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Book signing guidance from an expert! (Part I)

iUniverse’s Douglas Gardham, author of The Actor and The Drive In, has significantly bolstered his marketing presence through engaging in book signings, and recently reached the milestone of selling his 1000th book at a book signing. Here, Douglas discusses how he got involved in doing book signings and the benefits derived from such events.

For something I had decided I wasn’t going to do, in-store book signings have turned out to be an activity that in my book world follows writing and reading.

My initial reluctance was really related to my own reservations and confidence. My thinking was that book lovers and constant readers go into a bookstore to find a book and a shelf to get away from the world for a while. Why would I want to interrupt such a fabulous pastime? I decided I didn’t.

Then a very fortuitous meeting, quite by happenstance, took place while visiting one of Canada’s national book chain stores. I was trying to find a way to get The Actor (my STARBook awarded novel) onto their bookshelves. The store manager confronted me with the question: “Why would we want your book on our shelves? Nobody knows who you are.”

Wow! And to think this hardwood head of mine actually heard what the book manager was saying. The Actor would take up valuable shelf space, and unless somebody knew about The Actor and valued its story, it was going to stay on the shelf hogging space that an otherwise known book might take. I had to find a way to change that. But as I said, this was a meeting of good fortune that changed everything for me and what followed.

The book manager asked me a question after a short exchange, perhaps seeing the glimmer of determination in my eye: “Have you thought about doing book signings?” I, of course with my naïve expertise, explained (whined) as to why I had decided not to do them. It wasn’t the way. The “magic” came from the manager’s next question: “Where else was I going to go and talk about my book and my work for a couple of hours, in a bookstore and—no guarantees here—possibly sell a couple of books?” I couldn’t answer that question. In fact it made so much sense that I booked my first signing there and then – technically not my first “signing”, but rather my first “booking”, eight months away. The reason for the date being so far out, as I later found out from the manager, was because he never expected to hear from me again.

All that is in the past now, after 75 book signings in our national book chain of Indigo-Chapters stores across Ontario and elsewhere in Canada. In fact, in July I reached the milestone of selling my 1000th book from a book signing.

While having no desire to become a “carnival barker” at the front of a bookstore, I figured if I could have professional career as an engineer and still become an author, I could likely find a way to become comfortable promoting my books. That comfort has mysteriously become love. I love talking about books and writing with almost anyone, but especially with book lovers and constant readers. Mix in my love of movies and music, and it’s a wicked combination of fun and discussion.

Signings may not work for everyone, but for me its great way to get in touch with readers and book lovers. Today it feels a little unfair, as I take away so much from the interesting people I meet at each signing. Many have touched my life in ways they’ll never know. As the great Stephen King once said, “it all goes in”. But remember, none of this makes one iota of difference without first writing the book that you love.

I’ll talk more about how to actually book a signing in my next post.

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More tips on finishing your novel!

In Part 1, iUniverse discussed the difficulty – and necessity – of finally saying “that’s enough” for your characters. Now, we move on to talking about how to finish resolving your plot while not getting bogged down with too many subplots.

While many novels just have one plot, a great deal of novels also have at least one subplot. While subplots can add more diversity (and pages) to your novel, one thing is crucial: they must reach a resolution. If not, it is one of the first things that critics will notice and criticize.

William Thackeray, whose Vanity Fair is often thought to be several chapters too long.

Main plots: Some authors become so involved in the momentum of their story that they are unable to bring the action, or main issue, to a close. However, this can be remedied by looking at the outline of your book. When you view it from top to bottom, circle the point at which the novel reaches its climax – which of course is the resolution of the plot. At this point, you can allow yourself one last chapter. Writers who are writing a series of books can use this to introduce a new problem or issue for their next book, but the important thing is to not “drag out” your story.

Subplots: iUniverse knows that subplots have two main functions: to add variety to your book, as well as to add some more pages. At the same time, please bear in mind that subplots can be risky. It is often fun to begin them, but they become easily forgotten about as you invest more time in your main plot and characters. We suggest having not more than two subplots, and that you resolve them before resolving your main plot, or immediately after in an “epilogue”. A subplot that you find particularly consuming may very well be best for another novel that you wish to write.

So what stage have you reached in YOUR novel?

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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iUniverse presents tips on writing Romance novels, Part 3

Having discussed characters, dialogue, settings, and word counts, today iUniverse turns to conflicts and cultural differences. As you probably know, conflict is an inevitable part of a relationship, and adds a considerable bit of “spice” to your story. Cultural differences are also important to observe, especially as some cultures are more conservative than others. So here’s some final tips from iUniverse for Romance writers:

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in Charade

Creating conflict: This is easier than it sounds. Just think of your past relationships and any serious problems you had with your partner. As we know, there can be conflict over almost anything, but you’ll want to make the cause something that is relatively serious. A conflict should come up in conversation, and can be used to create amorous tension but also to increase your word count. Past lovers, secrecy, inattentiveness, and of course jealousy – these are all great causes for conflict.

You will probably want to have more than one conflict over the course of the novel, so as to present somewhat of a “roller-coaster” ride that keeps the readers on their toes.

