Tag: Self-Publishing

Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Self-Publishing Week in Review

News From the Self-Publishing World: 10/05/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

Often, the highlight of my day is spent reading the stories of others who have come to be involved in the world of self-publishing, and the best interviews often feature someone who has worked in both traditional and self-publishing platforms, or has transitioned from the one to the other.  Why?  Because motives are important.  And that’s one of the reasons why I love this article by author Jordan Dane in an October 4th article for The Oklahomian.  When it comes to experience and expertise, Dane has got you covered; she can speak as an authority when it comes to the differences in creative control, price control, and cash flow between the two modes of publishing.  And that’s just the first page of her article!  She also goes on to address time management, book releases, subsidiary and foreign rights, and the real cost of production––along with many other enlightening comparisons.  Well worth a read!

The big news this week is that we have a new debutante on the self-publishing market: Pronoun.  In an October 4th article for TechCrunch, John Biggs writes that co-founder Josh Brody set out to create a platform that gathers together and combines all of the best features found separately in the self-publishing industry.  Biggs interviewed Brody, who made his name running the publishing statistics engine Booklr, and the result is a combination of press release and rallying cry.  Here’s just a small snippet:

“Pronoun is different because it’s the only platform that gives authors everything they need to create and publish their book, track its performance, and improve its online visibility over time,” said Brody. “Second, we’re the only platform that performs data analysis on the entire book market to help every author position their book for maximum visibility. Third, we bring together a network of professional service providers – editors, cover designers, and publicists – all of whom have been endorsed by authors and vetted by Pronoun. Finally, it’s all free.”

We like free.  But we also really like an exceptional platform, so we’ll be watching closely as Pronoun’s user base grows and the reviews come in.

Have you ever heard of San Diego Comic Con?  If you have, you already know it’s a temporary superhub for all sorts of magical things happening in the worlds of media and entertainment.  If you haven’t, just imagine throwing over a hundred thousand people together who love creating, consuming, and participating in these things––and the conversations that are sparked when industry professionals land in the midst of their most ardent fans, and the networking that follows.  Bleeding Cool contributor Shawn Perry chronicles, in an October 2nd article, an encounter he had with Mark Frankel of Wayward Raven Media, an indie publishing company that specializes in comics.  (I mentioned earlier that I like interviews, right?)  Perry’s piece is perhaps a good representation of how the magic of SDCC isn’t just reserved for supermassive industry giants like Marvel Comics and DC––it can be a happy home for those of us who like to think small, and remain in creative control.  That’s the best kind of news, I think!

BONUS ADDENDUM (as of 10/5/15 at 1:30 PM): In other Comic Con news, the New York Comic Con starts in 3 days, and one of the panels (on Saturday the 10th) is geared specifically toward indie and self-publishing authors and artists!  Here’s the blurb from the Hollywood Reporter website:

ComiXology Submit: The Future of Self-Publishing

Creators who’ve found success through self-publishing on the leading digital comic platform in North America talk about their experiences, and offer tips for newcomers on how to avoid mistakes they made.Room 1A18, 4pm-5pm

If you live in the New York area and have a chance to go, let us know what you think!

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 Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive 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, kellyschuknecht.com.

Advocacy in Self-Publishing, Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Writing

Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer: 10/02/2015

THE NOAH WEBSTER LEGACY

It was a gift from a friend—the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster.  Somewhere in my memory I recalled that Mr. Webster’s name appeared in a list of our nation’s Founding Fathers, however, I remembered nothing about the details of his life or legacy. The dictionary that has always resided on my shelf is the Merriam-Webster version and any association of the hyphenated name to Noah Webster had escaped me.

american dictionary of the english language

Yet, over the last decade of my writing endeavors (after receiving this gift), my appreciation of Mr. Webster continues to grow. Without his push toward education and his extensive work in defining words my abilities to develop such pieces as this blog would be sorely strained.  Here are a few facts to chew on…

  • Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Noah Webster, Jr. was raised in a very active environment, being homeschooled by his mother in spelling, math and music and observing his father’s activities beyond farming as Noah, Sr. was always intellectually curious and a supporter of education for everyone. He even mortgaged their farm so that Noah Jr. could attend higher education classes.
  • By the age of six, Noah joined neighborhood children in a dilapidated one-room primary school which could have dissuaded him from seeking further education because of teachers he later referred to as “the dregs of humanity.” (Are children today faced with that, too?) However, this experience only fortified his later desires to improve the educational experiences of future generations.
  • At the age of fourteen he was tutored in the languages of Latin and Greek preparing him for enrollment in Yale just before his sixteenth birthday.
  • This timeframe was also the season of our country’s revolution. Food shortages and the threat of the British invasion of mass military forces caused the president of Yale to scatter teachers to various towns where classes could safely be held.
  • Attempting to keep up with his classes, Noah still joined the Connecticut Militia. He believed that American nationalism was superior to Europe because American values were superior. Thus began his pamphlet writing career publishing them under the pen name “A Citizen of America.”

My hope in sharing this information with you today is to encourage you to KEEP WRITING even in the midst of life’s challenges.  The living (survival) conditions for folks in the late 1700s early 1800s left little time for “learning letters” let alone studies at “higher education” levels.  However, Webster (and many of his compatriots) knew that unless people were given the opportunity communicate with words (spoken or written) that carried a specific definition—a distinctly American definition—many more battles would be fought and lives needlessly lost.

Yes, word lists were being produced 2300 years ago in regions of Samaria. Yet many believe that it wasn’t until approximately 400 BC that a “vocabulary list…with meanings of rare Homer-style words and other words from local dialects” was produced. You and I live in an AGE OF WORDS with access to online dictionaries from around the world—times past and times present. How marvelous to enjoy such finger-tip definitions giving us the ability to creatively exercise our writing skills and produce the books that will inform and bring enjoyment to future generations. ⚓︎

RoyaleneABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks

Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer: 09/25/2015

OUR RIGHT TO WRITE AND PUBLISH IV

 Moving back to the concept of developing our writing wings, I must share with you one of my personal research projects. A favorite genre of mine is Historical Fiction. For years I’ve debated the concept that early pioneer journalists were today’s foundation of excellence and especially authenticity for authors of all writing genres. In most cases they had the bare minimum of publishing guidelines to follow yet gave the reading public the information needed and often a “rip-roaring” story of adventure and intrigue.

american progress
John Gast’s “American Progress”

To honor these pioneer journalists (many of whom turned book authors) I give you the example of Gene Amole who wrote a column for Colorado’s Rocky Mountain News from 1977 until his death in May, 2002. As I list several of his column themes and titles, let them inspire you to write something on one of these topics that jump out at you.  Actually, I hope there will be several.

  1. Bright lights—good memories
  2. It takes action to clarify writing
  3. There are only two kinds of music: good and bad
  4. Succumbing again to the allure of fine poetry.
  5. A message to carry…son of a friends brings a letter
  6. A leave of absence might be necessary to write a novel.
  7. The concept of home…
  8. Honesty in writing: Pain becomes an ugly companion
  9. Are our perspectives getting a little out of whack?
  10. When folks try to write for big magazines, they try too hard.
  11. Interviews should be richly enjoyed by both parties
  12. We will always have something to write about IF we keep our eyes and ears open.
  13. Nothing chases the blues away like kind words.
  14. Memories can be fickle companions.
  15. READ…reflect…make new memories.
  16. On war.
  17. On music.
  18. On the Unsolved Murder of a 10-year-old boy.
  19. To a Newborn Grandson
  20. On senseless Deaths Going Unpunished
  21. “Good writing is a bridge on which minds meet, a bridge that the writer must build.” (from Amole’s conversations with author William E Barrett.)

We all have such unique perspectives on life and all the millions of events that occur close to home and far away.  Amole wrote a final column that was to be published after his passing. In it he said: “I…hope that along the way I have said, written or spoken something of value to those who survive me. Certainly I make no claim of original thought, but perhaps I have taken an existing idea and added some value to it.”

Isn’t that the goal of every writer? This one man—writer, journalist—is also remembered as a loveable prankster and generous in mentoring young writers. Yes, he published books, too, (Morning, 1983; Amole Again, 1985; Amole One More Time, 1998; The Last Chapter: Gene Amole On Dying, 2002).

This blog is my salute to Gene Amole (and all the authentic and inspiring writers out there): an excellent example of respecting our right to write and publish! ⚓︎

RoyaleneABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.
news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Self-Publishing, Self-Publishing Week in Review

News From the Self-Publishing World: 9/21/15

This week in the world of self-publishing:

In a broadcast that ran on NPR on September 19th, journalist Lynn Neary talks with a variety of self-published authors and experts about where, exactly, the indie community stands in relation to the community of traditionally-published authors in respects to book sales.  And the figures she uncovers are, indeed, somewhat surprising––and yes, mostly in good ways.  Neary poses the question, “what happens to writers who never get anywhere near an awards ceremony?”  The answer: not much, but that doesn’t mean that authors who aren’t making it onto the Man Booker shortlist are worse off than those who are.  All authors struggle to break even and sell books, Neary reports, citing the Authors Guild survey we looked at last week.  And while the article may seem to strike a mostly sour note, Neary ends with the hope that while many authors must write for little to no profit at present, “maybe — just maybe — next time they’ll get paid.”  Here’s hoping, NPR!

