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Rowena Wiseman's Blog, page 13
January 20, 2015
Aunty's travels puts junior readers in the frame
An interview with Keith Platt from MP News about the launch of Aunty Arty and the pros of publishing an ebook for children in this digital age ... http://issuu.com/morningtonnews/docs/mn_current/c/sluwjlg
(PDF version)
January 15, 2015
December 29, 2014
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. Pablo Picasso
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.
Pablo Picasso
Another famous art quote poster designed by illustrator Narelda Joy for our Aunty Arty series - a new series for junior readers who love art http://www.jetblackpublishing.com/shop/aunty-arty-and-the-disquieting-muses
December 18, 2014
Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life, Pablo Picasso
Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life
Pablo Picasso
Loving these posters that illustrator Narelda Joy is designing for our Aunty Arty series. A new series for junior readers who love art http://www.jetblackpublishing.com/shop/aunty-arty-and-the-disquieting-muses
December 16, 2014
About Leanpub with Liz Madrid
I came across Leanpub on Liz Madrid's Wattpad profile. It sparked my curiosity ... I hadn't heard of Leanpub before and wanted to find out whether it's a hidden gem that indie authors should be considering ... Liz is an author and poet and is using Leanpub for her fiction work. Here she tells us about how writers can use the platform to get feedback on their work, build an audience, publish and how it allows the reader to pay the author more than the book is marked for ...
Please tell us a little about Leanpub?
Leanpub is part of the movement called lean publishing. According to Steve Armstrong, the founder of Leanpub, 'lean publishing is the act of publishing an in-progress book using lightweight tools and many iterations to get reader feedback, pivot until you have the right book and build traction once you do.'
So as a writer, it allows me to post one chapter at a time, get feedback and build my audience if I want to. Unfortunately since I already post my chapters on Wattpad, I don’t necessarily need Leanpub for those reasons. What I did like about Leanpub was that I could publish my book as I wrote it if I wanted to, edit or update it, and have it available within minutes in three formats: epub, mobi and PDF, complete with a cover.
How does Leanpub work?
Probably the only catch I’ve noticed with Leanpub is the format with which material is uploaded to their platform. Unless you’re exporting your blog or Wattpad story, you need to write your story in markdown language.
According to Wikipedia, 'Markdown is a plain text formatting syntax designed so that it can be converted to HTML and many other formats using a tool by the same name. Markdown is often used to format readme files, for writing messages in online discussion forums, and to create rich text using a plain text editor.' What it basically means is that it’s the opposite of WYSIWYG programs like Word or WordPerfect (don’t know if that’s still around). Instead, markdown is very barebones it reminds me of writing in DOS.
An example would be, to write my heading, Chapter One, in bold font with a font size of 15 in Word, markdown would just require me to write it with a hashtag (or pound symbol), a space, and then Chapter One. Subheadings would be two hashtags, a space, and then the title. To italicize a word or sentence, I simply have to enclose it with the asterisk, before and after. (The only reason I’m not doing it is because I’m writing in markdown right now). Bold is with two asterisks before and after the word or sentence. Spaces between paragraphs requires two hard returns, so if you don’t, your paragraphs will bleed into each other.
Since I already write in markdown using Ulysses 3.0, it was quite easy for me to adapt to Leanpub and see for myself how the finished work would look like. For those used to WYSIWYG programs like Word, it would be a heck of a challenge though, but after you get used to it, sometimes it may be difficult to go back to Word. I know because I prefer to write in markdown ever since I learned how 2 years ago.
After I have my book done, I simply click Preview for a look at what the final book will look like, and Publish to have it available in the Bookstore. Besides having it available for sale in the Leanpub bookstore, Leanpub also allows the reader to pay the author more than the book is marked for. Let’s say your book’s retail price goes for $5.99. Minimum amount the reader pays (there is a range, you see) is determined by you to be $1.99 and retail recommended price is $5.99. If, let’s say, some really generous and happy reader (don’t we all want one of these readers?) decides that they want you to get $5.99 gross, not royalty out of $ 5.99, but the actual amount (less the 10% and $0.50 for Leanpub), then there’s a slider that allows them to determine how much your royalty will be compared to the retail amount paid. If you’ve assigned a charity to get a percentage, like in my case, NaNoWriMo, it factors that in, too.
