Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

The following are the seven reviews (six 5-Star and one 4-Star) garnered by Enigma Black thus far on Amazon.com, and, yes, although there are some people who I know personally included in the reviews, there are also those individuals whom I never met before.  Presently, Enigma Black in the hands of two book bloggers as well as a small publishing company for reviews.  Hopefully, their reviews will be as favorable as these ones are:






"I'll be totally honest, I bought this book because it was written by a friend... and ended up being totally amazed! When reading, I would forget that this book hadn't been written by John Saul or Dean Koontz, two of my favorite science fiction writers! I got lost in the story of a young girl, Celaine Stevens, who loses her entire family in an act of terror when she was just a mere seventeen. The story takes you from that seventeen year old girl to the young woman that only wants revenge on the "Man In Black". Although this read has numerous climatic areas, you also get lost in the love story between Celaine and Chase. If you love both sci/fi and romance check out this book. I cannot wait for the next book in this trilogy ~ the waiting is gonna kill me..."-Janie W.

"Enigma Black, is a wonderful read. Fiction has never been my go to for reading pleasure. However, as an educator being well read in all genres is essential. From this new found revelation my love of fiction has grown. Enigma Black is a most read."-Heather H.

"An unlikely heroine. A mass murderer who's frustrated the President so effectively he greenlights a decision that would (if publicly known in our world) create national panic, not to mention having a moniker so ominous it becomes a parallel for his taste of art. Wise-cracking, techie virgins and the perfect balance of human tragedy and triumph. That's Enigma Black for you, and Sara Burr whips up a story where diverse characters and situations can thrive. Enigma accomplishes an appeal to many tastes without losing any of its authenticity, which isn't exactly a cakewalk. In between the drama, flying fists, explosions, and scientific experiments there lies comedic relief in the dialogue, especially whenever the protagonist's best friend Lucy opens her mouth, and a budding love triangle worthy of any watercooler gossip.
One enjoyable, pre-Christmas shopping trip among a family at The Lakes Mall turns into a plotted terrorist attack that, just about, takes the life of every member. Teenager Celaine Stevens miraculously survives but is left with more baggage than an airport facility (thank you, I'm here all week!). Celaine is sent to live with her aunt on the East Coast, and years later is adopted by her boyfriend's family and finally able to be at peace. That doesn't last long, as one night following work Celaine is stalked and offered an unfathomable request by a man claiming to belong to a militant rogue organization. What the man asks of her is to help take down the infamous Man in Black, the terrorist responsible for her family's demise. This request, though unorthodox and quite ridiculous, triggers a primal need of retribution in Celaine, and she plunges into the unknown. And let me tell you, we should thank her for it.
Enigma Black equally entertains and satisfies the need for an intelligent read. Burr asks us what we would do if forced in the protagonist's position, one of unresolved, constant emotional pain. Where most people have already embraced some form of coping and wouldn't dare take on an evil elusive enough to go untraced for over a decade, Celaine remains in the minor. She's crazy, folks."-Shaun L.

" I just finished reading Enigma Black and can't wait for books 2 and 3! Sara Furlong Burr has a real knack for giving the characters true personalities. The emotions that I felt were so real to me that I actually teared up and felt distraught while reading some of the sad things; I caught myself holding my breath while reading of the disasters and deadly encounters, and I also felt anger. It takes a good writer to be able to bring out such emotions from readers. I can't wait to see what Sara has in store for the future!! I've recommended this book to a lot of people."-Neva C.

"I love reading but it normally takes me a month to finish a book because of my crazy life. However, in Sara Furlong Burr's book, Enigma Black...I finished it in four days. I could not stop reading it. I downloaded it on my phone, my laptop, and even my computer at work. It became an addiction, and I couldn't stop reading. Sara has an amazing talent to pick you up, and totally place you in another world. When reading these pages, I felt as if I were there, I could see what the characters seen, hear what they heard, felt what the felt. The whole world around me disappeared. Sara was an expert at not only making you feel like you were there, but you felt all the emotions that the characters felt. I found myself weeping during the sad parts, laughing out loud at the main characters sense of humor and sarcasm, and my heart raced during the fight scenes. When Celaine's heart broke, so did mine.

Sara did an amazing job with her first book. It was very well written. This book was captivating, stimulating, and reached in and grabbed your soul and emotions. I can't wait until the next one comes out!"-Wendy

"I started reading Enigma Black with lowered expectations because this is the first published book by the author. That being said, I was blown away by how engaged I became with the storyline and main characters. I felt for Celaine, the main character, and what she had to go through to avenge her her family's untimely deaths by the Man in Black. There were twists in the story, unexpected deaths, and interesting surprises that kept me engaged and intrigued by how the story would end. I will definitely be reading books 2 and 3 in this trilogy."-Kendra A.

