#also for the record my advice is mostly from reading others’ tutorials and observation

[patheticbatman]

I haven't seen any posts about this yet but l've seen some fan art that makes me feel this needs to be said:

Don't forget Leah Sava Jeffries has darker skin when making Annabeth Chase fan art!

She is much closer to Lupita Nyong'o than Zoe Kravitz when it comes to shading, reflection, and complementary color usage :).

Lighting for dark skin is different on light skin. Light skin gets changed by lighting, and dark skin reflects the lighting. Below is a lovely shot of Nyong'o's character from Wakanda Forever in mourning. The filmmakers emphasize the umber qualities of her skin in contrast to the funereal white and (arguably harsh) light across her shoulder below.

Try to pick spots that aren't directly in or near the light, and try mixing 3 or more! You can put it into a color mixer online, or even color pick, lower the opacity, and lay the shades over each other until you find one that fits. And of course, the more 'realistic' you want to go with shading and lighting, the more shades you're going to want to be able to explore vivaciously :D.

Let's take a look at the same 3 beautiful actresses I mentioned at the beginning, with a bad color picked area and a better-ish color picked area. (Please keep in mind, these are not perfect comparisons, as I was not able to find pictures of all 3 actresses under the same kind of lighting.)

Kravitz's has a clear difference between the two, but they aren't too far apart, in comparison to Nyong’o’s and Jeffries’s. Note the dullness in the poorly picked shades as opposed to the better ones. Also keep in mind that while Kravitz has a rosy undertone (at least in that picture - it’s from The Batman, which has stylized coloring) Nyong’o has a slight cool undertone (I can’t pin down quite what, but the picture is definitely not stylized like Kravitz’s).

Jeffries runs more ochre or russet, but neither of those are pink. They are more red than terracotta or umber, but to call Jeffries’s face rosy would be wrong. Err more towards the golden when drawing her.

^^saved an image from a writing tutorial long ago, but can’t seem to find it. If someone recognizes it, I’ll link it. EDIT: it’s from this post. Thanks @autumnrowancollector ! <3

And also, the darker skin gets, the less likely warm undertones are going to appear. Don't be afraid to use blue or purple or even green on occasion!

Additionally, cool lighting on dark skin is always a win imo.

(I was going to use that picture of Jeffries as Annabeth by the lightning bolt, but then I realized the lighting on her face doesn’t quite match up with where it should hit from that angle, and I realized they kind of just turned everything bluer, so screenshot time!)

(Also if you want another really great live action example, check out anything Aldis Hodge is in, like Leverage and Black Adam)(and of course there’s Spiderverse <3 but I want to post pictures of Hodge)

Now, to here’s a list of more experienced people’s advice:

Black facial features & hair

Shading digitally for a (somewhat) monotone Black character

Stylistic choices and places to start looking for inspiration (besides a search engine).

Coloring Black people’s lips

A better coloration tutorial

Also a nice tutorial for Indigenous skin tones, just in case yall want to draw Piper or use this information for other dark skinned characters :).

EDIT: Some actresses who are closer in skintone to use for Annabeth, provided by the lovely @blackfemmecharacterdependency ! If you can’t find a reference for Jeffries in a specific lighting, maybe check out these ladies’ pictures! It’s a reblog, so scroll down.

TLDR: Don’t make Annabeth pink and pale, make her dark and golden.

#Annabeth chase #Percy Jackson #percabeth #leah sava jeffries #pjo #leah jeffries #art tutorial #percy jackon and the olympians #I love superheroes and so of course all of the actors I thought of were from superhero movies lmao #also for the record my advice is mostly from reading others’ tutorials and observation #and I don’t really use it a lot because I stick to lineart a lot lol #like down to mentioning Hodge (love himmmm) as a reference for good lighting on dark skin #there’s another post floating around here that specifically mentions him and Leverage for that #I’m tagging this as an art tutorial but really i want it to be more of a master post #master post so yall can see the tutorials I usually use #but then I ended up writing about Jeffries specifically because I’m dumb #I wanted to go to sleep four hours ago I’m dumb #I really want to draw her and ginger Percy but #irl it’s starting to get busy at school again :/

[differenceenginegirl]

Everything seems a little dark and scary at the moment, so I have complied a list of links to cultural and/or educational things (and some just streams of cute animals, or just plain fun) that are available to watch or listen to or do for free (mostly) online. Some of these will only work for the duration of the current situation (marked with a *), but most are permanent (so far as I know) so can be kept around for a little bit of sunshine on a rainy day.

