Category Archives: Announcements

Loglines in the Wild Is Here!

Loglines in the Wild coverLast month, I let you know that my new book would be launching on June 8. Well, that day has rolled around and Loglines in the Wild is now available!

Several years ago, after the I released my first book about loglines (a logline is single-sentence story pitch), Finding the Core of Your Story, I worked with many authors to create story pitches for their novels. While helping people write great loglines, I kept getting questions about how the process really looks in practice. The examples in Finding the Core of Your Story were largely drawn from finished films and books, which means that it’s easier to see how a logline comes together, but more difficult to see the process.

That’s where Loglines in the Wild comes in. In this new book, I’ve written eight case studies using real in-progress stories that you aren’t familiar with, which lets you see the whole process of loglining from start to finish. Looking at these case studies can help you a get clear look at how you might logline your own story. Plus, I’ve also included six new chapters of logline tips that weren’t in Finding the Core of Your Story.

Loglines in the Wild is available today on the Kindle store for a special introductory price of $2.99. Next week it’s going up to $4.99, so grab your copy now!

Also, to celebrate, Finding the Core of Your Story is on sale this week for $0.99.

Get a Free Copy of Loglines in the Wild

Finding the Core of Your StoryEveryone likes a free book, right? Until June 30, I’m offering a free Kindle copy of Loglines in the Wild to anyone who leaves an Amazon review on my first book, Finding the Core of Your Story. Once you’ve done your review, send me a link using this form and I’ll get back to you with your free book. (Already reviewed it? Cool, and thank you! Send me a link and I’ll give you a free copy.)

Two Ways to Get a Free Copy of My New Book

Loglines in the Wild coverI’m thrilled to announce my new book: Loglines in the Wild: Case Studies in Crafting an Incredible Story Pitch! And I’m also very excited to tell you how you can get a free copy during my launch extravaganza. But first, here’s a little bit about the book:

Writers everywhere have learned to pitch their stories more effectively with Finding the Core of Your Story. Now author Jordan Smith is back with Loglines in the Wild, a first-hand look at the process of creating a great story pitch. Featuring eight case studies drawn from consulting sessions with independent authors and filmmakers, plus six new chapters of logline tips and tricks, Loglines in the Wild is the perfect next step for anyone who wants to learn more about crafting an effective story pitch.

The official release date is June 8, and you can pre-order Loglines in the Wild from me or from Amazon.

But I said you could get a free copy, didn’t I? Read on for two ways to do just that. Continue reading Two Ways to Get a Free Copy of My New Book

Holiday Indie Book Sale

Here’s a great collection of Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals that you don’t have to leave your house to get! Eleven indie authors have joined forces to offer their paperback books for discounted prices from November 29 until December 3. See below for links and discount codes for all the titles in the sale, including my book Finding the Core of Your Story. There’s also a geeky giveaway at the bottom of this post, so be sure to scroll all the way down!

Indie Holiday Book Sale

Continue reading Holiday Indie Book Sale

Help Me Write Another Book!

It’s time I gave you a glimpse into my plans for an upcoming book. As I worked on Finding the Core of Your Story, I consulted on loglines for many people’s stories. Those experiences started to make me think that you might want to see how some of those sessions went. After all, it’s great to read a set of logline rules, and examples are helpful, but what if you could read a start-to-finish logline critique session?

What if you could read a bunch of them in one book?

That’s precisely what I have in mind. I’m planning a book that will be a series of logline case studies, if you will. You’ll get to see where the real-life logline began, what steps were taken to improve it, and what it looked like when it was done.

But I need your help to get this started. I need stories to consult on!

Here’s the deal: You contact me with the form below and tell me about your story. If I pick your story, I’ll get in touch with you and we’ll talk. I’ll endeavor to take you from whatever you’ve got now to a decent logline and perhaps a pitch plan. It will be similar to the recent series of breakdowns I did, but better because you’ll actually be able to talk back to me about your story.

Practically any story will do. I don’t care what medium you’re working in. Novel, short story, stage, film, poetry, or anything else you can throw at me. Bring it! Status doesn’t matter, either. Brainstorming, first draft, completed, published, or anything in between. I want to include a wide range of stories in this book to maximize its usefulness.

