Jonra Springs's Blog, page 2

Final Draft Upload

The last step in preparing my first published book was uploading the final draft. Talk about mixed feelings... It's even difficult to identify all that I experienced in the process. They seemed to hit at once so there's no telling which came first. Naturally there's the excitement that goes something like, “Hey, I've got a book on the market. Cool!” Then there's the petrifying fear that says, “Now there's a sample of my writing out there for people to read. What if they don't like it?” Somewhere in there is also the relief of finally being finished with all the stuff I had to do for this book- or at least the ebook version. That is very closely related to what you graduates are experiencing. “Whew, I'm finally done with that.” Then another fear says, “Are you really finished? Is there anything else you want to put in there? Even after professional editing, is the million and one changes you made enough to get everything straight?”

Upon uploading for Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon offers a preview button. It's always a good idea to check that for any formatting errors that occur in the translation process. I found several instances of indentations and centered text moving on the pages.

It's helpful to know I can upload a revised ebook file on Amazon to make changes even after the publishing date. That's June 10th by the way. Thanks to all who purchased pre-order copies. You'll get your copy then, and you saved $2.00 on the cover price. Anyone else who wants a cheap copy can click on the cover image on the upper right and get yours for 99 cents.

I've been writing Eusta Diddoo (Yoo'-stuh Did'-doo) stories for years. It's nice to finally have one out. The pilot episode is a bit longer than most of the others so it's a stand alone story. The next few books will contain two episodes each. Thanks again and please post a review if you like it.

- Jonra Springs

How Do You Come Up With A Name Like Eusta Diddoo?

Yoo'-stuh Did'-doo that is... It goes all the way back to '86 when I first thought of using a horse as the lead character in a cartoon. Not some heroic figure with a sidekick, but an everyday horse in a setting that would be natural. Bugs Bunny (my favorite) is just a rabbit who lives in the woods. The producers at Warner Brothers are still crafting scenarios for Bugs and his friends.

I dreamed up several situations that would allow a horse to enjoy the spotlight from a typical equine setting like a farm. I considered how the mane and tail, the hoofs, the shoes, the neigh and snorting sounds could play into the humor. His anthropomorphic nature would naturally lead to interactions with people and other animals that could form the basis of a sketch. A cast of supporting characters could ensure exchanges of a predictable nature and provide a foundation for many stories. This was all swirling around in my head without a name attached to the character.

A few days later a six-year-old told me of something he and his brother “used to did do.” My mouth dropped and my focus grew distant. Used to did do would be a great name for the horse! I can hear the cadence of a steady clop as I say the words. It needed a tweak on the spelling to make it into a name, and of course the “U” had to be shaped like a horseshoe. It all came together. Then it was almost 30 years before I wrote a single episode.

The current sketch started as a sample to create several different characters for use with different voices. All I was after was about a dozen different sounding voices. (It was a radio thing. Don't ask.) I drafted two different sketches and never actually used either for the intended voice work. Both of those lie dormant for another year until after a back surgery.

I actually had to practice sitting up. The two voice sketches provided a nice distraction by giving me something to type while sitting in proper posture. Both grew into tales with great detail and character development. One was a science fiction story about the cast of an anime getting kidnapped electronically and forced to play their character roles in the corresponding video game. Hiro Mac – Braided Dimensions will release at a later date. Naturally even the real people in one of my stories have to be cartoon characters. The other became a collection of cartoon scripts about a horse who works on a grain farm surround by all the beauty of Kentucky. He leads a double life by going into town at night to work for a pizzeria and take piano lessons from a neurotic dress-up artist. He then brings all the knowledge, food and technology he learns of back to the barn to share with his stable mates. They manage getting up to speed on the times without tipping off the humans who run the farm.

Eusta Diddoo was the most fun so I made that my first project. I penned 16 episodes and a full length feature as scripts. Then it was impossible to make the connection to sell it to any of the top animation producers. I still believe Disney would make a wonderful parent company. Some of the voices I hear for the characters work in animated Disney shows. I'll continue to wish upon that star for the future.

For now it's being convert into books to entertain adults who like cartoons as well as middle grade readers. It's laced with educational bits for the latter as well. The first ebook is on pre-order now with Amazon and will be available to read on June 10th. Feel free to use the email address at the upper left to let me know how you enjoyed it.

Thanks for stopping in
- Jonra Springs

Publish an Ebook on Amazon

You can publish just about anything you've written as an ebook on Kindle Direct Publishing through Amazon. It doesn't cost anything to upload written works and make them available on the open market. There are a couple of things you should invest in if you are planning to sell your works as an indie author. Professional content and line editing turns manuscripts into industry standard products, and professionally designed book covers catch the eye of potential readers.

A good editor is the best asset your writing has. I mentioned how to find an editor in an earlier post. You should have two types of editing performed on your writing before sharing it with the world. First content editing weeds out any unnecessary scenes or narration, and gets the story in order. Then line editing goes over every sentence, word and punctuation mark for correct usage, spelling and flow. It's amazing what an editor can do to cut through a cluttered paragraph and get straight to the intended thought. You may also want to pay a proofreader after all is finished unless you trust yourself to do that job. I'm glad for every penny I spent on editorial services.

The other thing most writers should get professional help with is book cover design. There's info available on finding book cover designers in another post. Personally, I can't draw decent stick figures. A professional book cover designer is not only capable of extraordinary artwork, but also neatly fits it into a scene that includes your title and pen name. My book cover designer is another one I am extremely thankful to have on my team. As you can see by the cover of the first episode of Eusta Diddoo – Runaway Pony on the right, these guys did a fabulous job!
To publish your writing on Amazon, create an account if you don't have one already. Then click the appropriate button to create a new title. You will be asked to fill in a couple of web forms with info on your book including a description that would replace the blurb on the back cover.

There's a space that asks who your publisher is. It's optional, but you can create a name for your self publishing operation and file it with your state under “doing business as” to avoid simply listing yourself as the publisher. Then you can paste a company name on your releases like "Happening Press," or something that may add credibility for some readers.

You'll also be asked to verify your rights to the material. If it's original work that you created and you haven't given or sold the rights to anyone else, then you own the rights.

There's a place to upload your cover art. Designers will give you a JPEG for Amazon in the proper format and size.

Then you'll be able to upload the text file in a format used by Amazon. There are several acceptable file options including Word documents and Rich Text Format docs. I'm told it's a good idea to click the “Preview” button once the upload succeeds to make sure nothing was jilted in the process.

Uploading your file for publication is very easy. KDP even permits you to submit a manuscript for pre-orders, then upload the final draft for your sale product at a later date. My Eusta Diddoo pilot is officially taking pre-orders for sales even though the line editing is still underway. It will be available for distribution by June 10th.

Then you can move on to list your pricing and decide whether or not to remain exclusive with Amazon for at least 90 days through the KDP Select program. I discussed the pros and cons of that choice in the last post.

After that the real fun begins- marketing! So far I've got a whopping 6 pre-orders for my book, and three of those came from relatives. I'll keep you posted on what works best for me.

Thanks for dropping in
- Jonra Springs

Publish Exclusively on Amazon?

This marks another lively debate within the indie author community. There are several ebook sales platforms, each with different royalty structures and different steps for uploading books. Although you'll get perks for giving your title over to Kindle Direct Publishing Select, the exclusive deal from Amazon. Then there may be long-run drawbacks to ignoring the other markets. Many also fear the creation of an ebook monster by giving exclusive control of a great portion of the market to just one publisher. The choice for most authors comes down to numbers. That is the number of readers reached and the total revenue earned in the process.

Amazon offers KDP Select authors a 70% share of retail sales including the emerging markets of India and Brazil among others. They also require that your book is available for free borrows through the Kindle library and Kindle Unlimited program. This earns you a percentage of the global market fund based on the number of times your book is borrowed and how much of it is viewed by each of these readers. It's only May the 4th as I'm writing this, and already Amazon is showing a 3-million dollar global fund to be divided among KDP Select authors. Amazon markets your book internationally and gives you promotional tools to offer readers such as discounts or free downloads for limited periods.

There are other major players in the market for selling your books that you may want to consider. Kobo shows most of the sales for Canada and iBooks is making significant gains in the global market. Smashword, Nook, Google Play and others offer the chance to reach readers who do not own Kindles. Joanna Penn and other authors believe it's a mistake to forfeit your share of the market gained by publishing through these platforms. Her experience is that it takes time for the other markets to show a profit, but that it can outdo the gains from Amazon's global market shares and higher royalty payments. She also finds it wise to secure multiple sources of income to retain independence instead of relying on just one.

Mark Coker, the founder of Smashwords agrees. He also believes it's quite possible for a single entity to gain such control of the market that it could offer a lot less to authors. Author JA Conrath disagrees. He's enjoying fabulous sales on KDP Select and says it eclipses those of other markets. Hugh C. Howey points out that traditionally published authors are exclusive to their big publishing house. This looks at the author's perspective of not having other sales outlets with traditional deals. Although there aren't any traditional publishers vying for exclusive contracts with any and all authors, or it may be a problem to that side of the industry as well.

Howey also presents the problem of making it to the best seller list. (Something I won't have to consider for some time.) As a KDP Select author, all of your sales contribute to your ranking with Amazon. Those concentrated numbers make it easier to be among their best sellers. It does prevent you from being eligible for other best sellers lists such as the New York Times and USA Today. That raises the question of how much it's worth to make these lists. It definitely drives up sales, and grants the author more marketability as a speaker to attach this prestige. Is it enough to simply hold the title of Amazon best selling author?

I'm facing this decision for my first release. I believe the Amazon exposure is better with their exclusive deal. As such, that will be the route I take for the first 90 days with Eusta Diddoo – Runaway Pony Episode 1: Fired Up. I hope to see some sales, learn a bit about marketing strategy and keep it as simple as possible in the early going. Working with a single seller should help in that regard. Amazon allows pre-ordering for titles even if the editing isn't complete. That's where I am. The book cover is finished, but all I have to upload is a manuscript. That's okay. Amazon will take manuscripts for their purpose and accept upload of your finished draft before the release date.
After the first 90 days, I'll release it on all the other platforms. Then every other book will go directly to the entire market. I don't want to be exclusive to anyone. I want to take full advantage of all the possibilities available to an indie author. Wish me luck.

Thanks for dropping in
- Jonra Springs

Google Docs Between Writer and Editor

I discovered Google Docs quite by accident. My editor sent Word documents that I could open on my Linux computer, until they had edits notated by the Track Changes feature. That's when my computer offered Google Docs to open the files. Then I was able to use the features as my editor had set up for me to accept or reject the suggested changes. I couldn't save my actions and send back the file in an email as it arrived. But I could save all the changes I made and simply share it with my editor. As it turns out these Docs can be edited by multiple users and all can see the changes made by each other. Let me give you a brief rundown.

I have a Gmail account, so that lets me into use this. Simply create a Google account if you want to try it. I wrote this as a new Google Docs document. I visited docs.google.com and clicked on the blue dot with the plus sign in the bottom right corner of the docs home page. It was immediately given an extended URL designation for its new home on the web.

The word processor offers choices in fonts, sizes, colors and all standard styles. It seems to behave as far as holding its settings- unlike other software that makes me want to throw things. There are also several add-ons available for reference and styling.

This is a viable tool that stores documents in a cloud, instead of cluttering up your hard drive. The share button allows you to invite someone to retrieve the document and you can choose whether they are allowed to simply view it, comment on it or edit and change it.

Did I mention that it’s free? Yes, and there’s nothing to download. That means it doesn’t matter what operating system you’re using. This will be compatible.

There’s also a handy tool available for the sake of editing. Click the “File” button from the menu bar and select “See Revision History” from the drop down. This will show the document changes in green lettering. It also opens a side panel with a “Show More Detailed Revisions” button at the bottom. That will give you a look at all changes made after each time the document was saved. This makes it possible for an editor to make changes to a piece of work and allow the original writer to see them. The writer can examine each change and choose to leave it as the editor did or change it back to the way it was originally. That’s where Google Docs works for exchanges between writer and editor.

