Author: Valerie Willis

Valerie Willis is a Dark Fantasy Paranormal Romance author based out of Central Florida. She loves crafting novels with elements inspired by mythology, superstitions, legends, folklore, fairy tales and history. In 2018, she received the Reader’s Favorite Bronze medal in ‘Fiction – Mythology’ and FAPA’s President’s Silver medal in ‘Fantasy/Sci-fi.’ You can find her hosting workshops or a guest speaker at many events sharing her expertise in self-publishing, novel writing, research in fiction, worldbuilding, character development, book design, reader immersion and more.
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What Authors Need to Know About Newsletters

Let me be honest. At the beginning of my own career, I too avoided the infamous checkbox of an author newsletter without fully understanding the weight of that decision for not only my career, but also in correlation to my readers and sales. Regardless, as many of us often eventually do, I reached out to a marketing professional asking for help on developing a marketing plan since I was missing the mark on book reviews and sales. Sure, my book has won awards, gotten accolades, invested in Blog Tours, Book review Tours, and so much more. Time and money never to be seen again with very little results can dishearten anyone and worse, feed that monster we call Imposter Syndrome. It was this one tiny piece of conversation that made it clear, my only mistake was avoiding a newsletter:

Marketer: Where’s your newsletter?

Me: People still do those?

Marketer: Oh no…

Honestly, she gave me one homework assignment: MAKE A NEWSLETTER. Then pointed me in a direction, and told me “KEEP IT ACTIVE!” And I half-assed that advice. 

The results? 

Well, after struggling to get 16 reviews on an award-winning book for 6 years (including giving away 5,000+ free or discounted copies in one of those years), from Mid-Jan to Mid-Dec, I had jumped to 60+ Amazon reviews and started seeing constant monthly sales. 

The secret? 

I made a weak attempt at making a newsletter. 

What Do You Write?

Don’t overthink this. It can literally look like an email and text only style. You don’t have to be fancy and program logos, drown it in art and graphics – none of that matters. Getting it started and sending the newsletter out and being consistent matters more. What should you write? Remember this person just gave you their email, the virtual version of a phone number, and invited you to “call me” knowing you intend to talk about you, your books, and push for reviews, sales, and support. Don’t be shy. There’s nothing shameful about writing to these fans. YES FANS. READERS. YOUR READERS.

Instead of thinking about the 20/200/2000+ people you are sending this to, hyperfocus on a single entity named “Your Reader” and talk to them. Make this the slowest conversation you have ever had, make them feel like the two of you just became pen pals. You can be casual and short. Share what inspired the story, why you write, and every so often ask if they have left a review for other readers to know what to expect. If you have a wide span of monsters, or characters, have some fun and every so often send them a profile or compendium style entry. On holidays give them an exclusive short story or even invite them to be your ARC readers if they have opened your last 5 emails. REWARD ENGAGEMENT. 

It’s ok to send them invitations to events or announce pre orders, but a majority of the emails from you should be conversational. You’ll be shocked to see how many reply and engage in emails with you depending on what you’ve written. Some may even apologize for forgetting that book review, so be sure to let them know it’s ok, and how much you appreciate they cared to even tell you that much! THEY ARE HERE FOR YOU.

Automation and Drip-Campaigning

We always hear that phrase, “work smarter not harder” and considering us authors LOATHE marketing (in most cases or simply introverts), this is one way we can do just that. Many newsletter or mailer sites allow you to gain access to automated emails, or journeys (may cost more to access i.e. MailChimp). These can be a lifesaver for keeping consistent engagement. Instead of stressing about creating fresh content, you instead CURATE content in 1/2/4-week intervals for the ideal reader or target person. Again, these can be super simple that are set to send after a timer of X amount of days have passed since the previous email was sent to the subscriber/email in question. 

Again, this doesn’t lessen the intimacy of your interactions, but it can also show you when you are being engaging and which email/newsletter fell flat and should be changed. The reader can still “reply” to these emails and you can engage one-on-one with the readers who do reach out, respond, and so forth. This is meant to help you focus your target audience into a single entity, which overall, is much easier to engage with. 

Be sure to sneak in a reminder every so often for a review or even remind them this is part of a bigger collection or series, but for the most part it’s a great way to share inspiration and intention about your journey and writing. This is only 13/27/53 emails to establish the first year depending how often you want to “drip” an email into their inbox!

Where and When Do I Start

This is one of the most COMMON questions I get when people realize they are going to have to rip this bandaid off and get cracking on a newsletter. Many start with a conversation with me that goes like this: 

Author: I published my book on Amazon about five years ago, but I only sold like 12 books.

Me: Who did you tell that you published your book?

Author: Well, I published it on Amazon.

Me: Over a thousand or more books are published on Amazon every day. Name one that was released today?

Author:  I don’t know what was published on Amazon today.

Me: Then how does everyone else know your book is on Amazon today as well?

You have to tell people about your book. 

Otherwise, no one knows it exists no matter where it’s posted or sitting on a shelf at!

  • Where do I get emails or find subscribers?
    • Start close to home. Inform and provide a link to those on social media, family, friends, colleagues, peers, and anyone in reach. It’s amazing how many will join to support you on this first step.
    • Sign up sheets or tablets at live events are old skool but still works wonders! These are folks who have physically met you and your books and want to be able to follow along or know more in the future!
    • BookFunnel, StoryOrigin, and similar sites can be affordable resources for book-specific readers willing to trade samples and free books for email collection. 
    • You can also do Author swaps. Feature a book and link to sign up for another author and swap interested subscribers this way.
    • There are purchasable “email lists” but I advise caution due to a few reasons. For starters, the money spent here isn’t the same as elsewhere, the unsubscribe rate can be high and cause your newsletter to start landing in SPAM folders or be flagged, and there’s no confirmation how OLD the lists are that you are receiving.
    • Always have a sign up on your website! It’s still surprising how well this works, but remember, no one knows to sign up unless you tell them.
  • I don’t have a book out yet, so I don’t need one right now.
    • WRONG. You need one now. If I could go back in time, I would have been gathering readers and sharing progress and snippets while I was writing before I ever had a publisher or date or full manuscript. 
    • Not comfortable that too soon? That’s ok. Once you do have a preorder live, now is definitely a good time to start pushing and announcing your book. Share samples, gather a street team, early reviewers, and share behind the scenes about the story and what you’re doing to gear up for the release.
  • I only have 1 book out right now so I have nothing to push to my newsletter.
    • YES YOU DO. You have a book… out! RELEASED! Let people know, talk about what’s next, what you want them to know about said book, and more. Readers are reading your work, but how can they talk to you? 
    • There’s more than just pushing a book. Engage with readers, review books, discuss topics, and more. Interact with the fans so when that next book comes along, they are primed and ready to go.
  • I don’t feel comfortable emailing strangers.
    • They aren’t strangers. They’re YOUR READERS. Who want to know you and your writing. Again, stop seeing a room full of strangers and start seeing an adoring fan talking about what you wrote over a cup of coffee, tea, or even a glass of wine. TALK TO YOUR READERS. They gave you an email, and permission to do so.

