Kelly Speaks – Page 45 – Self Publishing Advisor

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

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

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

∗∗∗∗∗

[ Originally posted: December 20th, 2013 ]

‘Tis the SEASON to……BELIEVE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Royalene Doyle

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

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

The story begins:

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

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

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

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: 12/21/15

‘Twas the week before Christmas,

and all through the blog,

not a book was neglected,

not even the news …

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

This week in the world of self-publishing:

Do’s and Don’ts of Personal Branding Online

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

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

Interview with author Ally Nathaniel

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

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

Authors.me Declaws the Publishing Process

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

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

Some good reads to give as gifts this year

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

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

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.

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.

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:

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. ♠

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!”

∗∗∗∗∗

[ 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.

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.♠

digital census, futurebook, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

Demystifying the Digital Census : Are Publishers Unprepared?

For the last month, I’ve been unpacking The Bookseller’s Digital Census material (as made available in the FutureBook publication). The FutureBook‘s editors, Porter Anderson and Philip Jones, distill down the collated information into the top five current market trends for authors, publishers, and others invested in the digital publishing industry. You can see my thoughts on the first four points by following the links below:

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

This week, I’m going to take a look at the 2015 Digital Census’ fifth and final trend as laid out in the FutureBook. According to Anderson and Jones, the last (but certainly not least) point raised by the data is one that ought to prompt serious thought among publishing professionals:

The future is a tricky beast to anticipate with any degree of precision, but it may prove more than useful–it may in fact prove necessary–to think about what’s coming before it arrives. I’m speaking specifically about the future of indie, hybrid, and self-publishing–and it looks like I’m not alone, given that the data collected in the Digital Census comes from end-user perspectives rather than data sets from industry retrospectives. (And Amazon is notoriously coy about releasing its internally-gathered data, so … draw from that what you will, I suppose.)

I’m not particularly depressed over the general feeling that the industry isn’t foresighted or flexible enough to adapt to future change … because I know that indie authors themselves are. Clearly they are, or else they wouldn’t be eyeing the industry so critically! And indie authors must apply their future-thinking in order to stay ahead of the curve and remain the avant-garde, changing what needs to be changed about the publishing industry from the outside (or, in the case of hybrid authors, partially so).

I’m also hopeful because, as the FutureBook indicates, indie authors and other book-lovers espouse the increasingly optimistic outlook that people are actually reading more than ever before. They might not be reading the say way or the same kind of book as they used to, but they are reading, and many of them are becoming writers themselves–again, in new ways and by finding new avenues for narrative-building and storytelling. This is an exciting time we live in and I, for one, can’t wait to check back in with you after the 2016 FutureBook is released and we see what else the world of digital publishing has to offer.

Share this:

Share this:

Demystifying the Digital Census, Point by Point:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: