Yet Another Subscription

In a little over a week, my novel The End of Refuge will launch. I'm pretty anxious. Hopefully, all of my hard work will pay off.
 
I've been debating whether or not to purchase a copy of Microsoft Word for my new laptop. In the past, I've been able to get licenses through work, mine or my husbands, really affordably. But now, I would have to pay full price for a software which I love to hate.

Adobe has a subscription service for their suite of software, which is pretty great. I've never been able to justify the steep price but can handle $20/month. I've been using Gimp in the past as a replacement for Photoshop, and I really don't recommend it. Microsoft has adopted a similar business model for their Office suite. You can still purchase Word, but you can also subscribe for something like $10/month.

There are a lot of advantages to a subscription business model for software. For consumers, it eliminates the huge upfront cost, people can subscribe to the software for precisely how long they need it, and they can assure that they always have the newest version. On the other hand, the software developers get a continuous stream of income and are able to potentially get more people to purchase their product.

Being an indie author also means being self-employed. I've come across so many subscription services which help make certain things easier, but those subscription costs quickly add up. Between managing newsletters, offering free ebooks, web-hosting with a custom domain and email, a PO Box, business checking account, and other expenses, I could easily shell out $100/month or more before ever making any money on my book.

I'm not saying that subscriptions are categorically bad, just that it's important to be careful. I've been burned by subscriptions in the past, so I tend to be conscientious before signing up for any of them.

I keep telling myself that once I start making money on my books, I can afford some of these things that make selling books easier. It's kind of a catch-22.

Making a Book Cover: Are We Having Fun Yet?

The cover of a book is its number one marketing tool. When browsing through Amazon or my local bookstore, it's the cover that speaks to me and says, "You'll enjoy this book." On top of catching readers' attention, a cover needs to communicate something about the book. I want to attract readers who will enjoy my book and could potentially leave it a good review.

I took a few classes at the library on Photoshop and read up a bit on graphic design, so I felt like I could make my own cover. Good cover art can be expensive, and you certainly get what you paid for. I did enjoy Vivien Reis's video on working with a cover designer.

I thought I'd go through some of the working covers that The End of Refuge went through and why I ultimately went with the one I chose. The process certainly taught me a lot.

Missing the Genre

I put this cover together using a free stock photo from Pixabay. 

The working title for my novel was simply Refuge. When I did a search on Amazon for just the word 'refuge', I found a lot of books on Christianity and spirituality. That was definitely not my target audience, so I changed the title to something that demonstrates the tone of my novel. I thought this image conveyed living underground in a bomb shelter. But when I did a search for the image, I found that it's frequently used as a metaphor for "finding the light" on Christian and spiritual websites. This cover misses my target audience by a long shot.

Overused Stock

This image is great. It's spooky, could totally be set underground, and carries a serious air of mystery. It's so great, in fact, that it's everywhere. After running into this exact image multiple times on the web, I decided I needed to go with something a little less prolific. Following certain trends in cover design is great, but using the exact same image is not.

Oh, Photoshop

The way to ensure that my image was original was to splice a couple stock photos together. I just needed a young woman focal point to say "Young Adult", a background of a bunker. the fallout sign to show it's a shelter, a grungy texture to depict the dystopian feel, blue tones to set the mood, an outer glow around the model, and, and, and...

Once I was doing more than just a single image with text, the possibilities were endless! But by choosing images which weren't quite what I needed, I ended up having to do a lot more tweaks than my image editing skills could handle. If I wanted to follow through with this idea, I'd need to hire a professional. Still wanting a dystopian style image with a young woman focal point brings us to the next cover:

Are We Having Fun Yet?

She's perfect! Distressed shelter style background, she already looks grungy, and it's the only image from the photoshoot where she isn't brandishing steampunk goggles or a bow and arrow. This chick is kick ass, and I really wanted her on my cover. She also looks bored to death. It makes you think that the book must be really terrible if even the woman on the cover looks like she's totally disinterested. I already knew I didn't have the ability to simply remove the bow and arrow from one of the other pictures in the set, so I had to move on.

After that, I scrapped the idea of using a person on my cover. I just couldn't find one who fit the novel. I found a photo set by Sergey Kamshylin of the destruction of a since abandoned town near Cherinoble. The image I chose marks one of the bunkers. I loved that the colors were saturated to the max, the simplicity of the concrete, and the eye-popping yellow circle. The shelter in my novel was simply numbered just like this one, and I thought it was a pretty fitting image. All I really had to do was add the vignette, title, tagline, and my name.

