I’m lucky to have a wonderful line editor who goes over my revised manuscripts with a fine- toothed comb. No detail, however small, escapes her notice. She calls this process “sanding it down.” That is, getting rid of all the little rough patches that impede the flow of the words and the narrative.  She is worth her weight in gold.

As a former teacher and English major, I’ve always been attuned to mistakes in grammar, spelling, and usage, but in working with Anne over the course of three novels in less than 2 years, I’ve become even more attuned to the misplaced modifier, the  misspelled or misused word, the misplaced apostrophe. Here are a few common errors I’ve noticed recently in published books, in blog posts, in personal emails. Be aware of these as you are sanding down your writing. Your editors and your readers will appreciate your attention to detail.

Elusive, an adjective  meaning hard to identify or pin down. Hard to capture.  The scientists were tracking an elusive species of butterfly.  It is not spelled “illusive.”

Hear, hear. In earlier times, this expression was used to indicate agreement with a statement.  When Daniel Webster finished his impassioned speech, the others in the room pounded their canes on the floor and shouted,” Hear, hear!”     Not here, here.

Affect vs. Effect. Affect is a verb.  The mayor  had little power to affect the outcome of the meeting. Not “effect” which is most often a noun.  The room was decorated to great effect.  But also note  that effect can sometimes act as a verb, as in  The chairman planned to effect the changes immediately.

Irregardless is a nonstandard form of the correct word regardless. Susan decided to make the trip, regardless of the outcome. Not  “irregardless of the outcome.”

It remains to be seen. This is a useless sentence. Anything which has not yet happened will be seen in the future.

There/They’re/Their. I saw a tee shirt the other day with these three words printed on it and below them, this message:  They are not the same.  Most native English speakers know that  “there” refers to a specific place, as in “I’ll see you there.” They’re is a contraction of  They are, as in Susan and Mary are not here yet; they’re running late. Their is a plural possessive.  The Smiths are having their house painted.  Yet, last week, I got an email containing the incorrect use of their.

Your vs You’re. Your refers to something that belongs to you. As in here is your pen. You’re is the contracted form of you are. As in You’re late.  In an email this week, the writer commented:  Your one of my favorite authors.

Seek and destroy such errors before you submit your work to an editor or agent.  Such mistakes mark you as an amateur, a careless writer, or an undereducated one. Checking for, and correcting grammar and spelling mistakes is not as much fun as creating characters or figuring out plot twists. But when you are trying to sell your work, everything counts, everything matters.

In a recent interview, Ellen Archer,  the CEO of Hyperion described a new business model that includes lower author advances and that relies heavily on authors who promote their work through websites and social media, authors who are “media-genic.”   She spoke about building buzz ahead of a book’s release and using that buzz to spark orders. How can we as authors help our publishers build that buzz?  How can we become more media-genic? Three suggestions:

Build a strong social media presence. For me, that includes a daily visit to Facebook where I post a morning comment, and then check back in at night to respond to friends’ comments and to confirm new friend requests. When there is news about one of my books–a cover, a release date, a good review, I post it. But I never ever trumpet my Amazon sales numbers, and I try not to make it solely about me, me, me.  I celebrate others’ good news, too. When people ask for prayers, I respond. When someone is sick, I wish them a speedy recovery. Sometimes I offer a link to a good recipe, or recommend a book I enjoyed. Occasionally I post a just for fun trivia question. Sometimes I share a domestic woe such as a broken coffee maker or a dreaded household repair. Sometimes I post vacation pictures, or photos of my goldens. My goal is to mix it all up so that my FB friends get into the habit of checking in to see what I’m writing about.  I am by nature an introvert. I don’t really enjoy small talk. I try not to post things that are too trivial, and I never get involved in political discussions. I try to be a good party hostess to the guests on my page.

Aside from Facebook, I have a twitter account and I occasionally tweet, but again, I find it hard to say anything relevant in 140 characters.  I have a website where I maintain two blogs.

Develop a distinct author brand. A tagline or a slogan is not your brand. Your brand is the unique reading experience your readers come to expect over time. My brand is Southern historical fiction. It’s all I ever write. My goal is to have my name automatically linked in readers’ minds to that one type of story, in the same way that readers recognize Stephen King’s brand, or Nora Roberts’ brand, or Karen Kingsbury’s or Debbie Macomber’s. For those four authors, their names are their brands. Those brands signal the reader what kind of story to expect. My challenge is to deliver a wonderful story every time, a story steeped in Southern history and bathed in magnolia-scented moonlight.  It’s worth spending time thinking about who you are as a person and as a writer. What do you love? What do you have to share with readers? Just my personal opinion here, but I feel that the closer your stories are aligned with who you are inside, the stronger your brand will become.

Grow your platform. As a fiction writer I’m still trying to figure out how this looks. I can see how it fits with nonfiction authors. A person who has written a book on raising teenagers or dealing with substance abuse has many more opportunities for media interviews, for writing articles in magazines, for selling the book at speaking venues. Personally I’ve found it harder to get interviewers interested in talking about the historical events that inform my novels. But I would not be happy writing nonfiction. So I’m pursuing my one great literary passion—stories about the South of long ago,  and hoping a growing readership will come along for the ride.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Almost everyone I know resolves each year to lose weight, exercise more, stop smoking. Most of us fail. Some experts in human behavior think resolutions  can be harmful; if we don’t achieve them, we wind up feeling worse than ever. So this year, I’m beginning anew. Not with resolutions, but with the idea of living with intent.  Here are my intentions:

To be more grateful for everything in my life. Even deadlines and other writing-related stresses. At a time when the publishing industry is undergoing constant upheaval and many authors are struggling to stay in the game, I am extremely blessed to have a contract. And deadlines.  I intend to be grateful for my work. For sunlight. For the muddy dog prints on the tile floor. For the sound of my mother’s voice and for my husband’s laughter.

To be more giving. This past year I gave more than ever to good causes, both in monetary donations and in my time. In 2012, I intend to look for new ways to serve, and for worthy causes to support. I cant’ do everything. But I can do something.

To learn something new. Last year I took Spanish lessons. I need many more lessons. I intend to take up music again and to learn more about photography. As writers we can become too insulated from the outside world. I intend to take more time outside the office to experience life. I think my work will be the better for it.

To spend more time in reflection. Several years ago I began the year with the One Year Bible which is organized with readings from the Old and New Testaments, plus Proverbs and Psalms for  every day of the year. Getting through Chronicles and Kings was hard, but I did it. I read the Bible in a year. In 2012, I am reading Dr. Billy Graham’s Hope For Each Day and a New Testament narrative.

Whatever your resolutions or intentions, I wish you luck. And from my house to yours, Happy New Year.

Last week I promised some tips for authors who are beginning to get speaking invitations. Here are a few things I wish I had known and done, when I was just starting out.

It’s okay to say no. It’s exciting and flattering to get an invitation to speak. Even if there’s no money involved, it means that someone wants to hear what you have to say. But is it worth your time? Will it grow your readership?  When I first began, I never said no. Even if it meant a five or six hour drive, round trip, I was there. And often, I arrived to a room with no more than ten people in it. Now, when someone I don’t know asks me to speak, I ask a few questions:  What is the purpose of the meeting? Am I the only speaker, or will there be others? Is there a central theme for the meeting? How large is the group? Will there be any sort of publicity for the event? Will a bookstore or the organization itself sponsor the sale of my books? Can my trip be dovetailed with other events in the same city?

One you are published, your time becomes even more scarce. You’re promoting your current book, editing a second, and perhaps writing a third. All at the same time. You must do everything possible to grow your readership, and say no to anything that consumes your time to little purpose.

So you’ve decided it’s worth it and you’re planning your presentation. Consider these questions: What is your motivation for speaking, and what is your audience’s motivation for listening?  Do you want to build your credibility? Teach your audience something? Make them laugh?  Figuring out your goals will help you craft a winning speech.  You should also consider your audience. What are they expecting to hear? My presentations to pre- published writers who have limited knowledge of the publishing world are very different from speeches or breakout sessions delivered to publishing veterans.

Pick a memorable title. I am the first to admit I am simply terrible at titling a speech. You should take some time to develop this skill,  because as your speaking credits grow, you’ll be submitting proposals to speak at larger venues such as national or regional conventions or conferences. Often, speakers are chosen as much for the appeal of their titles as for the content itself. This is especially important if you are speaking at a breakout session where your audience has a choice of which sessions to attend. For example, a session on the kind of clothing worn in the 19th century could be called, “Dress in the Victorian Age” or it could be called, “Buttons, Bangles, and Bows: How the Victorians Dressed.”  A couple of years back,a friend spoke at a writers’ conference on Theme in Novels. Sounds like a graduate class in English Lit, right? But she called it Theme: It’s not a Dirty Word” and the room was packed.

When writing the presentation itself, use a variety of material, depending on your topic. Statistics,  examples, quotes, and personal stories keep your presentation lively. Remember that you are not there to show off what you know. You are there to deliver what your audience needs to know.  Always prepare more  material than you think you will need. Most of us are a bit nervous when speaking. I am, even after all these years. When we are nervous, we tend to speak faster. Finishing your 60 minute session in 40 minutes can induce panic. Keep an extra activity, an extra example or anecdote tucked away for such occasions.

Allow time for Q and A. This is the part of any presentation that I absolutely love. It’s chance for me to step away from the podium and interact with my listeners one on one. Most speakers reserve Q and A for the last 10-15 minutes of a presentation. But to do so runs the risk of having your presentation lose steam as people get their questions answered. They start checking the time and thinking about the next session they want to attend, or about what’s for lunch, or about their next editor appointment. A more effective way to handle Q and A is to schedule it near the end of your time, stop it when there are still one or two hands in the air, and then move to your strong closing statement. I always acknowledge those whose hands are still in the air by saying, “I’m sorry we didn’t get to everyone. I’ll be here for a few moments afterward if you want to talk.”

Craft a strong ending by using a relevant quotation, asking a provocative question, or telling a story that illustrates your main point.

Practice your presentation in its entirety and time it. Cut or add as necessary. It’s better to be a bit short than to drag on too long and make your audience fidget.  And speaking of time, give your audience clues such as “In the ten minutes we have left, I’d like to….”  Or at the beginning: “There’s no way to cover everything there is to know about self editing in the hour we have today.” This helps your audience relax and focus on your talk.

When you are clear about your intent, your audience’s needs, and are confident in the content of your presentation, go out there, look them in the eye, and have a great time. Remember that they chose to come and hear you. They want you to succeed.  Good luck!!