You might know her as the author of the New York Times bestselling author of The Selection (and its sequels), but now you have the chance to know her as a spokesperson for self-publishing.  In a September 19th interview with Chryssa Celestino for Preen, Cass describes how she got her start in the sometimes murky waters of self-publishing, and how her roots in the community of readers she found there set her up for success today.  She walks readers through the process of self-publishing, and what it felt like both to publish and retain creative control over her work, a quality which is often cited by authors as a reason to pursue platforms apart from the traditional mode of publishing.  “It was a whole little community,” she says, “and at the same time, they sort of helped get the word out.”  And from someone who knows what it’s like to work in both the indie and traditional modes, those words ring with inhabited experience.

In her September 17th article for the Kentucky-based Lexington Herald news site LexGo, Candace Chaney introduces us to a development that might benefit everyone in the indie, hybrid, and self-publishing community––a festival for those who read and write and publish and otherwise love zines (or self-published digital magazines & fanzines).  A festival that is entirely given over to celebrating us.  Us!  And it’s about time; festivals and parties and awards ceremonies have long been lauding the accomplishments and successes (and failures, too, we must admit) of traditionally-published writers and the traditional publishing process as a whole.  It’s our time!  According to Chaney’s research, “Festival organizers say that in addition to nostalgia for the analog age, zines offer more personal connection and creative freedom than you can ever get on the Internet; they also continue to serve as a vehicle for alternative, radical, or marginalized communities to safely tell their stories without fear of censorship or retribution.”  In a word: awesome.  The festival took place on Saturday the 19th, but if you missed it, never fear: this was a third anniversary of the event, which will happen around the same time next year.  Take a look at Chaney’s article for more information!

The innovations just keep on coming!  On the 16th of September, Scott Green’s article for Crunchyroll (which self-advertises as “the leading global video service for Japanese Anime and Asian media”) chronicles some of the latest adventures of––and declarations of intent by––Stu Levy, founder of Tokyopop, a corporate superweight in the world of manga publication.  According to Green, Levy is “working on new digital comics initiative, POP Comics. This is a mobile app for iOS and Android that allows creators to upload and promote their original comics.”  This is good news for illustrators and digital artists especially, who are expected to retain “70-75% of the ad revenue, with 30% going to Tokyopop.”  Other, similar platforms are seeing a usership in the millions, so this percentage is not a meaningless one.  Check it out by hopping on by the beta launch at popcomics.com!

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 Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive 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, kellyschuknecht.com.

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks

Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer: 09/18/2015

OUR RIGHT TO WRITE AND PUBLISH III

 

FOR Novel and Non-Fiction book authors, let’s talk shop. My first two blogs this month focused on writers who enjoy the article/essay, short story and magazine venues AND their right to write and publish. However, unless authors are “frequent flyers” in those publishing circles, the more accurate term for their process would be to submit for publication. Those publishers and editors have total power with it comes to selecting what their Readers will see.  However, writers of book-length manuscripts may (underline may) hold a slight advantage simply because they have the additional option of self-publishing.

protesters

To encourage “book writers” I’d like to begin by defining the power of A BOOK, as outlined many years ago by American author, astrophysicist, astronomer, science communicator, Carl Sagan.

  • A flat object made from a tree;
  • Having flexible parts on which are imprinted dark squiggles;
  • Yet with one glance the reader is inside the mind of another—someone who might have been dead for thousands of years.
  • Books break the shackles of time.
  • A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.

Sagan adds that “Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, as they become citizens of distant epochs.”

Of course, the power of a book is really the power of the written word that lingers in the hearing of readers from the moment of publication until—well, hopefully, forever—which, considering technology advances may be possible. This brings us to our right to write and publish. The old cliché that “with rights come responsibilities” is especially true for authors. E. B. White, author of the little book The Elements of Style, offers his thoughts.

“A writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error. He should tend to lift people up, not lower them down…A custodian…charged with the safekeeping of all unexpected items of worldly or unworldly enchantment [so that] even a small one is not lost. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life.

I love to write. When my thoughts (scenes, characters, plots) flow upon page I feel a rush of excitement and can hardly wait for someone to read it. However, when I paused to consider Mr. White’s statements, I took a big gulp. Then I realized that I’d always known about these responsibilities. They resided within me—and all the authors I know—without putting “words” to them. These are the writing goals that inspire writers to learn better writing skills and dig deep through layers of research to include accurate and descriptive details.

So it is that I close today’s blog with a few thoughts of my own:

  • Being reminded of my personal writing/authorship responsibilities is a good thing.
  • Incorporating these concepts into my writing life leads me to produce quality work that will attract more readers!
  • Considering these responsibilities will help me research my best publishing opportunities.
    • Is a particular manuscript meant to be published by a “traditional” publisher?
    • What responsibilities do they set for themselves and/or take away from me?
    • Is self-publishing best for me? For the book? For readers to have the opportunity to enjoy it sooner rather than later? ⚓︎
RoyaleneABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.