Dailey Figments and Musings

Does dystopian have staying power or is it a publishing trend that will soon come an end? First off, I think that vampires, demons/angels (supernatural), super-powered humans, werewolves, witches, aliens and zombies are trending themes in novels and on the screen. Some are "out" right now and some are "in" . On the heels of Twilight we had Vampire Diaries, True Blood and Dracula  that were adapted on TV & the big screen. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was quite big too in its hay day too. However Vampire Academy, a popular YA series, bombed in the theaters so did  Beautiful Creatures ...and a slue of other book adaptions. Humans with super powers is a reaching trend made famous by comic book adaptions. Comic books have been around for decades and this trend is here to stay.  The supernatural trend has been alive in the 10 seasons of Supernatural on the WB network. However Mortal Instruments totally bombed in theaters. As far as I kn...

Did you know that signing with an agent doesn't guarantee your book will be sold to a publisher? Here are 8 True and Hard Agent Facts about the agent-author-publisher relationship. 1. At the querying level...get ready: 99% of manuscripts are rejected by agents. Through talking with a few agents and assistants I have found that most stuff in the slushpile are novels that have not been polished. Contrary to popular belief, although agents work with clients to get their book ready for submission, they want polished work. Which means getting at least a beta reader or critique partner and an editor in most cases.   2. Of those agents that have signed you as a client, typically they sell three out of five projects which means that only 60% of the signed clients find homes for their book. This means just because you find an agent doesn't mean you find a publisher. Agents sign you for the potential of you MS. 3. An agent sells to editors but editors also have to "sell"...

Wondering who will accept your novel without an agent? Well, here's my list with links for all you authors out there. And let me tell you I would have liked this list when I started researching.   NOTES: 1. This list is not a complete list of all the options.   2. I'd advise you to research ALL publishers on http://absolutewrite.com & other sites. Some publishers don't have favorable opinions/experiences recorded from some authors & bloggers on the web so bottom line - Do your own research.) Small & Midsize Press Publishers Chronicle Books  since 1967 (Ivy & Bean children's series) Kensington Publishing since 1974 Saddleback Edu. Publishing since 1982 (Won 2014 Moonbeam) Algonquin Books since 1983 (Published Water for Elephants) Blushing Books   since 1991 Quirk Books since 2002 (YA author Ransom Riggs) Skyhorse Publishing since 2006 Lyrical Press (bought by Kensington)  since 2007 Spencer Hill Press  sinc...

You click one link after another after another, and so on and so forth, and before you know it's four hours later and you have conceded that you probably won't accomplish much today. Well I had one of those days but it was very positive experience because I learned a lot. I was researching self-publishing. I came across the authors Brenna Aubrey and HM Ward who turned down traditional publishers to self-publish and of course their success stories intrigued and inspired me. More intriguing was the fact they broke down everything they went through. Their experiences and opinions on the subject prompted me to put together some more CONS about traditional publishing.   Signing with a Traditional Publisher CON list: Little to no control of rights for 35 years (print, e-book, audio, film, etc.) which means no control over re-print runs, movie/TV casting, scripts, budget, etc. Courtney Milan breaks down costs here. Little to no creative control/...

Writing a novel is a process. As a writer, you learn by trial, error and practice, what works best for you. During NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), I think most people who attempt the 50,000 word feat find out a few facts about themselves as a writer, including but not limited to the five facts below:   1. How much you can truly do when you push and believe in yourself.  This is my third time participating and winning NaNo. Although I have never not written 50,000 words, I still am amazed I can do it in one month. Every time it's like discovering I have a secret superpower when I challenge myself.   2. If you attended write-ins, you learned when you write surrounded by like-minded individuals, it helps your spirit.  You also might have learned during writing downtime, when you were socializing; what other people were writing, useful tips for completing NaNo or you met lots of cool people. 3. You le...

      10 Sure-Fire Tips to Surviving November 1. Write every day. Make writing a priority. Set aside time where no one is allowed to disturb you. No one. Put on a writing hat if you have to.   2. Try timed writing exercises. Turn off inner editor and write for 10, 15, 20, 30+ minutes without stopping.   3. Write nonlinearly. Write in whatever order you feel like to keep your creativity fueled.   4. Reward yourself. Buy a gift that makes you happy but is fairly cheap as a reward for reaching goals: chocolate, a cheap book, favorite drink, take out, a new clothing under $15, a mug, etc.   5. Go to write-ins/events. Register and then set home region. Check calendar for events, host own event, if you’re inclined. Writing in a supportive community is helpful in keeping motivated and building relationships. Don't let shame and being behind stop you from writing. Remember whatever word count you end with is more than you started with. ...

I will tell you firsthand I'm not sure how people make it to 50,000 words without outlining a novel first. Yes "pansers" I'm talking to you and humbly bowing down at the same time. Don't get me wrong, if you can pants your way through NaNo then by all means do what works. But if you'd like to change your method, even a little bit and plot beforehand, then read on. Plotting NaNoWriMo runs during the extremely hectic month of November in which we all are particularly busy with the holiday season and our lives so of course it's hard to fathom carving out any time to write, let alone writing 50,000 words. That's why b efore NaNo starts  I plot a lot so I can skip around to different scenes when I'm under the gun to write a daily word count. It's been my experience, after winning both years I tried, that if I have a scene to write, I can keep pushing toward the 50,000 word count with enthusiasm.  Resource: Writers Digest offers these p...