A-Z of Self-publishing and writing tips: G
Welcome to the third instalment of my series, wherein I intend to pass on some of the things I have learnt on my publishing journey.
I'm hoping this series will be of use to aspiring authors as well as established Indie authors. Readers may also find the insights valuable, in order to gain some kind of idea of what the self-publishing journey entails. It's not an easy road to travel, which is why I think it's beneficial that we all assist each other and try to enlighten those who may not be familiar with all the ins and outs.
You will find the first two instalments here:
A-C: http://nutsandcrisps.wordpress.com/20...
D-F: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
I am only covering the letter G today as I have found many tips that start with this particular letter!
So, here we go:
G
Goodreads
I love Goodreads, and I'm not just saying that because I'm here. I discovered this invaluable website back in 2008 at the very beginning of my self-publishing journey and it has been a source of inspiration and assistance to me. I have met some of my best Indie author friends here. Back in 2008, when I was trying to find a way to promote my writing, I heard that a good way to get the word out was to have lots of reviews of your books. So I set about trying to find ways to obtain reviews. I contacted some Amazon reviewers, but then heard about something going on at Goodreads where authors would swap books and review each other's work. As I was out of work at the time, I had lots of time to read, so I thought this would be a good way to build up a following. While I would recommend book swaps as a way to get more reviews, I would also add a warning. There are some authors who will give you a high rating for your book in the hope that you will do the same. If you're like me, and only give honest opinions on books, you can run into some trouble. Some authors will be offended if you give them a less than glowing review of their book. So find out a bit about the author before you agree to swap books with them. Make sure you inform them from the start that you only give honest reviews. I had to start adding that to e-mails because of the unrealistic expectations I came across from less than professional authors. A good system is to agree that if you don't like the book you won't post a review. Then there won't be any backlash.
Anyway, back to why I love Goodreads. Through the book swaps, I discovered many great books and it made me realise that self-published fiction is just as good as the books you'll find on the best-seller shelves in shops. It opened up a whole new world of reading for me; up until that point, I'd been someone who was swayed by advertising to buy the books that were hyped up by publishing companies.
Some of the Indie authors I met on Goodreads way back in 2008 are still great friends and I enjoy their work immensely, for example, Julie Elizabeth Powell, and Quentin R. Bufogle.
Goodreads also has this blog facility, which I have found very handy as a tool to spread the word about my books. There are also many groups you can join where you can interact with readers and writers. In general, I have found the groups and forums on Goodreads to be more Indie-friendly than for example the Amazon forums. I am almost afraid to post anything on the Amazon forums because readers there seem to hate self-published authors... It's odd that people who claim to love reading and hang out on those forums can also hurl such abuse at creators of fiction. I have seen many an author criticised for mentioning his or her own book on those forums, and can only say that it offends my very soul to see that sort of behaviour. I can understand to some extent, the hate of spammy authors who will post links to their books everywhere without participating in any discussions, but the sort of abuse of authors I've witnessed on those forums is akin to bullying and seems to have its root in an innate hate for Indie authors that obviously stems from ignorance, and the unfounded belief that all self-published books are somehow inferior to those published by a mainstream publisher.
Sorry, I have strayed from the point again.
Other things I have found useful on Goodreads are the giveaway, recommend, and events functions. You can advertise a giveaway of a copy of your book, and as there are plenty of readers on this site, there are often thousands of entries. This generates interest in the books, as people are likely to add the book to their to-read list.
The 'recommend' link next to every book title is great, because you can recommend books you have read to your followers and thus help promote good books.
The 'events' link is great too as you can use it to let readers know about any upcoming book signings, KDP Free promotions etc.
To conclude, I would say that being a member of Goodreads has definitely been worthwhile for me and I'd recommend it to all Indie authors. When you join you'll be given a reader profile page, but can apply for an Author Page quite easily by following the links. Author pages are useful to have because as well as having a blog attached to them, there is also a section where you can add excerpts from your writing, so that readers can get an idea of your style.
Grammar
If you are thinking of self-publishing your own work it is important that you have a good grasp of grammar. If you don't, there are many books that you can buy to help you learn the rules. An editor is also a useful resource if you're not confident with your knowledge of grammar. It's very important for your prose to be grammatically correct (and I am aware that there are conflicting grammar rules that often make this an arduous task). The only instance where you can be excused for not following grammatical rules is within dialogue. Everyday speech is hardly ever grammatically correct, and I think good writing should reflect this. However, another warning here: don't make your dialogue so authentic to a particular district or country that your reader is left unable to understand it! I once read a book that was supposed to be written so that it reflected a particular slang, and I only got through about 16 pages before giving up. What's the point publishing a book that no one can understand? Our aim should be to have as large a readership as possible, so don't alienate your readers. It is still possible to write authentic dialogue without making it illegible. An example of this, is Scottish author Mark Rice whose stories are based in Scotland and the character dialogue is authentic but still easy to understand.
The main point about grammar that I want to make is that when a book is written as near as possible to correct grammar as you can get it, it will be so much easier for the reader to read. And clarity is what we should all be aiming for when we are writing. You don't want a reader to have to stop and think after reading each sentence trying to work out what you actually meant by that.
Giveaways
Many authors say they don't like giving away their books because they have worked so hard writing them. It is very true that authors work very hard on their books.
But my view is that you are shooting yourself in the foot if you don't give some books away. Every book you give away is an advertisement.
As mentioned above, Goodreads allows you to set up book giveaways. You can then use the giveaway as a marketing tool, and a way for more people to find out about your book. After all, everyone loves getting something for free. The success of the Amazon KDP Select programme is testament to that.
Other places you can set up giveaways are LibraryThing.com, Rafflecopter, and even when you're invited for an interview by a blogger or another author, you should also offer to give away a book or two. I have personally found the Goodreads giveaways a great way to promote a book.
On BestsellerBound Recommends (the new blog from Darcia Helle, myself, and J. Michael Radcliffe), we can set up a giveaway for Indie authors. Check out the submissions page for details!
I'm hoping this series will be of use to aspiring authors as well as established Indie authors. Readers may also find the insights valuable, in order to gain some kind of idea of what the self-publishing journey entails. It's not an easy road to travel, which is why I think it's beneficial that we all assist each other and try to enlighten those who may not be familiar with all the ins and outs.
You will find the first two instalments here:
A-C: http://nutsandcrisps.wordpress.com/20...
D-F: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
I am only covering the letter G today as I have found many tips that start with this particular letter!
So, here we go:
G
Goodreads
I love Goodreads, and I'm not just saying that because I'm here. I discovered this invaluable website back in 2008 at the very beginning of my self-publishing journey and it has been a source of inspiration and assistance to me. I have met some of my best Indie author friends here. Back in 2008, when I was trying to find a way to promote my writing, I heard that a good way to get the word out was to have lots of reviews of your books. So I set about trying to find ways to obtain reviews. I contacted some Amazon reviewers, but then heard about something going on at Goodreads where authors would swap books and review each other's work. As I was out of work at the time, I had lots of time to read, so I thought this would be a good way to build up a following. While I would recommend book swaps as a way to get more reviews, I would also add a warning. There are some authors who will give you a high rating for your book in the hope that you will do the same. If you're like me, and only give honest opinions on books, you can run into some trouble. Some authors will be offended if you give them a less than glowing review of their book. So find out a bit about the author before you agree to swap books with them. Make sure you inform them from the start that you only give honest reviews. I had to start adding that to e-mails because of the unrealistic expectations I came across from less than professional authors. A good system is to agree that if you don't like the book you won't post a review. Then there won't be any backlash.
Anyway, back to why I love Goodreads. Through the book swaps, I discovered many great books and it made me realise that self-published fiction is just as good as the books you'll find on the best-seller shelves in shops. It opened up a whole new world of reading for me; up until that point, I'd been someone who was swayed by advertising to buy the books that were hyped up by publishing companies.
Some of the Indie authors I met on Goodreads way back in 2008 are still great friends and I enjoy their work immensely, for example, Julie Elizabeth Powell, and Quentin R. Bufogle.
Goodreads also has this blog facility, which I have found very handy as a tool to spread the word about my books. There are also many groups you can join where you can interact with readers and writers. In general, I have found the groups and forums on Goodreads to be more Indie-friendly than for example the Amazon forums. I am almost afraid to post anything on the Amazon forums because readers there seem to hate self-published authors... It's odd that people who claim to love reading and hang out on those forums can also hurl such abuse at creators of fiction. I have seen many an author criticised for mentioning his or her own book on those forums, and can only say that it offends my very soul to see that sort of behaviour. I can understand to some extent, the hate of spammy authors who will post links to their books everywhere without participating in any discussions, but the sort of abuse of authors I've witnessed on those forums is akin to bullying and seems to have its root in an innate hate for Indie authors that obviously stems from ignorance, and the unfounded belief that all self-published books are somehow inferior to those published by a mainstream publisher.
Sorry, I have strayed from the point again.
