What's really happening with book sales? And what does it mean to independant authors?

There is an ongoing controversy about the effect digital media has had and will have on printed books. Between 2008 and 2010, e-book sales soared, up 1,260 percent1, and publishing people predicted the demise of printed books in the near future. Borders declared bankruptcy in 2011, and many independent bookstores closed their doors. There were only 1,410 of them in 1,660 locations in America five years ago.2   

Many articles bemoan and/or complain about the Amazon juggernaut’s domination of e-book sales, and some pundits are gloating that e-book sales have slowed, while independent booksellers are growing. In 2015, there were 1,712 stores in 2,227 locations. 

This kerfuffle about who is selling what kind of books tends to disguise the fact that Americans are reading more than ever—on paper, smart phones, e-readers, tablets, and computers. The overall market for books is steadily increasing, and that’s good news for independent authors.  

While most independent authors publish only e-books, they are missing entry into the expanding market for books in print. Here are a few things to consider. 

Amazon is indispensable to independent authors. Not only does it promote the easy publication of e-books, it provides numerous tools, at very reasonable costs, to produce and market those e-books. Its CreateSpace program offers one-off digital printing of soft cover books at competitive prices. CreateSpace also converts printed books to e-books, which it markets for the author as well. 

Recently introduced is the “Scout” program where Amazon offers unpublished, well-edited books for review by readers who may nominate the book for publication by Amazon in e-book and audio format. If Amazon selects the book, the author receives a reasonable, though not gaudy, financial reward and a five-year contract. 

With the growth of independent booksellers who offer things Amazon cannot (like walking out of the store with a printed book under your arm), authors should begin a conversation with local booksellers about stocking their books and attending book signing sessions. Like most worthwhile things, it takes time and effort, but a good relationship with local book merchants is good marketing.  

Here’s a lead on getting your book in a Fort Meyers, FL book store. Patti Brassard Jefferson, illustrator and author, has a bookstore, P.J. Boox, devoted exclusively to indie authors. The author rents display bookshelves for about $10 a month. When a book sells, the author receives almost the full retail price. Check it out at www.pjboox.com. 

And, here’s the commercial. My latest novel is now under review at Amazon Scout. If you would like to see how the program works and nominate National Parks, go to https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/LUUV47H6J21J . My other books are at www.frogworks.com. 

Rolf Margenau 

Different Is Not Stupid Or Ugly

Living in different neighborhoods according to our color, tribe, or economic status makes us distant from the ones not in our league.  We tend to think they are inferior, stupid or even ugly because they don’t have our dress, money or education.

I grew up in Johannesburg where clothing was western. In industrial Johannesburg, we lived with most South African tribes and we spoke most of their languages.  What I did not know is that people in the city came from the rural areas where people wore their tribal clothing all the time.  The tribal clothing in South Africa is very interesting because every tribe has their own tribal attire.  In the city, we referred to clothing by brand name.  Most European countries benefited from the lifestyle.  Girls, for instance, knew when the shoe brand Saxone, from Scotland, had arrived at the store and before the week was over, that very expensive shoe would have been sold out. With that kind of a lifestyle, you tend to think that you are better than the tribal people who only wore their tribal traditional dress.  Until my personal experience, I did not know that the tribal people also thought we were stupid and ugly because we did not dress like them.

My tribal education happened in the Cape, where I attended high school in rural Transkei. My friends and I from Johannesburg confronted tribal teenagers about their dress.   We questioned them about their bare backs especially about not wearing bras.  We thought they lived in the middle of nowhere where there were no foreigners and knew nothing about bras.  We simply asked them why they did not wear bras.  Their response taught us that living apart made people think the ones who were not like them were stupid and/or ugly.  The girls simply told us that we were brainwashed by foreigners who made us wear bras that made our breasts not look as youthful as theirs.  We were shocked that the uneducated rural girls thought they were better than us.

The girls’ response instilled a thirst to know more about the other tribes in South Africa.  Because of my thorough research, I was able to write Different is not stupid or ugly that could be downloaded at http://www.epubbud.com/book.php?g=NKLYWJFV  

For soft or hard copies, please contact southafricansread@hotmail.com

Chuaro G. Zuzo - Author

How to Improve Your Writing - The Importance of "Voice" by Barry R Parker

One of the major things that distinguishes you from others is your voice. It's both the sound of your voice and they way you say things. When you write you also have a voice, and it distinguishes you from other writers. In this case it's the way you write things. And if you write in pleasant and interesting way that is characteristic of your personality, people will be drawn to it, and are more likely to read it. Because of this it's important to develop a pleasing and readable writing voice. This article shows you how to do this.

