“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

Reblogged from Jane Dougherty Writes:

Since launching myself onto the turbulent waters of the book business, I have ‘met’ dozens of other new authors. Not new writers, as most of us have been writing since forever, but newly emerged as authors. It takes a certain amount of courage to ‘come out’ and admit to your secret vice. Not only admit to it, but show others, complete strangers, what you have been up to all these years.

Read more… 457 more words

Reblogged from Poetic Parfait:

It is Mother's Day weekend and today is one of those days when I am so glad I write poetry. I am blessed to be able to put my feelings to lines and publish them here at Poetic Parfait. Today's poem is for my mom.

The wording of the first verse was inspired by the daily prompt post at terry1954…

Read more… 221 more words

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.

What else have I been doing? Reading. Lots of reading. I’m a book reviewer for a few different blog tour organizers, so I have constant access to amazing books–sometimes before they’re even released. In the past week, I’ve reviewed The Dark Citadel by Jane Dougherty and Saint Sloan by Kelly Martin. Both books are excellent and I would highly recommend them.

I’ve also been (slowly) working on the first draft for a chick-lit manuscript. When I’m finished with that, I have a YA paranormal manuscript to edit. Or, maybe I’ll edit the YA paranormal first and then finish the chick-lit. We’ll see.

I’m also still on the job hunt. I have a couple of good leads and a possible interview. Yippee!

In other news, the kids will be out of school for summer break soon. One daughter has her first formal dance to look forward to, while the other daughter is looking forward to turning seventeen.

Things are looking up. Life might not be all unicorns and cotton candy, but that’s…well, life.

Here’s a feel-good song we can enjoy together…

I would like to stress that the experiences I am referring to are my personal experiences. I have lots of theories and I’d love to speculate, but at this point, I have to stick with facts I can back up with saved emails and screen shots from the publisher’s original website.

Okay, now that my disclaimer is out of the way, let me tell you how I signed away my happiness.

My story begins with a manuscript. I peddled the manuscript to several agents, but received very little interest. I posted my query on a blog and a publisher asked to see a partial manuscript. After about three weeks, the publisher asked to see a full, and a few days later, expressed interest in publishing the book. I researched the company before viewing the contract. I just didn’t research enough. They weren’t listed on P&E, but this was because they were too new to have appeared on any watchdog radars.

Mistake #1 – I assumed no news was good news. Since there were no complaints against the publisher, I figured it was safe to plunge ahead.

The company was brand new and had no titles to their credit, but boasted several editors (who were named individually on the website). The company claimed these editors were “professional and freelance editors, and avid readers of the genres with several years of experience.” Everyone has to start somewhere, right? I figured if this brand new company was willing to take a chance on me (a brand new author), then I could do the same and take a chance on them.

Mistake #2 – I assumed the publisher would share my values and work ethic. I assumed their reputation was as important to them as my reputation is to me.

I read the contract. At the time of reading, it seemed to be sound, but there were a couple of clauses I questioned. The clause I was most particularly concerned with was a Right of First Refusal clause. I didn’t want to be tied down to the publisher for future works. I asked the publisher if he could put a time limit on the clause so I wouldn’t have to submit manuscripts to him for the duration of the contract. I was told it wasn’t practical to do so and that they would pass quickly on any manuscripts that were a genre they didn’t publish.

Mistake #3—I didn’t have a lawyer look over the contract. I assumed I was smart enough to negotiate a simple publishing contract. If a publisher is unwilling to negotiate clauses within the contract, they are not the publisher for you.

I signed. Everything was great for a while. We started on edits right away. The first thing that caused a niggling doubt was when the publisher asked me to seek out a graphic artist to work on the book cover. The contract clearly stated book cover services would be provided by the publisher, but the author could commission a cover if they chose. I began to search for a cover, but none of my choices met with the publisher’s approval. It was at this point I discovered there was a fundamental difference in the way we each viewed my book. The publisher viewed the book as a fantasy with some romantic elements. I saw the book as a romance with paranormal elements. Indeed, my original query stated the book was a YA paranormal romance.

Mistake #4 – I assumed the publisher and I were on the same page. I should have asked the publisher about his ideas for cover art, marketing, etc before I signed anything.

The publisher was very attentive at first. Edits were forwarded to me on a regular basis. He had grand plans for the website—author pages, a bookstore, many of the same features you’d expect to see on a typical publisher’s website. He indicated he would takeover commissioning my cover art and I was pleased to hand this over to him. He asked me to send a detailed character description and said he found an artist to work on the cover. He asked me to pen two blurbs—one for soft cover and one for the inside flap for hardcover. Contracts were signed for the rest of the series. He stated his intent to publish the first book in late spring 2012 in hardback, with the second book releasing six months later.

Mistake #5 – I let my ego override common sense. I assumed the publisher was in a rush to sign the other books because my first book was so stinking awesome. I didn’t pause to wait and see how he handled the first book before signing contracts for the other, and with the Right of First Refusal clause hanging over me, I didn’t feel I had any choice but to sign over the remaining books.