As far as royalties go, writers receive 90%, less $0.50 per sale.
How can fiction authors use the platform effectively?
Unfortunately, I haven’t seen fiction writers see any success with Leanpub yet, though software books are doing amazingly well, and they sell for much higher prices, too.
But that doesn’t mean fiction writers should give up on Leanpub just yet. I think there is great potential there for a fiction author to have their books available on Leanpub, especially if they are already familiar with Markdown and book formatting which is really straightforward, as Leanpub has the platform all set for lean publishing - just fill in the blanks and then publish. If the author wasn't already posting their stories elsewhere like Wattpad, they could write their books on Leanpub, have it available as they go and get feedback from their readers (probably readers from their blog, let's say) before publishing right there as well.
I love Leanpub's book page. Once you publish your book, I like the way the information is presented. Here's the Finding Sam page on Leanpub which I really like: https://leanpub.com/findingsam
You also have the option of having your book available to read online for free (let's say the chapters you need feedback on) or a sample downloaded (you determine which chapters are to be downloaded).
For it to work and be profitable, maybe the author should only have it available on Leanpub for a while and do major marketing to lead their readers there, but it’s worth a try.
Visit Liz Madrid's blog: www.lizmadrid.com
Visit Leanpub: https://leanpub.com/
Please tell us a little about Leanpub?
Leanpub is part of the movement called lean publishing. According to Steve Armstrong, the founder of Leanpub, 'lean publishing is the act of publishing an in-progress book using lightweight tools and many iterations to get reader feedback, pivot until you have the right book and build traction once you do.'
So as a writer, it allows me to post one chapter at a time, get feedback and build my audience if I want to. Unfortunately since I already post my chapters on Wattpad, I don’t necessarily need Leanpub for those reasons. What I did like about Leanpub was that I could publish my book as I wrote it if I wanted to, edit or update it, and have it available within minutes in three formats: epub, mobi and PDF, complete with a cover.
How does Leanpub work?
Probably the only catch I’ve noticed with Leanpub is the format with which material is uploaded to their platform. Unless you’re exporting your blog or Wattpad story, you need to write your story in markdown language.
According to Wikipedia, 'Markdown is a plain text formatting syntax designed so that it can be converted to HTML and many other formats using a tool by the same name. Markdown is often used to format readme files, for writing messages in online discussion forums, and to create rich text using a plain text editor.' What it basically means is that it’s the opposite of WYSIWYG programs like Word or WordPerfect (don’t know if that’s still around). Instead, markdown is very barebones it reminds me of writing in DOS.
An example would be, to write my heading, Chapter One, in bold font with a font size of 15 in Word, markdown would just require me to write it with a hashtag (or pound symbol), a space, and then Chapter One. Subheadings would be two hashtags, a space, and then the title. To italicize a word or sentence, I simply have to enclose it with the asterisk, before and after. (The only reason I’m not doing it is because I’m writing in markdown right now). Bold is with two asterisks before and after the word or sentence. Spaces between paragraphs requires two hard returns, so if you don’t, your paragraphs will bleed into each other.
Since I already write in markdown using Ulysses 3.0, it was quite easy for me to adapt to Leanpub and see for myself how the finished work would look like. For those used to WYSIWYG programs like Word, it would be a heck of a challenge though, but after you get used to it, sometimes it may be difficult to go back to Word. I know because I prefer to write in markdown ever since I learned how 2 years ago.
After I have my book done, I simply click Preview for a look at what the final book will look like, and Publish to have it available in the Bookstore. Besides having it available for sale in the Leanpub bookstore, Leanpub also allows the reader to pay the author more than the book is marked for. Let’s say your book’s retail price goes for $5.99. Minimum amount the reader pays (there is a range, you see) is determined by you to be $1.99 and retail recommended price is $5.99. If, let’s say, some really generous and happy reader (don’t we all want one of these readers?) decides that they want you to get $5.99 gross, not royalty out of $ 5.99, but the actual amount (less the 10% and $0.50 for Leanpub), then there’s a slider that allows them to determine how much your royalty will be compared to the retail amount paid. If you’ve assigned a charity to get a percentage, like in my case, NaNoWriMo, it factors that in, too.
As far as royalties go, writers receive 90%, less $0.50 per sale.
How can fiction authors use the platform effectively?
Unfortunately, I haven’t seen fiction writers see any success with Leanpub yet, though software books are doing amazingly well, and they sell for much higher prices, too.
But that doesn’t mean fiction writers should give up on Leanpub just yet. I think there is great potential there for a fiction author to have their books available on Leanpub, especially if they are already familiar with Markdown and book formatting which is really straightforward, as Leanpub has the platform all set for lean publishing - just fill in the blanks and then publish. If the author wasn't already posting their stories elsewhere like Wattpad, they could write their books on Leanpub, have it available as they go and get feedback from their readers (probably readers from their blog, let's say) before publishing right there as well.
I love Leanpub's book page. Once you publish your book, I like the way the information is presented. Here's the Finding Sam page on Leanpub which I really like: https://leanpub.com/findingsam
You also have the option of having your book available to read online for free (let's say the chapters you need feedback on) or a sample downloaded (you determine which chapters are to be downloaded).
For it to work and be profitable, maybe the author should only have it available on Leanpub for a while and do major marketing to lead their readers there, but it’s worth a try.
Visit Liz Madrid's blog: www.lizmadrid.com
Visit Leanpub: https://leanpub.com/
December 14, 2014
Aunty Arty and the Disquieting Muses is released!
The first book in my Aunty Arty series for junior readers is released today! In Aunty Arty and the Disquieting Muses Aunty Arty takes Frieda and her sister Mona into Georgio de Chirico's painting 'The Disquieting Muses'. Will they be able to save their new friend Fibula from Cupid’s lead arrow, sentencing her to a lifetime without love? The statue of Venus is suffering from lovesickness, she’s lost her common sense and her keys, but will she be able to help them?
So many people have helped me with the Disquieting Muses. I want to thank: Olimpia, for being my very first reader and teaching me about the rule of threes and suggesting that Aunty Arty has a sheet of red stickers poking out of her pyjama top pocket! Joan, for wanting to know more about Aunty Arty, Oscar and Hugo, for saying he wanted it to be more humorous and have more adventure, Di, Dan, Zoe, Joan, Maureen, Mandy, Bronte and Imogen, for all your encouraging comments and thoughtful feedback, Rodney for your copyright permission advice and Jill and Nina for your helpful feedback on the children’s activities at the end of the book. There have also been many others that have helped me with the next two books ... that should be coming out some time in 2015!! And thank you to the many others that have helped with your interest, encouragement and support!
But my biggest thanks of all goes to Narelda Joy ... her illustrations are better than anything I could ever have imagined ... she's added character to my characters! She's given Aunty Arty fluffy animal slippers, Oscar the cat fish-shapes on his bedspread and Mona the stroppiest expression you're likely to see on a child! Narelda is an extremely talented artist and an absolute delight to work with.
And none of this could have been possible without Kim Mungcal, publisher at Jet Black Publishing. Thank you for believing in this series!
You can:
Follow Aunty Arty's adventures on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuntyArty
Watch a video about how we created Aunty Arty: http://youtu.be/Dm4o_Lk_SiA
Buy the book: http://www.jetblackpublishing.com/shop/aunty-arty-and-the-disquieting-muses
November 30, 2014
Recipes for writers - best brain foods
I don’t know what has happened to me lately. After years of dissing sugar Nazis and Thermomix owners, I’ve found myself suddenly interested in eating nutritious food. I think it started with a conversation with a friend who was turning Paleo, and then a Recipe to Riches episode sent me on the hunt for a healthy cracker recipe and then I read this quote by Hippocrates and it pretty much sealed the deal for me … Let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be food.
