Outside the Box

The bonus of being a writer is you can sit alone at your desk or Starbucks table or library corner and talk to imaginary people. I'm sure it's a stereotype but I fit it: Authors are all introverts who shudder at the idea of public exposure and — eek! — real people. Mingling terrifies me. Strangers are scary - not in the boogyman way we're taught as kids but in the 'what if they hate me' way of middle school. (Maybe I'm mentally stuck there, and that's why I like to write YA?)

But books don't promote themselves... books are shared.  I'm not talking about sales - I will (and have) spend more money than I make to get my books 'out there'. I'm talking about reaching more readers, getting into hands and thoughts of people who will enjoy the story and think about it after the last page. That kind of promotion. They are shared from reader to reader in a way that, in a writer's greatest hopes, extends out picking up momentum as it goes. The best advocate to push that snowball is the author. (Wait, no, the best one is Oprah, but that's just a pipe dream). So... the very stereotypical nature of the author is actually counter intuitive to the very way the process needs to be done.

Since I'm not with a big time publisher who has a budget and team for marketing, the marketing team is me and the budget is el zippo. So I need to Talk To People.

This one just makes me laugh :D

Self Pebbling

I have no idea what 'self pebbling' is but my phone insists I forget 'self pub'ing' and try pebbling instead. This computer too. Is it a sign?

I've been talking with a friend about self publishing. I'm strongly considering it for my second book that is out on submissions. I love that story. LOVE it. And it makes me sad to think no one wants to publish it... and so far no one does, except me. So, why not?

Except every seven minutes I do an about-face and decide I should keep knocking on doors to find a perfect fit through traditional publishing. Self publishing is daunting. It's expensive. It's risky. But I've read it's rewarding and fulfilling and fun. (I don't really believe the 'fun' part). I'm not a salesperson. I'm basically the opposite of a salesperson, so how would I get the word out about a book I published?

Which of course, comes to the point... what is the point of publishing?

1. To make millions of dollars so I can buy more fun toys for the cats.
2. To become famous, a household name for generations.
3. To make an idea, a file on my computer, into a real, live, hold in your hand and sniff it book.

The first would be nice, but I'm not banking on it. The second would be horrible. The third? Seems pretty close to true. So if that's the end goal, then self pub'ing would be much more productive than self pebbling or even knocking my head against the closed and locked publisher doors.

I might just go for it.

N

PS. I have no idea what this tree has to do with 'self publishing' which is the google search under which it appeared, but isn't it pretty?

Random Updates

WEllll, I had a very sweet Reese PB Cake for breakfast - a dessert I got when we were out last night that I didn't feel like eating last night. It was yummy but OMG so sweet so now my heart is racing and I feel flighty and confused... maybe that's not the cake's fault, though.

This weekend was a big one...

1. My ball team raced back from third place (of four) to play in the championship game at the tourney!!! I wasn't there for the final game though. We didn't win, but we made it close and that was good enough.



2. I had to leave ball b/c I was invited to the Word on the Street welcome gala! YES! An opportunity to mingle through a room full of people I don't know! I don't know about anyone else, but that is THIS writer's most feared monster... There is a reason why I'm most comfortable at my computer with my cat. It was so exciting to be invited though, and it's healthy to push oneself into uncomfortable situations, right? So I ditched my uniform hoodie, put on makeup and went. I accomplished the two goals I set for myself: 1. Talk to someone I don't know, 2. Don't puke on them. SO all in all it was a successful evening, with good food.

3. Word on the Street! How awesome was that? A whole street festival about reading and writing. There were tents with authors reading aloud, spoken word, book sales, pitch the publisher... I've said it before, there is something special that happens when literary folks (readers and writers) get together, some kind of glow or aura of energy that hovers over everybody. And I didn't puke when I did my readings either! Two for two!

4. Hockey started! Elliot's four ice times into his tryouts and doing well... As much as I try not to be, I'm a terrible hockey mom - not one of those crazies that yells at everyone from the stands, but one who gets terribly anxious and stressed out about tryouts. Since I had my ball tournament and WOTS, I only saw one of Elliot's practices, but I bugged other parents for regular texted updates.

So now I'm sitting trying to digest a month's worth of sugar and focus my brain long enough to figure out what's next. I have to WIPs in the infant stages, trying to decide which deserves my energies at this time, or better yet, which I have energy for. (Yes I know that's grammatically incorrect but remember the whole buzzing on sugar thing).

N

Word on the Street

Today is a prep day for Word on the Street Halifax!

Think Halifax Buskers festival but literary. Authors, publishers, book sellers, all gathered on the waterfront to talk about BOOKS. How awesome is that? There are readings for all ages, I think Theodore is already full for his reading cruises. There are signings and meet and greets, pitch the publisher. Browsing. I'm so excited to be a part of it! And the weather looks like a perfect day (knockonwood, fingers crossed). I'm sad to say I didn't even know it existed last year, so I'm hoping to get the word out.

Except I'm also terrified! I fit the stereotype of a reclusive, introverted writer. I like to peck my stories out on my puter in part because I don't like putting myself 'out there' in a performance way. I mean, if I did, I'd act in plays and stuff! Doing public events like the book launch, readings and workshops has been a huge learning experience for me, and one wherein I've had to face some pretty big fears head on... but I'm up for the challenge. Sorta, maybe.

So today I will spend time figuring out which parts I'll read and making sure they're the right length. I'll make sure I have my purple pens ready for signing and my business card collection stocked. Wish me luck! Or better yet, come by on Sunday.

N

Monday - Everything BUT a Writing Day

So last night I went to bed at 7:18. No shit. I was going to read but I was out cold by 8:00. I know! I slept through until 9:00, except for my morning ritual of letting my favourite pup out to pee and feeding him at his requested breakfast time of 6:15. Now I'm undoing all that good rest by staying up late puttering around cyberspace. I figured it was as good a time as any to do my Monday blog since tomorrow is shaping up to be anything but a writing day.

Remember when Elliot got hit in the eye with a hockey stick? He's got an appt tomorrow am at 7:45 to make sure it's all good. It is his eye, I guess, but man that's early. Especially since I'm still up and it's past 10:00. Then, just to make things interesting, Jack has an ortho appt at 10:15 in Dartmouth. If everyone plays nice I should be able to get E back to school in time to collect Jack and get him over the bridge in time... but I've got my folkses on standby to pick Jack up and meet me if I'm cutting it close.

Monday's the day I pick the Munsters up early from school to get them to music class and then onto Swimming. We'll hit the library too, which reminds me that they probably don't know where their library books are. Sigh. THAT is why we haven't used the library to it's full potential as yet, I'm sure it would be cheaper to buy new books than to pay the fines we're going to rack up.

So not much work will be done on the WIP tomorrow. I finished Charlie's Story - a companion short we're going to publish as an ebook - wait, is it an ebook if it's not a full book? eSomething. It was fun to dip back into that. I haven't been able to read Game Plan since it was published, too scared maybe? I dunno. But the short is a rewrite of the Halloween party from Charlie's POV, which means I had to look into the book to get the parts that overlap with Ella's story right. I'm hoping those who have read Game Plan will like it and those who haven't will come away from the story wanting to read more!

N

Book Bash and weekend stuff

Happy Monday!

Today's writing day will be truncated by a trip to the vet. My perfect pup needs a checkup.

Saturday was a writerly day for me - well after I left the gym following the six and a half hours of ball hockey games I sat cheered through. First I had dinner with a very good friend who also writes. We talked about our WIPs and shared frustrations and excitements. Then I headed to the annual Book Bash - hosted by Woozles and WFNS. It was in a cool quiet hall with paintings on the walls and artistic architecture... a very creative space. Several authors who had published books got up to talk about their stories and their inspiration, including me! Then I bought books. Ha. After that I went for fancy drinks in a fancy bar with three other writerly types.

Getting out with this crowd gives me a boost, a zap of energy. There's something almost supernatural that hovers around when creative folk get together. I remember it from my high school, and it's fun when I get out to feel it again.

If you're local you should go check out Woozles... it's a cozy little bookstore tucked away downtown. Books, toys, games, stuffies, lots of kidstuff and a friendly staff that knows all about it. And if you hate parking down there like me, they now take online orders and deliver on Wednesdays - pretty cool!

N

The Hard Part

Writing is easy. 

I just wrote that, see? Easy. Thought to fingers, it spreads out from a word or two to a sentence to a paragraph to a story, and there you have it.

The hard parts come next. 

Second guessing each sentence - is it good? is it clear? is it interesting? is it needed? 

Editing can be painful - line up all your children and decide which one is worthy to stick around for a bit. Which one will be culled for oblivion. Which one is not smart enough, not cute enough, not funny enough. Which one works too little? which one tries too hard?

(Maybe that's a bad example 'cause if I had 100K kids it may be easier to kick some out.)

And then, the whole selling thing. 