The Numbers You Should Know

  • Publishing Industry average open rate for newsletter emails has been at 12-15% for “open rate” while Author Newsletters often fall between 25-65% open rate. We have better results than publishers and PR firms.
  • On average in 2017-2022, most author newsletter subscriptions noted to see roughly 20-27% of the total audience buy or review the book when presented with the opportunity. 
  • Most newsletters should fall between 200-1200 word count for the average online reader. Though sample chapters and freebies are expected to be longer.
  • Authors who send weekly emails always see more engagement and higher results for open rates than those who send monthly by 15-30% depending on style and genre.
  • In 2023, 75% of new subscribers for Self-Published authors came from a link or QR code in the back of their books and 69% from links on social media. (Psst! TELL SOMEONE!)
  • Most report have under 500 super engaged subscribers, or a mixed bag between 1,000-5,000. It’s about QUALITY over QUANTITY!
  • The average click rate on selling or pushing a product is 2% on average across ALL INDUSTRIES. Anything higher and you’re doing an amazing job and keep it up! Lower? Consider trying other ways to announce or present the book in those newsletters!
  • There are 8 billion residents on Earth… and over 4 billion of them are EMAIL USERS. That means the reach via email is still far greater than that of social media!
  • 69% of Marketers in 2024 have reported using exclusively email marketing to distribute content and reach consumers.
  • 6 out of 10 consumers say they bought using a link in emails in 2024.

Discover More

Like the advice and information you see here? Follow me on social media where I often post videos talking about and discussing my own tribulations as well as encouraging others to excel. From advice about writing, book design, to insight on my own work and creations that may prove inspiring. Stay connected here at WillisAuthor.com OR https://linktr.ee/WillisAuthor

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Stop Giving Condolences on Revisions

A woman with brown and blonde hair smirks at the camera.

Though the novel has now moved onto the Editor’s Desk, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from my fellow authors when I had told them I was in revisions for The Assassin’s Saint under my pen name V.C. Willis. It confused me. I was met with many “I’m so sorry” and “Oof! That’s rough” instead of the expected response of excitement that I felt. Feeling something had to be said, I took to social media and posted my thoughts and reactions to this whilst giving some proper advice, and support for those of you who feel condolences are needed.

Revisions VS Self-Editing

Editing is the final step before it hits the actual editor’s desk. Trust me, it’s impossible to see everything without a second pair of eyes. Revisions however is what happens between emptying the initial draft (rough and/or first draft) onto the notebook or word document. What follows is the tribulation and excitement that seems to either haunt most writers, or worse, send them into a spiraling black hole of grief that is on par with someone dying.

It’s ok. I can easily see why that happens. You would think after painstakingly prying the story from the depths of your mind and imagination, that you would be able to move on, but you can’t. In this way, yea, condolences may feel very on point. Moving on when you suddenly lose someone is very similar to the sensation of: 

“I finished, but I’m not, and I just want to move on to the next story but can’t because [insert muppets hands waving about] emotional distress is still happening with this story!”

Just remember this is not the time to be the grammar king/queen nor aim to polish your work. I know, that feels … wrong … but I assure you, this will make sense in the next few paragraphs!

It’s Not a One-and-Done Process

First mistake I am noticing is that many authors are thinking or forcing the concept that a revision is a one-and-done process. No. Please don’t do this to yourself. Revision is like combing tangles out of a wily little girl’s hair. Prepare for a long process that may even threaten to time spent getting that draft written. You will be combing through this one section or focal point at a time, and you might have to call for help or research or gather additional tools. I know, that sounds frightening, and it shouldn’t. 

This is meant for you to take the time to decide on several factors. Now that you can see all of your story, the first sweeps of the comb should be checking that writing style or voice you developed at the end of the draft. For example, your first few sweeps should do the following:

  1. Go back, make that voice stronger and more consistent from start to finish based on the voice and writing style created by the end of the draft. Make that prose pretty! With everything in place, you can take the time now to adjust the way you are telling the story to really bring out strong prose or create some where none resided.
  2. Make sure what crazy-sauce that was in your head really did make it on the page for the reader. I can’t tell you how often we are unaware we left vital information unwritten because “I knew it off the top of my head” thanks to yammering from imaginary friends.
  3. Summarized paragraphs that may be best as fleshed out scenes and chapter(s). This is probably the most important thing to be doing in those first several comb throughs. I know this is one of my biggest issues that comes up time and time again. Honestly, after recently revising The Assassin’s Saint I realized how much stronger my writing has gotten and that it’s nice to first empty the story out, see what writing style/voice I have, then flesh out these moments more accurately. Who cares I had to have six new chapters between Chapter 2 and 3! The story benefited from the readers experiencing things and I didn’t struggle to write it now that I know what’s happening!

How to Break It Down

Now, how do you get the revision ready for self-edits and eventually the editor’s desk at the very least. BREAK IT DOWN. We are now on the rounds of revisions that tighten our craft. We’ve expanded, deleted, and strengthened the bones and added the muscles. These comb-throughs are intended to build up the muscles, put the skin on the beast we’ve written. Maybe even add some tattoos or piercings. Whatever you want, it’s your story. Here’s some ways I like to polish off revisions before diving into grammar and commas and things I am not so strong at mastering.

