David Neth's Blog, page 11

Discovering What Kind of Writer You Are

Who are you as a writer?
What type of author are you?
Who do you want to be?
How do you want to be represented?
What will come to readers’ minds when they think of your name?

As much as you try to shape your reputation, it’s not always in your hands. Who you are as a writer is defined by not only the way you present yourself, but in the way you’re perceived.

I have been writing for 12 years now. In that time, my own perception of myself as a writer has changed drastically. At first it was just something I did after school. Then it became a dream or mine to be a novelist. Then I thought of myself more as an academic writer. Then I thought I wanted to be a journalist (that ended fast). Then I thought I want to be a magazine writer. And finally, I circled back around to novelist.

Before I published my first novel, The Blood Moon, I had a very loose image of what kind of writer I would be upon publication. Loose because I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t want to have unrealistic expectations.

Almost as soon as I published, I had a different vision for who I was as a writer. And it wasn’t a very flattering image, to be honest. I developed this image because of my perception. In a nutshell: nobody (outside of friends and family) seemed to care. life went on.

Since then I’ve uncovered a new sense of determination. If they weren’t going to notice me and my one little book, I was going to have to grab them by the shirt and make them notice. I’ve decided the best way I can do this is continue to write the best books I can.

What kind of writer I am will continue to evolve over my career. I’ll experiment with different genres, writing styles, and marketing tactics until I find what works for me and I develop my core readers. How many times were Stephen King and JK Rowling rejected before they got their first books published? Even now, JK Rowling has just started to move away from the success of Harry Potter and find new success as Robert Galbraith with her Cormoran Strike novels. And Stephen King, who is mostly known for horror, has played with various other genres as well. Now they’re both at a place where their names alone will sell a book. In Rowling’s case, her name doesn’t even need to be on the cover!

Dealing with Bad Reviews

You’re never going to please everybody. While some people will rave about your book, others will be expressing their discontent with it (and not always nicely).

You will get discouraged and you may even need to take a break from writing for a bit (I’m talking an hour or maybe the rest of the day, not a week every time you get a bad review). It’ll suck, that’s for sure.

What hurts so much about bad reviews on your work is that your books are your babies. You spent hours and hours creating and perfecting them and it’s a bad feeling when some people still don’t like them.

I’ve come up with a few options to handle this feeling:

1. Ignore them. – Don’t pay attention to them and pretend they don’t exist. Why kill your ego, right?

2. Listen to them. – The best reviews, good or bad, will give you something to work on for your next book.

3. Get used to it. – Develop a thick skin and try harder the next time around.

What you should not do:

1. Contact them. – Unless they’ve sent you an email expressing their negative reactions to your book.

My first bad review was from a couple of friends of mine who run a book blog. To say they’re avid book readers is an understatement, so I definitely didn’t dispute their arguments. Besides, I could see some of the issues they brought up anyway. What they didn’t know was that I was planning on addressing these issues in subsequent releases that would actually be prequels to the first book.

Luckily, they were nice enough to email me rather than post the bad review and we exchanged a few emails about the book and what the story needed in previous books to make this book make more sense. So I ended up learning from it and having a constructive experience.

But that didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt.

When I got the email I was in the middle of writing my third novel and I needed to stop for the day and get my mind off of my writing for a while. After I had time away from it and slept on it, I felt better about it. It was my first book, obviously it wasn’t going to be perfect! Plus, I loved my second book so much and knew it was one of the best things I had ever written (so far, at least).

The next day I pushed myself to continue working on my third book and got back into the swing of things. I had written a great chapter and felt much better about myself as a writer.

So the important thing to remember about bad reviews is to not focus on them too much. They’re going to get you down, but don’t let them stop you.

Releases, giveaways, preorders!

Last week I revealed the cover and announced the release date for my new book, The Full Moon. This week I’m excited to share that The Full Moon is now available for preorder on Amazon!

The Full Moon will be available February 6, 2016 as both an ebook and a paperback, however it will be Amazon-exclusive for a while. I decided to release exclusively to Amazon with this book to take advantage of different marketing and advertising opportunities they were offering. It’s not forever, it’s just for right now. If I’m not a fan, I can opt out of the program. So if you’re not a Kindle user, then you’re going to want to be sure to pick up a paperback this February!

Another exciting announcement is the release of my first short story and first holiday release, Snow After Christmas. It’s a sweet little short about two people trying to make it home in time for the new year. If you’re looking for a short read this holiday season, pick up a copy and let me know how you like it in your review on Amazon.

