Patricia Hamill's Blog: I read too much! - Posts Tagged "self-publishing"
Here's to progress.
My plans for attracting an author include: 1) writing more books, 2) getting those books published, 3) gaining followers, and 4) writing a blog.
I can say I have made quite a bit of progress since I first thought up my plan to attract an agent.
I've completed one book, drafted another and am working on the draft for a third. All these in addition to The Golden Ship, the book that first made me consider getting an agent. Shadows of Valor is, of course, already published and I've mentioned it in a few posts already. The Zombie Logs is a draft ready for editing and revision. Finally, the as of yet unnamed Shadows of Valor #2 is in progress, perhaps about 80% complete (give or take depending on where the story takes me). So, that's one.
Two, I finally went with self-publishing on Amazon, to which I will probably devote more time in future posts. You can find my books there and read the first few chapters or pages of each. My next foray into self-publishing will be to look into other distribution paths for The Golden Ship. We'll see how that goes.
Three, gaining followers is a work in progress as well. So far I've got about five fans on Facebook (look for Patricia Hamill (author) to join their ranks) and two on Goodreads. I've also managed to earn at least one fan at work and another through her. I don't know whether I should name names, but I want to say that it is absolutely awesome when someone reads your work and tells you how much they enjoy it. It's also a great feeling as a writer when they describe how the story made them feel and what they hoped would happen as they progress through the story. I'm incredibly thankful to everyone who takes the time to give my stories a chance.
Four, writing a blog, well, that's what this is isn't it? I'm enjoying posting my thoughts and am hoping those of you who find this are enjoying them as well. I'm trying to post every four to five days with reviews sprinkled in here and there for good measure. Blogging may also help with number three, but even if it doesn't, it is worth it.
As I work towards completing all four of my goals, I realize that I'll probably never really be done with any of them. Another story will always be waiting to be written. Those that turn out good, I'll get published. As I get better at writing, publishing, and marketing, more people will discover my work (and hopefully become fans), and as that happens more of those may discover my blog.
So here's to progress. Hey, I might even send out a few more query letters.
I can say I have made quite a bit of progress since I first thought up my plan to attract an agent.
I've completed one book, drafted another and am working on the draft for a third. All these in addition to The Golden Ship, the book that first made me consider getting an agent. Shadows of Valor is, of course, already published and I've mentioned it in a few posts already. The Zombie Logs is a draft ready for editing and revision. Finally, the as of yet unnamed Shadows of Valor #2 is in progress, perhaps about 80% complete (give or take depending on where the story takes me). So, that's one.
Two, I finally went with self-publishing on Amazon, to which I will probably devote more time in future posts. You can find my books there and read the first few chapters or pages of each. My next foray into self-publishing will be to look into other distribution paths for The Golden Ship. We'll see how that goes.
Three, gaining followers is a work in progress as well. So far I've got about five fans on Facebook (look for Patricia Hamill (author) to join their ranks) and two on Goodreads. I've also managed to earn at least one fan at work and another through her. I don't know whether I should name names, but I want to say that it is absolutely awesome when someone reads your work and tells you how much they enjoy it. It's also a great feeling as a writer when they describe how the story made them feel and what they hoped would happen as they progress through the story. I'm incredibly thankful to everyone who takes the time to give my stories a chance.
Four, writing a blog, well, that's what this is isn't it? I'm enjoying posting my thoughts and am hoping those of you who find this are enjoying them as well. I'm trying to post every four to five days with reviews sprinkled in here and there for good measure. Blogging may also help with number three, but even if it doesn't, it is worth it.
As I work towards completing all four of my goals, I realize that I'll probably never really be done with any of them. Another story will always be waiting to be written. Those that turn out good, I'll get published. As I get better at writing, publishing, and marketing, more people will discover my work (and hopefully become fans), and as that happens more of those may discover my blog.
So here's to progress. Hey, I might even send out a few more query letters.
Side Bar: Unexpected rewards
Today I'd like to take a detour into a new topic: unexpected rewards.
No, I don't mean cash, winning contests or scoring a book deal. Instead, I'm talking about rewards that aren't on the radar, and perhaps those that don't even register as rewards when you first encounter them. In my case, they all stem from my foray into self-publishing.
Obviously, having a book published (even if you do it yourself) is rewarding in itself. Your work is out there where people can buy it, read it, and perhaps even love it. It's a heady feeling and also a bit scary, because you always have that thought that maybe they won't like it.
Later, you begin to fear that no one will ever see it at all, especially when your friends and family have all received their own copies. Some will tell you how much they enjoyed it, some (like my dad) will insist that you get started on a sequel right away, and some won't say anything (at least not to you).
Here is where the first unexpected reward comes in: your first non-family member fan. Before that moment, it's easy to chalk up positive feedback to familial connection and to doubt the appeal of your work. But, when the first person comes up to you grinning from ear to ear and telling you their favorite parts of the story and why, wow!
The second reward I've discovered is meeting other new authors through forums. From the first, the forums on KDP and Createspace were invaluable to me as an author (who didn't know anything going in), and they got me through some tough questions like "do I have to wait to publish until my copyright registration comes in" and "what in the world is a gutter margin and why is it defying me so."
Soon, I discovered the Previews on Createspace and learned that I enjoyed writing reviews (and receiving them). When I posted those, some of the authors would post back and before long I was learning from, sharing what I've learned, and even making friends.
This of course goes hand in hand with the third unexpected reward: a new hobby! I've begun writing book reviews, and I've gotten quite a nice start so far with twelve reviews under my belt. The tricky part is when I come across a story that's so good I'm afraid I won't do it justice. Those make me nervous, but I always stick it out and just go through a few revisions before posting them. Anyway, the reviews are great for maintaining writing skills and I also dig the idea that they might help out my fellow indie authors. This week I'm reading Crystal Fire by R.L. Kiser, the author of Educated Injun (already reviewed) and Exile (want to read) among several others. In keeping with my new hobby, you can expect a review from me on it in the near future.
Unbiased feedback, meeting new people, and a new hobby are just three of the unexpected rewards I've benefited from since self-publishing, and I'm sure I'll think of ten more as soon as I post this.
Until next time.
No, I don't mean cash, winning contests or scoring a book deal. Instead, I'm talking about rewards that aren't on the radar, and perhaps those that don't even register as rewards when you first encounter them. In my case, they all stem from my foray into self-publishing.
Obviously, having a book published (even if you do it yourself) is rewarding in itself. Your work is out there where people can buy it, read it, and perhaps even love it. It's a heady feeling and also a bit scary, because you always have that thought that maybe they won't like it.
Later, you begin to fear that no one will ever see it at all, especially when your friends and family have all received their own copies. Some will tell you how much they enjoyed it, some (like my dad) will insist that you get started on a sequel right away, and some won't say anything (at least not to you).
Here is where the first unexpected reward comes in: your first non-family member fan. Before that moment, it's easy to chalk up positive feedback to familial connection and to doubt the appeal of your work. But, when the first person comes up to you grinning from ear to ear and telling you their favorite parts of the story and why, wow!
The second reward I've discovered is meeting other new authors through forums. From the first, the forums on KDP and Createspace were invaluable to me as an author (who didn't know anything going in), and they got me through some tough questions like "do I have to wait to publish until my copyright registration comes in" and "what in the world is a gutter margin and why is it defying me so."
Soon, I discovered the Previews on Createspace and learned that I enjoyed writing reviews (and receiving them). When I posted those, some of the authors would post back and before long I was learning from, sharing what I've learned, and even making friends.
This of course goes hand in hand with the third unexpected reward: a new hobby! I've begun writing book reviews, and I've gotten quite a nice start so far with twelve reviews under my belt. The tricky part is when I come across a story that's so good I'm afraid I won't do it justice. Those make me nervous, but I always stick it out and just go through a few revisions before posting them. Anyway, the reviews are great for maintaining writing skills and I also dig the idea that they might help out my fellow indie authors. This week I'm reading Crystal Fire by R.L. Kiser, the author of Educated Injun (already reviewed) and Exile (want to read) among several others. In keeping with my new hobby, you can expect a review from me on it in the near future.
Unbiased feedback, meeting new people, and a new hobby are just three of the unexpected rewards I've benefited from since self-publishing, and I'm sure I'll think of ten more as soon as I post this.
Until next time.
Progress!
Since my last non-review blog post, I focused on 1) breaking through my writer's block and 2)expanding the reach of Shadows of Valor. I'm happy to report success on both counts.
As for the writer's block, I've written two and a half new chapters (on notebook paper) and annotated 16 pages of my Zombie book. Now, all I have is about 3-4 more chapters for SOV's sequel (maybe a few more for good measure) and 12 more pages of annotations for the Zombie book. I'd say that means my writer's block is officially over.
My original goal for both books was to publish them in April, which would mean skimping on the editing and proofreading based on where they are right now. The new plan is to aim for Summer. I don't want to put any sub par books out there, so it's better to push out the date a bit.