  1. Foreshadowing – I talk a lot about foreshadowing and this is a great focal point for a revision round. Now that the plot is clear, there’s plenty of hints and winks you can add in to really build the reader’s immersion and anticipation.
  2. Dialogue – This can be very telling. Some authors go as far as only reading the dialogue to see if they can still grasp what is happening in the story from that much. It’s a great way to check for meaningful and story-provoking dialogue content.
  3. Character – Pick your main character, secondary, love interest, or villain and start a comb through only paying special attention to their actions, dialogue, and narrative meant for them. It’s amazing how often this simple routine has helped me catch holes even in my plot! Try it out!
  4. Story Beats or Plot Points – Make sure you got it all in there and that the order of events makes sense. Sometimes recapping these can let you know if you’re missing something or need to adjust the story in some way. In fact, I realized between this and character revision I was missing an entire subplot and had to write that into the story. These comb-throughs aren’t always an easy fix, but they are often necessary.
  5. Narrative and Setting – Much like the dialogue check, start reviewing just this section of the story. Are you establishing a change of room, scene, and location? Does the narrative support what is unfolding, match the emotions of what is happening while instilling that tone into your readers? Are you leading the reader into the scene and to the next scene with strong enough transitions? These are all important factors that should be one of the many rounds of revisions you perform.
  6. Reader Immersion VS Character State – This is one I do, and I don’t know how many authors really dig their fingers into this. It’s not something I see written or talked about often but I fret frequently over this concept. My last few rounds are often making sure that the emotional states of my characters and readers are where I want them to be chapter by chapter. I find myself tweaking the length of sentences, changing out word choice, and even adding/deleting anything that might damage/improve the pacing. Delivery of those tense moments mean everything in my own work where broody, angsty characters roam and dark fantasy vibes tend to prove PTSD worthy. Ask yourself often if you feel what was written invokes the emotional state the reader should have before the next chapter, and if not, time to massage content.

Repeat after me:

“I am not grieving! 
No one has died (besides [insert character(s) names here])! 
I don’t need condolences and certainly shouldn’t be giving them!
Revision rounds are where my prose turns pretty!”

Good! Do you feel better? It’s not a race, it’s revisions. You will have to comb these tangles out a few times before it’s ready for you to work grammar magic. That’s ok. Take it one step at a time, break it down, and watch how strong your story becomes.

Discover More

Like the advice and information you see here? Follow me on social media where I often post videos talking about and discussing my own tribulations as well as encouraging others to excel. From advice about writing, book design, to insight on my own work and creations that may prove inspiring. Stay connected here at WillisAuthor.com OR https://linktr.ee/WillisAuthor

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5 Reasons You Should Pay Attention to Book Formatting

It’s strange to think about the fact that book formatting and layout still shows signs of those early printing press books in the 1400-1500s. Over the centuries, academia has evolved that format to create standards that began to take hold as public consumption increased in the 1800s. Regardless, your book’s format has to fall in line in a lot of ways for several reasons which include guiding and navigation of content, pacing of a story, placement on bookshelves, limit print issues, and reader immersion. If you haven’t discovered Writer’s Bane: Formatting 101, you’ve been missing out on a lot of answers to questions and even a stronger understanding of how impactful formatting is on a book. This includes what goes inside your book, how to prepare a manuscript for a typeset, and how to design the interior of your book. 

Guiding and Navigation of Content

Imagine a world where books didn’t have an expected chronological order to the content presented. I mean, no chapter numbers, no headers, and no page numbers. PURE CHAOS! A book’s format has an expected order and rhyme and reason. If they didn’t, it would be impossible to grasp where the information can be found. Even in “Choose Your Own Path” novels they have clearly written instructions and rely on guiding a reader via the page numbers. Let’s also be mindful that, for example, page numbers should land in the same spot throughout a book, but if this was inconsistent, you would be lost especially in a textbook. 

Keeping these navigational devices in your book in place and consistent means a lot. There have been a few books where page numbers were non-existent, and with so much automation in even word processors, WHY? How am I supposed to know where I am and what page my bookmark fell out? CHAOS. And worse, this example had a Table of Contents with numbers. PURE CHAOS. Be mindful of using all the navigational tools not for you, but your readers.

Pacing of a Story

This starts at the manuscript level and can skew how a typesetter or book designer “translates” the final book format, but be sure to use double returns and marking line breaks (***, #, or some other consistent searchable indication) in the right way. 

For example, double returns often come into play when a flashback starts or ends, a change in point of view or head hop happens in the moment or scene with no jump in time, or in non-fiction change in thought or moving on to the next thought within the same subject matter for that section/chapter. 

As for the line break, this is often where an ornamental icon will be added into a book. These often signal a change or passing of time in fiction work, change in location or jumping to a character not in the current scene, or the start of a new subject matter in a more significant manner in non-fiction. 

Placing these consistently and using them for the age-old expected reasons can help how a reader and story paces visually and limit any confusion. Imagine if neither of these existed in the novel you’ve been reading? MAYHEM!

Placement on Bookshelves

If you fail to fall in line with CMS or similar styling (Chicago Manual Style, APA, MLA, ect.), there’s a good chance that your book will not be chosen for bookshelves in commercial stores, libraries, and schools. It’s not uncommon for schools to require books to be in APA for medical books and degrees while other textbooks on certain matters for researched content may want MLA. Overall, commercial or public consumption often falls under the CMS standards though they aren’t as strict as academic and textbooks can be. These tend to be far more artful and allow more creative means. That doesn’t mean go hog wild and go above-and-beyond to break the formatting until it’s no longer recognizable. We’ve spent centuries to develop these styles and for good reason. 

Limit Print Issues

Margins and layout are also defined under these styles. Not only does it help identify the anatomy of what’s on the page, but these often aid in keeping the content from printing off the page or deeping into the spine of the book. Headers and footers play dangerously close to the edge, but the core content never should come close to this. The information is far more vital if the page prints crooked, right? Often book designers will have to adjust the margins dependent on the printer and press they are sending the file too. For example, for a perfect binding or glue binding Print-on-Demand book we typically set the inner margin with no bleed. Meanwhile, for Smythe Sewn or sew-bound hardcovers we would have to add bleed/trim/margin for stitching and binding to take place. A lot of math gets involved in those final moments of a book’s design that can impact the final look, so be mindful that anything that is pushed to the edge or super close has a high potential of “being lost” or cut off completely. 

Reader Immersion

Lastly, the biggest factor in all of this is the impact your consistency in formatting has on the reader. If the styling and broken style rules are too many, the reader will be confused and most likely will stop reading or even abandon the book. Again, for CENTURIES, books have an order and cadence that readers for GENERATIONS have been taught to read. Breaking the normal expectation in certain umbrellas can have detrimental effects to how readers feel and perceive your book and its content. Bad reviews, low sales, and social media thrashing will be just a few of the impacts here. The way a book is formatted is designed to optimize COMMUNICATION and to alter that has dire consequences and breaks the connection with the readers. Immersion can be granted, but the moment the font changes without warning, or the content isn’t labeled as expected, the reader gets distracted or frustrated. Remember, you’re not formatting for you, but for the audience. Don’t cause chaos!

Discover More

Like the advice and information you see here? Check out the Formatting 101 textbook here at: https://4horsemenpublications.com/product/writers-bane-formatting-101/ . This book holds a variety of answers for those seeking to become typesetters, looking to self-publish their book, or simply want to learn how to communicate and prepare their manuscripts to get the most out of their designers. The Writer’s Bane is a curse and passion, both a want and need to tell a story. In this volume, you will learn the importance of preparing a book for layout as well as laying it out in a way that appeals to your readers of any genre including picture books, chapter books, fiction, memoirs, textbooks, workbooks, and everything in-between.

Writer’s Bane: Formatting 101
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Anatomy of a Book’s Page: the Guts!

Writer’s Bane: Formatting 101 starts with helping authors and designers to identify every part of a book and which ones matter the most for the genre and type of book they aim to create. It’s vital that everyone knows the proper terms and verbiage when trying to communicate with your formatter in hopes that they make the changes you want precisely and with little confusion. I can’t express how often clients are using the wrong terms and I’ve changed the item they said, not the one they envisioned. Let’s break down my top three!

Chapter Header versus Headline

This may feel like a small matter, but for a typesetter it means a lot behind the scenes for both how we design a chapter page as well as how we program an ebook and even the Table of Contents. Chapter Header is often just a number, “chapter #”, “week #”, or some other short and simple implication of a new chapter and its identification. Under the hood, these are the h1 programming tier.

As far as adding a chapter headline, or subtitle, that’s referred to as a headline. It’s often presented in a different font or more elegant font to make an effort to emphasize the theme or topic for the chapter more pronounced. You don’t need a headline or to title your chapters. Chapter headlines are more often seen in nonfiction and certain genres. Under the hood, these are the h2 programming tier.

Margins versus Line Spacing versus Paragraph Spacing

There are no words for the amount of miscommunication I have seen in my career and peers when it comes to corrections or changes involving adjusting the spacing. It’s important that when communicating with a formatter to be clear which of these three you are implying and be aware of the limitations or design faux pas we help you avoid.

Margins refer to the space between the page’s trim edge or actual finished edge and where the textual content lands. If you are creating a book that is Print-on-Demand or traditional print fiction style, this should be 0.5 inch margin. Many designers also will have a larger inner, or inside the spine, margin of 0.65-0.8 inches depending on the total page count and binding type of your book. Traditionally, the margin for a body page on the top and bottom are set for 0.75 inches to allow enough space before the 0.5 inch minimum for page numbers, header, and footer. In short, there may be very little a designer can change in regards to these design aspects if you wish for textual content to be closer to the page’s edge.

Line Spacing refers to the spacing between the lines of text adjacent to each other from the top and/or bottom of it. This is often called leading as well, and it’s common to have a leading of 11-14 points when designing a book. Never should your book be double spaced. This is reserved solely for the purpose of editors and giving them space to leave editorial marks and notes accordingly. Double space is often used for academic papers for this reason as well. As for published and professional books, they should never be double spaced unless you are creating an editing exercise.

Paragraph spacing refers to the space above, between, and below a specific paragraph. It’s more common to have no paragraph spacing in body text with a first line indent of 0.25-0.5 inches. If you want no first line indent, it is recommended to add at least a 0.0625 inch space after the paragraph style. This may make content harder to identify though. Paragraph spacing is a vital part of a reader seeing when time or scenes change, special content broken out, or simply in a textbook which chunk belongs to which area. These should be used purposefully and placed accordingly. I highly recommend trusting your editor or designer. OR check out the Chicago Manual Style for aid.

Quote versus Pull Quotes

A quote or citation should always have paragraph spacing above and below it as well as left and right indentation to help it stand out. Some go as far as italicizing these, though that should be dependent on the intent of the author and/or editor. These are always within the flow of the content and don’t disrupt the overall flow of text.

A pull quote takes something from the content nearby and creates a graphical image of text. These quotes are often seen in magazines, textbooks, and nonfiction more than anywhere else. They create excitement or point out a vital statement that shouldn’t be glossed over. They act the same as placing an image or object and the text should flow around these pull quotes. Again, these are taken from something in the content and therefore is often a repeat of what is found on the page or spread.

Discover More

Like the advice and information you see here? Check out the Formatting 101 textbook here! This tome holds a variety of answers for those seeking to become typesetters, looking to self-publish their book, or simply want to learn how to communicate and prepare their manuscripts to get the most out of their designers. The Writer’s Bane is a curse and passion, both a want and need to tell a story. In this volume, you will learn the importance for prepping a book for layout as well as laying it out in a way that appeals to your readers of any genre including picture books, chapter books, fiction, memoirs, textbooks, workbooks, and everything in-between.

Writer’s Bane: Formatting 101
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Anatomy of a Book – What Goes Inside?

If you haven’t discovered Writer’s Bane: Formatting 101, you’ve been missing out on a lot of answers to questions. This includes what goes inside your book, how to prepare a manuscript for a typeset, and how to design the interior of your book. Let me share a sampling of one common question I get in workshops and email: 

What else do I put inside my book?

Front Matter

Before a reader gets to the first chapter there are several key pages that need to be there first. This also can impact how professional looking your book is seen to book store chains and should be overlooked. For example, everyone should be doing a half title and full title page, followed by a proper copyright page. These three pages can add a space to sign and a feeling of legitimacy to your book. Inside Formatting 101 I dive into great detail and give several examples of what these pages look like, their purpose, and an author’s reason for using one or how to use them to your advantage. In short, here’s a list of pages (in a recommended hierarchy) that can be added as roman numeral pages before chapter 1, page 1 unfolds:

