Tag: Author Tips

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A Handy Guide to Book Club Questions

Have you ever finished a book and find yourself dying to talk about it? You can tell others what you think by writing a review and see what others thinks by reading their reviews, but what if you want more interaction? Book club questions can help guide a focused discussion!

Readers love discussing books with fellow readers. They love it even more when they have somewhere to begin that conversation. A convenient way to make that discussion easier is to include a list of book club questions at the end of your book.

What are book club questions? These are 10-15 open-ended questions designed to be answered by people who have finished the book and want to talk about it. Don’t worry about spoilers—assume that anyone seeing the questions has finished the book. They already know what happens—and they’re dying to talk about it!

Have you ever tried to talk about a book with a friend, but you don’t know where to begin? A list of questions to guide the conversation can be a useful tool to get things started.

How do you write engaging book club questions? Here are some things to keep in mind.

  • Don’t ask yes/no questions.
    • These do not encourage discussion at all.
      • Did you like Character A? Yes. End of discussion. Boring.
      • Did you like the ending? No. End of conversation. Boo!
      •  Will you read the next book? Yes… You see where I’m going with this.  
  • Do ask open-ended questions that force the respondent to justify their answer.
    • These allow readers to explain how and why they reacted this way.
      • Why did you like Character A more than Character B? Well, let me tell you that, at first…
      • Why did you like/dislike the way the book ended? I think I liked it because I’m a sucker for love stories but…
      • What do you think is next for these characters? What do you predict for the next book? Why do you think that’s where this is going?
  • Don’t ask simple questions.
    • If they can answer in one word or phrase, it’s too basic, and the conversation will end without getting into the good stuff.
      • What was your favorite part? The bar fight.
      • Who is your favorite character? The bartender.
  • Do ask complicated questions.
    • Why is our favorite word when crafting book club questions. It forces readers to think about the reasons supporting their position.
      • Why was the bar fight your favorite part? What about it struck you that way? Why do you think you appreciated that scene over the rest?
      • What about the bartender appeals to you? Why that character and not Character X or Y?
  • Do focus on the themes in your story and ask readers to react to them.
    • Character X struggles with Topic B. How does this affect your perception of their journey in this story?
    • Theme C is a major part of the conflict in this story. How does this affect Character B?

Here are some sample questions from a selection of 4HP books:

  • In what ways did the characters and their challenges feel real to you? Were there moments when the story felt unbelievable? (The Shooting by CK Westbrook)
  • This story focuses on the tendency to blame the messenger when something incomprehensible happens. How realistic did you find Kate’s experience? (The Collision by CK Westbrook)
  •  Kate often says she would not want to live in a world that does not include several things that are important to her. What are some things you value as highly in your world? (The Collision by CK Westbrook)
  •  “Centurion” focuses on the anger of an old woman—what does her perspective on her life say about the way society treats the elderly? (Cheeky, Bloody Articles by Cathleen Davies)
  •  “Your Son’s Good at Time’s Tables” showcases a familiar situation—someone wants to speak up but doesn’t and then obsesses about what should have been said–can you relate to this feeling of missing the moment to connect? (Cheeky, Bloody Articles by Cathleen Davies)
  •  Many of these stories: “White Butterflies,” “Blank Face,” and “Oh, Rats!” deal with grief and survivor’s guilt. What do you think the author is trying to say about grief? Do you feel this is an accurate representation of suffering? (Cheeky, Bloody Articles by Cathleen Davies)
  • If you could capture the memories and emotions of a deceased loved one, would that make them the same person they were when alive? Why? (The Bench by Ty Carlson)
  • If data could feel pain, loss, sadness, etc., would there be a moral consequence for its cause? (The Bench by Ty Carlson)
  • The author was inspired by medieval period myths, lores, legends, and history. How much of this can you find evidence of within the reading? People, places, events, culture, or other means? (Cedric: The Demonic Knight by Valerie Willis)
  •  Who’s the better werewolf: Nyctimus or Romasanta? Why? (Romasanta by Valerie Willis)
  • Tony is thrown into his quest with little direction. In what ways is this vital for his character development? (King Incubus by Valerie Willis)
  • Who should Hannah end up with: Klauden or Rory or neither? Why? (Klauden’s Ring by JM Paquette)
  • Hannah struggles with the conflicting values of her homeland and her newfound friends. How well does she handle this challenge throughout the story? What could she have done better? What did she do well? (Hannah’s Heart by JM Paquette)

Including book club questions in the back of your book is the easiest way to get picked up by book clubs—and even libraries—but more than that, your readers will appreciate your conversation starters. 

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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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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.