It's just as easy for a writer to create works on Google Docs in the first place and then choose when to share them with an editor. This may become my new word processor for writing.  Then I can access works from any computer without a flash drive. Check it out for yourself.

Thanks for stopping in
- Jonra Springs

Google Docs Between Writer and Edit

I discovered Google Docs quite by accident. My editor sent Word documents that I could open on my Linux computer, until they had edits notated by the Track Changes feature. That's when my computer offered Google Docs to open the files. Then I was able to use the features as my editor had set up for me to accept or reject the suggested changes. I couldn't save my actions and send back the file in an email as it arrived. But I could save all the changes I made and simply share it with my editor. As it turns out these Docs can be edited by multiple users and all can see the changes made by each other. Let me give you a brief rundown.

I have a Gmail account, so that lets me into use this. Simply create a Google account if you want to try it. I wrote this as a new Google Docs document. I visited docs.google.com and clicked on the blue dot with the plus sign in the bottom right corner of the docs home page. It was immediately given an extended URL designation for its new home on the web.

The word processor offers choices in fonts, sizes, colors and all standard styles. It seems to behave as far as holding its settings- unlike other software that makes me want to throw things. There are also several add-ons available for reference and styling.

This is a viable tool that stores documents in a cloud, instead of cluttering up your hard drive. The share button allows you to invite someone to retrieve the document and you can choose whether they are allowed to simply view it, comment on it or edit and change it.

Did I mention that it’s free? Yes, and there’s nothing to download. That means it doesn’t matter what operating system you’re using. This will be compatible.

There’s also a handy tool available for the sake of editing. Click the “File” button from the menu bar and select “See Revision History” from the drop down. This will show the document changes in green lettering. It also opens a side panel with a “Show More Detailed Revisions” button at the bottom. That will give you a look at all changes made after each time the document was saved. This makes it possible for an editor to make changes to a piece of work and allow the original writer to see them. The writer can examine each change and choose to leave it as the editor did or change it back to the way it was originally. That’s where Google Docs works for exchanges between writer and editor.

It's just as easy for a writer to create works on Google Docs in the first place and then choose when to share them with an editor. This may become my new word processor for writing.  Then I can access works from any computer without a flash drive. Check it out for yourself.

Thanks for stopping in
- Jonra Springs

Why Do Authors Blog?

Really, I've got so many other things to do right now. I'm working on revisions for the content edit on four Eusta Diddoo – Runaway Pony episodes. I'm constantly back and forth with the cover designer to change the appearance of this pony on concept sketches. (He's got to look right.) I'm trying to trim the dialog in a sci-fi novel that's heavy on scenes. Apparently I write like someone creating a screenplay. Readers need a break with narrative that isn't paced as intensely. Meanwhile my third laundry load is piled on the floor, I've got to hit the health food store and make dinner so my wife and I can get to the gym later. Then why am I spending time on this post?

I started this to establish an online presence. My acting publicist sat down at a computer with me and put up this blogger site. It's what authors are told to do by many experts in the field. Although there are some who feel differently. In fact there's a lively debate on the subject that's been running for a long time.

Ann R. Allen gives 10 reasons for authors to blog. She does an excellent job of covering the pro-blogging side mentioning online presence, reader and advocate connecting among other positive arguments. She also links to the opposing side written by L.L. Barkat who says authors should stop blogging in a guest post on Jane Friedman's blog. Barkat points to the saturation of bloggers competing for an audience on the web, saying those who got in at the beginning had a much easier time than anyone getting started now. Jane Friedman herself recommends blogging and offers authors some advice on getting started in this post. Rachelle Gardner takes a look at both sides. She outlines her reasons for or against depending on what kind of author you are and how you feel about the commitment to creating regular posts. Carol Wyer addresses the idea of whether it's right for you or not in a post on Indies Unlimited. Wyer discusses the time involved and the way it gradually builds relationships. Gardner and Wyer along with Barkat suggest other online venues for promoting yourself and your books.