Voice is what characterizes a writer; it is something you recognize immediately, in the same way you recognize a singer after he or she has sung only a few words. One of the most important things in achieving a pleasant voice is writing the way you talk. The problem with this, however, is that your "talking voice" may not be pleasant, interesting, or even grammatically correct. Furthermore, some people have boring speech patterns, and if they wrote the way they talked, they would also be boring. So a good writing voice isn't something that comes naturally, and it usually takes time to develop it. It's much like a good singing voice; some people are born with one, but most people have to work at improving what they have, and this can take time.

You likely have some feeling for what a good writing voice is. On occasion I'm sure you have picked up a book or article with a promising title only to discover that the writing, though clear and fairly concise, was boring. It just wasn't interesting to read, and you found yourself struggling to stay with it. At other times you may have started to read something of only modest interest to you and discovered after a few paragraphs that you were enthralled with it. And you soon realized it was because of the writing; it was almost as if the writer was talking to you.

How Do You Achieve Voice?

Let me say right off that voice is something you want to develop, and it's worth your time to try to develop it. So let's turn to how you develop it. Two things are needed: relaxation and self-confidence. First of all, you must totally relax when you write and let the true "you" come through, but at the same time you must be sure your writing has most of the things such as interest, readability and so on, that appeal to readers. Let's look at each of these in more detail.

Most people feel confident when they are conversing with friends, and the reason, of course, is that they are relaxed. We are relaxed when we talk because we do it so often, and we're particularly relaxed when we talk to friends because we don't worry about what we say. It stands to reason, then, that if you want to put voice into your writing, you should do a lot of writing - and indeed, this the key. The more you write, the more natural it becomes, and the easier it is for you to do. No longer will you have to sit and think about what you should say (at least it won't take as long). Writing will become as easy as talking.

It's important also that you relax so that your writing sounds like your conversational voice. Don't get me wrong, though. You still have to make sure what you write is interesting and entertaining. So there's more to developing voice than just writing as you talk. But it's a first step. You still have to make sure your writing is grammatically correct, readable, and clear, and you have to keep these things in mind as you write, but don't worry about them in your first draft. That is what revision is for.

I also mentioned that you have to have confidence in your ability to write, and of course, this goes for almost anything you're trying to master. Without confidence you won't get far. As your writing improves, however, your confidence will also increase. Something that helps is to read what you have written out loud occasionally; listen to how it sounds. Compare it to other writing. Other things that also help will be described below.

'Soak Up" An Author

Another technique that is useful in developing voice is what I call "soaking up an author." You no doubt have several authors that you particularly admire. And, as you might expect, they can be helpful in developing your voice. Begin by looking carefully at the way they write. Study their "style." Think about how they are achieving their results. Don't copy them directly, but try to emulate their good points. Incorporate some of them into your writing. The important point is not to copy a particular one, but copy the best of several. It's important to remember that you are different and have a different personality than any of these authors, so you're going to write differently. So use what you can from them, but continue to be yourself.

It's also very useful to compare something you have written to a few paragraphs of one of your favorite authors. Ask yourself if it is as good. If you feel it isn't revise it until you feel it is as good.

Free Writing

Another thing that I feel is very helpful is what I call "free writing." Free writing is just letting yourself go and writing anything that comes into your mind. A good way of doing this is by keeping a "writing book" (or journal) and writing in it every day. The important things when you're doing this is to keep going - don't spend a lot of time thinking about what you should write. Just write nonstop for, say, 15 minutes. Don't worry about how good it is, just keep going. Write about yourself: a recent experience, a memory, or something that happened at the office that day. You may find that when you first try this it will be hard to continue for 15 minutes. But as you continue doing it, it will become easier, and in the process you will help improve your voice.

Breathing Life into Your Writing

Something else that helps is "breathing life into your writing." It's a little different from free writing, but it's also important. Think about something that means a lot to you. Then let your feelings show as you write about it. Try to get emotion into your writing; in essence, write with feeling. Particularly helpful in this case is writing about something you have actually experienced.

Peter Elbow sums up the process in his book "Writing With Power." He says, "If you want to breathe life into your writing so that readers will get a powerful experience from it, you must breathe experience into your words as you write. This can be done best by showing, not telling.

In Conclusion

Don't worry about voice too much in your first draft. You'll likely be too busy getting things down in a logical, orderly fashion, and keeping your facts straight. Just relax and write as naturally as possible. Don't strain for voice - leave that to your revision.

Barry Parker is a professor emeritus (physics) at Idaho State University who now spends most of his time writing. He is the author of 26 books on science, health writing, and music, and he has written for the Smithsonian, Encyclopedia Britannica, Time-Life Books, the Washington Post, and numerous magazines such as Flyfisherman, Astronomy Magazine, and Sky and Telescope. One of his books is "You Should Write a Book: Writing it With Style and Clarity, Publishing Beautiful Pages, Selling Thousands of Copies," It is based on a course he taught at ISU for several years, and is available through his website [http://www.BarryParkerbooks.com]http://www.BarryParkerbooks.com. He is also the author of "Feel Great Feel Alive" which is on health, fitness and self-improvement, and he is CEO of Stardust Press. While at ISU he did research on the DNA molecule and on Einstein's Theory of Relativity. His latest book is "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow."

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Improve-Your-Writing---The-Importance-of-Voice&id=8742002] How to Improve Your Writing - The Importance of "Voice

On Writing Dialogue

The art of writing dialogue is one many writers spend their lifetimes trying to perfect. Stilted dialogue will make editors cringe and your story less believable. Whether you are writing a screenplay where dialogue is instrumental, or you are writing a fiction novel, understanding how to make your dialogue snappy, believable, and compelling is paramount.

Step 1 – Get into your character's heads. In order to write believable dialogue, you must know where your characters are coming from. Do they speak with an accent? Have a particular way of speaking that makes them different? What kind of education and background do they have? What time period are they living in? Once you answer these questions, you will have a better feel for how each of your characters speaks.

Step 2 – Read the dialogue aloud. One of the secrets of great dialogue is reading aloud what you have written. If necessary, enlist the help of a friend to read another character's words aloud. If the dialogue sounds stiff, forced or weak, you will be able to tell immediately. Your dialogue should flow like a normal conversation between two people – and that is exactly what dialogue is at its heart.

Step 3 – Make it believable. If your characters are in the 16^th century, having them speak with today's slang is not going to work. Research the time period for which you are writing and pay attention to the way people talked. You can find inspiration by reading novels from that time period.

The art of dialogue is one that some writers never master, mainly because they don't take the time to perfect their art. Every book is different and every character is different. However, by following these simple steps you can create outstanding dialogue.

Take Me to Your Leader: Writing Science Fiction

The genre of science fiction is an exciting one, and it allows writers to unleash their creativity beyond the bounds of conventional literature. You can create your own world, populated by creatures born of your imagination. However, you also have to be able to create a believable, engaging story.

Even though science fiction writing is different from many other genres, there are some set rules you must follow in order to be successful.

Don't ask too much of your readers. Suspension of disbelief is one of the fun parts of reading science fiction, but if you go too far, your readers will not be able to keep up. You have to create a fanciful scenario rooted in reality.

Pick the right theme. The genre of science fiction can include many theme elements, such as mystery, quest, or adventure. In order to make your story believable, it must have a central theme working within the genre. Quite often, the quest format is used in this genre because readers are used to it, and it works well with this particular form of writing. You cannot write a rambling science fiction story with no point – you must have a theme to carry it through from beginning to end.

Create likeable, relatable characters. A middle aged man relating to an alien being from the planet Sornac may seem incongruous; however, you can use character development to create the link. Your characters may be from another world, and they may not resemble anything human, but they need to be human at their core. They need to have failings and strengths. To put it simply, your characters need to be real, even if they live in an altered reality.

Mainstream Anomaly: Writing First Person POV

Although in the literary world, books written in the first person point of view used to be an anomaly, they are now becoming quite common. This point of view means that the narrator speaks in the first person. In other words instead of "she saw the plane touch down on the ground," you would write "I saw the plane touch down on the ground."

For writers who regularly write in the third person point of view, this style can be cumbersome at first. Novels written using this viewpoint are different and are not always well received. The trick is to make a character so believable and so relatable that the reader feels that they are the character, instead of having the character talking to them.

This can be difficult at first and it is a good idea to start your foray into first person writing slowly. Try a short story first to get a better handle on how to effectively tell a story in this manner. It may take a few tries, but with practice you will be able to effectively write your novel in the first person point of view.

The biggest flaw of books that are written from this viewpoint is the fact that they tend to speak at the reader instead of to. You will need to avoid having your characters become preachy or pedantic. This is possible with practice. Genres well suited to this point of view include mysteries, adventures, and in some cases, romances. One writer in particular, Diana Gabaldon, revolutionized the romance industry with her first novel Outlander.

It was not only written in the first person, but also combined elements of a historical romance with a time-travel romance, something which had not been done before. The gamble paid off for Gabaldon and it may pay off for you as well.

