Sally Ember's Blog, page 94
November 24, 2014
What I Wish I had Known for #Indiepub #Ebooks 1 and 2: An Open Letter to my Earlier Self Guest Post on The Book Cove
What I Wish I had Known for #Indiepub #Ebooks 1 and 2: An Open Letter to my Earlier Self Guest Post on The Book Cove goes LIVE today and is part of a series.
http://www.thebookcove.com/2014/11/author-sally-ember-edd-what-i-wish-i.html
Check on Mondays in December for the rest of the series! http://www.thebookcove.com
Filed under: Blogging and others' content, Indie or Self-Publishing, Life lessons, Marketing, Personal stories, Writing
November 23, 2014
Clean Indie Reads – New Address #CR4U
I am also a member of “Clean Indie Reads” and am excited about our growth. Thanks for posting, Natalie!
Originally posted on Natalie D Wilson:
I have been a proud member of Clean Indie Reads since almost the beginning of that site. I’m happy to announce that the site has grown so much that it has outgrown its original home. The Clean Indie Reads site is now a ‘dot com’ address. You can find my page there at: http://cleanindiereads.com/immortal-reborn-trilogy/
But don’t stop there, browse around and take a look at ALL the wonderful books written by all of the Clean Indie Reads members. Several of them have also appeared on Will’s Indie Books show. If you’re not familiar with the show, check out the archives at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/indiebooks
Filed under: Writing
November 22, 2014
Novel Reference Journal
AND, if you’d like to get to know author, Wendy Van Camp, even better, watch our LIVE conversation, coming up LIVE, 10 – 11 AM EST USA, Wed., the 7th of January, Episode 18 of *CHANGES*! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbfKicwk4dFdeVSAY1tfhtjaEY_clmfq to watch all archived Episodes.
Originally posted on No Wasted Ink:
Every author has their own process of writing a book. Mine has developed over the past six or seven years to use National Novel Writing Month to jump start a single long term project each year. I use the energy of my fellow wrimos to push myself to writing, but there is more to the process than simply showing up for write-ins during the month of November. I also set aside the month of October to plan my novel and December to do the first rough editing of it.
One of the first things that I create for a new novel project are an outline, character sheets, location and object descriptions. I start by brainstorming ideas in a composition book, writing these down by hand with my fountain pens in ink colors that suit my mood. I condense these ideas into plot points in another section of the notebook until…
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Filed under: Writing
Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series: Available for Pre-order
AND, if you’d like to get to know author, Shay West, even better, watch our LIVE conversation, archived on YouTube! Episode 1 of *CHANGES*: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbfKicwk4dFdeVSAY1tfhtjaEY_clmfq and stay to watch a few more authors’ Episodes!
Originally posted on Dr. Shay West:
Author Shay West’s, The Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series, takes the reader on a journey through time, and follows the struggles of a modern teenage girl as she copes with major life changes and a secret that could cost Alex her life.
Pre-order on Amazon now and read the series in its entirety on December 15th!!
Filed under: Writing
FILM REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1
Thank you for your review, which was specific enough for me to save my money and not go see this.
I intensely dislike the direction sci-fi filmmaking has gone: too many minutes and dollars spent in flashy and unnecessary effects, massive air, outer space, land and sea CGI battles and not-credible, one-on-one combat tricks and not enough on character and plot.
Star Wars, Star Trek, Superman, Spiderman, Ironman and many more, and now, Hunger Games all gone that way. When you add up the time each movie devotes to telling the story and developing the relationships among the characters compared to blowing stuff up and destroying each other, the ratio is horribly disappointing.
I guess I am not the target demographic for most movies any more (if I ever was). Sigh.
Originally posted on Grady P Brown - Author:
I went to see Part 1 of Mockingjay today and I was in for a twist. Unlike Hunger Games or Catching Fire, Mockingjay does not revolve around games where people fight to the death. Instead, it focuses on the immediate aftermath of Catching Fire and the beginning of all-out war. The ending reminds me of Ramsay Snow from Game of Thrones, but that is all I will say about the ending. I would recommend this film to anyone who is seeking an intense story about science fiction and resisting the iron fist of tyranny.
Filed under: Writing
November 21, 2014
Why I LOVE the #Smashwords Blog and you should, too!
I started with #Smashwords after months of research, watching every one of the owner/founder, Mark Coker’s, informative videos, visiting many other forum and chat room sites and investigating other options thoroughly, in early 2013. I have not been sorry in the least.
