Welcome to the SPARREW Newsletter!
The newsletter for Self-Publishers, Authors, Readers, Reviewers, Editors and Writers!
Welcome to the latest issue of the newsletter! This newsletter is just for writers, book reviewers, booklovers, self-publishers, editors and authors. So glad to have you on board!
They say that being a writer means giving yourself homework for the rest of your life. In my case, I give myself deadlines!
I’m a firm believer in using self-imposed deadlines. They are a great way to ensure that I finish an assignment or a WIP in time to turn it in. I hate missing deadlines, so I always try to get assignments done a least a day before they are due.
This month, though, I gave myself a different set of deadlines: The deadlines to submit work to calls for stories as well as contests soliciting manuscripts. I ended up putting together a nice list of these calls on my phone, all for work I knew I could write. They were either for an anthology, magazine or a contest. And a good chuck of those deadlines for July happened to either land on the 30th or the 31st! In fact, I had 6 such deadlines, and I also worked on a magazine call for stories as well because the deadline was August 1st and I just wanted to get that one out the door since I have another commitment to tackle on that date.
So that brought it to seven. Seven deadlines to tackle all at once.
In the end, though, one of those deadlines never materialized because the client I was hoping to submit an article to on the first of August went AWOL (I think maybe on vacation!) and another deadline had to be dropped since I didn’t have the funding to cover the entry fee for the contest.
I did manage to meet all of those deadlines, but it was a lot of work. I had to disappear for a while. (Sometimes, a writer needs to disappear in order to get work done and meet those deadlines! I pretty much disappear while writing the ebook for the month.) I was also either writing in the car while running errands or writing while cooking meals. I am glad I was able to meet all of those deadlines, even if I had to stay awake until 1AM writing in my notebook on the last day! (Which was the day before THAT particular deadline.) It was definitely a learning experience. Just more grist for the writing mill!
I am very excited about this issue! You’ll get to meet author Jill Dearman, who talks about her new book, Jazzed. When I saw the announcement for this book, which is a novel, I was surprised. I have known about Jill Dearman for years; I have also followed her career and subscribed to everything that she has been sending out to writers. I remember the days of receiving her newsletter, Bang the Keys. I was excited about being introduced to Jill Dearman, the novelist, and I hope you’ll take the time to introduce yourself to her fiction work as well.
I was also fortunate to land an interview with Kim Catanzarite for the self-publisher section of this newsletter. I came across one of her guest posts in one of the many newsletters I am subscribed to, so I was curious about her and her work. I clicked on her link and subscribed to her newsletter, Self-Pub 101, which I enjoy reading. I have read both of Kin’s self-published novels and became curious about her journey in self-publishing. Read all about it in the interview below!
This issue’s feature article tackles the bane of many writers: How we get inspired with ideas for something to write but just can’t get that idea down into print at the moment. I have been writing for over three decades and I have experienced this problem MANY times. From getting ideas while in the shower to getting ideas for something to write while busy at work, I have found a variety of ways to handle that light bulb moment and get my ideas down for later. The article will share with you these strategies so that the next time you get an idea for something to write but can’t put that idea into words, you will be able to do so when you have the time.
Enjoy this issue!
Check out archived issues of the SPARREW Newsletter here
All current issues will be posted on my website here
I welcome submissions from subscribers!
Are you a booklover who wants to have your book blog featured?
Are you a writer with news?
Are you an author looking for reviewers of your latest book?
Are you a book reviewer whose review just went live?
Are you a self-publisher with a new release?
Are you an editor who wants to share your thoughts on editing, complete with a bio advertising your business?
Please feel free to submit any of these notes to me at DMCWriter@gmail.com for the next issue of the newsletter!
THANK YOU...
Thank you to Kim Catanzarite for sharing my post, "Can a Deaf Writer Write About Being Deaf?" on her blog. Check out the post here: https://www.authorkimcatanzarite.com/blog/writing-and-disabilities-07-06-22
Self-Publisher Interview with Kim Catanzarite
1. What can you tell me about your experience as a writer?
Like many writers, my first desire to write occurred in childhood, but I thought people were born Shakespeare. I didn’t think it was something anyone could pursue. I took my first creative writing course at college and was immediately hooked.
2. What made you decide to write a book?
I started writing literary fiction, short stories. In my mid-twenties, I read an interview with Ann Patchett and she mentioned that she wrote her first novel because, and I’m paraphrasing from an old memory here, writers needed to write a novel if they want to get anywhere, career wise. So, even though I didn’t think I could do it, I made an attempt.