Choosing a Writing Genre

Selecting a genre for your new book can be a difficult process, especially for a new writer. Remembering a few things will make your selection easier. Every genre is made up of several sub-genres and finding the right fit will help you write a story that will be published.
 

Write what you know. If you are not writing in a genre you are comfortable with, it will show. Editors expect writers to be able to handle the genre they choose and make the content believable. If you are beyond your depth, this is impossible.
 

Research your genre. Many writers fail to properly investigate a genre. Read numerous books from different authors in your genre. While you do not want to imitate them, it will give you a better idea of sub-genres as well as how these writers handled the genre.
 

Research what is selling. The sad truth is, not all genres are popular, and breaking into a particularly difficult genre can be nearly impossible. Look at what publishers are interested in and which books are doing well on the bestseller lists. Just because you feel drawn to an obscure genre does not mean that it will sell. Some genres are so limited that only a handful of publishers work on them, and breaking in can be an exercise in futility.
 

Picking a genre doesn't have to be painful. Listen to your story, make sure you are capable of writing in the genre, and it is a marketable one. If you have these things in place you will be more likely to find success.

Quit Your Whining and Start Writing

photo by Benjamin Gray

Do you dream of being an author? You enjoy writing, but don't think of yourself as a real writer. Stop thinking that way! Everyone has a book in them, but only a few actually write a book. It's not as daunting a task as you may think. Only desire is required.

Writing nonfiction is a good place to start. Nonfiction is easier to research and organize than fiction. You don't have to worry about characters, dialogue, conflicts, etc.

How-to books are a good example. If you're an avid fisherman who knows all the secrets of fishing in the Northwest, you have a book. Are you a cook with extensive knowledge of Cajun cuisine? Write a  book of recipes with Cajun cooking secrets. Are you the consummate discount shopper in a big city? Are you the neighborhood pet expert? These are all subjects people want to learn about. There is something you know and already love doing that other people want to know.

"I don't have any time!" If you really want to write a book, it can be done. It's a matter of priorities. Set aside a time each day that you can devote to write. Talk to your family, and let them know you'd really like to give this a shot. You may be surprised to find how supportive they are.

Even if you find you need to get up an hour earlier or skip the weekly sitcom, you can choose to set aside time to write. If you set a goal of three pages per day, you'll have a book in three months! Commit to an amount of time and pages per day, and you will write a book.

Start with an outline. Let's take the discount shopper as our example. Your outline might look like this:

THE SECRETS OF DISCOUNT SHOPPING IN SAN FRANCISCO

I. Introduction – You need not pay retail. Organized by category ... food, restaurants, clothing, shoes, baby stores, interior decorating, linens, garden items. Tell your reader what they'll gain by reading your book.

II. Categories -  A. Food  B. Restaurants  C. Clothing  D. Shoes  E. Baby stuff  F. Interior decorating

... and so on. Just sort out the areas you want to cover. If you find your knowledge is not comprehensive, research on the net! If you want to write a book, the information you need is out there!

Begin your work from your outline. What are you passionate about today? Pick a topic from your outline and start writing. No need for an anxiety attack when you begin. Just look over your outline, and whatever reaches out and grabs you, start writing. You'll gain inspiration and confidence. Write every day.

Writing Rhyming Children’s Books

The children's book market is huge and many writers are drawn into this genre for a variety of different reasons. It is generally considered to be easier to break into the children's market and the demand for these books is quite high. They are often as much fun to write as they are to read.

Rhyming books are most popular. The art of proper rhyme escapes most writers. There are a few things to remember before you start writing a rhyming book. In order to create a story with a chance of being published, follow these tips.

Remember your audience. Children love rhyming books and tend to remember stories better when they rhyme. However, you need to create rhymes for children – not for adults. This is one of the biggest mistakes fledgling children's writers make. Think back to the books you enjoyed as a child. Read them again and discover what drew your interest.

Read your book out loud. Most children's books are written to be read aloud and this is an important step in the development process. If you have children of your own, you can use them as your test audience. If not, see if you can read your story to a friend's child or ask your local library if they will allow you to hold a reading of your book for a children's hour. Watch their faces and see how they react to your story. This is a great way to find trouble spots and work them out before sending your book to a publisher.

Remember your meter. The key to writing rhymes children can’t get out of their head is meter. Your verses should be evenly weighted and rhymes should not be forced.

