What’s your Reading Choice… eBook or Real Book?

by Annie

Readers and Reading…eBook or Real Book?

Many posts ask readers which they like better… eBooks or real books. For me, it’s not about like or dislike; it’s about need. After years of typing, crocheting, playing piano, and marking papers, my fingers are calling the shots. And they let me know that it’s easier to touch a screen than to turn a page. I read for two or three hours daily and the right tool for the job and joy of reading is eBook. In fact, there are 334 books on my Kindle right now.

Still, the sight of stacks of hardcovers and paperbacks both new and old is treasure to me, the scent is perfume. When my Of Sea and Sand character Kevin Kerrigan yearns to learn to read, he has a visceral reaction to holding a book. “Kevin locked his eyes on the book. He took it in his hand. He liked the feel of it firm, solid, and smooth.” I can relate to Kevin’s feeling for, when I first get my hands on my new paperback, there is no containing the happiness.

It is actually the arrival of the real book that takes the writing and publishing process into the real world.

What’s your reading choice? ebook or real book?

NOW AVAILABLE IN KINDLE AND PAPERBACK: OF SEA AND SAND, THE KERRIGAN CHRONICLES, BOOK II

Ghostly matriarch Kathleen Kerrigan resumes the compelling saga of her family, whose lives are mired in secrets, steeped in betrayal, and then hurled into chaos when war uproots their Newfoundland community in 1940.

My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue

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Creating the Cover: “Of Sea and Seed”

by Annie

by @AnnieDaylon

When I finished writing Of Sea and Seed, The Kerrigan Chronicles, Book I, I realized that it was not only the ocean that connected all the main characters, it was also a small boat. I decided instantly that the cover had to incorporate both of those images. I did not expect the attention that that decision garnered.

The cover for Of Sea and Seed has been featured on Indie Brag’s Cover Crush Blog and has appeared under the Small Boats category on Fictionophile’s Cover Love Blog.

Recently, this same cover won an award — the 2017 Best Literary Fiction Cover Design from B.R.A.G. Medallion.

The creation of this cover started with the title and even that underwent a few changes… that happens to all my titles. This one was initially called Wave over Wave.

Gradually, I came to know that the sea was a metaphor for the matriarch of the story and the seed a metaphor for her offspring. Somewhere around that time, I read Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and well… you can guess the rest.

What about the small boat?
Each of the three point-of-view characters in Of Sea and Seed experiences a life-or-death situation in a small, traditional fishing boat, called a dory*.

I began the hunt for photos of sea and dory. I looked through all pictures I could find by Newfoundland photographers but could not find what I wanted, a picture of a lone dory tossed in a powerful sea. It was at my go-to site, Shutterstock, that I found the image below (© Andrejs Pidjass, www.nejronphoto.com.)

*Wikipedia Definition: “The dory is a small, shallow-draft boat, about 5 to 7 metres or 16 to 23 feet long. It is usually a lightweight boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bows. They are easy to build because of their simple lines. For centuries, dories have been used as traditional fishing boats, both in coastal waters and in the open sea.”

From there, I worked with the design team at Create Space.

The traditional Lunenberg dory, as depicted on the cover, has a yellow base and dark green gunwales. There’s a reason for those colors: the yellow makes the base visible against the water; the dark green makes the gunwales (the upper edges of the side of the boat) visible in the fog.

I asked the design team if they could make the green color pop a bit more. They responded by reversing the colors, putting the green on the base, the yellow on the gunwales. Uh-oh!
I knew better than to let that pass but I got a second opinion from my brother Richard who did not mince words. “No fisherman in his right mind would have gone on the ocean in that thing.” The act of reversing the colors had negated their purpose, making the dory unsafe, and making my dory story less plausible.

I explained. Create Space amended, happily.

I also requested that Create Space remove the red gas can in the above image (barely visible, but none of the dories in my story had one, so I wanted it gone.) Done!