Maybe I’m going through some kind of spiritual crisis or something, but I keep finding myself in the kitchen cooking new recipes that include lots of nuts, coconut oil and flax seeds. In my after hours, I’m searching through healthy food blogs. And when I’m with friends, I want to ask them if they’ve ever tasted a pomegranate seed, because I think the sweet taste of life is captured in each seed …
Which brings me to this blog post … I’ve been researching the best brain foods to help me with my energy and focus when writing. Thankfully dark chocolate is on the list, so is tea (green tea or black tea) and coffee, but I’m also adding to my diet more blueberries and pumpkin seeds for memory enhancement, broccoli and leafy green vegetables for improved brainpower, avocados, chia seeds that are full of Omega-3 for good cognitive function, flax seeds, tuna, tomatoes, eggs and bananas. And guess what … pomegranates have antioxidant benefits that protect your brain from damage caused by free radicals, so there’s even more of a reason to eat them!
So now that I’m becoming one of those annoying people that spend far too long in the health food aisle at the supermarket, I just have to share a couple of recipes for writers with you … Because not only am I going to spend time making these things, but I now have to spend time banging on about it …
Life Changing Crackers from the My New Roots blog
(These crackers contain lots of flax, pumpkin and chia seeds. There's a sweet or savoury version - I often make both by splitting the dough in two and adding the flavourings. Eat the rosemary crackers with avocado for bonus brain food!)
Ingredients:
1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds
1/3 cup / 50g pumpkin seeds
¼ cup /40g sesame seeds
1 ½ cups / 150g rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups / 350ml water
Rosemary, Garlic and Salt - savoury crackers
Half batch:
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
¼ – ½ tsp. garlic powder (depending on how strong you like it)
Salt, to taste
Fig, Anise and Black Pepper - sweet crackers
Half batch:
3 large dried figs (approx. 70g)
1 tsp. ground anise seed (I didn't have any, so I used a mixed Chinese spice that had anise and ginger in it)
cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes thick. Divide the dough roughly in half, and set aside one half.
2. Place one half of the dough back into the bowl and add sweet or savoury flavouring. Gather into a ball and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, firmly roll out into a thin sheet. Remove top layer of baking paper and using the tip of a knife, score the dough into shapes you like. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Using the baking paper, slide the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven, flip the whole cracker over (if it breaks a bit, don’t worry!) and peel the baking paper off of the back. Return to oven to bake for another 10 minutes, until fully dry, crisp, and golden around the edges.
4. Let cool completely, then break crackers along their scored lines and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Makes 2 baking sheets of crispbread. Original recipe: http://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/07/the-life-changing-crackers/
Ancient Grain Salad (adapted from Valli Little's Delicious: Love to Eat)
(This one includes the yummy pomegranate seeds! Makes enough for dinner and a few lunches. Keeps well in the fridge for a few days. Just add the rocket and Persian fetta fresh - if you decide to do this!)
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole green Puy-style lentils
1 cup freekeh
1/3 cup mixed seeds and nuts (eg. pepitas, sunflowers seeds, pine nuts)
1/2 cup cranberries
seeds of 1 pomegranate
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
(Optional: I like to add fresh rocket leaves mixed lightly in olive oil and sea salt and a few pieces of Persian fetta mixed throughout)
Directions:
Cook lentils in a saucepan of boiling water for 25 minutes. Cook the freekeh in a separate saucepan of boiling salted water for 20 minutes. Drain both well, transfer to a bowl with the mixed seeds and nuts, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, parsley and coriander. Whisk lemon juice with olive oil. Season. Add to the freekeh mixture and toss to combine.
Justine's almond and chia seed biscuits
I've adapted this a little, by using dark chocolate buttons to make them look like choc chip cookies - this tricks my kids into eating them! No butter, but plenty of chia seeds! Great salty-sweet flavour.
