by Jaylynn Korrell

Looking for writing inspiration?

“Treat it like a job,” they say.

“Write every day,” they say.

“You can’t edit a blank page.”

And yet…you’re not writing!

And that is okay. Totally fine. Because this list of the best quotes about writing is going to help. Authors & experts have been floundering behind their quills, typewriters, and laptops for hundreds of years, and they can speak from experience right to your heart to get you back to doing the thing you love.

Writing is a solitary venture, sure, but if anyone knows that the magic of writing can read the minds of incredible people, it’s writers. Read quotes & tape them to the walls of your workplace to remind yourself that if Hemingway and Gaiman ran through writer’s block, you can too.

Writers, English teachers, and librarians, rejoice! Whether you’re looking for inspiration or some new content for your Instagram or classroom walls, this list is sure to have a quote that you’ll find insightful.

Here are some of our favorite writing quotes!

1. “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”― Ernest Hemingway

2. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ― Maya Angelou

3. “The freelance writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps.” — Robert Benchley

4. “Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.” — Sylvia Plath

5. “If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered.”― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

6. “In order to write about life first you must live it.” ― Ernest Hemingway

7. “Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.” — Larry L. King, WD

8. “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see, and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” – Joan Didion

9. “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” ― Mark Twain, The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain

10. “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
― Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time

11. “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”― Anton Chekhov

12. “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” ― Madeleine L’Engle

13. “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ― Stephen King

14. “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” ― Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

15. “I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”― Anne Frank

16. “There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they’ll take you.”― Beatrix Potter

17. “Writing is like sex. First you do it for love, then you do it for your friends, and then you do it for money.”― Virginia Woolf

18. “What your novel tells you it wants to be is ultimately more important than what you wanted it to be when you began.” – Matt Bell, Refuse to Be Done

19.“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”― Isaac Asimov

20. “Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.” ― Kurt Vonnegut

21. “The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power.” — Toni Morrison

22. “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” — Robert Frost

Have you checked out our tools for writers yet?

23.“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” — Cyril Connolly

24. “Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely essential.” — Jessamyn West

25. “If a story is in you, it has to come out.” — William Faulkner

26. “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach

27. “Some writers enjoy writing, I am told. Not me. I enjoy having written.” — George R.R. Martin

28. “It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” — P.D. James

29.“A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it.” — Roald Dahl

30. “For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.”— Catherine Drinker Bowen

31. “The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power.” — Toni Morrison

32. “Imagination is like a muscle. I found out that the more I wrote, the bigger it got.” — Philip José Farmer

Need librarians’, reviewers’, and booksellers’ feedback on your writing? Try Group Beta Reading!

Motivational Quotes About Writing

33. “And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”― Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

34. “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”
― Jack London

35. “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.”
― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You

36.“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”― Louis L’Amour

37.“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”
― Ernest Hemingway

38.“A word after a word after a word is power.”― Margaret Atwood

40.“Write the kind of story you would like to read. People will give you all sorts of advice about writing, but if you are not writing something you like, no one else will like it either.” ― Meg Cabot

41. “If you wait for inspiration to write you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.” — Dan Poynter

42. “You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.” — Annie Proulx

43. “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” — Martin Luther

44. “It’s none of their business that you have to learn how to write. Let them think you were born that way.” — Ernest Hemingway

45.“If you want to be a writer-stop talking about it and sit down and write!” — Jackie Collins

46. “I believe myself that a good writer doesn’t really need to be told anything except to keep at it.” — Chinua Achebe

47.“Don’t get it right, get it written.”― Ally Carter

Quotes About The Writing Process

48. “Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now.” — Annie Dillard

49. “The first draft of anything is shit.”— Ernest Hemingway

50. “The secret of it all is to write… without waiting for a fit time or place.” — Walt Whitman

51. “Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” — Ray Bradbury

52.  “Be willing and unafraid to write badly, because often the bad stuff clears the way for good, or forms a base on which to build something better.” — Jennifer Egan

53. “I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.” — Shannon Hale

54. “Write a page a day. Only 300 words and in a year you have written a novel.” — Stephen King

55.“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” — Stephen King

56.“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” — Thomas Jefferson

57. “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” — Somerset Maugham

58. “Don’t say it was delightful; make us say delightful when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, ‘Please will you do the job for me.’”― C.S. Lewis

59. “Writing is like driving at night. You can see only as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” ― E.L. Doctorow

Quotes About Writing: Editing

60. “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”― Mark Twain

61. “You may not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” ― Jodi Picoult

62. “The secret to editing your work is simple: You need to become its reader instead of its writer.” ― Zadie Smith

63. “So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.”― Dr. Seuss

64.“I’ve found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living shit out of it.”― Don Roff

65.“I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers.”― Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory

66. “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”― Stephen King

67. “Editing fiction is like using your fingers to untangle the hair of someone you love.”― Stephanie Roberts

68.“Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.” — T.S. Eliot

69.“Write drunk, edit sober.” — Ernest Hemingway

Quotes About Writing: Rejection

70. I discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, “To hell with you.” ― Saul Bellow

71. “I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.” — Sylvia Plath

72. “Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil — but there is no way around them.” — Isaac Asimov

73.“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent, he would be wise to develop a thick hide.” — Harper Lee

74. “To ward off a feeling of failure, she joked that she could wallpaper her bathroom with rejection slips, which she chose not to see as messages to stop, but rather as tickets to the game.” — Anita Shreve

75. “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” — Neil Gaiman

What are your favorite quotes about writing?

About the Author

Jaylynn Korrell is a nomadic writer currently based out of Pennsylvania. In addition to her writing and reading for Independent Book Review, she curates lists at GoodGiftLists.com.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s “75 of the Best Quotes About Writing” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post 75 of the Best Quotes About Writing appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Jaylynn McClendon

Which tools do you need to add to your writer’s toolbox?

In his legendary book On Writing, Stephen King says, “I want to suggest that to write to your best abilities, it behooves you to construct your own toolbox and then build up enough muscle so you can carry it with you.”

He is speaking of a metaphorical toolbox: a collection of writing skills acquired through consistent practice and reading. These are wildly important to a writer.

But are they the only tools you need to thrive?

While the writers of yesteryear only needed a quill pen, some ink, and parchment nowadays, we have gadgets to improve & enhance the writing life. These tools could greatly add to the writing process: whether in fun or practicality.

The right tools for writers can get you more more focused, save you time, and make drafting, editing, and revising easier.

Some of these tools we already own. Some, we were delighted to discover. Some we haven’t even thought of before. You don’t need all of them to become a good writer, but what if they could help? What are you willing to do to become the best writer you can be? Whether you’re thinking about publishing a book or are just writing for the love of it, these tools could benefit you.

Add one of these tools for writers to your toolbox! You won’t be disappointed.

(Everything on Independent Book Review has been selected by a very picky group of people. As affiliates we may earn a commission on items you purchase through our links.)

1. Digital Voice Recorder

Imagine this: you’re driving. The perfect sentence floats over the rolling hills outside your window and you have no chance to write it down. And no memory to cling to it.

Imagine this: you’re stuck in the plot. You don’t know how to write that scene, but it feels like you could speak it into existence.

A digital recorder is a game-changing tool for so many writers. When you’re trying to make it as a writer, you have to give it so much time and so much practice. No matter how much fun writing can be, it’s also a job of commitment. To make sure you do it, you have to actually do it.

I couldn’t recommend a digital recorder enough. It can save you time, but it can also blow open doors of possibility.

2. Astrohaus Portable Typewriter

Distractions are all over your computer. Brain breaks are a click away. Remember that YouTube video you wanted to watch at this exact time last week? Here it is on Facebook. Tempting you. You’ll get back to writing in 3 minutes and 46 seconds. But those 3 minutes add up don’t they? And is it ever really 3 minutes?

If you only have 2 hours to write while your too-small kid is sleeping and you spend 20 of it on unrelated sites (& “essential” research), you have less time than you wanted.

With the Astrohaus, you cut out the possibility of distractions. You know you don’t need any more research, and you sure don’t need to know what your cousin Nicole is doing on the beach on a Tuesday. You need to write your book.

So get to it. This modern typewriter has cloud memory, electric charge, and a full keyboard, all weighing in at under 2 pounds. The Astrohaus is an excellent solution for those who want to focus on what they need to focus on.

3. Smart Timer Cube

No, but seriously! Get writing!

When you realize you want to write with the time you have, you need to do it.

One of my favorite ways to do this is to set a timer that is NOT on my phone or laptop. There’s a reason smart phone companies are out here putting Willy Wonka music in their commercials: Writing beside your phone is like putting candy next to your toddler’s nutritious dinner and telling them they can’t eat it yet.

This eye-catching smart-cube timer works much like a kitchen timer, allowing you to set time limits for your writing and then alerting you when the time is up. When that thing starts ticking down low, you’ll feel like you’re in the closing minutes of a game. You better get those words out while you can.

Check out some great gift ideas for the writer in your life!

4. Noise Cancelling Headphones

Not every writer is able to enjoy the life-giving sounds of nature while they’re working. But a quiet, sustainable environment is possible without telling everyone around you to shut up.

These noise-cancelling headphones are an excellent way to achieve a little peace and quiet wherever you are. I’d recommend some birds-chirping background sounds, a little rain, or even some lyric-less music to match the mood of what you’re writing. These can be great tools for writers who like crowded (or bad-music-playing) coffee shops or on public transportation during their commutes.

5. Amazon Kindle Scribe

Did you know there’s a Kindle designed specifically for writers?

I know a lot of writers who have Kindles. And for a lot of different reasons. Sure, you get access to cheaper books right there in your pocket, but it’s also thanks to that handy send-to-Kindle feature. You can send files of unpublished books to your Kindle so you can consume that material just like if you had bought it from the Kindle store. There’s something enlightening about reading your book or your critique group’s books as if the manuscript was a finished product.

With the Kindle Scribe, you can write on the screen too. On regular Kindles, you have to take notes by typing on tiny touch-screen keypads, and I’d be lying if I said it gets it right most of the time. It is definitely the best e-reader for writers.

6. The Writer’s Toolbox

Sometimes a little bit of fun is all you need to get out of a writing funk. Games like this one allow you to exercise your brain and can be a great way to get some creative juices flowing.

Play with friends or family to make a much-needed solo writing break into a social experiment that also allows you to do what you love. This is definitely among my favorite choices for best gifts for writers.

Almost ready to publish? Make sure you know how to get more book reviews!

7. Rollerball Pen

There are so many ways to get into the writing zone. And so many unique preferences to getting it done.

If you’re a person who likes to draft in pen and paper, make sure you choose a good pen! Or, in this case, the best. This pen from Scriveiner has a 24k gold finish, is smooth to the touch, and writes quite effortlessly.

8. Standing Laptop Desk Attachment

You’re going to want to switch things up! Whether it’s because you are putting in a long day of writing or just know it’s good to use your body in different ways, working with a standing laptop desk attachment is a smart decision.

Want to wake up? Write that action scene you’ve building to? Put on new music and get the explosive job done? The best writing tools make it easier on you and allow for flexibility and keeping your mind fresh with different tactics. This checks all those boxes.

9. Laptop Cooling Pad

If you’re one of those writers who has a dozen or more tabs open at once, you’re probably familiar with the annoying sounds that happen when your laptop overheats.

This little laptop cooling pad can help you combat that sound without having to close your beloved tabs. When placed under your laptop, this fan works to blow cool air back into it and keep it that way while you finish your work.

10. Smart Notebook

If you’re the kind of writer who has notebooks cluttering up their office, you could benefit from a tool like this one. Doodlers & artists too!

