Category: Self-Publishing

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, weekly self published book review

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: “Escape from Eternity”

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, courtesy of the Genre Go Round Reviews blog:

Escape from Eternity

Escape from Eternity

Nate Scholze

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432789060

Synopsis:

Set in the modern era, a humanoid alien entity, Adrian Antagon, arrives on Earth with a specific mission in mind. He must locate his long lost brother and cohort Menonan Antagon, who disappeared 60,000 years ago on Earth after trying to put down a rebellion of creative aliens who were supposed to be the stewards of the world, of which he was Supreme Commander at the time. Adrian assimilates the body of the first person who comes upon his tiny cylinder-shaped spacecraft and journeys from London, England to the beautiful water-front resort area of Door County, Wisconsin.

In Ephraim he meets up with an old man who recognizes but is not happy to see him. Emil Bitterman says that Adrian has never brought anything but heartache to him and he should leave immediately, but Adrian tells Bitterman he has other plans and requests that he assist him because of a former commitment. The old man refuses, but refers him to a young woman with a messed up life. Laura Whitmore is dealing with an overbearing father, a restaurant employer who’s paying too much attention to her, and the recent death of her cherished boyfriend.

She is not happy when Adrian asks for her help. Tired and depressed, Laura just wants to be left alone, but Adrian is determined to win her over and relays information about strange creative endeavors that changed our world. He explains that all humans are eternal and Earth is simply a place to escape the boredom of eternity and to forget about the problems associated with living forever for a while. Laura is rattled by his bizarre commentary and decides to try to avoid him, so she seeks out her sister Michelle, and her best friend, Colin Benton, a burned-out druggy.

Meantime, the family of the man whose body Adrian had assimilated has discovered he is missing, and to their horror determines their beloved family member now resides in Wisconsin, U.S.A. Bewildered and hurt, Katherine Nolan and friend, John Barrington, make the trip from the U.K. to recover him, but realize when they arrive that the man they think they know is now very different. Adrian kills Laura’s boss for assaulting her, and he is arrested and jailed, but then discloses what he has really come for: To reveal a mysterious truth that will change Laura’s life forever, and send her scurrying for safety. But Adrian needs her, and discloses that she has been chosen to play the central role in his plan whether she wants it or not, and as far as he is concerned, her involvement is not optional.

Laura’s father vows to see Adrian dead and in a bizarre turn of events Adrian is fatally shot by the sister of the now deceased Emil Bitterman. As Adrian is dying at Laura’s feet she discovers, to her horror, the strange and unnatural connection she has to the lost Menonan Antagon, and realizes that the information she receives could cost her more than her sanity, it could cost her her life.

[ courtesy of Amazon ]

Critique:

University of London math Professor William Nolan investigates an object that fell from the sky near his home. He returns to the house ordering his wife Katherine to give him his passport before leaving. Shocked by his out of character behavior she calls family friend John Barrington.

Calling himself Adrian, William flies to Chicago and from there goes to Ephraim, Wisconsin to see Teddy Bitterman. Adrian tells Teddy that Caleb lives in the Cycle and demands he help him rescue him. Teddy refuses as he lost his beloved wife Audrey and his sibling Caleb when he tried to assist Adrian years ago rescue the alien’s missing brother Menonan. Pleading for his sister and him to be left alone, Teddy tells his visitor to look for the oldest Whitmore sister. Adrian locates depressed Laura Whitmore and asks for her assistance, but she refuses as her dreams died in a car accident. He explains why he needs her to find Menonan who vanished after putting down a coup attempt by creative aliens on planet earth many millennia ago. While she turns to her younger sister Michelle and her BFF Colin Benton, her father Howard vows to kill the alien and Katherine and John follow William’s trail to Door County only to learn he killed Laura’s abusive Adam Blake.

Escape from Eternity is a gripping science fiction thriller starring a strong cast with diverse tsuris in a Close Encounters of the Third Kind scenario adding to their woes. The complex twisting storyline built on an eternal cosmological premise is character driven starting with Adrian’s possession of William’s body and never slows down as the audience anticipates a confrontations in Wisconsin and beyond.

[ reviewed by Harriet Klausner ]

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

I believe this will become a cult classic because this book brings a new scape to answer the “why am I here?” question that everyone has.
This book has a plot line that leaves you guessing and the way he has written his characters makes you understand the choices they have made without the normal “I know where this is going” being correct.
Every time I guessed wrong it pulled me further into the story, or is it a story? it makes you wonder,”did this guy figure it out?”
I think it should be read even by people who aren’t the normal sci-fi readers,it has a story that can make anyone ask questions they haven’t asked before. I can’t wait until its picked up by someone for a movie.
The way he paints the landscapes and surroundings of his characters makes you use your imagination knowing that he was trying to portray exactly what you are thinking.

I am a person who keeps books on a shelf that I love so I can read them again, this is a definite re-read. Pick it up with an open mind and you wont be disappointed!

– Amazon Reviewer callmetim

In this read we meet Laura Whitmore, her sister and parents. They appear to be a normal family yet a secret circles their lives, one that only the father fully knows, but never told his family. In a strange visit from a space craft a man runs to see what it is only to be taken over by something or is that someone, with a mission. This now possessed man, who calls himself, Adrian, seeks out Laura who holds the key to the future. Who really is this creature and what secrets does he hold for mankind, and why is Laura so important to him?

I have to say this was a different read with twists and turns I did not expect. The author kept you running forward with the desire to know who Adrian really was and why was he so intent on finding Laura. The characters in this story were interesting and well developed and tied together nicely as the read progressed. I think a little more information should have been given on who this character, Adrain, was a little sooner in the story. Perhaps a few more hints dropped here and there. As I said this was a different twist on ‘earth visiting’ characters and I feel our author plans to take this into another book, or so I assume from the ending of this one. The ending was a surprise in so many ways, I really did not see this ending coming, and it appears Laura is in for other visitations. If you enjoy a read that is a little different than the norm, this one is for you. The foundation is laid and ready to be built upon. I will be watching to see how our author continues this story.

– Amazon Reviewer Shirley Priscilla Johnson

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

Self Publishing Advisor

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

News From the Self-Publishing World: 9/14/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

The Kindle Scout, one of Amazon’s publishing platforms, has long proven to be a handy option for United States-based indie or self-publishing authors looking to connect with new readers, and it has been shown to be just as handy for readers who use it as a discovery tool. As announced in an official September 9 press release, Kindle Scout is now available to readers and authors alike––around the world.  While the Scout will remain available to American authors, it will now be offered to authors in Europe, Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, and elsewhere as well.  These authors may submit their (novel-length, English-language, previously unpublished) manuscripts to be considered. The process is simple: readers read, then nominate which submissions should be published!

According to the press release, “Publishing contracts include 5-year renewable terms, a $1,500 advance, a 50% eBook royalty rate, easy rights reversions and featured Amazon marketing.”  It remains unknown whether Amazon plans to widen its permissions to allow the submission of manuscripts written in languages other than English––but it would make sense as a future step, as Gina Hill (the Scout’s general manager) says that “Expanding [the Scout] platform to authors and readers outside the U.S. has been one of the most frequent requests we’ve received since we launched.”  In the meantime, we’re looking forward to seeing what English-speakers around the globe come up with!

The Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE) will soon be holding their annual conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The event, which takes place on the 25th and 26th of this month, will cost about $170 for members and $195 for non-members to attend (though this second amount includes a year-long membership).  The IPNE’s conference planners have arranged for keynote presentations geared towards indie and self-publishing authors, featuring representatives from Publishers Weekly, the Independent Book Publisher’s Association (IBPA), Shelf Awareness, and Ingram Content Group.  For more information, check out this online notice.  And on that note, don’t forget that the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) will be hosting its annual conference in July of 2016.  It’s never too early to block out your schedule!

Well, there is always bound to be some bad news mixed up with the good.  In this Publishers Weekly article, Rachel Deahl reports on the Authors Guild’s latest findings, which essentially boil down to one potentially bitter conclusion: “the majority of authors would be living below the Federal Poverty Level if they relied solely on income from their writing.”  (Emphasis mine!)  Contributing factors include the exponential rise of piracy when it comes to digital books, shrinking or frozen royalties in the face of a mounting cost of living, and pressure to keep e-book prices low.  Mary Rasenberger, the Guild’s executive director, does point out a silver lining for indie and self-published authors, however: according to the report, 33% of respondents “reported having self-published at least one book.” Rasenberger says that authors “are starting to see self-publishing as an outlet for projects that haven’t been supported by traditional publishing houses”––which of course happens to make perfect sense to the self-publishing community, but it’s nice to see more mainstream news outlets and institutions catching on!

Good things are happening in Maine!  The Sun Journal put out a press release on behalf of the Auburn and Lewiston libraries, which are now taking a bold plunge into the world of indie and self-publishing: they have joined many other libraries around the United States (and elsewhere) in subscribing to SELF-e, a self-publishing option that doubles as a “discovery platform for local authors.”  The way SELF-e works is simple: authors upload a digital copy of their book to the SELF-e website, then are presented with the option to submit it to their local libraries for access via their digital services.  They may also submit to Library Journal for an additional level of review, during which LJ staff decide whether or not a book may be of greater national interest (and distribution).  Suzanne Sullivan, head of collection development at Auburn Public Library, writes that “This is a great opportunity for writers to build an audience and for readers to discover authors who may be just starting out.”  SELF-e does not pay writers, but submission is free, and it can prove useful in getting the word out that a new indie book has been published!  For a complete list of which states are accepting submissions, visit the SELF-e “Where” page, here.

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.

from the archives, google, search engine optimization, Self-Publishing

From the Archives: “Promoting your Self-Published Book on Google”

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: August 7th, 2008 ]

When you are a self published author, sometimes book promotion is about who you know. Other times it is simply about having the time to devote.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a fast way to find the people or places that were right for your book? Knowing how to conduct an advanced Internet search that yields applicable results is very important. Luckily, it’s also very easy, and in case you don’t know how, I’m going to show you. Go to the Google website at google.com but instead of simply entering a term, use the “Advanced Search” by clicking on the link that says “Advanced Search” in small type next to the “Search” button. You will find a page that enables you to fine-tune your search. By conducting smarter searches, you will find places to promote your book faster. 

You can promote your books on Google for free. You’d sell a lot more books if a lot more people knew about them. Google can help make that happen.

  • Help users discover your books: By matching the content in your books with user searches, Google Book Search connects your books with the users who are most interested in buying them.
  • Keep your content protected: Users are able to preview a limited number of pages to determine whether they’ve found what they’re looking for. 
  • Drive book sales: Links to bookstores, online retailers, and your website make it easy for users to go from browsing to buying — with new ways to buy and access your books coming soon.

Learn more at: books.google.com/partner/

google books

I should warn you right off the bat that a lot has changed since I first blogged about Google’s partnership program for authors, and one of the things that has changed is the link you’ll need to follow for more information.  (The one I provided back in 2008, preserved above, no longer works.)  Your new one-stop shop for know-how as an author interested in Google’s partnership program is:

www.google.com/googlebooks/partners/

The link address may seem only subtly different, but I promise you won’t regret taking the time to access the updated materials Google has compiled there, including recommendations for self-promotion, resources for authors and publishers, and a collection of success stories.  (And let’s face it, we love tapping into the glow of success, if only to learn how others are finding ways to make it work.)  And let’s not forget Google Play’s “Book Partners Center,” a separate (but linked) resource which provides step-by-step instructions on how to publish your book as an e-book in the Google Play store, and put your story on Android devices the world over.

What I wrote in 2008 about optimizing your online presence to help:

a) users discover and access your book,

b) you protect your rights and maintain creative control, and

c) drive book sales …

… remains 100% accurate.  Google can help you do these things, but the ways and means have evolved in the last seven years––dramatically.  I recommend glancing at Self Publishing Advisor’s primer on Search Engine Optimization (SEO); you can find the summary post and links to the individual posts here.  Why?  Because Google is a multi-platform tool now when it comes to self-publishing.  Not only can you use Google Play to host and sell your book as a self-publishing platform, but you can use Google Analytics to analyze engagement on your personal webpage (or webpages), and you can optimize all of your web content across all of your different social media accounts and blogs and so on to better feed into your promotional campaign.

Google is so much more than a search engine, now! ♠

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.
news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Week in Review

News From the Self-Publishing World: 9/7/15

Happy Labor Day to our readers in the United States!

This week in the world of self-publishing:

What is that line from Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”?  The market being what it is for indie and self-published authors, the whole enterprise can often seem overwhelming.  But indie and self-published authors have always faced one seemingly insurmountable hurdle––one hurdle that is “more equal” than all the others––in the quest to sell their books: publicity.  Well, this year there’s good news at last!  In a September 4th article for LibraryJournal, James LaRue documents the ground-breaking efforts of librarian Jim Blanton to reshape libraries into a mutually-beneficial platform for self-published authors.

LaRue notes that libraries have often “turned a cold shoulder to local authors” in that “librarians didn’t return [authors’] phone calls, shied away from booking them in meeting rooms, and turned down their books for the ­collection.”  But Blanton knew that librarians––many of whom are self-published or are advocates for self-publishing themselves––could provide vital support to new or struggling authors.  And so, as the director of Daviess County Public Library (DCPL) in Owensboro, KY, Blanton partnered up with a neighboring library in Henderson to create ePublish or Bust.  This website allows indie and self-published authors to “book” appearances at local libraries (there are 24 in Kansas that participate, at present) and to access a variety of other resources.  While the website is currently in a beta stage as Blanton and others iron out the wrinkles with their system, it provides a glimpse of new possibilities as libraries and authors collectively look to prepare for a digitally-driven future.

