Three Years of Self-Publishing and Still Going Strong!

 

Hi all,

Three years ago today, I self-published my first novel, Widow, Virgin, Whore. Although I had been writing novels for years, I had never had a platform to sell them on.  After numerous rejection slips from agents and publishers, I'd pretty much given up. And then I heard about self-publishing on Amazon, and that opened up a whole new world for me.

When I self-published my first novel, I really had no expectations. That first month, I sold two books. I was thrilled. At least two people would read my book. Later that month, I published my middle- grade novel Outlaw Heroes, and then in March of 2012 I published Memories.  Sales grew, and so did the income. At the time, I'd read that authors who self-published were lucky if they earned $500 a year from their books. In only three months, I'd already surpassed that amount. I ignored the naysayers and continued self-publishing.

Three years later, I've published nine books and I'm already working on my tenth. I've sold approximately 150,000 books over that three year span and that's just the ebooks. Sure, there are many authors earning a lot more than I am, but I'm happy that I've been able to do something I love and share it with readers. I've met so many nice people, including readers, reviewers, bloggers, and of course, all my author friends. It's been such a rewarding experience.

And the best news of all – This past month I was approached by a publisher who purchased Maggie's Turn and will be republishing it in the Summer of 2015. We will be working to polish Maggie up and get her ready for her big reveal. I'm so excited to start this new phase of my writing career. And of course, I'll still be writing and self-publishing other novels.

In 2015, I hope to self-publish at least three novels – maybe four if I make myself sit down and write! I know authors who write a book a month, but I can't even imagine that. Writing four books this year was enough for me – I need to have a life as well. J

My three years of self-publishing has been amazing and I look forward to many, many more. Thank you all for your support throughout my writing journey. I couldn't have done this without all the kind words from readers, my blogger friends, and my author friends. You are all amazing!

 

Cheers,

Deanna

It's All About the Words...

Hi all,

I recently began reading a novel which I'd been wanting to delve into for quite some time but hadn't
had the time to do so. Only two pages into it, I realized that this novel was going to be a delight to read. The author writes with flowery, flowing, descriptive phrases – and personally, I love that style of writing. Why? Because when reading a good novel…

It's all about the words.

Not everyone enjoys my enthusiasm for flowery writing. Many people just want to bypass all the description and get to the meat of a story. I don't blame them. There are times when I want that, too. I'm more of a dialogue person. I usually find myself skipping large passages of description or a character's internal thinking to get to the dialogue. But, when I come upon a story with eloquent writing, I enjoy savoring every word and turn of phrase. Some forms of writing are true art, while other forms of writing are entertainment. I enjoy both, but I only savor one. Why? Because…

It's all about the words.

As a novelist, I do not write flowery phrases or long descriptive passages. I'm just not that kind of writer. I can sometimes turn a really good phrase, but I am not eloquent in my style. My writing style is more direct, and I like to use dialogue more than description. But that doesn't mean I cannot appreciate a novel written in another style. In fact, I believe it's because I don't write in long, overdrawn descriptive phrases that I enjoy reading them all the more.

As self-published authors, I think we sometimes get so caught up in all the aspects of writing and publishing that we sometimes forget to stop and savor the words. I know that I am guilty of this. I become immersed in all the details of publishing, from cover art, to formatting, to publicity. I self-impose deadlines and rush to meet them so I can produce another novel and start the whole editing, packaging, and publicity cycle all over again. And during this process, I sometimes forget that it was my love of the written word that brought me to writing novels in the first place. Because…

It's all about the words.

Then, when I actually relax and read a novel that flows beautifully and fills my head with delightful imagery, I am once again reminded of why I write.

It's all about the words.

Writing isn't a contest. It isn't a marathon where we push ourselves to write six, eight, or ten thousand words a day so we can tell all our friends on Twitter or Facebook what we've accomplished in one sitting. Writing is about creating. It's about savoring each word, each images we create, and every turn of a phrase. It's art. It's imagery. It's storytelling with flair. And yes, lest we forget…

It's all about the words.

 

Happy writing.

 

Deanna

Tips for Self-Publishing - Step Four: Book Cover & Book Description

Hi all,

You are definitely getting closer to publishing your eBook. Try not to rush to get your book published. Make sure to take the time to do everything right so you won't have to change it later on. So far, we have talked about the following steps:

 

Step One: PreparingYour Manuscript   

 

Step Two: Choosing aPublishing Platform  

 

Step Three:Formatting Your eBook 

 

Now we are going to talk about your eBook cover and book description. You may think that these two things are not as important as the content of the book, but that isn't true. An unprofessional book cover or an ineffective book description can make a difference in whether or not a customer will seriously consider purchasing your book – especially if this is your first novel.

A Professional Book Cover

It's been said a million times and I'll say it again – readers do judge a book by its cover. The cover is what catches the reader's eye; the cover is what brings interest to your book when it is sitting alongside other books on a bookseller's site.  If your book cover cannot compete alongside a traditionally published book, then no one is going to look at it. (Except maybe your mother, sister, brother and best friend.)

 

"But can't I buy a professional photo, add my book's title to it and be ready to go?"