A smart notebook allows you to write or draw in a notebook like you always have, whether it’s notes, sketches, or full-blown pages, and scan it with your phone to upload it to an online platform. And when you’re done writing and scanning, you erase everything and reuse the page.

11. Grammarly Editing Software

Just because you’re a great writer doesn’t mean you’re a great editor. And that’s okay! They’re different skills that require different viewpoints.

Software like Grammarly can clean up your writing and get it ready to give to a human editor or publishing company. This software can be helpful to even the most detail-oriented writer; there are going to be a few grammar issues you’ve missed, especially if you’re writing longer form pieces. Cover your tracks. Get Grammarly.

12. Scrivener Software

Scrivener is a leader in word-processing tools for writers. They offer templates for screenplays, nonfiction, and fiction manuscripts and make formatting your writing easier than ever. A little bit of organization assistance can go a long way for serious writers. If you need to structure a complicated, multi-POV novel, there’s no better tool than Scrivener.

13. Vellum Formatting Software

Self-publishing is more popular than ever. This is a valid option for writers of all skill and experience levels. If you’re looking to make real money out of your writing, whether through fiction or business nonfiction, you’re going to need to format your book professionally.

That’s where the incredibly user-friendly Vellum comes in! Format for ebook, paperback, and hardcover with this, and make sure your book appears as professionally as it reads.

Speaking of design…here are 5 critical indie book cover design elements!

14. IBR Group Beta Reading

So often writers are in a hurry to hit the publish button that they skip out on opportunities to fix and correct big-picture problems with their work. This is why you should have someone read over your book.

While not everyone has a trusted friend that can give them helpful feedback on their writing, some companies have professional beta readers that can do just that.

Independent Book Review offers a beta reading service for writers to get their work looked at and critiqued by professional book people & readers: reviewers, booksellers, librarians, editors, and more. This group-style feedback can help authors recognize that a certain issue is cropping up for different readers and will likely appear when your book is published too. It can also reaffirm their idea that a piece of work is doing all the things they set out to do. Getting a few extra eyes on your work before sending it out to publishers could be exactly the thing you need to perfect your draft.

15. Wix Website Builder

Want to publish your work? A professional website is a must!

Your author website is a place where people can learn more about you, follow your newsletter, and buy your books. While not all writers are tech wizards, websites like WIX make building a website much easier. I’d recommend getting a domain through BlueHost so it’s extra professional!

16. Publisher Rocket

If you plan to publish your book(s), you’re going to want to learn more about book marketing. Not only would it be nice to make a few bucks from your art, but most writers want to be read by more people.

One of the best ways to reach a large number of readers is to place your book into as many categories as possible and with as accurate and high-ranking keywords as possible. What does this mean?

Well…you know how people search on Google and Amazon for the things they want? They type in things like, “spicy romance” or “space adventure,” when they want to read things like that. Those are keywords.

But how do you know which keywords are searched often? With Publisher Rocket! This tool for writers allows you to choose the best keywords so that your book shows up on the first page of an Amazon search.

Categories are genres and subgenres. You can post your book in up to 10 categories, and Publisher Rocket helps you find those too. An essential tool for self-publishers!

17. Kindle Unlimited Subscription

What could be more helpful for a writer than having a library in your pocket? Sure Kindle Unlimited means you can read a bunch of captivating fiction books to figure out how others pulled off books in and outside your genre, but it also gives you access to thousands of nonfiction books on topics you won’t be able to learn about in such detail just on Google.

Writing a novel about Prohibition? Read about it! Even skip to the sections that are most relevant to you! You don’t have to read the full book in order to get the essential information just a few taps away. Check out some writing & publishing books on KU while you’re at it!

18. The Emotion Thesaurus

Transform your writing with this expanded edition of The Emotion Thesaurus. Conveying emotion effectively is something that many writers struggle with, but doing so can make or break how readers resonate with your work. This book is the ultimate show and don’t tell guide to writing emotions. Break this thing open on your writing retreat or just keep it on your desk for easy access because you never know you’re going to need it.

19. Writing Tools: A Book on Writing Strategies

Sometimes the best writing tool is called Writing Tools. This book provides 50 short essays from one of the most popular writing teachers in America on different aspects of writing. If you’re looking for a bunch of practical tips to help you break out of writer’s block, this book is the one to do it.

21. Before and After the Book Deal

“Like sharing a coffee with a kind and witty mentor, Before and After the Book Deal is an ideally conversational guide to traditional publishing… If you’re in search of a guide that’s both intensely readable and undeniably practical (which, let’s be honest, you are), strap on your swimming cap and dive headfirst into this book. I’d offer you my copy, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting it out of my sight.”

– Joe Walters, Independent Book Review

22. Small Presses & Independent Publishers

Here at IBR, we love indie presses. We read ’em, we review ’em, we shout ’em from the rooftops. Incredible bookish people are doing incredible bookish things and bringing extremely talented authors to everyday readers with their bold, risk-taking, entertaining work. They make beautiful books, and we’re proud to review so many of them.

If you’re a writer looking to traditionally publish in 2024 without an agent, you’re going to want to look into indie presses. This book is a resource you don’t want to do without.

23. How to Publish a Book on Amazon

If you’re thinking about going the self-publishing route, this is the book to read. It’s got loads of practical information and walks you step-by-step through the process of doing it yourself. Doesn’t hurt that it’s got some great tips for Amazon Ads too.

I’m curious: Which are the best tools for writers that you can’t buy?

About the Curator

Jaylynn Korrell is a nomadic writer currently based out of Pennsylvania. In addition to her writing and reading for Independent Book Review, she curates lists at GoodGiftLists.com.

Thank you for reading Jaylynn Korrell’s “23 of the Best Tools for Writers!” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post 23 of the Best Tools for Writers appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Joe Walters

Writers, it’s about that time.

You’ve done the work. You’ve written, you’ve revised, revised again, gotten beta readers, implemented their feedback, edited, edited again, polished, and now you’re feeling confident that your book is pretty damn good. 

First of all, hell yeah.

Second of all, where do you go from here?

It’s easier to publish a book in 2023 than it has ever been. But that doesn’t mean you should necessarily take the easy route. Sometimes it could be the best decision; sometimes it could be the worst. Take your time and choose with confidence (and maybe a little guidance from me). This post includes info & tips for writers looking to publish with an indie press, to self-publish, or to publish with a major publisher.

Here’s an essential guide to publishing companies (with 50+ publishers included).

I’ve never shouted, “I love indie presses!” from the rooftops, but that’s only because I don’t like rooftops.

Independent presses run the full gamut—large, small, niche, broad, great, not-so-great, you name it. There are a lot of people out there who love books enough to publish them. An indie press can be a side-gig for a book lover or it can be a million-dollar business for a CEO with major connections and funding. 

Indie presses are important to book publishing. So many books in your local bookstore come from the same five publishers and their imprints–more on this in part 3!–but traditional indie presses expand the horizon of books and ideas. Many of these presses take risks on books they believe should be published even if they don’t fit a common model like salability and neat genre fits. I salute them (and review them) as often as I can!

So how do you publish with an independent press?

That depends on the press! Some indies require agented submissions, while others you can submit without an agent. You just have to follow each specific press’s guidelines, write your best book, and cross your fingers.

My biggest recommendations for publishing with an indie press:

• Actually read a couple books from the press. Not only do you want to find out if their vision matches that of your book’s, but you also want to see if it’s professionally formatted and something you’d be proud to share a shelf with.
• Follow their submission guidelines exactly. They receive a lot of queries, and you don’t want to miss your chance at the very beginning.
• Google them & their books to find out any book publicity they’ve received. You want to see what kind of coverage your book could get.
• Make your book as good as it can be ten times over. Many indie presses want to take books that can slide right into a publishing queue. Since they pay their editors on their own dime, it’s a lot less of an investment to take on a book that requires fewer editing-hours to complete.
• Write and get feedback on a compelling query letter.
• Some presses take breaks in their reading periods. Don’t submit outside of them, and if you think your book is the best fit for that press anyway, wait for them to re-open.
• Many indie presses publish books across genres, but some ask for specific genres. Don’t submit if your book doesn’t fit.
• Some publishers frame their submissions as contests or awards. This is fine! You may have to pay to submit, but it usually helps pay an advance to the winning author, something not every indie press does.
• Actually like the look and applicability of their website! The online marketplace is an important one.
• Research what they do to market their books. Do they run a regular newsletter? Are they active on social media? Do they get a lot of book reviews?
• Ask their authors what their experience has been.
• Try university presses! (Not included in list below)
• Peruse more lists like on Duotrope, NewPages, P & W, and Bookfox.

Want to know what people would say about your book if it was published today? Try group beta reading!

Self-publishing is the right route for some people. There’s no getting around the fact that you get complete creative control AND a considerably higher royalty percentage than publishing with a press. You can publish that thing today if you wanted to, or you can transparently use it as a business tool to funnel clients straight into your business. 

You know what that means? More money!

But you know what it also means? More competition & less free help!

But before we get anywhere, it’s imperative that you recognize which part of the publishing process you are skipping: The gatekeeper.

An agent receives thousands of queries. Publishers do too. They choose only a select number of them per year—could be two, could be twelve, could be two hundred. It depends on what that particular person or organization is planning to do with their business. 

They choose only the books that they think will: sell, get acclaim, move readers emotionally, get optioned into a movie, or some other business-specific reason.

By skipping this gatekeeper step, you are not putting your book to the test in the market. I want you to have a published book too, but sometimes that book isn’t ready. You publish it early, and some readers don’t love it. Some might even find things hurtful inside it. That’s a big reason why beta reading and getting feedback is so important. Test the market. Take your time. Make that thing shine before publishing.

And if you do go the self-publishing route, make sure you read up on book marketing! Taking an honest look at what you’re up against—like the amount of actual work hours it’ll take to market—will help you decide if self-publishing companies are the right decision for you.

In addition to doing it all yourself, you can self-publish with a vanity or hybrid press.

A vanity press is one that you can pay to publish your book for you. They do the dirty work like uploading, designing, and accounting. Depending on whichever services they offer in your contract, they may also provide developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, cover design or illustration, and marketing. 

A hybrid press is a press that either A) requires some money to publish your book, but will front other costs; B) Doesn’t publish every book that is submitted to them; or C) a press that publishes some books on their own dime and other books by being funded by the author.

Some vanity or hybrid presses are awesome to work with. They care about their authors, provide great customer service, and are upfront about their fees and requirements. Others are not as awesome. Some have poor or nonexistent customer service and mislead authors to expect the brightest lights in exchange for more money. 

Some questions to ask your vanity or hybrid press:

• How much is the basic service and what specifically does it entail?
• What does the upgraded service include specifically? 
• Do you charge me when I need to make changes to my book or my book listing?
• How often are you available for marketing help and guidance?
• How many book cover mock-ups does your designer provide?
• Does the basic service include developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading?
• Are there any yearly fees?
• Can I get freelance services elsewhere and still use your company to publish?
• How long will it take to edit, design, and publish the book?
• Can you show me some books in a similar genre that you’ve published?
• Can you share any other authors’ contact information so I can ask their opinion of your company?

Don’t be afraid to say no to hybrid or vanity publishing companies. There are others out there. 

Here are some of our favorite indie books of 2022.

The big five publishers—listed below—publish many of the top-selling books of a given year. These books appear on reading lists, major media outlets, celebrity book clubs, and bookstores all over the world. They have many imprints and have published a ton of books for a long time. They are a sort of 1%, except they’re probably more visible than that.

As an author, these things probably sound great to you. If you want to get an advance and get financial backing for your book, publishing with a big five publisher is something you probably want to try.

