So, You Want to be Published?

My vampire book series, Dark Secrets, has recently become very popular, and I get asked all the time how I came to achieve success in the industry and if I feel I made the right choices by going the indie route.

Indie route, you ask?

Yes. Independent Publishing. It means I don’t answer to anyone. I retain full creative control and keep 100% of my profits.

How does one go about this?

Here’s where I have to be careful, because being independent isn’t for everyone, then again, signing on with small press, vanity publishers or even one of the ‘Big Six’ isn’t for everyone, either. You have to do what works for you, and often you have to walk that road before you realize it’s either the wrong or the right one. But it is much easier and cheaper to walk the Indie road first and see if it takes. If not, you can always go traditional.

Now, some people will tell you that publishers won’t accept books that have been self or previously published. Codswallop! Of course they will, if it’s worth their while. Just ask Amanda Hocking. So, don’t let that be a deterrent.

Below, I’ll talk a little about some pros and cons of publishing independently:

One big pro is you don’t need to shove your manuscript in a drawer for two years while you wait for college-grads to validate your work by accepting it into their agency, where it will then go through rigorous combing and probably come out the other side rejected anyway. Getting accepted to an agency does not mean you’ve made it. Even getting on the Penguin bus doesn’t guarantee success.

Pro: You retain full creative control; no one will tell you to delete scenes because it affects the ‘flow’. Downside, there’s no one to tell you if the flow is affected. You have to get really good at self-assesment.

Con: You have to pay for an editor (which can be up to $7000 or more. My books were $4000), or put your work out there and cross your fingers, just hoping no one notices the mistakes (and there will be many even your avid reader friends will miss).

Con & Pro: You need to know publishing and copyright law. However, this is as easy as just doing a bit of research and reading on the Internet (from reputable, approved sites).

All about Indie
Writer Beware: pretty much everything you need to know. It will tell you all about dodgy publishers and vanity publishers and even names the ones you need to avoid.
Info on copyright: Australia
Info on copyright: U. S.If you're getting your information from a blog, be sure to check the author's credentials before taking it as fact, because, for example, using song lyrics in your book is breaking copyright laws and you can be sued, but some see this as a matter of opinion and may argue the percentage of text used can be classed as fair use. Not always the case. Know your laws.

Neither pro nor con: You have to purchase your own ISBN, which can be done through Thorpe-Bowker (Aus) or Bowker (US)

Pro: You decide the price, release date, title, cover, everything.

Now, I’ll talk a little about where you can go to get your work out there.

Start with Kindle Direct Publishing (or KDP)

Then go to Smashwords.com (Once you sign up, there is a blue bar across the top of your page. Go to the word PUBLISH to upload your book and DASHBOARD for all other info).

These two places will see to it that your work appears at B & N, Amazon, Kobo, iBooks and many other book retailers.

But, doesn’t publishing independently mean I’ll never have my books in paperback?

No! Simply go to a great place called Createspace or Lulu (my two favorites)

It really is that easy. After that, it’s up to the content to sell and how well you market and network.

Marketing?

Go see Bewitching Book Tours to participate in a blog tour. My sales increased by over 20, 000 copies for the month of my tour (and again for a few moths after), and tour prices start from as little as $25. You can even pay through Paypal.

Networking?

Come on. Really? Facebook, people. Facebook. Start your own “Page”. Not a ‘friends club’. Actually start a Page and post links to your page on your website (which you can create for free through Weebly) and on your Author Central profile that you’ll create when you’ve joined up with Kindle Direct Publishing for Amazon (KDP).

Lastly, and anyone who knows me through chatting on Facebook will know how much I hate this.....There is no such thing as an ‘aspiring writer’. Being a writer is a choice you make, and you do not need validation from a publisher. Put your work out there. Get validation from the people. If you get a lot of bad reviews, perhaps reassess and maybe rewrite and re-release, but, if you’ve done your research, worked hard, revised constantly and requested constructive criticism, then bad reviews will simply be a matter of one’s opinion, not a reflection of inferior writing.

And keep in mind, my books have heaps of bad reviews. When I felt bad about them, I simply went and read all the bad reviews on Twilight, because I loved those books, so it was good to see that some people just didn't ‘get it’.

I wish all of you the best of luck with your publishing dreams for 2013.

~Angela Hudson

Cover Shoots Made Affordable

If you're like me, you're an author who has longed for a special cover, one uniquely yours that doesn't originate from stock photos, but you shied away from the cost of a photo shoot. I have great news for you! Through my company CP Design, I will now be partnering with a professional photographer, Kelsey Keeton, and offering covers that are custom shot with a model of your choice~from over 80 models, then turned into a unique cover designed by me. Throughout this post you'll see a few outstanding photos by her to give you a taste of her talent. But what will it cost, you wonder? Designs start at only $250 for an eBook cover, $400 for a paperback, $450 for a hardback, and that's a cover that no one else will have, ever because you will get exclusive rights to the photo. Those prices include my fees and hers for the base package!

Here is the breakdown of the cost so you can determine what it will run you:

Premium eBook cover: $100 plus the base photo shoot price of $150 is $250 total.

(The cost is less than my normal charge because my work on the image is reduced. This includes adding additional photos (may be stock) such as logos, images for effect~smoke or such. Also includes adding your title and name in a specialized font of your choice with the effect of your choice available to me through the advanced Photoshop program that I use. Also includes changes like colors of things in the photo, brightness, special effects, and the addition of a different background if you so choose. The background may be a stock image, or it may be from my portfolio of backgrounds.)

Front and back paperback cover: $250 plus the base photo shoot price of $150 is $400 total. 

(Includes the eBook formats as well as formatting the paperback onto a template for printing, page cover matter.This also includes adding logos, images for effect~smoke or such, and images for the spine and back of the book. Also includes adding your title and name in a specialized font of your choice with the effect of your choice available to me through the advanced Photoshop program that I use. Also includes changes like colors of things in the photo, brightness, special effects, and the addition of a different background if you so choose. The background may be a stock image, or it may be from my portfolio of backgrounds.)

Hardback covers: $300 plus the base photo shoot price of $150 is $450.

(Includes the eBook formats as well as formatting the hardback onto a template for printing, and back cover matter. This also includes adding logos, images for effect~smoke or such, and images for the spine, back, and flaps of the book. Also includes adding your title and name in a specialized font of your choice with the effect of your choice available to me through the advanced Photoshop program that I use. Also includes changes like colors of things in the photo, brightness, special effects, and the addition of a different background if you so choose. The background may be a stock image, or it may be from my portfolio of backgrounds.)

Next, I'll partner you up with Kelsey and you'll choose the model for your photo shoot and discuss extensive details of what you would like for the photo. Once the shoot is finished, Kelsey will contact us and together you and I will choose the best photo (or photos) for your cover.

Photo Shoot Costs: 

$150 base price for a photo shoot with one model in which you choose one picture.
(Cost goes up depending on how many models are used and how many pictures you want to purchase.)
$50 for each photo chosen.
$20 to each model (per image bought)
For a total of at least $70 per additional photo. All in all, pretty amazing for a unique cover that no one else will ever have, with a model of your choosing. Ready to take the plunge?
Contact me at: cpdesignsforauthors (at) gmail (dot) com

~Heather

Go Back To The Beginning

Fans of The Princess Bride will know Inigo Montoya's mantra. You know, the one where he introduces himself, accuses Count Rugen of homicide and recommends he accept a terrible fate.

But Inigo has another mantra, and that is, "When the job fails, go back to the beginning."

I love going back to the beginning. I try things, they don't work, I go back to the start and see if I can get it right.

When I was in the midst of plotting Ondine 4 The Spring Revolution, I hit a wall. Or, a hole. Yes. A big plot hole that said, "fill this in later". Well, it's later now, and I still don't know how to fill it. Even with the best intentions of following structure, I still can't fill a hole if I have nothing to fill it with.
So I went back to the beginning and read the first two Ondine books.
It gave me ideas.

This resulted in two things: I laughed at my own jokes AND I spotted lots of lovely little asides and moments I could call back to in book 4. In books 1 & 2, (Summer and Autumn) much is mentioned of Great-Aunt Col's disastrous debutante ball. The one where she cursed Hamish into his ferrety incarnation.

Well, Old Col never got to re-do her 'deb' so it's high time she got her second chance.

That would be lovely to put into book 4.

In book 2 (set during Autumn), it mentions the clocks going back in two stages. One hour in October, another hour in November, so everyone gets two sleep-ins. This is because the clocks go forward 2 hours in one night in Spring, to really get plenty of daylight in the evenings. (People get the following Monday off as a public holiday, to cope with the 'jet lag')

As book 4 is the spring book, I need to mention this.

In book 1 there's a passing mention that Ondine wanted to study media, but with a wedding to pay for, her family might not be able to afford the camcorder fees. It turns out they can, so in book 4, Ondine will have a camcorder in her hand. I'd completely forgotten about this, but it fits perfectly with the oncoming revolution.

Needless to say, each time I get an idea while reading the old books, I jot it onto a note and stick it on my structure sheet. The structure sheet is looking like a post-it monster sneezed all over it. It's a mess, but I can fix it.

The thing is, I've given myself more ideas, and now I have those ideas, more will follow.

~Ebony McKenna, author of the Ondine series.
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IE Reviews: The Mind Readers

I downloaded this eBook from B&N when it was free and I have not been paid by anyone for the review, which is my honest opinion.

If I didn't know this book was indie, well, I wouldn't have known. And I'm picky about everything from grammar and over used phrases and words, to plot holes. This book, had almost none of those issues. It wasn't error free, of course, but then I can find errors in traditionally published books. And this was as close as error free as I've seen most traditionally published books.

From the first shocking page, I was hooked. I've been bored with
YA lately and I've read one too many books about psychics and mind readers so I didn't expect to get past page one. Wow was I surprised. Not only did I get past page one, but I looked forward to getting on my treadmill so I could read more, and stayed up late into the night turning pages. It's rare for a book to captivate me like that. Not only is the writing captivating and clean, the characters are compelling and complex.

I liked this so much that I immediately bought her second book in the series and downloaded the other two free books of hers that she has available.

You can find The Mind Readers at the following locations (among others):

B&N / Amazon 

~Heather

Author of the paranormal Earth-conscious channeler series: Born of Fire (FREE novella), The Secret of Spruce Knoll, Channeler's Choice, Rise of a Rector, the historical fantasy, To Ride A Puca, and the epic fantasy The Dragon Empire. Heather also has stories in the following anthologies: In His Eyes (FREE) and Winter Wonders. 

A Paperback Writer on Bass and Plot Lines

Wow, the Beatles really pegged the plight of the author in their 1966 hit, Paperback Writer, written by Paul McCartney. The song is essentially a query letter from an aspiring writer to a publisher.

Some of the lyrics:

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?

It took me years to write, will you take a look?

It's based on a novel by a man named Lear

And I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer…

It's a thousand pages, give or take a few,

I'll be writing more in a week or two.

I can make it longer if you like the style,

I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer…

If you really like it you can have the rights,

It could make a million for you overnight.

If you must return it, you can send it here

But I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer…

Sound familiar? Kind of crazy that this tongue-in-cheek view of a struggling writer is still bang on almost 50 years later. The tune was also one of the first of the Beatles songs to feature the bass as a solo instrument. I dig it. As a member of an all-woman band, and a bass player, iconic bass lines are my current musical obsession. ;)

I equate a solid bass line with having a solid plotline. In most songs, you may not be able to pick out the bass riff, but it is there. Locking the drums and guitars in, supporting the vocals, balancing the highs and bringing out the lows. A simple bass riff is sometimes best – grounding the other instruments, keeping them on track. This is called “rooting” – sticking to the root notes of the song – and essentially that’s the role of your plot. It is the glue that holds your fictional world together.

Yet when given the opportunity, the bass can dazzle, much as a rich plot can wow the reader, taking them in new directions. A bass line foreshadows and pre-empts key changes, supports verses, builds to the chorus, and can offer a haunting fade out.

Just like a solid plot line full of rising action, conflict, ever-increasing tension, an epic showdown, and falling action.

Remember, when you’re outside a concert venue, it’s the bass you feel pulsing with the beat of your heart, thrumming under your feet, drawing you in.

I dare you to listen to the next song you hear and listen for the bass – I bet you’ll be surprised by how much it adds / fills out the tune. My fellow paperback writers, consider the beauty of a solid plot line – it ROCKS!

~Judith Graves

You can follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judithgraveswrites

On the Twitter: @judithgraves

Or via my website: www.judithgraves.com

No Readpocalypse

Library doors bolted shut, larger locations with weighted chains blocking all entries - double-padlocked.

Closed. No service. All books banned.

Internet trolls reign free to police any online presence attempting to download anything that slightly resembles a limerick or a haiku.

Graphic tees, shirts with funny or thought-provoking quotes, anything like reading made into an outlawed activity.

The world a place of plain solid colors, smiles discouraged for fear of encouraging positivity. Positivity could lead to the sharing of ideas, possible debate and lively discussions.

Hands empty of glossy hardcover books and prevented from owning a paperback to bend or turn pages into dog-eared bookmarks.

This is the read-pocalypse. No readers to swoon behind book boyfriends, to read the character tales itching for freedom beyond the fringes of our busy minds.

That day is not this day.

YAY!!

Today, readers can hop into any local library to read about Harry Potter and his wizarding adventures, or walk through a wardrobe into a snowy new world of magic, Turkish delight and an awesome lion. They can venture into a magicked nook of small town Texas and discover witches, vampires and shifters living in a tenuous harmony.

Readers are out there, hungry for our stories. So writers must write, query agents and editors or self-publish. After all, there are some deep reader appetites to fulfill.

Writers: Write like there’s no read-pocalypse.

Readers: Read like there’s no tomorrow J

~ Angela Brown, author of YA works such as Frailties of the Bond, where readers can take a brief trip to that magicked nook of small town Texas and see how witches, vampires and shifters can live in any kind of harmony.

Drive

Recently, one of my friends told me she admires me for my drive. While I took this as the compliment it was, I feel undeserving in the sense that I don’t see myself as going above and beyond, or necessarily doing more than anyone else. I simply do what has to get done.

As a work-from-home mother of three children, one of them on the Autism spectrum, as well as a new inductee into the Sandwich Generation, I’ve got a lot on my plate: helping the teen figure out what classes to take next year in high school; steering a pre-adolescent through the daily drama of school and fair-weather friendships; dealing with the constant headaches of IEP meetings and the home-school vs integrate debate; making sure my mother, who now lives with us, gets what she needs in order to maintain some sense of independence and dignity; etc. The list goes on, and nothing ever really gets checked off.

I am just as busy in my professional life, too. As a self-published author I am currently working on four novels, three of which are on tap for a 2013 publication date. I often hear questions like “How do you do it?” and “Don’t you ever get confused?” Well, I do it because I have to, both for the creative release and for financial gain. As far as getting confused . . . I guess I can’t be any more confused than I already am! All joking aside, working on multiple projects at once keeps my writing fresh and interesting. At least to me. 

But there’s also another reason for this so-called drive of mine, and it’s because I live and labor under the eternally optimistic, and maybe a little bit narcissistic, belief that I’m destined for something great. What that “something” is, I do not know. Maybe I’ll be one of those self-published authors who gets discovered and signs a six-figure deal with a major publishing house. Perhaps my husband and I will start that much-needed school for special needs kids we keep talking about. Or quite possibly the greatest achievement of my life will simply be helping my children live up to their potential and reach their own dreams.

What I know is this: Whatever that something great is, it won’t just come to me. Or to you, either. We have to go out there and get it ourselves.

~Melissa Luznicky Garrett
An author of adult and young adult novels. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, three children, and numerous animals. Look for THE PROPHECY, the much-anticipated conclusion to THE SPIRIT KEEPER, coming May 2013. In the meantime, connect with Melissa on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MLGarrettwrites