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

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 3/28/14

MENTOR! MENTOR!

From the first cave carvings, to the invention of paper, the printing press, computers, blogs, tweets and twitters, people have been simply driven to communicate. However, what we communicate and how well we do so can be “a horse of a different color” altogether. When the desire is there and ink is flying, sometimes clarity (or focus) is lost. That is why I applaud all writers who read as passionately as they write and who seek the mentorship of authors they admire. If you read my blog last week you know of my mentor and friend Lois Beebe Hayna, who has definitely made a big difference in my life! (Google her name and you’ll be inspired.)

One of the genres I love to read (and write when time allows) is Science Fiction. Two of the big names in that field are Isaac Asimov (biochemistry professor and science fiction author) and Gene Roddenberry (screenwriter and creator of the Star Trek phenomenon). I have read—and watched—the creations of both these gentleman, appreciating their differences while thankfully enjoying their individual expertise. Then I discovered that they had become fast friends and actually considered each other “mentors,” as science inspired imagination and imagination pushed science. However, that didn’t happen immediately. Mr. Azimov wrote a challenging letter to “show” where Mr. Roddenberry was wrong in the scientific portrayal of scenes in Star Trek. It was Mr. Roddenberry’s passionate defense of his TV series that caused Azimov to re-think his position. Eventually Azimov agreed that Roddenberry’s writing was “intellectually stimulating,” and through their close friendship, he served as an advisor on Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Yes, writers who seem to be at an impasse can (and do) mentor each other.

So, how do you find the best writing mentor? Here are a few tips:

  • Look for an author of your preferred genre, one whose books you sincerely appreciate.
  • Research that person, website, Facebook, Twitter, publisher, etc, and decide which avenue they have opened for “contact.” It is important to be respectful of that; it is also valuable to discover whether or not they’ve mentored other writers.
  • Write to them. You are a writer seeking writing help and the way you construct your request will speak beyond the words on the page. Be brief, be polite (not overly solicitous), and be ready to thank them for any reply even if it is “No.” This can be an email message; however, I highly recommend mailing a letter.
  • Mentors can also be found through genre-specific conferences and writing groups, such as Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Science Fiction Writers of America and the Colorado (or Philadelphia) Christian Writers Conference.

One exceptional group of people who can and DO mentor fledgling authors are the self-publishing teams who are totally focused on helping authors see their books in print. If you are too shy to contact a “famous” author, research the self-publishing industry and select one or two businesses to contact. You will be quickly impressed by the benefits!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: Davy Jones

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 by Midwest Book Review:

 Davy Jones

Davy Jones

Carl A Chase

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432777951

When the world is dead set against you, it takes quite the drive to overcome those odds. “Davy Jones: Heavyweight Champion of the World” tells the story of the titular man, who came from the ghetto and a world where someone his age is lucky to get past his teenage years without dying a gang related death. From nowhere in Chicago, he enters the boxing ring, and with faith and love for family, he may find his worth as he climbs the ranks. “Davy Jones” is a strongly recommended read for those seeking an inspirational story of against all odds.

 

Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 3/25/14

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 Tuesday to find out the hottest news.

Nook Press self-publishing platform is now available to authors in the UK and parts of Europe

Barnes and Noble, the bookseller behind the Nook e-reader devices and e-reader store, has announced that the Nook Press self-publishing platform is now available to authors and publishers in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium. As part of the move, Nook Press now supports multiple languages including French, Italian, German, Spanish and Dutch. This is great news for ebook authors because they know have access to even more readers.

Steven Berkoff makes self-publishing debut

After rejection by conventional imprints (despite having previously published), actor and director Steven Berkoff has decided to self-publish two books. This is an interesting read for authors considering self-publishing.

Next Time, I’ll Self-publish

This is an honest look at traditional publishing from a professional writer. It explains why next time, she’ll self-publish. This is a must read for all writers.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the 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 at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Jodee Speaks

How to Spring Clean Your Manuscript

After a crazy winter, spring has finally arrived! Besides the warmer weather and longer days, there is another reason I love spring — it is the perfect season to produce fresh works of art. For some writers, this might mean starting a brand new project. For others, dusting off an old manuscript might be just the ticket.

If you have abandoned works rotting on the vine, don’t let them go to waste! Dig them out and see if a little spring cleaning is all they need. Follow these steps to freshen up your manuscript for spring self-publishing:

  • Awaken. It’s time to wake up and reassess that long-dormant manuscript. You may remember it as either utterly brilliant or complete rubbish (although I suspect if you considered it literary gold, you’d have self-published it by now). All writers feel one of those extremes about their own work just after completing it, and it’s almost never as good or bad as they think. Bring it out of deep freeze and give it one more chance.
  • Sow. Dig into each page like you’re reading it for the first time — and leave no stone unturned. Set aside whatever feelings or impressions you once had about your manuscript and look at it with fresh, new eyes. You’ll be much more objective about it now that time has passed. Pretend it’s someone else’s work, if that helps. You may find strokes of genius you didn’t recognize before.
  • Prune. Of course, along with unearthing forgotten brilliance, you’ll likely also find your fair share of thorny passages that inspire “What was I thinking?” moments. Time to yank the weeds and trim back “overgrowth” in your manuscript. Be merciless: This is one time when heavy spring pruning is OK.
  • Plant. Fill in the “bald patches” – elements of your story that require elaboration, such as further plot and character development. This is where you may choose to replant ugly, unhealthy portions that you pulled earlier.
  • Fertilize. Cultivate a plan to nurture those parts of your book that are weakest. Sprinkle it generously with notes about what changes you need to make as you review and review again; gradually, your writing and your overall story will grow more lush.
  • Cross-pollinate. Read the works of others. See a good movie, or listen to your favorite music. Exchange ideas with other writers. The idea is to borrow inspiration that will better inform your book.
  • Reap. Once all your efforts have born fruit in the form of a juicy new manuscript, take your product to market! There are surely plenty of readers who are hungry for what you have to offer.

Fresh eyes and a few good brainstorms may produce all the fertile ideas you need to turn that literary spring cleaning project into a sizzling summer read. Good luck!

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order 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, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 3/21/14

THE WRITER’S TOOLBOX

This past weekend I received the most marvelous news!  My very dear friend and mentor (now in her 101st year of advanced youth) will be receiving a prestigious award from the Colorado Author’s League this coming May.  Her name is Lois BeeBe Hayna.  She is a self-published author of delightful and thought-provoking poetry (and I’m still trying to pry her fingers loose from the novel she’s written that should already be published for her readers).  A few of her titles are: A Book of Charms (1983), View from Behind the Mirror (1998), and The Praying Mantis (2012).

Lois Beebe Hayna - circl 1975

There really are no words that allow me to fully express my appreciation of her wisdom, insights and expertise.  So, in honor of Lois and all that she has sown into my life I am sharing just a few of the essential writing “tools” she’s given me.

š “You must have a good sense about words and their definitions, in order to be a good writer,” Lois instructed during one of her early Creative Writing Classes.  “But you must be in love with words in order to be an excellent writer.”  Truer words were never spoken!  If I’ve learned nothing else from her it is this: know the definitions of the words!  Of course, there is the dictionary definitions, the slang definitions and the social/cultural definitions.  That is where true creativity comes in play—knowing which definition fits best in the specific spot you’re placing it, or the “play” of multiple definitions that allow the reader a variety of ways to interpret what is on the page.

š Write about the things that interest you: what you care about, what you know about and/or what you might be considered an expert in.  There is no substitute for being passionate about your subject matter.  If you are bored with the topic, your readers will also be bored.

š Don’t be afraid to research!  Even though you are comfortable with what you know about a subject, there is always more to learn.  In this day of instant information, what was accepted as fact yesterday may be totally inaccurate today.  Readers will catch authors in misstatements very quickly and that is not the desired reputation to build.

THERE IS a Library Room at Regis University (Denver, Colorado) named for this marvelous lady: The Lois Beebe Hayna Creative Writing Center.  In it you will find several binders of her published and unpublished writings and, of course, copies of her books.  Her “bio” is also there encouraging every person who dreams of “being a writer” to step out and DO IT!  “I grew up in a village in central Wisconsin,” Lois tells us.  People there “regarded my attention to writing as a waste of time.”  She had a few pieces of poetry “published” when in college, but when family came along her focus changed.  She thought her writing dreams were in the past.  Then, when Lois was in her early sixties a remark from a college classmate sent her back to writing.  “I had to see if I still had anything to say, or any skill in saying it.  I was that close to never writing anything,” again.

WHAT A LOSS that would have been!  These last forty years have given us a priceless legacy, indeed, and we are expecting more from Lois.  So, if you are a writer who is holding back because of life’s circumstances—it is time to “let go” and find out what has been hiding within.  As Lois did, take the plunge to write what is on your heart and get it published!  Awards are waiting!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.