Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 7/23/13

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 in self-publishing this week.

Self-Published Book Success Stories

This Wall Street Journal article shares how authors used free tools to get their books noticed. My favorite quote from the article is this: “The author or the topic or the brand drives the sale. When you go to the bookstore, you want Stephen King or a book on How To Knit. It doesn’t matter who published it.” This is so true. Who published it rarely influences my decision to read or purchase a book.

$1M in Sales! Self-Publishing Success Stories

Wall Street Journal’s Heidi Mitchell and author Theresa Ragan join Digits to discuss the successes of self-publishing and free online tools available to authors in this video. Heidi Mitchell wrote the first Wall Street Journal I mentioned today, so it is interesting to hear the journalist as well as one of the successful self-publishing authors talk about their stories.

Case Study: How a Self-Published Author and Blogger Negotiated a Six-Figure Traditional Book Deal

This week the news is full of self-publishing success stories. This article talks about how self-publishing author  Torre DeRoche negotiated a six-figure traditional book deal.

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

Top 4 Self-Publishing FAQs: Part III

This month I have been writing about FAQ such as how long it take to self-publish and how much will it cost. This week I will address the common question “How much money will I make from my self-published book?”

It is difficult to estimate how much an author will earn from a self-published book because many factors influence the income. Authors earn royalties based on the sales of their books, so their income is directly linked to how well their books sell. The number of books self-publishing authors sell and the income they make from those sales vary greatly. Some authors only sell a handful of books a year, while others are capable of earning over $100,000 a year.

How do you know where you will fall? Self-publishing is all about investing in yourself. Given that successfully publishing a book involves 20% writing and 80% marketing, you should naturally spend most of your time and money promoting the book after you write it.

The income of a self-publishing author is 100% in their own hands. No one can “predict” how much you will earn as that is only a result of two things:  the quality of your book and substantial effort in marketing it to the right audience.

If you have questions about self-publishing, feel free to comment below and I will try to address your topic in a future post. Also, be sure to check out the previous posts in this series:

Top 4 Self-Publishing FAQs: Part II

The Cost of Self-Publishing

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.
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self Published Book Review: How Emotionally Damaged Are We?

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:

9781432774547_cov.indd

How Emotionally Damaged Are We?

John Lindsay O’Brien

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN:9781432774547

Unhappiness seems to be everywhere, with contentment seeming to be a myth. “How Emotionally Damaged Are We?” is a spin into happiness as John O’Brien suggests readers change the way they think and fight the way their world has crafted them into depression. Advocating mind over matter for life, “How Emotionally Damaged Are We?” is a solid recommendation for anyone who wants to conquer the old wounds of life. Highly recommended.

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

Questions Self Publishing Authors Ask: Non-Fiction Book Considered Libelous

Throughout the month of July I will be discussing topics that often come up for self publishing authors.  Without an experienced agent, you may have found that it’s tough to find the answers to your questions about rights and permissions.  These posts are designed to help answer some of the questions you may have and will direct you to other sites where you can get more information on each topic.  Come back each Wednesday this month for more informational posts to help you in your self publishing journey.  If you have additional questions, please send us a comment and we’ll add it to our list of topics to cover in the coming weeks.

This week I will address the question: Could my non-fiction book be considered libelous?  Many self publishing authors aren’t sure what libel is and how to avoid legal trouble. Here are some helpful things for you to know.

  • Libel can be against people or products.
  • Libelous statements are published statements that are false and damaging.
  • For someone to have a case against you, the statement must be three things: untrue, damaging, and knowingly false.
  • Plaintiffs must have evidence to prove that the libel statement caused them harm.
  • Public officials and public figures must also prove malice.
  • An excellent source on the topic of libel is the “Briefing on Media Law” portion of The Associated Press Stylebook.
  • When writing non-fiction, only write the truth. Otherwise, write fiction.
  • Keep records of your research in case you ever need to prove that a statement is true.

To learn more about libel, check out this great post: http://www.writing-world.com/rights/libel.shtml.

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: 7/16/13

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 in self publishing this week.

Fox Acquires Self Published Sci-Fi Novel ‘CyberStorm’ For Chernin Entertainment

This article talks about Fox’s purchase of a self published sci-fi novel called “CyberStorm.”

Self-Publishing Your Book: Where’s the Money?

This website talks about the different ways to sell and earn a profit from a self published book.

Phoenix Creatives Form Self-Publishing Group Hermitag/e

This group of artists is working together to self publish their work. I love the idea of working with like-minded artists and inspiring each other to be successful.

Author embraces self-publishing successes

Frederick Fichman shares his story in hopes of inspiring other authors.

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.