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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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!

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Amazon Just Closed My Account! Where Do I Go From Here?

It appears stepping into 2023 with Amazon has gone from a cobblestone road with a few bumps to completely lost in the woods. Visually, it’s equivalent to riding in a carriage with an angry Violet Crawley from Downtown Abbey before teleported to the woods at night being chased in The Blair Witch Project. So what is happening? Authors who have been publishing for YEARS are waking up to closed accounts without warning, notice, or reasons to explain why. Since January there has been a huge wave of alarm rumbling through the community. Social media is exploding as the community shares similar stories. Authors who have been long-time KDP published sellers are finding themselves with closed accounts without notice. And worse, met with aggression, no reply, or nonsensical answers with little to no hope of recovering these accounts nor being able to open new accounts. 

A Snapshot of a Rocky Past

Amazon has always had a rocky relationship with independent authors and self-publishers for a while, long before they bought out and folded in CreateSpace. This includes policy changes in erotica that sent a wave of blocked, pulled, and closed accounts to book review changes that continues to plague and confuse authors and readers alike. In short, they have been notorious for the inconsistency in which how and why they take said actions has been a mystery thwarting authors for years.

During the mass closing and COVID pandemic in 2020, many of these same authors were met with their audiobooks being held back, frozen, rejected, or their submission clocks reset while big publishers were still being launched as normal. From March until mid-November anyone under a certain size or account type found themselves completely dead in the water and no path for getting scheduled audiobooks out as they normally had been. It forced many to abandon ACX or find other methods to reach these channels outside self-publishing methods.

Why is This Happening?

It can only be speculated as there hasn’t been any formal statements from Amazon on why not only accounts are being closed without notice, but even big publishers are having unreliable data entry on the product pages (including here at 4HP!). Other problems include misspelled author names, wrong product linking (a preorder book had reviews for a kitchen appliance!), wrong BISAC or keywords, and more. Regardless, the question is: WHY?

Several news reports have been flooding Forbes, NBC, and more on recent layoffs and positions being dissolved. Amazon’s new CEO has been, as he phrased it, “making the company leaner” and many tech-based positions have been completely canned. The first wave hit on January 18th and again in March, with reports stating remote work stops in May, and that he “looks forward to the remaining team’s creative solutions” and “re-establishing in-office culture.” What does it really mean? Who knows, but we are definitely seeing an impact as lack of communication, confusion, and chaos erupts in our latest Amazon encounters. Rejections vary including:

  • Your account is associated with another banned/suspended account (Despite no history of one from the author).
  • “During a recent audit of your account, we found content and/or activities that are in violation of our Terms and Conditions” which doesn’t explain exactly what it was. This could involve:
    • Erotica was too much or a scene reported in a book that triggered this.
  • Copyright infringement. Your book had a cover, title, content, or something similar to a title already published. This one is scary, because in the recent months those who reported someone for plagiarism or selling content that they didn’t own, they’ve simply suspended ALL ASSOCIATED ACCOUNTS instead of doing any investigation work.
  • You mentioned trademarked items, characters, or used them. Fanfiction falls into this category and you should refrain from selling such works without putting in the effort to trade out and revise it to be its own book.
  • Enrolling in KDP Unlimited with a book sold wide.
  • Multiple accounts with the same books listed.

What Do I Do Now?

There are options! And more than you realize. For the sake of sanity here are some links and advice on options to consider. There is information out there and remember you’re not alone in this! Many authors are sitting there foaming at the mouth and in complete devastation (or completely in tears). It’s like that time you thought you deleted that manuscript or the cloud server ate a file. We’ve been there friend, so here’s some sources and options to soften the blow:

  • If you haven’t found Amazon’s verbiage on this matter, here’s their answer to what to do and if you can appeal from the affiliate side. There was a link and verbiage on amazon and as I write this, I can’t locate it but many are using the KDP Contact form to reach out to start communications on appealing: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/node/topic/GACDBRFKVDTXSPTH  
  • Want to start fresh with a new account but worried you might do this wrong? No problem! Someone has recently written this how-to, but be mindful this one isn’t author centric but has a lot of insight and shows it’s not just authors being slammed by this: https://sellerinteractive.com/blog/opening-amazon-account-after-suspension/
  • Kindlepeneur is a great resource and they have a wonderful article on this topic with the difference between Suspended versus Terminated with insight on what options you have: https://kindlepreneur.com/amazon-account-suspension/ 
  • PUBLISH ELSEWHERE! There’s still ways to get your books back on Amazon without facing or dealing with Amazon directly. Consider using distributors or aggregators such as:
    • IngramSparks, Lightning Source, or CoreSource Plus is one of the largest distributors for self-publishers/IndieAuthors to big publishers.
    • Draft2Digital is a wonderful option for self-publishers and independent publishers. They aggregate and distribute widely and reach far.
    • Associations such as IBPA and others have a means for members to distribute through their own accounts and channels. Also, they often provide discounts and coupon codes for using services or list where to go.
    • Find a Small Press or Publisher who takes in previously published work! 4HP is one of those, so if this is something you want to give a try, head over to submissions or check out the details on other publisher sites to see what their policies are on accepting such works.
    • BookBaby is a great author services site that has expanded a lot in recent years and added distribution options for ebooks and more.
    • Author Services and groups are a great way and if there are issues they can spot them for you before publishing the content live and have no risk of suspension.
    • Vanity Presses have publishing packages and you can save on them by choosing to provide the files for the book (typeset and cover). Ask about special packages that simply give you access to their publishing channels and how much this would cost you per year to keep your book live on their channels (though this may be the most expensive route compared to the ones mentioned above).
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What’s the Deal with Word Counts?

Ah, a great mystery in the industry that will blow your mind by the time we finish having a chat about this. Coming from a background in typesetting (book formatting) there’s so much that can be told about a book via its word count and the patterns we see across genres, readers, platforms, and more. Have you seen The Author’s Accountability Planner we release here at 4 Horsemen Publications every year? In this wonderful planner we have front matter to help you set goals and it includes this amazing snapshot:

Genre and Reader Impact

At a glance, it’s amazing to see where these numbers fall when you look at the right column in the image above. Depending on the reader you are writing to can decide how low or high you can go with your word count. Please note it’s not uncommon for Epic Fantasy and Epic Science Fiction to push close to the 200,000 word count range! Mixing and matching genre types can make the word count grow beyond the initial genre’s limits. Interestingly enough, looking at word counts on best selling books or staples for your genre and readership can be eye opening. 

  • TRUE: Books selling organically are often over the 80,000 word count range. This is seen within our own numbers in-house as well as industry.
  • FALSE: younger readers read lower word counts.
    • Upper middle grade (5th to 8th Graders) ranges: 45,000 to 100,000 words.
    • Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is often read by 5th graders and has 87,223 words approx. 
    • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone starts at 76,944 words but as the series evolved they sky rocket to over 100,000 to 200,000 words! Peaking at Order of the Phoenix with 257,045 words.
  • TRUE: Best selling works often peak well over the 100,000 word count range.
  • FALSE: The modern reader doesn’t have time to read so shorter works are best.
    • With audiobooks and eBooks readers are having an easier time finding books at lower prices as well as reading longer works in piecemeal. 
    • Short stories sell better in collections over the 50,000 word range.
  • TRUE: First chapters shouldn’t be super long. Many best selling novels have shorter, more concise first three chapters with word counts falling between 1200 to 2500 words.
  • FALSE: Chapter word count doesn’t impact readers.
    • It depends on the reader. When writing webnovels and similar serializations you want to fall close to 1200-1700 words consistently every time. 
    • Some even push as high as a 2500 word count depending on genre.
  • TRUE: Readers are ok with series word counts getting higher. Oftentimes we see novels go higher and lower. As long as the books don’t fall too much lower than the initial work, readers tend to not notice and feel longer works as a type of reward.
  • FALSE: You can put a short story or novella within a novel series.
    • Readers will riot. These are best left as spin-offs independent from the core series.
    • You can often make a sub-series of short stories and novellas to keep them together.
    • Readers do enjoy spinoffs and shorter works from their favorite series, but if it’s implied as the next book in the main series that’s been novel length until this point, it will make them feel as if the author didn’t put their best foot forward.

Best Selling Novels

  • Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes 345,390 words
  • A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 146,500 words. Originally released in monthly installments of 18,500 words
  • The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 455,125 words
  • The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 38,421 words
  • The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 170,000 words
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 45,000 words
  • Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery 39,500 words
  • War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 561,304
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 120,697
  • Watership Down by Richard Adams 156,154
  • The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 155,717 
  • Pet Sematary by Stephen King 142,664
  • Twilight by Stephanie Meyer 118,875
  • Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas 113,665
  • Divergent by Veronica Roth 105,143
  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 145,719
  • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 99,750
  • Discover more here: https://brokebybooks.com/the-word-count-of-175-favorite-novels/ 

Publishing Snapshot

From seeing a word count, a professional in the publishing industry can speculate and predict a lot about a book’s end product. Granted, it’s not 100% accurate but it can be startling to see in action. The first thing we do is make sure the word count meets the genre and reader needs. From there, we start thinking in terms of the final product. Here’s some fun facts:

  • The average 5.25 x 8 to 6 x 9 book page holds roughly 300-600 words depending on the design and font choices.
  • Most 80,000 word novels land between 250-300 pages.
  • Every 10,000 words often translates into 1 finished hour of audiobook. For example, an 80,000 word novel will often be an 8-9 hour audiobook.
  • Digital typesetting a 100,000 word novel for print and eBook with no images when utilizing InDesign can take anywhere between 2-6 hours. 

Wait! Formula Writing!