"Despite some grammatical issues, Enigma Black is an easy read steeped in timely political drama. With an apocalyptic theme, Enigma Black tells the story of Celaine Steven's quest for revenge on the man who murdered her family. The writing sometimes slows and it can be difficult to stay focused. I began to care less about Celaine and more about her partner in retribution, Blake Cohen. Celaine often comes across whiny when she's trying to be witty. However, I have to give Ms. Burr props for writing a story that is instep with our current political unrest and for creating an amazing twist that will leave you stunned. For that alone, it's a must-read you don't want to miss."-rantingwriter

Enigma Black can be found at: http://amzn.com/B00ABVO2ZC

DECEMBER SALE:  For the month of December, I'm offering it at a reduced price of $.99

SPECIAL OFFER:  For the first three people who read this blog post and of whom are interested in reading Enigma Black and writing an honest review of it on Amazon.com, I will gift the book to you to your e-mail address.  Again, this is for the first three people who respond via e-mail to me at saraefurlong@gmail.com

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Book Trailer for Enigma Black

What does a raging insomniac do when they can't sleep...................They make book trailers, of course.  They are insanely easy to do and I plan on posting a step-by-step blog post on how you can create your own. 

But first, please check out the trailer for Enigma Black: 

http://youtu.be/2Yrt2ENZW6E

Enigma Black-Now Available on Kindle

Cover by George Arnold

After months of distractions and countless revisions, I have finally released my debut novel, Enigma Black, on Kindle.  For the next five days, you can get it for free.  After that, it's $1.99.  I'm sorry if there are some indents that are off.  I don't claim to be tech savvy by any means.

Check it out here:

http://www.amazon.com/Enigma-Black-ebook/dp/B00ABVO2ZC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1353816437&sr=8-3&keywords=Enigma+Black

The following is a brief synopsis of Enigma Black:

When she was just seventeen, the course of Celaine Stevens' life was permanently altered with the murders of her father, mother, and brother in one of a series of mysterious and violent explosions occurring across the country. Struggling with picking up the pieces, she's haunted by the memory of that day and her promise of retribution against those responsible for her misery. But just as she seems to be getting her life back on track, an encounter with a mysterious stranger promises her the vengeance she desires, ultimately turning the former target into the assassin.

However, as she soon learns, all choices come with consequences.  And the consequence of her choice threatens to destroy the very fabric of her being.

For those of you who check it out, I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it!

Why You Should Finish Writing Before You Edit

I was recently asked by Courtney from Take Two Publishing, a wonderful new indie e-book publishing company, to write a blog entry for their website.  Of course, I happily obliged:

http://www.taketwopublishing.com/write-first-then-edit/

 

Pricing the Ebook

For writers who self -publish their books on mediums such as Smashwords, CreateSpace, Kindle and the Nook, there is much more to think about than just editing and formatting.  Along with self-publishing comes self-promotion and the ultimate question:  What should I charge for my blood, sweat and tears? 

Unfortunately, there's no real answer to that question as, like the fates of the characters in your book, it's entirely up to you.  In fact, some mediums will even allow you to offer your book for free--which isn't a bad idea to do for a limited time as it can greatly assist in drawing readers to your book.

What price is too low?  Too high?  Of course, like many other issues in the literary community, opinions on the pricing topic vary from person to person.  Obviously, as a brand spanking new indie author, $10 is a tad unreasonable and won't draw readers unless you develop one hell of a hook and your sample pages are out of this world. Yet, pricing too low also has its drawbacks.  $.99 seems to be a popular price for ebooks, but is it the best price?  When I asked regular members of the consuming public this question, their overwhelming response was that anything short of a dollar seemed 'inferior' and that pricing a book at $1.99 instead would, in people's minds, make them think that the book was of 'higher quality'.  While it is a proven psychological fact that people perceive goods and services priced at a lower rate to be not as good as their more expensive counterparts, I believe there are valid arguments to be made for pricing your book both at and above $.99.

Reasons to price your ebook at .99 cents

1.  Impulse Buys--There are many instance where I've found myself looking for something to read only to pick up a $.99 book as I wasn't entirely too sure about that $10 book everyone's been talking about.  People are impulsive by nature, however, impulse has its limits. If readers have to wait until their next payday before they can afford your book, there may be something wrong.

2.  Getting your name out there--The beauty with social networking and indie writers is that it gives you a platform upon which to stand.  You can get your work and your name out there to countless individuals of whom you wouldn't have been able to reach just a matter of years ago.  Think of it as free advertising--advertising of which you will want to utilize to the fullest extent. A low price is universal, and setting your book at $0.99 will make it that much more accessible to the reading public.

3.  People are cheap--Let's face it, I'm cheap. Actually, I prefer the term "thrifty"--you say potato, I say potahto. Anyway, my point is that I don't like spending money.  In fact, I idolize those extreme couponing freaks and, if I didn't have a life to tend to, I would so jump on that reality television bandwagon.  I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to get $879.49 worth of groceries for a buck fifty?  Moving on...Nowadays, people are looking for a bargain and, as an indie author with the capability to set your own price, you may find that you tend to capitalize on the thriftyness of others.  After all, anyone can afford to take a $.99 gamble.

4.  Testing the waters--As a reader, I'm more apt to take a chance on a new author whose book is priced at $.99 than one who has a book out there for $5 because, if I don't care for the book, I won't feel cheated.  Think of it as buying a ticket to a boxing match that ends with a knock-out punch in the first thirty seconds.  You paid all that money for virtually nothing (no, $5 is not a lot of money, but you could have also purchased five $.99 books of higher quality for that price). As a new author, you're just beginning to build your fan base--a fan base who will be more forgiving of you if they don't particularly care for your writing style, but only paid $.99 to figure that out. Word of mouth is everything to an indie author. But to an unsatisfied customer--and potential reviewer--the blow they could deal to you based upon the fact that your book didn't appeal to them could be a lot softer if they paid virtually nothing for it.

5.  People like feeling like they've gotten a bargain--When I got my Kindle for Christmas, I was excited.  When I turned my Kindle on and saw that I could download Pride and Prejudice--a classic!--for free, I was ecstatic (yes, I'm a dork). Consumers appreciate feeling as though they've gotten some kind of a bargain.  And, if your book really is the well-written, well-edited novel that you believe it to be, the excitement from your readers will resonate just as mine did when I opened my freebie Jane Austen.

6.  If you don't care about making money--Believe it or not, not everyone writes to get rich.  And for those of us who write because we love what we do, we know that the only people who get rich are New York Times bestsellers and those whose books have been given the Hollywood treatment (the two usually go hand-in-hand).  Obviously, if you price your book at $.99, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that, even if you sell a thousand copies, you still aren't going to bank a whole heck of a lot of money (especially with only receiving a certain percentage of that amount).  Long story short, if you were working at McDonald's before the book was published, it's likely that you will still be there a month after publication. But, hey, a true love for writing is fueled by passion, not Benjamins.

7.  It's your first book...ever--I'm not saying that all first novels are horrid, just a nice chunk of them.  That's why it may take an author two or three tries before they land a traditional book deal.  And as I prepare to publish my first ever novel, I'm mindful of the fact that I'm not perfect and, no matter how well I edit, there will be something that I miss.  I believe that first novels are a learning experience, one in which a writer grows and discovers what their true strengths and weaknesses are.  And, if you find that your book is selling well and the reviews are good, then you can always up the price a tad.

Reasons against pricing your ebook at .99 cents

1.  The "Free to a Good Home" effect--For some reason, we've been programmed to believe that if something is marked as "free", there must be something wrong with it.  Frequently, as I find myself driving home from work, I see random objects on the side of the road marked in this fashion--in Michigan, these objects are most often couches or other random pieces of furniture. And the first thoughts that go through my mind when I gaze upon these weathered items consist of vermin infestation and the bubonic plague. However, slap a sign advertising that sucker for $20 and you'll have to beat the crowds of people off with a stick.  Why?  Because $20 for a couch is one hell of a deal.  This same principle applies to your book. A .99 book is very often looked upon as being of low quality and frankly not as good as a book priced at $5.  Is this my personal opinion?  No.  But I have heard this issue discussed amongst others and you'd be surprised by how many people hold this thought to be true.

2.  Shortchanging yourself--Stop and think to yourself, "Why am I setting the price of my book at $.99?"  Is it because you think it will sell more copies? Or is the real reason because you really don't believe it's good enough to warrant a $2 or $3 price tag?  If you want to price your book low, that's your prerogative, but if you're doing so because your self-esteem or nerves are getting in the way, then you need to take a step back and ask yourself whether or not you truly believe your book is as polished as it could be. If it is, perhaps you should rethink the price as you may be shortchanging yourself in the long run.  If the book isn't quite up to snuff, edit it again and then reassess the pricing conundrum. 

3.  Your time is worth more--How long did it take you to write your book? Weeks? Months? Years? How much research did you have to do for it?  What about editing?  Now, how much was that time worth to you?  Does $.99 seem about right?  Sure, not all of us who write expect to get rich off of it, but don't you think your time is worth more than a penny short of a buck? 

4.  People may take you less seriously--This goes along with the "Free to a Good Home" effect.  Even if they don't want to pay for it, people tend to have a little more respect for those who charge higher prices for their products or services.  I see this all the time with law firms.  A lot of the time you can tell how successful an attorney is based upon their hourly rate.  For example, if I was approached by an attorney who charged $20 an hour, I'd run like hell as that would tell me that they value their work very little.  Price your work based upon what you think it's worth and how you want others to perceive you. If you're just writing for fun, take that into consideration and price accordingly as well.
For those of you who have published your books on ereaders, how did you arrive at the price you set?  Did you later change it?

If you're still finding yourself perplexed with the pricing conundrum, check out the following links for further discussions on this topic:

http://www.susankayequinn.com/2012/04/indie-dime-novels-of-2012.html
http://jamarlow.com/2012/04/amazon-47north-pricing-analysis/
http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=6391
http://www.teleread.com/publishing/pricing-the-indie-ebook-whats-fair/http://allindiepublishing.com/ebooks/revisiting-99-cent-e-book-pricing/

The Versatile Blogger Award--Take 3

Gone from blogging for about two months, gain more followers and an award. I'm not sure how I managed that, but I am truly grateful to you all for following me.  There's been several reasons why I haven't been blogging lately (with the main one being outlined below).  However, now that I'm back in the swing of things, I hope to have regular posts once again whether you want me to blog or not ;-) 

Another reason why I haven't been blogging is due in part to my trying to finish the editing process for my book, Enigma Black.  Given some of the events of my life, I'm about a month or so behind schedule, but I am working to catch up quickly.  Writing, I'm beginning to learn, has a mind of its own.  The process works on its own schedule and you just have to deal with it and enjoy the ride.

With that being said, in my absence I was nominated for yet another Versatile blogging award by the wonderfully talented Robert Pruneda.  Rob recently published his heartwarming book (of which I had the honor of beta reading) entitled Victory Lane: The Chronicles--Pursuit of a Dream available on Kindle.  Pursuit of a Dream is the first book in Rob's series about young man's quest to become the next great NASCAR star.  It's a very well-written, wholesome family story with some of the best dialogue I've read in a long time.  Be sure to check both the book and Rob out at http://sharkbaitwrites.com/sharkblogs/ and the link listed above. 

Thank you, Rob.  Your support is always an honor that is greatly appreciated.

Now on to the rules of acceptance for this prestigious award:

Nominate 15 fellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award.

1. Display the Versatile Blogger Award (see picture above) with pride.--Check
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you in the post with a link back to their blog.--Check
3. Share 7 completely random (and hopefully true) pieces of information about yourself.--See below
4. Include this set of rules.--Check
5. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs, tweeting them, or sending smoke signals. Whatever floats your pirate boat.--See below.  I prefer to include a blanket nomination. ;-)

Seven Random Facts About Moi:

1.  I'm a new Mommy again-Part of the reason why I've been MIA from blogging is because of Mia, my new daughter.  Mia (pronounced Me-a, not My-a) was born on February 22, 2012 and, needless to say, I've been pretty busy. *Contemplates whether the lack of sleep will make her blog posts a tad more interesting and slightly more coherent.* It's easy to forget how time-consuming babies are when your only other child is five-years-old. Of course, the sleep deprivation and constant worrying probably aided in my conveniently blocking those years out.

2.  I hate all reality television with the exception of one show...--Alas, it's true.  I am no fan of the so-called "reality" television shows that we seem to find ourselves inundated with. Why, you ask? Because, in my opinion, they are jam-packed with some of the most simple-minded, shallow individuals who have ever walked this planet.  For some, that translates into great television; for me, it translates into an hour (30 minutes if I'm lucky) of eye-rolling and flashbacks to middle school where even the most annoying kids were still leaps and bounds ahead on the maturity scale than the morons making millions off of these shows. Don't get me wrong, if someone dangled a multi-million dollar carrot in front of my face, there would be very little I wouldn't subject myself to.  However, I'd like to think that I wouldn't completely sell myself out and that I would maintain a certain level of dignity that would make my children/loved ones proud of me.  But, above all, if I wanted to watch scripted drama (and if you honestly believe these shows aren't scripted I have a timeshare in the Bahamas I'd like to sell to you), I would watch CSI, Law & Order, or Murder, She Wrote (don't judge) and not the fabricated, seemingly written by five-year-olds drama that comprises reality television.

