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Fear of Formatting

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

babe ruth

“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game” ~ Babe Ruth

If you’re a baseball fan, you’ve read this quote. If you’ve ever seen A Cinderella Story staring Hillary Duff you will remember this quote from the movie. It’s a great quote–and we’re going to use a variation of this for today’s post.

Never let the fear of formatting keep you from publishing your book.

Any author who has considered self-publishing has suffered from the fear of having to do a whole bunch of stuff they’re not accustomed to doing–marketing, editing, commissioning a cover, formatting. For some authors, this fear propels them to do crazy things–like sign with a small publisher with an unproven track record. I understand this fear. It was this fear that prompted me to sign over my YA series to a small publisher. Some authors let these fears prevent them from ever publishing at all. When fear is in the driver’s seat, you’re going to make bad decisions.

Let’s expel some of our self-publishing fears:

Marketing: This is a normal fear, but unless your name is Stephenie Meyer, James Patterson, J.K. Rowling, or Nora Roberts, prepare to do lots of your own marketing. If you can write a book, you can tell other people about it. That’s all marketing really is–telling other people about your book.

Editing: You’ll need to outsource. You can hire someone, but if you can’t afford to do so, enlist some trusted beta readers to help you out.

Cover Art: You’ll have to have a  cover. Your book will look silly without one. Commissioning a cover isn’t as scary as it sounds. It doesn’t have to be super expensive. A good cover artist will help you come up with a concept, and once you’re caught up in the excitement of your cover art, the scary feelings will go away.

Formatting: This is by far the easiest part of your publishing journey. Seriously, if you can write a whole book, you can do this. There are free guides available to help you through this. Formatting and uploading to Kindle and Createspace is free. If you can afford to do so, you can hire someone to format for you, but it really is something you can do for yourself–for free. When I self-published The Fifth Circle, I had a deep-seated fear of formatting. Of course, after my publishing experiences with The Claiming Words, my fear of small presses was even greater than my fear of formatting, so I decided to take the plunge and self-publish my book.

Here are some formatting tips and tricks I hope will help you:

  • Give yourself a day. Find a kid-free, cat-free zone and prepare to spend lots of time formatting. If you try to format thirty-minutes before you have to rush out to pick up kids from school, you’ll end up frustrated and angry. Plan a day. Brew a pot of coffee (or send the hubby out for Starbucks). Prepare for several hours in front of the computer. Formatting is way less frustrating if you aren’t dashing out to pick up kids from school or extracting attention-seeking cats from your keyboard.
  • Format directly from Microsoft Word if possible. For a standard novel without lots of pictures, there’s no reason to invest in a complicated program for Kindle formatting. KDP is very user friendly. So is Createspace. These programs are designed for self-publishing authors just like you and me.
  • Don’t get frustrated if your first try doesn’t work. On Kindle, you have an option to view your file before publishing. On KDP, you have the option to view your book on the screen using different Kindle versions. You also have the option to download a mobi file which you can upload to your Kindle. I highly recommend doing this because it’s very helpful to look over your book on your own Kindle. And, you’ll have a mobi file you can send to reviewers later on. My first Kindle attempt wasn’t entirely successful. I didn’t like the way the Chapter headings looked. So, I made a few adjustments to my Word doc, re-uploaded to KDP, and all was right with the world.
  • Createspace templates are your friends. Createspace has templates for the interior and exterior for your book. Use them. My Microsoft Word skills aren’t the best. I get upset and frustrated over margins and tabs and such. I used the pre-formatted template and I’m glad I did.
  • Order the proof. Createspace lets you order a proof. A real live book to hold in your hand! It’s very inexpensive. With shipping, I paid about seven dollars for my proof. You can even order more than one! Though you can preview your book online, I recommend ordering the hard-copy proof to have and to hold. After all, don’t you want to be the first to hold your printed book in your hands?
  • Consider letting Createspace do all the dirty work. If you publish with Createspace, you have the option to let them format your Kindle file and upload to KDP. I didn’t use this option, but I know people who have.
  • Ask for help. KDP and Createspace both have forums where you can ask questions. It’s likely those who came before you have already asked the same questions, so you can read those threads and find the answer you’re looking for. Self-published authors are notoriously helpful people. Ask your author friends. They’ll be happy to help you.
  • Kindle and Createspace aren’t the only games in town. I’ve signed up for KDP Select, which means I can’t publish in any other ebook format for ninety days. For some people, KDP Select is the way to go. With the option to have five free promotional days per ninety-day period, KDP Select can be a great marketing tool. I’ve decided to publish on Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords after my ninety-days have expired. Whether or not you decide to sign up for KDP Select is a decision only you can make. If you don’t want to use Createspace, you can consider other companies such as Lulu. I have friends who have been very happy with Lulu. Consider all your options before publishing. Many of the same options available to publishers are also available to self-publishers.

