In honor of International Children’s Book Day we featuring some self-published children’s books:
Read some children’s book reviews at readerviewskids.com
Have fun!
Karl & Kelly
https://selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com
Category: Self-Publishing
Did you know that most publishers charge you the wholesale price (or higher) for your own book unless you buy it in bulk?
The wholesale price! How are you supposed to make any money that way? The wholesale price is what retailers will expect to pay.
Make sure your author copy price is always BELOW wholesale (and if you compare around, you will find that self-publishers with solid author prices are usually dollars-per-book below other publishers). On a side note, some of these publishers pull authors in with low upfront fees. It becomes apparent where they do make their money.
Some publishers also attempt to conceal this by offering “bulk discounts” on large book orders of 100, 200, 500, or more.
Do you really want to buy 500 copies all the time, just to get a reasonable “per unit” price? Sure, when your book is first published, this might be okay because you’ll need marketing copies.
But what about 1-3 years down the road, when you just want 10 quick copies? Then what will each book cost you? Something to think about…
Have fun and keep writing.
– Karl Schroeder
Q: I have started to write a novel based on facts [that took place] in the 1865-1880 time frame [sic]. I have no experience writing anything, I just know I wish to write a story. Is there some where [sic] to send a few chapters to be read over to determine if there is hope in proceeding [with] it. [sic]
A: I am one of many editors who provide professional feedback for a fee, but if you want free feedback, join a critique group and get free feedback from peers, to see if fellow readers find the information captivating.
My strongest suggestion is to take a class or a course in creative writing before or while attempting to tackle writing a novel. Creative writing requires much more than simply owning a computer and knowing how to type, and novels require even more specialized knowledge, such as how to handle pace, point of view, dialogue, characterization, and plot, among other things. Any good creative writing teacher will also give you feedback on some of the writing, during the time you take a course.
Although I don’t believe e-mails have to be flawless, the errors in the one asking this question show me that the novel will need careful editing before it is ready to market.
If you want professional feedback, or if you do not want to take a class or join a critique circle, or if you can’t find anything suitable in your area, by all means go to my Web site at http://www.zebraeditor.com, click on “Editing Request Form,” and follow the prompts to learn now to submit work to me for a professional evaluation and/or editing.
Bobbie Christmas, book doctor, 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 www.zebraeditor.com.
Ask the Book Doctor: About Book Covers and Free Feedback
Q: My book is being edited and will be soon be ready to be printed. Being short on cash, how can I put a nice cover on it as cheaply as possible? I don’t expect it to be on a bestseller list, but I do want it to be more advanced than my first attempt.
A: You are wise to be concerned about the cover. The cover often is the only thing that sells a book. If the cover looks bad, few people will buy the book, no matter how well written the contents may be. As in editing, the cover is not a place where you want to scrimp.
If you don’t want the cover to look cheap, don’t be cheap. That is, pay someone, even if it is only a design student, to design a book cover properly and well. Don’t create your own artwork for it unless you’re an accomplished artist. Don’t use the artwork of one of your children unless the book is a children’s book.
Getting the front, back, and spine looking professional takes much more work and knowledge than most non-designers can imagine, plus the file must be compatible with the printer’s equipment. Unless you have a design program, know how to use it, and have studied design, I don’t recommend designing a book cover yourself. If you want the cover to look professional, hire a professional to do it.
Barring hiring a pro, you can use one of the self-publishing companies that offers cover design as part of a printing package. You can check the Internet for such companies and see if they offer any covers that appeal to you at a price that is satisfactory, or you can surf the Web for cover designers and pick one with the best price. Through the miracle of the Internet your designer can be anywhere in the world and send the files to you electronically. Be sure to check out some of the lower priced book design companies in India, too.
Yours in writing,
Bobbie Christmas, author Write In Style, the triple-award-winning textbook on creative writing
Zebra Communications
230 Deerchase Drive, Suite B
Woodstock, GA 30188
770-924-0528
Bobbie@zebraeditor.com
A Voyage Beyond Reason, a novel just published by author Tom Gauthier about Benjamin Wade (a.k.a. “Coach” on Survivor).
Book Description:
A True-Life Adventure. In 1996, twenty four year old Benjamin Wade sets out on a solo voyage in a tiny sea kayak. His goal lies 6,000 miles away – and deep within his own soul.
The chance discovery of his journals, buried on a Colombian cliff above the sea, uncovers a mystery which took many years to finally solve. His journals tell of misery and elation, of triumph and failure, of insight and insanity.
Does the man make the journey, or does the journey make the man?
Follow the tiny kayak, and follow the mind of a young man set on a goal that no amount of torture can dissuade him from reaching, on a journey that brings him face to face with himself.
For more information about this self-published book, visit the author’s webpage: www.outskirtpress.com/TomGautherVoyage
Self Publishing Advisor 