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IWSG

#IWSG November 2021- Titles, blurbs, even the easy parts of #writing are hard.

IWSG

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Any amount I make goes towards my dream to host a book fair in Hampton Roads, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

Optional Monthly Question: What’s harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?

I think it’s equally hard to come up with a title and a blurb, but in very different ways.

When I start on a new project, I often have a working title in mind. Still, there’s always the chance that one of the four or five other possible titles I’ve come up with might be the final title to get published. I tried getting feedback on titles and have even posted a few polls. For me, it often comes down to the final moment of “I’m done with this project and it’s time to put it out there” that I settle on a title. I say settle because I always feel that whatever title I’ve chosen, another one would be better after the fact.

I know many people do this, and that’s fine for others, but for me, an excerpt from the book is a lazy blurb. When I find a book online and the blurb is just a passage from the book, part of me thinks, why bother? They didn’t. I’m not saying that I haven’t read some of these books, but honestly, if my TBR is stacked pretty high, books with excerpts in place of blurbs get bumped down.

When it comes to writing that blurb, it’s a balancing act. I want to pull readers in, but I don’t want to mislead them. I want them to know what to expect, but I don’t want to give too much of the plot away. I don’t want to be an excerpt blurb writer just in case there are other readers out there like me. Right now, I’m still writing out about three to four blurbs and testing them out on friends and family. I just wish I had more friends, outside of this lovely community, who were actually readers.

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IWSG Newsletter Member Spolight

So glad to see the member spotlight back. It was fun getting to know a little more about Natalie Aguirre. Be sure to check her out at the following:
Literary Rambles: http://literaryrambles.com
Twitter: @NatalieIAguirre
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natalie.aguirre.56

IWSG BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS

Member Spotlights

#iwsgbookclub

The books we’ve chosen to spotlight in the month of November are Lyon’s Legacy: Catalyst Chronicles, Book One by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan and Broken Angel by Sylvia Ney. Please check these out and consider giving one or both of these a read this month. If you’re not up for reading them, no worries, you can still help spread some love for these publications and or participate in the book club activities.

My co-mods and I have done a lot of research into the books written by IWSG members to help facilitate the current direction the book club is taking. In the process, I’ve learned about how readers find and don’t find books by our members. So, I’ve put together some, hopefully, helpful tips I like to call…

Ways to Make Your Book(s) “Findable”

…and increase their chances to be featured and discovered.

3) Post a clear and easy way to find links or buttons to learn more about your books on your blog and or website. If your website and blog are separate, make sure you can easily access one from the other without having to search for it, which includes links or buttons to info about your books. I did a lot of searching trying to find IWSG member books, more searching than I fear the average reader will do. *Make sure all the links on your blog or website actually work and are directed to where you want them to go.

P.S. I’m excited to announce that the co-mods and I have come up with a plan to better serve all the members of the IWSG community. We acknowledge that there are no perfect ways to please everyone, but with our goal to spotlight and promote the talented people of this community, we had to at least try.

Our original spotlight schedule was derived from IWSG member participation in the blogging community. It quickly came to the attention of co-mod Juneta Key that we had neglected to give our Facebook friends as much attention. So now, we are altering our schedule and setting up a registry. If you are part of the IWSG monthly blog hop, you do not need to sign up for the registry. Moving forward our spotlight schedule will follow this pattern:
IWSG blog list 1-50 = Feb, Jun, Oct.
IWSG blog list 51-100 = Mar, Jul, Nov.
IWSG blog list 101+ = Jan, May, Sep (Anthologies)
IWSG Registry Apr, Aug, Dec.

Please click the hyperlink to fill out the form to be added to the IWSG Book Club Spotlight Registry, and please help us spread the word.

Now, on to the personal updates.

I’ve been writing a little, not a lot, but any time I write, I appreciate it. My Patreon community has really helped me to create on a regular basis. I’m so grateful for my patrons.

I usually try to post a monthly update on what I read along with book reviews; however, taking on the role of IWSG Book Club Admin has been more time-consuming than I’d expected. Still, I’m having lots of fun doing it so there aren’t any complaints here. I simply have to rethink how I’m going to post my reviews moving forward. I’ll also need to address my Newsletter readers, whom I’ve terribly neglected.

Here’s the video of what I read in August and Sept. I’ve already completed my October reviews but will share those with my IWSG Book Club Poll post next week. My full review video is featured below.

