Vickietaylor's Blog

Writers as Learners

vickietaylor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:51:34 +0000

I’ve had a post lingering in the back of my mind lately. The need to write it developed from some conversations with authors. These haven’t been the good kind of conversations. They’ve mostly been the too-stupid-to-live kind of conversations. Most people publishing books take their craft seriously. The availability of self-publishing platforms (meaning anyone who can type can upload a book to Amazon.com and try to sell it) hasn’t changed this. I repeat: most people publishing books take their craft very seriously. But there are those few, as there are in any profession, who believe that they have nothing to learn. Their books are their brainchildren, and the only reason they aren’t selling well and are getting poor reviews is that people don’t “get” them. Or someone else is out to get them. Whatever.

Before I got around to writing my blog post, someone else did it for me. Did it better, even.

So forget my post. If you’re a writer, you need to read this. Really, really need to read this, instead of making excuses.

http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/keep-learning-so-you-wont-get-stuck-in-the-pits

Have fun.

New Year’s Blog Hop – Update with winners!

vickietaylor — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:30:42 +0000

Hi y’all!

Thanks so much for the great response to the New Year’s Blog Hop and all the great stories. The contest is now closed. Since I had such a great response, I’ve decided to pick three winners for my upcoming fantasy romance novella instead of just one.

The three winners from my blog are: Catherine, Monica, and Heather.

The grand prize winners from the overall blog hop are:

#192 from Malia Mallory’s site – Lilaz won the Kindle Fire!

#2436 from VK Syke’s site – June won the $80 Amazon GC.

Thanks to everyone for participating!

New Year Blog Hop – PRIZES!

vickietaylor — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:31:26 +0000

What is a blog hop? That’s when several blog owners link their sites together, and readers win prizes for skipping around and commenting on as many blogs as possible. So pull up a chair, pour a cup of coffee, and have at it. Each time you comment on a blog, you are entered to win a Kindle Fire and an $80 gift certificate. Also, those who comment on this blog on January 4 are eligible to win an electronic copy of Vickie Taylor’s upcoming fantasy romance novella, Mother Nature & Father Time, A love (and hate) story.

New Years’ Memories

Blog hops often have themes, and the theme of this one is favorite New Years’ Memories. As I thought back over my life, one memory stood out for me.

My Senior year in high school, Danny asked me to the New Year’s bash at his fraternity. I was beyond excited to be going to my first college party, but I was also nervous. I’d never met Danny in person–just chatted with him online. It took three days of serious shopping, but I finally found the perfect dress, a low-cut black number with white piping that said “mature” witout giving up “sexy.”

The bash was a blast. I hadn’t realized until I got there that it was a masked party. I was handed a little half-face sequined disguise at the door. Luckily the person handing out the masks knew Danny and pointed him out to me, since everyone inside already wore their masks.

Danny and I were a perfect match. We danced, and managed a bit of conversation by shouting over music. At midnight, he told me, a toast would be made, and everyone would remove their masks for a New Year’s kiss.

I couldn’t wait.

The big moment finally arrived. Champagne in hand, everyone counted down the final seconds of the year.

“Three. Two. One. Happy New Year!”

We clinked glasses and sipped. My heart strummed. I lifted my mask, saw Danny’s lips curve upward beneath his full face piece. Slowly he slid it up from the bottom to reveal …

ZOMBIE!

I spun to run, but one of my three-inch heels caught on the carpet. I tumbled forward into a girl, her face decaying and smelling of death. A bony hand grabbed my ankle from behind and dragged me …

Oh wait … that was a book idea, not a memory. Sometimes I get the two mixed up.

In reality, New Year’s Day is the most exciting day of the year for me, but not because of any zombie encounters. It’s a time to let go of any mistakes and disappointments from the previous twelve months and contemplate the possibilities ahead. Clean slate.

I look forward to 2012 with as much anticipation as I’ve ever felt. I’ve made some big changes in my life, career-wise, and I can’t wait to share them with you in the form of books. I have three romance novellas coming out on Amazon.com in January, and then I will be starting a cozy mystery series that I can’t wait to tell you about (but I’m going to, because I want it to be a surprise).