Yes, you can. Many people do. But I wouldn't recommend it. If you are a graphic designer or have the appropriate computer programs and you know how to use them, I say go for it. But let's face it, most of us are not designers or own computer programs that can create a beautiful, professional cover that will stand out from the crowd.

"But I'm a first-time author and I can't afford to pay someone to create a professional book cover."

I understand that completely, we've all been there. But the question is, when competing against over one-million other eBooks on Amazon, can you afford not to have a professional book cover? You've spent months, maybe even years creating your novel. Doesn't it deserve a book cover that will make it stand out from the crowd?

Your book cover does not have to be expensive, but it does have to catch the eye, express the essence of your story and stand out on the page. There are many services that can supply a book cover for you for under $150. Some even have professional book cover designs for under $100. I personally use Tugboat Design to create my book covers. They are easy to work with and affordable. But it doesn't matter who makes your book cover; just consider having a professional cover made so your book will stand out from the other one-million eBooks.

Tugboat Design wrote an article on why you should have a professional book cover that you can read here.  

Here is an example of why you should have a professional create your book cover. When I was trying to decide on a cover for my upcoming novel, SARA'S PROMISE, I came upon the following photo and thought it would be perfect for my cover. I even went so far as to create a mock-up of how I wanted it to look. (Left) (The swirl in the photo is just to protect it, not what I added.) I then gave the photo to Deborah at Tugboat Design and asked her to find a way to create a great book cover out of it. After playing around with the photo I gave her, she created an "alternate" cover (Right) that she thought I would like better. Here are the two covers.

 

As you can see, she came up with a MUCH better book cover than I could have ever done by myself. I had come upon the entwined wedding rings picture and mentioned to use it, but I had no idea how. She not only used them, but in a creative way that I wouldn't have been able to do. Now, which cover would catch your eye – mine or hers. I thought so.

Don't be afraid to invest in a professional book cover – it will be worth it in the end.

 

 

A Captivating Book Description

I have to say, I am amazed when I see a book that looks interesting on Amazon and then when I read the description, there is maybe one or two lines that barely describe the book. I don't know about you, but if the author can't make the description interesting, then I don't want to buy it. I'm sure there are many other readers out there who feel the same way.

The Book Description is Your Best Advertisement

 

Your book description helps to sell your book. Think of it as an advertising campaign. Hit the high points – draw interest – leave the reader hanging. Make the reader want to buy your book.

An effective book description should tell enough about the story to grasp the reader's interest without giving away too much of the story. It should touch on the main plot of the book and the main characters. Leave the subplots out – this will only confuse potential readers. And don't give away endings. Otherwise, why would the reader want to buy your book?

Your book description should be written in the third person – just as you would write your author bio (you did write your author bio in the third person, right?). It doesn't matter how your book is written, the description should always be written in third person.

Don't Be Lazy!

 

Do not be lazy and just put an excerpt from your book as a description. While an excerpt can help sell the book, it doesn't give a good overall description of your book. Take the time to write a great book description. Not only will you use it on the sites where you sell your book, but if you create a paperback version, it will appear on the back of that book as well. You can also use your book description when you start promoting your book (hopefully!) on the many book blogs that you share interviews and excerpts with.

If you are having trouble coming up with the key points in your book to write a description, then ask friends, your proofreader or your editor how they would describe your book. Their thoughts can help you narrow down the plot to create a selling book description.

Most important of all – make sure the description flows, reflects the novel's style of writing and is error free! No misspellings, no bad grammar. People will judge your writing style by that one or two paragraphs that describes your novel, so make sure your book description is interesting, well-written and piques the reader's interest.

I found a wonderful blog post on writing a book description here. Check it out for more information.

 

Self-publishing a novel, especially your first one, is a daunting task but if you follow the proper steps, you will see better results from your efforts. Remember though, that even with all the bells and whistles, a novel is only as good as the story it tells, so make sure the majority of your efforts goes into creating the story and editing. The cover and description are window dressing, but important in selling your novel. When you put it all together, you may have the right formula for the next bestselling novel!

 

Cheers,

Deanna

 

 

Author Interview: Lily Ennis

Hi all,

Today I'm talking with Lily Ennis, author of the romantic suspense novel Fire in the Mountain. This is Ms. Ennis' debut novel. She is also sharing an excerpt from her novel with us. I hope you will enjoy reading more about this intriguing novel and up-and-coming author.

 

 

Cover Designed by Tugboat Design

Lily Ennis, Author

 

Tell us a little about yourself

I live in a rural area outside a town of 6,000 people on a small lifestyle block with my husband Geoff, four gorgeous ginger tabbies, a 40+ something year old sulphur crested cockatoo and a wonderful goat called Charlie.  I treat every minute of the day precious and am never bored.  Everything interests me – okay, not sports, not really.

 

Briefly describe your novel Fire In The Mountain

It’s based on two people who meet each other again after three decades.  They get themselves tangled in a mysterious theft.  Lana returned to New Zealand after the tragic death of her husband, Yuri.  Both were musicians.  Too painful to continue without him, she finds solace in her old school friend, Sarah, who inspires her to take up geology.  She settles into her new life and new love until she unexpectedly reunites with Paul, her first love.  With that she is thrown into turmoil as she tries to reconcile the girl she once was with the woman she became.   

Paul travelled the world studying volcanoes, devoting little time to his marriage, but he came home to study Mt Ruapehu’s lahar.  His love for Lana never died and when he learns of her whereabouts he engineers himself back into her life.

Every day of his life Alfred tried not to think of his years spent in prison camps.  Then some medals are stolen and he is inextricably thrown back to Monte Cassino.  But as he follows the search for the medals he is pleased to add some excitement to his sedate retirement years until it comes at a cost, first to Lana and Paul, and then himself. 

 

Where did your inspiration come from for this novel?

I met up with someone from school and it was not what I expected.  That covers the romance bit.  I recently completed a geology degree so wanted to set the novel against the dynamic backdrop of an erupting volcano.  Surely, there is no more interesting place on earth than where the earth is being made!

 

Why did you choose to self-publish?

I didn’t want a shoe box collection of rejection letters from myopic print publishers.

 

How much does your upbringing and/or lifestyle today influence your writing?

It has to influence whether I recognize it or not.  I certainly am influenced by my surroundings and living in the country keeps me grounded in what the seasons are doing and how the environment slowly changes.

 

What do you do for fun?

Martial arts, Scottish country dancing, embroidery and I play a few instruments.  Of course I read, that goes without saying.  But for serious fun I am secretary of the local SPCA and along with hands on volunteering at the shelter I spend a lot of time on policy and governance issues.

 

What books have you read recently that you've enjoyed?

Labrynth by Kate Mosse

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser

The Captive Queen by Alison Weir

The Girl in Times Square by Paullina Simons

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

 

Are you working on a novel right now? Can you tell us a little bit about it?

I am.  It’s about some Japanese submariners that beached in New Zealand and sat out the rest of the war as prisoners.  It’s also about Kitty, a school teacher and Robert, a physicist who eventually get together.  However, Robert’s role in the war is not altogether clear and it holds the romance up somewhat.  Pivotal to the plot is Robert’s relationship with the Japanese. Watch this space.

 

Where can readers purchase your novel?

Amazon       

Smashwords  

 

Where can readers connect with you?

Blog  

Twitter         

 

Excerpt from Fire in the Mountain

 

 

It had not been an easy sleep.  Eruptions had been relentless all night.  Each time she had awoken to a particularly disturbing explosion Emma and Paul had also jolted into life.  It seemed they had snatched less than one or two hours at a time.  When the morning light finally woke Lana, it was silent outside.  The wood-lined walls of the hut were shadowy.  She held her sleeping bag close to her face leaving only her eyes peeking out from its folds.  She unwillingly looked at the window.  She didn’t want to see a thick ash-strewn landscape or swirls of ash flying past.  She wanted it all to be a dream.  But it hadn’t been her imagination.  The air was thick and no sunshine was able to penetrate.  She glanced over to Paul’s sleeping bag.  It was empty.  She pulled it to her face and breathed in his scent that impregnated the soft down.  It was cold.  He had left long ago.  She listened.  Nothing.  She quickly sat up and looked around.  No Emma either.

‘Damn!’  She clenched her fists and beat them on her mattress.  No wonder Emma had so willingly conceded defeat last night.  She had every intention of accompanying Paul and he had bloody let her!

It was calm outside.  The hut for once was not trembling.   She peeled herself out of her bag and dressed in full thermals with trousers and shirt over top, ready for a day on the mountain should she get the opportunity.  Then she ran her fingers through her hair and padded out to the main room.  She made straight for the door.  She’d held a slim hope that Paul and Emma were sitting on the deck with a hot cup of tea watching the sunrise.  But the deck was empty and their boots had gone.  How dare they!  It was clear that Paul had wanted Emma with him or they would have woken the whole hut arguing about it.  She stomped back inside and let the door slam behind her.

The others were not up.  There was a light breeze coming through the broken window with ash swirling its way in.  She trotted back to her pack and cut up her bright yellow plastic pack liner then fastened a piece of it to the window frame with insulation tape.  It gave the room a surreal cheerful look.

Bill was tossing and turning on his bunk, lying diagonally across several mattresses and muttering.  She went to him and placed her hand on Bill’s forehead.  A bit hot.

‘Not that one,’ Bill muttered.  The comment caught Lana by surprise and she quickly withdrew her hand. 

‘Which one?’ she asked squatting alongside the bunk.

‘Purple ribbon.’

‘What purple ribbon Bill?’ Lana pressed him.

‘Tom’s granddad.’

‘Who is Tom?’

‘Tom,’ he repeated.

‘Where is the purple ribbon Bill?’ asked Lana.

‘Ant.’

‘Ant,’ Lana murmured to herself.  An insect or a name?  Antony?  She decided to lead the questioning.  ‘How did you hurt yourself Bill?’

‘Ant.’

A name, Lana decided.  ‘Who is Ant?’

‘You shouldn’t have taken it,’ Bill warned.

