Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 111

Traditional Publishers Creating Self-Publishing Divisions: Part 2

Okay. Now that I expressed my concerns over this, let me look at the bright side. So what is good about this?

1. It lessens the stigma of self-publishing. There will always be someone who thinks self-publishing is a dirty word, but the overall stigma attached to it is slowly breaking down. I see this as a very positive move in that direction. Readers are smart enough to decide whether they like a book based on the contents of the book. There will always be readers who want to read becau...

When Traditional Publishers Make Self-Publishing Divisions: Part 1

I will get back to my writer's conference "What I Learned" posts next week. Right now I felt inspired to talk about this particular topic and want to get my thoughts down before I lose that creative spark.
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It seems that there is a trend that is starting where traditional publishing houses are now branching into the self-publishing industry. For example, Thomas Nelson has set up a division called WestBow...

Building an Author Platform (Part 3) -- What I Learned from the Writer's Conference

Here's the last post on this topic. After Thanksgiving, I will post on self-editing.

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(continue the list I had started at the end of part 2)

4. get involved in social networking sites

a. I know Facebook is scary to a lot of people, but my readers are leaving places like Myspace and Live Journal and other places to go to Facebook. I don't want to lose their interest, and one has requested that I keep her updated on ...

Building Your Author Platform: Part 2

Just a quick note. I am about 10,000 words away from reaching my NaNo (national novel writing month) goal of 50,000 words, so I am not ignoring anyone. I promise to check our your blogs when things settle down in December.
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So How Do you Build Your Platform?

I think the best way to start is to do the things you are comfortable with. Some people hate Facebook, so I advise staying away from it until you feel re...

Building an Author Platform (Part 1) -- What I Learned from the Conference

Find Your Focus

Whether you want to self-publish or traditionally publish, you are going to need an author's platform if you hope to spread the word about your book. The key to your platform is to answer this simple question: how is your book different from all the others out there? What makes your book unique enough that someone will want to read it?

When you start your platform, it's best to be focused. Once you establish your readership, you can broaden out. I'll use myself as an examp...

Book Covers (Sample of My Book Covers)

My first video where I show some of my book covers. I talk about who I went with and the cost involved. I will post on blogging in a day or two. I'm still working on the conference notes.

My You Tube Video on My Book Covers

First Pages (What I Learned From the Writer's Conference)

First Pages

The question is probably going to come up as to what exactly "first pages" means. Well, at the HACWN conference, anyone who wanted to submit the first page of their manuscript could do so, and the best part was that it was anonymous so only the person who wrote the page knew it was their work that was being judged. All people attending the conference could sit and listen in on this one hour event, which is what I did.

There was one agent, two editors, and an author representing ...

I Went to a Writer's Conference (My Plan for a Series of Posts Based on What I Learned)

From last Thursday to Saturday evening, I attended an awesome writer's conference called the Heart of America Christian Writer's Network Fall Conference (HACWN). I had a great time and learned a lot. I have roughly 40 pages worth of notes and seven CDs that I haven't listened to yet, so my total pages of notes will likely be a little over 100 pages. I plan to share the information I have gathered from the workshops I attended and things I learned from speaking to agents and editors persona...

Typical Responses I Get When I Tell People I Self-Publish

This morning I got another person asking me why I would turn down a traditional publishing contract to go into self-publishing. Not everyone asks me this question. But I do get it once in awhile. I also notice that once I explain it to them, they typically come back at me with the same kinds of responses. It's starting to seem like a pattern.

So here they are:

1. They laugh and say, "You'll never be a real author." I mostly get this from my family. Well, I guess I've fooled my readers the...

I Do Not Make Money Selling My Books

I don't know where people get the idea that I make money at self-publishing. I recently received another email from someone asking me about this. I had to tell the person (like I do everyone else who emails me) that I don't know. So, then I wonder why people think I'm making money at this. The truth is, I lose money. People may want to make a career at writing, but I'm not one of them. For me, it's a hobby. It just has become a hobby I want to do my best with. I admit I am not the bes...