Reflections on being a writer: Judy Croome Guest Post

I'm delighted to welcome South African author Judy Croome to The Beautiful Room.  I recently met Judy "virtually" after reading her excellent article http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2014/05/judy-croome/, in which she shares her tips for reading aloud at writer events.  This really resonated with me, so I decided to visit Judy's website and contact her.  (This is one of the things I love about the internet - being able to connect with other writers anywhere in the world).  Happily, Judy very kindly agreed to be interviewed, providing some really thought-provoking and inspirational reflections on being a writer......

What is the best thing about being a writer?

Freedom, on all levels.

There’s the physical freedom of being able to work in my pyjamas on a cold winter’s morning or at a time of day that allows me to meet other commitments.

Then there’s emotional freedom. In today’s world many of us are so well-socialised or so intellectualised that we’ve lost touch with our feelings. Don’t cry, Johnny, boys don’t cry. Don’t shout, Alice, girls don’t get angry.  
No wonder we repress our deepest emotions. Whenever one writes, the possibility exists that we can, in a safe way, tap into those emotions buried so deeply and free them from where they’re nailed into our psyches. 

And, finally, when your writing pushes you into places you never thought you could go, there’s a spiritual freedom that comes from unexpectedly meeting an inner self that is truer than any other personality mask we wear.

What is the worst thing about being a writer?

Fear. The time between books is always a dangerous time for me, because it’s then that I’m most tempted to give up writing. I’m riddled with fear and doubt and anxiety about everything from the reviews of my last book to the ideas I have for future books. That’s why I procrastinate (a lot!) before diving in to the actual writing. When I do begin to write again, it takes an act of real self-discipline to keep myself writing as I travel into the dark places that the muse sometimes takes me.

Most writers complain about being easily distracted and the problems of procrastinating.  Is this something that affects you? 

I have a PhD in Procrastination. I’ve developed Procrastination into an art form more complex than anything I’ve ever written. I also have the attention span of a pea. So, yes, Procrastination is a serious issue for me. I think I’ll go and make a cup of tea now. I’ll be back in a minute to write the rest of this article!

Why do you think this especially seems to be an issue for writers? (rather than artists or composers?) 

Writing is a more intellectual process than the other creative arts. Each creative art has its own “intellectual” technique, that is, the learned part of the craft. But when it comes to the creative alchemy, words are more of the intellect than music or paintings. 

A writer needs a strong mind to keep the words dancing. While the power of the mind is a great asset in creating a logical story or character arc, or for the endless editing and revision stages that a story requires, that same mind can be a disadvantage at times.

It can deceive us into thinking we’re actually writing when we’re only perfecting our procrastination skills.  Social media, plotting our stories, seeking that perfect word to write that perfect sentence all feel like “real” writing, but they’re simply avoidance techniques.

What do writers want to avoid? All those scary emotions that writing forces to the surface in a way that the mind can’t control or repress. And so writers procrastinate more than artists or musicians who, to create, have to move into a space beyond the mind rather than (as writers do) work through the mind to create.  I sometimes think of my procrastination period as a pre-writing war: my emotional urge to create a story battling it out with my intellectual urge to keep the dark creative void at bay.

Do you have any tips for other writers to help in being focussed and maintaining that focus?

Only one. Write every day. Even if it’s only 100 words a day, write.  When I start a writing task, I use a modified version of the “Don’t Break the Chain” calendar based upon a motivation technique purportedly used by Jerry Seinfeld. It really works. Once you cross off the first block, it’s almost impossible to resist striving to keep the chain going. And don’t cheat yourself. If you don’t write on the work you’re trying to finish, you don’t get to cross off a block! Here’s the link for more information on that method: Jerry Seinfeld’s Don’t Break the Chain Method

Here’s another link to an excellent article on writer’s procrastination and how to overcome it

Can writers change the world? 

Indirectly, yes, I do believe that writers can change the world. As the great Mahatma Gandhi said, the way to change the world is to change oneself. Our words can reach out to people and change their inner landscape. Like water dripping from a tap, drop by drop, if enough people change themselves, then the world will eventually change too. I’ve included this philosophy in my biography on my website:

If you were not a writer, which other art form or profession would you pursue to express yourself?

