Category: in your corner

Book Reviews, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : The Crimes & Good Times of Book Review World

So, what exactly is the big deal about book reviews?  Why are they so important to self-publishing authors like you and me?  Everyone who’s every published, self-published, or thought about writing a book seems to have an opinion, but I’m interested in facts.  And the facts are in!  As it turns out, readers turn to the book reviews on websites like Amazon and Goodreads for help in choosing between the dozens upon dozens upon millions of books they might purchase. And after looking at the hundreds of newly published books in the Biography or Romance genre just last month, it’s easy to understand why a five-star review on your Amazon book page might sway readers to purchase it over different book with only two or three stars.  Which leads me to another vital question: how do you get those reviews?

One option is to ask for them–and to ask for them direct from the source. There are all kinds of excellent ways to make use of your existing social connections–on or offline–and you should definitely use them to contact potential reviewers on Facebook, Twitter, and your other social media platforms.  (Authors hang out on Snapchat and Tumblr too, you know!)  

You’ve probably heard that some websites even offer free reviews in return for copies of your book, but just how good are they at reaching new readers?  The answer in most cases happens to be not very.  Readers can quickly and easily get a glimpse of what their friends and the general public thinks about a certain book by taking a look on Amazon and Goodreads, both of which combine the sum total of posted reviews together into one single one-to-five-star average, and pick out particularly popular reviews to highlight.  Accessing these snapshots of a book’s success or struggle is as simple as a few basic keystrokes on Google.

Many readers, however, are looking for something more reputable and more thorough than a blindly-given and blindly-received two-sentence review on a website geared entirely towards pushing product.  These readers are looking for reputability, reliability, and the kind of insightful observations that only the very best reviewers offer.  And as a self-publishing author or someone who works with indie authors–I’m talking to myself every bit as much as I’m talking to you at this point–nothing quite equals an impartial book review from a credible source.  Getting your hands on these vitally important reviews can also pose a significant challenge for a self-publishing author who may lack the resources to sift these credible sources from common shysters, and the confidence to approach the most highly-acclaimed reviewers.

There are, of course, options: companies like my employer, Outskirts Press, offer packages that can quite literally save your bacon when it comes to gathering in the creme de la creme of book reviews.  Our package is called the  “Book Blast,” and it should save the aspiring author untold time, effort, and potential disappointment in pursuing the right kind of reviews.  The effective kind of reviews.  But don’t get me wrong!  I love Outskirts and its author-centered company ethic, but I’m not just here to hawk a sales promotion on unsuspecting readers.  You have to find the path that best suits your needs, help or no help, cost or no cost–but the fact remains you’ll need reviews, a lot of reviews and the best kind of reviews–in order to boost your book’s visibility and drive your sales.  Do your research, and dig deep to find those credible, highly-rated reviewers who have a guaranteed interest in reviewing self-published titles–and sit back to watch as your confidence blossom as your book finds its final audience.

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.
ebooks, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Debunking the Myth of Multiedition Self-Sabotage

It’s not a new idea–that adding a new edition of your book can boost your overall book sales.  But while many self-publishing authors choose to begin with an ebook edition for a variety of reasons (it’s cheaper to produce, is findable using a keyword search, and is easy to distribute and download) and are only too happy to expand into print editions when their ebooks take off … well, suffice it to say the reverse is not quite as common.  Why?

I have a one-word answer for you: stigma.  Many authors who choose to begin their self-publishing experience by going straight to print and eschewing all other options do so because they themselves have a personal preference for the printed book.  Which is lovely.  I too adore the weight of a physical copy in my hand, the almost unidentifiable smell combining paper and industrial toner!  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with preference.  However–and you knew there would be a however in here somewhere!–when authors enforce their own preferences on their readers, there’s a grave danger that they will also enforce a stigma.

And let’s face it, the stigma against ebooks is doing just fine without any help.  A seachange may be starting, but the fact remains that major news outlets like The Guardian and Publisher’s Weekly and the Wall Street Journal have all at one time or another bemoaned the “death of print” instead of lauding the ingenuity of authors who found new ways to reach their readers. And authors themselves have contributed to the stigma–Stephen King, Maurice Sendak, Sherman Alexie, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Ray Bradbury have all spoken out at one time or another against ebooks.

But here are the facts:

Releasing an ebook edition of your novel does not lead inevitably to the “death of literature.”  In fact, it helps to complement your print editions.  You as an author will be able to reach a wider audience by offering both print and ebook editions–and more importantly, your willingness to do so demonstrates a profound respect for your readers and their various needs for accessibility.

An ebook edition is a smart, affordable, effective, efficient, and respectful addition to your work.  Just as an audiobook version of your book (more on that in the future!) can help render your work accessible to a hearing-impaired reader, an ebook renders your work accessible to the visually-impaired reader, the mobile reader, the traveler, and the international reader who maybe doesn’t have access to Amazon shipping or a physical bookstore.  And maybe, just maybe, your book can reach a person who would otherwise feel alone in this world, just as I am here each week to remind you that:

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.
elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Save the Earth (and maybe even the Whales) with POD!

Do you ever wonder what you can do as an author to save the world?  Are you the sort to take recycling and environmentally-conscious living seriously?  As we get closer to Earth Day 2016 (April 22nd), these conversations rise to the surface and spark all kinds of innovative thinking.  And this year, I’d like to toss one more idea into the ring–one more way you, an author, can do your bit to better protect this beautiful planet of ours:

Convert to Print on Demand (POD) publishing

Remember 50 Shades of Grey?  (Of course you do.  Who could forget?)  In the most interesting anecdote I’ve read all week, the Swansea Oxfam used bookstore received so many donated copies of 50 Shades that they–quite literally!–built a FORT out of them.  Think I’m kidding?  They posted a picture to their Twitter feed:

50shades

The tweet has gone viral, generating a series of articles on the rise and fall of E.L. James’ once-rabidly-popular and now-slightly-less-popular steamy Twilight fanfiction-inspired novel.  More importantly, in my mind, is the fact that this media frenzy has prompted people to take a second glance at how publishing is done–in particular, how the traditional publishing model blankets the world in a flood of books that nobody buys, or that people buy and then dispose of almost immediately.

The second issue–the disposability of a book–is more or less a consequence of its content.  But the first issue–the excessive number of printed books that never find homes–is one that you can avoid simply by choosing the self-publishing model, and choosing to print your books on demand.  What is Print on Demand (POD)?  The clue is in the title: POD is any service that allows authors to print however many copies of their book that they want, as they gauge interest and on the go.  This saves everyone from repeating the dreaded Swansea book fort scenario, and helps mitigate a sad reality in the West: unsold books headed straight to landfill.  I was speaking to a local librarian the other day, and it turns out that despite their best efforts to redistribute all donated books to area Little Free Libraries, book nooks in local businesses, and sales through Amazon … they still sometimes have to send new books straight to the dump, because nobody wants them.  These are usually titles of which so many copies were printed, everyone has already read them, and all the people who want to own copies already have one at home.

So we return to the simple fact: POD is far more earth-friendly than a massive print run.

Instead of being locked into a massive initial print run that they then must recoup the cost of through sales, indie and self-publishing authors can print a smaller number of copies, recoup the cost faster, and go back for more whenever they like or need to.  POD services are included in the cost of many publishing packages, including several of those offered by my own employer, Outskirts Press.  At Outskirts and other hybrid publishing firms, the diversity of packages offered creates additional flexibility–authors only pay for what they need, and not for excesses that underscore a traditional publishing company’s bottom line.  And at least with Outskirts, books are printed mainly on recycled paper (another earth-friendly boon!) and we offer ebook options that require no paper or ink at all!  It’s well worth your time to explore all of the options available to you, and to tailor your publishing experience to suit your resources.

 

I didn’t use the word “convert” earlier lightly.  It has somewhat religious undertones (or overtones, depending on who you ask), and I find it fitting because nature at its best often inspires a kind of spiritual or religious experience.  I remember standing on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon overlooking the Colorado River hundreds of feet below–that was pretty miraculous!  And I remember how I felt walking among the ancient Redwoods in Northern California–a different kind of grandeur.  Greener, more peaceful.  These moments are among the many gifts that the world gives us, an earth that quite literally keeps us alive and breathing.  I think limiting our excesses, whether in respect to printing books or supporting sustainable water usage and so forth, is an important step to take–and in this case, it’s also a way to protect your pocketbook from a different kind of excess.  It’s rare that what’s good for making a profit and what’s good for the environment line up, but Print on Demand (POD) publishing is one of those rare cases!

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.
elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : You Don’t Have to Wait for May

You’ve probably heard the old idiom a hundred–or a thousand, or a hundred thousand–times:

But here’s a fact worth reminding ourselves of: April brings other apart from rain and waiting.  Things that you don’t have to wait a whole extra month to enjoy the benefits of?  (Who wants to wait for May for those flowers, anyway?)

Not only is today, for example, National Caramel Popcorn Day as well as National No Housework Day–I kid you not!  I wouldn’t joke about popcorn and chores!–but coming up this month we have National Walk on Your Wild Side Day, which coincides with National Library Day (4/12) and National Library Week (4/10-16).  Later on in the month comes World Book & Copyright Day (4/23) and Poem in Your Pocket Day (4/28).  We will also be celebrating Week of the Young Child (4/10-16), National Park Week (4/16-24), and National Princess Week (4/24-30).  It’s Autism Awareness Month, Celebrate Diversity Month, Financial Literacy Month, Keep America Beautiful Month, and Library Snapshot Month.

Why do I mention these days?  Because it’s a myth that there’s nothing worth celebrating about April.  And as self-publishing authors, we’re always hungry for opportunities to celebrate–not just because we like cake and ice cream (and caramel popcorn), but for the very practical purpose of promotion.

Aha!  You didn’t know I could turn Spring Astronomy Week (4/10-16) into some sort of practical application for you as a self-publishing author, did you?  But here’s the thing: if you’re looking for a reason to kick your marketing campaign into gear, you both should not and very much should look to the calendar for inspiration.  You should not look at the calendar as an excuse to wait for some perfect day in the middling or distant future to launch a promotional event.  You very much should look to the calendar to see what’s already happening in the immediate future and take advantage.  If you’ve written a Young Adult space-faring novel, then Spring Astronomy Week seems like the absolute perfect time to host a reading or giveaway, doesn’t it?  But consider this: there’s always a way to tweak a “National Day or Week or Month of X” to your own needs:

“Wishing upon a star for Summer to hurry up and get here?  Take a moment in celebration of Spring Astronomy Week to enter this raffle for an Advance Reader Copy of my upcoming book!”

Simple.  Easy.

Maybe it’s a little mercenary to work this way.  If you want to market with a conscience, as I certainly recommend doing, here’s my hard and fast rule of thumb: if it’s going to be fun and funny for everyone, don’t hesitate!  But if it feels like you’re co-opting a day meant to commemorate a serious event (like Ellis Island Family History Day on 4/17) or condition (Autism Awareness Month) then I advise steering clear–unless, of course, your book specifically tackles the subject in question.

The really great thing about looking to the calendar–in the month of April or any other month, for that matter–is that you have the opportunity to tie your marketing work in with a larger conversation.  Look for Twitter hashtags and Facebook groups that touch upon your day or week or month theme, and start conversations with other people invested in celebrating it.  National celebrations are all about building connections and conversations!

For a more complete list of upcoming dates of note in April, check out this website!

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.
elizabeth speaks, in your corner

In Your Corner : Celebrate National Reading Month With These Marketing Tips! (summary edition)

Four weeks ago, I set out to gather together my absolute all-time favorite marketing advice––advice I have both given and received over my years as a self-publishing advocate working in sales and management––and today is a good day, because I get to look at it all together.  Over the course of four Thursdays, I have laid out a map––a blueprint––for an indie author’s success on the marketing trail: Fourteen tips you can put to work as you decide upon your own personal priorities as an author and put together your own marketing campaign.

They are:

Part One:

  • GETTING STARTED : Become the local expert.
  • TIP TWO: Get ’em while they’re young
  • TIP THREE: Consider online advertising
  • TIP FOUR: Introduce new formats of your book

Part Two:

  • TIP FIVE : Ask for book reviews
  • TIP SIX: Request peer reviews
  • TIP SEVEN : Create a mailing list or Facebook group

Part Three:

  • TIP EIGHT : Craft a “keep in touch” plan
  • TIP NINE : Go to the Press
  • TIP TEN : Get your next manuscript off the drawing board
  • TIP ELEVEN : The book must be blogged!

Part Four:

  • TIP TWELVE : Give your blog or website a face lift
  • TIP THIRTEEN : Play well with others
  • TIP FOURTEEN : Take the Grand Tour

 

If you think this list is a long one, consider this: Marketing is no joke.  It’s not an easy thing to do, especially if you’re embarking upon the journey solo.  You’ve already done some mammoth work in finishing your manuscript––in being an author, period––and to be faced with a list like this might seem daunting.  Which is why I didn’t really want to leave you with fourteen tips.  What I really want is to leave you with one.  And so, without further ado, I give you:

THE ONLY TIP YOU’LL EVER NEED: Let others help shoulder the burden

This is both the simplest and the hardest thing of all.  We’re indie authors.  We are accustomed not just to wanting to go it alone, but to having to go it alone.  But the thing is, we’re at a critical and beautiful point in the self-publishing industry’s evolution: every door is open to us, and nobody is looking to slam them shut on someone just starting out, or on a veteran who needs to change things up.  Take a breath.  Take all the time you need.  This is and always will be, your story.  And it will be exactly what you want it to be, even if you have to ask for a little assistance along the way.

There are more resources than ever before available at your Google-savvy fingertips.  There are hybrid self-publishing companies offering incredibly diverse kinds of assistance, tailored to your needs.  There are advocates like me and like many of the people I work with at Outskirts Press who want nothing more than to help you achieve what you want to achieve.  We’re here for you, and we’ll always be here for you.

Now more than ever before, one thing is true:

You are not alone. ♣︎

making a list and checking it twice

 

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.