Like The Full Moon, this story is also exclusive to Amazon, but there are options for you non-Kindle users:

1. Buy a paperback! – I wasn’t planning on releasing a paperback version of this short story, but I figured there’s no reason I shouldn’t! Paperback copies of Snow After Christmas will be available on major online retailers, or you can contact me through my website to obtain a signed copy!

2. Sign up for my mailing list! – All new subscribers to my mailing list before January 1, 2016 will receive a digital copy of Snow After Christmas in whatever format you choose! Whether you prefer the Nook, Kobo reader, or iPad, you can read my book for free if you sign up for my mailing list!

Last but not least, if you haven’t purchased your copy of The Blood Moon yet, now’s your chance to get yourself (or a friend!) a copy before the holidays! Now until the end of November, I’m giving away three copies on Goodreads. The giveaway just started today, so you have time, but as we all know, the month will soon be gone so get your name in now! Also while you’re there, be sure to follow me on Goodreads so you can share with all of your friends how much you love (or hate) The Blood Moon. (Seriously, guys, it’s getting lonely there…)

As for my progress with future titles, I have all of my releases for 2016 written and am about halfway through the second draft of my next novel. The work is slow, but it’s coming along. I should have that done by the end of the month and then I’ll start the third draft! If all goes well, you will be able to read that next August.

Book Review: How to Write, Format, Publish and Promote Your Book

How to Write, Format, Publish and Promote Your Book (Without Spending Any Money) by Derek Murphy

I wasn’t able to read this cover-to-cover like I wanted to. This guy is just so pessimistic. Yes, I understand that some authors get lost in the fantasy that they’re going to be the next Stephen King, but the reality is that the authors who think that are almost certainly NOT going to be the next Stephen King. I got tired of reading his condescending tone throughout the book that I need to believe his almighty knowledge of indie publishing simply because he’s worked with authors on book designs and plans to write fiction in the future. Guess what? If you’re reading this book you’re planning on writing a book in the future!

The saving grace for this book was the marketing tips, but again, take it with a grain of salt because what works for one author doesn’t necessarily work for another. The bits of advice from other indie authors was great (maybe because Derek Murphy was no longer writing?) because it showed the wide variety of ways people can be successful (whatever your idea of success is) in indie publishing.

I need to point out that I skipped the part on formatting. He discusses formatting in Word and I format in Scrivener and InDesign so that section was basically useless to me.

What I Found Most Helpful: This book was very pessimistic throughout. However, he does have valid tips on promotion at the end of the book. Also, he gives a step-by-step guide to formatting with Microsoft Word, if you choose to format with that program.

Coming Soon: The Full Moon

 

The newest book in the Under the Moon series will be out in just three short months! The Full Moon is a prequel to August’s The Blood Moon and will be available February 6, 2016 in paperback and ebook form. The new book chronicles the dark history between Kathy and Will.

Details about the pre-order will be available next week. For now, I’ve included the book cover and synopsis. I hope you enjoy it! Stay tuned for a “Behind the Book” feature next month.

Kathy and her sister, Samantha, have always been a team. Throughout their time as witches, they’ve taken out more than their share of bad guys. But after Kathy meets Will, who she learns is a demonic Dark Knight, her loyalties begin to change.

Meanwhile, Samantha doesn’t trust Will or his intentions. Still, Kathy can’t help but feel tempted by the dark side as she falls deeper in love with Will. Crossing over would give Kathy the freedom to do whatever she wanted with her magic. No rules. No limitations. It would also mean breaking the bond she has always shared with her sister, who has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with the dark side.

When Will proposes they take over the underworld, Kathy loves the idea of having power. But it also leaves her with a choice that will change her life: abandon her family and the life she has always known, or give up the love of her life forever.

Be a Boss

Boss

noun

1. a person in charge of a worker or organization.

One of the most satisfying things about being an independent author is making every decision about your book. When I hold my book in my hand, I look at it with more pride than a traditionally published author probably does simply because I was the one pushing the book forward and I’m the one that put it out.

Me. Me. Me. Me.

