The literary world is vast, there’s not much that hasn’t been done, just writers doing the same things better. We all strive to get our stories out there. Why is one story better than the other? What makes our story special and stand out? Are we ready to put our stories out there? Is the literary world ready for us?
All these questions, and many more, go through my mind as I contemplate querying.
As a bit of a background, I feel I should say that I'm VERY VERY new to all this. I didn't know what a Query (when it comes to publishing) was a few weeks ago. I wasn't a person who grew up with stories in my head. It was the opposite for me, in fact. I always said that I lack the imagination to write and I would like to, if only I could come up with ideas.
It took 40 years and a writing prompt to get me on this journey and actually writing.
As I wrote, I didn't know what I'd do with my story. I thought it was for fun but the more I wrote it, the more I fell in love with it. And I thought 'Well, maybe I can put it on Smashwords, and we'll just see what happens'. But as I finished it and it had its first two readers, I found that they loved it, like really loved it and thought something could be done with it. Granted, I take both their opinions with a grain of salt, as I married one and the other is a close friend, but feedback from beta readers is positive as well.
So now I wonder, do I query?
The thing is, I know I have something a bit different. Not in that it hasn't been done, sure it has, but not much and not in a certain way. My themes are covered by a variety of books, but one of the themes isn't done much. It's just not out there. Then, I look at the age of my characters, and that's not done much either. Put together, and I have something that isn't everywhere in the market.
So, do I query?
That's the question I'll keep asking myself until, if, I do it. I haven't learn enough about querying yet, so that's my next step. Research and question and then, if it comes to that, figuring out how to write a query, how to stand out from the crowd.
Anyone else wonder if they should query? Anyone querying and having success or rejections? Anyone have any query tips they would like to share? :)
This was not my favorite Bout of Books. Not because of the reading or whatever, but because things happened personally to me and to a friend that had me worried for her and upset for me. The week started off fine and just went downhill from there. Things are a little better for me, not yet so for my friend. But we're getting there.
So yeah, this week just ended up sucking. I barely missed my goal of 14 books - I completed 13 - but didn't mind / care too much with everything else going on. It was what it was. Still, got in some good reading overall. In addition to my normal reading, I was also Beta Reading for 2 ladies. I read and critiqued about 82 pages of their stories. Some good writing there!
How did you do? Leave me a link and I'll come visit your wrap-up!
Bout of Book 25 Stats
I completed 13 books
I read 2,530 pages
I read 3 books on my Kindle, started 1 other
I listened to 10 books as audiobooks
I Beta Read / Critiqued approximately 82 pages
I read 4 Novels & 9 Novellas
I read for approximately 26 hours (5 hrs 10 min on Kindle, 20 hrs 50 min on Audio)
Sunday
Night Time Audio listening time/pages: 30 min / 33 pages
Day Time Audio listening time/pages: 2 hr 45 min / 253 pages
Kindle reading time / pages: -----
Number of books I've read today: 2
Total number of books I've read: 13
Current Book: Saving Fable
Pages Read Today: 286
Total Pages Read: 2,530
Time Read Today: 3 hrs 15 min
Total Time Read: 26 hrs
Night Time Audio listening time/pages: 30 min /
Day Time Audio listening time/pages: 3 hrs 45 min / 308
Kindle reading time / pages: -----
Number of books I've read today: 2
Total number of books I've read: 11
Current Book: Saving Fable / Lost
Pages Read Today: 308
Total Pages Read: 2,244
Time Read Today: 3 hours 45 minutes
Total Time Read: 22 hours 45 minutes
Today's Completed Books:
How is BoB going for all of you all? Enjoying it? Getting a lot of reading done?
Day 5 was another bad day of reading. :( Just some personal shit and I didn't really feel like it too much. I did finish two books but one was after midnight, so that will be on Saturday's Completed Books list. Did start an ARC by an author I really like and I really like the book so that was good, look forward to finishing it today.
No challenge for me today. I'm not a TV or movie (or otherwise) person. I read, I play video games and now, I write. That's about it. I typically only keep up with a few TV shows and one of my favorites came from a book and was just canceled so I'm pissed about that. Instinct was a great show and I'm gonna miss it. :(
Friday
Night Time Audio listening time/pages: -----
Day Time Audio listening time/pages: 2 hrs 50 min / 228 pages
Kindle reading time / pages: 1 hr 10 min / 132 pages
Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 9
Current Book: Saving Fable
Pages Read Today: 360
Total Pages Read: 1,937
Time Read Today: 4 hours
Total Time Read: 19 hours
Today's Completed Books:
How is BoB going for all of you all? Enjoying it? Getting a lot of reading done?
Day 4 was my slowest day. Had a friend going through some stuff, so talked to them most of the morning and then worried about them most of the day. Ended up only finishing one super short book. I also listened to a little of an audio before bed and read two chapters of my beta/critique, but that was it. So, a slow day. Here's to hoping today is better.
One of my favorite challenges, but it's a long one for me. :) I love recommending books!!
Challenges
If you like _____ , then try _____
If you like TIME TRAVEL, then try
Chronicles of St Mary's series by Jodi Taylor
11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Secret Runners of New York by Matthew Reilly
Chronos Files by Rysa Walker
Rewind Agency series by Jill Cooper
Future Shock trilogy by Elizabeth Brings
The Drafter by Kim Harrison
Timewaves series by Sophie Davis
Rewinder trilogy by Brett Battles
Hexad series by Al K Line
Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrell
The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch
The Rise & Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson
Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl (more of a time loop)
Place in Time duology by Wendy Nikel
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
If you like MIDDLE GRADE books, then try
The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson
The Lemoncello series by Chris Grabenstein
The Island of Dr Libris by Chris Grabenstein
Cragbridge Hall series by Chad Morris
Oldies but goodies: Trixie Belden series and Nancy Drew series
Ulysses Moore series by Pierdomenico Baccalario
39 Clues series & spinoffs, first is Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
Voyagers series by various authors, first is Project Alpha by D.J. MacHale
Tombquest series by Michael Northrop
Infinity Ring series by various, first is Mutiny in Time by James Dashner
13th Reality series by James Dashner
Ever After High series by Shannon Hale
The Magic Misfits by Neal Patrick Harris
George series by Lucy & Stephen Hawking
The Librarian series by Eric Hobbs
The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie
Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
Stranded trilogy by Jeff Probst
Hover Car Racer by Matthew Reilly
The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby
Grimm Legacy trilogy by Polly Shulman
Mysterious Benedict Society & The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart
If you like VIDEO GAMES, then try
LitRPG: (read & loved)
Chaos Seeds series by Aleron Kong
Play to Live series by D. Rus
The Gam3 series by Cosimo Yap
LitRPG: (haven't read yet but on my personal TBR)
Awaken Online by Travis Bagwell
Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko
Divine Dungeon by Dakota Krout
The Dark Herbalist by Michael Atamanov
Virtual Reality: (read & loved)
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Solarversia by Toby Downton
Mortality Doctrine series by James Dashner
The Leveller by Julia Durango
The Game is Life series by Terry Schott
Otherworld by Jason Segel
Other books a gamer would enjoy:
Erebos by Ursula Poznanski
Insignia trilogy by S.J. Kincaid
Tag, You're Dead by J.C. Lane
Thursday
Night Time Audio listening time/pages: 35 min / 56 pages
Day Time Audio listening time/pages: -----
Kindle reading time / pages: 1 hr 25 min / 112 pages
Number of books I've read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 8
Current Book: This is How You Lose the Time War / Orion Colony
Pages Read Today: 188
Total Pages Read: 1,576
Time Read Today: 2 hours
Total Time Read: 15 hours
Today's Completed Books:
Today was a lazy sleepy day and a pretty good day of reading. Less books completed than yesterday but read some longer ones, so that's to be expected. In the middle of two at the days end, so should get them both done today.
