The gift giving season is upon us and there’s always that one person who’s difficult to buy for. Am I right? And usually, it’s the write person. (See what I did there?)
On this week’s upcoming Firsts in Fiction podcast, we’re talking about that very subject. Over the last week, we (and by we, I mean Aaron, Al, and myself, along with our merry media elves) have posed this question:
What’s a great gift to get the author in your life?
Finding the Write Gift
While I don’t want to give away the store (err, answers) here, I thought I’d at least share some of the FIF Family’s suggestions.
So put on your Santa hat and have a ho-ho-holiday time as we count down the best gifts to get your writer.
1. A private island. (Molly)
A Writer’s Paradise – a Private Island
Seriously. How often has your writer tried to get away from it all by locking themselves in the back room, sitting in a car, or running away to a coffee shop? See No. 3, below. Seclusion is necessary for the writer. In order to create our own worlds, we have to shut out the real one. A writer’s island holds no distractions like TV, ringing phones, or ~ dare I say it ~ the occasional familius interruptus.
More practical:
noise-cancelling headphones
a gift card for a spa day or one night at a hotel
pocket notebooks to jot notes in when your writer can’t get to their workspace
GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: white noise CD, postcard, small plant, candle
2. A private jet. (Al)
A Private Jet for Your Traveling Writer
Writing isn’t just writing anymore. Now it means book signings, conferences, marketing meetings, publicity appearances and more. A private jet is the ticket to get your writer out the door and back home faster. And with no other passengers to distract him or her, it also serves as a mobile private island. See No. 1, above.
More practical:
gas cards and travel expenses
writers conferences and retreats
offer to keep them company and drive them to their next writing commitment
GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: travel journal, map, luggage tags, small photo album
3. A cafe/bistro/restaurant of their own. (Molly, Aaron, Al)
The Write Cafe
We all know writers have ink in their veins. Let’s not ignore the caffeine IV they require. How often have you stopped into a Starbucks and seen someone leaning over their laptop, typing frantically with one hand while holding their coffee in the other? A small cafe allows someone else to be responsible for the food and clean up. All the writer has to do is write. And, bonus, when that book contract is finally signed and the manuscript published, you already have a place to invite everyone to celebrate the success!
More practical:
treat them (and their family) to a nice dinner
gift card to their favorite coffee shop
single-serve coffee maker and a month’s worth of coffee
Solve the problem of running out of ink and paper by giving your writer full and permanent access to everything imaginable from a new computer to colored paperclips. No more moments of frustration when they can’t find their favorite brand of pen. And when they start a new project, they can supply their writing space in coordinating themes and colors.
More practical:
ink and paper
computer maintenance program
mailing supplies
GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: desk organizers, day planner, journal/pen set, stickee notes
5. A private library. (Aaron)
Just what a writer needs – more books.
Research is essential to writing a compelling story, but small town libraries (and some bigger ones) don’t always work out. Books are checked out by others. Magazines are ripped and torn. Plus, you can’t keep any of them. A private library assures your writer their much needed references will be available any time they need. When one thought rabbit trails to another, at least you’ll still be able to find your writer in the stacks. Information is King, and you just gave your writer the kingdom.
More practical:
new computer and software
Kindle or other eReader and a gift card for downloads
external hard drive
GIFT BASKET OPTIONS: books on writing, collector’s editions of favorite books, magazine/newspaper subscription, gift card to book stores
And since we’re in the season of giving, here’s an extra entry. Give. Most writers supplement their writing income by teaching, editing, and a plethora of other talents. It takes time, energy and resources away from their works-in-progress. You can help them hurdle over the starving artist syndrome by donating:
Time. Clean their house, run errands, be a once-a-week personal assistant.
Resources. Do you have connections or knowledge that can move their story along?
Money. It costs a lot to live the write life. Even without the big-ticket items in this post.
[If you have a question for the authors visit Aaron’s website for Ask The Author and if he uses your question on air this week, you’ll get a code for a free audio download of his novel, The Bargain. You don’t have to be a writer, and you don’t have to view the podcast to participate.]
My friends and I are huge fans of superheroes. Who isn’t, really? We love talking smack about who’s favorite could take on the others favorites. We drool in wait for new comic books to be released. I’m sure that’s a little more than some of you wanted to know about me, and I may have just lost a few cool points. That’s okay. I’ll get over it.
This week’s Five Things Friday is all about Superheroes: Who they are, how to be one. It’s pretty, well, if you’ll pardon the pun, super.
1. This video clip from Grey’s Anatomy is one of my recent favorites. (This is the best version I could find on YouTube)
It sounded so made-up, I had to research it. Turns out, it’s true. There have been studies of the Superhero Pose. So next time you’re in your morning shower, take a stand and lift your head up. See how much better your day is when you are your own Superhero.
2. SuperNip to the rescue!
SuperNips to the rescue!
NIPPERS is one of my favorite Superheros. I mean, this little frog can take me from zero to published in a single button click. Well, almost. As the mascot for New Inklings Press, how could I not adore his capabilities? Especially when he looks so darn cute in a cape.
3. Marvel’s Avengers.
Marvel’s Avengers
Don’t even try to tell me how the DC Comics versions are better heroes. Not true. My favorite is Iron Man, followed by Agent Coulson. Okay, Coulson isn’t quite a superhero, but he’s still pretty awesome. I also enjoy the Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, and well, pretty much all of them. Which leads me to the next point.
4. Comic books. It’s completely okay if you call me a nerd or geek or whatever. Hey, I’ve publicly admitted I play Magic: The Gathering. I think comic books sort of fall into that persona, yes?
Comics on the Kindle
Did you know that when you purchase certain comic books, they come with codes for free digital downloads? I didn’t, until a friend told me. Now we have an arrangement: When he buys a comic book, he gives me the download code. Of course, I still have to have my own hard copy of anything Iron Man or Avengers. The rest is just pie on the plate!
5. Flawless. Isn’t that what we think superheroes should be? Yet we’re forgiving, and even a bit more drawn to them, if they have flaws. Don’t believe me? Where do you stand on the Batman vs. Superman argument?
This video is MercyMe’s Flawless. I love the visual dynamics.
But what first grabbed my attention was a line from the chorus. And like a hero who takes the stage / When we’re on the edge of our seats saying / “It’s too late!” / Well let me introduce you to Grace.
I visualized all of us sitting in our own darkness, watching scenes unfold, biting our nails. Then from up above and to the side comes our hero shouting “Here I come to save the day!” And in one fell swoop, he conquers or enemies. Blasts them off the playing field and secures our safety.
It’s pretty amazing to have a Hero like that. And I bet at times, we can be that for someone else.
So pay attention to the world around you. There are more ordinary heroes than you might think. You’re one of them.
SuperMoJo to the Rescue
And now it’s your turn.
Who’s your favorite Superhero?
How can you be a hero in your ordinary environment?
Has anyone been your ordinary Superhero in a tough situation?
On this week’s Firsts in Fiction podcast, we’ll be chatting with author/editor Kathy Ide about Holiday Fiction and the dos and don’ts of writing about popular holidays. You can watch the live stream and join the chat every Tuesday evening at 6:30 PST.
On today’s blog, Kathy shares her ideas for maintaining your credit as a writer:
The buzz word in publishing is platform. And for good reason. Authors need to get the word out about their books. After all, if no one knows about them, no one will buy them.
But there’s another “p word” that, in my opinion, is even more important than platform. It’s proofreading. No matter what you write or how you choose to publish your work, typos, inconsistencies, and mistakes in punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling (what I call “PUGS”) will brand you as an amateur. And that will affect your sales as much as, or more than, your platform.
Proofread your manuscript.
Before you submit a manuscript to a publisher (book, magazine, or other), check it carefully for typos, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and PUGS errors. And make sure you use the appropriate style guide and dictionary for the type of publisher you’re submitting to.
If you plan to self-publish, you’ll need to proofread even more carefully, because you won’t have a publisher’s in-house proofreaders to check your work before readers see it.
Proofread your queries and proposals.
The content of your manuscript might be brilliant, and you could have a fantastic platform. But if an acquisitions editor notices typos, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and PUGS errors in your query or proposal, you won’t be presenting a very polished, professional image. And the editor will likely be thinking about how much time it would take their proofreaders to fix all those mistakes. If another proposal she’s considering has fewer errors, she may very well choose that one instead of yours.
Proofread your galleys.
The term galleys refers to the final version of your manuscript before it goes to print. This is your last chance to catch typos, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and PUGS errors before your readers see what you’ve written. Don’t rely on the publisher’s in-house editors or proofreaders. Even professionals can miss things.
Proofread your back cover copy.
A friend of mine once picked up a book at a bookstore and noticed a typo on the back cover. When she reported it to our critique group, she didn’t say she’d found a mistake on a book published by “XYZ Publishers.” She said she found the mistake on a “Jane Doe” novel. She didn’t connect the error to the publishing house but to the author.
Proofread your promotional material.
As you’re creating promotional flyers, blogs, social media posts, handouts for your talks, even e-mails you plan to send to colleagues in the industry, read through them multiple times to check for typos, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and PUGS errors. Your reputation, and your book sales, will be affected—positively or negatively.
For a lot of avid readers, typos and inconsistencies practically jump off the page. And many are familiar with the rules of punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling. If your reader knows the rules and you don’t, that’s not going to make you look very professional.
Readers who find a lot of mistakes in a book will not be as likely to recommend that book to their friends. And who knows? A creative writing teacher might just read your book and want to recommend it to her students . . . but she probably won’t do that if there are a lot of mistakes in it.
Most people have a hard time finding typos and inconsistencies in their own writing, because the eye tends to see what the mind expects to see. And many new writers aren’t familiar with the reference books that publishers use for punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling. That’s why I wrote Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors. It has tips from multi-published authors on how to catch typos, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies. It also contains industry-standard guidelines on the PUGS issues that most writers struggle with.
Once you’ve got your manuscript, galleys, or promotional material as polished as you think they can be, you may wish to consider hiring a professional proofreader. I’m not talking about your neighbor who’s a high school English teacher, but someone who knows and understands the publishing industry’s requirements. You can find professional freelance proofreaders at writers’ conferences or by filling out the form for Authors Seeking Editors at the Christian Editor Connection (www.ChristianEditor.com).
The investment you make in proofreading could make a tremendous difference in the success of your writing journey.
Kathy Ide is a published author/ghostwriter, editor/mentor, and writers’ conference speaker. In addition to being the author of Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors, she is the editor/compiler for the new Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. Kathy is the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Connection (www.ChristianEditor.com). To find out more about Kathy, visit www.KathyIde.com.
21 Days of Christmas
Kathy’s newest book, 21 Days of Christmas, is now available through her website, Amazon, and many bookstores across the country.
Join Kathy Ide, Aaron Gansky, Alton Gansky, and myself for this week’s Firsts in Fiction podcast on Google Hangouts. Have a question for the authors? Visit Aaron’s website for Ask The Author and if he uses your question on air this week, you’ll get a code for a free audio download of his novel, The Bargain.
