Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 2/18/14

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.

Is Self-Publishing a Better Road to Wealth for Writers?

This BusinessWeek article discusses Hugh Howey”s analysis of data that shows self-publishing authors make more money than authors with traditional deal.  This is an interesting article for all authors to read.

This chart ought to make the publishing industry very nervous

This chart illustrates some of the data recently analyzed by Hugh Howey. It shows daily unit sales of ebooks by publisher type.

10 Questions With Indie Author Hugh Howey

In this Huffington Post article, the author interviews successful self-published author Hugh Howey. He talks about his self-publishing experience, his writing process, marketing strategy, and more.

Swoon Reads: The Next Romance Bestseller, Selected By You

Swoon Reads, a new young adult romance publisher, has started crowdsourcing, promising a contract to the writer whose book wins the hearts of a community of online readers. On Valentine’s Day, Swoon Reads announced the winner of that contract: Sandra Hall a teen librarian in Morristown, N.J., who wrote A Little Something Different, about two college students falling in love. This is a must read article for romance writers.

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

Happy President’s Day, Self-Publishing Authors!

For many people, President’s Day is just another day off work, or another day that you’re stuck at work while everyone else is off. However, it should be a day to celebrate presidents both past and present. As a country, we’ve been blessed with some wonderful leaders who’ve made great changes and who are an inspiration to us all. For those of you interested in history or current issues, President’s Day is a great opportunity to start a self-publishing project in honor of your favorite leaders. Here are a few ideas to help you generate some book ideas.

  • Get current – Read a newspaper. Watch the news. Browse online news sources. Find out what is happening in our country, and decide if you have an opinion on any of the topics. This research might spark an idea for your next project.
  • Get personal – One of the most interesting history genres is biographies. If you have a favorite president, start doing some research and consider writing a biography.
  • Interview others – Biographies and news sources only offer a limited perspective. Sometimes history is more interesting when you hear it from ordinary people. If there is an event or leader who interests you, interview people about that event or person. Their stories might just make an interesting book.
  • Make it up – If you enjoy history but prefer writing fiction, consider writing historical fiction. This genre offers creative freedom while appealing to your inner historian.

No matter what you decide to write, take a moment this holiday to celebrate the great presidents our country has had and remember that today is more than just a day off work.

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 2/14/14

PICTURE THIS!

When a person includes 95 photos and a few illustrations in a memoir, readers will enjoy a unique and very personal adventure through time.  Such was my consulting/ghostwriting experience a couple years ago at the completion of the beautifully expressed life-stories of two exceptional people.  An extra bonus for me was that their project reinforced my understanding of the relation between photos (or illustrations) and story-telling.

During my school years, I remember several teachers telling me, “Royalene, you are definitely a visual learner.”  I think they were frustrated by that revelation because it created a challenge for most educators of that era—except the art teacher, of course.  However, as I grow into my chosen profession of writing—creating visual images with words—I appreciate their early analysis and I continue learning how to use this element to my benefit.

“Art,” they say, “evokes emotion,” and the artist/photographer will utilize this to express the essence of a moment captured in a millisecond of time and space.  The writer must carry this concept further by selecting words, and combinations of words, that transport instant images into the readers’ view—images that evoke emotion.  This ability will not only communicate their story well, it will also carry an author to the top of the Best Books list and possibly set them up for movie and/or television acclaim.

The visually shared experience will also have a greater sustained impact—one that will bring about contemplation of the various elements of the story and lead readers to discuss your book as their next Book Club selection!  Here are a few tips for writing visually:

LOOK FOR the emotion in your characters AND their environment.  Dissect the emotional anatomy of each of these elements, such as:

  • What is the motivation behind a character’s actions, attitude, and perspective?  What has your character experienced that brings about their reaction(s) to the events?  Did they suffer physical trauma that brought an emotional response?  What are they holding on to from their past that is creating current circumstances?
  • What is the emotional impact of their environment?  Do they live in a mansion or tent?  Is there a lawn—mown and manicured—or is it a field of weeds?  Has there been fire, flood, or drought devastation?  Can they hear the birds singing?  See flowers blooming? Watch butterflies float through the air?  Is the air so clear the brilliant blue of the sky is visible, or is the fog/smog so thick vision and breathing are severely hindered?

My client/friend’s memoir told the story using all these elements, and I am the richer for reading it.  That is my hope for all writers—that we can enrich the lives of our readers and enjoy every step of the process.  And if expressing the emotional elements are tough for you, don’t hesitate to accept help.  There are editors and ghostwriters out there—partnering with self-publishing teams of professionals who will help you complete your work.

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: 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.