Monday, February 15, 2016

14 Online Blogs & Websites I Love + Giveaway!

In honor of that amorous holiday we just celebrated (or avoided) yesterday, I thought it only fitting to share some of my favorite writerly blogs and vlogs with all of my readers. Each and every one of these have helped me on my writing journey.


I'm also having a post-Valentine's Day giveaway! Show any of these blogs love by checking them out, subscribing to their content, or connecting on social media, and you'll get an entry into my giveaway below. Prizes include a $14 Amazon Gift Card, a Contest Entry Edits critique ($30 value!), and a Query Helper Critique just in time for the start of online writing contest season!
#1: Writability/ Bookish Pixie
Ava Jae has been an encouraging and informative speaker (vlog) and writer (blog) on a variety of topics related to fictional writing. She's made me laugh numerous times and has been where I've been, making me feel less alone on this journey we call writing. Plus, her posts are usually fairly short, making them a quick read or listen amid my busy lifestyle.




#2: Kidlit411

If you write for children like I do, then Kidlit411 is a must for you! Between fun author interviews, book giveaways, and market information you need to become a frequent reader like I am. It's always entertaining and they have lots of tips and tricks that can greatly affect your writing for all children book age categories.




#3: YAtopia

I may be a bit bias of this one, seeing as I'm the blog assistant. But the group of writers that contribute are a wonderful group of peeps at all different levels of writing with insightful and funny posts. Seriously, just subscribe!




#4: Literary Rambles

Literary Rambles is one of the main places I've won ebooks! In addition to the freebies, I love reading their reader interviews. First hand accounts of what young readers love about the books they read help me figure out trends and encourage me in my writing. Plus, there is almost nothing cuter than middle graders (they're my favorite!) talking about books and ending their excitement with all those exclamation points.



http://www.literaryrambles.com



#5: Kidliterati

This super fun kid lit review blog often helps me add to my ever-lengthening to-read list. What's great about it is that many of these books aren't the heavily marketed ones so I get a wonderful variety and lessor known authors get exposure too.







#6: Sub It Club

Due to the fact that they don't post often, I don't get on this blog often. But when I have questions about anything related to submissions, when I was researching agents, or just need an encouraging interview of a successful author, I occasionally get on here. 






#7: Denise Vega Market News You Can Use

Okay, okay, technically this isn't a blog per say, but I love when I get this one in my inbox. I took one of Denise's picture book workshops at an SCBWI conference in Colorado a few years ago. She is an amazing writer, has some serious knowledge about the industry, and is just a genuinely sweet person. I've enjoyed interacting with her and her eNewsletters are not only respectful of my time, but also full of fun and informative topics.







#8: Jami Gold, Paranormal Author

I love the thought provoking posts on Jami's blog, and how well they often correlate to what I need help with in the moment. Plus, her books are fantastic. Fair warning, you start reading, you won't stop.




#9: Michelle 4 Laughs - It's in the Details
I may be a bit bias since Michelle is my favorite -and only- writing mentor ever! She fell in love with one of my manuscripts and took me under her wing. As well as she can encourage, Michelle can inspire and impress. Her blog plays witness to this with interviews, book releases, and as host to several online manuscript contests each year. Her novel KINDAR'S CURE was magical and the end twist was well delivered.




#10: The Writer's Nook, Tiffany Hofman
This is a recent favorite. I've come to know Tiffany on various social platforms and in some of my favorite Facebook groups. Early this year, she announced the creation of a new online contest and I volunteered to participate as a mentor. Since then, I've been scoping out all her content and I have to say I'm impressed.



#11: The Kindle Book Review

 Can you say giveaways? Seriously, this blog has single-handedly doubled my book collection in 2015. It's a best kept secret I'm sharing with you right now.
#12: Better Novel Project


I'm a pantser, at least until I took on a YA Fantasy trilogy with too many moving parts. Then I needed help. The Better Novel Project breaks down these parts into chewable pieces and gives examples from three major novels: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Twilight. We're talking characters, plot points, sub plots, you name it. Plus, the blogger's voice is fun and entertaining as she teaches you her observations.




#13: Brenda Drake
She's been dubbed the online writers contests queen, and with good reason. As a host of some major ones and all the participation she has each year, its no wonder her blog now has an assistant. I always appreciated her interviews with authors from the contests and book cover reveals and release announcements. This blog was one of hope for me, a place to remember that I can do this crazy thing I'm attempting.




#14: Word Count Contributors - Yeah Write and #WritingChallenge
Both of these awesome site groups kept my word count climbing when I just didn't want to. The encouragement I needed was just a few clicks away, and even the likes on my posts got me itching to write whenever I let myself lag.


Twitter - hashtags include month abbreviation+ writingchallenge
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1487625678147506


 Now for that giveaway!

 The Rafflecopter link below has over 20 ways to get your name in the hat for those awesome prizes I mentioned above...
>>>>>>>  a Rafflecopter giveaway  <<<<<<<


What are some of the blogs or sites that have helped you on your writing journey? Let's share them in the comments below!
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Monday, January 18, 2016

Help Me Help Others to Help You!

It's only mid-month and already I feel like I'm drowning in blessings. As far as professional ones, I'm in awe of the influx of editing business that started the first of the year. So far, I've had four amazing clients that have honored me with their trust and their words.




I just want to share the love!

So, in addition to the January Editing Specials I've already announced here, ($10 off editing services for 2015 NANO participants) I'd like to give back even more to the writing community. For every client that hires me after my fifth one, the Query Helper will giveaway one query critique. If by some amazing happenstance, I'm hired by ten clients by January 27th , I'll give away two (2) Contest Entry Edit Packages just in time for #SunvsSnow, #PitMad, and many other upcoming contests in Spring 2016. 



These $30 value packages include 2 passes on any two(2) of the following contest entry types:



  • First 250/ First Page
  • 5 x Novel Tweets
  • Query
  • 30 word plot summary
  • 60 word plot summary

So please pass the word on to any friends that are needing my editing services or anyone that needs help with their NANO project from last November. Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter and my blog to stay in the loop on when the giveaways happen as I'm hired.

Thank you again for all the help I've been given. I'm so excited that now I can pass it on to others!


Click HERE to tweet: Need an editor? Hire @egmoorewriter by Jan 27 to jumpstart #QueryHelper & Contest Entry Critique Pkg #giveaways. Details: http://ctt.ec/QiYxd+ RT
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Tuesday, January 12, 2016

#FicFest: A New Contest for Fiction Authors!

It's no secret that I'm majorly involved in the online writing community. From forums and critiques to leading fundraisers and entering my manuscripts in various contests as a hopeful for the agent rounds, I love every minute of it. (If you haven't had a chance to donate toward helping Veronica Bartles and her family fix their house, check out the GoFundMe page here.) 

When it came to those contests, even as I struggled along with writerly friends in anticipation of being the chosen one (virtual tequila floats and all!), I always had the thought in the back of my mind that someday I'd like to pay it forward and be a mentor or judge for such a life changing event for another writer.



This week I had my chance. Tiffany Hoffman, an author friend who single-handedly pulled me through NANO last November, announced on one of our Facebook groups that she was launching a new contest in March called FicFest and would any of us like to participate via marketing or being a team leader? My virtual hand shot into the air.



Soon I found myself as Team Leader for Picture Book team #1 (I mean that numerically and competitively, we are going to rock this contest!)

The YA, NA, and Adult teams still need a few members so if you'd like to participate within that capacity, be sure to check out this link and email the contest admins. 



Here's a blurb from the webpage:

"FicFest is a brand new contest launching in 2016 that will help put manuscripts in front of agents. FicFest is unique in that this contest covers the five major categories of writing: Children's Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult. The chances for each category to get agent requests is equal. Unlike most writing contests, an equal number of finalists will be chosen for each category so that one does not overpower the other. FicFest creators also ensure that there will be a plethora of agents wanting each of these categories. Our goal is to help writers of all book types get out there, get great feedback, and have the opportunity to get requests from agents." 

