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Author: Iola

I provide professional freelance manuscript assessment, copyediting and proofreading services for writers of Christian fiction and non-fiction books, stories and articles. I also review Christian novels at www.christianreads.blogspot.com.

Your Author Platform

Marketing 101 | Your Author Platform (an #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop post)

This post is part of the monthly Author ToolBox Blog Hop, organised by Raimey Gallant. We now have over 40 blogs participating. To find more Blog Hop posts:

Modern writers need to do more than write. They need to market as well. That means understanding the basics of marketing.

In particular, it’s important for unpublished authors to being working on their online presence: their author platform. This post brings together some of the many (many many many) posts I’ve written on the subject.

Platform

An author platform is any means by which you can connect with readers and sell books:

Some writers have an established platform that has grown out of their non-writing activities e.g. a businessperson, an academic, or a preacher.
The rest of us have to build our platform from the ground up, and the easiest way to do that is online. We need:
  • A website (which can include a blog, but doesn’t have to).
  • An email list (which we use to send a regular newsletter).
  • Social media profiles.

Website

Do I need an author website? (Spoiler: yes).

I do not recommend building your website on a free site such as Blogger or WordPress.com. Both are limited in terms of their functionality e.g. you can’t use them to sell books.

Nor do I recommend using a proprietary platform such as SquareSpace, Weebly, or Wix. Yes, they produce a beautiful result, but you don’t own the platform in the same way as you don’t own your platform on social media.

Instead, I recommend building your own website with WordPress.org. (Yes, that’s different from WordPress.com).

WordPress powers around 30% of the internet, which means you’ll always be able to find help if you have a problem. It also means there are thousands of free and paid plugins (apps) that will enable you to do pretty much anything you can think of on your site.

Once you’ve decided you need a website, you’ll need a domain name and website hosting, and you may need help in building your site.
I’ve now built five sites using the WP-BFF free 5-Day Website Challenge. The first (this site) took me over a month, as there were a lot of decisions to make. The last took me less than a day, because it was a relatively simple site and I knew what I wanted.
*Note: these are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you click my link and make a purchase. This doesn’t cost you anything.

Email Newsletters

Many authors forego building an email list, as they say they can connect with readers through social media on platforms such as Facebook. That’s true. It’s also not true.

Once upon a time, you could post about your new book on your author Page on Facebook, and everyone who followed your Page would see that post. Facebook is now monetised, and no longer give you that kind of free exposure. Instead, their algorithm only shows the post to 1% or 2% of your audience … unless you pay to Boost a post, or buy some other form of advertising.

If you choose to develop an email newsletter, then you’ll need to use an email service provider. Why? Because sending bulk emails from your regular email provider (e.g. Gmail) is considered spam. Using a reputable email service provider will also help ensure you comply with international laws regarding email (e.g. GDPR and the CAN-SPAM Act).

If you don’t currently have an email list, then I recommend using MailerLite.

It is free for the first 1,000 subscribers, which includes free automation sequences. As a bonus, you get $20 of free credit if you sign up using my affiliate link: click here to sign up to MailerLite*.
MailChimp* is another popular email service provider, and the provider I initially used for my lists. While MailChimp is free for the first 2,000 subscribers, they no longer offer free automation sequences, and they are more expensive than MailerLite (and I think MailerLite is easier to use).
If you’re wondering why an automation sequence is a big deal, check out Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert by Tammi L Labrecque*.
Once you’ve set up your email list, you’ll want to build that list. There are various methods you can try, which I cover in this blog post: 6 ways to build your email list 

Blogging

Many authors have a blog attached to their website. Do Authors have to Blog? Maybe. It’s more important for nonfiction authors than fiction authors, but many fiction authors do blog because they enjoy it.

Do authors have to blog? Maybe. Find out the answers to this and other author platform questions in Marketing for Authors 101 | Your Author Platform #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop #BookMarketing Share on X

Blogging is a great way of developing an online platform, and it’s great for SEO (search engine optimisation aka helping people find your site through Google or another search engine). Here’s how to make your blog SEO-friendly: 12 Steps to a Great Blog Post 

Social Media

Do I have to be on social media? Probably. But social media should be about connecting rather than selling. We want to:

  1. Connect with readers
  2. Connect with other writers

Should I hire someone to build my social media presence? Maybe. However, we need to be authentic on social media, which is easier when it’s you. And we shouldn’t be tempted to take short-cuts like buying followers (which can get us kicked off the platform). Instead, we should play the long game, and build a group of engaged followers.

That’s my quick tour of building an author platform. What would you add?

 

How do I use italics in fiction?

Dear Editor | When Can I Use Italics in Fiction?

I learned to type back in the Dark Ages, when we were taught touch typing on mechanical typewriters with a single font and a single font colour (unless you were lucky enough to have a typewriter that could use a two-tone black and red ribbon). Using italics or other typography was a distant dream.

The only typographic effects were USING CAPITAL LETTERS FOR HEADINGS or Using Capitalisation and Underlining for Subheadings. Sometimes we might use underlining in a sentence for emphasis. But that was discouraged as Mrs Yates said it made our typing look untidy.

Then Apple invented the Macintosh and Microsoft invented Word.

Yes, there were other programmes—I’ve used both WordPerfect and WordStar 2000 (which dated from the 1980’s, when anything with “2000” in the name was considered futuristic and therefore cool). With the Mac and Word came bold and italic, different font sizes, and even different fonts.

With the Microsoft Office suite of products, the misuse of fonts and styles (and PowerPoint ClipArt) was born. We’ve largely recovered from the overuse of tacky ClipArt, and fiction authors largely understand that pretty headings and subheadings don’t belong in novels.

But some authors still overuse italics.

How do I use italics in fiction?

Why is this a problem?

Overusing anything is a problem, in writing and in life (examples: chocolate, coffee, or any other addictive substance). In writing, overusing any particular word, phrase, or technique runs the risk of drawing the reader’s attention away from the story.

Italics are a particular problem. They have many uses in fiction, and are easy to overuse. More importantly, they can be difficult to read for any length of time. This can affect the reading experience.

There are two main reasons for using italics in fiction:

  1. Our chosen style guide recommends italics are used in this situation, and there is no reasonable alternative. This is effectively a requirement—style guides may “guide” and “recommend”, but those guidelines are usually rules, especially if you’re working with a traditional publisher.
  2. Our chosen style guide suggests italics, but there are reasonable alternatives. In these cases, the choice is typically up to the author or publisher.

Style Guide Requirements

There are many instances where we have to use italics, depending on our choice of style guide. The Chicago Manual of Style (the accepted authority for US fiction) requires italics for:

Names and Titles

The Chicago Manual of Style suggests italics for a range of names and titles:

  • Boat or ship names (8.116)
  • Book, newspaper, or magazine titles (8.168)
  • Play titles (8.182)
  • Movies, TV shows, radio, and podcast titles are italicised (8.189)
  • Videogame names (8.190)
  • Blog names (8.192)
  • Paintings, photographs, statues etc. (8.198)
  • Album titles (but not song titles) (8.194 and 8.197)

Poem titles are not set in italics unless it’s the name of a compilation or a very long poem (e.g. Dante’s Inferno) (8.181). Song titles and blog post titles are typeset in quotation marks (8.194 and 8.197, 8.192).

Key Terms and Letters

Key terms are italicised on their first occurrence (7.56), although this applies more to nonfiction than to fiction.

Letters may also be italicised (CMOS 7.64) e.g. he signed the document with an X. But common terms like mind your p’s and q’s don’t need to be italicised, and nor do school grades (CMOS 7.65).

Italics for Emphasis

Many authors use italics to emphasise certain words, especially in dialogue. The issue with using italics for emphasis is that authors who like to use italics to emphasise certain words or phrases almost always overuse the technique.

Using italics for emphasis is like using exclamation marks. They draw attention to the writing rather than what the characters are saying or doing. Sandra Newman and Howard Mittlemark say:

Other typographical conventions used for emphasis … should be used infrequently, VERY RARELY and never.

(I’m not so tough on the never-use-bold: if a character hears from God, this can be shown with bold font. But that almost never happens.)

The Chicago Manual of Style permits using italics for emphasis, but also points out that italics lose their force if overused (7.50). The manual also notes there is no point italicising the words at the end of a sentence—the words at the end of a sentence are naturally emphasised. Robert Hudson is more blunt:

A dependence on italics for emphasis is a sign of poor writing.

In other words, revise the dialogue or interior monologue to emphasise what needs emphasising, and remove the italics.

Italics for Foreign Words

The official rule on this is that we italicise a non-English word the first time it appears (7.53), but not if it’s familiar enough to appear in the dictionary (7.54). If the word appears in the dictionary, it’s considered common enough that we expect readers to know the meaning.

This can lead to several problems:

  • The foreign words in a dictionary are going to vary depending on which dictionary you are using. For example, in New Zealand, the dictionary includes many common Maori words, but does not include Maori place names. However, non-New Zealand readers might need Maori words explained. Equally, a US dictionary is likely to contain a number of Spanish words. A Canadian or English dictionary might include common French words. As an author, you can’t expect all the readers to know all the words.
  • Italicising non-English words gives the subtle impression that non-English words are “other” and somehow secondary to English words. As well as being unnecessarily Anglo-centric, this ignores the large number of words English has borrowed from other languages. We all know we’ve borrowed a number of French words (e.g. gourmet and ballet), but we’ve also borrowed from others (e.g. pajamas and verandah both come from Hindi).
  • Some genres use a lot of non-English words. Amish fiction is an example. Should we italicise every Deutsch word? I suspect not. Most people who read Amish fiction read a lot of it, and probably don’t need italics to show them Rumspringa or Englisch are not English words. Instead, add a glossary at the beginning of the book for those readers who are leas familiar with the genre.

Some authors will sprinkle in the occasional non-English word to show the character isn’t a native English speaker. They usually use common words that the reader will understand—hello, goodbye, please, thank you. But this also causes problems. I only speak English, but I can say hello, goodbye, please, and thank you in several different languages.

Why? Because they’re common words. They’re the words people usually use first when they learn another language. As such, it doesn’t make sense that the “foreign” character would revert to their first language when using these common words. They’re more likely to revert to their first language when they can’t think of the English equivalent.

In my experience, they’ll then try and work out the correct English word in one of two ways:

  1. If they’re with someone else who speaks their first language, they’ll say the word in the other language and ask for the translation:
    “Honey, what’s the English word for XXXX?”
  2. Or they’ll try and explain the word and hope the person they’re talking to will still understand:
    “What’s the English word for that small thing in the Bible, the one that’s not a chapter?”

(A verse, in case you’re wondering. My Welsh-speaking father asked me that once. He’d attended a Welsh church as a child, and never learned the English word.)

If you want to show your character’s first language, then try:

  • Terms which have no clear English equivalent, or where the English translation loses the flavour of the original (e.g. the Amish Rumspringa is literally “running around”).
  • Pet names or endearments (e.g. the equivalent of darling or honey).
  • Techncial or religious terms (e.g. the Amish Ordnung).
  • Terms which are unique (e.g. the Icelandic jolabokaflod).

But I’d still be inclined not to italicise the non-English word. It should be obvious that it’s not English, so italicising is another subtle form of telling where you should be showing.

Author’s Stylistic Choice

There are also a few instances where italics are the author’s stylistic choice.

Italics for Diary Entries or Letters

Some authors include diary entries or letters as part of the plot. Italics are an easy way of differentiate diary entries or letters from the main text. Many book designers also block indent the entries to further differentiate them from the main text.

Unfortunately, letters and diary entries are often long, and long passages in italics can be difficult to read. The alternative is using another font, but this can bring up problems with finding an appropriate second font that combines well with the primary font, is easy to read (many handwriting fonts are less than legible), and one that will render properly on ereader devices.

One of my early reviewing experiences was a novel that used a lot of nonstandard characters, and none of these rendered properly on my ereader. The result was a novel with random rectangles signifying a missing letter—which definitely didn’t enhance the reading experience.

If your novel has letters or diary entries, then my preference would be to typeset them in a complementary font. Failing that, italics are an acceptable substitute. Not idea, but acceptable.

Italics for Direct Thought

Back when we used manual typewriters, we also learned to use double quotation marks to indicate spoken dialogue, and single quote marks for thought. This approach is now considered outdated, because thoughts are thought, not spoken.

A more modern convention is to use italics to indicate direct thought. However, there are disadvantages to this approach as well:

  • Italics are only effective for a few words or a short sentence. Any longer, and it becomes difficult to read. It can slow the pacing of the scene, and overuse of italics will annoy the reader.
  • Direct thought in italics changes the point of view of the scene from third person past tense (the most common choice in modern fiction) to first person present tense and back again . This change can be jarring for the reader. Yes, it’s less jarring if you’re writing in first person or present tense, but I’d still argue that italics are unnecessary.
  • Direct thought is telling where the author should be showing.

My preference and recommendation (as an editor and as a reader) is to use deep perspective point of view, whether you’re writing in first person or third person. This helps eliminate the narrative distance between your characters and your reader, and produces a more engaging and emotional reading experience.

And third person deep perspective eliminates the need to use italics for thought.

My one exception to this rule suggestion is prayer

If a character is praying inside their head (i.e. rather than praying aloud), then it’s better to use italics. In this case, italics clarifies that the character is praying. If the prayer were set in normal type, it might look as though they were taking the Lord’s name in vain:

God, I need to get out of here. Help!

vs.

God, I need to get out of here. Help!

In this case, I think italics are the correct approach.

Conclusion

My overall advice is to use italics where necessary i.e. where recommended by the appropriate style guide. Otherwise, avoid italics … because it’s all too easy to overuse the technique.

Do you overuse italics? What are your thoughts on my guidelines?

Introducing Sunrise Publishing

Introducing Sunrise Publishing (Now Open for Submissions)

I usually include information on new publishers in my monthly newsletter, but this is the exception. Sunrise Publishing have just launched, and they’re open for submissions until 10 November, so wanted you to know as soon as possible.

This is an excellent opportunity for contemporary Christian romance authors … especially those who love Susan May Warren’s Deep Haven series as much as I do.

Sunrise Publishing is the latest initiative from bestselling and award-winning author Susan May Warren, partnering  with Lindsay Harrel. The two authors conducted a Facebook Live presentation on 30 September (well, 1 October New Zealand time) sharing the story behind the new collaboration, and announcing their submissions process.

Sunrise are currently open to submissions from US and international contemporary Christian romance authors.

Sunrise Publishing accepts submissions from unagented and unpublished authors, although previously published authors may also submit as a way of rebooting their career. The objective is to give new authors the opportunity to be published without having to work through an agent or have an existing author platform.

While Sunrise Publishing is a traditional royalty-paying publisher, their publishing model is more similar to the old Kindle Worlds than to the practices of most current traditional publishers. Books will be published in six-book series, with a new book published every two months. This model allows books to be launched to an existing audience, which will enable new authors to build their platform off the back of the world.

Susan May Warren Presents …

Each series will have a “Lead Author” who will choose three authors to create a series based on a “world” created by the Lead Author. The first Sunrise Publishing world will be Deep Haven, Minnesota, the scene of Susan May Warren’s six Deep Haven novels, and the spin-off six books in the Christiansen series. Susan May Warren will be the Lead Author, and will mentor the chosen authors.

Each participating author will create their own unique story within the Lead Author’s world.

Susan May Warren has some ideas for possible storylines, but the authors are also welcome to create their own story using a combination of new and existing characters. Novels will be edited by the Lead Author, Lindsay Harrell, and a team of editors. All novels will go through several rounds of editing, the same as at a larger traditional publisher.

Susan May Warren referred to this as a “James Patterson Method” of publishing.

James Patterson gives a plot summary of up to 80 pages to his co-writer or collaborator, they write the book, and he edits it. The Kindle Worlds model (also used by Melissa Storm at Sweet Promise Press) allowed authors to write in another author’s setting, but with little or no interaction from the “owner” of the world.

Sunrise Publishing will operate somewhere between the two: the Lead Author will be involved in crafting the plot and will mentor the authors (unlike in the Kindle Worlds model), but the Lead Author won’t dictate the plot (as James Patterson does).

Click here to find out more about the Deep Haven series.

What are Sunrise Publishing Looking For?

The Deep Haven series is contemporary Christian romance.

For this first round of submissions, Sunrise are looking for authors writing from a Christian world view and in a similar voice to Susan May Warren (i.e. similar enough that it will appeal to her readers).

The main concern is the ability to carry a story, which is why Sunrise want authors to have at least one completed manuscript (which does not have to be published, or even be publishable). Beyond that, it will be important for authors to have an understanding of Susan May Warren’s Story Equation method of plotting (particularly, the Wound, Lie, and Fear). They need to be teachable, willing to work hard, and meet deadlines.

Submissions

Interested authors are asked to submit a premise based on a popular romance trope (click here to find the Sunrise list of tropes, or here or here for my more in-depth explanations of popular romance tropes).

Initial submissions are due on 10 November 2019.

Judging will be blind, and based solely on the premise and writing sample. The writing sample should be contemporary romance with a faith element, and as close to the existing Deep Haven voice as possible. Hints of suspense are okay, but the genre is contemporary romance not romantic suspense.

Sunrise will then select ten finalists, who will each have a telephone interview with Susan May Warren, and will be asked to submit another writing sample. The final three authors will be chosen (and contracts awarded) by 1 December.

More Details

Future series planned for 2021 and beyond include a general women’s fiction series with Rachel Hauck as the Lead Author, and a romantic suspense series (where the Lead Author is yet to be confirmed).

Sunrise is offering a traditional publishing contract.

There is no up-front advance, but Susan May Warren states royalties will be above industry level. Royalties will be split between Sunrise (the publisher), the Lead Author (as the owner of the rights to the series), and the individual author.

Books will be 60,000 words, and each author will be required to write and publish two books in the year-long series.

The contract will be for a fixed term. The term has yet to be decided, but seven years was mentioned during the presentation.

Books will be available in paperback and ebook form, and Sunrise may introduce audiobooks in time.

Sunrise Offers Free Mentoring

The three successful authors will be required to attend an in-person week-long retreat in Arizona from 12 to 17 January 2020. During this week, the successful authors will work with the Lead Author to plot all six books in the the series. There will also be a story bible, to answer any lingering questions about Deep Haven or the characters.

So, you ask, given this retreat is in Arizona and is paid for by Sunrise, are Sunrise Publishing open to submissions from international authors? I did ask. They haven’t budgeted for international airfares, but do welcome submissions from international authors. Susan says they’ll work something out regarding travel expenses for authors coming from further afield than Canada. Perhaps the author could pay their own fare to the US, or perhaps the international airfare could be taken out of future royalties.

All the Links

If you’d like to watch a replay of the Facebook live announcement, you can find it here: Facebook Live (Note: you may need to Like the page first.)

Here’s more information on the submissions process (and a link to the submissions page): Submissions.

Here are the Sunrise Writer’s Guidelines and other useful information: Writer Guidelines.

To find out about future calls for submissions, sign up for the Sunrise Publishing mailing list here: Mailing List.

Is there anything else you want to know? Leave a comment and I’ll do my best to find the answer.

Or click here to contact Sunrise directly. 

 

14 Questions to Ask When You're Revising a Scene

14 Questions to Ask When You’re Revising a Scene

One common mistake new fiction writers make is not structuring their scenes for maximum impact. Many don’t even realise there is a correct or best way to structure a scene. This often leads to “empty” scenes—scenes where things happen, but where it’s not clear how they are related to the overall plot.

(Sometimes, poor scene structure is a signal there is no overall plot, but that’s a different issue.)

Writing a Great Scene

Les Standiford says:

A good scene will enrich character, provide necessary information to the audience, and move the plot forward.

A good scene will do all three. An average scene might achieve two out of the three objectives.

What are the essentials of a good scene, and how do your scenes rate? 14 Questions to Ask when You're Revising a Scene #WriteTip #AmEditing Share on X

But a lot of scenes seem to serve no other function than share a small snippet of important information to the reader. If so, do we need that scene? Or would it be a stronger novel if we moved that snippet of necessary information into another scene—one that does enrich character and move the plot forward?

1. Does Your Scene Follow the GCD Formula?

In order to move the story forward, a scene must have:

A goal.

The point of view character must want something. Ideally, this goal will related to the character’s overall internal or external goal. This character goal gives the scene purpose.

Conflict.

Something the point of view character must overcome in order to achieve their goal. This conflict will typically come from the other character in the scene.

Disaster.

Something which prevents the point of view character from achieving their goal.

This can be summarised in a single sentence:

[Character]  wants [Goal] but [Conflict] leads to [Disaster]

The Goal-Disaster-Conflict scene structure originated with Dwight L Swain in Techniques of the Selling Writer, and has been discussed in various books and blog posts. Randy Ingermanson has an excellent blog post on the subject, Writing the Perfect Scene, and a book, How to Write a Dynamite Scene using the Snowflake Method (which is on my never-ending to-read pile).

Do your scenes follow the Goal-Conflict-Disaster formula? And what does that even mean? 14 Questions to Ask When You're Revising A Scene #WritersLife #EditTips Share on X

2. Is Your Scene Followed by a Sequel?

But that’s not all. A scene is usually followed by a sequel. Where scenes are about the point of view character’s external actions in pursuit of a visible goal, the sequel is about the character’s internal reaction to the conflict and disaster.

The sequel also has three parts:

Reaction.

The character’s initial (and often involuntary) reaction to the Disaster.

Dilemma.

The character is now faced with a problem, a dilemma, two options they have to choose between.

Decision.

The character’s solution (right or wrong) to the Dilemma. This will form the basis for the character’s goal in the next scene.

The decision plunges the characters into the next scene, and the next.

This pattern of goal-conflict-disaster-reaction keeps the plot moving forward towards the overall character goal, and to the answer to their story question.

Not all scenes are followed by sequels. Sometimes, the story moves straight into the next scene. If so, there should be a change in the time, place, or point of view character. The change in time or place might be signalled through a simple transition at the beginning of the next scene or chapter, e.g.

  • The next morning …
  • Back at the ranch …

Or the next scene could take place in the same time and place, but with a change in the point of view character. This change is signalled by a scene break (usually *** or similar) or chapter break, and by identifying the new point of view character in the first sentence of the new scene.

Do I Have to Follow this Structure?

For most scenes, yes. Your reader (consciously or subconsciously) expects the scenes to follow this structure, especially in genre fiction. But you don’t have to follow this structure for every scene in your novel.

This is (yet another) example of knowing the rules so you know how to break them. If you know how to structure a scene and most of your scenes follow the expected structure, then your reader will react when one of your scenes follows a different structure—and you can manage that reaction to best suit your story.

If you don’t know the rules, then your scenes are likely to leave your readers feeling dissatisfied, as though something is missing.

Scene structure isn’t the only thing readers expect.

They also expect to know what is happening in the scene, which means anchoring them in the scene as quickly as possible—in the first line, the first sentence, or the first paragraph. If the reader isn’t anchored in the scene, they’re likely to start skimming (I know I do). And we don’t want the reader to skim, because skimming is an invitation to close the novel.

So the first sentence of a scene or chapter is important. It’s the one time you can tell rather than show. Sure, showing is better than telling, but telling is better than obscuring the necessary information.

What Do Readers Need to Know?

You need to answer four questions as quickly as possibly, ideally in the opening sentence of each scene:

3. Is the identity of the point of view character clear from the first sentence?

The reader expects the first-named character to be the point of view character. I suspect this is why some writing instructors recommend not starting with dialogue—because it can make it difficult to identify the point of view character.

“Catherine, would you like a coffee?” Iola indicated the coffee jar. It was almost empty, but there was enough for two more.

Who is the point of view character—is it the speaker, or the character being spoken to? The “rules” would say Catherine was the point of view character, as that’s the first name in the scene. But the action beat and internal monologue imply Iola is the point of view character.

4. Is the location clear?

Readers want to know where the scene is set, especially if the scene location has moved since the last scene. If the location isn’t clear, the reader will assume the location is the same as in the last scene … which can get confusing if it isn’t.

5. Is the time clear?

Readers expect the scene to take place immediately after the conclusion of the previous scene. If this isn’t the case, the author needs to indicate when—perhaps through the transition (e.g. the next morning) or perhaps through a time indicator at the beginning of the chapter (e.g. Christmas Day, 1945).

And remember: always move forward in time. Flashbacks (whether in scenes or in interior monologue) can be confusing for the reader, and can affect the pace by messing with the forward motion of the story. The exception to this would be a dual or multiple timeline story—but then it’s even more important to ensure your reader knows when the scene is taking place.

Are you anchoring your reader in the scene? If you're not, you encourage readers to skim. What do they need to know? #WritingCommunity #Writers Share on X

Most multiple timeline stories move each timeline forward in time. Occasionally, a dual timeline story might move the present story forward in time, but the past story is a series of non-linear flashbacks, each inspired by some present clue. These may jump around in time.

6. Does the scene start with a change in time, place, or viewpoint character?

Readers subconsciously expect a scene or chapter break to mean there is a change in time, place, or point of view character. If there isn’t, it feels like the scene or chapter break has been inserted as a cliffhanger ending, perhaps to inject some tension into the plot … which is a subconscious tell that there is no conflict in the scene, because it’s not following the Goal-Conflict-Disaster formula.

14 Questions to Ask When You're Revising a Scene

More on Scene Structure

There are two more questions to ask when it comes to how best to start and end a scene:

7. Does your Scene Start with a Hook?

You need to hook your readers into the scene—show the goal and the conflict as quiclky as possible, so your reader is never tempted to put the book down.

I suspect this is also why paper books traditionally start each chapter on the right-hand page. It’s so the reader promises themself “just one more chapter”, but gets to the end of the chapter at the top of the left-hand page, then can’t help reading the first line of the next chapter … then can’t stop reading. Hello, 3am. That’s a hook.

8. Does your Scene Start In Media Res?

In media res is Latin for “in the middle of the thing”. Don’t start a scene with backstory. Start with action—with what is happening now, not why it is happening. Start each scene and each chapter (and each novel) as late as possible.

14 Questions to Ask When You're Revising a Scene

9. Are Your Sequels Short?

Some authors like to have their characters endlessly pondering their reaction and dilemma. The problem with this is that while Scene is showing, Sequel is telling. Yes, we need the sequel. Why? Because we need to understand the point of view character’s emotional reaction to the Scene. But that means a few sentences or a paragraph, not paragraphs or pages of interior monologue.

10. Do Your Sequels go on Too Long?

This is related to keeping the sequels short. Just as you start each scene as late as possible, you need to finish early. End on a powerful word or phrase, one that the reader will remember … a hook that will keep them reading.

Too often, I find the most powerful sentence is two or three sentences before the end, which dilutes the power.

Instead, finish early.

The Overall Scene

So your scene has a goal, conflict, and a disaster. It starts in media res, with a compelling hook. It’s followed by a short sequel. Here are four more questions to ask yourself about the overall scene:

11. Can you summarise the scene in a character-goal-conflict-disaster sentence?

If so, great. That probably means you’ve got a scene that does the job: enriches character, provides necessary information, and moves the plot forward.

If not, why not? What’s missing? How can you revise your sentence—and your scene—to include all the necessary components?

12. Is the viewpoint character the character most affected by the events in the scene?

The point of view character should always be the character with the most to lose in any given scene. As a bonus, the goal-conflict-disaster structure pretty much guarantees the character will lose (otherwise, where’s the disaster?).

So if your scene isn’t working, try writing it from a different point of view. It could be that the other character has more to lose.

14 Questions to Ask When You're Revising a Scene

13. Is the scene shown in terms of action?

This comes back to showing, not telling. If you’re showing, then you’re probably showing character actions and their reactions (e.g. through action beats and body language). If you’re telling … well, you’re telling. And you need to revise the scene to show what’s happening. Ask yourself: what’s the visual?

14. Does the scene move the plot forward, deepen characterisation, or provide necessary information?

It’s possibly—unlikely, but possible—that a scene has a goal, conflict, and a disaster, but doesn’t actually move the plot forward. If so, you need to ask yourself why the scene deserves a place in your novel:

  • The scene is emotional respite or comic relief after a series of high-action or high-emotion scenes. If so, fine. You can’t have high-action or high-emotion scenes all the time—they exhaust the reader, which encourages them to put the novel down. The occasional lightweight scene can break the tension and keep the reader engaged.
  • The scene is setting up the main character/s or main conflict in the sequel. If so, fine. One of the benefits of writing a series is sell-through, and you’re going to improve sell-through if you can pre-sell the next novel by engaging readers in this novel.
  • The scene is about characters in a previous novel. Again, this can work. Most series—especially longer series—have an anchor character or anchor couple, and readers want to “see” that couple again. So a wedding or reunion scene might not move the plot of this novel forward, but it provides readers with the opportunity to catch up with their favourite characters from previous novels in the series. This helps keep them engaged in this novel, and in the series.
Does your scene have to move the plot forward to deserve a place in your novel? Usually—but here are three valid exceptions. #EditTips #AmWriting Share on X

(You do have an email newsletter, don’t you? If not, you need to check out Why You Need an Email List or sign up for my Kick-Start Your Author Platform Marketing Challenge.)

So that’s the long version of scene, sequel, and possible problems. What’s your biggest problem with scene structure?

If you’d like a free downloadable Scene Structure Worksheet, sign up below for my free email course, Learn to Revise Your Novel in Two Weeks, and learn to identify and fix the problems I see most often in manuscripts from first-time fiction writers.

Learn to Revise Your Novel in Two Weeks by Iola Goulton, Christian Editing Services

When does contemporary fiction become historical fiction?

Historical vs Contemporary Fiction (An #AuthorToolboxBlogHop Post)

This post is part of the monthly Author ToolBox Blog Hop, organised by Raimey Gallant.

We now have over 40 blogs participating. To find more Blog Hop posts:

When does historical fiction become contemporary fiction (or vice versa)?

This question came up in a Facebook group recently. How do we classify historical vs contemporary fiction? Is a novel set in 1979 historical fiction? Or contemporary fiction? That got me thinking … and searching.

When do you think a contemporary novel becomes historical fiction (or vice versa)? Who decides? #WritersLife #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop Share on X

Who gets to decide whether a novel is historical or contemporary fiction? It could be:

  • Libraries (if they classify by genre)
  • Bookstores (who usually classify by genre)
  • Writing organisations (especially those with genre-based contests)
  • Authors (especially when they’re self-publishing)
  • Readers

Most libraries I’ve visited organise fiction by author surname, not by genre, so that’s no help.

Bookstores often classify by genre.

But each store has different classifications, and it’s not always easy to tell what’s what. It doesn’t help that bigger stores usually classify a Christian historical romance as Religious rather than Historical (and if a book featured an African-American character or was written by an African-American author, it might be classified as African-American fiction, not Religious or Historical).

I checked Amazon, but couldn’t find any definition of historical.

That’s not to say it doesn’t exist. I just says I couldn’t find it. If you know where Amazon has a definition of contemporary vs. historical, please add it in the comments!

Amazon use the BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) codes, and I couldn’t find any definition of historical on their site either.

Amazon also isn’t helpful in that publishers self-classify—which is how we find novels in the nonfiction categories, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz in the Australia and Oceania category. (I can only assume someone mixed up Austria and Australia …)

How do writing organisations classify historical vs contemporary fiction?

American Christian Fiction Writers have Contemporary and Historical categories in their Genesis and Carol Awards. They define Historical as “up to and including the Vietnam era”. The Vietnam war ended in 1975, so I guess that’s ACFW’s current definition of “historical”.

In contrast, the Romance Writers of America RITA Award and Romance Writers of Australia Ruby Award both classify “historical” as set before 1950. If you’d asked me, I think this is what I would have said—but I’m equally happy with a 1975 or even 1980 date.

With more recent historical fiction, I expect the time setting to be deliberate. For example, Pamela Binnings Ewen has written several legal thrillers set in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She’s writing about things like women’s rights and women in the workplace, so the time setting is important. They would be different stories if they were set in the 1990s or 2010s—no matter whether the stories were labelled “historical” or “contemporary”.

In general, I expect contemporary stories to be set today—this year (or last year).

I expect characters in contemporary novels to have smartphones and Facebook and GPS and the Uber app (unless they’re philosophically opposed to smartphones and Facebook and GPS and Uber … which could make for a fascinating story).

If the novel is “contemporary” and doesn’t have these things, then I need to be clued in pretty quickly that the novel isn’t set today.

When does historical fiction become contemporary fiction? Is there a fixed date? Or is it up to the publisher (or reader)? #HistoricalFiction #ContemporaryFiction Share on X

I’ve recently reviewed West of Famous by Joni M Fisher, which was set in 2010. That worked for the story, but also worked because the opening made it clear the story was set in 2010. (And yes, there were a couple of plot points that wouldn’t have worked as well in 2019). In that respect, the story was actually historical … even though 2010 is hardly a long time ago.

But what about a story written and published in 2010 that I’m only reading today? Personally, I say that’s a contemporary story. Why? Because it was contemporary when it was written and published.

Using that same logic, Jane Austen was a contemporary novelist, because she was writing about the issues of her day. So were Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie.

So I consider a contemporary story as one that is written and published in the time in which it is set (whether that’s today or two hundred years ago). And a historical story is any story where the author is consciously looking back in time by at least a couple of decades.

What about you? When do you think historical fiction becomes contemporary fiction (Or vice versa)?

 

When does contemporary fiction become historical fiction?
Please Don't Criticise Christian Fiction Writers

Dear Christian Author | Please Don’t Criticise Christian Fiction Writers

The internet is full of stupid. We all know that. But there are levels of stupid.

And, unfortunately, Christian fiction writers are sometimes the target of internet stupid.

There is Forrest Gump stupid, where someone known for having a lower-than-average IQ says something that’s wrong or stupid (usually both), but we ignore it. We know the person doesn’t understand the issue, so we forgive them and move on. We know we can’t fix stupid.

There is politician stupid, where someone spouts a party line that we either believe or don’t believe, depending on our political leanings and the reputation of the politician in question. Whichever side of the political line we’re on, we know it’s best not to engage. We know better than to feed the trolls.

Then there is the-earth-is-flat stupid, where someone you thought was of average or above intelligence gives their opinion but expresses it as fact. It’s Forrest Gump-meets-politician stupid, because it’s stupid, and it assumes that anyone who doesn’t share their opinion is somehow less of a person.

In Christian circles, the implication is generally that anyone who doesn’t agree isn’t a “proper Christian”.

These flat-earthers are often criticising and ridiculing Christian fiction and Christian fiction writers. This annoys me (understatement). So this post might be a little ranty. #SorryNotSorry

Note: what most annoys me is that this criticism inevitably comes from self-proclaimed Christians, not from non-Christians.

I recently saw a self-righteous rant on the nature of “Christian” writing that squarely fell in the-earth-is-flat level of stupid.

The ranter was opining on the number of Christian writing groups that didn’t meet their definition of Christian.

What is “Christian”?

The ranter points that the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians in Acts 11. Are they implying that no one was a Christian until Acts 11? Surely not. That would imply that Stephen, who is traditionally considered the first Christian martyr, was not a Christian because he was stoned in Acts 7.

They then point out that a Christian is a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I agree. But why cloud the issue by mentioning Acts 11?

I think it’s because they used this “true disciple” idea to question the whole concept of Christian fiction.

They say fiction isn’t Christian, because the Word clearly tells us what is Christian: a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

I agree: no novel is Christian (and I’ve blogged about what Christian fiction isn’t). But nor is any non-fiction book … including the Bible. The Bible is a book. Books can’t be true disciples of Jesus. Only people can be Christians.

But books are tools. A book can point to Christ, in the same way as a good Christian church points to Christ. The Bible points to Christ. A good Christian nonfiction book points to Christ.

And a good Christian novel points to Christ.

I don’t know what Bible the poster reads, but I’ve read four different versions over the last five years. In all of them, a good portion of the gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are fiction. Stories Jesus made up. Jesus and his disciples call these made-up stories “parables.”

Giving them a fancy name doesn’t change what they are: fiction.

Jesus used fiction to tell Truth.

Maybe the ranter believes these stories aren’t Christian. After all, Jesus Christ wasn’t a Christian. He can’t have been, because he wasn’t a true disciple of Jesus Christ. (Surely we can’t be our own disciple.) So perhaps we can ignore everything Jesus said, and only read Acts 11 and the subsequent chapters and books. Because they are about “real” Christians.

Dear Christian Author | Please Don't Criticise Christian Fiction Writers. After all, even Jesus used fiction (aka parables) to share the Truth of the gospel #ChristianFiction #ChristianWriters Share on X

The ranter specifically calls out “romantic/horror or sci-fi” as not being Christian fiction. Well, I’ve been reading and reviewing Christian fiction for years, and I’ve yet to find a book I’d describe as romantic/horror. Sure, I’ve read a few horrible excuses for romance novels, but that’s not the same thing.

As for horror … the only author I can think of who writes Christian horror is Pastor Mike Duran. His books may or may not contain romantic subplots—I don’t know, as I haven’t read them. Duran freely acknowledges his books don’t fit the Christian mainstream, which is why he’s now publishing independently. He may even be writing for the general market—horror!

We’re not supposed to take that whole Great Commission thing in Matthew 28 literally, are we?

What about Romance?

I’m a big fan of Christian romance novels. I like the promise of a happy-ever-after ending. It echoes Jesus’s promise that if we believe in him, we’ll spend eternity with him. If that’s not happy ever after, what is? Romance novels are an allegory of Christ’s relationship with His Bride (that’s us!). Perhaps that’s why so many romance novels end in a wedding.

I’ve heard a non-Christian conference presenter describe romance as the literature of hope. As a Christian, I agree—and I know my hope is in Jesus.

I’ve seen Christian bloggers criticise Christian romance, saying the novels present an unrealistic ideal, that women who expect this ideal will be disappointed when real life doesn’t shape up in the same way. I’ve seen and heard non-Christians criticise general market romance for similar reasons.

I choose to see the other side of the argument: that Christian romance novels model positive God-centred male-female relationships.

Christian romance novels show men who love God and family unconditionally, who seek to do God’s will, and who will do anything to protect their wives and children. If this is an unrealistic ideal, then I submit the problem isn’t with the ideal, but with humanity. Perhaps we should all abide by St Paul’s advice and remain single.

Christian Fiction Writers

The ranter also forgets a couple of things in their post. I know this, because I help manage a couple of the groups they are member of.

They forget that a group with “Christian writers” in the group name is going to include Christians who write … and write across a range of genres. Fiction. Non-fiction. Poetry. Books. Magazine articles. Blog posts. Some even write for television (cue horror music!).

They also forget that a group with “fiction writers” in the group name is going to include (wait for it!)  people who write fiction. This might be judgey-me speaking (well, typing), but if the poster has an issue with people who write fiction, perhaps they shouldn’t join groups with “fiction writers” in the name.

Just saying.

The poster is also making the assumption that, as Christians, we are all called to write for other Christians.

Some Christians are, and that’s great. But some Christians are called to write for the general market. As they should be. Otherwise, we’d ever fulfil that pesky Great Commission, would we?

If God calls us to write for the general market, shouldn’t we obey him?

Truth and Lies

It’s been said that fiction uses a lie (the novel) to tell a truth. In the case of Christian fiction, that’s not just a truth.

It’s a Truth.

Non-fiction works the opposite way. It shares truth (or Truth), but often uses stories to get the point across. It’s a time-honoured technique still used by most preachers.

Let’s not be stupid. If we Christians are going to achieve the objective of Matthew 28:18-20, we have to speak to Christians and non-Christians. Believers and backsliders. Seekers and sceptics. Atheists and agnostics.

We have to use all the weapons in our arsenal. Fiction. Non-fiction. Poetry. Screenplays. Books. Articles. Blog posts.

All to tell Truth.

It’s not important how we tell it. It’s important that we do tell it. And that we tell it in a way the seekers and sceptics, the atheists and agnostics, the faithful and the faithless will understand. And not to get tied up in fighting among ourselves about the “right” way to share the gospel.

The point is that we unite to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make true disciples. Unite, not divide.

Because if Christians divide, we lose.

As Christians, we should think before we speak. As writers, we should think before we write.

As Christian writers, we should think and pray before we write.

Christian Writers: Write to Your Calling

Are you called to write Christian fiction? If so, what kind? What level of Christian or spiritual content should your books have?

Are you called to write fiction for the general market? Or nonfiction? What should you write?

I can’t answer those questions for you. Only God can.

I firmly believe that if you, as a Christian, are called to write fiction—whether for the Christian or for the general market—then that is what you must do. Don’t apologise for it, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Nor should you let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t be wasting your time on frivolous fiction when you could be using your talents writing about serious non-fiction topics.

And don’t worry if your novels (or non-fiction) isn’t actively Christian. Don’t apologise for it. Your Christian faith will come through in whatever you write. (If it doesn’t, you’re probably not writing in obedience to God . . . and that’s a whole different issue).

God blesses obedience, and that sometimes (often?) means going against what those around us think is best for us. If you honestly and prayerfully petitioned God about your writing, whether you consider it a hobby or a career, a calling or an offering, then rest assured that you are writing what God called you to write.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Will Affiliate Marketing Earn Me Money?

Dear Editor | Will Affiliate Marketing Earn Me Money?

In last week’s post I introduced the basics of affiliate marketing, and shared some of my top tips.

Today I’m addressing the question of finances.

Will Affiliate Marketing Earn Me Money?

Of course. And you’ll get a free unicorn when you make your first sale.

Seriously?

No, there are no free unicorns. And there are no guarantees you’ll make money with affiliate marketing. As with most things in life, there are no shortcuts.

As with any online venture, there is more to making money through affiliate marketing than posting a couple of links and watching the money roll in. In my experience, it’s not so easy.

There is more to affiliate marketing than posting links and watching the money roll in. I've found five relevant factors which influence affiliate earnings. #AffiliateMarketing #BookMarketing Share on X

Some people earn a lot of money through affiliate schemes, but income depends on several factors:

  • Website traffic
  • Product value
  • Commission value
  • Relevance of the offer
  • Promotion

Website Traffic

One of the most important factors in affiliate income is website traffic. It’s a game of averages. Let’s try an example:

If 1% of your website traffic is clicks your affiliate link and spends enough for you to earn $1, then you earn $1 for every hundred visitors. A website with 1,000 visitors a month will earn $10, and a website with 100,000 visitors a month will earn $1,000.

But if each click only earns you ten cents and 1% click through, then you need a million visitors a month to earn $1,000.

Links can also be share via social media. Some links can be shared via email or included in the back of an ebook.

However, that’s going to depend on the affiliate programme. Amazon has social share buttons for Facebook and Twitter, but doesn’t allow affiliates to share affiliate links via email (although Amazon Influencers can share their Shop link: mine is www.amazon.com/shop/iolagoulton).

Also, authors need to be careful about sharing affiliate links in ebooks. Some online stores will refuse to publish books containing links to other online stores—so make sure your Kindle book only has links to Amazon, not to Apple Books.

Product Value

Someone with a photography blog who reviews high-end cameras could easily earn $40 to $80 if someone clicks from their blog through to Amazon and buys a $1,000 camera and a few accessories. But a book blogger is only going to earn pennies per purchase by featuring or reviewing 99 cent books.

Sure, I sometimes get a bonus when a customer clicks through from a book then decides to buy new tyres for their car or some other higher-value item. But it would take me a year or two to earn the commission that photography expert could earn from one click-through from that single post.

Many high-ticket training courses offer affiliate programmes, and high-profile authors and bloggers like Joanna Penn supplement their income by promoting these high-ticket items.

Commission Value

Some affiliate schemes offer a percentage commission of each sale. Others offer a dollar amount. Some offer a combination of both. Amazon pays a percentage commission on most sales, but will occasionally offer a $3 or $5 bounty on specific products or services. For example, they sometimes have a $3 bounty payment when affiliates refer a new customer to sign up for a Prime trial or Audible subscription.

Commission payments may be a standard percentage, or may be tiered. For example, Amazon pays between 4% and 8% of the value of any purchase through an affiliate link, depending on the number of purchases made from the affiliate’s links. The more paying customers that come through the link each month, the higher the percentage.

Amazon’s 4% is at the low end of the commission scale, and reflects their business model of low prices and high turnover. Online products and services can have commission rates of 25% or more. But these are usually higher-priced items, so there are fewer buyers.

Some affiliate schemes only pay if the linked product is purchased. Others (including Amazon) pay for any purchase made through the link, not just the item the customer clicked on.

Relevance of the Offer

The final aspect is the relevance of the offer. Affiliate offers need to be relevant to your audience. If they’re not, no one will buy. And if you share too many irrelevant offers, your audience will stop opening your emails or reading your social media posts.

For example, I receive a weekly email from AppSumo, summarising all the current offers. I only share the offers I think my audience will be interested in. For example, I know several people in my audience love getting stock photos from DepositPhotos. AppSumo usually does a DepositPhotos deal once a year, offering 50 downloads for $49 (which is something like a 90% discount). I always share that offer (and sorry, but it’s over for this year).

But I don’t share offers that my audience won’t be interested in. For example, many of the AppSumo offers are aimed at large-scale online marketing organisations. I’m sure they’re great products, but they’re not relevant to my author audience, all of whom are solo operations.

Promotion

Affiliate marketing is a form of marketing. It’s not Field of Dreams stuff, not if-you-build-it-they-will-come. Like any marketing, it requires promotion. That means:

  • Sharing your affiliate links on your website (e.g. on a Resources page).
  • Sharing your affiliate links in relevant blog posts (keyword: relevant).
  • Sharing your affiliate links in email newsletters (where the affiliate scheme terms permit this).
  • Sharing your affiliate links on social media (but always remember to disclose that it’s an affiliate link).
Yes, affiliate marketing is still marketing.

It’s passive marketing, in that one link can be valid for weeks or months or years. But for affiliate marketing to earn money, you need to be consistently promoting posts and links that drive traffic to your website and to your affiliate links.

Conclusion

I am a member of a range of affiliate schemes, although the one I’m most faithful about promoting is Amazon (which has historically earned me around $10/year). Writing this post reminds me I can do better. After all, I sign up to affiliate schemes because I use and believe in the product or service. It therefore makes sense I’d want to share that information with my audience.

Can authors earn money through affiliate marketing? Yes, but income depends on factors such as website traffic, product value, commission value, relevance, and promotion. #BookMarketing #AuthorEarnings Share on X

On that note, I’ve updated my Resources page to include links to my favourite online products and services, some of which are affiliate schemes. Check them out!

Are you a member of any affiliate schemes? Which schemes? What tips do you have to share?

What are Affiliate Schemes and How Do they Work?

Dear Editor | What are Affiliate Schemes and How Do they Work?

In my previous post on how writers earn money, one of the ways writers (and bloggers, and other online business owners) can earn money is through affiliate schemes.

But what are affiliate schemes? How do they work? Are there any rules around affiliate scheme membership? And how do you sign up?

All great questions, so let’s get started.

What are affiliate schemes? How do they work? Are there any rules around affiliate scheme membership? And how do you sign up? #BloggingTips #AffiliateMarketing Share on X

What are Affiliate Schemes?

An affiliate scheme is a form of advertising, but not traditional advertising.

Traditional advertising is business to consumer:

McDonalds advertise their product on TV, and hope that people show up in store and buy their burgers. If enough people buy their burgers, McDonalds make a profit and get to stay in business.

Affiliate marketing is consumer to consumer:

An affiliate shares their unique link to a product, and hopes that people click on the link and buy the product. For every person who clicks on the link and buys the product, the affiliate earns a commission payment, at no cost to the buyer.

The difference between advertising and affiliate marketing is payment.

An advertiser pays for the advertisement even if no one buys (yes, some advertising is pay per view (PPV) or pay per click (PPC), but the advertiser still pays even if no one buys).

With affiliate marketing, the producer only pays when someone buys the product.

If the buyer subsequently asks for a refund, the affiliate doesn’t receive credit for that sale (which is why most affiliate schemes pay on a 30-day or 60-day lag).

The producer and the affiliate both earn only if the product sells.

The buyer doesn’t pay any more for the product—the commission is paid for by the seller, out of the selling price. You can still buy the product or service for the same price without using the affiliate link. But using the affiliate link is a small way of saying “thank you” to someone who has given you good advice or recommended a product you’re interested in. And it costs you nothing.

Some affiliate schemes offer discounts to people who buy through an affiliate link.

For example, Bluehost charges $7.99/month for basic webhosting. First-time customers can often get basic hosting for $3.95/month if they sign up for three years (that’s my affiliate link). But if you sign up for Bluehost using some affiliate links (like this one, which the WP-BFF.com affiliate link), you can get basic hosting for $2.95/month for three years.

How do Affiliate Schemes Work?

At the high level, affiliate schemes work by giving the seller access to a wider audience. It’s cheaper than advertising, because the seller only pays if the product or service sells.

At the technical level, each affiliate is allocated a unique code. Instead of sharing the straight product link, they share a longer link that includes their affiliate code. The website then knows to credit that affiliate with any purchases made using that tracking link.

For example, here is a standard Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Deep-Waters-Christine-Dillon-ebook/dp/B07V2KRF88/

As you can see, the link shows the title (Grace in Deep Waters), the author name (Christine Dillon), and the ASIN—the Amazon identification number—for the book (B07V2KRF88).

Here is that same link with my Amazon tracking ID:

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Deep-Waters-Christine-Dillon-ebook/dp/B07V2KRF88/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=iolagoulton-20&linkId=41a7e847aa6cecf305f4c4e647968605&language=en_US

Ugly, isn’t it? But you can see my tracking code hidden in there—iolagoulton-20.

