Author: selfpublishingadvisor

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

Conversations: 12/25/2015

LET ALL THE WORLD KNOW (Part IV)

Last week’s blog felt a bit sappy to me. Sometimes being sappy can be a good thing. So I thought I’d continue in that vein this week and talk about the MIRACLES that happen when writing. After all, we are in the December Season of Miracles!

christmas tree

For most of us who call ourselves Writers and/or Authors the simple act of sitting down TO write is a miracle. There are days when the storyline or the main character(s) may blur in our imaginations—then another miracle happens and suddenly we are joyously experiencing the perfect words spilling onto the page with clarity and ease. Below is my Santa list of favorite books I’ve found under my Christmas tree over the years—and—if I were a billionaire I’d send these to every writer/author in the world.

 

  • A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This timeless story continues to give me hope for the future of our world—that minds and hearts can be healed and nurtured toward good.
  • The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. A dream miracle adventure that allows my imagination to soar.
  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Totally captivating with each character clearly developed and alive as they discover the depths of Faith and family connections.
  • The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson. Such a poignant story demonstrating that what appears to be tragic circumstances may become miraculous.
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles Schulz. With the new Peanuts movie out in theatres, the superb characters in all the Schulz stories will continue to lift our spirits and teach us many good life-lessons.
  • The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski. A reclusive woodcarver is asked to make a Christmas crèche. What happens next blesses every Reader.
  • The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell. What does an angel give the new born Son of God as a birthday gift? The answer has been enriching imaginations for a long, long time.
  • The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado. This story brings unexpected gifts to Readers as they discover that even the prayers of “little lambs” are answered.
  • The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg. Strangers are rarely met with open arms these days. However, in this story, a young girl befriends the special stranger and learns of an amazing mystery that reveals the beauty of Christmas.
  • Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce by Stanley Weintraub. For more adult readers, this true tale is about warring soldiers (Germans and Allied Forces) who placed candlelit Christmas trees on trench parapets, sang carols, and shared food parcels from home.

 

Of course, I could add a few hundred more to this list of favorite books, but the Eve of Christmas is drawing nigh and I must rest my hands to begin a new chapter of my new novel in the NEW YEAR.

christmas tree2

May all the books you’ve published (and are ready to publish) find their way under many a Christmas Tree. And, as tiny Tim says, “A Merry Christmas to us all; God Bless us, every one!” ⚓︎

 

RoyaleneABOUT 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, Holidays, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Christmas Traditions!

In this busy world, our equally busy lives can sometimes get in the way of passing along traditions to our family.  Publishing a novel, a memoir, a cookbook, or some other piece of writing is an oft-neglected but rewarding way to pass on our traditions–as well as our special holiday stories–to family members and to our friends!

pierogies pierogi varenyky

For example, take the cookbook.  There are infinite varieties and forms that the cookbook can take–no two cookbooks look or feel or read the same, even if they overlap in terms of recipes.  Why is that?  Well, for one, a cookbook is first and foremost an artifact of its author’s personality, history, culture, and interests.  The most interesting cookbooks, in my opinion, are not the ones produced by Williams Sonoma (as swoon-worthy as we all find their copper pots to be) or even Cooks Illustrated (although, let’s face it, we like the science).  Books produced by committee may have their strengths, but they don’t lock in the same quality of story.

Take these three cookbooks, for example, all of them put out by Outskirts Press:

“The Seven Fishes: An Italian Christmas Cook Book”
“Firewood, Family & Friends”
“Easy as Hell Dinner Party Cookbook”

We have Sleeping with the Seven Fishes: An Italian Christmas Cook Book (2013) by Mike KC; Firewood, Family & Friends Cookbook (2010) by Cheryl Paninder; and the Easy as Hell Dinner Party Cookbook (2013) by Bill Bjorkman with Michael Cilella of the Cox Roosevelt Inn.  And as you can tell from first glance, they’re all radically different books!  One is geared specifically towards the holidays, one towards the cozy kind of relationships we prize during the holidays, and one towards the home cook with ambitions at throwing a gourmet extravaganza.  (I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is which!)

What’s most important to note about these books, however, isn’t the covers themselves but what the covers and titles and typography–and all of the other graphical elements–combine to imply about the stories behind the individual books.  These are the things that are worth taking note of as a self-publishing author–and whether you’re thinking of publishing a cookbook or some other type of book, the same principle holds true–because these are the things that grab a reader’s attention in the bookstore and compel that person to carry your book all the way to the check-out clerk.  Authorship isn’t exactly a cult of personality, but it can sometimes be useful to think of a published book the same way you might think of a person going in for a high-stakes job interview: presentation matters, because it conveys a lot about that book’s/person’s backstory.

