Monday, April 25, 2016

Lessons Learned - Part III



Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been writing about self-publishing. I’ve emphasized the idea of trying to find a traditional publisher first, and making sure your manuscript is as clean as possible. Yes, we all end up with a few typos, unwanted indents or missing words. It happens. If it’s a great book, most readers are willing to skip over our little mishaps, but still, don’t just assume the reader will do this.

You may have decided you’d prefer to self-publish for any number of reasons. If that’s the case, you have a whole new laundry list of things to learn.

You might choose a self-publisher that you pay and they do all the work. On the other hand, you might like to have control of your career – you might want to be your own boss. You still have to follow the guidelines set up by your self-publisher. 

Last week I suggested you research the various self-publishers. I hope you do that, and do it soon. There are some authors who have created their own publishing house for their books. It certainly looks nice to show a publisher’s name at the beginning of your book. So far, I’ve just used my own name.

Have you started promoting yet? There’s so much involved in gaining name recognition. Start early and keep the momentum going.

In the beginning I used a paid self-publisher who did everything except promotion and marketing. Well, in all fairness, they did some of those things, but the majority of the work was left up to me. I switched to two traditional publishers (one for each series), decided we had different ideas, and moved on to the newer form of self-publishing.

Here’s the thing. You’ve got to have all of your ducks in a row going in. Your book is done? It’s clean and error free? You’ve used the format the self-publisher wants you to use? You’ve created a Title Page, an Acknowledgement Page, a Dedication Page, a copyright page? If you have multiple books, you might want to include an “Also Available…” Page. Think about an “About the Author” page at the end of the book.

Now you’re ready to publish, right?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=marja+mcgraw&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C242
Not quite so fast. What about the book cover you need for your book? You can pay to have one created, have a relative do it, or you can create your own cover. There are a number of programs you can use. Personally, I use Photoshop, but there are other programs available to you, too. Some are actually free. I welcome commenters to mention programs they’ve had success with and to include links.
 
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=marja+mcgraw&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C242

There are sites you can use for your graphics or you can use photos. If you’re artistic, you might create your cover using your own graphics. Be sure to use a font and color that can be read easily. I once read that when you create a cover you should picture it as a small, thumbnail sized cover. If it’s too busy, the reader perusing sites will often look for something less involved. Obviously, it can’t hurt if your cover has something to do with your story. I wrote about a ghost town (Old Murders Never Die) and I used a ghost town on the cover.

I discovered when using the Kindle ebook program that there is a book cover creator program you can use if necessary. There are several covers you can choose from, and there's one where you can load your own cover.

Let’s say you’ve done all of the things I mentioned above. There are more decisions to make. Do you want an ebook version, a paperback version, and an audiobook version? Start researching to decide what companies will best provide your choices.

With everything ready, it’s time to start the process.

I use Amazon.com as my self-publisher. That’s not a recommendation, although I’m very happy with them, but it’s a statement of fact. I use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for my ebooks, CreateSpace for my paperbacks, and I tried Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) for an audiobook. Interesting experience. While I have thirteen ebooks and paperbacks, I only have one audiobook. The three companies are related to each other.

Come back next week and I’ll go into more detail and it will be more in depth, because if everything I’ve talked about is done, then it’s time to upload your book and cover. Keep your sigh to yourself when I tell you paperwork and more decisions lie ahead.

Until next week, remember that every step of this process will make you just a bit more of a techie. For me, it’s been fun.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website.
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

21 comments:

  1. Good series, Marja.

    I always recommend a self-publisher pay for two things: professional edit and cover design.

    Unless you are an artist, you really need a designer to create a unique and eye-catching cover. (You, IMHO, are an artist. You understand the concepts of balance, hue, saturation, impact, etc. Larry does, too, but most people don't.)

    I also caution against using the 'generic' covers offered by KDP. Since they aren't unique, you might see your cover art on several other books. It helps your brand to have a unified look to the covers (like your Bogey brand).

    I am an editor, and I engage an editor for my books. I know I won't catch everything.

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    1. Excellent comments, Lorna! All helpful hints, and I agree about the generic cover. Unfortunately, sometimes an author has no choice or alternatives. Thank you so much for the compliments about my own covers. Working on them is a great diversion. And thank you for stopping in today!

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  2. Ah, editing! We do our best to make sure our books are error free and our proofreaders/editors do the same and still.... I recently finished reading a book by a big name author who has several secretaries, proofreaders and an entire editorial staff at her disposal and, without looking for it, I found a typo. As you said, it happens to all of us. :)

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    1. It happens, Pat. We just hope we have understanding readers. Thank you so much for stopping in today!

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  3. Marja, thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us (your readers). I'm still in the "now-what-did-I-file-that-WIP-under" stage. Luckily I have a newly-minted teenage daughter who asks every few days whether I've written on the WIP or not. ;)

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    1. Sometimes it's a good thing when our teenagers nag, LuAnn. I'm glad you have one who keeps you going. Thank you so much for stopping in!

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  4. I'm filing these posts, Marja, for future reference. I've been looking for a cohesive list of the things an author needs to do to self-publish, and it seems you've got the best one I've seen. Thanks for sharing your insights and guidance with all of us!

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    1. Thank you so much, Amy! I keep repeating that I'm not an expert, but I've sure had a lot of experience. I'm happy with the road I've chosen. Thank you for stopping in today!

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  5. I'm not sure I'd do self-publishing right and I really needed to have the backing of a traditional publisher. I know authors who dropped their publishers and self-published later books to avoid the long wait to release dates. It worked for them well. I admire those willing to take this on and succeed at it.

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    1. Thank you for your comments, Linda! I'm glad a traditional publisher is working for you. I have to admit, though, I enjoy being my own boss. We have to choose the road that works best for each of us. Thank you so much for stopping in!

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  6. Good posts, Marja. Like you, I use Create Space and I prefer it. In some ways it's more work that traditional publishing, but in the end the take-home is bigger. In either case, you have to do your own sales promotion

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    1. So true, Gloria. I'm glad to her you like working with CreateSpace. They've been good to work with and very helpful when I really needed assistance. Wouldn't it be nice if we could write and someone else did the promotion? Thank you so much for stopping in!

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  7. Another great entry in the self-publishing saga, Marja! I hate the promotion bit but one has to do it even with a traditional publisher.

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    1. Thank you, Pat! Some people enjoy promotion, but not all of us. Thank you so much for stopping in!

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  8. Good advice, Marja. I enjoy the process of indie publishing after submitting to traditional publishers' guidelines and less than desirable book covers. I like your covers, by the way.

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    1. Thank you, Jean! And thanks for the compliment about my covers, too. I'm definitely not an expert, but they're fun to put together. Thank you so much for stopping in!

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  9. You're doing a great job, Marja. I enjoy reading your blog posts, and I really like your "new" book covers.

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    1. Thank you, Evelyn! I know you're embarking on your own "new road" and I wish you the best. Thank you so much for stopping in today!

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  11. So far, I love my publisher (Black Opal) and they do a better job than I could ever do.

    You might check out BookFunnel. $20 a year and they have some innovative ways to get a fan base.

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    1. Thanks for the tip, Sunny, and I'm glad you're happy with your publisher. I'll look up BookFunnel. Thank you so much for stopping in!

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