First Word

When I work with writers I am reminded of things I've learned over the years that help improve my work. We had our monthly Writers Who Mean Business meeting last night, and I thought some great "reminders" came out of it to spark this blog. The Book's Opening Line : did you know some places hold contests asking for the best opening line of a book? In the 3L Publishing catalog Scott D. Roberts' book Vengeance is Now has the best opening line of the catalog: You've never really lived until you seen the life leave another human being .Your opening line should be that alluring, unique, fascinating and intriguing. The idea is that it be provocative enough to get the reader engaged and wanting to find out more. Paring down your writing : too many writers fall in love with their own words. The love affair often results in wordiness and too much exposition. A great exercise is to write 1,000 words and then cut 100 words and then 200 words. See how much easier you...

Unless you're a publisher you might give the eBook revolution no more consideration than you do the iTunes revolution. It's happening, and you love your eBook reader -- it's compact, carries thousands of books in your purse or briefcase, and it's really fun to play with. As a publisher, our focus is to shift and change with the business model. While "old-schoolers" continue to embrace their paper tomes, eBook readers are buying the electronic versions in droves. In the last six months, our company 3L Publishing has seen the most dramatic shift in interest when it comes to eBook sales vs. print. This change was long ago predicted to escalate by 2015, and so goes the trend. Our last top-selling book sold one print to nine eBooks. Whereas just last summer our top-selling book sold more like every 4 out of 5 eBooks. The eBook revolution isn't going to slow. Diminishing floor space in Barnes and Noble, increasing restrictions in national distribution system...

This figure impresses me. The first time I saw it on an Amazon report I was really astonished. We had just had two Amazon top sellers (in the book's respective categories) in 2014. It seems the small publishers have inched out the larger groups like Random House where their statistical "winnings" were at 16 percent, according to that same Amazon report. In terms of market position and perception by the average author, the big publishers still retain their allure. My belief though is that new authors stand a much better chance at success by working with independent presses than the big houses. The barriers to the big publishers are numerous: You have to have an agent It takes time to get an agent You have to write a book proposal and prove your platform You have to have a platform You have to have a platform to prove you have a following (audience) Your agent has to build this case with a prospective publisher A prospective publisher has to build its case to acce...

Chapter 11 “Yo man, you played checkers with her?” groaned Leron when he heard his partner’s story from the evening before. They were standing in the line to board the plane, a three-way stop to New York. The woman Gladys at the precinct who booked travel always chose the cheapest flights to save money. Phil thought how ridiculous since the time lost cost more money, but you couldn’t argue with a five-foot tall Asian grandma who ruled the travel budget with an iron gavel. And the verdict was always: three-stops, period. Delta was cheapest, and that carrier stopped in many hubs. Phil and Leron each held two black nylon gym bags and inched forward with the procession of passengers. “Not checkers!” Phil groaned and added, “Chess.” “Dude, you’re like some retard who plays chess with a hot chick! What the fuck is wrong with you, man? You’re supposed to bang her with that foot-long of yours,” he said and shook his. “Fuck!” “We’re working together moron,” r...

Chapter 10             Phil let Tess in the front door of his small 1940’s sandbox-type house. It was a square with the front room, a kitchen behind it, a bathroom in the middle, and two side-by-side bedrooms in the back. He lived there with his Labrador he named Vanilla Ice that was now 12-years-old and slept in a dog bed shoved by the backdoor. The front room had a white-mantled fireplace that he used all winter long, with wood chips and splintered debris on a brown indoor-outdoor carpet that also had wood stacked on top of it. A well-worn brown leather loveseat sat across from a full-sized sofa pushed under the window. The place had a well-lived-in appearance, and magazines Outdoor , Travel and Leisure and Sports Illustrated sat on the coffee table.             “You want a glass of wine?” he asked Tess who he observed was wearing a more low-key...

