Archive for Publishing Tips
How to format eBook Images in ePub
Posted by: | CommentsAh, the joy of it! We were having endless problems formatting our kids chapter books into ePub format with Smashwords. Today it was solved thanks to the very detailed tips by Paul Salvette. We had gotten so frustrated we had given up, but today I did a search for the issue and found Paul’s website. Now, thankfully, all is right with the world!
One of our issues has been no Chapter of Contents showing up,
another was text changing formatting and some of illustrations not appearing.
We thought we had followed Smashwords’ Style Guide explicitly but it still didn’t work.
Thanks Paul, we are in your debt.
Follow his instructions to the exact detail and you should have success too … and this helps a myriad of problems in books without images!!
Good luck.
Marketing Self-Published Novels
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a handout from a lecture I gave today, March 10th, 2012, for 3Penny Publishing in Victoria, BC.
Getting Down To Business for Writers Workshop
Having your own business takes discipline, stamina, and a computer!
For today’s purpose, I’m going to focus mainly on using the computer as the rest is pretty basic, easy to look up, and you’ve no doubt heard it all before ie., the accounting and keeping track of every expenses & your car use etc.
Marketing a Self-Published Novel
– Non-Fiction has some differences and are often easier to write and sell. ie., can manipulate sales easier to get high rankings from Amazon.com*
First Steps(in brief)
1 or 2. Experience the Surrey Int. Writer’s Conference (SIWC.ca) held each
October in Surrey, BC.
Publishers/editors/agents are present to advise you 1-on-1. You hobnob with successful authors such as Diana Gabaldon, Jack Whyte and published authors of all types/genres. Some of these authors/publishers/agents give workshops which are ongoing for 2-3 days … a packed weekend of learning and sharing with other writers and wannabees.
Note: If you’re hoping to find a professional publisher – you will probably need an agent and they are difficult to find. There are lists (online) and books to read but the easiest way may be to talk to authors who write books similar to yours, Or read the Acknowledgements in a recently published book for the name of their agent. Lots of info on the web. Be aware … it may drown you. At this workshop, we were told that there are so few Canadian Agents they are too busy already … and very little opportunity for first-time authors!
1 or 2. Write the book!! This may be obvious but why waste precious time on questions beforehand. It could take you a year or more and everything changes too quickly in this industry.
3. Research how to publish but don’t commit to anything too early! Your choices are: (a) POD (Caution: they charge via ‘packages.’ Do your research.’), (b) Indie or Self Publish with print books (like we did), or (c) Start with an eBook (there’s no guarantee of how a print book will do).
One of many great info websites/blogs: http://allindiepublishing.com/
4. Do I need a ISBN/CIP? Yes, they’re needed for bookstores and libraries and free in Canada. They’re easy to get, so IMO cover all your bases from square one! http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/publishers/index-e.html/
5. Bookstores – (a) Local independent stores may/may not carry self-published books. May depend on subject matter, space availability, subject matter, your popularity from current marketing. (40% comm. is usual). They may list your book online. Talk to them before you finish writing. * invaluable for info: Check out format of books like yours (font, pitch, spacing, title pages) and copy it; the clerk may be an author and will gladly share info with you. *Realize that bookstores have expensive real estate and they must feel your book will be worth having to monopolize this space.
(b) Chainstores (local or online) – Chapters/Indigo, Amazon.com, big boxstores (Walmart) etc. take a larger commission (@ 55-65% commission and you probably need a distributor as well (for an additional 15% or so).
(c) On-line bookstores – some have their own publishing arm ie., Amazon. Research. Ask around.
6. Join a Canadian/USA/International Indie-publishing association. Some are co-ops. Fees apply.
Watch Rebecca Kennel’s 2010 lecture from an earlier 3 Penny Publishing Workshop. It’s excellent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvcEMuWwNbc&list=UU90woABSqDsHGN7HkzaNFXA&index=3&feature=plcp
Marketing – Local
Now is the time to start work on a Business Plan and Budget for marketing expenses.
Tips: http://www.wordclay.com/Resources/MarketYourBook.aspx
- Book Clubs – offer to lecture and/or give a discount. Libraries may buy 10 books.
- Join a Writer’s Group(s) – they offer critique – tap into their knowledge and support.
- Libraries – Talk to them about carrying your books and give a lecture.
- Lecture to service clubs ie., Rotary, Lions Non-fiction? Local college, Rec. Centre.
- School Lectures – It’s more difficult to get into schools now depending on how much you charge. Here’s a sample but keep in mind Professional authors get grants! http://www.cwill.bc.ca/pages/teachers_booking_info
- Farmer’s and outdoor Markets – books allowed, we were possibly the first to do this in many areas (’99).
Table fees range from $20/day for outdoor, ‘Farmer’s markets’ also have membership fees. Sidney Thurs. Night Market ($45) Don’t be fooled – many come to merely browse, walk dogs & enjoy the ambiance!
- Craft Shows – rarity not to allow books.
Outdoor ie., local parks during band concerts/special events. ($25 and up) Works better if your book is small when combined with another event ie., car show, agricultural/trade show; Indoor @ Christmas etc. (usually $100/day and up) - Specialty stores – ie., Butchart’s for garden-related, gift stores, etc. Best for Non-Fiction
Marketing – Internet
1. Get your own website – check out different service providers prices, ask friends for advice. We use www.hostutopia.com with great success – not expensive @ $5.95/mo. The cost is if you have to hire someone. Consider a WordPress Blog – so popular now and a lot easier than the regular format. www.wordpress.com more options than www.blogspot.com We also have: www.bestsellingbooks.ca
2. Sell your book through your website using Paypal or Clickbank etc. We use Paypal and they now have a shipping component direct from customer’s order – no more waiting in line at the Post Office.
3. Make an eBook: eBooks are hugely popular now and ours are available in all formats. We use www.Amazon.com (Kindle format) and www.Smashwords.com
Smashwords supplies ALL the formats necessary for ALL readers for FREE. This gets you on Kobo, Sony, iPad, Kindle, iPod, etc. It can be tricky or simple and using MSWord works the best. Images can also be tricky. Smashwords has promotions and coupons for discounting books to friends/media or promotion.
Our Kindle sales have almost disappeared since they started their KDP* program for authors. Kindle also have a bit more complicated payout system (+ less commission) for Canadians but this is improving slowly. * Presently, they are giving away tons of ebooks under the KDP program. Goodreads.com has a long thread on their author’s experiences @ http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/760122-any-authors-in-the-kdp-select-program?page=1 (a must read – scroll down for most recent). I am now considering trying this program for one or two books.
4. Smartphones: Generate your own website/Facebook/Twitter barcode @ http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ post it on your website, on your book info handout, your poster etc. Any Smartphone can read it with the ‘Qr Barcode’ App. Open the App and it will use your camera App … you merely hold your phone close to the barcode as if you’re taking a photo of it. Once it’s a photo it will ask you to open the website or whatever. Great for seminars/workshops/trade shows etc.
More useful links:
http://joycesandilands.com/category/marketing/ My blog has many different articles.
http://www.go-publish-yourself.com
http://www.askwhy.co.uk/books/aspiringroot.htm
http://www.parapublishing.com (Dan Poynter) Page to add your own link.
http://www.spannet.org
http://www.canauthors.org
http://voices.yahoo.com/tips-market-self-published-novel-locally-2889491.html?cat=3
Finding Images for Book Covers
Posted by: | CommentsThere are many ways to find great images for book covers and I have used several methods for our 12 novels:
watercolour cover image
1. An actual human artist (Victoria Chronicles – 3 covers); and Lizzie Series – last 3 covers of series); painted by Barbara Porter to my specs via email.
Dreamstime.com image
2. An online photo supplier ie., Dreamstime.com or other such photographic supplier where you purchase for a small price a license to use a photo for a certain number of copies (covers, articles etc.). You have to read the rules & reg. I paid less than $100 to use this great image of a Spanish ship for 10,000 copies. I would be very happy to pay this amount again when we sell 10,000 paper/ebook copies of Race For a Treasure!
photograph by author
3. When all else fails and you can get the photo you need, take it yourself, as I did for Whispers Across Time (Fiction). It’s not always that easy, as this photo proves … I took during the daytime
during the early writing stage then realized the cemetery scenes all took place at night. Photoshop to the rescue!
public domain image
4. Our first cover, Lizzie, was a Renoir painting in public domain. Our graphic designer (for lettering etc on cover) found this on a website and the original image had been somewhat changed (colour etc).
I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration for your next cover.
I needed more editing time … just get on with it!