Feel free to add to this with your own links or ideas, and remember, we’ll get through this together (with the appropriate social distancing). Follow the advice that’s been given, wash your hands, and be kind to one another. 

The majority of links were brought to my attention by @theyahwehdance, @elleflies, and @buckysleftarm (plus a bit of a deep dive through my drafts). Under a cut because hoo boy it got long... 

(Some links in the linked lists may be broken, some may be region-locked, and some may be duplicated, I haven’t checked them all.)

Culture and Education!

The Metropolitan Opera, free nightly (19:30 EDT, 23:00 GMT) broadcasts of operas, available for 20 hours following the broadcast too. (Schedule for the first week)*

Berlin Philharmonic: 30 days free access to their virtual concert hall (redeem before 31st March 2020)*

Playbill have compiled a list of 15 professionally recorded musicals you can watch at home (Not all free) and are inviting people to join them in watching Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella Starring Lesley Ann Warren on 20th March at 20:00 ET! (video may be region locked) 

12 highlighted virtual museum tours and a whole load of others from around the world!

Science Twitter, a series of Skype with a Scientist virtual lectures! (A sign up with an email is required through the link in the tweet, running from 12:00-14:00 EST, (16:00-18:00 GMT)

30 virtual field trips! Links to virtual tours and live cameras of many different places! (Aimed at kids)

Animals!

Cincinnati Zoo Facebook Live virtual safaris, every weekday at 15:00 EDT (19:00 GMT)* Completed safaris will be posted to their website shortly after the Live finishes, and also kept on their Facebook.

Live Monterey Bay Aquarium Cams: 10 different cams showing various tanks and enclosures, and the bay itself!

Live San Diego Zoo Cams: 9 different cams showing various creatures in their habitats! 

Atlanta Zoo Panda Cam

Danish Sea Eagles Cam (this site in Danish, and may go dark, as the equipment is solar powered): A live feed of a Danish Sea Eagle nest!

Peregrines in Norwich and Bath!

Live Animal Cam, Ohio: A cam focused on a feeding station, with night vision so the feed continues even after the sun goes down! (This shows wild animals, so there is no guarantee that you’ll see creatures)

Shedd Aquarium let their penguins out to explore! (Under supervision) More exploration here! 

Two Oceans Aquarium did too, and look at these little cuties on the stairs!

A livestream of adoptable kitties!

And here’s a thread with some of these cams, and more!

Music!

Various people (started by cellist Yo-Yo Ma) playing/sharing music that comforts them on Twitter.

Virtual High School Musicals! (Original Thread) (Wider Hashtag) Many High School kids are now finding themselves unable to perform the musicals they’ve been working so hard on, so Laura Benanti invited them to video themselves performing and share it with her, so they still get to perform for an appreciative audience! (Some of these are absolutely stunning!)

Never before heard Hamilton track demo! 

A playlist of Quarantunes on Spotify, compiled by Rita Wilson (Tom Hanks’ wife)

A playlist of 101 Feel-Good songs on Spotify, compiled by @lanamlouise 

This guy made a really cool instrument out of PVC pipes!

A group of engineers in Stockholm turned a set of stairs into a piano to encourage people to use them rather than the escalator!

Stories!

Josh Gad reads a bedtime story (Olivia goes to Venice) with voices!

Various celebrities reading kids stories, as part of a charity initiative to keep kids fed during school shutdowns.

A bunch of free short stories, essays, audio and video by the wonderful author @neil-gaiman (Plus two photos of him in an ancient hat!)

