Skip to main content

Ellen Spain's latest release is...

PROM NIGHT SUMMER ANTHOLOGY
Secrets in the Fog: Danny's First Love
Danny Fennchar is a short and somewhat pudgy teen prodigy wearing broken glasses who looks forward to attending his high school Prom in a few weeks, and to attending college. There is a problem, at least to Danny. He is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and thinks his future plans are totally messed up. He doesn't have a date and in fact, being home schooled most of his life, never had a date except for his mother.. Danny is a shy and insecure 12th grader, until he meets Christine Dillon from his senior class, who is quite mature for her young age. Their romance blossoms.

Comments

Ellen Spain said…
1. What drew you to writing, and why did you pick the genre you write in?

I grew up in the pre-computer era. If you wanted factual information you found it in paper books and newspapers. The "Word" was powerful and depending on how you used the words, could influence peoples attitudes and behavior. I realized this before I was nine years old when I decided I wanted to pursue journalism.

By the time I was in 8th grade, I published a weekly newsletter of local and upcoming events. Since we didn't have copy machines, I mimeographed my newsletter. I had a readership of over a hundred subscribers paying a dime to me each week. Big bucks in that era.

I continued to work pro-bono as an editor or journalist in high school, college, and in my professional organizations gaining experience in publishing.

During my federal career I was only writing non-fiction, but my desire was to become a mystery novelist by the time I reached age sixty. I enjoy writing romance and Young Adult if the opportunity presents.
Ellen Spain said…
2. Have ever taken a formal writing course and if so what would you tell someone looking to take one?

I have taken many writing workshops offered by my professional writing organizations, but realized the correct way was to earn a Master's degree in Writing. Once I completed the two and a half year program at Seton Hill University, my marketable thesis was under contract with a publisher within a few months. Studying writing in a structured environment forces you to think and behave like a professional writer. That opportunity also provides you with the interface to your published faculty as well as with editors the university invites to their writing programs.


3. How long do you take to write one of your books?

Because I still work and have family responsibilities as well as handling those unexpected crisis, I read about ten hours a week and write twenty-five hours a week. I conduct my research after I outline my book. It takes about six weeks for me to produce a readable draft (definitely not a final manuscript) and an additional six to eight weeks to be happy with all the critiques and line edits before I draft a final manuscript for submission to a publisher.
Ellen Spain said…
4. Do you do a lot of research for your books or do you use your own experiences to help you write.
I write about the things I have experienced. But since I include a science-based theme in every mystery, I conduct the research to be certain my facts are credible and thus, believable. I also maintain several photo albums at EllenSpain.com to support some of the facts in my books.


5. What would you tell a new author looking to break into the industry?
Write what you know and with quality. Refer to the Chicago Manual of Style to write quality. DO NOT Self-publish any of your books. Submit your "FINAL" manuscript to a reliable and established publisher whose web site shows they can provide you opportunities to market your book if they contract with you. If the publisher offers you a contract, make sure the fine print does not include losing all your rights to your characters and your lifetime electronic rights as some "traditional" publishers do to new authors. If the publisher rejects your manuscript, don't take it personally. Just revise following the publisher's suggestions. Pay for rou own domain name and keep your web site updated. My website is EllenSpain.com. Once your first book is under contract, immediately begin writing another novel. Usually the same publisher will take your subsequent books. Also, publish with other publishers. Oh yes, the new author has a much faster chance of being contracted with an ePublisher rather than a "traditional" publisher who usually requires you to have a literary agent to get your foot into their door. After publishing your first twenty eBooks, take six months and write your best-seller novel.


