Category: Kelly Speaks

from the archives, Jodee Speaks, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “Here’s to 2015, The Year You Publish a Book”

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

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[ Originally posted: January 5th, 2015 ]

If you are like many writers, publishing a book is probably on your 2015 to-do list. You’re probably feeling inspired, excited, maybe a little scared or overwhelmed, and you’re hoping your dream won’t become another failed resolution that gets pushed to the back burner after the thrill of the new year wears off.

Well, I’m here to help. Each week in January I will offer you tips and tricks to help you accomplish your goal of publishing a book this year, and I encourage you to continue reading my posts every week throughout the year for inspiration, advice, and news that will help you become a successful author.

So let’s get started.

The first thing you must do if you want to accomplish your goal is break it down into smaller, more manageable and measurable tasks. This will keep you from feeling overwhelmed, getting side tracked, and losing inspiration.

I find it helpful to have a calendar in front of me when I complete this task to help with setting deadlines and factoring in events that may impact my writing goals.

Now ask yourself these questions:

1) How much time do I need to dedicate to writing each day, week, or month?

2) When do I want to complete my first draft?

3) How much time do I need to edit my first draft?

4) What tasks besides writing (i.e., researching, marketing, etc.) will I need to complete?

5) When do I want to start the publishing process?

6) How will I fund my project?

7) What will help me be successful?

Using your answers to these questions, write down small, measurable goals for your project and put them some place you will see them often. Be sure to periodically check your progress and adjust your goals as needed.

I’d love to know, what are your 2015 writing goals?

– by Jodee Thayer

There’s a lot we can learn from the past, both the personal past and the grand historical narrative. Like, for example, it’s not a good idea to put your hand on an open flame. The historical lessons are easy to call to mind, too: Hitler, slavery, segregation, overdoing the electric shock therapy.

But there’s a lot we can’t know about the future, right? That’s just how time works. We don’t know what’s just over the event horizon; if we could, we’d all be rich. (Among other things.)

Well yes … and no.

Yes, there’s a lot we can’t know. But there’s also a great deal we can predict about the future based on our past habits. And Jodee, in her prelude to 2015, lay out the groundwork for a highly predictable future–a future that would meet with both her highest expectations for success and, understandably, with the challenges she had the foresight to see coming a long way off. How is this possible? Well, she took a good long look at what challenges she’d faced in the past, and the good habits she’d pulled together to combat them, and then she extrapolated forward, assuming both would prove to be constants in her future, if only she could manage to meet them in full fighting mettle.

Busy-ness is a thing most of us are more than a little familiar with. But I urge you, dear readers, to take a quick look back at Jodee’s recommendations from 2015. They still hold true. First, to break each task “down into smaller, more manageable and measurable tasks.” Then to pull out a calendar and plot all of the deadlines you know you’ll need to meet, such as awards submissions deadlines, and any upcoming personal distractions you know you’ll need to plan around–weddings, vacations and traveling, holidays, surgeries, turning in grades, etc–so that they become a feature of, rather than a source of anxiety within, your upcoming year. And start sketching out answers to her seven questions, listed above. I’ll be revisiting mine next week, and I hope you will too.

success

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

Kelly

ABOUT 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: 1.2.2017

And now for the news!

This week in the world of self-publishing:

With the rise in self-publishing has come a rise in service providers who help take some of the ‘self’ out of the self-publishing platform. “There are companies that handle one step—or all of them—along the way: editing, marketing, design, distribution, and publicity,” says Alsever, and she has a name for this phenomenon which she calls “The Kindle Effect.” With the introduction of the Kindle to the market in 2007 came the option for Kindle Direct Publishing, which allowed anyone to upload, publish and sell their book, for free.

However, due to the fact that self-publishing means that authors keep 50-70% of the profit from their sales, rather than 15-25% royalties from traditional publishing, there is even more incentive to get your books sold, which often requires investing money so as to make your book a purchase worthy item.

Service providers have caught onto the fact that independent authors have created best-sellers as well; just look at Fifty Shades of Gray and The Martian, both of which have been made into Hollywood hits and have generated serious profits for their authors. While traditional companies miss out on these monumental literary pieces, less traditional companies who provide service to these independent authors get to say they played a hand in helping someone who’s idea had been wrongly turned away. When authors struggle to get noticed by traditional publishing companies, thanks to the Kindle Effect, their options have become seemingly limitless when it comes to getting their work out in the world. Outskirts Press is one of those options, and we’re proud to provide our services to independent authors.

Ylleya Fields and her daughter have always been avid readers, but Fields was shocked when she discovered that there were next to no books that depicted the experience of African American children to share with her daughter. “This inspired me to create my own children’s book series and in turn break down barriers for children of all races,” says Fields.

So began her pursuit to create Princess Cupcake Jones, a series with her daughter as the inspiration for the main character.

After a falling out with the person who was helping her write/edit her first story, Fields put Princess Cupcake Jones on the shelf for a half a year until her family insisted that these stories were crucial for young African American children to have access to. This persuaded Ylleya to really get the ball rolling again, to hire an illustrator and to bring the Princess to life. After sending her final polished copy to publishers and having it rejected over and over–I’m sure only reinforcing the importance of making her and her daughter’s voices and experiences heard and read about–Fields decided to self-publish.

Of course she didn’t reap success, profits or a fan base right away, but she stayed committed and wrote a second book, and this is when her audience began to grow.

As Ylleya is someone who had the odds stacked against her in more ways than just decided to self-publish, I’d like to leave you with a beautiful piece of advice from the author herself.

“…Make sure you surround yourself with a great team of people who want you to succeed more than you do — people who will make your idea great, not good; who are willing to give their opinions, but understand at the end of the day that it’s your decision…Finally, the last and best piece of advice I can give is to always believe in yourself; because if you don’t, you can’t expect others to!”

 

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.

Kelly

ABOUT 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.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Planning for 2017: Where do plans come from? And where do they go?

Here we are: the last Wednesday before the New Year. As the New Year is often associated with planning out resolutions, we figure the best way to ring in 2017 would be a discussion about what happens when our plans go either right and wrong.

plans calendar

First of all, how many of you actually planned to be writers? When you were five years old and an adult asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up, I doubt writer was the first thing out of many author’s mouths. Author Ian Rankin told the Guardian that when he was growing up, he was inspired by his aunt’s husband who drove a fancy car and was an accountant. To Rankin, that high standard of living that included owning a home and flashy possessions seemed appealing, so he thought, ‘I should become an accountant as well!” However, when we travel down a path with only the end in sight (in this case, material possessions), the journey tends to feel hollow and meaningless and becomes easy to abandon. Rankin found this to be exactly the case, which is why he decided to follow his actual desire for reading and writing and change courses from his plan to become an accountant to his plan to become an author.

With this scenario–or the particular scenario that drove you yourself to become a writer–in mind, why should we think that our plans with regards to our work as writers would be any less subject to change?

First of all, there is no cookie cutter plan that will work for every writer. Some people who are less spontaneously creative need excessive planning that includes timelines, outlines, character sketches and diagrams for success; while others will tell you they never plan, they just let the story unwind as they write it. The most important place to begin then, is to decide what kind of planner you are, and that will allow you to have a measure for your success or failure relative to those plans (or lack thereof).

Whether or not you’re a deadline-driver planner or a “pantser,” the most important thing to ensure is that you are writing–no matter what. If you call yourself a writer, then you should be spending time (even if it’s only a half hour) every single day honing your craft, because writing is a lot of work. Gratifying work, but work nonetheless. Sandra Felton told Writer’s Digest that “prioritization and dedication” are essential tools for writers to have. For Felton, focus is essential, and if writing is your focus then there may be times when you have to choose it over other extracurricular activities in your life.

Much like exercise, the more you write, the better you’ll feel, and the stronger writer you’ll become. So when you make plans to work on that chapter today, don’t let it fall to the wayside because you had a long day. Everyone has the same amount of hours to spend every day, it is up to us how we plan to use them. Sure, you might be tired when you sit down to write, but much like the runner who doesn’t feel inspired to run, but goes anyway, you’ll find yourself feeling rejuvenated and happier for having done it afterward.

Sticking to your plan won’t just make you a better writer, it will make you feel more fulfilled as a person. We only have ourselves to let down and we all know how we hang our heads in shame when we fall short of expectations we have for ourselves. Remember that your plans are worthwhile, that writing is a therapeutic release that will only aid in winding down from a long day, and that working hard on something you love can be its own reward. And if you do have one of those days where you just can’t get it in, don’t beat yourself up or tell yourself you’ve failed. Get back on the horse as soon as you can, because you’re a writer…so get writing!

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. ♠

Kelly

ABOUT 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, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “12 New Year’s Resolutions for the 12 Days of Christmas (part II)”

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

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[ Originally posted: December 31st, 2014 ]

Well, today marks my last blog of 2014, so it’s only fitting that I finish my list of New Year’s resolutions with both a bang and a whimper—or rather, with a mixed list of strategies that require me to take initiative and steer clear of some of my past faux pas!

I resolve to …

#6: Read more.

Yes, yes, I know it’s a bit trite to say that “good writers are good readers,” but there is some truth to the matter (as there often is, with trite statements).  I have let my reading lapse a smidgen this year, for a variety of reasons, and as a direct consequence I find my ability to verbalize my own ideas is suffering.  In general, I find that a deficit in input results in a deficit of output, and for me that translates to: “No reading, no imagination.”  I don’t know if it’s the same for you, but I for one resolve that this year I will reestablish my reading routines, and reintroduce my mind to the minds of others through the written word.  (Or, more written words.)  As with many things, I’ll try to remember to practice the “quality over quantity” adage.  It’s more important to have an enriching rather than a time-intensive experience!

#7: Try a new format.

There are so many formats in which we can publish these days that the list can grow overwhelming—hard cover editions, paperback editions, Kindle editions, Nook editions, e-book editions, .pdf files, audio book editions, and et cetera—and like many authors, I tend to channel most of my energy into work within my comfort zone.  This year, I resolve to try a new format for a book that I haven’t tried before.  I haven’t quite decided which of these formats I will choose and for which piece, but I promise you (and you can hold me to this!) that I won’t allow myself to get stuck in the “research” stage for so long that I neglect to actually produce a new product.  Perhaps you’d like to join me?  Let’s jump into 2015 by making it easier than ever for readers to access our work!

#8: Make more inspiration boards.

Ever heard of an inspiration board?  Essentially, it’s the practice of putting together a visual display of objects, quotes, and other things that create a focused touchstone for your writing.  For example, an author who’s writing a book set in the corn fields of Nebraska might put together an inspiration board that has some pictures of corn fields in various lighting, a couple of quotations about the hardships and rewards of farming, and maybe a song or two that really captures the desired mood or atmosphere of the piece.  In this day and age, it’s really easy to make inspiration boards.  You can actually put one together physically (see this excellent blog post by the Procrastinating Writer), or you can take advantage of tools like Pinterest (see this equally excellent blog post by Melissa Donovan over at Writing Forward).  Personally, I enjoy using my hands to put something together in the real world, but the interactivity of digital forms can be really great, too. This year, I resolve to play around more with this idea of the inspiration board.

#9: Build a community. 

I’ve already resolved to be more ambitious with my social media presence (see #6 on last week’s list!).  Much of a self-published author’s success lies in his or her relationship with readers, and in establishing a community of people who are just as invested in consuming good writing as the author is in generating it.  Over and beyond just creating more social media platforms to reach more social media users, this year, I resolve to build and broaden my community of readers by reaching them where they are at and giving them what they need.  By keeping my various blog posts about creating a social media platform in mind [here, here, and here], I will tweak my digital presence and refine my physical outreach to meet my readers’ needs, rather than just satisfy my own vision of this idea of ‘presence.’  To do so, I will first need tounderstand that community, perhaps through polls and surveys, and perhaps through a more effective use of Google Analytics.  It is my hope that understanding will lead to outreach will lead to genuine and authentic connection to my readership.

#10: Write more. 

I know we say this every year, but I really mean it!  This has been a year of major changes for me, as I’m sure it has been for many of you, my readers.  Changes in my family, my work, my health, and so on.  When you consider the fact that we’re social creatures, any change in my network comes rippling back to me, so that a new addition to an in-law’s family or a friend’s vacation plans can become a distraction—for me!  A large part of buckling down to do the thing I love is, I’ve discovered, narrowing my focus and eliminating distractions.  And the self-published author can’t afford to let writing lapse.  I can’t exactly stop change from happening, and I definitely don’t want my family to stop expanding or my friends to stop going on vacation, but I can take initiative in establishing healthy emotional boundaries that keep these changes from becoming calamities.  This year, I resolve to make writing as much of a habit as eating a healthy breakfast (another practice I need to improve upon, I’m afraid).  Whether it’s fifteen minutes or eight hours a day, I will get some words out of my head and onto the page!

#11: Celebrate success.

Because writing and self-publishing is my job, not just a hobby, I sometimes fail to celebrate the successes I’ve already achieved.  Perhaps you’re this way, too, in that it’s hard to justify taking a moment away from the stacks and stacks of to-dos in order to take pride in what has already been done.  But that’s not a rewarding way to live, as we all know well!  So, this year, I resolve to celebrate each and every success, as I check items off of my list of resolutions, or bring other goals through to execution.  You and I both love to celebrate other peoples’ successes, so taking a few minutes to practice joy over our own shouldn’t seem like such an outlandish notion.

#12: Take action. 

I find this perhaps the most important resolution of all, given my own predilection for procrastination in making good on resolutions in years past.  I hereby pledge not to let this list sit here just as a list, but rather to turn it into a tangible action plan for the coming year—not a list of obligations, mind you, that weigh on my conscience if I fail, but as a coda of potential ideas to launch me into 2015 in the best possible shape.  Carpe diem?  After all, as a self-published author, I understand that while I have to work hard to make what I love to do a success, I want to remain in love with what I do.  And that’s always the hardest part, isn’t it?  If I fall out of love with writing and self-publishing, well … I don’t want to allow even the seed of that thought to germinate in my mind.  And so, I will think of this list as inspiration, rather than obligation—inspiration that I can make good on, by decisive action.

 

And so we begin a new year, with hope, and an eye for progress.  I am so lucky to have had you all as readers, and I look forward to another year in partnership with you!  If you have any resolutions or ideas that didn’t make my list, I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line in the comments box, and watch this space on Wednesdays in 2015 as I blog my way through some of these resolutions!

– by Kelly Schuknecht

As I stated last week, originally my goal was to revisit these blog posts after just one year of labor–perhaps in early 2016–but life being what it is, and my memory too, I instead am coming to it now at the tail end of two years of work. And yes, since it was originally a two-parter, I will be revisiting it in two parts (this being the second part) … but all that is just scaffolding. It’s not why you’re here.

You’re here to find out if I succeeded or not!

  1. Did I read more? Yes, I did. Everything from nonfiction accounts of America’s history with birding to the latest Star Wars novelization. And for those of you who are interested in how I keep track of the books I read, I use Goodreads–which we’ve written about in the past here at SPA. This has actually been a great year for reading on my part, but if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that I’ll never truly read enough, period. There are so many good books to read in the world right now–and you have helped contribute to that truth!
  2. Did I try a new format? As a reader, yes! I have made significant inroads into incorporating both standard ebooks and audio books into my repertoire, and they came in especially handy while commuting and cooking, respectively. I did not publish any new editions–or books, for that matter–in 2016, in part because my work in supporting other self-publishing authors supersedes any personal desire to publish at this point. Look for more from me on this subject in the future.
  3. Did I make more inspiration boards? Yes! Am I going to share them with you? No! Why? Because I personally feel as though mine don’t demonstrate the form at its purest. But do take a look at our primer for Pinterest–everything I’ve learned through practice was first written there, and more eloquently.
  4. Did I build a community? Yes, although as with most authors and readers this is a work in progress. I’ve been trying to take advantage of the great wisdom out there on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Twitter, specifically. My follower count is not in the thousands, but engagement remains high. I’m still trying to figure out what, exactly, I want to be my “online brand” … but in that, I feel, I am not alone.
  5. Did I write more? Yes! Here at least I have some very good news. As we’ve intimated elsewhere on the blog, this year I took part in NaNoWriMo. I completed the 50,000 word challenge–and roughly the first half a draft for a new book! If any of you are wondering if NaNoWriMo is a challenge you want to participate in over the coming years, I highly recommend it as a motivational tool. More importantly for me, personally, was the decision to restructure my days around healthier writing habits. I feel so much better–and healthier, overall–knowing that I have safeguarded my ability and time to write in this way.
  6. Did I celebrate success and take action? You bet! In every area of my life as a writer, I am a different person to the one who wrote these original posts in 2014. And that’s a good thing! Even if I’m not as productive as I’d like or as focused or as prolific, I still have made great progress–and so can you, SPA readers. In fact, celebrating your success and helping you take action is what we’re all about here.

You might have noticed there were 12 New Year’s resolutions mentioned in the title of this blog post, and 12 in the original (split) post from 2014. Last week’s list of the first six resolutions can be found at the link. But what about you? How did you do on your resolutions for 2016? How about 2015? And what do you hope to accomplish in 2017?

perserverence

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

Kelly

ABOUT 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: 12.26.2016

And now for the news!

This week in the world of self-publishing:

“When I wrote novels about Vietnam and tried to get them published back in the 70s, I was told numerous times that Americans didn’t want to read stories about Vietnam,” says Harvey Baker, Vietnam vet who has since self-published four novels. With these kinds of discouraging responses, Baker’s novel sat gathering dust for years before the rise of Amazon and self-publishing. This was when he decided to resurface his work and get it the attention it deserved.

Baker has since developed a “fictional series about a Blackfeet Indian, Two Feathers and his dog who shares the same name as Baker’s scout dog,” which has grown largely popular with historians and veterans alike. By reading the article above, you can gethear Baker’s two cents on self-publishing, which happens to be priceless. Don’t let your precious work sit gathering dust because publishing companies told you no one wants to read it–go out and create your audience through hard work and perseverance in the face of uncertainty!

How to Self Publish Inexpensive Books and Ebooks, by William Allen, is a guide for first-time authors, authors who were unsatisfied with their first experiences with publishing, or those who are contemplating writing a book but have no idea where to begin when it comes to marketing and publishing it.

This book has it all–from things to be weary of in the publishing industry to “costs and details on 27 U.S. and 13 Canadian book publishers, so you can decide which company to trust with your manuscript.” If you want an in depth analysis of your options for publishing or self-publishing and marketing your own book, this guide is definitely worth checking out! By clicking the link above, you can access Allen’s summary of the book and a link to purchase it, if you’re feel compelled to do so after reading the article.

While this article is not explicitly about self-publishing, it offers some poignant advice for artists and creators who struggle with their identity, focus and drive in general. I thus find it beyond worthy of this week’s self-publishing news update!

Most self-publishing authors don’t make a living self-publishing, which makes focusing on writing and marketing difficult when life ‘gets in the way,’ so to speak. Kent Sanders poses four questions that help get us back on track when we fall off of the creativity wagon, and the first is simple: Who Am I? When we ask ourselves what our skills are, what our personality type is and what our passions are, we can figure out how to work with those traits, rather than against them.

Maybe time management isn’t your skill, and procrastination is part of your personality, but writing is a passion of yours. Knowing those things about yourself will help you channel your passion and override what seem like character flaws, until you take a second look. If you’re not skilled at time management, but you are skilled in working efficiently, make short windows for yourself that aren’t long enough to drive you into the cliche procrastination activities of checking your Facebook or cleaning the entire living room.

I won’t address all of the questions Sanders asks in this summary, but I implore you to read his words for yourself and ask the other important questions he presents, which are: ‘Why am I here?’, ‘Who am I serving?’ and ‘What should I be doing?’ These are questions we should ask ourselves every day as writers, as creators and as human beings.

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.

Kelly

ABOUT 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.