The Joys of Republishing

I am currently in the process of republishing the six Aspen Grove Romance Anthologies, co-written with Sherry Derr-Wille, Luanna Rugh, Christie Shary, and Cheryl Gardarian. Along with re-editing each of them and adding new covers (which Larry created—and they are gorgeous), I have had to create new video trailers.

I do these myself using PowerPoint and Moviemaker. These aren’t the slick productions some authors create for their books. We don’t have the budget. I like to think they are homey and appealing. And they might draw interest to the books. (I hope)

The first one republished was An Aspen Grove Christmas, number four in the series.

This one is Len Rugh’s favorite of the six anthologies. Larry also likes my novella, “Mistletoe Magic.” (He has reread it several times.) Here’s a link to the new video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTPxAgXH2r8

Next, I tackled the first book in the series, Snowflake Secrets. I have always loved this story since it takes the reader from 1958 to 2007, the year it was published.

This is the new video for this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW449L67E2g. I had to redo it three times. For some reason, the first one looked fuzzy. Don’t know why. The music I chose for this one is a guitar piece by our good friend Dan Gilson. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Jean Ruda Habrukowich, the same producer who recorded …And a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe, is currently recording this one. So far, we are thrilled with the results.

I just finished republishing …And A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe, the last of the six in the series.

This morning, I uploaded the new video for this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lFxeYSB0UE.

Jean Ruda Habrukowich did a great job recording this one when the first edition came out. https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Sixpence-Her-Shoe-Aspen/dp/B013V6RNF4/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=and+a+silver+sixpence+collins&qid=1574095934&s=books&sr=1-5. I sent ACX the new cover art, and they will replace the old cover on the audiobook soon. (If you would like to hear this one, let me know. I have a few free codes.)

My novella, “Something Old” features a story inspired by the wedding dress my mother wore. She was married during WWII, and she borrowed it from a friend. I have always loved it. (The photo at the beginning of the novella is actually my mother in the dress which inspired the story.)

If you love romance, please check these out. And if you love Christmas stories, the first two are perfect!

I am now starting on another in the series and hope to have all six completed very soon.

Learn About EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition

This week, I am interviewing the president of EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Internet Coalition, Betty Kasischke.

Disclaimer: Larry and I have been members of EPIC since2005 and have learned a great deal about the publishing industry from the group.

Betty, tell me a little about how EPIC came about and its history:

First, thanks, Lorna and Larry, for giving me this opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects.

EPIC began in 1997 with a small group of 11 romance writers who wanted to learn more about emerging electronic publishing industry. At first, that group shared their information among themselves. As the industry grew, and as people continued to greet talk about ebooks with, "A what?" we decided that we could do more if we incorporated, established a website and started really promoting the industry.

The next big thing was establishing the eBook Awards (then called "EPPIE") and an annual conference, EPICon. The first EPICon was held in Omaha, Nebraska in August 2000, and our very first EPPIEs were presented that weekend.

As the years have passed the eBook Awards, the longest-standing awards for ebooks, has grown and earned an enviable reputation. But our Competitions Chair, Debi Sullivan will tell you more about all EPIC's competitions later.

We remained a published authors' organization until 2003, when we opened our membership to publishers and other industry professionals. This gave us more of an industry focus, rather than an author focus. This makes EPIC unique.

Since then, we've changed our name to reflect that new focus, EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition. EPICon also has a greater emphasis on industry topics.

Who can join EPIC?

Our membership is open to published authors, publishers, editors, artists, and booksellers. Other industry professionals are also eligible on a case-by-case basis. Our membership criteria and application are available on our website: http://epicorg.com/join-epic.html.

What are EPIC's activities?

Our major organizational focus is education and sharing information. We love to share news about the ePublishing industry, so much of the information is available to the public on our website. We will continue to expand these resources.

Our major activities are the eBook Awards and EPICon. These celebrate the industry and give us and those who participate the opportunity to spread the word.

EPIC sponsors the New Voices Young Writers Competition. Every year, our members participate as judges and we sponsor the prizes that the talented winners receive, including the publication of the winning entries in a print anthology. We maintain the New Voices Young Writers website and are in the process of creating a forum where kids can safely learn about writing and learn from their peers and publishing professionals.

EPIC is also creating partnerships with companies to get discounts for our members of valuable services.