6. ePub or Traditional Print house and why?
As mentioned above, the credible established ePublishers have less overhead and can publish books at a faster rate than the "traditional" publisher who has been cutting corners for the past few years due to the declining economy. You don't need to go through the agonizing process of finding a Literary Agent when you submit to an ePublisher. Moreover, more readers are downloading eBooks because it is cheaper than buying a paperback from the non-existent book stores. I am the Secretary of the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition (EPICorg.com) an international membership-based professional organization supporting eAuthors and ePublishers. Their web site has a lot of good information on ePublishing.
Ellen Spain said…
4. Do you do a lot of research for your books or do you use your own experiences to help you write.
I write about the things I have experienced. But since I include a science-based theme in every mystery, I conduct the research to be certain my facts are credible and thus, believable. I also maintain several photo albums at EllenSpain.com to support some of the facts in my books.
Ellen Spain said…
5. What would you tell a new author looking to break into the industry?
Write what you know and with quality. Refer to the Chicago Manual of Style to write quality. DO NOT Self-publish any of your books. Submit your "FINAL" manuscript to a reliable and established publisher whose web site shows they can provide you opportunities to market your book if they contract with you. If the publisher offers you a contract, make sure the fine print does not include losing all your rights to your characters and your lifetime electronic rights as some "traditional" publishers do to new authors. If the publisher rejects your manuscript, don't take it personally. Just revise following the publisher's suggestions. Pay for rou own domain name and keep your web site updated. My website is EllenSpain.com. Once your first book is under contract, immediately begin writing another novel. Usually the same publisher will take your subsequent books. Also, publish with other publishers. Oh yes, the new author has a much faster chance of being contracted with an ePublisher rather than a "traditional" publisher who usually requires you to have a literary agent to get your foot into their door. After publishing your first twenty eBooks, take six months and write your best-seller novel.
Ellen Spain said…
6. ePub or Traditional Print house and why?
As mentioned above, the credible established ePublishers have less overhead and can publish books at a faster rate than the "traditional" publisher who has been cutting corners for the past few years due to the declining economy. You don't need to go through the agonizing process of finding a Literary Agent when you submit to an ePublisher. Moreover, more readers are downloading eBooks because it is cheaper than buying a paperback from the non-existent book stores. I am the Secretary of the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition (EPICorg.com) an international membership-based professional organization supporting eAuthors and ePublishers. Their web site has a lot of good information on ePublishing.
Storee Wryter said…
This book sounds wonderful, Ellen. I look forward to reading it.

Popular posts from this blog

Beachwalk Blog Hop

(IN ORDER TO BE IN THE DRAWING FOR PRIZES YOU MUST LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. THERE ARE MANY PRIZES BEING OFFERED IN THIS BLOG HOP. SO DON'T BE SHY, LEAVE A COMMENT AND MESSAGE TO POSSIBLY BE A WINNER.) BEACHWALK PRESS is a great place to be. When I was looking for another home for my short erotic holiday romance, The Cowgirl's Christmas, Pam Tyner was very enthusiastic. She's always shown herself to be someone who is passionate about this business, about the books she has. She's been my editor from the first day and has shown a great amount of skill and passion for it. Not only does she do an amazing job as the editor but she's also a great marketing and promotional support person. Never too busy to answer a question or talk about a new idea for promo. She's one of the best I've ever seen when it comes to communication with both staff and authors. We're a team - a fellowship of writers if you will who can share our trials and trib

What I love about Halloween

In today's world Halloween is often a time to dress up and go door to door looking for treats. Its sort of a time which over the years has become commercialized...and honestly that isn't my favorite part of the holiday. No, I love Halloween for the meaning behind it...for the celebrations of life, of the harvest...for the myths and the legends, for the chance to be someone else for a few hours. Its the ultimate expression of a false face created ages and ages ago for a specific reason. When masks and costumes were designed to ward off the evil spirits which rose from the grave. Regardless of its origins (and yes there is controversy about that) Halloween is a great time to celebrate family. To gather to carve pumpkins, and make treats (not so much anymore), to play pranks on others, and to really just experience life and joy.  For me, Halloween is a time when the paranormal is more readily accepted...when ghosts and goblins roam about with the living and it will always have

Ray Rhamey has arrived!

Thank you Mr. Rhamey for coming by. Its a great pleasure to have you here today. I hope our readers will stop in and ask a lot of questions, maybe post a paragraph or two of their current project to get some fresh insight. "Thank you for having me." 1. How long have you been part of the industry? In the sense that I’ve devoured novels since I was a boy, virtually a lifetime. My first interest in publishing sparked when I graduated from college. But I had a degree in psychology, was in Texas, and had a family that I needed to support--I couldn’t figure out how to get into publishing. So I left that ambition behind. Dissolve to decades later when my advertising career had pretty much run its course due to ageism and economic downturn. I had been writing novels and was a member of a critique group. Based on what I did in our weekly sessions, two members separately asked me to edit their novels. They found what I did to be very helpful. You should understand that I h