250g almond meal
2 tbs chia seeds
1/2 tsp bi carb soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
80g small dark chocolate buttons (original recipe says roughly chopped dark chocolate)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line two baking trays with baking paper. In a large bowl combine almond meal, chia, bi carb and salt. Stir in coconut oil (melt first if it's solid), followed by honey/maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix well and stir through chocolate. Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and flatten with a fork. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
(Original recipe from Loving Earth: https://lovingearth.net/recipes/chia-seed-cacao-and-almond-biscuits)
Maybe I’m going through some kind of spiritual crisis or something, but I keep finding myself in the kitchen cooking new recipes that include lots of nuts, coconut oil and flax seeds. In my after hours, I’m searching through healthy food blogs. And when I’m with friends, I want to ask them if they’ve ever tasted a pomegranate seed, because I think the sweet taste of life is captured in each seed …
Which brings me to this blog post … I’ve been researching the best brain foods to help me with my energy and focus when writing. Thankfully dark chocolate is on the list, so is tea (green tea or black tea) and coffee, but I’m also adding to my diet more blueberries and pumpkin seeds for memory enhancement, broccoli and leafy green vegetables for improved brainpower, avocados, chia seeds that are full of Omega-3 for good cognitive function, flax seeds, tuna, tomatoes, eggs and bananas. And guess what … pomegranates have antioxidant benefits that protect your brain from damage caused by free radicals, so there’s even more of a reason to eat them!
So now that I’m becoming one of those annoying people that spend far too long in the health food aisle at the supermarket, I just have to share a couple of recipes for writers with you … Because not only am I going to spend time making these things, but I now have to spend time banging on about it …
Life Changing Crackers from the My New Roots blog
(These crackers contain lots of flax, pumpkin and chia seeds. There's a sweet or savoury version - I often make both by splitting the dough in two and adding the flavourings. Eat the rosemary crackers with avocado for bonus brain food!)
Ingredients:
1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds
1/3 cup / 50g pumpkin seeds
¼ cup /40g sesame seeds
1 ½ cups / 150g rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups / 350ml water
Rosemary, Garlic and Salt - savoury crackers
Half batch:
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
¼ – ½ tsp. garlic powder (depending on how strong you like it)
Salt, to taste
Fig, Anise and Black Pepper - sweet crackers
Half batch:
3 large dried figs (approx. 70g)
1 tsp. ground anise seed (I didn't have any, so I used a mixed Chinese spice that had anise and ginger in it)
cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes thick. Divide the dough roughly in half, and set aside one half.
2. Place one half of the dough back into the bowl and add sweet or savoury flavouring. Gather into a ball and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, firmly roll out into a thin sheet. Remove top layer of baking paper and using the tip of a knife, score the dough into shapes you like. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Using the baking paper, slide the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven, flip the whole cracker over (if it breaks a bit, don’t worry!) and peel the baking paper off of the back. Return to oven to bake for another 10 minutes, until fully dry, crisp, and golden around the edges.
4. Let cool completely, then break crackers along their scored lines and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Makes 2 baking sheets of crispbread. Original recipe: http://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/07/the-life-changing-crackers/
Ancient Grain Salad (adapted from Valli Little's Delicious: Love to Eat)
(This one includes the yummy pomegranate seeds! Makes enough for dinner and a few lunches. Keeps well in the fridge for a few days. Just add the rocket and Persian fetta fresh - if you decide to do this!)
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole green Puy-style lentils
1 cup freekeh
1/3 cup mixed seeds and nuts (eg. pepitas, sunflowers seeds, pine nuts)
1/2 cup cranberries
seeds of 1 pomegranate
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
(Optional: I like to add fresh rocket leaves mixed lightly in olive oil and sea salt and a few pieces of Persian fetta mixed throughout)
Directions:
Cook lentils in a saucepan of boiling water for 25 minutes. Cook the freekeh in a separate saucepan of boiling salted water for 20 minutes. Drain both well, transfer to a bowl with the mixed seeds and nuts, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, parsley and coriander. Whisk lemon juice with olive oil. Season. Add to the freekeh mixture and toss to combine.
Justine's almond and chia seed biscuits
I've adapted this a little, by using dark chocolate buttons to make them look like choc chip cookies - this tricks my kids into eating them! No butter, but plenty of chia seeds! Great salty-sweet flavour.
250g almond meal
2 tbs chia seeds
1/2 tsp bi carb soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
80g small dark chocolate buttons (original recipe says roughly chopped dark chocolate)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line two baking trays with baking paper. In a large bowl combine almond meal, chia, bi carb and salt. Stir in coconut oil (melt first if it's solid), followed by honey/maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix well and stir through chocolate. Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and flatten with a fork. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
(Original recipe from Loving Earth: https://lovingearth.net/recipes/chia-seed-cacao-and-almond-biscuits)
November 24, 2014
Writing tip for the day ...