No challenge today. I've been working on my own cover, so don't want to play with others. :)
How is your Bout of Books going? What's the best book you've read for it so far?
Wednesday
Night Time Audio listening time/pages: 35 min / 32 pages
Day Time Audio listening time/pages: -----
Kindle reading time / pages: 1 hr 55 min / 166 pages
Number of books I've read today: 2
Total number of books I've read: 7
Current Book: The End / Orion Colony
Pages Read Today: 560
Total Pages Read: 1,388
Time Read Today: 4 hours 55 minutes
Total Time Read: 13 hours
Today's Completed Books:
Tuesday was a quiet day. No crappy books or kitten craziness. Just a normal day of reading, and playing a bit with my new toy (a drawing tablet) playing around with my cover for my WiP. I'm also Beta Reading for one person (so far) and I read a few chapters of her story. I found I like this Beta Reading thing. It's fun. :)
How has everyone else done so far?
Challenge: Adaptation Aspirations
Given a choice - I'd have my most favorite book ever - The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern - made into a movie or a tv show. But it would have to be done PERFECTLY of course, leaving nothing out and being as beautiful as the book.
I made a dream cast years ago, so since it's early (630a) I'm going to reuse that list. I'm not a big movie/tv person so there's not a lot of variety to my picks, but I'm fond of the Chandresh one.
Celia - Mila Kunas
Marco - Tom Welling
Isobel - Allison Scagliotti
Ethan - Mark Harmon
Alexander - Jason Issacs
Tsukiko - Ming Tsukiko
Poppet (older / younger) - Taylor Richardson & Molly Quinn
Chandresh - Rene Auberjonois
Tante Padva - Fionnula Flanagan
Tuesday
Night Time Audio listening time/pages: 1 hr 5 min / 90 pages Day Time Audio listening time/pages: 3 hrs 55 min / 385 pages Kindle reading time / pages: ----- Number of books I've read today: 3 Total number of books I've read: 5 Current Book: Alice Payne Arrives Pages Read Today: 475 Total Pages Read: 828 Time Read Today: 5 hours Total Time Read: 8 hours 5 minutes Today's Completed Books:
Though I dislike Twitter, I did finally join, albeit a bit reluctantly. I've always done the 'me in 6 words' though. Here's me, in 6 words:
Naughty little reader, gamer and writer!
The day started off ROUGH with a book I HATED with a passion. The cover (see below) looks like it'd be a BDSM book - hello. Collar. No BDSM in sight, more like a naughty religious girl's secret stash. It was not good. :( I hate even listing it. Second book was from a series I enjoy, so a good bounce back.
I'd wanted to read more, but had a toy coming for me, so the rest of the afternoon was spent playing with my new toy. :) So while I didn't read more, I did finally purchase the photo for the cover of my book and I started working on it. It was fun tinkering and I see a difference between what I'd done before and what I've done with the toy (a drawing tablet). I'm excited to have my cover be official soon.
In the meantime, there's still BoB, as much as I'd still like to only play with my toy. But today I think I'll listen to some audios while I tinker more.
And how did I forget to mention the kitten? There was also a kitten in the house, for a little while. We feed some strays, have for years, and Mama's newest batch are a few months old now. My Hubby brought a little guy in for a while for me to say Hi to, so that's how the morning started out, before the crappy book. :D
If you recognize my style of tracking but not my name, it's likely because you do know of me. I've been doing BoB since 10 (I think it was) but at my review blog, which is memorable for it's long name - Karsyn's Kickass Jocoserious Kooky Jannock Book Blog or Karsyn @ KaKiJoKoJa.
I'm on this blog now because it is my aspiring author blog, and I hope to get some notice before I decide what to do with my book / WiP.
