4 Ways to Realize You're Reading a Lemon

     By lemon, I don’t mean lemonade although that would be nice. Rather, I mean a book that isn’t right for you. This book may be fine for others, it may even be fine for you at a later point in your life, but right now you need something else to read. That’s what I mean by lemon.

     The first time I read Pride and Prejudice I hated it! Reading it took me forever. I only finished it through a power of will and because I hate leaving a book unfinished more than I hated the book. That was my first experience. But then in college I had to read it again and I had seen the movie so I was more familiar with the story and characters. My second experience was completely different, but I still don’t LOVE Pride and Prejudice because of my first bad experience. If I had realized it is okay to leave some books unfinished and perhaps wait to return to them until a later date, this could have been different. To save you this anguish, here’s how to realize you are reading a lemon:

1.      If you find yourself zoning out rather than reading

     When you zone and your eyes glaze over, sometimes this can be because you are tired. Other times it’s because you really aren’t being engaged by the book. If your own imagination becomes more interesting than the book you are reading, it’s probably because this book just isn’t for you or isn’t for you right now.

2.      If you find any and every reason to put that book down

     I’ll clean my room. Take the trash out. Play a game. Watch a movie. Anything to avoid the one book you think you should read. If the book is good, all those things can wait. Seriously, who would rather clean their room than read a book? Answer: Someone who doesn’t like the book or books they have to read.

3.      If you can stop at the end of a chapter and not remember to return

     Sometimes I’ll do this thing where I’ll read the first page of a book, put it down and walk away for a week. If I still remember what the book is about and want to know what happens, then that is the book for me. But if I’m reading a book and I put it down and only remember it when I stub my toe on it, that means this book is not for me.

4.      If you really notice the page numbers

     When you read a book you can notice that there are page numbers and remember which page you are on, but when you start thinking, I’m on page 47 with 282 pages to go, that is not good. You’re not going to want to read because it is taking foreverrrrrr.

5.      If you start to hate reading

     You may LOVE to read. I do too! However, I don’t love everything I read. There is a difference between loving to read and disliking a specific book. But knowing you love to read means it is sometimes difficult to realize there are still things you hating reading. You can do something you love so many times that you start to go through the motions and if you are keep reading something that deep down you hate you will wake up one morning and realize there is a part of you that hates reading.

     So what do you do once you realize you are reading a lemon? Come back next week and find out!

-Christina J. Adams

Target Market

When it comes to writing, anything goes. Until you want to publish. Then authors find themselves faced with the mandate to write for a specific audience while remaining true to themselves. It is not an easy juggling act.

Some people choose self-publishing as a way out of writing for an audience. This will work, but be cautioned not to expect profits. A similar reason people self-publish is to write for an audience undervalued or unrecognized by larger publishing houses. I launched my publishing house in direct response to the consumer cry for Christian, teen fantasy and the slow reaction by the existing publishers. Yes, I enjoyed the autonomy self-publishing initially provided, but my decision was made in reaction to the market, not in ignorance of it. In traditional publishing, writing for a specific audience is just about mandatory.

It is more than vocabulary and theme that determine the audience. It is more than a mere wish by an author. So what exactly goes into deciding on a book’s target market? And how can you better write for the market you want to reach?

Step 1: If you are not in the age range or target population you are hoping to write for, the very first thing you need to do is immerse yourself in your readers. A female French novelist could not write a book for male American weight lifters without a good deal of research into their culture. If you are working with a juvenile fiction book even just hanging out with teenagers can be really good for your writing. It will teach you about your readers’ vocabulary, lifestyle, fears, and blinders.

Step 2: Read what other authors are writing for your target market. When a book has wild success in my genre I try to buy it. This has been a good teacher for pacing especially, showing me how to break up adventure with mystery with romance with sorrow with hope, etc.

Step 3: Participate in the activities of your target market. If you are writing a cookbook for people with small kitchens, find a small kitchen to test your product in. If you are writing fiction for toddlers, get down on their level, play their imaginary games, and learn about them.

