Category: Uncategorized

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

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 9/12/14

INSPIRED…BY NEIGHBORS

It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been two years since my friend Avanti and I embarked on the adventure of telling the story of his wife—Selma’s—immigration to the United States of America.  If Selma’s father had not sought safety in the U.S. from the tyranny of Mussolini, his wife and children would not have followed him and Selma, and Avanti would have never met—and fallen in love—or been “in position” to bless the lives of so many others.  Oh, there are thousands of stories out there like that, you say?  I beg to differ.  Truly, there are NO two stories alike—no two people whose lives touch ours the same.  The facts, fears and fantasies that drive each person to reach the multiple shores of their life-adventures are unique and made up of valuable lessons—for us all.

Marketing specialists have latched on to this truth and are using it in more media genres than ever before.  Have you heard the voice of famous comedian Robin Williams (recently lost to us) reading a poetry segment from the movie Dead Poet’s Society?  The quote is from a Walt Whitman poem:

“O me, O life of the questions of these recurring.

Of the endless trains of the faithless.

Of cities filled with the foolish.

What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer: that you are here.

That life exists and identity.

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”

Then Robin repeats the last line followed by a provocative question meant to nudge the listener toward the unspoken question.

‘That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.’

What will your verse be?”

And the unspoken question:  What will your legacy be?

Robin Williams has certainly left an amazing legacy behind.  He has touched the lives of millions of people around the world who remember him as “magical,” his performances “unlike anything seen before as if they came from some spiritual and otherworldly place.”

My thought for you today is: …and so it is with each individual person on this planet.  My memoir writing friend Avanti may not have personally touched the lives of millions.  However, his life-legacy and the legacy of his wife Selma are sown into us—all of us—just the same.  I am blessed to have helped him produce that memoir and self-publish it, as with every page I learned something of value for my own life.

Whether you are currently thinking of writing a memoir or are in the midst of writing a great adventure novel, the life-lessons learned from our inspiring neighbors will help you develop your own life-dreams—and build super-hero-characters to enrich the world of books-in-print.  STEP UP, my friends!  Get the writing done!  And publish!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

Copyright Basics, Part I: What is Copyright and Who can Claim Copyright?

One of the most confusing parts of publishing for many authors is copyright laws. To address the common copyright questions I am often asked, I will be writing a copyright basics series every week for the month of September. Be sure to check back each week for answers to more of your copyright questions. This week I’ll address what is copyright and who can claim copy copyright:

What Is Copyright?

Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. The laws generally give the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following:

• reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords

• prepare derivative works based upon the work

• distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending

• perform the work publicly

• display the work publicly

Who Can Claim Copyright?

Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright. The authors of a joint work are co-owners of the copyright in the work, unless there is an agreement to the contrary, and  in the case of works made for hire, the employer and not the employee is considered to be the author.

 To learn more about copyright law, visit copyright.gov. Also, be sure to check back next week for part II of this series: What works are and are not protected?

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order 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, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 9/05/14

INSPIRED…BY ORDINARY PEOPLE

We can’t run away from it!  We’re all PEOPLE lumped into that collective definition of “persons in general…human beings as distinguished from animals or other beings.”  However, from my writer’s perspective, it is our job to narrow that classification to one specific main character and tell their story—whether it is in the form of essay, poetry, mystery, historical fiction or any other genre.  Writers are the telescope through which the world can see “people” as individuals.

Not long ago, I worked with a writer who needed to tell the story of her son.  She knew that giving his life-story to the reading world would save lives—even though her son had made the decision to end his life before discovering the potentials within all his tomorrows.  As you can imagine, this author’s personal pain kept her from progressing past the outline stages,  and so it was that we met—long distance—writer and ghostwriter working in tandem to tell this young man’s story.

With over 500 pages of material—letters, medical reports, court documents, etc.—my initial challenge was to find the person on those pages.  The world-view of “people” may be what is seen in data files or paper reports.  But the real person is much, much more than that.  If (or when) you write a story about a person who is alive today, has recently passed, or is a part of history, here are several ways to discover who they are…

DO YOUR RESEARCH:  Yes, “the facts” are important and must be known whether you use them all—or not.  Date of birth (and death); place of birth and all the places they lived; family members and associates; education; memberships in organizations; work history; etc.

DEVELOP A LIFE-LINE and/or timeline of the person’s life.  This will begin to give you a picture of that individual’s life experiences. His/her encounters with this world offer many useful insights as well as physical sets upon their stage.

  1. Talk with as many family members, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, spiritual mentors, etc., as possible. Their view of the person you’re writing about will have similarities, of course, but it is the differences that you’ll want to specifically record and highlight.

Did you know that in the neuroscience fields of study there are now more than 640 concepts (words) describing our psychological personalities?  From the earliest days of human history—Plato and Aristotle—people have been speculating on the workings of the mind and how environments (other people, places and things) effect the way we live.  As a writer and developer of “characters” (both real and fictional) I suggest that you collect several pieces of cutting edge information on the brain and how it functions such as books by Dr. Caroline Leaf (Switch on Your Brain) and theories on psychological types such as The Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory.  Once an author knows the basics—differences between the analytical, strategic thinker and the charismatic, inspirational leader, etc.—multiple layers of personality nuisances can be added to your character(s) to bring living breathing individuals to the pages of your books.

Bottom line…whether you’re collaborating with a friend who needs help with their story or you’re writing the new Best-of-the-Best novel yourself, don’t ever stop writing.  GET IT WRITTEN and GET IT PUBLISHED!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book?

Many authors ask, “How much does it cost to self-publish a book?” The question should be “How much should an author invest in their project based on their marketing goals?” Most authors self-publish in hopes of selling their book, but not every author has the same goals. It is important to consider your definition of success.

If earning money from your book is a priority, a solid marketing plan, in addition to an appealing book and quality content, is essential to selling to your book.

I always recommend professional copyediting and a custom cover to all authors who are serious about sales. Potential buyers typically spend approximately eight seconds deciding if they like the cover enough to consider purchasing the book. Therefore, the cover needs to be unique and eye-catching. In addition, nothing will “kill” a sale faster than a manuscript that is riddled with typographical errors or bad grammar. This is especially important for non-fiction books that are positioning the author as a credible expert.

Self-publishing should be looked at from a business perspective. All businesses must budget for advertising.  I typically estimate that $2,500.00 is the average self-publishing budget. In this estimate, I have allotted $1,500.00 to the actual production of the book.  The additional $1,000.00 should be used for marketing services. The cost for professional copyediting is not included in this amount, but I do recommend investing in professional copyediting.

 Although many people spend more or less than this amount, I believe this is a good estimate for self-publishing authors. However, it comes down to each individual’s goals and reason for publishing. For more advice on creating your self-publishing budget, contact your self-publishing company.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order 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, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 8/29/14

INSPIRED…

One of my favorite genres to work with (as editor or consultant or ghostwriter) is Religion/Faith.  The authors inspire me, personally, every time I help them prepare their manuscripts for publication.  Reading this genre is also high on my list—whether fiction or non-fiction.  So it is that, when reading one of my favorite faith magazines, I came across one sentence (yes, one sentence) that so inspired me I cannot stop thinking about it:  “Faith turns the tables on logic while turning life’s waves into a foundation.”

The author of that one-liner is Marcus Yoars, editor of Charisma magazine—oops, former editor.  (He has stepped away from this position to pursue a missions calling.) As only the third editor of Charisma in its 40 years, this young man has proved himself to be quite a leader in the writing field.  Comments from his last heartfelt editorial can—from my always-needing-inspiration perspective—give every writer helpful hints to follow.  Although his emphasis is spirit-faith-focused, his points (as I read between the lines) came to me like this:

  1. Writing always involves risk. Authors often speak of that feeling of leaping-off-a-cliff when releasing their work to be published. This is a time when our faith in what we’ve written (and what we hope readers will discover in those pages) comes into play. We don’t have to write in the Religion genre to understand this—to carry the same all-or-nothing element within us that allows us to produce and send our projects into the world.
  2. Faith in what we’ve written often defies logic. Many of the authors I’ve worked with open our introductory discussion saying, “Nobody else will probably be interested in this book, but I just had to write it.” For me, that is the best sign that whatever their book is about, it must get published. Ever hear the cliché statement: If I don’t do it, who will? First and foremost, authors must believe in their project—write it—produce it—then wait for everybody else to catch up.
  3. Doubt destroys. However, faith in what you’re writing will pull you out of the darkest blank-page-hole and allow you to emerge with fresh insights and more clarity about your subject matter. Battles with doubt must be fought and overcome. Faith brings strength.
  4. The choice is ours. All writers must face the cycle of faith vs doubt each time they begin a new piece writing. However, if we keep pumping our faith-muscles, that cycle will become easier and easier to complete—with satisfaction.

For the faith, spirit-led writers, there is one more element that strengthens their writing abilities—their obedience to use the God-given writing gifts they’ve been given.  This includes being obedient to write that which they are “assigned” to write, whether it is that letter to a grandparent or the completion of that textbook for chemical engineering…and everything in between.

There it is, my friend.  Whatever writing storm you face…let faith show you the way to success!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.