Kelly Speaks

BookExpo America 2013

Starting Wednesday, May 29 – Saturday, June 1, in NYC, BookExpo America (BEA) will be running three full days of Exhibits and four full days of Conferences and Special Events. BEA is the #1 event in North American publishing and the ideal place for content creators and consumers to discover new books/titles, meet favorite and new authors, learn about trends shaping the book industry, and network with those have a passion for books and reading.

The event  gives you access to:

  • The largest show floor in North America with 1,300+ exhibitors displaying their upcoming titles—in  all formats and every genre, from across the country and around the world.
  • Hundreds  of the latest books, advanced read copies, and galleys  that will be buzzing for the summer and fall seasons.
  • Special events, author stages, and autographing sessions featuring 600+ authors. There’s no  better place to find the next big author.
  • BEA Conference Program featuring fresh sessions where  you’ll learn about the latest trends, developments, and technologies affecting  the book industry.
  • Digital Discovery Zone (D2Z) brought to you by IDPF—get a closer  look at content, devices, applications, and technology by visiting this exhibit  area on the show floor filled with leading digital service providers.

This year’s event also has many other great features such as Sidelines Pavilion  Networking Happy Hour, New Midtown Author Stage, BEA Editors’ Buzz Panels on the BEA Author Stages, and BEA LIVE!

BEA is a great opportunity for self publishing authors to learn more about the industry and network with other professionals. To learn more about the event, visit http://www.bookexpoamerica.com.

I’d love to know, will you be attending BEA this year?

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: 5/28/13

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-Publishing Tools for Science Artists

This author shares how self publishing tools have helped her share her art with the world. Her main message is that just because a traditional publisher rejects you, doesn’t mean the world shouldn’t have the opportunity to read your book. Self publishing allows you to take your destiny into your own hands.

Newly Released Promotional Video Highlights Benefits of Self-Publishing
Outskirts Press recently released a beautifully animated, 98-second video that follows the story of an author who runs into frustrating roadblocks in his efforts to publish his book before ultimately finding self publishing success. While the character of John in the video is fictional, the story illustrated in the video is based on actual feedback from authors who’ve had bad experiences elsewhere. You can view the video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/2OFVwxun9kM.

Spreadsheets to Galleys: How to Budget Your Self-published Book

Self publishing a quality book is an investment. There are certain services that can greatly improve your success, such as copy editing and customer cover design. This is a great article that helps you figure out a budget for your 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

Happy Memorial Day, Self Publishing Authors!

Memorial Day is more than the kick off to the summer season. It is a time to remember the men and women who died while serving our country. There are many ways to honor our fallen soldiers (such as visiting cemeteries), and self publishing authors have the opportunity to honor them in a truly special way: by sharing their stories with the world.

Every soldier has a story. Perhaps, he is a father or husband. Maybe she joined the forces to escape a difficult home life. Maybe there is a long history of family members who all served their country. Whatever the soldier’s story, you as a writer have the ability to share it.

If you have a special person in your life who died serving our country, you could write about him or her. Or perhaps you’d like to honor several soldiers by sharing the stories of many men and women who have died for our freedom. Whatever your approach, Memorial Day is a great time to begin working a self publishing project in honor of our falling soldiers.

I’d love to know, are you working on a project to honor our service men and women?

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, Uncategorized

Weekly Self Published Book Review: The Hummingbird Garden

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:

the hummingbird garden

The Hummingbird Garden

Evelyn Schwarz

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432798154

“The Hummingbird Garden” by Evelyn Schwarz is about a girl named Alexis who just moved into a new house with her family. While Alexis was lying down, a little flash of color went by over her and flew into her neighbors’ yard. Alexis walked over to the fence and peeked through a hole. Her neighbors’ backyard is filled with many flowers, and there also some little red glass balls hanging from trees, but the most amazing thing she saw were small, colorful birds zipping by, hovering everywhere, and sometimes flying backwards! Alexis found this sight wonderful and went to tell her Mom and Dad. The next day, they would go to their neighbors’ house and ask about the garden and about the tiny little birds and learn more about them.
This book is a short, little book about a little girl and her neighbors’ hummingbird garden. It’s a cute, little, short story, but I say it’s better for a younger age group, like second grade to fourth grade, but it depends what you like to read or what you are allowed to read. The illustrations are really cute, especially the hummingbirds. You will really love “The Hummingbird Garden” by Evelyn Schwarz if you love hummingbirds like me.

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

4 Ways to Bring New Life to Your Manuscript

Sometimes writers hit a dead-end in their manuscript, and they need help bringing the project back to life. While you might think writing would be the solution, it may be best to save the manuscript and take a break. But don’t completely forget about the project. Instead try these four tips to help bring new life to your self publishing book project.

1. Do some research.

To write about an event, type of character, or location, it is often helpful to be very familiar with it. When you aren’t knowledgable on the subject, you can’t always write believable scenes or dialogue. This is why it is so important to do research, even if your book is fiction. Interview people. Read a variety of sources. Take trips. Learn as much as you can about your subject.

2. Learn how to heighten the conflict.

Every story and book has a conflict. It is what keeps the readers interested and wanting to read more. There are a variety of ways you can heighten the conflict in your story. Brush off those old creative writing books, and read up on conflict. Then play around with some different tactics such as the “what if” game to bring new life to your story.

3. Mix it up.

Don’t get stuck in a rut of always doing the same thing. Try a different voice or genre. Create a character who is different from characters you usually write. Even if you decide the new techniques don’t work for you, they are bound to spark some creative ideas.

4. Work it out.

Even if they seem like a waste of time, writing exercises are a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Take a writing course or find writing workbooks with creative exercises.

I’d love to know, how do you bring new life your self publishing projects?

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.