How is everyone?

LJD said:

I had an erotic romance, Seducing His True Love, come out two weeks ago, and it looks like the sales have been abysmal.

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I'm really sorry to hear that, LJD. I thought sales with a publisher like Entangled would be much better. They were one of the small presses I'd consider if I couldn't get an agent for either my M/F romance or the M/M ones I'm working on.

yoghurtelf said:

I'm envious that you are publishing anything - even with self-pubbing I haven't put anything out there yet. I don't really have anything to say about the state of publishing, but I'm sorry to hear sales aren't going well. I have author friends who often mention that their books are being pirated - do you think that could be a factor for yours too?

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Well, I'm sure it's being pirated, but somehow I doubt it's a significant issue in my poor sales. I doubt many people care enough about my book to pirate it.

Marian Perera said:

I'm really sorry to hear that, LJD. I thought sales with a publisher like Entangled would be much better. They were one of the small presses I'd consider if I couldn't get an agent for either my M/F romance or the M/M ones I'm working on.

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My release week sales for both Entangled books are probably still better than my release week sales at any of the other three publishers...but that's saying almost nothing. I think sales, in general, are down for Entangled (and many other people) this, but my books consistently do worse than the other new releases at Entangled (based on Amazon rankings), so some of it is just me. My story with Entangled is very, uh, long and complicated. I won't share everything here, but you can PM me if you want details.

I sympathize, LJD. I also have an Entangled story. I kind of think they're operating on the throw-spaghetti-at-the-wall model.

Marissa D said:

I sympathize, LJD. I also have an Entangled story. I kind of think they're operating on the throw-spaghetti-at-the-wall model.

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They do make some *interesting* decisions, yes. But unlike many smaller pubs, they seem to actually do some publicity, so I had hoped my books would do better. Alas...

MerriTudor, you can just post a couple hundred words and specifically ask for gentle feedback. It might sting for a bit--let it, and let a few days go by. After that, you'll probably find it very helpful. I know that when I get edit letters from my agent or an editor, I'm horribly depressed and demoralized for a day, and fixate on all the "bad" comments in my head. I read the letter once, and go off and sulk. A few days later when I go back to it, though, it never seems as bad...and usually my brain has been working on what needs fixing, and I can happily jump in and revise.

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Thanks for the encouraging words, Marissa! Like most things I worry about, it will probably turn out to be not even remotely as devastating as what I've imagined. And I can always go lie down in my bunny room and let my rabbits comfort me by sitting on my head or shredding my jeans.

Plus New Agent Lady is preparing to take a series (Regency historical fantasy) out on submission in September, and I'm totally chuffed about that.

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Oooooo! Regency historical fantasy. Very intriguing! And good luck getting back into your YA!

Still stalled on my M/M story. It's the danged love scene. I don't mind reading about a spicy romp, but writing one? Freezes me solid. Anybody else have this problem?

It's at the point where I set it aside for a while and started another story. It'll be some time before the two new guys are ready to get together, so maybe I can make some kind of progress.

Pterofan said:

Still stalled on my M/M story. It's the danged love scene. I don't mind reading about a spicy romp, but writing one? Freezes me solid. Anybody else have this problem?

It's at the point where I set it aside for a while and started another story. It'll be some time before the two new guys are ready to get together, so maybe I can make some kind of progress.

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I do! I have so much respect for authors whose trade this is. haha.

I have one sex scene that I have worked on for MANY years, and I think it's mostly okay by now, but could probably still use improvement. ha.

For most of my other books I just gloss stuff over... But I'm trying to get more brave. I just rewrote a sex scene this morning because it was too much about the sex, and not enough about the emotional context. So I think I've improved it. It used to be more detailed, and then I sort of 'faded' out a few bits...and now I think the emotional part is okay.

Since I'm not writing erotic romance or anything, I guess there shouldn't be any expectations. I still don't want readers to be disappointed by too much 'fading' though.

yoghurtelf said:

Since I'm not writing erotic romance or anything, I guess there shouldn't be any expectations. I still don't want readers to be disappointed by too much 'fading' though.

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Since the level of heat preference varies so much from reader to reader, I think it might be better for your work if you were to write it at your own comfort level and preference. I think this is an area where you should just write, unselfconsciously if that makes sense? Thats when the magic happens, after all. Not when you are concerned about meeting a quota or some outside expectation.

Good point, Proserpina. I guess it's true in all aspects of a novel, what people are saying lately - "write what you love".

yoghurtelf said:

Good point, Proserpina. I guess it's true in all aspects of a novel, what people are saying lately - "write what you love".