I am femme fatale Goddess of the Light Flame of night When no one is looking I sit on the rocks Calling to my soul Asking for the revelations Praying for the regard Waiting for the ship Smiling ... ~ Michelle Gamble

One of my number one posts on this blog has to do with writing sexual tension. Sex sells, and let's just be honest. It has been cited that about 75 percent of Internet traffic is for sex-related websites. Now I don't believe in selling my soul to include erotic elements in books or 3L Publishing's books. But I will say I am not a prude either. I frankly don't have a problem with sexy fiction as long as it's not just for prurient, salacious or gratuitous purposes. My books California Girl Chronicles and now Body in the Trunk are very sexy. What are my tips for writing sexy fiction that meets the above criteria? Tip 1 -- Build sexual tension slowly Your reader wants the same excitement as the characters: the thrill of the chase . Don't have your characters give it up too soon unless it's designed to make a plot point of some kind. The best sex scenes are built up and tension and anticipation established. Perhaps you also want to create a flaw in the c...

What is a hybrid publisher? Our company 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com) is a hybrid publisher. Hybrid (means combines both) publishing takes traditional publishing and crosses it with self-publishing. What does this mean? You get everything a traditional publisher provides (editorial, graphics, and book distribution, which many of those services are not available to individuals ... for example, our printer who provides competitive pricing does not work with individuals) at higher royalties. Royalties range from 35 percent to 100 percent (you sell it yourself). Now compare that to a traditional publisher that provides 8 to 10 percent. Why are the royalties higher? Because the author (much like a self-publisher) pays to have the book created. The payment is a one-time fee. Higher royalties enable the author to enjoy return on investment at a faster rate and become profitable AND be the one who enjoys the profit if the book becomes a best-seller. What is the average cost to pub...

Chapter 9             I got home from New York and my two girls Lulu and Giselle were in the family room. Lulu had her tall dollhouse out. She was on her knees involved in some conversation with her dinosaurs and her female doll, which I presumed was her doppelganger in doll world. Giselle sat in the breakfast-nook table. She worked on her Mac laptop. She had her headphones on and was doing something that looked like it wasn’t homework but some online game. When I walked in the kitchen, they both looked up and came running. When I hugged Giselle, the oldest who was almost 13, I noticed she was almost as tall as me. I smiled and kissed her cheek and then Lulu’s.             “You got something for us, Mama?” asked Lulu with her bright enthusiasm that was always so contagious.             “Yeah,”...

Tip #1: Why are you wanting to publish? An important question that will determine which direction to go in terms of selection of a publishing process (self-publishing, custom publishing, hybrid publishing, or traditional). Is it to simply finish a book you want completed? Is it to establish your legacy with friends and family? Is it to just get your story out of your head? Is it to reach a wide audience? Is it to become a best-seller? Is it to establish a new career as a writer? Tip #2: Are you ready to get out there and sell? Nothing sells a book better than an author. Reality though is your efforts to reach a wide audience (if that is your goal) require you to get out and sign books and meet people. Does this deter you? Also, realize book signings are glamorous on the surface but work at the heart. It requires work, time and commitment to sign books and sell. Glamor wears off about your 5th signing or second kid's soccer game missed. Tip #3: Are you prepared to invest. Whet...

Many of my readers know that I have been a loyal user of Facebook. I do believe we attract certain energies, and my Facebook account has unceremoniously become a magnet for inappropriate posts and distracting and uninvited "come-ons". Now my relationship status did change, and that brought about a deluge of unwelcome attention. I also encountered some "haters," which is common (so don't take it personally). You should never take anything personally, and especially from someone you don't even know. Unhappy people equal unhappy and negative lives. I mutinied to Twitter. Why? Well outside of the Facebook behavior that became (how shall we say) unruly, I noticed my "reach" diminishing. Facebook restricting numbers and requiring paid "boosts". Also, I noticed the hip and in-the-know users had migrated to Twitter. My favorite TV shows ( John Oliver on HBO among them) began using hash tags strategically to promote their efforts. My business p...