I started writing creatively back in March and it's been a wild ride. If you'd like to know more about my book, Natural Exposure, here's a few links you can click. Natural Exposure is an Erotic Romance featuring themes of polyamory, BDSM & LGBTQ+.
Back to Bout of Books. Here's what I did read yesterday.
Monday
Night Time Audio listening time/pages: 1 hr / 95 pages
Day Time Audio listening time/pages: -----
Kindle reading time / pages: 2 hr 5 min / 258 pages
Number of books I've read today: 2
Total number of books I've read: 2
Current Book: River of No Return
Pages Read Today: 353
Total Pages Read: 353
Time Read Today: 3 hours 5 minutes
Total Time Read: 3 hours 5 minutes
Today's Completed Books:
Today, I completed edits on the first draft of Natural Exposure. I can't believe it!
I tried not to over edit myself, which I think I can easily do if I'm not careful. I tried to find the balance between the right amount of edits. I like how it's looking, if I do say so myself. Only two people have read it, but they both loved it. Of course, I'd like opinions from others, than the two of them, since I'm closest to them. I don't think they are just saying they like it and they really do, but I can't help but think they might be a little biased as my Husband and one of my closest female friends. :)
I've found it hard to find readers for my book, I think because it's an erotic romance? I know there are erotic romance readers out there, so I'm not sure why it's been so hard to find people to read it, but I'll keep searching.
In the meantime, I'm taking next week off for Bout of Books - any one else joining in? What books are you going to read? Do you plan or are you like me, a Flybyer? :) I'm looking forward to some reading time. I still get in reading every night, as I fall asleep listening to an audiobook) but otherwise, my reading hasn't been so great this year. I'm ahead on my reading challenge, but still. For me, it's a low-ish year.
That's what's happening here. Here's my working blurb (subject to change) in case any of you lovely people would like to beta read it for me, or critique it. I'm looking for either. Please. Someone! Anyone! Just click on my email above and let me know if you'd like to read it!
Seeking to escape her past and establish a new life for herself, Ripley Owens lands in Bijou Basin. In the quaint progressive town, Ripley endeavors to find solace, eager to discover herself once more. An advertisement for a boudoir photographer catches her eye, and she books a session, hoping to reclaim her identity.
When a shy goddess enters her studio, Kenzie Holliday is instantly intrigued. After an evening of photos turns flirty and sexual, Kenzie finds herself reluctant to let the beauty go. She asks to see Ripley again, surprised and delighted when she agrees.
Ripley likes Kenzie but doubts plague her. Kenzie is polyamorous and married, something Ripley has never experienced. New possibilities open up before her, both intriguing and scaring her. Does she want to date someone so complicated? How could she ever matter, if the person she dates already has their soulmate?
Want to know what my novel, Natural Exposure, is about? Click Here for a post with the blurb and themes of the book. This post is talks about how it came to be.
When you think / hear about writers, it's always that they have all these stories in them and they just come pouring out - at least that's what I hear a lot.
That wasn't the case for me. I've always said that I wish I could write, but I lack the imagination to do so. I still agree with that, and that my lack of imagination is the only thing from holding me back, with really writing a lot. But, I suppose it took just a little spark for my current WiPs (works-in-progress).
My first book, my current WiP on it's first draft (not published) Natural Exposure, and it's sequel Negative Exposure (subject to change) came from a creative writing prompt.
Let me back up and say I've written off and on my entire life, but what I've written has been to penpals. I started writing pals when I was a pre-teen after camps. I've always enjoyed writing to pals and have done so off and on since I was young. I still write penpals now (though, I'm woefully behind at the moment, due to focusing on my book) and my long time pal and I have been pals over 18 years now! We've never met in person but know each other very well through our years of letters.
Anyways, another pal of mine also wanted to do some creative writing, so we sent each other writing prompts. It was just so that we could write each other a little stories to get out some of the creativeness.
Well, one of her prompts really took hold with me. Rather than writing a 500 word short story for her, I sat for the evening and wrote over 5000 words. The prompt was just perfect for me, and once I started writing, I couldn't stop!
