Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “Avoid the 3 ‘Tell-Tale’ Signs of Self-Published Books”

Welcome back to our new 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 2nd, 2011 ]

You’ve self-published a book, and it’s amazing that you’ve dedicated so much time and energy into writing and creating you own masterpiece. While there’s nothing wrong with self publishing, and it’s actually a great opportunity for many authors, you don’t necessarily want your book to “look self published”. That could mean inability of your audience to take your book seriously, receiving horrible reviews, suffering from poor sales performance, or worse.

Here are a few of the 3 “deadly sins” not to commit when publishing your book:

  • Use of cover templates – Templates are often rather dull, at best. Invest your money into really making your cover stand out.
  • Unedited manuscript – Run on sentences, sentence fragments, etc. are all things that can leave a bad taste in the mouth of a reader. We always recommend that you hire a professional editor for your manuscript. No, your sister-in-law doesn’t count as a professional editor. You need more than a fresh set of eyes when it comes to choosing an editor. You need someone who is professionally trained in editing.
  • Non-traditional interior
    • Double-Spaced – A book should NEVER be double spaced. Just because something works great for reports and other forms of communication doesn’t mean it will work the same for a printed book.
    • Strange and/or difficult to read typestyles – You like typing in Script MT Bold. It looks beautiful on screen, but will not look as good in a printed book.
    • Missing headers/footers – Have you ever read a book (other than a children’s book) without a header or footer? Why leave them out on your book?
    • Non-standard page numbering – Make sure your page numbers are in the same position on each opposite page. Also make sure font is consistent across all numbering.
When you hire a self-publishing company, all of these things can be taken care of under one umbrella. However, if you are “going it alone”, it’s important to remember the tips above to make sure you avoid showcasing an unprofessional appearance.
-WENDY STETINA

 

Four and a half years after Wendy’s original post, not much has changed when it comes to the aspects of self-publishing which set the final products at a disadvantage compared to their traditionally published kin.

And look, we’ve all seen a lousy book cover or two in our time.  And with online compendiums like the Huffington Post––what with their readerships of thousands upon thousands––going out of their way to pick on a select few, I see no reason to get in on the finger-wagging here.  But suffice it to say, many self-published book covers don’t look quite as polished and beautiful as those put out by the Big Five publishing houses.  There are all sorts of reasons for this: self-publishing authors are shorter (much shorter) on funds than the average industry juggernaut, or perhaps simply prefer to allocate their funds elsewhere, or perhaps have a poor eye for what appeals to a mass market audience.  Templates are rather dull, but they exist for a reason.  Or a series of unfortunate reasons.

We don’t need to blame our fellow indie authors for the trend’s existence to recognize that we can, collectively, do better.  How?  Well, we’ve written about the virtues of a well-crafted book cover before and elsewhere at length, but suffice it to say that there are quite a few options which will result in a lovelier cover than the one you or I can churn out in a basic word processing program.  More importantly, the time and money and energy you spend on an attractive cover reaps dividends that more than compensate for the expense.

When it comes to leaving a manuscript unedited, however, I must admit that I struggle to see a reason that justifies this decision.  Not because I don’t recognize the limitations of a tight budget or the profound importance of exercising total creative control over one’s own work––I understand that  completely––but because an unedited manuscript poses so many opportunities to lose and alienate our readers, no matter how excellent the content and construct of our work.  An attractive book cover will draw readers in, while a polished and professionally-edited manuscript will keep them invested.  It’s as simple as that.  (And for more of our rationale on this one, check out Jodee’s thoughts here, Rob Mangelson’s thoughts here, and Elizabeth’s thoughts here.)  As self-publishing authors, we can’t afford to lose our readers.

Sometimes, we miss things.  The more people who have eyes on a given work, the less likely it is that any single mistake will be overlooked, which is one reason why paying a professional to edit or at least evaluate your work is such an important idea.  But there’s another reason: Professional copyeditors know the rules.  I don’t just mean the official rules of publication and grammar, but the unspoken rules too.  They know which details are going to distract a reader, consciously or subconsciously, from your book.  They know how to create consistency in the midst of chaos.  All of those little details that Wendy mentioned in her original post?  They are exactly the kind of thing that can hurt your sales, even though they may seem small or insignificant.  Copyeditors are your partners and co-laborers in bringing your book to the world, and it’s in their best interest as well as yours to catch every single little misstep before it becomes a profit-buster.

copyediting

Whether it’s presenting your book with an exterior as beautiful as its interior, or editing your book’s content, self-publishing today offers all sorts of options to the aspiring author that wouldn’t have been possible just four years ago.  That is good news indeed! ♠

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.
Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Week in Review, Uncategorized

News From the Self-Publishing World: 11/23/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

We pretty much love i09, the millennial go-to forum for all news fandom-related.  And when an article begins with the line, “At an anti-library closure protest, local magician and comics legend Alan Moore had some surprising words” you can bet we sit up and pay attention––particularly when those “surprising words” end up rallying support to the self-publishing cause.  The article by Kaila Hale-Stern, which posted to i09 on November 19th, records Moore as saying “Publishing today is a complete mess. I know brilliant authors who can’t get their books published [….] Publish yourself. Don’t rely upon other people.”  Says Hale-Stern, “It’s rare and refreshing for an established writer to promote the potential boons of self-publishing and be honest about their perception of what lies behind the industry curtain.”  Moore’s words aren’t exactly  hot off the press (the protest actually took place back in 2011), but Hale-Stern’s decision to resurrect them––and to a high-traffic website like i09––says a lot about what millennials are hungering for.  HINT: It’s not more bureaucratic red tape and rejection by traditional publishers.  For more of Hale-Stern’s article, visit her article here.

In another article published on the 19th, GalleyCat contributor Dianna Dilworth updates readers on the latest development for self-publishing authors looking to break into the audiobook market––and, fittingly enough, this week that involves the launch of a new self-publishing tool by the audiobook industry supergiant, Audiobooks.com.  (When you own the domain name, you must be close to the top of your pyramid.)  The platform is being called Author’s Republic, and according to Dilworth it will allow self-publishing authors to “submit titles to Audiobooks.com, Audible, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, Downpour, and tunein, as well as library providers such as Findaway and Overdrive.”  The benefits seem (from a cursory glance at least) to be notable: “Most of these platforms will pay authors an average of 35 percent royalty on what their titles are sold for. iTunes and Amazon will pay a 25 percent royalty.”  Only time will tell if this new service measures up to existing competitors, of course.  For more information, follow the link.

Self-publishing made it into the Huffington Post this last week!  In an article for HuffPost Books on November 20th, contributor Brooke Warner writes that “Most writers have traditional publishing aspirations” in that “They want an agent to fall in love with their project and champion their work; they’re looking for the external validation of being accepted by a publishing house; their fantasies about getting published involve a red carpet experience that’s increasingly elusive in this industry.”  But so few aspiring authors receive that validation, despite having genuinely rich material to submit.  The solution?  According to Warner, you can fine-tune your approach to agents and publishers alike, but the one option which will always be open to you is that of the indie, hybrid, and self-publishing market.  Says Warner, “Independent publishing is a blossoming middle ground for authors, and in many cases you can replicate the experience you always dreamed of having–though you pay for it instead of being paid for it.”  Obviously we’re a little biased here at SPA, but we fully advocate for more creative control!  To catch more of Warner’s article, check out the original post.

When it comes to self-publishing, or publishing in general, “art books” don’t get a lot of love or attention.  But they should!  I mean, what’s more eye-catching and giftable than a beautiful oversized book full of illustrations and photographs?  And with the digital revolution has come a parallel evolution in the creation and editorial tools now available to artists and photographers––so really, seeing someone pay attention to them is both refreshing and necessary.  In this November 20th piece for Publisher’s Weekly,  Ryan Joe writes that “despite the amount of work that goes into such an endeavor, numerous creators—some big names in their respective fields, others up-and-comers—are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to getting their art books published.”  He goes on to document the ways and means in which several of these creators have trailblazed the way for other artists to follow, and in so doing Joe creates a summary guide for authors looking to flex a different self-publishing muscle.  Well worth a second look, we’d expect!

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

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: “The Lucky Seven Show”

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 the Midwest Book Review:

the lucky seven show

The Lucky Seven Show

by Mary Jo Wisneski Johnston (author)
& Richa Kinra (illustrator)

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478747093

Synopsis:

Muscatino Rattuti the Great––or Musky for short––is delighted to have discovered the huge barn with seven sides. It’s perfect for storing the Rat Pack’s treasures from their nightly forays, and the entertainment possibilities of the barn are endless: It’s loaded with various and sundry items that the wood rats, flying machines, forest people, musical instruments, photographs, the world geography contingent, and ancient farm tools are inspired to engage in. Musky isn’t the only creature vying for use of the barn. Everyone wants to play there! In The Lucky Seven Show––a delightfully illustrated new book––Musky the wood rat and the weathervane horse use their wits to bring about a resolution to the problem, as all seven groups showcasing their talents in the barn at once would cause utter chaos. A positive outcome grows out of generous planning, collaboration, and compromise among the groups––and the final resolution brings happiness to all!

Critique:

The Lucky Seven Show is a creative fantasy in which Muscatino Rattuti the Great, otherwise known as Musky the wood rat, collaborates with seven other groups or entities to organize multi-faceted use of the hepbarn, a seven sided magical barn storage structure in which all groups wish to perform. In this amazing, kaleidoscopic mini epic, Musky, a wizard wood rat with wings, is assisted by a talking weathervane pony and a human observer to begin a planning conference inviting all seven groups to think of ways to share performance space in the hepbarn. This is a phenomenal idea, resulting in an amazing Lucky Seven Show featuring flying machines, forest wood sprites, funky musical instruments, animated trip photographs, world geography remnants, and ancient farm tools, and the wood rat pack. Each contingent was allowed one side of the seven sided barn and one time for featured performance, and all planned performances were announced by a publicity menagerie/signboard effect. In this ditzy, glitzy, theatrical troupe, shape and order, with collaboration and cooperation, evolve into a stunning solution which eclipses anything imagined by Musky or the other groups. Funny, whirling, colorful pencil/crayon-like illustrations express the components of The Lucky Seven Show with precision and style, providing an enriched fantasy experience for the lucky readers (age 8 and up). The Lucky Seven Show ends leaving readers wanting to hear more. Perhaps a sequel will add further delight.

[ reviewed in the Children’s Bookwatch ]

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

This book is about cooperation, organization and being willing to take turns when only one group of several can be active at any time. The interior of a barn has seven sides and there are seven distinct groups of actors that want to carry out their performances designed to express what appears on their wall. When one group is active there is no room for any other group to operate, so scheduling is necessary.
The caretaker of the barn is Muscatino Rattuti the Great (Dr. Wiz), a flying rat with wispy, filmy wings. It is his job to keep everything organized and he is drawn with nose spectacles and wearing a wizard’s robe and hat. Eventually, there is a meeting where the groups within the barn are able to create a schedule that all can agree on.
Although it is constructed in the classic children’s book form of images on one side and text on the other, this book will challenge young readers due to the presence of more difficult words. Some of those words are Hantavirus, sojourns, appendages, interminable, edifice, myriad and cacophony. The images have the appearance of having been done in colored pencil, the colors are soft and there are sketch lines.
This is a book that presents an important lesson, the lesson of timesharing a scarce resource. The smooth process of life is based on rules of politely taking your turn, whether you are in a grocery store, driving a vehicle or in a business meeting where company policy is being discussed and developed. Children need to learn that this is the most efficient way for groups to function and this book teaches that important lesson.

– Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer Charles Ashbacher

Illustrated by Richa Kinra, this children’s book by Mary Jo Wisneski Johnston is sure to delight many readers. It the pictures are engaging and colourful. They are hand drawn and the expressions on the characters’ faces are amusing. I do not like computer generated images and I would like to applaud the author and publisher of this book for these organic and enriching illustrations.

This fun book tells the tale of a strange seven-sided barn and the magical events that happen within its walls. Each side or wall has different characters who compete with each other for space and attention. However, a compromise is reached and the reader learns a valuable lesson about working together, cooperation and appreciation of those that are different from ourselves.

– Amazon Reviewer Susan Day

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, Writing

Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer: 11/20/2015

SEASONS Part III

 

Whether our writing environment provides us with the blessing of looking out upon nature’s changing seasons or we have set up a laptop on the laundry basket next to the basement washer and dryer, we can always imagine the seasons of setting, plot, and the lives of each individual character.

I must confess that my writing space looks nothing like this beautiful illustration. It is often cluttered beyond my ability to deal with the stacks and I am forced to take-a-day and reorganize it, much to my husband’s delight. You see, he shares one side of the narrow desk in our 10×10 office and tries to demonstrate organization by keeping his side “neat” with everything in its place. However, until I discover a way to keep each of my on-going projects within easy reach (not in closet filing cabinet), my stacking system will remain. I’m one of “those” writers who allows my imagination free reign giving me the opportunity to jump from one project to another at any time of the day. When something I’m researching and/or critiquing triggers a thought relating to another project, I immediately place that piece (concept, website source, person-to-contact) with the appropriate stack.

royalene3

THERE ARE, however, as many writing space concepts as there are writers.  Following are a few that I’ve discovered are helpful to my author friends.

  • BABY BOTTLE READINESS. This space is nestled next to the rocking chair and the crib in the new baby’s corner of the family room. Whether the author is Mom or Dad, when it is their time for baby-watch, they have acknowledged that their creative ideas rarely pause during those specific hours. The “desk” can be an actual writing desk or a TV tray just as long as it provides space for pen, paper, laptop and/or tape recorder.
  • DINING ROOM/KITCHEN TABLE. One of my best friends wrote her plays while seated at her long, rustic-style family table. This space was actually added to the kitchen and designed with windows on three sides. Her view—throughout each season of the year—was of a mountain meadow, aspen and fir trees and the occasional white-tail deer family. She kept her developing projects in a box (emptied of paper reams) and cleared the table every day.
  • PET PARTNERS. Sometime soon, I suggest you do a Google search of Authors and their pets. It will make you smile! There are stories told about John Steinbeck and his standard poodle, Charley. Ernest Hemingway was a great fan of cats and “owned” several—or, rather, they owned And then there is my cat, Sadie, a tabby lady who has shared my writing days from her cushion these past eighteen years. The presence of these critters in our lives can bring about just the right amount of pause and reflection we writers need in order to grab hold of the next complete sentence and/or thought.
  • THE RETREAT or HAVEN. George Bernard Shaw built is own very private retreat, converting a tool shed into his writing space. It worked for him. However there are other get-away locations that might serve your needs. Again, do a Google search of “writing retreats.” You’ll find luxurious places in castle towers or tack-rooms in big red barns converted for the writer who enjoys the scent of horse and cattle for their inspiration.

royalene4

Bottom line…don’t hesitate to move about while developing your writing project. Becoming TOO settled, TOO comfortable in one chair or at one desk could stifle your imagination and lock you into one season of writing. ⚓︎

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.
Advocacy in Self-Publishing, copyediting, editing, Editing Your Self-Published Book, elizabeth speaks, ghostwriting, in your corner, outskirts press, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Do I need a ghostwriter?

How do you know if it’s time to seek out a ghostwriter to help you complete your book?  And what all is involved in the process of ghostwriting, anyway?  Is it really any different from detailed copyediting?

If you’re asking these questions, I hope what I write here will help to answer at least a few of them.

As with any writing venture, ghostwriting is a unique experience that presents unique challenges in addition to unique benefits.  You won’t ever find me pretending otherwise, just as you won’t find me beating around the bush when it comes to recommending a thorough and professional edit of your manuscript once it’s been written––and just as I held no punches when I worked to draw a dividing line between copyediting and proofreading in my blog post two weeks ago.

So, what is ghostwriting?  It is, according to the “Publishing” page on About.com, “the practice of writing for and in the name of someone else. It is most commonly associated with book publishing, but today it is also widely used in public relations, corporate communications, social media, and many other industries and fields that are producing greater and greater amounts of written content.”  Many of our most prolific “superstar” genre specialists, like John Grisham and Tom Clancy and Nora Roberts (and so on and so on to infinity) employ a combination of understudies, assistants or secondary writers, and ghostwriters.  They are called upon to generate, quite simply, too much material for a single human being to keep pace.  But many if not most niche storytellers––whether famous or indie, traditionally published or self-publishing––lead hectic and busy lives that keep them from writing the books that they want to.  We just can’t ignore the fact that self-publishing authors deserve to know that there is another option out there for them!

ghostwriting

The process is relatively simple: most ghostwriters work on a contract or freelance basis for companies like Outskirts Press, so the fastest way to get yourself set up with an accomplished and expert ghostwriter is to go through one of these established websites.  Perhaps the best reason of all to go with someone who has been vetted and proven trustworthy is this: ghostwriting is, at its core, a collaborative venture between you (the author) and your ghostwriter.  How you choose to work depends more on you and what your vision for a piece demands than it does on time constraints, or one hopes for such a truth in a perfect universe.  (Being too rushed for time to go it alone is a wholly valid reason to hire a ghostwriter!)

Ghostwriting has been around awhile.  Long enough, in fact, that industry supergiants like Forbes have taken a look at it––and, circling back to my comment about collaboration:  In this article for Forbes, contributor Sydney LeBlanc writes that “you can turn [your] entire book project over to the writer (research and writing) or you can provide research, notes, periodicals, etc that will help the writer.”  That’s one option, but “You can also have regular ‘interviews’ with the writer who will take notes or record conversations with you about the topic. The writer will write draft chapters for you to review, edit, or make suggestions.”  LeBlanc says that, ultimately, “There are many ways to work with a ghostwriter; it all depends on what is convenient or best for you and what is in your budget.”  (Emphasis mine.)

Hopefully this is enough to convince you that seeking out a ghostwriter is a simple and easy thing to do, and that therefore we can move past one of several possible obstacles to taking that course of action!

(PERSONAL ASIDE & RANT: Enough with the stigma, already!  Everyone’s writing method looks different, anyway, so why do we feel guilty over choosing to bring someone else in on the process?  Let’s celebrate diversification through collaboration rather than taking ghostwriting as a marker of a lack of creativity!)

So, how do you know it’s time to start researching ghostwriting as a viable option for your book?  Well, here’s a simple rule of thumb: if you can answer all or even most of the following questions with “yes,” then it might be time:

  1. Are you overworked, overstressed, or overcommitted?
  2. Do you have a story to share?
  3. Do you need a little help developing your ideas beyond the outline or draft stage?
  4. Do you believe in artistic collaboration?
  5. Can you trust the ghostwriter you pick to do justice to your vision?

Here’s where ghostwriting diverges from that other industry-specific term, “copyediting” : a copyeditor’s job is to take a finished draft and polish it up for final publication.  A thorough copyedit involves more than just shuffling commas around, but it won’t substantially change the core content of a piece.  Ghostwriting, on the other hand, involves the conceptualization and generation of a great deal of new material.  Your ghostwriter becomes your collaborator and your partner in crime, your sounding board and scribe.  Ghostwriters become folded into your stories, and it is in their best interest as paid professionals to deliver the best service they can––but if you’re both lucky, your ghostwriter might even become your ally and friend.  And what could be better than that?  Writing can be such an isolating experience, but I’d like to assure you as I do each and every week:

 

You’re 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.