Self Publishing Advisor

Get (or Give) the Gift of Self-Publishing

Are your friends and family members asking you for last-minute holiday gift ideas? How about the gift of publishing?! Many self publishing companies offer gift certificates that can be used towards a variety of publishing and marketing services. For instance, Outskirts Press offers instant gift certificates in the amount of $99. Here is how their process works.

Click the “Add to Cart” button on the page and complete the transaction on a secure server.
Outskirts Press will email the purchaser to find out who the special author is and whether to include any special messaging on the gift notification.
If the writer isn’t yet registered with Outskirts Press, they will create a free account and apply the $99 credit to the new account.
If the author is already registered and/or published with Outskirts Press, they will apply the $99 credit to the existing Publishing Center account.
Once the credit has been applied to the writer’s account, Outskirts Press will notify the writer via email of the special gift using any messaging provided.

The turnaround time is typically 2-business days, and there is no searching for a parking spot at a busy mall, waiting in a long line, or paying expensive shipping charges. Your friends and family will appreciate an idea that makes their shopping a little easier and that they know will bring you great joy. This is also a wonderful for the self-publishing authors on your list.

I’d love to know, what are you asking for this year?

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:The Ultimate Job Directory: Comprehensive Guide to Legitimate Work at Home

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 Ultimate Job Directory: Comprehensive Guide to Legitimate Work at Home

SM Consulting

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432741846

Reviewer: Kathleen Dowdell

As promised by author Amber Scanlon of SM Consulting, “The Ultimate Job Directory” delivers a comprehensive list of legitimate work-at-home job opportunities. In the introduction, Scanlon builds a case of how this book can help people who are tired of daily commutes that keep them away from home and family. Having had many jobs as a work-at-home mom, she is qualified to develop this guide to help readers find companies that provide opportunities to work from home.

There are over 300 pages filled with names, brief overviews of services, and contact information of nearly 1,000 companies. I like the ease at which one can visit the websites of the various companies to gain more information. Also included are the required job skills and career background necessary to perform the work, equipment that may need to be purchased, and potential salary of the job. The list is comprehensive. The book ends with a list of similar job opportunities such as mystery shopping, direct selling, business start-ups, auction sites and e-stores, and turning a hobby into a business.

This book does not guarantee an offer of employment. There is still work to be done by comparing what each company has to offer to see what is a good fit for you. Because the companies are listed by sub categories according to skills needed to perform the work, it is easy to find the type of work you are qualified to do.

Working from home is not for everyone. It takes discipline and the ability to separate work you’re getting paid to do from work you do around the house. Many of the jobs listed are for non-traditional work hours so you have to decide if you are willing to work during your dinner hour or late at night. The pay may be better, but are you able to adjust your lifestyle to fit the needs of the company?

A final chapter is devoted to tips on starting your own business from a hobby or skill that you have. Included is a list of companies where you can find more information. The website of SM Consulting provides additional information about Scanlon’s company and how you can download this book for $10.00 less than purchasing the hard copy. I suggest you check out the website first if you are interested in pursuing the opportunities found in “The Ultimate Job Directory: Comprehensive Guide to Legitimate Work at Home.”

Kelly Speaks, Publishing Trends

Self-Publishing Sees Triple-Digit Growth Since 2006

Over the last several years, the number of self-published books produced in the U.S. has tripled. According to data by Bowker, the number has grown 287% from 2006 until 2011. The report also shows that self-published print books represented about 43% of the total print output in 2011. In addition to print books, self-published e-books have seen significant growth. E-book production in 2011 was 87,201, up 129% over 2006.

These statistics are great news for self-publishing authors. They show that the industry is strong and growing. Publishing is no longer dominated by large publishing firms. More and more authors are choosing to self-publish their books, and many of them have been very profitable and successful.

The statistics also show the importance of e-books. More readers are increasingly reading e-books, so it is important that self-publishing authors consider offering both a print and electronic version. By offering both versions of your book, you can target a larger audience and satisfy your readers’ needs.

I’d love to know, how many people do you know who have self-published a book?

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: 12/11/12

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, I’m starting a new weekly post that will give you summary of the recent hot topics. Simply visit our blog every Tuesday to find out the hottest news in self publishing this week.

Self-Publishing Case Studies

This video blog includes interesting statistics and case studies about self-publishing authors. The five case studies cover successful self-publishing authors who have topped the Self-Published Bestselling List. Their stories will inspire you.

Chicken Little and Self Publishing

This blogger talks about the recent news surrounding Amazon’s changing algorithms and deleting of book reviews. He also provides insight into the changing publishing industry and shares some of his personal experiences as a self-published author.

Self Publishing and Web Presence

This post offers great advice on creating a strong web presence, which is essential for self-publishing authors. The post covers everything from blogs to social media pages to Goodreads to Amazon.

Self-Publishing Authors Could Win $1,500

The deadline for Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award is fast approaching. You only have until December 14, 2012 to register. Check out this post for more information.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

Uncategorized

Your Book is More Than The Story

When you think of your book, the first that comes to mind is probably the manuscript you spent months or even years writing. But a self-published book is more than just the words in the story, and readers often consider the other elements before they ever read your book. As a self-publishing author, it is important to pay attention to all the details, such as the cover art, back cover text and author biography. In fact, these are the elements that influence a reader’s decision to purchase your book. While you probably already know the importance of great cover art, most self-publishing authors forget about the other text associated with their book. Here is why the back cover text and your author biography are so important and how to make sure both are great.

The Back Cover

The text on the back cover of your book is often referred to as a synopsis. This text pulls readers into the story without revealing all the details. Think about all the times you’ve browsed through a bookstore and read the back of a book. This synopsis probably influenced whether or not you purchased the book. This is also true for online shoppers. The synopsis is often used as the description for your book. Therefore, it is important that it is intriguing and professionally written. In the world of online shopping, it is also important to consider keywords.

The Biography

Most books include an author biography. This will also appear on your author website and online retailers information pages. You want to make sure this biography is interesting, reflects the image you wish to promote and is professionally written. Since most readers never meet the authors of the books they love, this is their first impression of you as a person.

How to Make Both Great

You probably spent a lot of time making sure your manuscript was interesting, clear and well-written. If you want readers to take you and your book seriously, you must do the same for your back cover synopsis and author biography. Here are a few pointers to help you.

Don’t rush. Spend a quality amount of time writing the synopsis and biography. Think about what you want to say and how you want your readers to perceive you.
Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! The worst thing you could do is submit text with errors. Ask someone you trust to proofread your work or consider hiring a professional.
Ask for help. Sometimes, self-publishing authors are too attached to their work to write a good synopsis and biography. Plus, this type of sales writing typically requires different skills than those needed to write a book manuscript. This is why many self-publishing companies offer services to assist you. For instance, Outskirts Press offers a cover scribing option, which uses a professional copywriter to write your cover copy and biography.

I’d love to know, do you read the back cover and author biography before purchasing a book?

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: