Why Put Existing Titles in a Collection?

Pamela S Thibodeaux

When I began my publishing career over twenty years ago, I had a full-time job, marriage, and children at home. If you factor in writing, editing, pitching, contracts, edits from publisher, setting up promotion and/or book signings, speaking events, etc., etc., etc., I decided one book a year was a feasible goal.

As the industry continued to change and evolve, I became more of a “Hybrid” author than trad-published, and a whole new world opened for me. Suddenly things like, audio books and collections and numerous distribution options became a reality. I found there is a lot of trial and error in this business, therefore, I reevaluated my writing/producing one book a year goal and changed that to one product per year and asked myself the following….



Write to market or stay true to my heart – in other words; is it about the money or about the message?

Which categories do the books fit into and what boxes can I think outside of in this?

EBook, Print, Audio, Single title, Series, Collection?

Amazon Exclusive or Wide Distribution?

Marketing (where, when, and how much money can I spend)?



All viable questions each author must answer for him/herself.



Why would an author put existing work in a collection?



Because it is a whole new product. You can offer the collection cheaper than individual titles (after all, the major work in writing, editing, etc. has already been done) and readers LOVE bargains!



Love’s Overcoming Power is a collection of 3 full-length women’s fiction novels and a novella all of which are independently published as single titles. Each had their own set of emotional challenges in writing. The Visionary deals with adult survivors of child abuse – something I never experienced and was terrified of getting wrong. The book is set on a piece of property that once belonged in my family, so researching was imminent but fun. Circles of Fate is a romantic saga covering twenty-years in the lives of the main characters. The intriguing twists and turns fate uses to bring together these people whose lives will forever be entwined was a constant rollercoaster. Keri’s Christmas Wish was a sheer joy to write because through Keri, I got to visit heaven and learn something about one of the most precious times of the year in a Christian’s life. My Heart Weeps deals with one woman’s journey through grief into new life and parallels my own after my husband’s death in 2009.



Blurb: Temptation, Abuse, Grief and Doubt are plagues common to women all over the world. In John, 16 Jesus said…. In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.

In this Women's Fiction collection comprised of three full-length novels and one novella, Pamela S Thibodeaux shares stories that exemplify the power of God's love to overcome whatever situations life throws at you.

Includes: The Visionary, Circles of Fate, My Heart Weeps and Keri's Christmas Wish.

Pamela S. Thibodeaux is an award-winning author, and is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” 

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Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/LovesOvercomingPower

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My Heart (still) Weeps…..

Pamela S Thibodeaux 

In my post, How to Write When You’re Frozen Inside, I mentioned a few things I did to help keep my writing career alive when I was unable to do much actual writing due to my husband’s death in 2009. If you read that article, you’ll note that, although I had several projects published, I didn’t write anything brand new, start to finish, until 2016. Keri’s Christmas Wish was written in five weeks, edited, and published within a couple of months. Then…..

Nothing.

Fast forward to 2019.

For the past year or so, I focused on writing short stories for a popular Women’s magazine to no avail. Most have been recycled into free reads for my newsletter subscribers. I’ve managed to write pretty regularly for a local news magazine, and I’ve started publishing my backlist in audio. I am staying active in my career, but still no progress on novels or novellas for the general market. I just can’t seem to get in the groove or mood to write consistently much less write romance.

Until May...

Eight authors and I gather in Meade, OK for a writing retreat. I decided I would pick one WIP and concentrate on finishing it. I had 3 to choose from. My Heart Weeps had the largest word count so I determined I would finish this book. If not during the week-long retreat, soon after.

Since this book is about one woman’s journey through grief into new life and the possibility of new love and parallels my own, I knew I had a rollercoaster of emotions to get through in order to write this story as effectively as it should be told. Many times, I took a break just to get my emotions under control or read aloud a scene or passage and left not a dry eye amongst my writing partners.

