights. Whatever it may be, write a few bullet points down.

Finding that hard? Ok, consider these following points: (as discussed in Hooley et al)

1. Where do you want to be in the foreseeable future?

2. What are your values? (What makes you love to write)

3. What makes you stand out from other writers?

4. Define your market. Who will read your book?

5. Where are you right now?

Please don’t take this little exercise lightly. What you create here is absolutely key. This is your statement of intent. What we will do in the coming weeks is make that intent a reality!

Ok, so lets give it a little try by using me as the guinea pig:

1. I would like to become a published author and have a loyal following.

2. I don’t ever want to write something I don’t believe in. It’s my story and it must always feel right to me.

3. I am able to create material that people cannot only relate to, but most likely lived through.

4. Young twenty something’s who are confused and scared about life, but still have a dreamer within.

5. In the editing process of a book that has quite literally taken over my life.

So, by taking these points we can create the following:

‘To have my work published and loved by many. To create stories that young adults can relate to, and to act as security in their times of need. To continuously create characters, stories and scenarios that will allow a person’s mind to wonder and dream.’

I feel that resonates my reason to write quite well, and overall tells a stranger my intention. However, more importantly than that, it acts as a reminder to me. Whenever I question myself or feel it all going wrong, I can look at this and get back on track.

Don’t over think this too much though. This statement can evolve. As you start this strategy you may see certain things in different light, and as a result, you may want to change this very statement. Evolution is fine, as long as it’s true to you!

To act as a little comparison, have a look below at a few company examples. As you can see, they can differ in length, but they describe their companies quite well don’t you think?

Google
To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful

Apple
To produce high-quality, low cost, easy to use products that incorporate high technology for the individual. We are proving that high technology does not have to be intimidating for noncomputer experts.

Disney
We create happiness by providing the finest in entertainment for people of all ages, everywhere.

This website is great for examples to help spark some inspiration.

There you go friends (yes, that’s right, we are officially friends), the start of, hopefully, a very fruitful journey. Our next step will be to start the ‘BIG PLAN’, so get ready for some crazy rides. This may only be the start, but the end will be marvellous.

JB

A Marketing Plan For The Writer In You

2011-01-18T20:00:00.003Z

Hello world,

After a great deal of thought, I have decided that my blog is useless. However, don’t worry, because I have a plan. I searched my brain for a talent and figured my education and job should go to some use. Therefore, welcome to the world of marketing, only with a slight twist.

Most marketing blogs aimed at writers tend to focus on tools such as Twitter, Facebook, blogging, getting reviews etc. Now, although these are important, they are little use without a well thought out strategy. That is exactly what this blog will cover and will ultimately create your very own ‘Bible’.

Don’t worry; I will make it as exciting and relevant as possible. The last thing you all need is a boring lecture that isn’t even useful. We have all had enough of them through school. No, I will strip it down and focus on how an effective strategy can help you in your bid for domination.

Some of you will be thinking this isn’t for me. That a publisher will come along and do the hard work for you. I hope you are right, I really do. However, there is nothing wrong with new knowledge. Plus, a marketing plan may just impress your new employers and stop those pesky marketers getting all their own way (trust me, the last thing you want is a marketing team let loose on your baby. We are all self-indulged narcissists. If one tells you this isn’t true, well, they are either lying or not very good at their job).

So where do we start? Well today is merely an introduction. Below is a structure that we will work from in the coming weeks.

This is a marketing strategy process based on the work in Hooley et al. I have always found this book helpful (if not a little boring) and I would recommend it to anyone who is planning on doing further research (which I of course encourage). Don't worry, I will explain each section soon :)

So there you go folks, a start of a beautiful journey. I will leave you today with a list of some authors/books that could be of some help. Have fun in your endeavours and I will see you in a few short days.

N.F Piercy

Your new Jesus, Seth Godin

The December Blog Chain

2010-12-07T14:56:00.000Z

Hi all

The December Blog Chain on the Writers Forum AW was started by Auburn Assassin (Click Here for her post). However we have gone a different route this time around as the limit for what you can write is 25 measly words. I am quite frankly terrified.

I thought long and hard (well, about five minutes anyway) and decided i would use the current climate as my muse (snow) and my daily Hell as the setting (the train). Enjoy...

"Icy fingers reach out to lure me in. My body fighting but fading as the long chain of 1970’s metal stays stranded just moments away."

That was very hard to do. It may have only taken a few minutes to achieve but fighting the urge to carrying on writing is a particular skill.

