Submissions and Working with Editors

Every writer, at least hopefully, will work with an editor from time to time. While we’d all like it to be on a regular basis, time to time is better than nothing.

When in the joyous situation (you’ve gotten something accepted for publication), there are some tips that will help you in your working relationship with an editor.

The first thing, even before you think of submitting your work, is to have your manuscript or article in the best shape possible.

Getting to the Point of Submissions
1. Be part of a critique group. Every writer needs the extra eyes of writers working in the same genre. Their insights and critiques will prove to be invaluable to you.

2. Revise and self-edit . . .  repeat and repeat . . .

3. When you think your manuscript is in perfect shape, send it to a freelance editor. You may think this isn’t necessary, but it is. Ask around for one that comes with recommendations.

Now you’re set; off you go on your submissions fishing trip. But don’t just drop the line randomly; be sure you do research and find the best spot – one where you know the fish are biting.
What this means is to look for publishing houses that are best suited to your manuscript, and ones that are accepting submissions.

After you’ve found a few publishing houses suitable. Read their submission guidelines CAREFULLY, and follow them just as carefully. Now it’s time for the infamous query letter. If you’re unfamiliar with queries, do some research.

Okay, you’ve done everything you needed to, and now you cast off. AND, you get a bite.

Working with Editors

Once you’re accepted by a publishing house, you will be assigned an editor. And don’t be alarmed, but that manuscript you meticulously slaved over, and even paid an editor to go over, will end up with revisions. This is just the nature of the beast—each publishing house has their own way of doing things. They will want you’re manuscript to fit their standards.

Note: the purpose of those long hours of writing work and hiring an editor is to give your manuscript the best shot of making it past the acquisition editor’s trash pile, and actually getting accepted.

Now on to 4 tips that will help make your editor/author experience a pleasant one:

1. Always be professional.

2. Don’t get insulted when the editor requests revisions. They are not trying to hurt your feelings; they are hired by the publishing house to get your manuscript in the best possible saleable state. They want your book to sell as much as you do.

3. Keep the lines of communication open. If you have a question, ask. If you disagree with an edit, respectfully discuss it. Editors are not infallible. Sometimes your gut feeling is right.

4. Take note of deadlines and be on time. This is your career, and in some cases your livelihood.

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children's author and children’s ghostwriter as well as the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move. You can find out more about writing for children and her services at: Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi.

While you're there, sign up for the Newsletter - it has great monthly writing and book marketing tips. And, check out Walking Through Walls (a middle-grade fantasy adventure set in 16th century China. Honored with the Children’s Literary Classics Silver Award.

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Items to Bring for Your In-Person Book Events

When I first started going to in-person book events, I would invariably not have something I needed. I didn’t always know I was going to need a particular item either. But now, after doing a fair number of events, I have a list of things I need to take and I take this one ‘Must-Have’ item every time.

First, my list includes:

Books (but, of course!) You won’t believe this but yes, one time I forgot my books.

Banner (I have a banner made that just says, “Meet the Author and Book Signing.” I kept it generic to be able to fit any event. Mine hangs for tent events but I’ve seen the ones that stand. That’s my next investment.)

Tablecloth (I invested in a large rectangular—maybe 120 inches long--no-iron tablecloth. You can always make a longer cloth fit a smaller table but you can’t stretch it to fit longer one.)

Book stands (to stand my books up for more visibility)

Business cards and Holders (obvious)

Signs and Plastic Holders (these are signs I’ve created and printed at home that say something like “Book Sale and Price” and I place them inside plastic holders that stand up. You need a sign that says you are selling books and for how much. It just makes sense if you’re selling anything to have a sign saying what you’re selling and the price.)

Bookmarks (I use them as promo items but I also give one to everyone who purchases a book.)

Newslettes Sign-Up Sheets (I also have a plastic sign promoting the Free Ebook they receive for signing up.)

Pens (for that exciting time when you get to sign your book to a buyer/reader!)