We all must choose our own paths on our publishing journeys. Self-publishing isn’t the right path for everyone. If you’re seriously considering self-publishing, don’t let the fear of formatting hold you back. If fear is the only thing standing between you and your dream, read on…

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” ~ Vincent van Gogh

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

“I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.” ~ George Burns

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” ~ Confucius

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” ~ Michael Jordan

Categories: About Publishing, Advice for New Authors, amazon, author, books, createspace, kdp select, kindle, marketing, publishers, publishing, publishing on kindle, self publishing, tricia drammeh, writing & publishing tips | Tags: , , , , , | 5 Comments

Write Another Book

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Back in the days when I was querying a single book, it was easy to become consumed by the process of writing letters, emailing agents, and receiving subsequent rejections. Requests for partial manuscripts created the ultimate high, while “sorry, this isn’t the project for us,” sent my spirits spiraling into the abyss. While researching agents and reading tips on how to craft the perfect query letter, I stumbled upon a bit of advice to help authors survive the querying process. Actually, I saw this advice in more than one place and I’m going to share it with you:

Write another book.

Pretty simple, really. While querying The Claiming Words, I was writing the second and third books in the series, so I figured I was doing a pretty good job of following that advice. When the querying process got tough, I could distract myself by immersing myself in my fantasy world. Once I’d racked up twenty rejection letters, my other works-in-progress weren’t doing a very good job of distracting me, because what’s the point of writing an entire series of books if you can’t get anyone to publish the first one? (Back then, I thought the only path to publication was the agent/traditional publisher route. I didn’t even consider self-publishing.  I was innocent and foolish back in the early days. )

I still think “Write another book” is good advice for the querying writer; however, I think it’s important to write a totally, completely different book. Don’t get too caught up in one series. Even if you land that agent or publisher, those other books in the series could take years to see publication—if ever. Write your series—but write other stuff too.

“Write another book” is great advice for any author, whether published or unpublished. Not only can writing another book distract you from the querying process for a book you’re currently pitching, it can distract you when sales aren’t so great for a book you’ve already published. Writing hones your skills—the only way to become a better writer is to write. Writing (and publishing) another book builds your resume. It’s easier to gain a following when you have more than one book under your belt.

Here’s how writing another book helped me. I wrote The Fifth Circle for two reasons:  because I’d been writing books in the same series for so long, I wanted to see if I had what it took to write an unrelated book AND because it was a good distraction from the endless rounds of writing/editing/querying of The Claiming Words. When I realized a few months ago that The Claiming Words series was a total loss (for now), I was able to self-publish The Fifth Circle. When one book (or in my case, series) didn’t work out, I had something to fall back on. I have other books too, finished and unfinished. I can always write more.

A real writer writes. It’s as simple as that. I’ve seen writers who finish their first book and become so caught up in querying/self-publishing/marketing, they never seem to find the time to write another. If all your time is spent promoting one book and you don’t have time to write, you’re not a writer anymore—you’re a salesperson. Cut back on marketing and get back to what you love. Write another book. Rediscover your favorite characters or create new ones to fall in love with. Just write.

 

 

 

Categories: author, tricia drammeh, writers, writing, writing & publishing tips | Tags: , , , | 16 Comments

They Will Stalk You

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

gcA couple of weeks ago, I reblogged an article by John Lucas Hargis about agents and how they stalk us on the internet. Guess who else stalks us? Potential employers. I’ve been out of the work force for a few months, but I’m trying to find a new job so I can afford book covers and shiny things and sparkly shoes for my daughter. And food and stuff too.

Anyway, when looking for jobs today, I came across a posting where the employer asked applicants to forward a resume along with links to Facebook and Twitter. Now, it’s not exactly a secret that employers do some digging into a potential (or existing) employee’s background. I don’t have a problem with this. Like I tell my kids, if it’s on the internet, it’s on public display. Whether or not an employer can fire an existing employee for internet shenanigans is a legal issue I’m not qualified to comment on, but I can understand why a company would do a bit of cyber-stalking prior to interviewing a candidate for employment. After all, the wise job seeker researches the company they’re applying for before interviewing, right? So it stands to reason an employer would want to do the same.