Find your local indie bookstore and support them while also getting a new book! (US only)

And of course, you can’t leave out the marvelous Archive Of Our Own for fanfiction and fanworks for almost every fandom you can think of! (Remember to make use of the tags and filters to narrow your search or avoid things you don’t want to see/read!)

Food!

A recipe for Norwegian Christmas Butter Squares! (Apparently like sugar cookies, but in bar form and better)

A fudgy brownie-in-a-mug recipe!

A really nice chocolate pudding (in the British sense, so like a cake) with spiced chocolate sauce! (I love the whole cookbook that this is from, and it’s especially good for Discworld fans. Available from various sellers, I have linked my favourite money-sink, the Discworld Emporium: Nanny Ogg’s Cookbook)

My favourite biscuits (cookies) to make! Honey and cinnamon, with a picture book (Honey Biscuits by Meredith Hooper) that you can read alongside to explain to kids where all the ingredients came from!

Creativity and learning new things!

LUNCH DOODLES with Mo Willems! (13:00 ET weekdays, videos remain post-stream) Aimed mostly at kids, but don’t let that stop you doodling with the  Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence!

A little list of doll makers/dress-up sites!

How to take really good photos of the night sky with a phone! (Please continue to observe social distancing rules while taking your pretty pictures)

Fancy making a language? Here’s a site with resources to help you get going with that!

A long list of sources of inspiration, arty websites, and some that are just fun!

Make your very own Peaches the Mouse by @my-darling-boy!

Want to learn 3D modelling? Fusion360 is free (for hobbyists and students) and professionally used, with a good network of tutorials and an, imo, fairly intuitive interface! (I use this a lot)

Want to play with Photoshop but don’t have the money? Here’s a free, in browser version! (Has ads, but they’re unobtrusive)

Want to try your hand at creating a sim? The Sims 4 Character Creator Demo is free! (Limited options, but still fun to play with)

Whether you play D&D or not, this is a really cool custom miniature creator, with loads of options that are being constantly added to updated! (And if you have the money, you can get it in a printable format, or printed for you in a variety of materials!)

Fancy learning something new? Memrise has a load of free courses, ranging from real languages like French or Spanish for beginners to fictional languages like Quenya (one of the Elven languages from LotR) or Klingon, or trivia bits like Harry Potter Spells or Noble Houses in Game of Thrones, and many more! (Available in multiple languages, although not all courses may be available in all languages)

Ever fancied trying to build armour or cosplay props from foam? R31 Studios has you covered with free PDF templates for all sorts of bits!

Meditation and Calm!

60 second meditation tool! Put a worry into a star, and watch it float away with a calming soundtrack and 

Meditation with Lizzo!

Customisable Rain Sounds!

Customisable Train Sounds!

And many more customisable noise generators!

Play with liquid/particles! (Warning: this one made me feel a bit motion-sick, but pretty!)

Interactive generative art!

Random bits I couldn’t catagorise!

Don’t want to dine alone? Have dinner with the Gaffigans!

A series of Mildly Interesting images from @catchymemes!

A group of stuntmen doing Super Mario!

Another list of Good Links (Really well organised!) by @secretladyspider! 

@thelatestkate draws wonderfully reassuring cartoons! (On Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook too!)

World Record Egg Instagram! Lots of nice little positive cartoons.

Happy news from The Happy Broadcast on Instagram, The Happy News, and HuffPost Good News!

Here’s an ongoing list of good stuff by @pftones3482! (Check the notes for more good stuff, and the latest addition)

Some feel-good browser games!

And finally, a little frog here to give you some reassurance!

#positivity #feel good #happy things #reassurance #link list

[obsidianarchives]

Black Woman Creator: Afiya Augustine

Hailing from the tropical isle of Trinidad, Afiya Augustine is a writer, freelancer, podcaster, and creator of Pretty Poet Ink, an online handcrafted accessories boutique. Afiya finds tons of inspiration for her work from her love of pop culture, nostalgia, history, science fiction and fantasy. When she is not crafting, she spends time listening to music, tweeting, writing poetry and prose, posting photos of her family, catching a flick, or learning something new. We spoke to Afiya about being a creator, balancing creating with a nine to five, and who some of her favorite Black women creators are.

