SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR

Write a Book Starting Today: It's Easier Than You Think

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:43:00 +0000

By Angela Booth

Many people want to write a book. Indeed, a survey found that ten per cent of the population want to do it. Few people accomplish it, but you can.

I wrote my first book at the age of eight. From memory, it had 270 pages and the story involved ghosts, intrepid kids, and horses. Everything I wrote up to the age of 14 involved horses.

Sadly, none of my early stories survive; I wish I'd kept them. But here's what they taught me: they taught me to get started, and to keep going until I finished.

Most importantly of all, those early stories taught me that writing a book is easy when you have the attitude that you CAN do it. Somehow I knew that writing was simple: you sat down, and you wrote whatever came to mind.

Here are three tips which will help you to start writing your book today. It really is easier than you think.

1. Sit Down and Write

This is key. Write anything at all; don't stop to think. Keep going. If you try to impose logic on this process, you won't write much, and writing will be difficult for you.

Think of your writing self as someone else. Let that other self write. You can sort out the mess later (all writing is messy.)

2. (Nonfiction or Fiction) Create an Outline Before or After You Write

Some writers swear by outlines. Other writers swear at outlines.

It doesn't matter which kind of writer you are. I use outlines for nonfiction; I don't start the book until the outline is done.

For novels, I outline after I've written anywhere from 20 to 100 pages. The "outline" is just a collection of scene notes, each scene written on an index card.

When I've completed the first draft of a novel, I outline the whole thing, just to see what I've got. It makes it easier to cut scenes, and create needed scenes before I write the second draft.

3. Realize That You Can Write Any Scene or Chapter in Any Order You Like

Let's say you're writing a mystery. A promiscuous heiress has been murdered. Her husband and her lover are both suspects. Your protagonist, an ambitious, over-worked, and under-appreciated female detective, who has a lover of her own, and a suspicious, violent spouse, is emotionally involved in the case.

Just get started. Write the scene where the gardener, one of the heiress's former lovers, finds the body. Or write the scene where the detective interviews the husband, and gets nowhere.

On the other hand, perhaps all you know is that you want to write a novel. You have no clue what kind of novel, nor do you have a single glimmer of a plot.

Again, just get started. Write something, anything. Describe your favorite coffee shop or bar in four sentences. The door opens. Your protagonist enters. Her white silk blouse is torn, she's lost a shoe, and has skinned knees and ripped stockings.

Just start writing and keep writing. Describe the images in your mind.

So there you have it -- three tips to help you to write a book. Sit down, right now, and write a sentence. Then another one... See? It's easier than you think.

Want to write a book? You can, with Angela Booth's comprehensive Write a Book Collection. Discover the secrets and develop the skills you need to write ANY book, from how-to guides to novels and memoirs. Angela's been writing since the 1970s, and she shares her secrets with you. Her Just Write A Book Blog helps you to write a book and get it published.

The Steps Involved in Publishing a Book

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:37:00 +0000

By Ashly Lorenzana

Thanks to the eReader revolution, publishing an eBook is easier today than it has ever been before. In the past, major publishers ruled the written world due to their hold on the industry. If you wanted to get your book in print, you had to capture the interest of a literary agent who would sell your story or book idea to one of the Big 6 publishers. Also known as "gatekeepers," it was the literary agent who would more or less decide if your manuscript ever saw the light of day.

This system is incredibly flawed for a number of obvious reasons. First, the quality and worthiness of your book is decided by a single individual. Sure, the publisher has to want your story as well. However, without an agent to play middle man, your writing would never reach a publisher for consideration.

Agents and publishers both may have years of experience, which has given them insightful knowledge on how the industry works and what manuscripts are likely to rake in the highest profits. However, it's important to remember that they are naturally most interested in manuscripts that will increase their own bottom line the most, should they choose to publish it.

This also explains why author royalties are setup the way they have been by big publishing companies. For the majority of traditionally published authors, they can expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 10% in royalties from their paperback sales. In my opinion, this is hardly fair to the author.

Things are starting to change rapidly, and the allure of traditional publishers is fading. Why? Because a much better option for aspiring authors has recently emerged over the last few years.

The first option is print-on-demand publishing, which makes it easy for writers to self-publish without having to print bulk orders of their book in order to sell them. Instead, customers can order copies online which will then be manufactured and shipped. This virtually eliminates the potential of financial loss that has long been associated with self-publishing in the past. Using print-on-demand to publish your book means that you can only make money from selling books, not lose it.

The second option is to simply publish an eBook instead of a print book. Since eBooks are digital and do not require printing and can be created for free with little difficulty, they are becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to printed books. Industry leaders in digital publishing such as Amazon have created simple, easy resources and products for both readers and authors alike. Their Kindle eReader and Kindle Direct Publishing Platform have bridged the gap between authors and their customers.

What this means is that you no longer need to send out query letters to agents, hoping that one of them thinks your manuscript is good enough to sell tons of copies. In many cases, the market for a particular story or book may be too small or insignificant to interest a publisher or agent. Passing up on a manuscript in that case would make lots of sense for both parties.

But it doesn't make sense for the writer or author. If you decide to self-publish your eBook, you will generate more money from the sales than you would if you never did anything with your writing at all. Maybe selling 1300 copies in one year isn't going to interest a major publisher, but I'll be it might interest you.

Let's say that you decided to publish your eBook on Amazon and priced it at $4.99. Since Amazon offers a 70% royalty rate for authors, that means you'd be earning roughly $3.50 per copy that you sell. At that rate, you would be bringing in an extra $350 each month. That may not seem like a huge number, but it's completely passive income! I don't know about you, but I wouldn't object to a few hundred extra dollars every month if I didn't have to work for it!

So if you aren't sure how the process works and what steps you need to take to make this happen, the following list should help you get started.

Choose a topic or find an idea for your story. Create an outline. Write your book!
Edit and proofread your manuscript. Hire a professional editor if you can afford one. Otherwise, ask friends and family to help. Proofread multiple times.
Choose a compelling and descriptive title for your eBook. Be sure it accurately describes what your book is about, for non-fiction. For fiction, pick a title that captures the essence of your story and is tailored to your genre. Non-fiction eBooks should probably have a sub-title as well, to reinforce the title.
Format your manuscript and create versions in the following file formats: Kindle, Mobi, PDF and ePub.
Create an attractive cover design for your eBook. Hire a professional graphic designer if you can afford one. Otherwise, try freelancing sites or learn Photoshop/GIMP yourself and find tutorials on YouTube and other sites. If you choose to DIY, download cover templates from the POD company you are using (if provided). If money is not an issue, POD companies all offer professional cover design services also.
Buy an ISBN or get one for free from a POD company. You need an ISBN for your eBook. Buy your own or get one assigned for free through a site like Lulu, Smashwords or CreateSpace.
Write a powerful book synopsis. Think of this as rewriting your book as 3-4 short paragraphs. Describe your story in an exciting way that makes people want to read your more.
Select two genres/categories for your eBook. No matter what you have written, it likely falls into at least two different genres or categories of writing. The broad genre will always be either fiction or non-fiction. The second category is more specific, such as romance novels or biographies.
Make a list of tags that describe or relate to your eBook. This is important. Write down a quick list of tags that people might use to describe your eBook or your type of writing. Remember, tags do not have to be one word only. You should also include phrases up to 3 words long that may be added to your eBook.
Decide on a price for your eBook. One of the final steps is pricing your eBook. New authors who are unknown should generally price their eBooks lower than more established authors. The nice thing about this part is that you can go back and change the price at any time, to whatever amount you think will increase your profits. Experiment.
Upload your eBook and sell it Amazon and other sites. First stop is Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, which will be your biggest sales distribution channel of them all. Next, Barnes & Noble's PubIt. After that, Smashwords and Lulu. You can even upload and sell it on GoodReads too.

It's pretty straightforward and simple, isn't it? Of course, you will be learning a lot along the way as you work through each step. Try your best to have fun with it and remember that it's an adventure!

Ashly Lorenzana is a freelance writer, blogger and memoir author. Her passions include technology, writing, social media and creative marketing. Her specialties include press release writing, website copywriting, marketing and promoting

Kindle Publishing - The Process In Details!

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:30:00 +0000

By Herry Jeany

o get your book published is becoming more and more of an impossible task. The publishing companies want authors that can sell themselves and that are able to promote their own books. Hence, this has leaded many authors to think about publishing their books themselves.

Amazon's Kindle publishing makes publishing your book a simple task, they will pay you up to 70 per cent royalty. They will handle collecting the money and delivering it to you. However, you need to make sure that your book is promoted well. Kindle will handle everything; all you have to do is promote your book!
The first thing you need is to have your eBook in a word document form. Then, all you need is a computer and an internet connection! Create and account on Amazon.

The following steps will take you through the process of getting published for Kindle:

1. You want to use word document to be able to convert it to HTML form.

2. Amazon will not edit the book; hence, you need to make sure that it is perfect by all means. Hire someone ask a friend anything!

3. Once you have been signed up in Amazon, you want to download the Quick start Guide from dtp.amazon.com and follow their instructions. Remember, HTML is the most recommended form; PDF does not always work well with Kindle.

4. it will continue to ask you a few questions, such as, the price, the description, author biography etc... this your chance, so make sure it is exactly what you want it to be, makes sure it represents your book and you well. You can save and go back to it before submitting.

5. On Amazon's platform you get to test and monitor your price, sales, and royalties. The price you put on the book is very critical. You don't want to ask for too much to guarantee sales. However, you can always go in and change the price or ask to have a trial price for a month. Just make sure that your price is not too exaggerated and if found that price doesn't matter you can always increase it.

6. A good way to promote your book is to have a page for it on Face book and also on Twitter, add the keywords. You want to create a community for your book. Make it a reason why people will follow you. You might end up with ideas for future books.

When it comes Kindle book Publishing, Herry Jeany is the expert you should see. Keep reading his articles to know more about the topic!

How to Publish Your Books on Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:25:00 +0000

By Jim Green

The very mention of Kindle sends ripples of foreboding trickling through the established fields of traditional publishing and bookselling; and with good reason.

Not only are sales of the Kindle reader booming worldwide but so too are the instances of everyday usage on planes, trains, buses, parks and beaches. Vacationers for example now carry up to 5000 books in a jacket pocket rather than lugging around a dozen or so good reads in a suitcase.

As an established traditionally published author I decided recently to put Kindle Publishing to the test by uploading five of my out-of-print fiction titles; not just any five old titles though; five titles with a linking thread.

I have to say that initial returns were highly promising; 36 sales over just 6 days.

Thus enthused I uploaded my remaining fifteen out-of-print fiction titles but at the time of writing they haven't elicited a single sale which has prompted me to investigate further.

1. The five titles that took off immediately all sold well as paperbacks ten years ago so could it be that Kindle readers have a longer than average memory? I doubt it.

2. Did I score a bulls-eye with my choice of Kindle publishing category? Very much so.

3. Did my painstaking choice of keywords pay off? Again, very much so.

Clearly what I must do now is to revisit the categories and keywords for the other fifteen titles and strive to accomplish by design what I achieved through happenstance for the first five.

TIPS FOR PUBLISHING ON KINDLE

If you have unpublished works cluttering up your computer (especially fiction) or if like me you have previously published books that are no longer in demand, pay close attention to these tips for publishing on Kindle.

Target market: This is vital work. Ensure that you select the definitive Kindle readership market for your book(s). Kindle provides ample tools.

Front cover: For previously published works scan the front covers; for unpublished works do not use a placeholder image. Design your own images to precise Kindle specifications.

Text formatting: Study the Kindle tutorials and implement exactly what they tell you into your formatting.
Categories: Choose your publishing categories with care. Kindle provides a comprehensive list covering every aspect of fiction and non-fiction.

Keywords: Here is where you succeed or fail on Kindle publishing. Spend more time on choosing your keywords than you would normally on any other type of online marketing. Don't select keywords with high usage like 100,000; choose tighter usages like 3/4000. TIP: If your prime keyword also features in the title of your book you are automatically on a winner.

Pricing: Be realistic with your pricing. For example, if you have a title which previously sold for $15 as a paperback, lower your sights for the electronic version; $3.50 to $4.95 would be much more realistic.

Promotion: Kindle and Amazon will assist you in a myriad of ways but fail to do your own marketing and returns will decrease dramatically. Use Twitter, Facebook, articles like this one, and above all, create an Amazon Author Page.

PS: I have just checked up to date Kindle Sales for my first five titles: 167 in just 21 days...

Click on the URL in the bio box below to inspect the full range of my out-of-print fiction titles on Kindle. See if you can spot the 5 that are selling well (It shouldn't be difficult; the core keyword is an integral part of each title).

JIM GREEN is a bestselling traditionally published author with 40+ titles in the realms of fiction and non-fiction. http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B0034PAPH6

Self Publishing - Truths and Lies

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:32:00 +0000

By Terence Tam

Favoured Group Ltd

Are you anxious to get your book published?

Being anxious to see your work bound and printed is a feeling that all authors have experienced at some point or another, but being too anxious may result in poor decisions that you'll regret later. So before you join the bandwagon in self publishing your book, let us consider the truths and lies about self publishing.

Lie: Self publishing is expensive. Some writers and authors say that starting with your own cost too much financially.

Truth: Self publishing is easy and affordable. Contrary to the popular belief among new authors, self publishing isn't hard to break in to and cost little too. Since self-publishing is an evolving industry with lots of competitors, publishers are continually upgrading their facilities, offering higher quality services, and affordable pricing at your convenience.

Here's how it works. You select a size for your book, format your Word manuscript to fit that size, turn your Word doc into a PDF, create some cover art in Photoshop, turn that into a PDF, and upload it all to the self-publisher of your choosing. Depending on the level of service you choose, it can be as easy as uploaded an unformatted word document to the self-publishing service provider, and voila! They produce a completed book for you!

Lie: Self publishing companies offer low-quality services.

Truth: Self publishing firms are here to stay. They have been in business for quite sometimes now and are continually changing for the better offering high-quality services for new authors like you. The standard of many self publishing companies are quite solid. The sole giveaway that you are offering a self-published book would be if the cover were poorly designed so you have to make sure the company you work with has a great track record to back them up such as testimonials/ feedback from their clients.

Lie: All self-publishing companies don't care whether you believe they're your ticket to instant fame and fortune. They will make you believe how easy it is to make it to Oprah's book club.

Truth: A reputable, honest self publishing company will tactfully attempt to manage your expectations. They will inform you that it's nearly impossible to make Oprah's book club even if you're traditionally published. They'll explain how much sweat and toil it would take to sell any copies of your book at all once it's published but will assure you of their support and assistance in marketing your book.

Lie: Your book will sell right away as soon as it's off from the printing press.

Truth: Even if your book is great, there's a great chance it will not sell.Book sales will be slow at first which is very common among new authors. This is where your marketing plan comes into effect. Don't give up, persistence is the key to sales when you self publish a book.

Lie: Only use services of big publishing companies.

Truth: Should you elect to self-publish, you're encouraged to shop around. The big guys aren't always your best bet. Many smaller publishers offer excellent service at affordable prices. It all depends on your needs and how much assistance you are looking for.

Self publishing is easier to learn than you may think if you take the time and do your research and take things one step at a time.

http://www.Bookpal.com.au/ is helping self publishers all around the world to successfully self publish and market their books with cost effective solutions to create bestsellers. The website offers a free book for budding self publishers, and many other free resources.

Terence Tam is the founder of Bookpal, he previously spent 6 years as an academic and was a contributing author for several academic books. Frustrated with the level of service he was getting with traditional publishers, he set up his own self publishing company to help other authors publish and market books with cost effective yet efficient solutions

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terence_Tam

The 4 Different Ways to Self Publish a Book

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:26:00 +0000

By Ruth Barringham

Authors have been self publishing their own books successfully for over one hundred years.

Just look at this list of just a few of the well-known authors who all began by self publishing their own book -

Oscar Wilde
Rudyard Kipling
George Bernard Shaw
Mark Twain
Beatrix Potter
Deepak Chopra
Virginia Woolf
John Grisham
Christopher Paolini (Eragon)

ALL these authors began their careers by self publishing their own book. And you can do the same. All you need is access to a computer and an internet connection.

There's never been a better time to easily publish a book and sell it internationally. And the really great thing about being a published author is that it never has to end. Not only can you utilize modern publishing methods to keep your book 'in print' for as long as you want, but you can expand your writing talent and publish more and more books every year - or every month if you've got plenty of time to write.

But publishing books isn't just about writing them, you have to sell them too.

But you need to know where to start and how to do it.

Different Ways to Self-Publish

The problem with reading anything about self-publishing is that there's conflicting statements on almost any website and it's all written in so much jargon that the more you read the more confused you become. But I will cut through all the technical terms and publishing jargon and help you to understand the different opportunities open for you to self-publish your book.

There are 4 different ways to publish a book:

Traditional Publishing
Self-Publishing
POD Publishing
Vanity Publishing

Traditional Publishing

With traditional publishing there is no cost to the author. You can pitch your book to an agent or directly to a publisher to try and encourage them to publish your book for you.

Currently only about 1 out of every 50,000 books submitted are successful. But if your book is accepted for publication it will probably be 18 months to 4 years before your book is in print and you will still be expected to market and promote your book yourself for a royalty payment of around 10% for every book sold. It can be 10% of the net amount, which is what the publisher actually sells the book for, or 10% of the price on the cover of the book.

Vanity Publishing

This is sometimes called Subsidy Self-Publishing but whatever you choose to call it, it means that you, the author, pay a vanity publisher to do all the work that a traditional publisher would have done. You do get paid higher royalties, usually from 25% to 40%, but it can still take quite a while before you break even, depending on how much you paid to have your book published in the first place.

POD Publishing

Print On Demand publishing lets you self-publish your book with minimum expense. POD books are individually printed when an order is placed which means no warehousing costs and this dramatically reduces production costs. But Print On Demand companies are usually only printers not publishers, although they can offer some publishing services. And so it's still up to the author to market and sell their own work.

So before you approach a company, your manuscript must be what they call "copy ready". This means that your manuscript must be formatted correctly, all the necessary pages are included (e.g. copyright page, disclaimer page, etc) and you have a book cover ready for printing.

Self-Publishing

When you publish a book yourself you take on all the work that a traditional publisher would have done for you. This includes having your book printed, shipped, distributed and you also have to take care of all your own paperwork.

Which is best for you?

As we are dealing here with self-publishing, we'll only be discussing the latter 3 ways to publish a book, that is, Vanity, POD and Self-Publishing. Which of these ways you choose will depend on several different factors.

Firstly your choice will depend on how much of the work you want to do yourself. If you just want to get your book published and then carry on with writing the next one, then you may opt for vanity publishing.

On the other hand if you're a bit of a control freak and like to be in charge of the publishing process, then you may decide to go the whole self-publishing route yourself and deal with every company and every aspect of publishing personally.

But whichever way you choose, the choice is now entirely yours.

Ruth Barringham is successful writer, author and publisher and runs two web sites for writers. Writeaholics.net is a web site for freelance writers and Self-Publish Worldwide is a website full of information on all areas of self publishing. So if your interested in writing or publishing, or both, visit these two web sites. You can also sign up for the free monthly newsletter at Writeaholics.net and receive the free eBook 'Become a Freelance Writing Success' when you subscribe, or download a free self publishing report at Self-Publish Worldwide. Or why not do both? After all - they're free!

Publishing Choices For Writers - Self-Publishing - Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:17:00 +0000

By Candace C. Davenport

In Part One of the Self-Publishing review, I discussed the background of self-publishing and brought up many retained prejudices which authors must consider prior to self-publishing. In True self-publishing, where an author does everything and actually forms their own publishing company, one of the largest negatives is that an author invests all their own capital to publish their work.

However, and this is the huge benefit of being their own self-publisher, in return for their investment, the author owns all the rights to their book and has all the freedom they want when dealing with content, editing and cover. They have the final say in what their book looks and sounds like. They have control over all the production and how their book gets out into the world. True freedom!

Also, having full control of their work means the author has full control over all the profits from the sale of the book. There is no share of cost to an agent or publisher because the author is the publisher. The author can choose what to sell the book for and how much in discounts they are willing to give. Generally, the goal of the self-publisher is to make money on their books and they will make money on every book that they sell.

The author also has control over the timing of their book. With traditional publishers, it sometimes can take up to two to three years to get a book out. Depending on how persistent an author is, it can take just a couple months to see their book if they are self-publishing. This timing aspect can be very beneficial to the author if, for example, they want to use their book in their business immediately such as in back of the room sales.

Unfortunately, for marketing purposes, it is very difficult to get self-published books into regular brick and mortar stores as those stores buy through wholesalers who rarely carry self-published books. Also, and although this is slowly changing, it is difficult to get a self-published book reviewed by well known reviewers. Despite that, a true self-publisher is willing to put the time, effort and money into their book. In return they get to keep control over their creativity and style. They do not have to conform to the standards of others. For some authors, that is well worth their time and money and marketing limitations. It is a choice they make, not because they could not get published elsewhere, but because they want to keep control of their own success.

For some people, self-publishing is the only viable option. Despite the negative bias against self-publishing, authors who choose to take the responsibility and risk of publishing their own book under their own publishing company, can realize their dream the way they want it to be. As the publishing world evolves, there may come a day, that self-publishers will be looked at for their quality of work and not dismissed just because they self-published.

Although there are semantic arguments over names, there are several other types of self-publishing included under the self-publishing umbrella where an author does not have to do everything completely on their own. In other articles in this series, I will discuss these different types of self-publishing, such as the various forms of vanity publishing, POD (print on demand) and e-books.

Candace C. Davenport is a retired attorney and published author whose love of writing led to co-founding a small independent publishing company, Our Little Books. Our Little Books (http://www.ourlittlebooks.com) is dedicated to publishing inspirational, educational and fun little books for pocket or purse. Candace encourages all people to find their inner muse and become published authors with their own little book, either for pleasure or for their business. Sign up for a free report on how Becoming a Published Author Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field at http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/free-report. Enjoy!

Publishing Choices For Writers | Self Publishing, Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:10:00 +0000

By Candace C. Davenport

As discussed in other articles in this series, the act of publishing comes in two basic forms- traditional and self-publishing. While traditional publishing is pretty straight forward in that the author exchanges their rights and control over their work for money, over the years and with the advent of new technology, a myriad of different ways to self-publish have evolved such that now, traditional publishers are having to change their business models to reflect these changes in order to stay in the publishing game. The publishing industry, including traditional publishers, have had to undergone a paradigm shift in order to keep up with the times and the advent of the many different types of self-publishing.

Self-publishing is really a generic word for any work not published by a traditional publisher. In the past, the term self-publishing was always looked at pejoratively. Traditional publishers, reviewers and critics looked down their noses at these self-publishers, primarily because there was no editorial screen of the work prior to publishing. Therefore, there was no control over the quality of the work published. As a result, a lot of work was published that was trash, both in style and content, bringing the bad reputation to self-publishing.

However, because of this paradigm shift in the publishing world, self-publishing has gained a modem of respectability while still retaining some of the same negativity. (Actually, there have been many famous authors who self-published at one time in their careers, e.g., Ulysses, by James Joyce; The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter; A Time to Kill, by John Grisham and of course Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson who were laughed at during their self-published lives and loved by all after their deaths). While there are some purists who will always believe that you have to be published by someone else, in truth, the publishing industry is evolving. Writers are choosing to self-publish great writing. People who might never have had the opportunity can now become a published author. And that is a good thing if you are a writer.

At the very basic level of self-publishing, which is commonly referred to as True Self-Publishing, an author is in charge of doing everything themselves including starting their own publishing company to publishing their book. The author is responsible for the content of the book, the editing, the content editing, the cover design, ISBN, copyrights and the printing. Once printed, the author is responsible for the storage, marketing, sales, distribution and any other aspect of publishing their book.

With this kind of self-publishing, an author will not get an advance against future royalties. In fact, the author will find they have to invest their own money, generally thousands of dollars for all the different services. Unless the author knows every aspect of the publishing business, they will have to hire editors, copy editors, designers, printers, and marketers for their book. And of course, the author takes on all the risks of not having a successful title.

Finally, a self-published author is not likely to be reviewed by the mainstream nor carried by distributors. This relates to the negative stigma attached to self-publishing, i.e., that it is only for those authors who can not get their work in print otherwise. Although now some reviewers are recognizing self-publishers as being great contributors to our world of literature, it is still rare that a self-published work is even given a chance to be reviewed.

These are basically the cons of self-publishing, although not everything is negative. In Part Two, I will discuss the positive aspects of an author publishing on their own and why it may be the right option for an author to take.

Candace C. Davenport is a retired attorney and published author whose love of writing led to co-founding a small independent publishing company, Our Little Books. Our Little Books ( http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ) is dedicated to publishing inspirational, educational and fun little books for pocket or purse. Candace encourages all people to find their inner muse and become published authors with their own little book, either for pleasure or for their business. Sign up for a free report on how Becoming a Published Author Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field at http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/free-report/. Enjoy!

Self-Publishing | Author's Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:55:00 +0000

By Cliff Ball

I'm a relatively new author and I decided to go the self-publishing, print-on-demand route because it takes forever to get published with a traditional publisher, and I thought I'd rather have more control over what happens with my novel. It can be pretty expensive depending on who you use, and I've tried two different POD publishers, iUniverse and Virtualbookworm. Self-publishing requires lots of patience and money, so this shouldn't be taken lightly, so I thought I'd write an article on my experiences so far.

My very first time, I used iUniverse, but, it was really expensive even for a basic package. I didn't get my novella into the Library of Congress, so I didn't get a Library Card Catalog Number (LCCN) because it was an add-on that I really couldn't afford, along with the marketing kit. They gave me bookmarks and a real basic press release template. I work in a library, so I scattered the bookmarks everywhere I could, but it didn't help any. I utilized as many social networking sites as possible, including author sites such as Goodreads, but my visibility was still really low. I even created my website, posted a few blogs about my novella, but very few people visited, so I tried traffic sites, which just increased traffic, but no one clicked on the links to the novella. After a while, I quit trying. At the time, I didn't think to use a press release site or offer giveaways for my novella.

This year, I finished a novel, so I went with Virtualbookworm. They offered more for much less and were easier to get into contact with. The package I bought included a LCCN, which got me into the Library of Congress, so it should be easier to get into libraries around the country. My novel is also supposed to be listed in Books in Print. This time, I used three press release sites, including paying for one that gave me greater visibility.

That seemed to work, because I was contacted by a seller for the American Library Association, a major press release agency, and I found some more promotion websites that helped me get even more visibility and offered professional book reviews. So far, with this novel, my experiences are much more pleasant and I feel encouraged.

In general, if you're thinking of going the self-published route, take the time to do plenty of research and find out if you're budget can handle the amount of money you're probably going to spend. Find out if you're friends and networks will help you with word of mouth and posting their reviews on Amazon and maybe you too will end up being the next J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer.

Author of Don't Mess With Earth
and Out of Time
Cliff Ball - Author website

Marketing Ideas for Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:24:00 +0000

By Cliff Ball

I have been an independently published author now for nearly four years, and not until 2010 did I really do any kind of promoting/marketing for my novels, mostly because I had no idea where to start. Since about late 2009, there have been all sorts of assorted experts in the field all over the internet who have popped up with a book on the subject, and if you buy their book, they'll tell you what the secret is to selling thousands, or millions even, of books. I think what works for one author doesn't necessarily work for another, so if you're willing to waste $2.99 or $4.99 or $6.99 for someone to make money off of your naïveté, then go right ahead, since I was one of those people who has done that more often than I'd like to admit.

When I first published in 2008, it was suggested by iUniverse (now I go through Createspace, best money I have ever saved!) that authors create a website to promote and market themselves. So, I found Geocities, created a very basic site, posted the novel cover, the description, and the link to purchase, then forgot about it. When I finally remembered I had it, Yahoo apparently had shut down Geocities, so I searched for another server. Eventually, I came across Freewebs.com, now known as Webs.com, and that's where I now have my website hosted, and trying to build my "brand," whatever that really means. Since then, I've gone from idea to idea, gimmick to gimmick trying to promote and market my novels. Some have worked, and some haven't, but here are my top 10 ideas. Your experience may vary.

1) Websites/blogs -- With a website, you should know some html, or you can plug in whatever others have built for such a need, and then you can customize it to your heart's content. You can add videos, pictures, links, etc. The suggestion from across the vast wasteland of the internet is to do SEO (search engine optimization), build back links, trade links with others, or pay for thousands of hits so that your Google Ranking will bring people to you. Let me tell you, that's mostly nonsense, your site will be listed in Google, Yahoo, and Bing within a matter of days, but you can submit to directories, but I've never actually seen a hit from one of those. Only hard work on your part in promoting yourself will people begin searching your name, names of your novels, or similar sounding names before you notice hits to your site. As for a blog, if you want to keep it updated every day, you can submit it to RSS feed sites and link up with others who have sites. With some blogs, like Blogger, your feed will be seen on the side panel of the blog (if they're on Blogger) that you've linked to. A website/blog is good for having a place for readers to come to find out what you're up to, or if you have a new novel on the market. Plus, if you're in the market for a job, it's something potential employers will see, showing them that you have some skills and creativity (or, so I've been told).

2) Social Networking -- What did we do before Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and all of those other social sites? To be honest, I don't remember! ha ha. Anyway, I do know that if you join every forum involving writing, e-books, and marketing, you'll never write, you'll just be talking about writing, and getting to know other indie authors who are also talking about writing. Facebook is useful for authors in that they give us the ability to have a page for ourselves and our work. Thousands, and maybe even millions, of users can eventually come across your page, they can like it, and even share it with anyone in their social circle. Twitter used to be useful in my opinion, but there are way too many voices out there now, and one can get lost in the "noise." My best advice for social networking is to do it in moderation, otherwise, you'll never get that next book written.