One choice that Create Space made without any input from me was to flip the image of the dory. I instantly took a liking to the switch. If left to my own devices, I never would have come up with such a perfect detail. (It’s great to have a design team.)

I provided Create Space with all of the information required for the rest of the cover… blurbs, back copy, and my imprint (McRAC Books) with Logo. The fonts (love them!) were chosen by my Create Space Design team.

I am currently entrenched in writing Book II of the Kerrigan Chronicles, this one titled Of Sea and Sand. (Could change, stay tuned.) As I work, I am keeping cover possibilities in mind. There will be an ocean. No doubt about that. But what else? I am looking for commonalities, one of which will surely leap to the fore and land on the cover.

NEWS FLASH! This weekend, I learned that Of Sea and Seed is a semi-finalist in the Literary Fiction genre of the Kindle Book Review’s Kindle Book Awards. Goes without saying that I was thrilled and immediately sent in my email requesting the semi-finalist sticker.

( A note to Lynne Legrow , a.k.a. @fictionophile: Thanks for putting my book in the Small Boat Category of your Cover Love Series, but, with another sticker on the way, I think I’m gonna need a bigger boat! Ha!)

Readers, love looking at great covers? Writers, looking for great cover ideas? Check out the covers posted in the Fictionophile Cover Love Series! So many themes: windows, lakes, doors, gates, jars, piers, umbrellas… over thirty categories to choose from. Lots of fun!

Many thanks to all who helped make the cover of Of Sea and Seed a success!

My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue

Canada: Authors, Libraries, and the Public Lending Right Program

by Annie

by @AnnieDaylon

Canadian Authors: Did you know that you could be compensated for having books in libraries in Canada? How? Through the Canada Council for the Arts Public Lending Right Program.

Canada book Public Lending Right Program

According to Wikipedia, a Public Lending Right (PLR) program is a program “intended to either compensate authors for the potential loss of sales from their works being available in public libraries, or as a governmental support of the arts, through support of works available in public libraries, such as books, music and artwork.” Twenty-eight countries, including Canada, have such programs.

In Canada, when books are **purchased by ( not donated to) libraries, authors may** receive compensation over and above the royalty. The compensation comes in the form of an annual payment from the Public Lending Right Program.

ELIGIBILITY:
Who is eligible?
Canadian citizens who are illustrators, photographers, translators, anthology contributors, or editors with original written contributions are eligible.
What writing is eligible?
Works of poetry, fiction drama, children’s literature, nonfiction or scholarly work are eligible. (more details on eligibility here)
Which Libraries are eligible?
Every year the PLR chooses seven public library catalogues in each language group. According to the PLR website, “The selection of public library catalogues takes into account the desire to include substantial collections and to represent the various regions of Canada.” The list of eligible programs is not broadcast in advance. This is for fairness and to prevent participating libraries from being inundated with purchasing requests from authors.

PARTICIPATION:
How Do Authors Participate?
To participate, authors must register. You will not receive compensation unless you are registered with the Public Lending Right Program. Registration is required annually, between mid-February and May first. You can go to the site now and request an email reminder about registration for 2017. (Registration Link)

PAYMENT:
There is a $50 threshold set for a PLR payment. (For details on the payment scale, go HERE>)
For me, this scale means that

If the FVRL (the library system which purchased two copies of one of my titles) is on the list for 2017, and If I register in February of 2017, I get $50 for that year (payment is per title, not per book.)
If I land that same title in another participating library system, I get $100. And so on and so on, to a maximum of $350.

According to Peter Schneider, Manager of the Canada Council for the Arts Public Lending Right Program, the maximum paid to one Canadian author last year was $3500.

I’m in! How about you? Yes?
If you have titles in Canadian libraries, then remember to REGISTER. If you don’t have titles in Canadian libraries, then start by applying to the acquisitions librarian in your own community. (See previous blog post: How I Got My Indie Novel into the Library System.)

For more information go to: Public Lending Right Program

Do you have any comments about or experience with a Public Lending Right Program? Please share your comments, share this post, and share the wealth! All authors need this support.

A free short story is yours when you join my email list! My newsletters contain book news, blog posts, sneak previews, and, occasionally, fun facts about my beloved island of Newfoundland. To join, place the required information in the space provided on the right. Rest assured your email address will not be shared for any reason.

My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue

How I Got My Indie Novel into the Library System

by Annie

by @Annie Daylon

shutterstock_240133276

I had no idea that indie authors could apply to have books purchased by libraries. When the illustrator of my picture book mentioned it, I delved into research. When Stephanie Hopkins of IndieBRAG asked me to share my journey on their blog, I jumped at the chance.

Here’s a snippet:

At my local library, I spoke with the community librarian who gave me the contact information for the acquisitions librarian.
In my application email to acquisitions, I included:

a brief bio;
cover images of available titles (linked to Amazon);
mini-synopses;
website link; and
contact info.

When a couple of weeks passed with no response, I emailed again.
Still no reply.

SEE MORE HERE

ATT: Canadian Authors>>> Did you know that you can be compensated for having your books in (purchased by) Canadian Libraries? Check my next blog post (July 11, 2016) for details!

Many thanks to Stephanie Hopkins, BRAG Medallion, and the Fraser Valley Regional Library System!

My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue

The B.R.A.G. Medallion: A Boost for Indie Authors

by Annie

by @AnnieDaylon

What is the B.R.A.G. Medallion?

The Book Readers Appreciation Group Medallion is an award bestowed for excellence in indie publication. Awards are given based on plot, characters, writing style, dialogue, copy editing, as well as cover and interior Layout.

registered- 800

“BRAGMedallion.com is owned and operated by indieBRAG, LLC, a privately held organization that has brought together a large group of readers, both individuals and members of book clubs, located throughout the United States and in ten other countries around the globe.” ~ Who We Are at indieBRAG

A B.R.A.G. Medallion is a boost for indie authors. In addition to 10 copies of a gold award sticker, honorees receive reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, mentions on Twitter, and pictures on Pinterest.

The B.R.A.G. website posts news from authors about their readings and publications and displays donated print copies at book expositions.

Recipients also receive an opportunity to do an interview about their winning work and their writing process (an opportunity I jumped at!) These interviews are conducted by Stephanie Hopkins at Layered Pages.

An excerpt for you, of my B.R.A.G interview …

“Hi, Annie! Thank you for visiting with me today to talk about your latest B.R.A.G. Medallion! First, tell me how you discovered indieBRAG?”

“Happy to be here! Thanks for the invite!

“I discovered indieBRAG on Twitter when another author tweeted that she had received the B.R.A.G. medallion. I followed the indieBRAG link and, impressed with what I read, I submitted my novel, Castles in the Sand which became a B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree. Due to the numerous benefits of indieBRAG—Amazon and Goodreads ratings, tweets, Facebook feature, Pinterest posts, Stickers, and an interview with Layered Pages—I was eager to submit my current release Of Sea and Seed for indieBRAG recognition. I am thrilled to have received the honor a second time.”

“I must say, I adore your book title and cover. Please tell me a little about your story and the inspiration behind it.”

“The Story… Of Sea and Seed is set on the island of Newfoundland….”

Read More Here

Many thanks to IndieBrag and Interviewer Stephanie Hopkins!

My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue

My Novels. My Research. (Vancouver Bound: Boots on the Ground)

by Annie

by @AnnieDaylon

I am a multigenre author, born in Newfoundland, living in British Columbia. My novels are reflective of my bi-coastal experience in that they are set on the opposite ends of Canada: Newfoundland or Vancouver. The time element is also extreme: I plunk my work anywhere from the 1920’s to the now. The research methods vary, dictated by setting. The Newfoundland novels catapult me into the past: I read and view everything I can find on the historical events and settings. Here, I am focusing on the Vancouver novels (yes, plural because I’m nearing the end of the second) which are set in present-day and require boots-on-the ground research.