But wait! 

In order to publish with them, you have to find a literary agent to represent you. Then they have to successfully convince a publishing house to publish your book. This is not easy.

Authors spend years perfecting their craft, making connections, publishing short form works in recognizable outlets, getting grants, increasing their social media following, and beyond in order to impress agents and publishers to increase their chances. But again, this doesn’t guarantee anything.

Yet again, some authors don’t take years. Some take one incredible story to blow the doors off, get signed, and get published. 

Lesson of the day: Write the best book you can. Pitch agents strategically. And write more books.

Parting words

Publishing a book is complicated. Choosing the right path, pursuing it at the right time, dealing with the repercussions of your choices: It’s all stressful but only because you care so much.

Take your time, publish the best book you can, and keep writing. That’s what it’s all about anyway, isn’t it?

What is the most important thing you need from from publishing companies? Let me know in the comments below!

About the Author

Joe Walters is the founder and editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review, and he has been a book marketer for Sunbury Press, Inkwater Press, and Paper Raven Books. When he’s not doing editorial, promoting, or reviewing work, he’s working on his novel and trusting the process. Find him @joewalters13 on Twitter.

Thank you for reading “50+ Publishing Companies for Traditional & Self-Publishing: A Guide for Writers“ by Joe Walters! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post 50+ Publishing Companies for Traditional & Self-Publishing: A Guide for Writers appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Joe Walters

Publishing a book is more possible than ever.

You’ve written a book. Maybe it’s a cozy mystery. A self-help or business book. A wickedly entertaining tome of literary fiction. Regardless, your beta readers say it’s amazing and you’re proud of it.

So how do you get it published?

Lucky for you, you’re approaching this publication in a time when getting a book published is as accessible as ever. While there are four primary options for publishing a book, you’ll want to know the pros and cons of each one so you can make the best decision for you.

Here are your primary options for publishing a book.

Option 1: Traditionally publish with a major publishing house

You know those books that appear in nearly all of the bookstores around the country? How about the ones that get picked up by major book clubs like Reese Witherspoon’s and Emma Watson’s?

If you want to get your book seen by the most amount of people, you probably want to try traditionally publishing with a major publishing house.

A major publishing house could be a press within the big five publishers (like Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster) or it could be a larger independent press like Graywolf Press.

But you can’t just go knocking at PRH’s door asking for a contract. You’ll need a literary agent first.

Major publishers and larger indie presses do not accept unsolicited submissions from the author, so you’ll need to send a query letter, synopsis, and a few sample pages to a literary agent. If an agent wants to represent you, they’ll submit your book to editors at one of the major publishing houses for you. You both will have to sit back and hope the publisher will purchase the rights to your book.

If you want to take this route, you should be aware of a few things:

• It might not work. All you can do is write the best book you possibly can and start querying. So write, rewriter, revise, revise again, go through beta reading, revise again, and send that baby out there.
• For fiction, you’ll need to finish writing your book before you query.
• For nonfiction, you may be able to send a book proposal instead of finishing the project first. Just check out the agent’s submission guidelines.
• Do your research on literary agents before you query. Don’t send out large batches of queries to every agent you can find. Each agent specializes in certain types of books, so check out which genres they’re looking for and a few of the books they’ve already gotten published.
• Literary agents work on commission. When your book sells, your agent gets a portion of the sale. Do NOT pay an agent upfront to take on your manuscript.
• When a major publishing house decides to give you a contract, they may give you an advance. It could be pretty high or relatively low. But regardless of how much it is, don’t spend it all in one place. It could get you into some iffy financial situations.
• You’ll need to earn out your advance before you start earning royalties. This means that you won’t get paid per book sold until you make enough to cover how much the publisher gave you at the beginning of the process.
• There are tiers within traditional publishing. If your press believes a certain book could make more money than another, that certain book will receive a higher advance and book marketing budget. Your agent will likely communicate this stuff with you as well as help you make the decision if being lower tier in a major house is actually better than being higher tier at a smaller house.
• If you have no money to expend on getting your book published, this is your best shot at having the best product.
• Major publishing houses often use bookstores as one of their primary marketing targets. If you have a dream of walking into a random bookstore and finding your book there, shooting for a major publishing house might be a good place to start.
• This is a terrifically lengthy process. You might wait years after querying your book to be published, so put on your comfy pants and get working on your next project.
• In 2023, even major publishing houses don’t use a lot of their marketing budget on book tours. It’s possible that some of them do, but if you’re looking for a book tour, just be aware that you might be covering the travel expenses.

Want to know what people would say about your book if it was published today? Try out group beta reading!

Option 2: Traditionally publish with a smaller publisher

If you’re looking through my window, you can see me jumping up and down while I type this, chanting, “SMALL. PRESSES. RULE. BABY!” A small press is a publishing house often made up of less than ten staff members who work their butts off to publish books they believe in.

Oftentimes, that means they’re taking on books that won’t be accepted by major publishers for any number of reasons. One of those reasons? Maybe a major house thinks your book doesn’t have a salable hook, so they don’t buy it. But a small press? They might not care. If they find a terrific book in their slush pile, they’ll get to work on making sure it reaches its audience. Small presses also accept submissions directly from the author, so you won’t need a literary agent for them.  

A small press’s goal is often about putting an amazing book in front of its audience. They work on books regularly, giving them the expertise to understand how things sell and how they can utilize their personal connections to get you into bookstores, do author events, and get your book reviewed. A small press might give your book more attention than a major publishing house would (especially if you’re published on a lower tier with a major), so it could give you immense joy to be able to work with them. The small press community is one of the kindest I’ve come in contact with, and I couldn’t be more grateful to work with them at IBR to spread the word about their great books.

If you decide to take this route, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You may not get a large advance or any advance at all. Small presses do not usually have large budgets, so you and the press might move directly into the earning-royalty phase.
• Much of the marketing work could fall on your shoulders. While these small presses can offer you increased validation when pitching for events, shelving queries, reviews, and more, you may still need to be the one pitching it. But the press will likely give you pointers and offer the help they can. I give book marketing tips too!
• Some small presses take different royalty percentages than others and publish in different formats than others. Just make sure you do your research and agree to their terms before you sign the contract. It’s okay to turn them down.
• If you’d prefer not to spend too much money on your book, this is your second best option. You’ll likely have to pay a few fees for optional marketing (like events, conferences, editorial reviews, or maybe even contests), but you won’t be asked specifically by a small press to give them any money.
• While many major publishing houses are stuck in New York, small presses can be anywhere. That means if you’d like to shoot for a local press, you’ve got a great shot at finding one near you.
• Did you know that indie and small presses are often the recipients of major book awards? Well, you do now. Small and indie presses publish risky and non-commercial material that don’t always get picked up by major houses, and in return, judges recognize the uniqueness of the concepts, ideas, and writing with awards. If you think you’ve got a special book that might not fly off the shelves but will impress whoever it’s read by, you should check out smaller indies.
• All in all, a small press is a team of publishing professionals who believe in your work and want to help readers find it. If you run into anyone running a small traditional press, give them a high-five for me. I’m sure they’re busy with their other jobs, but I’m also sure they’d love to hear that they appreciate the work they are doing. I know I do.

Discover new publishers by reading about these impressive indie press books!

Option 3: Use a hybrid or vanity press

This publishing option is perhaps the most controversial.

If you head onto your favorite social media group or publishing forum, you’ll get advice from people telling you that you should never pay to publish your book. While this advice is well-intentioned, it also spreads unnecessary anger toward companies who offer valuable services to authors.

The terms “hybrid press” and “vanity press” have one major thing in common: the author pays a publishing company to provide the service of publishing a book. Each vanity press has a different model of how these payments work. Some presses accept only specific types of books, others accept anything they can get their hands on, and a few will only take on products they truly care about.

Regardless, vanity or hybrid publishing is a form of self-publishing where the author receives all of their author services in one place. As a self-published author, you will need to purchase author services anyway, so you might find the convenience of getting them all in one place is great for you.

However, you’ll also want to be picky when choosing your hybrid publisher. There are a few presses out there that have caused outrage when it comes to poor customer service, hidden fees, and an overall outlook that has a problematic goal of taking your money instead of helping you. These problematic businesses exist in every industry, but just because a few companies have backward goals does not mean that every one does.

Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are considering hybrid publishing:

• Weigh your options heavily. Do your research and discover the pros and cons of using a hybrid publisher instead of self-publishing.
• Understand your goal prior to hybrid publishing. If your goal is to have a book that you can love out in the world, this could be a good option. If your goal is to make money off of your fiction, it’s possible that a hybrid publisher could get you there—but it may be a bit more difficult.
• Some hybrid presses operate on a model that will not benefit you. Ask questions about how much things cost, why they cost the way they do, and if you would prefer to do it on your own or with someone else. It’s possible that a mean-spirited hybrid press feels pushy and/or makes promises that seem unlikely. It’s fine to say no.
• There are some truly wonderful hybrid publishing companies. They have kindhearted staff members who want to see you succeed and do everything they can to help you get there. They may work in publishing full-time, and this may be your first time trying to sell a book. Utilize their expertise and experience.
• If you enjoy your experience with a hybrid press, make sure to share it with other authors. There is so much negativity surrounding this type of press, and I think publishing forums and social media groups would be a better place if we all approached these different types of publishing with respect.

Looking for something new to get for your birthday this year? Check out these gifts for writers!

Option 4: Self-publish your book

With the advent of new technology, the process of making a book available to the public has become easier than ever. But that doesn’t mean self-publishing a book successfully is easy. And really, if you’re considering publishing a book, that should be the number one goal: doing it right.

If you self-publish with strategy, you can take advantage of the much-higher royalty rate and potentially pave your way to making a living with your writing. Honestly, this might be the best way to make a living with your writing.

Before you go hitting the publish button though, you should consider a few things:

• When you self-publish, you are doing the job of multiple people at a traditional publishing house. Prepare yourself for a ton of work and not enough time in the day. And because of that, you’ll want to hire some experts for your production team.
• Just like a traditional publishing house, you’re going to need a realistic budget to work with. If you skimp on paying for essential services like cover design and copy editing, your product will suffer because of it. And once you put something out on the market, you won’t want to make the mistake of having to fix stuff afterwards. You only have a few shots to impress your first fans, and if you rush the process and skimp on a budget, you could lose those lifelong readers.
• At traditional publishing houses, the staff members have valuable experience and an expertise that could stop you from making a huge mistake. When you’re self-publishing, you are all on your own. There’s no one telling you that you cannot leave that problematic scene in your book. Your editor might suggest that you remove it, but it’s up to you to make the final decision. Just make sure you get plenty of input from outsiders before you publish: from developmental editing to beta reading and beyond.
• Do your research on trustworthy author services. It’s important to trust and believe in the people working on your book, so before you hire your developmental editor, make sure you believe they can do the best job for you. There are quite a few out there, so get sample edits and hire the one you believe in and can see yourself working with.
• Take. Your. Time. There are a million reasons why traditional publishing takes a long time, but perhaps the most important is that you need to do loads of preparation before a book is made available to the public. Don’t set a publishing date as a goal and force yourself to finish it if things get pushed back. It’s more important to do it right than to just do it in general.
• Treat your book like a business. This is a product. And you are the owner of that product. How can you make sure your production team is offering everything you need while also giving you the time to be the content creator (or writer) who can come out with the next product?
• You could be putting yourself in the position to make the most money off of a book sale as possible. Not too shabby! Only downfall? You’ll have to front the cost of the book’s production, which means if you don’t have much money when you begin your project, you may be better off trying to traditionally publish instead.
• It is a bit more difficult to get self-published books in bookstores. Due to returns and other bookstore policies, your dream of seeing your book at Barnes and Noble may be a bit harder to achieve. Not impossible though!
• Self-publishing can be extremely rewarding, so if you’re thinking about taking the plunge, I wish you the best of luck! And send us your book to get reviewed after you do!

