David Rory O'Neill's Blog, page 15

Welcome pain.

Ria's work. See Creativeflux media.

The pain of editing is to be welcomed and recently I've been in a lot of pain. All my work is being re-edited, often more than two years after it was supposedly completed. That has been a fascinating process. It is astonishing how ones view of ones cherished words change when viewed through so distant a lens.  I find I am able to be much more ruthless in killing the babies now. My angel proofer/editor, Miriam has helped that process with her fresh eyes. I cannot over stress how valuable such eyes are. The work has improved hugely . The changes are each small but the difference overall is enormous.

Any Indi author who does not go through this process is doing themselves and Indi publishing a great disservice . When I put my first novel out six years ago, I made all the rookie impatient mistakes and the result was a worthy story let down by poor implementation.  I'm now thoroughly ashamed of that and wish I could withdraw it. I have done so as much as possible but there are copies floating about second-hand and in a few shops.  So speaks the bitter voice of experience.  Please authors, pay for professional editing/proofing and learn to kill your babies.  The result is always worth the short term pain.

My new Facebook pages are another new learning experience that is producing some birth pain. It's so very easy to be discouraged and feel down about the slow start. But I've learned my lessons well and now know that patience and diligence is needed. I must not get discouraged and so I will plod on and hope my mistakes are not great. I'm trying to watch how the more experienced do it and will read good advice .

One thing I've learned about self-publicity – it is too easy to be drawn into threads on forums that are dominated by other writers keen to give voice. I withdraw from such places as soon as I see readers are absent or are leaving. Other writers are not who I want to reach, but even as I say that, I can hear the hollow laughter. For who, other than other writers, is this blog post addressed to?

It's too easy to lose track of what ones social media efforts are meant to do.

Sell more books, right?

That and learn how to do it better. The later is what this post is about.

I am open to advice from those who have trod this path before me. So any Bakebook veterans out there with words of wisdom to offer, let me hear from you.

Like a Book giveaway?

I've taken the plunge and joined 'Bakebook', Facebook that is. To celebrate or is that numb the pain, I'm offering a "Like" incentive in the form of an eBook giveaway.

The first 100 to 'like' the page will get a copy of The Prairie Companions.

Free !!!!

I've still got doubts about this medium but everyone tells me I must have a fan page.

Have I got more than a few fans yet? It seems vain and silly somehow. Am I just old fashioned? Somehow asking people to 'like' one seems lacking in dignity. Or is it an ego thing and I'm terrified no one will?

Am I being too honest here? One is advised against such candour in the social media. Sorry but I can't do selling-bull. I hope my work will sell it's self but then again it is struggling to rise in a huge pile.

This is all about helping it get found- so, why not stop by – 'like' and get a sample of a very good novel.

There is a Facebook like button over there.  

Beware the keystrokes!

Pyramid

Here is the penultimate cover design for this series. It is a little bit obvious in terms of the symbolism but I like that. Simplicity has a lot to commend it.

A lesson for those doing their own formatting for eBooks.

I've been tearing my hair out with the eBook conversions because a bit of HTML slipped through unseen. When I first wrote the books, I had checked a few facts, addresses, and the like on Wiki and other sources. I copied and pasted a few words and terms into the Word document. Just a street name or similar.  So what do I find when I look at the sample on Amazon.com?  A live link lurking!  Click and I'm on Wikipedia!

It didn't show on Word and I didn't spot it on Calibre while formatting. Upon checking I found three other examples in other books. The result- I pulled an all nighter, checking all, correcting, and reformatting then uploading to KDP.

I can see how these Wiki links might be actually useful in some circumstances but not in a novel.

Beware of the seemingly quick and easy keystrokes to copy and paste, HTML lurks unseen.

Learning.

Judgement.

This is the latest cover design. Only two more to do to complete this series.

I've just joined Facebook or 'Bakeface' as my favorite girl calls it. You really need to be from Northern Ireland to get that.

It's a steep learning curve and I still have reservations about it, but I must face it!

Cover design, on and on!

The struggle to get it right goes on. I think these are the final effort – unless I hear differently from readers.

Conflict

Challenge.

Healing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passion.

Grip.

 

I hope this process has been illuminating.

 

 

 

 

 

The Prairie Companions is out now for Kindle. The paperback will follow. I'm very busy with these re-edits, as is editorial angel Miriam. I intend to remain low key until all the work is out. Then we start the grind of publicity and chasing sales.

Companions.

New covers 2.

Here are the re-worked covers. Thank you to all who offered opinions.

I've tried to make these a little less strident and have taken note of the need for more imagery to give clues to content.

Conflcit 2

Challenge 2

Healing 2

Passion 2

Grip 2

 

Another possibility for Passion?

Do these covers work?

