Have I confused you yet? We all know the collective noun for a group of birds of any type is called a flock.
Many of you might have heard of a murder of crows, or a gaggle of geese…but what else is out there? What other old terms, perhaps used for centuries and now mostly forgotten, lurk in dusty dictionaries and little viewed academic webpages?
I saw the most amazing video posted on facebook this afternoon of a murmuring of starlings. I’d never heard that term before, and it got my brain zipping about with story ideas. Of course I wondered what ELSE might be out here. So to increase your knowledge, and sometimes make you giggle, here are some other collective nouns for birds.
Chickens- a peep of chickens
Cranes- a herd of cranes
Crows- a murder of crows
Doves- a flight of doves or a dole/dule of doves
Ducks- a badling of ducks or a raft of ducks
Goldfinches- a charm of goldfinches
Geese- a gaggle of geese or a skein of geese
Guinea Fowl- a rasp of guinea fowl
Hawks- a cast of hawks or a lease of hawks
Lapwings- a deceit of lapwings or a desert of lapwings
Larks- an exultation of larks
Nightingales- a watch of nightingales
Owls- a parliament of owls
Parrots- a pandemonium of parrots
Ravens-an unkindness of ravens
Starlings- a murmuring of starlings
Swans- a game of swans or a wedge of swans
Teal- a spring of teal
Neat isn’t it? There are more of course… and I’ll not even get started on animals… at least not today!
However… what about our supernatural beings? There is a kiss of vampires… but what else? What are your favorite collective nouns?
I’ve had a number of my author friends, and random people ask me how to get reviews for their books. I’ve also seen here and there authors pouting or complaining they have no reviews. Getting reviews takes a little time, and a little effort. Yes they can happen on their own, but if you want some NOW then you have to work to get them.
So here we go…
Finding reviewers (who aren’t your friends and family) Book Blog Directories
You join up (free) and fill out your profile etc (side note: go to settings and unclick what emails you get- otherwise you’ll get an email if someone sneezes lol)
Next go to groups- there are loads of them, reviewers looking for books to read, ones by genre etc
~~make sure you follow the groups rules! Some don’t allow review requests, others have a place to do it.
If you want MORE lists.. just Google book bloggers directory or similar words. There are a lot out there.
Of course the first link I posted is still my favorite…why? Because YOU can post requesting a review. This means reviewers will contact YOU- meaning they are interested in your book and the likelihood of it getting reviewed soon is high.
Twitter/ Facebook
You have a platform here, use it! Come up with something short and sweet and post now and then. Include a link to your book, either its page on your website or on ie amazon. Include genre. If tweeting, and you have room, add hashtags such as #bloggers, #reviewers
Self Published authors: If you have a Nook copy of your book and put it up through PubIt, make sure you “friend” PubIt on Facebook, because occasionally they’ll do a Reviewers’ Day where book bloggers will put out a call for books on the PubIt FB page, and self-pubbed authors are welcome to list their blurb in the comments and if they’ll interested they’ll request it. Many of these blogs are ostensibly clsoed to indies otherwise, except for that day. (thanks so Amanda for this)
There is a spot where authors can post giveaways- Free Early Reviewers Page. Winners are requested to review. Offer a few ebooks up and cross your fingers.
You can join free (basic) and this gives you an author page you can list your books. You can also request reviews for each book.
Things to remember:
Don’t forget to ask, or say it is appreciated, for reviews to be posted on amazon (or make a list… goodreads, BN etc) as some reviewers only post on their personal blogs unless asked.
Always thank your reviewer at some point (by email is preferred)
Side note: Normally you provide the reviewer with a free ebook. (Occasionally some will purchase on their own)
NEVER EVER pay for someone to review. Tisk. Waste of money. There are sooooo many reviewers out there who will do it for free!
Good luck to all of those looking for reviewers! If you have MORE ideas, or I missed some obvious ones. Please post here and I’ll add. Let us know what worked best for you too!
My most awesome twitter friend Rhi is stopping by today with some awesome tips on how to make a book trailer! Whoo hoo!
I’m not a pro, let me just put that out there before you start reading this thinking that I’ve done all of this and stuff. I’ve been part of the book trailer process, the writing, directing and producing part, which is the fun part. I was lucky enough to have a film student take care of the filming, editing and captioning parts, and adding music parts.
All I know how to do is shoot things on my camera . . .
But that’s why this is fun because there’s LOTS of ways to do book trailers! And we should go into all of them! (I should find and post examples too right?)
And we can argue that you don’t need to have a book trailer for your book, you don’t, but they are cool to have, and sometimes they’re fun to make, especially when you get to be creative!
The Text Trailer:
This is simple. If you have Windows Seven, open up Windows Movie Maker. There, blank black screens, some special effects and caption options. You can create a whole book trailer in text only, and you make it fade in and out, you can make it sparkle, and you can make it awesome.
Really, just go play around with it, it’s a lot of fun. You can even add music to it, but if you don’t know how to edit songs, you’ll only get the beginning.
Also YouTube will call you on it if you use something that isn’t free domain. I learned the hard way.
The All in 1 Shot Trailer:
If you have a camera with a movie making function, you can do this. Get creative and draw something on cards, or show different things in succession. You can talk in the background, but it’s better if it’s quiet, and if you have captions you’ll need to have them in print so your camera can roll over them.
Again, this is cool and it works, but you have to get it all in one shot because well, if you don’t know how to edit video and you make a mistake you’ll mess the whole thing up.
And sometimes these work very well!
The Photo Bomb Trailer:
Go to one of the free photo sites and download photos that fit the characters / plot / settings for your book. Then go back to Windows Movie Maker, add photos, captions, music, special effects and voila!
Also be sure to add the cover of your book, and when it’s out and where it can be bought, etc. etc.
The Animated Trailer
This is out of my range of expertise, but it can work if you know someone who can draw and do CGI and animation. You’d have to get them to use stuff like Final Cut Pro to do this, and if you have friends who take those courses and know how to do it, all the power to you!
Me? I can’t draw . . . and I can’t animate stuff . . . so this would have me totally lost.
The Stop Motion Trailer
This just makes me go bug eyes. Maggie Stiefvater makes these and she’s amazing with them. Honestly, some of my favorite trailers. She also write her own music for the trailers and records it in a studio with her sister. I think her trailers are some of the most amazing ones I’ve seen, even though the process to stop motion animation is something that I could never do.
The Cosplay Montage Trailer
You might know some super awesome people who cosplay. What is a cosplayer? They are people who dress up in costumes and pretend to be characters, usually at events or during cosplay shoots in which they pose the way the characters would pose and they pretend to be said characters in their own cool and funky way.
I’m friends with a lot of people who do this, and I think they’re cool.
And if they think your book is cool, they might decide to cosplay YOUR characters. (Okay now you see why they’re cool? Wouldn’t you geek out?) And then you can take pictures, and throw THOSE original photos into the Windows Movie Maker and make up something cool . . .
This is one of my favorite options because it’s just so original, and that’s what you want right? You want your vision of your book, portrayed properly.
Best thing ever? Lots of these cosplayers know how to sew . . . and they often hand make their own costumes. So again with the originality, they are the coolest people I know.
The Landscape Trailer
This is another idea, to take pictures of places that would fit into your book and put those in the Windows Movie Maker (I swear I don’t work for Windows, this is not a commercial for them, I just have Windows Movie Maker and I use it a lot when I’m bored.)
Post Beautiful Creatures Trailer
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The Whole Shebang Trailer
This is where you get a cast and crew together, get costumes made up, get someone to compose music, get a script, act out scenes, film them in HD, cut, edit them, dub voiceovers, add special effects, the whole deal.
You’re right that sounds expensive, and it is, but again, if you know the right people . . .film students are the best for this, because they always want something for credit. If they like your book, they might be willing to help you out, and you might end up with something that’s semi professional and crazy, sexy, cool.
The book trailers I’ve done in the past have turned out really well. The people I work with are some of my very best friends and they are incredibly talented, and somewhat related to me (well the girl that cosplays Kaliel is related to my husband’s family) The others just love the storyline, love being able to take these original characters and bring them to life in front of my eyes. All of them are super passionate about what they do and they get uber excited when they talk about different scenes. We’ve even discussed doing blooper reels (yep, we’re gonna spoof my book before anyone else does.) I’m not sure if I’ll release the spoofs yet, but they have some ideas. Of course I’ll be posting the behind the scenes and the outtakes.
I probably wouldn’t have book trailers without these awesome people so finding them and having them on board has made me forever grateful. Honestly, most awesome people in the world.
For all the authors out there, what’s your favorite book trailer? Your favorite method? How do you create your book trailer? Are you for or against them?
I hope I’ve given you some ideas, if you have an awesome book trailer you want to share with me, shoot me the link at rhiannonpaille at gmail dot com.
And stay awesome!
Namaste,
Rhi
Author Bio
Rhi was never a normal girl. She tried, but she couldn’t get rid of the visions, the voices in her head, and the hallucinations. When she was on the edge of crazy someone pulled her back and explained it all. She wasn’t insane. She was psychic, really psychic, too psychic. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She frequents twitter and facebook, but if you really want to get to know her you should visit her site: www.rhiannonpaille.com
Author Heather Cashman is by the blog today to share some great editing tips! Check them out!
I remember when I finished writing my first novel. I felt like I could conquer the world. I thought I had worked a miracle. It was wonderful, complete, and finished. I moved on to the next novel, read many wonderful classic novels with a keener eye, and even copied them by hand to improve my own writing. Then I reread my first novel.
It was horrible.
I began to study the art of writing. I had great stories, but lacked the skills to present them to the world. The only way to gain the skills was through a lot of hard work. The Elements of Style became my writer’s Bible. I searched the MLA handbook, went to my favorite website for grammar (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/), and began to pick each sentence of my manuscript apart.
From that day until its publication, I revised my original first novel more than sixty times. Friends who read the first draft and the last draft were left speechless. This isn’t to say my published novel is without fault, but it isn’t an embarrassment either. I am still learning and honing my craft.
For the first draft, I write without hesitation. I make mistakes, get down the general idea, and make sure the plot is dynamite. Then, I set to my manuscript like a monkey gleaning lice and fleas off its mate.
Below is a brief outline for how I revise: sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, page to page, and chapter to chapter. These are the things I check, but I am always adding to this list when I find another mistake I tend to make more than two or three times in a MS.
WAIT first. Give yourself time between writing and revising. I like the span of two or three weeks. You need enough time to forget.
SENTENCE check:
1) Spelling. Don’t you dare trust spell check. Use it, but don’t trust it. For example, it might sell me that he should we me.
2) Use a dictionary or suffer an “inconceivable” fate. (“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” ~Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride)
3) Is there a subject and verb? Is it a compound sentence, and if so, does it have the proper conjunction and comma placement, or is it a run-on sentence?
4) Do the reflexive pronouns reflect properly? This is a grammar issue as well as a writer issue. For grammar, know how pronouns work. As the writer, I know exactly who said what in any given scene. That doesn’t mean the reader will.
5) Have you mixed up your/you’re, to/too/two, and there/their/they’re?
6) Check for missing apostrophes on every word that ends in s.
7) Is every word necessary? Words are like make-up. Most often, less is more, and more makes you look fake. Readers like to use their imaginations. If that weren’t the case, they would be watching a movie. Don’t overuse adjectives and adverbs. One adjective is enough; pick the best one. Only necessary adverbs that change the meaning should be included.
PARAGRAPH check:
1) Sentence structure—does it vary, fit the mood of the moment/scene? Short sentences can make the scene move faster.
2) Are you showing, not telling?
3) Use dialogue to reveal your characters’ thoughts, not to expound narrative.
4) Are all the sentences a cohesive unit?
5) Are you structuring so that each character’s dialogue is in a different paragraph? If so, check for discrepancies.
PAGE check:
1) General formatting errors.
2) The size of each paragraph.
3) Have you included sensory stimulating words for setting, each character, and the mood of your scene?
CHAPTER check:
1) Is the first sentence a hook? This is especially necessary for the first chapter.
2) Does the last sentence leave them hanging? Each chapter should be like a short story that urges readers to continue and leaves them wanting more.
3) Is each character his or her own person, or do they all sound like you?
BOOK check:
When you think you have everything right, read every word aloud—slowly. This is invaluable. I find myself wanting to bold, highlight, and capitalize this point. There are so many errors I find when I read my novels aloud to myself.
After this, I have rounds of readers. First are the people who like me, love me even. They will be kind, perhaps too kind, but will sift out the blazing inconsistencies. Once fixed, I give the manuscript to my critique group and do the same thing. The last place I go is my professional editor. (And she’s a gem. If you need one, her information is on my blog.)
To make an outline like this for yourself, know your own common errors. Do you write like you speak: “me and Dave” rather than “Dave and I” or “Dave and me.” Do you know which version is appropriate? Do you repeatedly use dangling participles? And if you don’t know what a dangling participle is, you should learn the basics of the English language before sending out your first draft.
You will probably never find all the mistakes in your own novel, but your work should be as manicured as perfectly as possible. Too many lice and bugs in your manuscript’s hair will give the gleaning editor-monkey a belly-ache, and it costs extra to take him to the doctor.
Author Bio:
Heather Cashman graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry but has always loved to write, winning her first contest in the second grade. Married since 1992, she has three unique children and has moved from Arizona to New York to Kansas. She loves to kayak and canoe down the windiest rivers she can find. She welcomes opportunities to visit schools, libraries, and book groups in person or via Skype. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Heather currently lives near Wichita, Kansas with her husband and three children.
Her Book!
Your perception will sharpen once you see through a tiger’s eyes.
More than five hundred years after the apocalypse, the survivors of off-grid genetic experimentation have refined their mixed DNA to the point that humans and their animal counterparts share physical and mental links. Varying species have divided into districts, living in a tenuous peace under the President of Calem.
Ardana and her tiger ingenium Rijan leave their life of exile and abuse in the Outskirts, setting out with their twin brothers to redeem themselves and become citizens of the Center. But shedding their past isn’t as easy as they had hoped. When the system that shunned them becomes embroiled in political conflict and treachery, their unique abilities and experiences from the Outskirts make them invaluable to every faction. The runaways become pawns to friends as well as enemies, and with every step it becomes more difficult to tell which is which.
I’ve had a number of my author friends, and random people ask me how to get reviews for their books. I’ve also seen here and there authors pouting or complaining they have no reviews. Getting reviews takes a little time, and a little effort. Yes they can happen on their own, but if you want some NOW then you have to work to get them.