My first Vancouver novel, CASTLES IN THE SAND, is set in 2010 in the west end and, in addition to online research regarding the city and the plight of its homeless, I made two specific trips to the city.

On the first trip, I left the comfort of my west-end hotel at the cusp of dawn on a relatively-warm winter day and hiked the full length of Robson Street. Why? To see, hear, and smell the world as my main character, a homeless man, does. When he observes the pigeons strutting the sidewalk, he notices (because I notice for the first time) that the

“little bastards have red feet.”

The predominant aroma for him is the smell of coffee (not the smell of ocean air as I had expected.)

“I take a deep breath so I can suck in the Starbucks. All the beautiful people carry Starbucks.”

He hears the day beginning, not just generically in the roar of traffic but specifically:

“The bus engine grumbles…Whooossssh. Air brakes.”
“Won’t be long before the bolts on the door of the shoe boutique behind me twist open. Three bolts. Every morning. Like clockwork. Click. Click. Click.”

That day, I also walked the Vancouver Seawall, toured Gastown, and ate at the Spaghetti Factory, all the while taking notes. My best discovery? At the end of a long day, while walking back to my hotel on Robson Street , I saw a young man in a white, puffy jacket. He was talking to a homeless man. I didn’t want to interfere but I wanted to eavesdrop, so I strolled past. The young man was saying “Let me help you to a shelter.” I pinged on that. For my novel, I created a new character, a Good Samaritan, who was dubbed “Marshmallow Man” by my main character.

“Some guy in a puffy, white jacket hovers over me. A marshmallow. A goddam talking marshmallow.”

My second trip to Vancouver was to finalize details. The backstory of my homeless character was that he had lost his home during the real estate crash. I had a specific residence in mind for him, one that I had found in the MLS listings, and walked the area surrounding that very house. I went to the nearby park where my fictional family played. There, I sat on a bench and penned a description of both house and park. I walked the tunnel under the Granville Bridge. And I sat in the foyer of the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library where I noticed a pigeon strutting the floor, a pigeon that inspired a caring moment for my homeless character. It was in the library that it occurred to me that all the chattering voices around me melded in to a ghost-like drone, into

“whirling ghosts of indiscernible chatter.”

The effect of all that research was not only that I was better-able to detail the journey of my character but also that I am now better-equipped to notice detail daily. (A bonus for a writer.)

As for current research… My Work-in-Progress is a crime thriller set in present day Vancouver, again in the west end. I have the characters and the details down, most of them anyway. But I want, once again, to walk in the shoes of my characters. This time I will take the Aquabus to Granville Island, visit a café on the beach, shop at Pacific Centre, detail heritage buildings in the area, and, most importantly, do some people watching.

In short, in a couple of weeks, I’m Vancouver bound. Boots on the ground. Can’t wait! 🙂

I invite you to join my author journey: subscribe to blog or newsletter or both! The newsletter contains news about books, links to some blogs, and occasional fun facts about my beloved island of Newfoundland. To sign up, simply place the required information in the spaces provided on the right. Rest assured your email address will not be shared for any reason.

My best to you,

Storyboarding with the W Method

by Annie

by @AnnieDaylon

sTORYBOARDING

Curious about how authors create their novels?

Some write freely, discovering the story as they go along. I do that, to a point. Then, with basic plot, key characters, and some scenes in mind, I create an outline.

I have experimented with different ways of outlining, including the use of note cards, step sheets, the Snowflake Method, and software, all of which are detailed by Robbie Blair in Eight Ways to Outline a Novel.

The method that works best for me is the Storyboard. It is the most tangible, visual, and accessible way of plotting a story. Sometimes I have used a linear model, simply placing chronological plot points on a straight line.

In my Work-In-Progress, a three-act thriller set in Vancouver, BC, the story takes place over ten days. The details are tight. I want certain characters in a certain place at a certain time and I have to keep track of their every move. Enter: the W Storyboard.

Storyboarding by Mary Carroll Moore

My W Storyboard is based on Mary Carroll Moore’s model which lends itself well to the three-act structure common in the thriller.

The first line of the W—top to bottom—gives the story setup.

The first low mark represents the first portal or turning point. Once a character crosses that threshold, she must continue the journey. There’s no turning back. Either she can’t get back or there is nothing to go back to. (To quote fellow writer Brian Rodda, “The village is burned, the villagers are dead.”)

Each successive point on the W, as shown in Mary Carroll Moore’s Youtube video, is another portal, another change in direction.

Because I usually know the turning points when I start my storyboard, it’s easy to fill in the portals on the W. After that, I have to get the characters to those portals and that means creating step-by-step details.

Using colorful sticky notes, I write plot points and place them along the lines of the W. Wonderful things, those sticky notes: I frequently make changes and the notes can be pulled off and popped on easily. (Word of warning: if you plan to use sticky notes, buy the good ones; the cheaper versions tend to lose their stickiness and flit around like butterflies.)

My current storyboard has more than just plot. It includes:

Dates of Events, displayed on contrasting sticky notes;
Images of actors who represent the visual type I’m trying to portray;
Character descriptions, detailing height, weight, hair, skin tone, eye color. (These are mere reference points which help avoid simple mistakes, such as a page 27 green-eyed character becoming brown-eyed on page 215.)
Settings, sometimes written, sometimes images. (One setting in my thriller is a city loft, so I printed out a floor plan that suits my needs and pasted it on the board.)

Mary Carroll Moore states that her W formula is based on a book The Writer’s Time by Kenneth Atchity. The revised version, one which I am about to download, is on Kindle. The new title? Write Time: Guide to the Creative Process, from Vision through Revision-and Beyond.

If you are an outliner, do you have any outlining tips?

If you are a pantser, what are your thoughts about outlining?

My best to you,

Pick of the Twitter: June, 2015

by Annie

Looking for writing/marketing tips? Here are my Top Twitter picks for June, 2015:

Query Question: maps, illustrations and other visuals in novels @JanetReid
3 Steps to Driving More Traffic & Selling More Books or Products via LinkedIn @WriteToDone
How Authors Can Evaluate Hybrid Publishers @JaneFriedman
Why Small Business Owners Should Seriously Consider Blogging @socialmedia2day
The Complete List of Creative Distractions and Defenses Against Them @WriterUnboxed
Want to Build an Email List? 7 Newsletter Platforms to Choose From @thewritelife
Writing About Guns: 10 Errors to Avoid in Your Novel via @JaneFriedman (TY. Am writing thriller. Vital to know facts!)
How to take a break from writer’s block by James Chartrand @menwithpens
Writing a Book? How to Know When to Stop Editing and Move On @thewritelife
Q&A On Writing, Self Publishing And Book Marketing @thecreativepenn
Split Narratives: Dividing Your Story Between Two or More Narrators @aliventures
What Every Writer Ought to Know About the Omniscient POV @KMWeiland
Writing When It’s Difficult to Write @elizabethscraig
The Great Big List of Twitter Lists, Ideas, and Tools @socialmedia2day
A HUGE list of free ebook sites for authors to promote their free ebooks! @bkmkting
The difference between editing and proofreading: @LeahMcClellan
Where’s the white space? How writers can show, not tell, through dialog and narrative @CSLakin
“Long Term Book Marketing” @bkmkting
The Only Thing You Need to Know About Writing Strong Female Characters @KMWeiland
Email Newsletters for Authors: Get Started Guide @JaneFriedman

Many thanks to Tweeters and Bloggers alike!

A FREE SHORT STORY will be yours when you subscribe to my Author Newsletter by placing your first name and email address in the space provided on the upper right.

My best to you,

B.R.A.G. Medallion: A Boost for Indies

by Annie

by @AnnieDaylon

The Book Readers Appreciation Group Medallion for excellence in indie publications includes not only a shiny gold sticker, but also a host of other treasures: reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, mentions on Twitter, and images on Pinterest. B.R.A.G. also posts news provided by authors about their readings and publications. If honorees send B.R.A.G. a print copy of their book, B.R.A.G. will display that book at many book expositions. In addition, B.R.A.G. affords its recipients the opportunity to do an online interview about their winning work and their writing process. I jumped at the opportunity of doing an interview about my B.R.A.G. honoree novel, Castles in the Sand, and had the pleasure of working with Stephanie Hopkins of Layered Pages.

A sample for you, of my interview…

Stephanie: Hello Annie! Congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion for your book, Castles in the Sand. How did you discover indieBRAG and what has been your experience with self-publishing thus far?

I discovered indieBRAG on Twitter. Another author tweeted that her book was a BRAG Medallion recipient; I was curious so I followed the link to indieBRAG.

A steep learning curve, that of self-publishing. At times I felt as though I were scaling a vertical wall. I had to learn (am still learning) not only the business of writing, but also the use of technology. (Three years ago, I didn’t have a website, didn’t know an analytic from a hashtag, etc.) I sacrificed writing time to acquire skills in both these areas; unfortunately, that was necessary. But now, writing comes first and I squeeze marketing and tech into whatever time is left.

See more here: Interview with B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree Annie Daylon

Back to Work! Armoire/Office is open today! :-)

On Layeredpages.com, my armoire/office was Closed. Here’s the Open version. (No vacation today!)

A Note to Indie Writers…
For a nominal fee, B.R.A.G. Medallion will consider your self-published novel on basis of Plot, Characters, Writing Style, Dialogue, Copyediting, Cover/Interior Layout.
Visit B.R.A.G. for a potential boost!

Please subscribe to my blog by placing your email in the space provided on the right. Thank you!

My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue

Putting on my ‘Top’ Hat…

by Annie

by @AnnieDaylon

Ever struggle with wondering if you are doing enough, or if you are doing the right thing as an author? I certainly do.

A while back, I attended a workshop by successful indie author, Jodi McIsaac, who listed twelve hats that an indie author must wear, among them: writer, editor, bookkeeper, webmaster, marketer, distributor, etc. Sometimes my head is spinning with choices: Which hat today? Do I need to update my site? Do I focus on marketing? Do I work on my budget? It’s dizzying!

I have come to realize that I cannot do it all; when I try to wear too many of these hats in one day, my writing (quantity and quality) takes a hit. I have to set priorities.

Recently, I found two helpful posts that deal with making such choices:
What Learning to Say No Really Means by Alexis Grant, and
Fighting Overwhelm: How I am Learning to Refocus My Workload by Joanna Penn.
Both talk about managing workload, about focusing your time, about giving up some things, even things you don’t want to give up.

The key for me?
Deciding the most important thing and doing that FIRST and FOREMOST. Right now, that happens to be writing the first book in a novel trilogy. I am immersed in it, writing every morning for a minimum of three hours.
Yes, I tweet. Yes, I blog. But mostly, I write.

If you are juggling too many hats: stop, focus, prioritize, and choose the hat that best fits right now.

For me the right thing, right now, is the write thing. That’s my ‘Top’ Hat!

What’s yours?

A free story will wing its way to you when subscribe to my Author Newsletter by placing your first name and email address in the space provided on the upper right. Many thanks!

Readers and Reading…eBook or Real Book?

It is actually the arrival of the real book that takes the writing and publishing process into the real world.

What’s your reading choice? ebook or real book?

Ghostly matriarch Kathleen Kerrigan resumes the compelling saga of her family, whose lives are mired in secrets, steeped in betrayal, and then hurled into chaos when war uproots their Newfoundland community in 1940.

My best to you,

To sign up for my newsletter, simply fill in your name and email address in the space provided on the right. Rest assured that your email address will be held in the highest confidence and will not be shared or distributed for any purpose.

by @AnnieDaylon

The cover for Of Sea and Seed has been featured on Indie Brag’s Cover Crush Blog and has appeared under the Small Boats category on Fictionophile’s Cover Love Blog.

Recently, this same cover won an award — the 2017 Best Literary Fiction Cover Design from B.R.A.G. Medallion.

The creation of this cover started with the title and even that underwent a few changes… that happens to all my titles. This one was initially called Wave over Wave.

Gradually, I came to know that the sea was a metaphor for the matriarch of the story and the seed a metaphor for her offspring. Somewhere around that time, I read Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and well… you can guess the rest.

What about the small boat? Each of the three point-of-view characters in Of Sea and Seed experiences a life-or-death situation in a small, traditional fishing boat, called a dory*.

I explained. Create Space amended, happily.

I also requested that Create Space remove the red gas can in the above image (barely visible, but none of the dories in my story had one, so I wanted it gone.) Done!

One choice that Create Space made without any input from me was to flip the image of the dory. I instantly took a liking to the switch. If left to my own devices, I never would have come up with such a perfect detail. (It’s great to have a design team.)

I provided Create Space with all of the information required for the rest of the cover… blurbs, back copy, and my imprint (McRAC Books) with Logo. The fonts (love them!) were chosen by my Create Space Design team.

NEWS FLASH! This weekend, I learned that Of Sea and Seed is a semi-finalist in the Literary Fiction genre of the Kindle Book Review’s Kindle Book Awards. Goes without saying that I was thrilled and immediately sent in my email requesting the semi-finalist sticker.

( A note to Lynne Legrow , a.k.a. @fictionophile: Thanks for putting my book in the Small Boat Category of your Cover Love Series, but, with another sticker on the way, I think I’m gonna need a bigger boat! Ha!)

Readers, love looking at great covers? Writers, looking for great cover ideas? Check out the covers posted in the Fictionophile Cover Love Series! So many themes: windows, lakes, doors, gates, jars, piers, umbrellas… over thirty categories to choose from. Lots of fun!

Many thanks to all who helped make the cover of Of Sea and Seed a success!

My best to you,

by @AnnieDaylon

Canadian Authors: Did you know that you could be compensated for having books in libraries in Canada? How? Through the Canada Council for the Arts Public Lending Right Program.

In Canada, when books are purchased by ( not donated to) libraries, authors may receive compensation over and above the royalty. The compensation comes in the form of an annual payment from the Public Lending Right Program.

PAYMENT: There is a $50 threshold set for a PLR payment. (For details on the payment scale, go HERE>) For me, this scale means that

If the FVRL (the library system which purchased two copies of one of my titles) is on the list for 2017, and If I register in February of 2017, I get $50 for that year (payment is per title, not per book.)

If I land that same title in another participating library system, I get $100. And so on and so on, to a maximum of $350.

According to Peter Schneider, Manager of the Canada Council for the Arts Public Lending Right Program, the maximum paid to one Canadian author last year was $3500.

For more information go to: Public Lending Right Program

Do you have any comments about or experience with a Public Lending Right Program? Please share your comments, share this post, and share the wealth! All authors need this support.

My best to you,

by @Annie Daylon

I had no idea that indie authors could apply to have books purchased by libraries. When the illustrator of my picture book mentioned it, I delved into research. When Stephanie Hopkins of IndieBRAG asked me to share my journey on their blog, I jumped at the chance.

Here’s a snippet:

At my local library, I spoke with the community librarian who gave me the contact information for the acquisitions librarian. In my application email to acquisitions, I included:

a brief bio;

cover images of available titles (linked to Amazon);

mini-synopses;

website link; and

contact info.

When a couple of weeks passed with no response, I emailed again. Still no reply.

ATT: Canadian Authors>>> Did you know that you can be compensated for having your books in (purchased by) Canadian Libraries? Check my next blog post (July 11, 2016) for details!

Many thanks to Stephanie Hopkins, BRAG Medallion, and the Fraser Valley Regional Library System!

My best to you,

by @AnnieDaylon

What is the B.R.A.G. Medallion?