How AWESOME does that sound?




If you're an author with a manuscript that may just be ready to snag an agent's attention, I'd encourage you to keep your eyes out for contest open submission tweets or to follow my blog for updates on the happenings involved with #FicFest. There will be team announcements and introductions, as well as fun posts to get to know us prior to submissions, and I'm hoping to keep a stream of teasers going on twitter as we make our final decisions. I can't wait to see all the amazing picture books that come my way. I want this to be a difficult decision!

Have a manuscript you're thinking of submitting? Tell me about it in the comments below!
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Monday, January 4, 2016

What Do You Want to Know About + January Editing Specials!

I hope all my readers had a joyous and bright New Year's Eve!

I've been making mental lists of all the fun new topics I'll be writing about in the coming year, and reflecting on all the fun I've had in the previous one. Interviews, book reviews, contests and fundraisers, editing others work, but most of all the comments from readers have been my favorite part. So I'd love to know what you'd like to read about in 2016. 

Freelancing or fiction writing topics?Favorite book reviews and giveaways?Interviews with authors, editors, publishers, or readers?Personal essays about being agented and the struggles that are part of submitting from that place? Public reviews or breakdowns of queries, synopses, or chapters? 


What are your writing goals this year and how can I help you achieve them? Please tell me in the comments or email me at emilygmoorewriter @yahoo.com.

Be sure to come back next week for my first book review of 2016, as well as on January 18th to learn all about taxes for freelance writers and/or novelists.

~ ~ ~

January's Special is Mostly for National Novel Writing Month 2015 Participants!

If you wrote a novel during NANO last November, then you'll receive $10 off any of my editing or freelance coach services. I promise that novel you wrote and all its submission parts aren't ready to go to an agent or publisher yet, but I can help you get it in top shape in no time!

I'll share a secret: this actually means a single pass query critique for all 2015 Nano participants! To get yours, simply send your query via email to emilygmoorewriter @yahoo.com with the subject line: Query Helper NANO Critique.

If you decide to do a triple pass query critique, the $10 off still applies, so you'll pay only $15 for three critiques!
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Thursday, December 10, 2015

December Review: WICKED PATH & DEADLY DANCE (The Daath Chronicles Book 2 & 2.5) by Eliza Tilton

I only need three words to describe how amazing the Daath Chronicles book 2 (WICKED PATH) and 2.5 (DEADLY DANCE): I consumed them. As in, couldn't put them down. As in, ignored household chores and daydreamed about what would happen next between retail shifts and stayed up into the wee morning hours to finish them. They are that good!

I don't regret a moment of it.

I searched through my blog posts for the post where I'm sure I went on and on and on about how incredible book 1 was, and *gasp* I never wrote one. So you all get a triple whopper today!

What I love Most: The characters are so vivid, so genuine, so differently voiced. Anyone who reads a chapter of each of the POV characters will easily be able to pick any random page and know exactly who's narrating. Also, I love that all angles of the situations in these books are presented so that no characters are all good or all evil. Can you say #morallycomplicatedYA? There is understanding and stakes for all of them, even if the reader doesn't like a character, there is sympathy there.

Also: The unique, epic setting and world building is STUNNING!

You Should Read Them If: You love epic fantasy, multi-POV, and a well-developed world to fall in love with.

Eliza Tilton: Please write and edit quickly so I can get my hands on book 3 ASAP!


Now, onward to the specific reviews and blurbs for all three of the Daath Chronicles books currently available.

BROKEN FOREST (DAATH CHRONICLES #1)

Blurb from Goodreads: Hopeless he'll never be more than the boy who didn't save his brother, 17-year-old Avikar accepts his life as the family stable boy, trying to forget the past. But when his sister, Jeslyn, is kidnapped, the thought of losing another sibling catapults him on a desperate quest. With his best friend by his side, and using the tracking skills he learned from his father, he discovers Jeslyn has been taken, kidnapped by one Lucino, the young lord of Daath, a mystical place thought only to exist in fables.

And Lucino has plans for Jeslyn.

His shape-shifting brethren feed off the auras of humans, and Jeslyn's golden hue is exactly what Lucino needs to increase his power. The longer it takes Avikar to reach her, the more entranced she becomes with Lucino's world, and the harder it will be for Avikar to set her free.

He failed his family once. He won't fail again.

My review: It started out slow for me, but by the time I figured out how complex the characters were, and started rooting for each one (except Lucino's sister Lucy), I was hopelessly in love with the story. The racial tension and scattered foreshadowing lead me on with excitement and the ending felt satisfying despite the fact that it was the start of a series. I paid for this book after a friend mentioned it and multiple literary blogs raved about how awesome it was. I wasn't disappointed.


WICKED PATH (DAATH CHRONICLES #2)

Blurb from Goodreads: In Wicked Path: Book Two of the Daath Chronicles brother and sister are forced to opposite sides of Tarrtainya on a fast-paced adventure where the wildlife isn’t the only thing trying to kill them.

Three months have passed since Avikar defeated the Reptilian Prince, and he still can’t remember his battle with Lucino. On the hunt for answers, he returns to the scene of the fight and discovers a strange connection between his family’s dagger and the mysterious kingdom of Daath, and it seems only his distant father can reveal the truth behind it all.

Before Avikar can travel back home, Lucy assaults him in the market and forces him to flee to Nod Mountains—a place few dare to enter, and even less return from. With Raven and her childhood friend by his side, they must survive the treacherous journey through the pass with a vengeful Lucy hunting them. If they don’t, they’ll never see home again.

Jeslyn’s new life in Luna Harbor is the perfect remedy for her confused and broken heart. But when a group of mercenaries kidnap her beloved Grandfather, interrupting her daily routine as his jewelry apprentice, she's forced to join forces with the one person from her past she tried to forget.

And his assistance comes with a price.

My review: I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. It's safe to say that I loved this book even more than the first one. I believe it comes from the varied settings. In book one, most of the journey takes place in a relatively similar setting, mostly forested or mountainous. But in book two, we see swamps, giant trees with cities inside them, a port town, the open sea and a small island, and more. Literally stunning world building. Top it off with the same #morallycomplexYA cast and you've got a heart-pounding, unimaginable plot that I couldn't put down, even though I needed desperately to sleep, to feed my family, to work, to write my own manuscript. I gobbled it up in less than weekend 36 hours which is unheard of in the month of December. This novel ranks in my top five favs of 2015. I'm so very, very excited for the final book to be released!


DEADLY DANCE (DAATH CHRONICLES 2.5)


Blurb from Goodreads: Talk of war has reached Lakewood and Derrick is busy day and night crafting weapons and armor for his father, which keeps him from thinking of Jeslyn and how she left. When Lucy shows up at his shop, smirking, and talking about Jeslyn's mysterious disappearance, he's ready to slice off her head; instead, he decides to see if her claims about Jeslyn and Lucino vanishing together are true.

As Derrick and Lucy embark on a hunt to find Jeslyn and Lucino, their hatred will turn into mutual acceptance as the trail will lead them into Nomad's land and straight into war.

My review: Derrick is the humblest, most loyal player in this series, and he gets the worst end of the stick in the first two books. I was surprised not to have him come running back to help his ex-fiance or best friend in book two, and so happy that the novella Deadly Dance was written to let us know that he did in fact do this. The shift in both his character and Lucy's is refreshing and rounds out the plot for true fans of the Daath Chronicles such as myself.

Enough with my fangirling. Go buy these books by Eliza Tilton and check out the others in Curiosity Quills December Release Review Tour.







 
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Monday, December 7, 2015

How to Protect Yourself Even If You Trust Your Editor (Plus, an editing service discount!)

Let's talk about intellectual property a moment. There are no exceptions when it comes to who owns their ideas. If you wrote it, snapped a photo of it, painted or created it, then its yours under federal or state laws.

