Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 42

Do You Know Your Rights Around Copyright Law?

If you've put time and energy into writing, editing, polishing, and perfecting your book, you'll no doubt feel a little protective of it. The very worst thing after investing all that work would be for someone else to steal it, claim it as their own, and try to profit from it!

In order to protect your work, it is, therefore, a smart idea to learn a little bit about how copyright law works and what steps you must take to ensure that your work is covered, as well as what to do if you feel that someone has violated your copyright.

What Is Copyright law

In the USA, Title 17 of the Copyright Act of 1976 "grants to authors and creators of their works exclusive rights for using those works for a limited period of time."

The rights that you have as the author of your work means that you can do the following:

Reproduce the work
Create derivative works
Distribute your work
Perform your work or display it in the public domain

While sifting through the jargon and technical language that surrounds copyright law can feel overwhelming, what's important to remember is this:

If you create the work, you own it. You have the right to use it and make money from it as you see fit.

However, there are time limits on this. Usually, copyright law protects your work during your lifetime and for 70 years after. However, if the work was created by someone else, i.e., a commission, these factors will vary.

In terms of writers, copyright essentially protects those who create pieces of work so that they are in charge of how it is displayed and to ensure that profits from the work are yours too.

What's particularly great about copyright law is that you don't have to do anything to be protected. Essentially, as soon as you type words onto the page, they become your intellectual property and are therefore protected by copyright law.

However, suppose you do find yourself in a situation where you feel as though someone has breached the law and is using or profiting from or reproduce your work illegally. In that case, it can be helpful to have registered your copyright to create a stronger position. If you register your copyright this proves that you owned the work first, and anyone who copied it after this date would be in violation if they did so without your permission.

Fair Use And Copyright

There are instances where copyright law enters into a grey area. The 'fair use doctrine' can permit another creator to use someone else's work if particular criteria are met.

Fair use can be employed when the work has been reproduced for educational or nonprofit purposes—for example, a teacher photocopying handouts from a textbook for her class. Suppose the work is factual, technical, or journalistic. In that case, a person may also copy the work if the creators are reacting to, adding to, or building upon the ideas or research or opinions found in the original work. Fair use also considers the amount of work used, permitting a small amount of the original work to be used in some circumstances, for example, in the case of sampled music. There is also the consideration of the impact on market value. So if the copyrighted work doesn't have a financial impact on the original work, this could potentially also be permitted.

When it comes to copyright law, most fiction authors can just use the standard copyright law to protect their work and ensure they profit from sales. However, teachers, researchers, or other creators may want to consider different options and obtain a copyright license that goes further to ensure they don't find themselves subject to someone copying their work.

Adding the notification to your book is simple. All you need to do is add the following details:

The Copyright Year
Copyright Notice

For example:

The above information forms this copyright notice: © 2021 by Jane Doe. All rights reserved.

You can then update year, and any additional information (your ISBN, location of primary publication, and so on) to create your copyright page.

As an author, it is essential to know your rights. Understanding how copyright will impact your work can give you the peace of mind that you will be protected when you come to start selling your book.

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post Do You Know Your Rights Around Copyright Law? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Partner With Authors

If you are looking for a smart, long term marketing strategy to boost your book sales, partnering with another author could be an excellent choice.

Building relationships with your fellow writers has many benefits. If you find an author whose work complements your own, teaming up with them means you can promote one another's work, lean on each other for advice and support, critique each other, share your email lists, and even embark on a joint writing project together. 

Learning how to find the right kind of author, as well as the best strategies to help build mutually beneficial relationships, is important. Here you can learn some of the most effective ways to do this.

Finding the right writers

When searching for an author to partner with, you should think about several factors. 

How well known are they?

How influential are they?

What is their general personality like?

By considering the above, you can make a list of authors that not only will help boost your own profile but also ones that you know you will genuinely get along with too!

Now you have a good idea of who to look for; you need to understand where to look for them. Here are some great places to start:

Local author groups or writing groups. A quick Google search should pull up local results where you can find writers within your vicinity. You can also search for writers that write specifically in the same genre as you.

meetup.com is also a useful site as this allows you to search for those with similar interests to share your passions and help one another. 

Lastly, you can head to online critique groups. There are lots of different sites where you can upload your work and have others critique it. Some you have to pay for, though there are lots of free options too. Here you can critique one another's work and build relationships with other writers and then decide whether you want to form a partnership from there. Some useful online groups out there include:

Critique Circle

Scribophile

The Write Practice

Again, a quick Google search will bring up a more exhaustive list to choose from. 

Of course, one of the essential parts of finding an author partner is persuading them to want to partner with you! The best approach is to be enthusiastic but not fawning and open and honest about your ideas and what kind of commitment you are looking for. The more authentic and genuine you are, the better your chance of finding a great partner and forming a fruitful and productive partnership with them. 

To make contact, you can sign up for their email list and respond thoughtfully to their emails. Replying makes you noticeable; it shows that you are genuinely interested and have taken the time to find out about them - that goes a long way. You can also follow them on social media and like and share and comment on their posts. You could also volunteer to join their launch team or advanced review team - by doing them a favor they are far more likely to remember you and respond in kind. 

The above steps can help you discover what kind of writers you should look for to partner with and help you get noticed by those authors. However, building a meaningful relationship or friendship is down to you putting the time, effort, and energy into doing so, but if you are willing, the benefits to your work and writing life, in general, could be real game-changers.

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post How To Partner With Authors appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Why Do We Still Feel Embarrassed About Self-Publishing?

Self-Publishing has been an option for authors for decades now. Yet, for some reason, there is still a stigma that surrounds it. 

There still seems to be a lingering attitude that if you self-publish your book, you are not a ‘real’ writer. Or that you have failed in some way. People tut and mutter and say unhelpful things like ‘well, anyone can self-publish these days.’

While this is technically true - it massively undermines and undervalues the mammoth effort it takes to write and publish a book. It also dismisses the significant fact that many, many authors, including those who have enjoyed previous success via a more traditional publishing model, have actually chosen to self-publish. It is not something we are forced into as a last resort, but rather, in many cases, a smart and purposeful business decision. 

Self-publishing stigma - what exactly is it?

The stigma is based around the fact that the quality of self-published books has become lower the more accessible it has become to do so. There is a huge divide between publishing houses who have to invest lots of time and money into printing and publishing their books (and therefore must be quite sure they are profitable) and vanity publishers who can get their books out and available to the public for next to nothing. Arguably the latter therefore don’t have a vested interest in the quality or saleability of the book. 

What does it mean to produce a quality book?

There are many elements of a book that might make it good quality. The content, the editing, the layout and design, and many more factors all come into play. But another, and arguably, more important factor, is personal opinion. 

Bestsellers are bestsellers for a myriad of reasons. If you are an avid reader, you’ll undoubtedly have struggled through some well-known and celebrated books thinking, ‘what is this drivel?’ You might have found yourself in heated (but highly enjoyable) debates about the merits or pitfalls of some of the books you’ve read with others who feel the exact opposite. 

Essentially, quality is relative. We cannot deny that if an individual writer takes it upon themselves to write and edit and format their work, it has less chance of being entirely professional and error free. However, this shouldn’t mean that people view the entire self-publishing industry in this way. Many writers take the time to have their books professionally edited and cover professionally designed. 

Those who can land a traditional publishing contract have an army of people behind them taking care of perfecting and polishing the work. However, this doesn’t necessarily make all published authors great storytellers. 

The inherent bias remains that lower quality work emerges from the self-published market. Readers are more likely to trust the vetting process that occurs when a publishing house takes on new work and are threfore more likely to buy it. For self-published authors, it is up to their connections, their marketing plans, and their sheer determination to try to secure a decent number of book sales. 

With publishing houses generally publishing fewer than ten new titles a year, it is no wonder that authors have turned to self-publishing as a more viable option to see their work in print. With far lower commission rates, the ability to control the final product, and being able to take one's own destiny into one's own hands make the self-publishing route genuinely appealing for many. 

