Editio Self-Publishing discussion
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Hello my name is.......(Introductions)
I'm TJ I've been publishing through kdp for just about three months now-- and I'm having the time of my life :-)
Hi, I'm Teresa, and I'm a writer and freelance developmental editor. Until recently, I was a traditionally published author, but I finally decided to have a go at publishing my own backlist. The first of these books came out in October, and I've been learning a lot about self-publishing and self-promotion ever since ... though I still have much more to learn. Right now, my book is POD in trade paperback and in Kindle format, but I do want to try Smashwords.
Tracy Stephens here, but my pen name is Tmonique Stephens. I write paranormal fantasy (I think) Anyway, i will soon be dipping my toes into the self-publishing pool and would like to avoice all the pitfalls if that's at all possible. I look forward to learning all that I can.
Hi Everyone, I'm Tmonique Stephens. I write paranormal romance/fantasy. I have a completed manuscript that I'm planning on self-publishing. I've been lurking in this group and I'm glad I joined because there's alot of info.
I look forward to getting to know some of you.
Tmonique wrote: "Hi Everyone, I'm Tmonique Stephens. I write paranormal romance/fantasy. I have a completed manuscript that I'm planning on self-publishing. I've been lurking in this group and I'm glad I joined b..."
I've self-published at Amazon and Smashwords - LOVE Smashwords - they give advice and step by step instructions... then after they review your book for errors etc. - THEY distribute to several other e-book stores AND in several different formats!
T.J. wrote: "I'm TJ I've been publishing through kdp for just about three months now-- and I'm having the time of my life :-)"Hiya!
I just published at KDP yesterday and was so happy to see this post among the others. My mind is totally boggled right now... I mean I'm an introvert who writes, now I'm trying to be virtually social and the passwords for all the things I've joined alone are giving my mind a workout!
I'm Alex A. Akira btw and thankfully I chose to publish my initial 10 chapter book Dojo Boys: The First Misunderstanding, as a test to help me learn about how to publish and market books.
Wheww, still I'm a bit overwhelmed. lol So glad there's a group out here to help me calm myself.
Thanks writers!
Hi everyone,My name is Kate Kulig and I e-published my first mystery this year. I haven't gone through Create Space, but I am considering it.
I'm hoping to meet and network w/other indie authors, and especially exchange marketing ideas. I'm finding marketing to be challenging, often making me feel like I'm whispering into the abyss.
Kate wrote: "Hi everyone,My name is Kate Kulig and I e-published my first mystery this year. I haven't gone through Create Space, but I am considering it.
I'm hoping to meet and network w/ot..."
Yeah, the marketing is like getting another job. I think participation here on GR has been the best for me (or at least the most enjoyable). Everyone swears by Twitter but my impression its like opening, reading, and replying to everything in your junk e-mail box. I still tweet but maybe half a dozen posts two times a week. I was spending a lot of time before but it just seemed like 'noise'. I did make some friends with other authors and they have been worth it.
Now I find I'm accumulating followers faster by not being there. Many of the are commercial ventures so I block.
I posted a comment about how a mystery writer has to have a pic wearing a leather jacket. Within ten minutes I had two followers from leather jacket companies.
I signed up for FB and Google plus. I'm afraid FB will soon inform me I have a couple previously unknown children. G+, I haven't even opened up yet.
Hear, hear on marketing being a second job!I'm a little with you, Ken on twitter presence. I use hootsuite to run through quotes and other tweets but in general it is like watching traffic, you see one red car go by and then a blue car, and then another blue car, and then ... it is never ending and I've gained mostly other author followers, no readers yet.
I found and joined a cross promotion group in FB for christian authors (I don't write in the specific genre most of them do but what I write is not incompatible with it either) and that has helped a lot. Join Kindleboards, that has provided me the most information to date and a few guest blogging gigs.
