As ever, it was super fun to answer your questions live on Facebook video!
The video recording has time stamps below so you can fast-forward to the questions you're interested in.
If you missed it and want to come to the next one, I'll be doing it again at a later date. Just come along to http://www.Facebook.com/TheCreativePenn and ask your questions live.
Watch the video below or here on YouTube.
Time stamps for the Q&A
2:14 Do you write in your head while you exercise?
3:17 If you had two minutes to go back in time to when you left your day job to begin writing, what one piece of advice would you give yourself?
4:45 When did you first discover your passion for writing?
5:44 Do you plan your writing and research? If so, do you put it in a diary and stick to it?
7:55 How big is a really big walk? (Here's my lessons learned from 100km walk!)
8:10 How do you get ideas for your stories?
10:38 Will you be doing more Facebook Live Q&As?
11:11 I have a really long book published as a Romance. Should I break it up into two or three books?
12:55 At the very beginning, how did you manage the whole day-to-day existence of working full-time and writing books? Lots of writing help here.
14:32 What advice do you have for bad motivation days?
16:06 When writing a book, what do you do when you have ideas for other books?
17:45 Which would you recommend for an author who doesn't have a large following, investing time in a consistent podcast or doing live events such as webinars? Lots of marketing ideas here.
19:53 How do you deal with friends or family interrupting your work day?
21:09 What about having an idea for a book but not a series?
22:24 Do you maintain a daily word count? Here's an article on getting that first draft done that might help
24:04 What do you think about being indie and having a traditional publishing deal at the same time? This is called being a ‘hybrid' author and is pretty common now.
25:29 What is your advice on pricing and marketing individual short stories? Check out this interview which includes short story markets with Alan Baxter
27:15 Do you have any tips for gaining traction on non-Amazon retailers? Here's a post on selling books on iBooks and another on Kobo.
29:47 Do I have any views on Bookouture?
31:21 Is it realistic to create ever-green non-fiction books? Yes, my book on The Successful Author Mindset is one 🙂 Anything not tech related will be more evergreen.
32:32 Do you have any advice on scene writing?
34:12 Have you ever run a multi-author box set? Yes, here's the one that made the New York Times and here's some other box-set tips
35:58 Can we have book A and B on Kindle Unlimited and then a box set wide?
36:26 Do you use the same material across Facebook a blog and a newsletter?
39:05 Can you give a brief description of your approach to using Scrivener? If you sign up to the Author 2.0 Blueprint, there is a free video on how I use Scrivener.
40:50 How did you find a good editor when you were starting? Lots on editors here.
41:50 Have I tried Scrivener for iPad?
42:16 How can I alot time for business tasks?
44:06 How do you find the right editor for your genre? Lots on editors here.
45:21 Does my new course cover how I use Scrivener for editing? Yes 🙂 I have a whole video on Scrivener and another on editing. Check it out here: How to Write a Novel: From first draft to finished manuscript
I hope you found this useful! Come along to the next Facebook Live Q&A on Sunday 2 October at 3pm US Eastern / 8pm UK.
Just turn up at www.Facebook.com/TheCreativePenn and I'll be there! You can just type your questions as comments and I'll answer them live. If you can't make it, no worries, I'll post the replay the week after. Please do let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed this more casual approach.
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View Comments (6)
This is a very helpful format. Thank you! Would love to know about your event in Oregon.
The Oregon one is a Masterclass I'm attending, rather than speaking at: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/workshops/
Hi Joanna
I am currently editing my first book. As you stated that it's better to finish a book, do you think that I should not start my new one for Nano this year? I am thinking about enrolling on your course and combining the advice for nano.
regards
Angela
Hi Angela,
Personally, I prefer to finish a book before I start the next one. Otherwise it gets all muddled in my mind! But of course, each writer has a different process!
Hi,
Firstly I have to say, I am a big fan of your podcast. Loads of great advice.
Secondly, have reached a dilemma that I was hoping you could help me with. Let me offer some context first. In June I finished a BA (Honours) History with the Open University and am now embarking on a new venture as a freelance editor for the indie writer market.
Currently I am working on my first project (for gratis but with no deadline, in exchange for the testimonial and experience) with a new indie author who appears to be under the impression that a single round of editing on a raw first draft will render it ready to publish. I am thirty (ish) pages from the end but, while the story has great potential, it's been poorly executed and nowhere near ready for publishing. I do not want to put my author off writing. In fact I really want them to keep working at this because it could be great. I have been keeping them abreast of problems and ways to improve their work, and trying to tidy up the narrative as much as I can but I really feel that it needs a second draft and short of taking on a co-authorship role I can do little more than improve the sentence structure and raise other concerns.
Here is my dilemma: should I complete the last thirty pages as I have been doing, and submit it back to them with a cover letter including my advice, or let my author know as tactfully as possible that there is little more I can do with their work at this stage, and return their work to them as it is?
Have you ever been at the other end of this situation and how would you recommend that I broach the subject with them? I really think this story could be great but I cannot afford to do a full re-edit for free on a 200 page document, and I don't want my author to think I am pushing them into paid editorial contract.
Bottom line: You need to be honest. The author needs to learn what editing is and if their story needs a content edit, rather than what sounds like proofreading, then you need to say so. It's tough to learn that your writing sucks - but we all need to learn it. If you're going to continue to work as an editor, this is a situation you will find yourself in over and over again, so you need to work out a process. Maybe only accept 3 chapters from an author and then give them a quote on what you think it needs.