Good Monday morning, readers and writers everywhere!  I hope your Easter weekend/school break/vacation was supremely happy and restful. Ready to get back to work? I am. But first I wanted to break from the usual weekly articles and touch base on a few odds and ends.

NEWS:  I am delighted to announce that the eLit Book Awards were announced over the weekend. I am the proud SILVER Medalist for The Book of Now (TBoN)! Let’s have a group hug!AND On Apr 14 I started a FREE Giveaway of ebook copies of TBoN. TODAY is the last day to get your free Kindle copy of it. I will NOT be offering this book for free ever again.  Now is your chance! Last day is TODAY. RUN!
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Next, the Poetry Contest ended yesterday. Judging begins today and winners will be announced on APRIL 26. Stay tuned for the LIVE announcement (see below) and I wish all the entrants good luck!

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I’ll be on the radio! Join me on Yvonne Mason’s blogtalk radio program OFF THE CHAIN on FRIDAY, April 21, at 8pm. We always have a great time and we’re planning to discuss poetry. Call in and ask your questions. And share your thoughts with us! I look forward to our hour together. Click the link and listen live or check back later and listen to the archived program.

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NEW BOOK STATUS:  I’m finishing the final edits on the new book. I finally selected a title and all will be revealed soon. Get ready because I hope to have the book available by the end of MAY!

What is the new book? If you read my MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN – A Tale of Lust and Revenge, then you met Drahomira, my deliciously sexy vampire. She’s back and she’s setting up the reason for the new series called The Evening Bower. This prequel will introduce a variety of characters who will come together (some sooner, others later) in the new stories. Drahomira is my connector, my facilitator (just don’t tell her I said that), and she’s bringing trouble in her wake.

I’ll keep you posted with more information soon.

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New FACEBOOK LIVE EVENT on APRIL 26 at 9pm. The Poetry Contest Winner announced, news about the new book, info on the Space Coast Book Lovers Event, and a few special shout outs.  Mark your calendar!

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Finally, I know I don’t say it often enough but thank you to everyone who supports me with you friendship, your encouragement, you cheering when I do well, your uplifting inspiration when I do poorly, and for filling my life with smiles and laughter. You are all my inspiration and I treasure you.

Next Monday I will have some poetry and thoughts about poetry to end National Poetry Month.

Until then I remain,
Yours, Between the Lines,
Sherry

This isn’t the blog I had intended to write last week, but I happened to walk into a couple social media conversations that rankled me so much that I had to change course. I tell you this because as wonderful as social media can be (fun, playful and informative), social media also can be ugly. Besides often spreading lies and promoting bullies, various platforms are places where you can learn how others really feel about people and life while cloaked behind a computer screen. And what I heard both shocked and angered me so much that I’m on a crusade. Stay with me as I explain.

During my usual perusal of Facebook and Twitter, I happened upon three separate conversations by some authors in various stages of book publication. In one case, the writer was asking about finding a book cover and asked where to get a good premade (because couldn’t afford to pay a lot of money). Several others (I can’t tell you whether or not they were all authors or writers), advised the writer to do her own cover and save money. When that was shot down (due to lack of experience or creative juice), another advised to “go to [this place]  and spend $5 because no one gives a crap about the cover anyway. It’s what’s inside that counts.”

That lone comment started a firestorm and where I decided to join the fray.

More comments flew and I offered my input (and I’ll get to those in a moment). About an hour later, I drifted into another online conversation (on Facebook) based on a post by a cover designer/interior formatter/photographer who was asking folks to please give appropriate credit to whomever designs the books. Turns out that this issue had been raging for a while and I’m only now seeing the terrible unfairness and dishonor that’s been happening. This post really riled me to speak out for designers against bloggers and writers who seem intent on denigrating them or belittling them.

First the basics. A book cover is the first thing that folks see. Whether you do an ebook, audio book or print book, the book cover is the first impression and what draws in the reader. A lousy book cover is the first reason why your book doesn’t sell beyond your mom and her book club. So, the first thing a writer needs to do (after finishing the novel), is to plan for the best book cover possible.

Can you do your own? Sure. Should you? Well, if you understand genre styles and fonts, if you know what the successful trends are, if you know what not to do, if you know how to use design programs like Adobe and Photoshop, if you understand templates and the difference between CMYK (for print) and RGB color (for digital/online work), then by all means do your own cover. You obviously are more talented than I am!

