Sherry Leclerc's Blog, page 2
December 7, 2017
TIPS FROM A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR FINDING HER WAY IN THE DARK
6 December 2017
Issue # 1 : Traditional Publishing, Assisted Self-Publishing, or Self-Publishing?
I published my very first novel, The Guardians of Eastgate: Seers Book I, this past summer. It was officially released for sale on all online platforms on August 30th. During the process of getting that first edition out to the public, and since then, I have learned a lot. And I’ve learned enough to know that there is still a lot more left to learn. It’s a never-ending process. I say ‘never-ending’ because there are always new things happening, so I expect I will never know everything there is about the subject.
In order to help other authors who are starting out and thinking about self-publishing, I decided to start writing this blog series. In it, I will tell you about the things I’ve discovered while stumbling my way through the dark.
In this first issue, I will talk to you a little about traditional publishing, assisted self-publishing, and self-publishing.
When I finished writing my first manuscript, I knew I would need it edited, formatted for print and eBook, and so on. Really, though, I was aware there was a lot to be done, but I didn’t know what it all was, or how to go about doing it. So, I searched online for help.
Some major benefits of going with a traditional publisher, I have learned, are that they take on the costs of publishing the book, and they provide editors, cover artists, and pretty much every other service that you need to get your story from manuscript to published book. So, it’s the publisher who takes on the risk of putting money into a book that may or may not make back the value of the investment.
Sounds great, right? Especially if you are a new author who can’t afford to carry all the costs yourself, or you don’t have the time to search for all the talent you need.
Well, it can be great, but there is also a flip side. Traditional publishing companies provide you with everything you need, but they also claim much of the royalties from the sales of the book. Of course, you can negotiate contracts most of the time, but some publishers will actually take up to 70% or more of the royalties. On top of that, the publishing house will most likely hold the copyright and take the creative control.
And, that’s assuming you can get a traditional publishing company to take you on in the first place. Did you know that when J.K. Rowling was looking for a publisher for her first Harry Potter book, she was turned down many times before a small publishing company decided to take a chance on her? And look where she is today.
There are two morals to that story. First, never give up! Second, don’t expect that you’ll find a company to take you on right away.
Publishing Companies can end up with more manuscripts sent to them than they can process. At the same time, though, some publishers don’t like it if you’ve sent the same manuscript out to other publishers to look at while it’s with them. Manuscripts can end up sitting for years on an editor’s desk before they even get the chance to look at them. Then, once they do, your manuscript may end up rejected, not because it wasn’t a good story, or because it wasn’t well-written. It could end up being rejected for reasons such as, how many manuscripts in your genre has the company taken on presently? What genres are selling well at that moment in time? And so on and so on.
However, you may never know why the manuscript was rejected. For example, one of the members of a Facebook writers’ groups I belong to recently wrote about how he had asked an editor that “why” question. He was told, in not a very nice fashion, to never ask that question again. So, you may end up sitting there, deflated, thinking your story is not good enough and/or your writing is not good enough. Of course, there is always the possibility that’s the case. But there is also the possibility that it was rejected for a completely different reason.
Many authors write query letters to the publishing company instead of submitting their manuscripts cold. A good query letter can help your book stand out, so it is a good idea to learn how to write one well if you are going with traditional publishing. Some authors also go the route of finding literary agents to take them on as clients. These agents can help make them more noticeable to traditional publishing companies. Again, you have to write query letters and be prepared to go to numerous agents before finding one who will take you on as a client.
Another thing I discovered is that there are many so-called “Assisted Self-Publishing” companies out there. However, many of them are linked to traditional publishers and, while you still have to pay for everything yourself since you are “self-publishing,” these companies still charge for services, and even claim royalties. In some cases, they claim much more than I would have expected, considering that the initial costs come out of the author’s own pocket. So, if you go this route, you have to be very careful in researching and choosing a company.
As for myself, I decided to go the assisted self-publishing route in the beginning because, I had waited more than 25 years to get the story in my head down on paper, darn it! I didn’t want to take years more to get it out to the world. But, since I knew nothing, I decided to go the ‘assisted self-publishing’ route.
