Uncategorized – Page 235 – Self Publishing Advisor

Self Publish a Book in 2013: Step 3 – Set Mini Goals

Over the past two weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about setting and reaching your goals. Well today I want to talk about a strategy called mini goals. Most of us set big goals for ourselves: write a book in 6 months, self publish a book before the end of the year, write 5,000 words a month. This is great because I encourage everyone to dream big, but it isn’t always the best way to achieve our goals.

Setting large goals for ourselves can make us feel overwhelmed and lead us to giving up. If you want to better manage your goals, you need to set mini goals. This is basically a process of breaking your main goal into digestible pieces so you don’t become overwhelmed by a large dream. For instance, if your goal is to finish your manuscript in the next six months, ask yourself what you need to do to accomplish this. How many pages per month do you need to write? How many pages per week? How many pages per day? These numbers will vary depending on where you are in the writing process, but let’s say you want to write 30,000 words in 6 months. That means you need to write 5,000 words a month or 1,250 words a week. It also means you only need to write approximately 180 words a day. This is a very reasonable goal!

I’d love to know, what are your mini goals?

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.

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by Self Publishing a Book

This week, we are celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This federal holiday celebrates the nonviolent activist who was the main spokesperson during the civil rights movement. Not only does this day make us reflect on our country’s history, but it also reminds us of the power of words. Violence doesn’t solve problems, but words can inspire change.

This year, celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. by using your own voice to spark change. What are you passionate about? What changes do you want to see in your country, community, or family? What is your vision for the future? Rather than just sit back and resent the problems around you, make a difference by using your voice. Write a letter, poem, short story or book about the problem, and share it with others by self publishing. You could even ask other people to contribute their words to your project.

We are not helpless individuals who must sit back and tolerate the problems around us. If you want change, help make it happen.

I’d love to know, what will you write in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year?

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.

Uncategorized

4 New Year’s Resolutions for Writers

It is that time of year again; as we celebrate the end of 2012 and welcome the new year, many of us are reflecting on the past 12 months and deciding what we want to do differently in the coming months. As writers, many of our resolutions are geared towards improving our work and helping us achieve our writing goals. Don’t just think about your resolutions; make sure you write them down and put them somewhere you will see them often. This will help you stay accountable. Here are four resolutions every writer should have on their list this year.

1. Get healthy.

We all know the things we are supposed to do to stay healthy: get enough sleep, workout daily, eat fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water. But most of us neglect these tasks when we are working on a big project such as writing a book. Your mental and physical health impacts your success as a writer. You can’t do your best work if you aren’t your best self, so make a resolution to take care of yourself this year and you may just be surprised how much more productive and creative you feel.

2. Read more.

The best way to improve your writing and generate ideas is reading. Don’t just read your favorite author or genre. Expand your horizons. Pick out books that are completely different from what you would usually read. Check out a new author or bestselling novel. Read books for children. Read poetry. Reread classic literature. You can never read too many books.

3. Try Something New.

When most writers think about improving their work, they focus on the actual act of writing or editing or brainstorming, but writing is an art that is created by our minds, experiences, and the world around us. You can’t write about life if you don’t live it. This year, make it a point to try new things. Take a class. Make a new friend. Go on a vacation, and watch your stories improve.

4. Write every day.

This is a classic goal for writers, but it works. If you want to be a writer, you must write. You won’t write your best work every day, but you need to write something. You never know where you might be able to use it later.

I’d love to know, what are your New Year’s resolutions?

Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

Get (or Give) the Gift of Self-Publishing

Are your friends and family members asking you for last-minute holiday gift ideas? How about the gift of publishing?! Many self publishing companies offer gift certificates that can be used towards a variety of publishing and marketing services. For instance, Outskirts Press offers instant gift certificates in the amount of $99. Here is how their process works.

Click the “Add to Cart” button on the page and complete the transaction on a secure server.
Outskirts Press will email the purchaser to find out who the special author is and whether to include any special messaging on the gift notification.
If the writer isn’t yet registered with Outskirts Press, they will create a free account and apply the $99 credit to the new account.
If the author is already registered and/or published with Outskirts Press, they will apply the $99 credit to the existing Publishing Center account.
Once the credit has been applied to the writer’s account, Outskirts Press will notify the writer via email of the special gift using any messaging provided.

The turnaround time is typically 2-business days, and there is no searching for a parking spot at a busy mall, waiting in a long line, or paying expensive shipping charges. Your friends and family will appreciate an idea that makes their shopping a little easier and that they know will bring you great joy. This is also a wonderful for the self-publishing authors on your list.

I’d love to know, what are you asking for this year?

Uncategorized

Your Book is More Than The Story

When you think of your book, the first that comes to mind is probably the manuscript you spent months or even years writing. But a self-published book is more than just the words in the story, and readers often consider the other elements before they ever read your book. As a self-publishing author, it is important to pay attention to all the details, such as the cover art, back cover text and author biography. In fact, these are the elements that influence a reader’s decision to purchase your book. While you probably already know the importance of great cover art, most self-publishing authors forget about the other text associated with their book. Here is why the back cover text and your author biography are so important and how to make sure both are great.

The Back Cover

The text on the back cover of your book is often referred to as a synopsis. This text pulls readers into the story without revealing all the details. Think about all the times you’ve browsed through a bookstore and read the back of a book. This synopsis probably influenced whether or not you purchased the book. This is also true for online shoppers. The synopsis is often used as the description for your book. Therefore, it is important that it is intriguing and professionally written. In the world of online shopping, it is also important to consider keywords.

The Biography

Most books include an author biography. This will also appear on your author website and online retailers information pages. You want to make sure this biography is interesting, reflects the image you wish to promote and is professionally written. Since most readers never meet the authors of the books they love, this is their first impression of you as a person.

How to Make Both Great

You probably spent a lot of time making sure your manuscript was interesting, clear and well-written. If you want readers to take you and your book seriously, you must do the same for your back cover synopsis and author biography. Here are a few pointers to help you.

Don’t rush. Spend a quality amount of time writing the synopsis and biography. Think about what you want to say and how you want your readers to perceive you.
Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! The worst thing you could do is submit text with errors. Ask someone you trust to proofread your work or consider hiring a professional.
Ask for help. Sometimes, self-publishing authors are too attached to their work to write a good synopsis and biography. Plus, this type of sales writing typically requires different skills than those needed to write a book manuscript. This is why many self-publishing companies offer services to assist you. For instance, Outskirts Press offers a cover scribing option, which uses a professional copywriter to write your cover copy and biography.

I’d love to know, do you read the back cover and author biography before purchasing a book?

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