Happy New Year, everyone!

click here for links to the other participating web logs! Win a Kindle Fire and an $80 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Predictions for 2012 for writers and readers – Part 2

vickietaylor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:32:10 +0000

Yesterday I put in writing my predictions for writers in 2012. As promised, today I’m going to consult my crystal ball to get some insight into what readers will see. (Mist swirling in ball. Vickie straightening turban, murmuring magic words and drinking wine. Much wine)

~~Magic Eight Ball~~ Crystal ball says nothing. Or at least not much.

And that’s the way it should be. Sometimes writers forget that readers don’t see the man behind the curtain the way we do. Sit in a bookstore and watch and listen to the customers (try not to get arrested for stalking). Hang in some reader forums if you can find any that haven’t been taken over by hungry writers.

Most readers have no idea what’s happening in the publishing industry, nor do they care. Most readers can’t tell a traditionally published book from a self-published book, nor do they care. Most readers don’t know what midlist is or what a fair digital royalty rate is. Nor do they care.

Therefore, the changes that seem world-altering to authors will be subtle or non-existent to readers. A few of the more observant may notice the differences below, but most probably will not.

Bookstore closures will slow. Now that the Borders are gone, the few remaining (Barnes & Noble, Hastings, Books-a-million, and a few hardy independents) will batten the hatches and try to ride out the storm. Sure, we may lose a few more, but the mass closures of 2011 should not recur. So people will still be able to drive to a bricks-and-mortar store and buy books, though they may have to drive a bit further.
A-list authors and breakouts like Roberts, Patterson, Rowling, King, S. Collins will gain percentage of shelf space in discount stores like WalMart as fewer midlist and new authors appear (see yesterdays predictions for writers to understand why). But the change will be gradual, and therefore go unnoticed by many readers.
A few names readers are accustomed to seeing and buying won’t be found on the shelves. Last week alone, I spoke to three midlist authors who are abandoning traditional publishing to go the indie route. Hopefully their readers will find them online.
Readers will continue to be inundated with e-reader ads. Sales will slow a bit after the Christmas rush, but there will still be an uptrend in electronic reading adoption. Other readers will continue to hold out. Unfortunately, their reading choices will gradually shrink as midlist authors jump ship and publishing houses begin offering e-book only lines for their newer talent. But again, the change will be so slow that I doubt many readers will notice.
Books will be cheaper than ever for those who do adopt electronic reading. They’ll find so many books ranging from free to $2.99 that they will never have to buy a more expensive book again if they don’t want to.
Among those cheap books, there will be bad books. Readers will have to become adept at sorting the wheat from the chaff in order to get the most out of their reading time. There will also be so-so books and many great books.
Retailer tools will continue to improve to help readers find the great books.
Readers will band together through social media just as authors have. They will share reviews and recommendations and price deals to help with that chaff sorting.
Readers who embrace electronic reading will find a wider range of stories and voices than ever before available to them.
Readers will continue to love great stories, and support the authors who write them.

Those are my predictions. Guess I’ll check back at the end of 2012 and see how I did.

Meanwhile…hang in there…coming soon to Amazon.com, my new romantic fantasy novella:

Predictions for 2012 for writers and readers

vickietaylor — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:37:55 +0000

Did you know I come from a long line of fortune tellers? It’s true. My dad’s people were Irish gypsies–or travellers, as they prefer. Here’s a picture of my grandparents’ travellers camp circa I-wish-I-knew-when.

MeMa foretold the future using cards, and two of my great aunts read palms professionally for many, many years. So I know of what I’m talking about when I say I’ve got predictions for 2012.

Well, actually, I probably don’t. But it’s still fun to believe.

We all know the publishing industry is undergoing a great upheaval. I don’t think anyone really knows what the business will look like when things quiet down, but I’ve read several interesting posts postulating the possibilities over the last few days, so I can’t resist doing one of my own.

Here are two of the posts I’m talking about: D.D. Scott and Bob Mayer.

This post isn’t about who is right (or “write”) and who is wrong. It’s about being informed and planning careers and calming the fluttery butterflies of uncertainty in all of our stomachs. Today’s post will approach the predictions from the writer’s view. Tomorrow I’ll look at what’s in store for readers.

Here are my predictions for 2012:

Big mainstream publishers are not going away anytime soon. They will evolve…even if they have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the future. The three evolutionary changes I think we’ll see first are:
a) Hardcover and large print run paperback releases will be limited mostly to the A-list authors like James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Stephen King, Sue Grafton, etc. And celebrity books (yuck).

b) More mainstream publishers will begin to offer “e-book only” lines for their midlist and newer, unproven authors. Some authors will sign these deals (even though the royalties can’t compete with indie earnings) in hopes of selling enough to eventually become elevated to one of those A-list spots and getting a print deal. Others will sign because they don’t want the headache of all the other roles the indie author must play in marketing, cover design, formatting, etc.

c) Mainstream publishers will continue to sign indie authors who are selling very well, though they will have to significantly improve their conract terms to get them.
More midlist authors (like myself!) will make the jump to indie publishing.
More talented unpublished authors will quit beating their head against the submission-rejection wall of traditional publishing and go the indie route.
Number two and number three combined will not only continue improving the overall quality and respectedness (?) of indie publihed books in the general population, but will cause a fundamental shift in the supporting industries including literary agencies, writers’ organizations, bestseller lists and book review processes that previously scorned self-published work. For example, today in the Romance Writers of America, an author is not considered published (which comes with considerable perks through the organization) if her work is self-published no matter how many copies she sells. Methinks this is going to have to change.
Current midlist authors who don’t make the jump to indie will see increasing pressure on their earnings throughout the year and 2013. Their print runs and print sales will drop, but their increasing e-book sales will not make up the difference in revenue due to the low royalty rates most publishers are paying these authors. This is especially sad for authors late in their careers who stick with traditional publishing because they see themselves as old dogs who can’t learn new tricks. They may not be able to ride out the tidal wave of change until retirement.
Indie authors will increasingly band together. In order to reach the maximum audience, authors will cross-promote each others’ books and collaborate on anthologies. They will maintain multi-author websites, blogs and other social media outlets. More and more we’ll see groups of authors functioning almost as cooperatively owned publishing houses using their group leverage not only for marketing purposes, but in the acquisition of resources such as cover art designers and copyeditors. Cool, huh?
Way out on a limb with this one. By the end of 2012 or early 2013, I believe we’ll see someone or something emerge that could be a potential competitor for Amazon in the long run. I have no idea who that will be.
Number eight is more of a wish than a prediction. Authors today have some great professional organizations backing them up: Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of American, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Internation Thriller Writers, and more. These organizations provide for the care and feeding of authors. They nurture new talent (well, some of them do), provide ongoing eduction opportunities, serve as industry watchdogs and keep their members updated on industry trends. I’d like to see a multi-genre professional writers organization for indie writers emerge. I mean a reallyprofessional one.Indies have such an entrepenurial, free-spirited mindset that I don’t think this will be an easy task. But there is a void. Today the void is being partially filled through social media pages of indie authors. In the future I think we’re going to need the klout of a professional group to deal with the big business retailers (and others) who support us and the scam artists who’d like to con us. I’ve seen firsthand the impact of having such an organization, and I miss it on the indie side.

That’s it for my 2012 predictions. What do you think? Who’s got their crystal ball all warmed up?

Tomorrow, I’ll take a look at things from the all-important reader’s point of view.

In the meantime…remember my new fantasy romance novella will be available on Amazon.com later this week!

5 Christmas Gifts for Writers (that won’t cost you a dime)

vickietaylor — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:23:29 +0000

The publishing business has changed for authors. Used to be, you signed on with a publisher, your book got printed and placed in bookstores or grocery markets, and authors anxiously sat back and waited for readers to pluck their paperback babies up and head to the checkout.

