The further mysteries of author discoverability, Amazon keywords and other stuff

Just updated my keywords.  Again.  I’d tried to be clever, bunching mine together as phrases, then read that you are recommended by KDP to use single words, which maximises chances of readers finding you.  Words that communicate the following:

Setting  - eg, stables

Character – types and roles – eg, single mum, strong female lead

Plot themes – eg, coming of age, forgiveness, redemption

Story tone – eg, feel-good, emotional, dystopian

So I set to work once more, thinking about themes such as loss, guilt, and secrets that pervade my stories.  I also hadn’t realised the need to use the actual word “preteen” in the keywords to get the books listed under the 8-12 category for search purposes. 

I’ve been so busy editing and writing that I’ve not spent a lot of time on marketing and promo.  Or blogging.  Sigh.  So hard to strike a balance.  I have 2 more horse titles I wanted to bring out before the end of September (more likely October now), plus a further title end of November (horse sci-fi!) and, hopefully, a completely new story end Dec/mid Jan. Phew!  I’m enjoying writing again and get excited about all the projects ; I'm in danger of getting severe writers bum, with my limbs stiffening and head buzzing.  Friends are neglected, yoga’s gone out of the window, I forget to eat, and so many things are being put on hold until I achieve these targets.  Maybe not so healthy?

The new Gemma series is selling steadily, so I’m quite pleased with that, and Joyrider is picking up slowly.  I’m so impatient – they’ve only been out a few weeks – but I really do need to devote some serious time to marketing, which I’ve totally neglected. 

There’ll be a sneak preview of the next two covers shortly, and I’m thrilled to be working with a wonderful illustrator who is producing the image for my November release.  (More on this soon).

Now, did I actually drink that mug of coffee I made over an hour ago?  And have I left the porridge in the microwave?

How do you cope with time management?

Related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/now-you-do-see-itmaking-your-book.html 
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/now-you-see-itbook-visibility.html
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/07/amazon-algorithms/

Writing Dreams

Recently I’ve been having a recurring dream about clearing out cupboards, in which I have a selection of cupboards full of stuff to sort out and organise.  I think this is about not doing the things I should be doing  - like formatting the 4 books for Kindle which have been on my to-do list for months now.  It’s preying on my mind but life seems to conspire against me so that whenever it seems I will get the time to do it, something happens.  Sigh.  Cupboards and drawers (not the knickers variety!) appear often in my dreams – usually, in the dream, I am about to move house and have left everything until the last minute and realise that I haven’t even made a start on the cupboards and it is the day of the move!  Arrgggh! 

And on the subject of dreams, I realise that I have, finally and by default (redundancy) realised my childhood ambition  – I am now, officially, a full time writer.  It’s taken nearly 40 years and I think I’m so busy trying to keep on top of everything that I haven’t actually celebrated. 

So if you always wanted to be a full time writer, don’t be discouraged if it hasn’t happened yet.  Because, one day, it will. However long it takes.  

Related post:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/writing-in-cupboard.html

What do running and writing have in common?

I recently came across an excellent piece about running and writing in Ideas Tap, in which the writer Luiza Sauma looks at the parallels between the two pursuits.

"Writing is a lot like running. Both take enormous amounts of will power and stamina. Both are rather solitary. The more you do them, the better you become. Running and writing are activities that many of us dread, but once we’ve got going, they can fill us with joy, excitement and lust for life."

Click below to read the complete article. 

http://www.ideastap.com/ideasmag/all-articles/write-now-writing-and-running

I've written a few posts about the connections between writing and running. So what do I now think they have in common?

First and foremost, they are HARD. Really hard. Well, I find this to be the case. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy both running and writing and they compliment each other well. Running is great for allowing head space to create and ferment ideas. Running also gets you away from the desk and laptop, which ensures you get fresh air and move your limbs. Otherwise you would be glued to the chair for hours on end until your body seizes up.  I have sometimes had 12 hour sessions at the desk - not very healthy.

In an ideal world, I plan to structure my day around running and writing but have not achieved it consistently.  I have short bursts where I do manage it and then I feel really pleased with myself - especially if I get up at 7am, enjoy the relative quiet of the world and make my heart work and then, after showering and eating porridge, I still have the rest of the morning to get on with work. 

Related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/thinking-it-and-doing-it.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/running

Deborah Jay Guest Post: What are the 5 Things a Busy Writer Can't Do Without?

I'm delighted that writer Deborah Jay has agreed to write a guest post for The Beautiful Room. 

Thanks so much, Jane, for inviting me to guest post on your blog J

I’m talking today about the challenges of being a part timer, distilled down to the 5 things I simply couldn’t do without as a time-squeezed writer.   My writing has to fit around my hectic day job as a professional dressage rider/trainer/judge which, for anyone that knows anything about horses, is more of a vocation than a job, and gobbles time.  So without further ado, here they are:

1.      My laptops – both of them: Lara Laptop and Nettie Notebook. I’m away quite a lot, flying and staying in hotels and also living in my horsebox at long shows. Without the laptops I’d be left with a whole heap of wasted time between classes which can just as easily be filled with – you’ve guessed it – writing! I should probably also include my smartphone, on which I take audio notes of any plot or dialogue that comes to mind when I don’t have time to stop and write it down, and helps me keep my emails under control when I’m without internet access.

2.      Kindle and kindle apps – I have kindle apps on both laptops – free to download and my whole kindle library accessible on all three machines, meaning I have all my reference books (not to mention motivational readingJ) right at my fingertips.

3.      A thesaurus – I like to think I have a fair-sized vocabulary, but it can always be expanded. I also have a magic little ebook called The Emotion Thesaurus http://amzn.to/199y0eY , which details a range of physical actions and internal sensations for all the major emotions – fantastic for a novelist battling with ‘show don’t tell’ syndrome.

4.      Clean fresh air and open spaces – okay, okay, perhaps that’s two, but to me they are inseparable.  I never really have time to just sit and think (plot), I have to do it on the move, while I’m driving, or hacking (only on the more reliable nags!), and I need fresh air to clear out my mental cobwebs, and nature for inspiration.

5.      My beta readers and writers group – both are invaluable resources. My non-fiction gets read by a group of my ‘Essex girls’ – horse-riding ladies I teach once a month in Essex. They let me know if I’ve made anything too complicated, and pose questions if they think there’s something I didn’t cover in enough depth. My writers group do the same for my fiction. How much time can I save by not going down a blind alley with a plot, or getting distracted by a minor character? Answer – plenty.

So there you have it – my essentials. What are yours?

Deborah Jay writes fast-paced fantasy adventures featuring quirky characters and multi-layered plots – just what she likes to read.  She shares her life with a pack of dogs and a couple of horses she competes in dressage. Her love for good food is kept in check by the need to button up her tailcoat, and her complete inability to cook. Living mostly on the UK South coast, she has already invested in her ultimate retirement plan – a farmhouse in the majestic, mystery-filled Scottish Highlands.

This summer will see publication of her debut novel, THE PRINCE’S MAN, the first in a trilogy and winner of a UK Arts Board award. She also has non-fiction equestrian titles published under the name Debby Lush.

Find out more about Deborah at www.deborahjay.wordpress.com or follow Deborah on twitter @DeborahJay2 .

The Art of Time Management

My timekeeping and time management leaves a lot to be desired.  I try hard but it's a daily struggle.  When I started blogging just over a year ago, I sometimes thought I would never keep on top of everything that needed to be done, and now I am indie publishing my backlist, promoting, marketing, using social media such as Facebook and Linked In, there is more to manage.  It is on my list (and part of my marketing plan) to venture into the scary world of Twitter over the summer.  I enjoy all of this activity (although I don't seem to be working on the novel writing much recently!) but I am always open to ideas about how I can improve the way I structure my time.

So I found this post by Jane Friedman both refreshing and instructive. I love the title:
http://writerunboxed.com/2011/12/23/the-secret-to-finding-the-time-to-write-market-promote-and-still-have-a-life/

The advice is beautifully simple and highly practical.  As a big advocate of To Do Lists, I like the idea of having a Stop Doing list!  There is also advice on dealing with guilt, obligation, limiting certain activities, even if you enjoy them (maybe especially if you enjoy them!), being self-disciplined and improving productivity.

Essential reading for writers!

Related post:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/time-to-write.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/publishing-writers-vanity-and-hypocrisy.html