Tag Archives: books

Discovering BookBub for Readers & Writers

February 25, 2017LiteraryAmazon, Apple, Authors, Barnes & Noble, BookBub, books, Deals, Fiction, Free Books, Goodreads, Google, Hone Your Craft, Kirkus Reviews, Kobo, New York TImes Bestseller List, Non-Fiction, Publishers Weekly, Readers, Sales, Stories, USA Today Bestsellers, Writers, Writing Skillspdpabst

bookbub

I recently discovered BookBub and have been piling up books to read! If your an avid reader, you’ll want to subscribe to this site because most of the deals are below $1.99 (US) or FREE! The site allows you to build a profile based on the genre of books you like to read and when they find deals, they’ll email to let you know. A lot of what I’ve been receiving in my inbox are from New York Times Bestsellers and USA Today Best-Selling Books. They even let you know when a book has had raving reviews from Kirkus Reviews or Publishers Weekly, or gained five star reviews from places like Goodreads, and more!

If you’re a writer, reading more of the genre you write in can only help hone your craft. Industry professionals don’t hold back telling writers to read more. Even famous authors, including Steven King, preach to read more to improve writing skills. It’s kind of a no-brainer, right?

Needless to say, I was thrilled when I discovered BookBub! (No, they didn’t pay me to say this stuff.) They even supply links to where the deals are: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, or Google. Let’s face it, most of us don’t have time to search the web to find the deals we want. Why not let BookBub do it for you? So, get purchasing and happy reading!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

HARPER Voyager Author Chat at #SFFChat on Twitter Today

February 23, 2017Literary#SFFChat, Answers, Authors, Book Promo, books, Character Creation, Chats, Conversations, Fantasy, HARPER Voyager, HarperCollins Imprint, Hashtag, Information, Inspiration, Marketing, Page Turners, Publishing, Questions, Science Fiction, Twitter, Writers, Writingpdpabst

Chat time! A group of science fiction and fantasy authors from HARPER Voyager have agreed to chat on twitter today (February 23, 1017) using the hashtag #SFFChat. The mingling will be between 3pm and 8pm EST.

They encourage everyone to participate, writer or not. While I’m sure they’ll talk about books they’ve written (who wouldn’t), they’ll also be discussing querying, world building, character creation, writing a page turner, book promo, and marketing! So join in the fun and get your questions ready!

And always remember, if you can’t make the timeframe, you can always peruse the hashtag later to see the Q&A that took place. You might find a nugget of information.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Monthly Mumbles: Book Covers (or Lacking)

February 15, 2017LiteraryAdult, Advertising, Artists, Authors, Book Blurb, Book Covers, books, Cover Art, Create, Designs, Digital Art, Digital Editing, Drawings, Editing, Eye Candy, Fiction, Illustrations, Illustrators, Imaging, Inspiration, Manuscripts, Marketing, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Photography, Photos, Professional, publisher, Stimulate, Stories, Titles, Words, Writer, Young Adultpdpabst

Please note, these are solely my thoughts and nothing more. But, I had to share, regardless of how shallow my readers might think me to be. Recently I got asked to select a free book from a publisher to read. It was my choice, so I could’ve selected anything. I was slightly familiar with the publisher, since I know someone that edits for them. Thus, I was thrilled to take my freebie! (Besides…booooooks people!)

Now, we’ve all heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”. And sure, this holds true for many things, especially humans. But in marketing, what’s in front of a consumer must be visually stimulating. And I confess, I am a consumer that needs roused to pick up a book before I’ve ever read the blurb. But from a marketing standpoint, this is just smart business!

So, imagine my dismay as I perused unpleasant cover art from various titles to select my awarded freebie. Most looked cheaply done or simply didn’t mesh with the title. And forgive me for this, but I judge the lack of detail given to a book’s cover as indication of the lack of editing probably given to the story. My eyes will roam over the cover and move along to the next. And with technology today, there simply isn’t a good reason to have bad cover art!

As authors, we don’t always have control over the cover art, but I’d stress to stand ground when something seems extremely off or comes across cheap in appearance. Should a writer want a lovely embracing couple on their horror book? No, this would lead readers to think it’s a love story and could result in bad reviews from romance readers. And authors wouldn’t want a picture of an ocean if their entire story is set within a magical forest. Why would authors expect anything less than perfect for their book baby? This is even more important for authors self publishing. Take the same amount of time on the cover art as you spend on editing. If you hire out the art, be sure to check previous work before settling on the artist or company. This is about proper marketing. Give the reader a reason to pick up the book BEFORE they’ve read the blurb!

That’s it. Rant over.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

2017 Virginia Festival of the Book

February 13, 2017Literary, Writing Conferences & GetawaysAuthor Readings, Authors, books, Charles Wright, Children's Program, David Baldacci, David McCullough, Edward Ayers, Feedback, Fiction, Inspiration, John Gisham, Jon Scieszka, Literary Culture, Manuscripts, Marketing, Non-Fiction, Rick Atkinson, Vacation, Virginia, Virginia Festival of the Book, Workshops, Writers, Writingpdpabst

The Virginia Festival of the Book brings readers and writers together for a five-day celebration of books, reading, literacy, and literary culture. The 23^rd Annual Festival will be held March 22-26, 2017. Programs range from traditional author readings and book signings to children’s programs and hands-on workshops. All programs are open to the public and, with the exception of a few ticketed events, the majority of Festival programs are free to attend.

An abbreviated list of past participants includes Rick Atkinson, Edward Ayers, David Baldacci, Maureen Corrigan, Edwidge Danticat, Kate DiCamillo, Rita Dove, Alan Furst, John Grisham, Jan Karon, Jim Lehrer, Frances Mayes, Colum McCann, David McCullough, Alice McDermott, Katherine Paterson, Jon Scieszka, Lisa Scottoline, Pete Seeger, Karin Slaughter, Alexander McCall Smith, Lee Smith, Bryan Stevenson, Elizabeth Strout, Judith Viorst, and Charles Wright. For a current listing, go here.

As always, have fun and learn lots!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Iceland Writers Retreat

February 10, 2017Literary, Writing Conferences & Getaways#amediting, #amwriting, Adult Books, advise, April, Authors, books, Cafes, Critique Partners, Editing, Feedback, Fiction, Goals, Golden Circle, Holiday, Hot Springs, Iceland, Iceland Writers Retreat, Inspiration, Ireland, Learning, Literary Craft, Literary Tradition, Locations, Manuscripts, Marketing, Mentors, Middle Grade, Music, Non-Fiction, novels, Publishing, Readings, research, Reykjavik, Stories, Travel, Vacation, WIP, Work In Progress, Workshops, Writers, Writing, Writing Groups, Young Adultpdpabst

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The Iceland Writers Retreat states that over the course of the retreat, each participant is enrolled in a total of five two-hour small-group writing workshops (max. 15 participants) led by internationally acclaimed authors, a Q&A panel with all faculty, and numerous readings and social functions. But there are only a few seats left, so you better hurry!

Each of our Featured Authors teaches two different workshops, and you have plenty of time to interact with faculty, including those with whom you do not have any workshops. The retreat takes place April 5-9, 2017 and costs approximately ISK 289,000 (approximately $2479 US dollars). Prices exclude airfare and airport transportation.

Langjokull-Glacier-Mountaineers-of-Iceland

But between all the intimate workshops and lectures, writers will have the opportunity to tour the spectacular Golden Circle, sit in cozy cafes of Reykjavik, soak in geothermal hot springs, listen to new Icelandic music, meet contemporary Icelandic writers, and learn about the country’s rich literary tradition. And remember, if researching for a novel or just wanting the workshops to improve your craft, this retreat is tax deductible! For complete registration inclusions, go here.

As always, have fun and learn lots!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Encouragement for the Day!

February 9, 2017Literary, UncategorizedAdult Fiction, Agents, Authors, Beta readers, books, Career, Chances, Contracts, Critique Partners, Day Job, Don't Give Up, Editing, Editors, Encouragement, Failures, Feedback, Inspiration, Keep Going, Manuscripts, Middle Grade Fiction, Non-Fiction, Publishing, Stories, Success, Try, Working, Writers, Young-adult fictionpdpabst

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The difficulties of writing a novel can be tedious and more difficult than some people think. Writers don’t just pound out perfection in one sitting the first attempt. It can take days, weeks, months, or even years to get the first draft done, depending on other work obligations. Most writers have a day job not involving their writing career and have to squeeze writing in any free moment they can.

After the first draft is finished, comes the editing, and editing, and editing. A writer then sends manuscript to critique partners (CPs) or beta’s to help find plot holes, voice problems, or anything else they spot helpful. Hopefully, the writer has already caught most grammar and punctuation errors, but if not, CPs and beta’s can help with that too. And behold…more edits, and edits, and edits! If a writer is lucky, they’ll have funds to hire a professional editor to help with their manuscript, but this can get very expensive.

When a writer thinks the project is at it’s best, they send off to literary agents. Sometimes these turn into requests for more revisions, so there is more editing involved. Now, I’m not going to get into the difficulties of landing an agent, or how long it can take to get a publishers to agree to publish EVEN if you have an agent. But, let me say, it can take years of writing new manuscripts and rejection after rejection before getting an agent or a publisher. And even after getting an agent or publishing contract, guess what? There are MORE edits! The process is loooooong! Writer’s know what I’m talking about.

What happens sometimes is a writer can get discouraged after so many rejections. Sometimes they want to give up. But, giving up is the only certain way to make sure a writer doesn’t succeed. The key is to surround themselves with like-minded people. The writing community is very supportive with each other. When they fell discouraged, they should reach out! But no matter what they do, DON’T GIVE UP! Let me repeat that…

DON’T GIVE UP!!!!!!!

Keep writing words to weave into fabulous stories. People want to read them. And they shall, if writer’s keep trying!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Writing Retreat to Corfu, Greece (Women Only!)

February 8, 2017Literary, Writing Conferences & GetawaysAdult Books, All-Inclusive, Authors, books, Corfu, Critique Partners, Editing, Fiction, Greece, Journals, Learning, Literary Workshops, Manuscripts, Middle Grade Books, Non-Fiction, Reading, research, Stories, TLC Writing Retreats, Tours, Vacation, Women, Workshop, Writers, Young Adult Bookspdpabst

The TLC Writing Retreats will be having a retreat/workshop in Corfu, Greece! There will only be eight writers permitted each week. This helps an attending writer get more one-on-one time with mentors.

Week 1: May 21-28, 2017.
Week 2: May 30th-June 6, 2017.

Just pick one week to attend. If you’re doing research on a story in Greece, this is your chance to vacation and write off that research on your taxes!

All-inclusive with single room $4,500 USD
All-inclusive with shared room $4,200 USD

• 8 days/ 7 nights
• 30+ hours of writing workshops
• All meals included (excluding alcohol)
• All transportation included
• One Full-day excursion
• Private cooking class
• Journal and all materials included
• A private tour guide with local insights into Corfu
Does NOT include airfare

They promise to help you tell your story with the included workshops, as well as access to a personal guide around Corfu, Greece. As always, have fun and learn lots!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

2017 Savannah Book Festival

February 1, 2017Literary, Writing Conferences & Getaways#amediting, #amreading, #amwriting, Authors, Book Signings, books, Chipeewa Squares, Christina Baker Kline, Colson Whitehead, Inspiration, James Patterson, Manuscripts, Marketing, NY Times Best Seller, Savannah Book Festival, Telfair, USA Bestseller, Vacation, Wright, Writerspdpabst

Celebrating its tenth year, the Savannah Book Festival is proud to announce the full roster of bestselling and emerging authors presenting at this year’s Festival, slated for Feb. 16-19, 2017 in and around Savannah’s historic Telfair, Wright, and Chippewa Squares.

Authors James Patterson, Colson Whitehead, and Christina Baker Kline will headline the 2017 celebration of the written word. But there another 40 authors attending this event. Don’t miss out on this learning experience and ventures around Savannah!

Have fun and learn lots!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Pikes Peak Writers Conference

January 30, 2017Literary, Writing Conferences & Getaways#amediting, #amwriting, Arthur A. Levine Books, Authors, books, Darynda Jones, Del Rey Books, DONALD MAASS LITERARY AGENCY, Dystel & Goderich, Editing, Editors, Feedback, Fiction, Hone Your Craft, Inspiration, JABberwocky Literary Agency, Kensington Publishing, Kevin Hearne, Kimberley Cameron Literary, Learning, Literary Agents, Manuscripts, Nelson Literary Agency, Non-Fiction, NYT Bestseller, Penguin Random House, Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Pitch Events, Published, Publishing, Scholastic, Stories, Tess Gerritsen, The Bent Agency, Unpublished, USA Bestseller, Writingpdpabst

Pikes Peak Writers Conference is an opportunity to get literary advise from a professional in the business or get invaluable feedback on your manuscript. The conference will be April 28-30, 2017 held in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Donald Maass (Donald Maass Literary Agency)
Darynda Jones (USA & NYT Bestseller author)
Kevin Hearne (Author of The Iron Druid Chronicles )
Tess Gerritsen (Internationally bestselling author)

ACQUIRING EDITORS:

Esi Sogah (Kensington Publishing)
Cheryl Klein (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic)
Kate Brauning (Entangled Publishing)
Mike Braff (Del Rey Books, imprint of Penguin Random House)

AGENTS:

Sharon Pelletier (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management)
Kristin Nelson (Nelson Literary Agency, LLC)
Sam Morgan (JABberwocky)
Natalie Lakosil (Bradford Literary Agency)
Heather Flaherty (The Bent Agency)
Lisa Abellera (Kimberley Cameron and Associates)

For more authors and specialist, go here. And be sure to register before the workshop fills up. As always, have fun!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

Digital Book World 2017 + Expo

December 26, 2016LiteraryAbrams, Agents, Amazon, Authors, Authors Guild, books, Conference, Curtis Brown Literary, DBW, DeFiore and Company, Digital Book World, eBooks, Editors, Expo, F+W Media, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Independent Publishers Group, Industry, IPG, Laura Dail Literary Group, Learning, LIttle Brown and Company, Manuscripts, Marketing, New York Hilton Midtown, Penguin Random House, Publishers, Publishing, Readers, Serendipity Literary Agency, Simon and Schuster, Skyhorse Publishing, The New York TImes, United Talent Agency, Writers, Writers Housepdpabst

With the boom of digital publishing, it’s no wonder conferences are covering the topic. After all, as much as I love holding a book, I download a LOT of books to my Kindle app to read and keep up with market trends. As publishing evolves, so has Digital Book World (a conference for anyone in publishing). They say they will now be known as simply DBW. And that’s not all they’ve changed for the conference January 17-19, 2017:

More Real-World Solutions | Your team needs tactical, actionable solutions to the challenges facing publishing—DBW’s speakers have them.

Fresh Content | Experience targeted programming across a host of four brand-new DBW focus areas.

More Choices | A new program means new pricing and registration options. Now you can bring your whole team—executive, editorial, production and marketing.

Some of the publishers and agents attending are:

With over two hundred publishers and agencies in attendance, there are too many to name! For a complete list of those currently registered, go here. And as for the speakers list, go here. You won’t be disappointed! So be sure to register to attend and make your reservations at the New York Hilton Midtown.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

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