Please read my fellow December Chain Bloggers below. Next up is rmgil04

Auburn Assassin http://clairegillian.wordpress.com/
rmgil04 http://writersinprogresswip.blogspot.com/
CScottMorris http://cscottmorrisbooks.com/
Proach http://desstories.blogspot.com
Aheila http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/
GradyHendrix http://www.gradyhendrix.com/
AimeeLaine http://www.aimeelaine.com/blog/
Regan Leigh http://www.reganleigh.com/
HillaryJacques http://www.hillaryjacques.blogspot.com/
Ad. http://everingoodstead.wordpress.com/
Orion_mk3 http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com/
Regypsy http://www.regypsy.wordpress .com
Dolores Haze http://dianedooley.wordpress.com/
Semmie http://semmie.wordpress.com/
ElizaFaith13 http://girlgamersunite.blogspot.com/

JB

Revisiting The Show V Tell Debate

2010-12-03T12:49:00.000Z

So I submitted my first 2,500 words to be critiqued and overall the comments were helpful. The age old ‘Show’ don’t ‘Tell’ came up though and it has got me cursing once again. Not at the commentators, like I say, I thought their feedback was good and agreed with parts of it. Just the whole contradicting notion that the subject brings drives me insane in the old membrane.

For example, one of the comments say “In fact there are other things you tell me, but not show such as "the claustrophobic conditions of the bus". Was the road bumpy? Was the floor sticky? Was black smoke pouring into the bus??”

This is fine but the same person also says “Secondly, some of the descriptions just dragged on and boggled down the flow, like the part when they got to the ocean.”

Now is it just me or does this contradict one another. I know describing a place is a little different to describing a person and not showing. However, think of it this way, if I had described the claustrophobic conditions of the bus in detail it would have turned a one line piece of writing into a four line one. And if I simply said the ‘The ocean was wonderful,’ I would be cutting out the description and making it shorter. Wouldn’t I simply be telling though the reader though? Wouldn’t said person want to be ‘Showed’ the ocean?

It seems to me that you need to get a balance between show and tell. These passages that the commentator mentions are within a few hundreds words of each other in my book. If I took this advice I feel I would substitute one ‘Tell’ for another. If I chose to ‘Show’ on both occasions then I would need to do so for many others. The result? A long winded story that spends half the time needlessly describing things, which I feel, would come across as info dumping and losing all flow.

Another comment was this: “you should provide a few scenes to show what the characters are like and show the situation they're in. I was confused about Bella and Alex's relationship prior to the beginning of the story, and you spend a lot of time saying what the characters are like with out showing them to me”

Another valid point right? Well I have also received feedback in the past that says you should not simply info dump and to not give too much too soon. Only tell the reader what they need to know now and bring in the rest later (if at all). These comments are based on the first few pages so if I explained everything about the characters wouldn’t I be doing far too much back-story and info dumping? (This, I hear, is a cardinal sin for the opening pages of a book). I also feel it would build little intrigue for later as everything would be dumped on the reader in the beginning; not allowing them to paint their own picture.

I feel if all I do is ‘Show’ then this will slow the pace of the story down and come across as info dumping. I maybe looking at this all wrong but I find the whole subject rather contradictory, less so than I used to, but never the less difficult to process.

I really appreciate both commentators (after all they took time out of their lives to read my work) and I checked out their blogs and what not. By all means they seem very valid and worthy to listen to.

It has got me thinking about Show V Tell again. If people keep commentating on it then I would be stupid not to. However, I do feel that I need to get on board with what I am changing. At present I feel that isn’t the case. Hopefully I will become enlightened soon

I am on the road to feedback once again!

2010-12-02T19:24:00.002Z

Hello online world

So I have been pretty useless this last week and posted absolutely no blogs, tweeted very little and read next to nothing. Why? Basically because work has been crazy and I have been getting home and crashing. I did find time to finish my most recent edit of Chapter 3 though, which means, I have reached my aim. So as a result I have posted an extract to the AW forum asking for some feedback

*AW for those of you do not know is a great little writing forum. Certainly one to check out

I have already received a little bit of feedback and all in all it was very positive. It did have the age old ‘Show’ do not ‘Tell’ comment though. I have already expressed my opinion on this in the past and it seems I have yet to rid my whole story of it. Maybe I still don’t fully understand the concept. Maybe I do but just subconsciously refuse to listen to it.

I certainly see where the comments come from and when people say it I go “ok, fair enough.” However, I just don’t see the big issue overall. I am usually more than happy to be told things when reading. If it is constantly being done then, sure, that is another thing. But from time to time where is the harm huh?

Well hopefully I will continue to get some more feedback and it would be nice to have something more solid to show by the start of 2011. The aim now is to gather some feedback, make any changes that are required and upload the first three chapters to the Authonomy site (and hopefully a couple more like mind sites) to continue on the road to feedback heaven (or hell as the case usually is).

Then all I have to do is write the other seven chapters. Easy!!

All is well in JB land everyone. Hope the snow isn’t getting you down (if it is look at the snowman above. Isn't it ace?)

Soundtrack of your Books Life

2010-11-22T21:19:00.001Z

Hi all

So I have been thinking. I quite often imagine a soundtrack when I am writing (or reading someone else work for that matter) as if it was a movie. I find it helps me immerse myself in the story line, the character and the setting. Does anyone else do this?

Well it got me thinking about how I could use music in my story. As you will know, if you have read my bio, that my story is based around two parallel tales following the same characters down different routes. One of the biggest things I aim to create is a sense of how different situations can alter a person.

I want to make it feel that the characters personality as a whole remains the same in both stories, but certain traits differ. Bringing the whole question of nature versus nurture into play. However, I want to do this in a very subtle manner so only certain people will pick up on certain things.

I feel music could help to do this. For example, take the character Clark. In one story he lives in New York and is very work oriented. I think a raw and rustic sound would be more appropriate for a young go getter in a city that never sleeps. I am thinkingg bands such as Crystal Castles, Klaxons and Dave Sitek.

Whereas in the other story, Clark is more ‘House’ oriented. This would mean a more mellow and wholesome sound. Bands such as Death Cab For Cutie, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Shins could demonstrate his life perfectly.

I wonder if anyone has ever released a book with a soundtrack, where the book notifies you when to play a particular track? I know I would buy a book based on this, just out of the curiosity of what music was chosen.

So what about you? Do you link music and writing in the same way? What would your books soundtrack be? Go on, I dare you to let me know J

How To Decipher Feedback...

2010-11-17T15:56:00.000Z

As a new writer I have showcased my work to quite a few people in the hope of some useful feedback. I feel this is one of the webs most useful features; the ability to connect with millions of people across the world that you would not have been able to fifteen years ago.

However, I find, as I am sure so many new writers do, the feedback can be a little hard to decipher. Often two people will say contradicting things about the same piece of writing, may totally disagree with something you feel very strongly for, or even have the nerve to not like your writing at all (how dare they).

Feedback is great and anyone worth their salt should seek as much as they can get. However, it is important that you take everything you receive on its own individual merit. You should ask yourself questions such as:

- Who is the critic? (novice or pro)

- Are they knowledgeable about your genre?

- What other feedback do they tend to offer (is it always negative?)

- Have they grasped what you are saying or do you think they have simply skim read it?

- And, most importantly, do you agree with the feedback?

I feel all of these are important things to ask but the last one is vital. Do you actually agree with them? Any changes you make should be for the better not to simply please everyone. Remember that YOU are the writer and if you aren’t on board with the idea then it will probably come across in a terrible way.

Do make sure you are critical of your work though. Look at what your critic is saying and analyse your work accordingly. Read it from an outside looking in and be honest with your self. If you agree then change it; if not then don’t. Feedback is great but you still need to love your book in the end of the day.

List of a few sites that I have used and got some good feedback: (please leave other sites in a comment and I will add them to the list)

November Drabble

2010-11-15T15:29:00.003Z

Hi all

Trying something new here in the hope of sparking some creative thoughts. So I recently joined a writing forum called Absolute Write and I found a lovely little post about 'Dabbling'.

Drabbles, for those of you unaware, are small pieces of writing of 100 words. I am not sure if all 'Drabbles' need to be 100 words, but these particular ones do (exactly 100 too. Not 99! Not 101!)

So I have partaken in this little exercise and written my piece below (I used this SITE to choose my subject*)

*My chosen subject was 'What happens when a man bumps into his former girlfriend while he shops for baby toys with his pregnant wife? The man once told the ex-gf, "I,m not the marrying kind." '

Look at all this, seriously, is it really necessary for a two month old baby to require a tea set. She isn’t even born yet and my head is hurting.

“Which colour do you prefer?” asked Sally whilst holding up two small shirts.

“The blue one?” I reply

She shakes her head in an ‘idiot’ kind of manner and turns back to the counter.

‘I hate shopping!’

As I reminisce about happy times a familiar face fills my eyes, ‘Is that Becky? Oh please no!’

Ok, stay clam, maybe she won’t see you.

“Hi Daniel, how are you?”

“Oh Crap!”

Hope you enjoyed the 'Drabble' everyone. Next up on the list is rmgil04. If you have yet to read the other contributors so far I suggest you do. There are some great little pieces of writing.

Fellow 'Drabblers' for the month of November:

Bettedra
FreshHell
CScottMorris
AuburnAssassin
Aheila
Bibbo
hilaryjacques
Orion_mk3
Proach
rmgil04
Madelein.Erwein
PASeasholtz
Regypsy

I Can Feel My Brain Going POW!

2010-11-11T14:27:00.002Z

I have been absent from the blogging world for a few days. I do apologise. It has been one of those weeks I am afraid where work is very busy and the social side of life has been a little chaotic. It is quite rare for this to happen if I am being honest.

But I am back now and raring to go with a few edits tonight and hopefully read some other like minded blogs.

I went through my first two chapters on Monday and overall I was pretty happy. I find myself still questioning certain things though. Can this be done better? Is it worth having it in at all? Yet for the most part I decided to stick with it all and move on to Chapter 3; hopefully to one day go back to the beginning with further inspiration and perfection.

I do find the whole editing process amazing. How you can be so happy with something one day but wanting to change it the next. Is it for the better or are you simply over analysing? Maybe, just maybe, you have read the whole thing so many times that you couldn’t possibly like it. I feel that if I do ever get published then I will put the book on the shelf to never open the damn thing again. I dread to think how many edits would be needed to get it to the kind of perfection a publisher would desire.

Yet some people enjoying editing don’t they? I suppose to a point I do, at least parts of it anyway. I just find the whole notion of being happy with it hard to come by as I know it will be a fleeting feeling. Before long I will read it and think ‘hmmm, no. I can certainly do better than that.’

Oh well, I suppose that is just the process of a writer (or is it? If not please let me know so I can avoid insanity). To write, be happy, read, be happy, read again and hate it, write, be happy; and so on and so on.

I will let you know how the start of Chapter 3 goes soon. Maybe tonight, who knows!

I am quite excited about doing my upcoming ‘dabble’ though. It should be an interesting little exercise to get the creative juices flowing

JB

Editing? Yes, Editing!

2010-11-08T14:17:00.002Z

Well it is a new week and what does that mean? For many it involves carrying on with NaNoWriMo (something I haven’t done. In fact I kind of went the opposite way). Nope, for me it will involve getting back to editing mode after a week off.

I had spent weeks playing with my first two chapters and it quite simply got to the point where I couldn’t read the beginning of my story again. I feel I made some great changes and I’m certainly happy to have made them. However, there is, I feel, such thing as over thinking. I do this often in life and I didn’t want to obsess over writing (even though it is obvious that I will be unable to prevent this).

So I took a break. Put my feet up. Chillaxed and what not. It was quite nice overall as it gave me a chance to get immersed into the online social world of blogging and tweeting. I am by no means an obsessed tweeter yet, and to be honest, I don’t think I ever will be. I do like the little things I learn though and have come across some great articles. Hopefully in time I will meet some good folk and exchange wonderful stories about life’s frustrations, where to find the perfect new book and what is better to have in the morning; cereal or toast.

Monday though brings a new week and with it the end of my rest. I will get back onto the horse and start editing again; hopefully to make ‘Beyond Parallel’ a best seller (ah we can but dream). So what is the plan? Well I am going to have one last quick read through Chapters one and two (last? Fat chance of that), and move on to chapter three with keen eyes. It is a pretty long chapter so it may take me a week or so but as soon as I complete my epic task; I will upload the story so far to the online world and let round two of the fierce feedback begin.

The last round brought with it a great deal of help; will the second be as successful? I do hope so. I am much happier with where it is now but I am sure there is much more to improve. I am also looking forward to blogging and tweeting about my editing nightmare. I haven’t had much to talk about the last week or so; editing will change that very quickly indeed

JB

Show Don't Tell? Well Let Me Tell You Something!

2010-11-05T13:59:00.000Z

I have only recently got back into the writing world after drifting away for a while. I got immersed back into the non reality by joining a site called Authonomy and uploading my book (that I started about four years ago now). I got some great feedback and I feel it has sent me down a very good path. However, one continued piece of advice that I kept being given was ‘Show don’t Tell’.

Now in all fairness when I started to look into this I agreed with much of it. I did some research and went back to chapter one and edited accordingly. There were certainly times when I could easily ‘Show’ rather than ‘Tell’. Yet it wasn’t this that annoyed me. The thing that drove me crazy was that so many people seem to be set on the idea of only ‘Showing’.

I simply cannot agree with this. I feel if you use a first person voice then this will happen for the most part but you will still occasionally ‘Tell’. In third person though, ‘Telling’ will, and I feel should, take a large role.

Now I know this is a cardinal sin for many but I just don’t understand why. Who comes up with these rules? In my opinion writing is about expression. You need to stay within certain limits if you are to be taken serious but you should never sacrifice your style for the sake of it. Adjust and alter, fine; but to completely change? I think that would be crazy for anyone to do.

I find ‘Telling’ can be a fantastic way to change the pace and to create intrigue in a character. It feels like someone is creating an insight into a personality and it is up to the reader to continue into the story and pick up on these hints in later dialogue. So I don’t feel anyone should avoid ‘Telling’, merely be careful about how they approach it.

Don’t ‘Tell’ for the sake of it; this will just become boring (something I found from my early chapters). If you do, however, create some tiny hints and give away small parts of a persons personality (or location, situation etc) then you are simply giving a reader a push in the right direction. It is then up to them to form a perception, an opinion and to look out for future references.

So I love ‘Tell’ and I would never hate a book because they did so. I may hate it because they approach it in a wrong way, but that is another matter all together. So be brave, bend the rules and write how it feels right. If you keep getting the same feedback by all means listen. Look at your style and really ask yourself some tough questions. Is this exciting? Do I really need to say this at this moment in time? Can I ‘Show’ this and have it create a better case than simply ‘Telling’?

In the end of the day though make sure any change you make is for the good of your writing; not because someone said you broke a rule or two.

JB

The Hard Sell! A Poor % Game...

2010-11-04T12:44:00.000Z

As someone with a marketing background I thought I would give my two cents as to how best utilise online media such as Twitter. I have recently started to get involved in some online communities and it amazes me how some people try and use the hard sell. It will simply never work online.

I use a website called Authonomy and it is a great place to showcase your book and get feedback. Yet the site is flawed because there is a rank to get to the top. This means you get bombarded with requests to ‘Back my book and I will do the same’.
This is simply a sales technique and brings with it a terribly low % rate.

See, the average person in the modern world is bombarded with hundreds of adverts every day and as a result clued up. We no longer want to be brainwashed and are generally a little more wise as to when it happens. That is why the online revolution was so good. It allowed you to build a relationship and develop ways to manipulate others to do the leg work (or ‘Go Viral’ as you may)

Although the definition of marketing is far from clear (impossible to define even) I look at it as a means to build a relationship and coheres the consumer in with manipulation. Selling on the other hand is more like forcing someone’s hand. Although this works with certain products I really don’t think books are one of them. And this is where my two cents come in.

Writing is an art and reading is a passion for many. A person doesn’t want to be bullied into getting a book as they read to escape their life, to learn and generally fuel this passion. You need to connect with them and develop credibility. I feel this is vital for any author (artists in general) as otherwise you are left with a bunch of people with a book but no opinion (because they probably didn’t bother reading it)

So when you use a media such as Twitter, don’t simply sell your product. Engage with people, offer them advice and your opinions. Develop a relationship and slowly filter in information. If you do this then people will begin to connect with you and if they like what they hear they will search for more. If you happen to have a book then this is where they will start. Overall people want to feel like they have made their own choice, even if in reality, they didn’t.

So I plead with people using online media such as Twitter, a blog, a forum or any other such channel; do so with caution. You have a great opportunity to build a respectful audience but you only get one chance. Selling may bring volume but it won’t bring respect. What is important to an author? I would say respect and a credible audience!

What can you do? learn! There are plenty of great marketers out there offering great advice. For starters you can begin to read Seth Godin, a great Marketer who really engages with online media. I would also suggest taking a look at Malcolm Gladwell and his ‘Tipping Point’ theory. Although psychological in nature it is a fantastic thing to look at for marketing. It focuses on how something can explode into popularity from mere nothing. Isn’t that what every young author hopes for?

(Seth Godin also links Tipping Point to the online world very well Click Here)

There are of course hundreds of great books to read on marketing. Some relevant to you and others that are not. However, they will all tell you similar things. Just remember that the day of telling someone to buy something is dead. It worked 30 years ago because people didn’t know any better. Now they do and it is up to you to persuade them with other means.

Engage! Relate! Emphasise! Build a relationship and the rest will fall into place

Of course, this is only one mans opinion on it all.

JB

To Read or Not to Read?

2010-11-03T15:36:00.000Z

I have just finished reading a great little blog from Lisa Romeo (Click Here) where she goes on to talk about the link between reading and writing. She asks the question: ‘How can you be a writer if you are not a reader?’

Now this is quite a simple little piece of writing but I find it rather interesting – even though her bio at the top of the page kind of contradicts this. I have never been an avid reader. I didn’t really start reading a great deal until my later teens and even now I go in and out of trends. I enjoy reading a lot and to be honest find it a great deal more interesting than TV – although movies are a different matter altogether.

However, I certainly don’t read as much as I should do but when I go through one of my ‘Heavy Reading’ stages I find positive things coming from it. It helps my creativity, not just in writing but life in general. I also find my conversations and speech improving and feel more at ease with what I am saying. It doesn’t seem to matter what I read either. It could be an intense book about physics or a real easy kind of read (I am thinking of Dan Brown). I also find blog’s, newspapers, magazines and even the back of the cereal boxes help too.

One of the main reasons I started reading more recently was because of the great feedback I got on the back of it. It allowed me to look at my writing in a better light and I honestly think it has improved. Is it at its peak? No! Will reading help it improve more? I believe it will!

It was something I was aware of before today but such a simple little blog helped me realise it in a clear manner. I struggle to read for long periods of time due to my horrendous attention. I am not sure if I am classified as ADD but I must be somewhere near the fine line. Reading also makes me really tired and this makes it a little harder. Yet I won’t make excuses. If I want to improve then I will work at it. Reading won’t just help improve my writing but many things in my life. I honestly believe that and hopefully doing activities like blogging and tweeting will help me on my brave and epic quest.

So I thank you Miss (Mrs.) (Ms.) Romeo.

That is all.

JB

Virgin Blog Done And Done..

2010-11-02T08:08:00.001Z

So welcome to my first blog post. What exactly should I talk about? It is all rather worrying, trying to think what to tell the world about. Will I be interesting? Am I going to talk utter nonsense? Does anyone actually want to hear about what I had for breakfast?

Well I guess I will just have to go with the flow and hopefully it will work out ok. So first up let me tell you about my editing of the soon to be bestseller ‘Beyond Parallel’ (ha, well a guy can dream right). Last night I read Chapters 1 & 2 and tried to sign it off as a somewhat success. I must have re-edited the first couple of chapters about five times in the last month. Every time I think I have finished and am happy with my writing, I read a blog, get some feedback or generally look at things in a different light. It results in me redoing the whole thing again and overall become a very inefficient member of the world.

However, this is good right? It means I am learning. Maybe?

Just so you know, I am a novice when it comes to writing. I am not trained, don’t have a degree in creative writing and am quite poor when it comes to grammar. Yet I have a story to tell so felt telling it would be the best thing to do. It just so happens that I have learnt a lot along the way and feel that it is actually becoming a book that is not to bad (make a note of the word ‘becoming’; certainly not there just yet).

Anyway, I have completed the first two chapters again and I am generally quite pleased with them. I certainly know that I will go back at some point and add a few changes but for the time being I am quite pleased with it all. I am aiming to edit up to Chapter 3 and then will upload to Authonomy (a great site where I have received a lot of great feedback). I have deleted my old account and will start again soon. Mainly because I found myself spending too long on there and not on my own book. Typical!

Yet I will do no more editing for the rest of the week. Chapter 3 will have to wait and Chapters 1 & 2 can sit and mature for a while. I feel that I am over analysing too much and changing small things for the sake of it. Hopefully a few days away will help distance my mind from the story and allow me to look at it more objectively. At least that is the plan.

So the rest of the week? Well I am going to get involved in this blog. Tweet like I have never tweeted before and go in search of some interesting folk. If you are reading this now, chances are you are one of those interesting folk I am talking about. I have found reading others work (be it book or blog) can seriously help me. I have so much to learn an I am lucky to be in an age where there is so much material out there. Why the hell not use it?

It is all quite exciting really. A place to rant about my life, ask questions about things I am unsure about and generally read/watch about random things.

Well that is all for now everyone. This will hopefully be the first in a number of social network activities this week. If you have read this please introduce yourself. I look forward to getting to know someone cool little guys and galls