Hello. I'm Dick Claassen, co-founder and co-operator of Awe-Struck E-Books, Inc. We have been publishing ebooks and books in print for six years, and we have gotten pretty darned good at choosing good stories. Writing is no easy proposition. You may have stories burning inside you, but you may not be aware of the tools that would help you make your story a very GOOD story. This page will make you aware of these tools. The more information you have, the better your chances of becoming a successful writer. To keep this page current and informative, Awe-Struck authors will be contributing from time to time. You are welcome to ask me questions by emailing me at: dick@awestruckebooks.net I'll choose those questions I consider of value to us all and post them here.

IMPORTANT: Please do not send me your submissions. At present we are closed to submissions, but we will reopen soon. To find out more, go to--

http://www.awe-struck.net/asubmit/authsub.html

When we are once again open for submissions, they must be sent to Kathryn Struck, my partner in Awe-Struck. I edit our books, and Kathryn looks over all submissions. This process works well for us and we urge you to follow it. Sending submissions to me will only slow down the submission process. Kathryn's email can be found on the author submission page.

Awe-Struck has firmly established itself in the publishing industry as a small company that publishes good books. Good books don't simply drop out of the sky onto our desktops. Kathryn receives many submissions each month and we accept only a small percentage of them. Knowing what we want will greatly increase your chances of your title being published by us. With this in mind, find out what we want in the ideal submission--

The ideal submission: Every publisher has in mind the ideal submission, and we are no exception. Anyone can write a book, but it takes sweat, grit, and attention to detail to make a story believable and salable. Here's what we would want you to keep firmly in mind before even submitting a book to us--

1> Write with a sense of believability. All too often authors will wade in over their heads and write about a place, time or subject they know nothing about. Write what you know. Give what you write a sense of time and place--

a> If you are writing a historical novel, thoroughly study the history of the time period you're writing about. If you don't, history buffs will find your errors, and your reputation as an author will suffer. If your story, for example, takes place on a pirate ship or a British man 'o war, make darned sure you know how to have your hero sail that ship. Make sure you know what life was like back then. Don't "invent". You will invent the story, but if you don't give the details of your story a real sense of authenticity, your story will be an unbelievable mishmash that will never get off the ground. When you write a historical novel, you can't be expected to have been there: it's not of our time. But with solid research you can make your story believable. We ask that your research is careful and accurate. Our staff can't possibly be knowledgeable in all historical periods, and we will assume an author has done his or her research before writing their book. Count on it - if there's a historical inaccuracy in a book we publish, a reader will notice it, and the reputation of both Awe-Struck and the author will be diminished. We at Awe-Struck will not knowingly publish inaccurate stories, fiction or otherwise.

b> If you are writing a science fiction novel, give the story a solid science foundation, and don't deviate from the rules of science you might invent for your story. If you do, the whole story falls apart from that point on. You have to build a seamless story, even if it's invented science of the future. Star Trek, the TV series, was groundbreaking because the scripts were based on solid science and fictionalized extensions of science. You don't have to give exhausting detail of how something works, but it has to be reasonable enough not to knock the reader out of the narrative. I have read submissions where the SF author simply invents rules as s/he writes, then invents illogical circumstances to justify the change of rules, and this instantly weakens the story. Make your science believable within the fiction.

Caution about writing SF Romance: If you, as a romance author, aren't particularly interested in or knowledgeable about science, don't try writing a science fiction romance. Many romance authors try it and many fail. Keep in mind that even though the book may not be a hard SF story, you will still have to set your story in a solid science foundation. Good romance in a SF novel isn't enough. Bad science will ruin the story. You will not be able to hide your inexpertise of this genre from the many knowledgeable SF customers who read our books.

c> Setting up "rules" in your SF or paranormal story: If your story is a paranormal or fantasy plot, set up rules like I've suggested (two paragraphs up) and then stick to the rules at all cost. No one insists you can't change the rules as your story unfolds, but be sure to go back to the beginning of the story and rewrite those parts that will have to support the new rules. A good story kind of grows as we write. Sometimes I think I'm channeling when I write because the ideas just fly off the end of my fingers, seemingly of their own volition. But I always make sure the rules I've set for my SF adventure are intact throughout. And sometimes I have to rewrite the whole book three or four times before I've cleared out all the inconsistencies. Few authors get it right the first time through. I certainly don't.

d> Writing a story with physically disabled heroes: If the hero of your story is physically disabled, make very sure you understand the dilemma of the disabled person. It may seem cool and noble to write an "Ennoble" title for us, (Ennoble is the name we've created for our novels that feature heroes with disabilities), but I won't let an inaccurate portrayal pass. I'm physically disabled with Polio and I know how the mind and soul of a disabled person functions. Bluffing your way through this kind of a story won't stand a chance with me. If you describe your hero driving a power chair, make sure you know how they work, what they look like, etc. If you describe a person on crutches, don't fake a description. I'll see right through it. Joyce and Jim Lavene wrote a beautiful novel, "Flowers In the Night", that had a heroine who had Polio. Neither Jim or Joyce had Polio, but a very good friend of theirs did, and Jim and Joyce were very observant of their friend, which, of course, enabled them to write a believable story. I don't ask that you suffer the malady you're writing about. I only ask that you know the malady you're writing about. The Net is the perfect research tool.

2> Don't use "the big misunderstanding" as your only plot element. Some authors prefer to write lighthearted stories. Critics call this kind of writing "fluff". I call it "fun". It's good escape reading, and we've published some wonderful titles in this subgenre. Unfortunately, some authors take the "fluff" idea a bit too far. Stay away from "the big misunderstanding". More times than I can count, we get those dreaded submissions where at the very beginning of the story the hero or heroine is absolutely certain the other doesn't love him/her. This simple (and I do mean simple) fact makes the hero and heroine avoid each other from the beginning of the story until the end of the book. That's it. That's the whole darned plot. *ackkk* If s/he would have only known this at the beginning! *gasp* <g> After "the big misunderstanding" is set into motion, (of course, the misunderstanding itself isn't revealed to the hero/heroine until the very last page), the plot thereafter becomes so simple, so predictable and so boring we can barely hang on until "~The End~".

Quite often "the big misunderstanding" is disguised as something like, "He doesn't love me." It could just as easily be, "I saw him kissing another woman." And it turns out she's his sister. There are "big misunderstandings" in many guises, and they're ALL dumb. <g>

Am I saying that "misunderstandings" should never be used as a plot device? No. I'm only cautioning you against making that one "BIG misunderstanding" the sole element of your plot. As I'm writing this, a wonderful book, Penny's Luck, comes to mind. In that book Gwynn Morgan, the author, used the "it turns out she's his sister" device. But it works so well in this novel. There are three reasons why. First, Gwynn used the "sister" device in the perfect place. She didn't introduce it until well into the book. It wasn't introduced at the beginning of the book, so the plot didn't hinge on it. It was only one of many twists and turns the plot took. Second, the heroine who was heartsick, was only heartsick for a little while. Gwynn didn't stretch this device out through the length of the book. She knew how far she could run it before it lost its impact and value. This added realism to the story. And third, Gwynn knows law enforcement inside out. We are sucked up into the story because she knows so many details that makes us seem like we're there. She builds a world for us, and the "misunderstanding" we encounter falls naturally into place because Gwynn has established credibility with the reader early on. Contrast this to a story that begins with the "misunderstanding", then drags us through the book while all the while we're cursing under our breath because the hero is too dumb to figure out the obvious. So, even though "misunderstandings" are usually badly handled, in a skillful writer's hands like Gwynn's they work. Gwynn is an intelligent writer who takes great care to write believable stories. Please make a similar effort to write your own intelligent plots. Keep us guessing until the last page, or in terms of ebooks, the last "screen". Give the plot something besides this one spindle-thin, dumb idea. The plot paths we can take are literally endless. Treat your readers with respect. Assume they have a brain and can figure out a plot beyond "the big misunderstanding". When I first began writing novels, Kathryn was my editor. Kathryn gave me the, "Dick, assume your reader has a brain" speech many times, so now I'm passing it on to the rest of you. <G>

3> Allow someone to look over your work. I don't know of anyone who can write a book in a vacuum. We need someone to give us feedback on our ideas. Personally, I'm not a good co-author. I prefer to build my own private world without a fellow writer inputting. But when my book is finished I send it to my friend, Mary Taffs, our production coordinator. (No, Mary is not available in this capacity to the rest of you. I'm simply telling you that I am not above asking for help with my own books.) Mary reads through my book and tells me what she thinks of it. She points out places that need shoring up and she suggests new directions I might take. And when I digest her ideas, and more often than not listen to her advice, I rewrite. Then I send it back to her for another look, or for final proofing. You may not agree with what your friend says about your book, but an alert and conscientious friend could save your day.

That said, just because someone is a good friend--or even a good writer--they may not be a good person to use this way. If they don't at least read the type of books you write, and/or if you can't trust them to help YOU achieve YOUR vision of the book instead of their own, you may be better off going without their feedback. There is an alternative to having a friend look over your book, but we advise you to be very careful if you take this route: you can pay someone to proofread it. If you decide to pay for someone's services, make sure they know what they're doing. You want their fee to be worth it.

Before you submit your manuscript, to Awe-Struck or any other publisher, put the story together in a highly professional way:

a> You would be amazed at the number of submissions we receive that are riddled with spelling errors. You have an excellent spell checking program in Microsoft Word. Use it.

b> You would be amazed at the number of misused words that show up in submissions. Here's a partial list of what I mean: to, too; chose, choose; slid, slide; hid, hide. Wrong tenses, wrong words...*ackkk* This happens because people either are sloppy proof readers, or they're truly ignorant of their mistakes. (Misused words are not misspelled, they're misused.) If you have word usage problems, ask someone to proof it for you before you send it to us. There's nothing wrong with making these kinds of errors. There's everything wrong with sending us your manuscript and expecting us to fix those errors. Proof reading before submitting to us is a beautiful concept. <g>

c> A word on foreign words and phrases. We beg you to keep the use of foreign words to an absolute minimum. We are not foreign language experts, so if there are errors, they will probably go unnoticed.

d> The mention of actual places, people, and other items of popular culture can sometimes add a realistic flavor to your story. If you use them, please be careful to spell the words correctly. Also, realize that many of our readers live outside the United States. They may read English well, but may have no idea who a popular US actor like Tom Selleck is. Or what or who Manolo Blahnik is. Is this something you wear? Is it the name of a person? Is it the name of a city? A car, maybe? Or is it none of these? "Manolo Blahnik" happens to be a line of clothing. But brand names can be very short-lived. In five years, the average person in the United States may not know what Manolo Blahnik is because it's possible that this particular brand name may be no more. So be very careful when using brand names. Pick brand names that have been around for a very long time. You're probably pretty safe with using something like "General Motors" or "Sony". But you won't want to use hip or hot names unless you have a very good reason to. You want your book to be understandable for many years to come, and since your book is an ebook, it will never go out of "print". We will continue to publish it for as many years as you tell us. By the way, several authors have told me they are fearful of using any kind of a brand name for fear of infringing on copyright. This is a rumor that somehow got started on the Net and refuses to die. You can use brand names without fear of copyright infringement. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to use your novel as a platform to slander a brand name. But it's perfectly acceptable to use them.

e> The use of technical jargon has similar pluses and minuses - and don't be fooled, this one applies in historical books as well as contemporary ones. Mary Taffs--our indefatigable production coordinator--tells me she read a Regency recently where a doctor mentioned "cupping" as a possible treatment for a patient. She never figured out exactly what it meant, but from the horror the patient expressed, she got a good enough idea to know that she didn't want to learn any more! If you should be so inclined to use names attached to the period you're writing about, be sure to explain to the reader what they are. Don't assume your reader knows what you're talking about. Some may, some may not. But you don't want to leave anyone behind.

5> Overused words and phrases. Please avoid the overuse of the word, "definitely". That one word will make you look like an amateur writer. It's overkill. Far too many authors fall into this trap. Instead of saying, "He was definitely sexy," say instead, "He was sexy." Respect the reader. If you have set the scene up in a believable way, you won't need that, oh, so irritating adverb, definitely. "Definitely" is definitely a word to avoid. Just kidding. <g> A phrase that's in nearly every movie you've ever watched is, "What the hell was that?!" Oh, please, say something more imaginative. How about, "What was that?" Or maybe, "Did you hear that?" Or, "Did you see that?" Oh, the possibilities makes the mind boggle! :-)

My final advice? Keep your story tight and your characters bulletproof.