Speaking of beaches, my guest today is Pamela Tyner. Ambitious Pamela started out as a romance author, then several years later moved into the editing world, which is where I was fortunate enough to have worked with her. Most recently, *confetti falling from the ceiling* with the upcoming opening of Beachwalk Press, she’s stepped into the publisher position--a new and exciting world for her and authors!
Welcome Pamela Tyner!
Like everyone in this business, I started out as a reader first. It’s actually a bit surprising that I became such an avid reader, since my parents and siblings (I have six siblings—yes, six!) were, and still are to this day, basically non-readers. They rarely read anything they aren’t required to read. My love of books puzzled them. They didn’t understand how I could spend so much time alone reading, and it concerned them that I did.
It was my grandmother who instilled my love of reading. She also taught me how to read, although she didn’t realize she was doing it. I learned to read by memorizing the words from the stories that she read to me. Some of my best childhood memories are me and Grandma snuggled up together, reading a book. And although I didn’t realize it at the time, one of the things I was learning was how important reader satisfaction is and what it took for an author to obtain that.Speaking as a reader:
First, I want to be pulled into the story. I’ll give an author one chapter, or if I’m feeling generous, two chapters to gain my interest. If the author hasn’t pulled me into the story by the end of chapter two, chances are I’ll stop reading and move on to another book. That’s why the first few chapters of a book are so vital.
Once I’m pulled into that story, I don’t want to be bumped out of it. Awkward sentence structures, awkward word choices, inconsistencies, actions that don’t make sense—these are only a few things that will pull me out of a story, and if it happens too often, I stop reading.
The author needs to make me understand the characters—I want to know why they think and act the way they do.
Don’t tell me repeatedly—or even one time, for that matter—how great and wonderful the characters are. Let me figure out how great they are on my own—show me through their actions, their thoughts, their words.
On the other hand, I don’t want perfect characters, because if they’re perfect, they aren’t relatable. They’re cardboard, and cardboard characters don’t interest me.
I want to be emotionally invested, and an author does that by making me feel. I want to feel the character’s sorrow, their pain, their frustrations, and finally their happiness. If the author makes me cry—which rarely happens—they go on my ‘auto-buy’ list.
With a romance, an emotionally satisfying ending is an absolute necessity. At the end of the story I want to believe that everything is going to be all right and the characters are going to have their happily ever after. I want to cheer when they reach that point. And I don’t want them to reach it too easily. I want to see them work for it, which means: give them obstacles to overcome.
These are only a few things that I need in order to feel satisfied as a reader, and reader satisfaction is what it’s all about. As an author, an editor, and now as a publisher, I always strive to provide reader satisfaction, and hopefully I succeed.
Happy reading!
Visit Beachwalk Press, which will be opening its doors to the public this summer, at: www.beachwalkpress.com
Be sure to join the Yahoo group so you don’t miss the details of the upcoming grand opening celebration.
I'd just like to say that while at a picnic on Sunday I was talking about you Pamela and a fellow author, Sera Rivers, commented on how she's heard about Beachwalk Press and how excitement is buzzing about it. How awesome!
Thank you so much for coming to talk on Talkin' Tuesday and I hope you'll visit me again soon. :)
Have a Sparkling Day!
Rebecca Rose 