Uncategorized – Page 217 – Self Publishing Advisor

Foreword Book Award Deadline Fast Approaching

ForeWord’s Book of the Year Awards 2013 is currently accepting entries for independently published books published in 2013. This includes self-published, university press, and POD books. All entries must be postmarked no later than January 15, 2014, but applicants are encouraged to submit their entries as soon as possible.

Eligibility

Any independently published titles in any format—including eBooks—published in 2013. New editions of previously issued books are eligible with newly issued ISBNs. Books that are postmarked after the deadline will not be eligible.

Why Enter

Book contests are a great way for self-published authors to build their credibility and promote their book. ForeWord’s Book of the Year Awards were established to bring increased attention from librarians and booksellers to the literary achievements of independent publishers and their authors. A jury of readers, librarians and booksellers select their top categories as well as choose the winning titles. Their decisions take into consideration editorial excellence, professional production, originality of the narrative, author credentials relative to the book, and the value the title adds to its genre.

With the holidays right around the corner, it is easy to get distracted and run out of time, so it is a good idea to submit your entry now so you don’t forget and miss the January deadline. For more information on how to enter, visit https://www.forewordreviews.com/services/book-awards/botya/.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the 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 at http://kellyschuknecht.com.

Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

Niche Market Books are Perfect for Self-Publishing!

While not all self-published books are successful, the self-publishing market seems to favor niche market books. This is great news for niche authors, since traditional publishers usually prefer books that appeal to a large, general audience. Here are four reasons why niche market books are perfect for self-publishing.

1. Easy Marketing

With niche market books, it’s easy to define your audience and therefore streamline your promotion and marketing efforts. You don’t need a large, traditional publisher to help you reach your audience.

2. Higher Royalties

Because you don’t need the help of a traditional publisher to reach your target audience, you don’t need to share your income and rights with them. Self-publishing authors keep the rights to their content and determine their own royalties.

3. Ideal for Speakers

Self-publishing is great for speakers who do most of their selling in-person at speaking engagements. Having a book helps build their credibility and income, and they can sell print copies directly to attendees during the event. Some self-publishing companies, such as Outskirts Press, even offer special publishing packages for coaches and speakers.

4. Quick Turnaround

If your publishing a book that relates to current issues or a special event, self-publishing offers a quicker turnaround time than traditional publishing. Often, current topics are outdated by the time a traditionally published book makes it into print.

These are just a few of the reasons self-publishing is a perfect option for niche market books. I would love to know, what influenced your publishing decisions for your niche market book?

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 12/13/13

‘Tis the SEASON to…

…BE INSPIRED. Do you remember Carl Sagan? He was the astronomer/astrophysicist who held such a passion for the exciting things he was exploring and learning about that he could not contain it in the more than 600 scientific papers and articles he published. SO, he moved into the book writing field and authored, co-authored or was editor of more than 20 books (e.g. Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space; The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence; Broca’s Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science). Then, in 1997 his book, CONTACT, was made into a movie and has become what some reviewers call “a cult film,” emanating excitement about listening for signals from other worlds (SETI).

Mr. Sagan’s skill and ability to communicate highly technical scientific concepts in ways the average reader can understand is a blessing to the world. His technique of offering skeptical challenges to what science states as “fact,” is also a gift well-applied to many things—which I’ve used in debating his premise on several issues. However, I whole heartedly agree with Mr. Sagan in his assessment of writing and the writing life. He says:

“What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”

So it is that I ask you: What is the passion within you that must be shared? Like Mr. Sagan, are you a scientist who sees beyond the mathematical equations into uncharted realms? Are you a delivery-truck driver who travels the city and sees the marvelous miracles in people’s lives? Are you the quarterback of your team—the leader—who seeks the wisdom of the third-string lineman (the man who really holds the team together)? These stories must be written! YOU can write a “Pale Blue Dot” novel! You can inspire readers with a shining vision of our human future right here on earth! You can motivate readers in ways that “famous” people never could!

By now—if you’ve read any of my earlier blogs—you are aware that I encourage my clients to consider self-publishing. Well, maybe my tone is a little more robust—suggesting that they place self-publishing on the top of their list. There are just too many really good manuscripts out there sitting on editors’ desks, or being discussed in publishing house marketing meetings, that will die on the vine—because their authors give up.

DON’T give up! Write your stories! Partner with a team of publishing specialists and see your book in the hands of Readers! As Maya Angelou says: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

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.

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

NaNoWriMo is Over, Now What?

Congratulations to everyone who finished the NaNoWriMo challenge as well as those who worked on their manuscripts but didn’t finish. Even though NaNoWriMo is over, you can still finish your book or start the publishing process. Here are three things to do now that NaNoWriMo has ended.

1. Set a new goal.

Whether or not you finished the challenge, now is the perfect time to set a new goal for yourself. There are only a few of 2013 left, so why not use them to do something that will help make your writing dreams come true. Some possible goals include finishing your manuscript or editing your first draft.

2. Edit, edit, edit.

NaNoWriMo is all about writing a certain number of words in a month, so writers save revisions and edits for later. It is essential for you to go back and edit your manuscript for developmental issues such as plot and characters as well as grammar and style. I highly recommend writers have a professional editor review your manuscript before publication.

3. Publish!

Once your manuscript is complete and ready for publication, start researching publishing options. Whether you choose to self-publish or use a traditional publisher, research is important. Each publisher offers different services, and traditional publishers are very specific about the type of books they will publish.

I’d love to know, what are your plans now that NaNoWriMo is over?

Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing for the Non-Tech Savvy

For many people, self-publishing is a fairly simple process. You type your manuscript. Submit the file to the self-publishing company. Possibly hire an editor or illustrator to improve and polish. Approve the files before publication, and receive your printed book.

However, that process isn’t simple for everyone. There are still plenty of authors who prefer writing with the trusty pen and paper or the classic typewriter. There are also people who have trouble formatting their manuscript to meet self-publishing standards or who encounter other technical issues. These problems can be costly and frustrating. For instance, self-publishing companies may charge for the following services:

Mail-in Fee — If an author does not submit an electronic file, he/she may have the option to mail a hard copy or digital file (such as flashdrive) to the self-publishing company. Because this is not a standard option and creates more work, this often results in an extra fee.
Transcription Fee — If an author doesn’t own a computer or know how to type the manuscript, he/she might pay someone to transcribe the written manuscript into a digital file that can be submitted.
Removal of Hard-Returns — A common formatting mistake is hitting enter at the end of every line while typing. These are called hard-returns. Fixing this formatting issue takes the self-publishing company a great deal of time, so the cost is often passed on to the author.
Photo Fees — If authors choose to mail in hard copies of photos that will be used in the book instead of submitting them electronically, there is often a fee.

There are ways for authors to avoid these problems and avoid spending extra money. These simple solutions can help non-tech savvy writers save time, money, and stress.

Ask a friend, family member, or neighbor to help you prepare a digital file and submit it electronically.
If the manuscript has already been typed and unnecessary hard-returns exist, you could remove them on your own (or with help of a friend or family member) rather than paying the publishing company to do it.
Take hardcopy photos to a local office supply store and ask them to scan them at high-resolution and save to a flashdrive. You can then email them to the publisher.
If the author doesn’t own or use a computer, hire someone to help with the process. Most self-publishing companies will not complete the process via phone or mail. Email is often the main method of communication.

Just because you are not tech-savvy does not mean self-publishing is hard. You may just need to enlist a little extra help to make the process less costly and stressful. With a few minor changes (such as deleting hard-returns), you can have a professionally self-published book in no time.

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