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How to use colons and semicolons in fiction

Write Tip | How to use Colons and Semicolons

One of the “rules” of writing I’ve come across is that we should not use colons or semicolons in fiction. I have to admit that I rarely see either punctuation mark in the fiction I read, but is it a real rule … or a guideline?

First, let’s look at how to correctly use colons and semicolons.

Note that the correct use of some punctuation marks will depend on which style guide you are following e.g. Associated Press, Australian Style Manual, Chicago Manual of Style, or the Christian Writers Manual of Style (which does not include an apostrophe in “writers”, no matter how much you or I might think they should).

How to use Semicolons

The main use of the semicolon is used to join two independent clauses in a way that is stronger than a comma but weaker than a full stop. The key is that each clause can stand alone as a separate and complete sentence; if either clause cannot stand alone (i.e. is a dependent clause), a comma should be used.

(Yes, my previous sentence is an example of correct semicolon usage.)

The other use of the semicolon is in run-on lists. As per Chicago 6.131:

  • run-on lists are preceded by a colon;
  • each item in the list starts with a lowercase letter;
  • each item in the list concludes with a semicolon except the last;
  • the last item concludes with a period.

Semicolons can also be used in complex lists in running text. For example:

The members of the team were from London, Canada; London, England; and Sydney, Australia.

Using a combination of commas and semicolons clarifies that the members of the team are from three locations. Using commas alone would likely confuse the reader. In this example, the other option would be to simplify the information so only commas were needed:

The members of the team were from Australia, Canada, and England.

(As you can see, I choose to use the Oxford aka serial comma.)

How to Use Colons

As you can see from the examples above, colons can be used to introduce a list or example. Colons can also be used to join two independent clauses when the second clause amplifies the first:

I couldn’t help myself: I baked a double batch of cookies and put the second in cupcake papers.

The other use of colons is when citing verses from the Bible e.g. John 3:16 (NIV).

Using Semicolons in Fiction

I can’t think of any novel I’ve read in the last year from a mainstream traditional publisher that used colons or semicolons. In fact, the only novel I can think of that used semicolons was self-published, and had a lot of small punctuation errors so isn’t a great advertisement for semicolon use.

I have seen blog posts saying it’s okay to use colons or semicolons, but they tend to use old authors (Austen and Dickens) or literary fiction as their examples. This leaves the impression that using colons and semicolons is similar to using quotation marks for direct thought: technically correct, but dated.

I suspect there are two main reasons editors and publishers don’t encourage colons or semicolons in modern fiction:

  • Many authors don’t use them properly.
  • There are alternatives that are easier to use correctly.

(Incidentally, that’s the other way to punctuate a list: start each item in the list with a capital letter, and end it with a period.)

Steven James suggests cutting semicolons to improve readability:

You never want to include anything that will cause a reader to pause or stumble.

The typical alternatives to colons and semicolons in modern fiction are:

  • Use two sentences.
  • Use an em dash.

However, using em dashes can introduce another problem: overuse. Em dashes—and other special punctuation marks such as ellipses—should be used sparingly. As editor Beth Hill says:

While I won’t tell a writer he can never use a certain punctuation mark, I will offer the advice to not overuse the semicolon or any punctuation. Anything that distracts from the story should go, and too much of any one element is a distraction.

Not using colons and semicolons solves two problems:

– You don’t have to remember how to use a semicolon or colon correctly.

– You don’t have to decide whether the sentence requires a colon or semicolon.

So using or not using colons or semicolons in fiction is more of a guideline than a rule. It’s author (or publisher) choice, like using the Oxford comma or deity pronouns.

Whatever editing choice you make, the main thing is to make the writing and punctuation as invisible as possible to allow your reader to focus on what matters: the story.

Hook Your Readers by Tamar Sloan

Book Review | Hook Your Readers by Tamar Sloan

A great hook is one of the keys of great fiction. In Hook Your Readers, Australian psychologist and author Tamar Sloan explains why the hook is essential and offers great tips on creating a compelling hook.

In it, she explains the importance of story to the human psyche (which Lisa Cron also addresses in Wired for Story), and discusses the key psychological components that make a book compelling. Sloan starts with the 1944 Heider and Simmel study. You can try this yourself if you’re not already familiar with it. (I wasn’t.)

Watch the short video below (it’s 72 seconds, and there isn’t any sound):

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx7lBzHH7c8]

Now, describe what you saw.

Are you one of the less than 3% of participants who gave a subjective answer?

Or are you one of the 97% of participants who turned this into a story?

Anyway, back to Hook Your Readers. The book is structured in four sections:

  1. Why Readers Read
  2. Capture Curiosity
  3. Engage Emotion
  4. Craft Compelling Characters

Capturing Curiosity covers the importance of questions: consciously or subconsciously, readers want to seek out new information (which is why cliches are a bad idea). It shows why authors need to ask questions (and answer them, but not immediately), and to offer surprises.

Engaging Emotion encourages writers to create characters readers will care about, and to show that emotion. I’ve seen some of this information before (e.g. in Margie Lawson’s Body Language course), but there were still some new-to-me ideas.

The big idea was understanding that we don’t experience one emotion at a time, so we shouldn’t write that way either.

I subconsciously knew that, but hadn’t had it articulated in such a way before. It also explains why some emotion in fiction comes across as shallow: because the author is focusing on one emotion, not a complex range of sometimes conflicting emotions.

Craft Compelling Characters delves into the need for our characters to have a universal need (a goal, as described by Debra Dixon), perhaps derived from their emotional wound. That need should be something the reader can relate to (which taps into the idea of universal wants). Finally, great characters are exceptional in some way.

On that basis, Hook Your Readers is a solid writing craft book.

But what steps it up a level is the “Now It’s Your Turn” section at the end of each chapter, which includes three or four simple (or not-so-simple) questions to address in our own manuscripts.

It is a short book which is easy to read. However, the length means it doesn’t go into great detail about some of the topics.

If you would like more information on some of the specific topics raised in Hook Your Readers, I recommend:

Overall, I recommend Hook Your Readers as a solid craft book for fiction writers.

You can read the introduction below:

Should I Write My Novel in Omniscient Point of View?

WriteTip | Should I Write My Novel in Omniscient Point of View?

Almost all novels are written from first person or third person point of view.

If you don’t understand those terms, click here for a post outlining the different points of view.

A lot of newer authors like writing in omniscient point of view. After all, that’s how many classic authors wrote, so it must be okay. Right?

Unfortunately, no.

So what’s the problem with Omniscient Point of View?

Omniscient was the prevailing point of view for most fiction in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Omniscient point of view is often popular with writers who have grown up enjoying the classics of English literature … most of which were written in omniscient point of view.

Essentially, omniscient point of view is writing the story from one single point of view, but a point of view that knows everything. That’s why it’s sometimes called the “God” view … because only God knows everything.

But omniscient point of view has fallen out of favour with publishers and readers because it introduces distance between the reader and the characters. Even novels set in the Victorian era now tend to be written in third person rather than omniscient.

Modern readers see omniscient point of view as old-fashioned. Readers now prefer a more intimate point of view that allows them to engage with the characters they’re reading about.

(Click here to read more about using Deep Point of View to engage readers.)

Omniscient point of view can also signal writing craft issues.

The main issues are:

  • Telling vs. Showing
  • Confusing Omniscient with Third Person
  • Headhopping
  • Author Intrusion

Telling vs. Showing

Many new authors don’t understand point of view and the way point of view is used to draw the reader into the story. New writers often start with a story they want to tell. They then write their novel from their own point of view. As the author, they are all-knowing and all-seeing, and their novel follows this train of thought.

“[Omniscient] is probably the easiest point of view for the beginning writer—and the most dangerous. The writer… can see everything everywhere. Because the writer flits about from character to character, often thoughtlessly, the result can be more like alphabet soup than a controlled experience for the reader.” (Sol Stein, Solutions for Novelists: Secrets of a Master Editor)

Modern fiction shows the story by putting the reader inside the heads of the main characters without flitting between them. This allows the reader to get to know the characters:

“the more intimate the point of view, the better. One of the most vital and difficult tasks facing a writer is creating believable and engaging characters, and an intimate point of view is a terrific way of doing this.” (Renni Browne and Dave King, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers)

Omniscient Point of View vs. Third Person

The second craft problem is that many writers don’t understand true omniscient point of view, possibly because third person and omniscient point of view both use the same he/she and him/her pronouns. What a writer thinks is omniscient may actually be third person point of view with headhopping and author intrusions.

True omniscient point of view tells a story through the eyes of an all-knowing, all-seeing narrator e.g. The Book in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. If there is no clear narrator, the novel is not written in omniscient point of view.

In contrast, third person shows the story through the eyes of one or more point of view characters, one at a time. Moving between characters in a single scene is not omniscient point of view. It’s headhopping.

Headhopping

Headhopping can become an issue when the author is writing in third person point of view. Third person typically uses multiple point of view characters, and each character has their own unique voice.

Headhopping is writing from the point of view of more than one character in a scene using the voice of each character (omniscient point of view would use the single overriding external narrator).

The general rules of third person Point of View are:

  • There must only be one point of view character in each scene (this is why third person is sometimes referred to as limited: because the point of view is limited to one character per scene).
  • The point of view character should be the individual most affected by the actions in that scene.
  • The first name mentioned in a scene should be that of the point of view character.

If the author switches point of view from one character to another within the scene, this is referred to as headhopping. Telling the story from the point of view of multiple narrators within a scene presents a problem:

Anytime you change viewpoint inside an ongoing scene, you risk confusing the reader about the goal, losing reader sympathy for the desired character, putting the spotlight of reader-identification in the wrong place, and muddying the dramatic waters in terms of what is at stake for whom. (Jack M Bickham in Scene and Structure)

Author Intrusion

Author intrusions are another potential issue with third person point of view. An author intrusion could be:

  • Where the text says something the viewpoint character can’t possibly know (e.g. little did she know what would happen tomorrow).
  • The author describing something the viewpoint character can’t hear or see.
  • The author editorialises the story in their own voice, telling the reader what they should feel or believe.

Author intrusions should be avoided no matter what point of view an author is using.

So should you write your novel in omniscient point of view?

If you are writing purely for your own pleasure, then it doesn’t matter.

But if you’re writing with the intention of publishing, then first person or third person are safer options because they are more likely to engage readers and publishers.

For more information on point of view in writing, see:

 

 

Should I Respond to Reviews?

Dear Editor | Should I Respond to Reviews?

This is a common question from first-time authors. It’s understandable: they have just got one or four or more positive reviews on their first book, their first reviews from strangers. Their parents raised them to say thank you, so they want to thank the reviewers. But they’ve heard it’s not appropriate to respond to reviews. So should they respond, or should they ignore the review?

As with many questions in publishing, it depends.

In this case, whether to respond or not depends on where the review was published:

  • Amazon or Other retail site.
  • Bookbub or another promotion site.
  • Goodreads or another booklover site.
  • The reviewer’s own website or blog.

Amazon or Other Retail Site

It is generally agreed that authors shouldn’t respond to reviews on Amazon or other retail sites, even if the review is positive. Responding to the first review is setting a precedent: are you going to respond to every review, even when you get hundreds, or thousands? No–because spending time responding to reviews means you’re not spending time writing the next book. And that’s what your fans really want–the next book.

Responding to a negative or critical review is even worse.

What are you going to say? Most authors respond by defending themselves or their book. That isn’t a positive response, and it will discourage people from reviewing your book … which will discourage people from buying your book. And defending your book won’t change the reviewer’s mind. You had 50,000 or 90,000 words in the book to convince them. If your book didn’t convince them, a 100-word rebuttal on Amazon won’t.

Either way, responding to reviews tells people you read your reviews and take them to heart. Is that a good idea? Instead, thank them by writing your next book.

The one possible exception is if a reviewer asks a direct question.

Even then, it’s probably best to ignore the question—answering shows you read your reviews. If the reader really wanted the answer, they could contact you through your website (because your Amazon Author Central page has your website link, doesn’t it?).

I’d also caution authors against “Liking” positive reviews or asking fans to Like positive reviews. There are two reasons for this advice:

  1. It’s against Amazon’s Reviewing Guidelines for authors to attempt to “drown out other people’s opinions” by coordinating with others (especially if that is an attempt to upvote positive reviews to hide critical reviews).
  2. When a book has only a few reviews and all the five-star reviews have one Like, but none of the critical reviews have been voted helpful, customers might suspect the author (or their spouse or BFF) is the only voter. As with commenting on positive review, this doesn’t give a good impression.

Promotional Site

I’m not as familiar with promotional sites. I use Bookbub, which now allows readers to add reviews and follow authors. Authors can Like reviews, and comment on them. However, I couldn’t find any guidelines for authors. My suggestion would be to join the site as a reader and see how other authors behave.

Booklover Site

Goodreads has a simple view on whether authors should respond to reviews: don’t.

Don’t engage with people who negatively rate or review your books. We cannot stress this enough. 

Blog or Website

But don’t feel obliged to comment if they didn’t enjoy the book, especially if they got the book via a blog tour or a service like NetGalley.

Email

If a reader has taken the time to email you (and that email isn’t anonymous), then it’s worth sending a quick “thank you” in reply. I suggest developing three brief email response templates, and cutting and pasting:

  1. Thank you for people who tell you they enjoyed the book, and a suggestion they review your book on Amazon or Goodreads, or sign up for your reader newsletter.
  2. Thank you, and I’ll fix them in the next update for people who email you about real or imagined typos.
  3. I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the book to people who didn’t enjoy the book. Or nothing at all.

If you do choose to reply, keep it brief. After all, your fans want the next book, and you don’t want to give the haters more time or brain space than necessary.

What Are Comparable Titles and How do I Find Them?

What Are Comparable Titles and How do I Find Them?

If you are considering submitting a proposal to a publisher or a literary agent, you will find they don’t only want a sample of your writing to help them decide whether they are interested in you and your manuscript. Usually, they also want you to suggest between three and five comparable titles.

What Are Comparable Titles?

Comparable titles are books that are similar to yours. They may be in the same genre, have similar plots, use similar tropes, be written in a similar style, and/or have a common thread such as the setting.

Comparable titles should be new books, released in the last five years and ideally in the last two years. (No, you can’t use Jane Austen and Charles Dickens as comparable authors).  They should be books which have seen success in their niche (you don’t want to compare your manuscript to the publishing equivalent of a movie that scores 9% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Avoid books that have topped bestseller lists and/or been made into movies. These books have typically seen success outside their core genre, so aren’t truly comparable.

Choosing megahits could also be interpreted as suggesting you haven’t done your homework (to find more suitable comparable titles), or that you have delusions of grandeur (“you have to publish this book because my mum said it would make a great movie” is not going to win you a publishing contract.)

Most agents and publishers want you to name between three and five comparable titles, each from a different author.

Top tip: Once you have identified possible comparable titles, note the authors. Read their new releases and add them to your comparable book list to keep it current.

That’s all well and good if you plan to seek a literary agent and pursue a traditional publishing contract.

But what if you plan to self-publish?

I would still advise making a list of comparable titles and authors. It will help you with a range of writing and marketing decisions. Knowing your comparable titles and authors will:

  • Inform your genre and the tropes you use.
  • Provide a guide to writing style and point of view (if all your comparison titles are written in first person and present tense, then you might need to reconsider your use of past tense omniscient point of view).
  • Enable you to find book reviewers who review in your genre.
  • Give examples of cover design trends in your genre, which can inform your cover design.
  • Help you find joint promotional activities to help expose your book to new readers and build your email list.

Finding comparable titles and authors will also help you identify your target reader, because readers who enjoy books by your comparable authors should also enjoy your book.

So How do you Find Comparable Authors?

Bestseller Lists

Start by checking the Amazon top 100 list for books in your genre.

I suggest starting with the Amazon lists because everyone has access to them, and because they are purely based on sales i.e. what buyers are buying. Lists in major publications have several limitations:

  • Lists don’t count Amazon sales (because they get their sales figures from BookScan, and  Amazon don’t release their sales figures).
  • Lists may exclude self-published books.
  • Lists may be curated (i.e. whoever compiles the list chooses which books to include and exclude).

New Release lists from Relevant Writing Organisations

American Christian Fiction Writers publishes a monthly post compiling the new releases from ACFW members. It’s not all the new releases in Christian fiction, because not every Christian fiction writer is a member of ACFW, but it’s a start.

Upcoming Releases Posts on Book Blogs

Publishers typically work twelve months in advance, so they already know what books they’re planning to release in the first quarter of 2022. They have typically produced the cover and book description several months in advance. The books are then made available to industry professionals (including book bloggers) via services such as NetGalley.

Many book bloggers will post about they books on their to-review pile. Some (e.g. Rel at Relz Reviews) work with publishers to reveal the covers for their upcoming season.

Book Blogs

Many book bloggers review books in advance of publication. Others feature lists of books they’re looking forward to (often books they’ve already downloaded from NetGalley).

Following blogs in your genre can give you insight into what books publishers are publishing, so you can track new releases in your genre and find books to add to your list of comparable titles. You can also track debut authors, and add them if appropriate.

But how do you know which titles are most like yours?

Simple. Read.

Read new releases from comparable authors, and read new releases from debut authors in your genre. You don’t have to read every book – it may be enough to read the Kindle sample to determine whether the book is a comparable title or not.

I know. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Reading in your genre and interacting with readers and bloggers will help keep you up-to-date on writing and publishing trends …

And your comparable titles.

How Do I Market a Book?

Book Marketing | How Do I Market a Book?

This is one of the most common questions I see in Christian author groups.

