Deadly Obsession available in Paperback!

My paperback is out; you can read it by turning pages. Wow, its a GREAT feeling!

And it wasn't that difficult. Of course, I thought it would be (difficult) when I started because it was an unknown entity. But Createspace was amazing. The site takes you step by step through the process, and if you make a mistake you can go back and change it as many times as you like. 

Before I started, I read through the various stages so  I knew what I had to deliver from my side, such as a cover to the correct dimensions, a blurb for the back cover, the correct layout, the correct font. 

On my first attempt, I simply used the same layout as I had for the Kindle version - well, when I received my proof, the typeface was so big you could read it from a distance of  ten yards. 

Through all my iterations of this book, I found the following to work best for a paperback novel:

• black print on cream paper, not white
• 5x8 in size, nothing larger
• Palatino Linotype, 10
• review the digital proof as well as a hard copy
• provide a professional cover

I've been through it with a fine tooth comb; its been edited and proofed for grammar and typos; its been tweaked and turned and tossed and tinkered with - its should be in its best shape yet. 

I hope you enjoy Deadly Obsession as a paperback. If you do, please let me know. 

At the moment its only available on Createspace,  but I expect it to be out on Amazon.com within the next few days. 

If you have any comments, I'd love to hear them (please keep them constructive). 

Writing rocks!!

Deadly Obsession in Paperback - I'm nearly there!

Have you ever wondered why nothing is as simple as it sounds?
But then again, often when you finally complete a complex task which you viewed with dread before the outset, it turns out to be far simpler than you originally thought?

When I don't know what something will be like/take to do, it becomes this massive mountain, and I'm a piddling climber attempting to transcend a sheer rock face with nothing but my bare hands.

I even get that knot of anxiety churning away in my stomach which I have to push through in order to come out the other side. But when I'm out the other side, I look back and say 'that wasn't so bad!'

90% of the time, its never so bad. 90% of the time, its never as hard as I make it out to be in my mind.
I'm holding onto this thought with both hands and my teeth because I'm smack bang in the middle of trying to publish Deadly Obsession in paperback, and I'm daunted by the task!
I have to say, that from this side of the fence (i.e. haven't done it yet), I feel totally inept. Having said that I WILL persist.

I'm nearly there.

With any luck, by this weekend...

Move to change.

Nothing is still.

Everything at every moment is moving, changing, evolving: from the molecules and atoms in a seemingly still, inanimate object to the molecules & atoms that make up your body, a tree, a bee or the earth beneath your feet.

Everything is on its way somewhere.  Its on a journey.
Its aiming for a destination, and when it gets there, it  sets its sights on the next destination such as A to B to C, and so on. There is no end destination, because there is no limit to where it (you, things) can go, expand to... or become.

Life is the same.It is constantly moving, changing, evolving, growing, expanding. It is always on its way somewhere - but to where?

In my life, I'm the only one who can determine where I am on my way to, and how long it will take me to get there. And then once I've reached 'there', I'll set my sights on the next destination, and so it goes.

The key is to know where I am going and to keep my eyes focussed in that direction.

'Pin' yourself out there.

Self-branding is a buzz word today, but what does it really mean? Without taking it to the level of global celebrities, let's get simple about it. 


The people who know you - friends, family, colleagues, community members, whatever - know things about you on various levels. Those you've known forever, know you better than those you've known for five minutes. You may keep your private life separate from your work life so your colleagues will have a different view of you to possibly your close friends. 

Every day in every part of our lives we are self-branding ... and we've been doing it all our lives. Our target audience has just been contained, that's all. 
Today, the internet and social media enables us to achieve a much greater reach.  


I've read articles that advise establishing a niche and focussing purely on that - tailoring posts, interactions, comments, discussions, etc. around a specific topic and no other. It gives people a clear understanding of what you associate yourself with and so they follow you because of the content you put out. Other points of view include letting your audience see a bit more depth to the real person behind the niche marketer. This holds for brands as well. Customers want to connect more with the humanity of the brand - its human face - if you like.  


I've recently started out on my self-branding journey. I've just released my début novel and started my blog a couple of months ago. 
My activity has focussed on posts about my book and my experiences in self-publishing because this is what I've spent my time doing. There are so many facets to a writer and an individual, and you may not want to limit yourself. I know, I don't want to. 


Social media is evolving and so is self-branding. On Facebook, you can now 'like' stuff, on Google +, you can '+1' something, on Twitter you can retweet. These options tell your audience more about you and where you stand: more about the person and the personality behind the brand/niche/blog; more all-roundedness; more humanity.

Enter Pinterest. 


Its the picture (of you) that paints a thousand words. 


You can 'get' so much more about the person/brand/group by looking at their Pinterest boards, than you can by reading most blogs. 
It gives each of us (individual and brand) the opportunity to show, not tell the world about ourselves. 




And that's something any writer understands (or should). 

Keep it regular, keep it real.

This may sound like young adult jargon to some, but the more I think about these words and toss them around in my head, the more I realise they hold a whack of wisdom right there for the taking. They give me a succinct vision/mission/axiom to live by.

And they apply to loads of life experiences and adventures. Let's have a look at a few:

1. Blogging:
I started in January 2012, pumping out 14 posts in my first month. Then, life burrowed its way back into 'top of mind' and I throttled back to 6 posts in February. I'm mortified to say that to date in March, I've only posted once (before this one that is).

I'm still trying to find my rhythm. I started a new job recently and that consumed a lot of head space and time space for me, I'm looking for that slot in my day where it fits comfortably and feels easy.The kind of natural flow I'm looking for only comes with time and perseverance.
So this is me keeping it real - I may not have the regular down pat just yet, but I'm working on it....

2. Exercise:
Oh you know I just had to slip this one in! Regular in this context means consistent - daily, twice/three times weekly for a set time (1 hour, or maybe a little less). A four hour marathon one week and nothing else for a month will be way less for you than 30 minutes three times a week.
That's because regular, real exercise makes you happy, knocks stress on the head, fires up the muscles, gives the metabolism a zing, and is guaranteed to keep you focussed in the moment for the time you do it. Benefits, benefits, benefits - it doesn't get better than this.

3. Email:
The best thief of time I know. Email is supposed to make our lives easier, to speed up the communication process between people, and can zip around the globe in seconds effectively reducing vast distances to byte-size pieces.
And why are incoming messages so mesmerising? Do you find yourself (like me) checking your email regularly (read - way too often for optimal productivity)? Have you ever been deeply engrossed in a humongous spreadsheet only to see the email notification pop up in the bottom left corner of your screen, and then your mind is off subject and you're trawling your email again? 

The trick is to schedule certain dedicated time slots to check email, and when its not one of those times, close it.

By the time you login again, the people who like to hold detailed conversations on email will have finished their discussion and you can quickly skim the copy for relevant issues. Less than half the time, all the info. Result!


So keep it regular and keep it real whatever that means for you.

Tips to Design Your Book's Front Cover

Your book's front cover is the picture that speaks a thousand words. It's what your book looks like to, hopefully, millions of viewers and readers out there. You've got to make it good, and there are a number of ways in which you can do this.

If you don't have a specific idea in your head, and there may be many of you who don't, that's OK, because as with anything there is a simple formula you can use.

1. What is your book about?

The front cover is the face of your book. This is the first thing your reader will see, so it needs to be designed to draw the reader in. It needs to give the reader a taste of what they can expect to find in the book. The front cover is the epitome of show, don't tell.

Many writers will have a picture in their head of how they want the cover to look. If not, these questions may help you:

·        What does your main character do? Are they a detective or a sailor or maybe a painter?

·        Where is the book set? If your main character is a sailor then maybe the book is set on the high seas.

·        What happens in the story? Is it a murder? Is it a love story? Is it a drama?

Try to incorporate images that start to tell the story for you.

2. Is there a key/major theme?

You're unlikely to find the front cover of a murder mystery depicting two people in love under a starry sky. Likewise, any self-respecting romance is unlikely to feature a bloodied knife on the front cover.

Take the key theme and try to find images that illustrate it.

3. Where to find the images?

There are a multitude of websites offering images - some free, some not. It all depends on what you are looking for.

If you manage to find something free online then use it, but if not, it's a relatively small investment to purchase five images. Usually these images can be downloaded over a set period (up to one year), so if you don't use all of them now, you can use them for your next book.

Here are some useful websites:

·        www.shutterstock.com

·        www.istockphoto.com

·        www.gettyimages.com

·        www.alamy.com

·        www.imagesonline.com

4. Colour scheme.

What genre have you written for? If your book is a mystery, you'll probably want to steer clear of colours such as pink or lavender? Thriller, mystery, crime novels call out for dark colours full of foreboding. Chick Lit, on the other hand, works well with the use of white, pretty colours, and pastels.

Consider the colour of the spine of your book. This is particularly important if you are producing a paperback or print-on-demand edition.  At some stage, the book will sit on a shelf, and that's where the spine comes into its own. Make sure that your spine colours work well with the font colour so your title and name stand out.

5. Layout - DIY or Pro?

Here's where it can get tricky. If you're not a graphics person or don't have some rudimentary knowledge of graphics software, you may decide to opt for a professional to lay it all out for you. I did.

After days of trying to get to grips with a software programme, I gave up. After all, I want to spend my time writing rather than trying to get my head around a completely different skill.

6. Front cover hook

I'm a fan of a hook on the front cover. It's a teaser; a tantalising insight into what the book is about. I always remember the story - legend, by now, I imagine - of the guys who concocted the screen story for the film, Alien.

Their challenge was to summarise the story to the film makers. They described it as "Jaws in space."

Those three words give you the Alien story in a nutshell. No need to explain, no need to embellish.

Thing is, you don't want to give away too much on your front cover, but you do want to use words to précis the story into a bit size chunk of a taster.

7. Back cover blurb

Here's where you set the scene a bit more. Here's where you introduce your characters and the journey they are about to take in the book. It's a short pitch or synopsis, and there is an art to getting it right. Get a few drafts together, and pass them amongst your friends for feedback. You're looking for an I'd like to read that response or I'm dying to know what happens to them.

8. Your name or pen name?

This is ultimately a personal choice. You write under whatever name you choose. People may advise you why a certain name won't work or why something else would work better, but essentially it is your choice.

One thing I would say - these days with personal branding and the stratospheric rise of social media, people (readers) are looking to connect. In that quest to connect they want to get to know you, and they want to know the real you.

Just something to bear in mind.

9. Proof

You will have done it to the manuscript in various stages of rewrites and you will have done it with the final draft of the manuscript but sometimes seeing it in a slightly different format to the one you normally work in, may help you to see things more clearly.

Proof it one last time.

Remember, the more professional you can make your book the better. Be proud of your work, it's taken a tremendous amount of time and effort on your part.

Your book's cover puts a face to the name - make sure the face you put out there is a good one.