Category: Uncategorized

from the archives, Kelly Speaks, NaNoWriMo, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “6 Ways to Keep Up the NanoWriMo Momentum”

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.

∗∗∗∗∗

[ Originally posted: November 5th, 2012 ]

The first few days of NanoWriMo are now behind you. If you are like most writers, you probably started out enthusiastically and determined to reach your goal, but as the days go by, you may start to lose motivation and focus. You are not alone. If you want to ensure that you finish the first draft during NanoWriMo, consider these six tips.

1. Accept that it won’t be perfect. NanoWriMo more is about writing a 50,000 word novel in a month, but no  one ever said it has to be a perfect, ready to publish novel. This is a first draft, and like all first drafts, it will need work later. Right now, focus on finishing the 50,000 words. You can go back and make changes after the challenge.

2. Set daily goals. It can be overwhelming to think about writing 50,000 words in a month. Instead, focus on how many words you will write each day or during each writing session. This will help you break up the project into manageable steps and will keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

3. Check out Write or Die. This is great software for self-publishing authors who are struggling to meet their goals. This creative software lets you enter a time or word count goal, and encourages you to accomplish it without letting your inner editor take over. After you’ve meet your goal, you’re praised by the sound of trumpets.

4. Turn off the internet! Email and social media sites are major time-suckers that distract from your writing. During writing sessions, do not let yourself use the internet. If you can’t resist the urge, consider software that blocks the internet during your writing sessions.

5. Set a timer. Instead of focusing on word count, let yourself freely write for a set period of time, but don’t focus on the time. Instead, set a timer and forget about it. Write without interruption until that timer goes off. Then, take a break before writing again.

6. Become a morning person. Writing in the morning is great because the stresses and excitements of the day haven’t taken over yet. Your mind is clearest in the morning, and there are fewer distractions. Some writers like to wake up early and write until their brains get tired. Then, they allow themselves to enjoy the rest of the day however they wish. If you find that you’re having a hard time completing your writing goals because your to-do list grows throughout the day, writing in the morning may be the perfect solution.

I’d love to know, what are you doing to keep the writing momentum going?

– by Wendy Statina

nanowrimo 2016

50,000 words.

Let that sink in for a minute:

50,000 words!

(That’s a lot of words.)

There are so many pitfalls awaiting the eager author, whether participating in NaNoWriMo or just slaving away at the mines on some other project outside of the NaNo-verse, and a lot of the advice you’re going to read out there about how to move past Writer’s Block and so forth is going to sound canned. At this point in your journey, you’re past the point where trite pep talks land with any sort of impact; you know what works for you and what doesn’t, and looking to others for insight just strikes you as … derivative. Everybody’s doing it, and that kind of takes away from its power.

Or does it?

I would caution our readers here at SPA from becoming disenchanted the way I have become disenchanted after so many years, and so many writing marathons. I caution against this because, ultimately, losing hope is the only thing that will truly ruin your November—losing faith that you can do it, and that there’s wisdom to be picked up from those others who have passed through this process.

And while I would be the first to admit that any list, including our old list of ideas from 2012, is bound to be incomplete … well, I would also be the first to stand by the efficacy of the points contained therein, the points tested and verified by the experiences of so many authors.

Don’t give up! Don’t lose hope! And don’t lose your faith in others … as well as yourself.

You’ve got this, dear reader. You’ve got this.

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: 11.14.2016

And now for the news!

This week in the world of self-publishing:

This week, heed some advice from experienced self-publishing authors. Hear from authors such as Janice Petrie, who provides some inspiring words on persistence and passion, Allison Winn Scotch, who provides a realistic and pragmatic outlook on creating professional-standard self-published work, and Joel Friedlander, who gives advice on the technical side of book design.

Janice Petrie, founder of her own indie publishing company, understands how difficult it is to ensure success in self-publishing, that is, if your version of success is selling more books. A self-published author herself, Petrie’s work ranges from picture books to non-fiction true-crime tales. Coming to understand the importance of marketing and editorial reviews is what most helped Petrie create her own following. While writing is a passion for so many of our customers, it is always important to remember that publishing encompasses so much more than typing up a manuscript. Petrie admits that when she started out, her “focus was more on writing and illustrating than marketing” but she’s “spent the past couple of years adjusting this important balance.”

In this article you’ll get advice from Petrie on how to ‘succeed’ at self-publishing that can apply to all self-published authors, no matter what their idea of ‘success’ may be. Find out how to harness your passion, explore social media, and to be persistent with the help of some of Petrie’s advice.

Becoming a New York Times bestselling author is a dream for many authors. With this article from the Huffington Post, you get priceless insights on self-publishing from New York Times bestselling author, Allison Winn Scotch. In this article, Scotch admits that she remains partially skeptical of the self-publishing world, but nonetheless admits that she felt compelled to self-publishing after some disappointing experiences with traditional publishers. While she acknowledges that self-publishing “seems like the easy way to go,” she also calls it a “tricky beast” that can potentially lead to disappointment.

Scotch’s take on self-publishing can be read as both realistic and pragmatic, though it should not be taken as cynical. She insists that “just because you’re self-publishing doesn’t mean that [the finished product] can be amateurish or unpolished,” but that you must focus on heavily editing and rewriting your work, as you would with a traditional publisher. She also addresses how difficult marketing can be if you don’t have an established audience already and advises self-publishing authors to have a plan in place before publishing, so as to make it more probable that their book will reach a larger audience.

Following Scotch’s commentary from the above Huffington Post article, I thought it’d be pertinent to provide some advice for professional looking design options for self-publishing. In this informative article, Joel Friedlander explains why the best book design should go largely unnoticed by the reader.  Freidlander outlines some simple rules to not deter readers once they’ve opened your book. These rules range from your work being easy to read to meeting the production requirements of your vendor.

While the DIY approach makes sense for those of us who already have a knowledge of formatting and design, Freidlander stresses the importance of having other parties be responsible for these aspects of the publishing process, especially when designing your book cover.

Lastly, discover the pros and cons of using pre-made book templates in Microsoft Word or Adobe by clicking the link above to read more!

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

Saturday Book Review: “Beauty Makes a Stand”

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 Outskirts Press:

Beauty Makes a Stand

Beauty Makes a Stand

by Trinette Nash Thompson

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478747260

Synopsis:

The author Trinette Nash Thompson was inspired to write about Beauty because she is a young woman who faces struggles, and obstacles, and challenging situations on every turn because of the color of her skin. And it’s sad to say that in 2015, many people today are going through what Beauty has gone through. By writing about Beauty the author knows that the message of strong faith, in God, strength, perseverance, can bring about change just like it did in Beauty’s life. So as you read about Beauty understand her story and if you can bring about change in someone’s life by standing for what is right then make that stand. This author understands and can relate to the struggles of racism, because of the authors own struggles with being judge because of the color of her skin. This author knows firsthand the problems that it causes in families, on jobs, in school, in the world. So as you read Beauty’s story open up your heart and understand her life. The author feels that this book will be a help to many and give strength, and encouragement.

Critique:

Beauty is about a young woman in her twenties who is a very smart, educated college graduate with a master’s degree in engineering, who has to negotiate to find her place in the working world because of the color of her skin. Beauty not only stands up for her place in the working world, she stands her ground in relationships, and her family life. She knows that because of the color of her skin things will not always be easy, but she is willing to fight for what is hers. As you read about Beauty and the struggles she faced, be encouraged because she teaches that trials don’t last always. Sometimes in situations you have to make a stand no matter what, just like Beauty did. The world is full of people with different races, skin tones, different religions and backgrounds. This world is not built on any one color. That is the beauty of it. We are people from all kinds of backgrounds, nationalities, and skin colors, and we have to live together in society. So, Beauty makes her stand against racism and the unfairness of the world. Maybe you are encountering some type of injustice. Through prayer you can overcome.

[ reviewed on the Outskirts Press bookstore ]

beauty

saturday self-published book review

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

selfpubicon1

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 11/11/2016

FEEDING THE HUMAN SPIRIT and IMAGINATION

I had barely completed last week’s blog—which focused on True-Story-Real-Life nonfiction—when I recalled a marvelous novel that has continued to feed my spirit and imagination for years. It comes from the genre of fictionalized history (or True Stories that read like fiction). The title is The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican, first published in 1967 by J. P. Gallagher. Even though it is a true story  this book crosses multiple genres from Biography to Social Issues and The Vatican/Christianity. It also has all the hallmarks of a best-selling fictional thriller: espionage, conspiracy, a struggle against evil powers, and undercover work by dark of night. The author presented the story of it all and because of his passion for the real characters and his research into the facts, this novel has inspired the human spirit and imagination around the globe. When a nonfiction (or fiction) book leaves the Reader with “What if I were in that situation” the author has crafted a great piece of work!

Now back to my original idea for today’s blog. I have another high tails of high adventure karl kronfussfavorite category that nurtures my human spirit and that is stories about our animal companions. Yes, these pull on my heart-strings. But that is an excellent marketing tool that authors should not
underestimate. My most recent discovery in this genre is titled: High Trails of High Adventure by Karl Kronfuss. When I saw a promotion that this book is “Snappy satire that meets swashbuckling bravado…and leave you laughing with a new appreciation of the wondrous creature known as The Pug,” I had to take a look. The cover photo opens the “plot” in ways that I could never have imagined—with several moments that lift the human spirit.

Why am I talking about Pet Stories? Publishers Weekly gave us an interesting statistic in January 2015 presenting the fact that Animal Stories rose in sales by 19% in the 2013-14 publishing year. Example: the New York Times Bestseller, A Street Cat Named Bob. This stray cat story was on England’s bestseller lists for 52 consecutive weeks and sold well in 26 countries around the world. You see, there is something almost miraculous about the power of love between humans and animals. The connection lifts our human spirits and peaks our imagination as we personify the thoughts and actions of the animal companions in our lives. Mac The Pug is seen as a “diplomat, a conqueror of all he sees with towering intelligence, athletic prowess and undaunted courage.” Bob, the stray street cat, was just looking for a warm place to sleep when he met the human named James. Both had been living hand-to-mouth for a long time. Then the healing began—in both their lives.

I’m hoping you’ll catch the vision of these very different genres and their authors. The character traits they built into their humans and animals are an excellent way to pull our writing-selves out of the ruts or blockades we face when creating our books. I’m certain you can recall several such novelized histories and/or pet stories that have impacted your life. Pull them out and read them again. Use them as enjoyable lesson plans for excellent story development. And remember—the things you are passionate about have meaning in the lives of a whole lot of other people who don’t have the gift of writing that you do. They can’t express what they see and feel, and hope and dream. You can! And if you need more plot and character development specifics take another look at previous Friday Conversations blogs. They’ve been written to inspire your Writer’s spirit and imagination. ⚓︎

Royalene

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.

Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner: Making Your Presence Felt

It would be hard to get to 2016 and not feel convicted of the importance of social media in selling books–and, just as importantly, in selling readers on you, the author. The power and influence of social media is uncontested–after all, it has helped feed and foment revolutions in the Middle East, toppling dictators and spinning the mythological webs that create internet celebrities. They have also, demonstrably, created the framework by which self-published authors become self-sufficient and successful. Authors like Lisa Genova (Still Alice) and Hugh Howey (Wool) often credit their devoted social media fanbase for moving their books out of obscurity and into the blockbuster realm.

With that kind of a recommendation on the table, it almost seems a waste to not partake in the wave of social media platforms developing today, right? But wanting to start developing your social media strategy and actually building it from the ground up are two separate propositions. And ultimately, it’s hard to know where to start.

Luckily, there’s not so much one way to get it wrong, but rather so many ways to get it right. This is because there are so many platforms out there, including:

And so many more! Because social media is a moving target–for example, the short-video-hosting platform Vine, owned by Twitter, was shut down recently for its inability to turn a profit for company shareholders–there’s no predicting which platforms will be on the ascent in a given year and which will be on its way out, like the age-old example of Myspace, a platform which more or less lost all of its users once Facebook became peoples’ primary conduit of digital social contact.

This changing landscape isn’t a bad thing, in the end. It’s a strength! It means that yes, you need to be willing to continually adapt to new platforms and to pick up new skills, but it also means that if you’re not all that good at one, you can always capture your readers by making a comprehensive social media presence, rounded out with a variety of different smaller presences that weave together into something greater than the sum of their parts.

I guess what I’m saying is: Try everything. Try everything, and don’t hold on too tightly to any one of those things. Experimentation is the mother of invention, as is necessity, and these two forces will keep your social media presence in a constant state of evolution, well-suited to the M.O. of the Internet itself. Maybe soon we’ll have options to network not just with our friends and our refrigerators, but with our books as active participants themselves. Can you imagine what that might look like? I’d bet you five dollars that someone out there is already figuring out how to make it happen. And that’s the wonderful thing about change: it’s wild and wonderful and asks very little of us except the will to keep up!

You are not alone. ♣︎

Elizabeth

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.