The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

How to Understand Print Book Specifications

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In my last post, I discussed bulk sales and how using printers outside of the KDP print-on-demand process can save you dollars (sometimes big dollars) with bulk sales.

Essential to the bulk sales scenario is knowing about book specifications and understanding how a book is printed. While working at Focus on the Family I went to Michigan for print training. I learned the book specifications lingo during this training, but they made a lot more sense when I started publishing my own books.

Geek that I am, I love touring a printing facility. I witnessed magazine pages being printed, assembled, and ad cards being blown-in (literally), all at an amazing speed of thousands per minute!

If you have a local printing facility, call and find out if they will give you a tour.

Whether you ever decide to bulk print or not, knowing these terms and basics about book production will help you make decisions about your print-on-demand book.

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Are you seeking bulk sales for your book?

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Pallets of book pages being readied for bulk sales.
These are pallets of coloring book pages being readied for bulk sales to various merchandisers.

When thinking about selling their book, many authors think about selling to the individual book buyer who walks into the bookstore or buys online. That’s “one book at a time” thinking. This is limiting your sales potential.

People buy in bulk all the time (the toilet paper shortage is evidence). So don’t think that “bulk” means 100 or more. Open your thinking to book clubs, Bible study groups, and organizations outside of bookstores.

[Read more…] about Are you seeking bulk sales for your book?

Are You Trying to Reach Your Goals?

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Person jumping from hill to hill. Doing rather than trying.

Do you have a vision of your book as a best seller? An award-winner? Many writers have these dreams, myself included.

You could write the greatest novel since Dean Koontz or James Patterson, but if you don’t market your book, you won’t accomplish best-seller status.

You could have the most amazing marketing strategy and plan, but if you’ve written a terrible book, you won’t accomplish best-seller or award-winning status.

And underlying all this is your mindset—your paradigm.

[Read more…] about Are You Trying to Reach Your Goals?

PENCON Editors Conference

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As writers, we know it is important to attend conferences. It’s where we make connection with other writers, literary agents, and acquisitions editors.

Several years back (2016, I think), I decided to attend an editors conference. I wanted and needed to connect with other editors. I don’t remember how I even heard about PENCON Editors Conference, but they were meeting in Colorado Springs that year. An ideal place for me because my son and granddaughter live there. I used to, so it would be like going home.

I met a lot of people there, and two have become key people in my work as a writer and editor.

If you are thinking about becoming a freelance editor to supplement your work as a writer, or you already are an editor, consider attending this conference. It’s virtual this year! So you’ll save on travel expenses.

“PENCON is the only annual conference for Christian editors. This year’s interactive virtual conference will be held July 8–10. Our seasoned faculty will help you brush up on your editing skills and learn new skills. Our broad range of workshops will cover coaching clients, contract essentials, developing an editorial voice, growing your business, and more. In other sessions, you’ll get specific tips on editing Christian nonfiction, fiction, and children’s books. Check out all the workshops at penconeditors.com. Conference fee of $169. Use code NONMEM when you register. For more information, please contact admin@penconedtiors.com.”

Ask the Editor – What Are the Different Types of Editing?

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Ask the EditorUpdated March 2020.

Do you have a question for the Motivational Editor? Drop it in the comments below or email me at deb [at] DebraLButterfield.com. Once a quarter I’ll be dedicating a post to answering your questions.

What are the different kinds of editing services normally provided and what can we expect from each? [Read more…] about Ask the Editor – What Are the Different Types of Editing?

What’s the Difference Between Passive Voice and Passive Writing?

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In the world of writing blogs, I see passive writing and passive voice discussed as synonymous. They aren’t!

While passive writing is to be avoided as much as possible, there are times when passive voice is the only tool available.

Passive Voice

Take a moment and access your memory banks for elementary school grammar lessons. [Read more…] about What’s the Difference Between Passive Voice and Passive Writing?

How to Start a Book Series

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Alexis D. Johnson explains how to write a book series.Today’s guest post is from Alexis D. Johnson, a fantasy author and freelance editor specializing in speculative fiction for clients in the U.S. and U.K.

She is currently working on her book The Seventh Year Trials. It is an underdog fantasy woven with charm, treachery, and a touch of steampunk, where dragons and riders contend in an Olympic competition for a costly purse and the admiration of a nation. Learn more about Alexis at her website  or on her Facebook page.

How to Start a Book Series

Everyone loves a great book series. But it’s a bittersweet moment when you reach the end of a book and realize you have to leave the characters and world you’ve fallen in love with there at the final page. [Read more…] about How to Start a Book Series

5 Secrets of Story Structure – Book Review

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KM Weiland 5 Secrets of Story StructureI’m currently in the revision stages of my first novel. To help with the process, I’m using K.M. Weiland’s book 5 Secrets of Story Structure.

Maybe you’ve never read anything about structure. Lots on plot, but little, if anything about structure.

Structure is essential. So is plot. And they are different things!

Definitions of Structure and Plot

Structure is the orderly arrangement of story material for the benefit of the audience.

Plot is about elements, those things that go into the mix of making a good story even better.

Structure is about timing—where in the mix those elements go. ~James Scott Bell, Plot & Structure

In 5 Secrets of Story Structure, Weiland provides that timing and a whole lot more.

I read her book early last year, and as I read through the draft of my novel, I realized several things weren’t quite right. So I hunted through my kindle for her book and started reading again.

Chapter 1 “How to Structure Your Novel – in 5 Minutes!” discusses the first, second, and third acts of your story and the plot points that belong in each act.

The following chapters expand on the…

  • Inciting event
  • Key event
  • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd plot points
  • Pinch points
  • Moment of Truth
  • Climax, and
  • Resolution.

Because this book is about structure and not plot, Weiland explains the timing of these events, the point in the story where they should occur.

For example

The First Plot Point always ends the First Act. Optimally, it should be placed at the 25% mark. ~K.M. Weiland, 5 Secrets of Story Structure

I’ve read a lot of books on the craft, but this was the first time I’d seen anything that gave actual numbers about where these events occur.

I immediately added my word counts from plot point to plot point to see how my story fell out. I was pleasantly surprised to discover, most were occurring in the right place. But I also discovered my story lacked some of the events Weiland lists.

Another item Weiland covers that I’d never read about was how the character behaves in the first half of the story and how that behavior changes at the midpoint.

Writers are often voracious readers. You might discover, like me, that you are instinctively including all these events and even putting them in the right places. All the same, this is a valuable resource that can help you write a stronger story, one that will sell well.

If you’re a Scrivener user, be sure to check out the template “Story Structure.” You can use it like you would any other template. It’s based on Weiland’s story structure and provides all the important elements and more to guide you through writing your novel.

Where to Get the Book

You can get the book free from Weiland’s website. As of this date (2-17-2020) the book is also free on kindle.