author services, Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 5.23.2016

This week in the world of self-publishing:

First off, this little press release put out by Author Solutions on May 18th via PRWeb: the self-professed “world leader in supported self-publishing services” made an announcement last Monday to the effect that “it has entered a development partnership with immersive content studio Legion of Creatives. Through the relationship,” the press release goes on to state, “Legion will actively review indie book titles within the Author Solutions catalogue for possible film, television and digital adaptations.”  For fans of Author Solutions this is pleasant news indeed, but the company has its fair share of detractors.  Even critics have to admit, however, that the prospects for self-publishing as a whole are broadened by these kinds of pioneering partnerships–in the future, they are likely to not only be available to all self-publishing authors, but to be made much more affordable as the market broadens and competition increases.  For the original press release, follow the link!

In this, the first of two articles put up by Publisher’s Weekly on May 20th related to hybrid publishing, contributor Nicole Audrey Spector puts together a comprehensive guide to getting started with hybrid publishing––much as we did with our March 2nd blog post.  As Spector puts it, going hybrid is to seize upon a “third option”––an option “which fuses aspects of traditional publishing with self-publishing, often for an up-front fee. At least that’s one definition,” she writes: “as any author exploring the territory of hybrid publishing will find, it’s complicated.”  It’s complicated in part because hybrid publishing is not the same thing as being a hybrid author––the former involves a specific publishing model which incorporates the flexibility and authorial rights of self-publishing with the resources of traditional publishing … and the latter is usually used to describe an author who has published through both the traditional and self-publishing models (and may also have dabbled in the hybrid one) or may have moved from one to the other.  Spector goes on to describe the workings of various hybrid publishing companies and the experiences of several authors who have used them, and closes with this warning: “Hybrid publishing does have its drawbacks and is assuredly not for everybody.”  The “key,” she writes, is “for authors is to do their homework, connect with peers who have published with hybrids, and determine their expectations and goals from the start.”  Wise words all around, I should think.  You can read the rest of Spector’s guide here.

Brooke Warner contributed the second May 20th piece on hybrid publishing to Publisher’s Weekly, and her interest isn’t in explaining the concept to beginners a la Spector’s piece, but rather to project a forecast for the hybrid publishing market over the coming years (an equally vital task, I think!).  Says Warner, founder of hybrid firm She Writes Press, “Within hybrid publishing there exist many creative models, defined largely by what we’re not.”  The struggle has been for self-realization and self-definition, and to exist at the center of their own narrative––that is, not on the fringes of the self-publishing vs. traditional publishing catfight.  “As more hybrid publishers continue to enter the market,” she argues, “we need to start to define ourselves more by what we are, which requires certain standards to be adopted and certain industry practices to change.”  How to go about oding this?  Well, Warner has an idea––in the form of a brief manifesto:

Hybrid publishers ought to be meeting the standards of their traditional publishing counterparts—both editorially and in design. Hybrid publishers ought to have traditional distribution, or to find better inroads into the marketplace than currently exist in the self-publishing sector. Hybrid publishers ought to qualify to submit their books to be reviewed traditionally and to enter contests without being barred because of their business models. Their authors ought to qualify to join any professional organization they want without facing the discrimination that currently exists against any author-subsidized model.

Well, that’s a rallying cry if I ever heard one.  And with a pedigree like Warner’s to back it up, maybe the various power-players will listen.  Even if they don’t, Warner writes, “We’re tapping on industry doors and witnessing some acceptance and some pushback, but, since we’re here to stay, we’ll just let our books do the talking.”  Powerful stuff.  To read the rest of Warner’s article, click here.

 

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.

KellyABOUT 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.

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

Saturday Book Review: “Dream World”

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 Bookjunkie’s Book Blog:

dream world by william charles krebs

Dream World: Tales of American Life in the 20th Century

by William Charles Krebs

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478745396

Synopsis:

The Andersons are in Ocorlampa, Florida to look at the college for their daughter Liz. They saw their daughter move into a family home of the Wilsons. At the same time a young man, Willie, has come to Florida to settle in so he can go to the local college. He finds a room with an elderly widow. Both of these young people find jobs at “Dream World” where they are destined to meet. Therefore Liz and Willie begin dating. Neither are very experienced in dating, so it is new for them. They fall in love, but Willie gets scared as he is not ready for marriage yet, so he drops Liz without any explanation. Sue, who fancies herself ‘the complete woman,’ pursues Willie. She does not think Liz is right for Willie and they have heated relationship. Liz is puzzled. Willie does not love Sue, and by Christmas has broken up with her, and then sets out to get Liz back. This takes some maneuvering to get Liz back, and he signs up to be in the same class in the new term. Another young man, Mike, is in the class becomes competition for Willie. The three of them end up going to lunch together. There is much lively discussion in class. Mike also gets to know Sue. Willie and Mike get into a fight, and Sue claims they were fighting over her. Read the book to see how it turns out.

Critique:

Dream World: Tales of American Life in the 20th Century by William Charles Kreb is a story about two young college students who are entering a world without their parents’ watchful eye and into the world of love, lust and expectations in marriage.

 

The story opens with Liz Anderson, 17, who dreams of going to college in another state and her parents make her wait. It isn’t until her 19th birthday that she decides to go to Lake Shore College in Florida and assert her independence. The summer before school starts she gets a job as a tour guide at Dream World, an amusement park, which many students from Lake Shore work. It is there she meets, Willie Johnson, a young man who comes to Florida for spring break and decides to come back for college. He soon gets a job at Dream World. Liz and Willie casually date during that summer when something happens which leaves Liz hurt and Willie dating someone else. Willie soon realizes his mistake about breaking up with Liz and now he must fight to win back her affections as a new man enters her life. Both Liz and Willie struggle to find their place in the world, to form their own ideals and forge their own paths in life. Will Willie be able to win Liz back? Will someone win her heart?

I liked this book. I enjoyed the sparing between characters about life, love and marriage. Willie is the frugal man who wants love and marriage and Liz doesn’t know what she wants. The new man, Mike, is the typical egoistical pig who thinks he can get any woman because of his money.  I love the scene where Liz gives Mike a speech which shows him that she is not the kind of woman who falls in love (and bed) with any man just because he flashes money and a handsome smile her way. I love how she poked holes in his proposal when basically points out that he wanted a wife without the legal bidding marriage. She also shows Willie that if he wants her back, he will have to work hard to win her heart.  I also loved how the ending leaves the reader without a definitive answer if Willie and Liz get back together.

[ reviewed by Jennifer Lara of Observations From a Simple Life ]

Here’s what another reviewer is saying:

This is the first offering by William Charles Krebs.  The novel was very long and rather drawn out.  I finished reading it; however, it took me almost a third of the book to actually start caring about what happened to the various characters present in the story.  It was well written but the pace was inconsistent and choppy, and for most of the book it was relatively slow and hard to keep up with due to the slowness.  The story is that about a group of young people in what ends up becoming a love square instead of just a triangle.  The back if the book indicates that there are future novels possible, this would not be a bad thing unless they are over 500 pages as this one was.  I feel like it could have been about 200 pages shorter and left with a minor cliffhanger so to speak and it would have been a much smoother enjoyable read.  I know this seems to be a rather negative review and I do not mean for it to be so; I just was unable to derive nearly as much pleasure as I had anticipated.  I will gladly read another book by this author especially if it is a continuation of this story.

The Good:  The characters, the premise of the story as a whole.

The Not So Good:  The pacing of the story at times.

The Bad:  The overall length of the book.

Rating 6/10

Recommendation:  Literary fiction fans that like a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

– Blogger Victoria Roberts of Bookjunkie’s Book Blog

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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

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

Conversations: 5/20/2016

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post was scheduled to post last Friday, but due to ongoing struggles with our website’s interface, it is going up today.  Our deepest apologies for the error––and look for today’s “From the Archives” post later in the day.
-5/24/2016

 

HELPING HANDS, MINDS and HEARTS

Part III

There is a quote about partnerships that is especially true about ghostwriters: two are better than one. When you start working with a writing-partner you’ll discover that one person’s idea spawns connecting thoughts in the other person and the collaboration produces a better book. Much like film-making where writer, screenwriter and director join forces, the author and ghostwriter bring their own unique histories into play in the making of one excellent book.