Honoured to have been invited as one of the 30 most influential writers on Wattpad to share my best writing tip ... The best advice I've ever received as a writer actually came in a rejection letter from a publisher! It was a harsh piece of criticism, that I've been grateful for ever since ...
Read about it here ... http://www.wattpad.com/77373675-just-write-it-guide-day-23-write-your-voice
Read about it here ... http://www.wattpad.com/77373675-just-write-it-guide-day-23-write-your-voice
November 11, 2014
A pop-up story
I've posted my new novelette 'The Illness' on Wattpad as a pop-up story - for 4 weeks only! Gene wakes up in a hospital but no one will tell him why he's there ...
'The Illness' is partly inspired by Kafka's 'The Trial' and Glenn Gould, the famous pianist and hypochondriac ...
Enjoy it on Wattpad while you can ... http://www.wattpad.com/story/26427762-the-illness
Image: Louise Rowe http://louiserowe.co.uk/redridinghood.html#
'The Illness' is partly inspired by Kafka's 'The Trial' and Glenn Gould, the famous pianist and hypochondriac ...
Enjoy it on Wattpad while you can ... http://www.wattpad.com/story/26427762-the-illness
Image: Louise Rowe http://louiserowe.co.uk/redridinghood.html#
November 9, 2014
How to choose a good small press
I recently had to part ways with one of the small presses that was publishing one of my books. It was a tough decision to make, but I’d been feeling uneasy about a few things for a little while. I asked to be released from the contract and luckily they agreed. However, it’s a stressful situation that I don’t want to find myself in again, so I’m going to be more careful about who I send future manuscripts to. Here are some of the things that I’ve learnt from now working with three small presses about how to choose a good one:
Dig deep into their website. Go past the aesthetics ... Is it up to date? How do they showcase their list? Are their blurbs well written? Do they have cover endorsements? Would you like to see your own book on there?Make sure you like the look of their book covers, as you’re likely to end up with a similar designer for your book. Ensure they use professional editors. If they won’t edit your book, you may as well self-publish.Look at their social media networks, make sure they have a good following. Check that they’re promoting their own authors on these channels and they are positive and articulate in their posts.Stalk them. Check out key personnel on LinkedIn to see if they have a background in publishing at all. Editors or anyone who has worked in publishing get a big tick from me, so would someone who has a background in marketing or publicity. Make sure they haven’t had twenty different small businesses in the last five years.If they mention the author paying money for anything, run. Fast.Do a search for them on Writer Beware or Preditors & Editors.Check out how their other authors are doing with reviews on sites such as Goodreads or Amazon.Find out how they distribute their books. Many small presses use print on demand and make their books available through wholesalers like Ingram, but this is quite different to using a distributor to get books into actual stores.Investigate how innovative are they? What are they doing differently to promote their books? How engaged are they with the literary community?
Dig deep into their website. Go past the aesthetics ... Is it up to date? How do they showcase their list? Are their blurbs well written? Do they have cover endorsements? Would you like to see your own book on there?Make sure you like the look of their book covers, as you’re likely to end up with a similar designer for your book. Ensure they use professional editors. If they won’t edit your book, you may as well self-publish.Look at their social media networks, make sure they have a good following. Check that they’re promoting their own authors on these channels and they are positive and articulate in their posts.Stalk them. Check out key personnel on LinkedIn to see if they have a background in publishing at all. Editors or anyone who has worked in publishing get a big tick from me, so would someone who has a background in marketing or publicity. Make sure they haven’t had twenty different small businesses in the last five years.If they mention the author paying money for anything, run. Fast.Do a search for them on Writer Beware or Preditors & Editors.Check out how their other authors are doing with reviews on sites such as Goodreads or Amazon.Find out how they distribute their books. Many small presses use print on demand and make their books available through wholesalers like Ingram, but this is quite different to using a distributor to get books into actual stores.Investigate how innovative are they? What are they doing differently to promote their books? How engaged are they with the literary community?