What do you think is your best path for publishing a book? Let me know in the comments below!

About the Author

Joe Walters is the founder and editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review, and he has been a book marketer for Sunbury Press, Inkwater Press, and Paper Raven Books. When he’s not doing editorial, promoting, or reviewing work, he’s working on his novel and trusting the process. Find him @joewalters13 on Twitter.

Thank you for reading “Publishing a Book in 2023: Which Path Should You Take?” by Joe Walters! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post Publishing a Book in 2023: Which Path Should You Take? appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Tucker Lieberman

A guide to writing LGBTQ characters in your fiction or screenplays

What does it mean to have “good LGBTQ representation” in your creative writing? How do you make sure that your LGBTQ characters are shining, true, and not offending?

We seek ourselves in books, and we seek others. We seek solace. Community. Knowledge. How do you write LGBTQ characters effectively so that your readers have the capacity to enjoy it?

The great news is: You have so many freedoms.

There are multiple ways to tell your story and to talk about what’s important to your characters. Writers, it’s time to get started.

Here are 20 things you should know about writing LGBTQ characters.

1. Understand your character as a whole person. 

Understanding a character’s sexuality and gender is rooted in understanding them as a person. Help the character excavate their desires:

• What do they want?
• What’s in their way? 
• How are they standing in their own way?
• What won’t they settle for?
• What will it feel like when they arrive?
• How will they know they’ve done it?

See: the answers to these questions don’t have to be about their sexuality or gender. There’s more to them than that. If you establish their goals early, it’ll be easier for you to tell the story. Your character might surprise you by changing what they want. You can work on this in developmental editing and with beta readers.

2. Don’t try to prove the character’s identity

There’s no essential characteristic that makes someone lesbian, gay, bi, trans, or queer. Some people know their sexual orientation before they’ve had sex. Some people know they’re trans and don’t entertain the idea of changing their body. 

When revealing a character as LGBTQ, one option is to do a “tell” instead of a “show.” The character can simply say “I’m gay” and leave it at that. This approach may not fit your story, but it’s one of your freedoms.

3. Say who they are directly, or maybe don’t say it at all. 

I’m taking a bet that in your novel about a woman operating a bulldozer on an all-male construction site, the woman doesn’t “happen to be” a butch lesbian. The phrase “happens to be” usually sounds as though someone’s tiptoeing around, apologizing for, or downplaying the importance of an identity. When planning fiction about her, go bold: She is a butch lesbian.

Avoid the phrase “happen(s) to be” in relation to their sexuality or gender.

A person’s identity is often relevant to a situation, even if subtly. If you’re inclined to mention their identity at all, go ahead and say who they are. If it feels weird to speak directly about it, it might be irrelevant, in which case there’s no need to bring it up indirectly either, and you’re free to drop it.

4. Learn real terminology or invent new words

Language is historically and culturally specific. The word “homosexual” in English, for example, has different connotations depending on what decade you’re in. Go back far enough and you’ll find a different word altogether. Learn a different language, and you’ll find that language has different categories and nuances. 

If you’re writing realistic fiction, you have a responsibility to learn real words. There’s a difference between affirming, friendly language and delegitimizing, rude language. Language shifts over time, and you can try to reflect the time period you’re writing about.

If your narrative has a fantasy element, you can invent or repurpose words. This can happen in your story too. You’re free to do it. No one has the authority to decide that you’ve broken the rules of “confabulous memoir.”

“I grew up in a crooked house in a place called Gloom,” Kai Cheng Thom says in Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir.

5. Allow the character to make their own meaning

Consider what words resonate with the character about their identity. The 2023 novel Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia is built around dichos (Spanish for “proverbs”) that gain meaning for the boys as they grow up. A character can also develop their own set of symbols: sunrise, flag, basketball. Some of these might be related to their LGBTQ identity.

Pedro & Daniel by Federico Erebia

6. Be ambiguous if you want

Some characters are “coded” as LGBTQ through stereotypes, common tropes, sideways references, and so on. The story never explicitly labels them as “gay” or “transgender” nor announces relevant facts. Instead, the author drops hints, like a gender-neutral reference to a lover.

Readers have different reactions to this kind of ambiguity. Some readers expect and crave clarity. Others appreciate the flexibility to imagine characters in ways that appeal to them.

7. Explore a character’s myriad traits, not just their sexuality and gender

Readers will interpret your character through many traits:

• what work they do
• how much money they have
• what principles they hold
• what hobbies they enjoy
• who they spend time with
• who their role models are
• who has cast them out

Is this part of writing LGBTQ characters? Yes, it is! A person has their sexuality and gender all the time, including when they’re doing regular human stuff like working or spending time with their friends. Their LGBTQ identity closes some doors and opens others. It affects how they show up in the world. And the other things they do in the world in turn affect their experience of sexuality and gender.

You don’t have to justify how certain character traits relate to their LGBTQ identity. You may know the answer—or not. You have the freedom not to present the case in every chapter for exactly why and how your story is an LGBTQ story.

8. Include as much, or as little, “LGBTQ stuff” as you see fit

There’s no universal answer for what’s “too much” or “too little” attention given to a character’s sexuality or gender. Readers will arrive at their opinion based on their own preferences.

You have the freedom to focus on your character’s obviously LGBTQ-specific life experiences:

• coming out
• finding lovers
• experiencing rejection or discrimination
• taking care of their sexual health (like HIV treatment)
• managing their fertility
• having feelings about their own body
• shopping for gender-nonconforming clothes
• introducing themselves to others by a new name
• going to Pride marches

You may instead choose to devote the majority of space to less obviously queer/trans topics. That’s your freedom too.

9. What is your character’s self-knowledge? Let it be complicated.

The character knows they’re gay. If you feel the need to explain how they know it, try these narrative angles:

• When did the character first think they might be gay?
• Did they ever try to be straight?
• How do they sense what feels “right” or “wrong”?
• What gives them pleasure?
• When did they know “for sure”?
• Are they sure now, and does certainty matter to them?

Do some research (and have fun doing it!) by getting some awesome LGBTQ books from indie presses & authors.

10. Your character’s gender transition will probably take time

A trans person’s physical changes (if they make any) take a while. The impact of hormones might take several months or a year to become obvious, and surgery requires weeks or months of recovery. A person may schedule procedures years apart. No one shows up to tell them when their transition is formally “over.”

Some trans people change their name multiple times, waiting to find one that fits. Some prefer to be called different pronouns in different contexts.

Meanwhile, if your character is currently “in transition,” how do they feel about their gender and body? How do others understand (or fail to understand) their changes? Are others aware that changes are happening? What does the trans person want them to know? Does the trans person care what others think?

11. Don’t forget your character’s ongoing life changes

When someone first acknowledges and accepts their sexuality or gender, it may coincide with other life changes like:

• leaving their parents’ house
• dropping out of high school or college
• switching jobs or career paths
• divorcing
• ending friendships
• quitting religion
• moving to a new city
• meeting new friends and lovers

Some people continue with huge changes every year. Others settle down. A character comes out as bisexual…and what they do next is up to them.

12. Let them screw up

Our identities are no guarantee that we’re enlightened, that we have solidarity, nor even that we’re polite. We screw it up with each other. We make mistakes. Gay men can be misogynist; lesbians can be rude and hurtful to men. A bisexual person can pressure a trans person to get surgery; a trans person can assume a bisexual person is “confused” about themselves. Friends disappoint each other. Coworkers “out” each other. That’s real life.

As real people, we’re obligated to clean up our messes. But in fiction, it’s more complicated. You’re free to show a character doing something wrong, making no reparation, and feeling no remorse. If you do, show us, please, why that’s important to the story.

Spreading negative ideas about LGBTQ people, even in fiction, can have real-life effects, so evil LGBTQ characters remain controversial. Learn about the history of “homosexual villain” tropes. You’re free to write unsavory queer characters—and to receive the consequences of doing so.

13. Who is on your character’s “naughty and nice list?”

A queer/trans person remembers to whom they’ve come out: friends, family, colleagues, neighbors. They may have renegotiated relationships based on others’ reactions. They know who knows they’re gay, or at least they have a good sense of it. They also have a list of everyone who doesn’t deserve to know.

14. Ignore the haters

In a homophobic and transphobic climate, authors and publishers are sometimes nervous about writing LGBTQ characters provocatively. But making those characters tame and uncontroversial may not be the best solution for your novel.

You may want to achieve “balance” of some sort for artistic or commercial reasons. However, there’s no compromise to be struck with homophobes and transphobes—they’ll always be unhappy and they’ll give you nothing in return. You’re free to tell them where to go.

15. “LGBTQ” can move beyond dictionary definitions

Personal epiphanies—a moment of insight or growth—can feel tied to LGBTQ identity. A person is at a rock concert, a philosophy class, having lunch with a friend, praying in a house of worship, breaking up with a lover, buying an outfit. Suddenly, an insight hits.

Often, it’s hard to explain why the insight should feel queer or trans, since a straight, cisgender person could have a similar insight.

To answer that, look at the character holistically. Even if individual stepping stones don’t seem to be about gender or sexuality, each one is part of the person’s path. The character is LGBTQ every day, so anything they experience can feel related to their gender or sexuality.

Their thoughts and feelings occur in a broader context, connected to other thoughts and feelings. The person has metaphorically saved these thoughts to the “trans/queer” folder on their mental hard drive. Their insights have LGBTQ flavor and significance for them. 

It doesn’t matter what being LGBTQ means objectively or according to the dictionary. It matters what it means to this character.

16. Visibility or privacy can be a strategic choice

LGBTQ people are affected by interpersonal prejudice and marginalized by larger systems. Each person has their own preferred ways of negotiating risks and living their life. 

Visibility or privacy can be a strategic choice. One person may come out to many friends so they have allies and can swiftly assert their dignity whenever it’s challenged. Another may stay tightly closeted to avoid becoming the target of hate and discrimination. See how this plays out in the 2023 novel And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu, in which young gay men in Nigeria must stay under the radar of police.

Visibility or privacy can also be part of someone’s personality. Their preference may not vary by situation, and they may not game it out ahead of time. They may manage or express their identity more or less in the same way everywhere they go, no matter the risks or lack thereof.

In fiction, ask: How does the character’s choice work out in their story? Are their expectations met, or does something else happen? 

And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu

17. Understand what “good LGBTQ representation” means

When writing LGBTQ characters, the idea of “representation,” and thus what it means for rep to be “good,” varies.

“Good LGBTQ rep” can mean that the author:

• Clearly labels a character’s sexual or gender identity
• Describes or discusses sexualities, bodies, or identities
• Ensures that all references to LGBTQ people or issues are complimentary and supportive
• Gives a character at least one realistic LGBTQ experience or trait (even if it’s an exceptional or unusual one)
• Bases a character on a typical LGBTQ person
• Challenges harmful stereotypes
• Draws from existing LGBTQ fictional narrative tropes or literary archetypes
• Sets up an important LGBTQ character as an exemplary human being
• Omits hate and violence that isn’t essential to the story
• Delivers a happy ending for all LGBTQ characters

Furthermore, “good LGBTQ rep” can mean that a reader:

• Learns something about some aspect of LGBTQ identity
• Personally relates to one of the LGBTQ characters
• Feels emotionally comforted
• Agrees with the book’s message or takeaway
• Generally likes the book

However, not all fiction strives to be educational, relatable, comforting, correct, or popular. Some novels achieve something else.

You know why you’re writing your book. Define your goal, and you’ll discover how to achieve it well. If the term “good LGBTQ representation” feels confusing or irrelevant, you’re free to use another term to describe your goal for this novel.

18. Seek help!

Writing a novel is a huge undertaking. You’ll grow as a person and as a writer too. As you do, your book will improve.

You don’t have to do it alone. Set aside a budget—this is an important investment—and hire the right people.

Sensitivity reader or cultural consultant

Hiring a sensitivity reader is a good idea even if you’re writing a character with an identity or experience similar to your own (called “own voices”). For example, I’m a transgender man, and I hired a trans sensitivity reader to see what they thought about my transgender character and my book as a whole. They wrote up a hundred reactions, and I adjusted my book. No two people have the same knowledge base and perspective. Salt and Sage keeps a roster of sensitivity readers.

Beta readers

When you have a complete, clean draft of your story and you’re still willing to accept feedback, beta readers can help. With no prior knowledge of your novel or your writing process, they serve as an early audience, reading and reacting to your story. You can hire a team of beta readers through Independent Book Review.

Cover artist

While you’re at it, support an openly LGBTQ artist! Find artists in directories like Queer Cartoonists Database or under the latest social media hashtag for queer/trans artists. 

19. Manage your own author identity your own way

Publishers and marketers often ask for “LGBTQ books.” This can mean various things. They may seek:

• an openly LGBTQ author
• a main character with a specific identity
• a genre (e.g., romance)
• a theme (e.g., how nightclubs are policed)

That’s what they may have in mind. But how do you see it? What does writing LGBTQ characters mean to you?

Do what’s right for your story. No one story can fit every publisher’s call for LGBTQ books.

Disclose your own information carefully, and name your boundaries regarding how it’s used. Keep that in mind as you phrase your bio and book description—and as you write the story itself.

20. Be who you are

Writing LGBTQ characters in fiction, selling those books, and putting them into eager readers’ hands depends on political conditions. We ourselves need the freedom to be LGBTQ in our real lives. Be who you are, and help create a world where others have that freedom too. 

What are your favorite books with LGBTQ characters? Let me know in the comments!

About the Author

Tucker Lieberman is the author of the metafictional Most Famous Short Film of All Time (tRaum Books, 2022). Being a transgender man has been a big, weird part of his life. He’s married to another man, the Hugo-longlisted fan writer Arturo Serrano, author of the multiply queer alternate history To Climates Unknown (2021). They live in Bogotá, Colombia.

Thank you for reading Tucker Lieberman’s “20 Tips for Writing LGBTQ Characters!” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post 20 Tips for Writing LGBTQ Characters appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Joe Walters

Getting beta readers can be intimidating.

When you send a manuscript to someone else for critique, you send pieces of yourself out with it. Your thoughts, ideas, images, knowledge, tastes. You chose each word on each page with purpose. It came only from you.

But it’s not for you, is it? Or at least not only you.

If you’re seeking publication with your writing, it’s also for readers. Each and every one of them. It is their time, and they are choosing to spend it by reading what you have to say.

So, writers: Write that thing, revise it, revise it again, edit it. Give it your all. 

But before you hit publish or submit, get feedback on it from trustworthy readers.

Why?

You are only one person. You can make mistakes and improvements. You have the chance to make this thing absolutely incredible. So do it.

Here are 20 common (and not so common) questions about getting beta readers. 

1. What are beta readers?

A beta reader is a person who reads a writer’s work prior to publication and provides feedback on it. This person is meant to represent the experience of an average reader in the writer’s target audience.

For example, a good match as a beta reader for a literary fiction manuscript would be a person who reads and enjoys literary fiction. Historical fiction about WWI? Your history teacher friend (who likes to read!) might be a good choice.

But not every writer has those people in their lives, so they often have to get creative. (Big task, I know). Which leads us to our next question.

2. Who can you ask to be a beta reader?

People you know in real life:

• Other writers 
• Former critique partner & workshop co-members
• Friends who read
• Family who reads

People you don’t know in real life:

• Critique websites like Scribophile
• Online critique partners & workshop co-members
• Professional beta readers
• Book reviewers
• Social media friends & acquaintances
• Beta reading & writing groups on social media like Facebook & Goodreads

3. Can friends and family really be good beta readers?

Honestly…yes. They totally can. But not all of them. And not always. And definitely not without proper guidance going in.

If you’re going to ask friends or family members to beta read your work, they need to know beforehand that you are NOT looking for empty praise. They should know that if they want to be the most helpful they can be, they should share the good things they found in it AND the things that they didn’t think were so good. Which plot points felt weak? Which storylines didn’t you care about? Which characters? 

But even with this caveat, you should be aware that the people who love you most are probably going to be nicer to you than those with some distance. You can totally use your friends and family members as beta readers, but they should not be the only ones.

4. How many beta readers should you get? 

More than two for sure! But also, probably no more than about six per draft.

It’s great to get a lot of different feedback from a lot of different, unique readers with different, unique interests, but you’re going to have things to work on after the first 5 or so. This is why I think 5 is a good sweet spot per draft so that you can save the additional willing readers for a later draft. 

5. When should you get beta readers?

You can get beta readers at any point after you’ve finished a manuscript. While you can definitely find value in getting beta reader feedback directly after your first draft, it’s often beneficial to make your book the best it can be prior to getting beta readers.

Why?

Because you don’t want your beta readers bringing up issues that you are already aware of. Try to fix those issues before you send it so that your beta reading team can catch things you aren’t already conscious of. 

6. Should you be worried that a beta reader will steal your work?

You should definitely be aware of the possibility. Book piracy happens, and it can really suck. So do some vetting before you send books out to people that you don’t know personally. If you found them on Facebook or Goodreads, check out their profiles. See how long their online imprint goes back. Feel positive that they are a real human.

I don’t want anyone to steal your work, now or in the future. It is difficult to turn an unpublished manuscript into a bestseller, even for established publishing houses, so it could not be much of an issue in the end. So you can definitely breathe a little bit.

But also, do work on your part to try to make sure it doesn’t happen or react appropriately when it does. One of my favorite ways is to send it in .pdf. Then, set up a Google Alert for your book title and author name. Since you have written this book (on your .pdf, with a date), you have a paper trail proof that it is your book. This is a good thing. Here’s more on what you can do if it happens.

7. Where do you find beta readers online?

Unpaid beta readers:

• Scribophile
• betareader.io
• Writing workshops (like Gotham)
• Writing forums (like LitReactor)
• Facebook groups (like mine!)
• Goodreads groups

Paid beta readers:

• Independent Book Review
• Fiverr
• Reedsy
• Upwork
• Facebook groups
• Goodreads groups

8. How do you ask people to beta read?

This varies from situation to situation. If you’re writing an email to a personal comrade from your workshop days, you should start out personally. If you are posting on a Facebook group or in a Goodreads group, it’s most important to communicate clearly what your book is about and what you are asking of them. I also think using lists are helpful for people scrolling these sites.

Social media pitch sample:

9. What are the most effective strategies for getting more beta readers?

• Have an interesting book description that makes them want to read it.
• Offer to swap with other writers.

10. Should you pay for beta readers?

It’s not always easy to get beta readers. It takes literal time to read and provide feedback, and some books are more difficult to find readers for than others. If the book is a sensitive topic and/or over 100k words, you could have fewer offers to beta read than you’d hoped. In other cases, you could get the feedback but not necessarily feel like you agree with what the reader is saying and/or feel like they didn’t provide enough feedback.

This is where paid beta readers come in. This way, you can orchestrate the amount of time it’s completed beforehand and have a wider pool of more experienced readers to choose from. 

That’s not to say every beta reader you pay is guaranteed to be what you’re looking for.

The best you can do is research, believe in the people, and agree on something that works for the both of you. Even though you don’t usually think about it in terms of per-hour payment, when you consider how long it takes to read a book and acknowledge that every reader reads at a different pace, you can see that it’s not usually too much. $100 for a book that takes 10 hours is $10/h. Then, add in note-taking, writing, & editing time. You could see fees anywhere from $5 for a whole book to $250 & beyond for solo readers. Be realistic and strategic about your budget for sure, but recognize that you’ll probably get different work expectations (& quality) from a $5 service.

What you want them to do is what they do best: read, pay attention to their feelings, and communicate with you at a high level about your book.

I’m definitely biased, but…I take a lot of pride in IBR Group Beta Reading. We all like different books and have different specialties, and we’re mad-hat, book-crazy reviewers, bloggers, librarians, booksellers, book marketers, editors, and authors. Wanna know how readers would feel if this book came out today? Ask the people selling, lending, writing, and working with the published ones!

11. Should you ask the beta readers questions or have them read it fresh?

This is one of my favorite questions of this whole list.

Why?

It’s different for everybody! I love working fresh as a beta reader because it allows me to comment on what I believe to be the most important positives and negatives of the book. “[This] is the biggest reason why I would only give the book 3 stars if it was published today.” This way I’m not influenced by what they asked—I’m merely a reader.

But a few specific questions can go a long way in getting what you’re looking for, too. You should definitely still ask the big question (was it good, bad, or in-between, and what are the reasons why?), but if you truly don’t know what to do about that one character and want to see what your reader thinks of them specifically, you can get that answer, especially from paid beta readers. 

Some authors even like to use long questionnaires, which can be excellent and comprehensive if asked correctly. They might only require the questionnaire and a few long-form answers within it. This can be good, but they can also be detrimental if you don’t ask the right pointed questions. Here’s a big list of ideas. It’s best to be specific.

12. How long should you give beta readers to read it?

This depends on length and the reader’s availability. For a full-length fiction manuscript (50k to 100k words), I like asking for four to five weeks. It’s not a pressing timetable for most. If you want them quicker, keep an eye out for some paid readers who will allow you to expedite the service.

A note on lateness: Some readers may need more time either at the onset of your request or around the due date. If it’s a free beta reader, give them that time and thank them for letting you know. You can check in one more time probably (kindly!), but if they don’t, just let them go. If it’s a paid beta reader, ask for a partial refund if you find it appropriate.

13. How should I send my manuscript to my beta readers?

I like email the best. You can definitely attach a file over Facebook messenger if that’s where the bulk of your communication has been thus far, but getting an email is another form of vetting. The more they prove they’re real and ready to read, the better.

In the email, I’d recommend including the following:

• “Thanks for offering to read my book!”
• Attach the book as .pdf to the email.
• A request like, “As I’m sure doesn’t need to be said, please do not share anything about this manuscript or your reading of it online or elsewhere. Could you agree to that term in your reply to this message?”
• Ask for confirmation on the expected turnaround time.
• Include any questions you’d like covered in their beta report and/or another reminder that you’d simply like for them to share what they consider to be the most important feedback, positive and negative.

14. What type of feedback should you expect from a beta reader?

Beta readers are meant to provide big-picture feedback. This storyline works, while this one doesn’t; this character works, while this one doesn’t. Beta reading isn’t copy editing. They may leave copy editing or proofreading notes, but that’s not primarily what the task is for. If you’d like to double-down to make sure they don’t spend time leaving notes like that, you can say that in your initial request or in your email with the book attached. 

15. What do you do with your beta reader feedback?

Ah, the age-old question and the age-old answer!

Sit on it.

Read the letter and breathe and read the letter and breathe and read the letter and breathe.

Thank the beta reader for their time and consideration, even if something they said makes you upset. Sit and breathe some more. If you have additional questions on something they’ve written and they offer to keep chatting with you, ask those questions. 

