Interview with Author LeeAnna Kail

We want to thank LeeAnna Kail for letting me interview her for the blog today. Ever since LeeAnna Kail was little, she had an interest in writing. In fact, when she was in the fourth grade, she completed a career project and dressed as an author with dreams of writing her own book one day.

LeeAnna attended Duquesne University with a double major in political science and English with intentions of attending law school after graduation. While studying abroad in Rome, Italy, LeeAnna had a change of heart and decided to continue her education at Duquesne studying elementary education instead. She knew she found her niche the first day of class. Inspired by an assignment from a children’s literature course, LeeAnna's dream of writing a book has come true.

LeeAnna currently teaches in Pittsburgh and hopes to be an inspiration to her students to follow their dreams.

LeeAnna, can you share some writing experiences with us?

In college, anytime I wrote a paper, which was many of them since I English was one of my majors, I always listened to the band, The Fray. I would sit at my desk with headphones in and just type. I ALWAYS waited until the last minute to turn my papers in. I am a procrastinator who works best under pressure and I would get in my zone with The Fray and just write. I got a lot of As on my papers.

What are some of the things that have influenced/inspired your writing?

My dad, who published a children’s novel last November, has been a major influence on my writing. Growing up, he would always help me with my papers. Because of that, I adopted some of his writing techniques. I used writing in my everyday life, whether it was a paper or diary entry. Writing was an outlet for me.

It has been my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult? 

The hardest part for me is starting. I needed to find inspiration to start my story and it didn’t come for many weeks. Once I had my idea, I then had difficult of discovering the problem. I thought, “Okay, if an owl can’t ‘WHOO,’ what else could it say? Why would it need to say those things?” So, coming up with the main parts of the plot was difficult.

The easy part for me was the title. I think a title says a lot about a book and I had that right away. I knew what I wanted it the main idea to be.
 
Please describe to us your relationship between you and your editor. What makes an author/editor relationship a success?

An author/editor relationship requires patience and understanding. The author has to remove any kind of feeling from the book and realize that though the author may be good with words, the editor knows the way in which they flow the best. My editor did a wonderful job of taking out the “telling” I was doing in the story. She did however; take out my favorite part in the story where the bullies end up coming to Ollie for him to teach them his cool words. I think that is such a special moment, and I just couldn’t get rid of it.

 
When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your books and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

I hope they will say that I used my book (hopefully books at the time) for good. This past year, I did a fundraiser with my dad that had all the proceeds of our books go to a child suffering from cancer at my school. For my book signings elsewhere, a portion of the proceeds go to Make a Wish Foundation. I didn’t write this story to make money off it, it just sort of happened because of a class. Fate has a funny way of happening. Because of that, I want especially to use my book for good.

I hope they say that I loved deeply and showed others to accept themselves.

  
Is there any particular book when you read it, you thought, "I wish I had written that!"?

There are so many! As a teacher, I’m constantly reading children’s books. I especially love “The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs.”

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? If yes, how did you ‘cure’ it?

Of course! Who hasn’t! I have several techniques of overcoming this monster: take a walk, grab a snack, plug in my headphones with The Fray blaring, bounce ideas off others, or revisit it the next day.

What type of books do you mostly write?

I especially love children’s literature books, although I have many unpublished poems.

Who or what inspires your characters and/or plots?

Random things at random times.

Tell us about your writing space.

It depends on the year. I have a Macbook. The places I go with it are endless!

Is there anything you'd go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career? 

No. Everything happens for a reason!

Do you do first drafts on a computer or by hand?

By hand! The art of handwriting has sadly decreased with the amazing technology in the world today. I am one who needs to write things down though.

How do you see the future of book publishing, both traditional, electronic and print on demand?

Well, two years ago, I went to King of Prussia Mall. All I wanted to purchase was the Hunger Games series. After an hour of searching for a bookstore, I ended up calling the information desk. Would you believe that they do not have a book store in that GIANT mall?! I was so upset. I am one who LOVES the smell of the paper, the feel of turning to the next page, and the feeling of accomplishment after physically seeing the book you just read.

With that said, I think there is an inevitable decline of a traditional book. Until then, I will continue to support the local libraries and bookstores.

What advice would you give to a new writer?

Keep writing! Believe in yourself and your work.

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You can find out more about LeeAnna Kail, her debut children’s picture book and her World of Ink Author/Book Tour at http://tinyurl.com/n5bul86

Follow LeeAnna Kail at

Twitter: @LA_Kail

Facebook:  https://m.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?__user=35107802

 

“Join Ollie on his adventure in searching for his sister and learning the significance of being different.”

About the Book:

Ollie is known for one thing in his village: he is the only owl who cannot “WHOO.” The other owls tease him for saying “WHEERE!” or “WHEEN!” or “WHYY!” and sometimes “WHAAT!” All Ollie wants is to fit in, but when his little sister gets lost in the woods, Ollie discovers he can help.

