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Just wanted to give a shout out to AIAP. They are a pretty cool company and cater to first time authors and repeat traditional authors who want to go out on their own. They have a wealth of experience and knowledge. They charge $65.00 per session and the fee is well worth the money.
You can have one session with them, or ongoing sessions with them even after your book is published. They are not in bed with any specific publishing firm and provide you with solid advice for you to make the best educational choice for your title.
They consult at any stage of the publishing process.
So, why is First Edition Design Publishing endorsing AIAP? The answer is relatively simple. It makes our job easier when the authors are more knowledgeable and expectations are clear and reasonable. Every publisher is different, and authors typically do not realize that. Different publishers specialize in different titles; therefore, we want the best for the author and their title.
Ahhhh so, what does First Edition Design Publishing specialize in? Over the years we really developed our religious and historical fiction genres. Our executive editor is a Doctor of Theology, that has helped drive the Christian/Judeo side of things. We also have a pretty comprehensive finance/investment library of titles.
We can publish just about anything; however, we may not be the best for titles that have a lot of photographs, or high-end interior design work with lots of color. We also cannot accept files that were done in InDesign. On the flip side, there are publishers that will only take InDesign files. However, we do have a great graphics department who handles cover layout and design. They do a great job.
Anywho – this post was not about First Edition Design Publishing, we just wanted to introduce you to a company we just found – AIAP – Aliance of Independent Authors. Check them out and we hope they can help.
Writing is a unique profession because people find their way to it from so many different careers. Sure, there are those who complete an English degree in school before penning their first book, but there are many more who cut their teeth in other careers before answering the call to write – some as a hobby, and many others who hope to make writing books their full-time gig. Writing on the surface seems like such an approachable art form. Heck, if you can read, you can write, right?
But there is much more to writing a book than good grammar and spelling. Even if you bring strong writing skills with you from another career, tackling writing a full book can be daunting. Fears creep in. Writers I work with always have the same question.
“Is my writing good enough?”
Over the years, and working with thousands of writers, I’ve realized the real question writers want to know is:
“Will readers get my story?”
Note: Even if you, the writer, tell the world you’re writing this book for yourself, and you convince yourself that you don’t care if anyone ever reads it, or appreciates it – most writers I meet have these secret wishes
Many writers are tempted to skip the steps needed to get their books to the level of readiness needed to reach these goals, because when you read your own writing, it reads like your awesome idea playing out in your own mind. To understand how that clouds a writer’s judgment, let’s compare becoming a competent writer to mastering other art forms.
If you decided to share your message with a painting, instead of in a book, could you sit down and replicate the Mona Lisa without ever having picked up a paintbrush? I know I couldn’t. The Mona Lisa attempt I could make on my first try would look more like a stick figure or a semi-smiling emoji with a bad haircut. I’ve never trained as an artist, so I wouldn’t expect my first try to be expert level.
Or, let’s say you get invited to dance as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker on stage tonight. Could you do that dance justice, even if you’ve trained as a dancer but were only shown the choreography this afternoon? I took ballet for years as a kid (though never got to the Sugar Plum Fairy level) and you wouldn’t catch me up on that stage, because I’d trip, I’d fall, and probably forget the steps more than once. If you’d paid to watch my performance, you’d probably throw tomatoes at the stage.
It’s obvious that you can’t become a proficient painter or dancer overnight, without any training or practice. The same is true of writing, but with one difference that makes it easy to think you can. Reading back your own writing relies on imagination. And because you love your book’s idea, and know what you hope your reader will feel, your brain fills in all this extra information as you read, even when it’s not actually on the page. So you experience the Mona Lisa you set out to write, even though what’s on your page may only be stick figures.
If your book gets published at this stage, readers may give your rendition of the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy a lousy one star review, instead of rating it the 5 star performance you experience in your mind when you read your own work.
Don’t be discouraged, though. I can guarantee your idea is good enough to get a 5 star review from your ideal reader. It’s kept you going, you finished your draft. And readers will love it too, if you take the time to learn the skills needed to let them see the Mona Lisa you dreamed up.
How can you get some distance from your own writing, so that you can find the stick figures and turn them into masterpieces?
Get External Feedback
Skip friends and family for this step. They love you and have heard all about your writing dreams. They are proud of all the work you’ve put in and will read your work with rose colored glasses, giving you rave reviews. They might even see the Mona Lisa. Instead:
Set aside time and energy to learn the writing skills that will make your book sing .
Don’t buy into the myth that writers are born with talent, or not. If your first draft isn’t ready to publish? That’s normal. Expected, even. Know that in writing, just like other forms of art, or when learning a new profession, there are skills to learn, and you are capable of learning them.
If you’re reading this on the Writers Helping Writers’ blog, you’ve come to the right place to learn and practice the skills you need to make your book worthy of a standing ovation.
The world needs YOUR story. Making sure you’ve given yourself the skills to write it in a way that readers will read, love, and share it with others will be worth the effort, so dig in and learn from as many community members as you can while you’re here.
by SUZY VADORI
Source: writershelpingwriters.net
Visit us at First Edition Design Publishing
In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.
Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.
But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.
But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.
DESCRIPTION: This character compromises others and leads them down the wrong path. They could be villainous, deliberately attempting to misguide others, or may be the friend who’s always getting people into trouble.
FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Grima Wormtongue (the Lord of the Rings series), Scarlett O’Hara (Gone with the Wind), Amy Dunne (Gone Girl), Faith LeHane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
COMMON STRENGTHS: Adaptable, Adventurous, Ambitious, Analytical, Bold, Charming, Creative, Decisive, Focused, Independent, Industrious, Intelligent, Observant, Persistent, Persuasive, Resourceful
COMMON WEAKNESSES: Controlling, Devious, Dishonest, Hypocritical, Impatient, Impulsive, Irresponsible, Jealous, Manipulative, Melodramatic, Mischievous, Pushy, Rebellious, Reckless, Selfish, Spoiled, Stubborn, Uncooperative
ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Manipulating and controlling others
Having a charismatic presence
Breaking social norms
Advocating for and taking shortcuts
Using bribes to entice others to their way of thinking
Encouraging risky or destructive behaviors
Shifting blame to others
Being cunning
Identifying threats or risks before they become a problem
Homing in on others’ weaknesses
Knowing how to exploit others’ desires to their own advantage
SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Being confronted by someone they’ve wronged and having to deal with the consequences
Encountering a cunning rival and having to up their game to outmaneuver them
Becoming friends with a positive role model who seeks to make the character better
TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Is being manipulated into manipulating others by a behind-the-scenes puppet master
Isn’t overtly trying to be a bad influence
CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
The rebellious teen with a tragic backstory leading others astray with their flagrant disregard for the rules.
The heartless seductress who uses her beauty and charm to manipulate men for personal gain.
Source: writershelpingwriters.net
Visit us at First Edition Design Publishing
When I first started writing fiction, I desperately wanted to be Margaret Atwood. I read several of her novels and, consciously or not (probably consciously), my writing voice started coming out a lot like hers—only minus the talent and the authenticity because… (wait for it) I’m not Margaret Atwood. I didn’t sell a single short story.
Many years later I decided to write a thing (it was sort of a prose poem but really, it defied genre) completely as “me.” It turned out quirky, funny (if you share my sense of humor, that is), and weird—rather like someone I know. When I finished it, I thought, well, that was fun. Maybe no one will buy it, but who cares? It sold to the first magazine I sent it to and was later anthologized.
Too much has been made of the process of finding your voice as a writer, and I think it gets us into trouble. We believe it’s something that it’s not and then we make it way more complicated than it needs to be.
Contrary to what you might think, voice is not just a way of talking or sounding. It’s a way of being in the world. And how do we ‘be’ except the way we already are?
