Wendy Speaks – Page 8 – Self Publishing Advisor

LCCN Explained

If you’re wondering what the heck a LCCN is, you’re in the right place. Here is a brief explanation of the four-letter acronym and why you need one.

What is LCCN?

LCCN stands for Library of Congress Control Number. Instead of using an ISBN to track titles, libraries use a LCCN.

Why do you need one?

To be eligible for distribution in the library system, your title must have a LCCN. Children’s book authors should definitely get a LCCN so their book can be available both in public and school libraries.

To learn more about LCCNs, check out these previous post.

LOC Acronyms Explained

How to Get Your Self-Published Book in a Library

Who Needs an LCCN?

ABOUT WENDY STETINA: Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and 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, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.

Book Design, Uncategorized, Wendy Speaks

Illustrations Affect the Success of Your Children’s Book

So – you have written a charming children’s story. Your children and all of your friends’ children love the storyline and the characters. You dream of becoming a published author. Perhaps you have ideas for a series that involve many stories with the same characters. Bringing those figures to life with an investment in high quality illustrations will contribute to the success of your book.

I regularly tell authors: if you do not purchase one of our professional illustration sets, please hire an independent graphic illustrator to create your images. Make sure that you get a release from the artist giving you permission to use the illustrations and always get in writing that they will not be receiving any portion of the royalties from your book.

If you want your book to be taken seriously, you need to spend a little money to make it look professional.

Uncategorized, Wendy Speaks

Top 5 Reasons to Self Publish in February

The chaos of the holidays is finally over, and 2012 is just getting started. Like most writers, you probably have “publish a book” on your list of things to do in 2012. Well, February is a great time to make that dream come true. Here are five reasons why.

Promotions

Like most businesses, self-publishing companies offer excellent deals after the holidays. Sometimes, these promotions are even better than the holiday deals. For instance, Outskirts Press is currently offering a $300.00 Mad Money credit that can be applied to any production or marketing option.

Valentine’s Day

Obviously, you could give the gift of self-publishing to someone you love, but what about you? This year, give yourself a Valentine’s Day gift and finally see your book in print.

Time is on Your Side

If you cross publishing off your New Year’s Resolution list in February, you are left with the rest of the year to market your book, begin other projects or just enjoy the satisfaction of publishing a book.

Winter is Still Here

When the nice weather arrives, it can be hard to sit inside working on your book. Take advantage of the winter weather. Spend those hours inside working on your book, and you can accomplish your dream of publishing before all the BBQs and beach trips.

2012 is a Political Year

Having your book published before the general election will make it easier to market. This is especially true for books about hot topics and politics because people will be reading about these topics before the election.

Wendy Speaks

Famous Self-Published Author: Beatrix Potter

Did you know that the first Peter Rabbit book was self-published? When Beatrix Potter submitted the first manuscript, she received several rejection letters. She decided to self-publish a limited edition. After seeing the printed book and recognizing the commercial possibilities, Publisher Frederick Warne changed his opinion and agreed to publish a color copy of the book. To date, the story has been translated into 36 languages and has sold over 45 million copies. This could be your children’s book.

Wendy Speaks

Self-Publishing and Technology

Technology plays a huge part in the self-publishing process. Years ago, authors would hand carry their manuscripts to a printer for typesetting. Today, almost everything is done via the internet and computers. At Outskirts Press, 90% of all manuscripts we receive are submitted in a Microsoft Word document. Hardcopies, manuscripts printed on paper, are becoming a thing of the past. Occasionally, we will receive a hardcopy. In these cases, we have to rekey the document so we have a digital file that can be manipulated during formatting. This requires the publishing company to do extra work and increases the chance of errors.

Below are a few basic guidelines to make the self-publishing process as stress-free as possible for the author:

Own a current personal computer with internet access. A high speed connection is preferable.
Have the ability to navigate the internet and the self-publishing company’s website.
Use a current version of a common word processing program such a Microsoft Word and have a reasonable proficiency with the program.
Have the ability to send and receive emails with attachments.

If you have difficult working with technology, find someone who can help you. You may also consider taking a course on computers to help you improve your skills.

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