The buzz on the loops is about trends in publishing: how do you study them and how to beat them. The problem we all face, when attempting to study the publishing marketplace is that the books you buy today were acquired one to two years ago. So using current books as a marketing guide means you'll always be behind the trends.

It's totally frustrating and everyone knows it. This agent talks about it here. It gets even worse when you factor in publisher preferences and editorial slant. It can make you crazy.

My advice, for the two cents it is probably worth, is to read what you like, then write what you'd like to read. It isn't a sure way to become famous. (I'm a great case in point of that!) But at least you won't spend your time writing stuff you don't want to write OR read.

My other useless bit of advice is to not put all your eggs in one basket. Be flexible in what genres you explore, don't be afraid to color outside your own lines, and learn how to spin yourself and what you write in new ways. (A good example is chick lit, which is dead, but not really. I've just read two chick lit books, both recast as something else.)

When I started writing The Key I didn't write it with any calculation at all. In fact, I thought I'd lost my mind to be switching from contemporary suspense to sfromance. Until I started seeking out groups to market the book to, I had no clue that sfr was "hot."

Sometimes you just luck out. Sometimes you can stumble onto a trend you didn't know was there until you stumbled on it. Sometimes you just have to wait until the circle comes back around and scoops you up. No genre is ever completely dead.

But you always, always, always, have to write the best books you can, deliver the best stories you have in you. I've quit reading authors who fail to deliver consistently good stories, no matter which genre they wander into. If you switch gears, not every reader with follow, but those that love your writing, love your storytelling will--if you don't let them down.

Perilously yours,
Pauline
"The floor looked stone, but then a path of lights appeared in front of her, kind of like an invitation.
Okay.
She looked at it for a long moment, debating the wisdom of following it. It wasn’t much of a debate. She’d seen the movies on Sci-fi. She knew what could happen. "

Titles....

Okay, let's face it, whether we like it or not, readers initially are attracted to a book by the cover or the title (if you're not a famous name or someone they are already familiar with).

I'm a sucker for a time travel, so when I was in the local Walgreens and saw Tumbling Through Time I had to pick it up, even though the cover didn't jazz me that much. I read a bit and brought the book home, because the writing delivered, IMHO, on the promise of the title. This is from a debut author, so that makes it even more fun. I love discovering new, favorite authors, so looking forward to diving into the book and hoping it does all it promises.

But it did make me think about my titles. Do they say "pick me up?"

Because I'm not in marketing, I really have no idea. I pick them because they suit the book or tell the reader something about the story. For instance, my new release The Key is perfectly titled for the premise. Keys are very important throughout the story, in a variety of ways. The same could be said for Missing You. That title works on a lot of levels, but I don't know if it makes people pick the book up and read a bit of it.

Because if they don't pick the book up, if they don't try it, they probably won't buy.

So basically all this puts the author part of me at odds with the business/marketing person. My next book is tenatively titled Invasion, which is, I think, going to work for the book thematically, but doesn't even hint at the humor, the high adventure, the romance of the book. It's possible that in the writing, another title will float to the top, but it's bound to be more about the book and less about selling the book.

So, what's your take on it? Do you prefer books with pick-me-up titles or books that fit the theme and style of the story?

And wouldn't be wonderful if you could find a title that does both?

Perilously yours,
Pauline

Pauline Baird Jones
The Key, Fall/2007, LL Dreamspell

“Dang.” Briggs looked at her. “I said it before and I’ll say it again. You fly like a girl.”

Sara grinned. “I crash like one, too.”

In Retreat...

No, I'm not advocating quitting writing, I thought I'd talk today about writer's retreats and the need to refill your inner well. For some reason winter (even though winter here is not particularly winter-ish) fills me with a desire to find a quiet cabin somewhere or a place on the seaside, preferably somewhere that is beautiful, isolated and free of bears and mountain lions. (I don't ask for much, do I?)

Of course, the problem with most retreats is that they are targeted to the "serious" author, i.e. the literary writer. Popular fiction authors need not apply. I'm not really bitter. I can't imagine finding fellowship with people whose writing is the polar opposite of mine. I just wish we popfic-ers had some options for retreats, that's all.

Now, when I picture a retreat, it is a place of beauty, peace quiet and like-minded people. A place where I can get support, but also be alone when I need to. A place to write without the distractions and imperatives of my real life, like not forgetting to pay bills, a place where I only do my own laundry. (grin)

I can trace this longing back to a particular moment in time, though I don't have an exact date. It was when I read Anne Morrow Lindberg's Gifts from the Sea. The book is about her retreat to a seaside cottage and a time to reflect on her life. It's a small book, but one I still pull out when my life seems out of balance. The book I pull out when I can't retreat from my real life.

As writers, we have to do a lot of stuff, much of it not actually writing. It is important to take a step back and ask yourself, am I keeping my creative well filled so that when I have the time, when the moment is right, that I am able to put words onto paper? Because if you're not writing, then all the other stuff is just sound and fury and flailing about.

If you let any part of the peripheral of writing overshadow the actual writing, then your writing life isn't in balance. Sometimes that means cutting out the "tremendous triffles" that litter your daily path. Sometimes that means giving in to the tremendous imperatives that are part of living in the real world. But it also means realizing which are trifles and which aren't.

You won't be perfect at this, but if you thinking about it and assessing it, and taking steps back when it's not clear where you are, then you're probably 80% hitting your target and that's not bad. At least you're not giving up. :-)

If you're interested in finding "real" writers retreats, do a search on the term. You'll be surprised what you find. If you can afford it, just find a cabin or go to a hotel room. If you can't afford it, don't forget your great imagination. Mental retreat is better than nothing. Just don't forget to come back and get back to work. :-)
Perilously yours,
Pauline