Not so, now. Authors are expected to promote their books and have a “platform”–an online presence. Life or death for an author’s career can depend on how visible she is in the cyber world.

The business has changed for readers as well. Where once they wandered the aisles of a brick-and-mortar store for their next read, now they click through websites. Where once they judged their potential purchase on the cover, back cover blurb, and maybe a scan of the first few pages, now they have customer reviews and ratings to guide them.

If you’d like to give an author a Christmas gift that won’t cost you a dime, but will mean the world to him or her, here are a few suggestions:

1) If you read and enjoy a book, go to Amazon.com or bn.com (Barnes & Noble) and enter a review–even if you bought it in a physical store. Reviews= life to an author’s career.

2) Tweet a link to the book or post it on your Facebook status to your online friends letting them know you enjoyed the book.

3) Find the author’s blog and leave a comment there letting her know how much you enjoyed the book

4) Mention the book in your own blog if you have one, and link back to the author’s blog and the book.

5) Email the author and let her know you enjoyed the book. A personal message is sure to brighten an author’s day.

Now–go forth and make Christmas, everyone! Happy Holidays to all!

Coming Christmas day to Amazon.com, a fantasy romance novella:

Healthy Eating – little things matter

vickietaylor — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:56:34 +0000

It’s too long since I posted. I’ve wanted to make some announcements, but I’ve been waiting for the details to be finalized. I’m almost there! So watch for news in the next few days…

In the meantime, I humbly offer this healthy eating tip. I have found that eating well is essential to keeping my attitude good and my energy (and thus my writing productivity) up. Today, I talk about one of the little changes anyone can make to eat healthier and feel better: eliminating (or at least reducing) the evil fat-monger called mayonnaise.

“Nooooooooooooooo!” I can hear your cries already. “Not my mayonnaise!” Please don’t click over to another blog. Give me a chance. Here is the nutrition information for one ounce of mayo:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 oz

Amount Per Serving

Calories from Fat 85

Calories 111

% Daily Values*

Total Fat 9.47g

15%

Saturated Fat 1.389g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5.103g

Monounsaturated Fat 2.552g

Cholesterol 7mg

Sodium 202mg

Potassium 3mg

Total Carbohydrate 6.78g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 1.81g

Protein 0.26g

Vitamin A 1%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0%

Iron 0%

*	Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18

Um…not so good. 111 calories for just one ounce. That’ll hardly make a sandwich. Notice the fat levels, the sodium, and the carbs (with no dietary fiber to offset).

But who can stomach a dry sandwich? Not me.

A great substitue? It’s so simple, and creamy, and delicious you won’t believe it…try avocado. Just much up a little of the green stuff and spread it like mayo. Take a look at this nutrition information:

Quite a difference! For that same one ounce, less than half the calories and fat. And notice that in the avocado, it’s all “good fat.” No sodium. And an excellent carb:fiber ratio. Plus, since it’s not a processed food, you’re not eating any yucky preservatives.

So get rid of that heavy mayo, and dress your sandwiches with creamy, delicious avocado. It’s especially tasty on sammies that include chicken, turkey, tomato or bacon, but really works well with just about anything.

I hope you’ll try it.

In the meantime, keep your eyes open for my new fantasy romance novella, to be released on Amazon in time for Christmas. More news about this book and others coming soon…

A Very Vegetarian Thanksgiving

vickietaylor — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:35:38 +0000

It’s been more than two years since I went vegetarian, and I’m enjoying being meat free more than ever. Finding fun, filling dishes to make for Thanksgiving can be a challenge, however. I’m just not the tofurkey type. Each year, I’m on my own for Thanksgiving, as my family runs off to sunny Florida for the month and I stay home to keep the horses, donkeys, dogs and cats in kibble and oats. I really don’t mind. Every year I have invitations from friends for the big day, but honestly, it’s one of my favorite days to spend at home. That’s the thing about writers. We enjoy companionship…but most of us are also comfortable with solitude. I like to play hermit in my little house with my animals. I munch; I read; I munch some more; I watch the parades and football on TV; I munch, and I cook. I use Thanksgiving to try out new things, dishes I’ve wanted to try but just haven’t taken the time to experiment with.