The Book Readers Appreciation Group Medallion is an award bestowed for excellence in indie publication. Awards are given based on plot, characters, writing style, dialogue, copy editing, as well as cover and interior Layout.

“BRAGMedallion.com is owned and operated by indieBRAG, LLC, a privately held organization that has brought together a large group of readers, both individuals and members of book clubs, located throughout the United States and in ten other countries around the globe.” ~ Who We Are at indieBRAG

An excerpt for you, of my B.R.A.G interview …

“Hi, Annie! Thank you for visiting with me today to talk about your latest B.R.A.G. Medallion! First, tell me how you discovered indieBRAG?”

“Happy to be here! Thanks for the invite!

“I must say, I adore your book title and cover. Please tell me a little about your story and the inspiration behind it.”

“The Story… Of Sea and Seed is set on the island of Newfoundland….”

Many thanks to IndieBrag and Interviewer Stephanie Hopkins!

My best to you,

by @AnnieDaylon

My first Vancouver novel, CASTLES IN THE SAND, is set in 2010 in the west end and, in addition to online research regarding the city and the plight of its homeless, I made two specific trips to the city.

“little bastards have red feet.”

The predominant aroma for him is the smell of coffee (not the smell of ocean air as I had expected.)

“I take a deep breath so I can suck in the Starbucks. All the beautiful people carry Starbucks.”

He hears the day beginning, not just generically in the roar of traffic but specifically:

“The bus engine grumbles…Whooossssh. Air brakes.”

“Won’t be long before the bolts on the door of the shoe boutique behind me twist open. Three bolts. Every morning. Like clockwork. Click. Click. Click.”

“Some guy in a puffy, white jacket hovers over me. A marshmallow. A goddam talking marshmallow.”

“whirling ghosts of indiscernible chatter.”

The effect of all that research was not only that I was better-able to detail the journey of my character but also that I am now better-equipped to notice detail daily. (A bonus for a writer.)

In short, in a couple of weeks, I’m Vancouver bound. Boots on the ground. Can’t wait! 🙂

My best to you,

by @AnnieDaylon

Curious about how authors create their novels?

Some write freely, discovering the story as they go along. I do that, to a point. Then, with basic plot, key characters, and some scenes in mind, I create an outline.

I have experimented with different ways of outlining, including the use of note cards, step sheets, the Snowflake Method, and software, all of which are detailed by Robbie Blair in Eight Ways to Outline a Novel.

The method that works best for me is the Storyboard. It is the most tangible, visual, and accessible way of plotting a story. Sometimes I have used a linear model, simply placing chronological plot points on a straight line.

In my Work-In-Progress, a three-act thriller set in Vancouver, BC, the story takes place over ten days. The details are tight. I want certain characters in a certain place at a certain time and I have to keep track of their every move. Enter: the W Storyboard.

My W Storyboard is based on Mary Carroll Moore’s model which lends itself well to the three-act structure common in the thriller.

The first line of the W—top to bottom—gives the story setup.

Each successive point on the W, as shown in Mary Carroll Moore’s Youtube video, is another portal, another change in direction.

Because I usually know the turning points when I start my storyboard, it’s easy to fill in the portals on the W. After that, I have to get the characters to those portals and that means creating step-by-step details.

My current storyboard has more than just plot. It includes:

Dates of Events, displayed on contrasting sticky notes;

What about the small boat?
Each of the three point-of-view characters in Of Sea and Seed experiences a life-or-death situation in a small, traditional fishing boat, called a dory*.

In Canada, when books are **purchased by ( not donated to) libraries, authors may** receive compensation over and above the royalty. The compensation comes in the form of an annual payment from the Public Lending Right Program.

PAYMENT:
There is a $50 threshold set for a PLR payment. (For details on the payment scale, go HERE>)
For me, this scale means that

At my local library, I spoke with the community librarian who gave me the contact information for the acquisitions librarian.
In my application email to acquisitions, I included:

When a couple of weeks passed with no response, I emailed again.
Still no reply.