Ow-pain – Page 4 – SE White Author

Six First Aid Steps for Bad Feedback

2019-01-23

Blogging, Critique, Goals and Hopes, My Books, Silliness, Writing Process

It happened. The thing you’ve been dreading, avoiding, secretly praying will pass you by forever. Negative feedback. Maybe it’s kindhearted constructive criticism (OUCH) or maybe it’s a scathing one-star take down of your entire book (FUCKING OUCH OW PAIN). No matter what form it takes this kind of feedback is hard on you. I know this, because I recently got my very own negative feedback. I enter every unfinished manuscript I write into RWA chapter contests for judging because apparently…

The Time When an Author Responded to a Bad Review: And It Worked.

2019-01-09

SE White

Blogging, Book Reviews, Critique, Recommendations, Writing Process

For the rest of us normal mortals: DO NOT DO THIS! No, I mean it. EVER. I see your fingers twitching towards that keyboard. DON’T. It’s the fastest way to make yourself look like a terrible person, no matter what a review says about your book. In light of recent events concerning an author who straight-up stalked a reviewer that had disliked her book, this seems like a good time to drag out and re-state my position on this issue. The ladies…

Seeking Sensitivity

2018-08-09

SE White

Blogging, Book Reviews, Critique, Goals and Hopes, My Books, Reviews, Writing Process

Representation in romance is very important to me. Even (especially?) in the realm of erotic romance. Humans come in infinite variety, so why not include that variety in books which are about humans? Sounds like a good idea to me. So the fact that my MC, Colton, is dealing with bipolar disorder and falling in love at the same time is something I’m proud of. Poor Colton, I put him through the wringer. He’s taking care of his mental health,…

The 10 Totally Made-Up Commandments of Querying

2018-08-01

SE White

Insecure Writer's Support Group Post, Query Letters, Silliness, Top 10 Lists, Writing Process

This is an Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. Since I’m currently querying and fielding nothing but rejections, I’d like to share the pain. Odds are good that some of you are in the trenches with me. The optional August question is: What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey? Querying. Avoid querying, if at all possible. No, I don’t mean that. It’s just the bitterness talking. Really, what I mean is: don’t query before your manuscript…

Top Ten Tuesday: Please Just Stop the Series

2018-06-26

SE White

Blogging, Silliness, Top 10 Lists, Top Ten Tuesdays

Slightly cheating for this week’s top ten, but I hope you’ll forgive me. Back in October I wrote a post for Books Rock My World that has a lot to do with the topic for this week. If you didn’t know I write for that site, now you do know. Unless you hated one of my articles, in which case haha, no, that’s totally another SE White. It’s a very common name. Don’t flame me. Anyway. Leaving a series unfinished is a guilt…

Why Titles are Literally the Worst

2018-06-06

SE White

Blogging, Insecure Writer's Support Group Post, My Books, Silliness, Writing Process

This is an Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. To join the group yourself, head over to their website and don’t forget to throw a ninja salute at our captain, Alex J Cavanaugh. The co-hosts for this month’s posts are Beverly Stowe McClure, Tyrean Martinson, Tonja Drecker and Ellen the Cynical Sailor, stop by and check out their posts as you’re hopping today! The question (totally optional, you little rebel, you) for June 6th is: What’s harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names? Answer:…

Romancelandia Has Your Back

2018-05-12

SE White

Blogging, Romance Writers of America

Pro Life Tip 1: The internet is forever. Screenshots exist. Pro Life Tip 2: Romance authors and readers are fierce, badass ladies who take zero shit. Combine the two and what do you get? Right now, you get #cockygate. For anyone unfamiliar, an indie author with an erotic series centered around the word “cocky” in the title, went and trademarked the word “cocky”. Can you trademark a word that is used by millions of people and appeared in plenty of…

The Hammer of Ban*

2018-04-07

SE White

Blogging, Goals and Hopes, Silliness

*And no, “Ban” is not an up-cycled traditional French men’s name. I literally mean “ban” as in “refuse access” New self-hosted website, new world, brave new problems. So far I have been extremely lucky in the troll department *knocks on wood*. Mostly because my site is very small, possibly because the tiny niche of aspiring writer is a hard one to have a big old troll issue with? For whatever reason, I mostly got useful, legit comments on the old…

Still Waiting on That Silver Lining

2018-04-04

SE White

Critique, Insecure Writer's Support Group Post, My Books, Writing Process

This is an Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. Once a month, authors from all over come together and post in a hop where it’s safe to admit that this writing job has its bad days. There will be listicles, support, and digital shoulders to lean on. To sign up for the hop yourself go here. And don’t forget to stop by and show some love to the co-hosts: Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood and Tamara Narayan. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is also on…

The Magic of Manuscript Rejections: Part 5

2018-02-24

S.E. White

Blogging, Goals and Hopes, My Books, Query Letters, Silliness

The Query ship sets sail again this week! In batches of three, my latest begging letter will be heading out to seas unknown, trying to lure me in an agent. My first three letters for 2018 have already garnered me three rejections. Here be monsters (if you define monsters as a vicious cycle of hope and rejection, which I totally do.) In honor of the maiden voyage of my completed manuscript (New Adult, alternate universe, with a strong love story)…