 So what happens when you hire an editor and there's a major collaboration during a rewrite? This is the question posed to me by a friend back in my Laramie Writers Group. He asked if there was anything he needed to be aware of or if he had to give up a portion of authorship when he won an editing package through a contest. My answer was an unsure "I don't think so." Then I went straight to my agent because I realized that this may be a question or concern for anyone that wanted to hire me as a editor in the near future. (Shameless plug: Check out my rates here.)

 Turns out that while the above statement about your creation is true, a paper trail keeps things very black and white. "Depending on the depth and level of collaboration, if the ideas for character changes originate with the editor, the editor may have ground to bring suit against him if he benefits from publication. However, in all reality, any suit would most likely be won by the author. I would still recommend that they sign a contract, though so your friend has peace of mind. The biggest issue with copyright is that while the copyright remains with the author, he or she can’t bring suit to protect it. (I.E. If the editor were to go rogue and try to publish it him or herself) unless the author has filed with the U.S. Copyright Office. To me, it’s better to just have a contract that specifies that all intellectual property stays with the author," stated Jessica Schmeidler, agent extraordinaire of Golden Wheat Literary, via email.

So my friend is reworking his awesome manuscript with the help of an editor knowing his work is his own, and now I know what people may be thinking as they consider me for an editor. As a result of this awesome conversation, I've restructured my editing quoting process and written up a simple contract for my editing clients' peace of mind. I have only the desire to help great writers put out the best pieces of their creativity they can.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were concerned about your rights as an author or artist? Tell me about it in the comments below!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

NANO's over, now what?

Hire me!

Planning to take part in writing contests in early 2016? 
Hire me!

Stumped on a scene or wondering if you have a plot hole?
Hire me! 




The first two(2) people to hire me for editing services in December will get $5 off!*
Check out my editing services page for more information on receiving a quote. Then let's get started!

*Excludes query critiques
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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

On What To Do With People's Story Suggestions



I've read many post by authors who've discussed how annoying it is when someone suggests ideas for them to write about. After all, as writers we pride ourselves on not only thinking up the best/ most marketable/ things we know ideas. We all know that at some point we're going to have to love an idea to stick with it for the long haul. Writing, editing, editing, editing, pitching or querying, editing, and then the real work begins with publishing and marketing. If it's not our idea, we may not be 100% invested, right?

I'm here to challenge these arguments. I'm one of the weird ones that don't mind people's suggestions. In fact, I embrace them. Sure, they may not come fully fleshed out or tied into my experiences, but they still have their value.

Why I Keep Others' Ideas
The bottom line for me is that at the end of it all I want to publish my work. The destination is as important as the journey for me. Taking others ideas or suggestions is a wonderful way to get a feel for what type of stories are wanted. Granted, I need to back up the demand with other similar requests or trends in the market, but suggestions almost always come in the form of something that person wants to read.

Another great use of other people's suggestions when they find out I'm a writer is for brainstorming sessions. As mentioned above, I may not be invested in their suggestions. However, if I write that scrap of an idea down or include it in brainstorming sessions later on, it may just morph into a brilliant idea or fit perfectly into a story I'm already engaged in.


How I Protect Myself
Now some of you might be saying, "But Emily, what about creative ownership?" It's true that keeping these ideas can be a short walk to a long problem later down the line. Which is why I keep a detailed notation on each idea that I'm offered. Knowing who suggested it, when they did so, and any contact info is important to protect against issues later. I don't want legal action cluttering up the already difficult publication process.

So far, I've only used family stories with the okay from my in-laws, so I'm safe there. If in future I was ever to truly utilize the dozens of story snippets I have in a file on my computer, I'd be sure to contact that person and get written permission to actually go there. This eliminates any issues later down the line, and I like to think the person would be honored that I've still been thinking about their suggestion. Instant fans via a shameless marketing ploy? Maybe. I don't mind if they don't.

At the end of the day, I'm honored that people want to share in my journey. I think of those suggestions as interest in who I am as a writer, the expertise I have in the field, and respect for what I do.


Do you find other people's suggestions for story lines annoying or do you embrace them?



Please tell me in the comments below or Click to Tweet about it!

 
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