Too little to offer? - Silencing your inner critic

By Wendy Parker

As writers, we all have to learn how to silence our inner critic

Because, like most critics, it likes to talk. And by talk, I mean torment

But before you can muffle and gag this monster into silence

Before you feel it rise up and open its loud and noisy mouth - yet again

And bully you into closing your laptop and stop writing -  yet again

You need to know what you’re dealing with

TOO LITTLE TO OFFER?

You think that you have too little to offer?

You think that what you want to write about has all been said before

So, what's the point?

And the truth is, that yes, it has all been said before

In a thousand different ways

But it hasn’t been said by YOU

In the unique way, you write it

Don't listen to the lie that you have too little to offer

What we deal with every day of our writing life, is self-doubt

At times, it can be crippling

So, you need to shut down the clamour that runs around in your head

And button up the lip of your inner critic once and for all

Because if you don’t, you will stop writing all together

And that my friend, would be a tragedy  

The oily voice that says, “Who do you think you are, trying to be a writer?”

Would have won.

Sure, this whole writing thing feels like you’re taking two steps forward

Then three steps back

But that is the music our words dance to

It’s the rhythm of a writer

I wonder how many books have been left in the graveyard of self-doubt

By writers who gave up?  

Or how many wonderful words, waiting as fossils under the dirt 

Just longing to be discovered?

Probably thousands, maybe even millions

Every writer I speak to has exactly the same experience

Your inner critic tells you that you tried and had a go

You got this far

Which is more than most

And maybe, just maybe this writing gig isn't for you after all

So, give it up and just accept that you have too little to offer

Your inner critic will remind you

That you’ve sent off your manuscript to countless agents and publishers

And all you get back in return is a stack of rejection letters

That have now become so high

You can use them to reach that copy of Great Expectations

On the top shelf of your bookcase and dust off its cover

I have lost count the amount of times I’ve wanted to quit writing

When it sits in the “too hard” basket of life

And let’s face it

Crying and sulking will do you no good, my friend

It just makes the torture of your inner critic all the more agonising

Too little to offer?

You have to silence that clanging noise

To an inaudible sound

So, you can hear God whisper, “Write, write, write.”

I believe that God weeps over all the unwritten words

That could have helped somebody

At just the right moment

Don’t pay any more attention to that inner critic

If you get knocked down, then get back up again

Because you can’t quit

Not on my watch

Not. Going. To. Happen.

You have to believe in yourself

And believe in your writing

Don’t lose faith

And don’t ever give up

You have SO MUCH to offer, my friend

Because God is counting on you to shine your little light

Into the darkness of this world

Remember what it says in Colossians 1:27

‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’

You still think you have too little to offer?

Not a chance!

Wendy xo

Wendy Parker is a member of the Australasian Christian Writers Group and Christian Writers Downunder. When she isn’t shouting from the rooftops on how to discover the real you through listening to God’s voice, she lives in a quite village in the Southern Highlands, along with her wonderful husband of 23 years, her incredible adult son, her beautiful teenage daughter and one spoilt chocolate Labrador, named Rose.

You can find Wendy's blog at www.thebigvoiceonline.com

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Tuesday Book Chat | 30th January 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.

Have you entered the 2018 Australia Day Giveaway? If not, check it out at the following link before the giveaway closes tomorrow. You could win great Aussie book prizes and a gift card (total prize value more than $100). To enter, click here to visit the giveaway page. 

http://www.iolagoulton.com/giveaways/australiaday/

Let's chat. Have you read any of the books you received at Christmas?

Two Ways to Publish (and One Way Not to Publish)

By Iola Goulton

Last week I looked at the main options for self-publishing paper books and ebooks. But what do you do if that all sounds too complicated?

There are basically two ways to publish:

1. You can hire people to help you publish your book.
2. Or you can pursue a publishing contract.

What you shouldn't do is sign a contract with a "self-publisher".

1. Hire Help

Savvy self publishing authors do hire people to help, especially editors and cover designers. None of us—not even editors—can edit our own work. Most of us shouldn't attempt designing our own covers unless we have serious graphic design expertise.

