Category: Self-Publishing

Self-Publishing

Book Publishing and Self-publishing a Book: What 2011 Holds

“The future of books is at stake, for some readers and industry members,” reads the opening line of an article published on the onlinecollege.org website yesterday. Ominous! The article goes on to read the the following ten predictions for 2011 is something for even the most nostalgic of us should be excited about.

And we here at Self-publishing Advice are certainly among the excited. Among the predictions for 2011 are:

Be sure to check out the full Article HERE, and let’s get excited for an exciting 2011 for self-publishing!

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Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-published Book Review of the Week: “DUH”


DUH !: “The good Lord set definite limits on man’s wisdom, but set no limits on his stupidity and that’s just not fair” Konrad Adenauer
Douglas R. Manley
ISBN 9781432746360

It took a bit of time for the humor of the book took hold. The author drags on about how he entered the Auto Dealing Industry and rambles about his qualifications to such a degree that I felt as though I was reading an excessively long resume. At one point he actually includes the report he had written up for the small “mom and pop” dealership he was working at. This took several pages and while informative to the issues surrounding the dealership, and to a small degree perhaps even integral to the continuation of the story, was dull and boring and felt more like page filling than actual, necessary text.

There were amusing stories and a few characters that anyone reading the story can easily identify with but this is not the book to pick up for a laugh or even for entertainment unless you work in this field. That said, I do believe that anyone in the auto dealing business will likely find this a very enjoyable book packed full of knowledge acquired from years of working in the industry. The anecdotes the author tells will strike a cord with those that have dealt with the absurd demands placed on the author; as well as the ridiculous expectations that cannot be met due to the general hand tying that he dealt with in his career.

Self-published Book review of the Week

Reviewed by Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads (12/10)

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Book Doctor, Self-Publishing, Uncategorized

Self-publishing Advice Guest Post: Ask the Book Doctor

Q: I’ve noticed that printed paperback mysteries range from 250 to 325 pages. Using double spacing, what should my manuscript page count be, then? I’m trying to determine how much background information I need to include without it looking like padding. Any ideas?

A: Rather than thinking in terms of page count, think in terms of word count. Most publishers prefer first novels to run between 50,000 and 100,000 words. In most word processing programs, you can go to Tools to get the word count of your file.

No matter what, avoid padding at all costs. If you have only 40,000 words, but they are tight and great and nothing more could enhance the story, stop writing! If, however, you have an idea for another plot-related scene or chapter that could flesh out the story, by all means add it and pump up the word count closer to 50,000 words.

Self-publishing Advice Guest Post: Ask the Book Doctor

Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at http://www.zebraeditor.com

Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing

I Should Self-publish? “You Should Self-Publish”

If you’re a writer who happens also to be inclined toward mathematics, I suggest checking out J.A. Konrath’s recent blog post, “You should self-publish.” Konrath lays down the advantages of self-publishing according to the numbers, and admits being more interested in reaching readers and generating sales than getting a favorable nod from the traditional industry. Writing is an art while publishing is a business, after all. Author Scott Nicholson chimes in, along with some 250 other comments, referring to the traditional publishing industry as “the new vanity publishing” where authors gravitate to the “illusion of legitimacy.” Interesting.

If you’re not into math, the post communicates a number of other valid points regarding self-publishing. Here are just a few we’ve discussed on this blog in one form or another:

“Join a writers group, or make friends with a writer in your genre and trade manuscripts.”

“If you write crap, it probably won’t sell very well. But you can learn from it and get better.”

“You have no control once you sign over your rights to a publisher.”

“Go to Kindleboards.com and look at all the self-pubbed authors selling like crazy.”

“Years ago, publishers used to grow authors…These days, you can grow yourself.”

Book Doctor, Self-Publishing

Self-publishing Advice Guest Post: Ask the Book Doctor

Q: What’s the difference between narrative nonfiction and a memoir? I’m hearing that because of so many fake memoirs, editors are shy about taking memoirs. Could a memoir be pitched as narrative nonfiction?

A: All memoirs and biographies are considered narrative nonfiction, while how-to books are considered prescriptive nonfiction. In other words, call the book narrative nonfiction or memoir, but it’s the same thing. Agents and publishers won’t be fooled by the word choice.

The market for memoirs is still strong. Think of runaway bestseller Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs, for example.

If you can attest to the accuracy of the details and the story is alluring and well-written, the manuscript has a fair chance. Well-written memoirs include vignettes or scenes with beginnings, middles, and ends and include action, dialogue, narrative, settings, and other elements of fiction to make readers feel as though they are watching the story unfold.

Self-publishing guest post: Ask the Book Doctor

Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing), and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com. Read more “Ask the Book Doctor” questions and answers at http://www.zebraeditor.com

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