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II. Publishing & Marketing Tips
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A Few Questions for Fellow Authors
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message 51:
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Deidre
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Feb 20, 2014 06:50AM
Such a good discussion! And I don't think there is anything unprofessional at all about admitting that you continue to grow and evolve. In my opinion, that's our charge as writers: to always get better. The moment we think we've arrived, stagnation sets in. It's a lifetime calling, being a writer, and thank God I'm better than I was at 22! I'm always learning and I think it's fantastic to recognize flaws and go back and address them. If someone is paying good money for a book, they deserve our very best, IMHO. Thanks for such a good discussion!
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Always, always always use beta readers and an editor (or two) to proof your stuff..This will help immensely.Then (as recommended by Steve King in his book "on writing") let it "cool" and view it with fresh eyes.
It will amaze you how many tiny things that you are able to notice/detect after having time away from it.
Personally, I am so particular that I always go back and read my published books after six months of being available, before I can really relax.
With that said..
If your book is solid and you find a minor thing like a spelling error or something simple, then you should just make the changes without creating a new version.
If you have some major plot changes or character kill offs that you have made, you should add the second edition monicker.
I agree with the post that said that you should not wait to make changes if they are imperative.
I do not know this to be a fact, (I want to test this) but I have heard that a changed file will automatically update on a kindle device.
Good luck on your endeavors..
I don't know why I always have to learn the hard way. I edited my book and republished it using the edited copy only to have several reviewers complain to me about all the errors on just the first page. I took a look at it and they were right. I am getting a new editor and now I am apologizing to all my readers for such sorry editing and proofing. I am thankful to all the reviewers that point out such flaws by emailing me. You are never to old to learn and will do as Robert suggested and go back to all the books that I have published and take another look. Now, I know why some that read my books never reviewed them. If they couldn't say anything positive without appearing totally negative, they chose to say nothing at all. A writer learns and improves or a writer just fades away.
I'd say unless there are substantial changes then just upload the new version.
I have a few questions. I'm a newbie, getting ready to self-publish my first book. I don't expect it to be a big seller--more of a friends and family kind of sale. I'm having a difficult time deciding how much to invest up front. Do I need an editor? I've made several revisions and done several drafts already. Should I do a POD or order several copies up front? Do I need an e-book? Any advice/suggestions/thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!!
Editor - Yes if you can afford one. You are more likely to sell more if you do hire one. However it is possible to publish without, you may however get reviews which mention it if there are errors. Print - I'd go with print on demand. A lot of authors don't sell many PBs but they ARE worth having. You can usually buy them at cost anyway so if you want a few to sell on, or give away then you can.
Get an editor...it is worth it.Create space is great for POD
Nichole wrote: "I have a few questions. I'm a newbie, getting ready to self-publish my first book. I don't expect it to be a big seller--more of a friends and family kind of sale. I'm having a difficult time decid..."Nichole,
A third party to proof-read and edit your manuscript is essential to producing a quality book. The brain often tricks the eye of the writer to see what he/she wants to see or intended to write.
The chances of book becoming successful are increased exponentially by the quality of the technical writing and story telling ability of the author, and number of formats made available to accommodate the particular taste of potential customers.
Formats to consider include: traditional print, e-Book download, audio book on CD, and audio book download.
Whatever you decide, I wish you success.
This is what you need to look at:http://www.accrispin.blogspot.com/201...
The Writer Beware blog is well worth following but this particular post links to all the information the self-publishing author needs.
Nichole wrote: "I have a few questions. I'm a newbie, getting ready to self-publish my first book. I don't expect it to be a big seller--more of a friends and family kind of sale. I'm having a difficult time decid..."Nichole, if your work is really niche, you can get away with using beta-readers for proofreading, et cetera, but you'll be embarrassed if your work does gain attention but the book itself is lacking in professionalism.
So aim higher than you think.
Nichole wrote: "I have a few questions. I'm a newbie, getting ready to self-publish my first book. I don't expect it to be a big seller--more of a friends and family kind of sale. I'm having a difficult time decid..."Nichole-
I agree with Robert! An editor is crucial to the process, no matter the genre. As far as format, it depends... research what type readers in your target area are buying. My book is a children's picture book, and more people (right now) buy actual books over ebooks when it comes to kid lit. Plus, I sell more of my books at events rather than online. So for now, for me, it doesn't make good business sense to invest in an ebook version, yet. Good luck!
A.L. wrote: "Editor - Yes if you can afford one. You are more likely to sell more if you do hire one. However it is possible to publish without, you may however get reviews which mention it if there are errors...."Actually the reviews are a lot worse if you have errors and list having an editor. Editors help but you can follow the Hugh Howey approach and wait until you earn enough to justify hiring a decent one. His early books (including the first edition of Wool) did not involve an editor.
Mercia wrote: "A.L. wrote: "Editor - Yes if you can afford one. You are more likely to sell more if you do hire one. However it is possible to publish without, you may however get reviews which mention it if ther..."Mercia,
Good point! An author should perform some investigtive research to weed out those who are copy/conceptual editors only in their own mind and the true professionals who actually possess the necessary academic credentials and experience to have earned a legitimate claim to the title "editor".
Thank you for all of the great input!
I'm using this first published book as something of a learning experience... I wrote the majority of it in a month (for National Novel Writer's Month) and then ended up in a rush on editing. I got a third party to help out, but unfortunately now that I'm getting it professionally edited I'm realizing it still had quirks that needed worked out. I held a giveaway where the winners received copies of that first-edited edition, and I just sent along a note with the books that let them know it was the first edit and gave them a coupon code to get the re-edit for cheaper. Lately I've been trying to figure out how to re-release it smoothly.
I'd like to second Mercia's advice that if you can't afford an editor, you can live without one. Join a writer's group, get feedback, get (free) beta readers by doing swaps with other authors who are willing to give you feedback. You can do a lot of content editing that way.And when it comes to line by line editing, you will probably need to hire someone or have a friend who is gifted in that area, but again, you can go through it meticulously and get most of the errors out, just be prepared to spend a lot of time doing it and know that it still won't be perfect.
Also, a hidden tip for those who write on a mac. You can enable text to speech and listen to your manuscript being read out loud to you. This will help you catch a lot of silly typos like "Peter watched a the hawk." which spell check won't always pick up and which our error prone editing eyes can sometimes gloss over, but which the ear will pick up. There may be a similar feature available for Windows, I'm not sure.
Finally, if anyone does need a line editor, feel free to message me and I can put you in touch with mine. She is extremely fast and extremely cheap and extremely good.
Happy writing.
I have to say I've always used an editor. There are reliable people out there and I understand the Alliance of Independent Authors keeps a list. As well as working with someone at a structural level - who also helped with line edits - just before my book was published I had a proof read, as well as checking it myself. Years ago I worked in that area and a good tip is to read backwards, paragraph at a time, because then you see the sense but don't get caught up in the story. The reading aloud tip above is a great one too.
Some advice for those who still can't afford an editor... I had such a tough time convincing my husband to buy the commercial licensing for the $5 fonts I used that trying to convince him I needed a few hundred dollars for a low-end edit would've been a full-out war. Some of us must rely on ourselves and freebie people. If you aren't confident in your editing abilities, find someone who is (high school English teachers, college English teachers, English major undergrads, etc.). Then use those edits and re-read your work.
It's not an easy process. Even with an editor, indie authors are still responsible for the end result. As someone who used to input edits as part of my job, things get missed. My published novel still has a few mistakes. But them's the ropes.
Good points, Melissa.And you know, a bright high-school student with a bent toward English and literature will often spot a lot of those little glitches. Their eyes are fresher and the enthusiasm is there. Especially if they have ambitions to write themselves.
They will also learn a lot from editing.
CeDany wrote: "Hi all,Sorry to bother, but I came across a free website last week that caters for Writers and Artists. Classified as a social network -- it's called PONDRIN -- any of you heard about it? If you ..."
I'm not on that site, but taking a quick look it seems to be a site for authors not readers, like many other writing sites. It is unlikely that you will gain much exposure in terms of paying readers.
It's a good discussion...Editing part - I agree you need an efficient person to edit - a person who is good in use and placement of words, a person who can see through the script/story written with a fresh perspective and is able to connect the different sequels or chapters.
Personally I feel, we need to take our time before publishing. It should not be too late or that becomes a way of procastinating the work and readers eventually may have an indifference to your read or the concept itself would become a thing of the past.
Neither should it be too fast or it may not get the desired sales.
:-)