3.  And that exception is Hoarders--The only way I can rationalize my fixation with this show is that it makes me feel better about my own inadequacies.  Because no matter how bad I am as a housekeeper, organizer, or at life in general, at least I know there are no dead cats, cockroaches, or rooms piled high with trash in my home.  For me, watching Hoarders is like watching a Michael Bolton concert:  I can't stop looking at it no matter how gruesome it becomes. (Show of hands.  Who among you would find a moldy refrigerator more entertaining than Mr. Bolton?)  All joking aside, it's not as though I like seeing how awesome my housecleaning  skills are compared to these obviously ill individuals.  There are those on the show who do change their lives for the better, and who doesn't love a heartwarming story?  Heck, if a person can overcome living in a virtual garbage dump, it gives me hope that I can overcome my own personal demons, too.


4.  I'm OCD with Skittles--Okay, so maybe it wouldn't be considered quite OCD-like, but I'm pretty sure it comes close.  When I get a pack of Skittles (or any other fruit-flavored candy for that matter), I immediately take out all of the red and purple (or pink) colored ones as they usually represent the flavors that I'm quite fond of (strawberry, cherry, or grape, for example).  If I'm still desperate for sugar after their consumption, I will then eat the orange, green and yellow ones.  Although the orange ones are okay, for the life of me, I can't understand why they even bother making lemon-flavored candy as, in my opinion, it always seems to taste like Pledge.  No, I will not tell you how I know what Pledge tastes like...


5.  I've been told that I resemble Susan Sarandon--I'm not sure whether I should accept this remark as a compliment or as an insult.  Personally, I don't believe the woman is particularly attractive.  However, she's a spokeswoman for a major cosmetics line--whose identity escapes me now--so I shouldn't be too ungodly angry about being compared to her, I guess.  I suppose it could always be worse...

                                                              You're looking very Jabba the Hutt today

6.  I'm a vampire--Okay, so I'm not literally a vampire. Given their popularity, though, that may not be a bad thing.  Lord knows I need all the popularity I can get my hands on. Although, in reality I am incredibly pasty and could probably pass as a member of the undead.   By the vampire statement, I mean that I'm more of a nocturnal creature by habit.  I function better at night than I do during the day. Otherwise known as being a night owl, I find that I gain a second wind during the late night hours and am absolutely useless any other time.  This is why most of my writing is done at night.  Well, that and the fact that I have a day job as well as a family to tend to while the sun's up.

7.  I believe that there is absolutely no sound worse than snoring--I love my husband to death, but there are just some nights where I want to smother him with a pillow.  It's not as though I'm an ultra-sensitive person who needs absolute silence in order to fall asleep.  Hell, I've slept through a storm that caused a tree to fall through our roof, house parties during my single years, and our neighbor's little rats', I mean dogs', incessant barking.  But there's just something about nasally, ear-splitting snoring that drives me Kathy-Bates-in-Misery-crazy.  I've tried earplugs, those nose strip things, background noises, and drugs, yet nothing seems to drown my husband out.  And, since murder is frowned upon, I've found myself spending plently of nights on the couch in order to catch some Zs.

Since I've been awarded this award a couple of times in the past, I won't be nominating 15 other bloggers.  Instead, I would like to extend this award to every one of my followers or readers who have not yet received this award and of whom would like to display it for bragging rights on their blogs.

My next post will focus on finding the perfect pricing points for indie authors (which hopefully will be ready in the next couple of days).  This is something that I've been personally grappling with and I'm eager to read your input on it as well.

Getting Through the Editing Process

 As writers, we're often either blind to our own flaws, or they mask themselves so cleverly within the pages of our manuscripts that only fresh eyes can find them. 

Try it for yourself.  Tuck your "brilliant" novel away in a drawer for four months and then pull it out and tell me it's still brilliant, because I can guarantee you that your whole perception of it will have changed.  Once snappy dialogue will seem bland; your originally bulletproof plot will now have more holes in it than a slice of Swiss cheese, leading to the consumption of an entire bottle of wine and a feeling of utter inadequacy.  This is why we edit.  We edit to polish, to fill in the gaping holes, and to make our readers experience the "wow" factor that our novels are intended to elicit.  But how do we get through this arduous process without wanting to slit our wrists? Well, we all have our own preferred techniques, but the six that I've personally found the most helpful are as follows:

1. Think of it as turning the mediocre into a work of art.  This is something I keep having to repeat to myself.  As much as we hate to think that what we write is anything but spectacular, the fact is, that's not always the case.  This is why we edit.  We edit, edit, and edit some more.  We add commas where they are lacking, quotation marks that were forgotten, and more "showing" where there was once only "telling".  We remove paragraphs that are unnecessary, words that do nothing to add to the story, and dialogue that's more weighty than uplifting.  Truly, the editing process allows you to add that extra dash of paint to the canvas, turning your work from humdrum to astounding.

2.  When in doubt, simplify. Too many times, we as writers tend to make the uncomplicated an enigma by adding mud to crystal clear water.  We want everything we write to be poetic while failing to realize that true poetry isn't forced.  So, it's no surprise that when editing time rolls around and we re-read the "masterpiece" that we swore we wrote, it sounds more elementary than Frost.  This is when frustration kicks in making us wonder what exactly it was we were drinking when we wrote our first draft.  But instead of doing what we can to make it better, we either scrap it completely or complicate it even further.  Simplicity is key. Instead of trying to be elegant or mistakenly believing that throwing random commas on the page will make your mess more organized, keep it short and sweet.  Your point can be powerfully conveyed in just five words, but completely lost with twenty.  Besides, editing 100,000 words is a hell of a lot easier than 200,000.

3.  Break out the vodka.  This only applies to those who aren't pregnant and of age, of course.  I'm one of those people who tends to push themselves until something is done.  If I don't accomplish what I've set out to do (whether it be writing, running an errand, or just taking a shower that day) in the time period I've allotted for it, I feel as though I've completely wasted my time.  As a writer, it's good to set goals for yourself, but just because you've set those goals doesn't mean they can't be subject to change or modification.  If you keep pushing yourself to meet unreal expectations, instead of meeting them, you'll find yourself on a one-way ticket to burn-out city before you know it.  Trust me, I've been there and it's not pretty.  I liken it to being on a cruise ship in the middle of a hurricane.  Take time to unwind. If you can't figure out where your plot went wrong or what one of your characters should say to lighten the mood, don't beat yourself over the head.  Instead, remove yourself from your work for a little bit. Take a walk, take a nap, take a chill pill.  Just don't let the editing process consume you until you begin to loathe it entirely.

4.  Read the works of others.  If you're like me, you learn by example.  There are times that I find myself stuck on sentence structure.  I know how I want to word something, but it just seems awkward.  Reading the works of other authors, especially those who write in a similar style as you, will help you with your structure conundrum, thus pulling you out of an editing funk.  Plus, it's always a good idea to take a break and read in order to clear your mind and make it fresh for another round of editing.

5.  Have a good bitching session then get on with it.   Let's face it, the vast majority of writers hate editing.  It's tedious, time consuming, soul-sucking, and it brings our faults as writers to light.  However, with that said, it's a necessary part of being a writer and, unless you have your own personal editorial staff, it's unavoidable.  The good news is you're not alone.  Right now (and at any given time), there are thousands of writers going through the same process as you are who are pulling out similar fistfuls of hair while starring blankly at their computer screens.  The beauty of this is that these same writers are most likely online on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or any one of the gazillions of social media sites out there.  Reach out to them.  Have a good bitching session, as chances are, you'll find that you have a lot in common with other writers, and it's always good to have someone in your corner in your time of need.

6.  Remind yourself that dreams are worth chasing.  There is a reason why you chose to write.  Whether it be in pursuit of becoming the next bestselling author, because there's a story brewing in your head that you feel needs to be shared, or because it helps you maintain a healthy level of sanity, we all write for one reason or another.  We all have dreams and the best dreams are those you have to work to attain.  There isn't anyone, shy of a celebrity, who's had their dreams handed to them.  They had to work for them.  And it takes hard work, dedication, and hardcore patience to get where you want in life.  Just think of editing as a stepping stone towards publication or fuel for the rocket ship that is poised to blast you and your novel into orbit. 

I'd like to hear from you guys and gals now.  How do you get through the tedious editing process?  Are you one of those rare anomalies who actually likes the process? 

My next post, assuming I don't go into labor in the next week or two, will focus on the great genre dilemma for writers.

Have a great week!