In anticipation of the FutureBook conference in December 2015 (“the largest digital publishing conference in Europe,” according to its website), journalist and speaker Porter Anderson put out a call for “the FutureBook audience to reflect on five years of digital [publishing] … and to challenge the customs we have begun to adopt.”  The response, Anderson writes, has been “robust,” and the final deadline is today, September 7th.  Several manifestos are already published online at FutureBook, but we’re here to sing the praises of one specific contribution: that which has been put on the table by the founding director of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), Orna Ross.  In “A Manifesto for Self-Publishing Authors,” Ross strikes both a defiant and compassionate note, all at once.  Not sure how this is possible?  Read the full manifesto.  It’s short and sweet and beautiful.

We tip our hats this week to self-published children’s book author and Swedish behavioral scientist, Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin, whose phenomentally successful The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep was just acquired in a joint deal between Random House U.S. and Penguin Random House U.K.  In this article in Publisher’s Weekly, Rachel Deahl describes how Ehrlin went from selling 24 copies of his book one week in August to selling over 29,000 copies the following week.  And while it’s probably a sure thing that Random House will find new audiences for this delightful little book, there’s no shaking the fact that this book wouldn’t have gotten the attention of the traditional publishing houses if it hadn’t already been such a magnificent self-publishing success story.

Our last stop on the news train this week is this article on PRWeb.com, with the news that the Colorado-based hybrid self-publishing company Outskirts Press is hosting a noteworthy promotion for their “Diamond” and “Pearl” publishing packages.  The promotion, dubbed “Mad Money” by the company, allows customers to apply a promotional code at check-out and recoup some $300 in credit on their Outskirts Press accounts.  These packages cost about $999 and $1,199, so the $300 promotion represents an additional value of roughly one-third and one-quarter, respectively.  Nothing to sneeze at!

The company, described in the PRWeb release as the “fastest-growing full-service self-publishing and book marketing company” in the United States, typifies the possibilities offered by “hybrid” platforms––where authors pay to publish their book, instead of receiving an advance as they would from a traditional publisher, and receive the full benefit of professional editing, design, promotional, and marketing services while retaining full rights and creative control.

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.

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News From the Self-Publishing World: 8/31/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

We’ve written about Espresso Book Machines before, but now it looks like the prestigious and world-renowned Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in the Upper East Side is set to unveil one of these delightful gadgets for its patrons to use.  All that’s necessary for New York’s elite to self-publish a book is, now, to drop on by the store at Lexington and 68th Street with a flash drive in hand.  The machine prints around 100 pages a minute, and provides cover design features to make the process as easy as hailing a cab.  In addition to the EBM, Shakespeare & Co. has additional good news for self-published authors: as its summer-long renovations wrap up, the store is set to unveil a new section dedicated entirely to self-published authors!  For more information, check out Shaye Weaver’s article on DNAinfo.com.

Self-published author Zen Cho has locked in a three-book deal with major publishing houses Penguin Random House (in the US) and Pan Macmillian (in the UK).  29-year-old Cho, a London-based writer with Malay roots, has seen previous success through publication in indie online magazines and through the 2012 release of The Perilous Life Of Jade Yeo, a romance which centers on a Malaysian writer in 1920s London.  In Annabeth Leow’s article for Asia One, Cho dishes on both her writing method and the backstory to her latest book, Sorcerer to the Crown, an English Regency romance that tackles subjects as ambitious as the “transatlantic slave trade and the conquest of India,” all while adding a fantastical twist to the Alternate History genre.  While she joins the ranks of traditionally-published authors with this twist to her own tale, Cho’s story remains one that holds a lot of pith and promise for those of us who steer clear.

In this article for The Guardian, Anna Baddeley delves into what’s changed and what’s remained the same in respect to the conversations surrounding ebooks.  And the long and the short of it is this: more has changed than has stayed the same, and that’s a very good thing.  She comments on the diversification and stabilization of the ebook market and its interconnectedness with self-publishing.  To Baddeley, the obsession over whether ebooks are going to destroy the publishing industry is little more than a “distraction,” and as the market matures beyond this distraction, it lays the groundwork for a few clear benefits.  Says Baddeley, authors are now more “clued up about how books are made – and more aware of the power they have to influence what and how they read.”  For us indie and self-published authors, there’s no better encouragement to keep making the choice to empower ourselves and our readers than the knowledge that we do, indeed, have the collective power to reshape the industry to very, very good ends.

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.