Black Girls Create: What do you create?

I create quite a few things, actually. First and foremost, I am a writer. I’ve been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since I was twelve and have been a professional entertainment writer/editor for well over five years.

Next, I am the creator and founder of Pretty Poet INK — an online boutique of handcrafted wonders. I both design and create a plethora of things, which (at the moment) includes wearable and useable art otherwise known as jewelry and accessories. With my jewelry,  I often use actual semi-precious stones, crystals, glass and wood beads, in addition to plated and precious metals. My accessories are mostly fabric-based items like bow ties, hair bows, and I’m slowly venturing into things like wallets and pouches. In addition to pieces that are of my own design, I also do custom pieces for others, usually for special occasions like weddings.

Lastly, I host a podcast, called ‘Adult-ish’, which is tackles the everyday trials and tribulations of transitioning into adulthood and all the responsibilities that comes with it no one ever really tells you about.

BGC: Why do you create?

I started creating because quite honestly, I liked it. I’ve always been a person interested in creating. I like to express the way I’m feeling through my various crafts. I use my writings to express my emotions, thoughts, daydreams, and wishes. I used my jewelry to convey a feeling, a connection to a certain aesthetic, imagery. I love the idea of bringing something from my imagination to life. It’s very calming and it's also a feeling of accomplishment to see something start as just a few beads or a thought and watch it come together as a necklace or a poem.

The same kind of goes for my podcast. I record to connect; to share my experiences with others who may have gone through the same things I have.

BGC: Who is your audience?

I create for an audience of like-minded individuals, which at times is a very small group. As it pertains to anything I write or record, I’m reaching out to an open-minded audience, individuals who aren’t afraid to push their boundaries or ask silly questions. With regard to my jewelry, a lot of my pieces are for those who are OK and accepting of something “different,” who can find a deeper meaning in the baubles and connect to them on the level from their inspiration.

For instance, I really love historical content so biographical films or movies set in different decades fascinate me and can be reflected in my work. I also love MCU and DCEU films and books, so you’ll find pieces dedicated to that. Science-fiction and fantasy are genres I’ve been reading since I was a child, so some of my pieces are emblematic of those worlds as well as countries and cultures I’ve never seen but wanted to.

Overall, everything I create is for the nerds, the historians, the world traveler, and those who can find themselves lost in fantasy and wonder.

BGC: Who or what inspired you to do what you do? Who or what continues to inspire you?

I can’t recall when I was first inspired to write. I just remember picking up a pencil and making a story. I can remember when I was about seven or eight years old, I was with my mom visiting my aunt in the hospital. She was dying of cancer and so my mom was there with her speaking to the doctors. I was moving around a lot, so my mom fashioned a little book out of medical tape and napkins. She gave me a pencil and so I wrote a little story with illustrations. I remember my aunt even peaking, asking my mom, “What is she doing?” and I just kept making my little story. Since then, I’ve just kept a pen and a piece of paper on my person at all times.

I was inspired to start making jewelry when I worked in the bead shop of a craft store. It was one of my first jobs out of college back when trying to get a job in editorial was a long shot thanks to the recession. I would glance in magazines like Beadstyle or Stringing and see all these beautiful pieces and think, “how can I inject a bit of myself into this?” I loved the color compositions, the textures, and I wanted to make them expressive of who I was and what I could do. It was about bringing something to life… even though it’s an inanimate object, proving to myself that yet again, there was something I could do. And I’m continually inspired by the idea of being able to make something new. Putting a new object into the world. A sense of pride and accomplishment washes over me with each piece. So much so that I often find it hard to sell them! It’s me saying to myself, “Yes. I made that. I can make it and I did make this.”

The podcast came out of a conversation with a friend who thought our random, off-the-wall chats would be fun to listen to and so, after meeting with a few people interested in our chatter about turning into adults, a podcast was born.

BGC: Why is it important as a black person to create?

