New FREE short story!

Hello, awesome people! I just wanted to make sure you know that I have a new FREE short story out now! Smacking Back is a YA sci-fi about what bullying might look like a few decades from now, and about one girl who tries to fight back. The story originally appeared in a special YA issue of Coyote Wild magazine a few years ago, but this is its first time as a stand-alone ebook. I've included discussion questions and links to bullying-prevention resources at the end of the story, for anyone who wants to use it as a conversation starter in their classroom or book club, and I hope to have a print-on-demand edition available by the fall for any teachers who want multiple copies for their classrooms. This story might be for you if you like YA dystopian novels, or sci-fi along the lines of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies or M.T. Anderson's Feed. I hope you'll check it out! Download it for any ereader here!

Floating Stones: Are You Ready To Self Publish?

When people hear that my YA paranormal series The Darkride Chronicles is self published, they often ask if I think they should go indie, too. I answer with all the wisdom of Yoda, “Have you ever skipped a stone?”

 See, when you skip a stone, you try to make it bounce on the surface of the water as many times as possible without sinking. How successfully you do this depends on two things: choosing the right stone, and being able to twist your wrist just so. Indie publishing is just like that: The internet is a deep ocean that could easily swallow your book up, but if you choose the right book and are willing to learn a little technique to make it hit just right, you can keep it on the surface and in front of readers’ eyes. Here are a few signs that you’re up to the challenge:

 1)      Your book is the best it can be.  Some people have the false impression that indie books don’t need to be as polished as traditional (trad) published books. Nothing could be further from the truth. Without a trad publisher to “vouch for” your work, it becomes even more important that your book stand on its own merits, with a strong story line and clean copy edits. Join a critique group, solicit the opinions of beta readers (who aren’t your family and close friends) and workshop your manuscript in writing classes. Then revise it until you can honestly say it is the best you can make it at this point. If you have been querying trad publishers or agents and getting rejections, take a look at why. If the writing isn’t up to snuff yet, work on it, but if agents request the manuscript on the strength of the writing but aren’t sure how to market it or where it will fit in to their line, you may have a good candidate for self publishing. (Bonus points if you have more than one book you are ready to publish, especially if the books are related. Being able to release a second book close on the heels of the first can help hold readers’ attention and Amazon algorithms favor authors with multiple titles. That’s good news if you have a backlist or several “trunk novels” that are truly publication-worthy, but don’t skimp on quality for quantity!)

 

2)      Your book is well suited to the indie market. Most self published books do best in ebook form and some types of books sell better as ebooks than others. In my experience, romance does well right now (romance and erotica readers were some of the first to embrace the ebook format). YA and paranormal have the advantage of a strong infrastructure of blogs to promote them. Look at what self-published books are selling well and think about how your book fits in. Your book doesn’t have to be just like everyone else’s – it should be unique – but it helps to know if it fits into an existing ebook trend or if you will have to trail blaze new terrain – and to ask yourself if you are ready for the work that entails. 

 

3)      Your motivations are in the right place. If you are thinking of self publishing to get rich, think again. While some self publishing success stories have gotten a lot of well-deserved media attention lately, most indie books never make bank. You should also rethink your motives if you want to “stick it to the publishers” who rejected your manuscript, or any other negative motivations. If, however, you’re burning to share a story you believe in, or you want to build your readership, or you are excited to be part of an indie community of writers and readers revolutionizing the way books do business, your heart is in the right place.

 

4)      Your attitude towards indie is good. Ask yourself how you truly feel about self-publishing. If you see it as a “plan B” you are pursuing reluctantly, you may be better off continuing to pursue trad publishing. If you feel embarrassed to say that you are self publishing or see it as a failure, you may have an outdated view of self publishing as “vanity press” and need to get in touch with the dynamic phenomenon it has become. If you feel like self publishing is a lark and you’re just going to “throw your book out there and see what happens,” you probably won’t be willing to put in the work it takes to keep your book afloat. Likewise if you see self publishing simply as a means to getting the attention of a trad publisher: Yes, indie books are sometimes picked up by trad publishers, but they must be successful on their own first and the most successful indie authors are those who see self publishing as an end in itself and are proud to be in on the ground floor of the new publishing model.

 

5)      You’ve “friended” social media. Social media is the least expensive way to promote your book, but it won’t work to just hop on there and spam people with self promotion. You don’t have to do everything, but choose a few forms of social media you like best and start interacting with an eye to building relationships with other writers, bloggers, and readers. Provide useful, positive content. Reciprocate kindness. Play by the rules. Be genuine and professional. Create a web presence with a blog or website. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does have to be clean and clear and accessible. Successful indie authors see themselves as contributing members of a social media community.

 

6)      You’ve done your research. Learn all you can about self-publishing. Read blogs and articles, join groups of indie writers and readers. Knowledge is definitely power and it’s your responsibility to educate yourself. Although I have found other indie authors to be more than helpful, they are also busy writing books and can’t be expected to do any of the legwork for you. Google is your friend, so look it up! Indie helps those who help themselves.

 

7)      You’ve assembled your team. “Self” publishing is a misnomer; It takes a village to publish a book. Be realistic about what you can honestly do yourself, and be willing to hire professionals to do the rest. Hire a professional editor and proof reader. Hire a cover designer with experience. Hire someone to format your book for you, if you don’t have that skill yourself.  Consider these expenses an investment in your career and tell your team to hero up. (Check out my self publishing resources board on Pinterest to get a few starting places. Another great source of resources is the self-pubbing FAQ page on Tracey Garvis-Graves' site. Likewise the publising FAQ page on Jamie McGuire's site. Both are highly successful hybrid authors who started off indie and have since done trad publishing as well, so they truly know what they are talking about. )

 

If you’ve done all of the above, you may be ready to perform the ultimate trick and make your stone “float.” I wish you the very best with your book!

A Little Bit of KISSING MIDNIGHT.

Here's a little excerpt from Kissing Midnight, my new paranormal romance, due out Fall of 2013. This is a phone conversation between our heroine, Saintly, and Dev, the guy she's agreed to go out with for the first time.

           “Hey,” I say, “I was just wondering where we’re going tonight. You know, so I know what to wear.”

           “Well…” Dev draws the word out playfully, “I thought it would be a surprise.”
             I frown into the phone. “I’m actually not big on surprises. No offense.” Honestly, I’ve never been the most spontaneous person, but the last couple of years have made me cautious to the extreme, and after last night’s experience at the warehouse, I feel like I’ve had all the surprises I can handle.
            “Oh,” he says, “I think you’ll like this one.
            “Oh,” I say, “I’m sure I will, but, you know, I’m sort of more into schedules. Plans. Things that can be written on calendars.”
             He laughs. “Okay, fine. On your calendar, please write…” He thinks a moment. “Write the sky’s the limit.”
           “The sky’s the limit?”
           “That’s what I said. Now see you at eight.”
             Before I can stop him, he hangs up
             Super. Now what am I supposed to wear? Does “the sky’s the limit” mean something fancy? I seriously hope not, but, judging by Dev’s clothes and his car, he doesn’t lack for cash. I take my favorite dress out of the closet. It’s a standard-issue LBD, the one I bought to wear under my robes at high school graduation. It’s nice, but not exciting. And what if it isn’t stylish enough? I Google “Sky’s the Limit” to make sure it’s not the name of a nightclub where my little black dress might look hopelessly old school – or hopelessly high school – but no names of clubs come up. Ditto for band names and movie titles, and I can’t say I’m surprised: Bands and movies seem a little obvious for Deveraux Renard. A little… tame.
            A terrible thought comes to mind.
            I call Dev.
           “Hello, Saintly.” There’s a smile in his voice and a guitar solo wailing in the background. “I had a feeling you might call back. What’s up?”
           “We aren’t going sky diving, are we?"
             He bursts out laughing. “We aren’t what?”
           “Sky diving! You know, leaping out of planes? Or hang gliding? Or… kite sailing?”
           “What the hell is kite sailing?”
           “I don’t actually know. But we’re not doing it, are we?”
            He sighs dramatically. “If you don’t like flying, I’ll have to cancel the private jet.”
            I roll my eyes at the phone. “I’m not kidding. And it isn’t flying I dislike, it’s falling.”
          “Hmmm…” He lowers his voice. “But what if I told you, if you want to go out with me, you have to be willing to fall?”
           My heart does something syncopated. Does he mean fall in love? A little nervous thrill trips down my spine.
          But Dev is a player, I remind myself, and I’m not in a position to be played. Not with all I’ve been through.
           I take a deep breath. “I guess I would say that I prefer to keep both feet on the ground. I would say I want to go out with you, but not enough to risk life and limb.” Not enough to risk my heart.
          Dev’s voice is low and smooth, “What if I promise to make it worth the risk?”
          I lower mine to match. “Tell me what we’re doing tonight.”
         “It’s a secret.”
         “I told you, I hate secrets.”
          He chuckles darkly. “Then we’re not going to get along at all.”

FREE short story for Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! In honor of the occasion I released a FREE short story on Smashwords this morning. The Strongest Ring is a YA paranormal romance, and I'm hoping it will be the best vampire environmental activist story you'll read all day. (Okay, so it's the only vampire environmental activist story you'll read all day. But still!) This one doesn't take place in the Darkride world, but it does involve a cute vampire, and it's safe to recommend to younger YA readers, too. Here's the blurb:

"Seventeen year old Beck doesn’t consider herself a tree-hugger. With her multi-colored dreadlocks and her combat boots, she’s more at home working at Criminal Records Music than taking a stroll in the woods. Then she falls for Jordan, a handsome vampire activist who remembers Earth’s past and wants to save its future. But will Jordan’s friends accept Beck’s help? Or will they decide that humans are the problem – and the solution is wiping them out? A hopeful environmental message shines at the heart of this YA short story by Writers of the Future award winner Laura Bradley Rede,author of the YA paranormal series The Darkride Chronicles."

Interested? Pop on over to Smashwords and download your copy! Have a fantastic Earth Day, today and every day!

On writing the first draft

I'm currently about two-thirds of the way through  writing the first (very rough) draft of my New Adult paranormal romance, Kissing Midnight, and I've done a bunch of thinking lately about what exactly a first draft is for. Once upon a time, when I had just started writing, I used to expect the first draft to do everything. I was a perfectionist about it and easily discouraged. Now a days, however, I'm starting to understand that draft one only has to do its own job and all the other stuff can come in later drafts. So what exactly is that job? I think it's easier to talk about what writing draft one feels like:

In the beginning, writing a first draft feels like hacking your way through dense undergrowth with a machete, following the sporadic tracks of some animal called "story" - an animal that most people don't even believe exists, which sometimes only leaves you snapped twigs and day old scat to follow.

In the middle, writing the first draft feels like hand-weaving a loose and holey net and knowing that it will someday be the only safety net that lets you perform the death-defying trapeze act that will be the second draft.

In the end, writing the first draft feels like learning a dance routine that you only know well enough to "mark" it, rather than dance it full out, while your body is aching to stop conserving your energy and start doing the leaps and lifts and reaching all the way through your finger tips, and injuries be damned.

I still have a third of a book left to write, but I have it all mapped out and the end is in sight. I'm excited to get to draft two and start truly digging in and pushing this book to the places I know it can go.

Boston Here We Come!

Today is all about getting ready for the Boston Author Event! I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for New Hampshire, where I'll be staying with author Jessica Park and her family, and then Saturday morning we're off to the Omni Parker House hotel in Boston where we'll be signing books alongside amazing authors like Colleen Hoover, Tina Reeber, Liz Reinhardt, and Steph Campbell. I am extremely excited to meet in person some of the writers who have become my long-distance friends and family via the magic of the internet, and to finally lay eyes on some of the readers who have been so supportive and sweet. If you're coming to Boston, please stop by my table and say hi (and eat a few of the chocolate kisses so I don't have to lug them home!) I would love to meet you! I'll be off line most of the weekend, but I'll try to post pics from the event here and on the Darkride fan page when I get back on Monday. Have a great weekend and I hope to see you in Beantown!

Thoughts for my fellow authors on swimming naked

I read this thing in Nylon magazine (March 2013) about an eccentric Scottish baron named Lord Glenconner. He’s this guy who started an elite resort community on the Caribbean island of Mustique back in the 1950’s. If you can get past the imperialist stuff – he actually forced the folks indigenous to the island to move their whole village to make way for a hotel – it’s a fascinating story, because he took this remote land that most people had never heard of and convinced everyone that it was a highly desirable place to be. And how did he do this, you ask? Well, it wasn’t by conventional advertising and salesmanship as we usually know it. For one thing, he gave a prime tract of land away for free to royal Princess Margaret. But when asked how he convinced the likes of Mick Jagger and Robert Mapplethorpe to invest, he said, “We’d drink chilled white wine and maybe I’d sing songs. Then I would undress and plunge into the sea. They’d be swept up in the whole idea of living on Mustique, and that was when I’d sell them land.”

Which got me thinking. Not about moving to the Caribbean (although that would be nice). About selling books.

See, I know from experience that convincing readers to take a chance on an indie book is a lot like trying to talk them into moving to an uncharted island. It’s hard. Like most authors, I spend a crapload of my time on social media with other authors, and I can tell you that it is a Tower of Babel out there. People are constantly trying to sell their books, posting sale prices and giveaways and whatnot, and for the most part it feels to  me like we’re all just shouting into the void, talking to ourselves and each other and somehow missing a chance to really connect with readers.

To remedy this, I think we could all learn something from the crazy Scottish guy’s sales technique. Not the drinking wine part, because I think we’ve got that down. Not even the “giving away a prime tract of land to someone important” part, because I think most of us understand the importance of giving ARC copies to taste-making bloggers and free sample chapters to readers. I think the part we’re missing is the “plunging naked into the sea”. See, Glenconner knew that, if you want to convince someone to join you somewhere, you have to share the complete and utter joy you feel being there yourself. Not just tell them about it, either – you have to live it.  

Too often, we authors finish writing a book and we forget whatever it was that made us obsessed enough to write the book in the first place. We forget to let the reader in on the very real passion that sucked us into these characters, this setting.  We get focused on selling readers a product when what they are craving is the experience of being part of the process – being swept away by the story, yes, but also being swept away by our joy in creating it, the daring skinny dip that is writing a book. The reason readers follow authors on social media – and particularly the reason they follow indie authors, who are generally more accessible than trad published authors – is to catch a glimpse behind the scenes of the story, at the real human who wrote it. They want to see you cry when a character dies, read snippets of that first kiss in progress, listen to the pounding punk music you’re listening to as you write the breakup scene. Most of all, they want to feel the excitement, the pure joy, you feel in this story, the love that lead you to write it in the first place. Sure, it can feel exposed and vulnerable to share process with strangers – what if you share and they don’t like it? What if they walk away? But the fact is, if you don’t share, they may never know how much it matters to you. Find ways to be more open, more honest and exposed, and you may find that readers are willing to leap into the sea along with you, and maybe even build their heart’s new home in your book.