There are several other services self published authors often hire external experts for:

• Formatting.
• Writing the book description.
• Website design and maintenance (if you don't have a website, you need to join my March Marketing Challenge: Kick Start Your Author Platform.)
• Uploading files to online retailers.

Publish Like a Boss! has some great advice on being a professional indie publisher. Click here to read my review.

Note that there is one thing no reputable author or publisher ever pays for, and that is book reviews. But that's a big topic, so I'll save it for another post.

2. Go Traditional

I've covered this in previous posts here at ACW:

• Paths to Publishing: Trade Publishing
• Paths to Publishing: Small Press

Large established trade publishers will generally offer an advance and a royalty. Note that the advance is an advance against future royalty payments, so if you're offered a $1,000 advance and you earn $1 in royalty payments for every copy sold, you won't get any royalty payments until the 1,001st copy of your book is sold (no, these are not typical advance or royalty payments. That would be too easy!).

A smaller publisher or a digital-only publisher might offer a royalty-only contract. This means no advance, but it also means you start earning royalty payments from the first book sold.

Don't Sign With a Vanity Press (Please)

A vanity press is not the same as a traditional publisher. Instead of making their money by selling books to readers, they make their money by selling publishing and marketing services to authors. Unfortunately, too many of them prey on Christian authors. Writer Beware says:

Christian writers are more likely to trust a company that self-identifies as Christian ... a perfect honey trap.

There are a few ways to spot a vanity press:

They require you to pay them (not the other way around).

A reputable trade publisher will never ask for money up front. A vanity press will, although they'll never call themselves a vanity press. Instead, they'll call themselves a traditional publisher or trade publisher. Or a co-operative press or a hybrid press or a partnership press.

Those are all terms designed to confuse you, persuade you that they are a legitimate trade publisher. But if they are asking you for money, they are not a trade publisher.

I've discussed vanity presses in several previous posts here at ACW:

• Paths to Publishing: Vanity Presses
• I Wanted To Cry

If any publisher is asking you for money, please read these posts. Because the chances are that they are a vanity press, not a reputable trade publisher.

They require you to purchase hundreds of copies of your book. 

A trade publisher may give you the option of purchasing author copies at a discount e.g. to use in your own promotional efforts, to give as gifts, or to onsell. They will not require you to purchase copies—it's purely an option. Requiring you to purchase copies of your book makes them a vanity press.

They require you to pay for their marketing services.

A reputable trade publisher will require you to undertake some marketing at your own expense. For example, they may require you to have your own website which you develop and maintain. But they won't insist on building your website for a fee. Nor will they insist on you paying for compulsory or optional marketing services (which are usually expensive and of dubious value).

It all comes back to the first rule of publishing:

Money flows from the publisher to the author. Not the other way around.

Anything else is vanity. Please don't allow the desire for validation to blind you to the point of vanity.

If you have any doubts, ask.

Ask me. Ask in the Australasian Christian Writers Facebook group. Or click here to download the 2018 edition of Publishers Specializing in Christian Fiction.

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat. She is currently working on her first novel.

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The best laid plans...

Throughout January every year, I feel like I'm being bombarded with posts and emails talking about New Years Resolutions, Five Year Plans, Word of the Year, and so on. When I was running a business, all the business coaches talked about plans and goals, including five year plans. It's hard not to get caught up in it all.

If last year taught me anything at all, it's that the best laid plans can be derailed with something completely unexpected. For me, it was my son ending up in hospital after three days of school, and continuing the year in a wheelchair, finally walking out of the hospital in November. There was no way we could have planned for this, no matter what resolutions or plans I had made at the start of the year.

I had plans for writing and publishing more, working more hours in my day job so we could afford to move house, get back to the gym, read more books, and so on. None of this happened the way I wanted it to, though hospital waiting rooms are great places to get more reading done!

In spite of my plans, I had my first book published with a traditional publisher and we had a fantastic book launch. I have so many ideas for new stories, and many experiences where I thought 'That will be great in a book one day'.

It also taught us a lesson in leaning on God and our church community. Everything we've been through, especially last year, is all in God's plan, and we can't see it at all. We have learned that prayers are answered, but not always in the way we expect, or in our time. We have learned that the family of God is more than just our immediate family, and that they really do care for us and want to support us during the happy times as well as the hard times.

These lessons apply not only in my home life, but also in my writing life. I never expected I would be writing fantasy novels for kids, in fact, writing novels for kids wasn't something I had expected when I got back into creative writing.

For this year, my plan is more along the lines of "Go with the flow", or, rather, "Let God lead me". I know the dreams I have for me and my family, and my writing. I still have plans, but I have learned to put these in God's hands, and to be flexible.

Here's to a fantastic 2018.

Melissa Gijsbers lives in Melbourne with her two teenage sons. Their family is about to expand to include a new blue tongue lizard and a fighting fish!

She currently has three middle grade books available and is working on more in any spare moment she isn't reading.

You can follow her writing journey at www.melissawrites.com.au and www.melissagijsbers.com

Book Review: The Boy in the Hoodie by Catriona McKeown (and Giveaway)

Review by Iola Goulton

The Boy in the Hoodie is the debut from Australian author Catriona McKeown, and winner of the 2016 Omega Writers CALEB Prize for an unpublished manuscript. It was a well-deserved win, because it's a great coming of age novel about making mistakes, paying the price, and becoming a better person through the experience.

Here's the description from the back cover:

One girl. One boy. And a friendship that could save them both.

Good-girl Kat knew drinking alcohol at school would have serious consequences. But to protect her friend from being expelled, Kat lands herself a terms worth of detentions.

Inside the detention room, she meets a strange boy who obsessively draws dark pictures and covers his head with a grey hoodie. Little does she know, the hoodie hides a dark past ...

An unlikely friendship forms between Kat and the boy in the hoodie. When she discovers a sinister truth hes been hiding, she somehow feels compelled to help him but at what cost? And how much is she willing to risk in order to keep him safe?

The Boy in the Hoodie is a real, unforgettable story about past scars and how the ones we love can sometimes heal them.

My Review

I enjoyed everything about The Boy in the Hoodie. Aussie setting, strong characters, solid plot, and excellent writing with enough humour to offset the often-serious nature of the story. Like this line, where Kat is wishing she could leave her current high school and go to a private school:

Well, I thought it was funny.

The set-up could have come across as contrived, but it didn't. I think this was because the story was told in first person from Kat's point of view, so we could see both why she lied for her friends, and what she thought about it. It was also interesting watching her get to know the boy in the hoodie and find out more about what the adults thought about her misdemeanor.

The boy was also an interesting character, and first person worked well in that I (as the reader) didn't know any more about him than Kat did, and got to know him as she did—for better and for worse.

I almost read The Boy in the Hoodie in one sitting—yes, it was that good. The 'almost' is because the tension got too much towards the end, so I had to take a break. I definitely recommend The Boy in the Hoodie for young adult and not-so-young adult readers.

Any chance of a sequel? I see Paige had issues and I want to know more ...

Giveaway

Cate has offered to give away two copies of The Boy in the Hoodie - one paperback copy to an Australian postal address, and one Kindle copy to an international reader.

If you'd like a chance to win, leave a comment and your email address, and tell us whether you ever got a detention in high school. If so, what was it for? 

We'll announce the winner next Friday, 2 February.

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat.

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Chin up! Forward focus! I’ve got your back!

At our last Omega Writers National conference in October, I invited the marketing manager from Koorong Books to come to meet some of the established Australasian authors, and to conduct a session based on a whole heap of questions that I had sourced from various authors around about. To boil it down, the main theme of what we as authors were asking is: What on earth is going on with the Christian market!?#@?!

No, we didn’t really swear, but if tension could have been measured, and swearing was appropriate in a Christian context, you could well have heard some colourful language. 

Frustrations are high amongst Australasian Christian Writers. Very few are doing well. Nobody is doing really well (and yes, I know I’ve used an adverb). Given that the Australasian Christian market used to support a title to the tune of at least 3,000 copies, some considerably more, today’s gauge of doing well is to the tune of 300 copies. Generally, a modest order of fifteen for online sales from the warehouse seems to be a starting point, and if they don’t move out in the first two weeks, the book is not considered worth re-ordering. (This reflects the performance of fiction, from my own selling experience).

