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

Self-Publishing News: 5.30.2016

This week in the world of self-publishing:

I can’t think of a better way to launch you into the week to come than with this piece, courtesy of Kylie Dunn for the HuffPost Books blog on June 29th.  Here Dunn, author of Do Share Inspire and Write to Launch, recounts her experiences self-publishing and lists her top six lessons learned.  And they’re good lessons!  “You need a professional editor,” she says to start, because “You will experience a full range of doubts and fears when you put your creation into the world [and] having a trusted professional on your side helps.”  Her other points range from “Done is better than good”–quoting Elizabeth Gilbert–to “It’s not a short game” to “It’s scary and exciting,” with one final admonition to “Make sure you have good support mechanisms around you to cater for the days you think you should give up.”  Says Dunn, “This is also why you need a marketing and launch plan, so you aren’t making emotional decisions on the fly.”  Solid advice from one self-publishing author to another, I think.  To read the rest of Dunn’s excellent article, follow the link!

Whoever claims literature is somehow above or beyond the reach of politics hasn’t read the news in India lately, where self-publishing author Rana Ayyub has broken with the powers that be in order to expose systemic corruption.  As chronicled by Arif Hussain for TwoCircles.net in this May 29th article, Ayyub’s story is one that places her firmly in the context of a Ghandi or a Rosa Parks:

A journalist in her twenties decides to go undercover to find the facts about the handling of 2002 Gujarat riots, a series of fake encounters and the murder of ex-home minister Haren Pandya. Over the eight months of subterfuge, she gains trust, breaks trust, comes hairbreadth close to getting caught, goes through phases of self-doubt and anxiety but in the end comes out with a lot of potentially explosive first hand accounts. So much so that her otherwise supportive editors develop cold feet about publishing it and pull the plug on the sting operation.

She then does the logical thing and tries to publish her account as a book. But no publisher worth its name would touch it, no TV news channel would talk about it and very few newspapers would talk to her. In the India of 21st century CE the reigning context of fear is so absolute and the risk of state reprisal so imminent that a mere act of publishing a book can ruin your business.

But of course, self-publishing offers a route free of “gatekeepers,” so Ayyub’s work found a natural home there.  By self-publishing, Hussain notes, “Ayyub also shows a path to people who want to go it alone or just don’t want to toe the “mainstream line.”  We’re all about that here at Self-Publishing Advisor!  To read more of Hussain’s article on Ayyub’s revolutionary work, check out the original piece here.

“The array of [self-publishing] offerings is spurring some writers to leave their publishing houses,” writes Karen Angel for Bloomberg Businessweek in this May 26th article: “particularly midlist authors whose books receive scant marketing support.”  It has long been true that these authors, the ones whose books are accepted for publication by the Big Five publishing houses but whose works aren’t deemed “blockbuster-worthy,” often suffer from poor marketing services and even poorer authorial support.  But there are too many options on the horizon for authors to despair, Angel writes, including self-publishing websites like Pronoun, Reedsy, Leanpub, and Amazon Kindle Direct.  More importantly, she uses the stories of authors themselves as a compass to navigate the complicated world of self-publishing–authors like Janice Graham (of NYT-bestselling Firebird fame) and erotica author Meredith Wild.  She also recounts the story of Greg White, an author whose “last straw came when his publisher forgot to ship copies of his book to the launch party last October.”  And so: self-publishing!  “‘Five years ago,'” Angel quotes White as saying, “‘self-publishing was a scar. Now it’s a tattoo.'”  That’s about as rousing an endorsement as we could ask for.  To read the rest of Angel’s article, click here.

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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.

amazon reviews, Book Reviews, outskirts press, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized

Saturday Book Review: “The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird”

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 Penny Minding Mom:

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The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird

by Anne Toole

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478756378

Synopsis:

Little bird wanted something else to be, Instead of a bird in a tree. He knew what he had to do, so off he flew, to search for another kind of animal he would rather be. Read the story and you shall see, which animal he chose to be. Read the story and you shall see.

Critique:

Have you ever wished to be someone else? In today’s world of social media it seems that everyone is putting their “best self” forward.  It’s all to easy to become jealous and wish to be someone else…even if it’s just for a little while!  We have to step back and remember that we are exactly who we need to be!

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” by Anne Toole, is the story of a little bird who doesn’t want to be a bird.  He dreams of being something else…anything but a bird.  Little bird goes off on a journey to find out exactly what kind of animal he would rather be.  Which animal will he choose?

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” has an important message for us all about self acceptance.  It’s all to easy to believe that being someone else would make us happier.  As little bird explores the world about him, he soon learns that all those things he once thought so wonderful about everyone else just weren’t the things that would make him happy.  Just like little bird, we need to look closely about the things we “think” we need to be happy. What makes someone else happy, just might not be the thing that is perfect for us.

The illustrations are adorable, full of bright colours.  The text is easily read.  The book is written in rhyme but I did find that some of the “rhymes” just didn’t work when I read the story aloud to the kids.

The kids and I started a conversation about the things we love and the things that we don’t like so much about ourselves. We talked about what to do about those things that we really dislike ourselves.  Are they things we can change?  How do we work towards changing while still loving ourselves for who we are?  We discovered that some of the things we think are our faults are those very things that someone else loves about us.

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” is a great story for children of all ages about loving ourselves. For more information on this book check out Outskirts Press.

[ reviewed on Penny Minding Mom ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Children all dream of what they want to be when they grow up. Some want to be firefighters, others imagine being sports stars or actors. Playing make-believe is a great way to try out different roles, and so are looking at characters in stories and TV shows or movies. This particular story shows a little bird who has decided that he doesn’t want to be a bird, even though his mother tells him that a bird is what he is meant to be. So he explores the area and checks out the other creatures, trying to find one that he would enjoy spending the rest of his life in their place.

As older readers will guess, there is no other life that would suit the little bird better than the one he already has. Human beings have a lot more choices open to them than animals, obviously, but trying to be something you’re not is still something we have to deal with. Developing a sense of identity and being comfortable “in the skin you’re in” is a life skill we all need. The story is told in rhyme and supported with brightly colored illustrations. Some of the wording may seem a bit awkward to adult readers, but the target audience of beginning readers will probably not notice.

Author Anne Toole was a first grade teacher and ESOL instructor before she began writing children’s books. She understands the issues that children deal with on a daily basis – making friends, what makes them special, fitting in, etc. This is the type of story that parents, teachers, and guidance counselors can read with a child (or a group), and then discuss the moral of the story.

– Amazon Reviewer Suzanne R. Costner

A rhyming book about being happy with who you are. A young bird tells his mother he does not want to be a bird. So he ventures out into the world to explore being a different animal. What he finds out is that every animal has positive qualities he likes but they also have qualities that do not suit him well. In the end he decides that being a bird is what is best for him. The book is easy to read and filled with dolch sight words for emergent readers.

– Amazon reviewer Yvonne Mullen

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, ghostwriting, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 5/27/2016

HELPING HANDS, MINDS and HEARTS

Part IV

It is my hope that the information I’ve offered you this month about GHOSTWRITERS has been beneficial. This partnership/ghostwriting career brings two people together in a hearts, minds and hands pursuit to complete something wonderful that neither writer could do alone. In this last blog entry of the month, I’ll give you a few more examples of WHY you may really need to work of a Ghostwriter.

  • Are you an expert in your career field or educational experience? Do you have a “great idea” for a book with no time or professional writing ability to develop a readable book? You need the help of a Ghostwriter!
  • Are you a CEO of a business that is “doing okay” but you hope will “thrive” someday? Working with a Ghostwriter will allow you to TELL the story about how and why you birthed this business. People will read about the foundational reasons you’re “in business,” respect what you’ve built and come knocking at your business doors.
  • Are you a politician who dreams of working within “the system” to breath “new life” into it? Whether you choose to publish under your own name or with a pseudonym, the clarity of your message must be of highest priority. The Ghostwriter who shares your vision will help you.
  • Do you dream about what life was like for your grandparents—great-grandparents—great-great-grandparents…? Would you like to write a book about their lives, the countries they came from and the wars they survived? That takes a LOT of research, and most people have very little time to dedicate to that kind data search. The Ghostwriter who specializes in memoirs and/or history research is just the person to help you.
  • Are you a CPA who sees “the writing on the wall” in the financial lives of your clients without the ability to explain the steps they need to take to protect their future?
  • Are you a TV Journalist who sees the “real world” on a daily basis yet has only 30-60-90 seconds to express ALL you want to say to your viewers? Journalists are born writers, yet rarely do they have the time and/or reserved energy to write the books that are clamoring within them. Please! Don’t wait until you retire! Connect with a Ghostwriter (who may have also worked as a journalist) and get your book-s written!
  • Are you a Medical Professional who can offer expert information that will benefit potential patients (every person on earth) saving them unnecessary physical, mental or emotional stress? You probably have boxes full of research! Hire a Ghostwriter! Point them in the direction you believe is best and LET your book be written!

Several years ago, one of my very, very best friends passed from this earth. (Yes, I know, it’s not quality writing to use the word very, let alone use it twice. But the truth of it stands as is.) She was a writer I consider to be extraordinarily gifted. She could write with such great empathy whether developing a children’s novel, poetry, or creating magazine articles.

Much of my friend’s work was published in non-fiction genres. But she always returned to her prose writing. One fiction story in particular carried such intensity of emotion, woven with the power of colliding circumstances, that I have not forgotten it—in thirty-plus years. However, she never published that novel, and I have grieved its loss. This writer—my dear friend—wrote with such a unique perspective that inspired excellent life values without “preaching.” She considered working with a Ghostwriter to complete that novel—but didn’t.

SO IT IS I SAY to you, today, DO NOT WAIT! Find the Ghostwriter/partner who will work with you on your book until it is completed! Get referrals from publishers. If you want to work “hand and glove” with a Ghostwriter, talk with your local Liberians and/or local Writing groups. However, the best Ghostwriter for you and your project may not live in your community. Don’t hesitate to expand your search. The majority of my clients live in other states and we’ve never met (face-to-face) but have enjoyed great success in completing their work—and seeing it PUBLISHED! The right writing partner is waiting for your call! Today is the day to start your search! ⚓︎

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.
Book Reviews, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, outskirts press, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Putting the Pieces Together

Figuring out how to navigate the world of book marketing can be a hazardous task, with many unmarked dangers–and shortcuts to safe passage–awaiting the self-publishing author. Over the last three weeks, I have introduced some of those campaign components which I happen to think are vital and important:

The problem, of course, is that while all of these probably sound like good ideas, they also require a lot of work.  And by “a lot of work,” I mean they require both time and a fairly discrete set of skills––each.  That is, the skills and even equipment required to craft that polished press release may have very little natural overlap with the skills and equipment required to craft an impactful video trailer.

“Well, what about Google?” you ask, and fairly.  “What about YouTube?  Can’t I look up some tutorials and put something together myself?”

Yes, yes you can!  And there are some really fantastic free guides out there.  I always recommend looking to the “making-related” articles in peer-reviewed periodicals like Publisher’s Weekly and WIRED throughout the year, even when you’re not working on a specific project, to see what sorts of new ideas and tools are being put out there.  And the quality of instruction on YouTube videos has improved greatly!  I’m not going to lie: the Internet is my go-to place when I need to learn how to do something for the first time, whether it’s to refine my (practically nonexistent) origami skills or how to snake my toilet.  (Don’t ask.)

But some of the “barriers to entry,” as we like to call them, are still up–even with the Internet and YouTube and Google in play.  I successfully snaked my toilet … after an hour of “practicing.”  (Read: “flailing wildly.”)  I know I didn’t have an hour to burn that day, but the toilet needed to be done.  And snaking is a relatively simple task compared to some of the many involved in, say, acquiring the rights to an audio file you want to play behind your book trailer video.  Or tracking down email addresses for booksellers, reviewers, and other industry influencers to create an email distribution list.  Templates and virtual instructions can sometimes fail us at crucial moments–or inflate the time required to accomplish what needs accomplishing beyond what we can spare.

If only there was somewhere we could turn that provided professional insight and assistance with our marketing campaigns!  Okay, okay, I know it’s a little on the nose, but I really do recommend paying for at least one consultation with a PR Publicist when you’re looking to put out a press release, a graphic designer or videographer when you’re crafting your book trailer video, and someone on the inside–with real experience–when it comes to tracking down credible book reviewers.

There are, as always, several ways you can go about this–you can contact these people individually, or you can opt to pay for a bundle of services that put all of these professionals under one roof (digitally speaking, at least).  Do your research, shop around for the best deals, and weigh your priorities against your marketing budget.  (Yes, you need one of those!)  Do what needs to be done to get you back to what you really love–writing–and cuts down on the time you spend fumbling around with that toilet snake.

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.
Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Marketing Missteps Episode 10 : Forgetting to Party (Hard)

Today, as I intimated in my post for last week, I will be examining our tenth and final marketing misstep.  We’ve examined nine others in rapid succession over the last two months, with root causes ranging from ignorance to self-absorption to poor logic.  But the common thread is, of course, personal experience.  I’ve seen people make all of these mistakes–and I’ve made a few of them myself!  These pitfalls are easy to avoid if we know what they are and why they’re a problem, but they’re equally easy to stumble in to if we’re not actively working to avoid them.  Whether or not you’re a veteran self-publishing author or brand-new to the field, the most important thing you can be doing for your marketing campaign is reminding yourself to invest your time, energy, and money wisely.

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?

Forgetting to Party (Hard)

Look, it’s simple: if you’re not having a good time while marketing your book, no one else will.  Readers are drawn to the authors who love what they do, and let their enthusiasm for their book and their life as a self-published author seep into the margins of everything they do.  We can thank the rise of social media for this, perhaps, and digitization in general because readers now have more access to more details about the things they care about than ever before.  Whatever tweet, Instagram picture, Facebook post, blog, or Youtube video they stumble across is part of a whole–it helps them build a full picture, a context, for your work.

Excitement is like sneezes and the mumps: it’s contagious!  If you adopt a joyous, positive, “you first!” mentality while carrying out your marketing, that attitude is guaranteed to rub off on your future readers.  (And capture more future readers’ attention, to boot!)  Positive thinking begets positive thinking, and your readers will feed that back to you in the best kind of positive feedback loop!

Approach your work like you would a holiday party.  Your marketing process is a celebration of your dreams and vision, of Art (with a capital “A”) and all that is good in live.  Your job is to invite everyone you know and everyone you want to know to the party, then get out of the way so they can enjoy the main event.  If it’s a rough night and you’re not feeling up for rabid enthusiasm or passing the pretzels, it might be a good night to double down on the things you do enjoy, and save the rest for a day when you’re ready to meet the world.  But I’m betting, like any good holiday party, you might feel some trepidation about diving in to the marketing process–and that’s fair–but once you’re in the thick of it, chugging cider and swapping stories with friends and strangers alike, the world will look all the brighter.

 

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