3. What circumstances brought you to the decision to self-publish your book?
At 28, I actually landed an agent for my first completed novel. But my agent didn’t sell the book, and I was more than willing to let it go, convinced my next novel would be better. It wasn’t. My agent and I parted ways after that. Over the years, I continued to write novels, but I kept to myself with the attitude that writing was something I did for myself and maybe one day I’d be good enough. I went to conferences once a year and received positive feedback from agents and editors, but nothing sparked their interest enough. When I wrote They Will Be Coming for Us, I was tired of trying to land an agent. So when the first twenty-five or so queries resulted in only one agent asking for three chapters (it was my dream agent, which was nice), I was ready to leave querying behind.
My first fifty pages had won an award in a regional contest, and in other contests, judges gave it high marks and said things like, “I wanted to keep reading!” I took the book through the editorial process, through beta readers and professional editors, and based on their feedback I truly felt it was ready. The first professional review They Will Be Coming received was a starred review from BlueInk. Kirkus liked it too. I was ready.
4. What has your experience as a self-publisher been like?
Eye-opening. Glorious. Frustrating. And everything in between. I knew it would be. About fifteen years ago, I edited a book on self-publishing (I’m a freelance editor) and when I finished, I said to myself, “There’s no way I could do this!” But technology has come a long way since then, and it’s a lot easier to self-publish than it was a decade ago. It’s kind of like parenthood. You think you know what it’ll be like, but you have no idea until you’re living that life. It’s definitely a challenge. That said, nothing beats seeing your book in print and having complete strangers tell you they loved it.
5. How do you respond to the negative stigma attached to self-publishing and self-published books?
There’s still a stigma, no doubt about it. But enough very good writers have self-published at this point that everyone knows some self-published books are awesome. A lot of people who haven’t taken the time to put their manuscripts through a vigorous editorial process—who haven’t done their best to create a quality product—aren’t doing anything to fade the stigma, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
6. What is one very important lesson you have learned as a self-publisher?
Writing and bringing the book itself to fruition really is the easiest part! Marketing isn’t some magical thing that “just happens.”
7. What do you know now about self-publishing that you wish you knew at the beginning?
This is a long game. As a self-publisher, you’re going to have to write several books if you want to make a successful career of it. (Which is no different from what most traditionally published authors do.) You’re a writer, but you can’t just write; you have to learn how to sell. In order to continue writing those masterpieces, you’re going to have to make a concerted effort at marketing. Again, it’s not going to “just happen.”
8. A lot of authors of self-published books have reservations about promoting and marketing their book. Some even feel that it is a form of vanity or self-importance. What is your opinion about this?
It’s not a matter of vanity or self-importance. You only have to promote and market if you want many people to buy and read your book. If you don’t care about the book getting read and you don’t care about making money from the book, then you don’t have to promote or market. It’s a decision you have to make.
9. How do you promote your books and what form of book promotion has worked the best for you?
I’ve dabbled in many forms of promotion and want to dabble in many more. I’ve had some luck with FREE book promos via Kindle Select. Advertised by a quality e-newsletter—for instance, Fussy Librarian or Freebooksy—a FREE book promo helps you sell the other books you’ve written, the books in your backlist. If readers like Book 1 enough, they’ll buy Book 2 or read it on Kindle Unlimited. After doing a FREE promo, I usually get many page reads on KU. If you only have one book, FREE promos will help readers discover you and get to know your brand.
10. What are some other important things you have learned as a self-publisher?
I’ve learned that creating content is something that takes a lot of time and creative energy, so if you’re going to start a blog or vlog or podcast, you need to make sure it’s something you really want to do, and enjoy doing. Since you have to post regularly in order for your content to do the job of drawing attention to you and your books, you’ll feel like you’re doing it all the time, almost like a part-time job—one of your many part-time jobs as a self-publisher.
Another thing I learned is that once you self-publish, you actually won’t have as much time for writing. Creating content, running promotions, seeking out opportunities for in-person events, and all the other tasks you have to do will take time. So, you’ll need to block out hours for writing. Self-publishing throws you deeper into the writing/book world, but you’ll be doing things other than writing. It’s kind of a paradox.
11. Do you feel that self-publishing is a viable choice for other authors?
It’s a viable choice for anyone who is willing to learn what goes into producing a quality book. If you’re willing to take your book through a rigorous editorial process (beta reading, various phases of editing, proofreading), then do what needs to be done to turn it into a book (hire a cover designer, work out the page design, proof again), and then promote and market it, self-publishing is a viable option. If you write a book, slap any old cover on it, don’t bother to design the pages, and throw it on Amazon, that’s self-publishing too, but you may not sell any books. If you hope for your book to sell to the masses, you have to create a quality product.
12. How do you feel that self-publishing their books has helped many unknown authors finally get the recognition their books deserve?
Some extremely popular books have fallen through the traditional book-publishing cracks partly because the trads prefer to publish safe bets. They also shy away from cross-genre stories because they’re harder to market. My books fall into the cross-genre category. They are sci-fi love story thrillers, and I can attest to it being more complicated to market them (though not impossible). That said, a good, well-written story is going to sell no matter what. If a self-publisher tries hard enough, she can find her readership. She’ll have to make the extra effort, but that’s to be expected. I’m very glad there’s a self-publishing option in the world. I’ve enjoyed my publishing journey, and I have no regrets.
ABOUT KIM CATANZARITE:
Kim Catanzarite is the author of the award-winning Jovian Duology, a sci-fi thriller. She is a freelance writer and editor for publishers and independent authors, and she teaches copyediting for Writer’s Digest University. Her Self-Publishing 101 blog discusses the ins and outs of indie life as well as all things writing craft. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter.
New Releases
Take some time to reflect and renew your faith with Christian poetry. Meditating Heart shares poems of devotion, faith and guidance to God and how turning to the Lord can help in troubled times. As we grapple with so much struggle, fear, worry, confusion and pain in this world, our faith can be shaken to the core. We may lose hope or we may start to doubt our faith. Meditating Heart contains poetry and musings which will help you find solace in your faith and renew your closeness to God.
Check out Meditating Heart for some spiritual Christian poetry.
It's available for free through Smashwords
Coming Soon!
It’s time for some free fiction! And for August, what better light reading to get through another sizzling month than with a novella promising a bit of heat of its own? Girl With a Blog is a chick-lit story about Ella, an independent young woman who has her heart set on the wrong man! Can the real Mr. Right convince her that there’s more to love than money and power?
News in Self-Publishing
"8 Steps To Success In Self-Publishing From TSPA Founder Megan Williams" by MeiMei Fox
via Forbes
"Finding ‘Joy’ in Self-Publishing" by Thomishia Booker
"Self-Publishing Taught Me To Rethink Success" by Sarah Wallace
via Autostraddle
Author Interview with Jill Dearman
1. When did you start writing?
Since I could first write a sentence! I remember making up names for “characters” and that was my way “in” to the magic of writing.
2. What was your journey towards becoming an author like?
I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but it’s been a zig-zaggy road. After college I worked as an HIV counselor for many years, because the epidemic was hitting very close to home in the queer community. My first book was published in 1999 and this new book, JAZZED, is my sixth book. Whenever I get too obsessed with my own perceived successes or failures I find that taking the focus off of myself is the answer. Writing is a pleasure for me even when it’s a struggle. (Much like parenting!) But publishing is a whole different animal, and one can’t rely on it to feel good. Helping other writers along the way, as an editor, coach, teacher…that’s been the greatest reward, because “wins” like publication are few and far between.
3. What can you tell me about your latest book?
It’s based on a true crime. The Leopold and Loeb murder case. My late father was obsessed with true crime and I guess got me obsessed too! This essay tells the story behind the book.
4. What sort of methods do you use for book promotion?
These days I’ve been sharing these fab videos from my publisher.
5. Where do you get your ideas for stories?
I just ask myself “what do you REALLY want to write about next?”
6. What are you working on right now?
My next book is a nonfiction book about Metaphysics.
7. Any advice for other authors?
Write because it’s what you love to do. It’s truly about the process not the product. Also, I work as a freelance editor, so if you’ve got a draft you need help with, you can reach out to me at Jill@JillDearman.com. Remember, writing is a long game and we all need help from time to time.
ABOUT JILL DEARMAN:
Jill Dearman writes social-engaged crime fiction, with an emphasis on queer history, and intersectional feminism. She is the author of JAZZED (Vine Leaves Press 2022), which received a rave starred review from Kirkus; BANG THE KEYS, a book for writers (Penguin 2009); her historical crime novel THE GREAT BRAVURA (She Writes Press 2015) was featured on NPR, and in The Brooklyn Rail; she is the author of FEMINISM: THE MARCH TOWARDS EQUAL RIGHTS FOR WOMEN (Nomad Press 2019), a history of feminism for teens; and QUEER ASTROLOGY FOR MEN and QUEER ASTROLOGY FOR WOMEN (both from St. Martins Griffin 2009, reprinted by MacMillan 2015). Jill works as a part-time Professor of Writing in New York University’s Liberal Studies Program. For more: www.jilldearman.com
Author News
"7 Questions to Design a Better Arc of Change for Your Protagonist" by Heather Davis
via Jane Friedman
"The Building Blocks of Scene" by Sharon Oard Warner
via Jane Friedman
"The Secret Side Careers of Successful Authors" by Alexander Lewis
via Jane Friedman
"How to Structure Stories With Multiple Main Characters?" by K.M. Weiland
via Helping Writers Become Authors
Other Book Reviews
"The Patriot’s Grill by Steven Day Reviewed by Alvin M. Stenzel"
"Gregory Day’s essays are immersed in the natural world, but think beyond the category of ‘nature writing’" by David Carlin
via The Conversation
"C. Russell Price's 'Apocalypse Poems'" by Mark William Norby
"Author Linda Buckley’s collection of poetry celebrates life in Alaska" by Jonson Kuhn
via Juneau Empire
"Book Review: A Global History of the Black Death" by Jordan Michael Smith
via Undark
"Book Review: David Sokol and Adam Brandon's 'America In Perspective'" by John Tamny
Calls for Reviews
I’d love to find reviewers for my latest release, Meditating Heart. Available only as an ebook. Contact me at DMCWriter@gmail.com if interested.
News in Book Reviewing:
"What happened to newspaper book reviewing?" by Frank Guan
via The Nation
"Amazon’s War on Fake Reviews" by Matt Stieb
"Critic accused of writing ‘transphobic’ review of poetry book" by Gabrielle McCulloch
via Stuff
Book Blogs
Book News
"Stephen King Is Set to Testify in Book Publishing Antitrust Trial" by Evan Peng
via Bloomberg
"SAGE Publishing is set to shut its book publishing division in India" by Paromita Chakrabarti
"Undisputed “World’s Greatest Author” finally lands Big 5 publishing deal." by Jonny Diamond
via LitHub
"Nosy Crow kickstarts graphic novel list with open call for submissions" by Ruth Comerford
via The Bookseller
"Publishing will never be fair" by Kat Rosenfield
via UnHerd
"A major publishing lawsuit would cement surveillance into the future of libraries" by Lia Holland
via Fast Company
New Books
Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology
By Vince A. Liaguno, Rena Mason
Category: Anthology (Fiction: Horror)
By T. Kingfisher
Genre: Horror
Gilded Glass: Twisted Myths and Shattered Fairy Tales
Edited by Kevin J. Anderson and Allyson Longueira
Genre: Anthology (Spec Fic)
By Nat Cassidy
Genre: Horror
By Blake Crouch
Genre: Suspense & Thriller
By C.A. Fletcher
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
By Sarah Gailey
Genre: Thriller
By Elizabeth Hand
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
By Emmi Itäranta
Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
By Trent Jamieson
Genre: Fantasy
Heat Wave – The Extraordinaries (Volume 3)
By TJ Klune
Genre: YA Fantasy/LGBTQ
Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe
by Lindsay S. Zrull
Genre: YA Literary Fiction
by Alison B. Hart
Genre: Literary Fiction
by Jennifer Chiaverini
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Kingdoms of Savannah: A Novel
by George Dawes Green
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
by Meg Grehan
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
by Rebecca Stott
Genre: Historical Fiction
What Goes Unsaid: A Memoir of Fathers Who Never Were
by Emiliano Monge
Category: Biography/Memoir
by Nan Fischer
Genre: Romance
by Anna Gracia
Genre: Literary Fiction
by Oscar Hokeah
Genre: Literary Fiction
by Lane Clarke
Genre: Literary Fiction
by Natasha Pulley
Genre: Literary Fiction
by Elaine Castillo
Category: Literary Collection
by Megan Miranda
Genre: Thriller
by Lio Min
Genre: Romance
Inventing the It Girl: How Elinor Glyn Created the Modern Romance and Conquered Early Hollywood
by Hilary A. Hallett
Category: Biography/Memoir
Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World's First Modern Computer
by Kathy Kleiman
Category: History/Current Affairs
Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Cosmic Quest from Zero to Infinity
by Antonio Padilla
Category: Science
Carolyn’s Tricky Edits Column:
Tricky Edits from Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Excerpt from 3rd Edition of The Frugal Editor
@frugalbookpromo
Nonbreaking Hyphens are magical little hyphens publishers and typesetters use for consecutive dates (1912-1918) and in indexes for a ranges of pages that might become confusing if they are separated inappropriately. They cue your autocorrect feature not to change your formatting. They look just like any other hyphen, but you get it using this shortcut: Control + Shift + the underline key (Find that underline to the right of the zero on your regular keyboard). Knowing this trick will keep #bookbigots from identifying your book as self-published or to put it a better way, to keep your book polished and professional as possible. Use Google to find whole lists of these shortcuts for any word processor, Grammarly to Word’s version for Apple.