 And for better or worse, people connect with story.

 
spiral cut ham

The Christmas holidays is an especially important time to be thinking about helping to preserve your family’s history and legacy by self-publishing a book.  That’s because Christmas, perhaps more than any other holiday, is rich with oral storytelling traditions, baking traditions, and narrative traditions of all kinds.  You can both collect new material for your book and enjoy the rich conversations that will inevitably collect around the news that you’ve got a book in the works.  And sometimes, at Christmas as at other times of year when our relationships with the past are the hinge upon which our lives turn, we can all do with a little reminder:

It is my hope and wish that you enjoy a wonderful, relaxing Christmas–a Christmas thickly textured with the best kinds of traditions!

 

Merry Christmas!  

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.
from the archives, Holidays, Kelly Speaks, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 12/20/13”

Welcome back to our new 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: December 20th, 2013 ]

‘Tis the SEASON to……BELIEVE.

You may recall from a previous blog—or two—that I’m working on a children’s book series.  So…fairly often, my thoughts tune-in to those stories “dancing like sugar plums” in my head.  This season of Christmas and Hanukkah cheer is no different, especially as I realize that my great-grandchildren are “aging” rapidly.  So it is that I’ve gone to the bookstore shelves and selected two of my favorite storybooks—written by other authors—to share with them on Christmas Eve.

The theme or technique I most enjoy in storybooks is when writers personify animals, allowing them to offer a perspective that children easily grasp and “grownups” might have lost the capacity to imagine.  This Friday-before-Christmas, I offer you one more story—a legend really—a bit of generational tradition-telling reminiscent of Native American oral-histories—written by yours truly for all my children—author/clients included.

THAT NIGHT a handsome Nubian Ibex—Samuel—stood on the high point of a knoll watching the shepherds and their flocks in the rock-strewn meadow below.  His masked friend, Barney Owl, was restless and had just circled his favorite perching-tree for a third time.  With a twist of his large antlers and a twitch of his tail, Samuel signaled to Barney, What bothers you, friend?  With a flutter of wings and a high pitched shriek, Barney gave the warning: A crackling is in the air—the heavens are about to open.  Samuel lifted his head and sniffed the cold air.  He shook his huge antlers and pawed at the ground sending the message: There’s no hint of rain.

At that very moment a brilliant light removed the darkness from the night and rainbow spears of sound filled the air!  Voices of thundering melody fell upon their ears waking every living creature.  An announcement was being made—in every language of creation.  “The Babe is born!  Your King has come!  He sleeps in Bethlehem; the earth is now His home.”

The shepherds fell to knees and hands; and sheep scattered the rocks and sand.  Barney Owl flew to Samuel’s back, marching to-and-fro; pushing him to GO!

The unseen singing voices raised to higher pitch, then softened to mellow notes as Samuel blinked.  And so they went—Samuel with friend Barney Owl—followed by squirrel, and mouse and racing deer—wooly sheep, goats and gazelle—and bevies of beautiful birds flying at all altitudes.  They seemed to be dancing to the crescendo of voices—voices that vaulted from meadow to mountain tops.

Then they were there—in the Presence of the King—a wee-tiny Babe wiggling to see.  It was brave Michael Mouse who first touched His Hand.  The whole of the gathering pulled in a deep breath.  Then Hoopie, the bird, let go a melodious coo-oo—that started everyone singing in words they never knew.  The language of humans came from their throats—as the Babe laughed and giggled with each new note.

This One Night when Light came to earth—brought a gift to animals of every kind—voices to use and words to speak—in Praise of their King—their Creator and Friend.  Their harmony soared with the Angels of Heaven—then softened to humming as the Babe’s eyes closed.

One tear was then seen in the eye of the Owl.  He knew this gift would fade at sunrise.  “Samuel,” Owl whispered in the Ibexes’ ear.  “Let us all stay here—and sing while we can—so this miracle will be passed forward in the memory of man.”

by Royalene Doyle

ibex

Christmas is just days away, and there’s no better time to bring back a classic Royalene post than three days out from the big event.  There’s something touching, something profoundly moving, in the words of that final paragraph–even for those of us indie authors who may not celebrate the holiday as a religious event.  What better way to close out a year than with a little meditation, a little reflection on the importance of joy and memory to all of our lives?

One of my own personal favorites when it comes to Christmas stories is the short story “Finding Christmas: An Australian Christmas Story,” written by Annie Bryant.  It’s sweet, as all Christmas tales are, but it manages to steer clear of saccharine in part because it revolves around a little boy named Joey and his experiences on a farm Down Under–and the details Bryant weaves in help keep the story grounded in his world.

The story begins:

Where do you find Christmas in your family? Is it hidden within the pages of your favourite story book? Maybe it’s wrapped up in a gift made especially for someone you love? Or perhaps, it can be found amongst the delicious smells of a Christmas feast? Well, this is the story of a little boy who went on his own search for Christmas….and you’ll never guess what he found!

I’ll leave it up to you to read the rest, since I don’t want to spoil either Bryant’s rich voice or the story’s ending.  Suffice it to say, you won’t regret taking a couple of minutes to peruse the full version.  Bryant, who self-publishes her stories first and foremost as songs, draws upon the imagery of her home country, which may not seem like the perfect conduit for a traditional Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere–except that, by stripping away our stereotypes of snow and cozy fires and church spires in winter, she manages to get at the real heart of what the holiday is about: discovery, human compassion, and connection with others.

I hope your Christmas season is as richly textured as those we read about in stories, and has an equally happy ending. ♠

barn owl

 

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

Self-Publishing News: 12/21/15

‘Twas the week before Christmas,

and all through the blog,

not a book was neglected,

not even the news …

[we just couldn’t help ourselves! – SPA]

This week in the world of self-publishing:

“Have you ever thought of yourself as a brand?” asks Anastasia Crosson in this December 18th article for the online journal, Business 2 Community. She advocates for anyone seeking influence in a public conversation to make personal branding a priority: “A brand can make all the difference in standing out in a crowded marketplace. A brand can make a lasting impression. A brand can grow your network and business.” She particularly emphasizes the value of self-publishing “through blogging, or whatever medium is the best fit” for a person or author to share “content that tells a story about your work and shares your unique insights. […] Becoming a contributor to a publication you trust and respect is another great way to amplify your personal brand.”

Says Crosson, we indie authors can’t forget the importance of authenticity: “You don’t have to take yourself too seriously, try to fit a mold, or fall into the imitation trap. Your personal brand should look and feel like the best representation of you.”  There’s a lot to be said in defense of brand marketing, particularly when you’re an indie author looking for that breakout moment!  To read more of Crosson’s excellent article, follow the link.

In this week’s featured interview with an indie author, we’d like to point you to Meagan Meehan’s December 18th conversation with self-publishing groundbreaker, Ally Nathaniel, for The Examiner.  In her prelude to the interview proper, Meehan writes that “Indie publishing is becoming more and more commonplace, in large part due to Amazon’s accessible and easy-to-use self-publishing platforms […] which have opened the door to many people who are turning their love of writing into a full-fledged, full-time business.”

And while Nathaniel is certainly a case study in proof of this statement, she is also as Meehan points out, a kind of pioneer and indie mastermind: “Ally has literally written the book on self-publishing, and built a business for herself,” writes Meehan, all while “guiding other authors through the process and helping them self-publish their books too. Ally has turned her business into a cottage industry.”  The interview covers a number of topics ranging from Nathaniel’s inspiration and reasons for electing to self-publish to her ongoing and upcoming projects.  Hint: they’re all interesting!

Innovation in self-publishing doesn’t stop with words on a page, as Susan Lahey of Silicon HIlls fame reports in this December 17th article: indie authors and entrepreneurs continue to push the evolution of their own platform, as Monica Landers has done in co-founding Authors.me.  Landers, a producer for ABC News, pitches her website as a “platform to connect writers to agents or publishers.”

According to Lahey, Authors.me “helps writers create a profile with all the information agents and publishers need, and can arrange the connection between, say a Young Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy writer and the companies that are looking for that kind of book. Since the site launched in July, they’ve facilitated 15 book deals.”  Thankfully, it’s not all about a numbers game, as Lahey explains: “It’s about user experience.”  Citing the traditional publishing process as a “soul crushing experience,” Landers (through Lahey) also touches on the difficulties inherent to reading and writing within the indie universe. Landers’ website, which “gives both parties a place to communicate without a hailstorm of emails,” serves as a discovery tool for both readers and publishers to filter through the maelstrom of self-published work out there in search of new material. And a new discovery tool is always good news!

It’s not every day self-publishing is mentioned in the Chicago Tribune, but in a December 17th article, contributor Sara Clarkson has proven herself a firm (if occasionally skeptical) advocate.  Writes Clarkson, “The tired Scrooge in me has latched on to this quote from poet W.H. Auden: “Thank God for books as an alternative to conversation.”  She goes on to explain that she is in the habit of giving books for Christmas gifts, and lists those she’s already purchased for the purpose.  “Though my list this year is small,” she writes, there are still some books worth passing on.  But how to discern “the worthwhile from the worthless?”  Especially when it comes to the famously gatekeeper-free indie market?

“This is where our librarians step in,” says Clarkson, “especially those librarians who have an interest in the Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Project.”  The project is accepting e-books through January 4th of 2016 from Illinois authors with self-published works in the adult fiction genre.  The only requirements?  The authors must be from Illinois, have already self-published a digital copy of their adult fiction work, and be willing to promote that work “at libraries and other locations throughout the state.”  The books can be either purchased online or read for free at local public libraries.  According to Clarkson, the Soon to be Famous competition serves an excellent starting point if you’re looking to break into the indie market as a reader or author–and we couldn’t ask for a better Christmas gift!

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.

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Why Not? Conquering The Road Less Traveled”

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 the Midwest Book Review:

why not? conquering the road less traveled

Why Not? Conquering The Road Less Traveled

by John Brown & Donna Brown

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478742265

Synopsis:

Cerebral Palsy, a developmental disease impacting motor coordination, affects 3 out of 1,000 births. While medical intervention such as physical or speech therapy, ambulatory aides like wheelchairs or braces, help a child achieve a productive life, John Brown was determined that he would leave his mark on the world. Born in the early 50’s with a type of spastic CP impacting his gait and balance, but leaving his speech intact, John and his strong willed mother fought against the times’ conventional wisdom and doctors’ predictions that he would never walk.
After an early childhood of repeated muscle lengthening surgeries and body braces, he insisted upon leaving a special education school to be mainstreamed in the Philadelphia Catholic, then public, school systems, and went on to play Catholic grade school football and developed a keen interest in high school wrestling and football. After completing a degree in broadcast journalism, he embarked on a 44 year career as an award winning Philadelphia radio disc jockey, traffic reporter and meteorologist, retiring in October 2013.
From the childhood specialists who viewed him as just another special needs child, to his first radio program director who called him a diamond in the rough, John was determined to be the best in his field and demonstrate that hard work, perseverance and, some luck, can help one trump the odds no matter the obstacles. John’s is a story of the American spirit, how tears, determination and true grit can get you to the top.

Critique:

Exceptionally well written and presented, Why Not? Conquering The Road Less Traveled is a an extraordinarily candid and moving personal account of triumph over tragedy. Very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library American Biography collections, it should be noted that Why Not? Conquering The Road Less Traveled is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.95).

[ reviewed in the Memoir Shelf of Midwest Book Review ]

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

Why Not is the perfect title for this heartwarming, simple book about a man who refuses to be ruled by his limitations created by Cerebral Palsy.
Childhood can be difficult at the best of times but when you are the slightest bit different from the crowd, it can be brutal. But John Brown decided to face his fears and the jeers of classmates head on and prove to them and himself that despite the CP he was a force to be reckoned with.

Many of his childhood exploits sound typically normal for kid his age… borrowing a car with a friend, driving too fast and wrecking it, skipping school to hang out with his buddies, etc. Of course at times things were difficult and he was miserable but his positive attitude was the prevailing factor he chose to cling to when things got rough. The author goes on to enjoy a very successful career and a long and happy marriage and he takes us along for the ride.

Why Not? is an inspiring story about one man’s triumph over the adversities in his life and how he made the choice to live his life to the fullest. One quote from the book sums it up perfectly, “You don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” John Brown is living proof of this as you will see if you read this engaging book. Five stars for John Brown and Why Not? Conquering The Road Less Traveled.

– Amazon Reviewer terrylynn

Such an inspiring memoir sharing multiple poignant messages, eliminate the word ‘CANT’ from your vocabulary and life, TRY everything even if it’s a miss, maintain a POSITIVE attitude and outlook. Sage words and advice from a man dealing with an extended challenge from birth as John Brown tells of his past, present and future.

John Brown tells of his life with Cerebral Palsy. He begins with childhood through to his retirement. As you read John’s story his challenge becomes invisible as he never uses his CP as a crutch, or an excuse, rather a vehicle propelling him to forge ahead no matter the hand dealt. He has CP but CP doesn’t have him. His positive outlook is evident, he zest for life apparent and his fearlessness to try new things apparent. He sets a wonderful example for all to follow.

His mother played a key roll in his attitude, she never treated him ‘differently’ and she disregarded physicians early bleak prognosis. John continues with his story and the reader learns of his wife and her influence in his life as well. No doubt this man is blessed with a strong line of support by family and extended family. Donna (wife) shares her feelings regarding life with John in a loving candid manner.

John’s story is honest, filled with humor and unfailing optimism you’ll find yourself motivated and heady from the intoxicating impact of John’s words and actions. He also provides advice for those dealing with disabilities.

A wonderful story full of inspiration and encouragement. A man limited only by the limits he sets himself. John Brown is an example of living life on your terms even when aspects are out of your control, embrace your imperfection and live life to the fullest no holds barred. Lovely memoir.

– Goodreads Reviewer Melinda

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

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