Category: Uncategorized

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 Often, current topics are outdated by the time a traditionally published book makes it into print.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.”

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.
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?

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

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.

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 12/06/13

‘Tis the SEASON to…

Last year I pretty much gave up shopping—well shopping in the marketing-media frenzy sense, anyway.  My passion for books—and the authors I’ve worked with—inspired me to buy their books and send them to family and friends.  I enjoyed the “holiday bargains,” of course, but much more than that, I felt as if I was passing forward the legacy of writing (and good story telling) that my self-publishing clients represent.

It was also last year that I seemed to hit a wall of mounting disappointment as I listened to the younger generations of my family and friends talking about their “exasperating,” even “frightening”, holiday shopping experiences.  A long-hidden rebellion within me grew and my fingers flew over the keyboard writing op-ed pieces to send to every daily or weekly print publisher.  I wanted to make a statement!  I wanted THE SEASON to be different!  I wanted it to be PEACEFUL!  Full of GOOD CHEER!  LOVE and LAUGHTER abounding on every block, in every city, town and nation!  However, to my own discredit, not one of my pieces was sent.  Too many last minute details derailed my fervor.  However, this season, I’m thinking of pulling out those pieces—developing them into a book—and self-publishing it in plenty of time for next year’s marketing-media-frenzy.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll join me in a taste of rebellion and allow your thoughts to stroll back to your favorite Holiday Season(s)—and WRITE about them.  Besides finding “just what you wanted” under the tree, what other memories do you see?  A favorite aunt bringing her deee-licious walnut fudge to Christmas dinner?  Your grandmother telling her version of “naughty” stories about your dad?  The next door neighbor stopping by with a handmade toy carved from oak wood just for you!

Over the years our family has enjoyed many traditions such as the youngest child placing the ceramic Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas Eve and attending Christmas Eve church services.  One fairly new tradition in our house is watching a made-for-TV movie titled Silent Night.  This true-story, produced in 2002, stars Linda Hamilton as the German mother of a young son (age 12) who will soon be conscripted into Hitler’s army.  She takes him out of the city to a cabin in the woods—not far from “enemy” lines.  It is Christmas Eve, 1944, and unexpected guests arrive: first three American soldiers, then three German soldiers.  She demands a truce between them—for this one night.

You may be wondering why this movie?  Simple answer.  It inspired me.  This movie was created from an oral history interview with a high school student!  Her subject was Fritz Vincken, the boy in the “story,” and the one thing he remembered most about his childhood was war.  Many of us—many of our neighbors—and too many the world over hold such memories or actually live in war zones today.  I don’t want to forget that.  I don’t want to get so caught up in shopping or party-planning that I misplace my compassion for those who are hurting.  And, for me, seeing/experiencing a well-written, well-directed, well-acted movie such as Silent Night helps me hold my center; helps me appreciate the gifts I’ve been given that cannot be wrapped.

Plus, realizing that this story was developed (written/scripted) from a collection of oral histories done by high school students is exceptionally inspiring to me.  Important, vital, must-be-told stories are out there waiting for the right person to write them!  Is that YOU?

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.