I've been doing some tweeting, the best that's happened is I've had a couple of authors follow me and it's fun to interact with them. I had to do a separate Twitter account for books and authoring because I don't want to subject my readers to my Red Sox tweeting during the games.!I was a little disappointed when GoodReads would not let me run a giveaway for an ebook. Does anyone know if they'd mind if I did one from a group or from my blog her?
Hi. I'm Anthony. I've had two ebooks on Amazon for a couple of months. One is a Victorian thriller, the other is humour. I've included some Eastern philosophy in both books as that is one of my interests. Music is also a passion of mine. I'm looking forward to learning more about self publishing and passing on anything that might be of use.
Hi! I'm Sugarbug and I want to be able to self publish books. I'm working on my first novel.
Hello fellow writers:) My name is Jenna (pen name) I'm traditionally published (as well as self-published) in non-fiction, but with the improved credibility of self-publishing and the hassles of traditional publishing, I'm seriously considering self-publishing my mystery fiction. I have many questions, which I'll save until I peruse the discussions here. I look forward to getting to know you all!
Hi. My name's Dan. New to all this but hope to self-publish soon. I'm sure I'll get a lot of good info here. Thanks.
Carole wrote: "Hi, I'm Carole from Virginia. I'm planning to publish a full color book featuring my dog art along about mid-summer. The two contenders for my printing business are CreateSpace and Lightning Source..."Hi, Carol. I'm new to this, too, but people tell me that Indy Ebook Publishing is the best way to make your book easily accessible to a larger readership. But, like I said, I'm new to this as well.
Hi Carol! I know a lot of people who really like Lightening Source. I used Create Space, but it was just for a fiction book.
Carole wrote: "Hi, I'm Carole from Virginia.I'm from Virginia too:) I'm writing a mystery with a made up town that is a little like Charlottesville.
Hey, everyone! I'm happy to have found Goodreads (I just joined today). I'm an avid writer and reader.I've published three books that were all self-published with Lulu, Amazon, and Smashwords. I am presently writing my next two books which I will also be self-publishing.
I prefer self-publishing, as opposed to traditional publishing, and I'm happy that self-publishing has become more widely accepted as an acceptable means of publishing. I also love ebooks and I recently purchased my first e-reader!
I hope to learn new techniques with self-publishing, and helpful information, that will help me when I publish my next two books which are due out this year.
Thanks for having me :)
Glad to meet people here. I'm Bryn. I epubbed at Smashwords less than a month ago. Three weeks in fact. Seems like ages. I like Smashwords, and my big thing now is whether to go to Amazon or hope Smashwords gets an agreement with them. The latter, for a while. It's not about the politics (a little of that) but I want simplicity my end.
I've a second book almost ready to go. Both big, and if I paper-published them, 600 and 700 pages. I'm happy with ebook only, but out of curiosity, do people use CreateSpace for books that big? I've heard that sort of size makes them too expensive.
Lots of question. I hope to learn here - I need to learn. I'm a committed indie, though, that I know.
At the moment my knowledge on self publishing is very slim. However I am on a journey of discovery and hopefully I will be able to give some helpful advice soon.
The Create Space website has a calculator that will tell you the price.
Thanks. I hadn't explored that far. First step: go the website. I thought to stick to an ebook - where size isn't an issue - but have already had a question about the paperback. I wonder whether authors have found they pretty much have to do both?
Hey, my name is Pamela, I'm from Oklahoma and living in New York (via California, Russia, and Palestine). I write mostly travel narratives, and I published my first book (a memoir called Fast Times in Palestine http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00513NHNI ) last year.I published it first as an eBook (Smashwords and Kindle -- Smashwords first because they have a handy formatting guide, which also works for the Kindle book, with a little twist or two), then as a trade paperback with CreateSpace. I'm very happy with the CreateSpace experience, excellent customer service and a good quality product. Most people can't tell it's a self-published book. I paid for them to format the interior of my book (costs a few hundred dollars), and they did an absolutely beautiful job. I made the money back in the first book just selling on my 300+ email list and blog.