Glasses (I need them to see! You can omit these from your list if you don’t need them.)

Table Decorations (For me, I have toys because I’m a children’s author, but I’ve seen people have all sorts of items related to their books.)

Credit Card Scanner (Don’t miss a sale because you can only take cash.)

Ipad/Phone (to run the credit card scanner)

Candy dish and candy (because everybody likes food)

Money Bag (To keep all the money you’ll need when you sell your books and to make change)

Now, for the ‘Must Have’ Item—it’s a clear rectangular box that keeps all my “must have’s.” It is invaluable, did I say it’s something you really gotta have?!

Anyway, here’s what’s inside my box:

You can expand on my items adding more or taking less depending on what you think you’ll need but these things, man, I’ve been so glad I had them.

A folder with my Newsletter Sign Up Sheets (I have a bunch in my folder, just in case I run out. In fact, at one event, another author borrowed one because they forgot theirs.)

Pens (Lots of them in different colors because I like to sign my children’s books in fun, matching colors to the cover)

More Glasses (just in case I forget the ones I usually wear)

Scissors (heavy duty ones that’ll cut through anything)

Clothespins (You just never know when you’re going to need to clip something)

Tape (both clear and painters tape—for times when you don’t want the tape to stick to something)

Stapler

Nametag (it’s important to wear a nametag. It shouldn’t just have your name, but also indicate that you’re an author. I can’t tell you how many times people are surprised when they find out I’m the author of the books I’m selling)

Square Reader with Sign that says I accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover

Clips to hold your tablecloth down (like picnic table clips—these are fabulous when you’re at an outdoor event and it’s windy)

Zipties (you gotta have these—invaluable, I say!)

Ziptie cutters (my heavy duty scissors don’t quite cut it, haha!)

Extra business cards

Baggies (you’d be surprised, but sometimes you need to put something in a baggie)

Hand sanitizer (you shake a lot of hands, just saying)

And last but not least, I have a rock (this came from a particularly windy day and everything was blowing everywhere and some kind soul handed me a rock, it was a lifesaver!)

This box is probably 12 x 9 x 3 or 4 inches high

It’s one of those things that keeps all my small items in one place and I can just grab it and go knowing that I have everything I need in it!

Another note: I always pack up the night before by going over my list.

And one more thing: I graduated from a rolling bin to a wagon just because I had to stack everything up in a rolly bin and in a wagon, I have more space to spread out and keep things only 2 items high. It’s easier to keep organized and find what I need.

Sometimes when I’m setting up my table and I’ve stacked things 4 high, the very thing I need first is at the bottom. But, my new wagon, the table cloth is on the side and I can grab it first without having to move anything else. Plus, it has great wheels which makes it easy to turn in tight places (which is usually is behind tables and up against a wall or another table).

Hope this helps you be prepared for your next in-person event. And if you have something else you’d like to add, I’d love to hear it!

Wanda Luthman has her Masters of Arts in both Mental Health Counseling and Guidance Counseling from Rollins College located in beautiful Winter Park, Florida. She has worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Adjunct Professor, and Hospice Counselor for teens. She’s currently a Guidance Counselor at a local High School. She is an award-winning, best-selling, international author who has self-published 5 children’s books (The Lilac Princess, A Turtle’s Magical Adventure, Gloria and the Unicorn, Little Birdie, and Franky the Finicky Flamingo). She belongs to the National Pen Women Organization in Cape Canaveral; the Florida’s Writers Association; Space Coast Authors; and Brevard Authors Forum. She presently resides in Brevard County Florida with her husband of 22 years and 2 dogs. Her daughter is away at college, like Little Birdie, she has left the nest. To download a free ebook, visit Wanda Luthman’s website at www.wandaluthmanwordpress.com and follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wluthman.

Importance of Email Signatures with Award-Winning Author

Your Email Signature: Choosing Courteous and Great Marketing

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Borrowed from Carolyn’s free #SharingwithWriters newsletter that has been helping writers succeed since 2003.

In a public e-mail to her clients, someone near and dear to me (an expert) said most people look at the first two lines of an email. That’s it. They aren’t interested in fishing through pages of post-signature blather. People need to have ways to learn about you, not reasons to put up shields.” She advised three or four lines, tops.

Boy, did that set me off. So, these people we send mail to are in such a hurry that they’d rather spend time looking in dozens of places for the information that could just as easily have been in the contact’s e-mail signature?

Here’s my rant—er . . . rebuttal:

My old friend, I so disagree with this.

For one thing, there are no fast rules. Much depends on a writer’s preferred genre. Another depends on the author’s personality. But more than that, I view a signature as a courtesy. Put that word in caps! COURTESY!

There is nothing more annoying than getting an e-mail from someone who doesn't have proper contact information in it. And the trouble is, depending on what the recipient plans to do with the email, it is difficult for the sender to know exactly what will make the life of that contact easier.

Will she need your website address? Will including your Twitter moniker help her in some way? Won't the repeated visual of your book cover to your contacts help your branding? And if your contact has seen your cover before, will it hurt her that much to see it again? Especially considering that old marketing advice based on research that people need to see something seven times before they act on it.

And don't you––as an author or someone whose business it is to help authors--want to sell as many books as possible and to get as much media attention as possible?

In the PR world the winner is the person who makes it easiest on the gatekeeper to do her job. It is a busy world. She doesn't need to be searching for information, especially information that could easily go into a signature.

To arbitrarily tell anyone how to sign their emails without any idea of the tone or purpose of the email seems presumptuous to me. When signatures eliminate something that will help me help them, I may get annoyed. Depending on how busy I am, I may move on to greener fields (meaning a source that understands this gatekeeper’s needs and respects her time!)

I hope you will consider this alternative view. Many authors are already far too reluctant to get the word about their books out there. Having agents, publishers or even fellow authors tell them to arbitrarily limit information in their signatures may encourage their reluctance to do right by their books—and their own careers.

Here is the signature (with permission) used by an author and director of several South Florida book fairs. It could be flashier (maybe include some social network addresses), but it is also quiet enough for most authors to feel comfortable with a similar one:

Hugs, [Yes, hugs. Even rants are mostly designed to help and make enemies!]

CHJ

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a former journalist, retailer, and marketer who started publishing how-to books for writers for the classes she taught for UCLA Extension’s renowned Writers’ Program. Members of the California Legislature named her Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment. Learn more about her how-to books and her creative writing at http://howtodoitfrugally.com. Learn more about book promotion (and avoiding being the reluctant book promoter!) in her The Frugal Book Promoter and the rest of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for write http://bit.ly/HowToDoItFrugally.com. Subscribe to her #SharingwithWriters newsletter at http://bit.ly/SWWNewsletter where you’ll find a great free Writers’ Resource section, too. The newsletter subscription form is at the top right of almost every page.

What You Need to Start a Business Online

I was thinking how I got started in my professional career as a Virtual Assistant and decided this might be a good article for those thinking about starting up their own business.

So, here are 10 tips to help you get started:

1. You need a place where you are happy and can concentrate without interruptions. Someplace with lots of light and connections for your computer and printer.

2. Desk: It can be a simple lap desk to a fancy height-adjustable desk. Whatever makes you content. Don’t forget that comfortable chair. You might be in it for hours at a time.

3. Computers: I like a laptop that you can take anywhere you want or need. If the weather is nice you might want to set up a place outside where birds are singing.

4. Put some peaceful pictures all around you. It might be of your husband and kids to pictures of nature. Maybe you like certain collectibles. Whatever it is, make sure it makes you smile.

5. I’ve heard that green plants are important for your health. So, try to arrange a few around you: Spider plants, Indoor Pothos (indoor air purifier), Lady Palm and Bamboo Palm are all air purifiers.

6. What business are you interested in doing? Selling, marketing, promotions, graphic designing, etc.

7. What’s your Name going to be? Think hard about this because you’ll want it to reflect what you do. For instance: Selling. If you are going to sell online, you need a catchy name. If you were selling ocean products - Sea Sell

8. Don’t forget you’ll need that most important Website. There are many to choose from. Here are a few: Wordpress, Homestead, GoDaddy, Weebly and many more. Just Google it.

9. Rates: What are you going to charge? Are you going to charge hourly, monthly, or by the project? Maybe a combination of all three. Figure out the best potential for your business ability.

10. How are you going to collect the money? I like PayPal.

I hope this has given you plenty to think about.

If you are an author, then writing is your business. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s something you’re going to enjoy doing every day.

Linda Barnett-Johnson, is a Virtual Assistant for authors and enjoys writing poetry, short stories, articles about writing and making up quotes. Many of her articles and poetry have been published. She’s a former editor, former assistant editor of Long Story Short ezine, former administrative director of Long Story Short School of Writing. You can locate her website here: www.lindabarnett-johnson.com She also posts new books, writing articles and author interviews on her blog: http://lindabarnett-johnson.blogspot.com/ Always looking for guest bloggers that would post writing tips, articles and anything to do with writing.

SEO for Authors Part5: Marketing Trends to Be Aware Of

We're back with more SEO for Authors. Part 5 goes over the marketing trends you should be aware of.


- Did you know that 75% of searchers will NOT go past the first page of the search results?

- Did you know that up to 80% of searchers ignore paid ads. They go right to the organic results.

- Did you know that traffic from search engines is more likely to result in conversion?

This information is from Marketo (1) and their blog offered what marketers should be paying attention to. And, if you're an author and have a book for sale, you're a marketer . . . a book marketer.

So, let's go over the 3 tips Marketo offered:

1. Video is taking over the rankings.

Studies show that 60% of people rather watch video than read text.

Fifty-five percent of current Google search results has a minimum of one video.

That's just over half of all search results has a video embedded in the blog post or webpage.

Keep in mind that YouTube is owned by Google, so is it any wonder why this will be the case? Google is favoring video.

This is something I'm not thrilled about as I prefer text over video. But as a marketer, you have to go with the flow.

Bonus tip: Create descriptions.

Randy Fishkin (2) recommends taking advantage of ‘rich snippets’.

These are the descriptions you can give to your videos, images, and other content on most CMSs (content management systems), like WordPress.

If you’re on Blogger.com, you don’t have the option of optimizing your images or video with keywords or descriptions. There are other ‘free’ website hosting platforms that don’t have this capability also.

This is one of the HUGE benefits of using a CMS like WordPress.

What does this mean for you, the author?

If you're not using video already, start incorporating it into your blogposts and on your webpages. The sooner the better.

And, be sure to create a transcript of your video.

Along with the importance of using video for visitors to your site, Fishkin highly recommends that you provide a transcript of the videos within the blog post.

The reason for this is SEO is text oriented. This means while people love video, search engines still use text to gather information from your content.

This for me won’t be difficult as I start with an article or some form of content before I create an animation or video.

2. Google is working on voice searches.

Just like you ask Alexa or Siri questions by talking, Google intends to have voice searches.

This means it will be important to use phrases that people will be saying for searches rather than simply keywords.

Marketo suggests using long-tail-keywords, but it’d probably be a good idea to include LSI keywords (synonyms for the topic) as well. 

What does this mean for you, the author?

When writing your content think how people might actually ask a search question about your topic. Then try to write with that in mind. Use long-tail-keywords and LSI keywords to give a broader target.

3. You will need to have a 'mobile-responsive website.

A mobile-friendly or mobile-responsive website is one that can be navigated via a mobile device, like an iPhone.

This means that if someone lands on your website via their mobile devise, they will be able to get to all your pages through a visible menu. While it won’t look exactly like it will on your laptop or computer, it’s able to be navigated.

This is super-important as the results from searchers using mobile devises will take priority over desktops and laptops.

What's this mean for you, the author?

It's simple, make sure your website is mobile-responsive – Google will be more likely to use sites that are mobile-friendly than not.

If you're not sure, look up your site on your mobile phone. If it’s easy to navigate to the different pages, it’s good to go. If it’s not, then look for another theme.

Or, you can check if your site is mobile friendly by using:
https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly

Now it’s on to more SEO tips from Neil Patel.

In an article over at Patel’s (3), it notes that Google makes around 500+ algorithm updates a year.

While most of these updates don’t have real significance to authors and bloggers, a couple of them do.

4. Fluff or thin content is out.

According to Search Engine Land (4), if you want to show ads or promote affiliate links on your blog post, MAKE SURE the post is full of useful and 'relevant to your site' information.

In other words, don't write a blog post just to promote an affiliate link or your product. Write an informative post for the reader and naturally add the promo if it works smoothly.

This has been done a lot in the past. Affiliate bloggers would write posts just to promote their affiliate link. The content wasn’t very helpful to the reader, but the blogger didn’t care. They simply wanted the opportunity to get a click on their link and hopefully make a sale.

Those days are over.

Google is watching and sites with 'thin content' or what I like to call ‘fluff content’ will be penalized. This means Google won't send traffic to their site.

While most, if not all, of Writers on the Move’s readers don’t use this blogging strategy, I thought I should include it . . . just in case.

5. Google boosted its 'rich snippets'.

A rich snippet or featured snippet is Google’s answer to a searcher’s query.

Supposedly this was done to eliminate linking to fluff content. In other words, Google is trying to answer the search query with what it thinks is the most relevant answer.

This often makes it unnecessary for the searcher to scroll down to look for different answers to their query. This in turn means less organic search traffic for most of us.

Below is an example of a snippet using the search query: what is a laptop:

For this one I searched for: How do fish breathe?

If you notice, Google highlights the best answer, putting it at the top of the search results and on the first SERP (search engine results page). It’s giving the searcher what it thinks is the best answer.

And often, the searcher will get what he needs from that quick snippet or click on the rich snippet link without looking at the other results.

Why I mention this is to get you to think about your blog post description. If Google happens to choose your blog post as the answer to a searcher’s query, they’ll pick up your description with it.

If you don’t use a description, they’ll most likely use the beginning of your first paragraph.

Creating an effective description can matter. It’s what will help motivate the searcher to choose your blog post to click on.

Below is an example of using descriptions from Writers on the Move (WOTM).

I input a search for “SEO and Authors”. While WOTM wasn’t on page one or two of the SERPs for that keyword, we were on page three.

Considering there were almost 15 million results, being at the very top of page 3 is darn good:

Unfortunately though, it's not good enough as most people never go past page one.

But aside from that, look at the description. It’s got the keywords in it and it gives a clear message of what the article is about.

If I didn’t include a description to optimize the post, Google would have picked up the beginning of the post:

Writers on the Move will be giving some basic tips on using SEO to get more visibility and build authority in your niche . . . and hopefully sell more books. Part 2's topic is keywords and descriptions.

Not as appealing, is it?

What's this mean for you, the author:

Simple: Adding descriptions to your blog posts matters.

6. Deep and lengthy content, that’s what Google is looking for.

It seems that blog posts under 500 words are getting poor results from search engines. Even under 1,000 words aren’t doing so well.

Studies show that Google wants well over 1,000 words, closer to 2,000. Again, it's about digging deep down into a topic.

Neil Patel noted that bloggers (content writers) are taking 1-4 hours to write just ONE blog post.

For most of us, this doesn’t make sense. We write posts to be helpful, to shed some light on a topic we think our readers are interested in or should know.

I think my average posts are somewhere between 600 and 1,000 words. And, I have no intention of upping that.

I write to get the point across and while I’d love to be in Google’s rich snippet or even on its first SERP, I don’t have the time or inclination to write just to appease the giant.

What's this mean for you, the author?

Keep in mind that Google wants in depth content. It wants content that will be of real help to your readers. So, as the article marketing king, Jeff Herring, says, go an inch wide and a mile deep when giving information.

7. Another aspect of this deep content is the use of LSI keywords.

I discussed this topic in Part 4 of the SEO for Authors Series.

Basically, it's about using words/phrases that are broader than specific keywords and longtail keywords, but are still relevant to the topic.

According to Patel, "LSI keywords add context to your content and expand its reach beyond just the original topic." (2)

How it can work to create longer blog posts is that each of the LSI keywords can be used as a subheading for your topic.

I tried this with the keyword ‘book marketing’ using LSI Keyword Generator and this is the results I got:

It does give great ideas for not only subheadings, but for topics under that keyword.

You can use the free LSI Keyword Generator to find words that will work for your topic: https://lsigraph.com/

You can read the full article on LSI Keywords at:
http://www.writersonthemove.com/2018/02/seo-for-authors-part4-lsi-keywords.html

Summing it up.

It's all about the reader experience. Google wants your blog posts to actually help, entertain, or enlighten the reader.

While I’m not going to write 2,000 words articles, unless I’m writing and that’s where it ends up, I do write for the reader.

This post is close to or around 1800 words. I didn’t do that intentionally, it’s just how it turned out to include all the information I thought would be helpful to our readers.

You need strong content - content readers will value. Content they’ll be willing to share.

TO READ ALL THE ARTICLES IN THIS SEO FOR AUTHORS SERIES, GO TO OUR WORKSHOPS PAGE:
http://www.writersonthemove.com/p/workshops.html

References:

(1) https://blog.marketo.com/2018/01/3-ways-seo-rankings-changing-2018.html

(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXOfyii1ECY

(3) https://neilpatel.com/blog/algorithm-seo-updates/

(4) https://searchengineland.com/unconfirmed-google-algorithm-update-may-better-discounting-links-spam-268637

Other article of interest:
SEO Trends in 2018 - What the Experts Think

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter/ rewriter. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move and author online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.

If you need help with your author platform, check out Karen's e-class through WOW:
http://www.articlewritingdoctor.com/content-marketing-tools/

3 Tips to Help Launch your Writing Career

Your story begins with an idea, an idea that has come from one of your own experiences or someone’s experience that you’ve observed. 

To write your story, you first need to do your homework: read up on writing for children, read other authors’ books in your genre, take courses, go to conferences, join a critique group, etc. Write on a regular schedule and you will learn, through trial and error, what works and what doesn’t work on your road to publication.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? 

Oh, but there’s so much more. My own writing journey is a lot like a discovery I made when I became a Girl Scout leader. I went through the training, read the manual, and prepared myself to do whatever I could for the girls in my troop. 

What I didn’t realize until later was how much the Girl Scouts would do for me! I learned many crafts and how much work goes into making lasting, worthwhile crafts. Our troop spent a lot of time outdoors, and together we acquired a lifelong knowledge of skills and a love of nature. I could go on. The same happened when I started writing: becoming a writer has done so much for me I could fill volumes. 

Here in a nutshell, are the hallmarks of what I have learned.

Tip #1: Decide Where to Begin

When the urge to write takes hold of you, take some time to decide the direction you will take. 

• Nonfiction is an excellent place to start. You can learn the ropes while finding an easier path to publication than fiction. Editors are always on the lookout for good, solid nonfiction articles.
• Fiction is a world unto itself and much needs to be learned. Resources abound in your local area and online. Take advantage of them and soon you will be on your way.
• Exploring your feelings and beliefs, I have found, goes hand-in-hand with your writing journey.

Tip #2: Decide What You Care About

Build your stories around the things you care about the most. You will be doing three things:

• Bringing out what you’re interested in passing on to the next generation.
• Giving yourself activities to share during school, library and organization visits.
• Promoting what you stand for as a person.