I know what you’re thinking. Why would I go that route after all the negative things I said about it above? Well, there were a couple of reasons. First of all, I had a book that needed publishing and not enough time or patience to learn to do everything myself. More importantly, I managed to find a Canadian company called Tellwell (www.tellwell.ca), who provides the ‘talent’ (editors, layout people, cover designers, etc.), sets up distribution accounts, and various other things you might need, depending on how much you want to spend. And this was the ONE company I found who didn’t claim the copyright, and who did not take ANY royalties.
They can even, if you purchase that particular service, set you up with a domain name and a website. In fact, they have recently helped me transfer the domain name owner from them (because they do all the initial set-up) to me.
If you go the true self-publishing route, you can either do it all yourself using a service such as CreateSpace, or find and pay the people and/or services you need to get your book published. I will give you more information about self-publishing and self-publishing options in Issue 2 of this newsletter.
In the next issue of Tips from a Self-Published Author Finding Her Way in the Dark:
*More pros and cons of assisted self-publishing
*Why I am glad I used a (true) assisted self-publishing company for my first novel
*Why I would NOT go this route for the second edition of my first book, or for planned future books
*More information about self-publishing options
Please note that these are my own experiences and opinions. I am not saying my choices would be best for everyone. It is always a good idea to do your research. My goal is to inform you of the kinds of things you need to know, and maybe even give you some insights and direction.
I look forward to posting more blogs about self-publishing, for your information and enjoyment, in the future.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. If you have not yet signed up for my author newsletter in exchange for a free copy of my Seers Series short story collection, The Guardians of Sterrenvar, please click here.
https://sherryleclerc.authorreach.com/
Issue # 1 : Traditional Publishing, Assisted Self-Publishing, or Self-Publishing?
I published my very first novel, The Guardians of Eastgate: Seers Book I, this past summer. It was officially released for sale on all online platforms on August 30th. During the process of getting that first edition out to the public, and since then, I have learned a lot. And I’ve learned enough to know that there is still a lot more left to learn. It’s a never-ending process. I say ‘never-ending’ because there are always new things happening, so I expect I will never know everything there is about the subject.
In order to help other authors who are starting out and thinking about self-publishing, I decided to start writing this blog series. In it, I will tell you about the things I’ve discovered while stumbling my way through the dark.
In this first issue, I will talk to you a little about traditional publishing, assisted self-publishing, and self-publishing.
When I finished writing my first manuscript, I knew I would need it edited, formatted for print and eBook, and so on. Really, though, I was aware there was a lot to be done, but I didn’t know what it all was, or how to go about doing it. So, I searched online for help.
Some major benefits of going with a traditional publisher, I have learned, are that they take on the costs of publishing the book, and they provide editors, cover artists, and pretty much every other service that you need to get your story from manuscript to published book. So, it’s the publisher who takes on the risk of putting money into a book that may or may not make back the value of the investment.
Sounds great, right? Especially if you are a new author who can’t afford to carry all the costs yourself, or you don’t have the time to search for all the talent you need.
Well, it can be great, but there is also a flip side. Traditional publishing companies provide you with everything you need, but they also claim much of the royalties from the sales of the book. Of course, you can negotiate contracts most of the time, but some publishers will actually take up to 70% or more of the royalties. On top of that, the publishing house will most likely hold the copyright and take the creative control.
And, that’s assuming you can get a traditional publishing company to take you on in the first place. Did you know that when J.K. Rowling was looking for a publisher for her first Harry Potter book, she was turned down many times before a small publishing company decided to take a chance on her? And look where she is today.
There are two morals to that story. First, never give up! Second, don’t expect that you’ll find a company to take you on right away.
Publishing Companies can end up with more manuscripts sent to them than they can process. At the same time, though, some publishers don’t like it if you’ve sent the same manuscript out to other publishers to look at while it’s with them. Manuscripts can end up sitting for years on an editor’s desk before they even get the chance to look at them. Then, once they do, your manuscript may end up rejected, not because it wasn’t a good story, or because it wasn’t well-written. It could end up being rejected for reasons such as, how many manuscripts in your genre has the company taken on presently? What genres are selling well at that moment in time? And so on and so on.
