Author: selfpublishingadvisor

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

Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer: 12/18/2015

LET ALL THE WORLD KNOW (Part III)

For over thirty-five years I participated in a monthly creative writing workshop. We brought several pages of our current projects and read them aloud to the group—then received feedback. Their critique not only helped me develop better writing skills, it also gave me confidence in my current project and me—as a writer. However, possibly the greatest gift I received from this group was the memory of the stories written and the characters who came to life. Thus it is that I’m sharing with you today this thought:

Memorable Characters = Memorable Moments = Memorable Books

Giving to Us the Daily Reminder of Why We Write.

 alzheimers

 

Today, we live in a world where an estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease. Their memories are literally being stolen from them. However, in a New York Times article written by Milt Freudenheim (April 22, 2010), a wonderful fact is discussed: Books read by or to those with Alzheimer’s help them engage in life. There seems to be a comfort-connection made during times of holding a book, reading a book and/or listening to someone read aloud. Even those who have difficulty with verbal communication understand and respond to words on the written (printed) page.

 

As of this month, I have been part of sixteen (16) writing projects that set in print—for future generations—memorable moments in the lives of the authors. The topics range from Love Search where the author writes about her search for love in all the wrong places, to God Stories From the Ends of the Earth, real stories of faithful missionaries walking with new friends beside jungle rivers and into city slums, and The Midnight Call written about the author’s son who was trapped in a world of alcohol and drug addiction. So it is that I offer a few thoughts on Why we Write—Why we develop Memorable Characters who live Memorable Moments.

 

  • Great IDEA! Shaky writing/communication skills. The author of R.’s Memorable Meals wanted to share his favorite recipes while adding “bits and pieces” about his life experiences. This was a fun project because it included photos of his military service, career as a linotype operator for a major newspaper, tomatoes from his garden and more. His family will, indeed, enjoy his memories for generations.
  • Grieving with a Purpose. The author of Selma’s Life Journey: A Portrait of Love and Devotion…a Memoir began his book by sending me 13 hand-written pages of events in Selma’s life. We walked this journey together—page by page—completing a 155 page spiral-bound book that will sew her passion for life, Faith, love, and hope-for-the-future into many generations of their family and friends.
  • Sharing Nature’s Beauty. My neighbor is the author of From Delicate Lily Pads to Sculptured Peaks and Impressions of Nature in Black and White, both excellent books of landscape photography with accompanying verse. What JOY these books bring to all of us who appreciate the constantly changing vistas around us! There are never two moments in Nature alike, so each of these captured moments represents a timelessness for the peoples of the world to see and remember.

 

These are just a few of my client/authors, their stories, and the multi-layered gifts their books bring to the world. Even though I am writing a novel (or two) of my own, consulting and ghostwriting for authors such as these is Why I continue to Write. Each and every project sets me on a new “learning curve.” It is an enriching experience that I highly recommend. And should the ability to remember fade in the lives of those I love or in my own life, I pray that someone will read these books—and many of my favorite fiction books from my shelves—to me.  Are you writing one that I will add to my collection? Please publish it.  Soon! ⚓︎

 

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.
Advocacy in Self-Publishing, elizabeth speaks, Holidays, in your corner, Self-Publishing, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : The Gift of Self-Publishing

Today, if you’ll let me, I’d like to speak a little bit about the gift of self-publishing–about how it’s a gift not to have to wait for an agent to accept your book, how you no longer need to give away your rights, and how with self-publishing, you’re in control of your book, your creation.  I want to speak about how self-publishing is a gift that keeps on giving to–quite literally–everyone who is touched by the process, from authors to readers to–yes, I mean it when I add–those who publish through or work within the boundaries of traditional publishing.

christmas gift self publishing

A Gift to Authors

I’ve already mentioned the fact that, with self-publishing, you maintain full creative control over your masterpiece from start to finish.  You also retain your rights, your royalties, and total control over your book.  The profit goes where it should go (into your pocket), the look and feel is exactly what you dictate, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you have brought your original vision into the world exactly how you wanted to, full-fledged and ready to meet its ideal readers.

A Gift to Readers

And let’s not neglect to give those readers their moment in the sun!  With self-publishing exploding onto the market in recent years, there’s an ever-more-broad and ever-more-diverse range of books for readers to choose from, new discovery tools to use to find new books, and ever-evolving ways to read those books.  I’m talking about e-readers and ebooks, smartphones and tablets, social media platforms and websites like Wattpad and Fanfiction.net.  Many of these websites lack the “respectability” of a professional product only in the eyes of purists; by and large, people are coming around to the idea that what makes for good reading and good writing boils down to personal taste–and there’s absolutely no reason to denigrate another person’s preferred reading material.  I’m even talking about websites like LinkedIn and Etsy, which smart authors and smart readers are repurposing to serve as new conduits for self-published works.  More options doesn’t always equate to more reading, but many of the tech-savvy silicon generation are connecting the dots and teaching each other how to leap that gap.

A Gift to Traditional Publishing

By broadening the field to make room for more authors and more works, self-publishing has raised the bar for the entire publishing industry.  Traditional publishing houses have been forced to adapt, evolve, and rise to the challenge presented by a diversified, richly textured market.  They can no longer sit back and take it easy when it comes to dominating sales; instead, the traditional industry is turning away from relying on mass-marketed and mass-printed books and towards so-called “niche” offerings.  This is good news for everyone, because niches are petri dishes for innovation and further change.  Authors can experiment more, readers can expect to find more cutting-edge work on bookstore shelves, and so on.  Which leads beautifully to my next point:

A Gift to the Marginalized

When reinvention is the name of the game, even the stodgiest of stodgy institutions tends to open its doors–or at the very least, crack a window––to let in texts or conversations that might previously have been deemed unacceptable or controversial.  As Zetta Elliot writes for the School Library Journal, “Like racism in police forces across this nation, racism in publishing is cultural and systemic.”  And why is racism a problem, specifically, in the publishing industry?  Miral Sattar of Mediashift puts it another way:

Ever since the birth of my daughter last fall I’ve become more acute to the fact that we live in a whitewashed world, and I don’t want her to go through the same experiences that I did as a child. I became more conscious about buying books that tell stories with characters from varying backgrounds. It’s hard to come by these books from traditional publishers since less than 6 percent of books published in 2012 had diverse characters. You have to look really really really hard or resort to buying books that have talking animals.

Sattar, who grew up in a Pakistani-American household, writes of attending publishing conferences and often finding herself the only woman much less the only woman of color in a room.  Like Elliot, she has felt the sting of underrepresentation, and understands what it means to grow up almost entirely locked out of the day-dreams and fantasies that others so take for granted.  (Astronauts, anyone?  President of the United States?  Mage in a fantasy universe?)   And skin pigmentation is just one reason that traditional publishers have historically used as an excuse to not publish certain books (and it’s a terrible reason, let’s face it).  With a new film adaptation of Annie and the advent of the new Hamilton musical, it might seem like we are making progress on this front–but authors like Elliot and Sattar warn of the dangers of complacency, especially since there are so many other factors that publishers still use and abuse in the same fashion.

Here’s the good news, though: self-publishing has become a safe-haven for authors of color, neurodivergent authors, and authors keen to address civil rights issues.  And readers are hungry for these books, hungry enough to prompt traditional publishers to get in on the movement.  Change to any institution so dead-set in its habits will be hard-won and slow, but it is happening.  If you have felt that there was no room for your work in the market, cast your eyes upon self-publishing!

You’re 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.
Advocacy in Self-Publishing, author services, digital census, futurebook, Kelly Speaks

Why the Digital Census Matters : A Retrospective

Here on Self Publishing Advisor, we strive not just to keep up with the current trends, but to try and keep a little ahead of the curve–which is why I spent the last five weeks unpacking the results of The Bookseller’s 2015 Digital Census (as described in the FutureBook).  For those of you who are perhaps checking in for the first time, The FutureBook collates information from those involved in the digital publishing industry (whether through traditional or “indie” means) and summarizes the top five current market trends.

[ I’ve broke down each trend, and you can find posts dedicated to each point linked at the far bottom of today’s article. ]

Reviewing the 2015 FutureBook and Digital Census findings has been a wonderful and enlightening experience for me–and hopefully it wasn’t entirely useless to you, as well!–but it’s not the whole picture.  It reflects our attitudes, hopes, and concerns at a specific, limited moment in time.  And ultimately, the FutureBook’s timeliness lends the material contained therein both its value and its constraints:

We need the Digital Census because without it, we wouldn’t know where our experiences as indie and self-publishing authors fit within a larger story–and we need the Digital Census to keep happening because there’s nothing static about the book industry.  As the FutureBook’s editors have said, the survey from which the Census information is collated was designed to “reflect how the sector is continuing to change [….] It asks [authors] what about what their perspective on the book business is, and how we can help them take their innovations to the next stage.”  Change is change, and digital publishing as well as self-publishing must continually reinvent itself to remain a force to be reckoned with.

Those constraints I mentioned? The Digital Census only touches upon those publishing matters which pertain to works that make an appearance in pixels.  It’s not a complete picture of the publishing experience, whether we’re talking about traditionally-published or independently published authors.  So while the Digital Census is an important piece of the puzzle, it’s not the be-all and end-all of information gathering for us here at Self Publishing Advisor.  Like clockwork, industry titans like Publisher’s Weekly and HuffPost Books release predictions for the upcoming year.  Bowker just released a report in November on the top concerns in the self-publishing market, while Author Earnings publishes its reports every few months.  It is my goal in 2016 to keep you “in the know” on all of these reports–because we all know one thing to be true:

knowledge

You don’t have to be evil to recognize the power knowledge can bring–because power isn’t necessarily about the subjugation of others.  Power, in the world of self-publishing, is the ability to take hold of your own narrative and shape it however you please.  Just as empathy and cooperation will trump behavior in line with a “survival of the fittest” mentality (every time, according to behavioral scientists and psychologists), indie authors know that power is something we all benefit from cooperatively and collectively.  This is why, I think, the self-publishing industry is such a rich and complex network of community forums, relationships, and partnerships.

All of this is a little beside the point, perhaps, but it’s worth noting that what we do with the information we collect is equally as important as the fact that we collect it.  Many of the reports and information sources, like Author Earnings and the FutureBook itself, are born from a desire to help the indie community!  And that’s the kind of generous impulse I can thoroughly stand behind, especially as we navigate the holiday season.

 

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. ♠

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.

Demystifying the Digital Census, Point by Point:

One: Mobile overtakes tablets and dedicated e-readers as the device of choice

Two: Digital sales are still growing, but they are also slowing

Three: Self-love levels recede as many indie authors report lower satisfaction levels

Four: Publishing remains very much divided on matters digital

Five: … And the majority believe publishers remain unprepared for what’s coming.

from the archives, Holidays, Jodee Speaks, Kelly Speaks

From the Archives: “Merry Christmas Self-Publishing Authors!”

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 24th, 2012 ]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all my readers! Unfortunately, there are many people who will not have the joyous holiday they imagined this year. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting. Despite the tragedy they are recovering from, I hope they are able to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas: faith, love and family. For those of us who are blessed to be in the company of all of our loved ones, please keep those who need your support in  your thoughts and prayers.

Too often, Christmas is associated with expensive gifts and frivolous spending, but Christmas should really be about love and family. This year, I challenge you to take a few moments to appreciate your blessings and to help those who are less fortunate. One of the easiest ways to do this is by spending a few minutes writing this holiday. You could write a poem, a letter, a short story, or even begin a chapter of the novel you’ve been putting off. Write about Christmas or your family, or use writing as a way to cope with the heartbreak that is saddening our country. Whatever you write, let it come from your heart.

Merry Christmas.

 

christmas

It’s hard to believe that the third anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings is rapidly approaching; and 2015 has seen no shortage of heartbreak.  Paris grieved after the Charlie Hebdo newspaper headquarters was attacked in January, then grieved again when terrorism revisited the city in November. A heatwave in India and an earthquake in Nepal killed thousands.  Over 59 million  people will close out the year having been forcibly displaced from their homes––and often, their countries. These are just a few of the stories which have occupied Western headlines this last year, and they barely begin to touch the devastation and sorrow many have faced and continue to face around the globe over this holiday season.  Now, more than ever, we must recognize that hope isn’t just a feeling but rather an action––a determination to enact positive change in a world wrapped round and riddled with trials large and small.  Now, more than ever, Jodee’s words ring true: “Christmas should really be about love and family.”

Luckily for us, we don’t enter into this world without the most powerful of weapons at our disposal: Story.  Consider this poem by Mumbai-based poet Sanober Khan:

Words
are powerful
forces of nature.

they are destruction.
they are nourishment.
they are flesh.
they are water.
they are flowers
and bone.

they burn. they cleanse
they erase. they etch.

they can either
leave you
feeling
homeless

or brimming
with home.

As Jodee pointed out, the act of writing is a radical one and can reshape our world into something a little more comprehendible, a little less sad.  A note from a friend has the power to make someone’s day, and every carefully crafted book or novella or poem or other piece carries the potential to change lives for the better. The holidays offer us an opportunity to step back and reframe the conversations of which we are a part, to revisit past hurts and transmute our grief and our hope into action.  There’s no better time to finish that book you’ve been writing for years, or to begin writing down those ideas which pop into your head in the middle of the night, or to reach out to a friend or neighbor or family member with a letter, an email, or a post to your blog. Holidays are a chance to heal, and to be healed. I hope you have the opportunity to heal, regroup, and emerge into 2016 with a clear head and a warm heart.♠

 

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.
news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Self-Publishing Week in Review, Uncategorized

News From the Self-Publishing World: 12/14/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

As the editors of Publisher’s Weekly explain in the introduction to this December 11th compendium, they set out to celebrate “the best of the best: the self-published books that received starred reviews in 2015. And [they] check in with some of the authors of these titles, asking them for writing advice and self-publishing tips for aspiring writers.” Those they touch base with include science fiction authors Mary Fan (Artificial Absolutes) and D.L. Orton (Crossing in Time), fantasy authors Terry Irving (Day of the Dragonking) and Mike Duran (The Ghost Box), fiction authors Barbara Valantin (False Start) and Elizabeth Buhman (Lay Death at Her Door), and the graphic novelist duo Damian Wassel and Nathan Gooden (The Gifted)––to name just a few.  It’s never a bad idea to check in on what’s new and what’s recommended in the world of self-publishing, so if you’re looking for a good place to start you might consider checking out the full list of PW recommendations at the link!

Speaking of what’s new and recommended, a December 10th article by Wilson Ring of the Associated Press made it to the WTOP (Washington’s Top News) website detailing the advent of a magical addition to the self-publishing canon––and luckily for us, it’s a book we introduced you to just four weeks ago, John and Jennifer Churchman’s The Sheepover.  And now for an update!  It would be lovely to think something along the lines of we spotted it first! but let’s face it, when your self-published book starts a bidding war between the Big Five and leads to a three-book deal, a little attention from us here at Self Publishing Advisor isn’t quite prescient but rather very thoroughly earned!  Store owner Elizabeth Bluemle, who first took note of the Churchman’s book and is at least partially responsible for the book’s success after publishing an article to a Publishers Weekly blog, says: “This is the unicorn of self-published books because you never find the trifecta of beautiful production, a lovely story and authors who understand what it takes to create a wonderful book that kids love.”  We beg to differ on one crucial word: “never.”  (You, dear readers, are proof that Bluemle’s “trifecta” may be less uncommon than she thinks.)  There may not be any unicorns on the Churchman farm, but one will certainly find quite a lot of talent and, according to Wilson Ring, some sequels in the works.

What Should Authors Expect to Earn?

Brooke Warner, in this December 9th article for HuffPost Books, is out to readjust our definition of “good sales.”  Says Warner, who started She Writes Press, “I used to ask the authors what kinds of sales they expected from their first book–generally a debut novel or memoir. I heard one number come up pretty often: 10,000 copies. That seemed to be a benchmark authors deemed to be possible, perhaps attainable.”  And while it’s attainable for some, Warner goes on to say, it’s not common and it’s not a healthy indicator for success––especially for the self-publishing author.  She digs into the statistics put out by websites like Author Earnings (a Hugh Howie venture), and points out that it’s “self-evident” (emphasis mine) “that self-published authors would make more money (hand-over-fist more, actually) than traditionally published authors on ebooks because they take home 70% of their earnings whereas traditionally published authors take home 25%, minus their agent’s commission.”  But Warner’s article takes a turn away from statistics in its second half and delves instead into a discussion of what success might look like if untethered from unrealistic expectations.  It’s well worth reading in its own right, not least for Warner’s reiteration of the foundational marketing precept: the best way to sell books is “to publish often and well.”  She explains her reasoning in depth, but don’t take my word for it––check out the full article 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.