Month: April 2014

Kelly Speaks

London Book Fair

Networking is essential in any career, and publishing is no different. Networking can help self-published authors  make contacts that help move their careers forward. The London Book Fair is the ideal place to make a connection with industry professionals, including those who are interested in international rights.

The London Book Fair is regarded by many as the most important spring publishing event and welcomes tens of thousands of attendees from all over the globe. Capitalize by exposing your book to key industry contacts like acquisitions agents, editors, and translation rights agents.

The London Book Fair takes place Tuesday, April 8, 2014 through Thursday, April 10, 2014. This year’s event features a great group of big names from the world of publishing and Film and TV as well as a wide range of exhibitors, conferences, seminars, and events.

The London Book Fair is a great opportunity to network, find inspiration, learn about the industry, and promote your book. To learn more, visit http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/en/Home/.

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.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 4/08/14

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry. This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Tuesday to find out the hottest news.

How to Hire the Right Editor for Your Self-Published Book

This article discusses the importance of hiring a good editor. It also explains the difference between developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading and offers tips on hiring the right editor for your self-published book.

4 Questions to Ask Before Self-Publishing

This article recommends four questions authors should ask themselves about their book before self-publishing. These four questions will improve your story. This article is a must read for fiction writers.

Complimentary Standard iPad Edition Offered to Authors Beginning to Publish with Outskirts Press in April

Leading self-publishing services provider Outskirts Press offers the new Standard iPad edition complimentary to authors publishing a book with either the Diamond or Pearl book publishing services in April. The Standard iPad/iPhone Edition offers many benefits to self-publishing authors.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

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.
Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

Use Your Tax Return to Invest in Your Publishing Dreams

What a wonderful time we live in for the aspiring author! There was a time when a writer’s dream of being published remained just that — a dream.  Writers would spend countless hours preparing a pitch for their book, printing multiple copies of the manuscript and mailing it out to every traditional publisher.  Then their lifelong dream of being a published author was at the mercy of someone else’s opinion of their work.  They would wait months, or even a year, only to receive many rejection letters. More often than not, they never saw their dream come to fruition.

Then came self-publishing, and it has revolutionized the publishing industry.  Everything has changed!  Now any author who dreams of becoming a published author can make it happen.  And best of all, self-publishing has proven itself as a viable option that can still lead to lucrative earnings for the well-written and promoted book.  The negative stigma of self-publishing is a thing of the past.  No longer is it just for the “unpublishable” author.  Now it’s seen as a quick and easy path for proactive authors who hone in on their niche market, promote to that specific audience and deliver directly to them. Even successful authors who previously published with traditional publishers are recognizing the many benefits of self-publishing.

Is it your turn?  Taking that first step of purchasing a publishing package can be daunting, but maybe using your tax refund to take the plunge, instead of pulling from your savings or charging up a credit card, could be a great way to get your project off the ground. Self-publishing, much like traditional publishing, requires authors to invest their time, energy, and some of their money, but the payoff of seeing your name in print is worth the effort.

If funding your self-publishing project has been an obstacle, consider using your tax return to invest in yourself and your dream of becoming a self-published author. You won’t regret it!

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; 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, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: Tears of the Phoenix

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:

 Tears of the Phoenix

Tears of the Phoenix

Lonnie Beerman

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432769895

Outcasts can find alliance in each other. “Tears of the Phoenix” is a novel of this young struggle, as Lonnie Beerman tells of three youths, who after a violent incident, come together, and face a town full of hate and bigotry. Through the worst of challenges, they find friendship and family against all odds. “Tears of the Phoenix” is a fine read and much recommended for general fiction collections.

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

Poetry Styles Explained

April is National Poetry Month. In honor of this, I encourage everyone to try their hand at writing poetry this month, even if you usually shy away from this genre. To help you get started, here is an overview of some of the popular poetry styles.

Ballad

A typical ballad is a plot-driven song with one or more characters and a dramatic ending. This form uses the show, don’t tell approach to writing. Examples include Ballad of the Goodly Fere by Ezra Pound and  The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Blues Poem

This is one of the most popular forms of American poetry. It stems from the African American oral tradition. It often discusses difficult topics. Examples include Riverbank Blues by Sterling A. Brown and The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes.

Epic

An epic is a long, often book-length, narrative in verse form that retells the heroic journey of a single person, or group of persons. One of the most famous examples of an epic is The Odyssey by Homer.

Haiku

A traditional Japanese haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. Haikus often focus on images from nature.

Limerick

This form is popular among children’s authors. Limericks are often comical, and they consist of five lines that adhere to a strict rhyme scheme. These poems are easy to memorize. Nursery rhymes are often considered limericks.

Sonnet

The sonnet is a fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter. It adheres to one of several rhyme schemes. Two well-known sonnet forms are the Petrachan and the Shakespearean.

To learn more about poetry styles, visit Poets.org. It is an excellent resource for all poets.

I’d love to know, what is your favorite style of poetry?

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.