Chris Baty's Blog, page 28

Which Publishing Option is Best for You?

Now that our NaNoWriMo marathon is over and our adrenaline may be wearing off, what’s next? We have NaNo Guest Lauren Ranalli sharing her wisdom about publishing.

Do you have an idea for a book that has been rolling around in your mind? Is there a story that keeps popping into your head when you take a walk, drive your car, or get in the shower? So many of us have great ideas for writing a book! And most of us don’t know where to start… I sat of my first book idea for almost 8 years because I didn’t know where to begin. 

If you’re looking to publish a book, there are typically 2 routes you can take: Traditional Publishing and Self-Publishing. 

Benefits of Traditional Publishing. 

Becoming a published author through a traditional publishing house has its benefits. Your book can show up in every Barnes and Noble around the country. You may get a paid advance for your work. And you might have someone coordinate your book tour. All good things!

It’s a great option for many talented writers, especially if you are willing to put in 3 or more years of effort to see your book on the shelf. Traditional publishing may involve 1-2 years to find an agent and a publisher, and then another 2 years before the final book is released. 

Here’s a little secret about me: I am not a patient person. 

Benefits of Self-Publishing:  

First, let’s clear up a misconception: Self-publishing is not the default for authors who could not find a publisher. Far from it! Self-publishing is an active, creative decision. And it’s the decision that was best for me. If you are an author considering your publishing options, here are a few benefits that I have found from the indie publishing or self-publishing world.

1. You set the timeline. 

I love that I can sketch out an idea in my notebook and, within the year, there will be a final book in print to have, hold, and read aloud! Now, don’t get me wrong, there are about 200 steps that happen between the notebook and the final product, but it’s on my own timeline. And with some determination, I can make it happen. My last book, “Let’s Meet on the Moon” went from concept to final print in 8 months. And I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!

2. You choose your costs.

Every author needs a budget. As a self-published author, you do need to put in some up-front costs, which can be challenging. But you can also choose where and how to allocate those costs. For example, I chose not to hire an agent. And I was able to do a review swap with an editor, eliminating that initial expense. I researched the printer that is the best fit for my work and gives me a price point that allows me to make a profit on each sale. I can then re-purpose those funds into strategic marketing options that engage readers across the country. And all those choices allowed me to do $10,000 in sales during the first 3 months of my very first book launch.

3. If you are a children’s book author, you choose the illustrator. 

When I was first researching publishing options, it became clear that, as a newer author, a traditional publisher would pair me with one of their own illustrators. That could have been a great option! But it was also clear that in the traditional setup, authors and illustrators work mostly independently, and there is not always an opportunity for true collaboration. I knew that I wanted to work with Emily Siwek, an amazing local illustrator. And so I got to make that decision and am happy that I did. 

4. Good news! 

As an indie author, you can still get your book into Barnes and Noble, go on a book tour, and have readers across the country fall in love with your work. It may just take a little more elbow grease on your part, but it’s definitely doable- and can be incredibly exciting!

Lauren Ranalli is an award-winning self-published children’s book author, the Director of Marketing and Communications for an international non-profit, and the mom of two high-spirited children. Visit her on Instagram at @lauren.ranalli_author or at www.laurenranalli.com to receive 2 FREE resources, Finding Social Media Success, and Daily Marketing Strategies for Authors. 

Top Photo by Stephen Phillips - Hostreviews.co.uk on Unsplash  

The Art of Writing During Tumultuous Times

As an Emergency Room physician of 40+ years, D.A. Mucci is no stranger to difficult, even life-threatening, situations. During the pandemic, he turned to writing fantasy, and wrote his debut novel, Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw . Today, he shares some tips that helped him develop his writing process during particularly terrible times: 

Counselors often tell their patients to manage their stress and difficult situations by journaling their thoughts and ideas. While I’ve been faced with plenty of stress in my life as an emergency room physician, journaling was not part of what helped me relax. I did find that telling a story worked. The creative process helped alleviate my stress, consciously and subconsciously.

I turned to writing during the pandemic based on the phenomenal suggestion from my wife, Jeanne. She thought it would be a great way of channeling my nervous energy and concerns of dealing with a disease that killed quickly and indiscriminately. My wife knew that when I tell stories to family members and friends, I have a good time and feel in my element. She thought, correctly, that would be a great way of unwinding.

