Insecure About Queries? #IWSG

Welcome, Insecure Writers! If you haven't yet joined this wonderful group--created by Alex J. Cavanaugh--jump over here and fix that!

Are you feeling insecure about writing a query? Me too!

Two of my books were released last year, and when I go back and read the queries, I'm so proud that I wrote them. The query for The Boy Who Loved Fire helped me sign with an agent. It's perfect for that book.

As I entered the "new query" stage for another project, I was frozen. I couldn't snatch the words floating in my head and put them in a logical sequence that captured an entire story--even though I'd drafted a query pitch before I wrote the book. Was I losing my skills? Had I taken a step back?

No. It felt this way before I wrote the query for The Boy Who Loved Fire, and before I wrote the query for The Summer of Crossing Lines.

The trick for me is to do the following:

1. Research "how to write a query," to remind me what works and what doesn't.
2. Dive in.

Diving in can be the hardest. But once the crappy words are written, they can be deleted, replaced, and shaped. We can't do that with a blank page. So my crappy words are written, and I'm in the pruning stage. I'll get it right--with time and hard work.

If you're insecure about the query, like me, here are some links that may help: Writing a Query Letter, by Elana Johnson; articles about writing a query by Janice Hardy; and How to Write a Query Letter over at AgentQuery.com.

How about you, fellow writers? Do you struggle with writing queries? Have you nailed it? Any tips you can share with the rest of us?

Reflections on a Year of Indie Publishing

Hard to believe, but it's already been a year since I took the indie plunge. Since then, I've published two books: The Boy Who Loved Fire and The Summer of Crossing Lines.

I thought it would be fun to reflect on the past year--what I've learned, what I've loved, and what I'm thankful for. Here are some thoughts as I round out year one.

• Indie publishing is fun. Yes, it's also hard. And yes, it keeps authors very busy. But it sure is fun. The creative control is intoxicating. Editing the manuscript until it's ready for readers is such a worthy challenge. And cover design? Such a thrilling, collaborative experience. Heck, I even loved formatting the manuscripts and uploading them to distributors. For me, the whole process is fun, fun, fun.
• Zero pressure (except the pressure we place on ourselves). No pressure to sell a certain number of copies before the book is yanked off the shelves. No pressure to become a media darling. Sure, I placed pressure on myself to create quality books with eye-catching covers, and I pressured myself to hit deadlines, but those were self imposed. 
• I'm not a bestselling author...yet! (and that's ok). I've experienced so much joy from simply writing stories and preparing them for market. This may sound crazy, but I don't check sales numbers, rank, or lists. Maybe some day I will, but not right now. I'm just busy preparing the next book.
• Time management is a constant battle. I'm a slow writer. For me, my best work comes through time and reflection--not a meat grinder. Other indies release several books a year, but I can't focus on their timelines or I'd be tempted to release my books before they're ready. I do what I can when I can, in a way that makes me proud. You can't ask for much more than that.
• I'm grateful. For every single reader, for every single review, and for every kind word. I'm grateful for Amazon, and Apple, and every distributor who made indie publishing so darn easy. Each time someone downloads my book or orders a print copy, they're placing faith in me. I'm truly thankful for that. These books were labors of love, and it's satisfying to see them out in the world.
• The indie community rocks. I've been blown away by the amount of resources out there. Podcasts, blog posts and resources shared by Joanna Penn, Susan Kaye Quinn, Simon Whistler, and more. Everyone shares what they've learned, which helps other indies. It's awesome.

It's been a fun, exciting year. I've conquered massive fears and learned a heck of a lot. Moving forward, I will continue to write books, improve my craft, and send stories into the world. Indie life suits me!

Have you taken the indie plunge? What was 2014 like for you as a writer? Did you achieve goals? Surpass them? Re-align your priorities? Please share!

Not a Failure--A Learner #IWSG

Welcome, Insecure Writer's Support Group! Not signed up with this amazing group yet? Quick! Remedy that and sign up here.

Side note: my ebook "The Boy Who Loved Fire" is free today! Clicky here to download a copy :)

Recently I was listening to a very successful person talking about failure and making mistakes. He suggested that people take this attitude: "I'm not a failure, I'm a learner." 

This person had tried new things and failed. He'd tried some things and succeeded. His perspective was this: keep trying new things, even if you're scared. You will NOT fail, because even if things don't go your way, you've still learned something new. There's immeasurable value in that.

