The Importance of Editing: Author Interview with Traci Wooden-Carlisle

You are one very talented woman. You are a graphic artist, you write poetry, novels, and run a jewelry and craft business. What’s your secret for staying focused on your task at hand?
To be honest, I am still working out the whole balancing act, but usually when I have orders in my jewelry business or orders for graphics, they take priority because they are for other people. (Mmmm). I’m going to have to think more on what means.

In the past my writing has come in second to my other business but I am working on writing every day because I got really far behind in my writing goals for 2021. I did, however, start a publishing company so there is that.

Let’s chat about your writing. What inspired you to write your first novel? Did that one ever get published?
I have always loved reading. I loved reading as a child so much that when I ran out of books, I would write stories for myself. When I went to college, term papers trumped creative writing and I put down my “personal writing pen” for years.

In 2004 I began working for a church as the Office Manager. That was just a fancy title for woman of many hats. I ended up spending so much time at church I neglected the church in me and my relationship with God suffered. I prayed that God would give me something just for me. Something that would feed my soul and draw me back to Him.

A few months later the first novel in the Promise of Zion series, My Beauty For Your Ashes started with one line. “It all started with one lone tear.”

Your books are independently published. Did you do the formatting and cover design, or did you hire others? What’s the hardest part for you in publishing and marketing your own books?
My first job out of college was as a graphic artist for a newspaper. I kept my skills sharp after leaving that job by becoming a freelance graphic artist so I felt pretty confident that I could figure out how to format my own books. I could have used a class, but I did some research and pressed my way through.

I created the cover for the first edition of my first novel but it was amateurish and sold that way. A couple of years later I redesigned it when my second book in the series was ready to come out. It was better, but both were revised one more time by a professional when book three was ready to release. I have to admit they are beautiful. I’m going to stick with the professional cover designer until I can create a cover that makes me cry like hers do.

The biggest challenge I have had with publishing is editing. It is almost as if I give it to the editor, it comes back polished but right after hitting publish I start to see the knicks and dings. With almost each book in my Promises to Zion series I have had to go through three rounds of edits.

It took a moment to grasp the idea of targeting with my books. The search for the right target audience for my books was the hardest part about marketing, but once I figured out who they were it has been easier to market.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? 
There is often a point after the “big reveal” or after the main characters realize in some way that they are meant for one another that I struggle to keep the story going to its true end. I have to fight against the temptation to come to a quick conclusion instead of allowing the story to gradually wrap up any loose ends.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
When a reader contacts me and let tells me that my story or characters have caused them to hunger for or seek a deeper relationship with God, I know I have sufficiently expressed God’s message and am encouraged to go forward.

We have all experienced writing rejection. How have you learned to write past it.
It has been a challenge not to take criticism about my book personally, but I write for God, myself and for others. I listen to God’s message, try to express that message with the talent He has given me and the skills I have learned. I am still learning and open to improving my skills. With that in mind, I learn what works and what is out of my hands.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
Nothing can take the place of a good editor.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
If you don’t know who your target audience is, save your money and just buy your own books.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
People have asked me how they can get started in writing their book. It is very simple really. Put the pen to paper or your fingers to the keys. It is one word, one sentence, one paragraph then one page at a time. It always starts the same way.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book coming is a devotional I co-authored with author Dionne Grace. God is Waiting for You in A Quiet Place of Praise is due out in the next two weeks. Here is the synopsis.

Life can be hectic and filled with distractions, and we can sometimes find it impossible to take time out with God. This devotional is a 31-day reflection, focusing on God’s attributes to encourage you throughout the month. It is our desire to provoke a hunger in you to renew a relationship with God while contemplating and meditating on Him. The power of God’s names brings protection, healing and a greater knowledge of who God is.

Each day includes a Bible verse and a reflection meant to usher you into a conversation with God that will give you a deeper understanding of Him and bring you into a more intimate connection with Him.

Each day of the month will be a moment set apart, to evoke His presence and bring about peace. This powerful devotional will draw you closer to God and He, in turn, will draw closer to you.

Sounds very inspiring. We barely touched on the different series Traci offers her readers as you can see from her covers. If you'd like to learn more about her books, here are some links to get you started.

Website: www.tawcarlisle.com
Newsletter: www.tawcarlisle.com/subscribe
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Traci-Wooden-Carlisle/e/B00OIAS208/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Author_TraciWCarlisle
Facebook: www.facebook.com/traciwoodencarlisle
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tawcarlisle
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/traci-wooden-carlisle
Twitter: www.twitter.com/traciwcarlisle
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/tawcarlisle

Writing as a Team: Author Interview with Elyse Douglas

Your books are a collaboration between you and your husband. What made you decide to write books together?

We realized years ago that we were a good team. We were both writing novels and recognized we had a knack for editing each other’s work. The collaboration grew from there.

How do you divide up the writing?

The process is different for each book; usually one of us comes up with an idea and then we kick around the possibilities of character and plot and genre, and one of us sets off on the journey of writing it.

