A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 142
December 7, 2016
Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Publishing — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog
Originally posted on Ruth Nestvold – Indie Adventures: I am finally (finally!) compiling my “Starting Out as an Indie Author” series into a book, and since I started this weekend, I’ve noticed a couple of things I still need to add. Since the first part of the book revolves around the question, “Is Self-Publishing For…
via Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Publishing — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog
Welsh Wednesdays: Everything you need to know about the #Llandeilo X-Mas Book Fair, this Saturday Dec 10th — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog
Originally posted on writerchristophfischer: The Book Fair will start at 9:45am with music by the Llandeilo Town Band and the official opening by the Mayor. You can find the Civic Hall on Crescent Road, next to the main town car park. There will be signs throughout town to guide you. The day will be filled…
November 29, 2016
Author Interview 120 – Janet McLaughlin – YA
Welcome to Janet McLaughlin
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I’m originally from a small town outside of Philadelphia, PA. I spent my early adult years moving around to different states with my family as my husband got promotions and transfers. Yes, I was a stay-at-home mom and I loved it. In 1990, we moved to Sarasota, FL where we started a small business publishing magazines. I found myself not only editing copy, but also writing it. That experience gave me the courage to tackle writing novels. And what better place to be writing than in sunny Florida!
Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc.
I write fiction for ‘Tweens/Young Adults. The novel that will soon be released by Absolute Love Publishing is titled HAUNTED ECHO, Book 1 of the Soul Sight Mysteries. I think the publisher’s description says it best:
Sun, fun, and her toes in the sand. That’s what Zoey Christopher expects when she joins her best friend and fellow cheerleader Becca on an exotic Caribbean vacation. What she finds instead is a wannabe boyfriend, a voodoo doll, and Tempy – a tormented young ghost whose past is linked to the island grounds.
Where do you find inspiration?
Life experience is my favorite source for stories. And, no, I’m not psychic. But as a publisher of a small magazine, I had the opportunity to interview several gifted people. Their life stories provided the authenticity for my protagonist’s ability in HAUNTED ECHO. The novel takes place on an island in a private, exclusive, wealthy community. I had the opportunity to spend a week in the home described in the book by invitation from its owner. The experience of living the life of luxury with a maid, and cook and private beach was too good not to use. The location is a character in itself. The ghost is made up!
Are your characters based on real people?
Yes—and no. I think most writers use traits of people they know to round out their characters. Certainly there are parts of myself in many them as well. The novel I’m currently working on is based on the experience of a relative of mine who has the neurological disorder, Tourette Syndrome. Though the story is fiction, the challenges are real. I couldn’t write that book without having intimate knowledge of what the protagonist experiences on a daily basis.
Is there a message conveyed within your writing? Do you feel this is important in a book?
Yes, but I like to keep my message subtle. It’s just as important to entertain as it is to get a message across. In HAUNTED ECHO, we see Zoey, the protagonist, unwilling to let anyone know (with the exception of her best friend, Becca) about her psychic abilities. She wants to be accepted as a normal kid. But what is normal? In the end, Zoey discovers that she isn’t the only one with a secret, and that sharing that secret brings peace and acceptance to all involved. I’m hoping that kids who read my books will realize that just because they’re different, doesn’t mean they’re weird or can’t fit in. That they’ll come to realize that in one way or another, everyone is—different.
Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited?
Yes, I self edit. I also belong to a wonderful critique group who help me with the original draft. After I’ve rewritten the work an innumerable amount of times and reached a point where I know I’ve exhausted my skills, I send it to a professional editor. Then, I start the rewrite process again. Only then do I start to query. But that’s my process. Everybody has their own way of writing a book. I do think a professional edit helps a lot. I also think you can waste a lot of money if you send your MS to a professional in its early stages.
Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be?
Yes, I do, but I also think that attitude is changing. Traditional publishing has been the “gorilla in the market” forever. Indie/self-publishing is the newbie. It’s a normal process for new ideas to take time to be recognized as legitimate and become established. Right now, being traditionally published has an aura of acceptance surrounding it. Also, the big publishing companies have more connections and influence—if they choose to use it to an author’s benefit, it can help tremendously in book sales. But an aggressive Indi-publisher or self-published author can have good success if they know what they’re doing and work at it.
What experiences can a book provide that a movie or video game cannot?
First, I have to say that I love going to the movies. I especially love seeing a novel come to life on the big screen while I’m surrounded by people and their reactions. But, while a movie can evoke feelings, it rarely conveys the nuances of thought, emotions, and details that a novel does. I think readers get more invested in a story than viewers do. At least, I do. Plus, books offer hours of pleasure over an extended period of time rather than 2 hours for one day. And books are tactile. You can hold them in your hands, feel the paper between your fingers (unless you’re reading from an electronic device which is a lot less pleasurable but perhaps more convenient for some). And they’re more personal. An author can sign his/her book. You can lend or borrow a book, read it while waiting for an appointment or while eating solo at a restaurant. A book is a companion. I LOVE books, can you tell?
What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers?
1) Read all you can in the genre you want to write in. It helps to know what’s out there, what publishers are looking for, how other writers handle the genre. When you read you can absorb so much about the craft of writing, often without realizing that’s what you’re doing. Plus, it’s fun.
2) Join a writers organization (e.g. SCBWI for writers of children’s books) where you can attend conferences, learn more about your craft, meet other writers that you can bond with, and find a critique group in your area and genre.
3) Sit your fanny in front of the computer and start typing. Keep at it even if you feel what you’re writing isn’t good. And finish that first draft. It you don’t write it, it most certainly will never get published.
Do you have a favourite movie?
I love the Harry Potter movies. I’ve read all the books and I’ve seen all the movies multiple times. Imagine being 12 years old and attending a school run by witches and wizards and learning magic! Imagine having a wand that does magical things. Imagine being a kid and facing all kinds of evil creatures and adults and beating them at their own game. Wow! I was with Harry all the way, living in that wonderful, exciting, imaginary, magical world. My only regret is that I didn’t think of that story line first. Kudos to J. K. Rowling.
Book links, website/blog and author links:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authorjanetmclaughlin/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Author_Janet
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6456358.Janet_McLaughlin
www.AbsoluteLovePublishing.com
November 27, 2016
The Irish Giant -Patrick Cotter
I picked up this book via Southcart Books store on Ebay. So in part this post is a review, but also it’s a brief summary of the titular character’s remarkable life. Do check out Southcart Books, they have some great books.
The Irish Giant by G Frankcom. At first I thought it would be about the famous Irish Giant Charles Byrne, however to my delight I discovered it was actually about a gentleman called Patrick Cotter O’Brien (O’Brien was his show name). This particular Irish Giant was contemporary with Byrne for some of his life but died long after him.
Patrick Cotter O’Brien (19 January 1760 – 8 September 1806) was the first of only thirteen people in medical history to stand at a verified height of eight feet (2.44 m) or more. O’Brien was born in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. His real name was Patrick Cotter and he adopted O’Brien as his stage name in the sideshow circus. He was also known as the Bristol Giant and the Irish Giant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Cotter_O’Brien
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http://www.thetallestman.com/patrickcotter.htm
Yes you read that correctly – he stood at over 8ft tall. The first of only a handful of people to top 8ft tall.
He was afflicted by Giantism and acromegaly; when he died at the age of 46 no hearse could be found to accommodate his 9 ft coffin. He was carried to his grave by relays of 14 men, and he asked to be buried 12 feet under solid rock to discourage grave robbers – or ‘resurrection men’ exhuming him and selling his remains to a doctor. Anatomists would often pay well for the recently dead – in order to dissect for their medical students. This was, technically, illegal, although hanged prisoners could be given to them. Such a fate terrified many people and with a body of such immense proportions it was a real risk for poor Mr Cotter. Later in his life he became increasingly disabled – as his conditions meant his joints etc. kept growing and he suffered from back pain, damaged joints and heart problems, among other problems.
Cotter made a decent living – financially at least . When he died his mother received over £2000 – a substantial sum in the early 19th Century (equivalent to as much as 150k today). Whether he was happy – living his life on show and plagued by the many problems related to his medical conditions, is another matter entirely. He made friends, by many accounts he was an intelligent and congenial man but there is only one, unsubstantiated, report of marriage. He managed to find some privacy in a house he purchased but even so a man of his stature and renown would hardly be able to blend in. However occasionally his extreme height was an advantage – he worked as a bricklayer and builder able to paint ceilings or tile some roofs without a ladder, and once his specially adapted coach was stopped by a highway. Who then fled in terror when an 8 foot tall man stepped out.
In the 1970s Cotter’s skeleting was rediscovered during the excavation of foundations for a building and interest in him renewed. His skeleton was examined – to find out the causes of his giantism. That’s basically what the book is about. Cotter’s life, death and rediscovery.
