by Anna Johnstone | Jan 27, 2018 | Blog, Own Writing
For those who don’t already know, I spent most of 2017 writing and editing my own first book. It’s already available in paperback, but now it’s ready and available in e-book format from Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iBooks. This is why I haven’t had much time to blog on this site, but hopefully, I will have more time once I get the promo-out of the way.
Charon was once the Ferryman of the Underworld. Now he’s the doorman of a disused office block. If only the old Gods hadn’t lost that drunken bet all those centuries ago, things would be very different. For a start, Ragnarök probably wouldn’t be on its way.
Ra is looking for a way of escaping the mortal realm, but there’s something about his plans he isn’t telling everyone.
Maybe Charon is the only one who’s noticed. He certainly seems to be the only one who cares. But can he do anything about it? It looks like he’s going to try. But there are others who might profit from the situation, and the last thing he wants is the Fae Courts breathing down his neck.
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by Anna Johnstone | Dec 17, 2017 | Blog, Service
Great news!
The plugin problem has been fixed (thanks to my in-house, coffee-fuelled IT department), and the quick booking service is working again!
by Anna Johnstone | Dec 5, 2017 | Blog, Service
Due to something to do with updates which ran overnight, I have had to disable the Quick Booking part of this website, along with anything to do with WooCommerce and PayPal Quick Invoice Payments until I can get it fixed. I will let people know as soon as I have sorted this out. This post is just to let you know that I am aware of these problems and am working on a solution.
For the moment, all bookings are going to have to come directly to me but you can still contact me through this website. A list of prices and services is also available from the header menu. If you would like to make a quick payment for works received you can still use either PayPalMe or the BACS information at the bottom of your invoice, Please be sure to include your invoice number so I can easily process your payment.
by Anna Johnstone | Nov 28, 2017 | Advice, Blog, Service
A sample edit is an indicator of many things; the professionalism and ability of the editor is only one factor. The sample indicates the level of the work to be undertaken and it allows the editor to asses pricing but did you realise it also shows the editor the level of respect they hold for the skills of the editor?
These did not develop overnight and it is not something that just everyone can do. In the last fourteen months, I have lost count of the number of sample edits I have completed. Some of them took me a whole morning and others took me the best part of a day, depending on the amount of work that needed to be done.
‘But why should authors pay for what they can get for nothing?‘
The reason to pay for samples is two-fold.
First. Refusal to pay for sample edits signal, at least in part, an expectation that editors are automatically obligated to give up their time, and should be grateful for every scrap of attention an author puts their way. Given that this is an attitude that many of us in the creative industries have to explain when companies and individuals want to pay us in ‘exposure’ and think that the satisfaction of completing the work should be its own reward, it saddens me when we have to deal with this from other creatives. The willingness of an author to pay for a sample edit is a clear indication that they acknowledge that your time is as valuable as the skills they want to employ. It says ‘I understand there is a person at the other end of this email who is working hard to make a living, and they deserve to be paid fairly for the work they put in‘. It tells the editor a great deal about the author: remember they are assessing the author every bit as much as the author is evaluating them. Simply put, it’s a matter showing respect between author and editor.
Second. Many service industries charge a call out fee to cover the time it takes them to assess the work in question, and a sample edit is no different. You would not expect a plumber, cleaner, gardener or electrician to come to your home or to give up a morning of their time for nothing. In my view, creative services are no different. The sample fee implies the level of commitment of that potential client. Even web developers charge a consultation fee, This is not to say that editors should not offer free samples if they so wish, only that you should not be put off when editors do charge for their sample edits. By ignoring the editors who don’t offer free samples you could be depriving yourself of an opportunity. What you have found is not a ‘greedy editor‘, but a confident and skilled professional who knows the value of both their skills and their time.
by Anna Johnstone | Oct 22, 2017 | Blog, Reblogged
There has been a lot of disturbing news recently about how Kindle is treating its authors.
Cases include books having their ranks stripped without warning, and even whole catalogues being removed. More disturbing is that Amazon appears to be denying their authors any redress – not to mention refusing there is a problem with their system. The only way to make this company face up to its obligation to uphold fair practices is to ensure Amazon cannot hide their poor-conduct. We must share these stories as far and as wide as we can.
Authors should be working together as a community rather than trying to sabotage each other or cheat the rankings. Sadly, there will always be those who do indulge in dishonest practices, but to be accused is not the same as being guilty. These authors deserve to be shown the evidence against them and given a chance to answer to it. If there is no evidence beyond what the algorithm vomits up, then should Amazon not be publicly apologising – if only for the sake of its own reputation – and working to improve their system? Based on the stock warnings, these cases appear to be the result of an overzealous, automated fraud prevention system that is clearly not working properly. These cases need to be dealt with carefully, individually, and by people rather than robots. The authors cannot be held responsible if their books have been targeted by scammers trying to boost their books by making others look guilty, This is the first thing that should be ruled out before punishment is dealt, especially when you consider that Amazon are jeopardising the livelihoods reputations of these authors.
Phoenix Sullivan is well-known in the indie community – I’ve known her myself since 2009 or 2010 and consider her a close friend. Aside from being exceptionally generous with her time and knowledge…
Source: Amazon’s Hall of Spinning Knives | David Gaughran
by Anna Johnstone | Sep 30, 2017 | Advice, Blog
With NaNoWriMo fast approaching, there will be many writers embarking on a new writing project this November. With this in mind, I have put this PDF together to serve as a basic guide for outlining. This has been built from a handwritten version compiled by Nichole McGhie from thexcitedwriter.com and is based on K. M.Weiland’s Outlining your Novel which is worth a read on its own. The poster is designed to print out onto 2 A4 sheets of paper and still be readable so newbie writers will be able to pin it up in front of them. I recommend you do. While the information in this poster is by no means exhaustive, it does offer a sound framework.
From my own experience of NaNoWriMo, now is the time to get outlining and thinking about tour plot and characters. I will stress here that I didn’t actually finish my first draft until May (oops) but I am now in the final stages and hope to complete my final round of editing on time to get it formatted and then self-publish in November. The reason I didn’t finish on time is that I started without a complete outline and then got stuck at the midpoint while I worked out what should happen. This is not an experience I wish to repeat and it is also why I strongly advise my clients to prepare an outline before they start. Having an easy means to keep track of your plot, sub-plots and character development will save you a massive amount of time and stress in the long run. It is also the best way to
Having an easy means to keep track of your plot, sub-plots and character development will save you a massive amount of time and stress in the long run. It is also the best way to avoid a huge amount of rewriting – not to mention disappointment – after you get it back from your editor, having already given them a migraine. If you want your editor to love you, then you MUST outline but I wanted this to be more of a ‘how’ post than a ‘do this and this is why post’. Most seasoned writers by now understand the importance of planning, especially if they write in series. I’m addressing the novices and the people who are planning to dip their toes into creative writing for the first time so below are a few more pointers you should be thinking about while writing and planning.
Dos
- Think carefully about your POV. Does it work for the genre?
- Is your story more heavily weighted in favour of plot or character? Ideally, This should ideally be a 50/50 mix of both but some genres can cope with more than one than the other.
- Is the conflict proportionate? A story without a problem to solve isn’t a story and that’s basically what is meant by conflict. This can be internal or external but there must be an obstacle between the character and where they want to be and it has to be believable. That’s about the crux of it. Think about how often you have put a book down because it wasn’t grabbing you. Ever thought about why? Most of the time I have found it’s because the protagonist’s life is either too easy or too hard; everyone loves them and everything happens their way or, the less frequent, a complete train wreck of a character whose problems are insurmountable and there is no hope of them ever overcoming them. The protagonist doesn’t have to solve the problem, and sometimes that can make for a more interesting story, but there still has to be a possibility that they will overcome that obstacle. Do they realise why they don’t manage their task?
- Consider plot progression as well as pace, Do the events in your plot occur within in a logical progression? They need to present a sequence of events leading clearly from the beginning (the catalyst) to the conclusion. A series of seemingly unconnected events will only bore your readers. In other words, if a character is doing something, they need to have a good reason to be doing it.
- Use an editor. Spellcheck can’t correct structural issues or dialogue.
Don’ts
- Use the act of writing to show off your vocabulary and hope it’ll cover up the fact that there is nothing happening. Really, don’t. A strong story, with the action at the right points, can support some flowery Hardyesque prose. A weak one? Well, you might as well have rewritten the Mayor of Casterbridge (that book is a sore point with me). You will also give your editor a headache. A good one will spot this a mile away and should call you up on it.
- Don’t describe what one of your cast is about to say and then put it into dialogue. If you are in doubt about what someone has just said, read it aloud. Would that sound awkward coming out of someone’s mouth?
- Don’t try to outline every last detail. You need to leave some room for flow.
- Don’t try to edit as you write. You will get nowhere quickly. Get that first draft down then go back over it as a read-through before touching anything. Make a note of your plot points, as well as where they are, and compare them with your outline. This should help to identify any weak areas to fix in your self-edit before sending it to an editor.
- Do not send your unedited first draft to an editor.