Before I began writing, I was practically un-google-able. I didn’t have a Facebook or a Twitter. Flash forward three years and I’m everywhere. Tumblr, WordPress, Blogger, Google +, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin… everywhere. I have to wonder what potential employers will think of me if they Google my name and see a million-jillion pages of stuff. Every interview I’ve posted on Authors to Watch, every blog post, every Tweet, every Facebook status update–it’s all out there on display. I’m okay with that. I don’t have anything to be embarrassed about.

But, what will people think? Will potential employers be impressed I’ve kept myself busy during the eight month gap on my resume? Or, will they be afraid to hire me? Maybe they’ll worry that my writerly pursuits will interfere with my ability to give one-hundred percent on the job. Or, maybe they’ll worry I’ll write a book about them if things go bad. There’s no point worrying about it. And, really, I’m not worried. It is what it is.

I’m sure there’s a job out there for me. Somewhere, there’s a boss who is looking for an employee who has a good working knowledge of social media. A boss who is willing to overlook the big old gap in my resume where I cast aside accounting and played with words instead. Somewhere, there’s a boss who will stalk my Facebook page and be impressed by the sheer number of Grumpy Cat pictures I’ve posted. Everyone likes Grumpy Cat, right?

Categories: author, cyber stalking, job search, social media, tricia drammeh, writer | Tags: , , | 9 Comments

It Takes a Village to Write a Book

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Okay, so maybe it only takes an author to write a book, but it certainly takes a community of beta readers and editors to make a book publishable. A small percentage of authors say they can self-edit and publish a book without any input, but that is a very small percent. Most authors rely on writing communities, beta readers, and editors in order to craft a flawless novel. Though writing is largely a solitary pursuit, once the first draft is finished, it’s important to reach out to others.

I rely heavily on beta readers. Without my betas, I’d be completely lost. With each beta, I look for something a little different. Some are great at finding plot holes, while others critique from an emotional perspective. Are the characters likable? Dialogue realistic? Are all the loose ends tied up by the end of the book? With my YA series, it’s especially critical to have beta readers. They can pick up on inconsistencies and continuity problems I miss.

Beta readers come in all shapes and sizes, and I’d recommend finding at least one who will be brutally harsh with you. If all your betas are related to you by blood or marriage, it’s unlikely you’ve found a good mix of betas. I think it’s essential to have a sister or cousin in your cheering section to boost your self-esteem and tell you how proud they are of your endeavors, but it’s equally important to find someone who will be brutally honest. While your sister might lift up your spirits when the going gets tough, your harsh beta reader is the one who’ll really hone that manuscript. And, since opinions may vary, I recommend getting more than one harsh beta. The more the merrier, in my opinion.

What’s the difference between a beta reader and an editor? Your beta is focusing on the story–characters, plot, overall enjoyment. An editor focuses on the construction of the manuscript–grammar, repetitive words, spelling. You might get some crossover. I have a couple of betas who will do some light editing by pointing out obvious errors, but what I really want from my betas is their overall impression of the story. What worked? What didn’t?

Once you’ve hammered out your story, you’ll want to work with an editor, especially if you’re self-publishing. There are different types of editing, some more involved than others. A substantive editor will work with you to develop the story, but this is generally a very expensive service. Your best bet is to swap critiques with a few good betas so by the time you get to the editing stage, you’re just looking at proofreading services.

Here’s a list of helpful sites if you’re looking for a beta reader, critique partner, or some writerly folks to chat with:

Did I miss any good critique sites? Let me know and I’ll add them to the list. How many villagers do you have? How do you find your betas? Leave a comment and share your tips and advice.

 

Categories: Advice for New Authors, author, beta readers, fiction writing, publishing, readers, tricia drammeh, writers, writing, writing & publishing tips | Tags: , , , , , , | 9 Comments

In Defense of Indie Publishers

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

It probably seems like I spend a huge amount of time beating up on small publishers. And, I do, but only because I want authors to know the difference between a reputable small publisher and an inexperienced one that will drag your career into the abyss. Today, I’d like to focus on the benefits of signing with an independent publisher.

The Benefits of Indie Publishers

Editing: Self-published authors must secure the services of an experienced editor, and this isn’t cheap. If you choose to sign with a publisher, editing and proofreading services are provided free of charge. Most publishers will go through multiple rounds of editing with an eye toward making your book as marketable as possible. After all, they have a vested interest in making your book a bestseller.