We never have to think about finding our voice as a person. Our voice is everything about us; it’s who we are, how we see the world. Why would that be any different on paper than it is in real life? When we put pressure on ourselves to “find our voice,” whatever we end up finding becomes more like a persona, a disguise, and then it’s not our voice anymore. It’s fake.
The process is a lot like dating. When we try too hard to be something we’re not, it might work for a little while and then it just…won’t. Because it won’t feel authentic.
Listen to any interview with Margaret Atwood and you’ll notice she sounds in person exactly the way she does on the page. Same with Stephen King. They’re not making up some new entity who they suddenly become on paper. Even though they’ve both created numerous convincing and authentic characters who are completely diverse from each other, we can still identify an Atwood or King novel by voice alone. Why? Because the essential personality of the author shines through those characters. How could it not? They created them.
But is it bad or wrong to copy other writers when you’re just starting out?
Actually, no. It can be a great way to get started—almost like a nudge that coaxes your true voice out.
Another exercise worth trying is to choose your absolute favorite novel and copy it out by hand. I’m not suggesting plagiarism or even mimicry. Instead, this can be an effective learning tool. I once wrote out the first hundred pages of All the Light We Cannot See and was amazed by what I picked up that I’d missed in two readings of the novel. Writing it out by hand allows you to see firsthand how the magic has been created.
But when it comes to finding your voice, the main thing you need to do is stop putting up roadblocks and instead allow the process to happen.
Flannery O’Connor wrote: “The writer can choose what he writes about but he cannot choose what he is able to make live.” What we are able to make live is directly related to who we are and what we love. If what you love is cowboys and westerns, then chances are when you write about them, your voice will sing.
People used to ask Stephen King why he was “wasting” his talent writing horror. Why? Because horror is what he loves. And what exactly has been wasted? He is arguably the best horror writer in the world. If he had ignored his obsessions and tried to be a literary writer, there’s a fair chance he would not have been as successful as he is.
Source: writershelpingwriters.net
Visit us at First Edition Design Publishing
Writers often face a daunting challenge when crafting a captivating narrative: navigating the middle of the story. After the initial excitement of introducing characters and setting the stage, the middle can sometimes feel like a vast, uncharted territory, filled with potential plot holes and sagging momentum.
The key to overcoming this mid-story slump lies in understanding the purpose of the middle act and employing effective storytelling techniques to keep your readers engaged.
The Role of the Middle Act
The middle act, also known as the “development” or “exploration” stage, serves as the bridge between the inciting incident (the event that sets the story in motion) and the climax (the turning point of the narrative). It’s during this phase that your characters undergo significant growth, face challenges that test their resolve, and make choices that shape their destinies.
Strategies for Writing a Gripping Middle Act
Remember, the middle act is not a mere filler between the beginning and end of your story. It’s the heart of your narrative, the crucible where your characters are tested and transformed, and where the foundation for a satisfying climax is laid. By employing these strategies, you can craft a compelling middle act that will captivate your readers and leave them eager to see how your story concludes.
By Rima
Visit us at First Edition Design Publishing
In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.
Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.
But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.
But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.
DESCRIPTION: This self-sufficient and tenacious woman seeks out adventure and new discoveries, often breaking with the conventions of her time to do so.
FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Arya Stark (Game of Thrones), Eowyn (the Lord of the Rings trilogy), Mulan (Mulan), Dolores Abernathy (Westworld), Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
COMMON STRENGTHS: Adaptable, Adventurous, Alert, Bold, Confident, Courageous, Curious, Decisive, Efficient, Enthusiastic, Focused, Independent, Industrious, Passionate, Perceptive, Persistent, Resourceful, Spontaneous, Spunky
COMMON WEAKNESSES: Cocky, Impatient, Impulsive, Irresponsible, Obsessive, Pushy, Rebellious, Reckless, Self-Destructive, Self-Indulgent, Stubborn, Uncooperative, Volatile
ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Being street smart
Restlessness; needing to be on the move
Lacking patience
Thinking for herself
Rejecting the conventions that don’t suit her
Persistently pursuing her goals; seeing things through
Disregarding people in authority—specifically those who would try to force her into a specific role or keep her from certain activities
Spontaneity
Avoiding long-term commitments (in case a better offer comes along)
Believing that romantic entanglements will slow her down
SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
A romantic partner wanting to settle down
Sustaining an injury that affects her mobility
Getting pregnant
Rules changing that restrict women’s freedoms
Being saddled with additional responsibilities at home or work, making travel and adventure less possible
TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Has a stable home life, with children
Is elderly
Has an atypical trait: indecisive, nature-focused, sentimental, verbose, whiny, vain, etc.
CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
The adventure-seeker with no flaws and all the skills needed to win
The lady of adventure who is able to physically defeat men despite being physiologically unable to do so
Source: writershelpingwriters.net
Visit us at First Edition Design Publishing
Nonfiction books are a great way to learn about new topics, expand your horizons, and gain a deeper understanding of the world around you. There are many different types of nonfiction books available, so there is something for everyone.
1. History
History books offer a window into the past and can help us to understand the present. They can be about specific events, people, or periods of time. Some popular history books include:
2. Biography and Autobiographies
Biographies and autobiographies tell the story of a person’s life. Biographies are written by someone else, while autobiographies are written by the person themselves. Some popular biographies and autobiographies include:
3. Memoirs
Memoirs are personal essays that tell a story about a particular experience or period in a person’s life. Some popular memoirs include:
4. Travel Writing
Travel writing is a genre of nonfiction that tells about the author’s experiences traveling to new places. Some popular travel books include:
5. Science
Science books cover a wide range of topics, from the history of science to the latest discoveries in biology, physics, and chemistry. Some popular science books include:
6. Self-Help
Self-help books offer advice on a variety of topics, such as relationships, career, and personal finance. Some popular self-help books include:
7. Business
Business books offer advice on starting, running, and growing a business. Some popular business books include:
These are just a few of the many different types of nonfiction books available. With so many great books to choose from, you are sure to find something that interests you.
Tips for choosing nonfiction books
I hope this blog has helped you to learn more about the different types of nonfiction books available. Happy reading!
By Rima
Visit us at First Edition Design Publishing
Every writer’s journey is unique, but we all experience one iconic moment: the decision to stop thinking about writing a book and actually do it.
And then? Euphoria. Finally, our ideas will live on the page! We imagine characters, plot twists, and future readers clutching our book, unable to put it down.
Of course, this high usually curdles into terror because now we must write the book. And we have zero clue as to how to do it.
It’s overwhelming; we can see the finish line but have no idea how to get there.
With any big goal, the best way to achieve it is to break it into manageable pieces. A great first step for writing a first book is to map the route, start to finish. Here’s what that might look like.
Whether you have hundreds of ideas for a novel, or only a few, you need to settle on a core premise to make sure it’s strong enough to build a story around. Using Goal, Motivation, Conflict (GMC) can help you test ideas:
Goal: What your character wants
Motivation: Why your character wants it
Conflict: What stands in their way
These key elements form your core premise, and once you know it, you have your story’s first piece! To dive into this a bit further, here’s a GMC+Stakes worksheet.
Once you have your story premise, it’s time to plan the people, places, and events. Some writers do a lot of prewriting, brainstorming their characters in depth to understand who they are, what they want and need, and develop their backstory and relationships. They also world build so they can write the story’s reality with authority, and plot/outline story’s events so they have a really good idea of what will happen, and when. Other writers do minimal planning in favor of a discovery draft, where they uncover these things as they write.
The level of prewriting you need is a personal choice, but generally the more you know, especially about key characters and their motivations, the easier it can be to write. Very likely you’ll have less big-picture revision to do later, but results may vary, as they say. If this is your first time, pay attention to your gut. When your instincts are nudging you to stop planning and start writing, you’ll know.
When you think you’re ready to start writing, take a moment to set yourself up for success. Choose a place to work where everything you need is at hand – notebooks, pens, a computer, noise-cancelling headphones or whatever else you might need. Think about when is a good time to write, and if any challenges could make it hard to get words down. This will help you be prepared when life intervenes.
Welcome to the fun zone! This is when you finally get to unleash your creativity, so enjoy every moment of it. Don’t let worries about quality get in your way. This drafting process is about letting go so words can flow. Fixing and refining comes later. If you get stuck, try these tips and keep writing to the finish line.
It’s possible you might hit a point where you doubt yourself and your abilities. If so, know you aren’t alone. All writers feel this way at some point. What’s important is that you push back on these thoughts. Keep writing and trust the process. You’ve got this!
After the first draft is written, celebrate! Writing an entire book is a huge undertaking, and you’ve just done it. Take some time to do something special – read, relax, and reward yourself for having the persistence to see this through. Celebrating each win is self-care, so indulge.
You need time and distance from the story so when it’s time to revise, you see it with fresh eyes. Even if you want to start revising right away, put the manuscript aside for two weeks to a month.
After your story has sat for a bit, you’ll want to read it from start to finish to get a sense of how it flows, what areas need stronger development, and anything that might need to be reworked. So rather than start revising right away, make notes as you read. This will give you a plan to follow for your first round of revision.
Also, expect to find some cringe-worthy writing. This is a first draft, not a final product, after all. But guaranteed you’ll also find some gems and think, “Whoa, did I write this?” Use those as fuel to inspire you!
This first round is where you fix the big stuff: strengthening characters and their arcs and making sure they and their emotional experiences are relatable so readers will connect to them and their journey. You’ll want to address any plot and pacing issues, look for plot holes or logic issues with your worldbuilding, and things like that. This revision pass isn’t about making the story perfect, just create a story with strong bones. Remember to use your notes from the first read.
Because this story is your baby, it can be hard to be objective about what’s working and what isn’t, so going to others will help you get distanced opinions on how well the story works and what might need to be fixed.
This step should only be taken when you’re mentally ready for it. It’s easy to become emotional and mistake help as criticism, which brings self-doubt to the surface. Find people who are genuine about wanting to help you and don’t be afraid to tell them this is your first experience with critiques. When feedback comes in, remember their goal is to help you strengthen this story, not hurt your feelings.
At this early stage, paying for editorial help may not be the best choice. Workshopping your story via critiques helps you save yourself money by doing as much of the work yourself as you can. Here are six tips for finding a great critique partner.
After you’ve had a few people provide feedback, you’ll have more ideas on what needs to be strengthened. Sort through the advice, and take your time, doing as many rounds as you need to get your story and characters to where they need to be.
Once you’ve workshopped your novel and you feel the story is solid, you’ll want to turn your focus to description, dialogue, and language choices. At the sentence level, strengthen your verbs, look for words or actions you may overuse, tighten your writing, deepen symbolism, and make sure your pacing is strong. Look for opportunities to strengthen every word.
When you feel confident about the shape of your story, it’s time to polish it up. Proofread for typos, missing words, repeated language, repeats, and make sure everything is consistent. If you changed names, places, or other elements, make sure you’ve caught any old bits hanging around. Read your story aloud as it will help you find the little things.
Just as you did with your first read, you’ll want to do a final one, too. By now, you might be sick of this story. If so, take a break before the final read.
If there’s anything that bothers you as you read, make a note of it. You can also ask others to read it as well to get second opinions before you take the next step toward publication.
Before turning to a publishing route, you want to feel confident that this is your best work. At any time, if you need to, go back, revise again, seek out more feedback, or even look into hiring an editor to help you work through a problem. You can also work your way through this Storyteller’s Roadmap if you would like step-by-step help:
Source: writershelpingwriters.net
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First Edition Design Publishing - a hybrid publisher 