Hello everyone and welcome to The BG Blog. Today’s post is Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Jolie the blogger behind Read with Me.
In the last decade, there has been a self-publishing revolution as I discussed in my first Book Bloggers Unveiled post. I have a strong appreciation for the book blogging community and the part it plays. It’s obvious to me that book bloggers are a valuable marketing resource for any author wanting to self-publish their novels. Not only will they read your novel and write an honest review, but they’ll share their thoughts with their friends – they have hundreds of blogging friends.
Therefore, I’m using my voice to sing the praises of the humble book blogger. Today, it’s the lovely Jolie @ Read with Me.
Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Jolie (Part 1)
Hello Jolie, thanks for joining us. Firstly, let’s find out a little bit about you.
When & Why Did You Start Blogging?
I started blogging in 2008 on Blogger, switched to WordPress in 2010. I started blogging about book reviews in 2016 and haven’t looked back!!
What’s The Best Part About Being A Book Blogger?
The best part about being a book blogger is the book blogging community. I have met so many wonderful people in my years blogging.
I avoid non-fiction, DIY, Self Help, Reference, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Religion, and Children’s books.
Do You Have A Favourite Genre, Author, Series? Tell Us More.
I love dark fantasy. My favorite author is Anne Bishop and my favorite series is the Black Jewel Series. I had randomly picked up the first book in that series at Barnes and Noble back in the early 2000’s and loved it. It was a great introduction the dark fantasy.
Which Five Authors (Living or Dead) Would You Invite To Your Dinner Party? Tell Us Why.
I would invite Anne Bishop, Laurell K. Hamilton, Teresa Medieros, Julie Garwood, and VC Andrews. I would love to talk to them about their books and get to know them as people. I have a feeling that they would have some interesting tales to tell!!
The worst part about being a book blogger is that people sometimes can’t just read reviews and move on. I have been harassed via email because of some reviews that I have written. That led me to have my comments to be moderated (this person went into the comments too). I get that you like/dislike a book but not everyone is going to have the same opinion. To attack someone over that is not right.
Do You Have Any Hobbies Outside of Blogging? What Do You Do To Relax?
Yes, I do!! I love to cook, bake, watch TV, play online games, spend time with my husband and children, rescue stray cats, and attempt to garden. I also unplug on the weekends.
Tell Us Something That Your Existing Followers Don’t Know About You?
Hmmmm, let me think about this. I am extremely shy in real life. It takes a lot for me to warm up and talk to someone. But online, forget it. I can be a Chatty Cathy….lol.
Where Else Can We Find You? Please Share Your Social Media Links.
How Long Does it Take You to Create a Post For Your Book Blog?
It takes me a long time, around 3-4 hours. I have 3 kids, a husband who works from home 2 days a week and get interrupted constantly.
Woah! I’m even more in awe, Jolie. Your time management is inspirational! 😍
Thank you for sharing these insights into your blogging life with us.
I hope that you’ve found this post, Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Jolie, as insightful as I did. I’m looking forward to unveiling another book blogger next month.
Hello, lovely self-published authors! Today, I’m asking for your help with my first ever author poll!
I’ve been planning my future blog posts and decided to write about social media platforms and share some tips and my own personal experiences. However, as I set up this blog to help my clients (both current and future), I’d like to know what your experiences are.
I’m a Twitter fan and love tweeting, but which is the one you use the most?
[yop_poll id=”1″]
This mini poll will give me a quick snapshot of which platform is the most popular with self-publishing authors. But I’d be grateful for any comments about why you use the platform(s) that you do and what successes and disappointments have you experienced.
Drop me a comment below or use my contact form if you’d prefer.
I’m going to keep the poll open until 18th March 2022.
Looking forward to comparing social media notes. 😘
Hello everyone. Today is a Guest Post: Rosie’s Book Review Team.
At the beginning of the month, I introduced you all to Rosie @ Rosie Amber in my Book Bloggers Unveiled post. In that interview, Rosie told me that she also runs a book review team. A collection of book bloggers who review a wide range of stories.
I had to know more!
I’ve invited Rosie back today to The BG Blog to tell us more. This guest post will reveal how her team of book blogging reviewers came about. Why she feels RBRT is a great resource for self-publishing authors and smaller independent publishers.
It’s over to you, Rosie.
Rosie’s Book Review Team
I started my book blog ten years ago. For the last eight years, I’ve successfully run a review team alongside my own reading list.
During that time, we have done our best to spread the word about novels, novellas, short stories and non-fiction from self-published authors and independent publishers – to showcase talent found outside the mainstream publishing world.
The team idea came about because I was getting many submissions for books in genres that I was less keen to read.
Also, I wanted to encourage more readers to write reviews. I created a book review challenge project, which was a great success; I then asked several of those who had taken part if they would like to join a team. Happily, most of them said yes!
Each month we are inundated with review requests from authors and publishers alike. Every book that I accept is passed on to my team of twenty readers, which is made up of an international mix of book bloggers, writers, editors, creative writing tutors and the reading public. Most books gain just one or two reviews, but once in a while a gem comes along that piques the interest of several team members and receives highly favourable reviews across the board.
We mainly use e-books which can be sent as .mobi or e-pub file to us. This involves little or no cost to the author. Once a month or so, I send a list of accepted submissions to the team, and they pick which one(s) they would like to read. I ask that they review the book within 4-6 weeks, but I don’t give deadlines.
The reviewer will post the review on at least two sites; Goodreads and Amazon are where most authors like to see a review, but some also post to other sites like BookBub. Most of the team have their own book blog (though this is not a requirement) where they post any team review; they will also send me a copy to post on my blog at a later date, with full credit to the reviewer.
From the author’s point of view, the benefits of submitting to my review team are many.
Often, a book will be chosen by more than one reviewer, which saves them having to apply to multiple book blogs. Once read, an author will have the review of their book posted on up to six sites.
As for the team, I am delighted to say that we all get on so well, and some of us have met up a few times in real life. I never anticipated that running my book blog would make me some great new friends – this was an unexpected bonus!
The team is constantly evolving; over the years members have come and gone; sometimes life gets in the way and a person may not have the time or headspace to review for a while, but obviously, I understand this and there is never any pressure. I am lucky to have a core of supportive, reliable reviewers who have read for me month in, month out, over the years.
To date, the team have reviewed over 2000 books in a wide range of genres.
If you’d like to join our team you can find out more about it here.
Or, if you would like to submit a book for review, then here is the page that you need.
Find team review posts on Twitter using #RBRT (Rosie’s Book Review Team)
Thank you, Rosie, for giving us an insight into your fabulous team of book reviewers.
Hello everyone and welcome to The BG Blog. Today’s post is Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Rosie the blogger behind Rosie Amber.
In the last decade, there has been a self-publishing revolution as I discussed in my first Book Bloggers Unveiled post. I have a strong appreciation for the book blogging community and the part it plays. It’s obvious to me that book bloggers are a valuable marketing resource for any author wanting to self-publish their novels. Not only will they read your novel and write an honest review, but they’ll share their thoughts with their friends – they have hundreds of blogging friends.
Therefore, I’m using my voice to sing the praises of the humble book blogger. Today, it’s the lovely Rosie @ Rosie Amber.
Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Rosie (Part 1)
Hello Rosie, thanks for joining us. Firstly, let’s find out a little bit about you.
Why Did You Start Blogging?
I started blogging to combine a love of reading with a desire to embrace social technology; since then it’s developed into a passion to introduce avid readers to new writers, and offer a platform for little-known talent.
What’s The Best Part About Being A Book Blogger?
Creating a place where readers can discover exciting new books. Talking to writers and readers and that special moment when someone says ‘I have just bought that book after reading your review.’
Do You Have A Favourite Genre, Author, Series? Tell Us More.
Yes, several! I will just mention a few.
Historical fiction – I really enjoy Kate Quinn’s war themed stories, I like anything realistic and gritty from either World War, especially if it is resistance themed.
Historical romance – I’m quite happy reading Mills and Boon/ Harlequin romance. A few of my current favourite authors are Virginia Heath, Janice Preston, Annie Burrows and Marguerite Kaye.