I’ve been asked how I focused during such tumultuous times, and how I was able to break away from the physical and emotional trauma of dealing with so many critical patients and death at one time. In the emergency room, we have to learn, quickly, how to compartmentalize our thoughts and decisions. There are times I could be taking care of as many as 12-14 patients at one time — easily, during covid, 4-5 critically ill patients. You have to train your mind to shift from patient to patient instantly, thus putting the last patient behind you, while having the ability to pull them back to the forefront in an instant. I used that skill to write, placing the stress of the daily shift into another room, another place in my mind. It was put away for the moment. Thus, I was able to focus on the story, the characters, and allow my mind to fantasize, wander, and relax.

When writing, I try to use typical conventions for the process, but I also don’t hold myself bound to strict writing norms. I like to tell a story, even if it goes a bit outside of how editors say a story should be told.

For years I’ve been asked by my friends and family in social settings to tell them about my latest and greatest unusual stories in the emergency room. So, I’ve been a storyteller for decades. I love embellishing a real-life story for the entertainment factor, making it even more interesting and fun. People who know me know that as I tell a story about the emergency room, and most anything in my life, there’s always the “Dave embellishment factor” that comes into play. I suppose this is why I chose to write fantasy and dream up an entire new world in the Kingdom of Skye.

And it has taken me a while to learn how to turn storytelling into the art of creating a manuscript. I’ve been fortunate to have lots of coaching along the way from editors and taking courses about writing as an author. This homework is all part of what I needed to do to become better at crafting not only a story but specifically a manuscript.

My advice to those who want to write and aren’t sure where to start is simple: Just go ahead and start. That is the only way to learn the craft. And don’t expect the first story or few to be perfect. The first two books I wrote were held back due to lack of knowledge of how to write a good story and trying to stay within the guidelines of literary rules. Those rules stifled my story, my style and limited my creativity. 

My book Ignatius and The Swords of Nostaw breaks a few rules. Some editors early on in the process didn’t want me to tell the story from multiple points of view. But if done properly, the reader will get a fuller picture and appreciate the depth of storytelling. I so enjoy hearing from readers how they were able to get inside the different characters and get to know and understand each better. So, remember to have fun writing, it’s ok to color outside of the lines a little, and enjoy connecting with readers who will be entertained by your unique story.

Being an Emergency Room physician for close to forty years, D.A. Mucci found that the pandemic brought forth new horrors in the ER. Writing his debut fantasy novel became an enjoyable escape for him from all that was happening in the real world. Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw was featured on Good Morning America and is the start of a new series that introduces readers to the uncharted reaches of the Kingdom of Skye with fantastical creatures, daring escapades, and witty one-liners. Learn more about the author and Iggy’s adventures at DAMucci.com.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 30

For the final day of 30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 30, we present the naughty Eroica Soul Deep by Meg Wood. This cover was designed by returning artist Christopher Simmons.

Soul Deep

While trying to cure a plague that ravages her kingdom, scholar Marilyn Proudwater finds herself being ravished by three men: a draconic soldier, an enigmatic healer, and her childhood friend-turned-actor. Can Marilyn make her heart choose, or will she need to even make a choice?

About the Artist

Christopher Simmons is a designer, author, artist and occasional hamburger blogger whose work has been exhibited in museums and galleries ranging from The Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art to the de Young Museum to The Smithsonian Institution. He previously curated NaNoWriMo’s 30 Days/30 Covers project. He has written four books and designed considerably more.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 29

We are pushing to our final days of 30 Covers, 30 Days. For Day 29, we present the SciFi novel Hazel & Ivy by Elise Scott. This cover was designed by M. Corvus.

Hazel & Ivy

A decade ago, scientists put biomimetic carbon nanotubes into spinach plants to turn them into environmental monitors. Now sentient plants are using nanobots to take over the world and eradicate its most invasive species: humans. Only a feisty little old lady named Hazel can stop them. If she even wants to.

About the Author

Elise is a fat, adventurous earth-mother and an enthusiastic vegan cheese-maker. She writes from her lived experiences of physical disability and mental illness, omnisexuality, and apocalypse gardening. Her checkered past includes project and team management, educator training throughout New England, and counseling at-risk youth in Boston with the aid of an inordinately large sub-woofer. Elise is currently a full-time writer/mom in Connecticut, where she lives with one tiny daughter and over three hundred pounds of fur-family.

About the Artist

M. Corvus is an aspiring artist and Bay Area transplant.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 28

It’s the final weekend of 30 Covers, 30 Days! For Day 28 we present the Horror novel Route 413 by Read Gallo. This cover was designed by Jina Anne.

Route 413

Bridger Hahn thought he had it made when he finally became a regular at the US Postal Service. When his first day on his new route takes him on an odyssey into unreal dimensions, he might have to reconsider his career.