The prompt was:
You are a photographer who specializes in nudes.
One day, a beautiful woman walks into your studio.
This spoke to me for a few reasons. I find erotic photography very sexy, so it appealed that way. But also because while I'm not a photographer now, I have done photography (in and out of a studio) and went to school for photography. So it's something I know pretty well, enough to be able to expound on what could be a dream studio for a photographer.
So I wrote for the prompt and that would have been it, but another pal (visit Maggie Hemlock on my sidebar) is an author and they encouraged me to do more with it. Soon after, I learned about Camp NaNoWriMo and it just took off from there.
The initial prompt (I had called it "Exposed") that I wrote became the basis for Natural Exposure. I took over 5k words, and expanded it, added to it and it became the first five chapters of Natural Exposure.
That was back at the start of March. Here we are 6 months later. Natural Exposure sits at just over 74,000 words, and I have 5 more chapters to edit on my first draft. I have a one chapter prequel that when I do a newsletter, it will be given away with that. I also have a sequel that sits at 53k and is probably a little over half done.
What a weird year it's been. I never thought I'd write and now I wish I hadn't waited so long. My lacking imagination is all that holds me back, but thankfully not as much as I thought it would impact me. I still do get ideas and once I get ideas, the words come easily. It's been a fun journey.
How did you start writing? What got you going on your journey? I'd love to hear any stories!
Are you a writer? Do you have hundreds of journals sitting around your house with thousands of ideas? Do they take up space and get shoved into the attic and forgotten about?
A Rocketbook makes ALL those journals obsolete. At it's core, a Rocketbook is a nearly Endlessly Reusable Digital Notebook.
"Impossible, you say? Well stop saying stuff." - Sam Puckett from iCarly.
The Rocketbook team has several types of notebooks now, but I can only speak (so far) of the Everlast. The Everlast looks like a very thin notebook, with a plastic cover and just 16 individual pages. It looks like it's nothing special, but it is.
The pages don't quite feel like paper, though they do feel paper-ish. They have a coating that when using a certain brand of pen, you can write on the page, then erase it, and write on the same page again.
In addition to being able to wipe the page clean (like a dry erase board), the page also has a Q-code on it. Once you write on the page, you can take a photo of it, and it get sets directly to the cloud service of your choice or email of your choice.
I wanted a Rocketbook, even before I started writing my WiP novel. Now, with my book, the Rocketbook has been great. So say I have an idea about one of my MCs and her background. I jotted down notes on a page in my RB, let it upload automatically to my cloud drive, and then I wiped the page clean. Now, I still have that note online, instead of in a journal I have to go hunting for or a page I might lose or throw away. I can still print out the page as well, if I prefer, the file formats are jpeg and pdf - your choice.
Excuse my HORRIBLE handwriting, and see the example of this page. I wrote this page out in my RB, uploaded it to my cloud and now it's no longer in the RB, that page long re-used.
My Rocketbook has saved me so much time. No longer do I look for certain pages or journals or have to figure out where I put something. Like my Kindle Fire, my Rocketbook is always next to me now, I even take it to bed with me to sit on my nightstand. I've had plenty of night time ideas or morning ones, that have gone straight into the RB.
In addition to the Everlast - they also have the Wave. With the Everlast, you wipe the pages clean with a moist towel. With the Wave, you actually put it into the microwave to erase it!! I prefer the Everlast, as I have had plenty of pages that I have kept, while I have erased others. With the Wave, you have to erase it all. There's also a new line, that has different templates. My Everlast just had a dot grid. The new line - Fusion - has lines and dots and calendar pages and planning pages - a bunch of cool stuff. I want one... but as the notebooks are so reusable, I haven't yet convinced my Hubby of my need. Its re-usability is the reason I can't get another yet. :)
Here's the official Everlast video from Rocketbook. If you'd like to get one for yourself, feel free to CLICK HERE or on the link the the upper right of my blog. I love RB so much, I became an affiliate and get 10% if you purchase yours through me. Even if you don't want to get it through me, I recommend them to everyone - they are so good. I love them!
Hello, and thanks for visiting! I'm Koriana Brackson - a brand new aspiring author. I'll be sharing my journey in the weeks/months to come, but first I wanted to talk about my 1st (and current) Work-in-Progress, an Erotic Romance called Natural Exposure.
I am looking for Beta Readers or Critique Partners to read my first draft. If you see this, and the blurb below sounds like something you'd be interested in, feel free to message me. Click on the mail icon above to email me, or seek me out at Twitter.
The novel features the following:
Graphic Sex
Foul Language
Polyamory
FF sex
MF sex
BDSM (SSC practiced)
This book also features people who talk to each other (the horror - I know) and work out their problems, rather than running away, not talking and oh the angst, because they couldn't open their mouths.
Yes, that's a pet peeve of mine, and I know it's in 99% of the books out there, but it is not and will never be in my books.
Working Blurb: (subject to change) Seeking to escape her past and establish a new life for herself, Ripley Owens lands in Bijou Basin. In the quaint progressive town, Ripley endeavors to find solace, eager to discover herself once more. An advertisement for a boudoir photographer catches her eye, and she books a session, hoping to reclaim her identity.
When a shy goddess enters her studio, Kenzie Holliday is instantly intrigued. After an evening of photos turns flirty and sexual, Kenzie finds herself reluctant to let the beauty go. She asks to see Ripley again, surprised and delighted when she agrees.
Ripley likes Kenzie but doubts plague her. Kenzie is polyamorous and married, something Ripley has never experienced. New possibilities open up before her, both intriguing and scaring her. Does she want to date someone so complicated? How could she ever matter, if the person she dates already has their soulmate?
I've been participating in Bout of Books since Bout of Books 10. I'm back, yet again, but from a different blog. Long time Bout of Book participants may know me as Karsyn @ KaKiJoKoJa.
This is a new blog for my (hopefully) someday released book(s). I started writing in the start of the year and have really REALLY been enjoying it.
I'm currently writing Erotic Romance and am working on the 2nd book of a (hopeful) series. If you'd like more information, please feel free to look around and come back. This blog is just getting started, so it will be growing.
As for Bout of Books - I'm not sure of what my goals are for the week, as I plan to write still as well. I'm going to aim for 10 books, which is low for me, but that will give me time to write and edit as well.
How would you assess your reading overall? Meh! Not good. Definitely one of my worst in regards to time read. In previous Dewey's, I've read for a total of 21 hours, though most of the time I hit around 18 hours. This one, I only read for 9 total hours! Yikes! I'm not a fan of the Reverse. I'm glad it's done but it's not for me, I didn't do well on the one last year either, though better than this one. Did you have a stategy, and if so, did you stick to it? Nope, and Nope. I never plan. I read what I wanted, I just didn't do as much reading as I thought I would. A friend and I spent a lot of the start chatting and I ended up sleeping, so I just didn't read as much as I hoped/wanted to. What was your favorite snack? Ritz with peanut butter and marshmallow on top, stuck in the broiler til the marshmallow was toasty. Wanna volunteer for our next event? Nah, sorry. I have in the past, and it's fun but it's too time consuming and I'd rather read.
Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon Stats
I completed 3 books
I read 681 pages
I read 2 books on my Kindle
I listened to 1 audiobook
I read 2 Novels, 1 Novellas
I read for approximately 9 hours (5 hours on Kindle, 5 hours on Audio)
Current Stats:
Audio listening time/pages: 4 hours / 262 pages Kindle reading time / pages: 5 hours / 418 pages Total number of books I've read: 3 Current Book: Total Pages Read: 681 pages Total Time Read: 9 hours
Completed:
How was your Read-a-Thon? Leave me a comment and tell me about it, or link me to your blog!