But if you are like the rest of us normals (haha), you will need to get a good cover designer. Think of the books that you like. Look at the books that you purchased and see the covers. Do you know anything about your genre? No? That is your first assignment. Go to bookstores, and look at other covers. Go to websites and learn about good cover designs. People like Joel Friedlander of The Book Designer offer wonderful information about book cover do’s and don’ts. In other words, learn something before you wander off to spend money. Before I self-published my first book, Paper Bones, I spent a YEAR learning about self-publishing, including book covers (trends, styles, how-to, prices, pitfalls). In other words, do your homework. It will help prevent your being scammed.

Once armed with knowledge, then it’s time to seek a cover designer. Now be careful. It’s a jungle out there. Shop. Shop s’more. Then shop even more. KNOW what you want. Be prepared to spend money. A lot of money? Not really. A good cover will run you anywhere from about $99 for ebook cover and some extra goodies, to around $400 if you need ebook, print, audio, extra goodies (like banners for social media and print ads). Will you use stock photography or a model? Plan to pay for your own media that the designer will use and for the model’s time.  Premade covers will run the gamut in price from as low as $5 to as high as $200 depending on where you go and who did them. Again, shop.

Finally, if you decide to use a cover designer, check out their work and chose an established designer with a strong resume who will work with you and provide you with a product you will be proud of. This will be the first thing people see about your book. Demand the best of you and your designer and pay good money to see your dreams become reality.

This is where I entered the discussion when it was said no one cared about the cover.

Really???

WRONG. Covers are EVERYTHING. What’s more, the designers who create them spend countless hours planning them, then creating them. Often there are photo shoots to build stock to work from, models to deal with, programs to use (requiring purchase and knowledge how to use), font libraries to keep and know how to use, understanding trends, market demands, dealing with multiple templates from various publishing houses (no one has the same requirements), and individual client requests. In short, cover designers are just as special as the writers. Really.

The sad thing is that writers forget that without the designer’s lovely cover, there is a chance no one will pay any attention to the writer. For this reason, if not for professional respect, every writer owes cover designers recognition for their work. This happens inside the book or on the cover itself (I’ve seen it done both ways).

WRITERS OWE DESIGNERS RECOGNITION.

There is NO exception to this rule.

I’ve been blessed with exceptional, award-winning covers. I chose my designers carefully and I conveyed my wishes well, but I also listened and learned from each different designer. I continue to read and learn about covers despite the fact that I don’t design. I want to know what works so when I do my next book, I have some idea what I need besides what I want. This helps my designer as much as me. But I never forget that they are the designers, not me.

In the end, when the book is done, I give my designer (interior designers/formatters too!), all the respect and adulation I can. I acknowledge them by displaying their copyright of the work.

And that’s my final point. THEY own the work. Did you hear that? THEY OWN the work. Yes, they provide to you and you own the book cover for your use and sale. But they designed it. They created it. They are the copyright owners. You USE it.  Got it?

Say thank you by giving designers their due. Honor them. Respect them. Cherish them. They take our words and make pictures for us. That’s magic. Honor them and they will honor you.

Here are some wonderful designers that I have worked with who might work with you.

Sean Foley, designer of my award-winning cover of Paper Bones.

Pro Book Covers,  with Travis Miles, designer of my award-winning cover of By Light Betrayed.

Robin Ludwig Designs, designer of my award-winning cover of Midnight Assassin.

Cover Me Darling, owned by Marisa-rose Shor, designer of my latest two releases, The Book of Now and Breaking the Glass Slipper (hoping they will win awards this year).

Pink Ink Designs, owned by Cassy Roop who did the striking interior formatting for The Book of Now and Breaking the Glass Slipper. She is also an excellent cover designer.

Castelane for the Prose, designers of book trailer for By Light Betrayed, also provide full service book designs.

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Say, did you miss my live chat? You can watch here on Facebook. More of those to come. Plus I have plans to appear on You Tube regularly.

Thanks for letting me vent. Stay tuned for more rants and raves and information on writing, self-publishing, and other oddities.

Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

*Writers are funny. They lie. Oh, they don’t mean to lie and they don’t realize they are lying most of the time. What do they lie about this time? Why, many are lying about how happy they are for your success!

Writers – authors in particular – say they want everyone to succeed but then turn a variety of shades of green when one of them actually does. Their frustration, though hidden, blazes in their hearts. They are asking, “Why him? Why not me?”

I’m not immune. I want Indie authors to do well, to see success. I will aid, promote, review, and chat up all of them. I will buy books, talk about my favorite authors, and do whatever I can to see authors find recognition. I don’t do it for recognition myself but to be helpful and supportive.