In addition to their excellent customer support, easy-to-navigate website and ongoing info for #indie #authors, Smashwords publishes an excellent blog with researched, important, up-to-the minute updates.
Excerpts and the link to the full article from their most recent posting are here. READ and SHARE!
Smashwords Blog: Ebook Publishing Gets More Difficult from Here -
Here’s How to Succeed
Posted: 19 Nov 2014 03:59 PM PST
The article starts with “good news,” which I won’t rehash, here, but it is worth reading.
It’s the “bad news” we’re all needing to know about, for sure. Here are some highlights, but please go read the details.
“…most major ebook retailers have suffered anemic or declining sales over the last 12-18 months.”
“… after a decade of exponential growth in ebooks with indies partying like it was 1999, growth was slowing.”
“It’s easy to succeed when everything’s growing like gangbusters. It’s when things slow down that your mettle is tested.”
The article goes into depth about “What’s causing the slowdown,” which I also encourage you to read fully. Headlines, here.
“1. There’s a glut of high-quality #ebooks.”
“2. The rate of growth in the supply of ebooks is outstripping the growth in demand for ebooks.”
“3. The rate of transition from print books to ebooks is slowing.”
What can an indie author do, especially one like me, who still ONLY has ebooks?
I love Mark’s optimistic overview, including: “…tremendous opportunities still lie ahead.”
and “…there’s never been a better time to be an indie author. Millions of readers are hungry to discover, purchase and read their next great book.”
He then provides tips and tricks for our use, immediately and in the future, for “how to succeed” right now. Read about and incorporate them!
“1. Take the long view.”
“2. Good isn’t good enough.”
“3. Write more, publish more and get better.”
“4. Diversify your distribution.”
“5. Network with fellow indies.”
Mark Coker also penned the Indie Author Manifesto, well worth reading!
“6. Publish multi-author box set collaborations.”
“7. Leverage professional publishing tools.”
“8. Best practices bring incremental advantage.”
Mark offers his free ebook, The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success, and reminds us of the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide and to “review [his] prior blogs posts here, or watch [his] ebook publishing tutorial videos at YouTube.”
As I said, I watched all Coker’s videos. If you are an indie author, regardless of how many ebooks/print books you’re self-published or published with a small press, these videos are well worth your time.
If you’re new and you’re trying to decide where to start, I highly recommend starting with your own word processing program and then using Smashwords as your first “publisher,” because that means you MUST put your ebook into the format that succeeds going through their “meatgrinder” and having it come out fine. If you follow Smashwords’ free formatting manual EXACTLY (and I recommend you start to do it NOW, prior to your final draft) that experience then forces your ebook into the format the Smashwords’ meatgrinder accepts.
Once you fulfill that, you’ll have EVERY ebook version you need for your manuscript, correctly formatted already. With a few tweaks (literally, taking fewer than 10 minutes), your Kindle format (.mobi) is ready to upload to #Amazon directly from your having downloaded it to your own computer from Smashwords.
Smashwords also provides a PDF, an RTF, an epub (needed for #nook, #iBooks, #Kobo and other ebook retailers) and excerpt-size versions (your choice of how large an excerpt) of all these formats for you to download as well.
That means you can email ARCs of your ebook in any format to potential beta readers, reviewers, family, as soon as it’s in the pre-order phase at Smashwords (which I highly recommend you utilize).
Then, about ten days prior to its actual release, you can fix any last-minute errors readers/ reviewers/ you found, add any review excerpts to the front matter and update your links before submitting the final revision. You need that 10-day lead for the revision to get sent in its new version to all Smashwords’ retailer partners.
THIS IS ALL FREE! Smashwords takes a very small percentage of every sale, but that is it.
NOTE: Using Smashwords first means you can’t use Kindle Select Publication (KSP), only Kindle Direct Publication (KDP), but it’s worth it.
“9. You’re running a business.”
I print these in their entirety, to entice you to follow the link, below, and read this entire article. FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!
Mark’s Unconventional (but proven effective) Rules for Business:
1. Be a nice person. Treat partners, fellow authors and readers with kindness, respect and integrity. You’ll find as you develop your career, the publishing industry will feel smaller and smaller as you get to know everyone, and as everyone gets to know you. It takes a village to reach readers. All these people – fellow authors, critique partners, beta readers, editors, publishers, cover designers, publicists, retailers, and distributors – have the potential to open doors for you.
2. Be honest. Business relationships are built on trust and honesty. The fastest way to destroy a relationship is to be dishonest.
3. Be Ethical. Don’t cheat. Do unto others as you’d want done unto you.
4. Be Humble. Yeah, I’ve told you have superawesome potential within you. But know that you can always be better. Celebrate those who help you succeed. Always know that none of us can achieve anything without the support, encouragement and love of those around us. It takes a village.
“10. Pinch your pennies (an American saying that means, ‘be frugal with your money’).”
“11. Time Management.”
“12. Take risks, experiment, and fail often.”
“13. Dream big dreams.”
“14. Be delusional.”
I love this story, so I also print it here. Mark Coker is the real deal. An indie author himself (and that is one of the main reasons he founded Smashwords), he is also funny, smart, and insightful.
At the Pikes Peak writers conference three years ago, I had a fun conversation with uber-agent Donald Maas. Don had just told a room full of writers that self-publishing was a fine option if they didn’t want to sell any books. Later that night, we crossed paths at dinner. I told him I thought he was underestimating the impact self-published authors would have on the publishing industry. He told me he thought I was delusional. When someone doubts me, I feel energized. To have vision – to see what doesn’t yet exist – that’s delusional. Be delusional. What’s your vision? Know that every NY Times bestseller was absolutely nuts to write a book. Most books fail. Three months ago, three years after my conversation with Mr. Maas, Inc. Magazine named Smashwords to its INC 500 list of America’s fastest-growing companies in recognition of indie authors at Smashwords who sold over $30 million worth of books at retail last year. Who’s delusional now?
“15. Embrace your doubters.”
“16. Celebrate your fellow authors’ success.”
“17. Past success is no guarantee of future success.”
“18. Never Quit.”
“19. Dream big dreams.”
“20. Know that your writing is important.”
Mark supports and exhorts us authors so well, here, that I quote most of it:
“You are the creator of books. That makes you special, and it also burdens you with a special responsibility. No one else can create what you have within you. Your writing represents the manifestation of your life, your dreams, your soul and your talent. You’re special. Others might think you’re suffering from delusions of grandiosity but so what? What do they know? If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?”
“If you publish for the right reasons and you adopt best practices that make your books more available and more desirable to readers, your future is as bright as your imagination.”
“Thank you for everything you do.”
No, #MarkCoker: THANK YOU!
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE:
http://blog.smashwords.com/2014/11/ebook-publishing-gets-more-difficult.html
Filed under: Blogging and others' content, Indie or Self-Publishing, Marketing, Statistics, Writing Tagged: ebooks, indie authors, recommendations, Smashwords, trends
November 20, 2014
We Should All Contribute to Raising All Children
“Man with 25 kids with 15 different women refuses to pay child support” accuses the New York Daily News‘ headline last week. http://goo.gl/9ufQGT
In this story are pathetic vignettes from two or more of this man’s sexual partners who became pregnant with and claimed to have had children with him, all the while ignorant of his other …. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 children….? Even though this man’s problems with not paying child support had made him Tennessee’s statewide largest “deadbeat dad” in 2012, he still found willing partners and impregnated at least three more women since that public designation.
This scofflaw was known for “driving flashy cars and throwing cash around,” since he apparently owns several nightclubs, then “dressing in rags and claiming poverty” when brought in front of judges whose prosecuting attorneys are apparently too incompetent to do proper research on this man’s net worth.
All I can think about are these 25 children, probably growing up without sufficient resources, continuing the downward cycle, ad infinitum. Multiplied by thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions world-wide, imagine all these children inadequately provided for, however that occurs.
UNACCEPTABLE.
image from http://reason.com
My conclusions and recommendations:
We humans are unable to sustain this system successfully. We will not survive as a species.
We apparently are too stupid, incompetent, ignorant, selfish, misguided, unlucky and/or unable to make intelligent choices and raise children with sufficient support.
We as a species must make it mandatory for ALL humans to contribute to the well-being and support of ALL minors.
Boom.
image from http://jokeallucan.blogspot.com
Forget going after individual bio parents, grandparents, foster parents or adoptive parents who have reneged on their parenting duties and/or financial responsibilities.
Stop trying to collect “child support” from the uncollectible.