Here is my list of what I care about most, and how I’ve strived to incorporate the topics on my list into my stories.

• Family: Every children’s story is a family story—the type of family determined by you, the author.
• Friendship: So important in childhood, my stories reflect what being a friend means.
• Nature and the Outdoors: Much of the setting in my stories takes place outdoors. I strive to make this appear a natural, integral part without giving away my desire to spark an interest in my readers to get outside to play and explore.
• Athletics and Staying Fit: Lots of running, biking, and sports are in my stories, showing some characters as fit, while showing others struggle who are not so good at athletics.
• Music: A few references to music are made—really, snuck in.
• Hobbies: Also shown as an integral part of my stories. Learning the importance of having a hobby is a gift I received from my dad, who had several serious hobbies. I would like to pass on the place a hobby can have in a person’s life.
• These last two go without saying: Appearance and the Importance of Surrounding Oneself with Positive Friends, snuck in as part of the story.

Tip #3: Sure-Fire Ways to Become a Success

If anyone had told me how much goes into writing for children before I started, I wouldn’t have believed them. I have learned that there are certain qualities that will help you succeed:

• Desire: Essential to keep going through the ups and downs of your writing journey. I let writing go for a few years to go back to teaching. As soon as I left teaching, BOING, up popped that writing desire, a part of me that I know now will never die.
• Perseverance: An editor once told me she has observed that the way to succeed in writing is to persevere. The writers she knows who have stuck it out are the ones who get published.
• Write for Yourself while Thinking of Others: Ask yourself what your reader wants: a good mystery, a story that reflects a need, an exciting adventure. Then write that story for him or her.
• Above all: Have Fun! Have you ever heard that when you go to a party, if the hostess is having fun, the guests will have fun, too? The fun you have writing your story will electrify your readers and keep them coming back for more.

Image courtesy of: clipart-library.com/clipart/rcnrAGgLi.htm.

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children, and six short stories for children. Recently, she has completed her first book, a mystery/ghost story for children 7-11 years old, and is hard at work on Book Two in the series.  Follow Linda at www.lindawilsonauthor.com.

What is Writer’s Voice?

We often hear “writer’s voice” mentioned in writing craft books and courses, and are told to be true to it. However, I have found this notion confusing. What is my writer’s voice? How can I recognize it?  What do I do to use it in a consistent way? This post is for sharing with you what I’ve learned so far.

The attribute of a writers' voice is as natural as their speaking voice. It is recognizable, authentic and gives flavor to your writing. Readers pick up your distinct personality, know you are real, and speak directly to them.

How can we develop our writer’s voice?

- Use your natural pattern of word choice for each sentence.
- Write the way you speak, then revise and edit for grammar problems.

You might value family, courage, and caring for others most or you might want to write about issues of poverty, crime, or loneliness. Give yourself the freedom to express the things important to you, in your own unique way.

A writer’s voice is not style. Your voice is your own; style is much broader than voice. A writing style can be long and complex, or sparse, simple and straightforward. Style might vary according to topic.

Writer’s voice is:

•    Our author fingerprint, it makes our writing authentic. Authenticity has a great impact on our readers sensing we are real and speaking to them.
•    It distinguishes our speech from others.
•    The way we string words together shows it is uniquely mine, or yours.
•    We are the only ones that can express our thoughts the way we do.

How do we know, how do we develop our voice? 

Write, write and write more. Then follow these tips:

•    It takes a writing practice. Write something every day. Create a workable schedule for longer projects with daily commitments of a certain number of words or for a specific amount of time.
•    Write what compels and intrigues you.
•    If you write to someone who knows you well, that you trust, you will write without pretenses.
•    Your natural voice comes through when you write something you care about deeply.

Deborah Lyn Stanley is a writer, artist, and editor.  She is a retired project manager who now devotes her time to writing, art and caring for mentally impaired seniors. Deborah writes articles, essays and stories.  Visit her web-blog: My Writer's Life Blog/  
      “Write your best, in your voice, your way!”