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4 New Year’s Resolutions for Writers

It is that time of year again; as we celebrate the end of 2012 and welcome the new year, many of us are reflecting on the past 12 months and deciding what we want to do differently in the coming months. As writers, many of our resolutions are geared towards improving our work and helping us achieve our writing goals. Don’t just think about your resolutions; make sure you write them down and put them somewhere you will see them often. This will help you stay accountable. Here are four resolutions every writer should have on their list this year.

1. Get healthy.

We all know the things we are supposed to do to stay healthy: get enough sleep, workout daily, eat fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water. But most of us neglect these tasks when we are working on a big project such as writing a book. Your mental and physical health impacts your success as a writer. You can’t do your best work if you aren’t your best self, so make a resolution to take care of yourself this year and you may just be surprised how much more productive and creative you feel.

2. Read more.

The best way to improve your writing and generate ideas is reading. Don’t just read your favorite author or genre. Expand your horizons. Pick out books that are completely different from what you would usually read. Check out a new author or bestselling novel. Read books for children. Read poetry. Reread classic literature. You can never read too many books.

3. Try Something New.

When most writers think about improving their work, they focus on the actual act of writing or editing or brainstorming, but writing is an art that is created by our minds, experiences, and the world around us. You can’t write about life if you don’t live it. This year, make it a point to try new things. Take a class. Make a new friend. Go on a vacation, and watch your stories improve.

4. Write every day.

This is a classic goal for writers, but it works. If you want to be a writer, you must write. You won’t write your best work every day, but you need to write something. You never know where you might be able to use it later.

I’d love to know, what are your New Year’s resolutions?

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: 1/1/13

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.

Young Fantasy Authors Enter World of Self-Publishing With Nimpentoad

This article tells the story of a dad who writes and self publishes a book with his two sons, five and seven years old. The children help the author with the characters, plot line, and overall look and feel of the book. The result is a fantasy chapter book for young readers called Nimpentoad. The book is well-reviewed and the boys have been featured at various speaking events and in  Young Entrepreneur Magazine. It is truly a fascinating and inspiring story.

Legal Issues in Self-Publishing: What Authors Need to Know

As a self publishing author, it is important that you are aware of the legal issues associated with the publishing industry, and you should always seek professional guidance for any legal issue that you need assistance with. This interview discusses the legal issues that self publishing authors should be aware of, such as copyright laws.

And Then What Happened? More of  My Self-Publishing Diaries

Author Julie Gerstenblatt talks about the self-publishing process and preparing her manuscript for publication. My favorite part of the story is about her husband designing the cover of her book. He was originally disappointed when he was told he couldn’t do the cover if her book was picked up by a traditional publishing company, but the couple loves the freedom to use their artistic skills and work together when Gerstenblatt decides to self publish.

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

Self Publish a Book in 2013

It is hard to believe another year is already behind us. As 2013 approaches, many of you will set New Year’s resolutions for yourself. One of the most popular resolutions is writing and publishing a book. Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, adult or children’s books, the Self Publishing Advisor blog is here to help. Every week we share tips, advice and news about self-publishing to help you achieve your goals, and I’m dedicating my January posts to authors whose 2013 resolution is to write and self-publish a book before the year ends.

Whatever your writing obstacles have been in the past (a busy schedule or a fear of failure), I am here to help! Enjoy the last night of 2012 and get ready for the best year of your life — the year you become a self-published author.

Happy New Year’s!

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.
Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: WE x Infinity: Face the Terror of our World Equation

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:

WE x Infinity: Face the Terror of our World Equation

Charlie Pedersen

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432758899

Reviewer: Paige Lovitt

Hoping to positively influence the past so that there will be a better future, an unmanned, electro-magnetic, mass-less photon probe is sent by scientists, from the early twenty-second century, one-hundred years into the past. Thirteen particle physics labs from various points around the world receive a visit. To prove its validity, each lab is given specific information about events that are to directly occur. When each event happens, the scientists are baffled, yet still incredibly intrigued.

Five oracles that can influence our future are sent to be delivered to the United Nations. These oracles offer information that can have a direct effect on creating positive change. By helping create a paradigm shift, the future can be positively impacted in many areas including human rights, and energy and water conservation. Knowing that the scientists are under direct threat by people who can be negatively impacted by these changes, the scientists have to involve the protection of the CIA and Interpol. Even with their help, lives are still at risk, and so is the future because the people most threatened by the healthy survival of our planet are terrorists and a private espionage company.

Determined to spread the word about the information that is presented to them, the scientists prepare a presentation that includes information from our times and suggestions that are made from the future. The serious reality of what the information presented about the global devastation that is currently happening is very serious. The suggestions presented that are gleaned from information gathered from the future bring hope to mankind. In turn, making positive changes now will help create a better future and quite possibly save the planet. However, those from the present have to be very careful with how they proceed so that the future will not be altered too drastically or in a negative way. One big lesson learned is that for our civilization to survive, we need to step back from continuously recreating the problems of our past and create a paradigm shift so that we can focus on working towards a positive future for the good of all mankind.

“WE x Infinity” is intelligently written and presents well-documented information about our current circumstances. Taking this information and injecting it into what could happen in the future makes for a very interesting, thought-provoking science fiction novel. In addition to creating and writing a fantastic story, the author, Charlie Pedersen, impressed me with the amount of research and references that he used to demonstrate his points for the times that we are living in now. He really makes you think about what will happen to the future if we continue on the same path that we are on now.

Kelly Speaks

3 Reasons to Use a Pseudonym When Self-Publishing Your Book

Some of the most famous authors in history have used pen names, including Dr. Seuss, J.K. Rowling, Lewis Carroll, and Mark Twain. When self-publishing a book, you too may want to consider using a pseudonym. Here are three reasons why.

1. Gender

In today’s society, it is hard to believe that women authors still use men’s names when publishing, but it is true. The Wall Street Journal recently wrote about two female mystery writers who decided to use men’s names because they read a study showing that men prefer to read books by men. It is common for female writers to use a male name when the main character is a male or when the topic is “masculine,” such as military, science fiction, and thrillers. This helps the author connect with the readers. Think about it: would you be less likely to take a story with a female main character and a feminine topic seriously if you knew it was written by a male? Females aren’t the only ones who decide to keep their gender a secret when choosing a pen name. If you don’t want to pretend to be the opposite sex, simply choose a gender neutral pen name.

2. Privacy

Self-publishing a book can lead to stardom for successful authors, but not everyone wants their readers to know their real identity. Many people prefer to keep their personal and writing lives separate. This is especially true for authors whose two lives contradict each other. For instance, an elementary school teacher may not want her students and their parents to know that she writes racy romance novels in her free time. Choosing a pen name allows you take on a different persona when you write and promote your book.

3. Legal Issues

Unfortunately, there are lsometimes egal issues that go along with self-publishing a book. If you are writing about real life events or people, you could find yourself in court if you don’t get proper permission from the people in the story or if the details aren’t 100% accurate. To avoid legal issues, use a pen name to protect your identity. Also, if you want to write a book based on your life, only call it a memoir only if it is 100% accurate. If you change events to make a better story, it is fiction.

I’d love to know, would you ever use a pen name? Why or why not?

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.