Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 96

Country Wisdom

You may know my sister and I have a tiny little store a few miles outside of Dilley, Texas in the Eagle Ford oilfields. Lil Country Store is a convenience store with a collectibles corner, where we have unique items we find at auctions and estate sales. If you’re anywhere in south Texas, I think it’s worth a drive to visit our quaint lil store. Of course, I’m totally unbiased!

We’ve started posting country wisdom on our website a couple of times a week. The image in this post is a sample. I’ve having fun coming up with the sayings and matching them to appropriate images. Some are humorous; others are inspirational; and some are thought-provoking.

I’d love your input if you have any favorite redneck sayings or down-home country wisdom. Leave your suggestions in comments or email me at moc.nnammaeillilnull@eillil. And I hope you’ll visit Lil Country Store, online or offline–or both.

Judging Ebooks

One of the things I do to give back to the epublishing community is to judge contests. 

I have judged EPIC’s eBook Competition for many years. This prestigious competition has run since 2000 and has grown dramatically over the years. It is sponsored by EPIC, the Electronic  Publishing Industry Coalition. EPIC has been educating about and advocating for ebooks since the earliest days of the industry. I’m proud to have been a member since 1999.

This year, I judged the Global Ebook Awards (GeBA) for the first time. This is a privately operated awards program that’s been around for three years.

Contests like this can benefit all ebook authors by making the public more aware of the availability of quality ebooks. Individual authors who final or win the competitions gain recognition for their outstanding work.

But these contests can’t exist without volunteer judges. Right now EPIC is seeking judges for the current competition. To qualify as a judge, you must be an author, editor, or publisher. You can choose the categories you judge and specify your level of comfort with sex and violence, so you get to read free books of the kinds you enjoy.

Judging is confidential. Judges cannot discuss entries with anyone other than competition volunteer staff (not even other judges) and cannot reveal the books or even the categories they judged. I understand and agree with the rules, but I miss posting reviews of the books I read and judge as I like to review (albeit often briefly) every book I read.

I just finished judging GeBA this year, and look forward to judging EPIC’s competition in the coming weeks.

How and Why Readers Buy Books

Very interesting data on how and why readers choose books. The survey was done by ebookfairies, and the infographic below was created by Author Marketing Club.

Why I Give a Sample Edit

“I’ve written a book. How much do you charge for editing?”

Those words or variations of them appear in my inbox frequently. I know some editors do have a per-page or per-word rate, but I can’t understand how they can price their work that way.

I find that one 75,000-word novel may take me thirty hours to edit while another 75,000-word novel may take me a hundred hours to edit. Some manuscripts may need little more than proofreading while others require extensive substantive editing.

Depending on the writer and the manuscript, my job as an editor may include any or all of the following:

Ensure that the vocabulary and grade level of the writing are appropriate for the genre, the audience, and the manuscript. For example, a memoir may include idioms and colloquialisms, perhaps even some minor grammar errors that are typical of the author; the reader should feel like he or she is sitting down for a leisurely visit and conversation with the writer. An academic paper must use formal language and a more extensive vocabulary, follow strict style guidelines, and sound more like a lecture or textbook than a conversation.
Make sure that the manuscript fits the conventions of the genre. A mystery must end with the crime being solved, and the heroine and hero must live “happily-ever-after” in a romance.
Help the author determine the most effective opening, which in fiction often means starting in the middle of the action and bringing in backstory later, and make sure the middle and ending are as strong as the beginning.
Improve the flow of the text so the story (fiction) or information (nonfiction) is presented in a logical order and there are smooth transitions between chapters, scenes, and sections.
In fiction, see that characters are well-developed, with flaws as well as good qualities, and that the plot is effective and entertaining.
In nonfiction, see that the information is provided in a clear, understandable way that accomplishes the author’s purpose.
Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors and make sure that the book adheres to the appropriate style for the genre.
Eliminate wordiness and repetition of words and ideas, and ensure there is variety in word choices and sentence structure.
Verify facts and raise questions as needed so nonfiction provides accurate information and fiction is believable.
Check for consistency so a character doesn’t go from brunette to blonde unintentionally.
Make suggestions to improve any and all aspects of the manuscript.
Ensure that the book sounds just like the author—only better.