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Once a month Carolyn Howard-Johnson shares a tricky edit excerpted from The Frugal Editor with Dawn’s newsletter readers. It’s the winningest book in her multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series for writers. She is now working on the third edition for release in September and found this tip that will be especially useful for self-publishers. Learn more about the series at her website, https://HowToDoItFrugally.com.
News in the World of Editing
"Grammarly, the tool that takes editing beyond spell check and autocorrect" by Ken Colburn
via KTAR News
News for Writers
"5 Freelance Writing Lessons That Helped Me Reach 5-Figure Months" by Jessica Walrack
via nDash
"In Praise of Poet Voice" by Dan O'Brien
via LitHub
"Journalism is a more dangerous job than ever. These films explain why" by Chris Vognar
via Datebook
"Your Best Writing May Not Be What You Think" by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
via Reader Views
"7 Tips for Opening Your Story In Medias Res" by K.M. Weiland
via Helping Writers Become Authors
"Coding for Journalists: Why It’s Useful & Where to Start" by Rocky Parker
via Cision
"Tired of Waiting for Their Dream Workplace, These Writers Made Their Own" by Ashley Wong
"South African poet writes to change perceptions" by Leslie Quan
"Mindful of mental health" by Gretchen A. Peck
via Editor&Publisher
Feature Article
Inspired to Write – Later
By Dawn Colclasure
It never fails. I’ll be hip-deep in the middle of something, my mind focused on the task at hand, when, BOOM! And idea for something to write will strike.
And as I have often said to my kids when they interrupt me for something they want me to do, “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
But the muse won’t wait, and neither will that idea.
What’s a writer to do when they’re busy or distracted and an idea hits? After all, we want some way to get our ideas down and be able to remember them later if we can’t.
Here are some ways you can grab hold of your idea to save it for something you can write later on.
Keep that idea in mind as much as possible.
Whether it’s a title for something, a line of dialogue, something to write or what to add to something already written, I try to keep that idea in mind. It also helps to think about it for a minute or two and use something to relate to that idea so that it’s easier to remember later on.
Tell someone about that idea.
If there is someone with you at the time an idea strikes and you’re not able to take note of it (such as if you are driving), mention your idea to them. Ask them to write it down for you, if possible. In such cases, I first make sure this is someone who knows I’m a writer and I can trust them with my idea. That way, if I forget the idea later, I can ask them about it.
Use a voice recorder to get your idea into words.
Voice to text technology is not perfect, but if it can get the bulk of your idea into words, and that can help a lot. Or you can go old school and use a tape recorder.
Associate your idea with something.
If there’s something at hand you can associate with your idea, keep it with you. Or remind yourself to remember this moment later on. Soak up everything in your environment so that you can be completely part of that moment. Usually, when I have time to write later, I think about the situation I was in that inspired that idea. If it was something that someone said which inspired your idea, try to remember it as clearly as possible. What did it make you think about? How were you feeling when you got that idea? Who were you with? If you try to recreate the situation in which you got your idea, it can make it easier to remember what that idea was.
Act as though you have already written that particular piece.
If I get an idea for a poem, then I’ll imagine that poem appearing in print somewhere. Or, if it’s an idea for an article, I think of a possible market that would publish it. If it’s a scene for a story, then I’ll create reviewer comments about that scene. Or I’ll try to have that scene act out in my head so I can remember it better later. These reminders can be a great way to help you remember your idea later on.
In a perfect world, a writer would be able to write down every single idea we get for something to write. Unfortunately, ideas can strike at the most inconvenient of times! But if you use the memory tricks mentioned above to help you remember your ideas when you have a chance to write, the task of remembering them will improve and you’ll get more ideas out of your head and onto paper.
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Thanks for reading! See you next month!