Plenty of authors produce exceptional quality work and select to self-publish. These independent authors need to be free of the stigma, the embarrassment that seems to surround self-publishing. Luckily, this does appear to be changing. With the emergence of successful self-published authors such as E.L. James, Amanda Hocking, and Andy Weir, both authors and readers can trust that good work can come from this market. This is a great thing - because there is no reason why writers who self-publish their works shouldn't feel the same sense of excitement and pride to see their books in print as those who are traditionally published are so encouraged to do.

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post Why Do We Still Feel Embarrassed About Self-Publishing? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Spark Your Readers Curiosity

We've all had that feeling where we really get into a novel - so much so that we stay up wayyyyy too late because we can't quite bring ourselves to put it down. We also know what it feels like to find ourselves struggling to get through the next chapter or stopping and starting a book one and over because we aren't as gripped as we should be with the story.

Reading is a pleasure and also a privilege. There is nothing as pleasurable as sitting down with a great book and getting lost in another world. But with our busy lives and trying to juggle all the responsibilities that we have in our lives, making time to read isn't always easy. So when we do, we shouldn't have to make a considerable effort to enjoy the story we're reading. It should be something engaging and effortless, and absorbing. 

A great book is almost like being under a spell; you feel totally engrossed and captivated. You are eager to know what happens next and fully invested in the characters and their journeys. Isn'tIsn't that precisely what we are hoping to achieve with our stories? But getting this right is easier said than done. So what are some techniques you can try to do this?

Create questions

A reader with questions will want to find out the answers to them. So in your writing, try to think of ways that you can create questions in the reader's mind. Think of it in terms of who, what, when, where why. Encourage your readers to ask these questions subconsciously, and they'll continue to read your story to find out the answers - just don't make them wait too long!

End on cliffhangers

Each chapter should end on a cliffhanger that makes it impossible for your reader to stop reading. A cliffhanger is a dramatic or exciting ending that leaves your audience in suspense and anxious to find out what happens next.

Add twists

If your writing is predictable, it won't spark curiosity, so you need to think of ways you can add twists and create surprises and unexpected events that add energy and excitement to your text. Getting cliffhangers right can be tricky. If you make them too surprising or dramatic, they might feel unbelievable or end up exhausting your readers. They need to be dramatic enough to draw them in but also fit in with the story overall. 

Give your readers space

Every good story leaves some room for the reader to imagine. If you explain everything to the nth degree, you won't allow your readers the pleasure of using their imaginations. So give them space to imagine, to interpret to immerse themselves in your world rather than being too directive and obvious.

Give your characters secrets or reveal secrets to your readers

Giving your characters secrets will make your reader curious to discover what they are. There are lots of ways to provide characters secrets without revealing their significance immediately. Alternatively, you could let your reader in on a secret before the character discovers it, which will keep them interested in finding out what will happen when the truth is finally revealed.

Using these devices will ensure your reader remains curious and will keep them turning those pages until the end. So next time you sit down to write, make sure you keep your reader's curiosity in mind and use the above to help you. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post How To Spark Your Readers Curiosity appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Blog Writers Top Techniques For Concluding Your Content

When you’ve spent your precious time researching, writing, and perfecting your blog posts, you can’t help but feel incredibly invested in reaching your audience and engaging a response from them. 

You truly believe in the message that you have to share. you’ve done your research, you know what kind of content your target audience finds valuable, and feel that you’ve created a piece that you know will help them.

However, when it comes to finding the right words to end your piece, you suddenly feel at a loss. You want to wow your readers at the end and inspire them to take action. But everything you can think of to say just feels like a weaker repetition of what you’ve said before. 

However, you can’t just let your blog post just trail off, and if you are writing something that is intended to inspire or persuade your audience you have to end with a final flourish that will convince the reader that you are an authority on the subject. A weak or repetitive conclusion can ruin everything that came before, no matter how brilliant and well thought out it was. 

So what can you do to ensure that you create a powerful conclusion that will ensure your piece sticks in your reader's minds for all the right reasons? Here are some helpful tips:

Give a bonus tip

If your content is all about providing advice, end by giving one additional tip, perhaps something unique, entertaining, or unusual to remind your readers how valuable your content is and ensure they feel as though the time they spent reading it was time well spent. 

End with an inspiring quote

Shock your readers, uplift them, surprise them, inspire them - if you can find a great quote to fit your theme and mood this could be the ideal way to go. If you can find a relevant quote to end your piece this is a great way to end on a high. This is a bit of a cheat option but can help deliver a big impact.

Use the Zoom-In technique

Give your readers a close up where to zone in on a moment in time or a particular image and describe it in perfect and intense detail so it really strikes a chord with the reader. Of course, this can’t just be random or arbitrary, but instead somehow captures the main theme of your piece. 

Create a powerful CTA

Of course, if you are writing content with the hope that your readers will take action as soon as they’ve finished, the most logical way to end your piece is by including a powerful call to action at the end of it. 

End your story

We all know that persuasive writing tells a story and paints a picture in your reader’s mind's eye. If you have used storytelling techniques in your content, you can create a breathtaking ending by referring back to the story at the end of your piece, bringing it in a full circle, and creating a very satisfying conclusion for your readers. 

These tips can ensure that your readers finish reading your blog post captivated, inspired, and ready to act. So the next time you are writing a piece of content, make sure you pay attention to your ending, as doing so can make all the difference to what they do next. 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post Blog Writers Top Techniques For Concluding Your Content appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Author Marketing Basics

Lots of authors roll their eyes whenever the dreaded “M-word” is mentioned, but the truth is that without being willing to invest time and effort into marketing their work, they are unlikely to get ahead of the competition.

People are bombarded with content and choices every second of every day. There are millions of books to choose from on bookselling platforms such as Amazon. If you want to ensure that your work is noticed, a strategic marketing plan and getting to grips with the basics of marketing is really the bare minimum you should be doing. 

So what are the best things you can do as a writer to start promoting your work?

Create a mailing list

Yes, this is by far the number one most important marketing tactic for any writer. You need to find people who would be interested in buying your book and try to get them to sign up to your mailing list so that you could promote your book to them when it’s finally ready for publication.

Why do you need a list?

A robust mailing list provides you with a ready-made audience, a platform with who you can communicate directly. This means you can reach your readers and find out what’s of value to them and build relationships with them. You can understand your audience better and the better you do, the easier it will be to tailor your marketing efforts to be more effective. If you discover that your readership is mostly working mums in their 30’s-50s from the UK, you can use this information to curate a campaign that will appeal directly to this cohort of readers. 

A list helps you see that you are on the right path to success. As you see the number of people on your list growing, you know that you are on the right track. The more registrations you have, the more opportunities you have to turn people into loyal fans of your work. 

How to build a list

Building a mailing list is all about capturing readers that are interested enough in finding out more about you. You can do this through several methods

Writing an interesting blog that inspired readers to want to find out more.

Reaching out to family and friends and encouraging them to share with their contacts

Interacting with online and offline communities that are relevant to your work

Offer freebies in exchange for contact information

Employ the help of a service or a professional

Remember, the most effective marketing campaigns are all about having conversations with the customer. You want to engage your audience on a level that makes them feel connected to you, that you care about them and want to help them. You need to find people who might think your work is interesting and you have to speak up. This is daunting but being brave and taking the first step to connecting with them is imperative. Join communities such as Facebook groups, real writers groups, conferences, follow blogs, enter discussion forums. If you create a mindset that you are here to talk, listen, learn and help then you can’t go far wrong and will quickly learn things about your reader that can help you deliver something of value to them.

Author marketing is daunting, sometimes even terrifying. But if you want to give your work a helping hand, then you need to be willing to take those space and make that effort. Good luck!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post Author Marketing Basics appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Promoting Your Book On Facebook

If you want to market your book as an indie author, making the most of social media channels is hugely important. The great thing about social sites is that they are essentially ready-made communities waiting for you to gently nudge them in the direction of your book, and, if done right you can build an army of loyal fans who’ll be clamouring to purchase anything you release in the future too.

Facebook is one of the most popular social media sites and excellent for book promotion. It has over one billion users every month, making it an incredible platform and huge opportunity to get your work in front on readers eyes. 

So how can you utilise all that Facebook has to offer and help make it an integral part of your social media marketing? Here are some helpful tips:

Set up your book page

You won’t get very far without a dedicated book page, so make that your first priority and set up a page on Facebook where visitors can find out more about your book and you as a writer.

Keep it up to date with valuable and consistent content

Once you’ve established your page you need to populate it and then work hard keeping it up to date. If people visit your page they won’t stay for long if there is nothing to keep them entertained. So make sure you post great content and do so consistently. 

Figure out who your audience is

Once you better understand who your readers are you will be able to do a much better job at finding out where they hang out on Facebook, and also if you decide to boost your posts or create ads you can use filters to ensure that your posts and adverts will appear in front of those that will be most receptive to them - thus making the most of your budget. 

Always respond (appropriately)

If people take the time to message or comment on your work, make sure you bother to think them. Respond in a warm and professional manner. Similarly if you receive any negative comments or feedback be careful about how you choose to address this. If the points are relevant and substantiated you can start a discussion rather than becoming insulting or dismissive However, you might get people who just comment negatively for the sake of it and it’s best to ignore or report these cases. 

Pay attention to analytics

Facebook analytics can help you decipher which posts get the most engagement, whether your ads are working well, and what content is best received by your audience. By better understanding which messages are most effective you can tailor your content to make it work harder for you and be more well received over time. 

Utilise Facebook groups and start conversations

Social media sites are just that  - social. Join relevant groups and start conversations to engage with new, likeminded people and potential readers. Remember being genuine and honest in your approach here is key - if you just try to sell your work from the outset you aren’t likely to be very well received. 

These tips are a fantastic starting point to get you using Facebook and all it has to offer to promote your work. So if you want to widen your reach and boost sales, you need to get onboard with Facebook today! 

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post Promoting Your Book On Facebook appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Tips For Author Email Marketing Campaigns

We all know that if you want to be a successful writer in the modern world, you also have to be pretty good at marketing too. Email marketing campaigns can be an effective way to reach new readers and get them interested in your book.

If you've never created an email marketing campaign both the practical and creative side can feel daunting. However, done right and it can be a great way to get more people to buy your book. So here are some helpful tips:

Don’t let the fear take over

Feeling overwhelmed can be such an issue for writers and often we get in our own way of success. Think about it this way, what have you got to lose? Email marketing is so worthwhile and if you keep at it you can build up a huge list of people who you have on your list and are happy to receive information from you about your latest work. Those who subscribe to your email list can be useful for so many things such as boosting your social media accounts, attending your book launches, forming a street team, and of course, buying your book. 

Be honest and open

The best way to create a great marketing campaign is to be honest, open, passionate, and enthusiastic. You want to try and create valuable and interesting content, but you also don’t need to shy away and apologize for trying to promote your book. Remind your subscribers how they joined your list and make it super easy for them to unsubscribe if they want to too. 

Make them fun

Including prizes in exchange for buying your book can be a fantastic incentive and the push that some people need to decide to go for it. Be creative with your giveaways. Instead of offering free copies of your book, why not say that the first 3 people to purchase it can name a minor character in your next novel?

Keep them balanced

While it is absolutely acceptable to promote your work, you need to ensure that you don’t solely bombard signups with the hard sell. Doing giveaways, competitions, and including links to your blog and other news can help keep your emails genuinely interesting and not make recipients feel as though they are being pressured into buying something. 

Design them well

Visually appealing content will always better received than their drab or cluttered alternatives. Spend some time on the design features to ensure your emails are clear and visually appealing to capture readers' attention.

Research what other writers are doing

If you are still unsure what kind of content to include or how to design your email campaign, why not look at what other authors are doing for inspiration? Sign up for a bunch of email newsletters and you’ll get a really good overview of what’s being sent out and then be able to make your version even better. 

These simple tips can get you up and running and well on your way to sending out your first author email marketing campaign. You may not see results every day but stay focused, keep working on building your list and this could make all the difference!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post Tips For Author Email Marketing Campaigns appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Writing An Anthology? These Tips Will Help You!

An anthology is a collection of literary works that are curated by the author to make a book. If you are thinking about writing an anthology there are many different routes you can take. Here are some helpful tips to ensure yours is a success.