As for the cover, though, next time I'll do it myself or hire an outside contractor. (The cover turned out great, but I didn't like their initial ideas and had to basically design what I wanted myself and send it to them so they could copy it.)
And I wouldn't suggest paying for their editing or marketing services. You can get better and cheaper services elsewhere.
Happy publishing!
http://pamolson.org
HiI'm a New Zealand-based writer/publisher and with my co-writer/son James Morcan have co-authored two new release novels, which we have self-published and released on Amazon.
They are Fiji, a historical novel set in 19th Century Fiji, and The Ninth Orphan, an international thriller.
The ebook versions of both have made it into Amazon's bestseller ranks in their respective kindle categories in recent times. We seek reviews for each - in case any reviewers out there are interested.
Plus we seek interaction with other self publishers.
Great to e-meet you all.
Lance
Hi. I'm new here. Have only been on Good Reads about a month. I'm a fairly new self-publisher. I'm using Smashwords and Kindle for my ebooks and Create Space for my POD.I think the most difficult part of all of this for me is learning how to market. I'm not really sure what works.
I'm looking forward to learning a lot here.
Hi, I'm Judy, and I recently published a memoir called Canal Zone Daughter: An American Childhood in Panama. Right now I have it listed on a Goodreads giveaway. Not only am I new to publishing, I am also new to Goodreads. I hope to learn from you all,and contribute what I have learned as well.
Greetings. My name -- well, pen name, actually -- is Tom Paine. I just published my first novel, America Rising, on Amazon, though I've written two others that need a little updating before they're ready to publish. I'm finding that the writing is easy compared to the marketing/using social media process. . . after a few hours even my hair starts to hurt. If anyone has any ideas on that score, I'd love to hear them. So far it seems like throwing a lot of, ahem. . . excrement against the wall to see what sticks. But as that modern-day sage Frank Zappa once said, "Whatcha gonna do? Work in a gas station?"
Hi all, I just joined the group. Looking forward to getting to know you all and sharing our thoughts. My memoir, Two Hearts: An Adoptee's Journey Through Grief to Gratitude is coming out in June.
Howdy.Im Tyler.
I just released my first novella on Amazon through Createspace.
Hi!I'm Gaynor Baker and I was born in Cardiff Wales but now live in Canada. I have two self-published titles on Amazon and Kindle; they are "The Samurai's Lady" and "Doctor's Choice"
I'm happy to be a member of this group and look forward to getting advice andsharing whatever information and encouragement I can :)
Hi my name is Kay Vincent and have just hit fourty!! Eeeek!!I adore hostorical fiction, growing up on a diet of my mothers Jean Plaidy novels probably did it ;-) Also love a bit of mystery thrown in, which is why I love Steven Saylor, C J Sansom and Paul Doherty's novels. Presently trying the first tentative steps as an author myself and have just put one of my books up on Kindle, "A Class Act" , I have also put the first two chapters up on here too so would appreciate your thoughts on them, if you enjoy the 1920's period as much as I do, please have a nose. Thanks Guys!
Hi Kay!I'm from the uk too :) Cardiff. But I was dragged to Canada when I was eight. I've read Jean Plaidy, too and especially liked her Tudor series. I write historical fiction and have two novels on Amazon kindle and CreateSpace. One, "Doctor's Choice" is set in Victorian London, the other, "The Samurai's Lady" in 17th Century Japan. I'm putting the first chapter of each here. There is a mystery angle in "Doctor's Choice" :)
Sounds cool Gaynor I will check them out, can't resist a mystery :-)
Hi, I have two self publishing books and its hard to promote them and market them. I have no idea what to do
Take your time. Learn to do everything one step at a time.
Send the books to some review sites. Tweet a little, post a blurb on Kindleboards and renew it once a week.
Be patient - it takes time.
I just wanted to get my poems in a book. I have tried several self-publishing sites over the years...lulu, Cafepress, and now CreateSpace and kindle direct. Kindle direct was the first time I got people to download my book with minimal effort. Now I am trying to motivate myself to write an actual novel.
Hey all!I just completed writing "Ripple the Twine", a Tomboy-meets-Townie love story and tale about how friendship can sometimes save your life. It should be available to the mass market on Lulu within the next 2 weeks once the proof is approved & all that hooplah. I'm really excited to finally put my first novel into the world! Looking forward to connecting with other members in this group. The different experiences we all bring will hopefully help each oher wade through the muck of self-publishing :-)
- Jenn
Hi all! Very happy to have found this group. I'm a screenwriter who recently switched tracks to write YA novels. I'm gearing up to pub this fall - a sexy, funnny romantic comedy. I'm trying to take my time and "do it right" (whatever that means) to really stand up to the traditionally published books. While happily there are a lot of skills that transfer over from my film life, I'm feeling very overwhelmed with the whole learn to code/format my books for both digital versions and print.
Hello I am William. My dad, E.R. Yatscoff, self-published some books with little luck, so I am here to learn more. Starting a publishing company as self-publishing is too difficult. I really want to learn more about self-publishing and how people are enjoying it, problems, difficulties, and ways I think could make it easier.
Hi everyone,My name is Don. (Cover It! is my book cover design profile.) I've self-published a novel, a book of short stories, and several individual short stories.
I've used CreateSpace both as a writer and a designer, and think they are the best, easiest, and fastest publisher. Very user-friendly. (I used iUniverse for my novel and frankly would never use them or anyone besides CreateSpace again.)
Hi, I'm Esther. I have never self-published before, but I'm hoping to. I am a great believer in retaining control over ones creative content, and the advent of digital content creation & distribution has made this not only achievable for content creators, but profitable.Currently I'm a full-time film student, an avid reader (of pretty much anything -- even shampoo bottles!) and an aspiring writer. In my future I see myself writing, directing, and producing... some through traditional channels, and others through self-distributed channels.
This group seems very informative, and a great place to help me learn even more about digital content creation and self-publishing. Glad to join. :)
Hi, I'm Jaye Frances, new member and indie author. This group looks like a good place to exchange ideas, information and triumphs. I have three books on Amazon, using CreateSpace and KDP. My genres range from paranormal-occult romance, adult humor, contemporary romance, ya/adult (i.e. mature) romance, and the next release is a sci-fi fantasy. I currently live in Florida with my husband - a very generous and intelligent man who understands that my growing shoe collection takes closet-space priority over slacks and shirts . . . Jaye Frances
www.jayefrances.com
http://blog.jayefrances.com
http://www.facebook.com/jayefrancesau...
Jaye Frances
The KURE
The Cruise - All That Glitters
The Possibilities of Amy
Hi, Esther. Welcome to the group. My website contains some good (I hope) information for new authors including my experience self-publishing and a variety of marketing methods I've used. Please visit it at http://www.florenceosmund.com.
Esther wrote: "Hi, I'm Esther. I have never self-published before, but I'm hoping to. I am a great believer in retaining control over ones creative content, and the advent of digital content creation & distributi..."Welcome to Goodreads, Esther! I am sure you will find it to be a helpful and friendly place.
@Florence: Thank you for the welcome & advice. :)@J.w.: Thank you for the welcome!
Hello. My name is Tiawni and I don't know much about getting anything published. I love to read and I like to write. I have wrote a book for my children and their friends but have done nothing with it. I wouldn't know where to start to even try and get it published.
Editio Self-Publishing
Books mentioned in this topic
I Hope You Find Me (other topics)The Cruise - All That Glitters (other topics)
The Possibilities of Amy (other topics)
Coveting My Neighbor's Wife (other topics)
Fiji (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jaye Frances (other topics)E.R. Yatscoff (other topics)
Kate Kulig (other topics)
Kate Kulig (other topics)
R. Scot Johns (other topics)
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After look..."
I would try SMASHWORDS.com first - I personally think it's easier to work with - AND - they give a bigger royalty - AND - they send your book out in other formats ( not just Amazon's ) to Barnes & Noble, etc. etc. etc.