Formatting: If you’re one of those writers who really hates the technical aspects of the business, working with an indie publisher might be a huge benefit for you. You don’t have to worry about converting your manuscript into Kindle and Nook files, or setting it up for paperback, or making sure you give the cover artist the right dimensions. Some authors think formatting is a breeze; others don’t have the time or inclination to mess with it. Yes, you can hire a formatting specialist to do this for you if you still want to self-publish. But, if formatting isn’t your only hold-up, read on…

Distribution: Anyone can get their book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Anyone can make your book available via Baker & Taylor or Ingram. You can do this yourself through CreateSpace. But, if your small publisher is willing to beat the pavement (or make phone calls) to get your book on local bookshelves, this is definitely an advantage. Book stores get calls from self-published authors every day, but when a publisher calls, they’re more apt to listen. Perhaps this isn’t fair, but this is often the case.

Marketing: Let’s face it–all authors must spend some time marketing our books. If you’re self-published or your publisher doesn’t provide any marketing support (like mine), marketing can be a huge time sucker. And, it can get costly as well. If you’ve never published a book, you’ll be shocked (not in a good way) at how much time you’ll spend marketing once your book is released. It seriously cuts into your writing time. But, if your publisher promises to promote your book (and this promise is either contractual or you can verify their claims by checking with other authors), then you have stumbled on pure gold, my friend. Some small presses give their new authors a list of reviewers. Some pay for blog tours. Some will set up book signings and pay for your participation in book fairs. Find out if your publisher will send out press releases or at the very least, maintain social media sites to help showcase your work. Every Tweet helps. Every Facebook post helps. The more your publisher does to market your book, the more time you have to write, and this is a win-win for both you AND your publisher.

One-stop-shop: If you’re an author who works a full-time job, coaches your son’s football team, leads a Boy Scout troop, works at a soup kitchen every weekend, etc, etc… you might not have time to format, market, and shop for a cover artist. Your publisher will still need your input, but the publishing process is much more streamlined. And, when you can trust your publisher to handle the details, there’s a slimmer chance things will fall through the cracks. Many authors choose to work with a small publisher because they simply do not have the time to publish AND write. Having someone else coordinate all the little things necessary to bring your book to life is a definite benefit–and a load off your shoulders.

Upfront Costs: This was my biggest reason for signing with a small publisher on my YA series. Not only was I frightened by formatting and clueless about the industry, I was broke. I didn’t have the money to outsource formatting, or to hire an editor, or to commission a cover artist. The idea of letting someone else bear the brunt of the upfront costs was very appealing.

Legitimacy: When searching for reviewers, I’ve found several sites who refuse to review self-published books. There is a still a stigma to self-publishing. Since anyone can publish, there are lots of poorly produced books out there that drag the rest of us self-publishers down. It isn’t fair, but it’s the way things are. Having a publisher’s name on a book does not guarantee quality, but we aren’t always dealing with reality–we’re dealing with the perception of others. While most readers won’t look to see who published your books, some reviewers will. And it isn’t just reviewers. Like I mentioned before, book shops might be more willing to listen to a publisher’s pitch. Book fairs, trade shows, multi-author signings… a publisher might be able to open some doors that are otherwise closed to self-published authors.

Community: There are some (not all) independent publishers out there who try to foster a close relationship between their authors. This, of course, is a huge advantage to the publisher who knows if their authors are happy and committed to each other, they’ll be more committed to the company and less likely to query elsewhere with future books. This is also a huge advantage to the newbie author who benefits from the guidance and encouragement from other authors who have been in their shoes. They swap tips, advice, pictures of their pets–they form close and enduring friendships. If you’ve spent the past two years locked away in your apartment working on your book, finding an instant author family might be a huge benefit for you.

If you’ve decided to seek out a small press, please search carefully. Every publisher is different. Not all will offer marketing assistance or a sense of community with other authors. Not all small presses will produce a quality product. You still have to do your homework. But, remember there are good small presses out there. Ask other authors. Research. Trust your intuition. And, most importantly, make the best decision for YOU.

Did I forget anything? Do you have anything you’d like to add or experiences you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you… please leave a comment!

 

 

Categories: About Publishing, Advice for New Authors, author, authors, books, independent publishers, publishers, publishing, self publishing, small publishers, writing & publishing tips | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments

Breaking Up With the Publisher From Hell

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Bad publishers. They’re everywhere, waiting to lure unsuspecting newbie authors. We’ve talked about pop-up small presses here… And, read an awesome checklist to help avoid them here… We know how to avoid them and how to tell them apart from their reputable small publisher counterparts. But, what if you already signed with a bad publisher? Or if your publisher started out with good intentions, but got lost somewhere along the way? What now?

First things first. If your publisher is honest and is interested in making things right in order to salvage his reputation and yours, he will negotiate with you. An honest, reputable publisher will NOT want to hold on to an author against their will. Why would a publisher want to work with an angry, or even hostile author? An honest publisher will try to negotiate to keep you, and if that doesn’t work, they will negotiate to release you from your contract. An honest (but incompetent) publisher will let you out of the contract while the scammer publisher will turn vindictive and will do anything to hold on to you.

If you think you might have sold your creative mojo to a Publisher from Hell, here are a few things you can do:

  1. Get a lawyer. I know not everyone can afford to do this, but many lawyers offer a free consultation and can at least tell you what your options are. For a small fee, some lawyers will send the publisher a letter, and in many cases a letter from a lawyer is enough to make the publisher sit up and take notice. A reasonable, rational publisher won’t want to spend months embroiled in a legal dispute. They’ll want to either negotiate and make things right, or they’ll cut you lose.  But, if you can’t afford a lawyer, read on…
  2. Write a letter. Ask to be released from the contract. I can’t promise this will work. It might not. But, then again it might. Writing a respectful, professional letter that lists your problems and your desire to sever the relationship might be all it takes to get out of your contract. You won’t know unless you try. I have a couple of friends who were able to break free of a notoriously bad publisher by letter writing and persistence.
  3. Save all correspondence. You should have been doing this from that very first query letter. Save every email. Make sure all correspondence is in writing. If you haven’t saved every email, don’t panic. If you have a Yahoo account, sent emails are stored in the ‘Sent’ folder for years unless you manually clear them. Gmail saves all your mail for about a month. Salvage what you can. I save all my emails as a PDF just in case Yahoo crashes and I save an extra copy on a flash drive. If you and your publisher from hell end up in court, these emails could be invaluable. It can create a papertrail of broken promises and blatant lies.
  4. Be professional. This goes back to the saving of correspondence. If you’re saving emails, your publisher might be doing the same. Don’t threaten or curse at your publisher. When you email the publisher, always think, “How will this piece of correspondence be perceived in a court of law? Will this letter damage my credibility?”
  5. Document everything. We’ve already talked about the importance of saving our emails. You’ll also want to scan and save your contract just in case something happens to the original. I highly recommend taking screenshots of your publisher’s website. Why? Did your publisher make promises on his website that were contributing factors in your decision to sign with him? Did he delete these promises later on, or even remove entire pages? Did your publisher list staff members and editors on his original website who seem to have disappeared (or perhaps never existed)? These misrepresentations  will be taken into consideration if you end up in court. If you haven’t been taking screenshots all along, fear not. You can retrieve cached copies of the site by visiting Wayback. I was able to find copies of my publisher’s site from over a year ago. You can too! If there’s a problem with formatting on your Kindle or Nook versions and your publisher has failed to fix it, take a screenshot of it on Amazon, or take a picture of your Kindle screen. Does your publisher have complaints against him on Absolute Write or P&E? Screenshot this too just in case the thread disappears. Make sure everything is dated. And, save everything in duplicate in case your computer crashes. You can never be too careful.
  6. Read your contract. Of course you read your contract when you signed it, but have you read it since? Read your contract. Know it inside and out. If your publisher is in breach on contract, you have an obligation to point this out to him. He signed the contract too. He has an obligation to stick to the terms of it–he wrote it, so there’s no excuse for him to be out of compliance. Ever. Even if you’re frustrated and angry and have lost all hope, continue to point out these breaches of contract on a regular basis because when you go to court, he won’t be able to say, “I didn’t realize I forgot to update the website for seven months.” Or, “Sorry I didn’t send you your author copies. I forgot and you didn’t remind me.” If your publisher is asking you to perform or pay for services he is contractually obligated to provide, you have the right to refuse. If your publisher is hounding you to market your book, but there is no mention in the contract that either of you are obligated to market, then he is out of line. If the publisher if obligated to provide review copies for reviewers, but refuses to do so, this is another breach of contract.
  7. Speak out. If you have a confidentiality clause in your contract, this might be hard to do. A bad publisher doesn’t want you to talk to anyone and might threaten to sue you for libel. But remember: it isn’t libel if it’s true. Your publisher can’t sue you for libel if you don’t mention him by name. You have a right to talk about your personal experience. I’m not telling anyone to rent a billboard warning passing motorists about the dangers of signing with your publisher. Use common sense and caution. But, talk to your family and friends because it really does help to share your burden. Blog about your experience if you feel comfortable doing so. Report your publisher to P&E. And, if a friend asks you if he should consider submitting a manuscript to your publisher, by all means speak out! You don’t want someone else to experience what you’ve experienced, do you?

I know every contract is different and every case is not the same. There might be extenuating circumstances that prevent you from doing any of the things I’ve listed above. If this is the case, let me know and I’ll send lots of good thoughts and sympathy your way. After all, no one deserves to be stuck with a publisher from hell. We’re all in this together.

*Disclaimer: This article is NOT a substitute for legal advice. I’m not a lawyer. This article is not necessarily referring to any particular publisher. Most small presses are NOT publishers from hell–there are some really, really good ones out there. If this article offended you in any way, please feel free to leave a comment below, or you can email me at tricia_drammeh@yahoo.com. If you are a publisher from hell and were offended by this article, I would LOVE to hear from you and so would my readers. :) *

Categories: About Publishing, Advice for New Authors, author, bad publishers, contracts, publishers, publishers from hell, small publishers | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

For Those Seeking Publication

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

I’ve been on a reblogging spree lately, but bear with me. It’s not my fault I keep finding wonderful articles to share with you. Today, I’d like to share this post by Amy Metz of A Blue Million Books: When Bad Publishers Happen to Good Writers

Please leave a comment for Amy. Share this article with a writer you love. Better yet, share it with everyone. It should be required reading for anyone seeking publication.

 

Categories: a blue million books, About Publishing, Advice for New Authors, amy metz, author, writer, writers | Tags: , , , | 6 Comments

Expect the Best

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Teenagers get a bad rap. They really do. Oftentimes, there’s a good reason for this. You see–I know teens. I’m the proud mom of an ex-teen, two current teens, and a preteen. I write books for teens. I used to be a teen. So, yeah. I know teenagers. I know why they get a bad rap. Because sometimes they lie. Sometimes they get into trouble. Sometimes they screw up and make bad decisions and do really bad things. But, sometimes adults do these things too.

So, why do teens get such a bad rap? Why do we assume they’re liars, thieves, bad drivers, and general miscreants? Just because some of them act that way?

Yesterday, one of my children witnessed an exchange between a friend and a police officer. According to my child’s story, this police officer overreacted. (I can’t tell you the story, but I wish I could. I have to have some respect for my children’s privacy.)  According to stories I’ve heard from my children–and things I’ve seen with my own eyes–teens are regarded with suspicion. Teens are judged (and misjudged) differently from those in other age groups. If there’s a car accident, it’s automatically assumed the teenage driver is at fault. If a group of teens walk into a convenient store, they’re regarded with suspicion and watched closely by the clerk. Teens aren’t considered reliable witnesses, and in a world where it’s-his-word-against-mine, the word of a teenager means nothing. Who would believe a teen over a teacher? A police officer? Or, a parent? No one.

This seems to be the general attitude in the community where I live. I hope it isn’t this way everywhere, but judging from posts I’ve read on Facebook, comments I’ve read on news forum threads, comments I’ve heard on radio talk shows, and comments I’ve heard from real live people, teens in the United States seem to be regarded with distrust. Many US malls have implemented a policy where teens are not allowed to be there after 6:00PM without a parent or guardian. Police officers are assigned to middle-schools, high-schools, teen dances, and libraries during after-school hours. While I appreciate the extra security, I can’t help but feel these policies are put in place not only to protect our teenagers, but to protect us from them.

These are some of the comments I’ve heard: “Teenagers today have no respect or appreciation for anyone,” or “We’re raising a generation of delinquents,” or “All these teenagers do is play on their cell phones and ignore the world around them.”

Yes, I’ve watched the news–teens and young adults involved in shootings, theft, gang activity, sexting. I know it happens. But, where are the stories about teens who have gone out of their way to help others? Teens who plunge into a freezing cold lake to raise money for the Special Olympics? Teens who work in soup kitchens on Thanksgiving? Teens who are active in church and community organizations? Where are those teens in our news stories? I know they exist–I’ve met them.

Why do we lump all teens under the broad category of “these damned teenagers?”

Do you want to know how to turn an entire generation into unreliable, irresponsible criminals? Treat them like unreliable, irresponsible criminals. If you expect teens to be delinquents, a good percentage of them will work hard to live up to your expectations. Either that, or they’ll use your poor expectations as an excuse for their bad behavior. Show them they aren’t trusted, and they will exhibit untrustworthy behavior. Tell them all teenagers are lazy, ungrateful druggies, and they will assume there isn’t any point in striving for anything better. Expect the worst–and you’ll get it.

Can we as a society do a better job in raising our teenagers? Absolutely. But, in addition to instilling good moral values, disciplining children when necessary, and supervising them a little better, maybe we should raise our own expectations. If we expect this generation of teens to be the rising stars of this century, they’ll live up to it. They’ll cure cancer, stop world hunger, and save the environment.

Expect the best–and you just might get it.

Categories: author, expectations, parenting, teenagers, teens, tricia drammeh | Tags: , , , , , | 7 Comments

Bracing for the Worst

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Now that The Fifth Circle has been released, I’m bracing myself for the inevitable bad reviews. I’m pretty sure I know what the negative reviewers will say: the characters are too  unlikable, it’s too preachy, the plot doesn’t move quickly enough, it’s depressing. Bad reviews always hurt, but it’s one of the risks you take when publishing a book. I’ve received a bit of criticism on The Claiming Words, but I haven’t taken it personally. I’m afraid I won’t be as emotionally detached when the inevitable unfavorable reviews come rolling in on The Fifth Circle.

It’s not that I like The Fifth Circle more than my first book. I love The Claiming Words and I want everyone else to love it too. But with The Fifth Circle, I really want readers to understand where I’m coming from. Even if people hate the characters, I want them to walk away from the book with a renewed compassion for those suffering from mental illness or abuse. I want people to view the world around them a little differently. I want people to think about the defining moments in their lives. When I wrote the book, I didn’t set out to lecture or to impose my values on anyone else, but I still hope people think about the story after they read the final page.

Isn’t that something all authors hope for? Isn’t that the point of writing a book? All writers hope to make an impression. We want the reader to laugh, or cry, or think. We want someone to read what we’ve written, even if the reader leaves a scathing review in response. As authors, we have to take the good with the bad, even if that means reading a review that rips our book apart. We hope for the best, but brace for the worst.

 

Categories: author, books, reviews, tricia drammeh, writing | Tags: , , , | 6 Comments

The Costs of Self-Publishing

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Today, I’m going to leave small presses alone for a bit while I pick on a different sector of the publishing industry. As my good friend, Will, pointed out in a comment on my Plague of Independent Publishers post, there are self-publishing services out there that can help–and harm–authors. With small presses, what you see is not necessarily what you get. Don’t get me wrong–there are some great small presses out there. I review books for some very respected small presses. Heck, I even published The Claiming Words with a small press. So, for anyone who thinks I’m a small press hater, that isn’t so. Here’s what I hate: people who misrepresent themselves. And, for those of you considering self-publishing, there are publishing services you need to watch out for.

Editors: Hiring an editor is one of the first things you’ll need to do once you decide to publish. You can do some of the work yourself and save money by making your manuscript as clean as possible. Enlist beta readers to find plot holes and inconsistencies. Ask ruthless friends to have a hack at it. But, before publishing, you’ll have to have at least one professional set of peepers have a peek at your manuscript. When searching for an editor, you’ll find a wide range of services and prices. So many choices! What type of editor are you looking for? Do you need someone to shift commas and fix misused words? Or, does your manuscript need a substantial amount of work before you can even consider punctuation? Different editors offer different services, so you need to know what you’re looking for. You need to be clear about your expectations. And, you need to make sure you are hiring the right editor for the job. Has your editor ever tackled a five-hundred page epic fantasy novel, or is yours the first? Does your editor even like fantasy, or are her eyes going to glaze over five pages in to your book? Is the editor a retired nun who is going to red-line all the sex scenes in your erotic romance novel? Is your editor qualified to edit anything at all? Anyone can set up a website and offer editing services. Make sure you get a referral. Read something the editor has worked on–is it well-edited, or did you find errors on the first page? Be careful what you’re paying for.