As for Shadows of Valor, I've put it up on Smashwords.com so that it can be distributed to the major ebook retailers and on smashwords in all the popular formats.
Last Sunday I took about four hours to read and then to follow the Smashwords Style Guide, an excellent guide on how to strip unnecessary formating from your Word file so that your book acts right in ebook format. I must have done it right because the autovetter took it on the first try and the human review for Premium Catalog status gave it a go. Yay!
In celebration, Shadows of Valor is on sale in all popular formats on Smashwords.com!
That's it for this week. Wish me luck on my goal for two more chapters by next Sunday!
Follow me on Facebook: Patricia Hamill
*Post updated 03/13/13 to correct coupon amount.
As for the writer's block, I've written two and a half new chapters (on notebook paper) and annotated 16 pages of my Zombie book. Now, all I have is about 3-4 more chapters for SOV's sequel (maybe a few more for good measure) and 12 more pages of annotations for the Zombie book. I'd say that means my writer's block is officially over.
My original goal for both books was to publish them in April, which would mean skimping on the editing and proofreading based on where they are right now. The new plan is to aim for Summer. I don't want to put any sub par books out there, so it's better to push out the date a bit.
As for Shadows of Valor, I've put it up on Smashwords.com so that it can be distributed to the major ebook retailers and on smashwords in all the popular formats.
Last Sunday I took about four hours to read and then to follow the Smashwords Style Guide, an excellent guide on how to strip unnecessary formating from your Word file so that your book acts right in ebook format. I must have done it right because the autovetter took it on the first try and the human review for Premium Catalog status gave it a go. Yay!
In celebration, Shadows of Valor is on sale in all popular formats on Smashwords.com!
Smashwords Coupon for 1.99* (regular 2.99): GS47R
Find it here! Good until 03/21/13.
That's it for this week. Wish me luck on my goal for two more chapters by next Sunday!
Follow me on Facebook: Patricia Hamill
*Post updated 03/13/13 to correct coupon amount.
Where do reviews come from?
Today, I came across a post by someone on the Createspace message boards and I want to share it here.
These are only a few things I've learned since late last year when my first book went live on Amazon.
If you would like to add to, correct, or enhance any of my suggestions, please add them to the comments. If we come up with some good ones I'll post them where dcbrownlow can find them. :-)
dcbrownlow asks:
"Okay newbee here. Who gives the reviews and when do they rate them?"
My response:
Generally, people who have purchased your book, read it and either really liked or really disliked your work will leave reviews. Those that felt your book was so-so are less likely to leave a review, but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't. Keep in mind, of the total number who purchase your book, only a small number of them will leave a review, regardless of what they thought.
That being said, getting your book noticed and convincing people to buy your book are a challenge. If no one's buying or reviewing, you may have to do a little extra to obtain reviews. Try some of the following:
>Join a group on Goodreads and submit your book for their Read to Review, ARR, or R2R (same as first) programs. Never offer reciprocal reviews in return for reviews of your book, sends a bad message.
>Start a blog and get people interested in you and your books. Offer occasional freebees and see what turns up.
>Contact book bloggers with requests to review your book and offer them a free ebook in exchange for a review. You probably have to have a solid pitch or description of your book to convince one to read yours since many will have quite a wait list. Also, you may consider the smaller bloggers because they may be more likely to fit yours in.
>Pay attention to frequent reviewers for books in your genre and ask some of them to review yours in exchange for a free ebook. Look for those who provide balanced reviews saying both what they liked and didn't like, because those will have more credibility.
Good luck!
These are only a few things I've learned since late last year when my first book went live on Amazon.
If you would like to add to, correct, or enhance any of my suggestions, please add them to the comments. If we come up with some good ones I'll post them where dcbrownlow can find them. :-)
Self-publishing on Kindle
Hello all,
I've been a little heavier on the book reviews than on official blog posts lately. Every time I finish one I sign up for two more, totally my fault of course. But today I'm on vacation and my "currently reading" shelf is down to a reasonable three, so it's time for a real post, the topic: self-publishing on Kindle.
Recently, a friend of mine told me how publishing my books has inspired her to write one of her own. She also told me that figuring out how to self-publish was difficult, even with web addresses in hand. So, here's a quick run down of how to get your story published on Kindle.
1. Read Building Your Book for Kindle. This free book walks you through the process, with instructions geared towards people writing their books in Microsoft Word and, of course, publishing on Kindle.
2. Write your book, edit your book, and proofread your book. Make it as perfect as you can possibly get it. Reviewers on Amazon can be brutal. Consider asking some close friends to review it and give you comments, or, if you have the cash, consider soliciting the help of a professional.
3. Copyright your book. Technically, you own the copyright as soon as you put pen to paper, but the added protection of copyright registration is worth the hour or so it will take to register your book online. I recommend doing this on the U.S. Copyright Office's official website. Read all the guides and how-to's available on the site before moving on to register your book.
Note that if you have yet to publish your book or have only published as an eBook, you need only submit a pdf of your book and not a hard copy (or two, as required if copyrighting a paperback). This method is also quicker because your book won't have to survive the gauntlet of safeguards imposed on all mail being sent to the copyright office.
4. Download the kindle previewer (on your computer) and follow the instructions to preview the file you plan to submit to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).
5. Review every page of your book in the previewer, preferably with a copy of your book close to hand on which you can make notes, and fix any issues you find before moving on. This is incredibly important because formatting can go horribly wrong when a book is converted into an eBook. It may look good in Word, but don't trust that that will translate into the final product.
6. If you haven't done so already, create an account with Amazon.com. As an author, you'll be prompted to add your tax information and payment preferences before you can submit your work for publishing. I can't remember exactly when this is prompted, but I do remember that there were instructions.
7. Go to the KDP site and click Get Started to begin uploading your book, setting your price, and setting your distribution channels.
Once you submit your book, there is a short wait while Amazon reviews your files. When your book is available on Amazon, you'll receive an email. And now, the real work begins, promoting your work and yourself. Due to the ease of self-publishing, competition is fierce, and unless you do something to bring attention to your book, it may never be noticed. For an excellent article on attracting new readers (by an accomplished and popular independent author), check out David Estes' blog post My Dos and Don'ts for Attracting New Readers.
8. Finally, join the KDP Community where you can meet and interact with other KDP authors and discuss questions and lessons learned.
If you're a self-published author on Kindle and would like to add to the topic, please share your experience and knowledge in the comments.
I've been a little heavier on the book reviews than on official blog posts lately. Every time I finish one I sign up for two more, totally my fault of course. But today I'm on vacation and my "currently reading" shelf is down to a reasonable three, so it's time for a real post, the topic: self-publishing on Kindle.
Recently, a friend of mine told me how publishing my books has inspired her to write one of her own. She also told me that figuring out how to self-publish was difficult, even with web addresses in hand. So, here's a quick run down of how to get your story published on Kindle.
1. Read Building Your Book for Kindle. This free book walks you through the process, with instructions geared towards people writing their books in Microsoft Word and, of course, publishing on Kindle.
2. Write your book, edit your book, and proofread your book. Make it as perfect as you can possibly get it. Reviewers on Amazon can be brutal. Consider asking some close friends to review it and give you comments, or, if you have the cash, consider soliciting the help of a professional.
3. Copyright your book. Technically, you own the copyright as soon as you put pen to paper, but the added protection of copyright registration is worth the hour or so it will take to register your book online. I recommend doing this on the U.S. Copyright Office's official website. Read all the guides and how-to's available on the site before moving on to register your book.
Note that if you have yet to publish your book or have only published as an eBook, you need only submit a pdf of your book and not a hard copy (or two, as required if copyrighting a paperback). This method is also quicker because your book won't have to survive the gauntlet of safeguards imposed on all mail being sent to the copyright office.
4. Download the kindle previewer (on your computer) and follow the instructions to preview the file you plan to submit to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).
5. Review every page of your book in the previewer, preferably with a copy of your book close to hand on which you can make notes, and fix any issues you find before moving on. This is incredibly important because formatting can go horribly wrong when a book is converted into an eBook. It may look good in Word, but don't trust that that will translate into the final product.
6. If you haven't done so already, create an account with Amazon.com. As an author, you'll be prompted to add your tax information and payment preferences before you can submit your work for publishing. I can't remember exactly when this is prompted, but I do remember that there were instructions.
7. Go to the KDP site and click Get Started to begin uploading your book, setting your price, and setting your distribution channels.
Once you submit your book, there is a short wait while Amazon reviews your files. When your book is available on Amazon, you'll receive an email. And now, the real work begins, promoting your work and yourself. Due to the ease of self-publishing, competition is fierce, and unless you do something to bring attention to your book, it may never be noticed. For an excellent article on attracting new readers (by an accomplished and popular independent author), check out David Estes' blog post My Dos and Don'ts for Attracting New Readers.
8. Finally, join the KDP Community where you can meet and interact with other KDP authors and discuss questions and lessons learned.
If you're a self-published author on Kindle and would like to add to the topic, please share your experience and knowledge in the comments.
Self-publishers Rejoice-New Goodies on CreateSpace and KDP
Today I logged on to CreateSpace to add a final polishing update to my upcoming book, Forgotten Valor, which is scheduled to be released November 20, 2013, and discovered some new goodies.
For those of you who don't know, CreateSpace is a self-publishing platform for print-on-demand paperbacks. It can be a pain to format your book for print, but it's awesome to be able to order prints and distribute them and to keep no inventory when you don't have a buyer lined up.
Ok, back to the point. I logged on and there right across the top of the dashboard were two announcements.
1. The long begged for (if you read the CS message boards) matte finish is now available. Not every book works with a shiny cover. Now you can order them with a nice soft finish. Excellent!
2. Expanded distribution to bookstores and libraries is now free, whereas before it required self-publishers to pay a fee. Of course, just as before, sending it out through middlemen to extra outlets requires a slightly higher price, but the option is there, and the mark up isn't all that much.
So, if you publish your books for print with CreateSpace, take a look.
I signed up all my books for the expanded distribution, which doesn't guarantee your book will be carried by other distributors, but does make it possible. I already have one showing up on B&N, but it didn't do that until I expanded all my e-books to them via Smashwords. I think there's a connection there, but I can't prove it.
On a related note, Kindle Direct Publishing also has some new coolness to offer. Their Kindle Match Book is live, allowing readers who buy a book in print to get a copy of the Kindle edition at a discount. And it's awesome because you don't have to be enrolled in Kindle Select.
The second new thing on KDP is an ability to set up better promotions for Kindle Select books. I didn't look at it too closely because you have to sell your ebooks exclusively on Amazon to enroll, and I'm trying to expand my distribution, not limit it. But for those of you interested in selling on Amazon, only, it's definitely worth a look.
So to all, happy publishing!
For those of you who don't know, CreateSpace is a self-publishing platform for print-on-demand paperbacks. It can be a pain to format your book for print, but it's awesome to be able to order prints and distribute them and to keep no inventory when you don't have a buyer lined up.
Ok, back to the point. I logged on and there right across the top of the dashboard were two announcements.
1. The long begged for (if you read the CS message boards) matte finish is now available. Not every book works with a shiny cover. Now you can order them with a nice soft finish. Excellent!
2. Expanded distribution to bookstores and libraries is now free, whereas before it required self-publishers to pay a fee. Of course, just as before, sending it out through middlemen to extra outlets requires a slightly higher price, but the option is there, and the mark up isn't all that much.
So, if you publish your books for print with CreateSpace, take a look.
I signed up all my books for the expanded distribution, which doesn't guarantee your book will be carried by other distributors, but does make it possible. I already have one showing up on B&N, but it didn't do that until I expanded all my e-books to them via Smashwords. I think there's a connection there, but I can't prove it.
On a related note, Kindle Direct Publishing also has some new coolness to offer. Their Kindle Match Book is live, allowing readers who buy a book in print to get a copy of the Kindle edition at a discount. And it's awesome because you don't have to be enrolled in Kindle Select.
The second new thing on KDP is an ability to set up better promotions for Kindle Select books. I didn't look at it too closely because you have to sell your ebooks exclusively on Amazon to enroll, and I'm trying to expand my distribution, not limit it. But for those of you interested in selling on Amazon, only, it's definitely worth a look.
So to all, happy publishing!
Self Publishing: New KDP Reports!
If you self-publish on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), but haven't checked your numbers lately, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. I'd like to share two new Reports that I've noticed that should make things much easier.
Continue Reading...
Finished with another book, or am I?
Yesterday I wrapped up a very promising 3rd draft of last year's NaNoWriMo story, The Freeze. I had that feeling, that I'm done feeling. A rush of emotions. Happiness, relief, but then doubt and weariness.
Why?
Because one thing I've learned since I started self-publishing is that when you think you're finished, you're usually wrong. No, take that back, you're definitely wrong, particularly if you are celebrating finishing your final draft.
So, you might ask, what's left to do? Continue reading...
Why?
Because one thing I've learned since I started self-publishing is that when you think you're finished, you're usually wrong. No, take that back, you're definitely wrong, particularly if you are celebrating finishing your final draft.
So, you might ask, what's left to do? Continue reading...
