Self Publishing Advisor

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: Parallel Lives

selfpublishingadvice — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:38 +0000

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:

Parallel Lives

Martin Gwent Lewis

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432772093

Reviewer: Tia Bach

Can you imagine being at the lowest point in your life and reviewing all your past decisions? Not just reviewing them, but meeting your alter egos who made different decisions. This is the basis of “Parallel Lives,” an intriguing story about a man struggling with life and past decisions. The story opens on Richard’s darkest day; he is about to end it all when a voice yells, “Don’t do it! The repercussions are beyond your wildest dreams.” His savior is his counterpart in another reality, known as Historian.

As the story progresses, Richard meets three versions of himself, each formed by a major decision in his life. Known as Historian, Singer, and Missionary, they are all Richard in a parallel universe. Important events in Richard’s life create a strong pull through the dimensions to bring them all together. The suspense builds from there and takes the characters through London, Geneva, and Africa.

Between realizations and pangs of regret, Richard finds a new job with the World Health Organization and also falls in love. His new job responsibilities send him on a dangerous mission to Africa where nothing is as it seems. The mission culminates in an entertaining and unique battle with unexpected participants.

The scenes where Richard meets with his doppelgängers are intriguing. Who hasn’t looked back on past decisions and wondered how their life would be different if only they had taken another path? Richard gets to see several paths, none perfect, and realize the potential in his own life.

The last half of the book is a thrill ride, and I felt more and more invested in the story. I only wish the first half was as successful. To be fair, there was a lot of necessary explanation and scenes where Richard meets his counterparts and discovers how each came to be. In the end, it all comes together. The love story with Madeline, although rushed, adds a softer side to Richard. My biggest complaint is the story deserves a much more interesting cover. There are so many possibilities for an amazing cover, and the author missed a great opportunity to better showcase his work.

If you enjoy twists and turns, action, and thought-provoking themes, this book is for you. Don’t give up in the beginning or you’ll miss the best parts.

Self-Publishing For Mature Writers

Cheri Breeding — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:05 +0000

If you are a mature writer who is considering self-publishing, there are a few things you need to consider. First of all, find out what type of assistance self-publishing companies offer. Determine if they provide phone assistance, email assistance, or both. Also note that most self-publishing companies facilitate their production process online and need written documentation of author requests.

If you are not computer savvy, there are people out there who can help you. For instance, you may be able to pay your publisher to assist you with this additional need. Another option is having a family member or friend who uses computers regularly assist you. A third option is asking a local college student who is looking to gain computer assistance experience to help.

Finally. remember to always read the contract before you sign and thoroughly research a self-publishing company. This will prevent surprises during the publishing process and help you decide which self-publishing company is best for you.

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.

How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish?

Wendy Stetina — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:53 +0000

Many authors ask, “How much does it cost to self-publish?” The question should be “What should an author invest in their project based on their marketing goals?” Most authors self-publish in hopes of selling their book. While your book needs to be appealing and have good content, a solid marketing plan is essential to selling to your book.

I always recommend professional copyediting and a custom cover to all authors who are serious about sales. Authors are given approximately eight seconds for potential buyers to decide if they like the cover enough to consider purchasing the book. Therefore, the cover needs to be unique and eye-catching. In addition, nothing will “kill” a sale faster than a manuscript that is riddled with typographical errors or bad grammar. This is especially important for non-fiction books that are positioning the author as a credible expert.

Self-publishing should be looked at from a business perspective. I cannot imagine any business, new or old, not budgeting for advertising. When prospective authors ask me how much money they need to include in their self-publishing budget, I typically respond that $2500.00 is the average amount. In this estimate, I have allotted $1500.00 to the actual production of the book. The additional $1000.00 should be used for marketing services. The cost for professional copyediting is not included in this amount, but I do recommend investing in professional copyediting.

Although many people spend more or less than this amount, I believe this is a good estimate for self-publishing authors. However, it comes down to each individual’s goals for their book and their individual reason for publishing.

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: March Forth: My Journey through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery from Breast Cancer

selfpublishingadvice — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:12 +0000

March Forth: My Journey through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery from Breast Cancer

Marci A. Schmitt

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432776008

Reviewer: Vicki Liston

Hearing about breast cancer, Susan G. Komen and the “Race for the Cure” are commonplace in our fast-paced world of information. However, do we really know what it means to endure this diagnosis? To play waiting games with medical tests or paperwork games with insurance companies? What about the physical, mental, and emotional battles that go along with chemotherapy? Author and cancer survivor Marci A. Schmitt spells it all out in her book “March Forth: My Journey through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery from Breast Cancer.”

“March Forth” is an eye-opening personal account of one brave woman’s life-changing experiences with breast cancer. Told from the first person point of view, Schmitt includes every step in her journey toward freedom. After having to watch her mother die of the same disease, she “marches forth” at each chapter’s end, as obstacle after obstacle seem to line up and obstruct her path to good health. After two mastectomies, Schmitt maintains a playful wit while looking the unimaginable in the eyes and holding on when most of us would think we would surely fail. Her vivid descriptions of chemotherapy horrors brought many tears to my eyes and helped me better understand how debilitating these treatments can be on the human body. Thankfully, the book ends on a positive note with Schmitt alive and doing extremely well.

“March Forth” is a beautiful, inspirational read for anyone having to go through cancer themselves as well as those hoping to be a supportive and understanding friend for someone else. It gives the down and dirty on what someone might expect when dealing with this disease, but it also presents advice on how you could effectively help someone going through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. These recommendations can potentially assist in lessening any awkward or uncomfortable moments where someone may not really know what to do or say to be empathetic.

Schmitt is exceptional in recounting her story, describing her situations with detailed clarity, organizing her thoughts, and letting her strength and faith shine through her words. She describes “chemo brain” towards the end of her story, but I didn’t find anything random or foggy about her text. Well-edited while maintaining a constant flow, “March Forth” is a clear light of profound hope and conviction. Inspiring!

Balcones Fiction Prize

Kelly Schuknecht — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:00:30 +0000

The Creative Writing Department at Austin Community College is committed to recognizing outstanding works of literary merit through its Balcones Literary Prizes. The program is currently accepting submissions for books published in 2011. The deadline for submission is January 31, 2012.

Last year’s winner, Linh Dinh, was awarded $1,500 and was flown to Austin, Texas for a public reading. Congratulations Linh Dinh!

For more information on how to enter, please visit http://www.austincc.edu/crw/html/balconescenter.html.

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.

Tips for Creating a Publishable Manuscript

Cheri Breeding — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:47 +0000

The best way to ensure that your self-published book looks and sounds professional is to create a professional manuscript. This will make the publisher’s and your job easier when it comes time to creating and reviewing proofs, and it will lead to a finished product that is worthy of your reader’s time and praise. Here are easy ways to create a publishable manuscript.

Always run spell check and grammar check, but never rely on these tools alone.
Hire a professional copyeditor. Spell check and grammar check don’t catch all errors, and they don’t pick up style errors.
Turn on formating remarks so you can see where spacing may be off.
Only use hard returns at the end of paragraphs. Do not use them at the end of each line. Computers are not typewriters.
Change margin and page settings from “letter size” to “book size.” This will identify any areas that may need reformatting.
Do not use space or tab to indicate new paragraphs. Instead set paragraph settings to first line hanging .25″.
Use Microsoft Word to type your manuscript. This will prevent conversion problems.

If you have any other tips for fellow writers, feel free to share them by leaving a comment.

How To Submit Print Ready Files

Wendy Stetina — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:30 +0000

Although most authors allow the self-publishing company to create the cover art and to format the manuscript to industry standards, it is not uncommon for some authors to hire a graphic designer to create the digital artwork for their cover. In these cases, the work needs to adhere to the self-publishing company’s exact specifications. For instance, Outskirts Press explains these specifications in the Print Ready File Creation Guidelines. Be sure to ask your self-publishing company for information on their specific requirements.

During the pre-production phase of publishing, authors will submit a mock-up of their cover. This confirms that the authors and their graphic specialist understand that the cover includes the front cover, the spine and the back cover. Once authors are in production and they approve the interior file for printing, the self-publishing company will send the author the exact cover template for the designer to marry with his/her design. The publishing company will wait until the interior file is perfect before sending this template to authors because the company needs to know the exact page count to determine the exact width of the spine. The template also comes with the authors unique ISBN number, bar code and chosen retail price. Additionally, the publishing company will supply a copy of their logo to be placed on the back cover.

Print Ready Interiors are not as common and are typically submitted by authors who have very complicated interiors with many images and/or charts and graphs. Again, an outside graphic artist is typically involved as most authors do not have the programs or expertise to create these files to meet stringent industry standards. POD (print on demand) is an extremely specific process and has non-flexible technical requirements. For specific requirements and submission details, contact your self-publishing company.

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: My Dreams, My Choices: be courageous, do what you have never done, go where you have never been, and you will see the change

selfpublishingadvice — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:00:09 +0000

My Dreams, My Choices: be courageous, do what you have never done, go where you have never been, and you will see the change

Clementine Wamboye Girenge

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432771768

Reviewer: Carol Hoyer, PhD

Felly lived with her extended family in rural Kenya. Given the area they lived in, many obstacles came her family’s way, yet she learned to look at the positives and pursue her goal of getting a good education.

Felly’s grandmother was a bitter old woman and didn’t really care about what was happening to anyone else, including her husband who was sick. Her grandmother lost several of her children to the famines of Africa and didn’t want anyone else to be happy.

When Felly went to Nairobi to attend school, she was dismayed at the treatment she got because she couldn’t afford the same things as everyone else, and the staff at the school was very mean, beating the children on a daily basis.

When the staff at the school was replaced due to poor performance, many of the students were shocked. But in her heart, Felly knew she could finish her education regardless of what happened.

Through her own strength and the strength of others, she was able to accomplish what she wanted.

“My Dreams, My Choices” is a very inspiring book written by Clementine Wamboye Girenge. There are times in one’s life where things don’t always look bright, but, as the author says, you have to look at the bright side in all that you do

Would You Consider Ingram Advance?

Cheri Breeding — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:00:48 +0000

Ingram Advance is a publication read by wholesalers that lists published books. Many self-publishing companies include a graphic advertisement in Ingram Advance as one of their many marketing services. By listing your book in the publication, you are announcing your new book to the people who are most interested in buying it. In addition to Ingram Advance, there are topic specific publications such as Children’s Advance and Christian Advance. These publications are similar to Ingram Advance, but they focus on a specific category of books.

I’m curious, which of these publications would you consider advertising in? Please leave comments.

Famous Self-Published Author: Walt Whitman

Wendy Stetina — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:00:10 +0000

Have you ever read Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass? This poetry collection were self-published in Brooklyn in 1855. The first edition contained only 12 poems, but the final edition contained almost 400.

The first edition found offensive due to its homosexual undertones. However, not all responses were negative. Some critics considered Whitman’s work a classic. Today, Whitman’s book is still read by college students and literature lovers. His book has held up to the review of classic rather than the one of offensive.

Whitman’s self-publishing journey was not a walk in the park. He struggled to sell his book, and he was subject to censorship and criticism. However, he did not give up. He continued to revise and stand behind his book, and in the end, his title became an American classic.