Most who comment on the subject realistically point out that blog readers are not necessarily the audience interested in buying your books. By no means should you equate readership to book sales. Certainly many non-fiction authors are able to reach their audience with threads on their subject matter. Fiction fans, however, don't usually visit an author's blog until they've read and enjoyed one of his books.

I consider that many of my visitors are fellow authors. People who are going through the same challenges I face. That's who I believe this thread will speak to, not middle grade readers or sci-fi fans. I for one intend to continue these weekly posts. They may change to be more fan friendly once the first book is out, but I'll always discuss the work of creating, publishing and promoting books. After all I am an author. It's what we do.

Thanks for stopping by.
- Jonra Springs

Indie ReCon – Three Days of Peace and Literature

Indie ReCon runs April 15th through the 17th in conjunction with the London Book Fair and London Book and Screen Week. The event is free for authors and readers to attend online. All you have to do is register to gain access. It's presented by Alli, the Alliance of Independent Authors and geared to educate today's indie authors on the ever changing landscape of the global marketplace for literature. You'll get the latest from some of the most successful independent self-published authors on how to format, price and distribute your works for optimum earnings.

The event begins at 8:00 AM EDT with a welcome and keynote speech form the founders of Indie ReCon, S.R. Johannes and Ali Cross. Then at 8:30 it goes straight into a discussion of useful information for self-publishing authors from Mark Coker, creator of Smashwords and Alli director, Orna Ross. That's just the beginning.

In the course of these three days, you'll learn about the communities and tools open to self published authors. You'll get proven strategies on building your marketing and publicity. You'll also hear from a couple of NY Times bestselling authors and have a shot at winning some cool prizes. All this from anywhere the Internet connects.

Then on Friday the 17th Alli brings you the first ever Indie Author Fringe Festival live from the London Book Fair. It's a day of author networking and info sharing on how to get your books to readers. You'll get one-to-one advise on self publishing and Alli members will have their books showcased. This is just one example of how the alliance promotes its members books to an international audience. I'm hoping to showcase my series during next year's event.

To learn more about the Alliance of Independent Authors, or to join just click on the Alli icon to the right. There are always seasoned indie authors available to answer your questions and help you make the best marketing decisions.

As a hopeful in this field, I'm excited about Indie ReCon. If you've read any of my posts you know this blog is essentially a report on what I've learned in the course of self publishing. It's looking good for Eusta Diddoo – Runaway Pony to launch the pilot episode by the June 10th date set. As such I'm soaking up all the information I can find for making it a success. I know what I'll be doing for the latter part of the week. Join me and see what you can gain.

Thanks for stopping in
- Jonra Springs

How to Take a Blog Tour

Like so many other things, this has been made easy for authors today. Blog tours are lined up and waiting for you to jump in and participate. Some are free and others come with costs that run between $50 and $300. These are great for ebooks from independent self published authors. I want to give you the nuts and bolts on a blog tour from the author's end. It's not as much of a time commitment as a traveling bookstore tour, but it does involve a lot of work. There are a few things you can prepare in advance.

Gather electronic head shot photos and book cover files for the promotion. Prepare a list of URL's to share such as your blog, website and sales pages. Write a back cover sales pitch for the book and an author bio. Also consider a giveaway for the tour. This can be something significant that goes to one winner or something small you can award to multiple winners like signed copies or e-copies of your book. You may be asked to provide answers for Q&A bits, so think of questions you want the host to include. This assures a chance to share info you find significant.
First choose the right tour for your book. There are several available. Author Joe Friedlander discusses 7 top ebook tours on the Book Designer website. Six mentioned are paid and one is free. Author Gregory Delaurentis shares his tour experience with one of the paid tours in this article posted by the Alliance of Independent Authors. Another free tour is offered by Baby Katie Media at blogtour.org.

You can also offer your blog as a host stop for touring authors if you're willing to receive guest posts to promote books in your genre(s). There is a good deal of preparation for hosting as well. Author Helen Ginger offers 30 tips for hosting blog tours to familiarize you with that. Scroll down passed her introduction to blogging to read this article.

Decide when to go on tour with your book. The tour can run just before the book publishes or sometime after.

Once you've chosen a tour or two, contact the hosts within three months of your desired tour dates. Some hosts will require payment and scheduling far in advance.

Select the length of your tour. When you participate in an organized tour, you'll decide on how big it is. Paid tours run for different rates based on the number of blogs you stop into over the number of days it takes. The bigger the tour, the more readers it reaches.

Some bloggers will want an interview with sound and video. Many prefer Skype for video calls to accomplish this. You can download the software and start an account at the above link. It will also be wise to invest in a video quality camera and microphone for your computer if you don't have these already. You'll use them for countless other promotions in the future as an indie author.

Put out a press release and advertise the upcoming tour on your blog and social networks. I look forward to giving you the dates for my first tour on this author blog in the not too distant future. I'll do some research and go into more detail on press releases soon as well.

The alternative to an organized tour is to search out and contact each book blogger who typically discusses your genre and accepts guest posts. Then you will have to research their contact protocol and submit request to participate.

The problem with lining up your own tour as such is scheduling. Each blogger will have a different date available for your guest spot, and it will not line up with all the others. The effect will be a slow emergence of your book's promotion.

Market research suggest that consumers have to see your title or cover at least 3 times before buying. The idea is to make this happen within a short period for optimal effect. An organized blog tour will be limited to a set number of days with your book featured on different blogs in succession. You'll be a guest on a certain blog one day, then you'll stop at another blog the next. The entire tour will wrap up within 30 days or less. Readers are more likely to remember seeing your book in a few places within that time span.

Don't try to forecast a number of sales because of a tour. Oh you'll see some sales, and a few will ring in right away. The promotion will get the word out that your book is available and create a bit of a stir over it. Many of the resulting sales, however, will not occur immediately.

Now that you know how to do this, there's nothing to stop you from taking the same book on tour again. A second tour has a chance to reach some readers who didn't catch the first go around. Happy virtual trails with your book promotion.

Thanks for stopping in
- Jonra Springs

Can Authors Take Time Off?

This seems like the kind of career that would allow for a little time away. Wouldn't it be great to just throw the family into the RV and disappear for spring break, or put the pony on the boat and head out to sea. And really, would it matter if you leave the laptop and smartphone behind.

Today's market doesn't allow it. Because there are such things as laptops and smartphones, there's no excuse to ignore your fans and followers for an entire week. I hope your career hits the big-time, if it hasn't already. Then perhaps one week all you're able to post is a tweet that says, “Just getting in from Belize. Wonderful trip!” When you become that best selling jet setter, don't forget to send a message out to the readers who got you there.

The experts agree that it's vital to be consistent in blogging, podcasting, video production and social networking. That means once you get rolling with each of these, there's no stopping for breaks. The impression is that you'll be forgotten during the time you're away. There are so many other things readily available on the web for someone between social networks, podcasts, videos and music. You have to be present to stay in the forefront.

Author mentors and advisers suggest making a schedule. This can stretch into a monthly scope that includes video production or podcasts. Then your weekly plan will show blog posts and facebook additions as well as the number of tweets and instagram shots you're good for per day.

Podcasting and video making is still on the horizon for me. There's enough to keep up with between the day job and working to make the transition to full-time indie author. If you follow this blog, you know that I only write one new post a week. My favorite social network is twitter, though it varies how often I get to log in and read tweets from those I follow. I like to click on the Amazon sale pages for books authors are promoting and read a sample. If I like the writing, I'll retweet the promo. Now I have to make time to finish these books and do some Goodreads reviews too. Scheduling will prove to be the only way to stay on top of all of it.

Lately I'm caught up in preparations for the release of the first episode in the Eusta Diddoo – Runaway Pony series. My last post discusses some of the pre-launch strategies for releasing a book. I have yet to do any research on opportunities for interviews. The Alliance of Independent Authors offer guest posting spots to its members. You can reach their site by clicking on the badge to the right. I have to find lot more spots to make a blog tour. That's what I'll be doing with my day off.

For this author the idea taking time away is out of the question. Although it would be nice to lie on a southern beach during spring break. The only way I can entertain such fantasies now is to write about them.

Thanks for stopping in
- Jonra Springs