3) Press releases -- I use free sites like Prlog.org, which is good for visibility, but I really don't know if it results in sales. Doesn't hurt to try though, and it's free. If you want to pay for high visibility, try PRWEB, but it's really expensive if you're on a tight budget.

4) Libraries -- I used to work in a library, so I know something about this. A lot of indie books go almost directly to the Friends of the Library Bookstore, even though the Acquisitions Librarian "promised" that your books will get on the shelf, eventually. Although, it could've been just the one I worked with, because he wasn't too particularly thrilled with putting my novels on the shelf. My suggestion is to get to know the library staff, usually the poor souls stuck at the Circulation Desk. Sometimes they get to sort through all the donations, so if you let them know that you really, really want your book in the library, they will mark your book for the acquisitions librarian, who will set it up for circulation. Be patient, books arrive at the library from B&T and Ingram every day, so it may take months for your book to show up in the catalog.

5) Book trailer -- You can do it yourself by downloading Microsoft's Live Movie Maker for free. It's fairly easy to use once you get the hang of it. Of course, if you want something like the "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" trailer, then you'll have to spend a lot of money for someone else to do it or have taken a video course in college yourself. Once you're done with it, upload it to Youtube and a few other video sites. Very useful in the fact that the reader may get your book cover and the idea impressed into their heads, and then might eventually buy a copy of your novel.

6) Guerilla Marketing -- Basically, this is putting bookmarks or business cards in books at stores like Walmart, B&N, and maybe Half Price Books (if you have one in your area), or even at the library. I have also put bookmarks in those envelopes that have the paid postage from the credit card companies and other spam mailers, and sent it back to them. You can do this for everything you mail out.

7) Bloggers -- There are bloggers who will post your novel, review it, help with a blog tour, or give you an interview that will be posted on their site. Some require you to pay for the exposure, and some are free. Even if you get no returns on it as far as sales, it'll be on Google and other search engines for as long as that post is available. So when someone does a search, that's another impression you get, and it might even get you some sales out of it.

8) Paperback book giveaways -- When you first finish your book, have it uploaded, and then available on Createspace, you can then contact some bloggers, or go to Goodreads and post your book giveaway. With bloggers, they can target specific readers who actually want to read your novel. I've received a couple of great reviews that way. With Goodreads, people will sign up for the giveaway just because it's a freebie, not really caring about the genre. I had one person return a book because they thought it was something else, and others who reviewed, who didn't like that genre, and thought Goodreads required a review. Remember to be choosy about doing paperback giveaways if you want specific readers that are looking for a specific genre.

9) Free e-books -- One way to get your novels seen is to give away free copies of your e-books, usually with a coupon from Smashwords. If you want it free on Amazon, set the novel free on Smashwords, distribute it to B&N even if you're using their publishing platform, and then wait for Amazon to price match. You'll get a few thousand downloads for a week or two, copies into hands of people who normally wouldn't have known about you and your work, and possibly some good reviews out of it. But, there's also a possibility that you'll get hateful hit and run reviews, and the advice given to me and others is to develop a thick skin, because you're supposed to be above it all.

10) Ads -- Unless you have a lot of disposable income, creating ads on Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and other sites is a complete waste of your time and money. But, if you get a free coupon for one of those sites, then knock yourself out. I have also advertised on Craigslist and other classifieds all over the States from time to time, and I get the occasional hit to my website from those sites, but I don't know if they actually result in sales. Mostly, it's about being visible, and that's not really a bad thing.

Finally, marketing your novels comes down to hard work, time, and sometimes spending money to make money. There are times you may want to give up, but being persistent will get you and your novels seen, and you'll see success. These ideas are only some that indie authors may or may not try to promote their books, and it's really an experience may vary kind of thing.

Cliff Ball lives in Texas, has a Bachelor's of Arts in English, and has published four novels. You can visit his website at http://www.cliffball.net for more information.

Cliff Ball
author of The Usurper - a political intrigue novel
Shattered Earth - alternate history/science fiction
Out of Time - a time travel novella
http://www.cliffball.net

Book Marketing: The Foreword, Preface, And Introduction As Powerful Marketing Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:18:00 +0000

By Joseph C Kunz, Jr

The Self-Publisher's Mantra

Yes, a book's foreword, preface, and introduction are different. And each has a different purpose. But each has the same goal: To...

1. Make an emotional connection with the reader, which will...

2. Build credibility for the book's author and the book, which will...

3. Sell more books. Period.

This is the mantra that we self-publishers must always keep in mind for everything we create. Everything, without exception.

Powerful Marketing Tools

It is imperative that the self-publisher always remember that these three book sections are a very powerful marketing tool for the author and the book. These three sections must make an emotional connection with the reader. They must help the reader develop an affinity, and intellectual attraction, to the writer. They must build a desire within the reader a need to hear what the author wants to say. All three sections will be a major factor in helping the reader to decide whether they should buy the book or not. Therefore, a lot of time, effort, planning, and designing must be applied to the foreword, preface, and introduction.

When Should Each Section Be Written?

The preface and introduction of a book should be written before the book is written. The foreword should be written when the book is almost complete. Creating the preface and introduction beforehand will help the author establish in her own mind what she is trying to accomplish in the book. Therefore, when writing the book, the preface and introduction will help the author stay on course with the book's mission. Of course, they can be edited and adjusted as the book develops or if the mission changes. But by writing them before writing the main part of the book, they will act as a basic guideline for the author as the book develops.

Help And Guidance For The Foreword Author

And don't forget, the person that writes the book's foreword will certainly be using and relying on both the preface and introduction to guide them when writing the foreword. Therefore, you will need the preface and introduction to make an emotional and intellectual connection with the foreword's author, as well as showing and telling them about your credentials. You are trying to convince the foreword's author that you are the right person to be writing this book. In the preface and introduction you are basically telling them how you want the book to be viewed.

Conclusion

Do not underestimate the power of the foreword, preface, and introduction to help make your book get noticed, purchased, and read. Making money from selling books is a simple numbers game. Sell more books, make more money. But as self-publishers, we want more than money. We want to create an amazing book, and build our credibility in our expertise, and have many readers benefit from our book. Creating an amazing foreword, preface, and introduction will help us achieve all of this.

Joseph C. Kunz, Jr. is an author, publisher, educator, business manager, and entrepreneur. Life-long love affair with books and reading. Very excited about being part of the new media movement. Known for casual, easy-to-read writing style and ability to explain complex topics in an understandable way. "If you are serious about your work you should self-publish. Retain creative control. Retain the profits. Enjoy the satisfaction and status that comes with being published." Visit Kunz's website about all aspects of self-publishing at http://www.KunzOnPublishing.com/, for an insider's guide to becoming a financially successful and happy self-publisher, and sign-up for his free newsletter.

Advice for First-Time Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:36:00 +0000

By Mike Sprouse

Earlier this year, after I published my first book called The Greatness Gap, I wrote a post that has gotten a lot of really great feedback where I give some advice to first-time authors, since at the time I was a first-time author.

So I felt that I learned a few things about the publishing process, the editing process, and the "industry" in general. Now that it has been a little over six months since that post, I wanted to follow up with a second post. Or the "now what do I do?" post.

You see, once your book is done and published and the whole world can see it on Amazon, I believe most authors - especially first-timers like me - ask themselves "Ok, now what do I do?" That question hit me very early on. There are a few ways to answer that question: 1) Focus on marketing; 2) Write a second book; 3) Both; 4) Proudly put your book on your bookshelf and leave it be.

For any author, I don't recommend the last option. Why? Because you poured your heart and soul into it, and you hopefully want to share it with the world rather than making it a relic.

For some writers, publishing a book is one of those aspirational things. Some people see it as the equivalent of running a marathon, where they do it once and then are done. So option number two above likely won't happen, at least not right away.

Which leaves option number one: to focus on marketing your book. I've long believed that the hardest part about writing and publishing a book isn't actually writing and publishing it. It is marketing it. This is a scary proposition for most people, since writing and publishing certainly isn't "easy". Marketing is tougher though.

Here are some more things I've learned - both mistakes and stuff that has worked - that perhaps can a first-time author out once their book has been published.

1) Always, and I mean always, have at least a few copies of your book in your bag or purse.

This was a big mistake I made for about 4-6 weeks after publishing. I didn't carry enough books with me. We all meet new people every day, and inevitably the question gets asked "what do you do?" Part of the answer is now "I'm an author". Then people want you to tell them about the book; which is a lot easier when you actually have the book to show. Carry a few books with you so you're always prepared to market yourself 24/7.

2) Keep seeking professional, third party reviews for your book.

Even if your book has long since been published, it does not mean you can't get your book professionally reviewed. Quite the contrary! True, a majority of my reviews did occur right around my publish date. But I still actively seek reviews and have had good luck even 6 or 8 months after the book was published in getting reviewed. Don't discount the importance of this.

3) The content from your book is valuable; valuable to people who don't even know it yet!

You spent a lot of time writing your book, and put a lot of thought into its contents. Put it on the web! You should have your own website to post bits and pieces of your book. Or, you can choose to syndicate your content to other websites in your genre. Don't expect to get paid for sharing your content, that's not the point. The point is that by posting content on your website or offering it to other websites for free, you are marketing yourself and reaching a new audience who wouldn't have likely found your book to begin with.

4) Get creative in your marketing.

By this, I mean that most authors think about a few outlets like Google, or book review sites, or book forums to advertise and promote their book. Why? The competition is fierce and going this route in marketing is very tough. Why not do something really unique and creative? How about printing up 500-1,000 bookmarks and giving them to local retailers or restaurants to include to their clients and customers? This works wonders, and you're not competing against thousands of other authors who are pumping their books. Doing something "guerrilla" like this doesn't cost that much - probably under $100 to print up some bookmarks and hand them out. If you live in a large city with lots of commerce, this is a no-brainer. If not bookmarks, key chains or fliers or postcards work just as well too.

5) Get aligned with a charity.

You know those free copies of your book that you received from your publisher? Use them wisely! Give some to a charitable organization, who in turn can hand them out (and probably promote you at the same time). Be active and public with your charity of choice so that people know you and know what you stand for; all the while, you can sing your book's praises in a "non-salesy" way.

I hope some of these ideas and thoughts help you. Who knows, maybe in another six months I will do another post on this topic. In the meantime, good luck to all of you first-time authors in your marketing!

Mike Sprouse is a Chief Marketer, Corporate Entrepreneur, Author and Philanthropist. He is a recognized public speaker and marketing expert, having run every facet of marketing and corporate strategy for public and private companies. Mike is the author of the critically-acclaimed book, "The Greatness Gap", and is a frequent blogger on his website at http://www.mikesprouse.com. He is a former professional tennis player with an ATP world ranking in singles. Mike is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Accounting. If you would like to read more about Mike, you can visit his "About" page on his website at http://www.mikesprouse.com/about-mike-sprouse-marketing/.

How to Build Your Author Platform to Enhance Your Book Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:28:00 +0000

By Dana Lynn Smith

As a book author, you've probably seen the term author platform used a lot, but you may be wondering: what is a platform and how do I get one?

Your author platform determines your reach in the market and it's a valuable tool in your book promotion activities. If you're hoping to land a book deal with a traditional commercial publisher, a strong author platform is critical. When publishers evaluate book proposals, they want an idea of how well known you are and how successful you will be at promoting your book once it's published.

The best time to start building your author platform is before you write your book or book proposal, because it takes time to build your platform. But regardless of where you are in your publishing journey, you can continue to strengthen your author platform.

I've seen lots of definitions for author platform, but it basically boils down to three things:

o Brand
o Reputation
o Connections

Branding

Branding helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace and makes you memorable. One of the most important parts of your brand is your author tagline - a concise and catchy description of what you do. Here are some examples of author taglines:

o The Publicity Hound
o The Love Doctor
o The Productivity Pro
o The Risque Romance Writer
o Author of thrilling mysteries
o Author of the Detective McGee series
o Writer of educational children's books

Use your tagline after your name in your promotional materials and signature, like a title. For example, I refer to myself as Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer.

Your author photo is another important branding tool. Be sure to get a professional looking photo and use it everywhere, to build recognition of you. Professional doesn't necessarily mean a studio portrait - think about how the background, pose and clothing in your author photo can be a reflection of your brand and the type of books you write. Wherever your photo appears, list both your name and tagline as a caption beneath the photo.

Author branding can also include your logo, book covers, the color scheme you use, your distinctive style of writing or speaking, and your academic qualifications. All of these elements together constitute a recognizable brand that makes you makes you memorable and builds credibility as part of your author platform.

Take a look at your own branding and think about what you can do to strengthen it.

Reputation

The reputation component of your author platform is a measure of how well known you are, what you are known for, and how credible you are. Consider these factors in your book promotion:

o Do you have a degree, special training or extensive experience in the topic that you're writing about and/or in the craft of writing?
o Do you have (or can you obtain) a professional certification in your area of expertise?
o What awards or other recognition have you received?
o What kind of media experience do you have?
o How many people do you reach each month through speaking or interviews?
o How many people read your blog?
o How many articles have you written and posted or published in the past month?
o How well known are you and how much name recognition do you have?
o What leadership positions do you hold?
o Why should people listen to you or read your books?

Nonfiction authors can gain a reputation as an expert in their topic through such activities as writing books and articles, speaking and teaching, appearing on talk shows, being quoted in other people's articles, and writing the foreword for other books.

Fiction authors may become known for their writing style and their expertise in writing in a specific genre (such as children's, sci-fi, romance, or mystery) or for their niche within a particular genre (vampire stories, romantic adventure).

Your reputation and author platform can be enhanced by winning awards, receiving excellent book reviews, and getting testimonials and endorsements from celebrities and experts in your field.

What can you do to boost your author reputation and expert status and increase the number of people you reach in your book promotion activities? How can you highlight your credentials in your marketing materials?

Connections

When promoting a book, it's not just what you know, it's who you know!

To sell books in today's marketplace, you need to be connected. Here are some examples of the type of connections that are valuable to authors book promotion:

Contact Database - Clients, prospects, colleagues, friends, and family.

Opt-in Mailing List - People who have given you permission to contact them.

Influencers - Celebrities, well-known people in your field, book reviewers, media, and bloggers.

Online Networks - Connections on Facebook, Twitter and other online networks, groups and forums.

Blog Readers - People who read your blog or subscribe to the blog's feed.

Professional Associations - Fellow association members and leaders. Serving in a leadership position enhances your visibility within the organization.

Other Groups - Alumni associations, civic and service organizations, hobby clubs, etc.

What can you do to increase your connections and leverage the connections that you have? How can you partner with others to extend your reach in your book promotion?

Dana Lynn Smith is a book promotion coach and author of several book promotion guides, including The Savvy Book Marketer's Guide to Successful Social Marketing. For more tips, follow @BookMarketer on Twitter, visit Dana's book promotion blog and get a free copy of the Top Book Marketing Tips ebook when you sign up for her complimentary book promotion newsletter.

Author Success - What Does It Take to Become a Successful Author?

noreply@blogger.com (Business Matrx) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:59:00 +0000

By Diane Eble

Author success does not happen overnight, as I say over and over again. It is like bamboo - it takes TIME.

It also takes four other things. I call them the Four Rs.

You must do the right things the right way, in the right sequence to the right people.

Let's break this down.

The Right Things

There are two main things any author needs to do consistently over time in order to become successful.

1. Master your craft.

Without craft - and by this, I mean the freshness both of your message and your delivery - you will be here today, gone tomorrow. We've heard everything before. What fresh approach are you bringing to the table? What bling do you bring?

If you're not really a writer, and don't care to be one, you must put up the money to hire a very good writer. Period. Schlock never sells for long.

There's something else you must master, or pay for.

A message is must reach its audience. So you must:

2. Market your message.

Everything you do as an author (or speaker, or business person, in fact) comes down to these two things.

Master your craft - the what - and your marketing - the how.

Which brings us to...

The Right Way

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways to reach your audience.

Nowadays there's a plethora of social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, forums), as well as blogs, YouTube, apps for all sorts of technology.

There are article directories, magazines (online and off), speaking opportunities, podcasting, radio, television, YouTube, to name just a few things.

The right way means you do the right things consistently. That you test and evaluate regularly, discarding what doesn't work.

But you must know not only where to start, but how to proceed, so you need...

The Right Sequence

So where do you start? And how do you continue from there, in the right sequence, so you're building with a strategy, according to a blueprint, and not just performing a lot of frenzied activities?

That brings us to...

The Right People

You start with your who.

The people you are trying to reach is your who, and where you should start.

You must know your intended audience intimately. You must bring your message to the right who.

Know who they are (age, gender, economic status), what they like to do, where they "hang out" (online and offline). What they read. How much time and money they have for what you have to offer.

What you're looking for is a connection. The vital link between your message and your audience.

Do you know what that key is that unlocks all these "right" approaches?

The Key is...
YOU!

You are the key. Knowing what you want to accomplish, what you want to say, what motivates you to reach your audience - this is the starting point.

Knowing yourself also shows you where to start with the how. As I said, there are thousands of ways to promote your book. Where do you start?

You start with the who - who your audience is, and who you are.

You connect the dots, using the approaches you enjoy (which will probably boil down to either writing or speaking primarily) that will also reach the people you want to reach.

You like to write primarily? Then you can focus on articles, blogs, forums and the like. But make sure your audience hangs out in these places as well. Or, if they're not online, that you know how to reach the journals and magazines they read.

You like to speak? There are opportunities galore here, both online and offline. Again, make sure you focus on where your audiences likes to hang out.

What spells author success? The four Rs, and most of all, the connection.

And if you want more help with the four Rs and the connection, I invite you to check out my 5-lesson Author Success Plan at http://www.authorsuccessplan.com. You may also check out my personal coaching and the number of resources at http://www.wordstoprofit.com.
- From Diane Eble, "Your Book Publishing Coach"