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Absolutely! I don't think there is any other way to produce your best work. So much of the best writing comes from a subconscious, intuitive level that if you are trying to control it, or edit it before you've even written it, you're gonna mess it up. Ray Bradbury talked about the importance of writing intuitively back in the seventies and I think its just as true today. :0) Do you ever go back and read stuff you've written and think wow! I can't believe I wrote this it's so freakin' awesome. The opposite is also true - sometimes I go back and read and wonder what the hell I was thinking too. But I think its important the analysis is only allowed after.

After a grueling weekend nursing a dangerously ill pet rabbit back to health (and getting 2.5 hours sleep when I finally got to bed at 4 AM Sunday morning), I think I have my prologue nearly finished. Just needs some judicious pruning, followed by a good polish (well, good enough for a first draft). And Chapter One is crankin' right along, much to my amazement.

Funnily enough, though, I've hit a dry spot as far as what my hero looks like. Yeah. Crazy, right? I thought I'd settled that long ago, but seems I got ahead of myself. I was thinking dark hair/blue eyes but...wow, that's so old. Besides, he was telling me he has lighter hair. Definitely not blonde, but maybe medium brown? Damned if I know. And now he wants dark eyes. Nothing like waiting until the last minute to speak up.

Shoot. She's about to meet him in Chapter One, so I have to get it together, and it's got to be good. Guess I'll have to watch clips of period dramas on YouTube to find a prototype. How I suffer for my art!

Hahaha, you're funny Merri. How about sandy hair and dark eyes? That's a pretty cool combo!

Oh no, Merri! Stasis? I hope your bun is feeling better.

How about sandy hair and dark eyes? That's a pretty cool combo!

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Hmmm! Now that's an idea. Ooooo, I'm likin' that, yoghurtelf!

Oh no, Merri! Stasis? I hope your bun is feeling better.

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Yep! It was stasis. Pooh is one of my Flemmie boys and he's never been ill since I got him. I got sub-q fluids in him, infant gas drops, metacam, belly rubs, making him run - nothing. I usually get the others turned around quickly. I finally had to do an emergency vet visit (thank God for pet insurance) and x-rays revealed worrying distension, possible an obstruction. Yikes! Further exam revealed it probably wasn't an obstruction, so went home with gut motility meds. More fluids, more metacam, more vigorous belly rubs and forced marches and FINALLY he started improving. Turns out, he's been shedding so much he had a gut full of fur! But I really thought I was going to lose him for a while there.

How am I? Bored and anxious.

I'm refining and cutting the prologue to my historical romance and it's very BORING to have to keep my hyper-distracted brain focused on it to the exclusion of all my other WIPS. Boredom is torture, and tends to make me snappish and irritable. So watch it!

In addition to boredom, I'm also feeling anxious. I'd like to post in SYW, so psyching myself up for that. That's part of it, but the other anxiety-producing aspect is making this piece coherent. I mean to someone other than me! It's a delicate balance, isn't it? You have to make sure that all the presumptions from which you're working aren't just in your head, and at the same time, you're not beating a dead horse.

Reader: Why is this guy jumping off a bridge? Writer: Oh, because he's a circus performer practicing an act. Didn't I mention that? Ooops!

Reader: Why do you keep harping on about how much she loves Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey? Writer: 'Cause I'm not quite sure I got that across the first time. I did? Ooops!

But that's the beauty of new eyes, isn't it? 'Cause you can't fix what you don't see. And sometimes I'm pretty much groping in the dark here.

What's up with everyone else these days?

You can ask for critters to be gentle with you on SYW, and that's generally respected. I know it's hard to do; when I get an edit letter or a critique, I usually read it, put it away, and don't look at it for a day or two (and sulk a little)...but then find it hugely helpful. When you're ready, go for it!

Not a huge amount to report--doing some promo stuff on backlist, getting ready for agent lady to start submitting another book (and waiting to hear on a YA that's out on submission), and trying to work on a new YA...except my ability to concentrate seems to have vanished. Menopause brain, maybe? I don't know, but it's driving me crazy. I used to be able to sit down and just write, and now it's like squeezing a stone for juice.

Not a huge amount to report--doing some promo stuff on backlist, getting ready for agent lady to start submitting another book (and waiting to hear on a YA that's out on submission), and trying to work on a new YA...except my ability to concentrate seems to have vanished. Menopause brain, maybe? I don't know, but it's driving me crazy. I used to be able to sit down and just write, and now it's like squeezing a stone for juice.