Most of us are well aware that the eBook phenomenon has seriously affected the bookselling industry. Some of us have converted to reading eBooks (hiding my face in shame, but it’s so convenient and cheap). Personally, I’ve had two publishers and one well-established printer go out of business in the last ten years. All three companies were more than 30 years in the industry, and while I saw each one try to convert to digital, and try innovations, like the Titanic, they just couldn’t change course quick enough. 

Having been 20 years in the market, I have experienced the hay day, and watched confused as it changed, and now sit powerless and frustrated as I see the Christian bookselling landscape reduced. Where once there were five major Christian bookselling chains, plus numerous solid independent Christian bookselling shops in major towns, and even more small volunteer-run church bookshops around the country, there is now only one major Christian bookselling chain, and the independent shops are either closing or struggling. The small volunteer-run shops are dwindling as their aging volunteer base is no longer able to serve.  And none of them are taking the risks on Australian, small and independently produced titles like they were able to 20 years ago.

So when the young man from Koorong bravely set his foot on Omega Writers’ territory, I was well aware that I might need to fend off an angry mob. Really, I wanted to be part of the angry mob, and demand attention and answers, but I invited the poor fellow, and felt sorry for him. To his credit, he was the one who was willing to open the lines of communication, and come to meet us and hear our stories. He presented a very informative session that addressed most of the questions we asked.

 The fiction market particularly has dropped dramatically. Koorong, the last Christian book chain standing, are struggling to get foot traffic in store. Even their online eBooks struggle to compete against the likes of the fire-breathing, monopolising giant, Amazon.

I, like many in that room, wanted to shake him and make him understand that our books can’t sell if they’re not on the shelf. From his research, and what the state of the market is, it appears they might not sell, even if they were on the shelf. 

Of course I want to take this as a major offense—that my writing has been rejected. I’m sure I’m not alone.  But that is a fruitless and ridiculous hole to fall into.

So, what’s to be done?

If there is anything that we as Australasian Christian writers can do, it’s support each other. If we want a physical, bricks and mortar Christian Bookshop presence in Australia, then we are going to have to support them. At least order the paper back from them as opposed to major international discount sellers. Our intrepid friend from Koorong marketing watches the clicks. He’s a digital man. If you’re clicking on Australasian authors just to read the blurbs, leaving reviews, and best of all, ordering their books, it gives him confidence to venture out a little more next time. We have to do it, folks. If we don’t get each other’s backs, then we won’t have a Christian market in Australia.

So my encouragement to you, today, as president of Omega Christian Writers is: use the Koorong website regularly, read the reviews, read the blurbs, and when you have a mind to buy, consider them first.

Or if you have a small independent Christian Book shop in your town, make sure you pop in there and try to use their services.

Onward and upward, friends! Chin up!

Author Meredith Resce, is the president of Omega Christian Writers Australasia.

www.meredithresce.com

www.omegawriters.org

Tuesday Book Chat | 23rd January 2018 | Narelle Atkins

Narelle here. Welcome to our ACW Tuesday Book Chat where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.

Today I'm giving you all a sneak preview and the link to a fabulous 2018 Australia Day Giveaway.that will open in a few days on 25th January. Check it out at this link.

Let's chat. What's your favourite real-life setting in a novel?

Understanding Your Options for Self-Publishing

By Iola Goulton

I'm a member of several writing and editing groups. Some are Facebook groups; others are email loops. A lot of the same questions come up over and over. Many of these recurring questions have a similar theme:

• I have just finished writing a novel, and I'm looking for a publisher.
• My client has just finished their memoir and is looking to self-publish.

Sometimes it's a memoir, or a non-fiction book. Sometimes it's an editor enquiring on behalf of a client. But the question is always the same: what publisher do people in the group recommend?

My recommendations are always the same.

If you want to self-publish in print, you have three main options. If you want to self-publish an ebook, there are a few more options.