About the Author

I’m a geek, a feminist, a queer author, and a mail carrier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I’ve published several Romance novels and novellas through Evernight Publish, which can be found at gracefulindecency.com. But I’ve also dabbled in Horror enough to win an honorable mention in the 2019 Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards. The somewhat eldritch love-child of those two genres, Route 413, is heavily inspired by the podcast “Welcome to Night-Vale.”

About the Artist

Jina is a design systems advocate. She is a Product Design Manager for the design systems team at Asana. She organizes Clarity, a Design Systems conference. She co-authored the Design Systems Handbook, Fancy Form Design, and The Art & Science of CSS. She has been said to be one of the most cheerful goths. You can follow her on Twitter @jina.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 27

Towards the end of 30 Covers, 30 Days, we have a Historical novel Paperbird by S.D with the cover design by Marc English.

Paperbird

The story takes place around 1918 after a war lost by Britain. A group of students forms a resistance group called “Paperbird” against the British government, which has banned most of the country’s social groups from reading and writing. As their group grows, it becomes harder and harder to find out who is on which side. The story is inspired by the resistance movement “The White Rose” in Germany during World War II.

About the Author

I’ve participated at NaNoWriMo this year for the first time. I heard of it about a year ago and I decided to give it a try. For this novel I had a rough chapter-by-chapter outline and it went quite well so I’m already looking forward to camp in April. -S. D.

About the Artist

Marc English (marcenglih.design) has been making art since he was a kid. He became a designer as a young adult, then went to MassArt for the same. Within four years of graduating he was teaching there, and has since taught design in grad and undergraduate programs in the U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala. An author of a book on identity, Marc has served clients across the U.S., from Vietnam to Tel Aviv, and places in between, focusing on his version of identity. President of AIGA/Boston, he founded, served as president for the Austin chapter, created their Design Ranch retreat, and served on the AIGA national board of directors. He spends his time watching films, reading books; banging on a variety of musical instruments; roaming on four wheels, 2 wheels, under sail, on foot; and listening to strangers tell their stories. He has a few of his own. 

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 26

We go into this weekend with a Mystery novel, It’s All Here by Joyce Oben. This cover was designed by Alexandra Alcantara.

It’s All Here

Della’s life is already in shamble when she receives word that her aunt is dying, so traveling cross-country to visit her is an easy decision. But once she arrives, Della finds that her aunt has spent years hoarding, and the house is almost uninhabitable.

To make matters worse, Della’s aunt won’t let the house be cleaned: She insists it contains proof of a murder. Della is not sure whether that’s the truth or just a product of her aunt’s dementia. Either way, she has to proceed carefully - and when a killer finds out what the hoard holds, Dells is in more danger than she knows.

About the Author

Joyce lives on a small farm in Florida with her husband, three kids, several animals, and way too much stuff. She loves writing enough to wake up early for it. During the day, she works as an audiobook narrator, which merges two of her other great loves: reading and performing.  A few of her short stories have been published, and she hopes one of her novels will find a home someday.

About the Artist

Alexandra is a Raleigh, NC-based designer, born and raised in NYC. She owns a design agency in downtown Raleigh with her partner Crystal Green. When not working on presentations for her clients, she is hard at work on her personal projects for children’s books and games, listening to crime podcasts and writing novels no one will ever read. She shares a home with her husband and son Gotham and a menagerie of animals both domestic and backyard. Much of her personal work is in the political landscape, animal welfare, and children.

You can follow her on Instagram @Asquaredcreative and Rubyandcitrine.com

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: 25

Maybe you need some romance for Day 25, we present Back to the Jewel Theater by Georgia Nell. This cover was designed by Crystal McKenna Green.

Back to the Jewel Theater

Mel, a successful graphic designer in Chicago, hears from her deceased mother’s attorney exactly one year after her passing - only to find out she’s inherited the movie theater her mom owned in her hometown. Reluctantly returning to Bellthorne, she hopes to sell the Jewel Theater and get back to Chicago no worse for wear. Unfortunately, she’ll have to partner up with her ex-boyfriend, Shawn, to make it happen. His frustratingly cool behavior toward her couldn’t possibly make for a hotter trip. 

About the Author

Georgia is a life-long story and poetry writer who took 29 years to figure out she could do this whole novel-writing thing for real. She believes in pulling from real life as a jumping off point for her stories, which is why the towns and cities in her books will feel so familiar to her readers. When she’s not dreaming up the rich and idyllic lives of her characters, she can found nursing a craft beer, snuggling her two pets, dancing her butt off, singing/rapping along to the hits of the 2000s, and living out her RomCom fantasies with her dreamboat partner. 

