Author: selfpublishingadvisor

NaNoWriMo, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 10.31.2016

And now for the news!

This week in the world of self-publishing:

Just a quick reminder: It’s NaNoWriMo time! As we mentioned last week, you’ll be seeing the buzz over this annual tradition–National Novel Writing Month–begin to cascade through your literary networks, then build to a crescendo over the month of November. We’ll be following its progress–and your progress–here on Self Publishing Advisor, in hopes that we can provide yet another resource to assist you in reaching your writing goals, even if they have nothing at all to do with NaNoWriMo itself and the nonprofit organization which has brought it to such international acclaim. After all, the same tips and tricks which help NaNoWriMo participants are the same tips and tricks that all authors need to brush up on every now and again!

I’ll give you a hint: the answer is YES! and Care2‘s Zoe Eisenberg is all about showing you how to make good on that jubilant answer in her October 28th article. She speeds through a quick bit of history (“Since 1999, over 2 million writers have participated in NaNoWriMo, with an average of 15 percent hitting their goal of completing the first draft of a novel in the allotted month.”) and then plunges into the really important nitty-gritty bits, the bits that might keep you going through NaNoWriMo or any other lengthy writing spree. She interviewed NaNoWriMo’s Executive Director, Grant Faulkner, who says “The number one reason people think they can’t do NaNoWriMo is because they’re too busy […] Everyone says that. We’re all busy. But part of that is reality and part is perception. A lot of people want to write a novel, but it’s hard to get it into the number one spot on your to-do list.” Ain’t that the truth? And for self-publishing authors, self-starting on writing is just the first in many steps to making it from Point A to Point Z. But Faulkner’s tips, coming to us via Eisenberg, might just help overcome that first hurdle: they run the gamut from “Scan your schedule,” to “Plan for lapses,” and all of them circle back to the larger point that prioritizing and time management are an author’s greatest obstacles. For more of Faulkner’s fine points (and Eisenberg’s excellent reporting), follow the link!

Did you ever think you’d be getting serious writing advice from Bustle? I sure didn’t—but I’m very, very glad to have stumbled across this excellent October 24th piece by Bustle contributor Stephanie Topacio Long. Says Long, “The countdown to National Novel Writing Month is now down to single digits”—or in our case, less than twenty-four hours—”so it’s understandable if your excitement or anxiety about the annual writing challenge is off the charts already. Luckily, there’s still time for last-minute NaNoWriMo prep. Taking certain steps in the lead-up to November could make for a more successful month of writing.” While we’ve written about this subject here on Self-Publishing Advisor before, it’s always good to hear affirmation (and perhaps, receive more fleshed-out advice) from other writers whom we admire. Like Faulkner and Eisenberg, Long emphasizes the importance of preparatory tips like setting a schedule and establishing a support system (my personal favorite), but she goes a bit further in pushing for authors to get pumped up for the days to come. (And her well-selected gifs to illustrate each point definitely don’t hurt her argument.) As Long says, “Get psyched for NaNoWriMo now. Win or lose, the experience will be valuable for you. You’ll either come out the other side with the first draft of a novel (fingers crossed!), or you’ll learn a host of valuable lessons.” Hear, hear, Ms. Long! For the rest of her fabulous piece, click here.

Look, everybody needs a little humor headed into a long hard project, right? And right at the perfect moment, along comes Adam Forsgren with this glorious October 29th article for East Idaho News! “This will be my sixth year participating in NaNoWriMo, and over the years, I’ve noticed that the whole experience can be broken into different stages of dealing with the ‘burden’ of writing a 50,000 word narrative in 30 days,” he begins: “Think of it kind of like the stages of dealing with death, only with more caffeine and less crushing despondency.” First off, I’d like to take all of our collective hats off to Forsgren. SIX years of NaNoWriMo? That’s incredible. Secondly, he’s in a privileged place to deliver to us his theory of the 5 Phases of Dealing With NaNoWriMo:

  1. “Total Stokage” (AKA enthusiasm)
  2. “The Weight Hits” (oh no)
  3. “The Drag” (it doesn’t get worse than this, does it?)
  4. “The Despondency” (oh … it does ….)
  5. “The Glorious Morning!!”

As you might have guessed from the double exclamation point, Forsgren is a huge advocate for sticking it out through thick and thin to finish your writing projects (“It feels like I’ve actually accomplished something. It’s as close as I’ll ever get to fatherhood. And what’s crazy is that once you feel that feeling, you can’t wait to do it all over again.”) and he’s incredibly persuasive. If you needed the combination of realism (he does face up to the incredible challenges this project entails) and a powerful pep talk, this is the article for you. Read the full thing online at EastIdahoNews.com!

spa-news

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 Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

Kelly

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive 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, kellyschuknecht.com.
Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized

“How the Grandmas and Grandpas Saved Christmas” : A Saturday Self-Published Book Review

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, courtesy of Sincerely Stacie:

How the grandmas and grandpas saved christmas gausselin

How the Grandmas and Grandpas Saved Christmas

by Richard J. Gausselin

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1477247716

Synopsis*:

What happens when the Elves come down with colds am week before Christmas? Santa Claus call on special helpers to work his magic! Can the grandpas and grandmas from around the world save Christmas? Join Santa and his friends on this incredible journey to find out.

Critique:

Santa runs a pretty tight ship in his toy factory. Every elf has a job to do and needs to work hard to get every single toy made by Christmas Eve. Santa believes that the toys are to be made with hands and hearts and not computers. Each toy is made with love for that special boy or girl.

On an unexpectedly sunny day, the elves take a break to play snowball which leads to disastrous repercussions for Santa’s toy factory. When Santa and his lead elf try to finish the toys, Santa realizes it just isn’t going to be possible. Then a bright idea leads him to call in the grandparents all over the world. Maybe they can all work together to save Christmas.

This is a really great story for Christmas and has a wonderful message about the importance of helping others as well as one about following the rules! Mrs. Claus and an elf warn the others about slacking off on the job. When the elves end up in a difficult situation, they realize that their choices can have consequences.

Even though this story has a younger message, it isn’t one your younger child will be able to read to themselves.  One page is full of text while the next page has the illustration. It would make for a great bedtime story that is read by a parent. The illustrations are bright and show the range of emotions in the characters. There are numerous details in each illustration that the child will enjoy pointing out.

This book would make a great addition to your Christmas library. It’s lesson is a good reminder for all of us.

Richard J. Gausselin’s books are inspired by his childhood Christmases of the 1940s and ’50s, when toys were “made with hands and hearts.” As a father of six and grandfather to thirteen, he has enjoyed reading ’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS on Christmas Eve for over fifty years. He hopes adults and children will enjoy HOW THE GRANDMAS AND GRANDPAS SAVED CHRISTMAS (Books I, II, and III) and make them part of their holiday tradition. For more on his books, visit his website, HERE.

[ reviewed by Stacie at Sincerely Stacie ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Santa’s elves catch a cold a week before Christmas and can’t work on the toys! Joe, an elder elf, was listening to Santa talk about his grandfather when he came up with the perfect solution – Grandparents.

How the Grandmas and Grandpas Saved Christmas is an absolutely delightful Christmas tale. The story is beautifully written and illustrated. The story emphasizes love, friendship, family and does it brilliantly. It is a perfect book to read on Christmas Eve, or to break up into sections to read each day leading up to Christmas.

It also has very nice full-page illustrations. Some of them are very detailed, and younger children would have fun picking out toys and tools in the pictures. I highly recommend this thoughtfully written book. Reading this book with your children or grandchildren could be a fun yearly tradition.

– Amazon Reviewer tmtrvlr

The elves were making the toys and following Santa’s rule, which was “toys are always made with hands and heart.” When they suddenly became distracted they heard icicles melting which was usually something that occurred in the spring, but today they saw the sun shinning.

Ric looked outside and grabbed his glove and said lets play snowball.
It was easy for the other elves to stop making toys and go out and play snowball.
When Mrs. Claus heard the commotion she reminded them they had a job to finish and time was running out. She gave in and said if they went inside and put on the warm clothes they could play for one hour.

Ric told the other elves if we go inside now to get our warm clothes we won’t have time for us to play two innings, lets just play. So going against Mrs. Claus’s wishes that are what they did.

Suddenly the sun was gone and it was cold and windy and they tried to run back but were cold and wet. When inside they started making the toys when Mimi started to sneeze and then each of the other elves were also sneezing. When Santa came back with Mrs. Claus he was upset to see the elves behind and Mts. Claus said the elves cannot work as they are sick, they must go right to bed.

Santa thought he could handle the remaining list of toys but realized he would never complete the task alone so called Joe the eldest elf to help. They soon realized it was too much for them to do and they needed help and fast. Joe suggested “grandparents” and suddenly the word went out to all the different states that help was needed.

As if magically grandparents arrived from far and near and helped Santa complete the list just in time for Christmas Eve. Santa was going to make all the young children’s dreams come true thanks to the grandparents.

What a delightful and enjoyable read your children will love. Make sure to get one and include it in your child’s gifts this year.

– Amazon Reviewer Shelly Itkin

 

* = courtesy of the book’s Amazon book page.

saturday self-published book review

Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

selfpubicon1

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 10/28/2016

OH the INTRIGUE, SUSPENSE

and MYSTERY OF IT!

 

Since the days of my youthful adventures into reading, I’ve identified the magnifying glass with the concept of discovering clues to solve a Nancy Drew or the occasional Hardy Boys Mystery. Although my science teacher preferred that I focus on discovering the elements of the amoeba, my English teacher encouraged the “growth of logical thinking” that these mysteries developed. Following that logic I will use some examples of just how versatile this genre can be.

Each author of the following books incorporates the elements we’ve discussed—characters who are risk-takers, secrecy of past lives and current circumstances, choices that both effect and affect every character in the book, and a puzzle-pattern of clues that must bring resolution to each thread of conflict between truth, lie and deception—unless, of course, the author is preparing Readers for the second and third books in a series.

In the first blog this month I mentioned the novel The Teeth of The Tiger by Tom Clancy. This story (and many of his other books) creates a bridge to the genre categories of the Readers who seek the adventure of Mystery, Thriller/Suspense, Spies & Politics, and Espionage/Terrorism. Today, more authors are developing their writing skills to incorporate multiple genres in their story plot/outlines. However, there are those who have a natural ability to build these complex and enjoyable stories. To all of them, I tip my hat! I want to learn from their expertise, and hope that new generations of writers will do the same.

Many Readers are familiar with the creative works of Sidney Sheldon. He is a writer of blockbuster over-the-top Best Seller novels and is considered one of the most popular storytellers of all time. His first book (yes, his 1st book) was acclaimed by the New York Times as “the best first mystery of the year” and received an Edgar Award (named for Edgar Allan Poe). Since then many of his novels have become major feature films or TV miniseries. Sheldon has always keyed-in to the benefits of writing to Readers in multiple genres utilizing a foundation in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller with a twist of Contemporary/Women (main characters) and moving forward into Action/Adventure, Spies/Politics and Psychological Thrillers (see Are You Afraid of the Dark).

Another author you’ll be familiar with is one of the greatest authors of all time: J.R.R. Tolkein. His THE HOBBIT/LORD OF THE RING series is the most widely read fantasy novel in U.S. and Britain. With the skill of a master surgeon, Tolkein utilizes each of the Intrigue, Mystery and Suspense genre techniques to the max! Plus, his books cross over into the Literature/Fiction category because of his eloquent use of words. This provides Readers with a jumbo rollercoaster ride of Mystery/myth, Intrigue and Suspense like no other author.

I cannot close this blog without reminding you of possibly the most famous Mystery/Suspense/Intrigue author of them all—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A prolific writer who not only created the characters of Sherlock Holmes, Professor Challenger and the mystery of Mary Celeste, he also wrote fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels. Utilizing his own educational background and researching very specific details his collected works have bridged numerous genre groups.

sir arthur conan doyle sherlock

What do we all learn from these gifted authors and the genre they love? Like their characters they are writers willing to take risks—or rather, willing to develop characters who take a variety of risks. They are also writers who tackle known “truths,” belief systems from ancient mysteries to present-day terrorists and their plot scenarios cover the potential for extreme profit and/or unimaginable destruction of one individual or the world. If you’re one of these author-risk-takers who is already writing a Mystery Novel, I encourage you to complete it quickly and GET IT PUBLISHED. There are multi-genre Readers waiting for you! ⚓︎

Royalene

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.

 

elizabeth speaks, Uncategorized

In Your Corner: Next Steps

The end is in sight!  In fact, this week we’ll be wrapping up our epic eight-episode-long exploration of the difficult choices self-publishing authors must necessarily navigate to emerge on the other side.  It’s been a long and wild ride, with everything from …

… on the table.  And if that sounds rather … long and confusing … that’s because self-publishing can, in fact, be long and confusing.  We simply hope that, with this blog series in hand, it will be slightly less so.  More manageable.  More accessible.  More democratic.  More your own safe space.

But what happens once the book is out there?

What Next?

Dealing with the impossibility of moving on.

(Sort of.)

next steps

There aren’t a lot of sign posts on the way in or out of self-publishing.  There are the usual hints and indicators that authors share in common with all entrepreneurs–

  1. measure your success somehow,
  2. recalibrate and relaunch if necessary, and
  3. start thinking about the next project

–but how can these be adapted to suit the highly specific needs of authors, precisely?  We’ll take a look at each point in turn.

Measuring Success

First of all, did you just publish a book?  Yes, you did!  Take a moment, a long moment, to gather that in and feel the full reality of that truth. You’ve earned a little touch of self-satisfaction.  The fact that you’ve gotten your book from idea to the printed page is one very important indicator of success!  Just don’t linger there too long.  (And if you’re asking yourself whether it’s “too long” already, that might be a good indicator in and of itself.)

Book sales are another indicator of success–but don’t rely on them too heavily.  Engagement–online in social media or elsewhere in person at book readings and so forth–is equally if not more vital.  The just before and just after you publish is vital for marketing purposes, and having a sound marketing strategy in place will do more for you than any sales analytics after the fact–and that’s the absolute truth.  If you have a plan in place, complete with projected sales and engagement goals, you’ll quickly understand if you are or are not meeting those goals–and be able to implement Plan B or Plan C and take action to boost them.  If you have no marketing plan in place, your goals will be tethered only to your general “gut feeling,” and any lag in sales or engagement might slip by under the radar until it’s too far along to fix.

Recalibration & Relaunch

Consider the wise words of others that have come before:

Mixing it up–being responsive to what’s working and not working–being willing to approach things differently than you have done without letting it touch your ego–is critical for entrepreneurs and self-publishers alike.  And it’s so hard, in part because authors love their books like parents love their children, and it can feel like a cruelty or a betrayal or a compromise to alter one’s approach.  But it isn’t.  It’s simply business.  And if you look at the business of selling your book as a separate animal from the identity of your book, changes might come easier.

So what does recalibration look like for self-publishing authors?  It might look at trying out a new marketing technique you haven’t tried yet, or publishing a new edition of your book–Hardback, softcover, or ebook–to reach new audiences.  It might mean consulting with an expert to figure out the holes in your existing marketing strategy.  It might even mean getting a jump start on writing your next book, since there’s no better way to promote your current one than to have another in the works.

The Next Project

Seriously, though.  If you’re feeling at a loss as to what to do next with your current book, it’s time.  It’s time to find your next project altogether.  Maybe you’ve done all you can with your current book in terms of marketing, or maybe you need the step back from it in order to see it more clearly–and what better way than painting a new book on the canvas of your mind?

And last but not least, make sure you congratulate yourself.  You’ve written a book!  That’s amazing!  Maybe circling back to that first wash of feeling after finishing your book isn’t such a bad thing, after all.  Let it be your motivation.  Let it remind you of why you do what you do–and take you to that next place you need to go as an author.

You are not alone. ♣︎

Elizabeth

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process 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, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Holidays, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Ringing in the Holidays: Black Friday Edition!

Black Friday brings a lot of not so flattering imagery to mind, from shoppers pushing each other out of the way in Wal-Mart aisles to lines of people camped out outside stores and lines of traffic stymied on the highway. Black Friday has become a quasi-holiday of sorts, mainly because it is an American tradition that dates all the way back to the 1930s. Yes, that far back.

Regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season (again, ‘quasi-season’), retailers began opening their stores a bit earlier the day after Thanksgiving back in the 1930s. Today, some major retailers will open right after Thanksgiving dinner, or midnight–or other hours no one should be out shopping–offering promotional sales to those who are obviously not suffering from a tryptophan induced turkey coma, and who are thus able to storm out into the night for the deal of a lifetime.

Supposedly the cognomen “Black Friday” originated in the 1960s in Philadelphia, where people used the term to describe the abundant foot traffic and cluttered streets. I rather like to imagine that it’s perhaps more fitting today; people whisking out into the dark night, stalking up and down aisles and preparing to battle other predacious consumers over that new X-Box or flat screen TV. If you think that’s a dramatic depiction of Black Friday, keep in mind that seven people have died on this day since 2006, and there have been about 98 injuries associated with the Black Friday shopping madness.

Entertaining history digression aside, Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, which means that as an author with a book to sell, it is not a day to sit back and relax. So, what can you do to rake in some of the Black Friday business?

black friday holiday

First of all, BIG discounts are all the rage on Black Friday. Offering your book for an extremely cheap rate will assuredly promote ‘impulse’ buys from people who might otherwise have considered giving your book a chance. While you don’t always want to offer your book out for an extremely low price, doing so on this particular day could be beneficial for gaining new readers!

Another thing to consider: 99 cent or free ebook editions of your book can gain you free advertising on free or bargain ebook sites. These sites will want to feature your book when it is discounted, and that feature will be free advertising for you, before people even buy your book! Notify these sites when you discount your book, and try to line it up with Black Friday; snag online shoppers who are looking for a deal or to try something new!

Collaborating with other others who have books similar to yours is also a great way expand your marketing efforts. When you combine promotional efforts, this means that their audience becomes your potential audience! It’s a, ‘You scratch my authorial back, and I’ll scratch yours,’ kind of thing. The best thing about this collaboration is that you will enhance your network for book marketing in general, which obviously expands well beyond Black Friday!

So, whether or not you see yourself armed with pepper spray for self-defense as you go out to buy the new iPhone 10–or whatever number they’re on now–just remember that before Black Friday, there’s a lot you can be doing to market your book. More importantly, none of those things require the bravery and fortitude it must take for someone to actually go shopping on that day.

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com.  And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of marketing musings from one indie, hybrid, and self-published author to another. ♠

Kelly

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive 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, kellyschuknecht.com