All our work is done by volunteers, and I'm very proud of all of them.

How can industry professionals join the organization? What is the cost?

EPIC membership is $30 per year. Our membership qualifications and application are on our website.

What else would you like to say about the organization?

As a founding member of EPIC, I'm very proud of our history and our vision. The members of EPIC are generous and willing to share their experiences and knowledge. Some of the most lasting friendships I've made have been in EPIC.

It's a great place to be!

Thanks for being here with me. EPIC has been an important part of our journey as authors, and we’ve made many friends over the years among it members. We always recommend EPIC membership to our friends who are e-published.

Plot Pet Peeves

I've recently read several books with glaring plot issues. As an author and editor, it drives me nuts. But even as a reader, I hate it when writers get lazy and create flawed stories. These are very basic issues and should never happen. Unfortunately they do, and far too often, particularly today when so many writers self-publish their own books without the services of a good content editor.

So, if you care about good quality writing, please bear with me while I rant.

UNRESOLVED PLOTLINES

This is especially abhorrent in mysteries, but can occur in other genres as well.

The book ends without resolution to issues raised during the story leaving the reader to ask, "But, what happened after (insert subplot)?" "Whatever happened to (fill in the blank)?" Often a character simply disappears halfway through the story, never to reappear. I don't expect all relationships to be completely tied up in neat bows. As in real life, some will continue to be difficult in the future. Some will irrevocably be rent asunder. And sometimes it's okay not to know what the people will do going forward. But to drop them in the middle of the story is annoying, especially if the reader has developed an interested in them. This applies even to minor plot points.

Which brings me to the next one…

SPEAR CARRIERS

These are like the cast of thousands in the old historical dramas whose only purpose is to hold the spears and establish the size of the crowd. They don't contribute anything to the plot.

A rule of thumb is: If you name a character, be sure they serve a purpose and move the story along. If they don't, leave them out!

UNFULFILLED PROMISES

If the author shows the reader a gun, it had better be used before the end of the book! If the author hints at the presence of a stalker, that person had better appear somewhere in the story or be explained in another way.

Mysteries depend on multiple suspects with motive and opportunity. Sometimes they're 'red herrings,' but even those must be explained by the end of the book. Just finding the perpetrator is not enough. There must be some explanation for the other characters' actions.

LAST-MINUTE REVELATION OF CLUES

This is when the sleuth (professional or amateur) explains how they discovered the villain with clues that were never included earlier in the story. This is a blatant cheat and a particular personal gripe.

Part of the fun of reading mysteries is trying to figure out who-done-it along with the protagonist. You can only do this if you have all the evidence.

UNEXPLAINED CHARACTER KNOWLEDGE

This is when a character suddenly has information, the source of which is never explained. As a reader, you agree to take a journey with the author. It is jarring when a character suddenly knows something without any explanation of how they learned it.

For our first mystery, we created a huge spreadsheet on which we charted the timeline of the story (some of which was in five-minute increments). Then we listed the characters and color-coded where each was at the time. In that way, we knew who had specific knowledge of events and who was not in the area.

HISTORICAL INACCURACIES

People read historical novels because they enjoy the time period. Many are steeped in the era. One mistake, and the author may lose that reader. I read one book where the characters used current terms in dialogue supposedly from the 1800s. Not good!

In another, items and concepts that did not appear until the twentieth century were used in a novel set in the nineteenth. Also, unacceptable.

We are currently writing an historical novel set in a nearby town in between 1820 and 1890. Because San Juan Capistrano is a mission city, much has been written about it. However, many of the available books, articles, etc. differ in the specifics of dates and events. We are fortunate that the official historian for San Juan has agreed to read the draft and check for inaccuracies. She has also recommended what she considers the best resources.

The one thing the author gets wrong may be the only thing the reader will remember.

STARTING THE NEXT BOOK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CURRENT ONE

Authors should write one book at a time!  Period. Each should be complete in itself. Even if the intention is to create a series, each book MUST stand alone. If the author wants to let the reader know there will be additional books, a sample chapter can be added at the end of the current book to entice the reader. But to leave the reader wanting resolution to the story because the author wants them to read the next book is cheating. It's a technique I refuse to buy into. When I run across one of these, I refuse to read the author again.

There are probably other issues that turn off and alienate readers. What are your pet peeves?