Then, after you’ve breathed a lot, jot down all of the notes that you believe in the most and start planning how to improve your book. It’s time to revise, not just rewrite. Be open to cutting that book open and throwing a ton of good stuff into it. Your work isn’t done yet. But it is getting closer to being awesome if you’re willing to keep working.

16. What if you don’t agree with something your beta reader said?

Then fuhgeddaboutit!

Not only are beta readers wrong sometimes, they can communicate it ineffectively too. Now, if three of five beta readers all say the same problem, then maybe you should look into it more. Find out why they’re wrong but you kind of are too. Be vulnerable and willing to be honest with yourself and your work. Your book deserves it.

17. What’s the difference between a beta reader and critique partner?

A critique partner is someone you develop a relationship with over time by sharing and critiquing each other’s work. It’s a partnership, not just a one-off beta reading request. You’ll want to allot time to critique their work if you are seeking a critique partner. 

18. What’s the difference between a beta reader and a sensitivity reader?

A sensitivity reader is someone who reads for a specific potential issue, like offensive content in your representation of race, sexuality, culture, and more. If you wrote a bisexual main character, it could be good to get a sensitivity reader who can read those aspects of the book to help you achieve authentic representation.

19. Should you mention your beta readers in the acknowledgments of your book?

Yup! Or not! Totally up to you. I do like it though. It can feel special for those readers to see their names in published books. If that helps convert them into reviewers on Amazon or Goodreads, even better.

20. Can I ask my beta readers to leave a review for my book once it’s published?

Yup! I couldn’t get you out of here without at least a little book marketing advice! Your beta readers have already read your book, and they’ve already shown that they’re willing to support you.

When your book goes live, I’d recommend dropping them a line with the book link to Amazon, Goodreads, or both, and asking if they’d be willing to write a short review for you. Getting book reviews is extremely beneficial (and time-consuming), so any shortcut helps.

Happy revising!

About the Author

Joe Walters is the founder and editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review. When he’s not doing editing, beta reading, or reviewing work, he’s working on his squirrel novel and trusting the process. Find him @joewalters13 on Twitter.

Thank you for reading Joe Walters’s What Are Beta Readers & Where Do You Find Them? 20 Questions Answered About Getting Feedback If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post What Are Beta Readers & Where Do You Find Them? 20 Questions Answered About Getting Feedback appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Joe Walters

Your marketing strategy is only as good as your book description.

You can work tirelessly to get browsers to click on your product link. Newsletters, social media, advertising, article writing—you name the type of book promotion, you’re working hard at it.

But all that hard work won’t matter if your product page isn’t closing the deal. 

Maybe the person who clicked on your link came from a Facebook ad. Maybe they liked the cover or the short tagline you shared, and they thought, Woah, this might be my next favorite book.

But then they get to the product description, and instead of hitting “Buy Now,” they leave. 

You have lost the sale and the money you spent on the ad that got them there.

Do everything you can to not let this happen.

Your book description accompanies your book wherever it goes, and it ranks in importance right up there (or just behind) your book cover.

If you make it onto a book list of impressive books, the curator may use all or some of your book description to accompany the book. When you send your book out for review, the reviewer will take a look at the cover first and then lean heavily on the description to make their decision. 

Does this book sound like it’s for me? Does the writing make me think this author is capable of executing a great plot? Does it seem like something incredible will happen?

You’re thinking, Okay, okay, I get it. Descriptions are important.

But how do I write a book description that closes the deal?

The short answer? With care, time, revision, editing, formatting, and testing.

The long answer?

Let’s get to it.

Here’s how to write a damn good book description for your fiction or narrative nonfiction book.

It all starts with the hook.

What’s a hook? Well…

A hook is a short, catchy phrase that utilizes the main selling point(s) of your novel, similar in concept to an elevator pitch. Often bolded at the very top of the description, it can read like a tagline related to the story like, “Don’t look under the bed,” or it can highlight things like blurbs and accomplishments. 

Let’s think of the Amazon desktop when discussing how to write a good book description. We aren’t going to focus on your back cover yet because there’s more room for creativity there. On Amazon, it’s the bare bones of bold and italic. 

On the Amazon desktop, a product description goes in the middle between the cover & the purchase information and directly beneath the book formats & number of ratings. All of these things are important. Know why?

Not everyone scrolls down. Some browsers just click in, then click out. Your job with a book description is to keep them there & to entice them enough to hit buy instead of the X.

Example Product Page

What you’ll notice in this screenshot is that the book description cuts off, that it only shows approximately 80 words and 500 characters of it before the browser must click “Read more” to read the full description.

You have their attention. They are on your page. Keep them there.

Ask yourself: What are your book’s biggest selling points?

Here are some possible options.

• Is it the twisty plot? Is it the monsters? Draft something catchy that includes your bestselling aspect.
• Is there a way to condense the story to its most important storyline while slyly and succinctly communicating its themes?
• Compare it to one-two currently popular book(s), tv show(s), or movie(s).
• Was it called “magnificent” by a recognizable author or expert (aka: a blurb)?
• Did it win a book award or get featured on a best books list?
• Does your book utilize or subvert a popular trope?
• Does your 1st person narrator have a memorable voice? Perhaps use an example to start it all off.
• Is there a short, punchy quote from within the book that encapsulates the tone and intrigue of the story?

You do not need to use all of the words & characters you are allowed to use. Remember, we’re considering the design of the paragraphs on Amazon. And you know what helps vision on digital screens?

White space!

Spaces!

One word two word three word punch.

Be concise with your available characters. Make the book sound incredible but don’t toot your own horn. Stay away from giving your book compliments. Either allow an author or expert to do that with a blurb, or show your reader why the book is worth buying with the storyline and execution of the prose itself. 

Here are a few examples of hooks & the beginning of Amazon book descriptions that I particularly like:

• The Hawthorne Inheritance by Kate Blair (Historical Fiction)
• Wipe Out by Teresa Godfrey (Sci-Fi)
• Teaching the Teacher’s Pet by Sarah Sutton (YA Romance)
• Big Sky Murder by Sherilyn Decter (Mystery)
• Faces in a Window by Oliver Seneca (Horror)

I consider the hook to be the bolded part of all of these examples. Directly after the bolded part, I will call part 1. Note that I am not calling it paragraph 1.

Why is this broken into “parts” and not “paragraphs?”

Let’s make it easy on the browser’s eyes. I do not like big, meaty paragraphs in book descriptions. I love short, easy, and enticing ones.

Some publishers, like Joffe Books, one of UK’s leaders in mystery-thrillers, utilize single sentence and single word paragraphs with bold formatting to make the description exceptionally browsable. For some genres (like mystery-thriller, duh!), I think this is awesome. Romance too!

But if you want to think of visualizing your description as paragraph one before you get all nilly-willy with your paragraph breaks & designs, I think that’s a good idea.

Part 1: Establish the characters and introduce the primary conflict.

Your goal for part one of your book description should be to establish the character(s), the situation they were in at the opening of the book, and ending with the inciting incident that shakes them out of that situation and into the main conflict of the novel.

If you were thinking of it like your first paragraph, you can imagine that the final words of the description are kind of the “cliffhanger” that propels the reader to jump to part/paragraph 2. It’s the thing that gets the character & the reader moving. 

Part 2: What does the character do to try to solve the primary conflict and who do they do it with? 

When your character gets fired from their job but travels back in time to avoid it from happening, what do they do when they arrive in the past? What are their new goals? Who becomes important to them? Keep this as succinct as possible. Only mention characters when they are vital to the plot or add big-time fandom & intrigue, and limit the amount of names to around three-four. One of the most important aspects of sales writing is to make the reading smooth and easy. Too many names gives the browser the opportunity for confusion.

End part two with another cliffhanger. Make me wonder since office-person & his new bird-friend are now tasked with defeating the evil-boss-manager in a fantasy fencing match, will they make it out alive? Will he want to come back to work?

Don’t tell me the ending, don’t even get close. I’d recommend stopping the summary at around 50% of your novel, but of course, each story is different. I just find numbers to actually make a difference in helping authors visualize what’s most important here. And what’s most important? Giving them the promise of a climax without saying where, how, or when it will happen.

Part 3: Promise the reader what they will gain by reading this book.

If your browser has made it this far, you’re in good shape. But also, keep in mind that many browsers scan book descriptions these days—they don’t read the whole thing. Sometimes, they read the beginning of the description, some keywords in between, and then the final paragraph or pieces of the final paragraph. 

This is why I like to get most or all of the summary out in part two so that we can focus on turning part three into a sort of closing hook.

My favorite part threes manage to include things like genre/subgenre, style, a keyword or two, perhaps another bolded blurb, and a catchy last line. If I’m thinking of the office-person story, I’d definitely make sure I’d talk about how office-person will learn something about themself and their coworkers along the way. I’d make it clear that it’s an office fantasy, a book about work that’s not about work, and written in the style of Winnie the Pooh.

“Oh, bother.”

The only requirement for the final sentence of your book description is that it is good. It can be longer than the sentences of parts 1 & 2 or it can be shorter, another punchy ending. If you’d like, you can even throw another blurb in here. The bold text at the bottom of the description helps close out the design, almost like the bottom bun of a hamburger.

Some examples!

• The Red-Headed Pilgrim by Kevin Maloney (Literary Fiction / Humor)
• I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane (Sci-Fi)
• Thyra by Steven Grier Williams (Fantasy)
• KGB Banker by William Burton McCormick & John Christmas (Mystery-Thriller)

Let’s address a few FAQs before we get out of here:

How long should my book description be?

I think the sweet spot can be anywhere between 115 and 200 words. But I could be talked into more or less…as long as it’s good!

How should I write a book description for a short story collection?

If you made it this far into the blog post and you knew the whole time that I wasn’t talking to you, then I love you. You’re nice and cool and I’m glad you came, thank you.

But also, you can kind of use the same tenets as a novel writer. You should have a hook. That hook should be bolded and enticing, and parts 2 & 3 are largely the same. You should mention some of the stories’ plots in part 2, and you should share the “promise” of what they’ll get from reading it in part 3. Part 1 is the main difference in my eyes. You can’t introduce just one character and conflict.

What I like to do is skip right to parts 2 & 3 after the hook, unless it is a linked story collection about one place or theme. If it’s linked, talk about the town/theme that brings them together in part 1. If they’re not, feel free to start telling one-line mini intros to the stories included. Start with your favorite, biggest-selling point ones. Don’t feel required to do all of them (or even nearly all of them). 3 to 5 is a nice sweet spot. 

Here are some examples that I like: Training School for Negro Girls and I’m Not Hungry But I Could Eat.

How should I format my book description on the back cover of my book?

This process is definitely different from an Amazon book description, but I would say it starts in a fairly similar place: design.

Unlike Amazon where you can only use text and bullets, you can use color, photos, author info, and more on a back cover. The purpose of designing a beautiful back cover is that you hope an in-person book browser (whether they be at a bookstore, fair/festival, signing, library, etc.) picks up your book because they’re drawn to the front cover and then they flip it over to the back.

Here are some options for what you can put on your back cover:

• Book description
• Blurbs
• Author bio
• Author photo
• Genre/category info
• Publisher info
• Images from within the book

You know what this means?

You probably have less room to use the “many small paragraphs” approach. My favorite back covers usually include a small category denomination at the top of the cover, a couple blurbs, a book description with approximately 2-3 paragraphs, and an author bio & author photo (if professional & good). Just take your current Amazon desktop description and start pushing some paragraphs together. It might help to cut some sentences too, if it can afford it.

Can I edit my book description after it goes live on Amazon?

