news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 7.17.2017

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, specifically new releases written by self-publishing authors and published by independent presses! Today we’ll be featuring brand-new releases in the Outskirts Press Bookstore!

If you’re looking for the perfect book to help you beat the summer heat, you can’t go wrong with Joseph Brisben’s Skip Day, a novel of rural Oklahoma and of one teenager’s ambition to leave a legacy.

Every year, during the high school’s annual ‘Skip Day’ celebration, the students craft a series of hijinks–but this year, 1959, Joe Ralston wants to make a special impression. He rents a hearse from a mortuary, covers it in graffiti, and then is challenged to see how many people they can cram inside. (The answer? 75. You bet these kids were creative.)  Things can only get worse from there, and better, from a story perspective, as Ralston and his friends work through their own personal issues and continue seizing upon every opportunity for fun that they can. This is the sort of book which commands your respect as well as your attention; conversations shift from making meaning out of live to civil rights to the correct way to coax your hungover friends to clean a hearse.

Sometimes, we all really need to hear that we’re more than the sum of our parts or the victims of circumstance, and this is nowhere more true than it is among teens. I Am More contains, as promised, a year’s-worth of empowering short meditations geared toward teens and young adults, providing what the author describes as “things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”

This book is not only perfect for young people, but for people of faith. Myia Ellington cites Philippians 4:8-9 as an inspiration, and speaks to faith as a platform or springboard from which to launch into a healthy, fulfilling future–“a life of art,” as she puts it. And Ellington should know; she’s CEO of Exclusively ME Motivations Inc, an empowerment specialist, spiritual counselor, teacher, and lecturer on top of being an author. She lives the kind of life many of us can aspire to–providing real leadership and hope to teens in need of that little extra boost to make it through the day.

Look, summer is about escape, isn’t it? And those fantasies which always seem too far out of reach at all other times of year. Well, with her new book Sons of Twilight, Collette Jackson-Fink invites her readers to indulge a little in those fantasies. This, the second in a series beginning with Daughters of Twilight, continues the story of Dane Coles–just your average member of a special tactical team trained to deal with ordinary human events–and the edenic war angel who has been brought jarringly back into contact with humanity after the traumatic conclusion to the Genesis story.

Here’s a story you won’t find just anywhere: with a sensitivity to life in a small Midwestern town, Jackson-Fink manages to construct an elaborate fantasy world which strikes just the right notes of familiarity to keep it grounded within the Western mythological canon–and is populated by characters who are bright and warm and interesting. The plot is gripping, too, which doesn’t hurt. Come for the brilliant fantasy, stay for the fascinating plot! Here’s hoping the final book in the trilogy doesn’t take too long to hit our shelves!

spa-news

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.
Kelly
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.
amazon reviews, Book Reviews, Uncategorized

Saturday Book Review: “The Fine Line”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.
When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review:

the fine line Margaret Watkins

The Fine Line

by Margaret Watkins

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432702502

Synopsis*:

A middle-aged woman on snowshoes in the mountains of Idaho. A fighter jet pilot at the apex of his career. Drawn together by the same medical misfortune, one finds the other’s friendship amidst the debris of their mutual calamities.

This is the true story of two strangers whose lives intersect because of simultaneous ruptured cerebral aneurysms. Their descent into darkness and slow journey back into life will touch your heart.

 * courtesy of Amazon.com

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

Margaret Watkins is my sister-in-law. I have always known that she is a remarkable person. However, as I watched from afar her struggle to survive a cerebral aneurysm, I knew she was even more remarkable. Now, as she tells her (and a stranger’s story) about experiencing and surviving this medical nightmare and subsequent miracle of survival, I am even more in awe of her. I am reminded of the daily struggle she endured and cannot believe it has been almost ten years since she suffered the aneurysm. Her story made me think about how I would cope as a patient struck with a serious illness or injury. I also hope that if I should experience such a catastrophic event, I would be fortunate to have as knowledgeable and talented physicians tending to me. What a joy it is to read about the tremendous professionals who give of themselves every day so patients can return to life. I truly think readers will appreciate this book and be uplifted by the two individuals’ struggles and wills to live. After reading the book, I suspect that many readers–like me–will be interested in reading a book about Margaret’s Mt. Everest climb six years after suffering the aneurysm. I feel so blessed that my brother brought her into our lives.

– Amazon Reviewer Alexis Jarrett

This is an intense, well-written true story of how a woman in the mountains of Idaho and a fighter jet pilot in Washington were drawn together by the simultaneous medical catastrophes of ruptured cerebral aneurysms. The physician author does a great job of explaining a complex and not-uncommon frequently-fatal disaster. She deftly weaves parallel stories between her misfortune and Colonel Robbin’s meltdown and their overlapping descents into the nightmare of brain surgery at the cutting-edge of technology.

– Amazon Reviewer IdahoBob

More of Interest:

Margaret Watkins is in the process of publishing another book, Off to Tibet, and needs help choosing her book cover! Visit our sister blog, Self Publishing News, to help her choose between several great options!

saturday self-published book review

Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

selfpubicon1

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 7/14/2017

IT’S JULY!

TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR FREEDOM TO WRITE! II

Once upon a time there was a teacher. Her “student-teaching experience” sent her to a high school where she was assigned to a class of “low-performing students.” Walking into that classroom was a moment mixed with fear, courage and hope. She already knew that one student had allegedly threatened a previous teacher with a gun; and didn’t know what to expect from the others. Yet, from that very first day, she saw potential in each and every student. Her dream to “be a teacher” became her hope to help them find a FREEDOM they never dreamed possible—through writing!

The next school year—now a full teacher—she was assigned a sophomore class. That was the year of student “walk-out” protests because of political unrest. She listened to her students, and asked them to keep journals and write about the similarities of the “family feuds” they experienced at home or knew of in gangs to the families of Romeo and Juliet. She also gave reading assignments of books written by other teenagers in times of war: Diary of a Young Girl by Ann Frank, Zkata’s Diary by Zlata Filipović and Night by Elie Wiesel. Writing these journals helped many of the students as they anonymously passed copies of pages around the classroom and shared their thoughts. Slowly, these students, who once refused to even speak to someone who looked different, became like a family.

You may have heard of this woman—teacher, encourager, speaker, writer. Her name is Erin Gurwell, and she and her students created the book, The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them. The book was published in 1999 and remains a “go to” assignment for many teachers, today. I must admit that when I read book, some of the words made me feel uncomfortable; yet, I learned much about the circumstances of these wonderful young people. The movie Freedom Writers was released in 2007. And, there is now the Freedom Writers Foundation that encourages the Freedom Writers method of writing around the world.

freedom writers erin gruwell

OUR COUNTRY, and that Declaration of Independence document, set the stage for Erin Gurwell to dream of and become an amazing teacher more than 200 years later. Her education was filled with the writings of professors, poets, novelists and memoir authors. And she—like the American Revolution patriots—became an unforgettable example of how hard work, courage and the spirit of determination can change lives, and writing was the main tool she used.

Are you an out of the box thinker and writer like Erin Gurwell and the authors of the Declaration of Independence? If you answered, “No, not really,” please consider the following:

  • Do you enjoy brainstorming plot ideas? I have a neighbor who loves to read mysteries. So when my plot runs into a wall, I sit with her a while, and ask what she likes best about the plot of the book she’s reading. Those 30-60 minutes kick my brain into gear and my own plot comes to life again.
  • Do you like to re-write the endings of your favorite TV shows or movies? My husband (who has done some acting) and I really enjoy discussing “how we’d write that story.” Almost without exception those ideas find their way into my notes for an article, short story or novel.
  • Are you learning new things? Each and every time we research background information for our stories we are stepping out of the box of our genre and into the realm of new ideas.

Without exception, every writer I’ve ever met and/or worked with has enhanced my own abilities and given me new ideas—enriching my personal freedom to write new and better works. May we all appreciate and grow in our FREEDOM WRITING, and FREEDOM PUBLISHING, too! ⚓︎

 

Royalene

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.
Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.
Advocacy in Self-Publishing, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Promotion Strategy, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Easy Breezy Summer Publishing (Part 2)

Last week, I launched a new summer series on self-publishing, particularly as regards publishing and marketing your book during this busy time of year–and how to take advantage of our July theme of freedoms and independence while doing so!

Today, I want to talk about the flip side of freedom.

You might call it … UNFREEDOM*.

(*After all, there has to be some sort of language to describe the opposite of ‘freedom’ which isn’t problematically tied to this nation’s long and deeply troubling relationship to captivities of various kinds … right? I’ll make the attempt, while recognizing and honoring the tight spot into which the English language … and the history of American expansion … has put me. Here goes!)

Point: Self-publishing authors are constrained by their circumstances, and therefore limited as marketers of their works. Let’s slow down and look at some of the speed bumps in our way!

independence, bird

Time.

The first constraint you’re likely to hear about when talking with self-publishing authors about their marketing attempts is how difficult it is to find the time to market well! After all, most indie authors aren’t living lives of leisure; they’re working, sometimes multiple jobs, to pay the rent and bring in the groceries. They usually have families; often, young kids and sleepless nights are also on order. In this kind of typical environment, it’s hard enough to find time to sleep much less write much less market your books for sale to the general public! And this problem also often inspires a great deal of self-doubt and frustration, as the marketing goes on.

Why don’t people just buy my book already? Hint: if it were that easy to sell books, traditional publishing houses wouldn’t have dedicated marketing staff, either! As a self-publishing author, you’ve written and signed a contract with yourself to do whatever it takes to become a published author … and that includes signing away a large chunk of your time.

Suggestion #1: Protect your time by slowing down long enough to sort out your priorities, and set a schedule that is both ambitious … and attainable.

Money.

Here’s the other big speed bump, right? If you don’t have the time, energy, skills, or access to do what needs doing in order to market your book, you’re going to have to fork over some cash to make it happen! Of course, how much you spend is going to vary greatly depending on what path you take towards publication; vanity presses often tout their marketing successes, but often prove disappointing in results anyway, and the really good self-publishing companies–with dependable, expert staff who’ve been in the business long enough to give you a really good leg up–cost a pretty penny.

Spending some money is unavoidable. Breaking the bank … is.

Suggestion #2: Guard yourself against both amazement and disappointment by doing your research ahead of time. Don’t trust a company’s own press releases for your data, either! Do your due diligence and check out customer reviews, and as with my suggestion for time, go ahead and slow down long enough to plot out what services you can take care of effectively on your own … and which ones you really need help with!

Energy.

Alright–it’s time to take a deep breath and feel your body for a moment. Are you sitting in a chair? Criss-cross-applesauce on the hardwood floor? Hanging from the rafters? Are you comfortable? Are you feeling … a little … sleepy?

We’ve mentioned this every now and again on SPA, but it’s always worth mentioning again: a person doesn’t wake up each morning with endless energy! Energy is a budgeted resource, and your body has no qualms about letting you know when you’re close to running the tank totally dry. Like, right now, my eyes are burning from having worn contacts all day, my knees are aching from walking in to work, and I can’t stop yawning no matter how hard I try–all of which are signs that I’m about a half hour from keeping the neighbors up with my zzzzs.

As a self-publishing author, you need to pay close attention to your energy level: it comes at a premium, and just like time, once it’s spent you’re done. There’s no writing when tired, and even coffee will only get you so far. Sleep, my friends, is inevitable!

Suggestion #3: Build some select mindfulness-based practices into your daily writing routine. Check in with your body when you sit down in your chair. Are you actually feeling good and comfortable–and energetic? If your body is screaming “NO MORE! I CHANGED THIRTY DIAPERS TODAY!” then it may be time to back off, allow yourself to get some sleep, eat the right kind of meal, and do a thing which brings you joy. Make a promise to yourself to come back the next day in a better frame of mind and body, and I guarantee you’ll produce better work–work you can be proud of!

Skills.

Look … we’re not all born with a Wacom tablet or a Master of Business in our hands! It’s okay if you don’t know how to set up social media accounts … THIRTY DIFFERENT WAYS … or how to design your own book cover, including blurb, ISBN, LOC numbers, and so on and so forth.

Knowing what your skill set is, and how best to take advantage of what you already know how to do, is absolutely imperative! So, too, is knowing where your skill set runs out, and therefore when you ought to turn to established and verifiable experts–such as those employed at various self-publishing companies, or working on a freelance basis.

Suggestion #4: Before you sit down to submit your book for publication, sit down and sketch out all of the different little processes which go into making a book, from start to finish. EVERY SINGLE ONE. (There ought to be at least thirty!) Only then can you come back and say–“Ah, yes, I can easily take care of those, but not anything to do with Goodreads giveways or writing a press release!” Listing everything will feed straight back into allocating where you spend your time, money, and energy … so make sure you get it right before the wheels are in motion and momentum is pulling you in another direction!