I really enjoyed the subject – the author had obviously done a great deal of research about Cotter, the particular medical issues he suffered and the exhumation of his remains. Many of the sources are contradictory (especially as there were, remarkably, a couple of other ‘Irish Giants’ about at the same time. The author discusses the sources and the contradictions and tries to find the most consistent and accurate account.
I’d recommend this for those who enjoy biographies of interesting and unusual people, medical anomalies, local history and the attitudes of the time to those individuals who had such conditions.
If you want to learn more about the subject these websites and blogs might be of interest. Especially The Tallest Man – this link will take you to a page about ROBERT PERSHING WADLOW who was 8ft 11! The tallest verified man in medical history.
http://www.madamegilflurt.com/2014/09/patrick-cotter-obrien-irish-giant.html
https://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/explore/items/irish-giant
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/gigantes/UK7.html
November 24, 2016
N. N. Light’s Slashing Prices on Printed #Books for #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday! #Deals
Great books ate awesome prices
POTL: All Things Books, Reading and Publishing
‘Tis the Season to save money and get a jump on your holiday shopping so we’ve slashed prices on our printed books available at Amazon. They include:
Princess of the Light
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Spiritual Romance
Blurb:
Mary Miller receives a startling visitation from Gabriel, the Messenger of God. The Archangel reveals an astounding truth–Mary is the Princess of the Light and even more amazing, her destiny is to battle Lucifer’s army of demons and restore the balance of good and evil on Earth. It’s getting harder to fulfill her new role and keep her identity secret while juggling her personal life, and when Than, Lucifer’s second in command, amps up the attacks on her, she knows she needs help. Joe Deacons is everything she’s ever wanted in a man. And as providence would have it, in a moment of great need, he’s the Warrior of Light–the one who can…
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November 21, 2016
Great stories from great indie writers! 
November 18, 2016
Autumn/Winter Sale – YAY
Hi folks. It’s that time again:)
So of you are celebrating Thanksgiving (not me I am a Brit), and Christmas is creeping up once again. Some might be looking forward to the Winter Solstice, or other such festivals.
As it’s getting colder, and the nights are longer I’m offering paperbacks and Smashwords copies of my books at a discount.
The vouchers for the paperbacks are redeemable via CREATESPACE but if you prefer to buy on Amazon all the books should be in Matchbook (see below).
The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book I
Discount code 483GN24U for $1.25 off. Buy the book for full price on Amazon and get the e-book free.
Smashwords Now $1.50 only until 31 December 2016
coupon code HP58K
The Shining Citadel
Or buy the paperback on Amazon and get the e-book for 99c.
Discount code Z76D4BBF for $1.99 off.
Smashwords Now only $1.50 until 31st December 2016 coupon code VD83K
The Stolen Tower
Or buy the book for full price on Amazon and get the e-book for 99c
Code YCXXG9K2 to get 25% off.
Code ZN44H to get the book for $1.50 until 31st December 2016.
The Kitchen Imps and Other Dark Tales
if you buy for full price on Amazon the e-book is free.
Discount code TQ8RNGFL for 10% off the Createspace copy.
Look out for more over the next few days.
November 16, 2016
Making Your Own Paperback : ISBNs, Interior Formatting, and Cover Design — Cristian Mihai -reblog
Originally posted on irevuo: irevuo is about art. And art is about learning new things. That’s why I decided to introduce a new category of posts today. Tutorials. The how-to of making the stuff that we like to call art. The first tutorial? Something I quite enjoy creating. Paperbacks. All about publishing and creating them. Let’s…
via Making Your Own Paperback : ISBNs, Interior Formatting, and Cover Design — Cristian Mihai
November 15, 2016
KDP and Publishing – a Noob’s Guide Part 3
It never ceases to amaze me how people (often quite intelligent people) don’t bother to read things beyond what they want to see. Where I work (won’t mention the name) I’m forever yelling things like RTFM (read the f*cking manual) as no one has bothered to read past the first line of the email telling them what is needed, and more importantly how and when. And public wise – honestly – read the bloody info!
KDP-wise – check out the forums BEFORE you ask that question that has been asked a thousand times before. I’ve said it before READ THE FAQ. PLEASE. Years ago when I ventured on the Lulu forums as a noob I got totally roasted as I asked noobie questions and certain folks there really were NOT helpful. Anyway general the KDP folks are but it becomes very tedious with newbies asking the same questions as the person 30 seconds before.
Also if you want advice – then don’t fly off the handle if you’re given it and don’t like what you’re told. There are hundreds of threads asking about why books don’t sell, why the reports are ‘lying’, why the big bad Zon are diddling hardworking authors out of their money and mostly it’s bollocks. There are a number of active forum members who are happy to offer advice, point people towards the relevant FAQ area and try and help, but bitching to them as they’ve told you your book needs more work, or you haven’t registered your bank account etc, and getting snarky is likely to piss people off and remove said advice in the future.
So why isn’t your book selling? There are millions of books available on Kindle, and thousands more are uploaded every day. Why should anyone look at, or even find your book, or mine for that matter?
Reasons:
Promoting and marketing is not Amazon’s job – it’s yours. And it’s hard work, it takes time, patience and a certain degree of luck. There are tons of threads asking for advice on how to go about this. What works for one person might not work for another so there is a lot of trial and error. Here are some of the tactics I use, and have used but there are plenty of others:
Author interviews. Get yourself on blogs and spotlights. There are hundreds if not thousands of blogs that will offer interviews, features and spotlights either free or at low cost. (This one for a start). Obviously there is some effort in this – you have to search around to find suitable blogs – genre related is better but some people do offer to any genre. Ask the host what their following is – what you get – especially if you are expected to pay.
https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com/ – is a great promotional site. The hosters are friendly and although the author does have to pay, it’s worth the money. At roughly $11.50 a shot it’s within the budget of newbies.
Get your own blog/website. Currently we are working on a website to companion the blog and promote my books. Generally it’s useful to have a website – especially if you have more than one book. You can pay, or try and make your own for low cost Try WordPress.com, Wix.com or squarespace.com. I think a blog of some sort is a must. For a start it allows you to network – and this is really important. Generally indie authors are a supportive lot and will reciprocate. Also a blog is a space for readers and followers to get to know you (ditto author interviews). It’s not just about the books. Some people say it takes time away from writing – well yes and no. It does take time away from stories but you are still writing, and honing skills. It makes you think about what to write, who your audience is, what is interesting, what isn’t. Of course many bloggers use their space to share research, or topics that interest them. I’m big on research and I think this also gives the reader some confidence that the author knows what they are talking about.
Facebook: It’s worth getting an author/book page on Facebook.
Here’s mine https://www.facebook.com/LightBeyondtheStorm
Recently I took a foundation diploma in social media marketing and one of the modules dealt with Facebook and ads. I haven’t used a paid ad there yet (I may next year) but there are plenty of free groups that allow promotion. Some people say FB isn’t a good platform – I disagree. I’ve bought books directly from FB promotions and I’ve made good friends, and good contacts from FB.
Twitter: I wasn’t a fan of Twitter and held off getting an account for some while. Does it help? Yes, I think so. It’s a good platform to get the word out.
Why else might the book not be selling?
It’s crap. Of course ‘crap’ is a relative term but generally I mean it’s badly formatted, badly written and well, bad. We’ve probably all seen them: those books in which the English language and grammar are distinctly lacking and plot is absence, or scraped from the internet. Now every author thinks their book is great, but honestly it’s worth making sure it’s well written, formatted properly and (preferably) edited. Do you have a decent cover? A decent synopsis?
KDP don’t have a quality check – that’s your job as well, at least in part. Formatting guidelines can be found here: https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A12NQC9HQPI9CA
I find formatting for Kindle a lot easier than the other formats but with a decent knowledge of MSword it’s not that tricky. If you don’t have a good grasp of it you may be better to hire a formatter. (That might be a service on offer from us next year) or search the interweb for sites.
It’s worth remembering it takes time to build a following. Very few indie authors release a book and it’s a best seller in a week. It can take years.
There’s a particular poster on the KDP forum who tells newbies to write what sells. If you’re like me you can’t simply sit down and say ‘ah romance is hot this week – I’ll write a romance novel’. Well I can but no one would want to read it. Besides what is popular changes. Tastes change.
It annoys me – substandard ‘popular’ trash uploaded quickly with no care for the reader. There’s a reason indies have a bad rep. Grr.
What I’m rambling about is basically – it takes time, patience and work to sell books. The writing is easy (sort of). Do the best you can with the resources you can spare.
KDP Support Contact https://kdp.amazon.com/contact-us
Interview with Toasha Jiordano — shona kinsella
Apologies for the missing post yesterday – I had one of those days where everything went wrong and I had to accept that I am, unfortunately, not Wonder Woman and can’t of everything! I hope today’s interview makes up for it! Joining me today is Toasha Jiordano, a member of my online writing group, Scribophile. […]
via Interview with Toasha Jiordano — shona kinsella