How Do I Find Paying Writing Jobs?

photo by Tracy Olson

There are many different online freelance marketplaces where you can acquire writing jobs. There are two major websites top on my list.

www.guru.com

www.elance.com

Each of these websites has a search agent which can e-mail jobs based upon the desired search criteria which you would like. Most of the websites do usually charge a monthly or quarterly subscription fee and take a cut of the job. This can be a great investment because you will have access to writing jobs that you would not normally have seen.

There are many other ways to acquire writing jobs other than using online freelance marketplaces. This is where you can use your creativity in selling yourself. Many companies in need of writing will not normally look online first. They may go towards local contacts and sources that they have because they feel more comfortable using someone who they can physically meet with. You can take advantage of these needs by cultivating contacts within your region. Look into joining your Chamber of Commerce as well as other civic groups. Be sure to bring business cards with you and have a thirty second speech explaining what you do and who you are. Do not work at directly selling yourself to them at first but rather make the connection and allow them to come to you. People are more willing to do business with you when they actually know you rather than just a face on a website or an anonymous bid to a project they post.

Another key when acquiring writing jobs is to make sure that you have a website. Many writers do not have a website, and this can give you a competitive advantage. You can publish some of your past jobs on the Internet so that if people are interested, they can look at your website. You don't have to worry about e-mailing them any information, and they will contact you if they're interested. If you work on SEO, people searching the Internet for writing could also stumble across your website and provide another source of leads for you.

When looking for writing jobs, you must sell yourself and think creatively outside the box. If you set yourself up well, you will find that you will be inundated with work by consistently prospecting for new business using some of the techniques explained above.

Top Writing Courses Offered by Colleges

Students looking for colleges with great writing programs have a wide variety of options, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Although students may have a set preference for a writing program, they can vary significantly and it's important to ensure that the program suits ones needs.

Going to a traditional college or university may not be a feasible option for aspiring writers. Many people who wish to earn a degree may live too far from a traditional school or have work or family obligations that prevent them from receiving further education. For people in the situation, online education may be a viable option. A great place to start looking for online programs would be Accredited Online Colleges.org.

College students also need to consider other factors associated with the school, such as the location, class size, faculty, and cost before applying to the program. CollegeTimes recently shared what they think of as the top programs.  Here is a list of great writing courses offered by colleges across the country:

• Emory University – Emory University is often considered one of the best schools for writers. Emory’s programs are highly flexible; the only required course for Emory’s English majors is poetry. English majors at Emory can also double major in creative writing through their undergraduate creative writing program. Their highly regarded creative writing program offers instruction on various genres of literature, including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, play writing, screenwriting. Writing classes are also highly personal, as classes keep the limit of 15 to 25 students.
• Hamilton College – Hamilton College is known for its high-quality options for English majors. Their academic quality and highly regarded writing center are both great resources for writing students. Hamilton College also allows their English students to concentrate their studies on either English literature or creative writing. Their creative writing program consists of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and playwriting courses.
• Johns Hopkins University – John Hopkins University is one of the most highly regarded universities in the nation and their English department has a long history of producing successful writers. Although the university offers courses in creative writing, the focus is more on literary writing, critical analysis, and education of literature in order to improve writing skills. The programs at John Hopkins University are best for students who want to become masters of the English language, but not for those who would like to have the opportunity to take part in writing workshops. The school also boasts a highly regarded faculty and small classroom settings.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology – While Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is most well known for its engineering and computer science programs, it also offers a unique writing program that prepares students for their careers. Instead of having a single English department, MIT has two different departments that cover writing and literature individually. Their writing program instructs students on creative writing, science writing, and digital media. Faculty within the departments consist of people from a variety of fields such as historians, scientists, biographers, novelist, and more.
• New York University – New York University (NYU) is another acclaimed institution whose English program has a variety of concentrations students can take. Creative writing graduates from NYU look forward to a prestigious career as their program is highly regarded with award-winning faculty and a variety of courses.
• Washington University – Washington University’s creative writing programs offer unique courses like the short-short, sudden fiction and microfiction, literary journalism, and stories from the suburbs. The program also emphasizes the use of workshops and critical reading in order to produce writers who are experts in the craft. Washington University's Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program is often ranked near the top of collegiate MFA programs each year.
• University of Iowa – The University of Iowa’s creative writing MFA programs are often labeled as the best to study fiction writing and poetry. The school has successful graduate and undergraduate writing tracks for its students. Core subjects include fiction, poetry, nonfiction, playwriting, translation, and new media, so students looking for diverse experiences will find something in their program.
• Columbia University – Many great writers have come from Columbia University's writing programs. Langston Hughes, J.D. Salinger, Eudora Welty, and Hunter S. Thompson are just a few examples. Columbia is generally known for its journalism program, but they also have a great program for creative writing. The program has intensive writing workshops and seminars, studying literature at a writer's perspective. Their graduate MFA program is often the best range programs every year.
• University of Michigan – The University of Michigan also offers undergraduate writing programs for their English majors. Faculty encourages students to practice creating effective analytic arguments while also encouraging creative writing.
• Colorado College – Colorado College’s English program allows students to concentrate in various subjects like creative writing for film studies. Their creative writing concentration allows students to review each other's work and collaborate on projects. Those within film study focus on story development and film writing.

It’s Never Too Late to Become a Writer

I want to tell you about a late-blooming author, Behcet Kaya. Like many authors, he has dreams of a literary agent selling his novel to a major publishing house, seeing his screen-play adaptation produced as a major film, and selling an Everest-sized pile of books.  However, his becoming-a-writer journey is a spellbinding tale.

Behcet was born in northeastern Turkey. Growing up in a very small village with long-held traditions, his rebellious nature emerged at an early age. By the time he was ten, he had read, in secret, all of the Turkish translated stories of Mike Hammer. In addition, he read several of Dale Carnegie’s works, and all of Yashar Kemal’s novels. His world burst out beyond that of his small village, and he yearned for a more western way of life.

Defying his father, who wanted him to remain in the village to work and support his large family, Behcet left home at fourteen and travelled first to Istanbul and soon, on to London. In London his obsession was to complete his high school education and then a college degree in engineering. He supported himself by working full-time and earning scholarships from Inner London Education Authority. His creative side, however, began emerging when his drama and literature teacher cast him in a play in which his performance awed the audience. His insatiable appetite for literature widened to include the classics of Dickens, D.H. Lawrence, and the Russian masters.

While at Hatfield Polytechnic, Behcet made his first visit to the US as an exchange student with the British Universities North American Club (BUNAC). He made the move to the US in 1976 and became a US citizen in 1985. While living in Atlanta, Georgia, he followed his creative yearnings, attending the Alliance Theater School and studying at the SAG Conservatory of Georgia, which earned him his Screen Actors Guild card. In 1994, Kaya and his wife moved to Los Angeles, where he continued his studies at the Roby Theater Company and the Shakespeare, A Noise Within Theater Workshop.

Along with acting, writing also became a natural outlet for his creative yearnings. He has published several short stories, two novels, Voice of Conscience (2009) and Murder on the Naval Base (2011), and is currently working on his next book, Erin's Story.

Murder on the Navel Base is getting positive reviews from influential and objective sources. Richard Blake, a Top 500 Amazon reviewer, says, “Kaya is destined to be recognized for his outstanding ability to incorporate word pictures that breathe life into his characters, and drama into his plot, bringing suspense and tension to the cockpit of a F18 flying in formation, in courtroom dialog, or in the privacy and intimacy behind closed doors. Kaya provides all the elements of legal maneuvering, psychological twists, and page turning action that leads to an unexpected crescendo for a spectacular finish.” Joanna W. Simm, another Amazon reviewer, says, “The tightly plotted storyline has more than a shade of Top Gun about it, but the style of writing is infinitely more literary. There is excitement in spades, with twists and turns of plot and high flying action adventure to keep you on the edge of your seat, but where the author really excels is in his understanding and portrayal of human relationships.”


The book has three main characters. Lieutenant Anderson Garrett Belguzar—an ambitious young man from a humble background who has reached the height of success, yet luck has him connected to the wrong types of people. He is betrayed by the most important people in his life—his wife and his best friend. When the two are found murdered, he is the only suspect. Bevin O’Hara Belguzar—wife of Lt. Belguzar—is a beautiful, fiery, ambitious, unscrupulous, greedy, clever attention seeker. Charles McPhearson, III is the former best friend of Lt. Belguzar and comes from a powerful background, is both charming and sexy, but he lacks the skills and motivations of his friend, Anderson.

Beginning with a blurry account of a cold-blooded shooting of a couple, singled out while having dinner at an officer’s club, the prime suspect is apprehended hours later while apparently attempting to flee the state. With over a dozen eye-witnesses collaborating the incident, little was left in the puzzle for the military investigators to piece together; especially once it was determined that the two victims were in fact the perpetrator’s wife and the man with whom she was having an on-going affair. After the shocking beginning of the novel, the reader is taken on a journey throughout the life and career of the characters while interlacing the technical jargon and vernacular of naval flight training and the nuances of the military lifestyle. Combined with a steamy undercurrent of lust, love, sexual fulfillment, jealousy, and primordial desires of the cast of characters, the human condition of married life versus the structure and demands of military careers are juxtaposed against the strength and will of personal upbringing and ethical behavior.

Find out more at www.behcetkaya.com.

A Peek into the Mind of a Schizophrenic Author

I recently had the opportunity to interview a self-taught writer, painter, and musician about his writing. Vincent MaCraven is a paranoid schizophrenic. His love for the written word started more than twenty years ago, reading the classics, books on religion, philosophy, and metaphysics. His favorite authors range from Dostoevsky to Hess, Rand to Sartre. Vincent MaCraven resides somewhere in New Jersey.

Paranoid schizophrenia is often misunderstood. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a type of schizophrenia that can be managed with proper treatment. Many people with this type of mental illness can live happy and healthy lives. MaCraven includes a short story in his book called A Case of Madness that deals with the mental illness.

MaCraven boldly states that he has no formal writing training. He simply loves a good story. It is his heart’s desire that his readers are entertained, yet provoked to ponder such themes as mental illness, religion, isolation, perseverance, horror, love, and more. He expects and appreciates honest feedback about his writing. One Amazon reviewer states, “This book is written from the heart, plain and simple. The author may not have formal training, and may not know what a prepositional phrase is, but he knows how to tell a story, and his words really paint a picture for the reader.”

Tales from the Mind of a Schizophrenic is a collection of thirty stories that explore the human mind and the human experience.  In A Case of Madness, Macraven uses his own experiences with schizophrenia to portray what being schizophrenic is like, bringing the textbook definition to life, helping readers to understand what “psychotic reactions characterized by withdrawals accompanied by a presence of hallucination, delusions, and progressive deterioration” are like from the perspective of those afflicted.

His character, Jimmy Minesad, is a paranoid schizophrenic who exhibits all of the classic signs of schizophrenia.  Jimmy has trouble distinguishing his friends from those who are not, withdraws from society, distrusts and suspects all around him, and has an imagination that has a force completely beyond his control, in which “a single thought could escalate into a series of mind-bending delusions that sends the ill one to another sphere in the cosmos,” with a single thought, setting delusions and hallucinations in motion.  Macraven invites readers inside Jimmy’s mind; “Welcome to Jimmy’s world, a world in constant motion, and a world forever changing in his mind, a world not for many but for an ill few.”  As his planes of consciousness begin to shift during a dinner party, a stunning rendering of what happens within the mind of schizophrenics unfolds for readers, as he “loses his sense of self completely” and his mind becomes “a landscape for paranoia and insanity.”  

This powerful portrayal of schizophrenia allows readers the unique opportunity to go within the mind of the schizophrenic and brings them to a point of understanding and acceptance, rather than condemning the illness.  The thirty stories that compose Tales from the Mind of a Schizophrenic each shed light on a different aspect of the human soul and mind, giving readers an appreciation for the emotions of others and helping them to feel connected with humanity.

What in the World do I do with this Manuscript?

Once you’ve put in the necessary time it takes to complete your book, you have your manuscript. You may be feeling like you’ve actually given birth at this point. There’s a big difference between reading about this process, and experiencing it. All of the creativity, focus, and work that go into completing a book are something to be celebrated. In fact, you have reached a wonderful milestone in your writing career.

A completed manuscript will ultimately take on various forms, even after it is finished. After the editing and proofreading process, manuscripts often look different from their original form. These two processes are completely necessary to get your book into a marketable form.

Some writers are very proficient in the editing process and are capable of editing their own work. This means, they will go through their manuscript searching for grammatical and spelling errors. They will also proofread their book for construction problems. But overall, it is common for writers to get assistance with editing and proofreading.

Fortunately, there are various literary companies that offer these services. They will not only give your manuscript grammatical attention, but they will also look for other issues. Minor problems with grammar can typically be corrected easily. In fact, most writing programs come with their own correction modules.

Although these issues can be fixed quickly and easily, they are important problems to focus on. When a book has too many issues with grammar, it becomes difficult to read. Anything that takes away from the information in your book hurts the impression of your work. This is why these types of corrections are crucial.

Correcting construction problems is also a service that literary companies perform for writers. With this service, editors will look for story line problems. This can come in the form of sentence or paragraph structure. It can also be an issue of character or topical information. Most of the companies, which do this type of work, will also provide advice for writers.

This often comes in the form of a detailed analysis, showing which corrections need to be made. You will be very pleased once you’ve incorporated the necessary changes in your manuscript. Once these have been done, you will have a finished product that will allow you to look at your different publishing options.