Chapters is a lie. Not really but try to follow me anyway... When I go into Chapters there are all of these rectangular objects that SING to me "Pick me! PICK ME!" It's not quite as bad as the SPCA cat room but close. What you don't see is the behind the scenes selling to get them there... The author had to sell the story first. 

1. To him/herself - is it good enough? If you think so, zip back a couple of paragraphs and see how that works out.

2. To an editor - is it good enough? And here's the tough part, the editor's job is to say "Well, not quite here, here and here," without handing the author that tiny bottle of WIP poison.

3. To an agent / publisher - is it good enough? Cause they're the ones that make it into that rectangular object in the first place. And they have a bazillion options besides that one story. 

4. To the readers - is it good enough? Even after a story is published the marketing and promoting is just beginning. Remember Chapters with the thousands of books screaming "PICK ME!"? how do I make my book sing loudest? 

Writing is easy. I sit at my desk alone with my cat and my diet Coke and push the thoughts from my head to my fingers and the story appears. I like the quiet, the solitude, the safety. But then I have to scrutinize it without squashing all the confidence with it. And once it's out there I have to find a way to yell PICK ME above the crowds, and drawing attention to myself on purpose? Not quite part of my introverted bio. That's where the hard work starts.

N

Social Networking...

When I submitted Game Plan to Fierce Ink Press, there was one sentence in their submission guidelines that daunted me: "A word about social media and why we require it." which pre-empted a discussion about self promotion and online presence with Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. I've had Facebook mastered for the past seven years. Probably too mastered if you ask those who aren't interested in what I'm having for lunch. Yes, I'm one of those. But I hadn't tried Twitter or Tumblr, mostly because I was intimidated.

Tumblr still confuses me a bit... I get the purpose but I can't grasp the community structure of it. I understand how FB and Twitter are laid out, but Tumblr is still a bit baffling. So, as Game Plan started to come together I signed up for Twitter and started Twitting about. 

Wednesday I joined in in my first Twitter Chat. Talk about confusing!!! It was kinda like that fuzzy drunk stage where you're sitting at the table with all your boisterous friends who are talking over each other and the background hum and music is competing with what they're saying and you only get every third sentence that anyone says and you can't figure out how one sentence leads to the other. But it's all super fun and you're having a great time and it doesn't matter that you're not getting everything. I piped up a few times and hoped I didn't make an ass of myself. I'm looking forward to trying it again!

N

BTW you can follow me on Twitter if you want to, @NSampson17 But only if you want to, I'm not forcing anyone into listening to what I had for lunch.

One of those moments...

So the Mooser and I went to Chapters to find some magazines (that's another story) and, as I have every other time I was in Chapters, I entered "Game Plan" into the search computer. BUT instead of saying "available to order" it said "1 available in this store". Um, what? So of course we had to go LOOK for it (which took longer than it should because my alphabetizing skills are terrible). Here it is:

How cool is that?

I mean, you could walk into Chapters in Bayer's Lake right now and buy that book! Unless someone else already bought it, in which case you can order it like before...

I was that close to buying it myself. I mean, it would be cool to have the first copy in stores, right? And maybe if I bought it they'd say "Hey, that book moved pretty quickly, we'd better order more" or something like that.

But Elliot told me to stop being lame and let's get going though not in those words. I think he said "Can we go now?" and said I shouldn't buy the book b/c it wouldn't be there for someone else, which is actually a very good point. 

SO, I left it behind in the store and left with my magazines as planned and a book for Elliot. We'll see how that goes.

N

Writing Day Tomorrow...

... but I'm leaving on a jet plane instead.

When Game Plan was published in November there was a Blog Book Tour - my book travelled around and was reviewed day to day while I stayed home and drove the kids to hockey.

Tomorrow I'm flying out to Vancouver!!! I've never been to BC. Then I'll hop my way back to Nova Scotia over the nine days following, stopping in libraries, book stores, coffee shops, high schools to talk about books and writing and all that cool stuff.

I packed tonight... I'm quick at it and always do it last minute. My biggest challenge was finding the charger for my camera batteries. Oh and figuring out how to fit my 70lb puppy in my suitcase.

I'm hoping to blog my escapades as they go so feel free to join along!

N

Book Tour!

When Game Plan was released it went on a Blog Book Tour around the internet where bloggers read and reviewed the book... it was very exciting to read a different review each day but I still did dishes at home and worked and slept in my own bed.

So I decided I should do my own book tour!