No, I’m not practicing my scales here. My point is that self-publishing can be a little vain sometimes. Look back at that first paragraph, I’m completely wrapped up in myself. When publishing, I’m doing it all. Which can be a little lonely sometimes. Maybe your friends and family don’t grasp the severity of each milestone to help you celebrate (or maybe they’re still stuck on the self-publishing myth: “But…it’s not, like, really published, is it?”). Maybe your sales at first tank because nobody knows who you are (yet you just slaved for the last few months—years?—putting together your masterpiece and there it is being ignored on Amazon because you’re the only one that worked on it and, therefore, cares about it).

Besides the vanity, doing everything yourself can be hard. You’re just a writer. Sure, it can be exciting and rewarding to learn every aspect of the publishing industry (and you should be aware of it), but there’s a reason major publishers exist: each part of the process is a full-time job in itself. If you’re doing everything by yourself, when are you going to have time to write? To live?

As I go through this publishing journey, I’m discovering my weaknesses. I knew from the beginning that I didn’t stand a chance making an eye-catching cover. Nor did I want to. So I paid someone to do it for me. No, I didn’t physically put it together myself, but I gave the designer the concept and other feedback to shape the cover I envisioned all along. He took my idea and used his skills in a profession he’s passionate about to help me along with my ultimate goal.

The same goes for editing. Each manuscript goes through many, many, many rounds of edits by myself before I pass it along to my editor and even then she has a laundry list of suggested changes. Maybe that’s because books are never perfect and there’s always room for improvement and maybe it’s because I’m too close to the manuscript to consider the style and grammar changes that need to be addressed. Either way, I can’t edit the manuscript completely by myself. I need help.

Beyond the cover and editing, I’m discovering even more weaknesses that can get a newbie author down who thinks they should be able to do it all themselves. First off, I’m horrible at blurb writing. I know a lot of authors complain about it too, yet most of them can pull it off. I managed with my first book, but that was after years and years of whittling down the story to its core. (Maybe I just got lucky?) But when I go to write blurbs for my second book and short stories, I’m coming up empty. I’m either giving away too much or not saying enough to hook readers.

I’ve watched videos, read books, and asked on KBoards, but I still can’t master the art of blurb writing. (I should cut myself some slack, though. I do only have one book out so far…) Luckily, there are people who are great at blurb writing and actually like it. They offer their services for relatively cheap, so if you’re like me and aren’t good at writing book blurbs, there’s a resource!

The same can be said for any other part of the publishing process: formatting, uploading, keywords, etc. Wherever you have a weakness, there is someone out there who is offering a service to compensate your weakness with their strength.

The downside to this is that it’s another expense in the process which means you need to sell more copies of your books to break even. But if you have shotty packaging, you’re never going to sell books to make up the cost anyway. As indies, we’re competing with major publishers. And we have the ability to put out work that’s equal to that of major publishers, but that doesn’t mean we need to do it on our own.

Major publishers have collected a team of people who specialize in each step of the publishing process. Essentially, each self-publisher is a publisher themselves. Find your team.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try these things on your own first. I found out I’m horrible at blurb writing by trying to write my blurbs. I found out I enjoy formatting because I tried formatting my book. Maybe down the line I’ll be too busy writing or working on other parts of the process that formatting my own books just isn’t feasable anymore and I’ll have to hire it out. But at that point, if I’m that busy, I’ll be selling enough books to afford the extra expenditure. At this point in my career, I can take some extra time to format my own books.

Find your strengths and weaknesses and assess them often. Are you spending more time on the publishing “extras” than on writing? Can you afford to have all of your “extras” covered by others and leave yourself open to write? (That’s the dream, isn’t it?) Maybe you enjoy the break in writing and want to design your own cover or format your own book? There’s nothing wrong with that.

In the end, no matter how much or how little you hire out to others, you get the final seal of approval on your books. Every detail needs to be approved by you. You just need to dole out the tasks and give orders. In other words, be a boss.

The Power of Local Media

With everything there is to do when you self-publish, it’s easy to forget the very thing that is almost certain to have your back: local media.

In the big wide world, local media is like your mom, always rooting for you no matter what you do. However, the coverage you receive from local media isn’t cast aside like your mother’s opinion of your book.

Instead, folks in the community want to support you and check you out. Sure, the New York Times isn’t going to pick you up because your hometown newspaper did, but people who read the New York Times are more likely to ignore you. They don’t care about you. They have no connection to you. The thing that is selling Times readers is solely your book. Hopefully that’s enough, but with local media, you can sell yourself just as much as your book.