Access.

Last but certainly not least, one of the most oft-mentioned barriers to self-publishing–an unfreedom–is the strictures placed upon indie authors by those with the knowledge and access to make things happen. Indie authors are often left out in the cold, with no recourse but to generate their own networks and influences from scratch … which, yes, can work but often doesn’t. Meanwhile, traditional publishing houses–who have, by the way, refused to evolve to fit the changed world around their signature markets!–snigger behind their hands and offer little or no help at all … because, I assume, they don’t want the competition.

Oh, if only you could imagine all the wonderful ways we might help each other!

But what a pipe dream. Traditional publishing houses have good reasons (from a business point of view) to try and uphold their monopolies by restricting access and denying support to indie authors looking to break out. I’m talking about everything from email lists of potential customers who they hold in reserve, contracts denying their authors from collaborating with self-publishing authors, and so on.

Access is a big problem for indie authors. If you don’t know who to get in touch with to get this certain thing done, it doesn’t get done.

Suggestion #5: Don’t despair. As I’ve mentioned, some authors have made it! There are some existing networks and resources in place to help you … but just don’t expect to find easy access to knowledge and the means to act upon that knowledge within more “mainstream” or “traditional” circles. I mean, take us for example. We’re here for you–every week!

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com.  And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of marketing musings from one indie, hybrid, and self-published author to another. ♠

Kelly

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, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 7.10.2017

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, specifically interviews with or articles written by self-publishing authors and experts!

Every now and again, an interview comes along which we just can’t ignore, and this July 9 article on Rolling Out by Yvette Caslin is one of those. Its opening tells you a lot of what the interview has in store:

“I love being able to call my own shots with my writing and publishing. The creative freedom is something you can only find when you are an entrepreneur,” offers Carlos Harleaux when asked why he wants to be an entrepreneur.

And a spirit of entrepreneurship, independence, and creative freedom is at the heart of what Harleaux is all about. His latest book, No Cream in the Middle, is a follow-up novel to the popular self-published book, Fortune Cookie. He answers questions about the more difficult aspects of publishing, about how he came to be an author, and how new authors can break into a packed market. You can find the full text of the interview at the link!

Author John Marrs pulls no punches in this piece for the UK’s Express. He was, like many authors who eventually pursue self-publication, under the impression that working with a traditional publishing house to find his book a home would be a relatively straightforward process. Says Marrs, “I assumed that with more than 20 years as a journalist behind me, writing for national magazines and newspapers, I might have had a slight advantage over other new writers on the hunt for an agent. How naive I was,” he concludes.

The path was not an easy one. He queried 80 publishing houses––and the results were less than enthusiastic. “The first few rejection letters trickled through the letterbox within seven days,” says Marrs. “More came within a fortnight and by the end of the month, my hope of becoming the next publishing success story deflated like the slow puncture of a tyre. Over the next four months, the rest of the rebuffs appeared in dribs and drabs.”

We’ve all been there. But what’s great about Marrs’ story is that he didn’t stay there. He found a different way forward. And he’s not alone: according to Marrs and a study put out by by Author Earnings, “42 per cent of all books now downloaded are by indie writers, many of whom, like me, have been rejected by agents.” Marrs has ideas on why this isn’t, in the end, such a bad thing––and much, much more to chew on. You can find the rest of his article here.

Can they? Can they really?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking there’s only one right way to do ‘publishing.’ After all, traditional publishing houses and the agents who work with them have a vested interest in perpetuating the myth of blockbuster success. And self-publishing companies, too––let’s be honest, here––drum up a little business by touting self-publishing as the one feasible, one easy alternative.

So who do we believe?

Here’s a thought: Let’s believe the authors. And authors like Savi Sharma have plenty of ideas about the future of publishing, and possible routes through the swamp of options. Sharma, whose breakout hit Everyone Has a Story debuted in 2015, may be young but she has, now, plenty of publishing experience. She says, “In the past years, people used to say self-publishing is a bad choice, as you can’t sell more books through it. But today, it’s a great opportunity. You can sell books if you know how to go through the entire process. But yes, you need to learn many things like how to connect with the audience, etc. If you do it effectively, you can be successful.” For the full interview, visit Financial Express online.

You can find all of these authors’ excellent books for sale online.

spa-news

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.
Kelly
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.