His statement really resonated with me. As a matter of fact, I'm about to do a whole lot of learning. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo again this year (my sixth!), but I'm trying something completely new. I'm using my beloved characters from my novel The Boy Who Loved Fire. Not a sequel, but more like a companion book. Plus I'm writing in dueling points of view. I've never done that before. Oh, and this will be more like a thriller. So yes, there will be plenty of failure...er...learning...going on.

I'm also studying ideas about releasing books as serials, podiobooks, and all kinds of fun stuff. One thing I've learned about this publishing business, especially indie publishing, is there are so many cool things to try.

What if something doesn't work out? I'll learn from it and move on to the next thing. And I won't consider it a failure...I'll consider it a learning experience.

Friends, what's your take on failure? Do you consider it a bad thing, or do you find value when things don't go the way you'd imagined? Are you afraid to try new things because of the fear of failure? Please share!

How to Create a Print Book

(Here's me holding my proof copy. Almost as exciting as giving birth to my children, and not quite as painful!)

Today I'll share how I created my print copy of The Boy Who Loved Fire!

There are many reasons why I think print books are a giant bonus, even in the digital age. I'll share more on that topic in my 4/24 guest post on Janice Hardy's blog. For now I'll discuss the how instead of the why.

For the purpose of this post, I'll focus on CreateSpace--the company I used for my print book. I've been really happy with the outcome.

Here's a step by step guide to creating a print book:

Cover Design

Print covers require a spine and info for the back cover. I used J. Allen Fielder to design all my covers, including print. For a small extra fee, he adjusted my digital cover for print. He knew exactly what to do. All he needed was the book size, page count, and ISBN. This was one of the many benefits of working with a cover pro! If you're working with a cover designer, let them know you're doing print and discuss the details.

Formatting

Before you even sign on to CreateSpace, you'll need to format your final, super duper edited manuscript for print.

• Choose a book size: I pulled favorite YA contemporary books off my shelves and whipped out the measuring tape. I chose 5.25" x 8". Another popular size is 6" x 9".
• Format to size: I write with Apple Pages. I updated my page size in Inspector>Document>Page Setup. (CreateSpace offers help to Word users in this link)
• Choose margin sizes: I used a ruler to size up my shelved books, then changed the margin settings. In Pages it's Inspector>Document>Facing Pages and >Headers, >Footers.
• Chapter headings: I moved my chapter numbers to almost mid page of each new chapter. I also increased the font size of the chapter numbers.
• First lines: remove indent from the first sentence of each new chapter and after each scene break.
• Delete unnecessary data: remove the table of contents from the front matter, and digital links from the back matter.
• Save as a .pdf

Upload to CreateSpace

Once you have a nifty cover with a spine, and a re-formatted document, you're ready to upload your book. This part moves easily from one step to the next. Here's a short breakdown.

• Open a CreateSpace account: some of your information from Amazon will transfer over. Everything else is self-explanatory.
• Title page is self explanatory
• Interior: choose paper color (cream is most common for fiction) and type color (black and white). This is also where you upload your .pdf file.
• ISBN: I chose the free ISBN offered by CreateSpace. For more info about the ins and outs of ISBN numbers, read this post on Janice Hardy's blog.
• Cover: choose matte or glossy finish (I chose glossy). Upload your cool cover with spine.
• Complete setup: this is where you review all the info you've entered.

Once you've completed all the steps, CreateSpace then reviews your book for quality. You'll receive a message when it's approved.

Review

• Review your book online: click through each page and see how it will look once printed. 
• Browse through errors: in your online book review, you will likely see errors off to the right. Click through those to figure out what needs to be changed. If you're unsure about these changes, or can't see anything wrong where an error message appears, visit the forums. Many of these "errors" are simply glitches that don't need to be fixed.
• Proof copy: once you've reviewed your online book and can't find any errors, it's time to order your proof copy. Once you receive your proof copy by mail (a totally exciting experience, by the way), go through each page of the book. Look for anything wonky.
• Change and re-upload: make any necessary adjustments to your main document, save to .pdf, then upload a new copy.

Distribute

• Channels: I made my book available everywhere.
• Pricing: I made my book as cheap as CreateSpace would allow. Print books are already more expensive than digital. I wanted it to be as affordable as possible.
• Description: this is where you add your book summary and author bio.
• Keywords: very important! If someone wanted to search for your book, what would they put in the search engine? I used teen, arson, hispanic, burn victims, romance. 

