Michigan Writers Groups and Organizations

As I've delved into the world of indie publishing, I've really missed having a writing community. My writing community has fluctuated over the years. I've been involved in groups, gone to a handful of conferences and tried out online writing collaboration. Lately, my writing community mostly includes podcasts, the kboards and Facebook. Especially as I prepare to publish my second book - out next week - and I 'm searching for launch strategies and other ideas to get some momentum in the Born of Shadows Series.  However, I felt compelled to research writing organizations in Michigan in the hopes of reaching out to some other writers in the non-digital world. If you too are looking to connect with other writers in Michigan - here are some organizations to get you started. Also - feel free to shoot me a message if you want to talk writing!

Michigan Writers: Based in Traverse City, they do writing events, workshops and a Chapbook.

Mid Michigan Writers: Located in West Branch, they offer bi-weekly meeting, events and more.

Rochester Writers: Located in Rochester, they offer an annual conference, events and contests.

The Detroit Writer's Guild: Located in Detroit, they do various writing events and have a variety of member benefits.

Springfed Arts Metro Detroit Writers: Located in Detroit, they offer contests, workshops, events and more.

Reader's Gift Giveaways

Check out my monthly reader's swag giveaways on my author website jrericksonauthor.com. When you subscribe, you'll be automatically entered to win that month's funky reader gift. This month's giveaway is this rad Edgar Allen Poe Coffee Mug. Subscribers also receive a free sample of my novel Ula: Born of Shadows along with other book news. 

Click here to check out October's Giveaway

Instafreebie Ebooks and Book Funnel for Indie Authors

As I get closer to re-releasing Ula: Born of Shadows, I've been searching for ways to get a preview out to readers. There are a lot of options and I can thank most of my recent indie author education to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Marketing Podcast (check them out here). I love the three authors who host the podcast. They're extremely down to earth and make the possibility of working as an author feel much more doable. They also don't don't spend the first twenty minutes of the show talking about their work, which I've found in other podcasts and it kind of drives me crazy. So getting back to topic, I'll just offer a brief overview of Instafreebie and Book Funnel. I'm a new user to both and don't have a lot of data yet to offer, but hopefully, I can provide updates over time.

Instafreebie: This site is dedicated to getting free books (or book previews) into the hands of readers. You can sign up for a free option on their website or paid options, which range from $20-$50 per month. You need an epub file of your manuscript, which you upload to their site, along with cover art. Then you set-up a Giveaway, which prompts the site to provide you with a link to your book. Readers can click the link and go straight to your ebook. The paid options are pretty important if you're a new author trying to build a mailing list because you can't collect subscriber information with their free option. They state that the more you share your book - by providing your link to your mailing list, on social media etc. - the more they will advertise your book to readers. I published the first eighteen chapters of Ula: Born of Shadows Book 1 on Instafreebie three days ago. I have not shared my link on any social media yet - this is my first post about it - and have two readers that have claimed the book. I'm not sure how they found it, but obviously Instafreebie has some space where books show up for readers to claim them. Find out more about Instafreebie here.

You can view my Instafreebie link for Ula here.

Book Funnel: Like Instafreebie, Book Funnel is a platform designed to give books to readers. You can post partial or complete ebooks. While Instafreebie seems more geared toward readers, Book Funnel appears to target writers. Their site gives authors the ability to upload their books and provide their readers with the option of downloading your book in epub or mobi format. They don't advertise your book. The link that you receive from Book Funnel can be private or public. They advertise their site as an ideal way to give specific people advanced reader copies or to share exclusive content with your mailing list. The cost of Book Funnel is $20 to $250 per year. For a new author, the $20 option seems perfectly fine. Although this options does not include collecting email addresses, you can integrate Mail Chimp or other subscriber platforms with the service. Find out more about Book Funnel Here.

I'm not publishing my Book Funnel link on social media; however, I will include it in my next newsletter so that you can get a feel for how the different platforms look.

Have you used Instafreebie or Book Funnel as an Indie Author? What has your experience been?

“I don’t care if a reader hates one of my stories, just as 
long as he finishes the book.”
—Roald Dahl, WD

Book Cover Art for Indie Authors

When I decided to end my novel contract with my small publisher, I lost my cover art for my Born of Shadows Book Series. One of the things that I've heard repeatedly on writing podcast (and know as a reader) is how important awesome cover art is for a novel's success. The challenge of course is finding an affordable book cover artist when you're an indie author without a big budget. Initially I found a designer that allows you to choose your own cover image and then she adds the font and formatting for $150, which is a pretty good deal. Unfortunately, I realized that this cost didn't include a paperback option, which is important to me because I love having paperback copies of my published novels. I found another artist who offers a great deal for beautiful cover art when you're doing a book series and ultimately went with her. She's been great to work with - intuitive, on time and mos of all creates a beautiful cover design.

If you're looking for affordable cover art, my advice is that you reach out to the designers. Tell them what you have in mind and what your budget is. Like most things, making a connection changes the conversation. Many designers have flexible pricing and can offer less expensive custom options if that's what you need. I posted a few of the designers that I checked out - including the one who designed my cover - below.

Do you want to recommend a book cover designer? Leave their information in the notes and we'll add them to the list. Also feel free to share your own book cover art.

• Cover Quill - Rena is the designer at Cover Quill and she created my new cover for Ula: Born of Shadows Book 1 (I love it)
• Beetiful Book Covers - This designer offers a custom e-book option for $150.
• The Book Cover Zone - I have not worked with this designer, but I saw some great pre-made covers on their site. 

Ula: Born of Shadows Book 1
JR Erickson

Urban Fantasy Book Giveaway

Five years ago I published my first novel Ula: Born of Shadows with a small publisher. I knew that I needed to market the book if I was going to have any success as a fiction author, but I didn't do it. Life stuff got in the way and if it sounds like an excuse, that's because it is. The truth is that at pretty much any stage of our lives, we're faced with challenges. Even during the most placid periods, we still have jobs, dishes and oil changes. There has never been a moment in my life that I couldn't make a dozen excuses for why I wasn't writing.

To make a very long story slightly less long, a couple of months ago I realized that if I didn't commit to writing in a real way then I was going to spend the rest of my life wanting to be a writer, but rarely writing. Since that day, I've written at least 1,000 words every day - many days 2,000 plus; I've cancelled my contract with my small publisher and started the journey towards self-publishing; I've contracted a freelance graphic designer to build an author website and I've taken about a thousand notes on fiction marketing. Over the next few months I plan to re-release Ula: Born of Shadows - my first novel in an urban fantasy series. The sequel Sorciere: Born of Shadows will follow shortly thereafter. They're both currently written and edited. The third book is in the works - though I have another 30,000 words to go, then will come the editor, the cover art etc. I will do my best to come here and share the journey with all of you. There's something amazing that happens when you share your story, it resonates with others and they share their stories in return.

Thanks for visiting! I am giving away three paperback copies of Ula: Born of Shadows on my Facebook Page. Visit the link below and like the post for a chance to win a copy.

Visit My Facebook Page for a Chance to Win a Free Copy of Ula: Born of Shadows. Winners will be chosen September 30th.

2017 Writer's Conference in Michigan

Fall is a great time to get recommitted to your writing - or to hone your craft - or network. As summer drifts away, we find ourselves more often in quiet contemplation. Add a boost to that reflective time by attending a writer's conference. Not only are conferences a great chance to meet other authors, they provide valuable -  and current - news about the world of writing and publishing. 

The Kent District Library in Comstock Park, Michigan is holding the KDL Writer's Conference: Crafting Edition on Saturday October 28th, 2017. If you're thinking about doing NaNoWriMo, this conference may offer a great jump start for writing your novel in November. 

For more information on the conference, visit the KDL website here. Pre-registration is required for the event.  

Beautiful Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore
 (The area that I call home)

Scrivener for Novel Writing

Wow - what can I say? Scrivener is awesome. Mind you, I've been writing novels in a basic word processor for years so Scrivener is like transitioning from a bicycle to a spaceship. At least that's been my experience so far. I downloaded the free trial of Scrivener a few weeks ago and it has seriously transformed my writing process. Being able to break down my novel easily into scenes, within chapters, within the entire manuscript - which is all easily seen and navigated to in a left side bar - saves a ton of time scanning back and forth through my document for previous scene information. I can't really offer a post with all of the aspects of Scrivener that are great because I'm still pretty new to the software; however, if you're writing novels and getting really bogged down in your process, consider trying out the free trial. Let me also add that I don't have any affiliation with Scrivener or benefit in any way from posting about the software. I'm just so blown away by how much it has helped organize my novels and ideas that I wanted to share. I've posed a link to the free Scrivener download below as well as a video that I watched to get acquainted with the software. I hope that you get some great results from trying it out.

Free Scrivener Download Link

Video: Top Five Reasons Scrivener is My Favorite Writing Software (this is not my video)

I don't believe in 'thinking' old. Although I've transitioned through many bodies - a baby, toddler, child, teen, young adult, mid-life and older adult - my spirit is unchanged. I support my body with exercise, my mind with reading and writing, and my spirit with the knowing that I am part of the Divine source of all life. Wayne Dyer

Writing Every Day

I have been writing every day for a couple of weeks now. With a one year old vying for my time and attention, writing has been less of a priority. Though let me be honest, prioritizing writing has always been challenging for me. When I wrote my first published novel Ula: Born of Shadows, I wrote every single day. I also didn't have a day job, a child, or many of domestic rituals I've now taken on, but ultimately it wasn't about my time. I simply chose to do it. Just like now, some days I choose to vacuum or file paperwork - other days I skip it. If I skip it long enough, the dust/cat fur/clutter call me to action. Writing is both easier and harder to ignore. You see, no one is going to choke on a carpet hairball if I don't write for a few days. On the other hand, my brain, heart and bones will start to vibrate with the irritating request that I sit down and write. If I ignore that request long enough, I start to feel lost, frustrated and disappointed in myself. Those feelings don't help me to write. On the contrary, the self deprecating thoughts are another barrier to my creativity so I push it further from my mind. It's a disturbing cycle and so easily broken by a few minutes at my computer every day. That's it - so simple - ten minutes of writing and I can find ease. Lately it has come naturally. I have several projects going simultaneously. I've also just downloaded Scrivener and I've been slogging through YouTube videos on how to use it. So if you find your own frustrations with making writing a priority, I'm going to outline a few tips that I use to get my butt in the chair.

• Brainstorm: Sometimes the only writing that I do in a day is a long rant about what's happening in my story and what could be happening in my story, etc. I have a separate file for every book dedicated to brainstorming, character development, outlines, synopsis, ideas. It's crucial to the writing of my novel and it helps me get the ideas out of my head without the pressure of committing words to the novel when I feel less inspired. 
• Podcasts: I love podcasts and subscribe to a huge variety them from spiritual growth to writing and editing. One of my favorite writing podcasts is Write 2B Read by Ani Alexander. She interviews authors and people in the book business who provide great tips, resources and stories of their development as authors. I'm almost always inspired to write after I listen and you can tune into podcasts while driving, cleaning, cooking, which means you're not detracting from other to-dos.
• Long Hand: Keep a notebook handy at all times to jot down ideas or write a scene or character description. So often writing inspiration will strike when I'm riding in the car with my husband or running into town on an errand. If I have my notebook handy, I can get my writing done at that moment. I also believe that our ideas are unique when we're in the world instead of tucked at home in front of our computer. Take advantage of your own unique perception in those moments by writing them down.  

Northern Michigan 

Snowflake Method of Novel Writing

Need some structure for that novel idea that has been floating around in your mind for a while? I stumbled across this website this morning by author Randy Ingermanson who details a novel writing structure known as the Snowflake Method. It seemed like a pretty effective tool for outlining so I wanted to pass it along. I hope that you find it helpful!

The Snowflake Method for Novel Writing

Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.

Moliere

Quit Whining Start Writing - October 2016 Writer's Conference

Hey Writers! Sorry for the last minute notice, but I just came across a writer's conference happening in Michigan this week. Take a day and head over to Grand Rapids for the Quit Whining Start Writing Writer's Conference which features keynote speakers, writing workshops and more.

For more information: http://www.splatteredinkpress.com/writers-conference-2016/

Writing Through It

Lately I have felt paralyzed by the darkness in our world. Each time I get inspired to write, I open my laptop and make the mistake of tuning into Facebook or browsing the news feeds and suddenly I am not writing. I am reading about a mass shooting or a political scandal and the inspired me is shriveling and shrinking and crawling back inside so that I don't have to think about it. You see, good writing comes from that deeper self that is connected to it all. The self that feels huge love and compassion and fear and gratitude and hope and apathy and rage. The self that is a reflection of my truth and that cannot look upon these horrors and remain unaffected. Instead, I look and recoil and then try to back away. Rather than feeling inspired to write something positive to balance the energies of all that negative, I feel scared.

I am a new mother. I am a daughter, a wife (sort of), a sister, a grand-daughter, an aunt, a cousin, a friend. Like most of the world, I love. When I read about the death of a child, it reaches into the depths of my being and squeezes until I have to rip my attention away and put it somewhere else. Tragedy is hard, but when it is intentional, when it is committed by a person or persons with malice, it becomes this horrifying enigma. Now I am looking - not only at the injustice for the victim and the grief for the family - but also the motivation of the person who acted out their cruelty. Why did they do it? This is the cycle that cripples me. It is here in this tornado of shock, sadness and ultimately questioning, that writing becomes less than secondary. I can barely think of writing. I wonder what's the point? I might pen something that inspires hope, but will it merely be buried beneath the onslaught of another day's darkness?

Yes, it probably will. But still I do it. Not always, sometimes I just watch a movie and snuggle my baby and pray that love wins. But writing is my way out of that confusion. It is also this hugely powerful tool to influence the world in a positive way. Just as my heart breaks when I read about tragedy, it soars when I read a beautiful poem or laugh at a funny story. The pen is mightier than the sword. We can see that when we are broken by the stories of these tragedies. We were not shot, attacked or abused, but collectively we feel beaten when we're constantly steeped in the stories of those who were. It is our job - and by our I mean the whole of humanity - to cast our awareness onto all that is good and beautiful. We have to write about the love in those moments when we feel lost.

Marketing and Sales Opportunity for Michigan Authors

Hello Michigan writers! Read below for an opportunity to sell and showcase your work at Arts and Greens, the Huron Valley Council for the Arts: Annual Holiday Fair: 
     The Huron Valley Council for the Arts is currently looking for talented authors of books for children and teens for our annual holiday fair, Arts & Greens. We would like to invite you to apply to be a part of this unique show; applications are now up on the HVCA website, huronvalleyarts.org, under Artist Opportunities. Arts & Greens Holiday Market is held inside the gorgeous Bogie Lake Greenhouses. Guests can shop the artist and author booths nestled between festive displays of poinsettias and other holiday greens. The unique setting makes this holiday show a must for many Oakland County residents. In addition , visitors can also enjoy live music ranging from the Huron Valley Community Chorus to the ever popular Tuba Christmas performance. The talented staff of Bogie Lake Greenhouses will be conducting free holiday greens-arranging classes throughout the weekend, where they will be teaching visitors the fine art of creating that perfect table centerpiece or festive holiday decoration. Arts & Greens will be celebrating its 12th anniversary this year; come and be part of the unique holiday show! If you have any questions please contact the Arts & Greens team at ArtShop@huronvalleyarts.org Kind regards, Sybil Phelps, Authors Coordinator Arts @ Greens

Create Content that Reader's Want

Don't Miss A Rally of Writers: Michigan Writer's Conference

Whether you're a novice writer beginning to explore writing professionally or a seasoned wordsmith, A Rally of Writers is a conference worth checking out. The 2016 writer's conference takes place on April 9th in Lansing, Michigan. The Rally offers sixteen sessions from Building and Selling a Fantasy Series to Post Publication Pitfalls geared toward helping you navigate the murky waters of writing for publication. A variety of speakers, an opportunity to network with other writers and even a chance to have your manuscript reviewed are all available at the 2016 Rally for Writers

What: A Rally of Writers: Michigan Writer's Conference

When: April 9th, 2016 from 8:30 AM - 5 PM

Where: Lansing Community College West Campus Conference Center

Cost: $85 for Advance Tickets - $100 At the Door

For more information visit A Rally of Writer's Website

Dating a Writer

Beta Readers for Your Unpublished Manuscript

Somewhere along your book writing journey, you're going to have to stop slamming your laptop when people peer over your shoulder, and actually share your work. To non-writers this is a piece of cake; however, after you've spent years meticulously crafting your narrative, releasing it to potentially critical eyes can be pretty unnerving. Which is why it's especially important for those writer's who are the most terrified at the prospect of revealing their work. One of our greatest obstacles as writers, is coming out of the comfort of our writing room and interacting with other human beings. It's also a huge part of successful book marketing these days - even more so if you're choosing to self publish.

Beta readers come in all shapes and sizes. You might begin with friends and family, but keep in mind that they love you and don't want to hurt your feelings so getting truly honest feedback from them may be hard, if not impossible. Moving beyond that sphere, are you part of a book club or writer's organization? Ideally, your beta readers will not only be readers, but readers within your genre. Another option is to reach out via social media, especially if you have created a platform that communicates to an audience of people who like the kinds of books that you write. You might also consider seeking beta readers on websites such as WorldLiteraryCafe.com or another of thousands of websites that help connect writers with beta readers. One of the benefits of this final option is that you can get reviews that are not biased by a personal relationship with you.

When you find your readers, do your best to make the reading process easy for them. Make sure that your final draft has already been revised, spell-checked and organized into chapters. For friends and family, I send my manuscript in GoogleDocs with editing enabled so that they can put feedback in the body of the text. Make sure that the copy is clean and easy to read.

And then wait. A lot of our writing life is a waiting game, but begin another project in the meantime. When the feedback comes back, consider it carefully, but don't immediately start red penning your manuscript. Look for trends in criticism to see where multiple readers are noticing the same issue (i.e. a character who lacks depth). Everyone reads from their unique perception and not every piece of feedback will be good or even useful to you. When it's all said and done - thank your beta readers profusely - and if you have other books maybe even offer them a freebie to increase the chances that they will read and critique your next manuscript as well.

Trekking the Self Publishing Mountain

In April I am having a baby. This is a pretty big deal as life stuff goes and an especially big deal in my world because this will be my first child, which means I'm embarking on an entirely new adventure that I hadn't necessarily anticipated for this lifetime. I'm excited and nervous and 10,000 other emotions that I probably don't need to list since many of you may have already had the experience. One of the major changes underway is that I will be leaving my current jobs to care for the new little guy sharing our apartment. This pending change has inspired me to return to writing as a more full time gig. For the last couple of years - since Ula got published - I've been working primarily in the psychology/social work fields - in addition to teaching yoga. I've continued to write - my Born of Shadows sequel Sorciere is currently in edits with the publisher and I'm in the process of writing Book III; however, I have not been living as a working writer. I intend to change that.

 How? Well that's where it gets sticky. My love is fiction and that is always my primary focus; however, after publishing traditionally, I feel that self-publishing is most definitely worth a try. I have a novel that I wrote three years ago that I've just begun to edit. It's in the chick lit genre and as far as self publishing goes, I am a novice. I've been on an information binge, consuming podcasts, articles and interviews about the self publishing process and to be honest, it's a tad overwhelming. Despite the brain overload, I feel pretty excited and inspired by all of the success that self published authors are experiencing. I hope to share the journey with all of you and I would love your tips, feedback and insights as well. Thanks for reading and writing and Happy 2016!

Self Publishing Help

Perhaps you've been sitting on a book for years and have been unable to secure a publisher or an agent. Or maybe 2016 will be the year that you write your novel. Whatever the situation, self publishing offers every writer the opportunity to make their book available to the world. Check out this quick infographic for some self publishing tips.

Self Edit

One of the most important, and often difficult, aspects of the writing process is editing. The following infographic is a quick guide to simplify your editing experience. 

Writing Contests: Summer 2015

There's really no end to the many avenues that writers have to improve their skills in the realm of writing. Blogs, articles, short stories, writer's prompts, novels and even greeting cards offer us a seemingly endless supply of ways to pluck from our imaginative pool and twist our words into a stream of prose meant to delight, inform or even terrify our readers. Contests provide us with an opportunity to meander off our finely beaten writerly paths and foray into a new genre - perhaps with a bonus at the end of publication or prize. Try your hand at one of these upcoming writer's contests below....

TLR Prose Poetry Contest: Accepts prose poems. Deadline 8/1/15

The Barthelme Prize for Short Prose: Accepts poetry, flash fiction and micro-essay. Deadline 8/31/15

The Sixth First Line Contest: Accepts starter sentences. Deadline 9/1/15

NANO Fiction Prize: Fiction works of 300 words or fewer. Deadline 9/1/15  

Cahoots Collaboration Contest: Must include a literary element. Deadline 10/1/15

War and Peace Fall Essay Contest: Accepts essays up to 3,000 words. Deadline 10/12/15