Step 4: Have various people in your target market read your book prior to publication. For example, if your market is pre-teen fiction, have a ten-year-old girl, a twelve-year-old girl, a fifteen-year-old girl, a ten-year-old boy, a twelve-year-old boy, and a fifteen-year-old boy all test-read your book and give you feedback. If the ten-year-olds cannot understand it and the fifteen-year-olds love it, you may actually be writing for an older audience. Perhaps you should embrace it!

Everything you learn about your target market should be carried into the following list (note: this is a good deal shorter than it should be, for we have nearly run out of room): moral lesson, character development, character age/ethnicity/belief system, content, length, vocabulary, and pacing.

If your moral lesson is on the value of friendship you are probably writing for a target market under the age of thirteen. For an older market, you will have to beef up that lesson with a focus on betrayal or integrity or sacrifice.

Usually, in books for younger audiences, the only change seen in characters will be those relating to the moral lesson. In books for older audiences, characters are much more free to grow. Older readers will be better able to follow the carefully laid out character development.

The age of your main characters also defines the age group you are writing for. Similarly, a book targeting a certain ethnic group should have characters of that ethnicity and a book targeting an audience with Christian beliefs will need Christian characters.

Taming content is absolutely necessary for certain groups—like for Christian readers and young readers. Profanity, innuendo, gore, relationships, and death scenes will all be affected by the age and lifestyle choices of the people you are writing for.

In certain points in my books, I strive to challenge readers with vocabulary. While some of the words I use may be a stretch for readers, the sentence structure is clear to follow. Some authors write in the most complicated and long-winded way they can. Be careful not to write like a science textbook unless you are writing a science textbook.

Typically, the older the age market, the longer the book. Yet, for some genres, this rule of length does not hold true. On average, adult mysteries seem to be shorter than adult fantasy. Pacing will also vary. Books for younger audiences will revolve around a good deal of action, while books for older audiences can incorporate more mystery and dialogue.

You will notice that much of the practical application of writing for an audience has to do with age. This is because age is, perhaps, the most defining and most unifying characteristic of readers. Take note of age, but do not forget to consider the other attributes of your target readership. Remember, just because you target fantasy readers does not mean you cannot lure in mystery lovers. Just because you write for pre-teens does not mean teens will avoid your book. Writing for a target audience is an art form, not a science. Results may vary.

-Jessie Mae Hodsdon

Freelancing Markets

Hey Guys! Here are some paying markets courtesy of WritersWeekly.com. Great markets if you're looking to do some freelancing. 

PAYING MARKETS

These markets are NOT recycled guidelines. WritersWeekly.com only features original market listings, received from and approved by the editors at each publication.

Business Jet Traveler, 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432. P(201)444-5075. F(201)444-4647. Email: jburger-at-bjtonline.com. Website: http://www.bjtonline.com. Jeff Burger, Editor. Welcomes new writers. 75% freelance. Circ. 35K. Every other month (plus annual Buyers' Guide and Chinese edition). Pays on acceptance. Publishes ms 1-6 months after acceptance. Buys first rights. Rarely accepts reprints. Usually responds 1-2 days. Sample copy available; request by email. Subscription $42.95, $55.95 outside the U.S. Guidelines by email.
CURRENT NEEDS: "Most interested in reader-service copy about buying/using private aviation services; vacation travel stories (see our "Getaways" feature); and interviews with celebrities and prominent CEOs who fly privately. We pay a minimum of $0.50/word, more for cover stories, and sometimes negotiate flat rates with regular contributors. We use some brief (100-650 words) front-of-the-book items. One-page stories run about 650 words. Major features average 1500-2500 words. We'll look at a complete ms. but writers would be best advised to start with an emailed query."
PHOTOS/ART: "Most photos are supplied by professional photographers."

BUTTON, New England's Tiniest Magazine of Poetry, P.O. Box 77, Westminster, MA 01473. Email: sally-at-moonsigns.net. Website: http://www.moonsigns.net. "Button comes out once a year and Button contributors have also published in venues like the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly, Paris Review, The New York Times, Washington Post, and Harpers, as well as publishing plenty of books. Writers include David Barber, Sven Birkerts, Mary Campbell, Romayne Dawnay, Rodney Dennis, Diana Der-Hovanessian, Brendan Galvin (National Book Award finalist!), Andrew Lear, Ralph Lombreglia, Stephen McCauley, Lawrence Millman, John Hanson Mitchell, Jean Monahan, Amanda Powell, Stephen Sandy and Wayne Wilson. Button publishes sheet music (inspired by the example of Godey's Ladies Book around the mid-19th century). Major label, and smaller label musicians whose compositions have appeared include: They Might Be Giants, Combustible Edison, Roger Miller (of Mission of Burma), Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Jen Trynin, Malcolm Travis (who played with Bob Mould of Husker Du)." 20-40% freelance. Circ. 500+. Annual. Pays on publication. Buys first North American Serial rights. No reprints. Responds 1-5 months. Sample copy $2.50 with SASE. Guidelines available by email.
CURRENT NEEDS: "Knowledgeable and confident writing." Pays small honorarium. "Send 3-5 poems or a story 3000 words or fewer. Submit query by mail with SASE. Overseas writers may email to save on postage."

Coal People Magazine, P.O. Box 6247, Charleston, WV 25362. P(304)342-4129. F(304)434-3124. Email: alskinner-at-ntelos.net. Website: http://www.coalpeoplemagazine.com. Al Skinner, Publisher; Christina Karawan, Managing Editor. "CPM is an easy-reading, homespun magazine featuring coal people and coal towns, with special sections on news and product development." 40% freelance. Welcomes new writers. Circ. 14.2K. Monthly. Pays on publication. Publishes ms one month after acceptance. Buys all rights. No reprints. Responds within one week. Sample copy available by email. Subscription $25. Guidelines available by email.
CURRENT NEEDS: "Stories of coal personalities and/or coal towns." Pays flat fee of $250 for up to 2500 words. Submit query by email.
HINTS: "Be creative. Stay with format of easy reading and focus on coal people."

Diabetes Self-Management, 150 West 22nd Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10011. P(212)989-0200. F(212)989-4786. Email: editor-at-rapaportpublishing.com. Website:http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com. Ingrid Strauch, Editor. "Diabetes Self-Management is a consumer health publication that aims to help people with diabetes control their condition. We cover nutrition, exercise, pharmacology, medical and technological advances, and mental health issues. We do not publish personal experiences, celebrity profiles, or research breakthroughs." 95% freelance. Welcomes new writers. Circ. 410K. Bimonthly. Pays on publication. Publishes ms 4-12 months after acceptance. Buys all rights. No reprints. Responds within 6 weeks. Sample copy available by request. Subscription $18US, $36 outside the U.S. Guidelines by email.
CURRENT NEEDS: "Accurate, up-to-date knowledge of diabetes and its treatment." Pays up to $700 for 2000-2500 words. Submit query by email.
PHOTOS/ART: "We do not purchase art or photos."

DO YOU PAY WRITERS?
Post your ad here for free:
http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewforum.php?f=4

Freelance Reporter - near Charlotte, NC to cover asbestos bankrupty trial
Legal Newsline

Freelance Business Writer
Daily Post

Freelance Business Proposal Writer
Anthem Media

Freelance Public Relations Coordinator
UrbanDaddy

Freelance Writers
HNW, Inc.