Publish

Once your online book and physical proof have been reviewed for accuracy and beauty, click Publish and get that baby out there!

Yes, print books require additional work, but it's soooo worth it. My biggest advice is this: use the forums. Click here and search for anything you're up against when creating a print book. CreateSpace authors have done and seen just about anything, and they generously share solutions. Forums are an indie author's best friend.

For more tips on self publishing, including ideas for a professional print book, I'd highly recommend James Scott Bell's Self Publishing Attack.

If you're indie or traditionally published, is there a print copy of your book out there? If you've used CreateSpace, or another print service, can you think of anything I've missed?

Indie Roundup #indielife

Before I get to the indie roundup, I wanted to let you know that I'm giving away print copies of The Boy Who Loved Fire over at Goodreads. See that link on the sidebar? Clicky clicky and enter for your chance to win a signed copy :)

When I released my YA novel, The Boy Who Loved Fire, I was fortunate enough to guest post on some amazing blogs. I posted those links on my author Facebook page, but not here. Today, as my contribution to IndieLife, I'll remedy that.

If you're on the fence about indie publishing, if you think it's too intimidating, or if you want to know how a complete newbie like me could pull it off, I hope you'll find these posts helpful.

Self Publishing

A Newbie's Guide to Self Publishing @ Jami Gold's blog

Resources for the Do-It-Yourselfer @ Elizabeth Spann Craig's blog

Lessons Learned from Self Publishing @ Janice Hardy's blog

Writing Advice

Softening Hard Characters to Make Them Likable @ Writers Helping Writers blog

Inspiration

Artistic Bravery @ Adventures in YA Publishing

Interviews and Features

Book Reviews--why they matter and how to write them @ Leslie Rose's blog

My 3 most important elements of writing, plus how I describe myself using fruits, veggies, and movies @ Sheri Larsen's blog

Why I decided to self publish, plus writing advice @ Carol Riggs' blog

Writing advice and insight to my favorite cartoon character @ Marcy Hatch's blog

Flawed characters and why we love them @ Tina's Book Reviews

What inspired The Boy Who Loved Fire? @ Unconventional Librarian

If you stopped by any of these blogs, thank you! If you've read some amazing posts recently, please share them in the comments.

Have you indie published? If you've released a book, did you do a blog tour? What lessons did you learn?

Why Connect Charitable Giving to a Book Release? #IndieLife

Welcome to the February installment of IndieLife! Wanna join the group? Just sign up here.

When thinking ahead to the launch of my YA novel, The Boy Who Loved Fire, I felt uncomfortable with the me, me, me approach. Heck, when I got married and had children I didn’t even like the unwrapping gifts portions of my bridal and baby showers because the attention was focused solely on me.

An idea struck. I’d attach all the proceeds from the first two day’s worth of sales to two amazing charities: Grossman Burn Center (via Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors) and Carousel Ranch (equestrian therapy for disabled children). My son is a burn victim who had been helped tremendously by the Grossman Burn Center. Carousel Ranch helps disabled kids near my home. Both charities hold special places in my heart.

Once the decision was made, I no longer cringed at the thought of telling people about my book. I wanted to tell as many people as possible so these amazing organizations could benefit.

If you’re thinking about connecting your book release to charitable giving, here are some suggestions to consider:

• Choose charities that connect to your book: When doing so, this can introduce readers to your book who may be going through similar issues. For instance, my main character falls in love with a burn victim. This burn victim had healed with the help of caring people at an equestrian therapy ranch. These story threads connect directly to the chosen charities.
• Choose charities that deserve exposure: Make sure the charities are real, and that they do great work. Unfortunately, there are plenty of scammers out there. If readers are buying your book in order to help a charity, they should feel confident that their money and efforts won’t be wasted.
• Have the print version ready to go: Not every reader is using an ereader. I didn’t want the charity to lose money simply because a giver only read print books. It was a lot of work to get the print book ready by release day, but at least I knew the charity wouldn’t lose donations because of lack of print.
• Ask the charity to help spread the word about your book: Most charities have built-in networks. The goal is to sell as many books as possible on the designated day in order to bring the most benefit to the organization. If the author and the charity work together to spread the word, both sides win.
• Charitable giving can expose new readers to your work: By choosing to be a giver with your book release, you may reap unexpected benefits. Perhaps new readers will give you a chance. This shouldn’t be the main reason why you choose to give. It’s merely a side benefit.