People in your hometown have a connection with you: you’re from the same place. The fact that you put out a book—something people associate with intelligence and diligence, and reserved for the “select few” in society who actually write one—tells fellow hometowners that even though they may live in the middle of nowhere (or in a sea of people—“Who’s going to notice me?”) they too can put out a book.

Hometown newspapers love these stories because it promotes local authors, but also the community. It shows that things can be accomplished in a small town that might not have everything.

I’m from Batavia, NY, a small city between two mid-sized cities Buffalo and Rochester. While I certainly find value in the place I call home, the general sentiment for my city is that nothing is really happening here (that’s a local problem that requires a whole series of posts dedicated to fellow Batavians to explain—although any other small town likely faces the same challenges).

My first novel, The Blood Moon, came out at the beginning of August. I sold a decent amount, mostly to friends and family. Overall, I was satisfied with my results. However, the evil word kept creeping into my mind: obscurity. I only sold my book to friends and family because I really only announced it to friends and family on my personal Facebook page (I also announced it on my author social media pages which likely resulted in a few sales, but that’s not my focus for this post).

My aunt works for The Daily News in Batavia and gave me the number of a reporter who was interested in writing a story about me and my book. Obviously, I immediately called her and set up a time to meet. Being that it was my introduction to my community, I talked mostly about my writing career and my decision to self-publish, not a lot about my book. The best part was that the reporter gave me her card and told me to contact her when my next book comes out for further coverage.

The weekend edition of The Daily News (last weekend, actually) featured my article. Naturally, I share it all over my social media pages and the story generated plenty of traffic to my pages and my website (which I made sure to mention in my interview). The article was shared many times, both physically and digitally, and I ended up selling five copies and got two mailing list sign-ups.

That might not sound like a lot, but for the placement I had in the paper (buried inside the lifestyles page), I’d say that was pretty good. In fact, a few days later I received a phone call from a woman who wanted to buy two physical copies. One for her and one for her son in Washington.

The response I got locally from the article inspired me to get focused on contacting other media outlets in the area: online newspapers, newspapers in nearby Buffalo and Rochester, magazines in Buffalo and Rochester, etc. We’ll see what comes from my queries, but I know that The Daily News here in Batavia will always make room for me and my books. As my success grows (hopefully, let’s not get too carried away here, David…), local media outlets may even be contacting me about running a story.

The first step you need to do is make that initial call. Of course I was nervous about calling the reporter, but I’m so glad I did. Play it from a local author angle. If you’re young, even better. I’m 24, so the fact that a young local author put out a book by himself is inspiring for the community. Even better, people may have even bought my book even if it wasn’t their favorite genre simply because we call the same city home. Everyone loves to support local. Why should authors be any different?

The Independent Author moves to davidnethbooks.com

For almost a year and a half, I’ve used The Independent Author to share my thoughts and experiences on self-publishing. Through that time, the readership has grown, but most importantly, I’ve become an active member of the indie community by publishing my first book. As I prepare for the release of my next few titles, […]

Book Review: The Fine Print of Self-Publishing

The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, Fifth Edition: A Primer on Contracts, Printing Costs, Royalties, Distribution, E-Books, and Marketing by Mark Levine

This book is for those who want to pay for someone else to “self”-publish their title, it’s not for those who want to do everything themselves. Honestly, I think this model of self-publishing is outdated. With the Kindle and Amazon, self-publishing has shifted to mostly ebooks. This book is print-heavy, with only a mention of ebook potential, and I think that’s completely unrealistic. I ended up skipping two chapters and a couple pages from another. It seems what he seems to be “self-publishing” is more like a vanity press where authors pay to have the work done for them. I’m not interested in that and I bet 90% of self-publishers would agree with me. To me, if writing will ever be a viable career option, I’m going to learn how to do most things DIY rather than hire out. This book is for those authors looking to make some extra money for their hobby, not the career-minded authors.

What I Found Most Helpful: This book is print-heavy and gives great alternatives and comparisons to POD and other printers, such as off-set printing. However, this book is mostly focused on self-publishing companies that you pay in order to do the work for you. Basically, you go through a publisher while maintaining as much or as little control as you want.

Book Review: The Fine Print of Self-Publishing

The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, Fifth Edition: A Primer on Contracts, Printing Costs, Royalties, Distribution, E-Books, and Marketing by Mark Levine This book is for those who want to pay for someone else to “self”-publish their title, it’s not for those who want to do everything themselves. Honestly, I think this model of self-publishing is […]