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Hey. Concentration is highly overrated. Your mind should fly wild and free! At least that's what I keep telling myself. Don't worry, you'll get back into the groove!

Sounds like you have a LOT going on, actually. And it all sounds pretty exciting! Best wishes on your YA submission, hope you hear good news soon!

I feel ya' on the too many ideas, Jan.

I'm 90% done with a three-book proposal when suddenly this idea for a stand alone came crashing forth. As I was waiting on take-out Friday night, I typed out the back cover blurb on my phone. And then I was up until 2 am writing a synopsis. The whole damn thing came together quite unexpectedly. So now I'm throwing together the opening chapters of that one and will hand over both proposals to my agent at the same time and let her figure it out. LOL

I'm in that same boat, except for me it's wanting to edit quite a few of my novels at the same time and get them all into shape. It's hard to focus on just one. But as a result of posting a few first chapters in various SYW boards, I have a LOT of work on my plate.

I always ask for honest critique, which means I get harsh comments sometimes, like someone saying, "OMG I am sooooo bored right now!" can be a little like a kick in the guts. But it also makes me really look at my chapter and go, "Wow, this must be really boring." haha. And in truth, that particular chapter bored me at times too, so no wonder a reader was bored. I'm working on that one right now.

You could always ask one person to look your chapter over first, so you can get some feedback, and then if things seem positive you may feel better about posting. And as was mentioned above, you can ask critiquers to be gentle in the SYW forums, so that way you know you won't get any harsh comments like I tend to get for mine.

That sounds wonderful, Cheryl. All of it, from the magical brainstorm to having someone to offload the figuring out part to.

Marissa, the promotion scares the bejabbers out of me. That would sap my concentration even if menopause wasn't already doing it.

One thing to keep in mind about SYW is most of the critters in the Romance SYW section are those of us hanging around on this forum, too. You'll get a few others, but not a whole lot. It really *does* help to ask people to be gentle.

I'm beta reading and twiddling my thumbs waiting to figure out what I'm going to work on next, edits or new stories. I'm bored not writing, but apparently not bored enough to dig into rewrites on my novel. *rolls eyes at self*

Me....I'm struggling, too many ideas about writing and I can't seem to focus in on one story. So I'm in reading mode now. I just have too many ideas and paths in front of me. I need to pick one and commit. I'm at a major crossroads.

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Jan, committing to one story can be agonizing, I know. But you're keeping a hand in, so to speak, by reading. A major crossroads sounds both a little scary and a lot exciting!

I'm 90% done with a three-book proposal when suddenly this idea for a stand alone came crashing forth. As I was waiting on take-out Friday night, I typed out the back cover blurb on my phone. And then I was up until 2 am writing a synopsis. The whole damn thing came together quite unexpectedly. So now I'm throwing together the opening chapters of that one and will hand over both proposals to my agent at the same time and let her figure it out. LOL

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You sure are going to town, Cheryl! Best of luck with your proposals!

I always ask for honest critique, which means I get harsh comments sometimes, like someone saying, "OMG I am sooooo bored right now!" can be a little like a kick in the guts. But it also makes me really look at my chapter and go, "Wow, this must be really boring." haha. And in truth, that particular chapter bored me at times too, so no wonder a reader was bored. I'm working on that one right now.

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yoghurtelf, you really roll with the crits. I admire how you just get things out there. You seem fearless! Hopefully one day I'll be more blasé about the whole process. Your suggestion that I have one person take a look at it first might be a way of getting a toe in the water.

One thing to keep in mind about SYW is most of the critters in the Romance SYW section are those of us hanging around on this forum, too. You'll get a few others, but not a whole lot. It really *does* help to ask people to be gentle.

I'm beta reading and twiddling my thumbs waiting to figure out what I'm going to work on next, edits or new stories. I'm bored not writing, but apparently not bored enough to dig into rewrites on my novel. *rolls eyes at self*

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Thanks, Elaine. I'm probably dreading that someone in a bad mood with time to kill will happen into SYW when I post. Someone who HATES historical romances with a passion (so to speak) and will proceed to eat me alive, commas and periods and all.

That would be against the rules, I think, if you do ask for "gentle" critique. Then that person should get spanked if they are mean!

And I'm definitely not fearless - I've only just started editing my 'boring' chapter weeks after getting that brutally honest feedback. But the comments did make me realise I had a problem not just with my first chapter but probably with my first few chapters, that needs fixing.