Title: Scratched
Author: Marie Long
Series: Anderson Brothers #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Summary:Twenty-four year old Kevin Anderson lost the opportunity to end his senior year at the University of Washington as the Huskies’ all-star point guard, and sought out one last opportunity to put his extraordinary basketball skills to use: by training for a chance at the pros.
But when he’s not on the court, Kevin has only two things in his life that gives him happiness: spinning records at the local clubs, and Trinity Brown.
Trinity attends almost every one of Kevin’s deejay gigs, but Kevin is uncertain if her love for him is genuine or a fangirl’s simple admiration. Kevin takes that chance and hopes that she will see beyond the celebrity persona. But when fall classes start up again, their busy schedules press their relationship.
Kevin doesn’t want to give up on her–on them. He hopes the happiness they had will rebound once more.
But when he learns the truth about Trinity, Kevin must decide if it is worth everything–and everyone–he cares about to save her, or forfeit this exhausting game of love.
I’ve been writing books for a while, and met some great people along the way who have helped me shape my journey into the publishing world. I’m all about paying it forward, and giving back to those who have helped me reach this point in my career.
So here is a list of things I wish every aspiring writer would know. But as Levar Burton from Reading Rainbow says, “you don’t have to take my word for it.”
1. Do more reading than writing.
No, seriously. This is especially true if you’re just starting out. Read lots of books in the genre that you want to write about. Learn about what works and what doesn’t. Dissect these stories until your eyes bleed and your brain explodes. What about the story held your interest? What’s a common pattern you’re seeing with the books you like?
Those success stories you read online about authors quitting their day jobs because they earned millions from their writing account for only less than 1% of all the authors out there. Writing is a competitive game. Don’t chase the money. Write because you enjoy telling a story and the money will come. Most of all, your fans will appreciate you so much more.
3. Stay focused
With so many distractions in the world, it’s hard to stay focused on your work. But there is no greater feeling than that of accomplishment when you write ‘The End’ on the last page. Challenge yourself to stay motivated to finish what you start. Keep writing. A focused writer is a successful writer.
4. You’ll turn into a schedule freak
You will be surrounded by calendars, reminders, alerts, and other notifications for deadlines, book signings, critique group meetings, conferences, and other events related to writing, publishing, and marketing your book. It can be overwhelming at times.
5. You’ll need to do a lot of things yourself
Whether you’re self-published or published traditionally, you will need to know something about advertising yourself and your book. Unless you’re as prolific as J.K. Rowling you’re going to need to do most of this yourself. No one is going to do it for you. There’s a misconception that traditional publishers will do all the work for you and you can just sit back and reap the rewards. Think again!You’ll have to stand out among millions of other authors vying for the same attention as you. In addition to marketing your finished books, you have to continue writing your next one. That means organizing your time wisely (see #4). It’s an exhausting venture. Are you up for it?
6. Have a good support group
You’ll be overwhelmed and stressed out at times, but having a support group will help alleviate some of this. A support group can be anyone: your family, your friends, other writers. Not all of us are self-motivators. But having someone there to give us a good kick in the pants when things get rough is something every author needs in their corner.
7. Research the industry
The publishing industry is always changing. Successful authors make it a point to stay abreast on the latest happenings. For example, which publishers are engaging in shady practices? This is very important, and I’ve seen so many aspiring authors fallen prey to ‘vanity’ publishers and others who have engaged in unethical behavior at the authors’ expenses. It’s very easy to fall victim to these glamorous advertisements that promise your book on bookstore shelves. But the reality of it is, shelf space is limited, and if you’re not a prolific author like J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, or Suzanne Collins, chances are, your book will not appear on those shelves.
8. Have patience
Writing the perfect story takes time, so don’t rush perfection. If you are an aspiring author, take the time to make your debut work the very best it can be. That means lots of editing, lots of rewriting, lots of everything. You want to make a good first impression, so don’t just rush a book to market. Reviewers will pick you apart.
9. Learn to network
Networking is one of the most important things authors need to engage in. The term “It’s about who you know” rings so true in this industry. Authors love to support and promote each other, and you’ll never know who may be looking at your book. Getting on good terms with people in the publishing industry can open up so many doors that you weren’t able to open by yourself.
10. You’ll need to have thick skin
I saved the best for last. I think this is the single most important thing every aspiring author needs to know. Not everyone is going to like what you write. You’ll get hecklers and snarky one-star reviews. You can’t take these reviews personally. All you can do is hold your head up high and keep writing. Check Amazon or Goodreads sometime and see how many people hated the Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Divergent books. But those reviews hasn’t stopped the authors from writing more books, and it shouldn’t stop you, either.
Good luck and keep writing!
Marie Long is a novelist who enjoys the snowy weather, the mountains, and a cup of hot white chocolate. She’s an avid supporter of literacy movements like We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
Marie has shared a fondness and interest in the New Adult genre since its popularity boom in 2009. And now, as both a reader, and debut RWA author of New Adult fiction, Marie dreams to keep this fascinating genre going strong.
Scratched #2
Scarred #1