Here are three more criteria for finding that perfect partnership:

  1. Vision: When you (the author) have formulated your core statement about your book—what your book is about, and what it brings to the Reader—does the ghostwriter you’re interviewing share that vision? Both you and your teammate should see that picture and have that same goal.
  2. Adaptability: Some authors think they want a “helper” who will enhance their book by following the manuscript “exactly” as the author has written it. This is, of course, every author’s decision to make. However, they should not waste their money hiring an expert ghostwriter.
    1. IF you don’t want any input regarding the content/concepts of your book, employ the Editor who will correct grammar, punctuation, sentence structure; without creative input.
    2. However, the author who wants to explore enhancing their manuscript will be as adaptable and flexible as the ghostwriter they hire. Their manuscript may, indeed, end up being very close to the original—or—very different with improved plot, character, setting (research required) elements that bring out the author’s inspired ideas. This is especially true for authors in the Inspirational genre: both fiction and non-fiction.
  3. Passion: Both author and ghostwriter must share a passion for the subject matter of the manuscript. Every book on every bookshelf was written to “tell something important.” If the level of commitment is weak, so will be the finished product.

These three criteria also hold true after you’ve written the words: THE END. Then the search begins for the right publisher. Notice I’ve used the word right. From my personal perspective I see too many authors open that door of “hope-they-will-accept-it,” then send out multiple queries to the “big” traditional publishing houses—and wait—and wait—and wait. If you know that your book is ready to meet its Readers, then step up and employ the best self-publishing company you can find.

There are several quality self-publishers out there (and some not so great). However, this is where you’ll use the same criteria that I’ve outlined in these blogs. The self-publishing staff will become your book-making-crew—the cameraman (cover designer), format editor (interior designer), printer, marketing director.

  • Talk with them and ask for referrals from their published list. Search their bookstore for two or three books in your genre, then ask for referral/contact information for those authors.
  • LOOK at the books they’ve printed—either at the bookstore or on the Internet.  
  • Compare their publishing packages. This is a competitive business, so don’t be swayed by the first dollar-difference you see between companies—OR their current promotions.
  • LISTEN to the Author Representatives. It won’t take you long to discern whether they have a true passion for their work (helping authors like you)—or not.

YOUR PUBLISHING journey is a grand adventure from the day you write your first page until the many days you’ll be signing autographs! ⚓︎

 

RoyaleneABOUT 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.
elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized, youtube

In Your Corner : Lights! Cameras! Action! Taking your book to the movies

There once was a time when book marketing was mostly a print and maybe occasionally a radio affair. Then came television, and the publishing world absorbed the change. Later came the internet, and the publishing world was faced with a new dilemma: how to make use of the new platform and opportunities provided by the internet to build successful marketing campaigns? Always one step ahead of the curve, self-publishing authors began to look for websites like Youtube and Vimeo as possible platforms to connect with new readers and share their book trailers. And they have been wildly successful!

A book trailer is, in short, a kind of movie trailer for your book. Because videos tap into two fundamentally important human senses–both sight and hearing–at the same time, they have the power to both introduce new readers to your book and inspire them to purchase it.

A good book trailer presents images related to the book’s theme and content in an entertaining way, and is set to music that conjures up the appropriate atmosphere. A mystery novel might be set to a brooding tapestry of minor-key notes, while a romance novel might take advantage of a light-hearted upbeat tempo to clue readers into the nature of its story. Just as moviegoers might find themselves on the edge of their seats at the theater, your potential readers will wait with bated breath for the chance to pick up a copy of your book. It’s all about creating that “buzz” around your book’s release.

YouTube Screenshot

Crafting a book trailer that connects all of the dots in order to inspire this kind of reaction is, of course, quite a challenge. Video editing demands a certain professional creative skill set, complete with a deft hand at image placement, talent with text arrangement, and a nuanced way with transitioning from one frame to the next. And the timing must be precise: the entire trailer must take place over approximately sixty seconds in order to communicate all that it needs to and command a viewer’s attention.

The value of a well-made book trailer is, however, unquestionable. Short movies are the most portable of marketing tools, and are easily shared across all of the major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and elsewhere. They can be embedded into blog posts or the link distributed by email. And chances are, nine out of every ten video links you’re going to click in the coming year will lead to something on YouTube–a website which generates its own enormous slice of direct internet traffic and has proven a reliable source of many “viral” marketing campaigns already. But you never know what the next video application could be–even Amazon is getting into the video game these days.

As a self-publishing author, you’re already strategically placed to take advantage of video–but creating a book trailer? That might be outside of your comfort zone or even fully beyond your abilities. There are, of course, hybrid publishing companies that offer these services as part of a package, or you can commission someone to assist you. If you opt to pay for assistance, your music selection, image identification, and text integration will all be taken care of for you, and a draft of your book video trailer delivered to you. As I recommended last week, check the fine print: as author, you should retain the right to review the draft and suggest changes before final modifications are made. You should also own any and all rights to the final book video trailer outright and therefore use it throughout your marketing efforts–by uploading it to Yahoo! Video, MySpace, Daily Motion, Twitter, Metacafe, and other popular video hosting websites.

Book marketing is all about human connection, and your book video trailer is no different. A book trailer puts all of video’s greatest assets–its immediacy, its ability to convey a lot of information succinctly, and its visceral impact–at your command. Movies have the power to move people, and a book trailer has the power to capture your reader’s attention and then translate that attention into engagement on social media as well as drive sales. Your book video trailer is a backstage pass into who you are as a writer, and an all-access ticket to the theme park of your book’s greater universe!

You are not alone. ♣︎

ElizabethABOUT 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.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Marketing Missteps Episode 9 : Thinking: “Aw, but these rules don’t apply to me!”

Week after week, for the last eight weeks, we’ve unpacked some of the biggest DON’Ts in the business, ranging from exaggerated self-interest to taking on tasks beyond your skill level to waiting.  But this week marks the penultimate misstep–the second to last misstep–the misstep that precedes the ultimate and most fateful of missteps.  Want to know what the worst of the worst of the worst is–at least, in my experience?  Stick around one more week!

But first, before I dive into today’s episode of wrong-footedness, a quick recap–

The Missteps So Far:

This week’s misstep is, as you might expect, in line with the general trend of the last few weeks.  Which is to say, it’s a misstep that has its root in a disconnect between knowing what self-publishing means and really knowing what self-publishing requires.  The misstep?

Thinking: “Aw, but these rules don’t apply to me!”

Once upon a time, I attended a conference with a number of other self-publishing authors and industry professionals.  After a panel session had finished and I was tidying up to leave, one of the other authors approached me and unloaded a small elevator speech about her book (which is actually good thing!  I always love a good elevator speech!).  The book sounded interesting in premise, but I was struck with surprise at not having heard anything about it before, especially since this was the last day of the conference and I’d spent a lot of time browsing among the various stalls that vendors and authors had set up in the hotel atrium.

“Where can I find this book?” I asked.  “I don’t remember having seen it outside.”

“Oh, well, you can find it on Amazon,” said the author, looking vaguely discomfited.

Fair enough.  But ever on the lookout to gather the top tips and tricks–and by “gather” I mean “steal”–of other authors, I took the opportunity to pivot and ask about marketing: “What are you doing to promote this book?”

Here’s the rub.  She said: “Nothing much, really.”  It turned out that she was worried that marketing her own book would take up too much time and wouldn’t do much to boost the sales of a book that came built-in with its own appeal and a timely subject.  She felt that her book hit all the “hot-button issues” of the moment and that this, ultimately, was the primary reason why books sold or didn’t, and that self-promotion was just a lot of hot air.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.  A month or two later, I remembered the conversation and pulled up her Amazon book page, discovering in the process that only two people had reviewed her book and they were both clearly personal acquaintances.  Her sales must have been very limited, indeed.  And as far as I could tell, she’d mentioned the book a couple of times on her personal Facebook account but hadn’t extended her marketing campaign to include standalone representation through Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform.

And she’s not alone!  Neglecting to market at all may very well be the worst mistake authors make–and among the most frequent.  But I’m here to be a little reality check: The basic rules of self-promotion do apply to you.  You might be famous, or mix with folk of a stiff upper lip, or be writing about a subject that touches on the lives of every single person on the planet in a useful and relevant way.  But–BUT!–if you don’t work and work hard, you will only ever find that the doors to healthy sales will stay shut to you.  Yes, there’s an element of the miraculous and the coincidental that helps determine a book’s blockbuster success, but very few self-published books reached acclaim without a good dollop of elbow grease to smooth the way.

Look, I’m not saying I’m the only expert out there.  I may not even be someone whose opinion you respect.  But my decades of experience in self-publishing on both sides of the published/publisher aisle can be distilled down to a handful of take-away statements, and here’s one: Even the traditionally-published author has to work, and work hard, to sell books.  Midlist authors rarely get a break, and they technically have the full force of a team of marketers and promotion experts behind them!  Self-publishing puts that weight on the author’s shoulders even as it returns the decision-making process and rights and royalties where they belong: in the author’s hands.  I guess what I’m trying to say is that no matter what kind of author you want to be, you should put together an actionable plan for marketing your book–a plan that extends beyond a few conversations at a conference.

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. ♠

KellyABOUT 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. 10:00 AM