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So, what’s harder for you, titles or blurbs?
Read, or written, any good books lately?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog. My response time has gotten slower but I’m still making my rounds.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Kim Lajevardi,
Victoria Marie Lees,
Joylene Nowell Butler,
Erika Beebe, and
Lee Lowery!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #33).

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter

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IWSG

#IWSG October 2021- Where do you draw the line?

IWSG

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Any amount I make goes towards my dream to host a book fair in Hampton Roads, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

Optional Monthly Question: In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?

I don’t like to think that there is any topic I’d be afraid to tackle but will admit that some subject matter simply doesn’t appeal to me. I also think it’s one thing to completely avoid certain material and another to find a different or more comfortable way to approach it than say “the norm”.

Rape is a topic I’ve written about without describing it. For some people, it’s important to describe things in vivid detail all the time, but sometimes you don’t have to and still manage to be compelling. There are other topics that I’m not likely to write about simply because I don’t want to, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t.

When it comes to sexual content, I think I’m a bit more open, though I’ve not gone too steamy at this point. Even when it comes to reading mature content, which I’m ok with, I draw the line when there’s more than one graphic sex scene within a chapter, sometimes even having one a chapter is just too much. Some descriptions are unnecessary and seem to only serve the purpose of being shocking. Still, even if I did write something truly steamy, I still don’t think it would be considered profane. Some writers excel at writing shocking content that can be disturbing, visceral, or hyperrealistic. That’s not me and I’m okay with that. I like the idea of entertaining readers, not shocking them.

When it comes to language, I’m okay with profanity if it serves a purpose and seems real. Again, I admit that I’m more likely to read books with profanity than I am to write it (though too much is a turn off), still, I have put a few mature words in my stories when I felt it played well with either a character or the overall plot. I don’t think anything I write will ever be considered profane, but that’s just me. I have no problem with other writers writing what works for them.

On a side note, I recently listened to a podcast that stated there’s research that content warnings aren’t effective. They don’t help readers cope with the content, but can deter some readers, which in my opinion is a good thing. If someone doesn’t want to read certain content and they know upfront, that means that book is less likely to get a negative review because the reader was unnecessarily shocked or disturbed. Also, I feel like they could help other readers find the content they are looking for. Maybe someone wants to read something a little more intense than the norm. I’m all for content warnings. What do you think?

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IWSG BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS

Member Spotlights

#iwsgbookclub

The books we’ve chosen to spotlight in the month of October are Already Home by Heather M. Gardner and Dragon of the Stars by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Please check these out and consider giving one or both of these a read this month. If you’re not up for reading them, no worries, you can still help spread some love for these publications and or participate in the book club activities.

 

My co-mods and I have done a lot of research into the books written by IWSG members to help facilitate the current direction the book club is taking. In the process, I’ve learned about how readers find and don’t find books by our members. So, I’ve put together some, hopefully, helpful tips I like to call…

Ways to Make Your Book(s) “Findable”

…and increase their chances to be featured and discovered.

2) Make sure you have a complete and up-to-date Amazon Author page unless you are opting not to sell on that site. You can also look into setting up profiles on other retail sites that allow that. I must admit, I’ve been meaning to get set up on Google Play and still haven’t done that yet. If a reader can’t find you on Goodreads, the next place they are likely to search will either be Amazon.com or Google.

P.S. It has come to the attention of the admins that there is a discrepancy between the members we are currently pooling from and the actual numbers of members to pool from. We are currently working on a registry system to fix this. Thank you all for your patience as we strive to give all IWSG members a chance to be featured.

Now, on to the personal updates.

I attended my first live event in over a year. It was simply a vendor table at an outdoor fair-type event. It was more fun than I’d expected but just as stressful as I’d imagined. I had a few moments where I felt dizzy from the rush, the commotion, and the heat. I was happy to have my husband there as a support.

After a year of forgetting what a profit feels like, it was nice to have a hefty wad to either blow on something extravagant or reinvest into my business. If only I could muster the nerve to do more of these events.

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So, where do you draw the line?
What are your thoughts on content warmings?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Jemima Pett,
J Lenni Dorner ,
Cathrina Constantine,
Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and
Mary Aalgaard!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #33).

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter

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IWSG

#IWSG September 2021- Success Isn’t What it Used to Be

IWSG

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.

