The Thing About Money: How Much Should You Invest In Your Own Writing?

There's a great discussion happening on the YA Writers subReddit right now on the topic of Monetarily Investing in Your Own Writing. This is great info for all writers, whether unpublished, indie, or traditional. How much should you spend? What kinds of swag/promo are worth it--and what isn't? Lots of writers weighing in with their experiences--check it out!

Here's my two cents, based on what I've experimented with (read the full conversation on the forum):

GOOD THINGS TO SPEND MONEY ON

• Research Trips: Okay, within reason. But honestly, if you can afford it, GO YE THEREFORE! Because the best BEST thing I ever spent money on in writing was research trips. I did one for VITRO and I did one for my current WIP, and it changes everything about the way I write--for the better. And especially if your book is set in a location you've never been to!! I can't say much on this yet (not until a certain ANNOUNCEMENT coming up in March) but I can tell you that my current WIP is 100X better because I invested in going to the location and getting all of my facts straight, and also in just drawing on the inspiration of being where the story is set. It's totally worth it. And traveling in any case is always rewarding.
• Personal Domain: As someone already suggested, go with your author name and not your book/series title. You have to think long-term here. A book/series ends, but you might keep writing. And it's pretty much impossible, after several years under one domain name, to switch everything over to a new URL. This isn't expensive! I use Wix.com to design my sites (you don't have to know coding or web design to use it; you just need a good eye for what looks professional, and you can learn a lot about that just by looking at other well-designed author websites). I pay $14.95 a month for my website/domain name. You can cut that cost by using a free host site like Blogger or Wordpress. Keep in mind that many website hosts require you to upgrade to a paid account if you want to use your custom URL. You can always just stick with the free URL (so-and-so.blogspot.com and so forth) but it's less professional and harder to find.
• Business cards: These come in handy all the time! I carry them on me ALWAYS, because you never know when you're going to meet a teacher, librarian, bookseller, or reader. They're super cheap and a great investment. I go through maybe 500 in a year. All they need to include is your name, website, and an image of your book cover. Maybe your e-mail, if you're particularly giving it to librarians/teachers. It's a networking essential, and you can't go wrong in ordering a box of them. I do use VistaPrint, because they run fantastic sales and offers, and if you sign up for their email offers, you can score big discounts.
• Bookmarks or other small swag: Tip: Get something you can mail in a flat envelope!! I made the mistake my first year by ordering a bunch of buttons. They were super cool and a huge hit at school/conferences, but they're too big to mail with just a stamp. Go with FLAT: bookmarks, thin magnets, bookplates. Also carry these to school events. I use them during Q&A sessions as prizes for kids who ask questions. It's amazingly motivating and always ensures Q&A time is lively and interactive.
• Facebook Ads: Use these wisely. They can be a huge money drain otherwise. When I have an important announcements (book release day, something like that) and I post it on my Facebook author page, I boost it at the lowest amount ($5 a day). This increases the post's visibility exponentially, earns me a buttload of new Page likes, and wins the post a ton of great interaction in likes, shares, and comments. But you HAVE to monitor the ads to see what people most respond to, and be sure to set a time and account limit on your ad--otherwise it's easy to forget about it and it will run continuously, while it drains your bank account. I usually boost a post for a week, then let it go. You can also create page ads that will run in the side column or news feed, and you can target these pretty specifically to your target demo (ex: women who like Hunger Games, Divergent, and who are between 15-25). When I run a Facebook ad, I gain between 30-50 new followers each day. Again, these are helpful, but you have to set limits!
• Media Mail: USPS's Media mail is your best friend when you ship a lot of books! It's the cheapest shipping rate there is. Don't let the postal worker talk you out of it (they always say, 'Are you sure? It'll take a week longer to arrive.') Unless you NEED that book to arrive the next day, go with media rate! (Only applies for books/movies)
• Stock images/footage: If you're going to design material to supplement your book (images, posters, book trailers, etc.) then it's worth it to by credits through iStockPhoto or a similar site. I say this simply because you need to protect yourself against any chance of lawsuits over copyright. If you're going to design something, at least do it right and be confident that you won't get sued for it. And these images are top-quality and professional. Also, check DeviantArt for resources like pngs, backgrounds, etc. There's a TON of free stuff the artists there offer in the Resources & Stock Images category (but BE SURE to check their rules on usage!! Some require you to cite the work, others don't care, some prohibit alterations, some don't want you to use it at all. ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT!)

BAD THINGS TO SPEND MONEY ON

• Bulky swag: If you can't mail it in an envelope with just a stamp, then it's going to cost you a lot more to send out, and it's probably inconvenient to carry on tours/events because it takes up so much space. The only bulky swag I order is mugs with my covers on them--and those only as gifts for people who were super influential in the book's publication (agent, editor, mom...)
• Website designer Don't get me wrong--I love designers and if you are financially able to pay one to manage your site, then please do hire one--they have to pay bills too! But if you're on a budget, don't worry. There are alternatives! I've already mentioned Wix, but other great website platforms are Blogger, Wordpress, and Weebly. They're easy to use and there are loads of authors sites you can use to get ideas (feel free to use mine--www.jessicakhoury.com)
• Book Trailers: Several people have touched on this one, so I won't go too far into it. One idea, though, is that you might run a contest that calls for readers to submit their own original trailers (Anna Banks is running a great contest like this right now). This invites readers to creatively engage with the material and they'll likely be enthusiastic in sharing their trailers with their friends--maybe more so than if it were a trailer you or someone else designed.
• Facebook Ads: Yes, I am trying to totally confuse you. But really--I listed this under both bad and good because it's important that you don't go overboard with it. It's so easy to spend several hundred dollars here without realizing it (am I speaking from experience? YES, YES I AM.) A small injection of $$ every now and then is okay, but long-term campaigns, though they might win you bookoos of page likes, aren't going to be worth it. Use in moderation, and keep a close eye on the stats and the budget to see if it's working for you or simply draining you.
• School Visits with no terms: I waive travel costs for local schools, but if I have to drive an hour or more, I charge travel costs. It's fair, it's expected, and schools do usually have a budget for it. Don't feel bad about asking for travel costs to be covered--it's the biz! Beyond that, it's up to you. Some writers have speaking fees, some don't. I go in-between: my one request for schools is that the students I meet with read my book before I come. This ensures two things: 1) sales and 2) an enthusiastic, engaged audience. Visits where the kids have read the book are always phenomenal and rewarding for everyone, myself and the students. Visits where the kids have never heard of me or my book... less so. It's harder to get their interest and discussion time can be a bit awkward. This is also helps gauge the teacher or librarian's investment in your visit: if they're willing to pay travel costs and have their kids read the book, then you know they're invested in your visit. Don't let yourself be used a free class babysitter. (this is rare; in my experience, teachers and school librarians are among the best and brightest in our society, but it can happen).

All of these items I've listed I am aiming at post-publication! Pre-pub is an entirely different matter, and honestly, the only thing I spent money on before I was published was paper and ink to print my MS on. I think anything else is unnecessary and even distracting. Your #1 goal pre-pub is to WRITE THE DAMN THING and get it sold. It's easy to get caught up in glittery novel-writing kits and software and stuff you don't actually need in order to write a novel--all of that's extraneous. You don't need to spend anything for that except time. So I guess, if there's one thing you might do, it's buy yourself time. If you can pull off a few less hours at work to write, do it. After all, this is what makes you happy, right? Then you cannot go wrong.

Vitro Blog Tour

Want to take a sneak peek behind the scenes of VITRO? Now's your chance! In this blog tour, I go into the details of the setting, characters, science, and more!

Here is a schedule for the tour (I will update with links as the posts go up):

Jan 20 | Writer of Wrongs: Setting Unveiled 

Jan 22 | Books-n-Kisses: Sophie Unveiled 

Jan 24 | Crystal in Bookland: Jim Unveiled 

Jan 27 | Finding Bliss in Books: Vitros Unveiled 

Jan 29 | YA Reads: Corpus Unveiled 

Jan 31 | Wastepaper Prose: Characters Unveiled

Operation: VITRO Winners

I had a blast seeing all of your creative entries for Operation: VITRO! You guys made VITRO's release truly memorable! *cues applause*

And now for the real reason why you're here: THE WINNERS!

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS

Eli Madison

Kiki Delle

Jonanthan Partin

Courtney Smith

ULTIMATE VITRO JACKPOT 

Caleigh Oxley

Congrats to you winners, and thank you all SO MUCH for playing Operation: VITRO! I hope to see you all around the internet! =)

VITRO Release Day!!

VITRO GOES ON SALE TODAY!!

How to describe the feelings? 

I want to say it's all classy like this:

But honestly, it's a bit more like this:

But also something like this:

I feel like I've been waiting FOREVUH. It's been 16 months since Origin came out--that's like, an ENTIRE LIFETIME if you're a Labord's Chameleon. That means, a Labord's Chameleon has been born, fell in love, got married, had Labord's Chameleon babies, sent those Chameleon babies off to Chameleon Chollege, achieved all his Chameleon hopes and dreams, got old, and died happily in his sleep in the time that I've been waiting for VITRO to come out! 

Well. That was depressing. Sorry.

Anyway, I am so thrilled and excited to finally be able to share Vitro with you! Writing this book taught me so much about writing, perseverance, and stepping out of my comfort zone. There were a lot of "firsts" for me with Vitro: first time in third person, first time with multiple narrators, first time working on a book with the advantage of having an editor there the whole way, first time writing with the knowledge that now I have actual, live readers who are waiting for this book. My second book was a study in good firsts and challenging firsts, and through it all, I learned one thing more important than anything else: that writing is a beautiful and remarkable privilege, and I am so fortunate to be able to do this. And the reason I am able to do this is because of beautiful and remarkable readers like you! 

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, and thank you to all my readers for your patience, your trust, and your enthusiasm! It's your letters, smiles, and excitement that makes me wake up each morning with a smile!

Here. You deserve this:

Operation: Vitro

VITRO releases in 10 days, and to count down, I'm running an epic online contest. If you played Origin Olympics back in 2012, you already know what's coming...

The idea is, everyone wins. That's right. Everyone who plays is guaranteed to win prizes. In addition, I'm offering signed books, new swag, and even a new Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader with a gift card, so you can fill it up with some great new reads!

To start winning prizes, all you have to do is visit www.CorpusNetwork.com. By doing so, you'll become an intern for Corpus, the enigmatic corporation behind the experiments in both Origin and Vitro. Once you start the contest, you'll be approached by an unknown individual seeking to expose some of Corpus's dark secrets--secrets that only YOU will have access to. Accept the mission and begin the game--the prizes await you at the other end.

And to top everything off, I'm launching Operation: Vitro with something completely new and awesome: a book trailer for Vitro! Watch the trailer, click the link below it, and get started.

You have 10 days to complete the game. Your time starts at MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

BEGIN OPERATION: VITRO





___

There and Back Again

Back when we were dating, I asked my (then future) husband to name the first place he'd go if he could go anywhere in the world. He said New Zealand, and I knew then that we were soul mates--because I would say the exact same thing.

Finally, this December, we were able to go! Here are a few pics and stories from our amazing trip. I absolutely fell in love with this country, not only for its awe-inspiring scenery, but also for its welcoming people. I've never been in a country where everyone, from shop owners to bus drivers, seemed so happy to meet (and assist) hapless tourists.

So here are some of my Top Moments from New Zealand.


HOBBITON
Okay, so I'll admit it--when I saw Bag End I started to cry. It was surreal to walk through Hobbiton, with all the props and gardens left as they were in the films, as if the hobbits were simply just around the corner, out of sight.

SPERM WHALE
Thar she blows, cap'n! My three hour whale-watching tour all came down to three minutes of Whale Bobbing On The Surface Before Submerging, but it was still pretty cool to see.

SOUTHERN ALPS
This was in Aoraki National Park; the trail leads to the foot of Mt. Cook, NZ's highest mountain. Do those mountains look familiar? That's because they're the Misty Mountains from the LotR & Hobbit films!

THE MILFORD SOUND
Ranked as one of the world's greatest sights, the fiords in NZ are spectacular. It's impossible to describe the immensity and grandeur of the mountains rising around you, enwreathed in clouds and mist. Despite rain and heavy cloud cover, I was left breathless by the view.

This waterfall is three times higher than Niagara.

GLOWWORMS
So we went into a cave and saw glowworms. Imagine being in utter, complete, consuming darkness--only to look up and see what look like pale green stars scattered a foot overhead. It was eerie and beautiful and strange, and I wish I could show you a pic, but photography wasn't allowed. So here's a pic of the sunset we saw when we finished the cave tour! Still pretty.

LIONS
At the Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch, I had the unique opportunity to go inside a cage on the back of a truck and witness a lion feeding really close up. As in, I came out with lion spit all over me. Random question: is it really a good idea to teach the lions to associate humans in a cage with tasty hunks of meat? Not sure. But common sense aside, it was fun. For us, and the lions too, I believe.

CANYONING
It's like all of the things rolled into one: abseiling, hiking, zip lining, rock climbing, swimming, jumping, falling down...So much fun.