Attaching book releases to charitable giving makes the buyer feel good. Yes, they’re buying a story they’ll hopefully enjoy, but they’re also helping others. It’s a great way to turn away from the me, me, me approach and turn toward the give, give, give approach.

Have you considered connecting a book release to charitable giving? If you decided to do this, what charities would you consider? Are they connected to your book’s theme? Please share!

Conquering Divided Attention-itis #IWSG

Happy February, Insecure Writers! I hope your 2014 is off to a great start. If you aren't yet a part of this wonderful group, click here and sign up. This month I'm so proud to be one of the co-hosts, along with M.L. Swift, Sheena-kay Graham, and Jamie Ayers.

What am I insecure about this month? Divided attention.

My YA novel, The Boy Who Loved Fire, was recently released into the big wide world. It's been a crazy, exciting ride, and I'm still in the infancy stage of publishing and promotion.

As I look ahead to the rest of 2014, I have plans and projects stacked up in my brain. Enough work to keep me out of trouble for a while! But way more important than that, I have a family—a supportive hubby and three teen sons who deserve my attention.

As busy writers, how can we manage our divided attention? I boil it down like this:

1. Family first—it sounds obvious, but sometimes we get lost in a zone and lose sight of what really matters. Spouses and kids should not feel like they're in line behind writing. If there's something I absolutely have to get done now, I let my family know I have work to do and I'll see a movie, have lunch, or watch the starry skies in an hour. They understand if they know I'm working now, but will turn my attention to them when promised.
2. Prioritize the work—I have the attention span of a 10-year-old (SQUIRREL!), so it's important for me to focus on one task at a time. I usually work on the most pressing issues first. Then I take stock of what needs to be done and make a list of priorities. I sometimes plug tasks into my iCal, based on what needs to be done when. This keeps me organized and on point.
3. Drop everything and … have fun—In order to write about life, we must live it. If something fun and unexpected comes up, I'll drop everything and go for it. The work can wait.

What's your opinion on managing divided attention? How do you juggle it all? If you have any tips, please share!

Book Release, Day 2! Buy a book, help a great cause

Friends, thanks SO much to all of you who bought The Boy Who Loved Fire yesterday. All proceeds from day one will be donated to the Grossman Burn Center. Click here to learn more about the amazing work they do for burn survivors.

It's day two! All of today's proceeds will be donated to Carousel Ranch, where they provide equestrian therapy for disabled children. Wanna be inspired? Click here and watch the slide show. You'll be glad you did. (Fun fact: I went to high school with the organization's executive director, Denise Tomey-Redmond)

In The Boy Who Loved Fire, Abigail—the love interest—is a burn victim. Part of her healing process takes place at an equestrian ranch that was loosely modeled after Carousel Ranch.

Again, here's the short description and buy links. 

I'm so grateful for your support!

Manny, a modern teen Scrooge, faces three ghosts as he outruns arson charges, falls for his fire victim, and battles for redemption.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple

Kobo

Smashwords

Print

If you buy a copy, I'd love it if you sent me a photo of you holding the book. I'd proudly post the photos here, on Pinterest, and on my author Facebook page. Please send your photos to julie at juliemusil dot com. I sincerely hope you enjoy the book, and again, thanks from the bottom of my heart. 

Have you ever heard of equestrian therapy for disabled children? Did you click on the link and watch photos of the amazing kids?

Book Release Day! Buy a book, help a great cause

Friends, it's book release day! I humbly offer my YA novel, The Boy Who Loved Fire. Yes, I'm excited. Yes, I'm nervous as heck. But most of all, I'm proud. I truly hope readers will love Manny's story.

This isn't an ordinary release day. All proceeds from today's sales will be donated to the Grossman Burn Center via Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors. The burn center holds a special place in my heart, because they took excellent care of our son when he had third degree burns. Abigail, the love interest in The Boy Who Loved Fire, is also a burn victim. I drew on our personal experience when writing her character.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the book. If you buy a copy, I'd love it if you sent me a photo of you holding the book. I'd proudly post the photos here, on Pinterest, and on my author Facebook page. Please send your photos to julie at juliemusil dot com.

Here's the short description and buy links. Thanks so much for your support!

Manny, a modern teen Scrooge, faces three ghosts as he outruns arson charges, falls for his fire victim, and battles for redemption.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple

Kobo

Smashwords

Print

All of tomorrow's proceeds will be donated to Carousel Ranch, where they provide equestrian therapy for disabled kids. Check in again tomorrow, when I'll share details of why I chose this amazing charity for day two.

thank you*thank  you* thank you* thank you

If you've released a book, how did you handle release day? Were you nervous? Excited? Scared as heck? Any advice you can give a newbie?

How to Choose a Freelance Editor

Six days until the release of The Boy Who Loved Fire! All proceeds from the first day will be donated to the Grossman Burn Center. Proceeds from the second day will be donated to Carousel Ranch. More details to follow!

When I decided to self publish my YA novel, The Boy Who Loved Fire, I knew I'd hire a freelance editor. Yes, the book had been through rounds of editing. Yes, it was clean. But I knew it wasn't ready for people to plunk down hard-earned money for it.

Stay tuned until the end to see who I picked! (No scrolling…I can see you!)

How should we choose a freelance editor? Opinions may vary, but here's what I looked for:

• Happy clients: I wanted to be sure the editor had a trail of happy writers. I put out feelers to other authors who had paid for professional editing. I asked for their honest opinions about the quality of work.
• Sample edits: Most editors offer a free sample edit, which I took advantage of. I thought of it as an audition. After receiving the samples back, I compared editing style and mood. Style and mood were unidentifiable things to capture, but once I read the samples, I knew for sure who I'd hire.
• Someone who "got" my story: I wanted an editor who got my genre, got my story, and cared about the outcome as much as I did. My editor was invested in the story.
• Knowledge: I'm an avid reader, as most of you are, and I can catch some details that need to be tweaked or corrected. But I'm not good enough to catch the all-encompassing story issues or nitty gritty details. That's not where my strengths lie. Or lay. See? That's what I mean.
• Balanced editing: I didn't want to pay someone to pump up my ego, nor did I want to pay someone to be mean. I looked for an honest editor who'd tell me the truth when my story was funky, and who'd also tell me when I'd done something right.
• Informative comments: My editor didn't just make a change or tell me what didn't work. She told me why. If a certain word seemed weak or out of place, she offered alternatives. It was my choice to make, but I appreciated the options.
• Reasonable response times: Some editors took a loooong time to respond to my inquiries, or never responded at all. That's not a good fit for me. I didn't expect a super fast turnaround with the edit, but I appreciated how quickly my editor did the work and how quickly she responded to my questions.

So, who did I choose to edit my novel?

Drumroll please….

Bethany at A Little Red, Inc., who did a wonderful job for a fair price. She was truly my partner through the editing process. And the bonus of all bonuses? She's funny as heck. Their motto is "We're funny. We're tactful. And we're fast." True story.

The editing sisters, Bethany and Erynn, are offering a free 5-page edit to one lucky commenter! I'll choose a winner on January 26th.

Have you ever hired a freelance editor? What did you look for before making the choice? Any tips you can share?

(photo credit)

Ta Da! Cover Reveal for "The Boy Who Loved Fire"

Friends, I'm soooo excited to reveal the cover of my upcoming YA novel, THE BOY WHO LOVED FIRE!

Drumroll....

This cool cover was designed by Jeff Allen Fielder, who was referred to me by YA author Gae Polisner.

Love, love, love it.

I'll dig in to more details about the cover design in a future post. For now, I'm honored to leave you with a few words about THE BOY WHO LOVED FIRE:

Manny O’Donnell revels in his status at the top of his high school food chain. He and his friends party in the mountains on a blustery night, sharing liquor and lame ghost stories around a campfire. The next morning, as a wild fire rages in those same mountains, Manny experiences doubt. He was the last of the drunken crew to leave the cave, and he’s uncertain if he extinguished the flames. Within hours, he becomes the number one arson suspect.

Santa Ana winds + matches = disaster. You’d think he would've learned that the first time he started a fire.

As he evades a determined arson investigator, Manny, a modern-day Scrooge, is visited by ghosts of the past, present, and future. He’s forced to witness the fate of his inadvertent victims, including Abigail, the scarred beauty who softens his heart. Manny must choose between turning around his callous, self-centered attitude, or protecting his own skin at the expense of anyone who gets in his way.

Find it on Goodreads here!

If you'd like to help me launch this baby into the world, please leave a note in the comments or email me directly at julie at juliemusil dot com. 

Thanks so much for your continued support!