Admit that it’s hopeless: we can’t instill parenting skills or knowledge via “parent education” into the addicted, severely mentally disabled, recalcitrant, unwilling or arrogant.
Stop relegating youth to the “luck of the draw” for the parenting lottery.
End these philosophies that govern current legal and cultural practices: “Oh, your mom is a meth addict? Too bad.” “Oh, your dad is in prison? Tough break.” “Oh, your parents are dead? Oh, well.” “Oh, your parents are mentally ill? We’ll put you in foster care.”
No.
We as humans must figure out a way to reproduce more responsibly AND to raise and educate children more fairly and competently.
In addition, we have to make it impossible for any child to go without basic amenities, food, clothing, education, nurturing and appropriate discipline and structure due to the deficiencies of their birth circumstances.
No government should be allowed to continue to be in power, even to exist, which does not ensure that all young people are well-fed, clothed, housed and educated.
If we continue to assign children to their “fates” based on their bio parents and other environmental circumstances, the caste- and class-based failure we call “society” will continue to populate (privatized, for-profit) prisons with inmates. We will continue sending addicts to rehabilitation centers, keeping them stocked with recurring “patients” that fill the coffers of insurance companies but cure almost no one.
What happens when millions go without sufficient food, medicine or clothing? Earth produces hundreds of millions, probably billions by the end of 2025, with bellies filled mostly with rage.
What fuels terrorism and crime? Dissatisfaction and alienation.
What creates affiliation to community? Fairness and caring.
It costs almost eight times as much to imprison an individual as it does to educate him/her all the way through high school.
image from http://www.safeandjust.org
You do the math.
Let the corralling of the incapable into parenting end now.
The “nuclear” family is, by and large, unsustainable, a failure, with circumstances getting worse for children every decade.
Model childraising on the Kibbutzim, the collective childraising communities in Israel.
Put competent, caring, educated, healthy, trained and willing adults in charge of children.
Allow all minors to have contact with any safe adults, but not solely to rely on their bio or legal guardians/parents for their upbringing.
image from http://www.judaica-hamsa-jewish-star-symbols-and-meanings.com
Let’s level the “playing field” for all young people. Give them all truly equal opportunities.
Comments/questions? Movements? Ideas?
Anyone already have a charity or nonprofit devoted to supporting ALL children?
Tell me about it. I might be able to help start, organize, or publicize these efforts.
SOMETHING major has got to change. For the children. For the species.
Filed under: Life lessons, Opinions, Support for Good Causes Tagged: addiction, child support, childcare, childraising, Children, crime, education, parenting, prisons, terrorism
November 18, 2014
…Written Acts of Kindness Award (Part 2)… Authoress Olga Nunez Miret…
SHARE! Look who just got a Blogger Award, just in time to brag about it on *CHANGES* Episode 13 tomorrow, Wed., 10 – 11 AM EST USA! Join me and winning author, Olga Nuñez Miret, Ph.D., LIVE http://goo.gl/D4DGOI or Youtube http://goo.gl/1uZJDm .
Originally posted on Seumas Gallacher:
…I often drop wee supposed pearls of wisdom into my blogs (at least, that’s what I call them), one of my favourites being, ‘…to keep it yeez have to give it away’… and we’re not talking money here (Scottish, me, remember?)… the generosity and sheer warm-heartedness of so many Lads and Lassies of Blog Land out there, simply giving of themselves, is unbounded… that’s another reason why this particular Written Acts of Kindness Award appeals to my sense of balance…
…there are too many to name them all in one post, but I have a list as long as yer arm, from which, from time to time, I will single out another recipient… today, I’m pleased to present to yeez, a wonderful pal, Authoress, Olga Nunez Miret, writer, translator, forensic psychiatrist from Barcelona now gracing the UK with her presence… but these labels don’t properly show the unstinting support…
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Filed under: Writing
Stale writing? 4 Underused Literary Devices: Aphorism, Hyperbole, Tmesis and Zeugma
Stale writing? 4 Underused Literary Devices:
Aphorism, Hyperbole, Tmesis and Zeugma
[Definitions and examples culled and summarized from http://literarydevices.net/]
In the last days of NaNoWriMo [National Novel Writing Month, November] or any other intensive writing period, we authors often suffer from ennui from the endless repetition of putting thousands of words on screen (or, if you are a Luddite, on paper).
