Your BIG idea

by Suzanne Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

Move over, Katniss. Step aside, Harry Potter. I’ve got an idea for the next great series complete with beloved characters and breath-holding action sure to spawn a trilogy of movies and scads of marketing paraphernalia—or do I? Is my idea BIG enough?

Many writers make New Years' resolutions to write more, so an efficient use of one's time would be to analyze an idea thoughtfully before committing months (and years) to writing it out in the first place. Here’s how to tell if an idea is series-worthy:

Passion for the Project

First and foremost, how passionate are you? A series of books takes a steady commitment of time and energy. At a conference, a series writer once expressed the fond desire to put her cast of characters on an island and blow it up; she was tired of writing the same characters, over and over!

Cast of Characters

Are your characters multi-dimensional? Is Villain purely bad—or have you given Villain a believable back story to explore the genesis of their evil actions? Is Hero reluctant at first? Have you given Hero the space and means in which to grow into the role? Have you populated your cast with interesting characters to interact with Hero and Villain in a variety of settings/plots?

Setting

Is your idea conducive to world-building? Where do your characters live and work? What do they eat? What do they do for fun? What animals/creatures exist in this world? Both fantasy and realistic stories require world-building for a believable backdrop that gives elbow room for Hero and Villain to explore.

Brainstorm 

Brainstorm story ideas quickly. Make a list. Include silly, random ideas:

•   Hero and Villain butt heads on a mountaintop, skiing Bond-style in a chase that has a steamy, wet end in a ski lodge Jacuzzi.
• Villain sneaks behind Hero onto a rocket headed for the international space station which must be diverted from an impending disaster before oxygen runs out. 
• Hero discovers his love interest is related to Villain in an unexpected way, complicating what Hero thought would make an easy demise for Villain.
• Villain finds and destroys the object Hero seeks.

Does your list stop cold? Could you go on and on? With a small list—or with a story focused more on a relationship between a limited cast—perhaps the idea is best served by a short story or novella. If your story ideas seem boundless at the brainstorm stage, perhaps you have the kernel of a good series.

How do you determine what form a new idea should take? Novel? Short story? Article? Series? 

Creative Book Marketing Tips: Use Short Stories

When it comes to marketing your book, this is the time to leave no stone unturned. While you have likely used the traditional methods of creating promotional marketing materials, building a website, and even setting up a few social media profiles, you may want to try promoting short stories to give your readers a taste of the bigger picture.

With a simple Google search, you can turn up a number of short story websites specializing in your genre, I promise you that. In fact, if you’re an author that has had the pleasure of being published, then you’re probably quite familiar with digging around on the Internet looking for opportunities, right? So take this same approach with your short story marketing.

To backtrack a few steps, you do need to create a few short stories that will best exhibit your writing style. Short stories are a great marketing tool because they will give your readers a sample of your writing, and they can also be used to generate interest in your published book. No matter what your genre may be, whether it’s fantasy, women’s fiction, young adult, or even children’s literature, short story marketing can work wonders.

The point is to keep it fresh. If you’re submitting short stories to a publication or even posting them on your website, readers will constantly be on the lookout for something new. If readers start to visit your blog to read your short stories, they will continue to be attracted by the new, fresh content that you provide.

As a base, aim to keep your short stories at 1000 to 2000 words. If you want to promote your novel directly, you can also take an excerpt from your book and whittle it into a short story if appropriate. But many times, it’s just best to start from scratch.

One interesting approach to take is to stir up the interest of potential readers by writing a short story from the perspective of a secondary character in your book. This will get readers hooked on one of your characters, and they’ll have no choice but to buy your book to find out more about their favorite leading lady or man. Win-win.

The “long and short” of a short story marketing is that you can grow a loyal readership by flexing your creative muscles. Today, many readers are hesitant to buy into a full book if they don’t trust in the author. If you’re a new author that hasn’t yet made a name for yourself, then start cranking out a few quality short stories that you can publish online or give to your readers at no charge.

Short story marketing will establish your expertise in your genre and even provide you with new opportunities in your career!

Bethany Ramos is an author and full-time freelance writer with experience in Internet marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. She is passionate about writing captivating children's books and witty chick lit. For more information, you can visit her blog at http://chicklit-books.com/