For contemporary adult romance I will read anything by Melissa Foster and I do enjoy a sports romance which tend to fit the new adult genre.
I like an action adventure and will read any Scott Mariani story, I recently read an indie author in this genre whose book was good too; Jenks by Barney Burrell.
I enjoy urban fantasy and can recommend books by Debra Dunbar, Kalayna Price and Kirsten Weiss.
This then crosses to the paranormal genre with books by India R Adams, Melissa Haag and Sarah Addison Allen.
While I’m going down my list, I like young adult stories too and would like to mention Joy Jenkins, Kylie Scott and Margot de Klerk.
Which Five Authors (Living or Dead) Would You Invite To Your Dinner Party? Tell Us Why.
Ooh a dinner party, that’s a thing of dreams with another Covid induced Lockdown looming! I’d actually like to host a dinner for some of the authors that I have built a great book relationship with: Reily Garrett (author of romantic suspense Moonlight and Murder stories), Marguerite Kaye (author of many Historical romances most recently the joint author of Her Heart For A Compass with Sarah, Duchess Of York), Virginia Heath (Historical romance author of many books; The Wild Warriners were some of my favourites), Kimberly Wenzler (contemporary author of Seasons Out Of Time) and Chris Bridge (His war story Back Behind Enemy Lines was brilliant).
What’s The Worst Part About Being A Book Blogger?
One of the most challenging parts is creating interesting content on multiple platforms to keep your audience entertained and to gain additional genuine followers.
Do You Have Any Hobbies Outside of Blogging? What Do You Do To Relax?
I like baking although I look on a recipe as a guide rather than something which I must follow! I also enjoy gardening. In the last two years I have been growing more and last year I created a kitchen garden.
Tell Us Something That Your Existing Followers Don’t Know About You?
I come from a farming background and I have a cow named after me, although she is can be quite awkward at times, so I hope I’m nothing like her!
Thank you for sharing your innermost secrets with us Rosie. Now, I’m even more excited to find out more about your book blog.
Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Rosie (Part 2)
What’s Your Blog Called?
Rosie Amber
How Long Have You Been a Book Blogger?
10 years
What Type Of Posts Can We Find On Your Blog?
Although it is mainly book reviews we do a few other posts including advice posts. See (https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/wednesday-wing-useful-posts-and-tips-for-authors/)
What is Your Favourite Type of Blog Post to Write?
This would be a review of a book that I enjoyed so much that I can’t wait to share it with others.
What Has Been Your Proudest Blogging Moment To Date?
Creating a successful team of book reviewers has been brilliant. They come from all over the world and I have even met up with some of them.
Back in July 2020, we celebrated 6 years of the review team with our top 14 books. Here’s a link to the first post: https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-fzh
Where Else Can We Find You? Please Share Your Social Media Links.
Find me on Twitter @rosieamber1 My review team and I created the popular hashtag #TuesdayBookBlog for anyone who has a book-related blog post that they post on a Tuesday. We help to share as many as we can each week.
Do You Have Any Blogging Goals This Year? If You Do, Please Share Them With Us.
I am always ready to learn new things which will help to continue to grow the blog and the social media platform connected with it. Reaching new followers and communicating with them to make them feel a part of our group is something that I would like to do more of.
I couldn’t agree more, Rosie. Every day is an opportunity to learn and using new skills to help grow your platform sounds like a wonderful goal to have. Thank you for sharing these insights into your blogging life with us.
I hope that you’ve found this post, Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Rosie, as insightful as I did. Running a successful book blog and a team of reviewers obviously has its ups and downs, but Rosie’s passion for the written word shines through every page of her site.
Do you follow Rosie Amber already? Please take a moment to visit Rosie’s blog, like, follow and comment on a few posts. And as a bonus, if you browse through her review archive, I’m sure you’ll find your next favourite read!
I’ll be sharing more information about her review team later this month, but you can find reviews from Rosie Amber and Rosie’s Book Review Team on my Twitter feed all month.
Next month, I’ll be unveiling another fantastic book blogger.
Hello everyone and welcome to The BG Blog. Today’s post is Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Flora the blogger behind Flora’s Musings.
In the last decade, there has been a self-publishing revolution as I discussed in my first Book Bloggers Unveiled post. I have a strong appreciation for the book blogging community and the part it plays. It’s obvious to me that book bloggers are a valuable marketing resource for any author wanting to self-publish their novels. Not only will they read your novel and write an honest review, but they’ll share their thoughts with their friends – they have hundreds of blogging friends.
Therefore, I’m using my voice to sing the praises of the humble book blogger. Today, it’s the lovely Flora @ Flora’s Musings. Flora has already written a couple of posts for The BG Blog and has kindly agreed to be my first victim participant of the Book Bloggers Unveiled series.
Hello Flora, thanks for joining us again and for agreeing to answer my questions about the life of a book blogger. Firstly, let’s find out a little bit about you.
Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Flora (Part 1)
Why Did You Start Blogging?
I just wanted an online space that allowed me to share more than a Tweet. Stuff that I found inspiring, and somewhere I could share my thoughts on what I was reading and watching. But also a place I could talk about subjects that were important to me.
What’s The Best Part About Being A Book Blogger?
You mean apart from authors and publishers sending me audiobooks to review? Lol! 😘 Well, I’d have to say the best bit is being part of a wonderful book blogging community. I’ve made some fabulous friends and have found so many new-to-me authors.
I avoid stories where that protagonist is under 18.
Do You Have A Favourite Genre, Author, Series? Tell Us More.
I love paranormal romance and urban fantasy. My favourite author is Dianne Duvall, she’s got a few series – Immortal Guardians, The Gifted Ones, and Alderbarian Alliance. Each series could sit on a different genre shelf but they all have gritting plots with adventure and a romance weaved in.
Which Five Authors (Living or Dead) Would You Invite To Your Dinner Party? Tell Us Why.
Dianne Duvall, Felicity Heaton, Teresa Gabelman, and Holly Bell of course because they’re all my favourite authors and I have a million questions I’d love to ask them. My blog’s review archive is full of their titles. But I’d also like to invite Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, apart from finding out how he devised his plots, I’d also like to know how he feels about all the TV and film adaptations of his books.
What’s The Worst Part About Being A Book Blogger?
I had to think about this one for a bit. I used to get stressed about the number of ARCs (Advanced Reader Copy) I had to read/review by a certain date. Having to read a book and wanting to can shift your emotional state. You get reading slumps, blogger burn-out, and flounder about like a fish out of water. However, this year I swapped to audiobooks and no longer have any deadlines. I’m much more relaxed.
Do You Have Any Hobbies Outside of Blogging? What Do You Do To Relax?
Listening to audiobooks is my happy place. Oh, and I like doing jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, and watching stuff on Sky or Netflix.
Tell Us Something That Your Existing Followers Don’t Know About You?
When I was a teenager, I used to write stories about The A-Team and Battlestar Galactica where I was the protagonist.
Thank you for sharing your innermost secrets with us Flora. Now, I’m even more excited to find out more about your book blog.
Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Flora (Part 2)
What’s Your Blog Called?
Flora’s Musings
How Long Have You Been a Book Blogger?
about 8 years
What Type Of Posts Can We Find On Your Blog?
Reviews, Lists, Blog Tours, Tags and memes
What is Your Favourite Type of Blog Post to Write?
I still love sharing my thoughts about the audiobooks I listen to.
How Long Does it Take You to Create a Post For Your Book Blog?
Not including the actual listening/reading, a good few hours. I have a regular format but I still have to organise my thoughts, create the graphics, add purchase links so my followers can buy it too.
What Are Your Top Three Favourite Blog Posts You’ve Written?
This is another tough question, Kim. It’s like choosing which of my kids I love the most! But I’ve found three that I enjoyed writing
I hope that you’ve found this post, Book Bloggers Unveiled: Meet Flora, as insightful as I did. I’m looking forward to unveiling another book blogger next month.
Hello everyone. Today, I’d like to talk about book bloggers and how they help authors with their self-published books. Introducing, Book Bloggers Unveiled.
