Tag: writing advice

Why Scion Works

Is this post actually going to be on time? Oh my heavens, I don’t know who I am anymore!

Launching on September first, Scion is the latest novel by James Islington. He’s probably best known for his Hierarchy series, and this is his first science fiction book. I received an ARC from Saga Press. And it was a fantastic read.

Our main character is an assassin named Azure. He lives in a dystopian future where people have discovered how to live forever. Of course, that comes at a premium cost. So, rather than outlawing the practice, the people vote to make it legal to assassinate ‘Lifers’.

The allure of crowdfunding the legal assassination of a wealthy asshole is almost enough to make this book not so dystopian after all.

Azure is one such legal assassin. He’s one of the best at what he does, thanks in part to his extensive body modifications. So he’s surprised when he’s assigned instead to protect someone from assassination. He soon learns the reason he was selected for this task. And it’s life-altering.

So let’s break down Scion today, and see why it works.

The first scene is a masterclass

A scene should accomplish something. Maybe it’s to move the story along, give important information, or show us something about a character. The best scenes do multiple things at once. And the first scene in Scion is a perfect example.

We start right in with Azure penetrating the defenses of a target’s magnificent home. He’s face to face with a bioengineered monster and fighting for his life.

This is a great way to get the reader’s attention. It also introduces the reader to some of the advanced tech in this world. On top of that, it introduces us to Azure, his remarkable abilities, and his delightfully sarcastic personality.

Well done, all around.

The world is vast

We only see so much of Azure’s world. In fact, it feels like we’re just looking through a keyhole into a limitless universe. You just can’t see everything there is to see.

There is so much wild technology. So much culture, music, food, drugs, and people! And we just don’t get a lot of details about any of it.

The detail we do get is astounding. It alludes to a deeper, more complex world.

I love when authors do this. It’s something I’m trying to learn. You don’t have to give all the details when you’re worldbuilding. I mean, you can if you want to. Some writers really love that sort of thing. But if you give just enough detail, the reader’s imagination will usually fill in the rest.

The main character was likable.

I liked Azure. He was bitingly sarcastic, professional, and weirdly respectful.

All of this was strange for an assassin. But then, assassinations are legal. So maybe that helps.

I love that he’s kind and respectful, even when murdering someone. I love how well he stands up for his boundaries. He clearly cares about the people in his life, even if distantly. And he always wants to do the right thing.

Even if he’s murdering people.

I think it’s important for a character to have a set of moral standards they adhere to. Even if they aren’t exactly ones we agree to. And Azure has those moral standards. They make sense for the world he lives in and his place in it.

Well done.

The ending!

Finally, I want to talk about the ending, without giving it away. Because it’s interesting.

At the end of the story, Azure is faced with a choice. I think that readers might disagree as to which choice he should make.

I know which choice I would make. But, well, it isn’t as simple as that, is it?

It’s an ending that leaves the reader with questions. But good ones. It also leaves this world open. If Islington chose to write more in this world, I think he easily could. I also think he should. I’d certainly read it.

Overall, Scion was a fast-paced story that invites readers to play along and fill in the blanks themselves. It’s witty and fun. I’d certainly recommend checking it out when it releases on September first.

As though we need another reason to count down the days to September.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

Station 86 Volume 1 is coming! You can get your very own copy on October Second.

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The weight of a woman’s pen

“I’m a writer. I don’t cook and I don’t clean.” Dorothy West.

When I was a kid, my grandmother had a hysterectomy. I don’t mean when I was a teenager. I mean when I was a kid, like ten. And my mother sent me to stay with her for a week during my Summer vacation to take care of her. When my mother had a hysterectomy a few years later, I took care of her, too.

My writing has always come after caring for someone or something. I’ve written while potatoes boiled, at laundromats, while in doctors’ waiting rooms and on the public bus. I’ve gotten up early to sneak in writing before anyone would need me.

I have always had weight on my pen. Weight that many women probably find quite familiar.

This won’t be news to most of you, but women’s aspirations are often put on the back burner. We work our passions while babies nap, while water boils and meatloaves bake. We are often the default caregivers of children, parents, and in-laws. So if we are to write, we’ll do so once everything else is done.

This happens to me all the time. As you might know, my Darling Husband had a stroke about a year and a half ago. He is physically and mentally disabled. He needs care, some days more than others. So writing often comes in stolen moments. I barely wrote the first year after his stroke; I just didn’t have the time or energy.

Men don’t seem to have this problem. Or, I should say, men are less likely to have this problem. Lots of modern men are good at this. If you’re a man and you do an equal share of the housework, make your own doctor’s appointments, take equal care of your kids and elderly relatives, and pick up after your damned self without needing a list, that’s awesome. You’re a competent adult, and we love to see it. I’m kind of assuming that if you’re a man and you’re reading this, you are in fact one of these competent adults because I generally assume my readers are wonderful people and I love you all.

Let me tell you, though, that is not always the case.

One of the most galling things about the division of homecare is hearing some (not all) creative men talk about their partners. And, I hate to say it, but the first one that comes to mind is my man, my hero, Stephen King.

In his book, On Writing, he talks about his wife, Tabitha. And he obviously adores her. He makes it clear that he was only able to write while they had three little kids and they were both working because she was picking up the slack around the house. However, he points out that she had writing aspirations as well.

