Hey Guys!
I have a feeling that many of you would love to have the job we are talking about today.
A PA is the best connection between the readers and the author.
Although some authors don't have one, everyone in the Market knows and respects the great work this wonderful person does to help.
Our friend today is a PA, a very good one at that, and she answered the questions that are bubbling in your head right now.
Meet Christina Higgins.
This week we hear an author.
Roxanne D. Howard is a U.S. Army veteran who has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and English.
She loves to read poetry, classical literature, and Stephen King. Also, she is an avid Star Wars fan, musical theater nut, and marine biology geek.
Roxanne resides in the western U.S., and when she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children.
Roxanne loves to hear from her readers, and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.
When I was thirteen, I spent three dollars on cheap, compact legal pads at the dollar store.
On those legal pads, I wrote my first book about a group of teenagers stranded in the Moroccan jungle after a plane crash. After finishing the book, I was so distraught and heavy hearted by what it might take to make the story publishable, that I placed it in a shoe box, and kept it there for twenty-four years.
Last year, after my third book was published with Loose Id Publishing, I took a deep breath and reopened the shoe box. After typing the pen-written book out, I realized I had a 25,000 word count, novella-length book on my hands. It is now in the process of being rewritten and fleshed out.
Do you yearn to be an author?
Did someone say something the other day or years ago at a barbecue that triggered an idea for a character or intriguing story?
Have you been tossing the idea around in your head, but hesitating because of self-doubt?
Stop right now, sit down, and write it out. Even if it’s a sentence that you detest. Do it.
Self-doubt is something all writers struggle with, whether they’re starting out or have been published for years. Self-doubt is the Kryptonite of creativity, and what makes or breaks someone actually writing a book is being able to shove all the uncertainty to the back burner, while the story takes its rightful place in the forefront of your mind.
If you have a dream of writing and publishing a book, allow yourself to dream.
Everyday life can take us over; we have jobs, obligations, husbands, wives, children who constantly need something, mortgages, bills… but what of our dreams?
One of my favorite authors, Richard Matheson, wrote in his novel What Dreams May Come, “That which you believe becomes your world.”
We see inspirational memes and photos floating around on Twitter and Instagram of characters literally falling into fantastically crafted books, and the reality is that is only a slice of the magic that can happen when you pursue the dream of writing.
Writing is a merciless beast, and the truth is that when you’ve written the best novel of your life, and you are exhausted but feeling the fulfillment of having accomplished a lifelong goal, your journey has just begun, because then come the rewrites, and the editing, and more rewrites.
So with all the burdens of everyday life, the lingering self-doubt, and the fear of what lies ahead, how does one pursue a career in writing?
Passion.
In ancient Greece, when a man died, there was only one important question that mattered in the end – did he have passion?
For most of us that answer would be yes, though many rarely act on it.
If you have vivid dreams, keep a dream journal or notebook by your bed.
Right down things as they come to you; don’t ignore ideas, because that is your creative side telling you, hey, I’ve got an idea. Let’s do this and make something special!
One thing you can do each day is write.
If you write a few words, a sentence, a paragraph, a page, or even a few pages a day, like a good medicine it will get you into the habit of doing what you love and nurturing the writer within you. You know you have what it takes to make your dreams a reality, so what are you waiting for? Pick up a pen or type out that idea today!
Connect with Roxanne:
Quality Erotic Romance with Substance.Website: www.roxannedhoward.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoxanneDHo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profi
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/auth
I am sure you enjoyed. Next week another piece of the book Market machine!
We will have words from editors, reviewers, beta-readers, designers, and authors.
I am gathering a good bunch of people!
With them, you will understand the Market and how things happen.
I decided to start with an author.
After all, everything goes around us, the crazy guys who create people and places and magic.
If you dream of being part of this wonderful world, get on Board for some good moments!
I have a feeling that many of you would love to have the job we are talking about today.
A PA is the best connection between the readers and the author.
Although some authors don't have one, everyone in the Market knows and respects the great work this wonderful person does to help.
Our friend today is a PA, a very good one at that, and she answered the questions that are bubbling in your head right now.
1.) What is the most common question an author asks you?
How Much? LOL!
2.) What's your first suggestion to an inexperienced author?
Start small and simple. Gimmicks work in the short term but quality works in the long term.
3.) How often do you interact with an author?
Depends on the author. It can be as seldom as once per week or as often as several times per day. It's not a nine-to-five type of job.
4.) Do you work with social media for the author?
Yes! Social media is a must! It's a modern day version of a door-to-door campaign & cheaper than traditional advertising!
5.) Do you think an author should promote himself or herself before promoting the book? Is it necessary?
In a perfect world, the author's work should speak for itself. Unfortunately, that's not enough anymore. I think that promoting yourself should go hand-in-hand with promoting your work...not necessarily before. Be personable without getting too personal. There's a fine line. The author should only share what he/she is comfortable with. Many of the authors that I know are introverts by nature so it can be very difficult for them to be open. That's okay. What works for one author may not work for another. I don't think that it is a "do or die" necessity but I do believe that it can be a helpful marketing tool. If a reader can relate to the author on a certain level, they'll have a better understanding of the characters as well as the story itself. That's what brings the readers back. They'll have a deep loyalty to "their author" and his or her works.
6.) How many hours do you work with an author daily?
Depends on the author and the type of needs that have to be met. It could be a few minutes going over something that needs to be posted to a social media site or it could be a few hours that involve proofreading or researching.
7.) Do you work with blogtours? How do they work?
Yes. It's basically a virtual book tour only instead of physically traveling from town to town, the stops are from blogger to blogger.
The purpose is to generate buzz for an upcoming release. Some authors swear by them and have found great success. Other authors find them a waste of time and money.
Depends on the expectations of the author, how many bloggers participate, and how many potential new readers can be reached. It's a numbers game!
8.) Do PAs write newsletters?
Absolutely!
9.) How can a PA help with a marketing campaign?
Contests, blog tours, newsletters, teaser trailers, social media management, review teams, and virtual book clubs are some of the many ways that a PA can help run a marketing campaign. This applies to both the Indies as well as the traditionally published authors!
10.) What advice can you give to a person who wants to be an author?
As cliché as it may be...WRITE! Don't wait around for the "perfect moment." Just do it. Write about what you know. If you don't know enough about a certain subject, either research it until you know or find another subject. Write about yourself. It doesn't have to be an autobiography. Make it fiction. Some writers chase genres that are "HOT!" Some find success doing that. Good for them. Stay true to yourself and DON'T GIVE UP!!!
I believe you thought, 'Hey, I would like to do that!'.
The first step is involving yourself with the book world. Connect on authors pages, add them as your friends.
Be respectful and offer help here and there.
When you build a relationship with the person, the job will happen. And remember, nothing happens to those who don't try!
You can start with me. Use the facebook link below and send me a PM referring to this post. We can talk a little and you will be in my network.
#########
This week we hear an author.
She loves to read poetry, classical literature, and Stephen King. Also, she is an avid Star Wars fan, musical theater nut, and marine biology geek.
Roxanne resides in the western U.S., and when she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children.
Roxanne loves to hear from her readers, and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.
A Breath of Life on Parchment: How to Make Your Writing Dreams a Reality
On those legal pads, I wrote my first book about a group of teenagers stranded in the Moroccan jungle after a plane crash. After finishing the book, I was so distraught and heavy hearted by what it might take to make the story publishable, that I placed it in a shoe box, and kept it there for twenty-four years.
Last year, after my third book was published with Loose Id Publishing, I took a deep breath and reopened the shoe box. After typing the pen-written book out, I realized I had a 25,000 word count, novella-length book on my hands. It is now in the process of being rewritten and fleshed out.
Do you yearn to be an author?
Did someone say something the other day or years ago at a barbecue that triggered an idea for a character or intriguing story?
Have you been tossing the idea around in your head, but hesitating because of self-doubt?
Stop right now, sit down, and write it out. Even if it’s a sentence that you detest. Do it.
Self-doubt is something all writers struggle with, whether they’re starting out or have been published for years. Self-doubt is the Kryptonite of creativity, and what makes or breaks someone actually writing a book is being able to shove all the uncertainty to the back burner, while the story takes its rightful place in the forefront of your mind.
If you have a dream of writing and publishing a book, allow yourself to dream.
Everyday life can take us over; we have jobs, obligations, husbands, wives, children who constantly need something, mortgages, bills… but what of our dreams?
One of my favorite authors, Richard Matheson, wrote in his novel What Dreams May Come, “That which you believe becomes your world.”
We see inspirational memes and photos floating around on Twitter and Instagram of characters literally falling into fantastically crafted books, and the reality is that is only a slice of the magic that can happen when you pursue the dream of writing.
Writing is a merciless beast, and the truth is that when you’ve written the best novel of your life, and you are exhausted but feeling the fulfillment of having accomplished a lifelong goal, your journey has just begun, because then come the rewrites, and the editing, and more rewrites.
So with all the burdens of everyday life, the lingering self-doubt, and the fear of what lies ahead, how does one pursue a career in writing?
Passion.
In ancient Greece, when a man died, there was only one important question that mattered in the end – did he have passion?
For most of us that answer would be yes, though many rarely act on it.
If you have vivid dreams, keep a dream journal or notebook by your bed.
Right down things as they come to you; don’t ignore ideas, because that is your creative side telling you, hey, I’ve got an idea. Let’s do this and make something special!
One thing you can do each day is write.
If you write a few words, a sentence, a paragraph, a page, or even a few pages a day, like a good medicine it will get you into the habit of doing what you love and nurturing the writer within you. You know you have what it takes to make your dreams a reality, so what are you waiting for? Pick up a pen or type out that idea today!
Connect with Roxanne:
Quality Erotic Romance with Substance.Website: www.roxannedhoward.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoxanneDHo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profi
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/auth
Thank you for coming!
I am sure you enjoyed. Next week another piece of the book Market machine!
✰✰✰✰
This new page is an opportunity to know more about the book business.We will have words from editors, reviewers, beta-readers, designers, and authors.
I am gathering a good bunch of people!
With them, you will understand the Market and how things happen.
I decided to start with an author.
After all, everything goes around us, the crazy guys who create people and places and magic.
If you dream of being part of this wonderful world, get on Board for some good moments!
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