Other things I have found useful on Goodreads are the giveaway, recommend, and events functions. You can advertise a giveaway of a copy of your book, and as there are plenty of readers on this site, there are often thousands of entries. This generates interest in the books, as people are likely to add the book to their to-read list.
The 'recommend' link next to every book title is great, because you can recommend books you have read to your followers and thus help promote good books.
The 'events' link is great too as you can use it to let readers know about any upcoming book signings, KDP Free promotions etc.
To conclude, I would say that being a member of Goodreads has definitely been worthwhile for me and I'd recommend it to all Indie authors. When you join you'll be given a reader profile page, but can apply for an Author Page quite easily by following the links. Author pages are useful to have because as well as having a blog attached to them, there is also a section where you can add excerpts from your writing, so that readers can get an idea of your style.
Grammar
If you are thinking of self-publishing your own work it is important that you have a good grasp of grammar. If you don't, there are many books that you can buy to help you learn the rules. An editor is also a useful resource if you're not confident with your knowledge of grammar. It's very important for your prose to be grammatically correct (and I am aware that there are conflicting grammar rules that often make this an arduous task). The only instance where you can be excused for not following grammatical rules is within dialogue. Everyday speech is hardly ever grammatically correct, and I think good writing should reflect this. However, another warning here: don't make your dialogue so authentic to a particular district or country that your reader is left unable to understand it! I once read a book that was supposed to be written so that it reflected a particular slang, and I only got through about 16 pages before giving up. What's the point publishing a book that no one can understand? Our aim should be to have as large a readership as possible, so don't alienate your readers. It is still possible to write authentic dialogue without making it illegible. An example of this, is Scottish author Mark Rice whose stories are based in Scotland and the character dialogue is authentic but still easy to understand.
The main point about grammar that I want to make is that when a book is written as near as possible to correct grammar as you can get it, it will be so much easier for the reader to read. And clarity is what we should all be aiming for when we are writing. You don't want a reader to have to stop and think after reading each sentence trying to work out what you actually meant by that.
Giveaways
Many authors say they don't like giving away their books because they have worked so hard writing them. It is very true that authors work very hard on their books.
But my view is that you are shooting yourself in the foot if you don't give some books away. Every book you give away is an advertisement.
As mentioned above, Goodreads allows you to set up book giveaways. You can then use the giveaway as a marketing tool, and a way for more people to find out about your book. After all, everyone loves getting something for free. The success of the Amazon KDP Select programme is testament to that.
Other places you can set up giveaways are LibraryThing.com, Rafflecopter, and even when you're invited for an interview by a blogger or another author, you should also offer to give away a book or two. I have personally found the Goodreads giveaways a great way to promote a book.
On BestsellerBound Recommends (the new blog from Darcia Helle, myself, and J. Michael Radcliffe), we can set up a giveaway for Indie authors. Check out the submissions page for details!
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Helle
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Sep 06, 2012 02:35PM
What grammar books do you recommend for someone like me that is Danish but write in English?
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That's a good question, Helle. If you are writing your novel in English, then I assume that you are already quite confident with your language skills. I would suggest having an editor whose first language is English, read over the book to check for problems with grammar. Grammar is one of those things that even native English speakers have problems with, and as writers we learn different rules of grammar as we go along, often learning by making mistakes! There are lots of word reference forums and grammar forums online if you ever get stuck and are not sure about a phrase. Otherwise, there are reference books you can buy. I haven't tried any of them, so am not sure which would be the best, but here's a link to the sort of thing you could try, http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_s.... If you have a good editor, I don't think you'll have too many problems. Good luck with your writing, Helle! I am looking forward to reading your book!
Thank you so much Maria. I check out the grammar forums and books. :)
Yes, I think Goodreads is very useful on many levels - swapping books (that's how I first met, Maria - great day), making friends and opening avenues for self-published work, where I've found some gems. And it also allows authors to post comments /reviews about their own work. The latter may be frowned upon in many circles, but I use it to add 'something extra' in the hope that it may interest readers.I too think that 'bullying' can be a side effect of self-publishing - maybe it's seen as a threat or folks are merely jealous that they haven't been able to do it? We'll never know. I love the control, though would appreciate help on the marketing /promoting side. Most of my reading comes via self-published authors, not only because I like to read /review as support, but also because there is a greater variety of stories - most good, some hmm...
Thanks for the mention, Maria - I'm looking forward to your next book. Great post as usual.
Thank you, Julie :)I agree with all of that. I also like the fact that we can post our own reviews on Goodreads. I mean, as long as the author is being forthright and not posting a review under a pseudonym, I don't see anything wrong with posting a review of your own work. Readers often like to hear from the author as to his or her motivation/inspiration for writing the book, and Goodreads is a community of readers and writers, after all.
Grammar. Indeed. English is one screwed up language and grammar can be a challenge for even the most educated.A few years ago, I received a request by an indie author to review her book. (Which was already published - and, in my opinion, expensive.) I couldn't get through the first chapter! She remains the only author I've ever encountered who mixed tenses within the same sentence. I've seen tenses confused within novels, but never constantly within the same sentence. She wrote things like, "Harry ran over the hill and drops the gun," or "She sat on the sofa and lifts the pillow to her lap."
So, yes, you need a good grasp of grammar before you can or should write a book.
As for Goodreads and Giveaways, I love them both!
Thanks, Darcia! That's one downside of the ease of self-publishing. Anyone, it seems, can publish anything, whether it's ready to be published or not. I think it's important for all of us who care about the future of writing to make sure people are well informed before they think of publishing anything. For example, that indie author you've mentioned, Darcia, if only she'd used a good editor, her book may have been worth reading.
I tactfully told her that, Maria, because she did have a good story base. Sordid story there, but I'll just say that did not work out well. For those who can't afford an editor, I would highly recommend joining writing groups and finding beta readers whose work you respect and who do have a good grasp of language.
Darcia wrote: "I tactfully told her that, Maria, because she did have a good story base. Sordid story there, but I'll just say that did not work out well. For those who can't afford an editor, I would highly re..."
Mine's called, Maria :)
I love Goodreads! I think it's where I cyber met you and Darcia, and I'm thankful for that.I've learned so much about grammar by going through the editing process with my editor, and I'm sure I still have so much more to learn.
Thanks for these helpful posts!
Darcia wrote: "I tactfully told her that, Maria, because she did have a good story base. Sordid story there, but I'll just say that did not work out well. For those who can't afford an editor, I would highly re..."
ALWAYS get your stuff proof read by someone whose grammar is much better than yours......or if yours is red hot, someone equally good. No-one will ever bitch about your being too correct, but a few misplaced commas and wrong homophones and you'll be slaughtered.
After all, you wouldn't buy a CD by someone who sang off key....or would you?
Andrew wrote: "Darcia wrote: "I tactfully told her that, Maria, because she did have a good story base. Sordid story there, but I'll just say that did not work out well. For those who can't afford an editor, I ..."
LOL, I think many people purchase CDs by people who sing off key... ;)
But yes, I totally agree, even if you just have a few errors in a book, you leave the door open for the critics to tear the book apart!
Jennifer wrote: "I love Goodreads! I think it's where I cyber met you and Darcia, and I'm thankful for that.I've learned so much about grammar by going through the editing process with my editor, and I'm sure I s..."
It's amazing how much we learn by just going through the editing process time and time again.
And, yes, I think we're all still learning.
I'm glad you are a member of my cyber-family, too, Jen! :)
Julie wrote: "Darcia wrote: "I tactfully told her that, Maria, because she did have a good story base. Sordid story there, but I'll just say that did not work out well. For those who can't afford an editor, I ..."
LOL, thanks, Julie :)
Jennifer wrote: "...I think it's where I cyber met you and Darcia...Is it just me, or does "cyber met" sound kind of kinky? :))
Pop artists don't sing off key anymore, because they all use Auto-Tune. I wonder when someone is going to invent Auto-Grammar...
Darcia wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "...I think it's where I cyber met you and Darcia...Is it just me, or does "cyber met" sound kind of kinky? :))"
It does, Darcia... we could use it in our joint novel by Marcia Metal LOL
Darcia wrote: "Pop artists don't sing off key anymore, because they all use Auto-Tune. I wonder when someone is going to invent Auto-Grammar..."Auto-grammar would be so difficult to invent... there are so many conflicting rules that the computer would probably end up exploding because it wouldn't be able to understand the software!!
LOL! Good point. Which makes me wonder about the people who made all these ridiculous rules...
Jennifer wrote: "Marcia "Cyber-Met"al?"I love it!
Maria, we need to get to work on that book!
Definitely! Ideas are swishing around in my head as I write this. Do you want to do the first chapter or should I?
You're such a bad influence, Maria! By all means, if you have an idea, start writing. :)I have to get RJ's chapter sent out today to everyone who wants to be involved in that project. And I have to get this third Michael Sykora book written before a few of my readers hang me in the gallows! So many ideas... so little time...
LOL... I am struggling to find time to do anything as well, but I like the idea of '50 Ways to Kill a Lover'... it would be fun to write :)I'm also looking forward to writing that joint BsB one :)