Well, fuck that! Tabitha King is an author. She’s been a published author since goddamned 1981 when her novel Small World came out. And I only found that out literally five minutes before writing this sentence because I looked it up! She’s published eight novels! On Writing came out in 2000, at which point Tabitha had already published seven of her books. And he sure didn’t mention that!

Stephen wrote novel after novel while working full time and doing a shit ton of coke. She wrote novel after novel while working, raising children, caring for a house, and dealing with her coke-addicted husband. Not to mention being incredibly supportive of his career. Put some respect on her damned name!

Over and over I hear men in the writing field talk about how much they depend on their spouses so they can write. I don’t often hear women say the same thing. Yes, some husbands fit that supporting role. But more often you hear men talk affectionately about how much their wives support them, without sparing a thought for how they can support their wives back.

Even so, the weight on the modern woman’s pen isn’t as heavy as it used to be. Consider Shirley Jackson, one of the greatest horror writers of all time. We all know the sort of marriage she had. Imagine what she might have done if her pen were a little lighter. If she’d had someone to cook dinner and look after the children. What might we have seen from other famous women writers? How many more amazing works would we have if women didn’t have this extra pressure on their time?

This needs to stop. This pressure needs to be removed. We need our pens to be lighter. But if that’s to happen, we women need to start having some real conversations with our partners, and with each other. In that spirit, I want to speak directly to my fellow women right now.

If your partner isn’t sharing in domestic labor, it might be time to have a real conversation with them. That’s going to look different for every couple. But it’s better than doing all the work and growing resentful that your own dreams are being buried under laundry and vacuuming.

We also need to stop posting these dumb, weaponized incompetent videos of men. It just encourages other women to put up with bad behavior because ‘all men are like that’. The fuck they are. My husband is half paralyzed, and he still helps out around the house to the best of his ability. My roommate is twenty-four, and he does equal parts of the housework.

Now, let’s also talk about how we talk to and about ourselves and each other. We do not have to have perfectly clean houses. We don’t have to make meals from scratch every night. We don’t have to have everyone over for holidays, cook, clean, and be perfect hostesses. We can ask for help from our families. We don’t have to take care of everyone. We shouldn’t expect perfection from ourselves. And if you have friends or family members who expect that perfection from you, maybe that’s not your problem. Maybe it’s time to respectfully tell your mom, sister-in-law, or judgy friend to go to hell.

This is something I’ve really struggled with. Especially since my husband’s stroke.

This is about to get real real here, so please be kind.

For the first few months after my husband’s stroke, I barely slept, let alone wrote. He needed almost constant care. He couldn’t sit up, couldn’t feed or clean himself. I didn’t leave the house for more than fifteen minutes for months. I was scared to take a shower with the door closed. I was terrified to leave him alone.

People offered to help. To sit with him. To run errands for me. And I would just say that I was fine. I had it covered. Because I did have the necessary things covered. He was clean, fed, and cared for. The house was put together.

But I wasn’t writing. Hell, I wasn’t reading. I could barely let him out of my sight.

Then, I did something drastic. A friend needed a roommate. I needed help. So we moved in together. I let other people stay with my husband. I let other people cook and clean. We’re talking about hiring a housekeeper. I stopped doing every single thing for my husband, and only stepped in when he actually needed help.

More than all of that, I’ve come to accept that the house might just be a mess. And that’s okay. It’s not a moral failing. Right now as I write this, there’s a massive pile of clothes that need to be folded and put away. There are dishes in my sink. The lawn needs mowed. I’ll get to it, or someone will. My writing comes first.

It’s time to take some weight off our pens and see what we can really do.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

Station 86 Volume 1 is coming! You can get your very own copy on October Second.

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Why I’ll probably never run out of content

This month marks the twelfth anniversary of Paper Beats World. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be some long emotional nostalgic post that I cry while I write. That’ll be later this month. Today, I want to acknowledge something that is kind of my super power. It’s something I aspired to as a child, and I think I’ve achieved it.

I have yet to run out of content for this blog. And honestly, I don’t think I ever will. I also don’t think I’ll ever run out of ideas for books or short stories. I have rarely, if ever, looked at a blank page for long.

Did you ever read the mystery series The Cat Who by Lillian Jackson Braun? The main character, Jim Qwilleran, was a journalist. He prided himself on being able to write 1,000 words about anything. Reading these books as a kid (yes, I did have a weird childhood), I decided that’s something I wanted to be able to do, too.

More than that, though, I have a crippling fear of running out of things to say. But it turns out this isn’t a superpower anymore than writing is. It’s a skill, and it can be learned.

So here are the things I do to make sure I never run out of ideas. Some of them are actionable; you can start doing them today. Some are a bit more philosophical. Try one of them, try any of them, try all of them. See what ideas you come up with.

I write everything down

I’m one of those people who always has a notebook with me. And I write things down. Things that I notice, that are interesting or infuriating. Thoughts I have while reading, or riding the bus. I never assume I’m going to remember, because I can promise you I won’t.

My notes are never pretty. They are not usually very interesting. They probably wouldn’t make sense to anyone but me. But they often lead to observations that are later made into stories or blog posts.

I freewrite

Yes, I’m banging this drum again. Freewriting is the number one best thing you can do for your writing. It’s often in these unstructured times when I come up with some of my best ideas. Sometimes it’s a fix for a problem in my current novel. Sometimes it’s a brand new story idea or some revelation I want to explore more in a post. Sometimes it’s some deep emotional realization, but that’s another post for another time. The point is that there are often good things to be gained from letting your brain off the leash.

I hang out with people older and younger than me

My roommate is a Gen Z person. He helps me keep an eye on what younger generations are up to these days. I also talk to a lot of older people in my day job.

This is a gift. Different generations see the world through entirely different eyes. I learn things from people both older and younger than me all the time. And this leads me to realizations and lessons I’d have missed if I was only hanging out with people my own age.

For a while, I struggled learning things from people younger than me. I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I think that came from not feeling as though I’d established myself yet. I didn’t feel like I’d shown the world what I could do. Now that I’m 40, and consider myself to have at least a little bit of success, I’ve humbled my damn self a lot. And that’s only benefited me.

I keep up with the news

To a point. If I didn’t put some barriers on how much and how often I pay attention to world affairs, I might have taken a bath with a toaster by this point. But I do pay attention.

The state of the world makes me angry. It makes me scared. And it gives me things to write about.

Art imitates life. If you’re an artist, it’s your job to capture part of the world you live in and explain it in your art. There will be history books later that will give us facts and figures (and death counts). We are here to tell later generations what it was like to live these days. What it’s like to wake up, go to work, go grocery shopping, do the laundry and wash the dishes while ICE agents are kidnapping people and our ‘president’ is stealing everything not nailed down and picking fights with other countries like a drunk after happy hour.

I consume things that cause a spark in me

I watch a lot of YouTube. A lot of writing content, of course, and horror content. I love me a good three-hour-long deep dive into urban legends. But I also watch things that just catch my interest. I like watching Answers With Joe, for instance. I like Mickey Adkins, a therapist. I also like this woman who’s a mortician. And I’ve been following the manager of a legal brothel on Instagram for forever.

Interesting things are interesting. And a writer can be inspired by another shiny thing that catches our eye. We’re kind of like cats. Or people with undiagnosed ADHD.

I love learning about new things. Useless things that I will never have to know, but are fascinating. These all feed into my writing. And, frankly, my overall enjoyment of life.

I live

I am forty years old, and I have seen things. I have done things. I have experienced good and bad days. I go on trips, go to the doctor, cook food, and sing along to music in my kitchen. I watch good TV, listen to new music, and investigate new hobbies. I have endured horrors. I have lost people who were my entire world. I have met new people who stole away my heart. And I am always eager to experience something new. Preferably good ones, but we can’t always be so lucky.

Writers cannot write in a vacuum. Many of us fantasize about quitting our jobs and going on writing retreats. I’m tempted to say that if I didn’t have quite such a full life, I might write more. These posts might be on time more often, and I might publish more than one book a year.

But I don’t think I would. I think that if I shut off that valve of living, it would strangle the creative valve. Writing doesn’t come from just pure imagination. It comes from experiencing life. All the great, glorious, and gory moments together. Every tear I shed has worked its way onto the page. Every love, every laugh. My work is an amalgamation of things that scare and delight me. If we’re honest, I think we’re all like that.

So that’s it. That’s how I’ve yet to run out of content, and probably never will. Now, it’s your turn. What do you do to come up with ideas? Let us know in the comments.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

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Why We Hexed the Moon works

Do you remember a few years ago, when some young witches on TikTok decided they were going to hex the moon? I remember mostly shaking my head at silly kids doing silly things because they were cooped up during Covid. Being a practicing witch myself and quite fond of the moon, I was mildly irritated. But in the end, I didn’t think the moon really cared that much.

Someone else remembered the moon hexing. That someone was Mollyhall Seeley. And rather than just shaking her head, she asked the question I think more of us should have asked.

What if the hex had actually worked?

We Hexed The Moon launched just a few days ago, on June 9th. I received an arc early from Saga Press. Unfortunately, Spring and Summer being what they are, I didn’t get to it when I meant to. But when I did get there, it was well worth the wait.

We Hexed the Moon is the story of four girls who have just graduated from high school. They’re looking down the barrel of the rest of their lives, and getting ready to go their separate ways come September. During a bored, hazy sleepover, they decide to hex the moon. Not for any reason except for something to do. And the Moon, well, she takes that personally. So she comes down to confront the girls.

Because that’s a normal thing to happen.

So today, let’s break down We Hexed The Moon, and see why it works.

Do you remember when your friends were the only family that mattered? When there were people in your life who were simply yours? Not related by blood, but related in every way that mattered?

Adults move away from that. We get married. We move away from our hometowns. We have kids. Life gets in the way. And suddenly we realize it’s been months or even years since we talked to the people who we used to see every day.

We Hexed The Moon is, before anything else, the story of four girls who are facing that down. Who love each other enough to not want to let go, but are realistic enough to realize they probably won’t have a choice. Hexing the moon is, to these girls, just another memory they’re trying to make together before life tears them apart. And if that isn’t relatable as Hell, I don’t know what is.

Of course, the real inciting incident of the story is when the Moon decides to come down to Earth and not go back. She appears, personified, in Jen’s bedroom.

And she’s funny as hell.

The Moon character is so bitingly sarcastic. She knows everything about everyone, because of course, everyone tells their secrets to the moon.

She also has a touching maternal streak for, honestly, everyone. We see this the most when she’s confronted with the dead body of a young woman who had a drug addiction. She reacts with such tenderness for this person; it’s heartbreaking.

One thing I was a bit unsure of about We Hexed The Moon was the utter lack of punctuation. No one’s dialogue is in parentheses. And sometimes this run-on story structure made it a bit hard to tell who the hell was talking.

However, it also felt more like a story someone was telling you, rather than a book you’re reading. Like you’re sitting in a booth at the diner with Jen, Maycie, Goldie, and Harding, just one of them for just as long as it takes you to finish the story. So while I don’t entirely love the lack of proper sentence structure, it makes sense. Much like Incidents Around The House, it’s hard to see the story being told any other way.

In the end, I feel like this is the sort of book that captures a specific moment. A place in time we all had our own version of. It’s the friends we all had, that we all knew we were going to lose, no matter how much we assured each other that we’d be friends forever, going on one last amazing adventure.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

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Why The Rainshadow Orphans Works

Written by Naomi Ishiguro and coming out on May 26th, Rainshadow Orphans was sent to me as an arc by the publisher. And honestly, I just speed read two really dark and disturbing horror novels. While they were fantastic, they were heavy! I for sure needed something light and fun. Thankfully, Rainshadow Orphans was there.

(If you want to read my reviews of these very dark books, check out Weird Wyrlds)

The story starts with Toshiko. She and her adopted siblings, Mei and Jun, live in Rainshadow City. Their goal is to seek revenge against the Lucky Crows, the gang that killed their Aunt Reiko. In the meantime, they want to steal enough from the elite of Rainshadow City to live a comfortable life that would otherwise be denied to them. But when Toshiko steals a dragon pearl from the Lucky Crows, she sets the whole city on its head.

This was an incredibly fun book to read that left me feeling lighter and craving bubble tea. So let’s break it down today and talk about why it works.

Excessively fun on purpose

Remember when you read young adult and children’s books, and they were fun? When the writer included characters or elements that were just for the fun of it? Why don’t adult writers do that more?

There are so many elements in Rainshadow Orphans that are just there for fun. Mochi, the family cat coming along on heists. Sun spirits who turn into squirrels to interact with the young prince Haru. And a machine that can make literally any kind of bubble tea you can imagine.

These are all fun elements. They bring levity to what could otherwise be a pretty dark story. I mean, this is a story about a corrupt city so bent on progress that the leaders don’t care about the lives of the people living there. That could be pretty messed up. It could also be the same shit we hear in the news every day. But adding joyful elements helps with the heaviness.

For such a chunky book, it’s a fast read

I mean, not that fast. This post is late, after all. But the pacing of the story goes fast. There’s always something happening. There’s not a lot of downtime. The characters are always off doing something dangerous, even if it’s just getting cake at a cafe.

Early in the book, it’s established that Toshiko and her family don’t really have a right to live in the city. They’re not citizens. So literally anytime they’re out in public, there’s an element of danger. Then, their faces are plastered all over the Lucky Crow’s most wanted list. This made the tension of the book sky high and thrilling. It makes you want to keep right on flipping pages.

All the characters are so endearing

I loved Toshiko from the start. I loved how much she, Mei, and Jun love each other. I especially loved Mei, with her cat, snacks, and full face of makeup, even when she’s not leaving the house.

I also loved Haru. He could have come off as a spoiled kid, but it’s made pretty clear pretty fast that his life is so lonely.

Every character in this book is endearing in their own way. You want to see everyone succeed, everyone be happy. Ishiguro manages this by showing not just each characters quirks, but how they interact with other people. How much they love other people, or seek to be loved by them.

This is something that shows each character’s real, well, character. How much they care about each other. How far they’ll go not just to protect each other, but to bring joy to each other.

Just when you think you know what’s going on

There were several moments early in the book where I was sure I knew the ending. Oh, I know what the robots are. Oh, these characters are going to fall in love. Oh, I know the plan for the city. And most of those times, I was right.

I found that out about two pages afterwards, because those weren’t the big reveals. They were small reveals that led us along a path to an ever more twisting tale. So if you start thinking you’re smarter than the author while reading this, hold up. I can promise you that Ishiguro knew exactly what she was doing. And she did it very well.

Rainshadow Orphans reminds us that even in the darkest times, we can thrive, not just survive. We can have our bubble tea and wintermelon cake, and stand up against all powerful regimes. We can see the magic in the world while fighting the darkness. It reminds us that yes, there are terrible and powerful people. There are fights to fight. But there are also grumpy cats, neighbors who help each other, and snacks. This is a lesson that we all need right now.

And thankfully, there’s more to come. Because Rainshadow Orphans was just book one in a trilogy. Personally, I can’t wait for the next one to come out, so I can travel again to Rainshadow City.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

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My best practices when receiving ARCs

Last week, we talked about submitting ARCs to potential advanced readers. As I said then, I’ve been getting a lot of these recently, and I wanted to share some tips for those of us sending ARCs. (This is something I’ll be doing myself soon. Stay tuned.)