It’s important for Black people and especially for Black women to create because there aren't many of us who can have our voices heard. It’s very endearing to hear or see another Black person creating, whether it’s a book, a comic, a clothing line. I feel like we, as a community, have a super strong purchasing power and are always hungry to consume new things and as such, we should be investing in one another. Why not lift up those who can relate to you? Who can create items for you — that not only speak to who you are, but what you are? As a Black female entrepreneur, I’m trying to reach other Black people with similar interests to let them know 1. You are not alone and 2. Here’s a way that allows you to express yourself.

For me, I feel it’s important for us to create to connect to individuals like ourselves and to do so with our creations.

BGC: How do you balance creating with the rest of your life?

Terribly. LOL. I work a full-time job that requires me to travel upwards of 4 hours a day (and 5 hours on a bad day). But I do my best to think of creating. During my commute, I might jot down an idea for a design, write down combinations of colors and shapes that I like, or brainstorm ideas on how to sell or pitch a product. I’ll spend my downtime at work scrolling through websites for ideas, tips, supplies, etc. Maybe put some in a shopping cart and save it for later.

In the past, I used to commit to writing at least one new piece of prose a week, usually about something I observed on my commute home. But that’s when I used to get a seat on the trains. Now, if I have a thought for a story or a line for a poem, I may either jot it down in the Notes section of my phone or post it on Twitter.

On the weekends, I try to record an episode with a co-host one day and craft the next day. The only thing that sucks is that I have to limit my time when the ball starts rolling because I can find myself creating well into the midnight hour. And Lord knows I need all the sleep I can get to have the energy for work.

BGC: How do you balance creating when you feel drained or exhausted?

It’s very trying to balance creating when I’m drained or exhausted because when I’m in that mood, I really want to do nothing but relax and recharge. Sometimes, I will give in, but when I realize I’ve done for too long, I will put music on and sit in front of my table. Often times, touching my supplies, organizing materials, and going through my bins with all the little goodies, brings me back.

BGC: Do you have advice for young creators or ones just starting?

The first bit of advice — learn more about your craft. Next, take your time getting into it. Find a good teacher or mentors who can help you through it. Take a class here and there and see if you really like it or not. It’s OK if you realize it’s not for you.

In the very beginning, I was so excited about jewelry crafting that I spent a ton of money on beads and didn’t know what to do with them. I was also self-taught and found myself constantly looking for tutorials on the web to guide me through. Several years in, I’m still asking the pros questions and learning new techniques as well as understanding there are just some aspects of crafting that aren’t for me.

My writing is OK, but it can always be better. To improve that, I do my best to read one of the many books I haven’t cracked open yet on my bookcase. In seeing some of the different styles, vocabulary, structure, etc. I can better find my own voice.

BGC: Who are some other Black Women creators you admire?

Well, one is definitely my mom. She’s a seamstress and has been working a sewing machine for as long as I can remember. She’s also pretty handy with a glue gun when she’s ready, though I’ve probably surpassed her in that area. Other women I know include Tandeka Fable of Fabl Design and Shirley Blanc of SincerelyMe Sweets, both of whom are crushing it with their startups.

Women I admire from afar include Lorraine West of Lorraine West Jewelry, a handmade luxury brand based in NYC, as well as actor/writer/director Issa Rae because she’s hella dope. I’ve been admiring this woman since Awkward Black Girl on YouTube, and she even gave the OK for me to send her some of my jewelry pieces! Who doesn’t love her, like seriously?!  (Holla at me if you want more pieces, Issa!)

BGC: What are your future projects?

My future projects include expanding Pretty Poet Ink into several brands. As I previously mentioned, I do custom work for special occasions and am looking to bridge that into a bridal brand where I will be making custom bridal pieces and accessories — veils, bouquets, brooms etc.  In the not-so-distant future, I’d like to venture into home decor. It’s my dream to have people not only wearing but living with Pretty Poet Ink around them.

Also, I would ultimately love to finish and publish at least one novel, and a chapbook of poetry. And when it comes to podcasting, I’m hoping to land a spot on HBO or Showtime like some other famous podcasts out there. If not that, at the very least a live recording at a little bar with our few faithful fans.

