Lay Me Down Campaign is Now Live! And you could win $100.

Enter to win 2 $100 Amazon Gift Cards!

That’s right, you have TWO chances to win $100 gift cards. Read on for details…

I'm so very excited.

My newest young adult novel, LAY ME DOWN, is now on Amazon's Kindle Scout program. The neat things about this program is that readers choose who gets published. It's basically the grown-up version of Amazon's ABNA book contest, and it's the American Idol for the book world.

And here's the thing. If you nominate my book and I win, you win too. Guaranteed. Because every time you nominate a book and it gets published by Amazon, they send you a free copy. Free books!! It's very awesome.

Here's my book. My beautiful, amazing book that I just love.

Life is more than just breathing.

Kylee Mansfield knows what it is to be alone. Her dad left when she was seven, and her mother remarried an abusive alcoholic. Kylee finds ways to escape reality, usually by substituting one pain for another. Things take a deadly turn when a jagged cut shows up on her arm, and she doesn't know where it came from. She enlists the help of her neighbor, Price Hudson, to help her uncover the truth. But Price shows her much more than just her past—he shows her what it is to be alive.

Nominating is very quick. Click this link here and sign in with your Amazon account. The first four chapters are on there, and you're welcome to read them. Or you can just click the "nominate" button. All done!

Unless you want more chances to win. Because I'm giving away $200. For all the after-Christmas sales! This is a two-step process, so pay attention.

How to enter:

1) As soon as you've nominated my book, send me an email at tamara at tamarahartheiner dot com. (Translate that into email jargon. Ask in the comments if you need help.) This is on the honor system! I have no way of knowing if you actually nominated me or not, so I'm trusting you! As soon as I get your email, I'll enter you into my first $100 Amazon gift card contest. You can only be entered into this one ONCE.

2) TELL EVERYONE to nominate my book. Spread it on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, your email list. And tell everyone that when they send me their email telling me they nominated my book, they need to mention YOUR NAME. Then you'll be entered into the second $100 Amazon gift card contest. This one you can be entered into AS MANY TIMES AS YOU'RE REFERRED.

If you need something to copy and paste for your Facebook/blog/email posts, here ya go: Vote for Tamara Hart Heiner’s new book LAY ME DOWN on Kindle Scout (https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/AANGH65P8YLB), then enter the Two $100 Amazon Gift Card contests by emailing tamara (at) tamarahartheiner (dot) com and telling her that you voted and that I referred you. You’ll be entered into her 1st giveaway, and I’ll be entered into her 2^nd giveaway. Win Win! You can then refer others to get yourself entered into the 2^nd giveaway too.

But hurry! The clock is ticking! Nominations are only open until January 2! Are you excited? I am. I appreciate all of your help! Thank you!

That Dang Proposal Again

It's been busy. When is it not? My oldest turned six yesterday. Wow! I can't really believe it.

But let's dissect that non-fiction proposal. The thing to remember about non-fiction books as that often the book doesn't have to be written to get an agent/publisher. Sometimes you can sell the book on the proposal alone. But that means your proposal has to rock. It should have an overview, biography, marketing/publicity, chapter outline, comparative works and sample chapter.

Overview: To me this is the equivalent of a the main part of a query. It's your pitch. It tells what the book is about. A lot of sources say this should only be one or two pages. For me, it was about half a page. Maybe I am too used to writing a pitch for fiction, but I can't seem to help keeping things brief and concise. Other things to include would be timeliness: such as for my book, it would be helpful to point out that the first/second/whatever anniversary of the Joplin tornado is approaching, and we could launch the book based on that. It's also good to mention here if you have a blog with 400 followers (or almost 400 and holding, as is my case), or a great platform for selling the book. Special features such as charts and photos should be included also.

Biography:  This is about you, of course. You sold yourself a little bit in the previous section, but make it a little clearer here why you are the best person to write this book. Agents are looking for CREDENTIALS, so this can be hard if you don't have any in non-fiction (like me). So why did you write this book? I used it to explain that my experience as a novelist made me the best writer for approaching this topic and making it interesting to readers who normally don't touch non-fiction. I also dropped names of key people who helped me with my research. This is where you talk about the big stuff: all the people you can reach, how, and why. And don't despair if you don't have any of this. It's harder, but not impossible.

Marketing: Is it starting to sound redundant? Yeah, I thought so too, but the truth is, all publishers really care about is if your book is going to sell. So what are you going to do to market it? Lay it out. Give them your marketing plan. Include your schedule for upcoming book signings, speaking events, whatever you have going on. Brag on yourself, show off the hard work you do or plan to do. Make your marketing plan look stellar! If you can prove there's a market for your book, do it here. What demographic is going to read your book? Do you have media connections?

Chapter outline: This is exactly what it sounds like: a synopsis. Summarize your book, but also include a Table of Contents! A chapter summary is a chapter-by-chapter break down. Include all the information for each chapter in here. Try to put your voice in here and not just say, "Chapter one will include..." I know, hard, right? Yeah. Still working on that part. This part can be anywhere from one paragraph to 5 pages long.

Comparative Works: Are there other books on your subject? Mention them, and point out how yours is different. Do you have the corner on the market? Then mention books that will attract the same readers as your book. List a few book titles and talk about how your book is different from them.

Sample chapter: This should be a perfect example of your writing style and how the entire book is. Don't be tempted to grab the first chapter. Go to the heart of the matter. Give the most exciting chapter you have written. You should have two sample chapters and an introduction, if you have one.

Extra things:
- Page numbers! Put page numbers on your proposal!
-Grammar! Make it clean!
-Author photo? Send it along if you can include attachments.

Good luck! And tell me about your experiences with non-fiction proposals. I know lots of people are writing them!

So You Want to Get Published

Are you sure?

Really sure?

All right, then. Let's look at your options. You can
A) Find an agent and shoot for the big dogs
B) Find a small press
C) Self-publish.

Let's evaluate your goals. Do you want to reach a lot of people, a certain group, a few in every city, or the whole world? Do you want to be involved in the decision-making, or just get told the decision? Or do you want to make the decisions?

Because, peoples, the amount of control you have over your finished product depends a lot on what avenue you take to get there.

Self-publishing will allow you the most control. You choose your book cover. Your plot is exactly what you make it. Your characters grow (or don't) depending on your discretion. You have no editor.

That's not necessarily good. But it can have its advantages.

But let's face it. Having an editor generally (99.9% of the time) improves your manuscript. Everyone needs one. If you self-publish, that usually means paying someone. If you choose options A or B...you get an editor for free! Doesn't get much better than that!

There is a price, though. You want to get published, and you're not Stephen King. (If you are, please say so in the comments so I'll feel really cool.) Your editor/agent/publisher doesn't like your title. There it goes. Your e/a/p doesn't like your MC's boyfriend. Bye-bye, bug, bye-bye! Your e/a/p wants to change the word 'Jesus' to 'God' in your MS. Or whatever. Just imagine.

THEY ARE THE POWERS THAT BE.

Still interested? Still want to get published?

Good for you. Then do it. But do not think for one moment that just because they want your ms means it's going to stay in one piece.

Sequel revisions:
today's goal: 25/154
actual: 28/155
tomorrow's goal: page 36/155

First Response

I got my first chapters back from my editor. Wow! She's not afraid to say it how it is. Not only that, she feels quite comfortable giving me advice. Obviously. She commented on the same things many of my readers had. But my attempts to fix the problems in the first two chatpers had fallen short!

Well, Allie was quick to tell me how I could redeem myself. What a project! I can hardly wait for the boys to go to sleep so I can get started. I'll tell ya, I keep forgetting we've already signed a contract. Reading over her comments, my heart froze within me, my blood ran cold, and I thought, "Oh no! They're never going to request a full!" And then, "Oh yeah. They've already read the whole thing and agreed to publish it!"

It definitely cushions the blow.

I had one of those nights last night when I couldn't sleep. How perfectly frustrating. I stayed up late revising a friend's story, and then went to bed because I couldn't keep my eyes opened anymore. And then couldn't sleep. I kept thinking, I should just get out of bed and work on my book. But I was too tired to think about my book. So I just wasted my time tossing and turning.

My little ones are waking up. I'll get some work done during their naptime--provided I'm not napping too!

Framing the Contract

Well, it's officially official. I have the contract, with my signature and WiDo's signature, in my hand.

Wow. :::gulp::: I'm really in this now. It feels so completely surreal. Like I'm just playing along, we're hypothesizing about publishing my book. I feel like, okay, let's see how far this charade goes. I cannot seem to wrap my mind around the fact that is real!

I need to go buy a frame and put this on the wall. And they approved my pen name. Tamara Hart Heiner.

Assigned an Editor

Yesterday I was assigned my very own editor. Her name is Allie, and I feel like I already know her, thanks to the communications we've had since my submission. Other than William, who first requested my manuscript, Allie is the one who has emailed with me.

Now that I have my editor, the fun really begins! Here are snippets from Allie's email, which is respectful, courteous, and encouraging. I can hardly wait!

I have been assigned as editor for your work, "Walk Beside Me." I am excited about your wonderful ms., and together we will make it absolutely as good as it can be.

I like to do everything electronically, so I'll need the ms. emailed to me in Word. I'll make notations, email it back with suggestions for rewrites/revisions, and you will do your part and we'll go back and forth like this until it's done. You can email me any time with questions and comments, and I'll be fairly prompt in reply.

Please don't be dismayed by excessive notations on your ms, or by how long this can take. It's no reflection on your ability as a writer, it's simply the process of revision that can be quite tedious and lengthy. WiDo has high standards for what it publishes, and does not put anything out until it is completely and thoroughly edited.

I've already emailed my manuscript to her. Next she will begin marking it up and I will begin improving it. Yes! It's going to be awesome! After that we will begin discussing where we can add in our detectives and what not to change the demographic.

Rip it up, Allie! This book has to be stellar! This is where I get to watch someone take my diamond in the rough and make it shine.

Journey to Publication: 15 months and counting

Well, as my book is estimated to come out in the "Fall of 2010", I'm guessing that would put us in October/November. That's about 15 months away. More or less.

In honor of that number, I'm going to blog a chronology of the steps it's taken (and will take) to get this book from idea to shelf. Trying to keep it in 15 steps.

The steps are as planned:

15) Bored in study hall/first draft
14) first & second submissions/rejection
13) Finding treasure/Christmas
12) reading and rewriting
11) writer's forum/WDC
10) third submission/changes/Deseret Book
9) fourth submission/resurrection/Covenant
8) fifth submission/WiDo, Covenant, Cedar Fort, Granite, etc.
7) contract/emails back and forth
6) Assigned an editor
5) Revisions--4 and second editor
4) copy-edits
3) Cover art
2) final proofs
1) release date/calendar of events

Obviously, some of these things haven't happened yet. So I might be off a bit. But I've had a lot of people ask me about the querying process, wait time, etc. I'll be happy to delve into detail on my experience!

Now I think I'll go take a nap.

Mailing in the contract

My contract arrived yesterday. It's very simple, to the point, and definitely not scary. So why am I so nervous??? My book is going to be published. Set for a release in the fall of 2010. That gives me more than a year to get publicity going. I guess that's what's making me nervous. This book has got to do well. Otherwise, why will they want to publish the sequel?

So I'm off to the post office. I also get to pick up a letter from Mark...imagine my disappointment yesterday when I checked the mail and there's a yellow slip of paper saying I need to pay $0.17 to pick up his letter!

Wish me luck! Time to tell everyone I know that I'm getting published.

I'm getting published!!

So it's official! Yesterday I got an email from WiDo Publishing Company offering me a publishing contract. I quickly thought about it and sent an email back accepting!

Granted, they haven't emailed me the contract yet, I haven't read it, and haven't signed it. The next step is, they will mail me two copies of the contract. I sign it and send it back. I'm very anxious to see what my terms and conditions will be!

I'm so excited! This is fantastic for me. I always wanted to be published. I don't know if I could've broken into the market with a bigger company. WiDo is growing and needs writers, which fits perfectly with my needs to find a publisher.

There were some conditions already, though. They want me to change the demographics of my book. Here are some things from the email.

We are very impressed with your submission, "Walk Beside Me." Several editors have reviewed it and all had a positive response. Our major concern with it is that the demographic it's apparently written for-- LDS adolescent and teen girls.

One editor's suggestion was to bring in the opening cop characters more, to intertwine their investigation into the story, and thus make it more of an adult adventure/thriller, in order to broaden the demographic. The four girls would still be the main characters and focus, but a team of investigators as introduced in your prologue would also be developed and followed in the background. Is this something you could consider doing?

Overall, your story is incredible, fast-paced and a really, really good read. Your plot development is excellent, and the characters are also well-developed and likeable, except for the villains, who are incredibly frightening. Again, this would make a highly marketable book as long as it could be broadened to an adult demographic. There still might be plenty of teenagers who would read it and enjoy it, but limiting its appeal to simply the Mormon teen girl might be a very dangerous road to go, marketing wise, for above-stated reasons.

In conclusion, WiDo would like to offer you a contract and work with you on the editing, as long as you are willing to revise "Walk Beside Me" so that it could be marketed to a broader demographic.

If you are agreeable to this offer, please respond by return email and a contract will be on its way. Once we receive two copies of the signed contract, an editor will be assigned to you, to work closely with you throughout the long, often rigorous editing process.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Wow! Can you believe it? I've been trying to get this book published for years!!

Okay, so right now, here's my game plan: I've got to finish Branca. I'll work on that one until the end of next week. In the meantime, I'm going to make an outline of where to make Walk Beside Me have more 'adult elements.' This is going to be fun! Hopefully by then I'll be assigned to me editor, and we can start rewriting. And then I think I need to start working on the sequel!

Who am I?

This question came up, and I feel awful for not introducing myself! Allow me to do so now.

My name is Tamara Heiner. I live in Springdale, Arkansas, with my two beautiful boys, Jacen and Asher, and my husband Mark. And our cat, Seamus. Oh, and Mark's not really here right now, b/c he joined the Army in May. Fun stuff!

I'm a stay-at-home-mom. For fun I write, take my kids to the library, write, scrapbook, write, cook, and write some more. Seriously. I love writing. And yes, my children really do get jealous of the computer. :::slaps hand::: Bad mom!

Mark and I used to work at a gym and had a really bad experience with it. Did you know there are a lot of dishonest people out there? People who will pretend to be your friends and then turn on you in a heartbeat? People w/ malice and vindiction in their hearts?

Oh, okay. You all knew. Well, we didn't. Believe me--WE DO NOW!

But I'm really happy not to be working. After all, I probably wouldn't have finished my book otherwise! And now I've got three others to finish. Whoo-hoo! Off to write some more.

Keep the questions coming! It gives me something to talk about!