Decisions Decisions
By Donnell Ann Bell
Some changes are in store for me in the upcoming months. As I write this, I’m about to join the ranks of hybrid author. After 25 years in business, my publisher BelleBooks/Bell Bridge Books/Imajinn is closing its doors. Debra Dixon, who has owned and operated the publishing house (and admirably I might add), will retire.
As far as this author is concerned, as a publisher and editor, Debra Dixon has been exemplary, following through on every commitment she’s made. And to have the author of Goal, Motivation and Conflict as my editor for my Cold Case Series, has been both and education and has made me a better writer. So, now it’s time for this fledgling duckling—I mean author—to decide what she wants to do next. As I await my rights reversion letter, I look at this transition as an opportunity. For the most part, I’m thrilled with the product that Bell Bridge Books produced that bears my name on the covers. Still, like most books, dare I say, every published novel contains surprise gremlins. These gremlins called errors pop up in spite of critique partners, beta readers, editors, copy editors and proofreaders.
My friend Annette Dashofy is famous for saying if a mistake makes it into our books upon publication, after an author’s painstaking review, followed by the numerous editorial eyes on it, that typo deserves to be in there!!😉While I think her philosophy is clever, I respectfully disagree and want that typo corrected. Being traditionally published, I haven’t had the luxury of fixing a digital copy after it’s published. When my books are returned to me, I plan to fix those pesky errors that have plagued me these many years.
Which brings me to something else I’ve been thinking about and would love your opinions. Over the years I’ve received both good and bad reviews. Some readers lamented I didn’t put enough sex in my books, while other readers appreciated that I didn’t. Then there’s the subject of expletives. My mother worked for a doctor who claimed that using foul language was a sign of a weak mind. Moreover, if the speaker did use expletives, it was because he couldn’t think of anything else to say. As a young woman, I heard that story so many times, I came to believe the doctor had a @#$% valid point!
In my debut novel, The Past Came Hunting, I used expletives. Namely, because my protagonist is a cop. Further, the story begins with a rebellious seventeen-year-old in the process of making the mistake of her life when she hooks up with a California bad boy (later a vengeful ex-con). While my female protagonist cleans up her act (and her language), and the cop occasionally expels an oath, the ex-con absolutely refused to say, “Gosh” and “Darn.” Honest, I asked him!
My debut won several awards, was requested by agents and was responsible for my publication. I remember receiving one letter about the language while the book has hundreds of positive reviews and hit #7 on Amazon’s list as a new author. I’m pretty proud of that. Here’s another question for you. What is it about criticism that we can receive numerous accolades, but we continually focus on the negative? Also, as I’m going over the book line by line and have the opportunity to sanitize this manuscript, I’m not sure I want to.
Do I still hate expletives? Absolutely. I try hard not to use them. But it’s not about me. It’s about the characters. Fortunately, my other books don’t include a truculent psychopath. Brooke Terpening, another Stiletto Gang member, sent me the following blog written by author Harry Bingham to help me weigh my decision: Click here (content warning). Mr. Bingham has an incredibly interesting take on the subject. By the way, the article provides an “f-bomb” score. Believe it or not my index is 28/82 = 0.35 which means my book is “unsweary.” Seriously?
Meanwhile, decisions, decisions.
About the Author:
Donnell Ann Bell is an award-winning author who began her nonfiction career in newspapers. After she turned to fiction, her romantic suspense novels became Amazon bestsellers, including The Past Came Hunting, Deadly Recall, Betrayed, and Buried Agendas. In 2019, Donnell released her first mainstream suspense, Black Pearl, A Cold Case Suspense, which was a 2020 Colorado Book Award finalist. In 2022, book two of the series was released. Until Dead, A Cold Case Suspense won Best Thriller in 2023 at the Imaginarium Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Currently, she’s working on book three of the series. Readers can follow Donnell on her blog or sign up for her newsletter at www.donnellannbell.net.
As someone who has known, learned from, and worked with Debra Dixon since before she established her publishing company, I can vouch for her dedication to authors. Besides that, she’s a genuinely nice person. I hope she had an amazing retirement, but she will be missed.
Donnell, as for whether to sanitize the language in The Past Came Hunting, go with your gut. I wouldn’t let one negative review out of all the positive ones you’ve received sway your decision. It’s not like you’re writing cozy mystery. You’re never going to please every reader.
Thanks, Lois.
Stay true to your story! Best wishes for the next phase of your publishing life.
Broke, they say there’s nothing more insecure than a writer. Whoever “they” are They’d be right:)
Brooke, great advice. They say there’s nothing more insecure than a writer. They’d be right 🙂
I must give my pal, Liz Milliron, credit for the missed-typo saying.
As for swearing, my MIL reads my books and chastises me for any and all foul language. But I think tolerance for the occasional curse word varies according to the reader’s location/upbringing. In that same vein, the character’s upbringing may weigh heavily on their use of certain words.
Wishing you much luck on this new phase of your career, my friend. And if there’s anything I can do to help, you know how to reach me.
Thanks Annette, that is so reassuring!
I’m in the same boat with a couple of my fantasy novels that were originally published by ImaJinn and became part of Bell Bridge Books on Linda Kichline’s death. I have nothing but good things to say about them and am sorry to see them go. But I certainly understand that Deb Dixon wants to retire and they’re doing it in the classiest way possible. I’ve already received my reversion letter. The language thing is a fine line and there’s no pleasing everyone. For my amateur sleuth mystery series, I’ve used some four-letter words, but have generally tried to keep it to a minimum, sometimes having my characters mutter those words under their breath. I try to save the more colorful language for situations where it feels like it’s really needed. Beta readers called me out when I had a character say “oh, heck,” on finding a dead body. Good luck with books in the future. They’re good (I’ve read and enjoyed several of them) and should have a substantial readership however you publish them.
Oh, Karen, we should compare notes. Oddly, it feels better to know I’m not alone:) thank you!
Everything about the book intrigues me and pulls me in to read the book really looking forward to reading in print formats
Sounds like great reading love the looks of the 📚
Thank you, Crystal! I’m flattered you think so!
Donnell, it’s wonderful that you had such a supportive publisher for so long. However, after leaving my first publisher and going indie, I can attest to the joy (and the fear) of freedom it gives an author. As for expletives, I say let your characters be as fully formed as they need to be. Let them use mainstream swear words if they want or use their own personal “dagnabbits.” I wouldn’t worry about a few nit pickers.
Thanks, Gay! With all my brilliant Indie author friends, I’m hoping the fear lessens:) just like a bike, right?
If you’ve read my books, you know that my characters use the f-bomb (some more frequently than others). H-E-double hockey sticks, I use it on occasion as well. Sometimes it’s the only word that fits.
Peg, I’m a huge fan of Trafficked! Yes, sanitizing that at book, it would not have been the same book and would not have been a Colorado Book Award Winner!!!
Oh, %#fs*^#, Donnell Ann, I don’t know. But my instinct says your heart already knows what to do ( ;
As to the courage needed to go it on your own…? What have you got to lose?
Thank you, Pamela, you are so correct. It would break my heart to change that book too much.
The one thing I have learned is that you will never please everyone and will only drive yourself crazy if you try. I had one reader who was apparently “traumatized” because my protagonist Arabella, after too many cognacs, woke up next to her ex-husband in bed. That was it. There was no sex (beyond the assumption that there had been). Anyway, she reviewed the book (A Hole in One) and said she couldn’t carry on with it.
I try to keep my characters from swearing beyond the odd hell or bastard (though when Harlequin picked up the mass market rights, those were all removed). But a mobster, for example, isn’t about to say “oh poop.” Be true to your character and you’ll be true to yourself.
I’ve been orphaned, as you have now. And it sounds like your publisher did it in the classiest way possible. All orphaned authors should be so fortunate. You will find your way, and you will be surprised at how pain-free that way can be. You know where to find me if you have a question on self-publishing. And btw, Annette was one of my first reviewers. I am forever grateful.
Judy, great advice. You’re just solidifying what I and others are thinking. And, yes, Annette is a treasure!
Wishing you the best, Donnell. I’m smiling at the language question you’ve posed. I’m in a critique group with some younger writers who bash me at times for NOT using more swear words. Apparently in today’s society, you have to swear to be understood, and dialogue isn’t realistic without them!
Ah, Saralyn, the times they are a changing;) be true to your vision.
Wishing you the best of luck with your new endeavor. My first time being orphaned, they handled things for me much like Debra is doing with you – which made it much easier to go hybrid with that book. The second time wasn’t as easy, but it kept the book alive. With your dedication and eye for what’s right, you’ll do fine (besides, Lois, your critique partner, is a great resource). As for the words, go with your gut.
Thank you, Debra, yes, I’m in an enviable position and I know it.
Donnell,
I’m sorry that you’re losing your publisher. As for using curse words or not, I agree. That’s up to your character—oh, and you. We authors do tend to remember the negative comments rather than the positive ones. But, as my fellow children’s book author Johanna Hurwitz told me, we can’t please everyone.
Lots of changes! I’m sure you’ll land on your feet, you’re a fantastic storyteller.
As far as language … I get some emails about language (never about sex, but I don’t write a lot of sex in my books — though there is some.) Catherine Coulter stopped her characters from swearing years ago, and when her books are reissued, she asks to go through and sanitize them (or when she gets the rights back.) My characters swear. It’s a character-by-character decision. Lucy Kincaid rarely swears; Kara Quinn does. I try not to make it gratuitous, but other than that, I just do what comes naturally to the characters.
But … I’m pretty sure I’ve lost a couple readers because of it.
So my advice is: go with your gut. I wouldn’t edit because of a few readers, but if I had the opportunity to edit older books, I might go through and make sure all language (and sex!) was needed and appropriate for the characters and story.
Hugs.
Thanks so much, Allison! I’m so excited to make these books better. And several authors are of Catherine Coulter’s ilk. I noticed Daniel Silva used expletives in his earlier books and has toned it way down in subsequent novels.
Hi Donnell, I have had the good fortune to be accepted by and published by four small publishers. All did their best, but publishing is simply a very tough business financially. I now have all my rights back and started my own publishing company, Nemaha Ridge Publishing Group, LLC. This just means I’m responsible for everything about my books, A to Z. Liberating, sure, but a ton of work, especially marketing. So, three things: a) don’t sanitize your prior books. They are what they are, and yes, it is your CHARACTERS speaking. B) Re the typos, are there so many they take the reader out of the book repeatedly? If not, no worries. Let them go and move forward on your next books. If so, and I sympathize how hard it is to find them, try Grammarly to find all of them. Better yet, since you will now have all rights, consider doing an Audible Virtual Voice audiobook. There’s nothing like hearing your book out loud, perhaps as you know, to find the missed word you and the proofers somehow skipped, likely out of fatigue. C) bad reviews– when I get one, I just assume my book isn’t to that reader’s taste, and I’m fine with it–indeed, glad they expressed an opinion. Although I very seldom post negative reviews, there are certainly many books not to my taste as a reader and sometimes I had to read them all the way through to decide that. Warmest wishes and good luck on the road ahead, L.A. Starks, author, Lynn Dayton Thriller series
L.A. wow congrats on taking the entrepreneurial bull by the horn. Huge undertaking.you and my critique partner have so much in como
To L.A.
In common, with the exception Lois didn’t form a publishing company. Curious. Why did you decide to do that?
Your fellow children author is right!. When did you start writing children’s books. Thanks, Marilyn!
All the best in your venture. When I got the rights back from Penguin Random House for the Snow Globe Shop Mysteries, I updated them with a more active voice, and was surprised to find typos after their editors had gone through them–not many, but a few. I made the books larger than the mass market paperback size and redesigned the covers to what I thought better represented the stories. For my Winnebago County Mysteries, I got the rights to the first six books, and then continued to publish the next ones myself. It is nice to be able to easily update and change them if someone tells you they found a typo. I dual publish on KDP and Ingrams, and use Draft2Digital for the ebooks, too. They distribute to a long list of publishers like B&N, Kobo, Hoopla, and others I hadn’t heard of before :).
Christine, thank you, I have so much to learn. Well done!!
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