What do you get out of this? A few things:

  • A logline consultation for free!
  • Your story’s appearance in the book and/or on the Fix My Story blog. (Not your story story. The case study and logline. You keep your story to publish as you see fit and make money for you. 🙂 )
  • A free e-book copy of the final book, plus a discount coupon for a printed copy.
  • Maybe other stuff if I think of something cool while writing the book.

(And no, even though those four points start with letters that spell “A YAM,” you’re not getting one of those.)

So what do you say? Want to be in one of my books? Use this handy little form. (Submissions now closed.)


Brief hiatus in March

I’m taking planning to take the month of March off from blogging while I’m shooting the upcoming second season of my Month of the Novel web series. If you want to keep up with what I’m doing on this very cool project, check out the official production blog, where my team and I are planning to post updates throughout the shoot.

I’ll be back in April, so don’t go anywhere!

And the Winner Is…

I’ve had a wonderful week launching the revised and expanded edition of Finding the Core of Your Story. You have downloaded my book an insane number of times, and many of you have entered my giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card. Speaking of that giveaway, it’s time to choose a winner!

I’ve used Rafflecopter’s handy-dandy random winner chooser. The winner is…

Leah Hoffmaster!

Leah, I’ve already sent your digital gift card. Thank you, everyone, for participating!

A few more things:

First, I’m still taking pre-orders for signed print copies of Finding the Core of Your Story until December 22. If you want one, be sure to order before then.

Second, if you have a friend who could use some logline know-how, I’ve got a free way you can get them jumpstarted. The free sample I have for Finding the Core of Your Story is the entire Quick-Start Logline Chapter, designed to give anyone the basics in the time it takes to read about six pages. You are welcome to pass that around to anyone you think could use it.

And third, I have an account over on Authorgraph.com, which is a neat little site that lets authors digitally autograph Kindle books. It sounds like fun and I really want to give this thing a try, so if you’d like me to “sign” your Kindle copy, visit my Authorgraph page and request an autograph.

Finding the Core of Your Story Now Available on Kindle, Plus a Giveaway!

Finding the Core of Your Story coverYou read that correctly! Finding the Core of Your Story, the new revised and expanded edition, is now available on the Amazon Kindle store. Even better, for the next three days it’s free!

That’s right, my new book is available today for exactly $0. This only lasts for three days, so get your copy as soon as you finish reading this post. Why should you wait even that long? Because I also have a giveaway to tell you about!

Giveaway? Yes! I’m holding a giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Interested? Here’s how you enter:

Simply get my book and read it, then leave a review on Amazon. Positive or negative, it doesn’t matter. Just be honest about what you thought. Post your review, then use the form below to submit a link to it. And if you like, check out the other things you can do to get extra entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So that’s it. Go get my book, tell your friends, and enter the giveaway. Enjoy! The giveaway will end at midnight on the 18th, and I’ll draw a winner the next day.

Also, don’t forget that signed copies of the print edition of Finding the Core of Your Story are available for pre-order until December 22. If you’d like one, check that out and get a signed copy while you still can.

Revised and Expanded Finding the Core of Your Story Will Launch on December 12

I just ordered my proof copy of the printed edition, and I’m nearly ready with the Kindle edition, so we’re all set and ready to go! Finding the Core of Your Story, the revised and expanded edition, will launch on the Kindle store in exactly one week, on December 12.

I’ll be making it free for the first day, so tell your friends! I want as many people as possible to download my book and take advantage of the free day. There will also be a giveaway on the launch day, so check back here to enter.

Signed copies of the printed edition are still available for pre-order through December 22. I’ll be ordering those on December 23. If you want a signed copy, be sure to order one before then.

Finding the Core of Your Story

Cover Reveal of Finding the Core of Your Story

I’ve been hard at work getting the revised and expanded edition of Finding the Core of Your Story ready for you to read. Just the other day, I got the final cover from the designer. What do you think?

Finding the Core of Your Story

Printed copies of the book are now available for pre-order. Pre-order copies will be signed by yours truly, and that only lasts until the book is published. Don’t miss out!

Also, on launch day, I’ll be giving away the Kindle version of my book for free. That’s right, for $0! Keep watching the Fix My Story blog for an announcement when Finding the Core of Your Story is available, or sign up for my mailing list to make sure you don’t miss it.