However, you may never know why the manuscript was rejected. For example, one of the members of a Facebook writers’ groups I belong to recently wrote about how he had asked an editor that “why” question. He was told, in not a very nice fashion, to never ask that question again. So, you may end up sitting there, deflated, thinking your story is not good enough and/or your writing is not good enough. Of course, there is always the possibility that’s the case. But there is also the possibility that it was rejected for a completely different reason.
Many authors write query letters to the publishing company instead of submitting their manuscripts cold. A good query letter can help your book stand out, so it is a good idea to learn how to write one well if you are going with traditional publishing. Some authors also go the route of finding literary agents to take them on as clients. These agents can help make them more noticeable to traditional publishing companies. Again, you have to write query letters and be prepared to go to numerous agents before finding one who will take you on as a client.
Another thing I discovered is that there are many so-called “Assisted Self-Publishing” companies out there. However, many of them are linked to traditional publishers and, while you still have to pay for everything yourself since you are “self-publishing,” these companies still charge for services, and even claim royalties. In some cases, they claim much more than I would have expected, considering that the initial costs come out of the author’s own pocket. So, if you go this route, you have to be very careful in researching and choosing a company.
As for myself, I decided to go the assisted self-publishing route in the beginning because, I had waited more than 25 years to get the story in my head down on paper, darn it! I didn’t want to take years more to get it out to the world. But, since I knew nothing, I decided to go the ‘assisted self-publishing’ route.
I know what you’re thinking. Why would I go that route after all the negative things I said about it above? Well, there were a couple of reasons. First of all, I had a book that needed publishing and not enough time or patience to learn to do everything myself. More importantly, I managed to find a Canadian company called Tellwell (www.tellwell.ca), who provides the ‘talent’ (editors, layout people, cover designers, etc.), sets up distribution accounts, and various other things you might need, depending on how much you want to spend. And this was the ONE company I found who didn’t claim the copyright, and who did not take ANY royalties.
They can even, if you purchase that particular service, set you up with a domain name and a website. In fact, they have recently helped me transfer the domain name owner from them (because they do all the initial set-up) to me.
If you go the true self-publishing route, you can either do it all yourself using a service such as CreateSpace, or find and pay the people and/or services you need to get your book published. I will give you more information about self-publishing and self-publishing options in Issue 2 of this newsletter.
In the next issue of Tips from a Self-Published Author Finding Her Way in the Dark:
*More pros and cons of assisted self-publishing
*Why I am glad I used a (true) assisted self-publishing company for my first novel
*Why I would NOT go this route for the second edition of my first book, or for planned future books
*More information about self-publishing options
Please note that these are my own experiences and opinions. I am not saying my choices would be best for everyone. It is always a good idea to do your research. My goal is to inform you of the kinds of things you need to know, and maybe even give you some insights and direction.
I look forward to posting more blogs about self-publishing, for your information and enjoyment, in the future.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. If you have not yet signed up for my author newsletter in exchange for a free copy of my Seers Series short story collection, The Guardians of Sterrenvar, please click here.
https://sherryleclerc.authorreach.com/
October 16, 2017
Check out my second Seers Short Story
While we are awaiting the second edition of my first book, the Guardians of Eastgate, and the subsequent release of the second book of the Seers Series, I have posted my second short story on the blog page of my website. Click the link below to read it.
Enjoy!
http://www.sherryleclerc.com/2017/10/...
Sherry Leclerc
Enjoy!
http://www.sherryleclerc.com/2017/10/...
Sherry Leclerc
September 27, 2017
Goodreads Giveaway for the Guardians of Eastgate Ended
The Goodreads giveaway for 10 signed copies has ended, as of Monday night, 11:59 pm.
The copies were mailed out today to the ten lucky winners. Congratulations to you all! And thank you to everyone who signed up and showed your support.
Sherry
The copies were mailed out today to the ten lucky winners. Congratulations to you all! And thank you to everyone who signed up and showed your support.
