from the archives, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “Congratulations to the [2016] CIPA EVVY Awards Finalists”!

Welcome back to our Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

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[ Originally posted: May 15th, 2013 ]

Later this week, on May 18th, the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) EVVY Awards will be hosting the 2013 award banquet. The event will take place at Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows and all proceeds will benefit the literacy projects of the CIPA Education and Literacy Foundation (CIPA ELF).

CIPA is a nonprofit association of independent book publishers, authors, future authors and related publishing service providers that has been providing leadership since 1992. Members come from many states as well as from Colorado and three foreign countries to take advantage of the resources made available through CIPA membership. Organization membership, along with active participation in CIPA programs, can open doors to many opportunities and can save thousands of dollars in costly mistakes.

Best of luck to all the finalists! To learn more about the event, visit http://www.cipacatalog.com/pages/CIPA-EVVY-Awards.

– by Kelly Schuknecht

It’s been a long time since we’ve mentioned the CIPA EVVY Awards, an unforgivable lapse given that the EVVYs are one of independent publishing’s few (and most prestigious) award competitions.  Talk about a shortfall!  The world of traditional publishing is rife with similar awards (or as my dad would say, “It’s right lousy with ’em.”) and while yes, they’re sometimes the hallmark of snootiness and a competitive dynamic that self-publishing authors have for the most part eschewed, but they can also be a fantastic marketing tool.

Not only does winning an award create another cross-searchable entry in your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy; not only does winning an award gain you recognition from those present at the awards ceremony and throughout the judging process; not only does winning an award give you a great new addition to your book’s listing on Amazon, Goodreads, and elsewhere that will boost your profile among new potential readers; not only does winning an award give you a great excuse to re-release your book in a new e-book or physical edition (after all, an award notice makes for a great new feature of your cover design); not only does winning an award do all of these things, but it also provides affirmation of your hard work and conversation fodder for the rest of your life.

The 2016 CIPA EVVY Awards differed, of course, a little from their 2013 ancestors. (And I’m not just speaking about the contest entries themselves.)  The EVVYs closed to entries this year in May and the Awards Banquet was held in August.  (August 20th, to be precise.)  In a gesture to its own growing profiles, the banquet wasn’t held in a hotel this year, but in a museum–the Forney Museum of Transportation.  (A beautiful place if you haven’t been.)

*****

 

 

By all accounts, the awards themselves were a blast.  I take great pride in knowing that the self-publishing company I and several other of the bloggers here at SPA  work for (Outskirts Press) made the list of winners–regularly–and that we are in very good company.  Take a look at the list of all the 2016 CIPA EVVY winners!  Scan through the list of author names, and through their publishers.  I’ve never seen such a diverse list of hybrid and self-publishing companies, D.I.Y.-ers, and interesting book titles.

Clearly, I have some new reading material to get through!

Thanks for reading.  If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line in the comments section below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.  ♠

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, outskirts press, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 9.12.2016

And now for the news!

This week in the world of self-publishing:

“When I self-published my book, admittedly, it was the last resort,” writes Eva Lesko Natiello in her September 8th article for The Huffington Post‘s Entertainment section. Natiello, who self-published her book The Memory Box after a series of rejections from traditional publishers, goes on to describe the dejection and intense discouragement that followed. “Quickly,” she writes, “the consolation prize felt very much like a booby prize.” This discouragement was only amplified by the positive responses she received.  Says Natiello, “I’m probably the only author on the planet that cringes when a reader says, ‘I read your book in one night! I couldn’t put it down!’ Knowing the myriad all-nighters I pulled writing and editing it. And all the sleepless nights that are ahead of me to finish the next book.”

Natiello’s experience is hardly unique, however. Many authors turn to self-publishing as a last resort after rejection, and there’s a tendency to think that this somehow automatically equates to failure–that self-publishing is the hallmark of failed writers, even as sales soar and readers respond the way that Natiello’s do. But there’s a silver lining to the struggle, she reminds us: “It was unglamorous and worth every minute. I didn’t know it back then, but self-publishing is just a different way to do the thing I always wanted: to entertain readers. You can’t do that unless you produce something for them to read.”  And Natiello has.  To read her full story and catch up on the success of her book, you can access the full HuffPost piece here.

Some self-publishing companies are, shall we say, unique. And Erika Bester’s Fire Quill Publishing, the first fully female-owned publisher, is one of several experienced self-publishing authors who has taken steps towards activating the potential of other authors by launching a startup that defies the world of traditional publishing according to Neo Koza in this September 9th article for Eyewitness News.  Bester saw a need–“Our publishing companies focus more on non-fiction and memoirs, they are not very supportive of fantasy genres and non-adult science fiction”–and decided to set about satisfying that need.  But it’s not easy going, as Koza reports: when small publishers like Fire Quill do occasionally get their books into stores, they are often tucked away out of sight. “It’s always somewhere in the corner where nobody sees it,” says Bester.  But her struggle is an important one, as Koza records, since the field of traditional publishing leaves little room for diverse voices like Simamkele Dial’s, whose book was published through Fire Quill earlier this year. As many self-publishing authors have discovered, self-publishing is more than just a home to discouraged authors seeking shelter after rejection by the institution; the platform provides a wholly new launchpad for diversity in thought and representation. (And content.)  But enough of the summary; check out Koza’s coverage of Bester’s work at the link.

Award opportunities for self-publishing authors can be few and far between, but there are opportunities out there as this September 9th press release for Outskirts Press reveals. The full-service self-publishing company will by the time you read this have both sponsored and sent representatives to the first-ever Colorado Book Festival, held at the Denver Public Library.  “As a Colorado-based company that assists authors worldwide,” says the release, “Outskirts Press is thrilled to provide resources to aspiring authors attending this free event.”  The event is drawing some attention not just because of its novelty but because of the names attached; Colorado’s Governor, John Hickenlooper, attended the event as well as Outskirts Press’s founder and President, Brent Sampson, who took part in a panel discussion while the company’s CEO, Jeanine Sampson, met writers one-on-one in order to field questions about both the company and the process of self-publishing.  The event, which drew more than 75 local authors (!!), ran the gamut from crime to sports, poetry to photography, and fiction to history as authors mingled and shared their experiences with other attendees.  With book signings, giveaways, and children’s story times scheduled throughout the event, this first-ever Colorado Book Festival holds a lot of promise in terms of giving authors an idea of what they might come to expect in the future for their industry: Hope, optimism, and a great deal of public attention.  For the full press release, follow the link!

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
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

“Wind Kissed” : A Saturday Self-Published Book Review

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, courtesy of bookishjessp:

wind kissed by lynn ann migdal

Wind Kissed

by Dr. Lynn Ann Migdal

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478753773

Synopsis*:

The Silver family is wealthy, but their money can’t fix the dysfunction that tears at eleven-year-old Rebecca, who endures her parents’ emotional battles and the physical and verbal abuse of her older sister. In response, Rebecca hunches over, tightening and over-contracting the muscles on the right side of her body. Over time, this has caused her spine to curve in unhealthy directions, creating pressure on her nervous system and wreaking havoc on her immune system. She also turns to the comfort of food. Rebecca’s life changes dramatically when she encounters the nature spirits of the sky, who help humans find peace and health. With their help, Rebecca learns how to heal herself from verbal, food, and techno abuse. She empowers her mind, body, spirit, and nervous system with healthy foods, thoughts, breaths, and postures, and she becomes healthier and happier-allowing her to take on her mission: saving the children and the planet. Wind Kissed is an entertaining and educational fantasy novel that will empower young readers to look up at life, look up from technology, and make healthy, peaceful choices.

Critique:

Wind Kissed by Dr. Lynn Ann Migdal, isn’t the kind of book that I would pick up, but since I had the opportunity to receive a free copy of it and review it, I decided to give it a shot. I was actually quite surprised by how much I liked it. Wind Kissed is juvenile fiction, that is trying to spread the message of a healthier and happier life. Now, I do personally believe that Migdal tried to push some of her messages a little bit too much onto the children who read Wind Kissed. I personally feel that she shouldn’t be pushing the ideas of children changing their diets, and if she wanted to get that message across, she should be writing for the parents. Honestly, I think that was my biggest issue with the book.

Overall, Migdal did a great job with spreading the message of a healthier and happier life. I feel that children who read Wind Kissed will definitely take something from the story, whether it is to remember to stay positive, improve their posture, or trying their best to make other people feel better about themselves. I could see Elementary School teachers having a copy of this book in their classrooms and reading it to their classes, and the students enjoying it.

Migdal did a great job with taking the realistic aspects of everyday life, and mixing it with this magical world up in the sky that she had created. By using both of these aspects in Wind Kissed she is able to grab the attention of the readers, and keep it for the whole story. Kids, will love it, but as someone who is 23 years old I at times did find it a bit silly as it seemed a bit over the top.

I am giving Wind Kissed by Dr. Lynn Migdal 3/5 stars.

[ reviewed by Houston-based blogger Jesse at bookishjessp ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

This is a very different book in a way, but yet quite amazing. We meet the Silver family who are very well off as far as money goes, but broken as far as relationships go. Our main character is eleven year old Rebecca who has lived in abuse both physical and verbal from her older sister. She does not fight back but cowers in the corner both in mind and body. Because of this she has serious physical issues. Who will help her.
This is where the story goes into the supernatural as you travel with Rebecca as she meets the nature spirits of the sky. Ones that help humans to find health and peace. Rebecca learns how to change her mind, body, spirit and even her nervous system and literally change her life and change her family.

To me this was a amazing book because our author used the supernatural, something that brings interest, to show how even a child can change her life and the life of her family. Children will learn and I feel listen to what Rebecca went though and her journey to victory. I believe they will realize they too can come out from under the bad circumstances they are in. Adults can also learn a lot from this read I know I did. Very well done. I think this is a great book for parents to share with their children.

– Amazon Reviewer Shirley Priscilla Johnson

Wind Kissed is about a girl named Rebecca who is rich but poor in the sense that her family doesn’t care for her. As her family takes everything out on Rebecca, it causes her to be hunch over and not worthy of anyone until one day when the nature spirits of the sky start speaking with her. With their help, Rebecca learns to stand up taller and speak out and discover herself and with a little help, her family and friends start being there for her. It ends on a high note that I wish would truly happen in real life!

I found this book to be great in the sense that it teaches kids to love themselves and stand up to all that abuses them. With a strong message of saving the planet before it’s too late, if we just love each other rather than hate, great things will happen!

Thank You to Dr. Lynn Ann Migdal for writing a good story that teaches kids to love themselves before anything else!

– Amazon Reviewer Country Girl Bookaholic

Book Trailer:

* = courtesy of Goodreads reviewer Sally Kruger.

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

Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 9/9/2016

RIGHT EDITOR vs WRONG EDITOR

… or …

The Match Game

 

Because I’m an editor AND an author I know I’m not the right editor/assistant for a whole lot of authors. That being said, I’m comfortable saying that I am an excellent editor/assistant for many authors. Those writer/authors are the folks with whom I share a passion for the genres of mystery/suspense, historical fiction, and sci-fi; uplifting poetry and art/photography; memoirs and expressions of Faith in true stories, miracles, and encouragement in daily life. Seeing these books finalized and in print is a wonderful feeling. Even more delightful are the times I’ve heard Readers say that a specific book was medicine to them—helping them realize that life’s pain is lessened by life’s joys even when we’re unaware of them.

Today, I’ll share a few thoughts about TYPES of editors and their niche in the editing world so that you can decide for yourself the type of editor your project needs.

  • We’re most familiar with the Copy Editor. This person corrects questionable grammar, makes suggestions about repeated word usage, and looks at the style of your writing.
  • A Copy Editor may also do Proofreading which looks a bit harder at verb tense usage, how writers use numbers, capitalizations, punctuation and, of course, correct spelling.
  • The Format Editor takes your manuscript and places it in the necessary program (PDF, etc.) required for publishing—whether newspaper, magazine, online, ebook or printed book.
  • There are also Research Editors who will confirm the references you’ve used and—if requested—make certain quotes are accurate.
  • Content Editors are often called the melting-pot of editorial services. They look at your manuscript as a whole; get to know you as an author and your author voice; and review/edit accordingly. This means, the Content Editor does their best to keep the author’s voice alive whether the punctuation or verb/tense is perfect or not.
  • Another style of editing is that of the Critique or Development Editor. This person helps a writer build their book from a basic idea, outline or partial draft. They work more closely with the writer—through multiple drafts—and can become an advisor on many book-related topics.
  • A Substantive editor, much like the Critique or Development Editor, will work with writers to improve their fiction manuscript. Both Writer and Substantive Editor work to clean up story elements such as plot, character growth/changes, dialogue, voice, setting, word choice, sentence construction and syntax, and pace—anything that could improve the strength of the manuscript. Working with Point-of-View is a big element helping the Writer re-focus on the Big Picture of their story as a whole.
  • Lastly I will mention the Ghostwriter. In 2014 NPR did a story about a ghostwriter who had just completed his 70th –yes seventieth—ghostwritten book project. Many years ago the concept of allowing someone else to write your book for you was a backroom discussion only to be shared with the publisher who was part of the contract.  NOT SO TODAY. Those who “do” ghostwriting are superb listeners who can hear the voice of their clients and write-in-their-shoes making it possible for Author and Ghostwriter to enjoy their everyday jobs.  Thus the reading public benefits from the best of both worlds—the “story” of the Author and the expertise of the Ghostwriter.

book pages

And there you have it—a comprehensive list of editors who are available to every writer should the need arise.  If you’re looking for an excellent editor match, talk with publishers and self-publishers.  Their current databases will give you the best options. ⚓︎

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, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Self-Publishing, Uncategorized

In Your Corner: Choosing a Self-Publishing Company

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
//
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
//
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
//
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
X
– Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” (1916)
***

You may very well be asking what Robert Frost has to do with self-publishing.  After all, he’s rather more a titanic figure in the world of literature (read: traditionally-published literature) than an icon of the D.I.Y. generation.  But here’s the thing: Robert Frost wrote about choices.  A lot.  And while the poem means as lot things to a lot of different people–a lot of things and a lot of people–Frost himself was taken aback to discover how seriously his readers took it.  He’d written it, quite literally, about his friend and walking buddy Edward Thomas, who had rather a lot of trouble making up his mind where to go while they were walking together.*

choices

If Frost had a point, it was that indecision can lead to rather long walks–and maybe damp hair, if there’s a fog or a rain cloud about.  And as you can no doubt verify, the same principle is at work when it comes to choosing a self-publishing company: indecision leads to long waits, and long waits have more consequences for books than just damp hair.  Timeliness is an important part of a book’s appeal, and when we delay publication for whatever reason, that timeliness is undercut.  But making a rash decision can be equally if not more problematic, can’t it?  Finding yourself trapped into a contract which privileges the company and not the author is always a bad thing.  And so we come to it; if I have any advice in choosing a self-publishing company from my years working with self-publishing authors, I could boil it down to these three pointers.

How to Choose a Self-Publishing Company:

1. Choose the people, not the platform.

A lot of self-publishing companies keep costs down by sacrificing customer support and real humans on the other end of certain processes.  But believe me when I say these companies have lost something vital and important; publishing, even or perhaps even especially self-publishing, is about connection.  Connecting the dots between manuscript and book, between author and readers, and yes!  Between the author and the process of publication itself.  If there’s no one on the other end of the line, the final result will suffer.

A good self-publishing company, on the other hand, hires professionals who really and actually care about producing beautiful books that their authors are proud of.  A good self-publishing company hooks you up with partners, with people who care as much about bringing your vision to life as you are.  Choose the company who makes you feel like a priority, who makes you feel like you actually matter.

2. Post-publication assistance matters.  A lot.

Publishing your book is just the start; there’s a lot that comes after.  Don’t just look for a company that offers pre-publication assistance (like copyediting and custom book cover designs) but one that also offers post-publication assistance.  A good self-publishing company will offer marketing assistance, maybe some merchandising options, social media insight, and distribution not just to online retailers like the Apple iStore or Barnes ?& Noble’s Nook Store, but also to physical retailers like Ingram and to reviewers, award committees, and book fairs.  It doesn’t matter if one or two of the offerings don’t strike you as must-haves … but it does matter that you choose a company with diverse options available (which proves they have a lot of muscle, and a lot of influence) and that you choose a company which can still be useful to you after your book hits Amazon.  A company you can turn to if, for some reason, your book sales stall six months on.

3. Don’t give up what made you decide to self-publish in the first place.

Look, I get it: most of us choose to self-publish because of money.  Or because of intellectual freedom.  There’s usually a bank balance or an ideology at work, and I would caution you against thinking of this as a bad thing.  Something pulled us towards self-publishing, even if it’s just plain old simple curiosity, and that something is both valid and worth hanging on to.  Stick with your guns.  Don’t give up on your instincts–because ultimately, your instincts are the most trustworthy and valuable thing you have when it comes to choosing a self-publishing company.

choices

You are not alone. ♣︎

*  And when Thomas himself took the poem seriously and made some rather intense life choices–for example, going off to WWI–Frost was devastated.  He was even more devastated when Thomas died in Arras.  The moral of this story being, it would seem, to make major life decisions upon thorough research and consideration, not the (misread) interpretation of a poem.

Elizabeth

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process 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, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.