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Questions from Book Clubs – Part 2

A couple of  weeks ago, I shared the first installment in questions from book clubs. Here’s part two.

Q: When do you write?

A: For me, I try to hit a daily word count of 1000 words (seven days a week, including holidays). Do I stick to this schedule 100 percent? Nope. But I’d say 90 percent of the time I do, especially when I’m deep in a draft. As for when, I prefer early mornings, but that’s not always possible, so it comes down to whenever I can — that might mean afternoon or even late at night (last resort) just to get the words down and keep the rhythm going. The key is “butt in chair.” That’s the only way a novel gets written.

Q: How do you deal with negative reviews?

A: Margaritas and Law & Order SVU marathons. Only kidding. Mostly. Listen, negative reviews are all part of the game. They can sting, but the key is to avoid fixating on ’em. That’s the part some authors can’t get past and then said authors do something crazy like respond directly to a review, which almost never ends well. All books have bad reviews. Look up any favorite book on Amazon — be it a classic, a commercial best seller, a self-pubbed book, whatever. If it has a wide enough readership (and this is a key point), it will have some 2-star and 1-star reviews. I’m not the first person to say this, but reviews are written for readers, not authors. A review reflects one person’s opinion. Some writers say they don’t read their reviews. Right now, I still do. But I try not to get too hyped up over the good ones or too down over the bad ones. It’s hard at times, but overall, it works for me.

Q: How can we help you get the word out about your work?

A: My answers here are true for ALL authors, not just me. If you love a book, tell a friend. Tell many friends. Seriously, happy readers are a writer’s best form of advertisement. Consider writing a review. Tell a friend (do a status update on FB, for example). Send the author a note (we love hearing from readers). Tell a friend. Follow the author on social media. Add the author’s book(s) to your Goodreads shelves. Oh, and did I mention you should tell a friend? Yes. That. 🙂