We all need to be doing these things!
from chrisbrecheen.blogspot.com
I like Jody’s topic because I think every writer feels this way, whether we are working with a traditional publishing house or doing it ourselves – more and more marketing and promotion is being put on the writer.
Again – my advise to all who publish: persistence, persistence, persistence, in marketing, in events, in finding connections, in helping other writers, in reading and, of course, in writing.
Author, Jody Hedlund: When You Feel Invisible in the Crowded Book Market.
Susan Kaye Quinn makes some good points about self-publishing, or any type of publishing really.
Four Ways to Think Long Term in Indie Publishing | Indie Author News.
My take on the subject: Persistence, persistence, persistence… That is persistence with writing, with marketing, with networking, with learning about the craft, with helping fellow writers…
If you have a mac and want to create a children’s picture book (or any other picture book for that matter), Steve Sagovac has posted some step by step directions.
I create my pictures books using InDesign, which, unfortunately, is not a program you can figure out by trial and error. There are some things in InDesign that are similar to photoshop, because they are both adobe products, but there is a lot of functionality of the program that you’d need to take a class to learn. Check with your local technical college or online for classes if you’re interested in learning. Or hire someone to do it for you. It’s a service I provide and so do a lot of other illustrators or graphic designers.
Using ibooks or Indesign both give you a pdf that you download to Amazon. It works for both programs.
I think Kindle also has a way to create a picture ebook on their site – a relatively new service – but I don’t know how to use that or how well it works for those who have. I know some people have had with the upload of the file – the whole book not uploading – but I don’t know much more than that. If you have used the Amazon process for creating a picture book, please feel free to share how it worked (or didn’t work) for you.
Illustrated books need a fixed layout for ebooks vs a flowing laying for books with primarily text. The program Jutoh is supposed to be able to do fixed layout ebooks, but again, I have never tried it because I have InDesign. Jutoh is great for creating mobi and epub files of your ebook, though. That’s a service I provide for clients.
Thanks Steve for your help with ibooks author!
How to use Kindle Kids Book Creator – Tutorial.
From Christine Keleny of CKBooks Publishing
image from edit5523naz.wikispaces.com
So what does every author (whether from the traditional published side or the self-published side) struggle with? Book Marketing, of course. Just google those two words and see all the sites that will try and sell you some wonderful, surefire way to market your book. Before you actually hire someone, there are some basics book marketing things that your should try. (And only pay someone if you have a personal recommendation from someone you trust. Because marketing is such an issue for authors, there are a lot of people trying to hoodwink you, so beware!)
♦ put yourself on goodreads as an author and do a book giveaway. It’s a great way to get seen and to make contacts! It’s also a way to get reviews.
♦ get as many reviews on amazon and goodreads as you can. Actually, this really should be your number one thing to do and something you never stop doing. It’s not easy because people are reluctant to do it but Reviews Sell Books! Giving away some ebooks for review, or discounted paper books to get a review. It is well worth the cost to you.
♦ put a review request in any paper book (as a book mark sort of deal with you signing the request) and in the back of any ebook.
♦ do local events at libraries, coffee shops and bookstores. Search out groups that might be interested in the topic or genre of your book and offer to come and talk.
♦ search for craft fairs and books fairs in your area. I have made many sales at craft fairs and made lots of good contacts, and it’s fun to talk to readers and have them come back the next year for another one of my books because they liked the first.
♦ I assume you have a website. That’s a very easy thing to do and very necessary in this day and age. I have mine through wordpress (my books blog [free] and my business blog [$99/year]). They are very easy and can even be free if you want.
♦ If you have a facebook page for you and your books (not a personal page but one devoted to writing, reading and your books, as well), that is a plus but not a must have. If you blog at all on your website (again, not necessary but an added perk to readers), then you can easily link your posts to your facebook page. Believe it or not, your readers want to know about you. Build a fan base by talking to them (and send a few discounted or free items their way just for following your website! They deserve that much).
These are some very basic ideas, but the more you do, the more people you can encounter and people (especially fans!) are your greatest asset.
And good luck!
Christine Keleny
According to The New York Times:
In the United States and Britain, sales of e-books represent between a quarter and a third of the consumer book market and, by 2018, will edge out printed and audio books as the most lucrative segment, according to projections by the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
As Nate Hoffelder of The Digital Reader points out though, the “perennial ebook optimists” at PricewaterhouseCoopers have now moved that goalpost back two years running. In 2012 they predicted that eBook sales would outpace print by 2016. In 2013, they said it’d happen in 2017. Now… it’s 2018.
One thing is certain, though: for many years to come, authors in the United Sates and Britian will need to make their books available in both print and digital editions in order to reach the most readers.
It’s also interesting to see how much less a share of the marketplace eBooks hold in many European countries. It’s exciting to see the growth opportunity for digital books in that region, but also a great chance for authors to continue selling print books to the millions of English-speakers in countries like Germany, Sweden, Norway, etc.
From Chris Robley of bookbaby
Brooke Warner of She Writes has some good points, though I don’t agree wholeheartedly with her first point – Your first book won’t make you any money. No one knows that. It will definitely take a lot of work for your first book to make money, but it can be done. No – you can’t quit your day job, but that doesn’t’ mean a very good story, well edited, with a good cover and good reviews, can’t do very well. It happens all the time.
Does it help to write more good books and get more good reviews? Of course, but I say, never say never for anything!
Read Brooke’s post for more things to contemplate.
This gallery contains 4 photos.
Melissa Donovan gives us 10 good reasons to learn a things or two about grammar (and I would add, punctuation). If writing is your thing, then this is something you should know about – you don’t have to be an expert – that’s what you rely on an editor for, but it will definitely save you money.
Because I base my fee on time, I do a test edit on all manuscripts I work with, so it will cost less to edit
an already well written (grammar and punctuation wise) manuscript.
If you want to take a grammar and punctuation course, check online or at your local community collage. I have taken courses online through Mediabestro in New York and I would recommend them.
10 Reasons Writers Should Learn Good Grammar | Writing Forward.
If you’re interested in going the traditional route (or traditional plus self-publishing – which is what I encourage people to do) then Tracy’s post is something you should read. I’m sure you can modify it for a fiction proposal. You’re a writer, after all!
[Path to Publication] How to Write a Memoir/Nonfiction Proposal – She Writes.
CKBooks Publishing 