They say writing is cathartic and I can attest to this. Although I didn’t complete the project until June or July of 2019 and it’s taken another year to get it up for publication, finishing this book has opened the floodgates to my creativity. Since uploading the preliminary files to Amazon in May (2020), I have completed a second novella which will be published later this year and am steadily working on a third.

It's been eleven years today since my beloved passed away and although I’ve moved forward (I don’t feel we ever completely “move on”) and am living life to the fullest, my heart still weeps.

I guess it always will.

Blurb: After thirty years married to the man of her dreams, Melena Rhyker is devastated by her husband's death. Relief comes in the form of an artist's retreat at the Crossed Penn ranch in Utopia, TX. She rediscovers a forgotten dream as her artistic talent flourishes into that of a gallery-worthy artist. Will she have the courage to follow the path she was destined to travel?

Garrett Saunders has been on the run most of his life. Abused and abandoned as a child, he escapes the clutches of a past filled with pain and shame and hides from his calling as a Native American healer. His years as a CIA agent aid in overcoming his childhood and honing his talent and skill as a fine art photographer. 

Follow their journey as two people who come from totally different backgrounds, but share gifts of gigantic proportions, find meaning and purpose in the Texas Hill Country.

 

 Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Sign up to receive Pam’s newsletter and get a FREE short story!

 

Visit at: http://pamelathibodeaux.com

But….I Don’t Write Christian Fiction!

By Pamela S. Thibodeaux

When asked to do this post for Suite T and teach, or explain, how I write my ‘Christian’ novels and grab a reader’s attention “without decreasing the message,” I had to stop and think a while, and I must confess….

I don’t write Christian fiction.

Years ago I wrote an article titled, “Is it Christian or is it Inspirational?” in which I detailed some of the major differences in the two. I’ll recap here…

Christian novels (mostly) adhere to strict guidelines such as:

The heroine never appears outside her bedroom in her nightgown.

The h/h do not spend the night (or week or time) in a house alone.

The h/h do not curse or use euphemisms such as heck, darn, etc. and the use of God or Jesus except in a prayer is unacceptable.

Premarital sex is a big No-No! as is divorce, water & spiritual baptism, women preachers, etc. 

Mentioning a specific religion is frowned upon because CF wants to reach readers across dominations.

Newsflash: So Do Writers of Inspirational Fiction!

Inspirational novels may incorporate some of these rules OR the opposite of some, but still stay within Biblical guidelines.

For Example: The heroes in my Tempered series may curse (not all the time and no F bombs!); fight, and/or have a sensual encounter, but there is no premarital sex and there is usually a lesson learned from the encounter. In Lori’s Redemption the bull-rider turned preacher gets in an actual fist fight – then spends days in prayer and repentance and delivers one of his best sermons ever afterward.

These are a couple of examples from my own work and the reason my writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™

Other authors have written the ‘edgy’ style also. Julie Lessman’s writing is known as Edgy Christian Fiction. Julie, whose tagline is “Passion with a Purpose” pushes the envelope in some ways but still remains within Biblical guidelines in a way traditional CBA publishers and fans adore.

One publisher I spoke with when pitching my work years ago said they would accept a certain degree of ‘edginess’ in Historical but not contemporary.

HUH?

As if the things that take place in a Historical novel don’t take place (and even more so!) in contemporary times.

Alas, I’ve come to the conclusion years ago that, although I love God/Christ with all my heart, I’m not called to write ‘Christian’ but Inspirational books. Books that are (per reviewers) “steamier and grittier” and have “the most realistic characters read in an inspirational novel.”

So what would I say to writers who want to write Christian (edgy or not) or Inspirational?

Stay true to YOUR voice and YOUR calling. If you want to write and be published in the Christian market, don’t push the boundaries too much and be willing to rewrite/revise if you’re asked to. Think outside the box when submitting. Publishing is constantly changing, guidelines aren’t black and white anymore. There are shades of gray (no pun intended LOL!) and they get blurrier all the time. 