Sherry
September 20, 2017
My Goals in Writing the Guardians of Eastgate
Hello Dear Readers/Potential Readers,
I have been doing some thinking lately, and decided I want to share with you how I have structured my novel, The Guardians of Eastgate, and my reasoning and goals behind the structure and content I chose to include.
I have read some very good fantasy novels in my lifetime that require a lot of time and thought, and I have enjoyed them very m
uch.
During the times when my life is busy, however, over-long or convoluted books tend to cause me to lose my patience. I have set aside more than one book by highly rated authors before finishing them due to this.
When I have the time to just relax and read, I do enjoy the heavier books, but sometimes I want a book that is entertaining and enjoyable, that makes me think without being 120,000+ words long, and without lots of plot complications or the need for an alphabetized list of characters and their interactions in order to be able to follow what is going on.
So, I have written this book for young adults (really, from teen to adult) keeping in mind the needs of people who like a decent fantasy read but don't have a lot of time to invest.
For example, I myself hate to stop reading mid-chapter, but only have short bursts of time to read in. So, my chapters in this book tend to be on the short side. I have also done this to aid with the feeling of progression and moving forward at a steady pace.
The story itself is also only around 60,000 words long, so it can be read over a fairly short period of time. So, if life gets busy, you won't have to set it aside, only to forget details and want to start all over again when you have time to read once more.
Don't get me wrong: I put a lot of food for thought in there about culture, race, differences, accepting others for who they are, self-discovery and, just as importantly, accepting and appreciating ourselves for who we are. However, I have endeavored to do this in a book that is accessible even to those who lives are filled with school, work, family, and so on, who may only have limited time and attention to devote to reading on any given day.
This is the first book in a planned series of five, six if the last one goes too long. Each of the four first books is about a different seer champion (there are 4) and follows the same timeline. In the last book (or last 2, depending) the four seer champions will come together again to face the dark sorcerer and try to put a stop to his evil plot.
In summary, I planned this series of books as related stories that each have some resolution for the characters in them, even if the BIG problem doesn't get resolved until the last book(s). I have and will continue to put some thought-provoking ideas in these books to get you thinking and maybe looking at things a little differently. However, I have endeavored to do so in a way that is accessible to even the busiest fantasy book fans.
In summary, if you are looking for a George R.R. Martin-esk novel, this is not it. However, if, like me, you love a good fantasy story but your busy life limits the time and attention you can spend on such pass-times, or if you want something at the end of the day that is not so hard to follow that your brain starts to smoke (not dissing those books; I do enjoy them when I have the time), then this may be the book/series for you.
These are the goals I tried to achieve in the way in which I wrote and structured The Guardians of Eastgate. Since this is my first published work, I can only hope now that I have hit my mark. I hope as well that you enjoy the story as much as I do.
Cheers!
Sherry
I have been doing some thinking lately, and decided I want to share with you how I have structured my novel, The Guardians of Eastgate, and my reasoning and goals behind the structure and content I chose to include.
I have read some very good fantasy novels in my lifetime that require a lot of time and thought, and I have enjoyed them very m
uch. During the times when my life is busy, however, over-long or convoluted books tend to cause me to lose my patience. I have set aside more than one book by highly rated authors before finishing them due to this.
When I have the time to just relax and read, I do enjoy the heavier books, but sometimes I want a book that is entertaining and enjoyable, that makes me think without being 120,000+ words long, and without lots of plot complications or the need for an alphabetized list of characters and their interactions in order to be able to follow what is going on.
So, I have written this book for young adults (really, from teen to adult) keeping in mind the needs of people who like a decent fantasy read but don't have a lot of time to invest.
For example, I myself hate to stop reading mid-chapter, but only have short bursts of time to read in. So, my chapters in this book tend to be on the short side. I have also done this to aid with the feeling of progression and moving forward at a steady pace.
The story itself is also only around 60,000 words long, so it can be read over a fairly short period of time. So, if life gets busy, you won't have to set it aside, only to forget details and want to start all over again when you have time to read once more.
Don't get me wrong: I put a lot of food for thought in there about culture, race, differences, accepting others for who they are, self-discovery and, just as importantly, accepting and appreciating ourselves for who we are. However, I have endeavored to do this in a book that is accessible even to those who lives are filled with school, work, family, and so on, who may only have limited time and attention to devote to reading on any given day.
This is the first book in a planned series of five, six if the last one goes too long. Each of the four first books is about a different seer champion (there are 4) and follows the same timeline. In the last book (or last 2, depending) the four seer champions will come together again to face the dark sorcerer and try to put a stop to his evil plot.
In summary, I planned this series of books as related stories that each have some resolution for the characters in them, even if the BIG problem doesn't get resolved until the last book(s). I have and will continue to put some thought-provoking ideas in these books to get you thinking and maybe looking at things a little differently. However, I have endeavored to do so in a way that is accessible to even the busiest fantasy book fans.
In summary, if you are looking for a George R.R. Martin-esk novel, this is not it. However, if, like me, you love a good fantasy story but your busy life limits the time and attention you can spend on such pass-times, or if you want something at the end of the day that is not so hard to follow that your brain starts to smoke (not dissing those books; I do enjoy them when I have the time), then this may be the book/series for you.
These are the goals I tried to achieve in the way in which I wrote and structured The Guardians of Eastgate. Since this is my first published work, I can only hope now that I have hit my mark. I hope as well that you enjoy the story as much as I do.
Cheers!
Sherry
September 11, 2017
Amazon Kindle Giveaway
For anyone who would like to increase their chances of winning a copy of my novel, The Guardians of Eastgate, I have started an Amazon giveaway for a Kindle edition of the book. All you have to do is click the link below and follow me on Twitter to enter for a chance to win. Good Luck!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/f.html?C=RN...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/f.html?C=RN...
September 7, 2017
My Author Interview on Smashwords
Hopefully, once I save this, you'll be able to click to go to my Author Interview from today, 7 September 2017. If not, then copy and paste.
Sherry :)The Guardians of Eastgate
www.smashwords.com/interview/distroBP...
Sherry :)The Guardians of Eastgate
www.smashwords.com/interview/distroBP...
September 4, 2017
The Guardians of Eastgate is now available to purchase online!
Very excited! The Guardians of Eastgate is now available on amazon.com (kindle and paperback), chapters.indigo.ca (as a kobo e-book), Barnes and Noble (as a Nook e-book and paperback), and on Smashwords. I also added a hardcover version, but I added it late in the game so it isn't available yet.
Also, don't forget about the Goodreads giveaway if you want to try to win a signed paperback for free. 😁😁
Also, don't forget about the Goodreads giveaway if you want to try to win a signed paperback for free. 😁😁
August 31, 2017
My first Seers Short Story is now available on my website!
My first short story is now complete and posted on my website for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!
http://www.sherryleclerc.com/2017/08/...
http://www.sherryleclerc.com/2017/08/...
August 25, 2017
Sneak peek!
“As for choices,” Maelona went on, locking his gaze once again, “I feel
you and I were meant for one another. Yet I also can’t help but feel as
though making the choice for us to be together would be selfish of me.
Dangerous times are upon us, and my personal mission is a particularly
perilous one.”
“You may be a seer,” Blaez said, smiling at her softly and gazing at her,
“but you yourself have said that things can always change. We may never
truly know what the future will bring until it is our present. So, I choose
to live for what I know to be right in this moment. I choose to be yours.”
Sherry Leclerc
The Guardians of Eastgate
you and I were meant for one another. Yet I also can’t help but feel as
though making the choice for us to be together would be selfish of me.
Dangerous times are upon us, and my personal mission is a particularly
perilous one.”
“You may be a seer,” Blaez said, smiling at her softly and gazing at her,
“but you yourself have said that things can always change. We may never
truly know what the future will bring until it is our present. So, I choose
to live for what I know to be right in this moment. I choose to be yours.”
Sherry Leclerc
The Guardians of Eastgate
August 22, 2017
Giveaway Starting Soon!
My first giveaway for signed paperback copies of The Guardians of Eastgate will begin on August 27th! So, check back and enter to win!