Sadly, this is not a two-way street. When I publish, those same authors that I promoted do not reciprocate, buy my books, or give reviews when given free books. Rarely do they share or give much publicity. It’s frustrating but honestly? Most authors are self-centered and narrowly focused. But there is a reason. It’s a kind of protection. Not everyone is like me and believes in the collective good (there ARE many others out there who are, and I’m grateful to those. This is not about them). I get it. They want to promote and sell their work.

The reveal comes when one of them becomes a best seller on Amazon, or New York Times, or USA Top 100. I’m happy for them. I cheer, promote, and talk then up again. As will all their author friends, many of whom are green at the gills.

But don’t let authors tell you that they secretly aren’t envious, even jealous. Don’t let them laugh off their frustration because they lie.

I know because I lie. And not all of us liars want to admit it because it makes us feel human and small.

I won’t tell you not to be envious of others. It is human nature. And I want to laugh when someone answers my frustration with, “you shouldn’t be jealous.” Shouldn’t is a judgement and I feel what I feel. No one can say whether it is right or not and certainly have no right to judge my feelings. If you don’t get a little green at someone’s instant success or see him or her zoom to the top of the charts and become #1, then you are remarkable and we can’t relate. Me? I’m human. I get frustrated and I get envious of seemingly easy success. Successful authors are usually quick to tell me, “but you shouldn’t.”  Why not??

Because envy can be good for you.

If you are human like me, and a struggling author like me, let’s try to work this out so that your envy becomes an understandable and useful tool for you.

• First, don’t compare yourself to others. No one writes like you. They are not you. Their sphere of work and how they got to where they are is very distinct. So, no apples vs oranges.
• Second, congratulate the successful and find out how they did it! Maybe there is useful information to be learned and lessons to absorb. You can never have too much information. Perhaps there is a “secret” you can use, too.
• Third, a kindness takes nothing away from you and improves your attitude. Not to mention that when you act like an adult you find the will to be an adult. So be nice! You liked them and/or respected them before. Tap into that and remember and mean it when you express your happiness for their achievements.
• Fourth, ask yourself what made you envious and work for it. Need to advertise more to improve your visibility? Need to tighten your writing and study your craft more? Need to publish more material? Blog more? Need help promoting? Define what is lacking and go after it. Get help. Seek out what you need and use those tools to do better. Trust that as you improve and your work is more visible that so will the good that you hope for come your way.

My friends, envy is good for you. You’re human yes, but don’t let that be an excuse. Green eyes can motivate you if you let it happen.

Someone I know had immediate and almost instantaneous success when they published their book. It rocketed to #2 in its genre in less than a day. People flocked to buy and the reviews poured in. I nearly fainted in awe and lost my mind with frustration and envy. How did this happen and what was wrong with me?

Ah, young Jedi, there is the lesson. First, this person created something needed. Second, they have a following that is several THOUSAND strong. Next, the product is quality. The word of mouth advertising after publication carried the day. The Amazon #1 bestseller status came out of a need and the following who purchased the product.

I don’t have that kind of following and my books aren’t mainstream enough to grab that kind of attention. I advertised but I’m in a totally different field and not mainstream. There is my answer, which clarified when I stepped back and examined why I felt as I did and what I could do about it. I was envious of a success that I could emulate if I wished!

Fill a need, produce a quality product, and develop a following before the product is released. Voila, my young Jedi, you have YOUR answers.

Envy can be good. It keeps you sharp and focuses on the prize. Just don’t let it get the best of you. Don’t let it stop you from promoting others, buying books by others, reading and reviewing works by others. Don’t be them. Be you and be the kind of person that others will – or hope – to emulate.

So, I told you I lie about being envious. I won’t ever admit it publically and certainly never to other authors. And I may never know their kind of success. I have come to accept that what I work for and what I earn may never be equal to others. But I will keep working, studying, writing, and publishing. Most of all, I will keep believing in what I do. Because I write for me and for you. My envy will never get in the way (though I may never be able to stop feeling it). Instead, let us use envy to do better and achieve our dreams.

Let’s make green the color of enviable success for both of us.

TELL ME — do you fib about feeling envious? And how do you deal with it?

*(this article is prepared after speaking with over 50 authors whose comments were provided with a promise of anonymity. The observation is a generalization and not intended to reflect the attitudes of all writers/authors. Nor is this written with malice or any intention to offend). 

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****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

– Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  (expected April 2017)
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures (Nov 2017)
– prequel novella to the Bower series (May 2017)
– four-part fairy story (part one complete) (Christmas 2017)

On the Desk: (next reading): waiting on my next book

Off the Desk (book just finished): Prince Lestat 2 by Anne Rice

Coming Soon:  Interview with new folks and more about upcoming giveaways, plus more commentaries.