Consider pitching to smaller publishers whose guidelines may be a little more lax on some of the ‘taboo’ Christian issues, or to an agent who represents both CBA and ABA markets, or self-publish. 

If you choose the self-publishing route, please hire an editor and cover artist and present your work in a professional manner!

The most important advice I can give a writer of any genre is to write the book of your heart and make it the best book you can! Keep learning and growing, be teachable and flexible and don’t ever give up. Writing is a talent, a gift given to you by God. Don’t bury your talent or hide your gift. Trust in your calling, your voice and your God.

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Award-Winning Author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is multi-published in fiction and non-fiction. Her writing has been tagged as “Inspirational with an Edge!” (tm) and reviewed as “Steamier and grittier than the typical Christian without decreasing the message.” She is the Co-founder and a member of the Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. As a former member of American Christian Fiction Writers (formerly ACRW), Golden Triangle Writers Guild, Coeur de Louisiane and RWA, Pam won Coeur’s 1999 “Diamond In The Rough” as well as their 2000 “Ruby” Award and received her RWA Pro Pin in 2001. A committed Christian, she firmly believes in God and His promises. God is very real to her and she feels that people today need and want to hear more of His truths wherever they can glean them. Although her writing is Inspirational, she does her best to encourage readers to develop a personal relationship with God. The deepest desire of her heart is to glorify God and to get His message of faith, trust and forgiveness to a hurting world. Her hope is that all of her stories will touch the lives of everyone who reads them and – in some way – bring them a truer knowledge of God and urge them into a closer walk with Him. Social Media links: Website: http://pamelathibodeaux.com  Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

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How to Write When you’re Frozen Inside

By Pamela S. Thibodeaux

It happens….Life, death, illness or (fill in the blank) and the last thing you want to do, or feel able to do, is anything writing related.

So how do you keep your career as an author from falling into obscurity?

In 2009 my husband passed away and I was forced to deal with these questions. Here’s what I did….

Keep your blog alive. Even if that means mostly guest posts with an occasional personal one thrown in. Your readers care about you so they’ll understand. If you look at my blog, you’ll see that 2012 has the least amount of posts since I started in 2007. Strange since he passed in 2009, right? Not really, sometimes the first year or two after a death, you’re still numb and on automatic pilot.

Continue to Network. Attend writer meetings and/or conferences. You may not be writing again, but networking with your peers always helps alleviate the pain and loneliness of your situation. Your fellow writers understand and care, so they will help and support you.

Continue to market yourself and your existing books, even on a limited basis. This includes keeping your newsletter going or starting one. My newsletter is ‘occasional’ anyway so it was easy to stay in touch with my readers a couple of times after my husband’s death. The love and support shown to me was (and still is) something that kept/keeps me going when I felt/feel like giving up.

Take or Teach a class. Again, you may not be able to do anything with what you learn but you’ll never forget it either and teaching others what you already know can help you stay connected to that part of yourself that feels closed off or shut down.

Journal about your experience. Writing is cathartic and you never know when a nonfiction opportunity will arise and you can share your story to help someone else.

Work on existing projects. This was easy for me because I had so many projects in various stages of completion. Many were actually published between 2009 and 2014. However, I’ve been unable to write and complete something brand new until my novella, Keri’s Christmas Wish, which debuted Dec. 2015.

Work in the Industry. Look for opportunities to edit or market other writers. Many small publishers and/or promotion companies will utilize freelancers. Offer to write a magazine column or find places to submit your old articles, essays, etc. Any of these options keep your name in front of people. In 2011 I helped create an Ezine, The Wordsmith Journal. In 2012 I bought and continued the publication until 2013 when I sold it, but even then, I continued to work with TWJ Magazine until the end of 2016.

These are a few ways in which I kept my writing career going even though, with the exception of a couple of nonfiction pieces, I wasn’t really writing. I’d love to hear how you managed to get through a tough situation / life crisis and keep your career somewhat afloat.

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Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Links: Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com   Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com  Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib  Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/  Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU  BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamela-s-thibodeaux