Love, Only Better: An Empowering Novel for Women by Paulette Stout
1- What does a content marketing agency, such as Media Goddess Inc., do?
Media Goddess Inc. specializes in creating marketing content for companies, crafting everything from emails, landing pages and social media, to customer case studies, video scripts, press releases, corproate branding, and more. Our vertical expertise spans software, nonprofit, education, and more. If it’s got words, we can write it.
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
As characters enter a room, follow their eyes and only include the setting details that propel the story or character development. Skip the rest.
3- What most motivates you to read a new book?
I love to read titles in my genre, so I look for stories that have elements I might want consider using in my own stories to see how other writers handle various plot elements. I also look for interesting storylines, new releases from my favorite authors, and titles from master storytellers that I might not have read—or read recently. Finally, I am almost always reading or listening to books on writing craft, having several going at once. I look for titles to help me refine my storytelling technique and/or run a more effective, efficient author business.
4- In your opinion, why do many women suffer in silence on their sexual journey?
Most women have had such a poor education about their own pleasure lives that, frankly, they don’t know what they’re missing. Too many have given up on sex altogether, or tolerate it only to have it over with quickly. Others lack caring partners who are interested in seeing to their woman’s needs. All of these factors contribute to women wanting to avoid the whole topic of sex entirely. And because bad sex can cause tension in a relationship, discussing it becomes a sensitive conversation that must be handled delicately, with respect and tenderness.
5- Would you share a picture with us of your book and you wearing grammar t-shirt?
6- Do you take part in NaNoWriMo? (http://nanowrimo.org)
I don’t typically participate in NaNoWriMo, but will this year. I’m using it as fuel to finish the second edit of the sequel to my debut, Love, Only Better. I’m excited to dive in and hang out with my characters again.
7- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
@StoutContent
Shout out: @casey_dembowski ; @bethcarter007 ; @ShawnaBOSPDX
8- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?
My account is @paulettestoutauthor
@mindymckinleyromance is pretty hilarious as is @wearemomswhowrite
For strict book reviews: @ashleyhasty
9- Are you a Plotter, Pantser, or Plantser, and how did you adopt that style?
For my debut, I was the ultimate pantser. I took years, and I didn’t want a repeat of that saga for subsequent books. For book two, which is in progress, I super-plotted, combining a few different plotting methods. With this approach, I wrote the first draft in four months. Now I’m editing, and really appreciate having a defined structure to guide content development and keep me on track.
10- What does your basic writing schedule look like, and how often do you write?
Typically, I rise early—around 5:30 to 6am and write for a few hours, then break for a little fresh air before returning to the computer to write marketing content for my roster of clients.
11- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
Author name: Erica Jong @EricaJong
Title: Fanny: Being the True History of the Adventures of Fanny Hackabout-Jones
Love because: It’s a bold historical epic centered on a heroine who is growing as a woman and having outrageous adventures, all while exploring her pleasure life with abandon.
12- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?
My goal is to evoke deep empathy and understanding before driving toward an uplifting and empowering finish. I want my book to make people think and talk about a topic too long ignored.
13- What kind of impact do you hope your book will have?
I want my book to make women think about embracing their pleasure lives. I hope they’re inspired to explore what works for them and speak with their partners, so they can begin to experience what they’ve been missing in bed.
14- What is your favorite creative non-writing activity to do?
I love cooking fun meals, going on walks, and kayaking.
15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks
Love, Only Better has a mix of characters from diverse backgrounds. The main character is biracial Latina/Jewish, her best friend is a professional Black female lawyer, and another character is written as gay, though the topic of his sexuality doesn’t overtly come up. I also included one Black side character who was a former ballerina who talks about her struggle to make it in a field where Black Prima Ballerinas were rare and not welcome. I enjoyed showing this cross-section of successful people from all walks of life because that has been my personal experience. I wanted my art to reflect this reality and felt it was important to showcase the many successful people of color in our society.
16- What method do you feel is the best way to get book reviews?
By far, having an advance reader team was essential for me getting early reviews. I cultivated them over in the months prior to release, then mobilized them the week prior to the official on-sale date so reviews would have time to go live before my marketing push began. My book was also posted to NetGalley, which drove early reviews on Goodreads. But be forewarned: pre-release reviews on NetGalley and Goodreads tend to be more critical than the average review you’d get from a reader on Amazon or other retail sites.
17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?
I initially queried for an agent, but now understand my topic was too taboo—and genre-bending—for a big publisher. But it absolutely was a blessing in disguise for me. Owning my indie journey, working with beta readers, developmental editor, cover designer and illustrators, made the book infinitely better and more refined than the manuscript I originally submitted for consideration. Knowing what I know now about the value of intellectual property, along with the long timelines and lack of author control associated with traditional publishing, I believe indie publishing was the right choice for me
18- What's the biggest writing goal you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?
I achieved it on September 28 when I published my debut novel! Now, I can relax and have fun as I create an empire of titles. The rest is gravy!
19- Would you please ask our audience a question to answer in the comments?
Which book changed the way you thought about an issue, person, or historical event?
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
Love, Only Better: Book Description
For Rebecca, sex is a joke missing a punchline. No crashing waves. Only pangs of inadequacy. At twenty-eight, shouldn’t she have had one by now? Her snickering ex thought so. His taunts echo in her ears as he rolls out of her bed. Then out of her life.
Lost, Rebecca seeks expert help, joining a study for women who can’t “finish” in the bedroom. There is such a thing? It’s unconventional, for sure, but she’s desperate for answers. The no-sex mandate is a no brainer. Who’d want to be with her anyway?
Then Kyle moves in. Her blue-eyed, black motorcycle-riding dream of a neighbor lives a heartbeat away. Sparks flew immediately. But could the timing be any worse?
If he learns her secret, she’ll lose her best chance at love. But if her lessons fail, she’ll be left eternally broken. Unlovable.
What started as a search for fulfillment, has suddenly become a quest for something far greater.
Love, Only Better is an intimate quest full of heart, blending a fun next-door romance with steamy dates-for-one. Perfect for fans of Helen Hoang (The Kiss Quotient), Jennifer Weiner (Good In Bed), Jojo Moyes and fans of women's fiction full of wit, spice and soul.
Author Bio:
Paulette Stout is the fearless author of Love, Only Better, a contemporary novel and bedroom rallying cry for women everywhere.
Born in Manhattan, Paulette is the gold-star wordsmith and owner of her content marketing agency, Media Goddess Inc., where she crafts content for her list of global clients. Prior to MGI, Paulette led content and design teams at several tech companies, and one educational publisher where her elimination of the Oxford comma caused a near riot.
Paulette’s prior career as a media buyer/planner in New York earned her three industry awards, including a MediaWeek All-Star. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Cornell University and her MBA in Marketing from the Lubin School of Business, Pace University.
You can usually find Paulette rearranging words into pleasing patterns while wearing grammar t-shirts.
Social Media Handles:
Instagram @paulettestoutauthor
Twitter @StoutContent
Facebook @PauletteStoutAuthor
Love, Only Better: An Empowering Novel for Women by Paulette Stout
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