These options are various, but all rely upon your book being in the best final form possible. There are three publishing choices that are the most popular for first time authors. The first is to publish through a traditional publishing house. There are large and small publishing companies that are sometimes looking for new authors to publish. If you want to pursue this option, you will need to find an agent.

There are some publishing companies that are co-publishers. These are companies that split the cost and profit on publishing your book with you. The third option is self publishing.

In recent years, many authors have taken advantage of the self publishing option. There are also many companies that allow authors the opportunity to do things like cover design, font choice, and other marketing. Researching each of these will be paramount to finding which is right for you.

Need help? thepublishingguru(at)gmail.com

Writing in Diary Form

In many novels, it is necessary to write in diary form. This is similar to an actual entry in a diary and is meant to convey a character's innermost thoughts, pertinent information, or as a way of including information that a character is reading within the story. This is the one area in a book where you are allowed to deviate from your set point of view. For example, if your book is written in the third person, it would be acceptable to have a diary entry written in first person.

In order to write in diary form, you need to put yourself in the character's shoes. What are they thinking, what are they feeling, what message are they trying to get across? Think of it as your own diary – where you can express anything without fear of someone else reading it. This is the time to let your character pour out their heart to the reader. It can be emotional, it can important, it can even be humorous – but it has to be real.

When you are including a diary entry in your book, it is necessary to distinguish it from the rest of your text. This is done for two reasons. First, you need to let the editor know at a glance that this is information that is coming from the character. Second, changing how the text appears offers delineation for the reader. Commonly, diary entries are included in book form as italics. When typing your manuscript, go ahead and put the entry in an italic font.

The most important thing to remember about writing in diary form is that it should not be overused. Unless the book specifically calls for regular glimpses into the character's innermost thoughts, diary entries should be used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.

Need help with writing, publishing, or marketing? thepublishingguru(at)gmail.com

Choosing an Editor for Your Book

The relationship between the writer and editor is a special one, and can have a significant impact on the overall shape of the work that is ultimately published. The editor you select will be of profound importance in the success of your writing.

There are many different ways to find potential editors for your work. They can be identified through simple online searches, by searching through the Acknowledgement sections of books, and by attending any of the numerous conferences common to the publishing industry.

Finding an editor, and finding the right editor for you and your work are different issues. There are some guidelines to consider when evaluating the right editor for you. Editors vary in their skills and styles, and the key is to find the right one for you and for your work.

The following are some simple tips for hiring an editor:

Aim for a Specialist: Look for editors that specialize in your type of work, and the more specific you can get the better. If you write books about female detectives, look for fiction editors who specialize in mysteries, and if possible mysteries that center on female detectives.

Read their Work: One of the advantages of the writing world is that you can try before you buy; you can evaluate previous work.

Interview: Editing and writing are acts of collaboration, and it helps as a writer to have an editor who you can work with comfortably. Finding the right mix of skill, talent, and personality will be a personal matter, but it is worthwhile to spend a little time ensuring that a good fit is likely.

Ask for References: Using references is never a guarantee, but it is a step that should be taken. First it gives you the opportunity to help validate the credentials of the editor and secondly, it helps you to get insight into the editor’s working style.

Choosing How to Document Your Thoughts

Writers struggle. There are two ways about it. Though to the mass of the uninitiated, writing might seem like a lovely little traipse through the flower-filled corners of the mind, such is not the case. Writing is work; time-consuming, often frustrating, all-too-often at least seemingly unproductive, always unquestionably solitary work.

If there are things that can be done, tools that can be employed to ease the stresses associated with writing, it is well worth it to explore them a little. One such question centers on how best to get the thoughts in the writer’s head out into the world and documented in some fashion. In other words: keyboarding or dictating?

To a very large extent, this will be a matter of preference. There is nothing to say that the choice has to be one of either/or. You’re the writer; you can decide to do one, the other, or both; whatever works best for you.

However, there are a couple of pros and cons to consider with each. First, dictation can be a useful tool for eliminating some of the actual time (and potential hassle) of using a keyboard. Back in the day, the state of the technology was just that using a recording device was a very compelling option, because typewriters were great if you were a good typist and a torture machine if you were not.

Many people think faster than they can accurately type, so a recording device can allow a writer to get more ideas out of his head and safely documented somewhere before they fly away never to be seen or heard from again.

On the other hand, writing and talking are very different activities, and ultimately the words must get to the page in the best way possible. From this standpoint, dictation begins to lose its luster because someone then has to take the time to sort through the recording and type up what was said. If you are fortunate enough to be able to afford a typist, this is less of an issue, but most writers do not have staff.

Check out my #1 Amazon Bestseller on Writing: