Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Thank You


Just a post to say "Thank You" to:

Marissa at Sizzling PR

For the recent book tour promotion of Fairy Tail.
It was great fun completing the interviews and - amongst other things - it has broadened my list of new friends.
Some even completed reviews on the story which were very encouraging to a "first timer" like myself.

Thank you too to Angie, at Ruby Lioness Press

For managing to arrange the KDP select dates during the actual promo.
It resulted in quite a number of hits on both my site and blog which have helped raise my profile ahead of the release of "Guardian Angels", my first major work - and what I hope will be a successful series.

AND
I musn't forget an extra special "thank you" to Lacy Wolfe - my editor for "Fairy Tail" - who made it a little gem to read.

This happy bunny is now going to frolic in the sun... Have a great day everyone.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Book Babe Review


http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.gr/

Please stop by and take a look at this (and other reviews) at Book Babe.
My grin cannot fit on this page.
Thank you :)

Friday, June 22, 2012

Important Advice for Authors - and those who want to be.


Listed below is some honest advice to those genuinely looking to overcome "hidden" hurdles to getting your book published.

Take it on board -

It can be intimidating to put your work out there for someone to judge its merit and profitability, there are some things that you can do that will really hurt your chances of getting a contract or even any feedback at all. The following are a couple things that could cause you to fall at the first hurdle:

  1. The absolute worst thing that you can do is ignore the submission guidelines. They are there for a reason—to explain to you how the publisher would like your submission to look! This isn’t an instance where personality or being “different” is going to shine.  The publisher asks for submissions to be formatted and emailed in a certain way so that it makes their job easier. If you are interested in working with them, please read their guidelines. If you have a question about something you have read, email themfor clarification.  They don’t bite…
  2. Did you edit your email, blurb, synopsis, and manuscript before sending it? Did you also run it past another person who has good grammar skills before sending it? If not, do not press the send button! Poorly written emails are a good indication that the rest of your submission is poorly written as well. Weeding through a page of text, let alone an entire story, that does not follow proper grammar rules or includes misspellings every other sentence is torture to someone who is actually interested in what you have written. Get an editor, critique partner, beta reader, or even a retired English teacher to look over your work before submitting it.
  3. If you are waiting to hear back about your submission, please don’t complain about it in social media venues. It is okay to be anxious and impatient, but keep it to yourself, rant to your family, or check in with the publisher by email.  Remember - publishers receive a large number of submissions each week and pride themselves in giving each the attention they deserve. Smearing their name because you are not happy with our turnaround time ruins their credibility and makes them "irate", especially if you link your comment to our Facebook page or Twitter account. Yes, they pay attention and read. Be professional and don’t burn that bridge.

So there they are—three of the many ways to turn off a potential publisher before you have a book contract in hand.

Next time - More important advice about pleasing a VERY important person. Your Editor!

Free this weekend (June 22nd - 24th) on KDP Select - Amazon


Fairy Tail - published by Ruby Lioness Press - available from Amazon.




For the third year running, a ritualistic serial killer has struck again in the week leading up to Halloween, leaving a gruesome and bloody trail in his wake.

It’s the same every year. One murder every day, until his quotient of seven has been reached. Butchery doesn’t begin to describe what happens to those who he gets his hands on. Then the killer vanishes – only to return twelve months later as merciless as ever.

When he does resurface, he appears to strike randomly and at will. It cannot be established exactly how the killer selects his victims, or why. As such, the detective leading the case is no closer to discovering the identity of the ruthless predator than he was when the slayings began.

It’s only when the detective gets an unexpected break that things get interesting…
Stop by and grab yourself a copy!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Today's Book Tour and Review


Fictional Candy
Fictional Candy


Please stop by at Fictional Candy to see their review and interview.
Some of the questions were quite different from normal and this was an interview I thoroughly enjoyed.

Take care
Andrew P Weston

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Today's Book Tour - Kacey's Konnections


Visit my Main Site



Hi everyone!
If you get the chance today, please stop by and visit. This was a fun interview! Andrew P Weston

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Today's Book Tour - Book Travels


Photobucket
http://booktravels.blogspot.com.br/

Please drop by and see what they have to ask. I enjoyed this interview very much.

Have a great day!

Andrew

Todays tour - Books-n-Kisses


Books-n-Kisses

http://www.books-n-kisses.com/

Hello everyone - just to let you know that today I'm being interviewed by Book-n-Kisses.

Drop by and see how it goes AND of course what else is on offer.

Andrew

Monday, June 4, 2012

Pitch Tour - You Gotta Read Reviews


Hi everyone - Don't forget - later today I have a gust blogspot/interview over at You Gotta Read, arranged through, Sizzling PR



http://yougottaread.com/

Feel free to drop by and find out more about my 1st release Fairy Tail


And then of course, find out a little bit more about me!... (It won't take long!) ha ha
See you there,
                      Andrew P Weston

Sunday, June 3, 2012

The Joys of Editing -

So, you see yourself as an editor eh?


Then welcome to a very special, select world of those who want to be certified! - Seriously.

If you think you'd be a great editor because you love to read, think again. There's much, much more to it than that. Despite keeping busy with a number of writing projects on the go, I still love to read.
But I'd never be an editor...why?

Their main job is to make the writer's message clear, accurate and presentable. Yes, proofreading does come into it, (Looking for typo's - errors - format etc) and they are keen to ensure the five "C's" are adhered to: is it Clear; Correct; Concise; Comprehensible & Consistent...

But, unless you have ever seen or experienced the editing process..WOW! you'll get a shock.
(Now - I'm going to seriously simplify the following)
I was so relieved my first experience was on a short story.

You send off your spankingly brand new, polished and shiny work of pristine art to the publisher. You think..."Oooh, its looks wonderful!" - and it does. Flowing down the page in graceful black and white, easy on the eye, smooooothly graceful to follow...

Then you enter the editing stage...And if your'e not a computer literate technophobe - (like me) this is where you start to panic.
Your gleaming example of pride an joy comes back looking as if it's been in a cagefight! Covered - in my case - in ruby red horror!
The editor has to do their job. Make/suggest changes - improve clarity - improve impact & flow - make meaning clear and improve the 'readability' of the story. But you'd never guess that to look at your baby sitting there on your computer screen, whimpering to you for a hug!
You'll already be sweating, as you former work of art is now covered in red highlights, underlining, tabs and bubbles, giving all sorts of useful suggestions.

Okay - take a deep breath - wipe your palms - look at the next stage. Instructions!

Directions like, - Ensure "Track Changes" is on in Compatability Mode - Ensure the "Review" tab is highlighted - look for the "Accept/Reject" function... just make your palms start to sweat again.

If you've never heard of these before, you think Huh? And work your way laboriously through the tabs, to ensure you get the right things up. Okay, now what do I do?

Accept or reject the changes.
Theres a wonderful button for this, where all the pain can be miraculously wiped away. But careful... If you accept, you glorious work starts to revert to its former glory...if you reject - it stays red, if you dare to make a change - it goes blue! You feel like your abusing the one you love!
But - it's not just you that has to read it. Because you send it back!

Now what the editor has to contend with, isn't a graceful work of art in flowing easy to read black and white. What was once resting on the eyes now explodes from the page in a confusion of red (with tasteful grey undertones in some cases) suggestions, bubbles, phrases and re-written ideas, confusingly jumbled together with royal blue suggestions, phrases and re-writes from you!
(Now, as I say, I've really simplified this)

Basically - imagine trying to read a story you've REALLY been looking forward to, if its covered in confusing red and blue suggestions, corrections, underlining, lines leading to bubbles containing thoughts/ideas etc, that constantly confuse the eye & take you away from what you're trying to read.
(I was going to paste in a spoof example onto the page - but I didnt want to scare you....) If you're an aspiring writer, you've got to discover this joy for yourself.

Imagine VOLUNTEERING to submit yourself to that on a regular basis! That's why editors live in special houses with padded wallpaper and wear wonderfully tailored jackets with wraparound sleeves... nice!
So the next time you're out shopping and somebody cut's you up on the way, or you find them standing in the aisle studying the wording on a can of soup and muttering to themselves with red pen in hand, or even, if you find them hiding in the fetal position inside a freezer sucking their thumb - spare a thought, it might be my editor contending with another fine mess and they're having a bit of a stressful day.
Take care now - have a nice day Lacey :)