Print Publishing Options

1. Amazon

2. Ingram Spark

3. A printer

Amazon

Amazon is a Print on Demand (POD) printer, which means they only print a copy of your book when someone has ordered it. They operate two programmes: CreateSpace, and the newer Kindle Direct Publishing. Most authors use CreateSpace, simply because it has been around longer and there have been reports of some teething troubles with Kindle Direct Publishing.

Both programmes operate in a similar manner—you upload your book, choose from several distribution options, and set your price. They then print the book, ship it directly to the buyer, and pay you the profit on the sale.

At the time of writing, Amazon only prints paperbacks.

IngramSpark

IngramSpark has a one-time setup fee, and also charge a fee every time you upload a new version of your book. They are also a POD printer, and operate in a similar way to CreateSpace (in fact, CreateSpace will sometimes outsource their printing to IngramSpark at no cost to you).

IngramSpark has paperback and hardcover options.

A Printer

A printer could be a local printer, or an offshore printer. The local printer is likely to cost more, while the offshore printer will have a higher freight cost. Actual costs will depend on the number of copies you are ordering—the more copies, the cheaper the cost per copy but the bigger your overall cost. Try not to be swayed by the per-unit cost: it's no saving if you end up with hundreds of books you've paid for but can't sell.

There are two main types of printing: POD (which is most cost-effective for short print runs e.g. under 100 copies) and offset (which is most cost-effective for large print runs e.g. over 1,000 copies). Offset printing has a lower per-unit cost, but a higher initial outlay because of the minumum number of copies.

I only sugest considering a local printer if you have a local audience who are likely to buy your books in print. Getting a book into print is the easy part. The hard part is sales and distribution, which is why most savvy authors choose CreateSpace or Ingram Spark.

Ebook Publishing Options

If you're looking to publish an ebook, there are a few more options:

1. Publish Exclusively Through KDP Select

2. Go Wide

3. Use a Distributor

4. Use a Combination

KDP Select

You can self-publish exclusively through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Select programme. Amazon offer promotional incentives for author/publishers using KDP Select, including free days, Kindle Countdown deals, and membership in (and payment from) their ebook borrowing programme, Kindle Unlimited (referred to as KU).

Amazon has no upfront charges for publishing through KDP Select. They make their money by charging a percentage of the sale price of each book sold. You receive the rest as a "royalty" payment. The royalty at Amazon.com is 70% of sale price for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99, and 35% for books priced higher or lower (the price thresholds vary slightly by country).

So if you sell a book for $2.99, Amazon will pay you a little over $2.00 (this figure will vary depending on where you live, and whether your country of residence has a tax treaty with the US. But those differences are Amazon complying with international taxation laws, not trying to pay you less).

Go Wide

You can publish directly through Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Kobo, iBooks, and other online ebook retailers. Publishing through multiple retailers is often referred to as "going wide", in that you are not restricting your ebook sales to Amazon. Again, there are no upfront costs. Each retailer pays a royalty calculated as a percentage of the sale price of each book sold, and their royalties are broadly similar to Amazon's.

Use a Distributor

You can publish through an online distributor such as Draft2Digital or Smashwords. They have no upfront charges, but charge you a percentage of the royalty they receive from the online retailer. So if you sell a book for $2.99. the distributor will receive about $2.00, and will pay you about $1.80 (depending on their standard contract).

Use a Combination

If you choose to go wide, you can go direct with some stores, and use a distributor for others. For example, the last time I checked, you had to have an Apple computer in order to upload a book to the iBook store. If you're a PC user, you either need to become BFFs with a Mac owner, or use a distributor to upload to iBooks. Other authors find it difficult to upload to Google Play. In both cases, many authors choose to distribute direct to the major stores such as Amazon and Kobo, and use a distributor for the smaller stores, or those they can't access.

Note that most authors publish in print and in ebook format. Fiction authors (especially romance authors) tend to make most of their sales in ebook format, although paper remains a popular choice for children's books, middle grade, and young adult.

But what are your publishing options if that all sounds too complicated? I'll be back to discuss that next week.

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat. She is currently working on her first novel.

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