"Jump like Superman," they said. So I did.

WATER
Water, water, everywhere. I don't know if this is indicative of NZ year round, but the place was positively dripping. It rained nearly every day of our three-week trip, and simply became a part of life. And the lakes, rivers, and bays are all this incredible blue-green color that I never tired of seeing.

TONGARIRO CROSSING (aka MORDOR)
Ranked as one of the world's top day hikes, Tongariro was... many things. Challenging, as we hiked it in the rain (in this photo, we'd hiked above the rainclouds and got this very brief view of Mt. Doom--yes, Mt. Freakalackin' Doom). Breathtaking, because for one, the views--when we got them through the rain--were astounding, and for two, because you're climbing a friggin mountain and being blasted with freezing rain and winds strong enough to knock you off your feet when you're standing on a precipice looking down into nothing but cloud and empty air. But hey. I can now say I've simply walked through Mordor (though "simple" would be a slight understatement).

LAKE TEKAPO
This was one of my favorite stops. The lupin blossoming everywhere was so pretty (you'll see it briefly in The Hobbit: DoS), and Mt. Cook in the distance was just amazing.

LAKE PUKAKI
This was my favorite lake. We camped right on the shores, and had this incredible view to feast on. It was the blue-est (and coldest) lake I've ever seen (and swam in). 

DUNEDIN
In the "Edinburgh of the South," I wandered through several cathedrals. When I stepped inside them, I felt I'd stepped back into England or Germany.

FIELD WHERE SOME LotR BATTLES WERE FOUGHT
I really have no other name for it.

THE CHASM
This is heading into Fiordlands National Park. I'm pretty sure the jungles were infested with velociraptors, but unfortunately I was unable to capture one on camera.

WHITEWATER RAFTING THROUGH ROHAN

The Rohirrim's favorite method of transportation, after horses. No but really. At a certain point in The Two Towers, you can freeze the film and see two tiny whitewater rafts in the river, right in the middle of Rohan. Oops.

QUEENSTOWN
The coolest little city I've ever been to. The place runs on sheer adrenaline, and this is the place to go if you want to jump out of a plane, bungy off a cliff, or parasail off a mountain.

THE HOBBIT
I couldn't be in New Zealand during the premiere of the new Hobbit movie and not go see it. Thankfully, the others in my tour group were of a like mind, and we made a day of it. Movie feelings aside, it was so cool to see scenes set in places I'd hiked or viewed days earlier!

ORIGIN!
Hey, look at that! Origin is in New Zealand! I signed copies at two bookstores in Christchurch, and it was a pretty awesome feeling.

Some of the copies were here at Scorpio Books' Re:START Mall location. The Mall, built on the site of Christchurch's devastating earthquake of 2011. It's made out of storage containers and is pretty cool!

FLYING KIWI
I traveled with Flying Kiwi tours, a cool tour company perfect for people who want to do NZ, not just see it. We camped each night, rode bikes, hiked, and made some really cool new friends from all over the world. It was fantastic, and I'd definitely recommend Flying Kiwi to anyone going to NZ who's interested in making friends and also not having to worry about driving or accommodation.

Missing you already, NZ! Good times. <3

What Writing Process?

“What’s your process like?” 

“Are you a planner or a pantser?” 

“What kind of environment do you need to write?” 

“What inspires you?” 

“Where do you get your stories?”

 “What’s your writing style?”

These questions and their many variations are ones I’ve heard countless times in interviews, discussions, panels, and emails. They’re not bad questions, and I don’t mind hearing or answering them. I understand why they’re asked. The writing process of an author is something that’s romantic to imagine, particularly if you’re not a writer yourself, and when we love a piece of art, it’s natural to want to explore its roots. That’s why there is so much behind-the-scenes footage attached to movies. It’s why we love to watch Jennifer Lawrence doing interviews on talk shows. It’s why we can’t bring up Van Gogh without mentioning that missing ear. We all want to see the man behind the curtain, so that by understanding him, we can more deeply internalize his work. And simply because we’re curious creatures, and that’s a wonderful trait to have. 

But I always struggle with these kinds of questions. I used to chalk it up to my novice status as an author. With only one book truly published right now, and my second waiting in the wings for another two months, I still feel I have a lot of ground to cover, a lot of ropes to learn. Even so, I’ve stumbled and stuttered my way through enough public Q&A’s that I like to think I’ve finally gotten a bit of a grip on how to present myself and my books to the world. And yet these questions—the writing process questions—still take me by surprise and leave me a bit dumbfounded. The answers I gave three months ago, which seemed to finally distill the essence of my writing process, suddenly fall short. More often than not, I find myself formulating new answers on the spot, clumsy, fledgling words that still fail to encapsulate my feelings. And I find myself disappointed, asking What is my writing process? How do I come up with stories? WHO AM I ANYWAY? I never feel more like an impostor than at these moments.

But I think I’m beginning to understand why. They say every writer’s process is different. This is, of course, completely true.

What they don’t say is that every book’s process is different. 

And this is what trips me up. This is where my tongue stumbles and I begin contradicting myself and turning red in the face. “What’s your writing process?” the blogger or audience member or email asks. And I’m left with my mouth hanging open, big blue question marks in my eyes. Do I describe the process by which I wrote Origin? Or should I talk about Vitro? Or the book I’m working on now? Or my early, feeble attempts at novels when I was a teen? Because the processes behind each of these are entirely unique. Some of them have almost nothing at all in common. And so I’m left speechless, because I realize I don’t have a writing process. And then I panic. Am I a bad writer? Am I doing something wrong? (Possibly, but that’s beside the point).

Writing books is like raising children. You can’t handle them all the same way. They have unique personalities, unique beginnings and struggles and moments of triumph. They have different strengths and weaknesses. I wrote Origin in a month’s time, with zero planning, zero pausing, zero rewrites, and zero revisions before I sent it to agents. I wrote Vitro over the course of nine months, with much planning, many rewrites, frequent pausing, and hefty revisions. The books are two entirely different creatures, requiring entirely different methods of care and handling. 

As I move on to new projects, I find—much to my dismay—that once more, I’m discovering a new process along with a new story. I’m reinventing my entire process every time. It’s frustrating. I think, I’ve been through this! I know what works! So why isn’t it working this time? 

As a kid, I was punished in an entirely different way than my younger sister. If I was bad (and I frequently was), I was disciplined by having my books impounded (granted, I always found out where my parents had hidden them and stole them back. They pretended not to notice). My sister, whose veins ran with normal blood instead of the ink that infested mine, had more ordinary forms of punishment, like being grounded from hanging out with friends or having her internet suspended. My parents recognized the differences in our personalities and approached us in the unique ways that would best reach us.

Books are that way, for a writer. You can’t approach each new project with the same methods as the one before it. Well, maybe some writers can, but I know that it never works for me. Every time I sit down to begin a new book, I have to go all the way back to the beginning, where I have nothing: no plan, no secrets, no handy charts, no shortcuts. Just me and the empty page, staring at each other warily, like a child and a stray cat who’ve just met in the front yard. The beginning of a project is always thick with suspicion and hesitance, as I feel out what this story’s personality is, and how best to make it respond to me. Some books can be guided with a feather; others require the subtlety of a chainsaw. Some characters will happily follow wherever I lead them. Others have to be chained and dragged, sullen and resentful, down the right path. I never fully trust myself that I know the direction to go, or even how to get there, but I know I have to try. If I didn’t try, I might as well stop breathing. This is what I was born to do.

And that’s why I love writing. There is a process, yes, but the beauty of the process is that it can’t be distilled. You can’t shape every book with the same mold. You have to start over each time, with nothing but your imagination and your vision. The result is that it never gets boring. No matter how much I’ve written, no matter how many shortcuts or tricks or methods I’ve learned, writing always demands more of me. It always says, “Come, you can do better than that. Let’s go somewhere new.” 

And my doubts and trepidation fall away, and I realize that what I hate most about writing is also what I love most about it: that there’s no level of perfection than can be attained, that at no point will I suddenly “get it,” and from thereon be a “real writer.” It’s a thought that is equally devastating and liberating, depending on the day and one’s mood. The important thing to remember is that it’s not about reaching perfection nor even striving toward it. It’s all about the journey, and the many twisting, challenging, and magnificent roads we’ll travel. I’m a writer now. I’m here. I’ve arrived. And so have you, if you’ve ever put a story to paper. There’s no standard by which all writers are judged either Success or Failure. Every new book is a new beginning, a chance to test new ideas and to make new mistakes. We’ll never be bored, we’ll often be frustrated, and we’ll always surprise ourselves when we discover something new hidden inside ourselves. We’re all pilgrims on the same mad quest. 

So I suppose you could distill the writing process into one word. I think it would be: “Reinvention.”