Even then, many authors have found developing a formula for writing based on word counts can aid in productivity. This ranges from writing sprints, to chapter goals, or simply being aware of the final word count target can keep the mojo flowing. Keep in mind that these just some numbers to be aware of when writing that may help you manage writing as a whole:

  • A 20-minute sprint will produce 200-350 words on average.
  • Speech to Text apps like Otter can convert 1 hour of talking into 2,000-4,000 words.
  • The average web novel chapter is 1200-2500 words.
  • Revisions on a non-edited 80,000 word first draft can add 10,000 to 30,000 words on average.
  • The average novel contains 25 to 50 chapters. Each can range from 1000 to 10,000 words.
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Your Publisher Dissolved, Now What?

Let’s talk about the unspoken what if or even for many since COVID and other buyouts – WHEN YOUR CONTRACT IS NO MORE. That moment many authors may have already experienced when the Publisher or Press you signed on for is Dissolved. What does that mean? It’s a technical term for a company closing its doors permanently. The reasons can range:

  • Bought out and discontinued by a larger publisher/press.
  • Company filed and dissolved (sometimes filing bankruptcy or the owner unable to keep the company going for personal or business reasons).
  • Lawsuits or other legal action exposed royalties unpaid and other unsavory business practices.
  • Sometimes it’s a merger or buyout that doesn’t renew most of the contracts.

Where does the Backlist go?

First off, a backlist for an author or publisher is considered a book that was released 2+ years ago. These are the first books in a series or start of an author’s career in most cases. Prepare for the industry to refuse your backlist, a staple that is archaic and old as time (unless you’re a big author like Neil Gaiman and still considered ‘relevant’ on the market).

Regardless of the reason why you no longer have these books published, this often leaves authors midway in series and trilogies, or leaving books that once made money unable to reach readers, new and old. Many current publishers and presses will not consider previously published work and often this leads to feeling like you have to start all over again. This isn’t far-fetched from a new experience self-published authors are also feeling. Often self-pub authors will need to pull all their books and completely abandon them in order to sign with a traditional publisher or literary agent with a new book.

So where do all these books go? Nowhere. They return to a shelf or obscure place on a computer somewhere to collect dust meanwhile fans search in hopes of finding that book again in a thrift store someplace. 

Backlist are Vital to the Industry

This is the most confusing aspect of the industry. Why the stigma on backlist? What is it that has left a sour taste in the mouths of agents and publishers? After much toiling, it still doesn’t add up. Let’s review some things you should consider:

  • Ingram reported in 2021 that 78% of their overall sales came from their backlist. This was a distribution reach that included many of the big 20 publishers as well as independent publishers.
  • Written Word Media has reported time and time again, authors with 20+ more books published make more money.
  • New readers will always start at book one in a series, so publishing later books (i.e. 3, 4, 5+) without the rest defeats the purpose.
  • Marketing as an author has best results when you have 3 or more books already out in the series.
  • A large publisher contract is only 3 years long, so books barely hit into the “backlist” zone for a year before being dropped.

What Now?

Let’s discuss what to do. Because the majority of publishers will not accept your backlist, doesn’t mean there aren’t companies out there that will. 4 Horsemen Publications is one of those rare gems, but even some of these publishers will allow you to self-publish the backlist. In short, here are some things to beware of as you get files back, or to prepare in order to revive your backlist. This can even double for canceling a contract and pitfalls to avoid:

  • Don’t feel the need to pay for cover and typeset (especially if the price soars into the 4-digit and thousands of dollars range). Most publishers will want to do their own touch on the book and it’s rare that they keep these even when provided. Instead, focus on giving them the manuscript instead. 
  • Most contracts cover cancellation terms and in the case of dissolution where rights can be reverted. Many simply need a written notice while others might need a more detailed chain of events. Remember to review these sections in the contracts you signed and call upon legal help as needed.
  • Double check the copyrights. It should be in your name with the publisher as an agent. If you discover the copyright is listed under the publisher or another name, you should seek out legal advice on what the next steps should be on this matter. A dissolved company may allow you to change it to your own name, meanwhile a dropped contract may result in you needing to buy your book rights back!
  • Prepare for a complete relaunch and makeover. The best way to revive an abandoned or rocky situation is to take a huge step back and walk forward again. This is going to be the best method to handle a backlist when a publisher takes it on and even more so if you decide to self-publish it on your own.

Will 4HP Consider taking my Backlist? Previously Published Books?

In short, YES! But, as with any book we take on, it needs to be given to us via our submissions page and go through our process. We love to help authors and the community, but we have a quality and expectation to adhere to in order to maintain our values. Whether submitting to us or elsewhere be prepared to provide:

  • Proof you have the rights.
  • Book is no longer available at vendors or for printing.
    • Print versions will always be available as long as someone has it in stock, so this is just part of that used book market that will always show up.
    • eBook versions should be unpublished and unavailable completely.
    • Audiobooks should be unpublished and unavailable, but some distributors and contracts make this more complex. Some are locked in to be live for 5-10 years depending on the contracts the former publisher made. Be sure when you cancel your contract or the company dissolves that you reach out to make arrangements to still get your royalties accordingly!
  • Again, prepare for a complete makeover. New cover, new formatting/interior, and relaunch!
  • Don’t assume the publisher will be ok with the former publisher’s edits. Some might review and decide yay or nay, while others will say no and do it again with their standards applied.