Freelance Writer
Media Bistro / Inside Network

Freelance PR Coordinator - near Willow Glen / Cambrian, CA
Posh Bagel / PoshBagelAlmaden.com

Freelance Content Editor/Proofreader
IXL

Freelance Copywriters
software company

Freelance Educational Writer
educational publisher

Freelance Nutritional Health Writer - Pays $0.05/word.
author

Freelance Technical Literature Researcher
Article One Partners (AOP)

Freelance Entertainment Editor
Heavy

Freelance Investigative Reporter
Freedom Magazine

Freelance Finance Reporters / Bloggers
MoneyUnder30.com

Freelance Garden Blogger and Spokesperson - Pays $50/post; $250/media appearance
business launching a new home garden product

Freelance Lead Generating Content Writer
entechsolutions.com

Freelance Writer/Research Assistant - social media project. Pays $15+/hour.
author

Freelance PR and Link Outreach - Pays $600/week.
blind ad

Freelance Bilingual Editor and Digital Manager
Nearshore Americas

Freelance Ghostwriter - "for articles on vaporizers -- perhaps medical marijuana but primarily focused on smoking (tobacco) and aromatherapy." Pays $50-$100/article.
professional writer/publicist

Freelance Tech Reporter - technology, media and telecom topics
OTR Global

Freelance Writer
Challenge Magazine

Freelance Copywriters
law firm marketing company

Freelance Jr. Copywriter - dental/healthcare copy. Pays $20-$30/hour.
greatdentalwebsites.com

Freelance Full-time SEO Web Marketing Assistant - near Palm Beach County, CA
web development company

Freelance French Canadian Translator/Proofreader
blind ad

Freelance Voiceover Artists - many languages
Common Space, LLC / commonspacelanguage.com

Freelance Graphic Designer
blind ad

 -Elysia Regina

5 Ways to Know if a Book is Worth Your Time

     The sad thing about today is that there are so many books to read. My TBR only gets longer and I seem to have less time to read. It’s a never-ending book cycle. No matter how fast you read there will always be too many books waiting. So, in order to protect your time, you have to decide which books you should invest your energy into reading and as a writer studying.

1.      Read the first page

     This is what professionals in the publishing industry do. They can often tell by the first page if this is going to be the kind of book that will draw them in or if it just isn’t strong enough. What the first page does is show you what kind of book will be. It often gives you an idea of what the main character wants and then you can decide is the journey to get what the character wants will be a journey you are willing to take too.

2.      Read the back

     The synopsis on the back will give you a quick idea of the scope of the book. This gives you a better idea of the struggles, the hopes and dreams and the journey that will be focused on than the first page does. It goes further than the first page can and gives you a more complete concept. It can also hint at what is to come in ways the first page can’t. Sometimes knowing where the book is going can change your mind about a bland first page and keep you reading until the good stuff starts.

3.      Read the last page

     The last page will tell you if the journey was worth it for the main characters and if it is truly the kind of ending you would like to read up to. This one, however, is a bit tricky and may depend on your personality. Some people have to read the back, but others can’t because then they know all the surprises and reading them unfold is no longer fun. I rarely use this one because if I know how the story will end then I don’t often care to read the journey. So if I use this it is probably because I’ve already decided I don’t want to read the book. Just know yourself. If reading the last page makes reading the rest of the book less fun, don’t do it. But if it makes it just as fun or more fun, then do!

4.      Take the advice of friends you trust

Trust is the key word here. Sometimes friends know our tastes, sometimes they just tell us things they like. Knowing the difference can save you some time or give you a reason to employ the steps above. Still, friends are a great resource for finding good books. They are a personal reading army that can save you from reading books you don’t need to and multiply the search to find the next great novel. Either way they save you time and will help you in your book search.

5.      The writing is everything

     In none of these was there “Look at the Cover.” A cover has no value in understanding if a book is ultimately worth your time. What matters most is the story, the characters and the journey. A cover may enhance the mood or catch the eye, but it may not have anything to do with the book itself. Often covers are created by a different individual/artist who most likely has not read the book. This is not always true, but even if the writer also made the cover, there is no way to tell if the writer is a superior artist or a superior writer or both with just the cover to judge. The only way to tell if a book is actually worth your time is the writing. Some beautiful, enticing covers mask poor, boring stories and some bland, dull covers are the façade of beautifully intricate, deep tales that will make your heart sigh with longing.

     These are just a few ways to vet your TBR pile into a more manageable size and keep you from spending time on books you really don’t have time to read. Are there any other ways to help you find the books you’ll love? Tell me about it!

-Christina J. Adams