In the last decade, we’ve witnessed a self-publishing revolution. Viva La Revolution! Amazon’s Kindle Print on Demand facility means that anyone from established authors to new writers are now able to send their words out into the world without the need (or cost) of a publishing house.
Yeah, Amazon! They’ve single-handedly opened up the publishing industry. Right?
Well, not without help from forward-thinking people who jumped on the self-publishing ideal and went with it. I typed in “how to self publish a book” into Google the other day and got a whopping 30.5 million results!
The advantages and disadvantages of publishing your own work have been discussed in posts and articles for years so I’m not going to talk about that. There’s a plethora of help and advice out there at the click of a button so I don’t want to just rehash any of that either. I’m not an expert in book formatting, design or how to load your books onto the various retailers’ shelves. However, I do have a background in blogging and a strong connection to the book blogging community. Therefore, I’m going to add my voice to those who are currently singing the praises of the humble book blogger.
What’s so great about book bloggers?
I came across an article on NovelPublicity.com written by debut novelist Terri Giuliano Long that resonated with me. Long wrote How book bloggers sparked the indie publishing revolution back in 2012. I think book bloggers are even more relevant now, ten years later in 2022.
In her guest post, Long said that she’d been previously told by a former agent that her book wouldn’t hit the 500 sales mark. She credits the book blogging community plugging her debut novel with the resulting 80,000 sales. Long feels that the book blogging community has taken over from traditional reviewers. Providing reviews as in-depth as professional reviewers, but with a more personal feel.
Utilise the community of avid readers to promote your book
Promoting diversity is a recurring theme amongst book bloggers and utilising the book blogging community as part of your marketing strategy when you self-publish your next novel is logical. Long says that, among other things, book bloggers help people “discover new voices”:
“Unlike traditional media, most bloggers don’t stigmatize indie-published books. Except perhaps in free reads, no one pays bloggers for their reviews. Bloggers don’t answer to corporate publishers, nudging them to read books by their anointed authors, nor do they answer to a marketing team. Bloggers select books freely – their only goal is to share good reads with their readers and followers. Because they’re open-minded, willing to read books by an author they’ve never heard of, they discover new voices. This is what happened with In Leah’s Wake.”
I personally don’t like to generalise like that. Yes, there are lots of book bloggers out there who do everything Long says and more, but I’m sure there are also those who don’t. However, it’s obvious to me that book bloggers are a valuable marketing resource for any author wanting to self-publish their novels. Not only will they read your novel and write an honest review, but they’ll share their thoughts with their friends.
So, what’s that got to do with me?
As I said, the book blogging community is a vast collection of avid readers. Just like you and me, each blogger has different reading tastes, likes, and dislikes. When you don’t have the resources or finances of a publishing company behind you, promoting your new baby takes valuable time, resources, and funds. Just the word “marketing” sends shivers down my spine and brings me out in a cold sweat!
I’m not a marketing expert. I started The BG Blog to help writers find solutions to the problems they may be facing. My new regular feature, Book Bloggers Unveiled, adds to that. Every month will feature a different book blogger. I’ll be sharing a little bit about their blog and the avid reader behind it. Therefore, you can get to know the book blogging community too and tap into this wonderful resource.
Look out for my first Book Bloggers Unveiled post later this month. In the meantime, you can check out my library where you’ll find lots of resources. There are posts and links that I’ve compiled for authors, writers, readers, bloggers and fellow editors and proofreaders.
Did you know that good beta readers are one of a writer’s most valuable external resources? Not only can the right beta reader help you improve your manuscript in a way that you never could on your own, but they’ll also keep your editorial costs down.
Fantastic! But … what are beta readers, where can I find them, and how do they help me?
What the heck is a beta reader?
Beta readers are people who evaluate completed or work-in-progress (WIP) manuscripts. Sometimes they’re fellow writers and offer a reciprocal evaluation. Many are avid readers themselves and offer their feedback either in exchange for a set fee or a word-of-mouth testimonial. These helpful people will give you their opinion on what works and what doesn’t in your story.
Good beta readers are worth their weight in royalties so treat them well. Make sure that:
Your manuscript is the best version that you can produce without outside help.
It’s in the format which they are comfortable with, i.e. .docx, .pdf, .mobi (or comes with clear instructions on how they can convert it).
You’re clear about what you want from them. Let them know if you are aware of specific problem areas that you want them to pay particular attention to.
The turnaround time that you are asking for is reasonable.
Great! I like the sound of these beta readers. They seem like wonderful people. Where can I find one?
Beta reader wish list.
When looking for your ideal manuscript evaluator there are several characteristics that you should look for. First of all, let’s talk about who they aren’t. Beta readers are not:
Your best friend or mate since school.
Any member of your family member. No, not your mum, dad, brother, sister, cousin, auntie, uncle, granny…
Your husband, wife, or romantic partner of any description.
The person who has been reading your manuscript as you’ve written it.
These lovely people are all either too close to you or too invested in your story. They’ll want to help but they’re not objective enough to give you the candid, constructive criticism that you need. The people who love you or who have shared in the agonising, creative process so far won’t want to hurt your feelings or cause you any pain. Yes, the process will leave you more open to criticism, and it will probably be painful. However, the pain is necessary. You know that. Well, OK … deep down, you know that.
This is what good beta readers are:
Honest and dependable. They need to live up to their promise of help and do it within the agreed timeframe.
Avid readers and/or writers themselves. Both of these groups have a good understanding of what makes a great story. You’ll get useful insights from both sides of the process if your betas are a mix of readers and fellow writers.
The target audience of your book. If your book is aimed at young adults (those in their teens or early twenties), you want your beta readers to be within that age range too. If you’re writing within the mystery genre, you’ll want people who regularly read or write mysteries.
Able to offer a constructive critique. Strong opinions are good but any criticisms must able to be communicated without crushing your confidence. Balance is the key; they should highlight the strengths in your manuscript as well as the weaknesses and faults.
Aware of the importance of a writer’s “voice”. They’ll know enough of the publishing world to understand the fluidity with the rules of language.
Understanding of what’s needed at the beta reading stage. They’ll know that their job is assessing the big picture not nit-picking about any typos or spelling.
Experienced or knowledgeable about any specialist content in your book. e.g., foreign locations or language, astrophysics, law enforcement, deep-sea diving.
A single beta reader may not have all of these characteristics. Therefore, many writers gather a team of betas to cover all the necessary aspects for what their manuscript needs. Having a small team ensures you are well on your way to some excellent feedback.
Oh, yes! I’d trust my manuscript to people like that. But where can I find them?
Where do beta readers hang out?
If you have the money or time is of the essence, you can pay for a manuscript critique. You can find many professional beta readers advertising their services through social media, or freelance websites such as fivver. However, if you’re working to a tight budget, you may end up spending money that should have been used as part of the editing process. To help with this very issue, I offer my beta reading clients significant discounts off later editing needs.
If financial constraints mean that you’re unable to pay for a beta reader, take the time to choose wisely. Honestly, my best advice is to simply go where writers go (Twitter, Facebook, writing blogs, and writing forums) and start making connections. It’s important to find beta readers that are the right fit for your book.
The best time to begin your search is, at least, a year before you think you’ll need them. Yes, that long. Taking this time means that you get to know more about lots of different people, building productive relationships and contacts. This leads to longer-lasting professional friendships which you’ll benefit from throughout your writing life.
Some key pointers for making and supporting connections with your potential beta readers:
Be genuine. Don’t pretend to be interested in someone’s life or writing just to get them as a beta reader. The relationship with your beta reader needs to be one based on honesty.
Be generous. Offer up your time and feedback willingly. Volunteer to critique other manuscripts before asking for yours be assessed. Fellow writers will soon reciprocate because they want to help you.
Be gentle. Take your time; it takes patience to nurture the sort of relationships that both parties can trust and rely on. You want to be sure that your manuscript will be safe in their hands.
Yes, yes, but WHERE can I start making these connections?
As I mentioned before, you can find beta readers through a variety of places:
Face-to-face.
Writers’ seminars and workshops. The first contact will be face-to-face. But then you can keep in touch via whatever method both party agree to, usually social media.
Local writers’ groups and critique groups. Find out what’s going on in your area by visiting your library or try meetup.com.
I know that the pandemic has had an impact on in-person connections. However, most face-to-face events have become virtual ones instead with the help of Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.
Online.
Social media. Interact with other writers on Twitter, join Facebook groups for writers, Goodreads has a Beta Reader Group, LinkedIn has various discussion groups for writers covering a variety of genres.
Writers’ forums. Sign up to writers’ forums that have critique dedicated areas. You’ll most likely have to do some beta reading yourself before you can offer up your own work for assessing, but it’s all part of the relationship-building process. Joining other writers’ forums that don’t have areas dedicated to critiques will help you meet like-minded authors. In time, they might be interested in beta reading the kind of books you write.
Book discussion forums. Some book websites focus on specific genres and have community forums where people discuss the books they love from that genre while other sites allow discussions about any and every genre. Frequently, you can also find sections dedicated to authors and writing where critiques can be exchanged. OnlineBookClub.org is a great site with active forums and resources available for writers and authors as well as readers. They have separate forums for different genres as well as boards specifically for authors and the art of writing.
Writing blogs. Search for blogs related to writing. Which ones are well-written and have content that engages you? Interact with the author by commenting on posts and sharing what they have to say across your social media accounts; they may even begin to reciprocate. Over time, you’ll be able to tell if there’s potential for a mutually beneficial beta reading partnership.
Remember the fundamental rules of relationship building: Be genuine, be generous, be gentle.
Excellent! I know who I’m looking for and where to find them. But why should I go to all this effort?
Why do I need a group of beta readers at all?
It takes hard work and dedication to build up a portfolio of beta readers who you can call on when needed. What makes it worth your while?
Working with beta readers will:
Improve your writing skills. You’ll become increasingly aware of your weaknesses and develop a more professional style that’s more conducive to success in the publishing world.
Improve your manuscript. Problems and areas that you grappled with will be resolved, missed plot holes will be highlighted and solutions suggested, weak characters will be strengthened … The list could go on and on.
Create your very own support network. Authors are solitary creatures and don’t usually have a team behind them. However, your portfolio of betas will be people who are dedicated to the written word, who get you. They’ll understand the challenges and recognise the triumphs. Even if only a few of the connections you make join your beta team, you’ll have built up an invaluable network that’ll prove its value time and again.
Save you money. A large enough team of beta readers means that you can garner their thoughts at key junctures of your manuscript’s development. Done properly, you may be able to skip the developmental and substantive editing stage at the beginning of the process. This will dramatically reduce your costs and mean that the line/copy-editing stage may come in cheaper too. The ‘cleaner’ your manuscript is, the lower your overall editing costs will be.
As you can see, just one of these benefits makes the time and effort spent finding good beta readers worthwhile.
As a lover of the cosy genre, I couldn’t let the Agatha Award 2021 pass without mentioning the winners on the blog!
Hello. Today on the blog I’m sharing the Agatha Award 2021 winners. This prestigious literary award is run by Malice Domestic. The award was created in honour of the queen of cosy mysteries, British crime writer Agatha Christie to celebrate the authors publishing works in the cosy genre.
Here’s what Malice say about it on their website:
“Established in 1989, Malice Domestic is an annual fan convention that takes place each year in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Malice celebrates the Traditional Mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely defined as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore or violence.“
The six categories in the Agatha Award are:
Novel
First Mystery
Historical Novel
Short Story
Non-Fiction
Children’s/Young Adult Mystery.
Additionally, in some years the Poirot Award is presented to honour other individuals who are not writers themselves, but who have made outstanding contributions to the mystery genre.
The nominees are suggested by everyone who has registered for or became a Friend of Malice Domestic by the end of the previous years. The five finalists in the six categories are chosen, then the attendees vote for the winners. In case you were wondering, here’s a link to the list of nominees.
Due tothe Covid-19 pandemic, the Agatha Awards were once again announced at the More Than Malice online event.
So, who were the Agatha Award 2021 Winners in the different categories?
Contemporary Novel
All the Devils Are Here by Louise Perry (Minotaur)
Historical Novel
The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen (Berkeley)
First Novel
Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Kensington)
In the publishing world, a book’s blurb is NOT the same as its synopsis. Yes, we are a world unto ourselves. Both are important to the success of your novel. However, each needs its own skillset and be written for a different audience. In this post, I’m sharing my tips on how to write an amazing synopsis for your novel.
Do you know the difference between a blurb and a synopsis?
A blurb, or cover copy, is the text you typically see on the back cover of a book.
Blurbs give an idea of what the story is about, but don’t tell you the whole plot. They’re written to entice and intrigue the reader, and the language used reflects this. They’re evocative, intriguing yet spoiler-free. For example, ‘Alyssa is plunged into an exciting world of sorcerers and spies.’ ‘Lily will discover a secret that changes everything.’ Or perhaps, ‘Will Graeme manage to overcome his demons and save the world?’
A synopsis has a different function.
The synopsis isn’t meant to tantalise the reader or show off your writing style (your manuscript itself should do that!). Rather it serves to inform the agent, publisher or whoever is reading it what happens in the story. A synopsis is clear and straightforward. You need to layout what Lily’s secret is, and whether Graeme does manage to save the world. You don’t need to use the rhetorical devices you would see in a blurb; plain and simple English is just fine and will allow your plot to speak for itself.
Writing a clear, concise synopsis or book proposal tells an agent, editor or publisher that you are a capable writer, and can help you stand out from the slushpile and secure a book contract.
A literary agent or publisher will ask you to submit a synopsis along with your sample chapters. A well-written synopsis will help the agent decide whether or not to request the full manuscript. Therefore, it’s important to get this part of the submission package right.
Tell the whole story
A synopsis should cover the plot from start to finish. As mentioned above, don’t leave the ending hanging on an unfinished thread – we need to know what happens! Also, don’t assume that the agent has already read any sample chapters you’ve sent, and therefore it’s OK to start where those left off.
Include your sub-plot(s), but you don’t need to include every detail. The synopsis should focus on the main plot, and how those subplots feed into it. If you’ve written a fantasy novel, try not to get bogged down in explaining your world-building or how the system of magic you’ve invented works. Give only the details that are needed for understanding the story. These should (hopefully) be enough to give a flavour of the unique and interesting elements you have created.
If the book is part of a planned series with an ongoing story, it may be helpful to include very brief synopses of these (a couple of lines, maximum). Just to show that you have plans for where the story is going next.
Write in the third person, present tense
Imagine that you are sat in front of your potential agent or publisher and telling them about your story. For example, ‘On her fortieth birthday, Flora meets an old man who tells her that she will die on the same day that she meets her soul mate.’
Instead of ‘On her fortieth birthday, Flora met an old man who told her she would die on the same day she meets her soul mate.’
How long should it be?
Some agents/publishers will be very specific on their submissions page about the length they require (e.g. ‘no more than 300 words’). Therefore, it’s always worth doing your research. Adapt your submission package to fit the guidelines.
Generally, though, the consensus seems to be ‘no more than one side of A4’. Of course, it depends on what kind of book you’ve written. The storyline for a children’s book such as Winnie-the-Pooh could be easily summarised in a paragraph or two. Whereas an epic fantasy such as A Game of Thrones would understandably fill a whole page (two pages may be acceptable in this case).
Finally … does it make sense?
This seems obvious. However, as the author of your novel, you are intimately aware of the plot. You may be too close to it to know whether the synopsis would make sense to those who haven’t already read the book. The best way to test this is on people who know nothing about the book and ask them to be honest.
For further details and help, I recommend checking out How to write a Synopsisby Sophie @ Liminal Pages where she also includes some databases when you’re ready to contact an agent.
As you can imagine, writing your synopsis can also highlight potential problems in your plot. If you’re struggling to write a concise, logically connected summary of the events of your novel, you might find it isn’t ready to be submitted to agents just yet. If you’d like professional feedback on your draft, consider hiring me to carry out a manuscript critique.