It's a poor person's book tour - my folkses got my flights on their points and I'm only visiting cities where I know someone has a couch for me, but I am going straight across the country! I've never been to BC before. My awesomest publicist just sent me the schedule and so I get to share it with anyone who wants to stalk me!

Vancouver Area:
March 22 - Putting on a writing workshop for teens at the Richmond Public Library
March 23 - Hosting a Reading and Signing at the Paper Hound

Saskatoon:
March 25 - Hosting a Reading and Signing at the Moka Coffee Bar

Toronto Area:
March 27 - Hosting a Reading and Signing at No One Write to the Colonel
March 28 - Putting on a writing workshop for a couple of classes at Cawthra Park SS (MY high school! How awesome is that?)
March 28 - Putting on a writing workshop for students at the Maria Shchuka Branch of the Toronto Public Library.
March 29 - Putting on a writing workshop with Angela Misri at the North York Public Library.

I'll be attending the book Launch for Fierce Ink's Jewel of the Thames on the 28th.

And in there somewhere I get to visit the aquarium in Vancouver and the brand new one in Toronto! And snuggle on CJ. Only kicker is I'm there a week before the Jays arrive. Blast it!

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

N

Reviews make the World Go 'Round

What makes you read a book? 

the cover? the author's name? the description on the back?

I am a follower, a reading-stalker even. I read books my friends read and say are good, especially when I've found that we have similar tastes and make similar choices. That's one reason I LOVE GoodReads - have you tried it? Word of mouth is a strong way for books to grow and reviews are important for that. When it was released Game Plan was reviewed by several bloggers in a 'blog tour'. Those were the first 'unbiased' reviews I got - from people who had nothing invested in the book or in me. It was nerve wracking to say the least... then exhilarating and rewarding and humbling.

Now that the publishing and the release are done the real work is spreading the word - shaking the trees for more readers. I'm headed to Vancouver, Saskatoon and Toronto in March to do just that. My Publicist Extraordinaire is working on finding me some gigs to meet and talk to readers and get Game Plan out there. And hopefully I'll hear more good stuff about it as it spreads. 

A long lost ghost from my past - one of my favourites - has come back to haunt me from Nfld and coerced her bookclub friends into reading Game Plan. One of her friends has written what is perhaps my favourite review so far: 

Ok if a good book makes you bawl (several times) reminds you of falling for a boy, remind you of your children's births.... And how much you really don't want to kill them.... Than this was a good book.
Isn't that great? I might have teared up a bit reading it. 

SOOO if you liked Game Plan, spread the word - add a rating and/or review to Amazon or GoodReads, hand it to a friend, recommend it at work... Please!

N

Game Plan Giveaway!

Chance to Win!

The holidays are here!  While I can't give every one of you a present I DO have super cool basketball charms that I’m itching to give away. How can you get one?

Show me the copies!!!

Post a picture of your copy of Game Plan – the paperback or the cover on your eReader – on your Facebook wall with a link back to Natalie Corbett Sampson and you’ll be entered in a draw to win one of three basketball charms and signed Game Plan post cards.

Oh wait, there’s more!! (I’ve always wanted to say that.)

If you tell me in your post which publication from Fierce Ink Press you’d like to read, I’ll send it to you if you win!  (I’ll draw the winner by random.org) Find the titles and descriptions at the Fierce Ink Press Shop.

Post the pics by the end of the year :) to be included so you can start 2014 with a new great read and a cool basketball charm.

Fine print: If you live in the US, I can't send you The Night has Teeth or The Night has Claws... but you're welcome to anything else!

Where to?

It's Friday again - the weeks seem to go by faster and faster!

Monday I submitted UntitledSecondBook to a publisher. That bears repeating: Monday. I submitted it. Submitted UntitledSecondBook. To a publisher.

It'll be a while before I hear anything - everybody is going into the holiday season so I'm sure it'll be after business ramps back up in January before they get to it. I don't remember stressing about it last year (I submitted Game Plan in November and heard back in January), but that was likely b/c I didn't expect much from it.

And the question becomes - what do to in the meantime? I have a couple of ideas but neither feels like a really great idea worthy of a novel. I think that's why I like writing novels instead of shorts - coming up with worthy ideas is the hard part for me. Once I have an idea, growing it out and in, finding the details and describing the situation, building the characters - that's all fun. It's coming up with an idea that is tough. It needs to be worthy - relevant, interesting, new (well not new, nothing's new is it? But newly packaged)... It doesn't come easy to me.

I think I may come at it by a character this time... I have a few that are lurking in the shadows in my head. Sounds kinda crazy no?