While providing insightful perspectives on diversity, The OWL Who Couldn’t WHOO offers educators, libraries, parents and young readers a fresh new look on anti-bullying and self-confidence.

Title of Book: The Owl Who Couldn’t WHOO

Publisher: Halo Publishing, Int.

ISBN Number(s): 978-1-61244-129-0

Genre of Book: Children’s picture book

Publication Date: Feb. 2013

Places where available: Halopublishing.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, by author

Back to School

It's time to think about going back to school. Authors, have you considered doing school visits? Have you considered doing PTA presentations or librarian presentations? Now is the time to make those connections with the school librarians, public librarians and the PTA members who have the ability to schedule special presentations, especially authors. As authors, we have stories to tell and we are hired to entertain. School-aged kids love when a local author visits and always have tons of questions. If you are an illustrator, they really get into demonstrations of how an illustrated story comes to life. What's your passion and what do you have to offer the children? I encourage all of you to go out and set up those author visits, presentaions and workshops. ---------------- Elysabeth Eldering Author of FINALLY HOME, a Kelly Watson paranormal YA mystery http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com http://eeldering.weebly.com

Hook 'em in: a three step process to writing a great query

The first thing any writer who wants to be published has to learn is how to put together a good query. Nearly every journal, magazine, editor, publisher, and reviewer wants you to send a query first. Often you'll be asked to include a synopsis.  For newer writers or writer who haven't submitted for a while, these terms can be both daunting and confusing, and they aren't made easier by the fact that words can mean different things in different contexts.

Queries

Think of a query as a proposition. It is the first presentation of you as an author to an editor and you’re proposing that they consider taking the next step and request a whole article or manuscript. Depending on what you’re sending a query for, it can be an idea that you’re pitching as a freelancer, or it can be a single page cover letter which proposes that they request a full manuscript. It must be concise.

Why Do Queries Matter?

Most publishers, agents, reviewers are busy and inundated with requests for their attention. Few will read an entire manuscript without having had a query first. So if you want your manuscript read, you need to query. Queries tend to be used as a first gate to assess how well you can write, how marketable your idea or manuscript is, and your overall professionalism. They are used to demonstrate your ability as a writer, to generate interest in the work, and to convince the recipient that you are professional enough to be a good long term risk. You will be judged by it.

Format 

The format of a query is fixed. It should have three paragraphs: the hook, the proposal and mini-synopsis, and the credentials or biography.

1.  The Hook

A bad or nonexistent hook will end your chances immediately. Generally speaking, it should be a single sentence. If your first sentence doesn’t grab attention, and isn’t well-written, the rest of your query won’t be read. It should be provocative, and ideally, topical.  Here are a few examples of hooks for well-known novels:

House of Sand and Fog: When Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military, sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, he unwittingly puts himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster; the house once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic, who engages in legal, then personal confrontation to get it back.

The Kite Runner: An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.

The Da Vinci Code: A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ.

Different types of hooks

• Era and location openers
• Character openers
• When/how/why formula
• Question
• Informative
• Attention grabbing:

2. The Proposal and Mini-Synopsis The proposal is generally one sentence put into the second paragraph. This is where you tell the publisher or editor what you’re offering. You need to be very clear, and include a title, a word-count, and a summary of what you’re proposing.   This is followed by a mini-synopsis, which is your entire novel condensed into 2 or 3 sentences. You’ll want to provide a little information on the protagonist, his or her dilemma, and how the dilemma is resolved. That’s character, conflict, resolution. It should sound exciting and should be brief – one paragraph of about 3-4 sentences is ideal.

3.  The Credentials/Bio This is the simplest part of your query, but get it wrong and all your earlier good work will be undone. Here you have to state your qualifications. This is especially important if you’re pitching a nonfiction book. All credentials must be related to writing or to the topic in your book. Competition wins, kudos of any kind, and publications are all relevant.

Finish with a good clean close that thanks the recipient for their time. If you’re querying for nonfiction, you’ll need to include a full outline, table of contents and one or two sample chapters. Fiction should be complete and as ready for publication as you can get it, and you should let the recipient know that the full manuscript is available upon request.

That's it!  Easier said than done, to be sure, but well worth taking trouble over.  Otherwise it won't matter how good your writing is - it won't get a look in.

Magdalena Ball runs The Compulsive Reader http://www.compulsivereader.com. She is the author of a number of novels, poetry books and a nonfiction book.  Find out more about Magdalena at http://www.magdalenaball.com

Snuck Sneaked In

How did the word “snuck” sneak into the dictionary and into our “approved” form of language?

This word is one of my pet peeves, and if you are an editing client of mine, I will strongly suggest that you use the “proper” form “sneaked” unless it’s in dialogue.

I think my reaction stems from growing up in an isolated rural area where most people were not highly educated (no denigration intended—they were wonderful friends and neighbors and would do anything to help each other in times of need.

But a word like “snuck” that was used as slang by people who also said, “The kids had their pitcher took at school today,” is an indication of that same lack of education or care about proper English.

It’s like “ain’t.” That’s in the dictionary too, but it’s still not “proper” to use, except in slang dialogue.

According to wiktionary.org, “snuck” is an irregular verb form that originated in the late 19th century dialect, but is now listed as the “simple past tense and past participle of sneak.” Merriam-Webster’s Etymology: akin to Old English snIcan to sneak along, Old Norse snIkja.

Here’s a link to an interesting article on “Sentence First: An Irishman’s Blog About the English Language"

And this is a snippet from The Word Detective’s Q&A, who seems to agree with me:
“Yes, ‘snuck’ is a real word, although it has always been classified as ‘substandard English.’ ‘Snuck’ first appeared in the 19th century as a regional variant of ‘sneaked,’ and is still considered colloquial English, but is apparently gaining in respectability among literate folk. Still, ‘snuck’ is not the sort of word to use on your resume, although ‘sneaked’ is usually not a big hit on resumes either, come to think of it. In general, however, my advice is to stick with ‘sneaked.’ Unless you're talking to Elvis, of course. I happen to know he says ‘snuck’."

What are some of your “pet peeve” words that have sneaked into the English Language?

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A native Montanan, Heidi M. Thomas now lives in North-central Arizona. Her first novel, Cowgirl Dreams, is based on her grandmother, and the sequel, Follow the Dream, won the national WILLA Award. Heidi has a degree in journalism, a certificate in fiction writing, and is a member of Northwest Independent Editors Guild. She teaches writing and edits, blogs, and is working on the next books in her “Dare to Dream” series.

Selling eProducts Through PayPal and Common Courtesy

Okay, this is kind of a rant on a couple of issues.

To start, I sell e-products on my website via PayPal. While this is a convenient and normally great selling method, once in a while there’s a problem.

The Cause of the Problem

PayPal, for whatever reason they deem necessary, makes it very unclear as to how to download your purchase once you’ve bought it.

This in no way is the consumer's fault. PayPal just uses a confusing way to provide the ‘instant’ downloadable link to the product you bought.

Once you pay for the product, you’re brought to a PayPal page that shows this:

“[Name of buyer], you just completed your payment.”
It gives the transaction number and notes that they’ll send you a receipt via email.
Under this you’re given three links:

• Return to [the seller’s email address]
• Go to PayPal account overview
• Add funds from your bank

NO WHERE does it say: Click Here to Get Your Product, or other clear call-to-action.

The buyer must automatically know that one of these three links is the product download button.

Just so you know, it’s the first link – the link to “Return to [the seller’s email address].

How is anyone to know that’s the link to get the purchased product?

Because of this confusing process, I’ve had a couple of people who have filed a dispute against me with PayPal over the years. While they have been quickly resolved, it’s annoying and time consuming for me, the seller, and for the buyer.

Fortunately, I was able to get online and check my email to find the problems. BUT, when super storm Sandy hit, I was without electricity for almost two weeks. And, I couldn't drive anywhere for internet access.

What happens then? What happens if you have a problem with your internet service or electricity? Or, if your computer crashes.

PayPal needs to develop an easier method for buyers to be able to quickly find the download button.

People get upset when they can’t immediately get their purchases!

This leads me to the second rant.

When Purchasing Online, Please Use Common Courtesy

My most recent mishap with a PayPal purchase just happened. I promoted a product related to the content in my newsletter, The Writing World. Happily, subscribers found the product to be helpful and I got a number of purchases.

This is GREAT and I appreciate every sale, but . . .

One buyer, after NOT 'being a mind-reader’ and realizing she needed to click on my email address to get the ebook, filed a dispute with PayPal.

Now, I can understand the frustration in buying a product, even at $7, and wanting it immediately. However, I buy e-products online also and my first course of action if there’s a problem with the download is to contact the seller, not file a dispute or complaint.

To add to this, the people buying were buying from a promo in my newsletter. These are people I send useful writing and marketing information emails to regularly and offer free webinars to.

This is where common courtesy comes into play. The buyer who couldn’t get the product not only filed a dispute with PayPal, but also sent me this email:

 Hello Karen,

As you can see by the receipt below, I paid the $7 for the eBook "Editing Books Like A Pro" , however, I have NOT YET received the instantaneous download as promised. Please send immediately!

Thank you,

OUCH!

I, of course, immediately sent an email apologizing for the inconvenience and attached the ebook.

Then I had to go to my PayPal account and let them know I took care of the matter.

Then, annoyed over the matter, I created a test .49 cent product, uploaded it to PayPal, put it on my site, and bought it through my husband’s account, just to test the buying process.

I have to say it’s sorely lacking.

After that, I wrote this post.

What's to Come

I'm sure I'm not the only PayPal merchant this occasionally happens to. PayPal is making enough money from its merchants; they should make the buying process much easier and clear.

Aside from this MAJOR problem, I'll still use PayPal, at least for the time being

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Karen Cioffi
Award-winning author, freelance/ghostwriter
Author/Writer Online Platform Instructor