Writing eBooks, Step by Step

This is my one hundredth post, so instead of doing a new Writing 101 lesson I'm going to re-do all of them...after a fashion. And since I've done so many Writing 101 posts in the past few months, there are a lot of them -- so we haven't got any time to waste.

(Almost) Every Step of Writing eBooks

 Once inspiration hits and you've got a great idea, get to work and create an outline. Start thinking about your main character, and all the other characters in the book, as you plan out the plot. Give your characters plausible-sounding names.

Research your plot and your setting to fill your book with realistic, coherent details.

Format your manuscript properly, and save yourself some trouble. Always set the justification, and make sure you know what you're doing if you start adding page numbers, headers and footers.

As you write, be particular about how you format your chapter breaks and scene breaks. Don't ever, ever use the tab button...unless you want to dance with the Devil.

 Be careful about the words you choose. Avoid the further/farther problem and the effect/affect war while you're working. Don't over-use words like that and very; don't ever use words like alot and forever.

Use care when writing potentially offensive and adult subject matter into your story, and be careful about how you use italics, bold and other in-text formatting.

Make use of online writing tools if you need help figuring out ages, naming characters or choosing a setting -- among other particulars. If you get writer's block, try some simple exercises to get around it.

Use vivid, descriptive writing to draw readers deeply into the story you're telling.

Don't forget about backing up your work while you're writing, and if the worst does happen attempt a bold rescue operation to save your book.

Write great dialogue to draw readers in, but make sure you're using proper quotation punctuation when you're doing it.

If you're going to use colons, ellipsis and semicolons in your book, make sure you're doing it the right way.

Speaking of punctuation, brush up on your comma usage. Lots of indies seem to have trouble with it. Learn how to use parentheses properly while you're at it.

Don't indiscriminately use brand names or celebrity names in your book. You have to do it safely to avoid legal issues and other problems you definitely don't want.

Be mindful of your tense and your point-of-view while you're writing the book; readers hate inconsistencies in these areas.

Pay attention to your length as you work on your manuscript, and when all is said and done give it a thorough editing to perfect the text.

If you're going to use a pen name, choose one that's spectacular. Once you've got one, it's time to make a book cover, or find someone who can, to complete your book.


Before you even think about publishing the book anywhere, be absolutely certain that you own the copyright.

Convert your book into an ebook to make it viewable on an ereader. Use ebook codes to make everything look perfect, and add all the little extras, like images, to make it pop.

Choose the right genre for your book, and appeal directly to your target audience.

Be competitive when pricing your books; don't make it harder on yourself than it already is. Create a sensational blurb for your book that will help it sell itself.

Find out how to get reviews, and drum up some attention for your book. Try not to get too upset by bad reviews; it's an opportunity to improve.

Once you get some reviews, pull a few good review quotes out of there for marketing purposes. Try promoting your work with a blog tour, and create a book trailer to get even more marketing power.

Put your book in print to appeal to a wider audience of readers.


And once you're done with all of that, come back here for new tips -- because I'll have another Writing 101 post to introduce tomorrow.

Explore Murder and Madness in The Tower

Yes, the sad truth is that Indie Author Month is coming to an end. I've truly enjoyed visiting Aside From Writing every day in May and discovering new, talented indie authors -- and I'm thrilled to say that today is my day! The month has been peppered with wonderful paranormal tales, heart-wrenching romances, chilling suspense and even fascinating historical novels, to name just a few. Now, it's going to end with a healthy dose of madness, courtesy of The Tower.

I'm participating in the event by giving away 5 copies of The Tower, so sign up if you want to win. In fact, there are several giveaways (including the main prize) which are still open. Scads of books are available, not just mine, so don't miss your chance to get some free goods.

Writing 101: Review Quotes

 Even the most celebrated and well-loved authors show off quotes from colleagues, reviewers and prestigious publications. For indie writers, review quotes are a valuable commodity. Many indies make it a habit to tweet review quotes to market their work, and some include them in their book blurbs and websites. I even put some of mine in one of my trailers. Movies, books, magazines, music -- lots of products are promoted with glowing, intriguing and enticing quotes from critics and supporters. But there is a certain finesse to choosing review quotes, and to displaying them, that some indies don't seem to possess. How do you use yours?