Yup! You can do this through Amazon author central, or your publisher can do it for you. I recommend it actually! If you’ve gotten some new accolade that helps you sell books (like “Winner of the Pulitzer Prize”), put it up there. If you’re realizing the description isn’t doing its job, edit it.

What are some common mistakes people make when writing their book description?

• Overwriting. Stay succinct!
• Long, complicated sentences. Be clear!
• Too much self-praise. You might be able to afford one or two positive adjectives about your book in part 3, but I’d steer clear of it from the most part.
• Big bulky paragraphs. 
• Bad formatting. Make sure the paragraphs actually use spaces on your Amazon page.
• Copy-editing & grammar mistakes
• Unnecessary characters or plot points
• Summary should use present tense

And…you’re all done! Get outta here.

Go write a book description. Get that book published. Then send it to IBR!

About the Author

Joe Walters is the founder and editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review, and he has been a book marketer for Sunbury Press, Inkwater Press, and Paper Raven Books. When he’s not doing editorial, promoting, or reviewing work, he’s working on his novel and trusting the process. Find him @joewalters13 on Twitter.

Thank you for reading Joe Walters’s blog post “How to Write a Damn Good Fiction Book Description!” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

The post How to Write a Damn Good Book Description | IBR Book Marketing Series (Part 5) appeared first on Independent Book Review.

by Joe Walters

Everyone is telling you to get more book reviews.

It’s the key to book marketing, they say.

It’s everything, baby, they say.

How will book-buyers know you’re awesome if other people aren’t telling them?

I’ve been working in book marketing for 5+ years now (because apparently I’m getting older?), so I’ve had a lot of opportunities to work with books and authors. Hundreds for sure; thousands, maybe. That’s a lot of authors.

And sometimes, to my disappointment, those authors don’t actively pursue book reviews. So when a browser views their book online, they are met with the question, has anyone ever bought this book before? 

And that’s not even talking about the other kinds of book reviews: from publicity platforms to social media influencers to authors and experts in your book’s niche. 

How can you make sure book lovers are hitting the purchase button instead of hesitating?

The answer, as you might expect, is to get more book reviews. But when can you stop? When can you relax? When can you move away from pursuing book reviews and just get to work on writing your next book?

All this brain power, time power, and pitching power you’re spending trying to get reviews—it can feel like you are either: a) not getting results, or b.) not getting the right kind of results.

What are the right kind of results for indie authors? 

Sales. Page reads on Kindle Unlimited. People spending their time reading a thing you care deeply about. 

Unless the book is about being a social media influencer, it is NOT about the amount of likes on your IG. It is the exposure that all those likes get you—in the hopes of visiting your profile, clicking your book link, and buying it. Or becoming a fan of how awesome you are with a follow—and to later buy and read your book.

So why should you get more book reviews? To convert browsers into buyers.

If your Amazon page has 3,000 ratings and reviews, it looks impressive. It looks like people are reading and buying your book. If those reviews keep going up during the duration of your book’s publication, it means readers are reading it currently. This is great.

So, in the case of consumer reviews, the answer is yes, you should keep trying to get more book reviews. They are important. They help.

I have been a book marketer at Sunbury Press, Paper Raven Books, and Inkwater Press. I have been talking to indie authors—whom I consider as small press and self-published authors—about using their time and money in book marketing wisely. 

How much time should you spend trying to get more book reviews?

How much time do you have? You can spend so much time marketing your book that you completely bypass what all this is about: writing books that you love. 

So, first, slow down. 

Then, look earnestly at how much time you have available per week—and don’t let it hinge on your writing time. (Remember, nothing sells books like writing more books).

Third, spend that much time pursuing reviews per week. 

Book marketing takes actual literal time. And all those social media follows and posts and likes and comments that you’re clocking in for, just know that they’re not the only thing you should be doing with your marketing time.

Now, let’s complete the task: get more book reviews.

This includes getting book blurbs, media reviews, and consumer reviews on Amazon & Goodreads. When indie authors ask the question, “How do I get more book reviews?” they’re talking about three different types of reviews:

1. Book blurbs (or editorial reviews)
2. Consumer reviews (Amazon & Goodreads)
3. Media & trade book reviews (like Publishers Weekly, the New York Times, and your friendly neighborhood Independent Book Review)

So let’s tackle one at a time.

1. What are book blurbs and how do you get them?

First, let’s define it with a little help from this post: “blurbs are short book reviews written by authors or experts in the book’s field. They are used by authors & publishers on their marketing material.”

This means that you ask Stephen King if he would ever so kindly take the time out of his day to read your book and write a few nice things about it. You would then use those King quotes to put on your book cover, your social media graphics, your Amazon “Editorial Reviews Section,” and other places. 

Now when browsers see that quote from that reputable human being, they feel like they trust that this book is actually good in the sea of books that are…well…not.

So let’s ask the next logical question: Do I really need to get book blurbs?

Well…I’d recommend it! Like testimonials for a business, they increase the validity of your product. “This relevant person or professional company said, ‘[this],’ and I trust them, so I can at least believe that the pros in the book’s niche are enjoying it.”

Everything you do as an indie author to make your book appear professionally and appealingly helps it in the long run. It may not seem like it makes direct sales the way that a social media post or newsletter does, but these book reviews are doing work each time a new browser visits your book’s product page.

When I get book submissions for IBR, I look at a variety of things. One of them is that if someone like Clint Smith has said something nice about it, I think the book might be worth paying my reviewers to review it. It could get good traction for my website and help my audience of readers believe that IBR can be a source of great indie books.

But blurbs are not the only type of book review that you should pursue as indie author. 

So give yourself some time in a hypothetical week for blurb pitching, yes. Even use this blog post to inform how to get book blurbs. What’s nice is, after you have a few blurbs, you can relax a bit. It doesn’t hurt to get blurbs later on, but if you’ve got 3-5 before or on launch day, you can move on to the next review pursuit. 

2. How do you get book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads?

If a browser visits your book’s product page, sees that at a lot of people have read it and (fingers crossed) enjoyed it, then you’re in good shape.

If a browser visits your product page again, at some point after their initial visit, and the review count is higher—there’s another point of validity (and buzz)! People are reading it currently. For them, this might even pop up in a real-life conversation, so it’s yet another reason to hit the buy button.

Getting book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads is important. 

You can get more book reviews on these sites in a variety of ways, including:

• Build a launch team (or similarly, “street team”) to read your book before it comes out. They can be made up of readers you know and those who will want to support you the most when it comes out.
  • Just make sure those readers aren’t all in the same house, or in some instances, share your last name, or Amazon might remove that review. 
• Request a review on your newsletter. Don’t do this too much, but I think once or twice per book (at the exact right time) could be both beneficial and not too pushy.
• Find people who are reading books on social media, build an organic relationship with them by engaging with their content, and then asking (appropriately, kindly, patiently, personally) if they would like to read your book in exchange for an honest review. You can share your book with them by offering your book on free promotion through your publisher’s KDP account, using a program like BookFunnel, or directly sharing a digital or physical copy with them.
  • Obviously be careful who you send those .pdf copies too though. Digital book pirates exist, and some readers will request a physical copy without leaving a review. I’m a big proponent of sending books to people who say they want to read it—because, plot twist, I like the concept of people reading my words—but you’ll need money in your budget for other things too, so you can’t do it all willy-nilly.
• Giveaways on blogs, promo sites, and Goodreads. Are they guaranteed to result in reviews? No way! But it definitely increases your chances.
• Leaving a page in the back of the book that kindly, gently, personably asks if your reader would leave a review for you. If it’s an eBook and the book’s already published, it’s especially helpful to add a clickable “leave a review at [this Amazon link]” on one of the last pages of the book. That way, they don’t even have to leave their eReader to do it.
• Mention at your book event how awesome it would be if people who have read it would share their thoughts in a review online somewhere. That you’d love to see it. 
• When people tell you that they’ve read your book, you may even feel comfortable asking if they’d be willing to leave a review on one of those sites, but you also might not because that could exceed your awkwardness quotient greatly.

So, consider your question answered. Getting book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads is important, but it’s not the only review-pursuit you should be doing.

There are book blurbs (already talked about), consumer reviews (just talked about), and, lastly, media or trade reviews.

3. How do you get media or trade book reviews?

Reviews in media outlets could expand your audience.

As of [x moment in your publication journey], you have a set number of followers on social media and subscribers of your email newsletter. When you post stuff, you hope that this content is shared to a wider audience via social media, but for the most part, your content is being seen (and sometimes shared) by the same people. 

So how do you reach Johnny Tucson—that dude who loves your exact kind of book in Arizona—the guy who does not know you exist?

Well, which media platforms do you think he’s engaging with? 

Maybe he’s a reader of the New Yorker. Of Bass Pro magazine. Of Independent Book Review because he loves to read and support cool-ass indie authors. Or maybe he listens to a certain podcast, watches a specific YouTube channel for your kind of people. He might not be in your bubble now, but after a review or feature in a media platform that he follows, he might find his way over to you.

So is it important to be featured in a media outlet? You betcha.

So there you have it. Your answer.

It’s important to get book reviews in a variety of places.

That’s the problem with book marketing. Each one of these things is worth doing, but you might not have the time to do all of them. 

So first, just breathe. Know that you are one human and you need time for writing and family and friends and tv and nature and Skittles and all the other important things in life, so set aside some time to try to get book reviews and actually do it. 

Send pitch letters to get book blurbs, consumer reviews, and media features. If you feel like you’ll never have time again, keep in mind that you can allot some money in your budget to pay for sponsored or editorial book reviews. You CANNOT pay reviewers to leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but you CAN pay someone to do the pitching work of getting them. 

If you need to spend all or most of your marketing budget on contest fees, sending books to people, funding events, advertising, and supporting your favorite indie bookstores—then maybe buying sponsored reviews is not for you. Maybe instead, you put in extra time pitching reviewers and trying to hit your goals of increasing validity.

If you get more book reviews in magazines, blogs, and newspapers, will it really increase your sales?

Sometimes! You might get a feature that does nothing, honestly. This is a thing that happens. You can’t know what it’s going to do until we actually get there. And it will work for some books, while not working at all (or considerably less so) for others. 

If you feel like you’ve spent too much time on getting reviews and not enough time on other aspects of book marketing, well I got good news for ya!

You can stop. You can take a break. You can do the other thing. Don’t spend your time doing a thing you don’t want to do. It’ll reflect in your ability to do the job effectively. Your free time is up to you, and book marketing—unless you are doing it as your profession like a guy named me—will take place during your free time. 

So treat it like it.

How many book reviews is enough book reviews? When can you stop?

Hard and fast numbers don’t exist here, but that’s mostly because the hope would be that the number is always climbing on its own. Word of mouth has spread enough, and that review request at the back of your book is working enough so that you no longer have to pitch for them. But again, you don’t know the number, which may or may not be helpful.

So I’m going to do it. I’m going to tell you, however flimsy and circumstantial they are.

If we’re talking about consumer reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, you have my permission to chill out at number 100. I still want them to increase for sure, but it’s time to allot the marketing time you usually use to get these book reviews and try to do something else, like book promotion & advertising.

If we’re talking about blurbs, I am happy with 5. But if you meet a famous writer who wants to blurb your book, definitely take them up on that.

If we’re talking about media reviews, you can take a pause on pitching about 1 year after launch. Again, I want you to get all of the publicity you can, so keep an eye out and pitch when you see the right fit for you, but it’s true that some companies would prefer the book have a “why-now” reason for featuring the book, so pitching them may not do any good.

And perhaps the most important reason to get more book reviews? 

It has nothing to do with book marketing.

You can learn from your reviews. Real humans are reading your book. If multiple people are saying similar things, then hey, maybe that means something. Maybe that really is your strength in writing, or maybe you really could improve in that aspect. 