Today, though, I want to talk about the other side of that equation. If you find yourself being offered ARCs, you may be a little unsure at first how to handle this. Personally, I always feel a little awkward getting ARCs. Like someone gave me a thoughtful gift and I didn’t give them anything.

So today, let’s talk about some practices I follow when I receive an ARC. Do you have to do these things? Of course not. Not unless you’re under some sort of contract. But as we are writers ourselves, these are things I’m sure any of us would appreciate.

Send a thank you letter

I think this is just good manners. But if you received an ARC, send a quick email thanking the person who sent it to you. Especially if it was a physical book. Not only is it polite, but it also lets the person who sent it know it was received.

Say no if you need to

There are going to be times when you just can’t take an ARC when it’s offered. We discussed some of these reasons last week. If you don’t have the time to read an ARC, that’s okay.

Or, if it just isn’t your thing, it’s okay to say that too. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad book. I don’t like matcha, even though everyone else seems to like it. Some people don’t like espresso, as strange as that is for me to believe. Sometimes good things just aren’t to your taste. And it’s best to be honest about that rather than commit to reading something you’re not going to enjoy.

Do your best to read the book in a timely manner

I try to read and review ARCs before their release date. Try being the key term here. I recieved an ARC that’s over six hundred pages that, due to some other time constraints and publishing schedules I just started reading on Monday. It releases on May 26th. I am doing my best!

(Side note, it’s called Rainshadow Orphans by Naomi Ishiguro. I’m about a hundred pages in so far, and it is very good! Come back for the review, hopefully, next Friday.)

This is part of why it’s important to say no if you need to. The reason people send out ARCs is to get people buzzed about the book before it comes out. So it always helps to get your reviews done sooner rather than later.

Share reviews in as many places as you can

I wrote full reviews for each ARC I’ve received so far here on PBW. But I also reviewed the books on Goodreads and Bookbub. Because, of course, not everyone’s going to read my review here.

If you can, try to leave reviews in as many places as you have access to. That gives the author the most reach and really helps them out.

(A side note about Amazon reviews! Sometimes Amazon gets touchy if you review something you didn’t buy through them. I’ve been actively locked out of writing reviews before. So proceed with caution there.)

Be honest

This final point is one I struggle with. Because I never want to say bad things about other writers in public. I always go back to the matcha and espresso analogy, and I don’t want to scare off readers who might like a book.

That being said, if I didn’t like something about a book, it doesn’t help anyone for me to be dishonest.

For starters, it hurts me because it erodes my credibility. If I’m telling you I was in love with a book I couldn’t even finish, you’re not going to believe me. And it would come through in my review, believe me.

It also doesn’t help the writer in the long run. Look, if someone reads one of my books and they don’t like it, that’s fine. I’d kind of like to know why they didn’t like it, because I’m always trying to get better. A working writer will always appreciate a review that gives the good and the bad. I just reviewed October Film Haunt on Weird Wyrlds, and it was a great book with one flaw that irritated me the whole time. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like the book. I highly suggest reading it.

Now, this final tip might be just a me thing. But if I really didn’t like a book, I’m probably just not going to review it at all. Honestly, I probably just won’t finish it. I have too many books I really want to read. I’m not in school anymore, I’m not going to spend time reading something I don’t enjoy. So if I really didn’t like a book, rather than giving a detailed list of why I didn’t like it, I just won’t review it.

Now it’s your turn. Do you get ARCs? What are your best practices for them? Let us know in the comments.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

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My advice for submitting ARCs

Recently, I’ve been blessed to receive several ARCs from a few different publishing companies. I don’t know how I got on their list for advanced readers, but I’m not mad at it. I’ve gotten to read some fantastic books before they even come out. What reader doesn’t want that?

However, I have a confession. I’ve received requests for ARCs for years. Some of them I’ve accepted. But a lot of them I’ve either politely declined or simply ignored outright. That might seem cold of me, especially since I am myself an author and know how hard it is to pitch my book to people.

Pitching ARCs is a great way to get buzz going about your book before the release. It can get people talking, recommending and reviewing your book before it’s even available. It’s a super powerful marketing tool. One that I’ve never been able to get my shit together enough to actually use.

I’m working on it.

So today, I thought I’d share a little bit about why I’ll accept an ARC, why I’ll reject one, and why one can irritate me enough that I don’t even respond.

Start with a great story

The first book offered to me by Saga Press was Year of the Mer. And the way it was described in the email just hooked me. (Yes, pun intended) A dark retelling of Little Mermaid that’s all about political backstabbing and magic? Yes, please sign me up.

The email I got for this book was basically a query letter. It started out strong with the pitch, gave examples of similar books in the genre, and only after all that did we get into the accolades of the author. By the end of it, I couldn’t ask for the book fast enough.

When you’re sending out offers for ARCs, you should be writing a query letter. You should be putting your best foot forward and basically selling your book to the potential advanced reader.

Offer multiple versions if you can

Now, I know this is where a lot of us indie authors might struggle. But one big reason why I’ve been so thrilled to work with these recent publishers is that they offered to send me physical books.

I find physical books easier to read. And I’m trying to spend less time staring at screens. But that doesn’t mean that all advanced readers are going to want that. Some will want an e-version. And among those, some will want epub, some will want mobi, some will want pdf. It all depends on what sort of device they read on and their preferences.

Yes, I understand that this is going to be inaccessible for some indie authors like myself. It can be a hard ask. Getting copies of your book is expensive, even before we take shipping them into consideration. This is one reason I haven’t managed to actually send out ARCs yet.

And, of course, converting your book into multiple formats isn’t something everyone is comfortable with.

But if you can offer multiple versions of your book for ARCs, it’s a lot easier for advanced readers to say yes.

Be professional

When you’re pitching an ARC to a prospective advanced reader, it’s best to treat it like a submission. Put your best foot forward. Make sure you’re checking for spelling and grammar errors. Check the correct spelling of your recipient’s name and their pronouns. Make sure the person you’re sending your book to works with your genre.

If all of this seems like common sense to you, congratulations. You’re standing head and shoulders above some of the people who’ve sent me ARC requests.

When you send out ARCs, you’re asking someone to take a chance on you. Most of us don’t have a lot of extra time on our hands. We also have stacks of books we already want to read. You know, for fun? Every day I spend reading an ARC is a day I’m not reading The Caretaker. So please, show me that the book you’re asking me to read will be professional and edited.

It might not be personal

Now, I’m afraid I have some bad news. And if you’ve been a writer for more than five minutes, you already know what I’m going to say.

You can do everything right, and still hear no from advanced readers. And it’s almost certainly not personal.

I have had to reject ARCs that I wanted to read. And it’s for the awful grown-up reasons you probably already know.

I’ve already committed to too many books. I have launches coming out of new books I need to review for Weird Wyrlds. I have a deadline coming up, and I know I can’t commit to reading your book in a timely manner. Or, your book just doesn’t grab me, and I don’t want to damn it with faint praise. (Especially if it’s an indie book, I’d rather say no than give you a bad review.)

Writing is a business. But it’s the business of selling art, which is extremely subjective. My DNF book is someone else’s best book they read this year. So don’t take a rejection personally. Just send your book to someone else.

At some point in the next year, I’ll be sending out some ARCs of my own. So, I’m sure I’ll have more advice to give as I start on that journey. But for now, it’s your turn. Have you had any luck sending out ARCs? Let us know about it in the comments.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

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Why The Republic of Memory works

Launching on May 5th, Republic of Memory by Mahmud El Sayed was sent to me as an ARC by the publisher. And I am so thankful they did. I’m also furious they did. Because once again, I’m now waiting for the sequel to a book that hasn’t even been released yet.

The Republic of Memory is about a generational ship that 200 years through its 500-year trek to a new planet. The people living aboard the ship are all descendants of Ancestors who have been in cryo-sleep since leaving Earth. Each ‘crew member’ understands that their main goal in life is to keep the ship running until they reach their destination, so that their descendants and the original ancestors can have a chance at a new life.

To that end, everyone’s life is strictly controlled by Admin. Anyone who wants to get married or have children has to apply to do so. And those applications can absolutely be refused for any number of reasons. People are greatly limited in the jobs they can take. Every decision that everyone makes must have one goal. Keep the city ship Safina moving forward.

Is it any wonder that the people revolt?

Today, let’s break apart The Republic of Memory and see why it works. Because boy howdy, does it work.

An event this large couldn’t be told from just one pov

The story starts with a man named Iskander. He’s a translator on the city/ship Safina. And that seems like a decent gig. He’s got some political aspirations and a family that’s fairly privileged, but not excessively so.

But of course, the story of a revolution can’t be told by just one person. Throughout the course of the book, we’re introduced to people from almost every walk of life. Gangsters, detectives, and academy students. Each character has their own unique point of view. Their own passions and place in this story.

Languages! Also, writing what you know

I always say that write what you know is a phrase to be taken extremely loosely. But there are times to take it a little more literally.

Mahmud El Sayed has worked as a translator. He’s obviously a language nerd. Aren’t we all, as writers, though? I don’t know a single writer who isn’t interested in the etymology of words. In the way we fit them together to mean different things, so many things. How the same word, used in different contexts or with inflections, can mean wildly different things. And how across languages, continents, politics, and religions, we all have words for the same emotions. We all have the same feelings that are so strong, we just have to name them.

Clearly, I am also a word nerd. But that’s kind of the point. Write about what you know, and what you love. Other people love that same thing, I promise.

I don’t know who to trust

Even after finishing this book, I’m not sure who to trust. There are so many factions with different loyalties and goals. The only thing I know for sure is that I don’t trust the character Badreddine. He has serious Fagin vibes, and I don’t like it.

I think everyone who reads this is going to have a different character they’re rooting for, based on how they see the world. People who hate incrementalism will certainly have opinions, as well as those who aren’t big on protests and revolutionary actions. Some will see Damietta as a brave artist. Some will see her as a stupid kid who has no idea what she’s gotten herself into.

In this way, this book acts as a mirror. You might realize a little bit about yourself and the way you see the world, based on who you’re rooting for. And maybe you’ll find that uncomfortable. But we’ll talk more about that soon.

I have no idea what’s really going on

Now, maybe I’m thinking too hard about this. Maybe I’m just a technowitch who sees magic in gears and ghosts in machines. But, after finishing The Republic of Memory, I’m left wondering if there isn’t some fantasy in this science fiction.

Now, I personally think there’s a bit of fantasy in all sci-fi. But there’s a part in the book where we suddenly take a hard turn from pretty believable science fiction to wild fantasy and magic. And, I honestly love it.

Trust me, you’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there.

This sets the scene for the next book. Or the rest of the series? I’m not sure, I only know this is book one.

But this is a question that’s going to drive me. It caused me to follow this author on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, and Instagram, so I know the moment he announces book two.

And that’s the sort of fan you want to encourage! You want someone who checks monthly for news about your new releases. (I’m still rough-drafting, I’m very sorry. I’m going to probably be rough-drafting for the rest of the year.)

How did this book inspire this level of fandom in me? The answer is very simple, but also very hard. I don’t know what’s going on, but I deeply, deeply need to know. And I can’t even tell you the questions I have, because it will spoil things for you.

Let’s talk about the hard topics

Finally, The Republic of Memory is talking about some hard topics. Feeling betrayed by your government. Feeling powerless, unvalued, unprotected. Feeling like you’re giving more to your country than you’re getting back.

These are just a few big feelings I had while reading this. And that’s why we love fiction so much, isn’t it? We get a story, and it’s a good story. Isn’t that one of the first things we learn to ask for as children? Tell me a story before bed. Read to me. Let me watch a cartoon that will tell me a story.

But wrapped in that story is a heavy conversation. One that is weighing on a lot of people in these unsettling times. How long are we going to be taken advantage of by our government, and how are we going to fix it when we’ve finally had enough?

All in all, The Republic of Memory was a fantastic book. I highly suggest picking it up when it launches on May 5th, or pre-ordering it now. Then you can join me in waiting for our next trip to the city ship Safina.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

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In defense of fanfic

In March, I wrote a post about writers being self-indulgent in their writing. It was inspired, let’s say, by a post from a rather popular Booktuber who I won’t be naming. Suffice to say, I don’t watch her and only found out about the dreck she was spouting through the endlessly educational and uplifting Micky Adkins.

At the time, I mentioned that this very long video actually inspired two blog post ideas. Along with several furious rants, only heard by the people in my house who can’t escape me. I am nothing if not a woman of my word, and I am here today with part two.

Click here if you want to read part one of this conversation.

I did mention before that I am not out to shame the original booktuber. And I want to repeat this. We, as a writing community, do not need to tear each other down. I just happen to disagree vehemently with the argument that this person is making, and I want to offer a rebuttal.

Today, we’re going to talk about fanfiction and why I personally think it’s a great way to learn to write.

Fanfic is the closest thing we can get to an apprenticeship in fictional writing

Consider the apprenticeship. What does an apprentice do? They follow around their teacher, learning their style and technique. They learn the basics of a craft bit by bit, with a learned elder by their side.

When we write fan fiction, we are doing something similar. We are not coming to a blank page with nothing to fill it. We have a set world. A series of parameters. We’re not building something from scratch, but building onto something that already exists.

Through this, we start to learn the fundamentals of writing that are never taught in English classes. Character interactions, pacing, and dialogue. These are all valid skills that can be taught when writing fanfic.

Now, I will say that some skills can’t be taught this way. The biggest example of course is world-building. The world’s already been built, after all. The characters have already been created for you, unless you’re adding a character of your own creation. But there are other ways to learn world-building. And that’s another skill you can master in addition to what you’re learning by writing fanfic.

It encourages creativity

Writing fan fiction can turn a passive experience like watching a movie or reading a book into an active, creative exercise. It becomes a game.

Let’s use Lord of The Rings as an example. Because God knows there’s a metric ton of fanfiction about LOTR. So you’re watching Return of The King for, if we’re being honest, the twentieth time. And you start thinking about a character you made up to fit in this world. What are they doing in this scene? Who are they talking to? How are they fighting? Would their special skill wrap something up here, or are they completely useless right now? How are they feeling about the person who’s bleeding out right now?

These are writer questions. These are character-building questions. When you’re writing any scene, you do have to think about how every individual character is responding to the action or conversation at hand, even if they aren’t the main character. And this is a great way to sneak in a little practice during family movie night.

Sometimes you can end up writing those characters for real

I was recently obsessed with a book called The End of The World As We Know It. It is a collection of short stories set in the world of Stephen King’s The Stand. As a writer, I’m insanely jealous that I didn’t get to participate. As a reader, I’m insanely grateful that the book exists.

You can read my full review on Weird Wyrlds.

But guess what. That’s fanfic. That’s fans of King writing their own stories in his world.

So many writers that I love have gotten to write stories in the Star Wars universe. Or the Star Trek universe. And the comic book characters! My God, the comic book characters. Every month, we see a new show, book, movie, mini-series, comic, or podcast spinning off from beloved franchises. And yes, they’re all looking for writers.

The chances of getting one of those jobs are slim, but not zero. I mean, the competition is fierce. But thousands of writers are, right now, writing fiction about characters they were huge fans of.

I wrote some truly terrible fanfic as a teenager, and it helped me learn to write better

Of course I did. You saw this coming, right? As a kid, I wrote some seriously terrible fanfic about X-Men and Sailor Moon. No, I will not be sharing it. Thank God, I was a teen before Wattpad was a thing, so all these stories were written out long form with pencil and paper. And they are now long decomposed in some landfill somewhere.

You know what? It taught me to be a better writer. It taught me the passion of sitting down and putting a story on the page. It taught me about descriptions and dialogue. I used to write some of this with a friend of mine, and we learned a whole lot by yes-anding each other. It also taught me what characters I was passionate about. What sort of characters I want to write. And yes, some of my published works were inspired by writing I did during my fanfic days.

No, I won’t tell you which ones.

But if you’ve read something I wrote and liked it, you can thank my fanfic writing. If for no other reason than that I got a lot of bad writing out of the way.

This is not the only writing we’re doing

While I was writing my X-Men fanfiction, I was also writing original stories. I know, crazy, right? This was when I was in junior high and middle school, so I actually spent a lot of time writing. On any random weekday, I might bang out an essay for English, play around with some fanfic, write a truly terrible poem about a kitten poster I had hanging up, then write a few pages in my moody gothic vampire novel. It was all bad writing, but it was writing.

And that’s the thing. Just because someone’s writing fanfic doesn’t mean that’s the only writing they’re doing. Or the only writing they’ll ever do. Justina Ireland writes a shit ton of Star Wars books, but she also writes novels purely of her own creation. And they’re fantastic! Looking down one’s nose at a person who writes fanfic is like suggesting that because someone drank a Coke, they’re going to die of dehydration. Surely they can’t also be drinking water.

It’s just fun to write

Finally, the biggest argument I’ll ever have in defense of writing is that it’s fun. Writing is fun. And it’s supposed to be fun.

To be a writer is to be passionately in love with writing. It gives us something that we can’t get anywhere else. And if writing fanfiction is fun for you, then do it!

I think we forget sometimes that not all writers are writing to be Novelists. I mean, I am. But some people just want to write as a hobby. And yes, I have made fun of that in the past. But there is honestly no shame in it.

I like drawing, painting, mixing my own teas, and crocheting. All of these things give me pleasure. They make life good. And I will never do any of them professionally. Why can’t writing be the same for someone?

So if you write fanfic, or you’ve ever written fanfic, don’t despair. It’s a valid form of writing that can teach you to be a better writer or just bring some joy to your life. Embrace it.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. You can support us by liking this post, sharing it and commenting. You can also support us on Ko-fi.

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Why On Pins and Needles Works

Launching on April 7th, On Pins and Needles by Kamden Cornell is possibly the most thorough dive into magical poppetry I’ve ever read.

I received an arc of this book from the publisher, and I am very glad I did. It was a fascinating read. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about making poppets for witchcraft or magical work, it’s a great book.

So today, let’s talk about why it works. If you’re a witch like me, I hope you add it to your TBR. If you’re writing a nonfiction book, let’s break this one down and talk about why it works.

Thorough overview

The first thing I like about On Pins and Needles is how thorough it was. Not so much in one part of poppetry, but in the practice as a whole.

The book contained a brief history of the craft. Though honestly, several books could be written just on the history alone. It talked about the many different supplies that can be used, from stuffing to scissors. It talked about the creation, the magic, the intention, and all the many ways this sort of working can be used.

This really gave a wide picture of poppet work, rather than diving down into the weeds with one specific part. Which is why this is such a good place for beginners to start.

Non judgemental explination of some dark material

This part might get a little touchy. But that’s why we’re talking about it.

Poppet work can be used for all sorts of magic. Healing, luck, love, prosperity, protection. They are so much more than the ‘evil voodoo doll’ people not in the know tend to picture.

Boy howdy, is that a shitty and racist stereotype, by the way.

However, like any magic, poppetry can be used for baneful magic. Now, I’m not going to openly admit to or discuss cursing anyone on the internet. But you’ll get no judgment from me if you choose to do so. And, you’ll get no judgment from Cornell, either. Instead, what you’ll find is a frank and open discussion of how to make a poppet for curses or baneful work, and some safety tips along the way. That was especially nice to see.

I really appreciated the lack of judgment on a subject that tends to get the ‘light and love’ crowd up in arms.

Inspiration!

Another thing I loved about On Pins and Needles was the examples of amazing creativity that can go into poppet work. Because honestly, you can use just about anything to make a poppet.

This is where craft supply hoarders like me shine! Want to make a paper doll? Go for it. Have a bunch of scrap fabric lying around? Use it! Do you like carving? Carve a doll! Got a bunch of those gems from a forgotten diamond painting? Use them to make a face on your doll!

This book had me itching to make a doll. Or, like twenty. I kept putting the book down to write out ideas. And honestly, that’s my favorite sort of nonfiction book. The sort that has me inspired to dive into the subject myself, and leaves me with a ton of new knowledge to do that with.

Real-life understanding

Finally, I want to shine a light on Cornell’s work with dolls. They make it clear through this book that they have done the work. They’ve made dolls, researched the topic, and seen results from it.

First-hand knowledge is always the best source for nonfiction work. Especially when it’s more of a how-to sort of book. And it’s clear that this author had that in spades.

Overall, I learned so much from On Pins and Needles. It was entertaining, creative, and bursting with inspiration. If you’re interested in all in poppet work, I cannot recommend it enough.

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