1) Mood

The ‘mood’ of the scene is what you want your reader to feel throughout the exchange. Picture a scene where two characters are having dinner out at a nice restaurant. When you think of this scene initially you think it’s romantic, right? Well, what if they’re on the run and one of the characters has a gun held to the other beneath the table? What if they’re dating, but one character is about to break up with the other one? What if one character is the other’s estranged father and they’re meeting for the first time? Each of these scenarios involves completely different moods and should evoke various feelings from the reader.

2) Atmosphere

The ‘atmosphere’ is the specific detail of a setting that allows the correct mood to be felt by the reader. So, for example, let’s say the dinner we mentioned earlier was romantic. You would then mention how the candlelight casts perfect shadows on the partner’s face, perhaps an old couple next to them gazes at each other lovingly, the intoxicating mix between the smell of fresh bread and the rose on the table. All of these sensory descriptors tell the reader that this scene will be romantic. Whereas if the characters were about to break up, you could describe how the partner is fidgeting in his seat, how an overly sweet smell is making the protagonist slightly nauseous, how there’s an old man sitting alone with a severe expression one table over. This alerts the reader of the more somber mood that this scene will take on.

3) Setting

The setting of the scene involves the combination of the mood, atmosphere, and more specific information. What restaurant is this? In which time period is the story taking place? Where geographically is the story taking place? This sort of additional information should be sprinkled into the scene, especially if it hasn’t already been established in your story at large. However, be cautious not to go too deeply into these details and lose the pacing of your scene. Space out these details between bits of dialogue and more immediate scene work.

4) Point of View

Part of what dictates the setting of the story is the point of view from which the story is told. Your novel may be told just from your protagonist’s perspective or you could have multiple characters in which the story focuses on. You could also vary the psychic distance in your story or have a distant or close third person vs. a first-person perspective. Regardless of the POV you choose in your story, the atmosphere of the story should be influenced by your protagonist, or whoever’s POV is the focus of the scene. This could mean it is influenced by either their mood, their observations, or what will be happening to them during the scene. So, for example, if your character has just experienced something tragic in their life all of the things they observe, taste, smell, or feel will have a melancholic feeling to them.

5) Genre

Another aspect that can influence the setting of a scene is the genre in which the scene takes place. A midnight stroll in the woods is going to feel very different in a romance novel vs. a horror novel. In the romance novel, there would be a full moon illuminating the wooded area, an owl hooting, and a cute frog leaping across the path, and fireflies would be dancing all around. In a horror novel, your protagonist can scarcely see a thing, they’d hear a distant howl, they’d smell something that they can’t place but it gave them a metallic taste in their mouth. And in a fantasy book, there would be an array of fantastical creatures and a mystical fog coating the forest floor. Think about the genre you’re working with when you’re deciding on the mood for your setting. Then use adjectives that evoke those emotive responses from your readers.

The post Why is Setting Important? appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

1) Why Does Word Count Matter?

The word count of your book makes a difference because your readers are going to have certain expectations of your book before they even pick it up off of the shelf. There are expectations surrounding your plot and characters based on your genre, of course, but the genre can also dictate readers’ expectations of your book-length. The length of a true crime book vs. a fantasy book on average can be very different. The last thing you want is for readers to pick your book up off the shelf and say “Wow, look at this giant!” or “Why is this so short?” because that has the potential of putting them off.

2) First-time author or seasoned author?

Regardless of how good a book is, publishers will most likely not take a chance on a book that significantly exceeds or falls beneath the suggested word count for a particular genre. A large part of why word count restrictions are placed on various genres has to do with both book sales and publishing costs. When a reader is walking around a book store and spots a book from an author they’ve never heard of before and sees that it’s either much bigger or much smaller than they expected, it’s less likely they’ll take a chance on the book to see if they like it.

Not only that but (particularly with longer books) printing costs are significantly increased if a book far exceeds the suggested word count. So, if you’re an author that’s never been traditionally published before, it’s less likely that a commercial publisher will choose to take a chance on you because it becomes more expensive for them to do so and therefore riskier. For both of these reasons, if you’re an author who is looking to be traditionally published for the first time, you’ll need to keep your book within the suggested word count.

3) Average book length

For most publishers, the average novel length falls somewhere between 50,000 words and 120,000 words. This can also be broken down further by genre and everyone has their own opinions on the specifics. Generally speaking, however, anything below 50,000 wouldn’t be considered a novel and anything over 120,000 is going to be too long for first-time publishers. There are obviously exceptions to the rules and epic novels can go anywhere from 120,000-200,000 words, but those are typically from seasoned authors who have already established a fan base. According to Outlining Your Book in 3 Easy Steps, the average novel today is about 90,000 words. It’s best to shoot for a word count somewhere around there generally speaking since, if you’re working with an editor, you’ll likely have to make some significant cuts.

4) Novel length by genre breakdown

General Fiction

Flash Fiction: 300-1500 words
Short Stories: 1,500-30,000 words
Novellas: 30,000-50,000 words
Novels: 50,000-110,000 words

Fiction Genre Breakdown

Science Fiction/Fantasy: 90,000-120,000 words
Historical Fiction: 80,000-100,000 words
Young Adult: 50,000-80,000 words
Thrillers/Horror/Mysteries/Crime: 70,000-90,000 words
Mainstream Romance: 70,000-100,000 words
Subgenre Romance: 40,000-100,000 words

Nonfiction

Standard Nonfiction: 70,000-80,000 words
Biography: 80,000-200,000 words
Memoir: 80,000-100,000 words
Self-Help/How-To: 40,000-50,000 words

Children’s

Picture Books: 300-800 words
Early Readers: 200-3,500 words
Chapter Books: 4,000-10,000 words
Middle Grade: 25,000-40,000 words

5) Edit, edit, edit

Once you know the word count expectations for your book, how you proceed will depend on where you are in the writing process. Having that information as you’re going into writing your book may help you plot and outline your book to naturally achieve the desired word count. If, however, you’re in the middle or toward the end of your writing process then you may need to go back and expand or cut down in some areas in order to fit within the guidelines. It’s better to aim toward the higher end of the word count within your genre since you’re editor (if they’re any good) will be making heavy cuts when they go into the editorial process. If you’re having trouble figuring out what to cut in your story to try to get it within the word count suggestions, that’s the perfect time to turn to your editor as well.

And, if you can’t seem to cut down or add more to the story without sacrificing the integrity of your work, self-publishing can be an amazing option. It allows more freedom in terms of word count so you can get into the zone and just write, knowing that at the end of it you won’t have to embellish or tear your book to the ribbons to meet a publisher’s requirements.

The post Why Does Word Count Matter? appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Imagine you’re walking around a bookstore looking for something new to read. Usually, you pick up a book when you’re intrigued by a cover that looks like it’s from a genre you’re interested in reading. As an author, that means if you choose a cover that differentiates from the genre of your book, the wrong readers will be picking up (most likely putting back down) your book.

So how do you know what kind of book cover would match your book? Obviously, you should do your own research by looking up other books in your genre and imagine similar covers for your book. But we’ve compiled some suggestions for you as well:

1) Contemporary

Typically, contemporary covers are rather simple. Many have little cartoonish illustrations of one or two of the characters or an object that’s significant or symbolic in the book. Others will have actual photographs, whether stock photo images or perhaps the author hires models to pose as their characters. Another common contemporary cover would be a photo of a landscape. Figure out what is most relevant to your content and highlight it keeping these ideas in mind.

2) Fantasy

This is a more imaginative genre and your cover should reflect that while still remaining relevant to the content of your book. A tell-tale indication that it’s a fantasy book is if the cover has one of the following: a crown, a sword, a helmet, a throne, or a dragon (Oh and don’t just stick with dragons–illustrations of animals like lions or phoenixes are also popular for fantasy books).  Another common choice is to have an artist hand-draw characters or a relevant scene from your book. This choice is very popular, especially for adult fantasy books…just make sure it relates to your content.

3) Science Fiction

The majority of science fiction works are dystopian and many have dark overtones. Typically, the covers reflect this. It’s also common for a science fiction book cover to depict some of the technology that a reader should expect to find within the book. Whether that’s a hand-drawn illustration of a spaceship, a space gun, a spacesuit, or even a circuit board. If your book takes place another planet, it’s common to depict that on the cover. You may even design the entire city landscape on the cover. Just remember that, while contemporary novels may be light and romantic, your city would need a darker overtone and the illustration would need to clearly show a technological difference between this city and one we’d be able to find in our world today. If none of this appeals to you, check out some old science fiction covers like Dune or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and create a cover with a similar vintage feel. This is an especially good design route to take if you think your book would appeal to similar readers.

4) Romance

Obviously, these covers vary, but if you want readers to know right away that they’re picking up a romance novel, the easy solution is having a couple on the cover. There are various ways you can do this, whether it’s with an illustration or a photograph, so do your research and figure out what works best for your book. Another common choice is a girl in a beautiful, flowing dress (often running). Finally, a third good indicator of a romance novel is to have something either stereotypically romantic or relevant to the couple within your book. This could mean a picture of flowers, a butterfly, or (if your book involves letters) perhaps a set of letters. Think about what items are important to the couple in your story to help you draw some inspiration.

5) Nonfiction

When it comes to nonfiction book covers, less is more. A lot of covers depict simply the title and author in a nice font. They may play around with the actual color of the cover and font, but they will often not include an image or, if they do, it is very small. Any image or photograph that you include in the cover should be directly and clearly significant to the content. Whereas with fiction books these items can be elusive, with nonfiction they need to very clearly deal with the content. So, if the book is about the history of a city, having a photograph of the city as the cover would work. Or, if the book is about how to play the guitar, include a small photo or illustration of a guitar. You can play around with how modern or vintage it looks, but make sure the images are relevant. This isn’t the time to be imaginative. Just be simple, clear, and concise. Otherwise, you’ll have fiction readers picking up your book instead.

6) Suspense/Mystery

This genre’s cover is relatively easy. All you need is a bold font choice that takes up almost the entire cover and perhaps a backdrop of an item or place that relates in some way to the plot or title of the book. If your book involves someone drowning in a lake, throw in a photo or drawing of an eerie lake. Or, if your book involves a pocket watch, include one in the center between the title and author name. Keep in mind, though, not to accidentally give away a clue through the item you choose. For example, if the pocket watch is going to end up being the key to the mystery, choose a different item. Whatever is on the cover, astute readers will be on the lookout for it. Make sure you choose an item or location that’s relevant without being the key to solving your mystery.

The post Choosing the Right Book Cover appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Memoir vs. Autobiography: Know the difference

Writers often make the mistake of using these two terms interchangeably, but they are actually two very different things. An Autobiography is the story of the entirety of one’s life. All of the events one has experienced or remembers from birth to present. Typically these are done chronologically with an emphasis on factual information, but that isn’t required.

A Memoir, however, draws on a select set of stories or anecdotes from your life to support a specific theme or message. This message would either be something the readers are meant to learn from or a statement on the human condition as a whole. So, for example, say you wanted to write about your experiences being a victim of domestic violence. A memoir would involve pulling the specific stories necessary to tell your experience with that part of your life and, ultimately, how you overcame it and the lessons you learned along the way.

Choose Wisely

Which you choose, ultimately, depends in part on both your goals as well as your influential status. So, for example, if you’re writing the book to be a piece of you to leave with family so they have a chronical of your life, an Autobiography would be best. In addition, an Autobiography would also work well if you’re a celebrity or an influential public figure. When you have influence, readers clamor to hear all of the intricate details of your entire life.

However, should neither of those be the case, we’d recommend going with the Memoir format. This style is more about allowing readers to experience and learn from your life and, if you’re hoping to be established as a writer through this book, this is the right way to go. The focus of a Memoir is more to how to allow readers to gain something valuable from your book, which is conducive with building a following.

Choose a Theme

If you choose to write a Memoir, your first step will be choosing a theme. You’ll likely already have something in mind because that’s typically what prompts people to pursue Memoir writing in the first place. But think on the subject in more detail. You may have a traumatic experience or unique upbringing you’d like to share, but ask yourself: How did the experience affect me? How does it still affect me? Did I overcome the adversity I faced? If so, what did I learn from it? If not, why didn’t I? Make sure you’re choosing a subject that involves a conflict or a journey of some sort, otherwise readers won’t be able to gain any insight from your experiences. Think about it, if your book is about how you easily put yourself through grad school, how are readers supposed to relate? What would they learn from that experience?

Organize Your Story

This next step is applicable to both Autobiographies and Memoirs: get organized! Figure out the best order for the story you want to tell. For some, it’s chronological, but for others, their stories work best jumping back and forth in time. You want to create suspense, drama, and reveals–this is part of what makes any story good. Write down all the events that get the readers from point a (the conflict) and point b (learning the lesson) and figure out the most effective order of events.

Be Brutally Honest

You’re not going to like where we’re going with this, but bear with us. Some writers make the mistake of writing a memoir or autobiography that is actually a barely disguised Burn Book. They write the whole novel from the perspective of how blameless they are for every misfortune in their lives and how everything bad about their life is person A and person B’s fault. If you go this route, similar to the girls from Mean Girls, you’re making a big mistake -huge (different movie, but you get it).

Readers want to relate to you as the protagonist of this book and it can be difficult to relate to someone who paints themselves as perfect. In addition, if you make yourself seemingly flawless and blameless, you’ll come across as arrogant. Never be afraid to own up to things you’ve done wrong and paint a flawed picture of yourself. Not only will readers gain a lot more insight from an honest take, but they’ll relate and empathize with your journey a whole lot more.

Use Fiction Writing Techniques

This is solely for Memoir writers- start thinking like a fiction writer. The goal of your book is to create a compelling story with a specific theme or message that readers can receive. To do this effectively, you’ll need to think of yourself not as yourself, but as the protagonist of a story. Show details rather than tell them, create scenes in a visual and sensory way that readers can experience rather than simply hear about. Use direct and indirect dialogue, character arc, point of view, setups/payoffs, etc., the way a fiction writer would in order to tell a compelling tale that will hook readers in. Your life is no longer your life now, your life is a story. What does that story say?

The post Genre Spotlight: Autobiography/Memoir appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Be expected, but not boring

When writing a back cover blurb, you want it to set you apart from other books in your genre. To set yourself apart is good, to be too different from the rest is not. For example, if you’ve written a non-fiction self-help book and the back blurb reads more like a thriller novel, that’s going to leave readers more confused than engaged. Be engaging, but if your prose is leading you too far out of the ordinary…slam on the breaks.

It’s a blurb, not a summary

Remember, there’s a big difference between a book summary and a book blurb. The summary goes over all the plot points and the main character arc–that’s not what you want for the back of your book. Your back blurb should merely tease the readers on the plot points or knowledge they’ll find within. The back blurb should promise to entertain or help the reader without giving away anything major.

Choose your opener tactic

Now, your tactic will largely depend on your genre. Some tactics work for different genres, but others may only work for one. Regardless of your genre, the first few opening lines of your blurb are crucial. If readers aren’t grabbed right away, they may just move on to the next without much consideration. Here are a few different tactics to try:

a) Start with a quote

If you’ve written a fiction book (fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, etc.), we highly recommend using this tactic. It shows off a bit of your writing style, which will keep the readers intrigued enough to read the rest of your blurb. Find a line or section that you’re particularly proud of, italicize it, and plug it into the beginning of your blurb. Ideally, this line should be something to do with the main action of the story, but not something with spoilers. Regardless of how you feel about the novel Twilight, the blurb is a great example of an engaging blurb quote:

“About three things I was absolutely positive.
First, Edward was a vampire.
Second, there was a part of him – and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be – that thirsted for my blood.
Third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

b) Ask a Question:

Example: “Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?” (Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.)

c) Set a scene:

Example: “At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet, a curmudgeon with staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People think him bitter, and he thinks himself surrounded by idiots.” (Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove.)

d) Make a promise:

“Fitness, money and wisdom – here are the tools.” (Tim Ferriss, Tools of Titans.)

Genre Breakdown

The formula for writing out your back ad is different between fiction and nonfiction genres. Once you have your opening line(s) down, consult this breakdown to help you with the rest.

1) Fiction:

If you’re writing a Fiction back cover blurb, Beth Bacon (award-winning author and marketer) suggests this formula:

a) Situation: Briefly describe the circumstances of the story
b) Problem: Next, write about the situation or conflict that makes change inevitable.
c) Hopeful Possibility: Provide the hope of overcoming this crisis. This would be either an interesting character or long-shot possibility that gives hope that this difficult problem may be overcome.
d) Mood: Describe the emotional state the readers will have while reading your story. A few example phrases are: “dark, dystopian tragedy” or “romantic and humorous chick lit”.

2) Nonfiction:

Nonfiction Author Kelly Exeter suggests this simple formula for nonfiction back blurbs:

a) Introduce the problem
b) Outline how you propose to solve it (ideally using bullet points)
c) Tell the reader how their lives will be better after reading your book

Ultimately, your blurb is your pitch to the readers.  Potential readers take a few moments to make the decision between spending hours reading your work and putting it down to find something else. We can’t stress enough how important it is to take your time really perfecting your blurb. If done properly, after reading your back cover, there will be no going back (or putting back on the shelf, for that matter).

The post Writing Your Back Cover Blurb appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

1) Check root meanings & origins

When brainstorming a character name, it may be helpful to choose a name with a root meaning that describes the character in question. It’s a clever way to give the reader a hint about your character’s nature, without being too obvious and cliché about it (ex. Giving a character the last name Goodman). One place to start may be looking up the meanings of a chosen word in different languages to see if inspiration strikes.

However, just as importantly, make sure you’re checking the root meaning and origins of names even if you chose the name first. You need to make sure that the names have the correct origins for the nationality of your character and that the name doesn’t mean something wildly different from or contradictory to your character’s personality. Otherwise, you run the risk of confusing the more perceptive readers who will do their research.

2) Keep in mind era, location, and genre

Characters from different time periods and locations will have vastly different names from one another. Names that were popular in England in the 1920’s aren’t aligned with the popular names in the present day. Your names either need to align with the time and place or you’ll need to show why they don’t. Maybe this character’s parents had a fascination with this era for some reason. You’ll just need to make sense of it; otherwise, you’ll leave your readers wondering why there is a 20-year-old girl in present-day America named Doris.

Genre is equally important when it comes to choosing character names. Fantasy names will sound mythical while Sci-Fi named will have harsher and shorter sounds while historical fiction names will be more simple and classic. Your reader will be left scratching their head if they’re reading a fantasy novel and they come across a character named Blake. If you’re struggling with this, there are a lot of name generators online for specific genres that may be a helpful jumping-off point.

3) Differentiate between characters

By the end of your book, your readers will know your characters like they are members of their own family. However, during character introductions at the beginning of your book, it can be difficult to differentiate between everyone. To make it easier, we recommend starting each name of the core group of characters with different letters. This makes it easier for your reader to tell them apart in the initial stages as they’re getting to know them. For that same reason, it’s best not to have two character’s names that rhyme or sound similar as well. However, if you ever want to call special attention to a specific character, use alliterative initials (ex. Severus Snape).

4) Speak it aloud & be consistent

You’re allowed to include names in your book that are difficult to pronounce- just make sure you know how to pronounce them. When your book gets published, your readers will inevitably ask you about the pronunciation of specific names so you want to make sure you can say it easily and clearly out loud. In addition, make sure you’re always remaining consistent on what your character is called throughout your book. It will be confusing for your readers if characters go back and forth between called John and Jonathan- unless it’s for formality purposes.

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The post What’s in a Name: Choosing Character Names appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.