Writing – Page 7 – Self Publishing Advisor

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What do you need to know about diversity in self-publishing?

The matter of diversity in the book industry, particularly in the arena of traditional publishing, has been discussed by many fine people in many fine articles. (You’ll find a few of them here, here, and here.) But what about self-publishing? I’m not going to lie: even with a somewhat narrower gaze, there’s still a lot to take in––and a lot of opinions to consider, agendas to juggle, and complications to navigate. But this is February––and therefore, this is officially Black History Month. It is a month where we pay our respects to the pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement (or movements), and pay close(r) attention to the justices and injustices enacted within the United States.* It is right and good that we turn that same lens on the self-publishing industry that we know and love.

But how do we even begin this conversation? First, we have to start asking the right questions. Mine are by no means going to be the only ones worth hearing, or worth answering. Which is why right now––right now––I’d like to open the floor (or rather, the comments box) to you, our dear readers. Pose a question, or two, or three, connected to this issue of diversity in self-publishing, and I will pull together a few voices that (hopefully) speak to them.

Here are a few questions to get us started:

Broad brush strokes: What’s the track record of diversity in publishing?
What about within self-publishing, specifically?
Are there differences, and why or why not?
Why does diverse representation in literature and the industry matter? Why should we authors and readers and (self-)publishers care?
What could healthy diversity actually look like?
Who benefits from diverse representation, and who benefits from a lack thereof?
Can we make it happen?
Should we make it happen?
How can we better foster a self-publishing community that welcomes diverse authors and readers?

And because we normally dedicate our Wednesday posts on this blog to strategies for self-promotion, I think it’s fair to ask:

In what ways can diversity be both a selling point and a barrier to new readers discovering our work? And how can we take advantage of the former while overcoming the latter?

Maybe we can answer all of these questions quickly and easily, but my gut instinct is that easy isn’t a word we can throw around when it comes to fair representation of any kind. But this, too, is fitting: Black History Month started as a single week (the second week of February) and has happily spread to take up more of our year, and also, more of our hearts and minds. Maybe one day we will be able to say with perfect sincerity and disingenuity that every week, and every month, and every year is packed with conversations in which diverse voices are heard.

* It is worth noting that the USA is not the only nation to celebrate Black History Month––it is officially recognized in both the United Kingdom (UK) and in Canada, and is celebrated unofficially in many other nations and communities.

If you have any comments, reflections, or suggestions, I’d love to hear them. Drop me a line in the comments box, and watch this space on Wednesdays in 2015!

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive 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, kellyschuknecht.com.

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized, Writing

Summer Writing Goals Check-In

Earlier in the summer, I encouraged you to take advantage of the summer to achieve your writing goals. I recommended you set goals related to starting and finishing your manuscript, publishing your book, and marketing your book. Well, there are only a few weeks of summer left. (Sad, I know.) Now is the time to check-in and hold yourself accountable.

1. What were your goals?

Take a look back and see what your goals were. Did you want to start a new project? Begin the self-publishing process? Focus on promoting your book?

2. Where are you now?

Have you accomplished your goals? How much work do you still have to do? Do you want to add new goals to your list? Also, consider why you are where you are. Were your goals realistic? Motivating? Clear? Measurable? Take these things into consideration when re-evaluating your goals.

3. What are you going to do with the rest of your summer?

Whether you’ve exceeded your goals or lost sight of your vision, August still offers plenty of time to accomplish your summer writing goals. Update your goals based on your progress, and start working on achieving them before summer ends. You can do it!

I’d love to know, how much progress have you made towards your summer writing goals?

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.

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized, Writing

Summer Writing Goals

Summer is the perfect time to set and accomplish writing goals. Many people have time off work. The extra daylight makes you feel like you have more time in the day. The season is filled with inspiration. Whether you haven’t started your book or your book is already published, here are three ways you can make your writing dreams come true this summer.

1. The new project.

You’ve been dreaming of publishing a book, but you haven’t found the time or motivation. Well, now is the perfect time to start. Commit to the goal of finishing your manuscript by the end of August. Use small daily goals, such as writing for a certain amount of time, to help you achieve your dream.

2. The published book.

Perhaps you have a manuscript that is ready to be published. Now is the perfect time to start the publishing process. Your goals should include:

Research and choose a publisher.
Edit your manuscript.
Start thinking about cover design.

3. The successful book.

If you’ve already published your book, now is the time to focus on marketing. A great marketing plan is the key to a successful book. No one can buy your book if they don’t know it exists. Set marketing goals such as:

Research summer events where you can display (and sell) your book.
Set up and maintain social media pages.
Contact local news sources.

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

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized, Writing

How to Find the Time to Finish Writing Your Book

One of the biggest complaints among writers is the lack of time to write. Almost every writer I know wishes they had more time to dedicate to their projects. As a writer myself, I understand how difficult it can be to juggle a job, a family, a home, a social life, AND a writing project, but I’ve also discovered some ways to find more time to write.

If you are ready to finally find time to finish your book, there is a simple solution — spend a little time on self-reflection. (Yes, I just told you to spend your time doing something other than writing.) You can’t figure out how to make more time for writing, until you know how you currently spend your time.

Here are a four simple steps to help finally find time to finish writing your book, and start publishing.

1) Be honest with yourself.

For one week, write down EXACTLY how you spend your time. Record each task and the amount of time you spend on it. This includes checking social media sites, commuting to work, watching TV, eating, etc. By doing this, you will get a clear picture how you are spending your time.

2) Make changes.

Now that you are aware of where all your time is going, you can find ways to make more time for writing. For instance, if you spend several hours at night watching TV, perhaps you could spend an hour of that time writing. If you notice you spend a lot more time on social media sites than you thought, you can free up some of your day by limiting the number of times you log on and how much time you spend online each time.

3) Figure out what works for you.

Another part of self reflection is figuring out what type of writer you and how your writing process works. For some people, morning writing sessions work best. Other people are night owls. Some people need to warm up before writing by reading an inspiring book or listening to music. Spend some time thinking about when and how you do your best work, and try to make your writing goals align with your personal style.

4) Get creative about the way you write.

Sometimes the easiest way to find time to write is by multitasking. In fact, some writers think ordinary activities like walking or cleaning improve their creativity. Thanks to today’s technology, multitasking has never been easier. You can combine exercising and writing by using a treadmill desk. (In fact, that is how I do all of my writing. I walk the entire time I’m working so I can cross writing and exercising off my to-do list.) Another option is voice writing software. You can talk your text while you do activities such as working outside, doing dishes, or driving to work. Just be sure to always carefully proofread your manuscript when using this type of software.

I’d love to know, what tips to you have for making more time to write?

Kelly Speaks, NaNoWriMo, Writing

October Writing Challenge #5 NaNoWriMo

Over the past month I’ve challenged you to complete a weekly Halloween inspired writing challenge. These challenges were designed to spark creative ideas, help you stick to your writing routine, and provide a little fun in your hectic week. (After all, writing is supposed to be fun, right?)

Now that October is almost over, I have an even bigger and more exciting challenge for you — NaNoWriMo. If you’ve followed my blog posts in the past, you know I not only encourage authors to try NaNoWriMo, but I have also done the challenge myself.

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It is an annual, Internet-based creative writing project that challenges writers to pen a whopping 50,000 words in the month of November. Hundreds of thousands of writers participate in the challenge each year.

NaNoWriMo is great for new writers looking for a creative jumpstart or experienced writers looking for a new challenge. It begins November 1st and ends on November 30th.

To sign up or learn more about NaNoWriMo, visit www.nanowrimo.org. The website helps you track your progress, gives you access to pep talks and inspirational stories, and provides a place to meet other writers.

Also, if you missed any of the October challenges, be sure to go back and check out them out: Spiritual Poetry Challenge, 15 Minute Challenge, Short Story Challenge, and Children’s Halloween Story Challenge. (You never know, they might inspire your NaNoWriMo project.)

I’d love to know, are you going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year?

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