Tag: Self-Publishing

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

3 Reasons You’ll Fall in Love with Self-Publishing

Self-publishing is transforming the publishing industry. Universities are beginning to offer degrees in self-publishing. Successful authors who previously used traditional publishing firms are switching to self-publishing, and the options available to self-publishing authors are constantly improving.

Once you learn more about self-publishing, you may just find that you love this option! Here are three reasons why:

1. Control

With traditional publishing, the author has very little control over the fate of his or her book. Editors and agents decide if your book is print worthy. The publishing firm decides the cover art, layout, and price point for your book. Once you hand over your manuscript to a traditional publishing company, you are giving up control. With self-publishing, you are in charge. You decide when your manuscript is ready to be published, and you control the final outcome.

2. Quality

The quality of POD books has come a long way. In addition to better printing quality and a wider variety of formatting options, many self-publishing companies offer a variety of professional services (for example, copy editing and cover design) to ensure that you publish the best book possible.

3. Speed

Traditional publishing is a slow process. There is the dreaded query letters. The time spent waiting to hear back from agents or editors. If your book does get picked up by a firm, it can take over a year to see your book in print. The self-publishing process is often completed within a few months (or even just a few weeks). Not only does this mean you don’t have to wait to see your book in print, but it also opens up even more doors for authors. You can now publish books that are current and in response to readers’ desires.

I’d love to know, why do you love self-publishing?

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: 2/11/14

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.

What Your Friends Can’t Tell You About Your Self-Published Book

This is a great article for anyone considering self-publishing. The author provides honest advice with a sense of humor. She compares self-publishing to American Idol and offers suggestions on how to be a successful self-published author.

British University Launches MA Program for Self-Publishing

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has introduced a new MA program in self-publishing, the first of its kind in the U.K. The degree is designed to guide students through writing, editing, publishing and marketing their own books. The fact that a university is offering a degree in self-publishing shows the impact of this option on the publishing industry and that self-publishing authors are getting the respect they deserve.

Local Authors Follow Self-Publishing Trend

This article talks about the growing interest in self-publishing and how some libraries are responding.

From Comics to Prose: Jerry Craft on Self-Publishing

Jerry Craft, an award-winning cartoonist, creator of the weekly syndicated comic strip Mama’s Boyz, and children’s book illustrator, was a self-publisher before it became cool. Last month, Craft self-published his first work of prose, The Offenders: Saving the World While Serving Detention, an illustrated middle grade novel co-written with his two sons, Jaylen and Aren, and focused on bullying. This is an interesting read for anyone considering self-publishing a comic or children’s 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, Uncategorized

5 Ways to Use Self-Publishing to Express Your Love

Valentine’s Day is only a few days away, and if you are like many people, you are probably looking for the perfect way to express your love. Well, self-publishing is here to help. Here are five ways you can use self-publishing to express your love.

1. Write your true love story.

Every couple as a love story. This Valentine’s Day, honor your significant other by writing down your story. You can self-publish the story to have a printed version to cherish forever, and if you choose, you can share it with the world. Readers are always looking for the next great true love story.

2. Share those love poems.

If you are a poet and enjoy writing love poems, gather up the poems you’ve written (or use Valentine’s Day as inspiration to write some new ones) and turn them into a poetry book to share with the person you love. Poetry is one of the most romantic forms of writing.

3. Don’t forget the other people you love.

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about your significant other. It is also a chance to express your love for the other people in your life — your kids, your parents, your friends, your pets. You can write and publish a book expressing your love for them or dedicate a story you know they will love.

4. Don’t forgot the other things you love either.

Love isn’t just between living things. I’m sure there are hobbies or places or other things in your life that you have a deepen connection with. Whatever it is you love (cooking, adventure, a special vacation spot), you can write about it and use self-publishing to share your love with the world.

5. Give the gift of self-publishing.

If the person you love is a writer and dreams of publishing, you can give the gift of self-publishing. It is a gift they can cherish forever.

I’d love to know, how are you using self-publishing to express your love?

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams and on assisting authors with marketing and promoting their book once published. 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.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 2/04/14

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.

15 Inspirational Quotes of Top Self-Published Authors

If you need a little inspiration, check out these quotes from self-publishing authors. This post is a quick, fun, and uplifting read.

Complimentary Self Publishing Guide from BookBaby

BookBaby’s How-To Guide for Writers goes beyond the eBook basics to help you create a digital masterpiece. Whether you’re a rookie or an experienced pro in the eBook world, BookBaby’s How-To Guide has something for everyone.

Follow-Up On Self-Publishing: Readers Are Not Good Gatekeepers

This author provides an interesting perspective on the quality of work that authors self-publish. The article suggests that even if a writer publishers a book that isn’t of the same quality of other writers, it is just a stepping stone to producing better work. The writer urges authors to always strive for their best.

Call It “Artisanal,” And 5 Other Ways To Crush Self-Publishing

Guy Kawasaki, former Apple evangelist and co-author of APE: How to Publish A Book, shares five tips for self-publishing success. My favorite quote from the article is “to be successful the process must be approached with professionalism.”

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.
Uncategorized

What the Super Bowl Can Teach You About Self-Publishing

If you watched any TV over the past week, you probably saw countless shows playing up the Super Bowl hype. Cooking shows were making special recipes, talk shows were interviewing football players, and news shows were giving sneak peeks at the best commercials. Even if you aren’t a football fan, you probably knew all about who was playing and possibly got caught up in the Super Bowl craze. The media was able to convert almost everyone, whether they were watching for the game or the commercial, to a “fan.”

What does this have to do with self-publishing? Successful self-publishing authors know that just like during the Super Bowl, marketing and branding are extremely important. Companies pay millions of dollars to market their products and services to Super Bowl viewers; while self-publishing authors don’t need a Super Bowl commercial, they can learn important lessons from the marketing experts.

1. Know your audience.

If you watched any of the Super Bowl commercials, you probably noticed a few popular themes appeared over and over again — fast cars, beer, and hot women, to name a few. That is because marketers know these things appeal to the majority of the viewing audience. When creating your marketing plan, it is important to know who your audience is, what is important to them, and how to get their attention.

2. Memorable is key.

Super Bowl commercials have one goal — to be memorable! It doesn’t matter if you hate or love the commercial; the company just wants people to remember it, and if they can get people talking about it, that’s even better. The more you see and hear about a product or service, the more likely are you to remember it when you are in the market for that product or service. The same is true when marketing a book. You want readers to see your book on a store shelf and say “Oh, I remember hearing about that book!”

3. Hype it up.

The week before the Super Bowl all the media channels were hyping it up. Everyone was talking it, and the topic was approached from a variety of angles to reach a large audience. By the time the game came, thousands and thousands of people were making Super Bowl snacks, hosting Super Bowl parties, wearing Super Bowl gear, and of course, watching the game. Some of these people may have never done those things if they hadn’t seen a great Super Bowl recipe online or heard a great idea on their favorite talk show. Approach marketing your book in the same way. Hype it up as much as you can. Get exposure in a variety of ways. Get creative about your marketing. Your goal is make people know about you and your book.

I’d love to know, how is the Super Bowl inspiring your self-publishing marketing plan?

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams and on assisting authors with marketing and promoting their book once published. 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.