Observing cultural differences: consider the open-mindedness of the audience for which you are writing. This is particularly important in Romance fiction, as the genre involves deeply personal feelings and actions. The most obvious aspect is sexuality. If your novel is aimed at the young adult market, you will probably want to be careful about how explicit your love scenes are, both in dialogue and in description. In contrast, a novel targeting the adult market has a bit more latitude with its delineations of intimacy. The general rule involving sex scenes is that it is better to err on the side of caution. There are ways to create a passionate scene without being overly descriptive.

iUniverse hopes you have enjoyed our tripartite discussion of how to write Romance novels. Make sure to check out parts one and two.

What else, in your opinion, makes a Romance novel great?

  Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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iUniverse presents tips on writing Romance novels, Part 2

In Part One, iUniverse looked at dialogue and setting as important aspects of your Romance novel. Today, iUniverse focuses on characterization and word count.

Colin Firth, as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice

Characterization: Characters: must have depth, and this is especially relevant in a story where readers want to see two people love each other. To provide depth to characters, we need to see what they like and what they don’t like – regarding people, clothes, food, work, and personal interests. Unlike thrillers, where action supersedes character description, Romance requires a detailed attention to a character’s appearance and personality. Keep in mind that most readers of Romance are women, and women are more detail-oriented than men. Some further tips on characterization are:

Male character: the male lead, who ends up with the girl, should be overall a decent and likeable person. At the same time, he has to have flaws. These may include: detachment, selfishness, too dominant, or even their opposites.

Female character: this is really the main character of your book, as you want your female readers to empathize with her. Hence, you will want to draw her as deep as possible. While she should indeed have some strong characteristics, please bear in mind that if you make her too masculine it may confuse readers. A good female character has usually been hurt before and is cautious about the men she meets; she doesn’t fall head-over-heels. She is also not too young, and has life experience. Lastly, although she is most probably looking for stability, she is not afraid of a little adventure.

Word count, i.e. length, of a Romance novel is relatively straightforward. The length should be under 200 pages, or around 60,000 to 80,000 words. If you find yourself pulsating with too many great ideas, don’t be afraid to save them for your next book!

iUniverse hopes you have enjoyed our Romance tips thus far. We’ll be back with the third and final part shortly. In the meantime, who is your favorite romantic character in fiction?

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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iUniverse presents tips on writing Romance novels

With the approach of Valentine’s Day, we at iUniverse thought we would get into the spirit of the season! One of the most popular – i.e. salable – genres in the world of reading is that of Romance novels. Nora Roberts, a romance novelist, makes an estimated $60 million a year from her books. Yes, that’s right: 60 million dollars.

Nora Roberts

Romance is clearly a genre which sells well. However, if you want to write Romance, you have plenty of competition. Today, iUniverse advises you on how to write Romance novels while giving you tips on how to differentiate your book.

First: iUniverse advises that you focus on creating good and convincing dialogue. As with any relationship, conversation plays a crucial role, and much of the story’s content and action should be conveyed through dialogue rather than narration. Here are a few other tips:

Women tend to speak indirectly, and manipulate the conversation round to what they mean to say or want. At the same time, some directness from your female lead can be refreshing.

Men are much more blunt and “basic” with their words. It is part of the male psyche to avoid ambiguity. However, as with the above, a little variation on this can make your male character deeper and more interesting.

Of critical importance: make sure to read your dialogue aloud, or have a friend read it with you.

Setting: iUniverse suggests that you try something unusual. Venice and Paris are indeed romantic, but they have become trite. What about a less-known but beautiful place? India is rich with places of this nature, and you can add quite a lot of charm to your novel by introducing a place that is a hidden gem.

  We’ll be back with further tips on characterization, word count, and creating conflict. In the meantime, tell us: What is your favorite work of romantic fiction?

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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8 writing tips from F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s reputation soared in the 1920s’ with novels such as Tender is the Night and This Side of Paradise, and his The Great Gatsby remains one of the most canonical works of American Literature. While many view Fitzgerald as a natural-born writer, he actually found writing to be rather arduous, once commenting that

“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.”

With this in mind, he had a collection of rules that helped him during his successful but unfortunately short writing career, and iUniverse is delighted to present them here:

1: Make a detailed outline of your story.

When writing his novels, Fitzgerald planned and monitored the activities of his characters on charts. He also made a timeline for the action of the novel, starting with the climax and filling in the past and future events.

2: Take detailed and organized notes.

Fitzgerald was aware that a good thought or observation that was not written down may never surface again. Hence, he recorded them in carefully organized notebooks, under categories such as,

“Conversations and Things Overheard” and “Feelings and Emotions”.

3: Keep your work-in-progress private.

In Fitzgerald’s view, every book was a personal secret until it was published. A work-in-progress seemed to “lose something” when he discussed it with others.

4: Create people, not types.

Ironically, the creator of many characters who typified the 1920s didn’t mean to do so at all. Fitzgerald preferred individuals over types, and always sought to create characters that were unique. He explains this method concisely at the beginning of his short story, The Rich Boy:

“Begin with an individual, and before you know it you find that you have created a type; begin with a type, and you find that you have created–nothing.”

5: Avoid exclamation points.

In contrast to the romantic and often over-sentimentalized writing of the previous literary period, Fitzgerald preferred strong emotions to speak for themselves and not to be denoted by punctuation.

“An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke,” he once quipped.

6: Use familiar words.

In a similar departure from the Victorian Age, Fitzgerald opted for the ordinary or common word over that which was bombastic or esoteric.

“You ought never to use an unfamiliar word unless you’ve had to search for it to express a delicate shade,” he wrote to a friend.

Nonetheless, being the organized writer that he was, he was also careful to state exceptions to this rule: “unfamiliar” words were permissible when a writer wishes to avoid repetition and wants to keep a certain rhythm.

7: Give flow to your sentences through verbs rather than adjectives.

“All fine prose is based on the verbs carrying the sentences,” advised Fitzgerald.

“They make sentences move.”

Fitzgerald’s novels were known for being leaner and containing more action than their 19th-century predecessors, and were some of the first examples of modern writing. They still have a quick and active pace when read today.

8: Don’t be selfish.

Admitting that it is indeed painful to cut or reduce part of your novel, Fitzgerald admonishes us against becoming too attached to a character or scene. As subjective as writing may be, it needs to be looked at objectively, and extraneous matter ultimately detracts from the quality of one’s work.

“You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say,”

was one of Fitzgerald’s ways of telling writers that they were writing for an audience, not for themselves.

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African-American poets through the centuries

We at iUniverse would like to honor Black History month by taking a look at three African-American poets. We’ve chosen one excellent poet from each of the preceding centuries, to celebrate black poetry through the ages!

Phillis Wheatley: One of the earliest writers of poetry in the US was Phillis Wheatley (c.1753-1784), who arrived in the American colonies as a slave around 1760. Wheatley studied poetry under the Wheatley family that she lived with in Boston, and published Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in 1773. She was even able to read Latin and Greek by the age of 12!

Wheatley’s poetry shows classical elements, in keeping with the neo-classical style popular in the 1700s, an era which also featured Alexander Pope. At the same time, her poems also infuse elements of Christianity. The time period, which consisted of rising tensions between the American colonies and the British government, is reflected in her writings, especially in a poem to George Washington during the Revolution:

Thee, first in peace and honors—we demand

The grace and glory of thy martial band.

Fam’d for thy valour, for thy virtues more,

Hear every tongue thy guardian aid implore!

Incidentally, Wheatley was not actually the first Black poet in America. Sometime in the late 1740s, Lucy Terry (also living in Massachusetts) composed a poem called “Bars Fight”, about an incident in 1746. However, the poem was only in oral form until it was published in 1855. Thus, Wheatley is America’s first published female black poet. (The first published poet, male or female, was Jupiter Hammon.) Her writings created a sensation in England, where she went to publish them, meeting members of the aristocracy during her visit. She was also praised by Voltaire, American naval her John Paul Jones, and of course, George Washington.

  Paul Dunbar: Paul Dunbar (1872-1906), hailing from Ohio, emerged at the end of the 19th century, in the first generation born after emancipation. He was a skilled linguist, writing in various American dialects, and published his first two poems at the age of 16. Ultimately, Dunbar wrote a dozen books of poetry, four novels, four books of short stories, lyrics for a musical called In Dahomey (the former name of Benin), and a play.

William Dean Howells, who launched The Atlantic Monthly, praised Dunbar’s skill, as did Maya Angelou, who said his works had inspired her writing ambition. Frederick Douglass, whose eloquent narrative of his own slavery and freedom is now a classic work in American Literature, was also fond of Dunbar’s poetry. Dunbar wrote a poem to Douglass, eponymously titled “Douglass”, which ends with the moving apostrophe,

Oh, for thy voice high-sounding o’er the storm, For thy strong arm to guide the shivering bark, The blast-defying power of thy form, To give us comfort through the lonely dark.

Dunbar’s works fell somewhat into obscurity during the first half of the 1900s, but have fortunately received more critical attention in recent years.

Langston Hughes: One of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes (1902-1967) flourished well into the artistic and tumultuous period of the American 1960s. Hughes, originally from the American heartland, saw a fair amount of the globe during his early years, living in Mexico in his late teens and then serving as a crewman on a ship that visited Africa and Europe. He eventually settled in the northeast, first New Jersey and then New York City.

Hughes’ first poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”, was published in the NAACP’s magazine, and helped establish his reputation. It was later published in his first book of poems, The Weary Blues. As a poet, Hughes’ focus was on blacks in the lower-classes, i.e. the proletariat. He had a passion for illuminating the daily life, both struggles and laughter, of the ordinary, working-class African-American, and became known as a “people’s poet”. One very emotional poem by Hughes, which reflects his appreciation for the common black American but also all people, is “Kids Who Die”, which begins with the stanza,

This is for the kids who die, Black and white, For kids will die certainly. The old and rich will live on awhile, As always, Eating blood and gold, Letting kids die.

Hughes was a much-celebrated and respected member of the intellectual community in New York City, and remains a famous name to this day. Movie star Danny Glover is a huge fan of Hughes’ poetry, and has toured America giving readings of many of the poems. Here is a recording of Glover’s rendition of “Kids Who Die”, along with his presentation of “Ballad of Roosevelt” and “Montage of a Dream Deferred”. Make sure to check them out — Glover’s charm really brings the poems to life.

Once again, we at iUniverse salute all of the contributors to the world of African-American poetry, and hope you’ll check out more poems by these superb authors.

Now, for the big question: Who is your favorite African-American poet of the 21st Century? Write in and let us know!

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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Tips on how to finish your novel

iUniverse totally understands that writing a novel is no easy task. The planning, contemplating, and actual writing are indeed a noble endeavor! Today, iUniverse provides some advice on how to finally reach “The End”.

Writing can be a wonderful feeling, especially when you get into that groove where you are almost seamlessly transferring your thoughts to paper. However, like anything else, too much can have a negative effect, and some writers insist on continuing their story well past the time where it has reached its peak. Readers then get tired, and it may ultimately affect sales of your novel.

With this in mind, iUniverse provides some guidance on how to know when to “close the book” on your novel:

The immortal Mr. Pickwick, from Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers

Characters: It is common that authors will become “attached” to their characters and want to keep creating new adventures and dialogue for them. After all, you invented them! The problem is that your book cannot go on forever. Charles Dickens commits an error of this nature in The Pickwick Papers – a splendid novel, but one in which escapade follows escapade well after the book has reached its high point. Even George Orwell, in his essay on Dickens, states that the characters in the novel “go on and on . . . in some type of eternity”.

When is a character “done”? When his or her main challenge, or issue, has been resolved. After this, you can give them a final chapter or epilogue, but keep it short and sweet. Let your character exit on a high note, and they will stay in the readers’ minds. If you truly love your character and cannot let go, bring that character into your next novel.

Which books, in your opinion, should have been ended earlier?

We’ll be back with Part Two very shortly!

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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Great Literary Works of Early America

In honor of July 4th, we thought we’d talk a bit about the early literature of our country, especially some books and writers that we no longer read in school. Even in these early works, we see the richness of American literature coming alive.

Charles Brockden Brown

Let’s begin with taking a look at the earliest American novels. Popular consensus says that the first novel written in a free United States was The Power of Sympathy, by William Hill Brown, in 1789. The story is told in an epistolary form (i.e. through the exchange of letters), as was popular at the time. The Power of Sympathy is classified as a “sentimental” novel, one which deals heavily with the characters’ emotions. The plot is racy, even by today’s standards, as it is based on a real-life case of scandal and seduction.

While Brown’s book is considered the first American novel, the first American novelist to establish a reputation was another “Brown”, fully named Charles Brockden Brown. The writings of Charles Brockden Brown are famous as being early examples of the Gothic novel, involving old manor houses, eerie passageways, graveyards, and sinister doings. Some of Brockden Brown’s novels include Wieland, Ormond, and Edgar Huntly.

Shortly after Brockden Brown, we see the arrival of Washington Irving, generally considered the first American writer to support himself entirely by his pen. Irving’s literary fame commenced with his History of New York, a hilarious satire which poked fun at New York’s colonial Dutch families. This work was followed by The Sketch Book, which contained the tales of “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” – both of which remain part of the standard American literary canon to this day.

James Fenimore Cooper

While Irving was not a novelist, the next writer of novels to gain notoriety was James Fenimore Cooper. Many of his novels focus on the American colonies before Independence. One of his early novels, The Spy, is an exciting tale of the American Revolution. His most famous novel, The Last of the Mohicans, is a story of the French and Indian War, which took place from 1756-1763.

Moving away from fiction, a book that serves as an embodiment of early America is The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Covering the first half of Franklin’s life, the book gives a first-hand glimpse of life in colonial Boston and Philadelphia, while capturing the American spirit of diligence and practicality. Franklin himself is often referred to as “The First American”. Lastly, the work is a great guide for how to improve our daily lives — in addition to being an autobiography, it is also a self-help book!

While Franklin’s autobiography does not mention his political career, an early series of political writings is found in The Federalist Papers, a combination of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay (our first Chief Justice). Written from 1787-1788, the essays had the intention of motivating states to sign the Constitution, which was being criticized by people who did not want a strong central government. The Federalist Papers is a stimulating insight into the brilliant minds of our Founding Fathers – it shows their intellect, education, and genuine concern for the republic. The most famous essay is #10, written by Madison, and discusses the dangers of faction. The writing style is sublime, featuring the beauty of 18th-century prose and comparable to Burke and Gibbon in England – showing that these young American whippersnappers could write just as well as their cousins across the pond. To give you a taste of this literary flair, one early sentence by Hamilton reads, “The consciousness of good intentions disdains ambiguity.”

(There is also a series called The Anti-Federalist Papers, though it has not fared so well in literary longevity – perhaps because its overall message failed!)

Jonathan Edwards

It’s difficult to think of early America without thinking of the religious dimension. Our first successful colony, Massachusetts, was largely founded by Puritans, and their influence remains in our culture to this day. William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation contains descriptions of colonial life from 1620 to the late 1640s, though for the sheer religious side of life, one can look at the sermons of Jonathan Edwards. A Puritan minister, Edwards adhered to a very strict interpretation of Christianity, and his sermons were characterized as having a “fire-and-brimstone” quality, with references to the “black clouds of God’s wrath” hanging over us. Mankind was doomed, except for a very select few — whom, inexplicably, God apparently had already saved. Check out his most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, here.

Finally, if you liked the film The Revenant, you will probably enjoy reading about the travels of Lewis and Clark through the Louisiana Purchase. For some reason, this adventurous journey has received relatively little attention in literature and film, but it must have been both fascinating and extremely dangerous. These explorers were up against a completely unchartered territory, with deadly animals and hostile inhabitants, and they braved through it with true American manliness and perseverance. You can order The Journals of Lewis and Clark over amazon.com for free, and for further study, there is the masterful volume Undaunted Courage by Professor Stephen E. Ambrose.

Naturally there is a wealth of other works from early American literature, and we encourage you to delve deeper into this period. Let us know any books that you can recommend!

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

— By Tom McKinley

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How to Write a Press Release

As an author, you will definitely want to get news out to reporters and media about your accomplishments – the publication of your book, any reviews, book signings, and interviews. The most direct way to do this is to write a press release and then send it (usually over email) to those individuals who can transmit it to their readers.

While it is of course beneficial to hire a publicist, this may be an infeasible expense at the start of your career as an author. With this in mind, we thought we would provide you with the instructions needed to write a press release on your own.

Include your logo at the top: It is great to have a logo, but if you don’t have one, just write your author name in large letters in the top center of the page.

Put “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE”: Naturally, you want media people to know that this information is urgent. Put this phrase in capitals on the left hand side under your logo.

“Brevity is the soul of wit,” says Shakespeare

Write a catchy headline: It is not always easy to write something “catchy”, but the primary rule is to be brief. “Brevity is the soul of wit,” says Shakespeare, and nowhere is this more true than with headlines. You want your language to be positive and dynamic.

Short subheading of 11-25 words: as with most subheadings, this should add information to what is stated in the headline.

Body of text: The body of your text should amount to a total of 200-400 words. Paragraphs should be no longer than 2-3 sentences. In the body, you want to focus on why the information you are relating is important to your audience. Think like a reporter: you want other people (not just you) to appreciate the value of this story.

Start with putting the location and date, both in italics, followed by a dash. Then begin the body. You should summarize your main message in the first paragraph, using the 5 W’s.

Intersperse your text with some quotes from yourself. These quotes aren’t from your book, but rather are from you, presented in third-person, as if you were being interviewed. Hence, if your name is Jane Doe, you would write: “I see my self-help book particularly helping women who are in middle age,” said Doe. Put in two to three quotes.

“About” section: After you have finished with the body of your text, include an “About” section, with your name, e.g. “About Jane Doe”. This should be 80 words or less, and should still have a sales element to it. Rather than talking about your three kids and two cats, you would write, “Jane Doe has been an avid participant in the self-help movement for years, having taken post-graduate courses in psychology and started a blog that can be viewed at [website address].  [TITLE] is her first book.”

 Contact information: Put down your author name and any contact information that you feel comfortable with. These days, an email address is essential, and you can also reiterate your website address. As many people increasingly communicate via social media, it is helpful to also mention your Facebook page. (You can create a “Business Page” on Facebook, which is accessible through your personal page.) As for including your phone number, that’s up to you!

Finally, putting ### ends the press release: For whatever reason, using three “number” signs (i.e. “pound” or “hash”) indicates that your press release is finished. Put these in the middle of the page at the bottom of your release.

 –By Tom McKinley

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter. For a FREE Publishing Guide, click here!

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Suggestions for Bedtime Reading

We at iUniverse are indeed book lovers, and we fully know the pleasures of climbing into bed with a good book before drifting off to quiet slumbers. At the same time, our experience and research shows that some types of books are better than others if you want to enter the Land of Nod peacefully and get a restful, restorative sleep. Please find some helpful tips and observations below:

What to avoid:

Avoid a topic that is likely to upset or disturb you, like current events and politics. You don’t want to fall asleep in a bad mood, do you?

Newspapers, in print edition, shouldn’t be in your bed: the print is filthy and will make your sheets and hands dirty.

Page-turners, like books by James Patterson and John Grisham, are nice, but bear in mind that they will keep you up past your ideal drifting-off time, and you may regret it in the morning.

Horror fiction: it will cause you to start hearing and imagining all sorts of noises in the house, such as creaks of windows and doors, and will make you worry about what is underneath your bed. You may even get up and check the locks on the doors!

You want to find the right mix between interesting and boring. If a book is too interesting, too stimulating, it will keep you up. But if a book is too boring, your mind, not yet tired enough to sleep, will start to wander, and then you are not controlling your thoughts.

Napoleon Hill

From the self-help genre: many gurus, including Napoleon Hill, advise reading something that is helpful to your psychological well-being. Something that is inspiriting, confidence-building, and which seeps into your subconscious to influence your thoughts and actions. Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” contains guidance on how to train the mind to see opportunities, and is a great book to read for someone who wants to be ambitious. Likewise, books by Tony Robbins or Jim Rohn, that are instructive, positive, and uplifting,

Literature: I knew an English Professor who ritually read Spenser’s The Faerie Queene each night before going to bed. The Faerie Queene would not be classified as a “page-turner”, and its use of language and complex imagery would certainly be likely to tire the reader! But “To each their own”, as the saying goes. The classics are often rewarding reading without being addictive page-turners, so they are safe for perusing before you nod off.

History books: this genre is often very useful, as these books provide knowledge without deliberately trying to titillate the reader into reading more. The same applies to other kinds of non-fiction, depending on your interests.

Humor: of course, light reading that makes you smile is a nice way to end the conscious part of your day. Why not fall asleep laughing?

  Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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iUniverse presents Writers Lost and Found: Lawrence Durrell

iUniverse loves the opportunity to re-illuminate writers which we hold in high esteem but who have fallen from fame. As iUniverse has said before, the academic literary establishment has caused many writers of merit to lose popularity. However, we take pride in making sure that excellent writers, who are enjoyable to read, are not forgotten.

Today we take a look at the writings of Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990), an expatriate British novelist. Durrell first started writing in the 1930s, during the inter-War period, and continued writing through the 1980s. He was twice considered for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

    Durrell’s most famous work is The Alexandria Quartet – a tetralogy, or four-volume series of novels. The novels – Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive, and Clea – tell one story but from four different perspectives. The tales take place in Alexandria, before and after World War II, and focus on a complex arrangement of romantic relationships.

There are several elements of Durrell as an author that are unique. The first is his “poetic” prose style. Durrell’s prose is extremely sensuous – nearly every sentence evokes a scent, color, sound, etc. His manner of expressing the language is creative, intelligent, and occasionally difficult to understand, but worth the effort. Through each narrator, we see the East-meets-West atmosphere of Alexandria come alive. It was a fascinating city at that time: exotic, multicultural, with the full spectrum from high elegance to low depravity.

Another aspect of the books is their non-linear prose style. Durrell’s Quartet narratives are not chronological, but jump between the past and the present. A reader often feels that the story is being told to him by a friend, in a very realistic and human fashion. The experimentation with four different perspectives also adds to the work’s complexity.

The combination of Durrell’s prose style, locations, non-linear action and different narrators results in the stories having a very “dream-like” quality. There is a slight haze over everything, but one which makes the reading process enjoyable and entertaining.

If you like The Alexandria Quartet, you’re in luck, as Durrell also wrote a five-volume series of novels called The Avignon Quintet. Durrell himself didn’t refer to it as a “quintet”, but as a “quincunx”!

  Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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iU author Douglas Gardham looks forward to another year, with new release

iUniverse’s Douglas Gardham released his third book, The Musician, at the end of last year. Gardham’s previous two releases, The Actor and The Drive In, have been best-sellers and have garnered strong recognition from print media and television.

Gardham is extremely diligent with promoting his books, with just under 300 book-signing events to his name. In 2018 he held 69 book events alone! Always eager to share his views on writing, publishing, and marketing, Gardham embodies the spirit of being an author.

In addition to the publication of The Musician, the end of 2018 saw an article in Globe newspaper (click here) and a TV interview. Already, for 2019, Gardham has 26 book events scheduled. These include interviews on TV, radio, and over the telephone, as well as a print piece in February, and — not surprisingly — his 300th book-signing event!

  Describing his latest release, Gardham says:

The Musician is the much-awaited sequel to The Actor. The Musician continues the compelling tale of a young man’s journey as he emerges from a delusion to pursue his love of music and confront unfinished business from his past.

It is 1984 when Ethan Jones is finally allowed to leave a mental institution in Ottawa. He has just emerged from a six-month delusion his mind created and is now unable to remember. Now that he is officially back from the living dead, Ethan must accept that his beloved Mila is gone forever, that his psychiatrist cannot reciprocate his love for her, and that sanity has its challenges.

Undecided on what to do or where to go next, Ethan returns with his parents to their home in Toronto. As his family struggles with the return of a son and brother believed lost to internal trauma, Ethan unearths a renewed desire to pursue his love for music. As he embraces a new chapter and starts a band, Ethan thrives on the joy that accompanies doing what he loves. But soon Ethan is challenged to overcome much of what he cannot recall from his time away. As he becomes conflicted between who and what he loves and what he is, his past returns with a vengeance and transforms everything.

  We congratulate Douglas Gardham on his excellent achievements and ceaseless enthusiasm, and look forward to hearing more about the progress of his work!

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5 tips on writing comic novels

Today, as ever, the world remains in need of humor. With this in mind, and with the hope of seeing more humorous writings in the marketplace, iUniverse gives guidance on how to write a comic novel. If you’re fond of telling jokes and funny stories, it may be time to take this to the next level and put it into a book!

PG Wodehouse, creator of Jeeves

One: Characterization: to begin, all comedies consist of personalities that make us laugh. The characters who are often the funniest are those who are mentally “thick” or incredibly eccentric. One writer who mastered both was PG Wodehouse, author of the “Jeeves” series. Wodehouse created Bertie Wooster, an amicable but pleasantly unintelligent man with friends who are even less bright. However, their stupidities give us a chuckle. The uncles and aunts in his books, who have such idiosyncrasies as raising rabbits in their bedrooms, also contribute to the humor of the story. Check out his character Uncle Fred to see more.

Two: Tone: while it is difficult to tell a joke in print in the same way as orally, try your best to write as though it sounds like you are talking. This will require several attempts and may be frustrating, but it is worth it. Keep it lighthearted and try to use dialogue as much as possible.

Three: Language: humor sounds funniest when presented in the form of everyday conversation, so don’t be afraid to use idioms and slang. One writer who manages to tell a story well while flouting grammar rules is Ben Elton, whose novels have much of the same charm as his Blackadder TV series.

Four: Let your jokes tell themselves: as Shakespeare said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” If you have to explain something that you find funny, it probably will lose its effect on the reader. Part of the essence of humor is that it is quick and often unexpected.

Five: Plot: finally, iUniverse has the good news that you need not have a particularly lofty or even genuine plot. Many comic novels revolve around marriage, saving the world, or just getting to a destination.

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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Lumarvens Alexander’s “500 Stanzas of Motivation and Inspiration”

Lumarvens Alexander tells us about 500 Stanzas of Motivation and Inspiration, his exciting new release.

  Please briefly describe your book . . .

My book, 500 Stanzas of Motivation and Inspiration, is one of my first and greatest projects ever. I started writing poems down over a period of four years. I’ve been on and off with it and was not too sure if it would’ve really been out there, but I had strong hope. This book outlines a lot of things, some of which is between the lines, but easy to catch on to.

The poems and stories I write, are not only my experiences. I communicate a lot with individuals and our conversations sometimes reach on deep levels, but I always try to compare similarities to myself and other people. I’m able to combine mutual thoughts, feelings and realities into one piece of work so that everyone can picture themselves between the words. That’s what I strive for.

I want when readers read my work to get a feeling as if they wrote it, or someone has written their story. The underlying goal is just for people to have fun reading my book, the same way I had fun writing it. I put a lot of emphasis on motivation and inspiration because I’m centered on growth, but a part of growth is fun and happiness, I just love to entertain and I’m open to necessary feedback. Have some fun with my work and get in contact with me if you ever feel the need to.

  And can you tell us a little about yourself?

Being given a beautiful unique name like Lumarvens, it’s only right that I add a definition and meaning to it. I was born different, I always felt like an outsider growing up, but I never cease looking to find answers to my existence and I made sure to have a lot of fun along the way. Having gone through the things I been through, I can proudly say that the struggle made me stronger and wiser. My background is so diverse, I done lived many lives, performed many good deeds, learned a lot of lessons and gained a lot of life experience. These are the things that make me unique. I don’t try to compete; I create and promote individuality, I’m just content with the person I am and becoming.

  Do you have any particular literary influences? What inspired you to write your book?

One of the main influences behind this book is William Shakespeare. I enjoy reading and listening to the Sonnets. The words expressed in that piece of work resonates with me on a level I don’t understand yet. This is what really inspired me to write this book. This book I can say was an attempt to recreate the Sonnets in my own personal way, theme and style.

I’ve also been influenced by music and hip-hop culture. One of my favorite artists, whom I’ve studied and observed deeply is Lil’ Wayne, I’m also an admirer of Slick Rick and Andre 3000. I enjoy rhymes, near rhymes, word play, flow, lyrical techniques and the art of storytelling.

None of these would have been useful if I hadn’t had a solid foundation in schooling as a youth – attending a religiously influenced school which prides good and teaches virtues. The school housed ‘A beka books’, which I explored and enjoyed as a youth. I strongly recommend that book system. That’s as far as my influences go.

  What is the one message you would like to convey to your readers?

I just want everyone to understand that writing isn’t all that hard, and if you’re a reader, you should try writing something. I love writing, it has done so much for me and I’m sure it can do the same for many people. You don’t have to share your work or show others if you don’t want to, but you will find gratification in just writing things down.

When I started out, I used to write just for fun. I create spur of the moment poems, give it away to someone who enjoys it and forget about it. What brought me joy is knowing that I can just put a few words together and it means something bigger to someone else. Writing can be used as therapy, or at times when you have things on your chest and no one to talk to, the moment you write it down, you get a sense as if a burden has been lifted off your shoulders.

You can discover who you are and recreate yourself through writing. You can inspire yourself, find your purpose, achieve your destiny and so much more. That’s why I always encourage people to don’t stress and think too much. Write your thoughts down – it will help to unclutter your mind to really assess the situation. Most people would tell you that it’s important to write down your goals. Your goal commences and takes form the moment you write it down, comparable to a sperm meeting an egg. So much can be said about writing. Try it out more!

  Are you working on a sequel to 500 Stanzas of Motivation and Inspiration?

I wanted to have a sequel, but considering this is my first book, I’m going to let this stand on its own. I will be producing more material in the upcoming future, some maybe similar to this one, but for now this is the highlight.

  Are there any events, marketing ideas, or promotions planned for your book?

Yes, Facebook promotions, video promotions and other social media outlets. I’m going to get in contact with TV News networks, talk shows and newspaper promotion. I’m going to have book fairs encouraging folks to start writing and alongside promote my book. I’m currently working on producing audio for this book, stay tuned for that. Promotion will also be facilitated in the traditional way of word of mouth as well.

  What was your favorite part of your publishing experience, overall and with iUniverse?

My favorite part of this iUniverse publishing experience is receiving phone calls. The phone calls to me, meant progress. The operators I can personally say, have a remarkable customer service and communication ethic. Also, they take their time to understand what it is that you need, where you’re at currently, how they can assist you, and they are open to your questions or concerns. I haven’t been disappointed.

  Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

For any aspiring author, the advice I would give is just not to get too worked up on publishing. It gets intimidating; fear and doubt creep in and you start wondering that maybe your writing isn’t all that good anyway. Take it easy on yourself, once your work means something to you and you develop a passion towards it, people cannot help but to like it because you do, that’s what matters.

I wouldn’t recommend you showing your work to your friends and family until everything is ready, finalized and you’re confident enough in publishing. People who are close to you criticize you more and hold many biases. A stranger can help, a librarian can help, an old teacher or religious expert can help. Be open to judgements, but not affected by them; all feedback is necessary.

Try not to rush anything, you need the patience. With passing time, the entire idea of your project can evolve into something you never thought you could have done, you’ll gain more experience and become your own critic in applying necessary corrections and improvements. Practice every day, write other things unrelated to your work and share to get reactions. All this helps. That’s the most I can say.

  Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter. For a FREE Publishing Guide, click here!

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iU’s Douglas Gardham says, “Don’t Start with the End in Mind”

iUniverse’s Douglas Gardham, author of The Actor and The Drive In, gives us stimulating advice on the process of crafting a story.

I’ve heard it over and over again, too many times. No doubt, you’ve heard it too—“start with the end in mind”. Many writers advocate such a plan. I’m not one of them.

  It ruins all the fun. It containerizes me; keeps me in a box. It prevents the story from taking me somewhere I haven’t gone before. Creativity is not about knowing the end before you begin. Creativity is about discovery. Writing fiction is about discovery. It’s about venturing on a new journey. Pulling from experiences—some new, some old, some imagined—and letting the story take me where it chooses.

  Knowing the end feels mechanical and constrained, like I’m going through the motions. I never want to feel that way. I’ll stop writing when that happens. Maybe the story doesn’t turn out how I thought it was going to in the beginning. It takes courage to let a story direct its own path. It can be scary venturing off the worn one.

  There is a place for knowing how things will end. I know a bit about that. It was an integral part of my engineering world and the reason why it’s a profession. There’s a responsibility for knowing how the end will turn out. We want the wheels to stay on our cars and airplanes to stay in the air. We want those equations filled out with the upmost of correctness. We want the end result to be the right answer.

  But in creating a story, “starting with the end in mind,” seems like reading the end of a book before the start. Spoiler alert, spoiler alert! What’s the point of the story then? Why write if I know where I’m going to end?

  I can’t think of a story I’ve started knowing how it will turn out. Sometimes the end comes sooner than I anticipate, but often it’s the other way around. I want to follow where the story leads me. It’s part of discovering what’s inside me—the good, the bad and the ugly—and how the story pulls it out of me. Seeing the connections that weren’t at first apparent and being fooled by what I thought were.

  My love for the physical aspects of writing likely had a hand in this as well. I love the feel of holding a pen in my hand and watching the words and sentences come out on a fresh, blank piece of paper. Writing simply leads to the story.

    That said I usually have some idea of what I want to write about and at least a character’s name. My characters almost always start as a name.

  It’s fun yet intimidating to follow where a story takes me. Life is like that and that’s what I write about.

  It brings to mind a quote from Frank Herbert, author of the sci-fi magnum opus Dune. “There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” Such a realization makes it all but impossible to “start with the end in mind”.

  As always, many thanks to Douglas for his authorial guidance! He talks about his writing strategy in an interview on Canadian TV: http://rogerstv.com/media?lid=237&rid=23&gid=249494

  Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter.

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Steven A. Falco and “Mickey Mantle’s Last Home Run”

Steven A. Falco tells us about his second release with iUniverse, Mickey Mantle’s Last Home Run.

  Please briefly describe your book . . .

My book, Mickey Mantle’s Last Home Run, is a novel narrated by a 15-year-old boy. The action takes place in New Jersey in 1968. The narrator, T.J., is a die-hard Mickey Mantle fan who is trying to make the JV baseball team during a year when our country seems to be falling apart. His best friend Jonathan, who is black, also tries to make sense of a world in disarray. The book is full of teenage fun and baseball action but within the backdrop of war, assassinations and racial strife.

    And can you tell us a little about yourself?

I have always been a writer, but not necessarily a published writer. I spent most of my life working in social services for the county government but always writing on the side. My first book was for middle-grade readers and is entitled Grandpa Gordy’s Greatest World Series Games.

  Do you have any particular literary influences? What inspired you to write your book?

My main literary influence is John Steinbeck. I love how he wrote about ordinary people dealing with the difficult circumstances of everyday life.

I enjoy the first person narrative format from the perspective of a young person who is not tainted by life’s prejudices. To Kill a Mockingbird and the Catcher in the Rye I consider masterpieces of this format.

  What is the one message you would like to convey to your readers?

My message is one of hope and friendship which overcomes divisiveness, bigotry and hatred.

  Are you working on a sequel to your book?

I don’t envision a sequel. However I do have another book in the making which is also about our national pastime.

  Are there any events, marketing ideas, or promotions planned for your book?

I plan to market my book to schools. I think Junior High and High School boys will enjoy my book. This seems to be an overlooked audience. I believe teachers would find my book beneficial to these students, especially because they are harder to encourage to read. My book has a strong African-American character and will appeal to that group as well.

And of course my book will have appeal to baby-boomers who grew-up in the sixties and will be able to relate to the main characters, T.J. and Jonathan.

  What was your favorite part of your publishing experience, overall and with iUniverse?

This is my second book with iUniverse and the experience has again been very positive. I was at first reluctant to turn my manuscript over to an editor, after all I had re-written the book several times and carefully followed styling guidelines. Boy was I wrong. The iUniverse rep encouraged me to have the book edited and arranged for a pro to do the work and I was extremely pleased. The editing was so good I actually thought “wow, this book is really good!”

  Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Keep the faith. Accept constructive criticism. But above all believe in yourself and your vision.

  Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter. For a FREE Publishing Guide, click here!

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