You can shop Pretty Poet Ink here and subscribe to the brand on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as find all her editorial work on her blog. You can also listen to the Adult-ish podcast on Google Play, iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, and Spreaker. Check out Adultish on Twitter as well.  

#Black Woman Creator

[valeriebielbooks]

July Writers’ Forum

In my journey through the steps of independent publishing, refining my writing skills, and most recently completing a successful agent search, I’ve come across some excellent information, tips, tools, and shortcuts that I think would be beneficial to any writer. Once a month, I’ll share the “best of” information and news from the publishing industry as well as feature other authors and writing instructors with tips to share. I am incredibly thankful for the assistance and advice given to me from writing and publishing professionals and am happy pay that forward. On a professional level, I also use my publicity and editorial skills to aid other authors through my company Lost Lake Press.

Happy 100th Blogiversary to me! This is my 100th blog post since beginning the Three Rs: Reading, wRiting, and Roaming in 2014.

Book Events

I am not sure if Sherman Alexie had any upcoming book tour stops here in Wisconsin. I know he was here for the Untitled Town Book Fest in Green Bay this spring. Please take a moment to read his note about the heartbreaking reasons he has decided to stop his book tour.  

He was promoting You Don't Have to Say You Love Me -- a memoir mostly about his relationship with his late mother, Lillian Alexie. It's available in both hardcover and Kindle or wherever you prefer to shop for books. (Alexie is best known for his middle-grade novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.)

Bookish Happenings for August

Books & Company at 1039 Summit Avenue in Oconomowoc is getting creative with a Return to Hogwarts Party on August 24 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm . . . trivia, refreshments, games etc…  Looks like fun! Learn more at:  http://www.booksco.com/event/back-hogwarts-party-thursday-august-24-630-pm

Mystery to Me Bookstore at 1863 Monroe Street in Madison has a great schedule of events for August:

Wednesday, August 9 at 6 pm Lesley Kagen will be speaking at the Sun Prairie Public Library. Kagen is a bestselling and award-winning Wisconsin author who will discuss her career as a writer, actress, and voice talent followed by a book signing. (Books sold by Mystery to Me.)   Free and open to the public.

Thursday, August 10 at 7 pm at the store Allyson K. Abbott and Vickie Fee will be talking about their new installments in their cozy mystery series: A Toast to Murder by Allyson K. Abbott and One Fete in the Grave by Vickie Fee. (RSVP via the Eventbrite link on the store’s website below.)

Sunday, August 13 at 6:30 pm Craig Johnson (of Longmire fame) will visit the store. He’ll discuss his new book, The Western Star, to be released September 5. (Special bookplates are available for those who preorder the book for the author to sign that evening.)

Friday, August 25 at 7 pm William Kent Krueger will discuss his latest pulse-pounding thriller, Sulfur Springs. This event also has a rsvp set up on Eventbrite at the store’s website.

https://www.mysterytomebooks.com/events

Please let me know of any upcoming book releases or events that you’d like featured in the Writers’ Forum!

Featured Subject

Don’t Miss Out on Affiliate Marketing

If you have ever felt like there’s no way you’re ever going to learn everything you ought to know about the publishing world, join the crowd. I had one such moment a few weeks ago when I learned about affiliate link marketing. (Some of you I am sure are shaking your heads at this and asking, “How did she not know about this?” Trust me. I asked myself the same thing.)

So, for those of you who need a quick tutorial, I am here to save the day!

Here’s how Wikipedia defines Affiliate Marketing: . . . (It) is a marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts.

What does this mean?

If you have links to your own products (or other products) on your blog or website you should be using an affiliate link which gives you a small fee for each purchase made by clicking through that link from your page or blog. You don’t get paid much, but if you already have purchase links to your books on your website, what do you have to lose by making sure these are affiliate links that pay you a small percentage on top of your book royalty. And you don’t have to stop there, many products are available for affiliate linkage. There’s a nice article about how this works on a blog by Melissa Culbertson.

At the moment, I’ve only created Amazon affiliate links—so that’s what I’ve focused on here. For the step-by-step process in how to become an Amazon Associate (the first step in being able to create these links), read this “Savvy Book Marketer” post. Once Amazon sends you your Associate acceptance email, this article from “Untethered Income” will help you successfully build (and test) product links.

This is a good start, but all of your book links ought to be affiliate links. Nearly every online retailer has a program, you just need the diligence to set them up.

Pre-Publication Information

Best Book Covers of 2016

The Design Observer released its winners of the 50 Best Book Covers of 2016. This may be especially helpful for reference if you are at the beginning of your cover design process. The only downside to this list is that the genre is not listed. Some are obvious, but others would require some research. There are a number of great contests out there to see which book covers are considered the best of the best. Definitely do some genre-specific internet searches to see what’s working best for the type of book you write BEFORE you finalize your cover.

The Pro-Bono Marketing Staff Every Self-Published Author Has at Their Fingertips

I have to admit that the reason I clicked on this Book Designer article by Eva Lesko Natiello was my reaction that I had somehow missed out on something. What the heck??  

I knew better, of course, but it got me to click. This article is a witty take on how elements of book design and promotion can serve as the hardest-working parts of a successful publishing venture. For instance, she lists your Book Cover as the Senior V.P. of Sales and your Meta Data/Book Description as your Senior V.P. of Marketing. Read the full article here.

Using Keywords to your Advantage in your Book Description

As you set up your book description (particularly on KPD/Kindle) you get to pick two book categories and then seven keywords. If you are savvy when choosing those keywords, you can leverage them to give you access to more than your two main book categories. But you have to know the right words to choose for other categories where your book might fit! A 2013 article from Jennifer Bresnick served as my original guide to this and a new article from Melinda Clayton at Indies Unlimited addresses this same topic.

Using my first novel as an example, I chose these two main categories for my young adult fantasy novel based on Celtic mythology:

·        Juvenile Fiction > Fantasy & Magic

·        Juvenile Fiction > Legends, Myths, Fables > Other

Then I added these keywords: Teen & Young Adult, Paranormal, Celtic, Coming of Age, Historical, Ireland, Romance

Those keywords have allowed my book to not only be ranked and searchable under the two main categories but the book has also been listed under Coming of Age and Paranormal & Urban Fantasy even though those aren’t either of the two main categories. The articles take a deeper look at this subject.

When to Publish Your Book

And just when you think your book should come out in time for Christmas sales, think again . . . The BookBaby blog walks through the best months for release, depending on your topic.

Agents Tell It Like They See It!

If you want to listen in on agents being extremely candid about the book industry, check out this discussionfeaturing Jodi Reamer (Writers House), Kim Witherspoon (Inkwell Management), Robert Gottlieb (Trident Media), Sloan Harris (ICM), Eric Simonoff (WME), and Christy Fletcher (Fletcher & Company) on the “Publishing . . . And Other Forms of Insanity” blog.

Post-Publication

My Failed WATTPAD Experiment

I had hoped that the free reader platform, Wattpad, would be a springboard to more fans and more sales. Unfortunately, the Wattpad Success Story proved elusive for me. I detail my experience and what I did right and wrong here.

Promoting your YA Novel

Another article from Book Baby this month gives tips on promoting your young adult novel through different types of social media . . . there’s some expected advice about Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest, but what was new to me were the tips about promoting via Reddit. I have one more thing on my list now--which might be good after my Wattpad fail.

Audio Books

Anne R. Allen has an excellent interview with an Audible/ACX narrator that gives inside info on getting your book recorded, so you don’t miss out on the fastest growing book market.

BUT I’M SO TIRED

I’ve thrown a lot at you today from a lot of different directions. Even if you’re not ready to use all of this advice immediately, you might be thinking, “I’m so tired!” or “There’s too much to do!” We all feel that way at least some of the time. Book writing is hard, but I think book marketing is even more difficult.  Judith Briles on The Book Designer website recognizes this and talks us through our “marketing fatigue”. She acknowledges the hard work that is required to be successful and gives encouragements to keep us moving in the right direction!

Happy Reading & Writing, Valerie  

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