Jodee Speaks

Spring Clean Your Manuscript and See What Self-Publishing Dreams Bloom

Yesterday, April 21, was the first day of spring, a time of renewal and, perhaps, new beginnings. For some writers, spring is the perfect season to produce fresh works. 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.
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self Published Book Review: SatisFillment

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:

satisfillment

SatisFillment

Eden Sterlington

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432761042

Happiness is attainable; one just needs to reach out and grab it. “SatisFillment” is a self-help and spiritual read as Eden Sterlington encourages readers on how to inspire themselves to look forward to everyday, learn to forgive, and be content with life, as well as attain greater health. “SatisFillment” has plenty to consider in how to take a more active role in one’s own happiness. Recommended.

Kelly Speaks

Contemporary Poetry vs Classic Poetry

In honor of National Poetry Month, I’ll be sharing tips and news for poets this month. Today, I’m going to address the topic of contemporary poetry versus classic poetry.  A recent study called Poetry in America by the Poetry Foundation revealed some interesting information on this topic. Here are the highlights.

  • Fifty-five percent of current and former poetry readers first read classic poetry.

  • More than half of all current poetry users read or listen to contemporary poetry.

  • About one-third of current poetry users restrict their involvement to contemporary poetry.

  •  About one-quarter read or listen to both contemporary poetry and the classics.

  • Over a third of current poetry users define the type of poetry that they read as “something else.” They asked respondents to specify what they meant by “something else.” There were four categories that repeatedly came up in the pool of “other” responses: personal, friend’s or relatives’ poetry; modern poetry; children’s poetry; and inspirational poetry.

You may be wondering why this information is important. As a self publishing poet, it is essential that you understand who your readers are and how to reach them. This will help you publish work that is appealing to your audience and to market your books effectively.

I’d love to know, how often do you read poetry and what types of poetry do you read?

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, Uncategorized

Self Publishing Week in Review: 4/16/13

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.

Why I Do Self-Publish

This guest blogger writes in response to a post called “Why I Don’t Self-Publish.” This self publishing author previously had six science fiction novels published by a traditional publisher before choosing to self publish. This is a fascinating article for authors deciding whether self publishing is right for them.

Nook Debuts Nook Press, A New Self-Publishing Platform To Compete With Kindle Direct Publishing

Barnes & Noble subsidiary Nook recently announced the launch of Nook Press, a self-publishing platform to help the e-reader and e-book seller attract more self-publishing authors. The platform will help Nook compete with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

Self Publishing Video Tutorials

To help aspiring self-published authors navigate the tricky world of publishing platforms, Galley Cat has collected video tutorials to help authors explore some of the popular publishers before loading their book. They also offer a variety of other valuable resources.

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

Get Your Self-Published Book into Large Retail Chains by Starting Small

We love ebooks and the unbeatable accessibility and immediacy of downloadable books, but there’s just something about seeing your own work on an actual, physical store shelf that is so appealing — to you and to your potential readers.

So, how do you get your self-published book one of those highly coveted spots? The short answer: one step at a time. Try these step-by-step strategies to get closer to your bookstore goals:

  • Start with online and in-person sales. Sell at book fairs, on your social media sites, at local events and any place you can set up a table and take payment.
  • Market. Set up a clear plan for marketing and publicizing your book so you can gather interest and increase sales.
  • Establish that your book is desirable. Track every sale and look for patterns of growth.
  • Take your sales figures on the road. Once you’ve established that you have, or are heading toward, positive sales trends, start talking to local bookstores, seeking a commitment to carry your book.
  • Tailor your product. Armed with your bookstore commitments, work with your self publishing company to change your trade discount and retail price, and add retail returns, so bookstores can carry your book.
  • Expand to larger markets. Put together a proposal to submit to bookstore contacts and approach larger markets about getting your self-published book on their shelves.

Getting into big retail stores may seem a simple process, but it’s by no means an easy one. However, if you keep your eye on the big picture and work consistently toward your goal, it’s doable.

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.