  1. Half Title page – this general just has the title, subtitle, and often matches the title font from the front cover.
  2. Full Title page – this should have title, subtitle, series, author, and publisher logo.
  3. Copyright page – Title, Author, Copyright date, publisher information, design and editorial credits, legal jargon, Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN), and International Standard Book Number (ISBN) for all formats. Take a look at many books for examples.
  4. Dedication – Short and sweet. Often centered on a page or in children’s books seen above copyrights on the same page!
  5. Endorsement – Sometimes I see this before the half title page or even before the dedication. I recommend it here since it comes off cleaner and less jarring for readers.
  6. Table of Contents – You want to place this here as a dividing line between actual reader content and the formalities and legal aspects of what is listed above it.
  7. Foreword – Any words that need to come before read this book. Whether you are preparing the reader or having someone comment on the book. It’s often encouraged to email and ask for a foreword about the author or book from other authors or professionals that write or enjoy what your book is about. Even celebrities do this!
  8. Words from the Author – A more author centric foreword.
  9. About the Author – This is here for nonfiction books. Often readers want to know who the expert on the topic is before reading further on a topic. 
  10. Acknowledgements – These can go here or in the back matter.
  11. Preface – More common in nonfiction. This is often a statement of some kind on the topic to encourage readers or share something about the book. Often this can reference the fact of acknowledging a school of thought or piece of history that was not included and the reasoning behind it or where to discover more on the topics within.
  12. Prologue – More common in fiction. This is an event that the readers should experience that influences the story or shares vital information. Whether its past events that created magic to a girl witnessing something through a keyhole that will impact the plot. It should have a direct connection to the character or plot in some way.
  13. Introduction or Overview – Seen in nonfiction, this is gearing up what the book is about or what they should be learning as they travel through the content. Sometimes this may even have instructions of some kind on how to use the book.

Content

This should always start as chapter 1 or section 1 on a right page with PAGE 1. It seems strange, but many programs including InDesign force typesetters to follow this rule. In short, this is not up for discussion as far as the publishing and design industries are concerned. Be mindful of what pages fall between your front matter and back matter. This includes:

  1. Section page – Traditionally on the right or odd page. 
  2. Chapter page – First one starts traditionally on the right or odd page. All consecutive chapter pages can fall on either side or only on the right page depending on the amount of content or designers preference. More and more books will land these on right and left pages to save on page count and lower print costs.
  3. Body page – These are the pages that hold the rest of the story. They often have the page numbers on the bottom center or outer margins, content justified and uniform across the page, and headers and/or footers. These often will have the title, subtitle, author, chapter, or subchapter information depending on type of book and designer’s preference.

Back Matter

This is very much like the front matter, but items you would prefer them to read and explore after your story. If you are working on nonfiction, this is often where to find more resources, referenced materials, and even tools for applying what the reader has learned or even fill in gaps that may be needed. For example, in Formatting 101 I’ve added a large glossary in hopes of catching any moment where a term is used that may be industry or design specific to make the content more widely understood to even those exploring book formatting and publishing for the first time.

  1. Epilogue – This is seen in fiction work where we get to see what transpired after the events. It can often feature showing the characters happy ending in greater detail, the rise of something more happening in the series, or even showing events from another POV for this one chapter only to reveal something more about the story. Again, it should impact the reader via their connection to the character or plot.
  2. About the Author – Unlike nonfiction, it is more traditional to see this placed here in fiction work. Be sure to include your social media!
  3. Acknowledgements – If you have one that is more than 1-2 pages long, you may want to place this here in the back of the book.
  4. Book Listing – Recommending other books you or similar authors in your network can be helpful.
  5. Preview or Sneak Peek – It’s not uncommon in romance novels to see the first chapter or snapshot of what the next book will be about. This can be handy for any genre to showcase that this is part of a series.
  6. Bibliography or References – Often seen in nonfiction as a means to cite sources.
  7. Endnotes – Many folks still use endnotes, but I do encourage you to consider footnotes since this works favorably for eBook readers as well as the only kind accepted by KDP/Amazon and other vendors.
  8. Index – Again, indexes are being replaced with the ability to have searchable ebooks and PDFs or digital copies of books. They are still very much curated content and take lots of time to prepare, but a personal preference in today’s world.
  9. Appendix – Content or worksheets. Materials you either referenced or provided, including excerpts of public domain material, is often seen in nonfiction. Fiction usually saves this for fun extras, coloring pages, and even the occasional recipe.
  10. Book Club Questions – Librarians love them and book clubs live for them. Don’t underestimate the power of providing these. There shouldn’t be a clear answer. I always tell fellow author’s pretend this is a chance to start your very own fight club!

Discover More

Like the advice and information you see here? Check out the Formatting 101 textbook here. This tome holds a variety of answers for those seeking to become typesetters, looking to self-publish their book, or simply want to learn how to communicate and prepare their manuscripts to get the most out of their designers. The Writer’s Bane is a curse and passion, both a want and need to tell a story. In this volume, you will learn the importance for prepping a book for layout as well as laying it out in a way that appeals to your readers of any genre including picture books, chapter books, fiction, memoirs, textbooks, workbooks, and everything in-between.

Writer’s Bane: Formatting 101
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5 Call to Actions to Include in Your Book

Keeping the reader engaged once they hit the end of the story can prove difficult. They came, they saw, they read, and now they are hunting for the next read. Adding value or some means of continuing to sell or hold the reader’s attention after they’ve finished “using” or “reading” your product is a daunting task. Especially since so many of them have TBR, To Be Read, list as tall as they are. What could you possibly do or say at the end of the book that would result in further action from them?

What is a Call to Action?

A call to action is a marketing term for inviting your audience to take the next step. This comes in many forms from links, to recommendations, to selling more books or other products. Depending on the author, you’ve seen this from joining a newsletter to checking out the next book in the series. Regardless, this should be easy, hyperlinked, and straight forward. Providing scannable codes and images can go a long way to encourage immediate follow through. Convenience is your friend! Also be mindful to use strong verbs to prompt a sense of urgency and to take action!

They don’t necessarily need to sell anything at all, but there should be some means of securing one of the following intent:

  1. A means to continue to reach or engage with the reader.
  2. Add value to the book or invite a means to keep reading.
  3. Gain something in return in the form of reviews or similar interactions.
  4. Access social media and websites to increase foot traffic and followers.
  5. Invite them to read and buy other books or more books within the series.

Top 5 Recommended Call to Action for Books

  1. Join my newsletter for behind-the-scenes and updates.

Having them join your newsletter is vital and should be the initial aim for any author. Once you have them on your list, you can continue to engage with them one-on-one. This includes the ability to continually provide a variety of calls to action such as attending live events, vote of book awards, reminders to leave a review and provide exact link to where you wish them, and so much more. It has been proven time and time again that this is the best means for review and preorders on new releases with 10-12% of your subscribers guaranteed to follow through. In short, out of about 100 subscribers, you have the potential to gain roughly 10 reviews and/or sales on the next release!