Formatting Services: If you’ve ever cruised around the KDP Select Forums, you’ve heard horror stories about formatting. There are some great free resources out there that will walk you through the formatting process. Kindle can be formatted right from a Word doc. CreateSpace has downloadable templates. There are books and websites out there. You probably have friends who have formatted and will be happy to give you some tips. But, if you abhor technology or don’t have the time to do it yourself, you can pay someone else to do it for you. Again, you’ll want to make sure the company you choose is an experienced, honest, established entity before you send your manuscript to them. Prices may vary, usually depending on how many formats you need and how long the manuscript is. A friend of mine paid under one-hundred dollars for Kindle and CreateSpace formatting. This seems reasonable compared with others I’ve seen. Always use caution when sending your manuscript to a stranger on the internet. Do some research before you hit that send button.

Cover Art: This is one of the most important marketing tools for your novel. An eye-catching cover is super-mega important. They range from about thirty dollars for a pre-made e-book cover to astronomical amounts that will make your head spin. Shop around, pick a budget, and go from there. It is possible to find an affordable cover, but be careful. Don’t try to make your own cover unless you have some serious skills. Don’t let your six-year-old make your cover with the Microsoft Paint program. And, don’t be tempted to snatch images from Google to create your own cover. If you’re skilled enough to make your own cover, be prepared to spend money on stock images (double-check licensing agreements before using). If you pay an artist who uses photo-manipulation, make sure they have the rights to use the images they are using. Ask questions before hiring an artist.

Marketing and Promotion: There are some great tools out there, many of which are free (Facebook, Twitter, telling your mom to buy your book). Marketing a book is hard work. You can pay for Google ads, Facebook ads, or Goodreads ads, but this can get expensive. Start with a small budget and see what works. There are services out there that claim to help self-published authors. I’ve never used one, but I’ve had a few contact me on my Authors to Watch site. They always approach me on behalf of ‘clients.’ I never respond. It’s infuriating because these ‘clients’ are paying thousands of dollars to be featured on promotional blogs like mine–free blogs that are always happy to help new authors. I never charge for a spot on my site. Most blogs don’t. I have paid for a blog tour. A blog tour is a great way to get a dozen reviews, interviews, and book features over the course of a week for two. I’m happy to pay a nominal fee (forty dollars or so) for someone else to organize this. I am NOT willing to pay hundreds of dollars for someone to do the very same thing. If an online service wants to charge you hundreds of dollars for what is essentially a blog tour and a couple of spots on blog-talk online radio show, run! If someone offers to get your book noticed by millions of readers, they’re probably full of crap.

Self-Publishing Supermarkets: There are lots of services out there that offer to help you self-publish your book for a low, low fee of several thousand dollars. They make it look so easy–they do all the editing, formatting, cover art, and even offer marketing and promotion! What more can you ask for? How about a second mortgage on your home? I’m all for streamlining and making life easier. Hey, no one is lazier than I am. But, I’m also cheap. And, I know if I break down all these services offered in “premium platinum packages” I’m paying way more than I have to. What are these services really offering? Can you do some of these things yourself for free? Will you have to sell your first born child to pay for their packages? Be super careful with these services.

Book Review Services: Okay, here’s where it gets tricky. It’s okay to pay for a blog tour that sets up potential reviews as long as the reviewers aren’t being paid. Let me rephrase–it’s okay to pay for organizational services, but it is not okay to pay for a review. There are services out there that pay reviewers to give five star reviews on books. No, really! I saw an advertisement on Craigs List when I was job hunting. Here’s how it works–the author pays a service to get them some good reviews. Some of these services charge four-hundred dollars for one review!!! The service that was advertising on Craigs List pays reviewers twenty-five dollars per review. Hmm. Someone is making lots of money. (It isn’t me, by the way.) If you decide to use one of these services, please don’t tell me about it because I don’t want to know. I’ll be very disappointed. Very.

Well, that about it sums it up. The moral of this post (and all my posts like this one) is this: Be careful out there. You worked hard on your book–you should be working just as hard to make sure you have a polished finished product. Don’t throw away all that hard work by publishing a poorly editing, badly covered book. And, don’t part with your hard earned money unless you know what you’re getting in return.

I’m sure there’s lots of stuff I either didn’t think of or forgot about, so please feel free to add to the conversation.

Categories: About Publishing, Advice for New Authors, author, book covers, book promotion, books, edits, independent publishers, marketing, promotion, publishers, publishing, self publishing, small publishers, tricia drammeh, vanity publishers, writing | Tags: , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

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