We get bored with our style. We are tired of the way we phrase things. We depict the same thing repeatedly. We use similar sentence structure too often. Our dialogue sounds forced, our imagery is trite and our comparisons are about as subtle as the proverbial freight train.
Like, here.
image from http://radioink.com
A reviewer counted the number of times the main character “rolled her eyes” in a best-selling fiction novel: 14 eye-rolls in a book that had fewer than 200 pages. She was described as “gaping” 23 times. Inexcusably poor editing and boring writing, yet that particular book featured sexual bondage and a billionaire lover, so it sold a bizillion copies. Sigh.
Meanwhile, back in literature…. How do we spice up our writing so that we and our readers stay interested, feel stimulated (and not by a cattle prod or whip), and want to keep going? Underused Literary Devices to the rescue, here.
The above-mentioned and other websites have a panoply of Literary Devices, many of which I had never heard of or spent decades forgetting I’d learned in school. Some are only for poetry, but below are four that are usable in any kind of writing.
Have fun!
WAKE UP!
APHORISM
DEFINITION: …is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic/concise and memorable form, as a statement of truth or opinion. Aphorisms are expressed in a pithy, witty manner which expresses a philosophical, moral or literary principle. Proverbs (as religiously or culturally promoted), Maxims, Adages and (when overused) Clichés are types of Aphorisms.
EXAMPLES: “To err is human, to forgive divine.” from An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope
image from http://popphilosophy.typepad.com
HYPERBOLE
DEFINITION: Adynaton is an extreme form of Hyperbole, one that is completely impossible to happen in reality, presented as an exaggerated comparison or contrast.
EXAMPLE:
I’ll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
from As I Walked Out One Evening by W.H. Auden
image from http://cupcakesncraftsbyg.com
TMESIS
DEFINITION: …is a rhetorical device that involves the breaking down of a phrase or a word into two parts as an insertion of a word between a word, a compound word or a phrase (phrasal verbs usually). Tmesis is accomplished by dividing a phrase or word into its components by inserting another word in the middle of that phrase or word. Tmesis works best with words that have more than three syllables.
Fun fact: In Australian English, Tmesis is called tumba rumba.
EXAMPLES:
“This is not Romeo, he’s some other where.” from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Eliza Dolitttle: “Fan-bloody-tastic or abso-blooming-lutely” from Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw)
Audrey Hepburn as “Eliza Doolittle” in the film of My Fair Lady, based on Pygmalion, image from http://www.listal.com
ZEUGMA
DEFINITION: … is a word, usually a verb or an adjective, applied to more than one noun, blending together grammatically and logically different ideas to produce a unique artistic effect, making the literary works more interesting and effective as it serves to adorn expressions and to add emphasis to ideas in impressive style.
EXAMPLE: “[They] covered themselves with dust and glory.”
from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Aaahhh. Did you feel that?
image from http://www.gotbrainy.com
It’s a breath of fresh air blowing in through the million drafty doors and windows in your gi-friggin-normous memory palace, a zephyr that brings in new ideas and high heating bills.
Use them well.
Filed under: Life lessons, Personal stories, Writing Tagged: aphorisms, cliches, morals, old sayings, proverbs, tag lines
November 17, 2014
25 Ways to Help Self-Published Authors
Help THIS Indie Author, please? Vol II needs purchases and readers’ reviews (review copies free from author if you are actually a reviewer); start with Vol I, which is FREE! Watch/comment on *CHANGES*, weekly Wed. G+ HOA, 10 – 11 AM EST USA; comment/follow find all links on my blog: http://www.sallyember.com
THANKS!
Originally posted on This College Dropout:
Courtesy of David Melchior Diaz via F
lickr/PhotoPin
Buy a self-published book
Leave an honest review. (In fact, leave a review on more than one site!)
Thank the author publicly on social media.
Recommend the book to someone else.
Follow them on social media.
Engage with them on social media.
Ignore critics of the self-publishing industry.
Write your own good book.
Serve as a beta reader or reviewer for a book.
Write a blog post about the book.
Enter an author’s contest or giveaway.
Become a book blogger or reviewer.
Interview an author.
Refer any potentially good reviewers to an author.
Don’t obtain an illegal copy of the book.
Mention a book in a group or forum.
Offer your editing, formatting, or graphic design skills to an author.
Buy a second copy of the print version for a friend or for your local library.
Download a copy from Amazon’s Lending…
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Filed under: Writing