The amount of time it takes me to do edit a manuscript depends a great deal on the skill of the writer as well as the complexity of the material. In addition, the word or page count changes with editing. I once edited a 160,000-word manuscript down to 110,000 words. So charging the same per-page or per-word rate to every client wouldn’t be fair. I would make more per hour editing a well-written novel without a lot of subplots than I would editing a nonfiction manuscript that required a lot of fact checking or a memoir by a writer who repeated the same stories several times in different places.

Therefore, I base my price on an hourly rate, but I give each client a project quote based on a sample edit.

The author submits about five pages of the manuscript to me along with the answers to a questionnaire. I edit the pages just as I would edit the full manuscript, including asking questions. Most writers have several pet mistakes that they make frequently, so I point these out. Sometimes, an author can reduce the amount of time required for me to edit their manuscript if they do another round of self-editing based on my comments.

I extrapolate the time it took me for the sample edit to estimate how long will take me for the complete manuscript. My quote is determined by the estimated time.

The sample edit gives me confidence that I’m quoting the most accurate price possible. There is a disclaimer on the quote that says the price can be adjusted if the rest of the manuscript is markedly different from the sample pages. For example, writers often spend a lot more time on the first chapter than they do on later chapters. If that is the case, I ask that the sample pages be sent from later in the manuscript so they are a good representation of the work.

The sample and especially the questions I ask also give me the opportunity to see if there is anything in the manuscript that I would not be comfortable editing. If I am not excited about the project, I’m not the best editor for it, so it’s best for me to see upfront if there’s something that I don’t like or that makes me uncomfortable.

The sample edit is advantageous for authors, as well. They can readily see if they agree with my suggestions. Although I don’t expect writers to accept every change I recommend, an author who disagrees with many of my ideas should look for an editor that is a better fit.

Prospective clients also know exactly what the editing cost will be (unless there are surprises later in the process), and they know that the price is based on the amount of work that will be required on that specific manuscript. Experienced authors don’t have to worry that they are paying a price more appropriate for beginning writers, and less-skilled writers don’t have to worry that I will give their work less attention than it needs because I’m not being compensated adequately.

If you have a book in need of editing, I highly recommend that you get several sample edits so you can choose the editor that is the best fit for you and your work. If you would like a sample edit from me, you can read more about my services and email me for instructions.

I’ll be happy to give you a sample of what you can expect from me.

Fern’s Fancies

Blurb:

When Fern Tate sold her interior landscape company to a national corporation, she didn’t expect to have a boss like Pendleton Morgenthal, III. Had she made the biggest mistake of her life?

Pen never allowed a woman—especially a subordinate—to distract him from his fast-track career. What was it about Fern that made her different?

Rating:  4.8/5 stars at Smashwords

On sale now at Smashwords for half price with coupon code SSW50 - don’t miss your chance to get this contemporary romance for only $1.00!

The Story Behind the Story:

I wrote this book shortly after I sold my interior landscape company. Although I chose to leave the business when I sold (after all, I had sold the business so I could start writing full-time), I had offers to sell the business but remain as the manager. When I heard of a new romance line seeking sweet contemporary romances that began with some type of correspondence, I started writing about an interior landscaper whose first contact with her new boss was via email. The romance was totally imaginary, though I recalled the excitement of falling in love with my husband thirty years earlier. However, many of the incidents that happened in the interior landscape company had really happened to my employees and me during the nearly twenty years I had been in business.

I was working on this book when I took an advanced novel writing course online, so when it came time to submit a sample of work for our instructor to critique, I submitted a chapter from my work-in-progress, Fern’s Fancies. The instructor was highly complimentary and predicted the novel would sell to the first publisher to whom I submitted it. Alas, his prediction was wrong. I submitted it to the publisher I wrote it for and was rejected. I never bothered to submit it to another traditional publisher, but years later, when I learned about self-publishing, I put it up on Smashwords.

Even though the publisher I had targeted didn’t like the book, others have been as complimentary as my instructor. Below are a few snippets from reviews at Smashwords.

Reviews:

“Nicely done.”

“Very well written and moved right along.”

“It’s humorous but at the same time touching. I would surely recommend this.”

“A very engaging book, well worth the price.”

“An excellent read and quite full of humor as well. Fern turned out to be a very engaging character. I would definitely recommend this for an enjoyable read.”

Money Money Money from Smashwords

Matt Coker recently analyzed a lot of sales data and created a slide show that is useful for authors who are hoping to be successful.

Readers, don’t forget about the Smashwords sale going on during July–my indie-published books included.

Happy Independence Day!

Today we celebrate 238 years of freedom since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. May God always bless America!

I consider myself a patriotic America, but on national days, I always think of my husband, Jack, who loved his homeland with a passion.

Enjoy this collection of patriotic songs to celebrate the Fourth of July!

Smashwords 2014 Summer/Winter Promotion

Smashwords is holding its annual Summer/Winter Promotion throughout the month of July. Folks in the northern hemisphere can stock on ebooks to read on vacation, while those in the southern hemisphere will find lots of great books to curl up with in front of a nice fire. Whether it’s summer or winter where you live, you can find thousands of ebooks discounted 25%, 50%, 75%—or even 100% (free!).

All of the books I have published myself are included in the sale.

The following short how-to books are free during the promotion:

Creating Fictional Characters
Finding the Information You Need: Research Tips for Your Family, Business, or Personal Pursuits
Preserving Memories: How to Write a Family History
The Secrets of Fantastic Houseplants

The following books are half-price:

Fern’s Fancies (contemporary romance novel): When Fern Tate sold her interior landscape company to a national corporation, she didn’t expect to have a boss like Pendleton Morgenthal, III. Had she made the biggest mistake of her life? Pen never allowed a woman—especially a subordinate—to distract him from his fast-track career. What was it about Fern that made her different?
Jack Stories: Favorite Memories of Jack Jordan Ammann Jr (nonfiction anecdotes about a “colorful character”): Jack Jordan Ammann Jr. touched many lives with his generosity, strong personality, loyalty, kindness, and humor. After Jack’s death, friends shared their favorite “Jack stories,” funny and serious, short and long. Enjoy favorite memories of a special man.

The novelette Trapped by Love is always free on Smashwords.

I hope you’ll visit Smashwords and take advantage of the sale. I know I’m going to stock up on some great reads!

Author’s Friend and Bookmaker

On two different occasions recently, I have received emails asking if I could recommend someone for a specific aspect of indie (self) publishing that the requester thought I didn’t do. In both cases, the requests were for services I provide. It seems I need to make information about my services a little more prominent.

I call myself an editor, because that is the primary service I offered authors in the beginning. Then clients started asking me to do more.

“Can you get the book ready for the printer?”

“Please help me get the cover designed.”

“How do I get an ISBN for my book?”

“I want to sell my books online. Will you create a website for me?”

“Formatting and uploading the files for Kindle and Smashwords is driving me crazy. Can you help?”

So one by one, I added additional services. I’ve tried to come up with a title that encompasses everything I do. Some people who offer similar services call themselves book shepherds. While that’s an intriguing title, it doesn’t necessarily convey all the services I offer. I’ve said I’m a book midwife, helping to birth bouncing baby books for my clients. Yet that still doesn’t explain the specific functions I perform. My client David Bowles inscribed his most recent book to me as follows:

To Lillie, author’s friend and bookmaker.

That made me smile. I am selective about the clients I take. Being friendly, having a good working relationship, and being comfortable with one another are critical for me to help the writer successfully publish a book. And bookmaker, though it conjures up images of betting on horse races, also describes the process of turning a manuscript into a book. The following list of publishing services comes from the description of my publishing services:

Perform a complete content edit of the manuscript.
Assist with obtaining ISBNs and registering copyright.
Format the manuscript for publication.
Negotiate and contract with a cover artist and book designer on your behalf or perform these services.
Proof the cover and completed layout.
Negotiate and contract with a printer on your behalf or set up account with a POD printer.
Create e-book formats and upload to sales sites.
Advise on promotion, create a website, and assist with distribution.
Serve as a liaison among all parties involved in the publication, distribution, and promotion of the book to ensure production of a quality product within an established timeframe.

Normally, I, along with my associate Jan McClintock, provide most or all of these services for each of our clients. The first step is actually determining whether indie publishing is the best option for the client, and if so, whether Jan and I are the best option for the client to reach that goal. Part of that decision is how we feel about the project. We won’t take a project unless we feel comfortable working with the client and are excited about the manuscript. There are some genres we aren’t knowledgeable about or interested in, and we decline those projects. The author deserves to work with someone who believes in her book as much as she does. Of course, the potential client has a chance to determine whether she likes our work or not through a sample edit.

Once we’ve agreed that we will make a good team, we hold the author’s hand throughout the entire process. We encourage him when he needs a little motivation or a little help believing that he can do this.

We edit the manuscript, not only correcting grammar and spelling, but also suggesting revisions that will make the story and/or the characters stronger. Every manuscript goes through three rounds of edits. Usually I do the first edit; when I finish a pre-determined section (a chapter or several chapters), I send it to Jan. She does an edit and returns it to me. I review her edits and perhaps add comments or make additional suggestions. Then the edits go to the client to be sure we’re on track and that all our changes meet with the writer’s approval. After we have gone through the entire manuscript and made all the changes, I proofread the complete manuscript before it goes to Jan for layout.

We ensure that the client understands about ISBNs and obtains the needed identifiers. Jan designs the interior in the design program InDesign, then she sends it to me for review. In the meantime, we and/or the client have been working with a cover designer. Both Jan and I have created covers, but we generally work with a graphics designer for a beautiful cover that draws attention and inspires readers’ interest. When the interior and cover are ready, the writer has another chance to review and approve both.

Then one of us (or sometimes the client) creates an account with the printer, usually CreateSpace, uploads the files, and goes through the review process. If the review turns up something that needs attention, we make whatever changes are needed until the printer accepts the file and everything looks good to us. Even so, we always order a proof copy to ensure that the book looks as good in print as it does on the computer screen.

In most cases, we also create ebook formats, typically Kindle edition at Amazon.com and several formats at Smashwords. Smashwords distributes to a number of ebook retailers, so these two places cover most of the major ebook sellers. Again, we format the books, review to be sure all looks right, create the accounts and upload to Amazon and Smashwords, monitor the review process, and make changes, if needed, until the ebooks are available for sale.

We also create websites for clients to promote and/or sell their books. Some clients ask us to create pages for them on various social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Nothing Binding, Goodreads, and more. In some cases, we search out reviewers appropriate for the genre and send out review copies. Throughout the entire process, we help the author understand what needs to be done. We coordinate with the client and other service providers (such as cover designer, POD printer, and ebook distributors) to make the indie publishing process as smooth and easy as possible for the client.

While Jan and I have different strengths and specialties, we can each perform every step of the publishing process. So if one of us gets sick (or when I was caring for my husband near the end of his life), the other can step in to make certain the client has a friend and bookmaker at his side. We love working with writers to take their story or nonfiction from manuscript to print and digital books.

However, not every author needs all of our services. Perhaps a writer has had his manuscript edited, but he needs the interior and cover designed. Or maybe the print book has already been published, but the writer wants to add ebooks. Whatever piece of indie publishing an author needs help with, we can almost certainly help.

So if you’re an indie author who needs a “friend and bookmaker,” email me at moc.nnammaeillilnull@eillil, and we can determine if I can help you in your publishing journey.

Image: © Depositphotos.com/Romul-2009

World Refugee Day

I just learned on Randy Alcorn’s blog that today is World Refugee Day. Imagine being uprooted from your home, your country, and everything familiar and dear. Consider what it would be like to live in tents in a strange place among thousands of other refugees, lacking the basic necessities of life.

In honor of World Refugee Day, I’ve made a donation to Samaritan’s Purse, half to be used for Middle East refugee relief and the other half to be used where most needed. Just looking at all the needs Samaritan’s Purse meets overwhelms me with the amount of need in the world today. What I can do seems so little, but if all of us do a little, we will accomplish much.

The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ ~ Matthew 25:40 (NASB)

O GOD, merciful and compassionate, who art ever ready to hear the prayers of those who put their trust in thee; Graciously hearken to us who call upon thee on behalf of the refugees around the world, and grant them thy help and ours in this their need; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ adapted from 1928 Book of Common Prayer