‘What did I take?’ asked Lana.

‘Cross.’

‘With a purple ribbon?’

‘Stop it,’ Bill made a thrusting movement with one arm.

‘Are you in a fight?  Bill?  Are you in a fight?’ Lana repeated.

He made another thrusting movement and rolled away from Lana.  Just then the door to the bunkroom opened and Dave came out.  He quickly surveyed the room.

‘What’s going on?’ he asked Lana.

Lana bristled at his tone.

‘What’s he been saying?’

‘Just about a ribbon.’

‘And?’ he spat.

There was maliciousness behind that one word.  It scared her.

‘And nothing.  Look your mate better see to him if he’s a doctor.  He’s clearly not well,’ she implored.  ‘He’s reliving something stressful and it’s the fever bringing that on.’

Dave looked around the room furtively.  He opened the door to Lana’s bunkroom and glanced in.  ‘Where are your friends?’ he asked.

‘They’ve gone out for a minute,’ she lied.  ‘They’ll be back any time now.’

She rose from her squatting position and made for the door of the hut.  Dave took a half step to one side so she could pass but not so easily that she didn’t rub against him.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked.

She turned, glared at him and slammed the door after her.

It was a trek of some fifty metres uphill over uneven ash-covered, rock-strewn ground to the toilet.  A mid-green plastic box battened down with steel guy ropes stood sentinel above the little hut.  As she climbed she had a good view of the ash column spewing out of the volcano.  She looked down over the east side of the mountain.  The ground was covered in a fairytale powder of fine ash.  Previously dark brown and red rocks were now a pale shade of grey.  It was a different place.  She felt like an observer from another planet.  She suddenly imagined the little green toilet was a dark blue police box and Paul was the Doctor and she was the beautiful assistant.

She was surprised to see she was trembling.  The man calling himself Dave, who clearly was not called Dave, was intimidating.  He didn’t need to be.  It was like she and the others had done something to upset him.

She studied the hut from above.  It was a simple structure, rectangular in shape with a single gable roof.  Apart from the two bunkrooms and the communal living area there was a small warden’s quarter attached to the north end.  An open deck linked the two.  There was a solitary stainless steel sink attached to one end of the deck, quite out of place.  Even from here she could see the small yellow cake of soap she’d left next to the tap.  A small black polythene water tank was situated on a wooden trestle to the rear of the building.  The hut was covered in fine ash and there were trails in the ash on the roof left by the tumbling molten rocks.  The water tank appeared to be in tact.  Both the hut and tank was also secured with metal guy ropes; testament to the ferociousness of alpine winter storms.

On her way back down the hill she heard footsteps behind her.  She halted and looked around only to be assailed upon by Dave.  He held onto a fist-sized boulder and raised it above his head.  Lana immediately bent forward ramming her rump into his body.  He lurched forward with the unexpected shock of the impact grunting as he did so.  She let out a gnarled guttural scream as she curled her right hand into a fist and using assistance from her left hand to drive it she projected her right elbow into his midriff.  She felt her elbow sink into his soft upper belly.  He had been surprised by her counter and had not thought to tighten his stomach muscles.  Instead her elbow connected with his solar plexus.  Dave gasped for breath caught unawares and sucking at the top of his lungs for precious life-sustaining air.  He crunched forward heaving as Lana knew he would and his head was perfectly positioned for a smack to the face.  She swung her right fist up, pivoting at the elbow and smashed him with a back fist to his face.  She felt the back of her fist connect with the gristle of his nose.

            It was what she had trained for all those long years.  She had always wondered if she’d need to use her skills.  And if caught in a situation would she be able to react instinctively?  She’d always found it difficult to touch her training partner’s head – something about the touch of their eyes, wet mouth, sweaty forehead.  It repelled her.  But now the adrenalin fuelled the fight, as she’d always hoped it would when it came down to it.  Dave howled and dropped heavily to the ground clutching his nose.  It began to swell and his eyes watered.  She lifted a booted foot and stomped on his head until she saw the first blood streak his cheek.  He extracted a mouthful of expletives.

She was pleased to hear it.  At least she hadn’t projected the bones of his nose into his brain and killed him.  She looked at the damage she had inflicted.  She couldn’t feel safe unless he was unconscious.  Her training told her to run or to administer a more permanent resolution to her attacker.  But she was prevented from executing further damage as Jim appeared downhill of her.  The angle of the incline gave her a temporary height advantage.  She was aware that she was still vulnerable to attack from Dave but she had bought herself time.  Jim came straight for her.  He was unaware that the target he presented to Lana was more vulnerable, in fact the best she’d ever been offered for the sort of attack she contemplated.  She summed up her situation in a split second and directed a beautiful straight-legged Muay Thai kick to Jim’s groin.  He let out a blood-curdling scream as he doubled over clutching himself.  Lana grabbed onto Jim’s shoulders and with a mighty holler brought her right knee up to his face smashing his head on it as she did so.  Her knee connected with his nose which made a dull crack as it broke.

But then the time she’d bought ran out.  She felt the earth disappear from under her as she took a wallop to the back of her legs.  Dave had found himself in the unenviable position of being on the ground, bleeding from head wounds and possibly affecting any possibility of good decision-making.  However, to his advantage he was now below Lana’s centre.  He grasped her lower legs propelling her face down onto the ground and he dragged her until she was half on top of him.  Her worst nightmare.  She shouldn’t have let herself go to the ground.  Now she really would have to get close to her assailant if she was going to win this.  Mount, side mount, bridge, post.  Words flooded into her head.  Why was he still flailing under her?  Don’t give him space, she heard her sensei over her shoulders.  Keep your arms tight.  Use your body, dead weight Lana.  She tried to relax into a dead weight like she had been taught but she wasn’t lying over his chest enough to squash the air out of him and hinder movement of his torso so she flailed her arms and legs, twisted her body around and hit out at him.  She had all her weapons free, punching and elbowing, sometimes connecting, sometimes not.  She cursed her wasted energy at an unconnected blow.  She kept her body writhing from side to side, bringing one leg up at a time and digging in Dave’s ribs with her knees. 

Her face suddenly was buried in his groin and she bit hard into his thigh.  He screamed again and this time jerked her upwards and his legs shot up off the ground.  She grabbed the soft flesh behind his thigh and pinched it, twisting it before letting it go.  Then her face fell back into his groin directly over his scrotum.  She felt the soft flesh under layers of fabric fill her mouth.  It was worse than anything she’d ever experienced.  She gagged on the furry fabric of his trousers and the sweaty urine odour it harboured.  She heaved.  She should bite, but it was against her nature.  She couldn’t fill her mouth with his balls and his blood.  She shouldn’t think of it.  She should just do it.  No time to think about it.  She knew she shouldn’t take her weight off him.  It would be all over if she gave him space but the sick feeling in her stomach dominated the rules that she’d learnt to play by.

‘Hold the cow still,’ Dave yelled as he grasped a chunky boulder.   He was scared; she could hear it in his voice.  He didn’t know that she was completely and utterly spent.

Jim regained his feet and stooped to take hold of Lana’s wildly kicking legs.  His fingers found her trousers and he pulled the fabric.  They gave way and slipped a little pulling away from her.  Then she felt strong hands around her ankles as Jim dragged her off Dave onto the uneven cold ground.  She wanted to pull her pants up.  The cold bit at her skin, but she had to get up.  Can’t have her back to her attackers, most dangerous place.  She panted, unsure what to do.  She was aware of Dave’s arm raised in the air.  She shot a glance at Jim, whose face registered terror.  It was enough to make her roll onto her side but it was too late.  Now she could see Dave’s bloody face and wild eyes behind the rock that struck her head.  And then there was darkness.

****

 

I'd like to thank Lily for sharing information about herself and her novel with us and for sharing this interesting excerpt. Be sure to pick up your copy of Fire in the Mountain at Amazon or Smashwords.

 

 

Cheers,

Deanna

Tips for Self-Publishing - Step Three: Formatting Your eBook

Formatting may be easier with a little help!

Hi all,

When I first started the self-publishing process nine months ago, I certainly had a lot to learn. How did I learn it? Through reading other writer's blogs, reading all the information on sites like Smashwords, Amazon and B&N and by trial and error. I hope I can help you have a smoother transition into self-publishing by giving you a few tips on formatting your eBooks. If you haven't already done so, take a look at the first two articles in this series – Preparing Your Manuscript and Choosing a PublishingPlatform.  Okay, here we go…

 

Tips for Self-Publishing – Step Three: Tips for Formatting Your eBook

Your manuscript is ready and you've chosen the platforms where you wish to publish your book – now what? Now you have to delve into the world of formatting your eBook so you can upload it to the sites you have chosen. For many indie authors, this can be the most confusing part of self-publishing, especially if you are not comfortable with computers. But formatting your eBook isn't really as difficult or confusing as you may think. And the best part – if you really don't want to do it yourself, there are many services out there who will format your eBook for a minimal cost for all three platforms.

I personally enjoyed learning how to format my eBooks. I'm not saying it was especially easy at first, but as soon as I understood what I was doing, I didn’t mind it. In this post I am not going to tell you step by step how to format your eBooks – there are guides for that – but I'll guide you in the right direction on where to find the information and how to use it.

The Best Formatting Guide

Finding a formatting guide that walks you through the process is priceless and there is one out there for FREE that will save you hours of time and frustration. Smashwords lets you download their Style Guide for FREE and you can use this not only to format for Smashwords, but as a basic formatting guide for Amazon and B&N as well. Just join Smashwords for Free and then go here to download their style guide either in PDF for your computer or Mobi for your Kindle or whatever format you wish. I downloaded it in PDF on my computer so I would have it at my fingertips every time I format a new book.

Of course, there will be a few variations when you create your Amazon Kindle file and B&N Nook file. For example: For Amazon, you will want to use Page Breaks at the end of each chapter so your chapters don't run into each other. For B&N, Page Breaks don't work – you have to use Section Breaks instead so your new chapter will start on a new page. But you can find these tips out on the individual pages for Amazon and B&N.

Formatting for Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Amazon/KDP has their Simplified Formatting Guide.

 

Barnes & Noble/Pubit has their Formatting Guide in their FAQs. 

For all three platforms, you can start with your Word document and begin formatting for each platform. First – make a copy before formatting – then start. I'd advise you to use the information from the Smashwords guide that applies to your type of book to format and then make whatever other changes Amazon or B&N require. Always keep a separate file for each format; otherwise you will confuse them when you are uploading your files.

Honestly, if you follow the directions step-by-step, you can do this yourself. It just takes time.

Checking your Formatting

When uploading to Amazon and B&N, they allow you to preview how your book looks before you hit PUBLISH. This is important. You want to make sure your formatting looks good before publishing it. If you own a Kindle or Nook, that is even better. You can upload your file (by connecting your Kindle or Nook to your computer) onto your reader and go through the book to make sure it looks good. I never publish a book without doing this first.

Uploading your eBook

All platforms allow you to upload your formatted Word document – simple as that. I do it a little differently, because I like having the mobi or epub file available to share with reviewers without having to pay a bookseller for it. You can upload Mobipocket Creator to create mobi files or you can upload Calibre to create epub, mobi or  any of the files you wish.

But I still can't seem to do it myself…

That's fine too. For many people, it isn't worth their time learning how to do formatting when there are services available that will do it for you for a good price. Tugboat Design will format your novel for all three platforms for only $65. That's a bargain. They also format for CreateSpace and can also create your book cover too.

 

What about CreateSpace Formatting?

Formatting for CreateSpace is simple and complicated all at once. I use the Word doc that I formatted for Kindle to upload to CreateSpace – BUT – once you upload the file to the size book you have chosen, you then have to work on that file to create page numbers and headings (if desired). I haven't figured out how to do page numbers so I hand the file over to Tugboat Design to finish it for me – she can place in page numbers and headings without a problem.

 

I hope that some of these suggestions and links helped. In the next article, we'll talk about the importance of book covers.

 

Cheers,

Deanna

 

Tips for Self-Publishing – Second Step: Choosing a Publishing Platform

Hi all,

In the first article, Step One: Preparing Your Manuscript, we discussed the importance of having an editor or proofreader go over your manuscript before publishing. Today I'm sharing information on where you can self-publish your novel. Of course, there are many ways to self-publish other than the do-it-yourself sites. You can submit to small presses, vanity presses or even pay a publisher to publish and distribute your novel. But today I'm only talking about self-publishing your novel on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. So, here we go...

Tips for Self-Publishing - Second Step: Choosing a Publishing Platform

 

Your manuscript is edited or proofread, beta readers have given you the thumbs up and now you are ready to self-publish your novel. You have several choices for self-publishing and you should consider them all before jumping into the arena. In this article, I'm going to talk about self-publishing on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. There are plenty of other choices but these are the basic sites most indie authors start on. You can also chose to have a Print on Demand publisher, like Xlibris, that charges you for publishing services and they control the price of your book and eBook, but I wouldn't recommend that. (Been there, done that!) If you like to be in control of your books, like I do, then you will want to publish on sites where you have complete control over all aspects of your book.

Publishing on Amazon

Let's face it, Amazon is the top site for selling eBooks and paperback books. According to Amazon, they have 70-80 percent of the eBook buying market and about 80 percent of those buyers own Kindles. So, as an indie author just starting out, you will definitely want to be a part of the Amazon marketplace. In addition to that, Amazon makes it easy to publish your novel in eBook and paperback formats and it's FREE. Yes, it's free to publish on Amazon.

Publishing an eBook on Amazon: To publish an eBook on Amazon, you will need to open an account at Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. From there, they will walk you through the process of submitting your book. Be sure to read all the FAQs & Terms about publishing on Amazon before submitting a book.  It always amazes me when people publish on Amazon and then don't know how much they are being paid, if they can unpublish or what their rights are. Read everything! Amazon is not out to cheat you, but you can cheat yourself if you don't understand all the details of their program.

Some facts about Amazon:

• You continue to own all rights to your book
• You can set the price of your book
• You have two royalty options (70/35)
• You can change the price at any time
• You can unpublish at any time
• You can upload revised versions of your book any time you want (in case you didn't follow my advice on editing and you had to fix a few errors)
• You can publish on other platforms as well, unless you join KDP Select (more in another post)
• You don't have to buy an ISBN # to publish an eBook on Amazon (more in another post)
• You can choose which countries your book is distributed to

Publishing a Paperback on Amazon: To publish your book in paperback format on Amazon, you have to set up an account at CreateSpace. Again, read all the FAQs and Terms. If you go step by step, the process is fairly simple, however the formatting is a little more complicated than formatting a manuscript for an eBook. But we'll talk more about formatting in another post.

Some facts about publishing on CreateSpace:

• You continue to own all rights to your book
• You can unpublish any time you want
• It is FREE unless you decide to purchase a universal ISBN Number or you wish to distribute to bookstores other than Amazon (additional $25 charge).
• They will give you a FREE ISBN number unless you choose a universal one.
• You can buy author copies for a fraction of the cost.
• You can set your own price on Amazon
• You can change your book's price anytime you want
• You can upload a new revised file of the book at any time
• You can choose to publish on other platforms as well

 

Publishing on Barnes & Noble

Although Barnes & Noble doesn't hold the highest rating for eBook sales, it can be another market for self-published authors to explore. B&N claims to have 27% of the eBook market, however I think their estimate is a bit high. But I wouldn't write them off completely. You want to have your books available in as many markets as possible and B&N is one you should consider (after Amazon).

 

Publishing an eBook on B&N:  In order to publish an eBook on B&N, you have to create an account at Pubit. Only U.S. authors can publish on Pubit right now. And the sales market is very limited too.

 

Some facts about publishing on Pubit:

• It's FREE to publish on Pubit
• You don't need to buy an ISBN to publish an eBook on Pubit
• You own all rights to your book
• You set the price
• You have two royalty options (65/30)
• You can change the price at any time
• You can upload a revised file at any time
• You can unpublish at any time
• You can publish on other platforms also

It is basically like Amazon's KDP program except for the facts that you earn a little less royalty on each option and your books aren't sold anywhere except in the U.S. – which means fewer sales oportunities.

Publishing on Smashwords

Smashwords is a good platform for the author who doesn't want to submit his books separately to places like Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Apple and other sites (Amazon is not included in their list). You can upload one book file and Smashwords will create book files for any of the stores you choose to distribute to. Or, you can just upload to Smashwords and not distribute through their premium catalog. It all depends upon the amount of control you want.

Smashwords is a legitimate site and is wonderful to work with but I personally do not distribute through Smashwords because if you decide to make changes (like opt out of other markets), it can take weeks to get the sites to take down your book. I prefer to list my books myself into each market so that with a click of a button, I can publish or unpublish or change a price. This is just something you should consider before distributing through Smashwords.

Some facts about publishing on Smashwords:

• You own all rights to your book
• You can unpublish at any time
• You can set your price and change it at any time
• You can distribute to other markets through Smashwords
• Royalties vary depending upon the market you are distributing to
• A good choice for authors who don't want to format their books for each separate platform
• **Smashwords has the absolute BEST style formatting guide of all of the sellers!

Deciding which platforms you want your books on is a personal choice. So be sure to check each one out, read their FAQs and Terms and choose which way is best for you. Don't rush when choosing – some can take a minute to leave and others can take weeks. So be sure you know what you are agreeing to before publishing.

In the next post: Step Three – Tips for Formatting Your e-Book

Hope this helps those of you who are new to self-publishing.

 

Cheers,

Deanna 

Tips for Self-Publishing – Step One: Preparing Your Manuscript

Hi all,

It has been about nine months since I started my self-publishing journey and over this time, I've learned an incredible amount of information about self-publishing through trial and error. To date, I have had small successes and am doing better than the average indie author, but I still have a long way to the bestseller list. However, I've learned a lot too, and would like to help other new indie authors on their publishing journey as well.

I've read many author's blogs and articles on self-publishing and tried many different things myself to see what worked and what didn't. I'm still learning, but I also have a wealth of information that may help a newbie indie author not make the same mistakes I did and possibly get a better start on their own journey. There are several books available that will teach you the tricks of self-publishing, but for the most part, all the information is free for those willing to look for it. So, over the next few months, I'm going to share information that I learned along the way in a series of blog posts about self-publishing. I hope these posts will help new indie authors just starting out and will help you succeed in fulfilling your dream as an author.

Self-Publishing - Step One: Preparing Your Manuscript

You've a written novel. Congratulations! Now, you are ready to send it out into the world on Amazon or Barnes & Noble or another self-publishing platform. But, are you really ready?

Your novel may seem ready to you but often times it isn't. Yes, you've read it many times over and fixed every error you could find. You've made sure the storyline is smooth and consistent and you even ran it through grammar and spell check. It's ready, right?

Unfortunately, even when you read your manuscript several times over you still can miss spelling and grammar errors. Unless you are an editor for a living, you probably have a few small or even big mistakes that you didn't find but will jump out at readers. And that will affect your sales and your long-term ability to sell other novels in the future.

So, What Should You Do?

At the Very Least-Hire a Proofreader

Most self-published authors who are just starting out have literally no budget to pay for an editor to look over their manuscript. But at the very least, you should find a competent proofreader to read your manuscript and help you fix any spelling errors or inconsistencies in your novel. You can hire proofreaders who do as little as fixing spelling errors to as much as helping with grammar and consistency. They all charge different rates, so you will want to check out the websites of several before choosing one. Please resist the urge to ask your mother, grandmother or best friend to proofread your book for free (unless they are professors in English). While they may help you find errors, their help will probably not be as professional as hiring someone who does this for a living.

Hire a Professional Editor if You Can Afford To

Hiring a professional editor can be costly and time consuming, but it is well worth it if you want to present a professional book to the buying public. An editor is costly – many charge per word and a 60,000 word manuscript can cost you in the range of $1,000 or more. Some do offer a variety of services so you can choose as little editing or as much as you think you need. If this is your first novel, it can be daunting to spend that kind of money when you are not even sure it will sell – but if you are a serious author, you will want to publish the best possible book the first time around.