And then things weren’t so great. In the New Year (2012), the publisher asked me to resend information I’d sent in October 2011—the character descriptions, bio, and blubs. I kept getting conflicting information about the book cover. In February, he told me the cover artist was working on the cover and would have a mock-up soon. In April, he told me he was waiting on a contract from the cover artist before they could start working on it. The cover wasn’t finalized until July.

Communication was sketchy. Emails were often ignored. If I asked more than one question in an email, he would often answer only one of the questions asked.

The website went for months without being updated even after I questioned it several times. I did not appear on the website until February 2013, and that was only after pointing out his failure to update the site was a breach of contract. I am still not on the author section, but at least my book appears—with the old cover. And, this is only the main site I’m talking about. Technically, my book was published under the YA imprint. The website for this imprint hasn’t been updated since 2011 and looks quite abandoned.

The release date for the book was pushed back to August. And, then pushed to September. And, then finally October. Though the paperback became available in mid-September, the Kindle version wasn’t available until October. The hardback version he mentioned never materialized.

There was—and still is—a typo in my name on the title page of the Kindle version of the book. There were also editing problems. The publisher promised to fix the errors in November, January, February, and in March. I asked again a couple of weeks ago and was told it wouldn’t be fixed until May. Over six months to fix an obvious and embarrassing error!

In January, I received an incorrect accounting statement. When I questioned the exclusion of books sold at my signing, he said those books didn’t count in the totals since they were distributed outside normal sales channels. When I asked him to provide the contract clause that allows him to exclude those sales, I received no response. After I sent a breach of contract letter, the publisher said he would send an updated statement and blamed the oversight on someone else.

The publisher now has a ‘Strongly Not Recommended’ rating on P&E and a thread on Absolute Write due to a problem he had with another author.

As per the Right of First Refusal clause, I submitted a book to the publisher. After a couple of months, I asked about it, but was ignored. Four months later, he finally passed on the project AFTER I withdrew it from consideration. The Right of First Refusal is very vague and undefined. It doesn’t say how long the publisher has to look at a manuscript before he makes a decision. It doesn’t say I have to sign with the publisher either. As a matter of fact, it’s so vague, I’ve been told by a couple of lawyers it’s not enforceable, though the publisher might have a different interpretation and decide to cause trouble for me if I self-publish something he later decides he wants.

I could go on and on. There have been other problems. My complaints could fill a novel.

My greatest mistake: Assuming.

Maybe my greatest mistake was that I assumed too much. I assumed someone who set up shop as a publisher would know something about publishing. I assumed his references to traditional publishing practices and minimum print runs meant he was a traditional publisher, and not reliant upon print-on-demand services. I assumed that since thousands of self-published authors around the world could easily format a Kindle version of a book, that meant several editors with multiple years of experience could do the same. The fact that the Kindle version of my book is still sitting uncorrected suggests otherwise.

Contract clauses should not be open for interpretation. Everything in a contract should be written out down to the last detail. Take nothing for granted. Don’t assume the publisher you’re working with is honest. Don’t assume the publisher will be reasonable. Don’t even assume the publisher will know a single thing about publishing. Don’t assume anything.

So, where am I now? I’m the author of two published books—one of which is unmarketable due to the embarrassing errors the publisher has failed to correct. I have four books in a series that are contracted to a publisher I don’t trust and since I foolishly signed away my rights, those books might never see publication. I’m disillusioned and depressed. I feel like I sold my creativity to the devil. But, it could be worse. I’m not out any money (well except for my new book cover and some bookmarks). Unfortunately, it’s unlikely I’ll ever make money either. The contract is very author-unfriendly, and it’s hard for me to promote a book I’m embarrassed to have my name on–well, my misspelled name, to be precise. I plan to send a termination letter, but whether or not the publisher will choose to do the right thing and acknowledge my termination is another matter. I can’t imagine why a reputable publisher would have any interest in continuing to work with an author who is so obviously unhappy, but I guess we’ll see what happens.

I took a risk by choosing to post this. In America, anyone can threaten legal action for any reason, with or without proof, so it’s possible the publisher could threaten me with legal action for posting this. But, I know truth is on my side. I can only hope this post will help newbie authors who might be tempted to sign with the first publisher who expresses interest in their work. I don’t want to see anyone else sign away their happiness.

Please keep your comments clean. This is not a place for name-calling, threats against any publisher, or unfounded accusations. Feel free to share your personal experiences, but be careful to withhold any information that might land you in court. If you don’t feel comfortable posting on this public forum, please feel free to email me at: tricia@triciadrammeh.com

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?

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:

• authonomy (by Harper Collins)
• The Next Big Writer 
• WritersCafe.org
• Ladies Who Critique
• Book Country
• Writing.com
• Critique Circle
• Figment
• Look for local writers groups on Meetup.com
• Try your area writers guild or local chapter of professional writers groups such as RWA or SFWA

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.

Reblogged from Yvonne's Erotic Universe:

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!