So, my first novel has taught me how to put together an engaging cover which gives readers an idea of what they'll find in the book. Also, I asked for a lot of feedback which really helped me when I fell in love with a cover that was just not working.

Pinpointing why a cover isn't working is important. That's partially why I love browsing lousy book covers. Tons of effort goes into writing a book, so a lot of thought should go into the cover as well. It's important to study book covers which do their job well, but sometimes it's fun to look back and laugh while I ask myself, "What was I thinking?"

Essential Tools for Writers

Last week I tried out a keyboard and iPad combo for writing and was pleasantly surprised at how well the Bluetooth keyboard I purchased worked. However, if I'm taking my writing seriously (which I am), then I should invest in high-quality tools to help me work. Specifically, this meant replacing my dead laptop.

At first, I was allured by the low price of Chromebooks. Sure they don't have a ton of disk space or computing power, but how much of that does one really need for writing? I made a list of all the things I need a computer to do and the software I would like to use. I quickly realized I needed something with more power and flexibility than the current range of Chromebooks has to offer.

Ultimately, I treated my laptop purchase as an investment in my writing career. My MacBook Air was already six years old before its accident and it probably would have kept going for a while longer. I have full hopes that my new HP will last just as long.

While rattling off all the things I needed in a computer to the sales associate at Best Buy, it got me thinking about all the tools I use as a writer. I thought I'd go ahead and share with you all what I believe are the essential tools for an indie author.

Computer

Computers are the central tools for writing. It's where our manuscripts go and work is done. Technically, all the other essentials could go on your writing computer. Except for the last one. You'll see why.

Something to write with on the go

I loved my tiny little laptop for the NaNo write-ins I attended. The only way I can expect to get writing done while out of the house is to make sure I take something to write on with me. Some writers like to draft with journals and pencil and it's easy to keep these items in their bag and take them everywhere. Similarly, some writers use their phones or tablets to write on, items they already keep with them all the time. Or, they stick a laptop in their backpack before heading out the door. I know some people are adamant about creating a specific writing space and routine, but I've never met any of those writers. Probably because they're hiding at home and not acting out scenes for their new novel at the library. Wait, I'm not the only one that does that, right?

Calendar

I don't know why I didn't think of this myself, but Bublish got me in the habit of keeping track of all my writing activities in a calendar. Originally I had it on my computer, but I found it easier to use a planner. I'm able to color code days and add lots of notes. I've got tentative dates for future releases and promotional activities in there. I put in writing related social media stuff so I know I'm posting regularly.

I also keep a list of goals and ideas in my calendar. I give each of my goals a time frame to ensure I make consistent progress. Each month has its own list of goals and activities I'll work on.

Scrivener

This is a big drawback of using a Chromebook: no Scrivener. I would say any word processor would work for writing, but Scrivener is so much more with a ton of features which helps when writing something long form. It makes it incredibly easy to keep track of scenes and chapters along with characters, research, and notes all in one file.

My favorite feature is composition mode. Just a blank screen and text-- no rulers or tools or menus to be seen.

And once I've finished a manuscript, Scrivener will export it into a variety of formats including PDF, ePub, and even Word.

Word

I have a love-hate relationship with Microsoft Word, but it does all the formatting that I need when getting a novel print ready. I get pretty particular in what I want my finished book to look like, and Word gives me the control to do that. 

Graphics Program

I actually use a few programs for creating images, and each has their own strengths. Canva is a basic one which is great for simple projects like a single image with some text. I use Canva for all of my social media graphics and sketches for future book covers.

So far, I've made my own covers as well, and these I've done in Photoshop. Even though I'm not doing detailed photo manipulation (yet), I am able to get everything perfectly centered and laid out, easily enhance the images I've picked out, and add textures and vignettes with ease. It also has text effects like drop shadows which seem to be prevalent in my genre.

Grammar software

On the recommendation of a writer friend, I started using Grammarly. I haven't yet tried the advanced version, but the basic one has already proved incredibly helpful. It catches many more errors than any of my other programs (ehem Word) and also alleviates the step of copying and pasting from one program to another when writing things like my blog or emails.

Coffee

Every writer needs fuel, and coffee is the best. As I said early, this tool will not mix well with the computer. Take it from me.

Those are my essential tools as a writer. Are there any tools you use that I didn't mention?