About the Artist

Crystal McKenna Green is a graphic designer and co-founder of Ruby + Citrine, a presentation design agency. When she’s not working on slides, she is an avid reader and crafter. Crystal is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University and resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her family.

30 Covers, 30 Days 2021: Day 24

How is NaNoWriMo going for y’all? Because the Mainstream novel Bethany Writes A Novel by Donna-Louise Bishop is too relatable right now. For Day 24, this novel cover was designed by Holly Aguilar.

Bethany Writes A Novel

Did you love that film Brittany Runs A Marathon? Yes? Well so did Bethany, queen of I-Never-Finish-Anything-ville. So when a dramatic event changes her outlook on life, and her friends confront her laid-back attitude, Bethany decides it is time for a change. She’s going to take part in National Novel Writing Month and will write 50,000 in a month. Watch out NaNoWriMo - Bethany Writes A Novel.

About the Author

Donna-Louise Bishop is a regional journalist and creative writer based in a village in rural Norfolk, UK. Mum to three noisy boys, she enjoys writing micro and flash fiction and has just finishing editing her first novel. She can usually be found with a cup of tea in hand, a good book by her side, with her long suffering fiancé patiently waiting for her to finish both. 

About the Artist

Holly Aguilar is an award-winning designer and illustrator, so if anyone does judge your book by its cover, she’s got you…covered. By day, Holly is a Design Director at Balcom Agency, the largest marketing firm in Fort Worth, Texas. Learn more about her at her company’s website!

3 Steps to a Professional-Looking Book Layout

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Hermit, a 2021 NaNo sponsor, is a fast, elegant, and free to use web-based writing application that also lets you print physical copies of your books. Today, Alex, its founder and developer, shares 3 tips to create a professional looking book design by yourself.

Step #1: Make It Breathe (Spacing and Margins)

When designing a book, white space is important. Too little white space and the text will be so condensed that it’ll be hard and unpleasant to read. Add too much and you’ll end up with a huge amount of pages that’ll cost extra for each print.

For a 6x9” book, 0.5” is a reasonable amount of margin. It’s also good to add a bit more on the “inside margin”, the side of the page near the fold of the book — 0.75” would be a good amount.

Additionally, whenever a new chapter starts, it’s quite common to add a lot of top margin on its title page. This will give it some importance and help the reader understand that this is a new chapter and not just another heading.

When hesitant about white space, always do a print test on your home printer if you can.

Step #2: Make It Readable (Font Choice and Typesetting)

Typography is an art. You might not have noticed, but even though the fonts used in the books you read are often similar, they’re very rarely the same. There are some classics, of course, but there are thousands of high quality fonts out there that you can use for your book project.

It’s tempting to use many fonts but one is generally enough. If you want to give your book some extra style points, you can also use a second one for the headings but more than that will usually make your book look less professional.

The font size and line height you’ll want to use actually depends on the font you selected. Most books go for something between 10 and 12. Serif fonts usually need to be a bit bigger than their sans-serif counterparts to be as readable.

A good amount of line-height is primordial to prevent eye strain and fatigue for the reader. Generally, you can start with the font size and multiply it by 1.5 to get an ideal result. Anything between 1.3 and 1.6 is reasonable; it all depends on the fonts you chose.

Just like for the white space, it is recommended to print tests using your home printer of various fonts and sizes. Do not trust your computer screen no matter how good it might be!

Step #3: Make It Fancy (Drop Caps and Other Stylistic Elements)

There’s a couple of ways to add style points to your book design that involve almost no work at all. One of them is to add drop caps. Drop caps are large capital letters that act as an ornament, usually whenever a chapter starts.

Example of a drop cap that spreads over 2 lines

Another thing we can do is enable ligatures. Ligatures are when the font you selected has different ways of displaying certain groups of letters, generally by combining them into a single drawing. This adds a subtle touch of refinement to your text.

Examples of ligatures on “fi” and “fl”

Let’s make you a book.

There are many more things to take into consideration when designing a book layout but those few tips should give you a head start. If that feels like too much work or you’re too impatient to get your book printed, feel free to give Hermit a spin. We’ll take care of everything and ship you a beautifully designed copy of your book at a low price.

Last year participant with a copy of her printed book

Alex is the founder and developer of Hermit, a free to use, secure, and lightning-fast writing application for everybody who likes to write, from scribblers to aspiring authors. He’s been continuously improving it over the last 8 years and plans to continue doing so. His next goal with Hermit is to tailor the experience for different writing projects and let authors order physical copies of their work with as little effort as possible. Sign up & subscribe now and get a printed copy of your book at a low price.