Where Do You Find a Legitimate Proofreader or Editor?

A good place to start is the World Literary Café Toolbox for Authors – They list proofreaders, editors, book cover artists and many other services available to authors. You will have to join first, but it's free and WLC offers a variety of other helpful FREE services for authors that you will want to use to begin your self-publishing journey.

You could also go on Twitter and do a search using the hashtags #proofreading, #proofreader or #editor. Once you click on their Twitter account, you can see if they have a website. Don't hire anyone who doesn't have a professional looking website or any testimonials from other authors. If there are testimonials, look at each author's book to see how well it is edited. If they are on Amazon (and almost everyone is) then you can view the first few pages right at the site. Also, look at the comments for those books. If any readers complain of errors, then don't hire that person.

Read through other self-published author's blogs to see who they use. Often authors share their publishing experiences on their blogs and are happy to answer your questions about who edits their books. Choose authors whose books interest you and who write in the same genre as you do. Most independent authors are friendly and happy to help a new indie author.

After the Proofreading or Editing Process – Beta Readers

Before sending your book out to the general public, find people who will agree to be your Beta Readers and who will give you an honest review of your novel. While friends and family are good for this, you can't always depend upon an honest critique since they won't want to hurt your feelings. If you are part of a writing critique group, they are the perfect people to read your novel. You can also find Beta Readers at WLC. Not only will Beta Readers let you know if your book is ready for publication, but they can also be the first to leave a review on sites like Amazon, B&N and Goodreads.

You want to put your best foot forward when you start your publishing journey, so strongly consider a proofreader or editor for your first novel. You are a serious novelist, and you should treat yourself as one. Don't be afraid to invest in your future, and hopefully, in your next bestselling novel.

Okay – your novel is now ready to publish, right? Next post will be Step Two: Choosing Your PublishingPlatform.

 

Cheers,

Deanna

My First Six Months as an Indie Author

Hi all,

In late November 2011 I made the decision to publish my books as ebooks to see what would happen. My first two books, WIDOW, VIRGIN,WHORE and OUTLAW HEROES, had already been published through a print-on-demand publisher but hadn't done much of anything. I had no control over the price of the books and where I could sell them. What I did have, however, were full rights to my books so I took the plunge and self-published on Amazon. Am I ever glad I did!

No Regrets

Before I decided to become an Indie Author full-time, I was earning money from blogging and freelance writing for websites – some that paid very well. Even though I had written three books already and had two already self-published, I was still of the mindset that I needed an agent and a publisher to buy my books so I could finally be a "writer". Then I ran into a blog by an Indie Author, (I will give her a plug here because she deserves it) Lindsay Buroker, that changed my idea about book publishing altogether. After researching the pros and cons of self-publishing ebooks, I decided it was now or never – I was finally going to pursue publishing novels full-time! Since that first day, I have had no regrets and have not looked back.

I knew it would take a long time to build up an audience of readers and I was okay with that. I hoped that once I'd published several books, I would eventually be selling a nice quantity each month, enough to make my dream of full-time novel writing a reality. I had no idea that after only six months (actually, less than) I'd be doing as well as I am – and I am so thrilled about that!

How I'm Doing after Almost Six Months

Of course, the first couple of months were slow with only a trickle of sales. I advertised, promoted and did everything I could for my books to be seen, and in December 2011, I sold roughly 15 books total. In January 2012 I also sold about 15 books. In February, my sales were even smaller, only selling 7 books total. Then, at the end of February, I published my third book, MEMORIES, and right away joined Amazon's KDP Select program and used three of my Free days.  Even though I only gave away about 2,000 free books, my sales did fairly well for March. For all three of my books combined in March, I sold almost 300 copies and had quite a few borrowed books as well – and since the rate was fairly high for borrowed books, it helped to increase my earnings quite a bit.

Now, I never expected to sell 300 copies of my books in such a short period of time, but having the Free giveaways on Amazon did help get my books noticed and resulted in sales. I didn't think things could get any better – but in April they did.

My April sales will be coming in at over 500 book sales and 85 borrows. Not bad for only a few months into the game. You will never know just how happy it makes me to see this increasing success after only a few short months.

The Best Part of Being an Indie Author

Selling books is wonderful – earning some money selling books is great – but for me, the most rewarding part has been hearing from readers that they enjoyed reading my books and that they were entertained – even touched – by my stories. Reader's reviews have been amazing and much more than I could ever have asked for.  I appreciate each and every person who buys my books and who takes the time to tell me how they feel about my stories.

When I was researching Indie Author's blogs to see if anyone was having success self-publishing, I enjoyed reading about their successes. That is what encouraged me to finally do it myself. Sure, there were the few (very few) who made millions after a short time. But it was the ones, like Lindsay Buroker, who slowly built up their readership and income that encouraged me the most. So, I hope that by sharing this information, I can help other beginning authors see that it is possible to begin a career as an Indie Author and build up a readership as well as earn some money. I can't wait to see what the next six months holds for me! 

Cheers,

Deanna