Author: selfpublishingadvisor

Advocacy in Self-Publishing, Choosing a Publisher, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Shopping for a publisher? Three lessons from a lingerie counter.

No–I promise the title isn’t just for clicks!  One of the critical components of a conversation about lingerie that should be a part of a conversation about publishing–but often isn’t–is that of support.  How does your publisher affect your book sales?  Does your publisher offer support before, during, and after publication?  Does your publisher offer marketing solutions to help your book sell?  Making an informed decision prior to publication will help you long afterwards, as you transition into the life of a published author and begin to weigh some of the risks … and, hopefully, the rewards.

***

So what’s this about underwear and support?

lingerie

Lesson One:

Your publisher should be your advocate and ally, not just a platform.

In today’s competitive world, authors have more choices than ever in terms of where they take their manuscripts for publication–whether traditional publishing, hybrid publishing, or self-publishing.  We’re still in a somewhat weird place where the market is flexing, and where supergiant corporations like Amazon can afford to be monolithic and self-absorbed, but the paradigm is shifting in favor of the reader.  How do I mean that?  More hybrid and self-publishing companies are serving as fierce advocates for their authors above and beyond basic tech support.  The term “support” has come to mean a dedicated band of professionals working together to find a marketing solution for your specific book, and companies are sitting up and realizing that they need to do better.  Even traditional publishers have begun to realize that they need to be better, especially in respect to their treatment of their authors.  The downside of being a traditional publisher or massive corporation (like Amazon) today is that it takes a long time for even the clearest of realizations to trickle down into actual corporate behavior.  It’s like turning a behemoth around–smaller, more nimble companies will leap ahead of the curve…and this is what we’re seeing with small presses, hybrids, and completely self-sufficient self-publishing authors.  Don’t settle for mediocre support!

Lesson Two:

You’re paying for support–support–and that means highly structured, organized assistance.

Here’s another fundamental fact of the universe: when you pay someone to publish your book (according to the hybrid and self-publishing model) or allow someone to take a cut of your book’s royalties (according to the traditional publishing model), you are not paying for therapy.  You have the rightful expectation of seeing more than a tepid response to your book, a lukewarm attempt at promotion, or a scattershot approach to marketing.  You have every right to expect–and demand–meticulous, highly structured support.  Even if you choose not to pay for a full-fledged marketing campaign, you are the beneficiary of the best work of each professional you engage with over the course of the publication process.  And if you’re not getting it?  Here’s where feedback is important.  There are two ways to go about giving feedback: asking for better treatment, and actually taking your money elsewhere.  Realistic expectations are important, but if you’re worried that you’re not getting real advocacy from your publisher, it might be time to start asking the tough questions.

Lesson Three:

A good publisher + good marketing + your book = good sales.

The implications are clear, right?  If one of these components is broken, every other element in the formula for success will fall out of joint.  If sales are not strong, apply a microscope to the work done by your publisher.  Are they showing real dedication?  Do they display a sense of organization and interest in your work, specifically?  A half-baked marketing plan will only ever produce half-baked sales figures, and a haphazard publishing package will take you to the exact same place.  It’s hard to strike the balance as a self-publishing author paying for a minimalist publishing package, but there are still options.  Don’t be content with the first bare-bones self-publishing website you stumble across!  Read the fine print.  Call up the help center.  See what all is available to you as an author in terms of targeted support and guidance.  Only you can decide how much of the marketing process you want to take on, and how to spend your money effectively.  Don’t let a company decide that for you!

You are not alone. ♣︎

ElizabethABOUT 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.
Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Marketing Missteps – Summary Episode

The day has come: we have finished our series of the top ten most common marketing missteps taken by self-publishing authors.

They were : (drumroll please)

But what does this actually mean?  When push comes to shove, shouldn’t we be looking to optimize our strengths, not obsess over our weaknesses and past errors?

Yes.  Absolutely yes.  Which is not to say that this list doesn’t have a place, or recognizing our mistakes an important role to play in upping our game and taking our marketing strategy to the next level.  But mistakes, and avoiding them, only gets us partway to success–just as swerving to avoid a sinkhole has its advantages (no jolts or damaged suspension) but ultimately leaves drivers no further down the road than before.  To push the analogy just a touch further, a serving driver has three probable choices: to swerve onto a sidewalk or ditch, to swerve into a parallel lane, or to swerve into oncoming traffic.  The swerve avoids a definite danger–total vehicular destruction–but the choice of which direction to swerve determines the ultimate fate of the driver (not to mention, pedestrians and other innocent lives).

Sure, the metaphor breaks down in places (no pun intended there), but it serves the point: we need more than just phase one.  We need a phase two.  We need to make active, positive choices to pursue success in addition to active, positive choices to avoid complete disaster.  To this end, over the coming weeks I’ll be launching phase two: a series of what will turn out to be, in essence, the opposite of a misstep.  What’s the opposite of a misstep, a bungle, a slip-up, a blunder, gaff, a faux pas?  Here it is: a triumph, a victory, a gain, a coup de maitre … in other words, the opposite of a misstep is a master stroke.

golf

Bear with me a second.  Marketing your self-published book is not golf.  Nor is it tennis, or one of those fun heist movies from the early 2000s.  But every artist, even a con artist, has his or her trump card–his or her master stroke.  And you’re not a con artist!  You have real art to sell, and you’re master of both your form and your material.  You have something on offer that’s valuable, and worthwhile.  We’re just going to take a closer look at how you can polish a few of your marketing moves, with insights from–you got it!  The masters of self-publishing.

Check in next week as we launch Phase Two!

 

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line atselfpublishingadvice@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. ♠

KellyABOUT 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. 10:00 AM
from the archives, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “How to Get Your Self-Published Book in A Library”

Welcome back to our Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

∗∗∗∗∗

[ Originally posted: September 21st, 2011 ]

You have an ISBN. You have a LCCN. So libraries should be able to find your book, and therefore, will purchase your book, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, libraries rarely “order” self-published books. This doesn’t mean they don’t house self-published books and that they won’t stock your book. It simply means you need to do a little work to get on their radar. Here are a few ways to get your book in a library.

  • Donate a copy (or several copies) of your book to the library. Be sure to go through the proper donation channels.
  • Host a book reading at your library. This will not only introduce the library to your book but also introduce your book to potential readers.
  • If your book is geared towards children, give a school presentation on your book’s subject. School libraries are always looking for new books.
  • Connect with librarians via social networks. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are powerful ways to network.
  • Send promotional materials such as flyers and letters to local libraries. Be sure to include of the essential information about your book such as subject, genre, audience and purchasing information.
  • Try to get a book review in a local publication. This will bring positive attention to your book and encourage libraries to buy it.

Libraries are a powerful part of your book promotion strategy. Creative marketing tactics can increase your chances of a library stocking your book. They can also lead to great relationships with librarians and readers. The best way to find out what your local library wants is to talk to the librarians. Work on building an honest relationship, and you may just find one your book’s best promoters.

– by Cheri Breeding

Well, it’s 2016 and a lot has changed, both within the world of self-publishing and the world of libraries in America.  On the one hand, the opportunities and platforms available to authors looking to self-publish have only multiplied, whereas on the other hand, libraries have suffered from continuous cutbacks to budgeting–leaving libraries desperate for cost-effective ways to continue offering their core services.  And yes, that includes books.

Luckily for everyone, necessity really is the mother of invention.  (Thanks, Plato.)  And in that same vein, a number of people much smarter than I happen to be have gone and made lemonade out of, well, a sub-optimal situation.  For example, if you live in the lovely state of Kentucky, you’re lucky enough to benefit from the collaboration between the director of Davies County Public Library (DCPL) in Owensboro, KY, andl librarian Jim Blanton of Henderson, who partnered up to create ePublish or Bust.  This website allows indie and self-published authors to book appearances at local libraries (there are 24 libraries in Kansas that participate, at present) and to access a variety of other resources.  While the website remainsin a beta stage as Blanton and others iron out the wrinkles with their system, it provides a glimpse of new possibilities as libraries and authors collectively look to prepare for a digitally-driven future.

epublish or bust

And ePublish or Bust is just one of several innovations in process.  There are also the SELF-e Literary Awards!  Librarians have long sought more guidance on self-published books as well as books by authors of color. Aiming to answer both needs is this new(ish) award offered by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) and BiblioBoard (the company that partners with LJ on SELF-e). It honors the top self-published fiction and poetry ebooks by African American authors who were born in the United States, with the winners receiving $500, formal recognition at the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (ALA) Literary Awards, and a BCALA Literary Award Seal to use on their books. Not only is the lauding of self-published books a first for the BCALA, the new award will also be the group’s first to recognize digital content. Awards are a great way for authors to gain exposure and credibility–especially within the library community.

Not surprisingly, Library Journal has become an anchor amidst the rapidly changing library & indie author relationship.  Over the last two years, they have published at least three articles (here, here, and here) detailing these changes and several other innovations in response to them.

The best news is this: libraries are taking note.  It’s not just a one-sided relationship!  The Springfield-Greene County Libraries of Missouri had over 300 self-published titles in their collection by 2014, and were working to continue building their catalogue of these specific kinds of item–because they recognize that there’s a demand for them.  I spoke to the Director at my local public library, and her policy is that she’ll put a self-published title into circulation if it meets four criteria:

  1. It has an ISBN (other libraries vary on this, but she requires it);
  2. It’s local (in respect to author or content);
  3. It’s a physical copy and not an ebook (our library subscribes to an online database of pre-selected titles for download, and only the parent company can opt to include specific title–that’s not a decision left up to the end user/library); and
  4. It’s free (i.e. donated.  She does not solicit self-published titles except in the rare case that the library is hosting a reading.  This has to do with a longstanding handshake agreement with the local indie bookstore: we buy through them to supply the stock for our readings, and they have to have access to the book in the right quantity.)

I realized rather quickly that the situation was far more complicated than I’d expected, and I’d forgotten one very crucial detail: Libraries are not bookstores.  They neither function like one (and in fact, often have very complicated relationships with local bookstore) nor do authors and distributors of self-published titles receive the same benefits from placing their books in a library as they do in a bookstore.  After all, libraries usually only stock one or two copies of any given book–they’re not going to account for a huge chunk of change anyway.  The bookstore is where you sell your books, and libraries are where you raise awareness about your books.  Exposure at the library can drive sales, but otherwise it doesn’t pad your bottom line.  This is why I recommend approaching the library as more than just a stock-it-and-run storage locker for your work.  Libraries have demonstrated they’re ready, eager, and waiting in the wings with a lot of innovative strategies to be your partners in promotion.  If you stop looking at them as a mediocre sales point, you’ll see them for what they really are: allies.

Thanks for reading.  If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line in the comments section below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.  ♠

Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 5.30.2016

This week in the world of self-publishing:

I can’t think of a better way to launch you into the week to come than with this piece, courtesy of Kylie Dunn for the HuffPost Books blog on June 29th.  Here Dunn, author of Do Share Inspire and Write to Launch, recounts her experiences self-publishing and lists her top six lessons learned.  And they’re good lessons!  “You need a professional editor,” she says to start, because “You will experience a full range of doubts and fears when you put your creation into the world [and] having a trusted professional on your side helps.”  Her other points range from “Done is better than good”–quoting Elizabeth Gilbert–to “It’s not a short game” to “It’s scary and exciting,” with one final admonition to “Make sure you have good support mechanisms around you to cater for the days you think you should give up.”  Says Dunn, “This is also why you need a marketing and launch plan, so you aren’t making emotional decisions on the fly.”  Solid advice from one self-publishing author to another, I think.  To read the rest of Dunn’s excellent article, follow the link!

Whoever claims literature is somehow above or beyond the reach of politics hasn’t read the news in India lately, where self-publishing author Rana Ayyub has broken with the powers that be in order to expose systemic corruption.  As chronicled by Arif Hussain for TwoCircles.net in this May 29th article, Ayyub’s story is one that places her firmly in the context of a Ghandi or a Rosa Parks:

A journalist in her twenties decides to go undercover to find the facts about the handling of 2002 Gujarat riots, a series of fake encounters and the murder of ex-home minister Haren Pandya. Over the eight months of subterfuge, she gains trust, breaks trust, comes hairbreadth close to getting caught, goes through phases of self-doubt and anxiety but in the end comes out with a lot of potentially explosive first hand accounts. So much so that her otherwise supportive editors develop cold feet about publishing it and pull the plug on the sting operation.

She then does the logical thing and tries to publish her account as a book. But no publisher worth its name would touch it, no TV news channel would talk about it and very few newspapers would talk to her. In the India of 21st century CE the reigning context of fear is so absolute and the risk of state reprisal so imminent that a mere act of publishing a book can ruin your business.

But of course, self-publishing offers a route free of “gatekeepers,” so Ayyub’s work found a natural home there.  By self-publishing, Hussain notes, “Ayyub also shows a path to people who want to go it alone or just don’t want to toe the “mainstream line.”  We’re all about that here at Self-Publishing Advisor!  To read more of Hussain’s article on Ayyub’s revolutionary work, check out the original piece here.

“The array of [self-publishing] offerings is spurring some writers to leave their publishing houses,” writes Karen Angel for Bloomberg Businessweek in this May 26th article: “particularly midlist authors whose books receive scant marketing support.”  It has long been true that these authors, the ones whose books are accepted for publication by the Big Five publishing houses but whose works aren’t deemed “blockbuster-worthy,” often suffer from poor marketing services and even poorer authorial support.  But there are too many options on the horizon for authors to despair, Angel writes, including self-publishing websites like Pronoun, Reedsy, Leanpub, and Amazon Kindle Direct.  More importantly, she uses the stories of authors themselves as a compass to navigate the complicated world of self-publishing–authors like Janice Graham (of NYT-bestselling Firebird fame) and erotica author Meredith Wild.  She also recounts the story of Greg White, an author whose “last straw came when his publisher forgot to ship copies of his book to the launch party last October.”  And so: self-publishing!  “‘Five years ago,'” Angel quotes White as saying, “‘self-publishing was a scar. Now it’s a tattoo.'”  That’s about as rousing an endorsement as we could ask for.  To read the rest of Angel’s article, click here.

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.

KellyABOUT 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.

amazon reviews, Book Reviews, outskirts press, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized

Saturday Book Review: “The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird”

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 Penny Minding Mom:

71lZwmhDOPL

The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird

by Anne Toole

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478756378

Synopsis:

Little bird wanted something else to be, Instead of a bird in a tree. He knew what he had to do, so off he flew, to search for another kind of animal he would rather be. Read the story and you shall see, which animal he chose to be. Read the story and you shall see.

Critique:

Have you ever wished to be someone else? In today’s world of social media it seems that everyone is putting their “best self” forward.  It’s all to easy to become jealous and wish to be someone else…even if it’s just for a little while!  We have to step back and remember that we are exactly who we need to be!

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” by Anne Toole, is the story of a little bird who doesn’t want to be a bird.  He dreams of being something else…anything but a bird.  Little bird goes off on a journey to find out exactly what kind of animal he would rather be.  Which animal will he choose?

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” has an important message for us all about self acceptance.  It’s all to easy to believe that being someone else would make us happier.  As little bird explores the world about him, he soon learns that all those things he once thought so wonderful about everyone else just weren’t the things that would make him happy.  Just like little bird, we need to look closely about the things we “think” we need to be happy. What makes someone else happy, just might not be the thing that is perfect for us.

The illustrations are adorable, full of bright colours.  The text is easily read.  The book is written in rhyme but I did find that some of the “rhymes” just didn’t work when I read the story aloud to the kids.

The kids and I started a conversation about the things we love and the things that we don’t like so much about ourselves. We talked about what to do about those things that we really dislike ourselves.  Are they things we can change?  How do we work towards changing while still loving ourselves for who we are?  We discovered that some of the things we think are our faults are those very things that someone else loves about us.

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” is a great story for children of all ages about loving ourselves. For more information on this book check out Outskirts Press.

[ reviewed on Penny Minding Mom ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Children all dream of what they want to be when they grow up. Some want to be firefighters, others imagine being sports stars or actors. Playing make-believe is a great way to try out different roles, and so are looking at characters in stories and TV shows or movies. This particular story shows a little bird who has decided that he doesn’t want to be a bird, even though his mother tells him that a bird is what he is meant to be. So he explores the area and checks out the other creatures, trying to find one that he would enjoy spending the rest of his life in their place.

As older readers will guess, there is no other life that would suit the little bird better than the one he already has. Human beings have a lot more choices open to them than animals, obviously, but trying to be something you’re not is still something we have to deal with. Developing a sense of identity and being comfortable “in the skin you’re in” is a life skill we all need. The story is told in rhyme and supported with brightly colored illustrations. Some of the wording may seem a bit awkward to adult readers, but the target audience of beginning readers will probably not notice.

Author Anne Toole was a first grade teacher and ESOL instructor before she began writing children’s books. She understands the issues that children deal with on a daily basis – making friends, what makes them special, fitting in, etc. This is the type of story that parents, teachers, and guidance counselors can read with a child (or a group), and then discuss the moral of the story.

– Amazon Reviewer Suzanne R. Costner

A rhyming book about being happy with who you are. A young bird tells his mother he does not want to be a bird. So he ventures out into the world to explore being a different animal. What he finds out is that every animal has positive qualities he likes but they also have qualities that do not suit him well. In the end he decides that being a bird is what is best for him. The book is easy to read and filled with dolch sight words for emergent readers.

– Amazon reviewer Yvonne Mullen

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