  For Authors
This week: Get Your Money's Worth! Edited by: fyn  
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The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say. ~Anaïs Nin
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray Bradbury
Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow
A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket. ~Charles Peguy
And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath
I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all. ~Richard Wright, American Hunger, 1977 |
| ASIN: 0910355479 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 13.99
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You've decided you are ready to self-publish your book. You know it is good! You know it is ready! Now what? There are several important things to think about as you do your due diligence - ie; RESEARCH into what you need to make this foray a success. Many of the online 'publishers' offer to publish your book and that is all unless you pay extra. Some offer packages including editing, marketing and more. What might you need?
1. EDITING. Yes, you've gone over it. Yes, your best friend, former English teacher or kid has edited it. Yes, you've thrown a spell check or two in its direction. Have you read it out loud? Have people read it that will be brutally honest with you? The kind of folks who will ask what happened to that cool guy who wandered by in Chapter 4 and then vanished? The sort of nit-picking pains who will wonder why the sun was setting at six in the evening in May or cooling inform you that they are strawberry plants not bushes or that lambs are born in February-March and not April or May?
2. MARKETING. Do you know how to market your book? Are you good at cold calling book stores, coffee houses, museums, schools or where-ever else might be a good source of a marketing even for you? Do you know how to plan what your marketing strategy is and how to accomplish it?
How are you at public speaking? Can you stand up in front a group of strangers and talk to them comfortably about your book? And, do you know how to get yourself ready to do that?
Publishing your book, having it popped into Amazon does NOT a best seller make! YOU will make far more money and get your book 'out there' far more if you and your publisher work together on getting it out there. If, of course, this is what you want to do. Do you know how to set up for events? Do you know how to send out press releases, get interviews? Do you know how to 'do' interviews and understand the difference in TV, radio or press interviews?
If these things are important to you, consider a publisher who will work with you, set up events and teach you how to go about these things on your own after they fulfill their offered five or so events. Some publishers do not offer any marketing. Some offer five events. Some offer more. Get the most for your money as it serves you best to do so. You want the best return possible on your investment; which, I might add, is really an investment in yourself!
3. HAND-HOLDING. Some folks are completely self-assured and full of confidence that they know how to do anything. Most of us aren't quite so sure. This, after all, your book, your baby, your legacy. You want to know what is going on every step of the way. You want input and approval of each step. You want reassurance that everything is progressing along. You might have questions. Should you want to talk to a real live person, you want to be able to do just that. Some publishers you can do that with; others, not so much. It all depends upon what is importsnt to you, the author.
4. COVER. Have you designed your own cover art? Will you be able to use it? More, do you know how to take that art and lay it out into a printable cover format? Are you content with a template-d cover? Or do you want an original one-of-a-kind cover? Everyone is different and has different needs.
5. The BOOKS. How many will you need? (WANT?) How many do they require you order? Many publishers have to work with printers who require a run of at least 24. Some have printers in-house and are more flexible. Often, the more you order at a given time, the cheaper each book will be, although, of course, you are still having to spend more money on your investment. Did you size really does matter? Varying the size of your book by a half inch can often make a big difference in price; as can paper stock, gloss or matte, page count and color illustrations. Do you need or want someone who will sit down and explain all this to you or are are you perfectly okay picking a size and winging it? Again, everyone is different.
Bottom line is you need to feel comfortable with whomever you pick, feel you are getting a good bang for your buck and be confident that you will get what you need at the best possible price.
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I went searching for some of my favorite reads...the ones I go to when I need to escape...even if just for a little while!
This one because it got me thru today!!!!
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#1760019 by Not Available. |
And this because although totally different circumstances, this was the level of what I kept running into all day long! Had to read it again so I could laugh so that I shouldn't cry! Thanks DR!
This because it is new and she is one amazing writer!
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1866980 by Not Available. |
Because I know I can go and run away here and get lost in her words....
Because it is good to have friends like this and today would have been worse had i not one too!
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#1850815 by Not Available. |
A new one to me by an old friend...
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#1820528 by Not Available. |
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| ASIN: B07N36MHWD |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 7.99
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StephBee - House Targaryen  says: Great newsletters about dedications and their meaning. Most of my work is either dedicated to my kids who show me a different slice through their eyes or my good friend who beta reads all my work. Her thoughts, opinions, and feedback are valuable to story. If something's not working, she lets me know.
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| ASIN: 1945043032 |
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Amazon's Price: Price N/A
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For Authors: May 16, 2012 Issue [#5050]
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