Sometimes, one of us will be inspired to write the entire first draft. Then the other works off that draft: revising, rewriting, editing, checking historical details or facts and suggesting plot changes.

Who has the final say in a storyline or character?
When plot changes are suggested, we have spirited discussions, as you can imagine, and one of us has to complete another draft, which is then read again by the other person. Basically, we go back and forth, rereading, revising and editing, and then proofreading until we feel the book is ready for someone else to read.

We pay for an editor and readers/proofreaders to read the manuscript, and then based on their input, we often make additional changes.

From what I can see, you’ve published 21 books since 2011. What was the best lesson you learned from publishing your first novel that gave you the impetus to go on to another book?
We learned many lessons in the process of publishing our first novel, originally called The Astrologer’s Daughter. We ultimately renamed it The Other Side of Summer because we realized that readers thought it was an occult book and not the women’s fiction/romance novel that it is.

We learned that typos pop up like mosquitos on a hot night and that it is crucial to pay for professionals to edit and read the novel. We learned that it is great to have readers all over the world reading our books, and it’s delightful and rewarding when they write to say how much they have enjoyed the books!

We have also learned from bad reviews. We ask ourselves why? Sometimes they bluntly tell you. We try to learn from it.

At conferences, I’ve been told not to write Christmas books because it won’t have year-round appeal. How do your Christmas themed books sell out of season?
We are always amazed at how well our Christmas-themed books sell throughout the year, especially The Christmas Diary, The Christmas Town, and the three books in the Christmas Eve series. Many are time travel novels, which may account for their popularity all year long. Also, none of our books are boilerplate, Hallmark-type novels; each is unique, and Christmas is only one part of the plot.

So, my advice is to write a Christmas book and see what happens. Our experience is that people like to escape into the joy and magic of Christmas all year long. In July, we market Christmas in July and feature many of Christmas books. They sell very well.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part for me is creating tension in each scene, and I’ve learned a great deal from Doug about that. He is a master at creating tension and interesting subplots which are as compelling as the main plot. Because of these techniques, readers often say they “can’t put the novel down.”

As John Grisham once said, “Writing's still the most difficult job I've ever had - but it's worth it.”

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
The best encouragement comes from our readers, through increased sales and good reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub. We are also encouraged when readers write to us through our website or on Facebook, to thank us and/or ask to be put on our mailing list.

Are your books indie-published?
Yes. Broadback is the name we gave to ourselves, as publishers. We will be expanding the imprint in the near future, featuring different genres and expanding our Christmas Eve time travel series.

What has surprised or frustrated you the most in writing/publishing? 

Writing the novel is only the first step. Getting readers is the second big step and requires continuous marketing. Before you write that novel, have a marketing plan and strategy, and polish, polish and polish your novel’s description. Seduce the reader with words like “secret” “must struggle” “discover” “daring” “hypnotic” “haunting” “new love,” etc. Otherwise, you might end up having only a few readers (basically, family and friends, and most of them don’t read!)

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
If you are self-publishing and you want readers, you have to get them through writing the books readers want to read. You also have to advertise and market. You have to do your research, have an advertising budget and be creative and persistent.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Write every day or at least six days a week. Set aside a time of day to write and let everyone know you can’t be disturbed during those hours. It’s your job. And read, read, read.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
There is nothing like the high you get when you write a good scene and it looks and smells right; especially when your characters lead the way, dancing on the page.

Time with Norma Jeane: A Time Travel Novel is your latest book. What drew you to write this story?

We were drawn to Marilyn Monroe’s story because she is such a magical, well-known and well-loved person. We used quotes from her letters, from newspaper and magazine articles and from publicity about her that circulated at that time.

By making it primarily Darla’s coming-of-age story, though, we could be more creative and imaginative, and not be tied to specific biographical details about Marilyn’s life. And we could gently reveal Marilyn’s personality through the eyes of a smart, troubled and worshiping young girl, who grows up in just eight days.

Can you give my readers a short synopsis?
This novel is a coming of age story about Darla, a precocious and lonely 16-year-old girl, who wants to escape her current, troubled family life. While walking her dog, she slips back in time to 1954 and meets Marilyn Monroe, who is one of her favorite actresses.

She lives with Marilyn for eight days, even going on a road trip with her. As Darla interacts with Marilyn and the people they meet on the road trip, she discovers important things about herself and comes to a decision about the purpose of her life.

Meanwhile, Marilyn is trying to connect with the father she never knew. While the events in the novel are totally fictitious, we have based them on facts (such as her marriage to Joe DiMaggio and her friendship with the photographer Milton Greene). We have tried to present Marilyn in a respectful and caring way, even while showing her charm, playfulness and, unfortunately, her self-destructive tendencies.

I just started reading this book and I encourage my readers to pick it up as well. If you’d like to learn more about all their books, here are some links to get you started.

Website: https://www.elysedouglas.com/

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2wLOemT

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2w6FJCw  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elyse.author...