N.D. Iverson's Blog, page 3
May 14, 2015
Slow Progress
So TWBP 2 is a slow go, despite the rather boastful- but hopeful, last post. The meter you see to the right has hardly moved in the last few months...Some good news though, I have a working cover while I post the sequel, chapter by chapter, on Wattpad. I'm hoping I will find motivation from the comments and support on Wattpad to keep me plugging away at the book.
And I have also finished a major edit of the first book and will be having an editor friend give it one last look over before I self-publish it. I'm hoping to time that release with when I start posting the sequel in mid-June. But as I have learned the hard way, things rarely go as I feel they should.
In a random, but not entirely unrelated note, my Skyrim addiction has been acting up again. Anyone have trouble putting this game down? Ugh, I love it, but I hate it.
December 8, 2014
Motivation Experiment
As many of you have most likely gone through yourself, I find I go through periods were I want to do anything but write. I've heard of this "method" of writing 500 words a day and have decided to give it the old college try. To put it in terms of numbers, if you mange to write 500 words a day, you have 3500 words a week done and 14,000 words a month output. It may not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things when writing a full length novel, but it's better than having zero words at the end of the week.Also this method gets the ball rolling. You can write as many words as you want in a day, so long at the minimum of 500 has been met. The first day I did this, I wrote just over 3000. So it's like giving your brain a warm-up. Like telling yourself you just need to do 20 minutes on the treadmill, but by the time you get going, you are more likely to keep going past 20 minutes.
To add to my productivity increasing experiment, I have also added a word meter bar (look to the top right of the blog) to give me a visual representation of my progress. To get the HTML link for yourself, just click on the bar and it will take you to the page. I get excited when I can add my words to it and can actually see the bar moving to the right.
Oh, and I have placed a bunch of post-it notes on the wall above my desk telling me: 500 Words A Day as a neon orange reminder. So here's to a new method of writing!
December 3, 2014
December 1, 2014
Why Wattpad And Sites Like Wattpad Are Important
I cannot stress enough the importance of story sharing sites like Wattpad and Fictionpress for the budding author. They offer so many benefits, why aren't you on there already? Critiques. Once you post your work on Wattpad, you can receive comments and feedback from the community. This is beyond useful as your create your masterpiece. They will not be shy to point out what needs fixing, but they will also point out what they like. Yes, sometimes it is a hard pill to swallow, but at the end of the day, your book will be better because of it. What I really like about Wattpad, is that you cannot leave a comment as a guest, so you always have to own up to what you've said. Unlike Fictionpress, which allows people to review as a guest and sometimes this is a breeding ground for trolls.
Socializing. The thing about Wattpad is that it's not just a site for books, it's also a social network. There are clubs you can join and threads you can comment and interact with. I've met some super awesome people on here, most are writers just like yourself.
Exposure. These sites can also be used as a marketing tool. Millions of people connect to Wattpad everyday and that gives you millions of chances to have your book seen. If you want your book to be at the top of the rankings, you will need to make sure you have a regular updating schedule, a catchy book cover and blurb, edit your work as best as you can, and interact with the people reading your story.
Contests. Wattpad has contests like The Wattys and Wattpad Prize. There are certain rules for each, so make sure to read them carefully before entering. These also are a great way to get your work out there.
So if you're not on there, go now and be free to write your heart out! And meet some cool people! Oh, and look for me too while you're there ;)
November 24, 2014
Self-Publishing Help
So now that I have gone through the self-publishing process, I have some "insight" to offer. I wish during all my research, I had come across some sort of guide to help me get started and for a Canadian, I had yet to find a proper one. In the spirit of that, I have decided to make my own list. Feel free to add anything I missed in the comments!
1. Are you a non-American? If so, I have some less than pleasant news for you. In order for the American Government to not withhold a large chunk of your royalties, you will need an ITIN. This is an American tax number so that you can claim the income without them taking the default 30% tax rate (or whichever it is in your country). They require you fill out a W-7 form, get a signed letter from your publishing company of choice stating that you are a seller and your passport. Now if you're like me and don't want to send you passport in the mail, (who would do that?!) you can go to your passport issuing agency and have them make a certified copy for you to send out. This process is very time consuming and should be your first step long before you are done the book.
2. Hire an Editor. I don't care if you have an English degree or whatnot, you need a second pair of eyes to look over your work. I found mine by searching our local selling ads website Kijiji for someone advertising their editing services. I got them for a reasonable price and was able to meet them face to face. But always make sure to check their previous work, so you know what to expect from them. And know that you will still have to go over your own work again and again, so much that your eyes will start to cross.
3. Get a professional book cover made. This means using legal images that have the copyrights purchased. You can buy pre-made covers or get one custom designed, but just make sure they aren't using images from Google. I found mine by searching the internet for cover designers. I ended up using my second choice because the first company just wasn't bringing my vision to life.
4. Research the best self-publishing site for you. There are a few to choose from, so make sure you look at each one closely. I chose Lulu because it made your book available on all eBook sites, including Amazon (which Smashwords does not). But Smashwords offers author generated coupons, where Lulu does not. It's all about personal preferences.
5. Format the manuscript properly. Most self-publishing websites will reject your manuscript if it does not meet the formatting requirements. Best to do it right the first time. The publisher will generally have a how-to or helpful post on what to do to ensure it isn't rejected.
6. Marketing. Now there are many different methods to utilize here, depending if it's just an eBook you are offering or not. I would suggest going on a Blogtour. There are many companies that offer this and for a price, they will tour around your promotional package to various blogs to gain more exposure. Also Google AdWords can be of use (depending on your budget). You can also look up book review blogs separately and email the host to see if they would do a review of your book in exchange for a free copy. Social networks are something to consider. If you have a large following, it may be beneficial to post that your book is for sale and where they can get it.
For now, this is all I got. As things pop up (as they usually do) I may add to this list. Good luck on your self-publishing journey! Have any stories to share? Feel free to post them in the comments!
1. Are you a non-American? If so, I have some less than pleasant news for you. In order for the American Government to not withhold a large chunk of your royalties, you will need an ITIN. This is an American tax number so that you can claim the income without them taking the default 30% tax rate (or whichever it is in your country). They require you fill out a W-7 form, get a signed letter from your publishing company of choice stating that you are a seller and your passport. Now if you're like me and don't want to send you passport in the mail, (who would do that?!) you can go to your passport issuing agency and have them make a certified copy for you to send out. This process is very time consuming and should be your first step long before you are done the book.
2. Hire an Editor. I don't care if you have an English degree or whatnot, you need a second pair of eyes to look over your work. I found mine by searching our local selling ads website Kijiji for someone advertising their editing services. I got them for a reasonable price and was able to meet them face to face. But always make sure to check their previous work, so you know what to expect from them. And know that you will still have to go over your own work again and again, so much that your eyes will start to cross.
3. Get a professional book cover made. This means using legal images that have the copyrights purchased. You can buy pre-made covers or get one custom designed, but just make sure they aren't using images from Google. I found mine by searching the internet for cover designers. I ended up using my second choice because the first company just wasn't bringing my vision to life.
4. Research the best self-publishing site for you. There are a few to choose from, so make sure you look at each one closely. I chose Lulu because it made your book available on all eBook sites, including Amazon (which Smashwords does not). But Smashwords offers author generated coupons, where Lulu does not. It's all about personal preferences.
5. Format the manuscript properly. Most self-publishing websites will reject your manuscript if it does not meet the formatting requirements. Best to do it right the first time. The publisher will generally have a how-to or helpful post on what to do to ensure it isn't rejected.
6. Marketing. Now there are many different methods to utilize here, depending if it's just an eBook you are offering or not. I would suggest going on a Blogtour. There are many companies that offer this and for a price, they will tour around your promotional package to various blogs to gain more exposure. Also Google AdWords can be of use (depending on your budget). You can also look up book review blogs separately and email the host to see if they would do a review of your book in exchange for a free copy. Social networks are something to consider. If you have a large following, it may be beneficial to post that your book is for sale and where they can get it.
For now, this is all I got. As things pop up (as they usually do) I may add to this list. Good luck on your self-publishing journey! Have any stories to share? Feel free to post them in the comments!
October 24, 2014
Finally!
I can finally say I have wrote something to completion. My book This Would Be Paradise is finished! That only took like two years... Now I have to go through all the less than exciting hoops that are required for me to self-publish. Oh joy. But it will be worth it when I see my book on Amazon and Kobo, up for the world to see. Check out the new cover: Pretty snazzy huh? I've also hired an editor to go over the manuscript with her trusty read pen, so it will read a lot smoother and have less errors! Who doesn't want that? Anywho, stayed tuned for when it will be available to buy!
October 8, 2013
Zombies!
So the season premiere of the Walking Dead Season 4 is this Sunday Oct. 13 and I could not be anymore excited (love me some Daryl). I heart zombies and I love well made zombie productions. Crappy, low budget zombie flicks just don't peak my interest the way the Walking Dead and the Dawn of The Dead have. We really are in need of another well made and not low budget zombie movie. (Personally I think they should make a Left 4 Dead movie based from the game and game characters but valve can't even get the 3rd game out so *sigh* it'll never happen).World War Z was ok but I found the "super, pumped up on steroids" zombies to be a major turn off. Zombies, walkers, undead, infected are all supposed to be decayed, slow, one thing on their mind only creatures, which they were not in WWZ.
I read an original zombie story and they tried to point out "cliches" that haunt the zombie genre, which got me thinking because I am currently working on a novel that involves zombies. Heres some points he listed:
-Going to a mall, school, prison
-Token ethnic characters that more than likely get killed off right at the beginning
-Characters are mainly adults
What do you think? Have anymore to add to the list? If you do, please comment so I know if I should avoid writing in anything else "cliche" (to be fair, I try not to).
