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Writing Tip:  A concept called cause and effect is the internal integrity of the story that provides a logical framework and forward motion. Cause and effect occurs at every level of a story’s construction, from sentence to paragraph to page to chapter. Problems occur when: cause has no effect, effect has no cause, the effect precedes cause, or when  there is simultaneous cause and effect. Some examples…Cause with no effect: He flipped the switch and looked into her cold blue eyes. What is the effect of flipping the switch? Looking into her cold eyes? To follow cause and effect it should read: He flipped the switch. Light flooded the room. He looked into her cold blue eyes. Effect with no cause: This occurs when a character acts or reacts for no apparent reason, i.e., furious to calm with no transition. Effect precedes cause: He shot three times after pulling out the gun should read After pulling out the gun, he shot three times. Simultaneous cause and effect: Ripping off the sheet, she collapsed onto the bed.  This sentence implies that two events are happening at the same time which, when imagined, seems unlikely. Better stated: She ripped off the sheet and collapsed onto the bed.

Editing Tip: Weed out vague words such as: thing, something, stuff, aspect, area, factor, unit, situation, type, way, sort of, kind of, nice, a lot of, manner, ideas, activity, procedure, or any general word or phrase that tends to be overly inclusive. To remedy, either omit or replace with specific descriptive words.

Publishing Tip: Pre-publication reviews are usually found on the back cover of the book. Often they are extracted blurbs. Getting reviews before publication can put everything on hold. Not just in the time it takes, but once returned, they have to be edited, formatted, and placed wherever you’d like them to appear. If  there are time constraints, a fee may be charged. Different reviewers ask for different formats. Some want an (ARC) Advance Review/Reading Copy (Week Twenty-Eight/Publishing Tip), others are okay with a digital copy of the book. Whatever format you send, make sure it is fairly clean of typos and formatting problems. Another way of handling reviews is to find other authors, specialists in the field, or enthusiastic readers to say a few words. People enjoy seeing their name in print and if they like your book, it’s a win-win situation. Book Connector  The Complete Review   Midwest Book Review

Website Tip: Selling books directly to readers from your website is often the most profitable. For this reason, make book sales quick, easy and affordable. Showcase your books on the landing page with clear links to your bookstore or checkout. At checkout, offer payment options that allow for check or credit card. Put books on sale as well as offer to sign and gift wrap. Once a sale is made, ship quickly with a thank you note and/or promotional freebie, i.e., bookmark, pen. For practices to avoid when selling from your website see Week Twenty-Nine/Website Tip. PayPal Google Checkout

Marketing Tip: Advertise on Craigslist. It’s free and local. Depending on your book and what it’s about (niche), there are a range of classifieds to place an ad. Craigslist