Author: selfpublishingadvisor

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

Self-Publishing News: 1.29.2017 – January Round-Up

January, illustrated name of calendar month, illustration

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, wrapping up what’s new for you and yours in January 2018.

We’ll start off today with the announcement of a new kid on the block; every month it seems as though the self-publishing industry adds another heavyweight to the list of available options, and January was no different as America’s last big brick-and-mortar bookstore chain launched a self-publishing platform. This move, announced in a sweep of press releases, is seen by many in the industry as an attempt for the chain, which has suffered slow attrition in sales and the rapid exit of its e-reader (the Nook) in recent years, to rival the incredible popularity of Amazon’s Createspace and KDP services. What many may forget is that B&N already had a self-publishing platform, only it was tied to the Nook. The “new” Barnes & Noble Press™ is an update of that existing platform, untethered from its Nook associations. For more details, check out the press release.

Speaking of Amazon, more big news this month as Forbes took on the controversy surrounding the distribution giant’s ongoing treatment of self-publishing authors, which hasn’t always been easy to parse. This article by contributor Adam Rowe tackles what exactly happened during a brief interlude when many self-publishing authors found a 50% royalty option displayed on their author dashboard, an option which was both unselectable and surprising (the company typically provides 35% and 70% options, contingent upon book price). Writes Rowe, authors “and other industry  watchdogs are now speculating that an upcoming change may offer the 70% only to KDP-exclusive authors while giving authors who chose to also sell their ebooks in other markets the 50% rate for non-exclusive ebooks.” Not everyone has adopted that angle, but many, it would seem, are braced for bad news. Rowe concludes his article with a brief but interesting paragraph framing the current debate within equally current statistics; you can read the full article on the Forbes website.

Here’s an interesting piece from Jeff vonKaenel of the Sacramento News Review, on the nature of journalistic freedom by way of a review of the new Spielberg film, The Post. Sound a bit out of our wheelhouse? We thought so too, until we stumbled across the later paragraphs, all of which unspool why traditional print journalism has struggled to find a funding model that will continue to work in the age of Google Adwords and … you guessed it! … self-publishing. Yes, this editorial is somewhat of a rallying cry for well-vetted information in news media. Yes, it was written by someone with a fairly large stake in the newspaper’s success. And yes, it gives an unsubtle push for more people to invest in print journalism (specifically the News Review). It’s not, for lack of a better term, a self-disinterested piece. But it is thought provoking. Self-publishing has contributed to change not just within the world of books, but also the world of news. The world of magazines. The world of music. The world of comics. The world of gaming. The old models simply don’t work anymore. So what’s next, vonKaenel encourages us to ask? I think that’s up to us, the ones who have figured out another viable way.

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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.

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

Conversations : The Best of Royalene Doyle (part 4)

Celebrating the Best of Royalene Doyle

and her fantastic Conversations

farewell goodbye waving

Today we’re going back over a few of our favorite posts by Royalene on what to do when times get difficult, and you need a fresh burst of inspiration. Some writers call this “Writer’s Block,” but in all the years Royalene wrote for this blog, she never ONCE used that expression. Why not? Because for Royalene, there’s never a block that couldn’t be overcome or erased by reframing the conversation. In this, our first featured “Conversations” blog of the week, we wanted to dig into the most hopeful of all Royalene blogs—a blog in which she focused on what makes us write in the first place! “Sometimes we just must shake ourselves from normal patterns,” she writes, “like turning the soil around rosebushes and adding fertilizer—to allow the best writing that is within us to COME OUT!” Wiser words have never been said, and the rest of this post is equally enriching.

Next up is another fabulous, life-affirming “Conversations” post, this one a rallying cry for poets and other wordcrafters looking for a boost. Here, Royalene goes back over three key tips given to her by author and poet Lois Beebe Hayna. Hayna pointed out, and Royalene expounds upon, the idea that “you must be in love with words in order to be an excellent writer.” But how to make this happen? That’s the real trick. Hayna and Royalene also note that writing about the things which interest you (instead of being crushed beneath the pressure of writing for popular acclaim or other peoples’ expectations) as well as diving into research can be some of the best ways to free yourself from the weight of insecurity and fear—two of the greatest killers of good books everywhere. Of course, Royalene said it much better than we could ever summarize here, and we recommend you take a look at her original post!

We’re cheating a little bit with this one, as it was originally posted to Self Publishing Advisor as a three-part series focusing on reaching out for help when things are just too difficult to go it alone. Royelene titled this series “Helping Hands, Minds and Hearts” and you can find the three parts here, here, here and here.  If you’ve ever wondered whether your work would benefit from a ghostwriter, and how that relationship might play out, this series is a masterwork packed with useful information! From start to finish, Royelene walks you through weighing the expenses versus the benefits, deciding upon your options, and navigating the process of self-publishing with a ghostwriter. As Royalene puts it, two really is better than one, at least for some of us. And she helps us figure out who those “some of us” are. And when it comes to battling Writer’s Block and other difficult times as authors, putting your head together with someone else is always a good plan. And since we can’t all have Royalene … well, we can still make good use of her fantastic words, memorialized in this series.

***

That’s all for this week! We’ll be back next Friday as we detail more of Royelene’s greatest hits, as determined by our blog’s analytics. You can follow Royalene’s further adventures by checking out her Twitter feed (her handle is @RoyaleneD) or her website at www.DoyleWritingServices.com. We miss you, Royalene! ⚓︎

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. She developed 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, has received 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. December 2017 marked the end of Royalene’s tenure at Self Publishing Advisor. and we will be spending the next few weeks celebrating some of her all-time hits, her most well-received articles for our blog, in thanks for years of generous service.
elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Networking, Uncategorized

In Your Corner: Why Network?

Imagine you are standing on the shore of a large pond. You throw a pebble into the middle of the water and watch the concentric circles ripple out away from the point of impact.

rock ripples water

Now imagine YOU are the rock. Those circles represent your networking opportunities when it comes to promoting your book. The analogy works because each circle of influence depends upon the success of the circle before it.

You are the rock. The first circle is your family. The second circle represents your friends. Then your acquaintances, and so on. In other words, you have to market your book successfully to people you know before trying to market to people you don’t know. Two easy ways to network with people you don’t know is to join an email discussion list and participate in a social media group–on Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, or elsewhere!

Ask yourself what “circle” you are on… if you have not yet mastered marketing to people in your close circle of friends and family, how will you expect perfect strangers to be interested?

There is no time like the present to contact your circle of friends and associates, even if for the first time.  If you already contacted everyone you knew back when your book was published (no matter how long ago), it’s okay to do it again. They might like seeing how far you have come as a self published author! They might even mention you to someone in their circle of friends … and that is how networking to strangers begins.

You are not alone. ♣︎

Elizabeth

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Outskirts Press. The Sales and Marketing departments are composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, 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.
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Tuesday Book Review: “The Jar Puppies” (an overlooked gem!)

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:

the jar puppies thomas james

The Jar Puppies

by Thomas James

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478758075

Synopsis*:

There are miracles around us every day. Some we see, and the most of us don’t ever notice. Then there are other miracles that should remain silent. There are dangers around that some may use the miracles for financial gain. To exploit these miracles and perhaps even hurt a child in the process. They must be protected at all cost from those that may harm what is pure and innocent. There is nothing more remarkable than a miracle in a child’s arms as the two of them combined should be admired and adored, and never taken advantage of. Then there is nature. Something that is beautiful and precious. When combined with a miracle you have heaven. How and why should man be allowed to destroy what was meant to be something special on earth. Those that will fight to protect its secret from harm, even at the cost of a life, should be thought of highly. Then when nature steps in with a fury to protect its own. Even man cannot stand in its way, and must retreat. There are miracles in this world that must be recognized as beautiful as life itself, respected for what they are, and should be left to be. We should never even think of damaging something so precious, and perhaps lose it forever. Look around. What miracles do you see? Would you ever think of doing something to it so that you may never see it again? This book is filled with love, joy, excitement, humor, and sadness. It is for those that are pure and innocent, and know the difference between right and wrong. For those that really care about precious gifts from above.

 * courtesy of Amazon.com

Publisher’s Summary

An old glass maker, tired and looking for new inspiration, is led to a special beach where the sand has properties he has never seen before. He takes some of the sand home, and makes a series of jars, which have a gift that is so precious it can be shared only with a few loving and trustworthy children. But the pure joy given to the children is threatened as others watch, thinking only of how the gift can be turned to profit. The children learn priceless lessons about friendship, loyalty, and the importance of protecting what is precious and unique. The Jar Puppies and Miracle Beach is a unique and beautiful story that you and your children will treasure.

Featured Review

The Jar Puppies made a splash at the 2016 CIPA EVVY Awards for good reason, and it definitely qualifies as one of our most beloved and most overlooked children’s books of the last couple of years! Here, Thomas James takes a story he first received as a dream and later told to his loved ones and translates it into written form. And not just that–he had it beautifully illustrated! This is a sweet narrative rich in potential as both a teaching tool for younger children and as a source of entertainment. One of our favorite elements of this book is that children are given very real agency–that is, they’re given active roles in shaping how events play out, and they take those roles very seriously. Not many children’s books take that sort of approach! We highly recommend you check out this book … and yes, review it on Amazon or Goodreads! It is criminally under-recognized for its excellence.

– reviewed by us here on Self-Publishing Advisor!

Book Trailer

tuesday book review

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

Self Publishing Advisor

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

Self-Publishing News: 1.22.2018 – Publishing Trends Roundup

January, illustrated name of calendar month, illustration

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, specifically regarding publishing trends within the publishing industry, and their implications for all authors!

If there was an article title I thought least likely to ever appear in print or the digital sphere, it was this one: gig economy workers looking to romance writers (including, specifically, self-published authors!) for tips on how to get ahead in the digital age. This fascinating article comes to us from the Associated Press by way of Washington’s Top News (WTOP) and was written by Chris Larson of the University of Colorado and released through The Conversation (“an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts,” according to the article). In short, this has top of the line credentials, and speaks to a felt need in the self-publishing community: to be recognized not just by and within the publishing industry for the many successes and strengths of self-publishing, but also to be recognized by those outside of it–by other professionals in other fields, as a peer among peers. With a caveat to E.L. James (authors of the immensely popular Fifty Shades series), Larson writes that his research indicates that “the median income for romance authors has tripled in the e-book era. And more and more are earning a six-figure income.” This is great news, especially if the reasons why can be extrapolated and translated to other fields. Larson has some thoughts on that, too, and we highly recommend you read the full article at the link!

In another article with shockingly good credentials and authority, New York Times regular contributor Alexandra Alter describes in an interview just how e-books and the digital revolution, self-publishing included, have affected her job. Alter, for context, “covers the book industry” (according to the article) for the Times, and is a regular contributor to their very popular podcast, “The Book Review.” In other words, she’s one of the best-placed individuals to comment upon significant and ongoing trends in publishing at large. Here, Alter writes of how she came to e-books with the birth of her eldest daughter, a familiar tune to many e-book aficionados, all of whom need their hands free for various parenting duties. And despite being deeply vested in traditional publishing and print media, Alter sees value in the self-publishing industry: “Self-publishing has been one of the most fascinating corners of the industry to me,” she writes. “There have been a handful of massively successful self-published authors who have started their own publishing companies, and they’ve started to publish other ‘self-published’ authors. But publishers have survived so far through consolidation, and we’ll probably see more of that.” There’s lots to unpack throughout this article, and we highly recommend you take a look at the original on the Times website!

In one of the more useful trends to arise in the self-publishing industry, companies are now beginning to see the value in providing aspiring authors with tools for taking charge of and organizing their own publication and marketing needs. The latest release comes from Outskirts Press, a self-publishing company with which we are familiar. This month, it released its 2018 book marketing calendar, which comes complete with “valuable book competition deadlines, marketing tips and other up-to-date information they need to successfully promote all year.” If this sounds like the sort of thing which might prove helpful to you (and we’ll be the first to admit that we love bullet journals and budget and daily planners!) we recommend you take a look at the full article on Benzinga.

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.

selfpubicon1