Optional Monthly Question: How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

When I first started writing, I had no idea what I was doing. For me, at that time, success was all about anyone wanting to read something I wrote. I couldn’t get over the idea of people wanting to read something I wrote. Then once I published and sold a few copies of my work, I lost my mind.

I started trying to “make myself a huge success” but never really defined what that meant. At the time, I knew being a “huge success” was something that I wasn’t but that was about it. I think maybe it had to do with several factors. I still worked a day job, my work wasn’t selling consistently, I wasn’t writing consistently, I wasn’t improving my skill the way I’d hoped, and no one who didn’t already know me knew who I was- I wasn’t getting famous. Plus, I was doing a lot that wasn’t taking me anywhere.

After 8 years of blogging and self-publishing something here and there, while submitting to a few anthologies here and there, something finally clicked with me. I was doing too much and expecting too much. I had to take a step back. I cut back on a lot of the “things” I was doing and began to focus on my joy of writing or using writing therapeutically. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t care whether my books sold well or not, but the truth is, I stopped worrying about sales and started focusing on what made me feel whole and happy. Once I found a way for writing to fit back into my life naturally, my idea of success changed and my approach to writing changed.

I think I’ve reverted back to an innocent newbie writer who was amazed anytime someone wanted to read something she wrote. I guess in terms of writing, that’s success to me. Writing something for myself and sharing it with the world and discovering that at least one other person likes what I wrote.

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IWSG BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS

Member Spotlights

#iwsgbookclub

I’m so excited to be part of the next chapter of the IWSG Book Club on Goodreads. We’ve made some changes that we hope will excite, motivate, and encourage members on their writing, reading, and blogging journeys.

The books we’ve chosen to spotlight in the month of September are Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime and Parallels: Felix Was Here. These are both IWSG anthologies featuring the talents of several IWSG members. Please check these out and consider giving one or both of these a read this month. If you’re not up for reading them, no worries, you can still help spread some love for these publications and or participate in the book club activities.

My co-mods and I have done a lot of research into the books written by IWSG members in preparation for the new direction the book club is taking. In the process, I’ve learned about how readers find and don’t find books by our members. So, I’ve put together some, hopefully, helpful tips I like to call…

Ways to Make Your Book(s) “Findable”

…and increase their chances to be featured and discovered.

1) Post to Goodreads and other Library/Cataloging type sites, such as Library Thing (I admit I never finished setting up my profile there, but I am on Goodreads). These are great places for readers to discover books without feeling any pressure to buy books. Plus, since this is a Goodreads club, it’ll be easier for us to feature IWSG member’s books if they are searchable on Goodreads.com.

Now, on to the personal updates.

My personal writing has gone pretty well lately. I’m still struggling to get to the point where I feel I have anything I’m willing to pursue publishing, but that’s ok. It’s not like a have a deadline. I did submit a story for the IWSG anthology, but it was mostly just me going through the motions of submitting. I still submit stories from time to time just to stay in the practice. Sometimes my stories are selected and sometimes they are not. I don’t take it personally. Especially with this story. The story I submitted was one of, at least three, prequel short stories I’ve been working on for my Sayings Series that I’ve neglected for far too long. I would have written the story whether the anthology submission was on the table or not, so I figured, why not.

I finally posted my book reviews for June and July since the two months blended together after I took some time offline. Click here to see my monthly “What I Read” post. I just finished reading two ARCs and can’t wait to talk about them.

My health issues are still an issue, but I’m working through them. I was finally able to see a specialist and I’m on a treatment plan as they continue to run more tests. I don’t consider myself young or old. I have no shame in stating that I’m middle-aged. I like being in the middle, at least, I thought I would. With my health issues, I feel as though I’ve been robbed of my middle-age and jumped straight into seniorhood. It had to happen eventually, but I thought I had another twenty years to prepare. Oh well, can’t complain too much. There are others in this world who would give anything to be where I am, and so, I count my blessings.

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What does success as a writer mean to you?
Wrote anything new lately?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.

*I’m having some access issues. If you see comments from WordPress support, that’s likely me.* 

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Rebecca Douglass ,
T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman ,
Natalie Aguirre,
Karen Lynn, and
C. Lee McKenzie!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #34).

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Any amount I make goes towards my dream to host a book fair in Hampton Roads, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter