Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: TaNellie

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:

 tanellie

TaNellie

Richmond Lafayette Holton

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478714354

Reviewed by Michel Violante

“TaNellie” by Richmond Lafayette Holton takes place at the end of the Depression in Cleveland, Ohio. TaNellie is a well-educated, polite and sophisticated black pimp, and all his working girls are white. He protected and treated all of his girls well, didn’t abuse them, let them keep their tips and didn’t even force them to stay with him, but he also set some important rules. TaNellie builds a relationship with everyone in Cleveland’s under world thanks to his charm and good heart.

The reader is then taken into the past to learn about how TaNellie got to be born in Cleveland. It is here that the author creates an unbelievable plot by people connecting with each other through the twists and turns of life.

Holton’s story is like nothing I have read before. He presents a well written storyline filled with unexpected and thought provoking twists in this complex piece. The characters are well developed, colorful, and interesting. Cleveland set in the late 30’s and 40’s gave the story the perfect canvas. Although Holton takes the reader back in time more than once, the plot flowed perfectly throughout.

I must admit that when I picked up this book I thought I was going to read another typical mob story. I was wrong; instead I found a complex, colorful, thought provoking, and well written novel that entertained me and surprised me from the beginning to the end. Holton also presented the reader with a refreshing view of an era in American history that is usually presented through a clichéd lens. The crafting of the book was also of great quality: well written, professionally edited, a pleasure to read.
I truly enjoyed “TaNellie” by Richmond Lafayette Holton and recommend it to anyone who likes different depictions of topics that have been overdone by Hollywood. “TaNellie” was definitely a great read and a novel with a twist!

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

3 Reasons You’ll Fall in Love with Self-Publishing

Self-publishing is transforming the publishing industry. Universities are beginning to offer degrees in self-publishing. Successful authors who previously used traditional publishing firms are switching to self-publishing, and the options available to self-publishing authors are constantly improving.

Once you learn more about self-publishing, you may just find that you love this option! Here are three reasons why:

1. Control

With traditional publishing, the author has very little control over the fate of his or her book. Editors and agents decide if your book is print worthy. The publishing firm decides the cover art, layout, and price point for your book. Once you hand over your manuscript to a traditional publishing company, you are giving up control. With self-publishing, you are in charge. You decide when your manuscript is ready to be published, and you control the final outcome.

2. Quality

The quality of POD books has come a long way. In addition to better printing quality and a wider variety of formatting options, many self-publishing companies offer a variety of professional services (for example, copy editing and cover design) to ensure that you publish the best book possible.

3. Speed

Traditional publishing is a slow process. There is the dreaded query letters. The time spent waiting to hear back from agents or editors. If your book does get picked up by a firm, it can take over a year to see your book in print. The self-publishing process is often completed within a few months (or even just a few weeks). Not only does this mean you don’t have to wait to see your book in print, but it also opens up even more doors for authors. You can now publish books that are current and in response to readers’ desires.

I’d love to know, why do you love self-publishing?

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.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 2/11/14

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.

What Your Friends Can’t Tell You About Your Self-Published Book

This is a great article for anyone considering self-publishing. The author provides honest advice with a sense of humor. She compares self-publishing to American Idol and offers suggestions on how to be a successful self-published author.

British University Launches MA Program for Self-Publishing

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has introduced a new MA program in self-publishing, the first of its kind in the U.K. The degree is designed to guide students through writing, editing, publishing and marketing their own books. The fact that a university is offering a degree in self-publishing shows the impact of this option on the publishing industry and that self-publishing authors are getting the respect they deserve.

Local Authors Follow Self-Publishing Trend

This article talks about the growing interest in self-publishing and how some libraries are responding.

From Comics to Prose: Jerry Craft on Self-Publishing

Jerry Craft, an award-winning cartoonist, creator of the weekly syndicated comic strip Mama’s Boyz, and children’s book illustrator, was a self-publisher before it became cool. Last month, Craft self-published his first work of prose, The Offenders: Saving the World While Serving Detention, an illustrated middle grade novel co-written with his two sons, Jaylen and Aren, and focused on bullying. This is an interesting read for anyone considering self-publishing a comic or children’s book.

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, Uncategorized

5 Ways to Use Self-Publishing to Express Your Love

Valentine’s Day is only a few days away, and if you are like many people, you are probably looking for the perfect way to express your love. Well, self-publishing is here to help. Here are five ways you can use self-publishing to express your love.

1. Write your true love story.

Every couple as a love story. This Valentine’s Day, honor your significant other by writing down your story. You can self-publish the story to have a printed version to cherish forever, and if you choose, you can share it with the world. Readers are always looking for the next great true love story.

2. Share those love poems.

If you are a poet and enjoy writing love poems, gather up the poems you’ve written (or use Valentine’s Day as inspiration to write some new ones) and turn them into a poetry book to share with the person you love. Poetry is one of the most romantic forms of writing.

3. Don’t forget the other people you love.

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about your significant other. It is also a chance to express your love for the other people in your life — your kids, your parents, your friends, your pets. You can write and publish a book expressing your love for them or dedicate a story you know they will love.

4. Don’t forgot the other things you love either.

Love isn’t just between living things. I’m sure there are hobbies or places or other things in your life that you have a deepen connection with. Whatever it is you love (cooking, adventure, a special vacation spot), you can write about it and use self-publishing to share your love with the world.

5. Give the gift of self-publishing.

If the person you love is a writer and dreams of publishing, you can give the gift of self-publishing. It is a gift they can cherish forever.

I’d love to know, how are you using self-publishing to express your love?

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams and on assisting authors with marketing and promoting their book once published. 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 2/07/14

FLASH-WRITING

Back in the day, when prose and poetry readings were encouraged at coffee houses—and listeners snapped their fingers instead of applauding—editors from publishing houses frequented many of those dark rooms.  A “literary renaissance” was “happening” as individual writers stepped into church basements and back-alley saloons to give their work a voice.  Some of those we still read today were published by forward-thinking, yet mainstream, publishers.

Today’s writers live in a New Universal Renaissance—the flow of actions, events and concepts that even the Internet cannot contain.  The cultures of our world’s populations are being developed—positively or negatively—even as I write this blog.  People, politics, mega-business, health industries, Faith centers and yes, even sports, create an ebb and flow that seems to carry the world away.  Who can possibly make sense of it all?  Writers!  You and me!  And we no longer have to scribble our writings on coffee-house napkins and see them disappear.  We have a much better option!  Self-publishing!

Sitting beside the advantage of self-publishing is the necessity to write well.  I’ve talked about being organized and researching and writing from the heart—and each of those elements are essential.  But HOW do we start? WHERE do we find that one thing worth writing about?  It comes from Flash-writing, of course!  Some folks—from the 60s—might call it stream-of-consciousness writing, and the concept is similar, but not quite the same.

The similar part looks like this:  Find a comfortable spot—maybe in a favorite room and/or chair—and set your coffee, tea or Bailey’s beside you.  If this place happens to be an inspiring location, that is even better (a park, library reading room, art museum).  Setting up beside a large window-with-a-view is also a good option.  Then grab your preferred writing tool—paper and pencil, laptop, or iPad and WRITE!  Write anything that comes to mind.  Doodle.  Draw.  Scribble.  Scrawl.  PLAY with words.  If a person (character) pops into your thoughts, write about them.  If you’ve always wanted to travel to Mars, start planning the trip.  Write…write…and write some more!  That is the basic stream-of-consciousness method.

My adaptation: DO all that in 15 minutes or less!  This is Flash-Writing, and I’ve had more success, personally, by exercising my creativity in flashes than from hours of trying to force stream-of-consciousness thoughts.  Have you seen a YouTube clip of a Mob Flash-dancing?  What FUN!  And fun is exactly what writing is all about.  When the fingers are moving and the ideas are racing, we are having fun!  And the most fun of all comes when we hold our completed book IN our hands.

Did you know that some of the most well received movies/films came from short (in some cases very short) stories?  There is a 640 page book by Stephanie Harrison—a university professor—telling the true stories of some of these authors who became famous by “flash-writing” their ideas and developing them into Short Stories.

SO…GO HAVE FUN!  Let your voice be heard!  Write a short story!  Write several short stories!  Make a collection of them and GET THEM PUBLISHED!

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.