Conflict

Covers are such a challenge for the Indi author. There are generic things available on Createspace and so on but the fact they are generic is what puts me off. I therefore try to design my own. I use QuarkXPress and Photoshop.  The covers for the West Cork Trilogy were straight forward enough but I've been struggling with my forthcoming Daniel series. These are re-edited and re-issued with new covers.

I have tried to give each a common feel to confirm the link between the eight books. I've done that with the background colour and using the same fonts. By the same token I do not want to over stress the series since each novel stands alone and can be read as such.

I have gone for a typographic style that emphasises the title rather than the use of images. Now here is the thing. Does this work?

They have to work both on Kindle and as paperbacks. This is a subjective thing but I would really value feedback from anyone reading this.

Be kind and constructive please. Don't tell me to hire a pro, I can't afford it.

 

 

Challenge.

 

 

 

Healing.

 

 

Passion

 

 

 

 

Grip

 

Hard won wisdom for writers

Hard won wisdom for writers.

A wry smile perhaps?

Self-belief and affirmation from objective readers is a necessary first step. There are, I'm sad to report, too many writers who have pushed their work into the new world of self-publishing too soon or without the much needed  step of affirmation from objective readers. Self-belief alone is a dangerous thing for it can too easily combine with impatience to produce arrogance and self-delusion. I know, I've been there.

My first published effort is now a thing of shame to me. Not that it was a bad novel. It had great potential but it was forced into the world scarce half made up. Impatience and self-delusion led me astray. Ever since I have been struggling to learn and get over my shame. My salvation came in the form of my editorial angel, Miriam. Her diligence, generosity and commitment have made it possible for me to become truly independent. I withdrew all my work and it's all being re-edited with her help.

Here is the first lesson. Please do not imagine you can do it alone. Seek out an editor/proofer you can trust and value them. Reward them as well as you can manage financially and know that no matter how good you are as proofer or editor you really do need that objective eye. One can self-publish at no cost so there is no excuse for not investing a little up front for an editor. It's simply not worth putting out work that has skipped this step. I thank my lucky stars I learned this before I ruined my reputation pushing novels that were not properly complete. Impatience was what led me astray and now my mantra is – get it right. Then get a proof copy and check it again and again and only then send it into the world of Amazon KDP and Createspace. Only then start the push and the publicity.

I've recently had the experience of trying to review a couple of fellow writers work. These were well proofed and had slick social media publicity pushing like mad, but the work was lacking in one fundamental respect. Not proofing errors but something much more intangible and hard to self-judge.  These writers had no talent! One created a list of events that was turgid and impossible to read. Another a beautifully crafted compilation of  fashionable cliché. No content, no style, no story telling ability. Just wanting to write is not enough. One needs to have a good story to tell. One needs to have rich believable characters and one needs to set them in a location that is real and involving. The writer needs to know the what and where of their work intimately. Write where and what you know.

One can learn the rules of creative writing and there is a whole industry devoted to making money from our urge to express ourselves through the medium of the novel. However, if after all that, you skip the affirmation from objective readers through fear or excessive self-belief, then you run the risk of joining the ever growing pile of 99cent or free novels out there that are just clutter and income for those willing to make money from the creative impulse of wana-be writers.

This is the most difficult question of all for any writer to face: Can I really write a novel worth reading?

By all means try. But don't be impatient and don't give up and please don't publish it until you and a few others are sure it will have worth, real worth. Not just your own desire to be seen in print. I learned this lesson the hard way. I'm fortunate. My work was just badly proofed and needed editing better.

I know absolutely it has worth and my self-delusion has been stripped away. Now I am trying to be patient and will not push the work until there is more out there and then?

Well we shall see.

The censorship on the home page here today is a shock but the message is important. Let's act.

davidrory.

The last of the trilogy.

Blue Sky Orphan.

 

The last of the West Cork Trilogy went up on Amazon KDP today.

This is essentially a stand alone story about a feisty, glamorous red head called Captain Emma Montgomery. She escapes her past and her long buried history of abuse as child in the air. She flees to the blue sky doing acrobatics and in her job as senior Captain for an executive charter airline.

Emma's escape involves dangerous flirtations which lead her into grave physical and emotional danger. Her husband Peter has secrets in his past that come to haunt them both.

Blue Sky Orphan also completes the story of Regan from the first two of the trilogy but only indirectly. Bonny, Lauren and Daniel Dawes also play an important role

New editons.

The first of the davidrory-publishing editions are now out for Kindle.

All my novels will also be available as paperbacks as from Feb 2012.

Surviving Beauty. New editon.

I'm so busy with this enterprise I've little time for blog posts.

I'll be back and will be more engaged soon.

I am determined to get everything  completely right now I'm being truly Indi.

It's a thrilling but nerve wracking thing and I'm struggling to contain my impatience.

My editorial angel Miriam, is busy re-editing the work and all will issued over the next few months. Then there will be a big publicity blitz with special offers and giveaways.

Beauty's Price. Second of the West Cork Trilogy.