Weekly Self-Published Book Review: Bodacious Blues

Posted: May 31, 2012 by selfpublishingadvice in Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week
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Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review by Midwest Book Review:

Bodacious Blues

Whitney J. LeBlanc

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432773793

When life’s realities come down on you, the blues sound ever truer. “Bodacious Blues” is a novel following a Louisiana Creole family as they cope with the twists and despairs of their life. From following the wishes of their grandparents to spinning out of control in overcoming racism and the immortality of Hollywood, Whitney J. LeBlanc provides a read with plenty to consider. “Bodacious Blues” is filled with coming of age tales of facing our lives with a strong connection to the blues world.

Top 5 Customer Service Characteristics of High Quality Self-Publishing Companies

Posted: May 30, 2012 by Kelly Schuknecht in Choosing a Publisher, Kelly Speaks
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As an author, when you choose POD publishing, you get to make all of the decisions during the publishing process. While this is perfect for authors who like to have all of the control over their finished product, it also means that you may have some questions along the way and need some guidance.  A high quality self-publishing company will offer excellent customer service, and that is what every author should expect.

Here are five characteristics to look for when evaluating a company’s customer service:

  1. Professionalism – How do the company and employees present themselves. Do they communicate professionally (in person or on the phone and via email)?
  2. Cheerfulness – Have you ever been to a store where it was clear the person helping you wanted to be anywhere BUT there helping you?  When a person doesn’t enjoy what they do, it’s obvious (and sad).  Attitudes are contagious and good customer service agents know how to spread cheer.
  3. Knowledge – Do they know the product information?  Can they provide you with the information you need?  If they can’t answer your question right away, can they find out and get back to you or point you in the right direction?
  4. Active Listening – It is important that the customer service agent listens to your individual needs.  Active listening involves asking the appropriate questions in order to fully understand your requests or concerns. Do you feel like you are being heard?
  5. Responsiveness — Do they reply to your emails and/or return your calls quickly? It’s not reasonable to expect everyone to have the answer to every question, but if they aren’t able to answer your question right away, are they able to look into it and get back to you in a reasonable amount of time?  Do they provide you with frequent updates on the status of your project?

These are the characteristics every author should look for when choosing a self-publishing company.

Best of luck with your self-publishing endeavors, and may all of your customer service experiences exceed your expectations! :)

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press.  In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.

Six Frequently Asked Copyright Questions

Posted: May 29, 2012 by Cheri Breeding in Cheri Speaks
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Copyright is one of the toughest topics for new authors to understand. Many of you have questions about protecting your work as well as using material from copyrighted sources. Here are six of the most frequently asked copyright questions along with answers to get you started. Feel free to share additional questions in the comments section.

Is my manuscript copyrighted when self publishing?

Yes, the copyright for your material was secured as soon as you created it, or when it became fixed in a manuscript for the first time. No publication, registration, or any other official act is required to secure copyright. However, registering with the U.S. Copyright Office is recommended.

If copyright is automatic, why should I register for a copyright?

Filing with the U.S. Copyright Office creates a public record of the basic information of your book, which gives you the ability to sue for infringement and statutory damages. This creates a legal presumption that your copyright is valid and allows you to recoup up to thousands of dollars, and possibly attorney fees, without having to prove actual monetary harm.

How do I know if something in my book is copyright protected?

In most cases, any picture, material, text, information, quote, map, song, image, or illustration that you personally did not create is copyright protected by the person(s) who created and/or published the material.  Any text or pictures found in a book, magazine or newspaper is copyright protected by the publisher, artist photographer, or some other entity.  And yes, most information found on the internet is copyright protected.  For example, if you pull material from Wikipedia, it’s copyrighted by somebody.  Wikipedia is a non-profit site, and therefore, can provide information without permission; however, as an author using this information in your book, the original source must be contacted to obtain proper authorization to publish it for profit.

What is Fair Use?

Under “Fair Use,” some copyright protected material can be used without permission; however, there are no clear-cut rules, only guidelines and factors to be considered. Fair use is not a right, only a defense. If you are unsure, please consult a legal advisor or copyright researcher.

 The following four factors are used to determine fair use: 1) The purpose and character of the use, including potential gains for commercial 2) The nature of the original copyrighted work 3) The proportion or percentage of the copyrighted material in relation to the work as a whole 4) The potential effect on the value of the copyrighted material.

Will citing the source of the material free you from copyright infringement?

No!  Citing the source will not avoid possible court litigation.  Permission must be obtained, and you must provide the publisher with the appropriate forms indicating authorization.

How can I avoid being accused of libel?

Stating an opinion is not libelous, though it’s best to be careful not to make an accusatory statement about anyone when using real names. Do not make the following statements, as they are clear grounds for a libel case: Falsely accusing someone of a crime, or having been charged, indicted or convicted of a crime; falsely identifying someone with an infectious disease; falsely charging someone or an organization with a claim that discredits a business or office and lowers their profitability; and falsely accusing someone as being impotent.

Seriously consider if you are self-publishing a book that reveals information that could damage someone, and consult with an attorney or copyright research firm.  If you are publishing a true story, I recommend that you change names and use a pen name when publishing.

Cheri Breeding ABOUT CHERI BREEDING: Since 2005 Cheri Breeding has been working as the Director of Production for Outskirts Press. In that time, she has been an instrumental component of every aspect of the Production Department, performing the roles of an Author Representative, Book Designer, Customer Service Representative, Title Production Supervisor, Production Manager and, Director of Production. She brings all that experience and knowledge, along with an unparalleled customer-service focus, to help self-publishing authors reach high-quality book publication more efficiently, professionally, and affordably.

There is No Such Thing as Free Lunch

Posted: May 28, 2012 by Wendy Stetina in Wendy Speaks
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Have you heard the cliché “There is no such thing as a free lunch”? Everything has a cost, even if it appears to be free. This true for self publishing as well as all other areas of life.

While there are companies who say they publish your book for free, there are still costs to you. For instance, you may have to buy large amounts of merchandise after the book is printed, or you will have to spend vast amounts of time marketing your own book. In addition, a “free” publishing company could harm your reputation has an author if your book is not of professional quality.

Authors who want their books to be taken seriously need to invest in their projects. This means you’ll at least need a good copy editor and possibly an experienced graphic designer. Depending on your skills and goals, you may also require marketing services. Not all self publishing companies offer these extra services.

Authors should invest in their books by choosing a full-service self publishing company that offers a variety of production and marketing services as well as excellent customer service. This will ensure that you have access to skilled professionals who will help make your book a masterpiece.

I’d love to know, what additional services do you plan to use when self publishing your book?

ABOUT WENDY STETINA: Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: ELCO

Posted: May 24, 2012 by selfpublishingadvice in Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week
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Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review by Midwest Book Review:

ELCO

Leslie Brudvig

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432767273

Reviewer: Beverly Pechin

The book begins in the trenches of war during World War II and introduces you to a motley crew of men in the “L” Company. As you meet each of the characters, you realize that war is handled differently by different people. We all have our ways to cope with death around us and although the men are at the end of war-time, they still have a sense of completion; they feel the need to finish the job until they’re told otherwise.

The pranks, wise cracks, and death that surround each character differ depending upon personality. One is determined to leave with tons of silver coins confiscated from a “Jap Camp” they raided, certain to become rich with the end of the war. One can find a way to get just about anything you can imagine; the deal is you just pay the price and don’t ask how. The characters are shared in detail with the reader, giving you the opportunity to truly know each one as if you were truly there meeting them. As the war ends though, much like many war buddies, they go about their own way but always seem to keep in touch at some point. These men are no different and decide that they will become a corporation called ELCO, named after their military unit “L Company,” and utilize their friendships to create an organization to disperse literally millions of dollars to various charities.

In this book, it’s interesting to follow the lives of some of the men as they move on to civilian life and become everything from a U.S. Senator to a crime lord. You’re led into the boardroom with one of the men who made his fortune from Wall Street to the unscrupulous behind the scenes of one of them who became a Porn King. Not wanting to give away who becomes what in civilian life, I’ll leave names out, but the story is intriguing and touching as well. It’s hard to believe that these same men that kept their hard-core exterior during the war realized how important it was to take their benefits in life to help others in the world. You’re touched with their stories, amazed by their chosen paths in life, and never left without feeling a tug at your heart that this big, burly group of men who made it in the war wanted to honor their company and those from their company that didn’t come home alive by being charitable beyond dreams.

It’s an amazing story that truly takes you from the trenches of battle, hearing the fear in the voices of the same men that later in life strive to be some of the most powerful men in the world. It is heart-wrenching, touching, and definitely written with such talent that you walk away from the last page yearning for more.

The author’s ability to create characters so true to life and so realistic in war gives you a feeling he speaks from experience, and he does,  having been a rifleman in WWII. While the book is fiction, the characters are a lot like those he created a bond with during the war. It’s amazing that out of war comes such a wonderful thing as the bonds of friendship and determination to do well for so many others. This is a must read book for anyone; if you’re a not a typical reader of war stories I still strongly suggest this as a great read.  It’s not written in horrid gory fashion and doesn’t disgust you, but instead it make you a part of “L” Company or “Love” Company as they complete their mission and move on in life. It truly is unlike any war story turned Cinderella story I’ve ever read because of that fact. Most think that they need to be very gruesome with intricate details of the war, but the reality is we know war isn’t pretty and we don’t necessarily need or want those details.

When we read a book like this we know how horrible the war aspect is, and yes, it is touched on by the author but not the focus of the book. The focus is the organization created later when this group of extraordinary men come together to make a difference in the world. “ELCO” is going to bring your mind to a point of realizing that while war is horrible, some people can actually make something beautiful come out of it in their friendships and their determination that continues from the battlefield to the job back home.

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