In the end, if you are trying to sell books and increase Kindle Unlimited page reads, I’d definitely recommend you get book more reviews. You should NOT have 0 or 1 or 2 book reviews. But if you have 300 and you’re tired, please stop. Take a sip of water. Do your best to get more book reviews, but don’t get too lost in it.

What do you think? Do you need to get more book reviews?

About the Author

Joe Walters is the founder and editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review. He has been a book marketer for Sunbury Press, Paper Raven Books, and Inkwater Press. When he’s not doing editorial, promoting, or reviewing work, he’s working on his novel and trusting the process. Find him @joewalters13 on Twitter.

Thank you for reading “Get More Book Reviews As an Indie Author | Tips on Blurbs, Amazon, and Media Reviews” by Joe Walters! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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by Joe Walters

There are so many ways to write a great book review.

But it all starts with careful and attentive reading. 

Read every word on every page, and if you don’t understand something, read it again. Back in college, I read things I didn’t understand but continued moving forward because that’s what I did in high school, in grade school, in class all the time. You’re taught to use context clues and follow along.

You have my permission to stop doing that. (Tell your teacher to blame me).

If you don’t understand something, read it again. If you still don’t understand it, try writing down what happens in each and every scene. A scene could be a full chapter, a paragraph, or a few paragraphs. I had to do this with Le Morte D’Arthur when I was in school, and I actually ended up loving it by the end, regardless of the hard to decipher Olde English spellings.

Just because you’re a slow reader doesn’t mean you’re a bad one.

Before you learn how to write great book reviews, understand this…

People write book reviews for different reasons. Sometimes they want to publish their writing in a publication (like a newspaper, magazine, or Independent Book Review). Sometimes they have to write a book review for school. Sometimes they want to build a platform on Goodreads, or they want to support indie authors by leaving the review on Amazon.

If you’re writing a book review for school, my first recommendation is to combine this treasure trove of a blog post with the specifics of what your teacher is asking you to do on their rubric. They may want analytical points that go beyond the 50% marker because they don’t care for spoilers, while reviewing for publication might want it to be spoiler-free.

The kinds of reviews I’m talking about? These would put you in a good position to publish your book reviews on blogs, magazines, and platforms like Goodreads or Amazon.

Your first big question:

Should you take notes while you read? 

Maybe? Probably? It’s up to you in the end, but I’d recommend it, especially if you’re just starting out.

If you take notes while you go, you can not only pinpoint comments in specific locations in the book regarding how you’re feeling about it (so that you can write about it later), you can also highlight some of your favorite quotes in the book. 

Adding quotes directly from the text can add some intrigue (and length) to your book review. It’s one thing to hear that the book has great prose; it’s another to see it for yourself.

After reading the book

Sleep on it. Not literally (unless it’s comfy, I guess?). 

The main point here is to just give yourself some time to stew on it. How is it sitting with you now that you’ve read the ending? Now that you understand what the author really wanted to do? 

Then, imagine a scenario where you are talking to another reader about it. 

How would you start the conversation? How would you set the story up so that they understand the characters and the plotline and where it goes from there?

The good news is that you’re not just babbling to your friend about it (although that’s cool too). Unlike a conversation, with a review, you will have time to revise and edit instead of just spouting out all the things you have to say.

But still, it’s good practice. You will figure out what is most important to talk about simply by imagining this friend’s perspective—wait, did I tell them about the revolt yet? The love interest? They’re gonna need to know who the hell Puck is before I get to why it’s so good.

How do you write great book reviews without reading some examples first? You can’t. So check these out before you go any further: Book Review: Rock Gods & Messy Monsters and Book Review: The Devil Pulls the Strings.

How to write a first draft of a great book review: 

“Some people call it verbal diarrhea. I just call it word shit.” – Wanderlust (2012)

Regardless of what you call it, let the words spill out. Write about what happens in the book, how you feel about it, and why. Just write.

If you start out with the skeleton of a structure, it could be even easier to draft. Here’s what we share with our reviewers for our 400+ word reviews:

• Tagline: Mention a little of what the book is about as well as one of the book’s positive points in a short catchy phrase
  • “An evocative psychological thriller that explores the influence of trauma on the human mind and soul” – Robyn-Lee Samuels, Book Review: A Cabin in the Woods
  • “A tender, inventive memoir that grapples with the unexpected loss of a child” – Tucker Lieberman, Book Review: An Ambiguous Grief
  • “The laugh-out-loud antics of three unlikely pilgrims headline this poignantly told humorous novel.” – Frank Pizzoli, Book Review: The Jesus Nut
• Part 1: Introduce the characters & goals of the book early on.
• Part 2: Write an enticing summary up until about the 50% marker
• Part 3: How the author/book succeeded. Be specific & use examples. If you said that it has great characters, tell me who they are and what’s great about them.
• Part 4: What you did not like about the novel (if applicable). If not applicable, use this paragraph to indicate another thing that the author/book did well.
• Part 5: Closing comments, recommendation, and overall feeling about the novel.

Self-editing your book review

You’re not done yet. I’m sure you’ve already written a great book review, and everyone else in the world would applaud you for it, but—wait, actually, no.

No you didn’t. Not yet.

I have not read it obviously, but I feel pretty confident in saying your first draft can be improved upon. Please read your review from the top to the bottom, asking yourself questions like:

• Did I write in present tense to describe the happenings in the plot?
• Did I italicize the book title but use quotation marks for stories or essays within the book?
• Does this sentence communicate exactly what I am trying to say in as few words as possible? Are there filler words that could be removed without impacting the clarity of the sentence?
• Do I avoid cliche and speak honestly and originally about this book?
• Do I tell the story in a linear fashion up until about the 50% marker?
• Did I accidentally include any spoilers?
• Are the words I use to praise the book really saying anything? Avoid empty words and phrases like “interesting” and “relatable”
• Do I have a good mix of summary, praise, and (if applicable) criticism?
• If I added a quote from within the book, would it help make my case or entice readers into buying it?
• Do I use evidence to back up why I am saying this character is so great? Evidence for why the pacing worked?
• How’s my last line? Is it as catchy and clear as it could be? Am I leaving the reader with some of my best work?

What I love about great book reviews

They don’t always follow the rules.

I edit book reviews for a living, and I share tips like the ones I’ve shared here with my reviewers, but sometimes, they write reviews that look far different from my guided outline and are about as wonderful as I could ask for. They are clear, they are honest, they are poetic, they are so many things at once. 

Reviewing is an art form. It’s important to know the foundations of a great book review, but like great art, sometimes it takes writers stepping out of boundaries to really do something amazing.

Here are a couple examples of reviews that threw my outline out the window but absolutely nailed the execution: Book Review: Obit and Book Review: Anthropica.

Thanks for checking out our tips for how to write a great book review! If you would like to apply to write for IBR, fill out the submission form on this page.

About the Author

Joe Walters is the founder and editor-in-chief of Independent Book Review and a book marketing specialist at Sunbury Press. When he’s not doing editorial, promoting, or reviewing work, he’s working on his novel and trusting the process. Find him @joewalters13 on Twitter.

Thank you for reading Joe Walters’s blog post “How to Write a Great Book Review!” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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by Desiree Villena

“I write only because there is a voice within me that will not be still.”

– Sylvia Plath

Everyone’s voice is distinct, in both positive and negative ways. Originality of thought, poetic expression, sensitivity, and subtlety of insight are all expressed through your writing voice — but so are things like wordy and clunky sentences, poorly organized thoughts, or an over-reliance on cliché expressions. 

In other words, your writing voice can be helping you or it could be hurting you.

Learning to spot the negatives in your own voice means allowing the positives of the voice to claim their rightful place at the forefront of your reader’s attention. It’s important you lean into that self-awareness so you can emerge a better writer.

Let’s start at the beginning… 

What is writing voice?

Your writing voice is what you sound like when you write, which is often different from the way you speak. It can take a while for this voice to crystallize when you begin to write seriously, as you will have to learn how to stay true to your speaking voice while communicating clearly with the reader without helpful physical cues like hand movements, facial expressions, and volume.

That’s why it’s so important for beginning writers to work on their craft relentlessly—so they can cut the ineffective parts from their speech and hone in more accurately (and maybe more stylishly) on what they have to say.

One really cool way to understand writing voice is through a concept that linguists call “idiolects.” A person’s idiolect is their particular, personal language pattern. It’s a linguistic DNA of sorts, like a fingerprint, and unique to each person. Your idiolect is shaped by many factors: your personality, your age, your job, where you’re from, whether you’re a native speaker of a given language, and so on. 

Why does writing voice (and idiolect) matter?

So why should you care about idiolects? Because by becoming aware of your own linguistic patterns, you’ll have a head start when it comes to achieving that crucial aspect of self-editing: creating distance between yourself and your writing. Let me give you an example. 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a writer. So let’s chat in language you understand. An author well-versed in the process of Amazon self-publishing will be familiar with Amazon-publishing-specific vocabulary. They’ll be regularly talking meta descriptions, Amazon categories, Kindle Direct Publishing, EPUB and MOBI files. But if a character in their novel were to discuss the “meta descriptions” of products on a grocery store website (without being an e-commerce expert themselves), that would grate on the reader’s ear and stand out as a totally bizarre choice of vocabulary. That’s an example of your writing voice getting in your way.

In conversation, this obvious filtering of jargon happens instinctively, because we use language to communicate efficiently and not to intentionally create confusion (unless you’re a magician, and in that case, continue on!). But just as our minds routinely turn to occupational jargon at work, they will also reach for some instinctive “staple” verbs, phrases, adverbs, even sentence structures, when we’re writing prose. 

How to sound like “you” while getting out your best writing

Idiolects are helpful to your editing process, but they’re a concept you should ignore while you’re still writing. In the drafting stage, you need to shut your ears to all doubts and hesitations, and simply plow ahead — in bad prose if necessary (though it won’t be all bad, I promise).

The self-editing stage is when the real magic happens. It’s when knowing your voice and idiolect becomes most helpful to you, and you can craft sentences that both feel like you and get out of the story’s way. You can complete this stage before or after having a professional editor take a look at it. If you get it before, you can receive a developmental edit to make your book’s story, content, and structure as strong as it can be.

To properly shape your voice, you first need to pay close attention to your writerly instincts. This is akin to spending some time staring at yourself moving in the mirror, but for your writing. It gets a little uncomfortable and it will make you self-aware, but it’s a process worth sticking to. Focus on recurring issues. Maybe you always use one particular adverb without realizing it; perhaps you rely too much on one cliché phrase. Do you always end your paragraphs with short sentences or aphoristic statements? You will quickly realize that certain stylistic elements appear again and again, without you intending to repeat them.

Let me be clear — there’s nothing inherently wrong with your idiolect, and these patterns aren’t flaws. These are just the linguistic neural pathways that are strongest in your mind. But by achieving a metatextual awareness of your own idiolect’s recurring characteristics, you can begin to spot issues on the self-editing level with greater ease.

If you listen to yourself speak and watch yourself write, you’ll notice repetitive patterns. And once you’ve spotted something, you can make an informed choice about whether or not it’s a language choice that’s helpful to the piece you’re writing.

Ultimately, it’s this conscious decision-making that matters most. When you can say that every word and phrase is intentional, you’ll know you’re really letting your voice shine, with all excesses trimmed away.

About the Author

Desiree Villena is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors with resources on self-publishing and professionals to help polish their books. In her spare time, Desiree enjoys reading contemporary fiction and writing short stories.

Thank you for reading “Discover Your Unique Writing Voice” by Desiree Villena! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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