JP McLean

Writing Addictive Fiction

Cover Art Quest

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Washington Coast
Washington State Coastline

Cover Art Quest

There’s little slack time in this business. If you’re not writing a book, you’re writing a blog post, tweeting a thank you, or updating your Facebook page. There are publisher’s proofs to review, blog tours to schedule, press releases won’t write themselves, and book covers need to be designed. As much as I would love to spend all my days writing, this business is more complex than that. Many other chores demand a piece of my time.

On the Road Again

JP with Molly in California

Happily, most of those chores can be done from the road, which is where I am. It’s familiar territory for me having spent so many winters “heading south.” This week I’m driving down the Pacific coast with my husband, John, and our sweet Molly to find the perfect photo inspiration for the cover of Book III, Redemption.

Cover art is an important component of any book. It has the potential to either draw people in or send them scurrying. For better or worse*, from the very start, I’ve had a strong opinion of what the visual should be for my books. It’s always been the beach.

The beach plays a critical role in all three books.

In Awakening, the beach is a cruel mistress that serves as the setting for imparting the gift, awakening it, and finally, setting it free.  In Revelation, the beach serves as a reminder of where it all began, and then plays hand maiden to the larger story that occurs within metres of that same beach. The beach is also an important element in Redemption.

Viona Halim is the talented graphic artist who painted the first two covers. She did a wonderful job creating not only compelling water colours, but also capturing the ominous mood that prevails in the books.

The book cover for Redemption will be in keeping with the trilogy’s mood, which is still dark and mysterious, but this time it will reflect the very unique cliff face and low vegetation typical to Bodega Bay, California, which is where a pivotal scene takes place. And that’s what brings me here. It’s a cover art quest. I need to get some photos of these beaches for Viona to work with.

Cover Reveal

The cover for Book II is about to be revealed. Keep your eyes peeled because just after the cover reveal, Revelation will be released. I can’t wait.

As an aside, this is our first road trip without Molly’s half-sister, Soozie. They travelled extensively with us since 2000. It seems strange to be making this journey without her – as if a book end is missing.

*Update: in 2018, the heavy hand I had in book cover design proved fatal. Read more about the rebrand here.

How NOT to Market a Book

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Vancouver Skyline

How NOT to market a book

I made a rare visit to Vancouver last week.  It gave me an excuse to wear heels and “city clothes.” It also gave me an opportunity to practice the elevator pitch for my book.

I’m an introvert.

Marketing is outside my comfort zone. However, when you publish a book, if you want people to discover it, you have to market it. That’s why I keep a supply of business cards at hand. I use them as an opening to talk up the book when I’m out and about.

Last week, I met my sister-in-law downtown and we poked in and out of stores for most of the afternoon.  While we shopped, I handed out a few cards to sales clerks who looked like they might be in my target readership. Their quick smiles and easy acceptance boosted my confidence.

At just past six, we called it a day and stopped for a drink and to rest our feet before heading back to her place. We settled into a comfortable window seat in a busy bar in an old hotel on Georgia Street. Our waiter was an interesting young man who took the time to make sure we had the perfect drinks. He shared his personal history in the bar business and checked on us often. The service was a real treat and I was enjoying my visit to the big city.

Buoyed by happy endorphins and confident that our waiter would be receptive, I decided to give him my book pitch on his next visit to our table. I reasoned that even if an urban fantasy thriller didn’t appeal to him, he might have a girlfriend or sister who would be interested.

As he approached our table, I held out my card. He frowned as he took it, and before I could explain myself, we were interrupted. He half turned as he spoke to the person who’d interrupted, and jammed my card into a pocket. I watched him morph from our relaxed, happy-go-lucky waiter to a visibly stiffened young man shuffling from one foot to the other. He finished his conversation then quickly excused himself and beetled away before I could deliver my elevator pitch.

He never came back.

I didn’t catch on at first, mostly because I’m daft. And then a completely different employee came by to present our bill. I looked around for our waiter and spied him on the far side of the room serving another section. That’s when it dawned on me: He thought I was trying to pick him up.

At first, I was just embarrassed about the misunderstanding. But then the reality sunk in: He’d literally run from our table. Talk about a humiliating eye-opener. Suddenly, it was me who couldn’t exit fast enough.

Apparently, I’ve officially entered cougar country. I must say, it’s not my favourite place.  It takes the shine off of all kinds of delusions that I was rather fond of.

In future, I’ll be more careful about handing out business cards – especially in bars. My ego might not be able to take another mad dash from a handsome young man with his pants on fire.

Want to know how I got into this mess? Check out How it Started.

10 Lessons From Writing a Book

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West Coast Sunset

Following are ten lessons I’ve learned from writing a book.

Three years ago, if someone had told me I’d write a book one day, I would have laughed – not out loud – but I’d quietly question their sanity. Following are ten lessons I’ve learned from writing a book.

Write a book?  Me?  Today, the only person’s sanity I question is my own. Not only did I write a book, I wrote three.  It’s been a long, all-consuming, hedonistic, educational, inspirational, and frustrating experience. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Here are a few tidbits about writing I’ve learned along the way:

  1. I’ve learned how little I know;
  2. I’ve learned that most character archetypes and story arcs have been around since the beginning of time;
  3. I’ve learned the value of a creative story editor and a keen-eyed copy editor;
  4. I’ve learned to love search engines;
  5. I’ve learned the importance of a sense of humour;
  6. I’ve learned to repeatedly thumb the pages of Strunk and White, the Handbook for Writers and The Canadian Oxford Dictionary;
  7. I’ve learned that there are creative, intelligent writers out there who are willing to share their time and considerable knowledge;
  8. I’ve learned that cold/beta readers are indispensable;
  9. I’ve learned how much I love writing;
  10. I’ve been humbled by the generosity of friends, family and fellow writers who share this passion.

I’ve also learned I’m neither crazy nor alone, but that’s a blog post for another day.

Want to know more? Check out How I Got My Start and read the press release published by the Comox Valley Record.

You can purchase all the Gift Legacy books on the Bookstore Tab.

I hope you’ve enjoyed ten lessons I’ve learned from writing a book.

After The End

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An old typewriter sitting on a rough wood table

I’d been writing for months before I told anyone. It would be many more months before I typed “The End” and found the courage to let someone read what I’d written. I say courage because it felt like exposing myself, as if I were admitting I’d developed an embarrassing fetish.

After my secret was out, I felt less guilt about choosing to plunk away at the computer rather than weed the gardens, but where was I going with my writing? When I finished writing Awakening, I went looking for the answer.

It thrilled me that I’d written a book, but what did I do with it?

Most publishers won’t accept unsolicited manuscripts. You have to submit through an agent. My research showed that getting an agent, let alone getting published, was a long shot. Nonetheless, this is how it was done. I researched potential agents, prepared the required submission material, and sent out a dozen query letters.

While I waited for their responses, I began to question the sanity of the process.

I’d already made a considerable investment in time and money: a manuscript evaluation, several manuscript printings, postage back and forth to cold readers, an editor, and cover art.

Did I want to invest more time on the minuscule chance I’d find an agent? And if I got an agent, did I want to wait again for them to sell it to a publisher? And if my agent had the good fortune to sell it, did I want to wait a year or more for them to publish it?

My research also showed that most new authors are paid a pittance, get no marketing support, and being untested, don’t have the negotiating clout to improve their contracts. Some of those contracts include language that makes it difficult to get rights back. Additionally, if the book doesn’t sell well in its first few months, it fades from bookstore shelves.

I don’t begrudge agents or publishers their right to whatever business model works for them.

But is their business model a good fit for me?

The answer is no.

After further research, I decided to indie publish. Because I don’t (yet) have the technical skills to navigate the process, I partnered with a local company. They handle the formatting for hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook editions, and make it available at multiple retailers.

It’s a compromise. I don’t have full control, but I haven’t signed away my rights. Indie publishing isn’t for everyone, but so far (for me at least) the pros outweigh the cons.

I’m investing in me and I’m not finished yet. The second book in the trilogy, Revelation is on the verge of publication, and I’m indie publishing again.

As it turns out, “The End” is just the beginning.

 

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash