Please join me in welcoming Karen Wyle, a sci-fi author with lots of excellent advice for writers.

1.         Where are you from? 

I was born a Connecticut Yankee, and moved to California when I was eight years old. (Three years later, we visited the mountains and I clambered up the first snowy slope, wild with nostalgia. I’d forgotten that snow was cold. My hands got cold very quickly….)

After bouncing back and forth between the east and west coasts for years, I landed in the Midwest and became a Hoosier (Indiana resident).

2.         When did you first consider yourself a writer? 

From early childhood, I considered myself a writer. At age eight, I had a poem (not a very good one) published in the local paper. At ten years old, it was my ambition to be the youngest published author ever, and I was somewhat crestfallen to learn that a nine-year-old girl had claimed that honor.

 3.         What inspired you to write your first book? 

I’ll answer this about two different books, as my first actual novel was written at age ten and will (I hope) never see the light of day. I wrote that book as a labor of love for my fifth grade teacher, churning out two penciled pages a day — each two pages a separate chapter — for 100 days.

 As for my more recent “first” novel, Twin-Bred: I read an article online about interactions between twins in utero — synchronized movement, touching, even kissing. Either this article or a comment on the article mentioned the long-term effect of losing a twin in utero. As an avid science fiction reader, I tend to see the sci-fi potential in any event or discovery.  I imagined a scientist seeking to overcome the comprehension gap between two intelligent species by way of the bond between twins. It would be natural for the scientist who conceived this idea to be a twin; it would be intriguing if she were a twin survivor, and if she had somehow kept her lost twin alive as a companion, who could be a character in the story.

 On a deeper level, I have always been fascinated by communication issues and the struggle to understand what is different.

 4.         Do you have a specific writing style? 

 My authorial “voice” is the product of many years of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although I hope not fatally tainted, by many years of writing appellate briefs.

I tend to emphasize dialogue and internal monologue more than description of people or places, although I’m trying to become less lopsided in this area.

5.         How much of the book is realistic? 

Mara’s situation vis-à-vis Levi is based on what I’ve read about lost twin syndrome and twin survivors — although I don’t have any specific information about a twin survivor maintaining a twin construct well into adulthood as Mara does. The depiction of government bureaucracy is, in my possibly jaundiced view, pretty realistic. The comprehension gap between human and Tofa is extrapolated from how different human cultures have misunderstood each other. The (vaguely described) genetic tinkering necessary for the Twin-Bred’s gestation seems plausible to me, given reasonable advances in biogenetics. As for the Tofa themselves — the jury’s still out on the likelihood and prevalence of intelligent life in the rest of the galaxy. If in fact we have plenty of company, I don’t think it’d be a huge surprise to find the Tofa out there somewhere.

6.       What book are you reading now? 

When I started answering these questions, I was reading Ursula K. LeGuin’s Cheek by Jowl — accurately described in its subtitle, “talks and essays on how and why fantasy matters.” As I finish, I’m reading The Quotable Hitchens, edited by Windsor Mann.

7.       If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I would include a bit more description of the planet Tofarn and its various towns and cities. (As an indie author whose books are available primarily online, I could make this or other changes in a new edition — but I doubt I will.)

8.       Who designed the covers? 

My wildly creative elder daughter, Livali Wyle, an art student at Savannah College of Art and Design, helped me design the cover and did the cover art.

9.       Do you have any advice for other writers? 

Warning: long answer ahead. . . . The following are mostly suggestions that I have found in various books/essays/blog posts about the process of writing fiction, and then verified by experience.

• Read, read, read.  Read fiction, biography, history — whatever interests you.  Read authors whose voice appeals to you.
•  Don’t let anyone tell you whether you’re meant to be, or whether you are, a writer.  Even well-meaning folks may be poor critics, and not everyone who makes pronouncements on your potential will be well-meaning.
•  Keep pen and paper, or some other means of taking notes, with you at all times.  Don’t assume you’ll remember your great idea five minutes from now — write it down immediately!  Get or jury-rig a lighted note pad for your bedside table. (A clip-on book light attached to a cheap note pad will work.) If you get ideas in the shower, mutter them over and over to yourself until you reach dry land.
• Become compulsive about multiple backups of your idea notes, works in progress, rough drafts, subsequent drafts, etc.  Use “the cloud” (Web-based storage), e.g., Dropbox or Evernote. (I use Dropbox. Once it’s running on your computer, it will back up a document stored in your Dropbox folder every time you save. But check periodically to make sure it’s still running!) Email attachments to yourself (and then check whether your email host is periodically deleting them).  Put files on a separate hard drive and on flash drives.
• This one is YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). That said, I and many other authors find it essential to keep the inner editor gagged and stuffed in a closet when we’re working on a rough draft.  Don’t be afraid to leave blanks or bracketed notes as you go.  (My second-to-latest rough draft had one that read “[insert appropriate South American country here].”)   National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org), in which participants aim to write a novel of at least 50,000 words within the month of November, is a great way to accomplish this.  There’ll be time enough later for lots and lots of rewriting.
• A related point: find the process that works for you. Some authors outline in detail. Others find too specific an outline stifling, and work from less organized notes of possible scenes, or with no notes at all. Some have a fixed time of day for writing, and allow nothing to disrupt it; others flit back and forth all day between writing and other tasks. Some use computers; some still write longhand, and a few swear by typerwriters.
•  Think seriously about self-publishing.  There’s a wealth of info and support out there for indie authors.  Conversely, this is a risky time to sign a contract with an agent or publisher.  Because of the uncertain and fast-changing conditions in the publishing industry, many agents and publishers are inserting “rights grabs” and other clauses in their contracts that could cripple an author’s career.  Some of the worst language may be  hidden in unexpected places like “warranty” clauses. If you do sign with an agent or publisher, try to find a way to pay a good IP attorney to go through the contract with a microscope.  Don’t let the allure of “having an agent” or “being published” lead you to grab at an offer of representation or publication without vetting it thoroughly.

 10.       What has been the most surprising thing you learned from creating your books?

Probably the way a story occasionally decides to write itself! This can happen in various ways: a character reacts in an unexpected way to a situation I set up, or a detail I considered unimportant added color turns out to play a key role in the plot. My experience tends to confirm Stephen King’s observation that being a novelist is much like uncovering a fossil. I would add that, like a paleontologist, an author may have some difficulty figuring out how the various pieces are supposed to fit together. . . .

Twin Bred is available at:  Amazon (Kindle edition): http://amzn.to/u2OtVP    Amazon (paperback): http://www.amazon.com/Twin-Bred-Karen-Wyle/dp/1463578911/ref=tmm_pap_title_0   Barnes & Noble (paperback): http://bit.ly/xsyzwL

Find out more about Karen at www.KarenAWyle.net

My good friend, fellow author, and one of the first female motorcycle racers in the world, Birgit Soyka, has taken the next step in book promotion.  No simple book trailer for her.  Take a look at her innovative music video.  Hopefully, it will inspire you to read her fabulous memoir, To Drink the Wild Air.   Click on the book cover on the left for a link to read the reviews and to purchase it to Amazon. 

If you’re an author or business owner, Pinterest is a new way to help establish your brand.  The concept is fairly simple.  The site is a collection of boards, like virtual bulletin boards where you pin pictures and videos.   Once you sign up (there’s a waiting period now), you set up as many boards as you like which you name and add to your page.  They can be anything within Pinterest’s regulations and can describe your brand, your book, your message, your business.   For instance, I have a board entitled “My Writing Journey,” to support my book and another called “Fashion Over Fifty,” that relates to a regular column I write for the Clayton Pioneer.   

Where to start?  Once you get an account, poke around on the site and follow people in your business or with your hobby to see what they’re posting about.  You can also clink on the “popular” link to get ideas.  Think about what your audience would like to see.  You can create a how-to board or if you have a speaking event or book signing planned, you could put up a board in advance to market the event.

I’m new to Pinterest and am just learning about all the options.  But what I know is this is not just another social networking site.  It’s growth has been extraordinary and big brands such as Macy’s and Real Simple are onboard (excuse the pun!)  So this site seems to have staying power. 

If you’re an author with a book on Shelfari, you can set your book apart by adding unique extras that can help people who are either currently reading your book or deciding if they want to read it.  Extra information such as character descriptions, awards, important locations, etc., can really differentiate your book.

To add Book Extras, go to Shelfari (an Amazon.com subsidiary) and login using your Amazon user name and password.  In the top search bar, enter your title or author name. Locate your book, then add, update or correct the  set of Book Extras for your title.  You can also see who has either read your book or is planning to read it. 

A big thank you to Dee Owen for posting my interview in her blog, Mum’s Writings, Mystery and More.

We authors are always looking for unique ways to promote our books. One idea is to create your own holiday, or even better, link your book to a holiday someone else has already created.  For instance, did you know that the second week of January is letter-writing week?  If you’ve written a book that involves letters, why not launch a publicity campaign that week?  

Here are some others ideas for the month of January: the release of your new book could be tied to Make Your Dream Come True Day, or your recipe book could link to National Pie Day, or your children’s book could match up with Winnie the Pooh Day. 

Here’s a website with a list of unique holidays in January.  Let your imagination run wild!  

A friend of mine just got out of a publishing contract because she hated the cover design they presented to her.  Her gut told her it sent the wrong message.  This may be the best decision she has ever made.

According to survey data, bookstore browsers spend an average of 8 seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds studying the back cover before making a buying decision.  Online bookstores such as Amazon reduce the decision time even further, as do mobile devices.  Bookstore book buyers want concise, quick information.  The front cover (or spine, if displayed spine out) must present a compelling visual, and next a sizzling spot-on title must grab their interest.

The bottom line is the cover is the most important marketing tool you have.  It must absolutely make a connection between your book and your target market. The colors, fonts, and images must  grab the potential buyer and say “Choose me!”  While the story may be fabulous, without the right cover, it won’t sell.

On the first rainy night of the year, I was very concerned about how many people would come out for our presentation, “So You Want to Write a Book,” at the Clayton Library.  Much to my surprise, we had over sixty attendees, many of whom were aspiring writers. 

Our panel consisted four published authors from the Mt. Diablo Chapter of the California Writers Club, myself as moderator and author of Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever, Barbara Bentley, author of  A Dance with the Devil: A True Story of Marriage to a Psychopath, Jon Cory, author of Jon Cory A Plague of Scoundrels, and Al Garrotto, author of The Saint of Florenville: A Love Story.  After brief introductions, we authors shared what inspired us to write our books, what are writing processes were, what the hardest part of writing was for each of us and what we were currently working on.  But the best part of the evening the Q & A session where members of the audience asked such questions as how to get an agent, how to find a publisher, and how to choose from the various self-publishing options available today. Overall, I think the attendees got their money’s worth, and we authors enjoyed sharing our experiences and selling our books.  We hope to take this show on the road!  Stay tuned. 

Nothing is more off-putting than a blatant plea to “buy my book.”  I see this on a number of sites I belong to along with “vote for my blog,” or “vote for my book trailer.”  My reaction – hit the delete button.  And I’m sure I’m not alone.

Authors need to be more creative in marketing their books.  You need to find a way for readers to connect with you as a person, either through your blog or by other means.  What other interests do you have besides writing?  Cooking?  Bird watching?  Tap Dancing?  My second love is fashion.  Some time ago, I began doing posts about fashion for women over fifty on a well-known blog.  The editor of my local newspaper saw them and contacted me asking if I would like to write a similar ongoing column for her paper.  I jumped at the chance.  Here’s one of my articles.  See Page 13 and check out the byline. 

My point is there are more effective ways to promote your book than begging people to buy it.  If you know anything about marketing, soft-selling works.  Think out of the box.  Use some of the creativity you used in writing your book to market it.   

Now that I’m about to upload Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever to Smashwords, I’m researching what other authors have done to promote their eBooks.  One such uber-successful author is J.A. Konrath, who writes mystery, thriller, and horror genres and has published a ton of eBooks.   He recently posted this article on his blog.  As I come across more helpful information, I’ll post it here.