Dead Man Floating and Other Novella Stuff

As some of you know, I began writing mystery novellas a while back, and was delighted when Imajin Books published my first Evan Dunstan mystery, Dead Man Floating, in September, 2015. To that end, my book is currently on sale for 50% off on Smashwords this week until Mar. 11). You can use the code, RAE50, and find the book at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/573302

I had hoped to finish the second installment last year, but real life responsibilities got in the way. I’m now working on the final edit and will submit the manuscript to Imajin next month.

The second novella has a Christmas theme, and Evan’s feisty, eccentric grandmother plays a key role in what is tentatively titled Crafty Killer. Since the setting takes place at a seniors’ Christmas craft fair, the title fits, but I’m never completely sure until I see it on the jacket cover.

I’m also working on the third installment, which has no title right now, but it’s a ghost story set at the post-secondary campus where Evan works as a security guard. The story’s inspired by my real life work in campus security, where rumors of hauntings in some of the older buildings circulated now and then. I never saw anything, but I didn't work graveyard shifts, and that’s when the real ghost action happened, or so I was told.

I didn’t set out to use holiday themes for this series, but it’s worked out that way. Whether I’ll do the same for the fourth book Is anyone’s guess. Stay tuned!

Debra

Lovin' the Novella!

My publisher, Imajin Books, is launching a “Spring Shower Sale” from Apr. 17 – 23rd. Happily, my Evan Dunstan novella, DEAD MAN FLOATING is now on sale for $.99! This also seems like the perfect time to pay homage to novellas in general.

I have to say that some of the best stories I’ve ever read were shorter books, starting with the incredibly moving The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico. I loved this book in my early teens and I still love it today. More recently, I was completely captivated by Hugh Howey’s Wool.

As noted in a Publishers’ Weekly piece by Cynan Jones, many great stories weren’t full-length novels, including Breakfast at Tiffanys, Jekyll and Hyde, and The Great Gatsby. It’s interesting to note how many in Jones’ list wound up being movies.

As he also notes, writing a novel requires that every word counts. When it comes to novellas, reading isn’t a journey but an event with no room for digression. He also discusses the problem of labeling in the industry. Some publishers don’t want to tag a book as a novella, presumably because it won’t sell as well. Even Jones isn’t overly fond of the term novella, preferring to use “short novel”.

But here’s the thing, a good story is memorable, regardless of how it’s tagged and regardless of the length. The story will dictate how long it should be, and let’s forget about labeling. Novellas don’t require a huge time commitment for readers, and for this writer they are a heck of a lot of fun to write. I wouldn’t say they’re necessarily easier, though, as I’m currently working on the fifth draft of my second Evan Dunstan novella.

For those of you with busy lives who just don’t have time to read a 350 page novel, try a novella. In the writing world, shorter can be better and less is often more. Enjoy!

You can find DEAD MAN FLOATING ON SALE AT AMAZON:

Should writers pursue print publication or publish their own ebooks?

The above question came up in a forum recently, and while everyone has to determine what's right for them as it is a very personal decision, I gave them my thoughts on the topic.

I say go for both--print and ebooks. If you have a traditional publisher for your print, all the better. But don't let that stop you from publishing your own ebooks, especially the ones your agent and publisher aren't interested in. You definitely don't want to overlook the ebook market. That's where the money is right now for authors, if you publish the ebooks yourself.

As a self-published and traditionally published print author, I've seen the pros and cons to both sides.

If you have a backlist of titles that your publisher is finished with, get them up on Amazon Kindle, KoboBooks and Smashwords right away. Sales of ebooks are on the rise, and they won't be stopping or slowing any time too soon.

Other ideas for ebooks: publish a collection of short stories or an anthology with other authors, publish a novella or novelette, publish a how-to book or a book of poetry.

I have 4 ebooks coming out between April 1, 2010 and Sept 27, 2010. :-) There's only one thing better than promoting your books, and that's writing them!

My agent is holding 2 thrillers. I'm considering taking one back and publishing it as an ebook next spring.

The key is this: you want to build momentum, then try to keep that momentum going. And the only way to do this is to keep releasing books under some semblance of regularity.

With Amazon's recent royalty raise to 70% for qualifying ebooks, it's possible for authors to now make more money selling less expensive ebooks than selling traditionally published print books. But in the end, it depends on the personal goals of each writer.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling author & book marketing coach
http://www.cherylktardif.com

Guest Post: Leave Your Ego at the Door – Collaborative Writing

I invited a friend of mine to pop by The Write Type today. Eileen Bell and I met a few years ago and for a while we were members of a small writers group that met every week. I knew she was a talented writer the first time she read aloud part of a story she was writing. Today, Eileen is going to share her experience of working on an anthology with 3 other authors. ~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

I recently finished a collaborative project called “Women of the Apocalypse,” a novella anthology that was released at the end of October. I worked with three other writers: Billie Milholland and Roxanne Felix from Edmonton, Alberta, and Ryan McFadden from London, Ontario. This is the story of how we survived.

From the outside, it looked like a simple assignment. We were tasked with writing one novella each for an anthology. A small cast of characters for each of us – one Horseman of the Apocalypse, one Archangel, and one female protagonist. We could write in any genre we wanted. The novellas were stand alone stories. No working story lines together. No “four writers writing with one voice.” Seemed like a dream come true, so we all said “Yes!”

We wrote our novellas without any input from the others, in order to allow each writer's voice and style to come through. It was a little difficult, due to a tight timeline and other aspects of our lives that demanded attention, but we all finished, on time, and barely scarred.

Then came the editing. We edited round robin style, giving each writer the opportunity to work on each novella. It was the right thing to do, because we all have different editing strengths, but this was the spot where egos threatened. As Roxanne said, “Need to lick your wounds? Rebuild your self-esteem? No time for such nonsense. Dive dive dive … into the rewrites. And edit your colleagues’ work, while trying to forget which one recently ripped apart yours.”

The hardest part about the editing process for me was remembering to leave the other person's voice and style intact, while cleaning up a wide ranging variety of issues – from grammar to plot holes big enough to drive a concrete truck through! We quickly figured out that ongoing communication was the key to keeping our stories our own, and keeping relationships with each other whole through this process.

The result? A unique anthology, with individual stories that stand on their own, but that work together to tell an even bigger story. And we all remained friends!

Women of the Apocalypse is now available online at www.womenoftheapocalypse.com, or on amazon.com. It is also available at Audreys Bookstore and Chapters Southpoint in Edmonton, McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg (after November 14th) and Pages on Kensington in Calgary (after November 13th.)

Eileen Bell has written (you guessed it) most of her life. She has completed 3 novels (one burned, one under her bed, one out in the world), several novellas, short stories and personal essays, and is happily working on several new projects. When she isn’t writing she’s living a fine life in a round house with her husband, her dog, her daughter’s cat, and two fish.