I used to be an accountant. I still don’t know how I survived all those years in an office environment. If I could choose another career to creatively express myself in, I’d ask God to grant me the gift of being able to create beautiful music. Music, more than any other artistic form, has the ability to transcend language and difference, reminding us of our common humanity through the harmony of wordless sounds.

****

Judy Croome lives and writes in Johannesburg, South Africa. Shortlisted in the African Writing Flash Fiction 2011 competition, Judy’s short stories and poems have appeared in various magazines and anthologies, such as the Huffington Post and the University of the Witwatersrand’s Itch Magazine.

Judy loves her family, cats, exploring the meaning of life, chocolate, cats, rainy days, ancient churches with their ancient graveyards, cats, meditation and solitude. Oh, and cats. Judy loves cats (who already appear to have discovered the meaning of life.) 

Her books “The Weight of a Feather & Other Stories” (2013), “a Lamp at Midday” (2012) and “Dancing in the Shadows of Love” (2011) are available, and she is currently researching child murders for her next novel and you can visit Judy on www.judycroome.com , “Like” her Facebook Author page for updates or join her on Twitter @judy_croome.

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You might also enjoy these related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/reflections-on-being-full-time-writer.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/can-writers-really-change-world.html

Carnival of the Indies: Amazon and Marketing

Have you read this month's edition of Self-Publishing: Carnival of the Indies? Two of my blog posts are included! http://bit.ly/12oUQjA

Scroll down to the heading Marketing and Selling Your Books and I reveal all about my experiences of playing with Amazon categories to influence my kindle book rankings. 

Beware of the Horse cover design award!

Since I started indie publishing last year, I have submitted all my indie cover designs to the wonderful e-Book Cover Design Awards and this month I am so pleased that we got great feedback and that the design by Klaus Hartleben for Beware of the Horse got a coveted gold star!

"Although there is only winner in each category, other covers that were considered for the award or which stood out in some exemplary way, are indicated with a gold star: ★"

Scroll down the link to see the comments and all the other fabulous designs!
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/04/e-book-cover-design-awards-march-2013/

If you are an indie publisher I'd urge you to check out this monthly award, which provides a showcase of cover designs and a source of excellent advice and inspiration.

Related post:

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/matty-cover-designs-on-book-designer.html

Carnival of the Indies - a rich source of information for writers

I'm thrilled that 3 of my recent posts* have been included over at The Book Designer for the Carnival of the Indies.  The Carnival features a list of fabulous blog posts from a huge range of writers, full of excellent and useful advice and insight.

Do check it out:
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/03/self-publishing-carnival-of-the-indies-issue-30/

*The posts are
Lessons in Indie Publishing: Free books and the mystery of Amazon rankings
The Business of Writing: Part 1
Are chapter titles an under-used marketing tool for writers?

Fear of falling, failing and flying

Towards the end of 2012 my role of novice blogger changed.  Instead of feeling like an observer of the blogging community, looking from the outside in, I became a more active participant, engaging with and commenting on other blogs, and meeting virtually (and actually) with some wonderful people.   It’s taken me a year to achieve this.  What was I scared of? 

When I started my blog just over a year ago, I didn’t really know what I was doing with it.  It lacked focus and became a random collection of opinion pieces, advice I hoped was helpful to other writers, some diverse guest posts and the occasional ramble and rant.  A bit messy and untidy in structure.  More like the cluttered room than The Beautiful Room.

I started 2013 with the aim of being more focussed and structured, with specific days for themed posts.  That never really happened and my blog continues to be like my mind – overcrowded and haphazard. The only difference is that I am trying to be a bit braver about my inner thoughts. Previously, I’ve tended to shy away from revealing myself through my blog posts, yet most of the posts that I admire are the ones in which the writer isn’t afraid to do that, where what they write is personal and brave and authentic.  We all want to connect with other people.  It’s what life is all about.  It’s why we love to read, because we want to engage with realistic characters that resonate with us, that we can identify with. To show us that we are not alone in the world.

I recently read an excellent post from The Book Designer about blogging and I especially loved this phrase, which is so true and apt:

Before you’ve created your own blog, you don’t realize how much a blog is like a garden. In both you need to put in work up front, maybe a couple of years of it, before you start to get the benefits of a bountiful harvest.

Check out the post here

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/03/author-blogging-101-whats-stopping-you/

Writing a blog is definitely a long term process.  You have to work to get results, to nurture it, to learn, and to be patient.  Gradually, if you do the groundwork, it will grow. And so will you.

Related post: 
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-sense-of-community.html

Matty cover designs on The Book Designer

The cover designs for my 3 Matty titles are featured on Joel Friedlander's site The Book Designer, with Joel's comments.  Do take a look - and there are some wonderful cover designs included in the list.

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/11/e-book-cover-design-awards-october-2012/#more-25006

Related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/matty-horse-and-pony-adventures-on.html

Carnival of the Indies features Lessons in Indie Publishing Part 1

Brevity is the order of the day.  So this is a short post.

Firstly, I'm totally thrilled that my blog post titled Backtracking: Lessons in Indie Publishing Part 1 is included in the Carnival of the Indies for October on Joel Friedlander's excellent site The Book Designer.  To see the post go to:

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/10/self-publishing-carnival-of-the-indies-issue-25/

Secondly, inspired and encouraged by my guest blogger Vikki Thompson, I have today signed up for NaNoWriMo.  Panicking now!  Hoping to see some of you at some of the Kent events.  And if anyone else out there has signed up, I would love to hear from you.

Thirdly, I promise a more substantial post tomorrow.......

Breathe! Indie publishing from the experts!

Today I want to draw your attention to some really excellent posts about indie publishing and marketing.  

The first one is recommended reading for anyone, like me, who sets themselves impossible targets and then beats themselves up for not meeting them.  This post, called aptly The 5 Keys to Pain-Free Book Promotion by Carol Costello, takes a more realistic and less stressful approach to book promotion.  Great advice and suggests you don’t have to do everything at once!  As Carol says, just breathe.....

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/10/5-keys/

The next one is an informative post by Anthony Wessel, a book industry veteran and founder of DigitalBookToday.com about the cycle of book sales – every writer should read this!

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2012/10/08/the-cycles-of-book-sales/#comment-1882

And finally, a great post with some sobering statistics for writers – for example, in 2011 there were 211,269 self-published titles and out of at least 1.2 million titles published by the entire industry over the course of a year, almost 80% sell fewer than 100 copies. 

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2012/09/7-book-marketing-mistakes/

But if this makes you feel like giving up, just read this truly inspiring post from dedicated indie writer and entrepreneur Kimanzi Constable. 

http://www.30daybooks.com/from-delivering-bread-at-2am-to-selling-65000-copies-of-his-self-published-books-meet-kimanzi-constable/

Wonderful stuff!

Related posts: 

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/taking-stock.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/adapt-and-survive.html

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/validation.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/backtracking-lessons-in-indie.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/e-books-and-writing-for-children.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/backtracking-lessons-in-indie.html

Backtracking: Lessons in Indie Publishing - Part 1 Marketing

In December 2011, I set up my blog and gave myself a year to see what effect it would have on the sales of my pony books.  It was probably the only thing I did towards creating my “author platform.”   Mistake number 1.  More of this later. 

Having been traditionally published for over 30 years, and with 20 years plus experience in marketing, you would think I would be in a strong position to indie publish my work and have an awareness of what is involved.  That’s what I thought.  However, I don’t think I was fully prepared for how it would take over my life. Mistake number 2.

Like most writers, I have a day job that pays the bills.  So imagine that you also want to start your own business in the hours that are left.  Self-publishing is essentially a business start-up.  Your book is your product.  You, the author, will be the brand.  Intellectually, I knew this.  How could I not?  Although I had my first story published in a magazine at the age of 14, most of my 30 plus fiction titles have appeared in translation (in 7 languages), in the UK and US I am virtually unknown.  So I did not have an existing audience to build on – rather like a new writer.  I had decided to publish three of my backlist titles for the kindle to raise funds for Redwings Horse Sanctuary.   I will add that this was a thoroughly considered decision, having been researching self-publishing for months (and I continue to do so).  There are some brilliant sites out there that will help you.  For example, I subscribe to  http://www.thebookdesigner.com/ which will also provide links to other useful sites and there is a great post on self-publishing and having realistic expectations on http://selfpubauthors.com/2012/10/04/why-you-might-not-be-succeeding-at-self-publishing/.

I commissioned a professional designer to create my cover designs as this is the first thing that potential buyers will see.  For a digital book, Amazon is your shop window. I worked hard on the descriptions of my books, as this is the next thing a potential reader will see. I hadn’t anticipated that I would end up rewriting them all several times, hopefully improving the content.  I would recommend Make A Killing On Kindle (Without Blogging, Facebook Or Twitter). The Guerilla Marketer's Guide To Selling Ebooks On Amazon by Michael Alvear for advice on this, as well as every other aspect of indie publishing for kindle.

Of course, before a buyer even gets to this stage in the process, they have to know your book exists and let’s face it, with a 6 figure number of indie published work on kindle, without even thinking about all the digital books from the big boys and girls and the corporate publishers with an impressive marketing budget, you really are a tiny, almost plankton sized fish in a vast ocean.  This can be very disheartening.  You are therefore recommended to create a “book buzz” and build an author platform at least 6 months in advance of releasing your book onto the world.  This can include using a blog, Facebook, Twitter (which I have not yet pursued – mistake number 3?), contacting reviewers, doing interviews, readings, giving away freebies, etc.  The list is endless and can be overwhelming.  Being impatient to see my books on Amazon, I foolishly published first and am now chasing my tail to promote the titles.  Ouch!  I will know better next time.

I am now doing guest blogs with specialist sites that target my readers, have learned about review sites and am trying to use Facebook more strategically to promote the books.  Getting reviews is proving a major hurdle, and I now understand why some writers have paid for this service.  In fact, one of the review sites I contacted told me they do charge to write honest reviews, because it involves a significant amount of time to read the title and then write about it, which is fair enough.  Thanks to the wonderful advice found on http://www.30daybooks.com/, I learned that there are sites that will promote your books on their free days, so I sent a blog to Digital Books Today, they published it and I was over the moon.  Being featured on the Carnival of the Indies on The Book Designer was also a major boost on many levels, and both sites have increased my blog traffic significantly. 

Because I was donating all profits from my books to charity, I decided that using the Amazon “free” days to promote the books would defeat the object of the fundraising. Mistake number 4. There are three books in the series and I have been told by several professionals that if Book 1 is free for a while (and readers enjoy it) they are more likely to buy the next two books in the series.  No sales = no funds for the horse sanctuary.  So later this month, I will be offering Book 1, Matty and the Moonlight Horse, free for 5 days. 

Similarly, I ignored all the advice I read on pricing strategy as part of the marketing plan because the money was going to charity and I wanted to raise the maximum amount from each sale.  Mistake number 5. Comparing the price I am charging to other similar titles, my book costs a lot more.  So now I am tweaking the prices and testing the market to see what works best. 

There are lots of freelance professionals out there who will help you with every stage of the process, from editing to marketing,  and if you do go it alone (like me) there is also lots of support in the indie community, both online and off, who are happy to share what they have learned. In some ways, writing and publishing your book is the easy part.  Selling it, however, is another story…..prepare to work your butt off.

Related posts: 

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/taking-stock.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/adapt-and-survive.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/publishing-writers-vanity-and-hypocrisy.html

http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/validation.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/backtracking-lessons-in-indie.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/e-books-and-writing-for-children.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/breathe-indie-publishing-from-experts.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/backtracking-lessons-in-indie.html

Carnival of the Indies

You might have noticed the new badges proudly displayed to the right and left of my blog - because one of my blog posts is included in this month's Self-Publishing: Carnival of the Indies! Take a look! http://ow.ly/dGFYa

The Carnival of the Indies No 24 is described as "A collection of outstanding articles recently posted to blogs" reposted on the website/blog The Book Designer.  I cannot begin to express how totally thrilled I am to see my blog post included in this. 

This site is a brilliant and invaluable resource from Joel Friedlander, a self-published author and book designer who blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

I strongly recommend any writer who is considering the indie route, or just wants to learn more about the business and communicate with other writers to sign up to regular bulletins from The Book Designer.  It has taught me so much and continues to help me learn from a wonderful community of people. 

Taking stock

There is currently a good deal of discussion about the idea of writers, especially those who self-publish, finding themselves pursuing a shadow career in developing their platforms at the expense of their writing.

(see the excellent  http://janefriedman.com/2012/07/31/extra-ether-shadowy-platforms/). 

Shadow career.  I like this term, which is apt in many ways.  In the 1980s-90s my goal was to have what was called a portfolio career – and at one point I was juggling 4 different jobs in order to write.  Recently, I heard another writer who self publishes refer to a mosaic career, which I rather like too.  A more splintered, myriad, maybe chaotic career.  This really did get me thinking. 

I’m relatively new to the blogosphere, having set up my blog in December 2011 with a certain amount of trepidation and after a good deal of research.  (Although, bizarrely, I published five posts on the same day.) I’ve also spent the last six months researching self-publishing, especially digital, with the help of some wonderful sites, http://www.thebookdesigner.com/ being a prime example.

I called my blog The Beautiful Room; a place for me to go to express my thoughts, ideas and concerns.  A creative space.  Eight months down the line, I decided to take stock.  What has it become?  I considered first the mixture of reasons I set up the blog:

·         To maintain a regular writing habit, i.e. most days, which I have always struggled with, despite being told by successful authors how important this is.  (I tend to write in chunks consisting of 3-4 day blocks of time whenever I can get fit them in round my job)

·         To express a viewpoint

·         To provide useful information for other writers

·         To raise my profile.  Although I’ve been published for many years, my work is mostly translated into other languages and comparatively little published in the English language

·         To provide a shop window – for Jane Ayres the brand and for my soon-to-be-published-on-kindle-by-myself backlist of titles that have long been out of print and deserve another airing. (the writer Kate Pullinger makes some interesting points  about the backlist and spreadable media on her blog http://www.katepullinger.com/blog/comments/spreadable-media/)

Phew!  Time to assess how successful I have been.  And how do I measure success? I looked at the following factors:

·         The time my blog has consumed

·         How much fun and enjoyment it has given me

·         Did it instil a daily writing habit?

·         Has it raised my profile and how would I know?

·         Finally, the acid test.  The stats.

Starting with the first on the list, the blog has consumed several hours a week.  Is this time that could have been spent writing my next book?  Yes and no.  I can blog while I have the TV on and I can’t always write my novel with too many distractions.  I now have a much more regular writing habit, although I don’t blog as often as I feel I should.  I do enjoy it and I have rediscovered the joy of writing opinion pieces, features and essays, which has resulted in me being a guest blogger for the creative website called Creatabot http://creatabot.co.uk/2012/07/10/tick-tock-by-jane-ayres/.  I enjoy reading other people’s essays as well as fiction.  You can think that your thoughts and ideas are totally original until you interact and find (via the internet) that probably millions of others are saying similar things.  And far more eloquently.  Self-doubt can set in.  Before the internet, you might have felt safe in your little cocoon.  It is both reassuring and challenging to make this discovery.

Has the blog raised my profile?  Probably not.  Why do I think this? Ah, the stats.

Sold more books?  I will have a better idea of that by the end of the year, when I hope my entire backlist is out there on the kindle (launching later this month).

Back to the stats.  Here’s the thing.  When I started the blog I was delighted to find there had been 3 views (most likely my friends!).  When I had 20, I shrieked with excitement.  As the numbers built, I was stunned to see that many came from as far afield as Russia and China (until my brother told me that’s where most of the phishing comes from.  Oh.  So these viewers weren’t necessarily interested in my actual content.)  As of today, I’ve had 1028 page views.

And this is the revealing bit, psychologically.  Those stats have an addictive quality, stimulating a need to boost those figures.  I want to be read.  Ouch!  I didn’t think it would matter to me but it does.  Maybe that’s because I’m a writer – or have a massive ego?  Is it better to blog and be little read than not to blog at all?   

What should your stats be? Or rather, what figure would make you happy?  A bit like chalking up Facebook “friends”.  Is it territorial pride or merely self-indulgence? 

I’ve given myself till the end of the year to make a decision about keeping my blog.  Is it worthwhile?  If I enjoy it, yes.  Is my enjoyment affected by the stats and the thought I may be writing in a vacuum?  I hate to admit it, but yes.  Does it matter?

All I know for sure is that since I started I have got a bit more confident with IT, learned a great deal about writing, a bit about myself and, with the help of all the wonderful writer bloggers already doing it well, I will continue to learn. 

Related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/adapt-and-survive.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/validation.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/backtracking-lessons-in-indie.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/e-books-and-writing-for-children.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/breathe-indie-publishing-from-experts.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/backtracking-lessons-in-indie.html