Consider the central theme, question or idea

Developing a collection of poems, essays or stories together is an exciting task, but it is important to remember that your readers will expect there to be something central that connects the pieces together. Having a particular question that drives the anthology can be a helpful way to narrow down your theme and can help to ensure that every piece that’s included is relevant and created to answer that question. 

Do audience research

Before you start, you should ask yourself why you are creating this collection and who you are creating it for. Without having a firm idea of who this will appeal to and why, and then doing lots of research about that particular customer-type you may find it a struggle to find pieces that you feel certain will have appeal. Knowing your reader is key to any piece of writing, so take time to consider this before you start working on curating your collection.

Ensure you theme and title are exciting but also stand the test of time

An anthology can be sightly paradoxical in that it should be both current and timeless. If you can find a hook that makes readers pay attention and one that resonates with them this will inspire them to buy the anthology. However, there also needs to be layers and depth that ensure people will continue to but the book even if times move on an the initial hook holds less weight. People are always looking for ways to connect and explore the human condition, so by choosing a theme and title that are both current and relevant but also will continue to be so for many years will ensure your book stands the best chance of success. 

Create a solid structure before selecting pieces to include

You should consider and decide upon how your anthology will be structured before you start sourcing pieces to include. You may wish to have a foreword or introduction or interview with the writer before each piece. You may want to include a word from the author with comments after each piece helping to magnify the theme and connect each piece together. Deciding on this first will help you to choose pieces that are most appropriate and make curating and arranging the pieces so much easier. 

Create guidelines for contributors

Creating an anthology usually means sourcing work from a variety of writers. When acquiring other peoples work it is absolutely crucial to have guidelines and contracts in place so everyone is absolutely clear and comfortable with how the work will be used. Guidelines to encourage writers to submit their pieces for consideration are helpful to ensure that any submissions received are likely to be in line with what you are searching for. You also need to be clear and create contracts which detail the rights and any compensation contributors will receive after the work is made available to the public. 

Creating an anthology can be extremely rewarding. Follow these tips to help ensure that yours is a success!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

The post Writing An Anthology? These Tips Will Help You! appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Good Reasons To Write A Sequel

Finishing one book is no mean feat, and the idea of writing another might feel a little overwhelming. However, one great way to start your next novel without having to go back to the drawing board is to write a sequel. Even if you had never planned to write a sequel to your novel, it’s certainly worth considering whether there is scope to do so as this means you have ready-made characters with backstory and relationships and a whole world to start from. You’ll also hopefully have a decent number of readers who enjoyed your first book, who you won’t have to persuade very hard to buy your sequel if it means they get to go on another adventure with the characters they loved.

Saying that, there are plenty of times where writing a sequel wouldn’t be the best move for you. This is evident in sequels where the writer has clearly fallen out of love with their characters, or where the plot is going nowhere or feels pretty repetitive to the first book.

So how can you tell if it’s a good idea to consider writing a sequel to your novel? Here are three reasons to go for it.

Readers have follow-up questions

If readers of your first book have got in touch with you and want to know what happens next, or are asking questions about whether you are planning to write a second book then this is a definite hint that you should go for it. If you’ve got a ready made audience who are dying to find out more about your characters or go on a new journey with them you’ve got an existing customer base that you know will buy your sequel - and that’s a pretty nice place to start from. 

You can’t stop creating new stories for your characters

Many writers finish writing their novel and then put that idea and those characters and that world to bed. However, if you’re head is brimming with ideas about what happens next, if the characters are still living and breathing indies your head, and if you are excited about the idea of continuing to write about them then you can feel fairly confident you have the commitment and enthusiasm to write a sequel. 

The sequel idea can act as a standalone book

Smart writers know that writing sequels can bring in good money, but it’s also important that these stories could be read as individual novels. Some writers choose not to do this. For example famous trilogies such as the Lord Of The Rings or His Dark Materials. However, by writing your sequel as a standalone book you have two separate marketing opportunities and this could be the most lucrative option.

So, if you have written your first novel and it was well-received, you might well consider writing a sequel. Do you have that second book in you?

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadmancreates.com

 

The post Good Reasons To Write A Sequel appeared first on Writer's Life.org.