  1. Book Club Questions to aid libraries and book clubs.

Invite them to include your book as part of a book club! Including questions in the back of your book often provides a means for libraries and club managers to choose your book over many others. On top of that, providing a means for them to contact you for events or to attend their club meeting, special pricing for bulk orders, or even a link to getting signature plates here can add a more personal touch. On top of that, book club questions can often spark the reader to re-read your book with some of the questions in mind and provide a new reading experience. Check out our blog on creating book club questions: https://4horsemenpublications.com/a-handy-guide-to-book-club-questions/ 

  1. Invite them to leave a review.

It’s completely ok to remind readers and encourage them to voluntarily leave a review on their preferred book sites. Even when you send a newsletter using this Call of Action, you will be pleasantly surprised how many new reviews and replies from excited readers come pouring in. Beware of providing direct links to specific retailers, this could cause ebooks and paperbacks to be pulled down. For example, Amazon will unpublish a book that has URLs that aren’t Author specific or Amazon link. A great work around for this is using your author domain, Book2Read, or even LinkTree to limit being flagged.

  1. Follow me on social media.

Again, it’s always a good idea to make sure the reader can connect to you directly. Branding and consistency in how you are posting on social media can keep readers engaged between writing books. It also means you can share the things that inspire you or even cross promote with fellow authors to keep them coming back and being fed the content and stories they enjoy the most. Again, be sure to use the same handle across the board, utilize LinkTree or a website domain to make it convenient for readers to link and follow you via their preferred social media. Not every book genre works on every social media platform, so pay attention to where you readers are coming from!

  1. Next book and a sample.

Lastly, give your readers a sense of security. Let them see the next book in series or a story by you is in the works, or even done. Give them 1-3 chapters of that book and convenient links as to where to go to find it. Again, be cautious not to use direct links from product pages at actual stores such as Amazon, BN, Target, etc. Instead, use this as a chance and teaser to pull in a double Call for Action by combining this with social media and newsletter links. These are ways to continue to reach the reader beyond the initial action of “buying the new/next book” and instead, gives you a chance (and the reader’s permission) to share your author journey, events, books, reviews, and more.

Last Thoughts

Be creative! Call to Actions come in different formats and there are an amazing variety of articles on how other industries and marketing teams slip them in. Those emails where sections and eye-catching statements have been hyperlinked is another variety. You can think of these as textual precursors to what social media does now, with “link in bio” or even a “click here to watch more” great examples. 

Don’t be afraid to get adventurous. These can be blanket statements and should have the punch of those elevator pitches you’ve been playing with for agents. Don’t be afraid to express things about the characters, yourself as the author, or invite them to get something from you through your newsletter. 

Click here if you like broody, angsty demons that are legendary!

Mythology, Romance, and all the angst! Oh my! Check out author Valerie Willis.

Want to know the secrets behind the history and lore of the Cedric Series? Click here.

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You’re an Author … and a Celebrity!

Imposter syndrome is often the battle we face throughout our careers as authors, and the definition of success is a gray area that has no hard lines drawn. You’re not an imposter. You are now officially considered and dubbed a “Public Figure” in the public’s eye! Taking a step back, let’s first talk about the fact that once you decide to cross the line of writer to published author (Self-pub, small press, big publisher, etc.), you’ve officially become a celebrity, or in more legal terms, a public figure. 

WHAT? A public figure? Who, me?

That’s right. The moment you decide to become accessible to the public and engage with selling your work in one way or another, you fall under this category, and there’s some legal ramifications. Your rights, the way lawyers and courts handle your involvement, and even how you fall in the hierarchy of society shifts. In doing so, you need to be diligent to establish and lock in your public presence, pulling much of it under your control. Let’s break this down!

Legality of a Public Figure

In the US, the definition and first impact on who and how a public figure is defined was first set during the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan case in the United States Supreme Court in 1964. The decision of you passing into the realm of a public figure can happen in several ways. It’s been defined as a person who has reached some level of fame, prominence, or notoriety within society through luck, achievement, action, or even through no purposeful action at all! 

Yes, that’s right. You can accidentally and unknowingly become one! WHAT! In any case, action and achievement are the more important ones here that cause the main event for us authors. The moment you publish a book and achieve public awareness, this new challenge starts. Here’s some things that can be startlin. Even if you aren’t selling more than a few books a month, these can still impact you as an author or public figure:

  • Defamation and slander will be harder to fight without obvious proof of actual malice.
  • What you say can be held against you more so than any other time.
  • You have a responsibility to the public.
  • If there is a large enough presence and history, you can use public figure status as another proof of Identification for Notaries.

Establishing Your Public Figure Status

Marketing is the bane of any author, but this coincides with the ability to build stronger roots for your presence as a public figure. Being in control of your identity is vital, and there are several things you can do to secure your public image. Be sure to be consistent in biographies. Keep things up to date and use consistent branding, colors, images, covers, content, and more. You are the entrepreneur, and your books are your product, so commercialize how you present yourself. This helps with being able to prove and disprove your content and public figure status. We recommend establishing the following items if they are applicable to your individual journey:

  • Lock in a website and domain name
  • Copyright your books in your name, LLC, or Alias
  • Register you pen names as a company or alias 
  • Pull and own your own ISBN (self-publishers especially!)
  • Social Media accounts and presence (same naming pattern is a must!)
  • Wikipedia author page
  • BookBub author page
  • Amazon author page
  • Goodread author page
  • Register yourself as a business on Google Business and similar sites
  • Wikipedia book page(s)
  • Anywhere you can add yourself as an author and professional!

Imposter Syndrome

We’ve interviewed HUNDREDS of authors, and it doesn’t take long to realize we all suffer from Imposter Syndrome. You know–that gut-wrenching sensation that we’re not a “real” author and make us wonder why are we even bothering to keep this “sham” going as a so-called “author.” Sound familiar? STOP IT. These negative insecurities happen even to successful authors such as Stephen King and Jonathan Maberry, and it can be mind blowing. When we struggle to write, to sell, to do events, to do anything under the umbrella of being an author, we tend to doubt ourselves. But you became a public figure the moment that book hit the hands of the public or was posted within access to them. You’re there. Check out our article on how to deal with imposter syndrome here!

Growing Your Public Figure Presence

Now we’re back to your current presence. You’ve barely sold a book, so you may wonder why any of this matters… STOP IT! You’re amazing, and you’ve done something many haven’t–put a piece of yourself out into the world in the hands of the public. CELEBRATE. You’re a public figure, and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask! Venture out of your comfort zone to make it known not only in your network, but in circles and places you wish to be part of. How? Start growing your presence by:

  • Attend events by getting an artist alley or vendor table
  • Participate in panels
  • Teach workshops
  • Introduce yourself to book clubs, libraries, and schools
  • Send copies of your book to podcasts, influencers, book reviewers, and others involved in your circles who have proven status as public figures themselves
  • Participate in interviews
  • Create press releases
  • Introduce yourself to brick-and-mortar bookstores using sell sheets or one sheets
  • Create media kit or press kit for journalists

Remember: you’re a big deal now! You may not feel this, but you have the power to grow and make your presence known!

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4 Must Haves for Covers to Land in Book Stores

It’s every authors’ dream to see their book on the book shelf at a local store. In fact, there’s something awe-inspiring when it lands on a shelf at a large retailer such as Barnes & Noble. With the publishing industry rapidly evolving, even the self published author has a chance to achieve this. Traditional publishing is no longer the only path to allow this dream to come true, but there’s a lot of factors that impact how successful your attempt will be. You have to have the right distribution channels, a book genre they are needing to fill the space for, register the title in such a way, and more importantly, design your book can be the difference between a hard no and getting that yes.

We hear the adage of “don’t judge a book by its cover” all the time, however, in the world of selling and marketing, this is the first point of contact. Your cover has 3 seconds to grasp an amazon customer’s attention as a thumbnail, but that’s for digital sales. When it comes to landing on a bookshelf things get more complicated. Stores have needs, stipulations, and more that if the book’s design doesn’t meet these, you won’t get that dream locale.

1. Be On Trend

The most apparent aspect is making sure your book matches the trends. This means even considering changing your cover as the hot trends in your book’s genre and audience as they evolve. You see even the bigger publishers do this for books such as Stephen King’s The Stand with covers evolving in several ways. You’ll find his name grows larger with his popularity, that variation covers for television and movie adaptations, and even recent remakes to match current trends. In short, as much as you loved the art or that cover, you can’t keep your book competitive by settling on one version and hope that the trend stays. In short, your cover needs to sell to today’s readers, not yesteryear’s fans. It has to compete and be on the same level as the big publishers, so don’t be afraid to find a cover designer that can take this to the next level and this may come down to forfeiting your initial vision for the cover completely.

2. Spine Text

As 4 Horsemen Publications steps deep into year four of being in business, it’s surprising to see the gap in what readers are buying and what traditional says is expected for books in regards to word count and book lengths. Overall, books pushing over 80,000 words in all genres sell better. With that in mind, books with a 5×8 to 6×9 book size, or trim size, will have the spine width needed to have room to place spine text. If your book doesn’t have title, author, imprint logo, and series number (on top preferably) – your book won’t be considered for in-person shelf placement. That’s right, because they need the readers to be able to see what book that is among the sea of books, and added bonus if at a glance they know which in the series it is. Even the library system wants to see this more on books they carry! I can’t express how important it is for them to be able to shelve the 

3. Barcode Placement

Did you know there’s a book group in charge of regulating what a book barcode looks like? Every book in the market has the same barcode pattern and now large retailers including Amazon are demanding in 2023 that print books, paperback and hardcover, have the barcode on the back cover always in the bottom right corner. Why? Because automation is king and the more consistent and standard these are the easier to process large volumes of books. Your barcode consists of ISBN, or International Standard Book Number, as well as your book’s price. Barnes & Noble and many large retailers make it clear in the fineprint that they only carry books who have the price listed on the barcode. For example, 52299 on a barcode indicates USD, or US dollars with the 5 followed by $22.99 price. If your code says 90000, this means no price is listed and this book will have a hard time landing at brick and mortar stores.

4. Leveling Up

Don’t stop with the basic shelf needs! Be sure to take advantage of the cover and look at the trends for your genre. If you have a non-fiction book, you will be making space for the author’s short bio alongside the blurb so readers know why they are the best expert about their topic of choice. Regardless, every publisher and author should be using this space to add a modern touch and include not only website information but social media. With author platforms being number two in the best way readers discover new authors and books for over a decade, don’t leave it out (Statistics from Ingram, Written Word Media, BookBaby, etc.)! Make sure to add your book award seals, quotes or one liners from reviews, and “foreword by” are all great additions to catch the reader’s attention and connect.

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6 Heat Levels to Romance

Spicy, sweet, steamy, hot, mild, vanilla: All of these are various words used to describe the “heat level” to a romance novel or series. What do they even mean? And in the reviews, readers often leave infamous chili peppers 🌶️ or flames 🔥 to express to one another what “heat level” the romance story hot for them. So what is the heat level?

Heat levels or spice in a romance is often in reference to the sexual content. This implies how often you get a racy scene but as well as how intense, long, or level of description you may be getting out of these intimate rumble in the sheets moments with the characters in a story. 

Sometimes we can guess based on the genre and tropes a romance novel has. For example, erotica is going to be an instant heat level of 6 whereas smalltown christian romance is going to be a 1 or 2 max. Dark Mafia? Motorcycle Rebel? Expect 4-6! Rom-com or paranormal romance? Depends on the darkness and can range on averaging 3-5!

As an author, we often struggle to communicate what we wrote and where it falls in this insane system that has developed among readers. So, let’s take a look at what each level looks like from the story or camera angle readers are seeing these lovey dovey or intimately racy moments.

🌶️ Heat Level 1 🔥

Aww! They’re holding hands, flirting, and at last kissed! Camera can’t follow them through the door. 

This is where we get those describers of sweet, wholesome, clean, and more. We also see this as the first time in love stories typically more common in Juvenile Fiction or romance stories for Christian Fiction. 

🌶️🌶️ Heat Level 2 🔥🔥

Oh she’s making out with her crush and they’re dating now! Camera can see through the open door before lights out.

Now we are getting to make out and have public displays of affection. Again, we are still in that younger audience, or readers who want the romance vibe without the need to see the naughtier bits. Most authors writing here have a sweeter ambience to their stories and a lot more character development and drama unfolding.

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Heat Level 3 🔥🔥🔥

Making out, talking about sex, touchy feely – things are happening. Camera is following them to the bed; clothes are coming off – OH! Lights out!

This is the most common middle ground for a good chunk of authors and books that use romance as a subgenre. We are having some really adult moments, out of wedlock encounters, and talking dirty isn’t off the table. Granted, the naughty bits get rather close and heavy before lights go out and jerk us forward to the next morning and the aftermath of complicated character and plot development that it ties into.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Heat Level 4 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Oh they are going to do this! I see bras and panties. Things are thrown to the floor. The lights are on, but Camera can’t zoom in.

Let’s preheat the oven and let things bake. Now we are taking out time, really showing the body language and chemistry slower and in greater detail. This is your spicy or steamy romance reads who are pulling sexual content more into the plot or as something a character needs to explore themselves or the love interests being presented. We can follow to the bed, but the details are fuzzy and refined. Language and vocabulary may be limited but more daring in comparison to heat level 3.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Heat Level 5 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Camera is in the room, and they are naked and talking dirty. There’s a few explicits and even words like “cock” and “pussy” – WOW!

Now we are in kinky, dark romance, romance erotica, and things skirting at the edge of erotica as a genre. These sometimes will be labeled both in Romance categories as well as Erotica because they have thinned the line between the two. The naughty bits still sit second place or lower as for plot focus, but it’s become a huge element of the story. The vocabulary is vulgar and brash, the scenes daring and if you weren’t fanning yourself before this, you are now. Get ready to sweat, blush, and hide where no one can read over your shoulders more so than ever before.

🥵 Heat Level 6 🍆

Camera is there with a whole crew, asking for a leg to move so they can see how things are going into other things. This could be a guide to how to have sex with so many details. Wait, where’d that whip come from?

Unapologetic smut. Sex is the plot and is often a huge part of the world or characters goals, motivations, and conflict. Getting laid varies in many ways, but this is close up, play-by-play, and there’s not much left for the imagination to know exactly where that hand went and what they did once they reached their destination! Fanning and heart thumping, these books are meant to entertain and invoke arousal in the reader themselves much like their visual compadres on the dark, naughty side of the interwebs. That doesn’t mean you can’t find enriching stories, immaculate writing, and amazing character development even with intercourse served as the main course of the plot. Just remember, much like their visual brethren, it’s not recommended to try to reenact what you read.

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Keeping Focused During Your Fiction Research

Research isn’t just for academic or non-fiction writing. Many readers are pleasantly surprised when they discover their fiction books, whether high fantasy or historical fiction, have more truth or real world influence than one would expect. As a fellow author, I often tie in lesser known myths, history, and superstitions into my own work despite creating worlds not connected to our own. With this magical blend comes several concerns and bear traps that can cripple the writing process on a few levels. I’ve often been asked:

  • As a writer, how do you know when to stop research and start writing? 
  • Or how do you focus and break it down so it works for you? 
  • Furthermore, how do you stop yourself from falling down the rabbit hole of research and find yourself elsewhere hours later?
  • Wait, exactly how much fiction to fact ratio do you even include/exclude!

After several panels and workshops, I have found myself writing a workbook on the topic. Mindful that this is not intended to create excitement and love for research, that’s just a personal vibe I carry close to heart. Instead, Writer’s Bane: Research 101 is intended to help an author break it down and stay focused. How? Well, here’s some of the advice from me to you:

Break it into 3 Core Focal Points

There’s only three main reasons you should be doing research for any story, whether short story to an epic science fiction. Don’t try to gather research on all three of these and you should do this one point at a time. So what are these three things? Character, World, and Plot. This shouldn’t be anything new to writers who have done a lot of workshops and reading on the craft of writing.

Character

Pick a single character at a time. Cliff notes and bullet points are best as you discover something you want to add to your character. If you’re writing historical fiction, you don’t want to stray too far from the truth. Meanwhile, fantasy and alt-history will have room to stretch, twist, and even re-invent. Even though you are doing research, it doesn’t mean it has to be exact in this case unless your audience and genre calls for it. Research a little up front on your main character, love interest, antagonist, and supporting or vital secondary characters. It’s encouraged to do research as they arrive in a scene so as to not derail your writing and telling of your story.

World

Again, same concept as the characters. Focus on key locations and research them one at a time. Creating an ice planet? Do some extreme weather survival dives and note ways your characters will have to combat. What would be available here? Even consider resources that would be common or accessible that may rendered useless in areas. For example, in a high fantasy world, magic is legal in one kingdom, while forbidden in another and puts the entire party at risk of burning at the stake if caught! You can use real world applications to help decipher unique cultural aspects, but remember to be respectful of cultures, religions, and indigenous people you are using for research. Not sure if you did so? Grab a sensitivity reader and share. Work with them to correct any red flags you weren’t knowledgeable enough to see.

Plot

As strange as this may sound, your plot often will cause a snag or leave you unsure of how to best describe or execute how the character and world should be interacting with one another. Is there an earthquake? No problem, there’s tons of actual accounts on video, written, and recorded throughout history. Don’t be afraid to research even the smallest detail to help create a believable story. For example, the character making soap from scratch! Can he just do it with nothing more than a campfire? How long does it last? Can he find the missing elements close by? Can he even stomach the process? These are all things to consider that impact how this plot of making soap can even impact the character’s needs for the next scene… So if a campfire isn’t enough, then perhaps throwing them in the way of a trappers cabin or similar to help provide a way to access items. Don’t be afraid to consider the options and twist the plot to make a more believable story!

Do and Don’t Lists!

As you set forward to research, keep in mind often what you DO want and DON’T want for that focus point. You aren’t researching a bunch of things all at once, or you’ll spiral away from the thing you need in this moment to keep writing and derail yourself. So, the moment you can say “I don’t need this for this character” or focal point, pivot back a step and look for something you DO need. This takes some getting used to. Found something too juicy to let go? Copy and paste it to a dump file! This can be a great starting point for research in other areas, but don’t allow yourself to dip off the path any further! These lists also come in handy when you want to hyperfocus on building characters, worlds, or even a plot with certain aspects while keeping others out completely.

Set a Timer

Much like the practice of writing sprints, it’s always good to set a timer to come up for air from research. The last thing you want to do is steal time away from your writing simply because you’ve found yourself distracted by the content. Again, this is a good way to make yourself ask “DO or DON’T” what you are looking at at the end of this sprint. If it’s not on focus, change focal points, reset and refocus on the current focal point, or head back to your story and start writing! You may not realize you broke loose without taking the time to assess often. Research hounds such as myself can lose an entire day on a single point! 

Make Grids and Charts

If you have a copy of Writer’s Bane: Research 101 You already have access to some great charts that are flexible for any style of writing. These can make it easier to see information about your three focal points and make more sense. It’s also a great way to see how research overlaps or perhaps opposes, strengthening the development of your story’s characters and plot as a whole. Here’s a sample of a chart that works great at seeing your core focal points at a glance. This chart is designed to help you streamline your research ahead of time to keep focus on point. Creating a more detailed list on each of these points may help you, but this is a great starting point for those needing help to stay on course for combining research and fiction.

Happy writing!