Today I get to go by Woozles to drop off a few signed copies of Game Plan! I'm excited it'll be on a real shelf. A real book on a real shelf. How cool is that? So if you want a copy of Game Plan and are downtown Halifax check it out there - would be great if they sold out and had to order more! ;)

N

Monday Monday

Everyone hates Mondays - 'cept me.

I love Mondays. I get the kids off to school and then I write until I have to pick them up for the rush to music and swimming and chair ball.

TV interview this morning - EEEK!  I was up at 445. I don't do mornings well. I was out the door by 540 mostly because I couldn't sit down in my house in my black jeans for fear the pet hair would overtake me. I picked up Crystal at the Crossroads - she was there to make sure I went through with it! All my prep - hair mousse and blow-dry, make up and dressy clothes, tall back heeled boots which meant - socks GASP! for five minutes of tv time, but if it helps Game Plan get noticed, I'll do it!

Here's the Video:

Now I'm off to work on UntitledSeondBook so I can push my 15mins of fame to 20mins!

Natalie

News!!! Um... coming.

I've been alluding to super cool news lately and a lot of things are happening. It's so exciting to see the release unfold - plans for the release party, the final editing from the copy editor, the cover reveal, blog tours, review requests... so exciting.

I can give you a tidbit. You know that part on the cover of a book where someone who knows what they're talking about gives a once sentence review to encourage you to buy it? That's a blurb. And I didn't know the process of obtaining that before - I just figured someone wrote a review and whomever made the cover picked a part of that to put on the cover... not so. My publisher identified someone in the field who would have clout and asked them if they'd read and provide a blurb - that's how it's done. At least this time. I can't tell you who, or what she said. My mean publisher (who's name rhymes with 'mean') says I can say 'soon' but I argued that a timeline would provide anticipation so she said 'a few weeks' which isn't really my definition of soon. 'Snot my fault.

So stay tuned b/c it's freakin' amazing. Soon. Ish.

Natalie

HUGE news

So I found out something super cool on Wednesday. It might be the MOST exciting thing to find out since I found out Fierce Ink Press wanted to publish my story. But it's still top secret. That's mean isn't it? I hate it when people say "I know something you don't know". Snotty. But it's not my secret to tell yet! I tell you, those people at Fierce Ink Press SEEM nice but they're actually really, really scary. They know where my kids live.

What I can tell you is the Indiegogo campaign is less than $500 away from our goal! So awesome! If you want to pre-order Game Plan you can go here to do it!

N

Social Media

Yikes! This world is scary! And that's with the proper, positive use of social media!

I've been trying to link FB and Twitter and G+ through HootSuite, all updated through this blog, which is already linked to GoodReads. Fully investigating 49th Shelf is on my next ToDo list because I'm expecting it'll be my new favourite! And Tumblr? never mind. There's not a hope in H.E.DoubleHockeySticks I'll get further than re-tumbling Jimmy Fallon clips. Even this post, disguised as a fascinating recounting of my trouble in new age communication, is really a test to see if my efforts this afternoon were successful.

If you found this by Twitter or G+ yay me!

If not... grrr!

N

Social Media

Game Plan grew into a YA book - I didn't have a plan to write it that way, I just had a story to tell and as it developed I realized that's what it was. But to make MY story into a story a YA reader would enjoy I had to work a lot on the dialogue, the interactions, the details that make my characters ACT like teens, not growed ups like me. Tough but doable. It was fun to explore and discover what makes a teen seem like a teen, right down to the texting - I still spell out every. single. word.

I've also been learning about social media. I've been a FB junky for years and I love Instagram, but I've pretty much ignored the rest. Today I sat down with my brilliant publisher who knows all about the techy world and she taught me everything she knows. Not really. But she showed me enough to be dangerous out there in the cyber world.

Good thing my kids aren't teens yet... their young age will save them a great deal of embarrassment.

N

Finding the way in...

I'm at a pause today - Game Plan revisions are coming back to me on Monday (SO NERVOUS!) and Book Two (don't like it's working title) is edited completely for the third? fourth? time. I'm spending today researching opportunities to have my work read - contest, grants, publication submissions, workshops, etc. It's daunting. The internet is a wonderful source of information. And scams. It's hard for me to see one from the other. If I could find a couple of good, trustworthy connections, I would have a much better handle on what's available and what's worthwhile - and could stop pestering My Publishers (still love saying that) with silly rookie questions.

And if Abby would decide if she wants to sit in my lap or not (instead of the up/down pattern she's holding this am), that would be a bonus.

N