 On Review Quotes

I've been writing on the topic of reviews a lot lately, but only because they're an endless source of fascination. I also happened to see something a little strange recently, and can't help but to blog about it. Besides, it naturally follows that once you've learned how to get reviews, you're going to want to do something with them...so why not pull a few quotes out of there? 

Go ahead and try. It's easy enough for the likes of Stephen King, but indie authors face all sorts of problems. In reality, the traditionally-published authors probably have the same difficulties -- but let's face it, they usually have a wider pool of reviews from which to draw their quotes. Indies have to work with what they're given, but don't let a shallow well lead you down the primrose path of bad decisions. 

Acceptable Source Material

We all have the great honor of living in the Information Age, where just about everyone and everything is online. This means that indie writers have multiple sources from which they can pull their reviews. Or...do they? Don't be so anxious to grab marketable quotes that you cross the boundaries of common courtesy...or worse, copyright law. 

• Blogs/online articles

If a blogger or online writer creates a review of your book on their site, however brief, you are absolutely allowed to use it any piece of it as a review quote, but only if you cite both the writer and the site where the quote originally appeared. The one who created the quote owns the copyright to it, either officially or unofficially, and without proper citation you could be accused of infringement and/or plagiarism. 

• E-tailers 

 If someone reviews your work on Amazon, B&N, or any other site where your work is being sold, use the quotes! Again, cite the name of the reviewer (even if they are using some sort of alias) and on which site this quote appeared. 

• Social media

Has someone reviewed your book on Goodreads, made a comment about it on Facebook or Tweeted about it? You can most certainly re-publish that quote, so long as you cite the user name and the social media site in question. 

• Message boards

Now we're moving into the gray area. In most circumstances, you are probably safe using quotes about your book, or you as a writer, that have appeared on publish message boards. I emphasize public. However, even in this circumstance it's good form to directly ask the person who wrote the quote if you're at liberty to use it, unless they have previously stated that they are willing to have their words put on public display. You should absolutely ask the poster before you publish anything from a private message board, such as one that requires a username and password to view.

• Email

Now things are getting even trickier. Electronic mail is not guaranteed to any sort of privacy, and most people who use it know that it's always subject to being viewed by a third party (there are way too many media stories about email accounts being hacked). It's not technically a safe form of communication, however in all polite societies there does exist a covenant of trust between parties who are corresponding even via email. I am not a lawyer, but in doing a (very brief and not at all thorough) cursory check on the subject, emails probably are not protected by copyright law unless they specifically contain material that has been copyrighted. Everyday correspondence obviously would not meet this criteria.

However, that doesn't mean you should feel free to quote it in some sort of public forum. Some indie writers might be so hungry for useable quotes that anything and everything begins to look like fair game -- even emails from various literary agents and publishing houses. Lots of indies have previously submitted work to the more traditional book types, and some may have received encouraging and promising responses. Is it cool to use some of these responses as quotes for marketing purposes? 

That all depends. The short answer is...well, yes. Legally, it is probably okay to pull quotes from emails unless those mails are somehow protected by some sort of privacy agreement that's been implemented by the website itself. But the longer answer advises against it, unless certain conditions have first been met. If you get permission to use quotes from those emails from the person or persons who wrote them, then publish away. Hooray. 

If you haven't obtained that permission, then you probably shouldn't. Common decency and courtesy are really the only thing holding you back, but let that be enough. Email exchanges between two parties carry an implied privacy protection with them, and if you break that trust with a literary agent or email answerer at a publishing house you could be burning an important bridge. You could even make other agents and staffers shy away from corresponding or communicating with you in the future. If you want to use it, ask for permission. They might say no, but they might not. Remember to cite the source of your quote correctly if you do obtain permission to publish their words.

Acceptable Quotes

Once you're quite sure all of your sources for all of your quotes are on the level, you might still have trouble pulling something usable. The secret to great quotes is the ellipsis, otherwise known as ... . As some of my readers might know from a previous post, in non-fiction writing an ellipsis is used to show an omission of words. This means that you can eliminate poorly-spelled and weirdly-worded bits and pieces of reviews to get a quite salable quote, but you have to avoid overuse. Don't try to promote a quote that's completely butchered by your punctuation. If you can use one ellipsis, two at the outside, and create a great quote then go for it.

Don't forget that you can use brackets [for your quotes]. They're sort of a get-out-of-hell-free card when it comes to re-publishing a quote. Within the body of a quote, brackets are used to substitute words. Most often, they're used to replace proper nouns with pronouns, or vice versa, but other small changes may be made through them as well. They're a powerful tool, so again, don't over-use them. 

Don't re-publish profanity, unless you are specifically doing so on an age-controlled site with all the proper disclaimers and you are specifically targeting an older (and possibly not-so-conservative) group of readers. There are lots of format-friendly ways to delete an expletive to make a quote more family-friendly, but if you're going to let it fly then make sure you're only doing so in the proper venues. By the way, your Amazon page is not considered the proper venue for re-publishing a quote that contains profanity.

Quotes containing spoilers or too much summary information are to be avoided. Remember that you want to whet the palate, not shove a piece of chocolate cake down their throats. Your readers shouldn't even get a taste of your book from a review quote -- they should only get a deeply enticing whiff of its aroma.

Writing 101: How to Get Reviews

We already discussed writing reviews, and now it's time for a topic that might be even more important to indie writers: getting reviews. Be willing to devote time to it, because reviews will help you as a writer in multiple ways.

How to Get Reviews

I feel confident in saying all indie writers want to get reviews from readers. Good reviews can add a certain appeal to your book, and they make it plain to book shoppers that someone, someday, read your book and felt strongly enough about it to write a review. People want what other people like; that's just human nature. Having reviews can increase your sales and make your book look more interesting to readers. Now, all you've got to do is go out and get some. 

• Publish your book. If you want to get reviews, it helps to publish your book in multiple places. If you're using Amazon's KDP Select program, you actually don't have this option -- but you can still list your book at Goodreads. A social media site devoted to book readers, Goodreads can be a wonderful source of reviews for your work. The more places you can list your book, the more people will find it -- and that means more reviews.
• Find reviewers. I know, easier said than done. But once you know how to find reviewers, you'll always have the skill -- which is good, because you'll need it again and again. The indie writer's greatest resource is book blogs. Use your favorite search engine, and start seeking them out. There are lots of different ways to search. Look for blogs that cater to indie writers, blogs that cater to books within your genre, and blogs that discuss books and book reviews in general. Make a list of bookmarks for all the viable-looking blogs you find, and search their resource pages to find links to other book blogs. 
• Ask properly. Once you find potential book reviewers, don't just flood them with free books and emails. Take the time to look around the blog and read some of the reviews. Look at the review policy to make sure your book meets all the right criteria. Then, and only then, write a brief email to the book reviewer. Introduce yourself and your book in one sentence or less. When asking for the review, tell the reviewer why you want them to review your work. Does it fit in with the other books on their blog? Do you like something about this reviewer's specific style? Be succinct. Close the email with the blurb for your book, your relevant links and any other brief information you would like to include. Do not send them a free book; wait for them to ask you if they are interested.
• Promote it. If you're looking for reviews and reviewers, say so. Tweet about it, blog about it, announce it on Facebook. You can't possibly find every available reviewer through an Internet search, and you never know who's out there looking for new reading material.
• Encourage it. Want readers to review your book? Tell them so. Include an "About the Author" at the end of your book, and invite readers to share their opinion of your work by reviewing it. Some readers simply don't think of giving reviews. Why can't you be the one to put the thought in their heads?

Trading Reviews

My own personal beliefs on reviews have evolved -- quickly, I might add. I have a lot of thoughts on review trades that others don't agree with, but to each their own. My opinion on the subject of trading reviews is this: don't do it. I'm going to tell you why. 

Indie writers are exactly like traditional writers in every single respect, without all the polish. Some indie writers are fantastic, with a strong command of editing skills, grammar and punctuation. But some indie writers are unbelievably bad at same. The moment you agree to a review trade with an indie that you don't know and never have read, you're more or less jumping off a cliff. Will you land on a pillowy-soft, fantastic book that cradles you gently in its pages...or into a pile of shite? 

You have no way of knowing, and therein lies the problem with review trades. Here's a review rule I live by: don't ever commit. No one should have to clench their jaw, screw their courage to the sticking place and force themselves to waste time reading a book they positively hate in every single way. I've been there, and it's not fun. You do a review trade, you commit, you open the door up for regret and eye-rolling that could last for days, even weeks. You can attempt to save yourself some pain by reading samples, working with only trusted indies and sticking to strict guidelines (I, for example, will not read your book if it isn't justified the right way. No more exceptions).

Paying for Reviews

Lots of writers have lots of strong opinions about paid reviews. One of the more well-known is Kirkus, who by my book charges exorbitant and astronomical rates for their reviews. But a Kirkus review does carry a certain cachet, and some indie authors may have plenty of money to spend. Every business and every brand name is expected to spend money on marketing, and no indie can ever get the whole thing done completely for free (because, at the very least, you'll have to pay for a copyright). So if you want to spend your money on reviews, spend it on reviews. It is, after all, your money.

Bad Reviews?

There are no bad reviews if you're an indie writer. First of all, no matter what the review says you should sit back and bask in the glow of your computer screen regardless of anything. Why? Because you just moved someone with your writing -- and isn't that what you wanted? You actually motivated someone to write down their thoughts, you got them thinking, and you wrote something they remembered long enough to sign onto a website, at least. In today's world, that's no small achievement. 

Second of all, any advice you get from any reader is valuable. Take every single comment seriously, no matter how it stings, because this one reader could be thinking something similar to dozens of other readers. You want to know what all your readers think, but in lieu of hunting them through cyberspace you've got to rely on the ones who feel strongly enough to comment. If you see a negative comment, think of it as a challenge. Here's something you can improve upon in this book, or the next book, or tomorrow when you sit down to write a new chapter.

All About Jade

I have a new interview up today where I talk about why I write, what I've been doing lately and what I wish I could change about the Deck of Lies series. Find out what I'm reading right now, which book I love reading over and over and how I came up with the Deck of Lies.

Writing 101: eBook Codes

When you're trying to format a manuscript into an ebook, it's helpful to know some html. But there's no reason you should run right out and sign up for a programming class just to get your book out there. If you can use a few simple ebook codes, you can create a well-formatted story -- and nobody has to know that you don't really know what you're doing.

eBook Codes You Need to Know

You don't really have to learn a bunch of html to get your ebook together, because there's a limited number of codes that are actually relevant. Even if you're adding a bunch of different in-text formatting, pictures, links and other fun stuff, the ebook codes you need to use are pretty simple.

• Links. Add links to your book using the <a> tag. Many authors include a link to their personal blogs or websites in the "About the Author" section of their books, which often appears at the end. My link will look like this: Visit <a href=jadevarden.blogspot.com>Jade's blog</a> to learn more. "Jade's blog" will serve as the text for the link. That's very important! Always include the text, and use the full url for the link code.
• Formatting. Bold words will appear inside the <b> tag. For example: The headline read <b>Death!</b> in big, black letters. The <b> tag begins the bold, the </b> ends it. If you use an ebook code, you must always close it in this fashion. You may also use <strong> in place of <b>. Both codes are correct. Likewise, words in italics appear inside <i> tags. The <em> tag may also be used for italics.
• Blank lines. Want to add a blank line of text? You may only be able to do it by using ebook codes, because when you convert a word processor document into .pdf or .html, those blank lines may disappear. Use the <br> code to create a line break. This is the only ebook code you won't need to close; there is no </br> code.
• Paragraphs. All paragraphs should begin with a <p> tag, and end with a </p> tag. This will ensure that your formatting and indentations look correct in the ebook. The <p> tag automatically adds the proper indentation, and will keep your paragraphs at full justification (the only correct justification for books).
• Center. But all text can't be justified all the time. Many authors like to center their chapter headings and book titles, and why shouldn't they? Just slap a <center> tag in front of the text you want to center, and end the center justification with </center>.

Basic ebook codes help you translate what you've written into something ereaders can understand, with no loss of formatting. But going through your html is very tedious, exacting work. Use an online ebook viewer took to check and double-check each page of your ebook several times, and tweak the html as needed to be sure your formatting is perfect. If you notice any problems in the book, there's a problem with the html. Find it, fix it, and make the book perfect.

Writing 101: Helpful Online Writing Tools

Shakespeare did it with quills and candles, Mark Twain did it on a typewriter, but today's authors don't even need paper to tell their stories. We live in a modern age, and the modern writer is more Internet presence than person. Our books are online, our photos are online, our words are online -- it's only natural that we get online to do the writing, too. Use online writing tools to help you get the job done, and maybe even make it a little easier. Paper's totally overrated, anyway.

Writing Tools Online 

Going online to research isn't always easy. It's hard to find reputable sources, and it takes a long time to seek out specific information. But the Internet isn't just a source of information for writers; it can actually help you get the job done. There are lots of writing tools online that will make it much easier for you to get from the first page to the last page of your book.

• Names. In a previous post, I talked about about using certain Internet sites to find different character names -- which can be somewhat tedious. A Twitter friend shared his secret with me, and I love it: a fake name generator. Choose by gender, language and country to get a completely random, computer-generated name.
• Age calculator. I'm horrifyingly bad at math, and I don't think I would ever get it right if I didn't use an age calculator. Just type in your character's birth date, and pick any additional date you like to find out how old that character will be on that day. There are tons of age calculators online, but I prefer this one from Cornell.  
• Mapping. Google maps has proven invaluable to me. It's incredibly easy to use, and if you have any Google account (Blogger, YouTube, Gmail, etc.), you can create and save your own personalized map. I like to take my characters to real places, and when I send them off to new settings I like to know how long it's going to take them to get there. You can even use Google maps to get down to street level, and see with your own eyes what one of your settings looks like -- an amazingly powerful tool for any writer.
•  Words. Don't ever knock the thesaurus. If you're like many writers, you can pull up a site and type in a word a lot faster than you can thumb through the pages of a printed book, sorting through a bunch of different words to find just one. Too much repetition of the same words will make any book boring, and no matter how creative you think you are there are always new words to learn. A quick check on the thesaurus can infinitely improve your writing.

Da Vinci used brushes. Michelangelo used clay. Every artist has tools they use to make their creations come alive. If yours are websites, it's only because you're an artist living in the modern world -- beautifully.

1-Star Reviews? We Should All Be So Lucky

A fair amount of indie writers are at least partially obsessed with the reviews they receive for their books...if indie writer forums are any indication, anyway. Many indies have felt the staggering heartbreak of a 1-star review, of a reader blatantly saying "I hated this," that ugly sting of rejection. No one is so self-assured that they can completely shrug off all judgment all the time, certainly no writer. To be a writer is to bleed on the page -- and when a reviewer knifes you in the back, it might cut deep.

But I happen to be a fan of 1-star reviews, and I'm trying to convert other indies to my twisted way of thinking. In the spirit of embracing all of your reviews -- good and bad -- I'd like to play a game.

What's Your Favorite Book?

What's your favorite book? It crops up in forums all the time, it's an easy topic of conversation, it's something that may change with the weeks for some readers. For me, it is (and undoubtedly will always be) Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Arguably, some of my affection for this tome could stem from the fact that I adore everything about Clark Gable (who played Rhett Butler in the movie, which I saw before I ever watched the book). But I digress.

The point is, I think Gone With the Wind is just about perfect -- the true Great American Story that so many writers long to pen. And one day, I decided to go take a look at my favorite book's reviews.

Can you see the twist coming a mile away? That's right: Gone With the Wind has 1-star reviews -- and not just a few of them. Some people hate this book so passionately, they've called Mitchell names outright. I'm talking all caps, hate-riddled, strong language, bad reviews.

It's one of the most popular books of all time, it became one of the most popular movies of all time and it's still being sold all over the place to this day. But yeah, it's got 1-star reviews that could reduce many a writer to hysterical tears.

Now, go and look up the reviews for your favorite book, and play along. The next time you get a 1-star review, remind yourself that it means you've got something in common with Margaret Mitchell. It's what I'm going to do.