Unfortunately, it’s also one of the hardest to answer.

Why? Because the question is too vague.

It’s like asking “what should I buy?” If I’m hungry, I should buy food. If I’m cold, I should buy clothes. if I’m bored, I should buy a book. No one can give a helpful answer without more information.

Top Tip: It’s best to ask specific questions, especially in Facebook groups.

The other issue is that the question is usually asked by someone who has already published their book. Most marketing happens before the book is published. Yes, you can advertise a book after it’s been published, but the success of post-publication advertising will largely depend on how well the early big-picture steps were completed.

Here are my suggested steps to marketing a book:

1. Write an excellent book.

Your book needs to be of the same standard as a book released by a traditional publisher, because this is the standard readers expect. Your book should also be written in an accepted genre, because that shows there is a group of readers who want to buy books like yours.

Click here to read about understanding genre.

2. Build your author website.

All authors need a website, an online home base that they can use to attract potential readers and even to sell books from. Recent events have shown (yet again) how easy it is to lose followers from a third-party website or social media network. Instead, build your website on a self-hosted WordPress site to limit the risk of losing your site.

Click here to read more about author websites.

3. Set up social media accounts on relevant networks.

While it’s unwise to build an entire platform on social media, it is worthwhile claiming your author name on the main social media networks (i.e. the networks your target readers use) and pointing followers towards your website.

Click here to read more about social media.

4. Work with an editor and proofreader.

Revise and self-edit your book until it is the best you can make it. Then use at least one paid editor to provide professional external feedback.

Click here to read why self-editing is important.

  • A developmental editor will help clarify your overall story, and help you fix plot, character, or structure problems.
  • A line editor will help polish your work.
  • A copyeditor will ensure the writing is consistent with the relevant style guide.
  • A proofreader provides on final check to ensure the manuscript is ready to publish.

Click here to read more about the cost of editing.

5. Set up an email list and offer a reader magnet.

An email list is your direct line to your fans. These are the people who will preorder your books and buy your new releases. The bigger and more engaged your list, the less “hard sell” you have to do.

Click here to read more about email lists.

6. Consider your path to publishing

Click here to read more about the paths to publishing.

Do you want to publish with a major traditional publisher? If so, your next step is to find a literary agent who sells manuscripts to your preferred publisher.

Do you want to work with a small press? Now is the time to submit.

Do you plan to self-publish? Make sure you’re self-publishing, not working with a vanity publisher (who won’t market your book, and probably won’t even edit it).

Click here to find out how to find a literary agent.

7. Create an ARC team.

An ARC is an Advance Reader Copy or Advance Review Copy. Create a team of people who will receive the pre-proofed version of your book, read it before publication, and review it on release date (or soon after). Reviews provide social proof for new-to-you readers and encourages them to try your book.

8. Hire an excellent cover designer.

If there’s one thing that’s more important than excellent writing and editing, it’s cover design. The cover is the first thing a new reader sees, so it needs to fit the genre, and attract your target readers.

9. Write a compelling book description.

When a potential customer sees your book, the first thing they see is the cover. If the cover looks appealing, the next thing they will do is read the book description. Your book description should introduce your main characters and the central conflict, hooking potential customers so they want to find out more.

10. Ask Book Bloggers to Feature Your Book

The internet is filled with book bloggers and bookstagrammers (booklovers on Instagram) who are always looking for the next great novel to read and promote on their blog.

Once you have a great cover and a compelling book description, you can approach bloggers in your genre and ask if they are interested in featuring you or your book. Offer them a free ebook for review (but remember they are under no obligation to review, even if you give them a free book).

Click here for information on how to ask book bloggers for reviews.

Top Tip: If none of the bloggers you approach are interested in you or your book, you’re either approaching bloggers in the wrong genre, or your book cover, book description, or actual book are to blame. If you can’t give your book away to an avid reader aka book blogger, your chances of selling it to a less avid reader are slim.

11. Publish your book.

Yes, we have finally got to the publishing stage (and I’ve missed several steps). If you are working with a traditional publisher, they will edit, design the cover, format, write the book description, print your book, and upload the book to all the major sales platforms. If you are self-publishing, these tasks are your responsibility.

12. Promote your new release.

Tell your email list and social media followers about your new release. If you have been featured on book blogs, comment on the post and respond to readers who comment. Share the blog posts, and retweet mentions. Release week is the one time followers will forgive you for self-promotion, so take advantage of that.

13. Write the next book.

If you’re aiming for traditional publication, write the next book. Publishers rarely offer new authors a one-book deal, as they want to spread their marketing dollar over two or three books.

If you’re self-publishing, write the next book in the series. Readers love series, and books in a series cross-promote each other.

14. Advertise

Once you have three to five books in a series, it’s worthwhile considering paid advertising e.g. Facebook and Amazon. You can offer books at sale prices (or even a free book) and make money as readers read through the series.

15. Apply for a BookBub Featured Deal

BookBub Featured Deals aren’t cheap, but they are the advertising prize. Apply as often as you can and expect to be rejected many times before you are accepted. In the meantime, work on getting more Amazon and Goodreads reviews.

 Top Tip: if you only have one book published, don’t apply for a free deal on BookBub.

The way free deals make money for the author is via sell-through i.e. the reader downloading Book #1 free, reading it, then going on to but Book #2 and Book #3 and so on. This works best if you have at least three books in the same series.

Simple, right? (Not.)

As you can see, most of the marketing happens before the book is published.

If you have a published book that isn’t selling as well as you’d like, it’s possible the book isn’t meeting reader expectations. If that happens, my best advice is to write the next book, and ensure it meets reader expectations in terms of genre and the standard of writing, editing, and cover design.

Do you have any specific questions about how to market a book? Let me know in the comments.

Punctuation in Fiction

Punctuation 101 | Other Punctuation in Fiction

Over the last two weeks we’ve covered comma usage and the punctuation of dialogue in fiction. Today I’m going to discuss seven less common punctuation marks, and how they’re used in modern fiction:

  • Brackets (Parentheses)
  • Colon
  • Ellipsis
  • Em-Dash
  • En-Dash
  • Hyphen
  • Semicolon

Note that I am focussing on the use of these punctuation marks in modern fiction i.e. fiction published within the last ten years.

You may well see different usage in older books. This usage may still be considered grammatically correct, or it may now be considered dated (e.g. using quotation marks for unspoken thought, as I discussed last week). But if you’re trying to get published now, you need to understand current trends and guidelines.

Brackets (Parenetheses)

Technically, [these] are brackets, while (these) are parentheses. No, most people don’t know the difference (including most of my teachers at school).

Parentheses are used to provide additional information that’s not necessary for the reader to know in order to understand the sentence. The sentence should still make sense without the section in parentheses.

Parentheses are more common in nonfiction than in fiction.

I do occasionally read a modern novel that uses parentheses. However, they tend to be novels written in first person, where the point of view character has a strong and quirky voice, so it feels as though they are talking directly to the reader. Parentheses can also be used if the character is writing a text message, email, or diary entry.

Colon

A colon (:) may be used to separate two independent clauses in a way that’s less final than a full stop (period). It’s often used when the second independent clause amplifies or explains the first. For example:

I don’t like Monday: Sunday is my favourite day of the week.

A colon can also be used to signal a quotation (as I used before the above example), or to introduce a list:

I love flowers: carnations, daisies, lavender, roses. I love them all.

As you can see, there are clear grammatical use for the colon. However, colons have fallen out of favour in modern fiction—I don’t recall the last novel I read that used a colon. It has generally been replaced by the em-dash.

Ellipsis …

Ellipsis is the correct name for the series of dots we sometimes see. For example:

“I … I don’t know.”

As you can see, the ellipsis indicate stuttering or repetition, and may indicate indecision. If the ellipsis falls at the end of the dialogue, it usually indicates a trailing off off speech, as though the character doesn’t know what to say:

“This feels wrong, but I don’t know why …”

As with any punctuation mark, it’s best not to overuse the ellipsis. This is especially important in dialogue, as too many ellipses can make the character appear stupid.

Note that the ellipsis is always three dots, never less and never more.

Some style guides permit the use of a period after an ellipsis, which can make it look as though the ellipsis has four dots. But this is only used in specific situations around quotations, so is unlikely to be relevant to fiction authors.

There are two ways to type an ellipsis. The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS 13.50) uses three spaced periods, with a space before and after the ellipsis:

” . . . I don’t know.”

Note that the ellipsis should use nonbreaking spaces—otherwise, the ellipsis can end up breaking across two lines in the final book (or on the e-reader).

Other style manuals use the ellipsis glyph, which is Alt-0133 on a PC and Cmd-0133 on an Apple i.e. hold down the Alt or Cmd key while typing “0151”. This shows as one character, and generally has a space before and after.

Em-Dash —

The em-dash gets its name from the fact it is approximately the length of the letter “m”. It has several uses in modern fiction.

The em-dash can be used in place of a colon:

I don’t like Monday—Sunday is my favourite day of the week.

The em-dash can be used instead of parentheses (which are rarely used in fiction).

I love flowers: carnations, daisies, lavender, roses. I love them all.

My one proviso in using the em-dash instead of parentheses is to make sure you don’t end the sentence on an em-dash, as running and em-dash and period together looks odd.

The em-dash can be used to indicate a character’s dialogue is interrupted:

“Why didn’t you buy—”
“They were out of stock.”

Note that there is no terminal punctuation at the end of the first speaker’s dialogue:

“Why didn’t you buy—.”

This is wrong, because the character hasn’t finished speaking. Sometimes a writer will use an em-dash at the end of one line and the beginning of another, to indicate one character talking over another:

“Why didn’t you—”
“They were out of stock.”
“—buy takeaways for dinner?”

Okay, so that’s not a great example. But you can see what I mean.

The fact there are several correct uses for the em-dash can mean it is overused. As with any punctuation mark, it’s important not to overuse the em-dash.

Some computers and software will automatically insert an em-dash when you type two consecutive hyphens. If not, you can force an em-dash using Alt-0151 on a PC and Cmd-0151 on an Apple. There are generally no spaces before or after an em-dash.

En-Dash

An en-dash is approximately the length of the letter “n”, which means it’s longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em-dash.

An en-dash is used to show some kind of range:

  • Dates: 1993–2000
  • Bible verses: John 1:1–14
  • Citations: Chapters 3–5
  • Directions: the London–Dover train
  • An unfinished number range: 1969–
  • Campus locations: the University of Wisconsin–Madison

You can find more information in CMOS 6.78–84.

You can create an en-dash using Alt-0150 on a PC and Cmd-0150 on an Apple.

Hyphen

If you’re anything like me (or how I used to be, before I studied editing), you use the hyphen where you now know you should be using the en-dash or em-dash. But the hyphen still has many uses. In fact, the hyphenation table in the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style is several pages long (CMOS 7.89).

The most common uses for the hyphen are:

  • Adjectival phrases: over-the-counter pharmaceuticals
  • Compounds: mass-produced, three-year-old child

The rules for compounds are complex, but there are four main principles to remember:

  1. Check the dictionary. If the word is hyphenated in the dictionary, use a hyphen.
  2. Compounds with -ly adverbs are not hyphenated: she was highly paid, not highly-paid.
  3. Many compounds are hyphenated before the noun, but not after. For example: she was a computer-literate student, but the student was computer literate.
  4. If you’re not sure, pick a style and be consistent: use email or e-mail, but don’t use both in the same document.

Semicolon

The semi-colon is another punctuation mark that can be used to separate two independent clauses. The separation is less final than a period or even a colon.

The semi-colon may also be used in complex lists, although that’s more common in nonfiction. Having said that, it’s probably more common to use bullet points for complex lists, as they’re easier to read.

 

Note that these guidelines are specifically for modern fiction, and reflects the trends I see in the books I read. We haven’t abandoned the colon or semi-colon. It’s more that they’re not commonly seen in modern fiction.

That isn’t to say you can’t use them. But if you do use them, use them correctly.

What other questions do you have around punctuation?

How to Use Commas in Fiction

Punctuation 101 | How to Use Commas in Fiction

The comma is one punctuation mark where there is a large degree of judgement and personal preference. Our struggle with commas isn’t helped by some of the misinformation we’ve heard over the years.

However, there are clear grammatical rules about how to use commas in fiction.

Examples of correct comma usage include:

  • To link coordinate clauses to form a compound sentence.
  • To separate items in a list or within a sentence.
  • To separate strings of coordinate adjectives.
  • To link a dependent clause to an independent clause.
  • Between an introductory adjectival phrase and the rest of the sentence.
  • Between an introductory adverbial phrase and the rest of the sentence.

There are two main guidelines to remember with commas.

First, the comma should be used when it is needed to prevent ambiguity. For example, this sentence is inviting Grandma to lunch:

Let’s eat, Grandma!

But take out the comma, and Grandma is lunch:

Let’s eat Grandma!

(Yes, commas save lives).

The second rule is this: there are grammatical rules about when a comma can be used. If your English teacher (like mine) told you to add a comma when you’d pause for breath when reading aloud, then your English teacher was wrong.

That advice, leads us, to the Walken, comma. Or, worse, the, Shatner, comma. (I may have mixed those two up. But you get the point).

Commas are used to separate clauses in sentences.

There are two main types of clauses:

  • An independent clause contains a subject, a verb, and an object. It can form a complete sentence.
  • An independent clause can’t form a complete sentence—it’s usually missing the subject or object.

Linking Coordinate Clauses

Coordinate clauses are two independent clauses of equal importance. Coordinate clauses are joined with a comma and a coordinating conjunction, which forms a compound sentence.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions in the English language, and they can be memorised using the acronym FANBOYS:

For—And—Nor—But—Or—Yet—So

Let’s look at an example:

I was supposed to be on a diet, yet I still ate the entire bar of chocolate.

“Yet” is a coordinating conjunction, so (there’s another one!) it is perfect for joining two coordinate clauses. I often find authors join coordinate clauses with just a comma. This is often referred to as a run-on sentence.

There are several ways of correcting a run-on sentence, and it is up to the author to decide which is the most appropriate in the context (there is no one-rule-fits-all solution!).

Correcting a Run-On Sentence

As stated above, we can use a coordinating conjunction. We can also split the sentence into two:

I was supposed to be on a diet. I still ate the entire bar of chocolate.

We can use a semi-colon, which is stronger than a comma but weaker than a full stop.

I was supposed to be on a diet; I still ate the entire bar of chocolate.

We can use a colon where the second thought amplifies the first:

I was supposed to be on a diet: I still ate the entire bar of chocolate.

Note that colons and semi-colons are rarely used in fiction, although they are common in non-fiction (and are especially useful in lists).

We can also use an em dash or em rule (so called because the dash is roughly the width of a capital M):

I was supposed to be on a diet—I still ate the entire bar of chocolate.

Note that no comma is used if the second part of the sentence is a dependent clause (usually because it doesn’t include a subject).

I was supposed to be on a diet but still ate the entire bar of chocolate.

Oxford Comma (aka serial comma or Harvard comma)

A comma before the conjunction at the end of a series is often referred to as the Oxford comma, but can also be called the Harvard comma or serial comma.

Some authors, editors, and publishers require the Oxford comma. Others say it should only be used when needed for clarity. This is a matter of personal style, but my preference is to use the Oxford comma. Why? Because it’s important to edit a document to a consistent style throughout, and using the Oxford comma for some lists and not others isn’t consistent. It’s also easier in the long run: deciding to use the Oxford comma means authors and editors don’t need to look at each sentence to decide whether the Oxford comma is needed for clarity

For example, this sentence doesn’t use the Oxford comma, and is ambiguous:

I’d like to thank my parents, Mother Theresa and the Pope.

Am I thanking four people, or two? Are my parents Mother Theresa and the Pope? No. In this example, it’s important to use the Oxford comma to clarify that I’m thanking four people:

I’d like to thank my parents, Mother Theresa, and the Pope.

Coordinate Adjectives

Another type of list or series is a list of adjectives describing a noun. Many of us were taught (again, incorrectly) that we add commas between adjectives.

But we don’t always need commas.

The Chicago Manual of Style has a dual test as to whether a comma is needed between two adjectives:

  • Will and fit between the two adjectives without changing the meaning of the sentence? (CMOS 5.90 and 6.33)
  • Can the order of the adjectives be reversed without changing the meaning of the sentence? (CMOS 6.33)

If you can answer yes to both questions, a comma is needed. If the answer to either (or both) questions is no, then no comma is needed. For example:

She was a faithful, sincere friend.

This sentence needs a comma because she was faithful and sincere, and because you can reverse the adjectives and the sentence will still make sense:

She was a sincere, faithful friend.

This next example does not require commas, because we can’t change the order of the adjectives:

His crisp white linen shirt.

What happens if we change the order? The sentence sounds wrong because the adjectives are in the wrong order e.g.

His white crisp linen shirt.

There are nine different types of adjectives, as outlined in the Royal Order of Adjectives . They are:

  • Determiner (a, four)
  • Observation (beautiful, ugly)
  • Size (big, small)
  • Shape (square, long-stemmed)
  • Age (antique, new)
  • Colour (blue, yellow)
  • Origin (Italian, Hawaiian)
  • Material (wood, silk)
  • Qualifier (wedding, touring)
  • Noun

So …

I wore a beautiful princess-cut antique ivory Spanish lace wedding dress.

That’s eight adjectives in a single sentence.

Commas with Adverbial Phrases

At the risk of stating the obvious, an introductory adverbial phrase is a phrase at the beginning of a sentence that includes an adverb (an adjective which describes the verb). That sentence was an example: “stating the obvious” is an adverbial phrase. I therefore added a comma.