If you haven't already, make sure to enter my Goodreads giveaway to win a free copy of my debut novel, The End of Refuge.

Book Review: And Then She Was GONE by Christopher Greyson

And Then She Was Gone by Christopher Greyson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

"A riveting new suspense novel that will keep you guessing until the end."

I just didn't get that. I picked up this book because I wanted to read something good with suspense and action and this was a best seller promising both in the subtitle.

And Then She Was Gone is part of a detective series, which I somehow missed when I picked it up. In this book, the 'detective' is a seventeen-year-old kid. His life is perfect, he has a great reliable best friend, loving parents, amazing role-models, his life plan mapped out, and a cheerleader girlfriend. He has no flaws and everyone likes him. He's a perfect person which makes him unrelatable and hard to even like.

The entire story follows Jack the perfect teenager and his best friend, Chandler, as they investigate a murder. The cops don't want the two kids interfering with an ongoing investigation, but Jack's aunt is adamant that he should find the real killer. She's certain the cops' suspect is innocent. Jack is incredibly brave and puts himself in lots of not quite dangerous or tense situations as he tries to gather clues. For some reason, every person he interviews gladly answers his questions, even though he's a kid and not an actual detective.

From the very beginning, there are only a handful of suspects. The boys bounce around suspecting different ones, but there's no real foreshadowing to the real killer, probably because the actual killer had the flimsiest motivation to commit the crime of all the suspects.

I guess the goal of this novel was to introduce the protagonist on his track to becoming a detective. It would have been interesting to see him discover why he wants to become a cop. Instead, it's a light detective story with no tension or suspense.

In the end, I hate the main character so much, I won't be picking up any other novel in this series.

I really hate giving books a bad review, but I guess you can't love everything.

Check out all of my book reviews!

Enter to Win a Signed Copy of The End of Refuge

To celebrate the release of The End of Refuge I'm giving away three (3) signed copies!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The End of Refuge

by Beth Martin

Giveaway ends March 07, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Bluetooth Keyboard: Worth it for Serious Writers?

Something happened to my laptop this week. I made a YouTube video about it. Basically, the computer I use for... everything... is out of commission. We have one other computer in our household: a desktop which is hooked into an enormous TV in the media room. I mean, it's nice doing photoshop on a 4K TV, but for most of the things I do, a little laptop will suffice.

But without even a laptop, what is a writer to do? I spend a lot of time on my phone to stay connected with social media, but a phone can only do so much. I remembered I have an iPad somewhere, and those are basically mini computers, right?

There were a couple of people who I met attending NaNo write-ins who used tablets for their writing. One was a 13-year-old girl. Naturally, thumb typing was her specialty (oh to be young and so adaptable again). The other, her mother, quickly pointed out the shortcoming of typing on a screen. Her main complaint: the abbreviated keyboard layout made some of the symbol keys change spots to less intuitive places.

Still, I wanted to give writing on my iPad a fair chance. I decided the best route would be to get a Bluetooth keyboard and see how well that worked. My plan was then to review said keyboard on my blog... And here we are.

I make most of my purchases on the Internet. I found a lot of affordable keyboards for sale but ultimately decided to buy one made by a brand I trust. So $20 later, I'm the proud owner of a refurbished Logitec Bluetooth keyboard. And it's amazing.

I was totally ready to reveal how much I hated writing on tablets. They're not nearly as powerful as laptops. The keyboards you can get for them are too small to be unusable. Now, the keyboard I got (the k480) is a little heavy and certainly thicker than my MacBook Air, but it's still easy to take all over the house and it has a nice little groove which will hold up any size tablet/smartphone.

I decided the best way to test my new toy was to work on my book using it. I've been able to do some writing on our desktop, but not as much as I'd like. I haven't purchased Scrivener for iOS yet, so I installed Google Docs on my iPad and wrote a quick 2k words on my manuscript ( I jest, it took me a few hours to type it all out). I can't yet comment on things like battery life, but I was impressed by the ease of use and accuracy of my new little keyboard.

I'm still going to bring my laptop into the Genius Bar this week to see if it can be salvaged, but it's nice to know that I can feasibly get work done with a tablet and keyboard.

Have you ever used something other than a computer to write? Let me know!

A note about the photo: Those are my 2-year-old daughter's hands. The keyboard is not huge. Also, the text on the screen is part of the first draft of a new novel, so it's rough, to say the least.