Coming up with a vegetarian Thanksgiving menu for one has become an annual challenge. So without further ado, I am ready to unveil this year’s Very Vegetarian Thanksgiving.

First up: Appetizers

-Aunt Ginger’s cream cheese and olive spread with fancy crackers. Thanks Aunt Ginger! To be munched upon while the real cooking commences
-Steamed fresh artichoke with herb dip

Next: Main Dishes (two things I’ve been wanting to learn to make)

-Corn tamales. Yes, the handmade, old-fashioned kind with Masa Harina and cornhusks!

-Sweet potato ravioli with herbed butter sauce. I’ve been dying to try making my own pasta!

Also: Sides

-Creamed spinach. From scratch, of course, with fresh organic spinach

Finally: Dessert

-My tried and true delicious creme brulee!

I can hardly wait for Thursday. Only downside is that it is supposed to be in the 70s. Too warm for a roaring fire.

What are you all doing for Thanksgiving?

Tablet e-readers: Good or bad for the book biz?

vickietaylor — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:08:54 +0000

I’ve been watching with great interest the release of the new Kindle Fire tablet e-reader as well as that of the upcoming Nook Tablet. Is seems as if everyone is counting on these devices to lead us into the next generation of reading. I haven’t ordered one (yet). I want to actually get my hands on each and compare and contrast them before making a decision, so I’ll wait until they are available in stores. I have to wonder, though, will these tablets really be as good for the book business as everyone is touting?

I have an old-fashioned Kindle. It’s gray. It’s kind of boring looking. It has some limited functionality for games and Internet browsing, but…well it’s gray and boring. This may be bad for those who want to use their e-readers for a variety of activities. It is good for those who want to read.

I worry that with colorful, powerful new tablets in hand, potential readers may be seduced into browsing the web, watching video, and playing games instead of reading. It will be interesting to see if the reader with a new Kindle Fire buys as many books as she did on her plain, boring Kindle, or if she’ll dawdle away all that potential reading time playing on Facebook.

What do you think? Will tablets continue the charge of e-reading, or hurt e-book sales?

Who is driving the e-book pricing bus?

vickietaylor — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:39:47 +0000

I did something I would never have expected of myself the other day. A poster on this blog recommended a new adult genre book to me, and I went to Amazon.com to buy the Kindle version. Not so surprising? Of course not. Buying a book is not the thing I didn’t expect. Not buying the book, however, after I had already made up my mind based on a recommendation, was shocking. So what happened?

I checked out the cover, the book description, the reviews…I was good to go, or so I thought. Then I noticed the price: $9.99

For an e-book?

I debated for about 1/2 second and then moved on with my credit card undented.

There seem to be two camps in e-books these days: the self-publishers pricing their books anywhere from free to $2.99 or so, and the traditional publishers who are pricing their digital editions close to print book prices. Self-publishers say that the traditional publishers’ pricing models are outdated and readers expect e-books to be cheaper. Traditional publishers say that self-publishers are devaluing the author’s work. Both sides claim that the other will soon make it impossible to earn a living as an author.

So far, neither side seems to be giving. I am astonished by the number of cheap–and even free–e-books I see posted each day. Traditional publishers don’t seem likely to bend given the financial investment they make in their books. Right or wrong, there is the perception that traditionally published books are “better.” And there is some validity to the notion that traditionally published books have gone through more scrutiny before hitting the electronic shelf. But self-published books offer a wider variety of voices and plots and characters that are difficult, if not impossible, to find in the risk-averse traditional publishing house catalogues.

So what do you think? Who will drive the market in the long run? And how much are you willing to pay for an e-book? Will you shell out an amount close to the print version price, or do you expect a deep discount?