Posted by: | CommentsRepublished from our old blog but still time appropriate:
Yes, the manuscript achieved its first deadline and went to the printer (Friesens in Canada). I mean, we don’t play around, these books are printed for real not POD (print on demand … translated aka one-at-a-time). We tried that with our first book and it wasn’t worth the money etc. We also tried a small POD print run a couple years ago (for our galley copies) and weren’t happy with the quality … a year later when we ran into them and complained, they told us they were having trouble with their printing press. In fairness, they did reprint the copies we had left but their effort was too little too late. POD has come a long way, but we’re not ready for it just yet.
We have always given our readers the best bang for their buck and that’s one reason they are repeat customers. This requires a bit of extra effort and expense. It also means that if you don’t get it right the first time it can add hundreds, perhaps thousands of extra $ onto your next printing costs. That doesn’t count the lost sales due to poor quality and perhaps most important … bad critique from readers. Believe me, that kind of news travels fast these days.
But I digress, the subject is my editing. Actually, the issue was my lack of (time to do the) editing. This is something like the TV show I love to watch … Flip This House … a husband and wife team take a product and under a tight time schedule turn an old house (read unfinished book) into a dream house (read money-making novel)! Hey I like that analogy and, yes, I often get ideas from watching TV!!
Race For A Treasure - our latest (2008) stand-alone co-written novel was planned to arrive for an early November deadline to begin our Christmas Craft Show season – well our plans began going awry as soon as we sent it to the printer. One of those unforeseeable problems arose and after some extra work with the printer, it is finally on track but will be 1-2 weeks late!
I have to hand it to Friesen’s thought, they have done their darndest to keep me on track!
So, the lesson for this issue … you must get it right the first time!! Time wasn’t on my side this year and it’s hard to admit to my husband and our eagerly waiting fans that I am not Super Woman after all!!
During the editing process there is so much to deal with that time can easily get away from you. Your brain can only work so quickly (especially when you’re in that ‘senior’ category). You simply do your best, BUT make sure it produces a book you are proud to put your name on and it hasn’t cost you your last $.
The editing process is so complicated and I have so much to share while it’s still fresh in my mind … let’s make it a separate issue … so until next time.
Happy editing and publishing.
SIWC – Surrey Writer’s Conference
Posted by: | CommentsOn Writing and Conferences
Originally posted Jan. 2007 on my Blog, Of Books, Marketing and Self-Promotion (updated Sept 2011)
Cripes the year is already going too fast already a week into it and I’m sure the rest of the year will go even faster … that happens as you get older you know. A warning … just wait and see!
I received an email from a fellow writer last week which spurred me on to re-organize my links list on our website, adding a Table of Contents. I couldn’t believe all the fabulous links I had accumulated. They’re much easier to sift through now. (2011 Note: Sorry, but I haven’t added new links as I had hoped in recent years, but I have also moved the links to this blog.
I also decided to reread one of the eZines I had signed up. It’s by Jessica Morrell, a hugely informative editor/writer/lecturer I met in October at the first writer’s conference either my husband or I had attended. You know, when you think you are successful and everything is coming together so nicely, why spend all that money just to meet lots of wannabes and fill your brain with stuff it doesn’t have room for?
Well, the Surrey International Writer’s Conference in Surrey, BC Canada (just across the ‘pond’ from us here in the Pacific NW, sure changed my mind about that.
I attended the workshops while my husband mostly manned our book booth at the trade show – where else should you sell your book and spread the word but where readers hang out. Besides, maybe one of the agents might notice us!!
Starting the first day, I couldn’t get enough of those workshops! I wore my ugly blue clogs for comfort and literally raced around the conference floor taking in as many of the sessions as I could physically or mentally devour – usually about 3 in one 1 1/2 hr. session. I came away with so much knowledge and insight, I loved it! Meanwhile, my darling husband, J. Robert Whittle, Canadian 2x bestselling historical author http://www.bestsellingbooks.ca, was selling books downstairs like crazy and hobnobbing with all the famous authors who smoked! I guess there is something to say about being a smoker … yuck!
What a weekend. I talked to many agents and am still re-editing and organizing before I sent them what they requested. Talk about exciting. Even if we don’t get an agent or publisher out of this, it was well worth the hotel, travel, and conference expense to get us started – we can’t wait to go back in a couple years or attend one of the smaller shows.
Anyway, I’m getting a bit off track. Jessica Morrell’s workshop was one of the many I attended and I signed up for her newsletter. If you’re a writer, I would suggest you do that also. She also has an archives on her website.
Happy writing …