And here is the short version of that link, which includes my embedded Amazon tracking ID:

https://amzn.to/2N51YPL

It’s shorter and cleaner, but there is nothing to show it is an affiliate link … and that’s something we have to disclose.

Most affiliate links use cookies which are valid for anywhere from 24 hours to 180 days. That means that if you visit a site using an affiliate link, the site tracks my link and gives the me affiliate credit for any purchase you make while the tracking link is still valid.

What are affiliate schemes, how do they work, and what are the legalities? #AffiliateMarketing #BlogTips Share on X

Affiliate Disclosure

In the same way that book reviewers are required to disclose they received a free copy of the book for review, the US Federal Trade Commission requires that affiliates disclose their affiliate status. This is because affiliates, influencers, and endorsers are considered advertisers—because we potentially earn a money by promoting that product or service.

This disclosure could be through a disclosure statement on a website, or a #ad, #affiliate, or #AmazonInfluncer tag on social media. Here’s an example disclosure statement:

I am a member of the [company] affiliate programme. This means I earn a commission on any purchases you make using these affiliate links. Note that this does not affect the price you pay.

You even have to include a disclosure statement if you received a free book to review. Here’s the disclosure I use in reviewing:

Thanks to [publisher] and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

How Do I Start Affiliate Marketing?

Many companies offer affiliate schemes. Amazon is probably the biggest and best known, but there are hundreds of others. In fact, managing your affiliate links could easily become a full-time job (but not one that’s guaranteed to pay, as we’ll discuss next week).

I recommend starting with Amazon (if they accept you—they do have requirements). After that, consider what products and services you currently use which you’ve purchased online, and see if any of them have affiliate schemes. check their website: many companies have an affiliate link in the footer.

If you can’t find a link on the website, then ask Google: search for the company or product name plus “affiliate” or “affiliate scheme”. That usually works if the company has an affiliate scheme.

But not all companies offer affiliate schemes.

For example, I use and love Buffer (and the WP to Buffer plugin for WordPress). I recommend them. But neither company have affiliate schemes, so I don’t earn anything by recommending them.

If you do decide to dip your toe in the waters of affiliate marketing by sharing affiliate links, then I recommend you curate the offers you share. Don’t share every product and service you find. Focus on products and services that:

  • You have personally used and recommend (ideally, products you have personally paid for).
  • Represent good value for money.
  • Are a good fit for your audience.

This is partly about the relevance of the offer (you want to share offers that your audience are likely to be interested in), but its also about trust.

If you recommend a product that doesn’t deliver on the promise, then your audience might lose trust in your advice … all your advice.

There are a couple of services or courses I’ve bought or used that have affiliate schemes, but I didn’t find the service or course useful. Consequently, I haven’t signed up for those affiliate schemes and I don’t mention or promote those products. Maybe one day I’ll try the course again and be converted. Until then, you won’t hear about it from me.

This is especially important with more expensive items like courses. The more expensive the product, the more important it is that you only share products and services that serve your audience. That’s how you’ll enhance your brand and maintain trust with your audience.

Administration Details

When you apply to become an affiliate, you will need to provide details such as:

  • Your full name and address
  • Your website address
  • Links to the sites where you expect to display or promote affiliate links

You may also have to provide your tax information.

Big companies like Amazon and Bluehost are required to either have your tax information on record (so they can submit it to your country’s tax authorities) or to withhold tax payments (which is no different to how Amazon treat tax on book sales). Smaller companies or solo businesses are more likely to pay you the full commission, so tax is your responsibility.

Note that if your country has a tax treaty with the US, then you will only need to provide your local tax identification number. New Zealand has a tax treaty, so I only have to provide my GST number. If your country of citizenship or residence doesn’t have a tax treaty, then you may need to get a US tax number. Note that you can then use this same number on all US form.s

Note that affiliate income is taxable in your country of residence, so should be declared in your annual tax return. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and all that.

That’s all for this week. I’ll be back next week with the big question: will affiliate marketing earn you money?

What are Affiliate Schemes and How Do they Work?

Understanding Genre

How to Write a Novel: Understanding Genre

As a reviewer and editor, I read a lot of fiction, mostly Christian fiction. I see a lot of the same mistakes over and over, especially from first-time authors. One of those issues is genre.

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What's the most important aspect of writing a novel? Understanding genre. Here's what you need to know. #ChristianFiction #WritersLife Share on X

I’ve written an entire series of posts on genre, plus additional posts attempting to define Christian fiction (attempting, because there is no industry-agreed definition). This post brings all my information on genre into one place.

First, why is genre important?

Genre underpins the publishing world:

  • Publishers publish by genre.
  • Agents acquire by genre.
  • Bookstores organise by genre.
  • Readers purchase by genre.

And readers review by genre. If a book doesn’t meet the expectations of the genre, you can expect low-star reviews with comments about not meeting expectations. Angela Hunt, author of over 100 books, says:

Before you begin writing your novel, you should know what genre you are writing in. The number one mistake of beginning writers in this area is to not consider genre at all.

Understanding your genre will:

  • Inform some of your writing decisions, including the most appropriate point of view, the number of viewpoint characters, tense, voice, style and word count.
  • Help ensure you don’t stray off-topic as you write.
  • Inform the length of your story.
  • Influence your cover design.
  • Guide your marketing efforts.

So what do you need to know?

Here are my six steps to meeting the expectations of genre readers:

  1. Know the age group your book is targeting.
  2. Know whether you’re targeting the Christian or general market.
  3. Understand the genre and subgenre you’re writing.
  4. Understand historical vs. contemporary.
  5. Get your word count right.
  6. Write in a series.
What genre do you write? Six questions to help you understand your genre and target market #Genre #ChristianFiction Share on X

Step One: Know the age group your book is targeting.

The standard industry age categorisations are:

  • Picture Books: Under 5 years old.
  • Early Reader: 5–7 years old.
  • Middle Grade: 8-12 years old.
  • Young Adult: 13-18 years old.
  • New Adult: 18–25 years old.
  • Adult: Over 18 years.

Are you clear which age group your book is targeting?

Click here to find out more.

Step Two: Know whether you’re targeting the Christian or general market

General market booksellers in the US are typically members of the American Booksellers Association (ABA). Christian booksellers were typically members of what was the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA), which has now been supplanted by the Christian Retailers Association (CRA). Click here to find out more.

CBA and CRA booksellers sell Christian books, but how do we define a Christian book? That’s relatively easy when it comes to nonfiction:

  • Bible studies and devotional books are clearly Christian in nature.
  • Memoirs or biographies of Christians are clearly Christian.
  • There are also a huge number of Christians writing in the self-help genre, ranging from obviously Christian topics such as improving your prayer life, to less obvious subjects such as diet.

The common thread is that Christian nonfiction uses the Bible as a reference or influence.

It’s less easy when it comes to Christian fiction. People often attempt to define Christian fiction by the author or publisher or some other criteria, but those don’t always fit. Click here to find out more.

So what is Christian fiction? Various authors have tried to define it. Francine Rivers says:

If you pull out the Christian thread from the plot and the plot unravels, it’s Christian fiction.

Ann Tatlock says:

Anything a Christian writes must reflect the truth of God’s account. If as a Christian we don’t write from a biblical worldview, we’re not portraying reality as it is.

Penelope J Stokes defines Christian fiction as fiction that tells the truth.

Terry Burns and Linda Yezak divide Christian fiction into four categories:

  • Fiction written for believers
  • Fiction written for unbelievers
  • Fiction written for backsliders
  • Fiction written for seekers

Chawna Schroeder believes Christian fiction follows the guidelines of Philippians 4:8.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Other authors have different views. Click here to check them out.

Are you targeting the Christian market, the general market, or seeking to sell a crossover title?

Click here to find out more.

Step Three: Understand what genre and subgenre you’re writing

Amazon has hundreds of book categories for fiction. They fall into three broad market categories:

Romance: developing a romantic relationship between two people, with a happy-ever-after ending. Click here to find out more. 

Action: mystery, suspense or thrillers, where the primary focus is on the action, not the character relationships. Click here to find out more. 

Worldbuilder: genres such as science fiction, fantasy, dystopian and paranormal, set in another world. Click here to find out more. 

What is your broad genre?

There are dozens—perhaps hundreds—of subgenres. Over the last three years, many of these have been discussed at Australasian Christian Writers. Click here for a roundup of the genre posts.

Each genre has its own structure and tropes, and you’ll need to know the tropes (and know how to twist them). Click here to check out a definition of trope, and ten common romance tropes, and click here to check out twelve more romance tropes (note: these lists are by no means exhaustive).

What tropes are you using?

It can be difficult to work out what genre you’re writing if you write the book first, then try and fit it to a genre. This is why experts recommend starting with a genre, and writing to the expectations of that genre. (And the best way to learn the genre expectations is to read widely, starting with some of the top-selling books in your chosen genre).

Step Four: When Is Your Novel Set?

Novels can be set in the past, present, or future (although that’s mostly Worldbuilding novels). Note that what we now consider historical classics (e.g. Jane Austen or Charles Dickens) were contemporary novels when they were published.

Historical fiction presents a particular challenge, as historical fiction requires research. Getting your facts right is important. There will always be a reader who has read everything about this period and who will point out all the inaccuracies and anachronisms in their review. Click here to read more.

One peculiarity of genre is that novels set in the recent past may be classified as contemporary fiction rather than historical. Click here to find out when historical fiction becomes contemporary.

When is your novel set?

Step Five: How Long is Your Novel?

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America classifies Nebula Award submissions into four categories based on word count:

  • Short story: under 7,500
  • Novelette: between 7,500 and 17,500
  • Novella: between 17,500 and 40,000
  • Novel: over 40,000

But there are long novels and short novels: American Christian Fiction Writers classify a novella as between 15,000 and 45,000 words, and a short novel as 45,000 to 70,000 words.

The desired word count for novels varies depending on genre. Click here to find out more.

Word count also depends on the target age: picture books tend to be 500 words. Middle Grade books average 35,000 words, but can be higher or lower depending on whether you’re targeting older or younger Middle Grade readers.

I’ve also been asked how many chapters a novel should have. That’s less important than the overall word count, and ensuring each scene and chapter moves the story forward. Click here to find out more.

How long is your novel, and is that consistent with reader expectations in your genre?

Step Six: Is Your Novel Part of a Series?

My personal opinion is that, where possible, authors should plan to write a series of books. This has advantages in both the writing and the marketing. Click here to find out more.

Is your novel part of a series?

If you have any questions about genre, let me know in the comments.

Understanding Genre
What is Christian Fiction?

Dear Editor | What is Christian Fiction?

Last week, I discussed the difficulty of defining Christian fiction, and covered six things that don’t define Christian fiction:

  • The author
  • The publisher
  • The organisation
  • The bookseller
  • The content
  • The world view

Today I’m going to look at four different definitions of Christian fiction … all of which are valid, and all of which leave plenty of room for interpretation.

So what is Christian fiction?

Authors Terry Burns and Linda W Yezak address the question in their book, Writing in Obedience: A Primer for Writing Christian Fiction. Reading Writing in Obedience was a lightbulb moment for me. It’s a conversation I’d been having with myself (and others), and the authors provide the best explanation I’ve seen. I’m going to summarise it here, but I do recommend you buy the book to read it for yourself.

First, the authors quote the definition of Christian fiction provided by Francine Rivers:

If you pull out the Christian thread from the plot and the plot unravels, it’s Christian fiction.

Some novels are more overtly Christian than others, and this may well depend on genre. It’s perhaps easier to have a Christian romance novel than a Christian fantasy novel (JRR Tolkien was a Christian, but this doesn’t make Lord of the Rings Christian fiction. Great fiction, sure. Just not great Christian fiction).

Burns and Yezak divide Christian fiction into four categories:

  • Fiction written for believers
  • Fiction written for unbelievers
  • Fiction written for backsliders
  • Fiction written for seekers

Believers want Christian fiction which wrestles with issues of faith, and they want to see the Christian main character emerge victorious. I agree. But it’s preaching to the choir, and we’re called to spread the gospel—which isn’t to say the choir doesn’t need help. It does.

Thankfully, not everyone is called to write for the choir. Some are called to write for unbelievers, backsliders and seekers, and this means adopting a different style of writing. The underlying theme and message may well be the same, but it has to be delivered in a way the reader wants. In this respect, Burns and Yezak say:

We should never share our faith directly with the reader. As soon as the reader realizes the author is talking directly to him, the book becomes preachy, and the chance he’ll put it down goes up significantly.

I believe this shows why many Christian authors are choosing to write fiction of a more “edgy” nature, or choosing to leave specific references to God and Jesus out of their stories: to reach backsliders, seekers and unbelievers. These are markets which desperately need to be reached, and perhaps can’t be reached through the traditional CBA/CRA market.

I commend those who are writing for backsliders, unbelievers and seekers, those who have to strike the balance between writing Christian fiction and being a Christian who writes fiction. It’s not an easy task.

Levels of Christian Fiction

David Bergsland of Radiqx Press wrote A Spiritual System for Rating Books to propose a rating system reviewers can use in rating the Christian content of the fiction they read and review. This is separate from the systems used by online bookstores such as Amazon and Kobo, where the ratings are defined by likeability.

Bergsland points out that the self-publishing revolution provides a means for authors to publish books that wouldn’t be considered by the publishing establishment, which means readers are being exposed to a wider range of thought. His central argument is that:

There is no Christian without a messiah

Bergsland’s ratings are:

One Star: The Clean Read

The clean read has no content that might offend a conservative Christian reader, but also no mention of God, Jesus, or Christianity.

Two Stars: The Legal Level

The focus of the story is on law, not grace. Biblical fiction falls into this category, as there was obviously no salvation through Jesus until after He died on the cross.

Three Stars: The Religious Level

Characters attend church and practice Christian values, but their Christian walk is habit and culture, and there is little difference between the Christian and the non-Christian characters.

Four Stars: Redemptive Fiction

Salvation and deliverance come through grace, not works, and the emphasis is on a personal relationship with Jesus. Christian characters read their Bibles and pray, and are noticeably different to the non-Christian characters.

Five Stars: Spirit-Filled Fiction

Believers accepted Jesus or a messiah and, they experience the power of the Lord and His Holy Spirit in their lives. Characters have (or develop) an intimate relationship with the Lord and show by example how God talks and communicates with His people.

Bergsland argues that only Redemptive Fiction and Spirit-Filled Fiction are truly “Christian” fiction, and that these books are rare. I suspect this is because the market is small, both in terms of people who are able to write such fiction, and people who are interested in reading it.

The Christian Writers Code

Chawna Schroeder defines Christian fiction in terms of the eight qualities in Philippians 4:8:

  • Whatever is true
  • Whatever is noble
  • Whatever is right (righteous)
  • Whatever is pure
  • Whatever is lovely
  • Whatever is admirable (of good repute)
  • If anything is excellent
  • If anything is praiseworthy

I’ve detailed Chawna’s view in The Christian Writers Code.

Five Types of Christian Fiction

As I was preparing this blog post, I came across a post where Christian writer Jake Doberenz shares his thoughts on five levels of Christian fiction. Doberenz sees Christian fiction as a continuum, from little or no faith to explicitly ChristianL

Faith in the Morality

A family-friendly or “clean read” that reinforces Christian standards of behaviour.

Faith in the Theme

A story that shows Christian values in the underlying themes e.g. forgiveness or redemption.

Faith in the Allegory

A retelling of a Biblical story in another setting, where Christians will recognise the allegory but non-Christians might not.

Faith in the Plot

Stories with at least some Christian character, and where faith is key to the plot.

Faith in the Message

An obviously Christian story, with overt Christian characters which always show the importance of faith in Christ. Where someone could argue that novels in the other four types are not Christian, there is no arguing with Faith in the Message stories.

Good Christian Fiction

There are similarities and differences in each of these four definitions. I’m sure we all have our own definitions.

Good Christian fiction, in my opinion, should:

  • Feature characters who are Christians, or who come to Christ in the course of the story.
  • Romance should be about more than the romantic tension between the hero and heroine.
  • Show the spiritual growth of either the hero or heroine, with the level of spiritual growth depending on their individual starting points. Just as in real life, we don’t get saved and suddenly become super-Christians who know everything (if only!). Christian life is about obedience to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). There would be no point if we were perfect.
  • Reflect a life that full of imperfect Christians trying to be real and live for God in a fallen world, working out our faith in fear and trembling and allowing God to work in us.

Christian fiction is about reflecting God in what we write, about allowing Him to work in and and through us, in our writing and in everything we do.

So that’s Christian fiction. What do you think?