However, CMOS 6.31 says no comma is necessary for a short introductory adverbial phrase unless it’s likely to be misread without the comma. This leads to a common comma mistake: adding a comma after “so” at the beginning of a sentence.

In general, there shouldn’t be a comma after “so”, despite what Word or Grammarly might tell you:

So will you be home for dinner?

Yes, “so” is an adverb. But it’s a single word, not a phrase, so no comma is necessary. In fact, the example above would be better without the “so”:

Will you be home for dinner?

“So” also functions as a coordinating conjunction (like “and” and “but”). CMOS 6.22 says there is a comma before a coordinating conjunction, but not after (as in this sentence).

Mother is arriving to visit tonight, so will you be home for dinner?

Some people justify adding a comma after “so” by saying you should add a comma where you’d normally take a breath when reading aloud. We’ve already discussed that (in my first post), and concluded it is bad advice

When is it correct to use a comma after “so”? Only when there is a parenthetical phrase (CMOS 6.48). A parenthetical phrase is a comment that could be deleted without changing the meaning of the sentence:

So, John, will you be home for dinner?

“John” adds to the sentence but could be deleted. The comma after “so” is therefore correct.

What about Well?

Is there a comma after “well”? It depends. Merriam-Webster’s shows that “well” can be a noun, a verb, an adverb, an adjective, or an interjection. If “well” is used at the beginning of a sentence, it is usually (but not always) an interjection, and therefore uses a comma (CMOS 5.206 and 6.34):

Well, what have we here?

But the adverbial form of “well” can be used at the beginning of a sentence:

How many marbles do you have?
Well over a hundred.

In this case, no comma is needed.

Those are the most common errors I see with commas. Do you have any questions on how to use commas in fiction?

What is a Trademark

Intellectual Property for Writers | What is a Trademark?

I was contacted by someone with a question around trademarks on book titles. No, I’m not a lawyer and this is not legal advice, but it’s an interesting question to consider. A trademark is a form of intellectual property, as is copyright. But they are not the same thing.

What is Copyright?

Copyright applies to creative works such as books, screenplays, magazine articles, and even blog posts. The intention of copyright law is that the person who created the written work should have the sole right to profit from that work. They can either exploit those rights themselves, or they can licence the rights to others (e.g. a publishing contract licences the publisher to publish the book in agreed formats, countries, and languages). For more information on copyright, check out my previous blog posts:

Copyright is automatic, meaning you don’t have to apply for or pay to register copyright (although you can pay to officially register a copyright in the US). But there are certain works which can’t be copyrighted, including book titles—they are deemed to be too short to comprise a “work”. For an example, check out how many books there are titled Secrets or Twilight—a lot. But either word could be trademarked.

What is a Trademark?

Trademarks apply to products or services, and the intention is to give the consumer confidence in their purchases. If you buy a Ford motor vehicle, then you expect a certain level of quality and styling—a different level than if you bought, say, a Lada or a Ferrari. As such, you can’t just manufacture a car and call it a Ford (or a Lada, or a Ferrari). But you might be able to trademark Ford for another product, as long as there is no chance the average consumer will confuse your Ford product with a product supplied by the Ford Motor Company. That means selling a different product, and marketing it with a different visual brand.

This is because trademarks are limited in their application.

You can’t universally trademark the word “dove” because it’s a common word in the English language. You can only trademark it for a specific product or class of products, and you must be the first to use that word in association with that product. So you couldn’t trademark “dove” as a brand of beauty products, but you might be able to trademark Dove Clothing (maybe. I haven’t checked).

Intellectual Property 101: What is a trademark, and can someone trademark three words and stop me using those three words in my book title? #WriteTip #Trademark Share on X

If you want a trademark with broader usage, then you might need to invent a word e.g. Kodak or Tupperware or Rollerblade. Rollerblade is one of many companies who have gone to a lot of effort to defend their trademark. In their case, it even meant creating a new phrase to describe their product (inline skates), so their brand name didn’t default to becoming the generic term (as happened with linolieum).

The Twilight Trademarks

Twilight is an interesting case. There are pages and pages of “Twilight” trademarks owned by Summit Entertainment, who made the movies, covering everything from bookmarks to electric blankets. Each is a separate trademark, because you can’t apply for a blanket trademark or a word or phrase. You have to specify what kinds of products or services the trademark is going to be used for … whether that’s bookmarks or electric blankets (which are two separate categories). There were also trademarks for “The Twilight Saga”, and these were owned by the publisher, Hachette Book Group, Inc, but they haven’t been renewed.

Note that the trademark isn’t just of the word “twilight”. It’s a trademark of the word in a specific stylised font–so you can still write and publish a book called “Twilight”, and you can even sell matching bookmarks. But you can’t use one of the trademarked fonts or anything that looks like the trademarked font–that could be considered passing off, or could lead to trademark dilution. (As such, it’s probably best to make sure your book isn’t about sparkly vampires in the state of Washington.)

So, back to our original question:

Can someone trademark three words and stop me using those three words in my book title?

Short answer: maybe.

It’s unlikely for a trademark for three words as part of a book title to be granted. Rather, the three words probably should be the name of a series of books (e.g. the Harry Potter series, or The Twilight Saga), or in a specific font (as with The Twilight Saga).

However, if the trademark has been registered for a series, then it must be used on a series–not a single book. If the trademarked words are used for a single book, that could be seen as a defence, because:

Using [the trademark] in the title of a single book, under most circumstances, cannot constitute trademark infringement.

However, given the point of a trademark is to provide the consumer with a certainty over the origin of the product, if the single title book looked too similar to the trademarked series, then the trademark owner could still argue it was a case of “passing off” i.e. the publisher of the single title book was deliberately making their book look like the trademarked series to confuse potential readers and gain sales.

So it’s probably a bad idea to publish a book called “Twilight in Forks” featuring a black cover with a bright red strawberry and white text in a font similar to that used in The Twilight Saga. The trademark owners could successfully argue that your use of their cover design, font, and the similarity of the title are designed to confuse customers. That would be trademark infringement.

How can you find out if your book title or part of it is trademarked?

Google.

(Actually, Google is a trademark, and me using it in that manner potentially dilutes the trademark. Instead, I should be telling you to search online using your favourite internet search engine. My favourite is Google, just in case you were wondering.)

So, search online for your phrase and “trademark”. So if you want to find out about Harry Potter trademarks, search for “Harry Potter trademark”. That will usually bring up the Justia website, which is a treasure trove of US trademark information.

As it happens, in this case, it look me only a few minutes to discover that two separate authors had trademarked the phrase in question. One was planning to use the phrase on clothing and other merchandise, and the other had trademarked the phrase for self-help books–the genre my questioner was enquiring about.

Protecting a Trademark

Once a trademark has been registered and accepted, the trademark holder has the legal obligation to protect that trademark. In other words, they have to actively ensure no one else uses or attempts to use that trademark. If someone else uses the trademark and it becomes diluted or generic, the original holder can lose the rights to that word or phrase. The trademark owner is obliged to contact people who might be infringing their trademark and request they stop using it.

So What’s the Answer?

My entirely nonlegal opinion is that the author is probably safe if they have only published—and only intend to publish—one book with this title, and they are contacted by the actual trademark owner.

Probably. I’m not a lawyer, remember, and this is not legal advice.

But if the author is contacted by a lawyer or receives an official cease and desist letter, then the options are to either comply with the request, or seek professional legal advice.

How Do I Organise a Blog Tour?

How Do I Organise a Blog Tour? | An #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop Post

Over the last two weeks, we’ve discussed what a blog tour is, some of the different types of tour, and the tasks a tour organiser will need to complete.

If you decide to organise your own blog tour, you’ll need to make time to undertake most of the activities a professional organiser would undertake. Today I’m sharing some tips on  how to organise your own blog tour, based on my experiences as a reviewer and tour participant.

Start Researching Early.

The hardest part of organising a blog tour is finding bloggers, especially book reviewers. There is no easy way to do this—it’s going to take a lot of research if you’re starting from nothing. I suggest:

  • Identify three to five recent novels in your genre that would appeal to your target reader.
  • Check the four-star and five-star Goodreads reviews for those books.
  • Check the profile of each reviewer—most bloggers will include their blog address in their Goodreads profile.
  • Visit their blog and see if it looks like a good fit for your novel e.g. does it appear the blog features or reviews books in your genre, or does it look likely to appeal to your target reader.

If so, follow the blog (e.g. via WordPress or Feedly). Also, note the blog name, website address, and a link to their guest post or review policy. If they don’t have a policy, then you have nothing to lose by making a polite enquiry through their Contact form.

If one of your objectives is to get book reviews, then make sure that you’re approaching book bloggers who are also active reviewers on your target sites (e.g., Amazon). You can’t require a blogger review your book on Amazon, but you can ask them to review on their blog and on their favourite booklover and retail sites.

Interact with your Target Bloggers.

Bloggers find it easier to say yes to someone they already know and like, so:

  • Sign up to follow their blog (e.g. through Feedly or WordPress).
  • Visit regularly.
  • Comment when relevant.

In particular, if they review a book you’ve enjoyed or that’s similar to your book, comment on that post about how much you also enjoyed the book. Don’t mention your own book at this stage—your objective is to get the blogger (and possibly other blog readers) to recognise your name.

Contact the blogger as early as possible.

Many bloggers plan their editorial calendars several months in advance, especially their review posts. I’ve had to decline to participate in many blog tours because I already had posts scheduled or planned for every day in the blog tour window. I’ve declined others because the author wanted a review and wasn’t prepared to offer an author interview or guest blog post instead.

Yes, I understand that authors want—need—reviews.

I also understand that guest posts and author interviews take time to write, and there is no guarantee of book sales from a blog tour. Even if your objective is to build reviews, a feature on a large blog might still be useful for visibility.

If you’re asking for a review within a specific timeframe, then it’s wise to ask at least three months in advance (the longer, the better). If you’re looking for an interview or guest blog spot, then six weeks might be enough time—but again, the more lead time you can provide the blogger, the more likely they’ll be able to say yes.

[Click here for more information on working with book bloggers and reviewers.]

Consider a ‘Save the Date’ request.

One of the first authors to contact me requesting a review or interview as part of a blog tour sent her first request a full six months before the release date. Her initial email introduced herself, her book, and why she thought my blog was a good match for her novel.

She asked if I’d be prepared to offer an author interview spot, a book review, or both within a certain date range. She also told me the book wasn’t yet ready, and the date she expected to get me a review copy (which was a month before the release date). Giving me six month’s notice made it easy to say yes because I could reserve the slot on my blog, and time in my reading schedule.

As a first-time teenage author, she set a high standard for other authors to follow.

Respect the Blogger’s Time.

If the blogger is only able to offer you a book spotlight post or author interview, then accept gratefully. Don’t resent the fact they wouldn’t review your book (it’s more likely that they couldn’t, especially if they don’t know you, or you asked at the last minute).

Deliver the requested materials before the blogger’s deadline—especially if you’re dealing with bloggers in different time zones. Most bloggers have a set time each week when they upload their posts. If you miss their deadline, you’re putting extra pressure on them to find time in their schedule to upload your post. It also means the post might go up with missing information if you didn’t leave enough time for them to get back to you with any issues.

Respect the Blogger’s Audience.

When your post appears, visit the blog and leave a comment to respond to any comments and thank the blogger for interviewing you, featuring your blog post, or reviewing your book. Visit the blog a couple of times over the next few days to respond to any additional comments.

If you have offered a giveaway, also visit the blogs to thank people for entering, and announce the winner.

Conclusion

Yes, there is a lot involved in organising a blog tour—more than I thought when I started writing what I thought would be a short post! Can you think of any other tips, or anything I’ve missed?

Have you ever run a blog tour as an author, or participated in a blog tour as a blogger? What lessons can you add?

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: