Self-Publishing, Yes and No

by Joel Friedlander

When writers think about their publishing careers today, should they include self-publishing as a viable option?

Yes

Don’t you find that a little bit incredible?

Yes

So now all the authors have realized they can make a lot more money self-publishing once they’ve got an audience?

No

Only some of them get it, and others still don’t think anything has changed?

Yes

But published authors are getting rights to their backlist, pushing out e-book versions and selling books, right?

Yes

And publishers have figured out that readers are now their constituents, not other businesses?

No

Well, publishers provide essential services to authors.

Yes

Author services.

Yes

But that would make the authors the customers, in a sense, since they hold all the rights to their own creations, without which publishers would have no product.

No

Well, it must be that publishing your own books, whether it’s print on demand or e-books or both, is now being accepted as just another part of the publishing landscape.

Yes

And that in itself means that many more people will consider independent publishing, simply due to all those other people doing it.

Yes

And so now writers can get all their old files out of the folders buried deep on their hard drives and start raking in the Kindle Kash?

No

Oh, wait, this is social-media driven, this surge of support for indie authors?

Yes

And that means you have to have followers, fans, raving readers?

Yes

And so how you interact with people online really has an impact on your reputation, your cred, your brand?

Yes

Which means that the biggest group of social-media aware people on the planet—bloggers—must be making a huge impact on the indie publishing movement.

No

But don’t all those bloggers realize that their archive is simply the first draft of their next book?

No

You mean that there’s a mindset problem with bloggers and other online content creators, where they just don’t think of themselves as authors?

Yes

So indie publishing is still making converts from the legion of the agent-seekers?

Yes

Probably lots of authors have started to catch onto the fact that since they sell online, they are now internet marketers?

No

But nonfiction authors especially ought to realize that the search bar is their ticket to a nonstop flow of information seekers?

Yes

So it only stands to reason that those subject matter experts who publish books are also learning the ins and outs of content marketing?

No

You mean that authors have a long way to go in making the transition to online marketing, the way it’s going to be from now on?

Yes

And that the authors who really work social media now, who know how to deliver the books their readers are looking for, the ones who climb up the Kindle charts with every release, they are the ones we should be learning from?

Yes

So in a way, self-publishing makes it easier to get in the game.

Yes

Makes our stake in the outcome much more lucrative.

Yes

And we can get ahead of the curve by learning how to create and market our content?

Yes

And that as writers, content creators ourselves, we actually have an advantage at this?

Yes

So the classic needs of book marketing—great content, solid production, smart targeting—haven’t really changed at all.

No

But there must be lots of new ways to learn how this all fits together, to get a big picture?

No

You mean you can learn one thing here, another thing there, but nothing that puts it all together?

Yes

That’s a shame.

Yes
Joel Friedlander is a self-published author and book designer who blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

Should You Design Your Own Book? Pro and Con

by Joel Friedlander

Digital printing and print on demand have allowed authors to take control of the production of their own books. Thousands of self-publishers have flourished as a result, ushering in a new era of self-publishing, and many of them want to design their own book.

When authors decide to publish their own books they are thrown into a world that was always hidden behind the doors of large book publishing firms. They’re responsible for editing, proofreading, fact checking, indexing, marketing, public relations and more.

Not only that, but the conventions, vendors, and other standard ways book publishing works are new and foreign to most authors. The learning curve can be steep. Some authors throw up their hands and abandon their projects before they’re finished. That’s a shame.

It’s Always Been This Way for Self-Publishers

Of course, savvy self-publishers have been confronting this situation for many years, well before print on demand. And in this era of downsizing and outsourcing, there’s a lot of freelance publishing talent available. Self-publishers who aim to create a commercial product usually hire the help they need rather than trying to learn every job in the publishing process. This makes good business sense.

But one area in which authors vary quite a bit is in how they deal with the design of their books.

Some want to hire the best designers they can afford and leave it to a professional to take care of all the details that go into creating a professional-looking book. They want a book that will gain the respect of book industry buyers, distributors, and which will be able to sell head-to-head against books from major publishers.

Others decide that if you’re a self-publisher, you can design your own book. They either use the tools they have—usually a word processor—or buy complex layout software that comes with its own learning curve.

Before you decide whether or not to design your own book, you might want to consider the pros and cons of each approach.

5 Reasons to Design Your Own Book

1. You want to keep complete control of the project—You’ve dreamed of holding your book in your hand and you’re excited about the opportunity to decide on margins, typefaces, widows and orphans and all the other decisions that go into a book design.

2. You have a clear idea of how you want your book to look—Perhaps you’ve been admiring the books of a certain writer, or from a particular publisher. You know exactly how you want your book to look and see no need to pay someone to do it for you.

3. Your budget just doesn’t include anything for book design—Book designers, like other professionals, cost money, and books with complex formatting, lots of extra-text elements, anchored graphics, charts, graphs, tables and so on take quite a bit of time to assemble.

4. You don’t think anyone else will get it—You feel your book is so unique that only you can correctly interpret it for the rest of the world, and you are dedicated to seeing it through, no matter how long it takes.

5. You need to experiment—Your creativity requires lots of experimentation, trying different things and pulling them apart, then doing completely different designs. For a professional designer, this could end up costing you quite a bit of money. It may be better to do this experimentation on your own.

5 Reasons NOT to Design Your Own Book

1. You simply don’t want to learn every aspect of publishing—Unless you have a passion for typefaces, running heads, chapter openings and the other minutia of book design, you might find it unproductive to study the entire field just to create one book.

2. Your time is very limited—Most self-publishers have a “day job” and publish in their spare time. In addition to everything else they take on, becoming their own book designer may demand just too much time, slowing the production of their book.

3. You want a book that looks just like one from a big publishing company—Let’s face it, the books we buy from traditional publishers usually look pretty good because they are the product of professionals at every step of the process. Unless you want to devote the time to acquire their expertise, the way to get a professional-looking book is to hire professionals.

4. Your book is very complex—In the case of heavily-illustrated, extensively annotated or graphically complex books, the difficulty involved in creating these books yourself may be overwhelming, creating frustration where you should have enjoyment in the process.

5. You’re publishing an art or photography book—Unless you have experience dealing with color correction, offset printing, RGB-to-CMYK color conversion and the advantages and disadvantages of various paper stocks, the production demands of these kinds of books pretty much require that you have a professional book designer involved somewhere along the line.

Whichever way you decide to produce your book, the best advice I can offer you is to spend a lot of time looking at books to see what the conventions are and how the books are put together. You’ll also get ideas that you can use in your own book.

The design of books hasn’t changed much in 500 years. Because of that, readers have clear (even if unconscious) expectations of what a book should look like. Follow these conventions and use good models for your own design, or hire a pro.

Either way, you’ll be doing what a lot of writers have only dreamed of: You’ll be a published author.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, a book designer and blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

Self-Published Books: What Does it Take to Really “Make It”?

by Joel Friedlander

Do you read blog comments? Sometimes that’s the most interesting part of the post. Recently I read an interesting comment on the article Literary agents open the door to self-published writers by Alan Rinzler and published on his blog, The Book Deal.

The comment was from literary agent Kristina Holmes, and she talked about what she was looking for in books—self-published or not—for her agency. Here’s a part of what she had to say:

I still must see a significant platform and a well-written book with a compelling premise. The extra consideration self-published authors will have is showing substantial book sales. To a degree, a really unique hook or premise to the book can make up for low book sales, as can recent platform developments that may take sales to another level.

Whether you’re trying to attract a contract from a traditional publisher or not, there’s some powerful advice in this comment.

Consider at the three things Holmes is looking for in all books and authors:

1. a significant platform

2. a well-written book

3. a compelling premise

Aren’t those the same things we should be aiming for, as self-published authors?

A significant platform—In the online world, your book may have just as good a chance to be discovered as a book from a major publisher. That can happen when the people who are touched by your author platform efforts become cheerleaders for your book or program or cause and amplify your message into their own networks.

A well-written book—One of the messages we’re trying to send readers is that self-published books, when they are produced with professionalism and care, are the equal of books from traditional publishers. This starts with a well-written and edited manuscript, and there’s simply no replacement.

A compelling premise—Like all publishers, we have to answer the question, “Why publish this book?” We need to aim to fill a need in the market, or solve it better, faster, cheaper, or with more flair than anyone else. Present your unique perspective, give people a reason to want or need your book.

The Self-Publishing Conundrum

Holmes specializes in nonfiction, and nonfiction is where it’s easiest to profitably publish a book yourself. Her extra requirement for self-published books, “showing substantial sales,” is where a dilemma arises.

Most self-published books have negligible sales. That’s bad for the publisher and for any hope of selling to a bigger publisher, no matter what. But even if you sell 5,000 copies—a significant achievement for many self-published authors—you may only succeed in convincing a potential publisher that that’s all your platform will support.

In that case, why should they acquire your book and try to open up a larger distribution channel? You may have already exhausted the sales potential for your book.

And while a 5,000 copy sale is well short of what a big publisher with national distribution needs if it hopes to make a profit, the same book can be a cash bonanza for a self-published author. Once the costs of developing the manuscript and producing the book have been covered, the profits would be substantial.

A $15.95, 200-page trade paperback in print-on-demand distribution and sold on a short 20% discount will show a profit of $9.25 per book, or $46,000 for 5,000 books.

But the lesson in all this is simple: Books, to be successful, need to be well-written; to have a compelling reason for being; and they can be helped immeasurably by an author’s efforts to build a receptive audience. And that’s a lesson we should all remember.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, a book designer and blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

Memoirs from the Asylum on Writers in the Sky Podcast

Writers in the Sky Podcast will feature an interview with Dr. Kenneth Weene author of a truly unique book, Memoirs From the Asylum. Weene’s writing style is bold and risky. He takes you into the tormented minds of his characters, not from a neutral narrative's voice but from within the madness itself. Memoirs explores the inner life of its characters, including the inner life of a catatonic schizophrenic. Podcast host Vonnie Faroqui, will find out how the author developed his characters and why he chose to voyage so deeply within them?

Free Audio: The Insiders' Guide to Getting a Book Deal

If you missed my call, “The Insiders Guide to Getting a Book Deal,” with Stephanie Gunning (a.k.a @AudaciousEditor on Twitter) about how to get a book deal, you can listen to the recorded call now.

Stephanie Gunning is a bestselling author, editor, and publishing consultant with over 25 years of experience in the book business. Her Get a Book Deal Coaching Program is a powerful proven system that she strategically developed from her background as a senior acquisitions editor at Bantam-Doubleday-Dell and editor at HarperCollins Publishers, and her subsequent career helping create, place, and market books for dozens of non-fiction writers, including New York Times and national bestselling authors Gregg Braden, Arielle Ford, Ruby Payne, and Hale Dwoskin, among others.

During our call, Stephanie shared some valuable information and answered questions about the following:

• What makes an author or a book concept attractive to a publisher?
• The way publishers run their numbers when deciding how much to pay an author for a book project they want to acquire
• Book advances and book contract
• Does it help to have an agent? If so, how do you find the right one?
• How does a publishing consultant differ from an agent?
• Why you need to write a book proposal
• Why you should never pay literary representatives money to read for you

She also mentioned the association of author’s representatives, a database where you can search for a literary agent by genre of literature. That Web site is http://www.aaronline.org/Find. Only qualified agents are listed.

Want to Get a Book Deal in 2010? Stephanie will work one-on-one privately to coach you to help create your book proposal. 

Teleconference to Help You Get a Book Deal from a Publisher

On February 18 at 2 p.m. Central Time, I will be hosting my friend Stephanie Gunning as she talks about her new private coaching program: Get a Book Deal™ Proposal Coaching. This is a live call. Here is the call in info you will need to access this teleseminar:

Dial 1-605-475-6350 and enter 356172#

In our conference call, Stephanie will discuss the following. How to:

* Hone your unique book concept
* Develop an actionable marketing plan
* Guide you through preparation of an industry-standard book proposal
* Offer a reading and critique on written drafts of the proposal sections
* Provide you with tools, support, and structure to accomplish your publishing goals
* Help you make the most out of the experience as possible,to achieve and receive your desired creative outcomes, and to feel a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and satisfaction that you have moved toward your full potential as an author

Stephanie has been in the business for 25 years and has sat on both sides of the table--working as an in-house acquisitions editor, as a freelance editor, and as an author. She understands how to navigate the creative process and your publishing relationships. Therefore, she will not make wild promises, but if you're ready to focus on your book, she will give you some tips on how you can get a book deal in two to three months!

Her clients and coauthors include bestselling authors like Gregg Braden (The God Code), Hale Dwoskin (The Sedona Method), and others you may have heard of, and she's well-liked by her colleagues because she's a straight shooter.Stephanie is also wide awake spiritually, which is something I think my WITS Community will appreciate.

If 2010 is the year you plan to do a book, and you're ready to step up, you should seriously consider Get a Book Deal™ Proposal Coaching from Stephanie. Her clients have received contracts from companies you'd be proud to be connected with: Hay House, New World Library, McGraw-Hill, Jossey-Bass, Perigee, J.P. Tarcher, Health Communications Inc, Broadway Books, and others.

Don’t let another year go by. Join me on this call and learn how to Get a Book Deal™ Proposal Coaching. Be sure to let your friends know about this great opportunity.

Yvonne Perry

Coaching to Get a Book Deal Proposal

I wanted you to be one of the first ones to know about my good friend Stephanie Gunning's new private coaching program: Get a Book Deal™ Proposal Coaching.

If you enter the program, Stephanie will work with you one-on-one to:

• Hone your unique book concept
• Develop an actionable marketing plan
• Guide you through preparation of an industry-standard book proposal
• Offer a reading and critique on written drafts of the proposal sections
• Provide you with tools, support, and structure to accomplish your publishing goals
• Help you make the most out of the experience as possible,to achieve and receive your desired creative outcomes, and to feel a sense of purpose, accomplishment, and satisfaction that you have moved toward your full potential as an author

Read about the program details. . .

Stephanie is not like other publishing consultants you might have heard about. She doesn't make her clients wild promises about them being able to finish their book in a couple of hours. She knows it takes thought and planning. She can get you to a deal in two to three months, if you're ready to focus on your book!

Stephanie has been in the business for 25 years and has sat on both sides of the table--working as an in-house acquisitions editor, as a freelance editor, and as an author. She understands how to navigate the creative process and your publishing relationships. Stephanie is also wide awake spiritually.

Her clients and coauthors include bestselling authors like Gregg Braden (The God Code), Hale Dwoskin (The Sedona Method), and others you may have heard of, and she's well-liked by her colleagues because she's a straight shooter.

If 2010 is the year you plan to do a book, and you're ready to step up, you should seriously consider Get a Book Deal™ Proposal Coaching from Stephanie. Her clients have received contracts from companies you'd be proud to be connected with, including: Hay House, New World Library, McGraw-Hill, Jossey-Bass, Perigee, J.P. Tarcher, Health Communications Inc, Broadway Books

"Everybody needs someone to 'make them look good'. After working with me for more than a year on my first book proposal in 30 years, I had eight publishers within three weeks interested, and sold it within five weeks to the perfect publisher, New World Library. Stephanie's experience with book proposals and writing, her ability to polish my work for me, instead of just telling me to do it made this all possible. She's a writer's best friend, and a real gem!"  —Ernest Chu, author of Soul Currency: Investing Your Inner Wealth for Fulfillment and Abundance

Don’t let another year go by. Check out Get a Book Deal™ Proposal Coaching. Tell Stephanie I sent you!

Sincerely,

Yvonne Perry
Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com 

How I Self-published My Children’s Book

After self-publishing my first book in 2004, I knew what was involved when I started to publish my second book in 2005. I was willing to do the marketing legwork again, but I did not want to handle distribution. I had addressed hundreds of envelopes and made as many trips to the post office with my first book. At the time, the average self-published author could not get distribution through Ingram unless the book was printed by Lightning Source. This limitation made it difficult for authors to get their books into bookstores and on Amazon.com. Therefore, with my second book, I opted to go with Booksurge, a publish-on-demand affiliate of Amazon.com. I would have to sell it to them for 55 percent off the retail price, which means the author makes very little on the sale of one book. But, Amazon handled the distribution and added my book to Ingram’s catalogue where it could be ordered by any retail bookstore.

I had my third book published through Nightengale Press in 2007 and even though Nightengale is generous in the percentage of royalties they pay their authors, I knew I could make more per book or else offer the book at a lower price if I self published. This was important because The Sid Series is a full-color book inside and out, and books with a color interior cost more to print than black and white ones. The book publishing industry has changed a lot in the past six years and Lightning Source has recently started working directly with authors rather than publishers only.

In my research, I came across a self-publishing guru by the name of Morris Rosenthal. He informed me that publishers did not have to agree to Amazon’s 55-percent discount. He referred me to a book by Aaron Shepard titled Aiming At Amazon. From that book, I learned how to publish my own book, have it printed through Lightning Source, list it in Ingram’s catalog, and sell it on Amazon and offer it to bookstores for a short discount of 30 percent. This method put me in the driver’s seat as both the publisher and the author and completely removed the middle person. My profit margin is greater because the cost per book is lower and I’m not giving away any of my royalties to a publisher. Win-Win!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Yvonne Perry is the author of The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children. These 12 body-mind-spirit stories highlight unique lessons about love, acceptance, self-worth, caring for the body, diversity, facing fears, dealing with change, experiencing the death of a pet, using spiritual gifts, and psychic experiences today's children exhibit (see http://thesidseries.com/).

Yvonne is also a free-lance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). She and her team of ghostwriters are ready to assist you with writing and editing for books, Web text, business documents, resumes, bios, articles, and media releases. For more information about writing, networking, publishing, and book promotion, or to sign up for free email delivery of WITS newsletter, please visit http://www.writersinthesky.com/. New subscribers receive a free e-book Tips for Freelance Writing.

Test-Market with Self-Publishing: Get Your Ideas Reader Ready

Notes from “Test-Market with Self-Publishing: Get Your Ideas Reader Ready”

Kati Neville is co-author of Fix, Freeze, Feast (Storey Publishing, 2007) and an expert on self-publishing. She was quite successful with self-publishing, and was a great resource for those interested in publishing their own works.

Kati Neville asked some key questions for writers to explore when thinking self-publishing:

1.) How is your idea unique? What resources are similar/different from it? Make the business case for your project without emotion.
2.) Who is your market?
3.) Who will sell it?
4.) Competition?
5.) Think about timing, try to tie into key events.

Read more here.. http://tinyurl.com/yjx9zrq

RAND Publishing Taps Helium to Source Writers for New Skinny On™ Books

Selected Authors will Earn up to $5k per Title

ANDOVER, MA – July 21, 2009 — Helium, the world’s largest writing community, today announced a partnership with RAND Publishing, publisher of The Skinny On™ series of illustrated non-fiction books. Under the partnership, RAND Publishing will leverage Helium’s social publishing platform to identify the most appropriate authors for up to twenty-five new titles, such as The Skinny On Finance for Young Adults and The Skinny on Social Networking. Selected writers will be chosen by Helium and paid between $3,500 and $5,000 per title.

First launched in 2008 by acclaimed author, attorney and motivational speaker Jim Randel, The Skinny On series is designed to provide time-starved and information-overloaded readers with "the skinny on life's most important lessons."

“The Skinny On series offers a new breed of book, striving to disseminate information to an audience increasingly used to consuming content on the internet and cell phones,” said Jim Randel, founder and Chairman of RAND Publishing. “Helium’s unique community of talented, motivated writers presents a gold mine for us to source the best authors for our future titles.”

Inspired by the Japanese literary form, Manga, a whimsical, illustrated modality for story-telling, and easily read in about an hour, each Skinny On subject is explored through the lives of ordinary people - normal in all respects but one: they happen to be stick people.

“The Skinny On™ books challenge the traditional publishing model for non-fiction works,” says Peter Newton, vice president of business development for Helium. “We look forward to helping such an innovative publishing company quickly and cost-effectively source new authors so they can continue to grow and scale their business.”

Helium’s partnership with RAND marks the latest in a series of alliances formed with various media companies over the last year. In February, Hearst Newspapers partnered with Helium to access premium local and lifestyle editorial content for its newspapers.

Helium has also partnered with prestigious journalism organizations such as The National Press Club and The Society of Professional Journalists, which view the site as a resource for their members to build their digital writing credentials and showcase their work in front of thousands of publishers online.

About Helium

Helium is the world’s largest community of writers. Since its inception in 2006, Helium’s writers have published over 1.25 million articles on 125,000 unique topics. Each month close to 4 million people visit Helium.com to read articles on a range of subjects from careers to home & garden, parenting, politics and more. Helium writers earn money and establish digital credibility by publishing articles on Helium, securing writing assignments with publishers through Helium’s freelance Marketplace, competing in writing contests, and engaging in civilized debate around the issues and causes that are most important to them. Recently named by Writer’s Digest as one of the “101 Best Websites for Writers,” Helium is a privately held, privately funded company headquartered in Andover, MA. For more information please visit http://www.helium.com/.

About RAND

Founded in 2008, RAND Publishing has created a new breed of book, striving to disseminate information to an audience increasingly used to consuming content on the internet and mobile devices. Their quick-read story format and short lead publishing cycles allow RAND's books to provide The Skinny On™ current events and topical subjects, all the while keeping readers informed and entertained.

With a focus on topics aimed at inspiring personal, professional and financial success, RAND Publishing's mission is to provide must-have content in the right format to consumers, professionals, educators, students and lifelong learners worldwide. RAND’s first book, The Skinny On the Housing Crisis, recently won the coveted NAREE Book of the Year award. RAND is a privately held and funded company based in Westport, CT. Please visit randpublishing.com or theskinnyon.com for more information.

Should You Reveal a Book Cover Before Publication?

Barbara Techel is the author of the multi-award winning, Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog. She has written book two in the series and is almost ready to release it to the world of readers.

Barbara is a role model and star student in doing what it takes to be a successful author.

Recently, she wrote me with a question:

I'm close to having a cover completed for Frankie's new book Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby’s House, which has an accompanying workbook for children: Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Activity Workbook http://www.joyfulpaws.com/store.htm. Woo hoo! I saw a sneak peak of the cover from the illustrator and got tears in my eyes. What is your insight or feelings on revealing the cover before actual publication? I've heard various aspects on this. I kind of think starting to build the buzz is the right thing to do from what I have read.

My answer:

I encourage authors to share their book covers before the book actually comes out. Not only do you get feedback on the design while there is still time for changes, you are also creating a buzz and getting the book’s basic “look” in front of potential readers. This is part of establishing your branding, which is an important part of marketing.

Check out Frankie's blog: http://www.frankiethewalknrolldog.blogspot.com
Frankie on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/walknrolldog
Barbara’s blog: http://www.joyfulpaws.blogspot.com

FiledBy Adds More Than 1 Million New Sites for Co-authors, Illustrators, Photographers, Artists, Editors, Translators and Others

Nashville, Tenn., (May 18, 2009) – FiledBy has expanded its online author directory (www.filedby.com) by adding and linking together sites for co-authors, illustrators, artists, photographers and others who contributed to the publication of a book.

“The contribution of illustrators, photographers, artists and many other creators are important to the publication of books in a wide range of formats and subject categories,” said Peter Clifton, FiledBy CEO and president. “FiledBy now offers a platform for further expansion of their ideas and creativity on the web.”

FiledBy featured 1.8 million author sites in its directory before the latest expansion, which adds more than 1 million contributors whose efforts led to a published work.

Each contributor now has a free site that he or she can claim and enhance with photographs, a biography, links and multimedia (video, podcast or PDF). All sites are now linked to relevant contributors on FiledBy and include pages for each of their books. Finding and connecting with new audiences on the web is critical for authors and creators to be successful. FiledBy provides a marketing platform for those who do not have a web presence and provides additional value for those that do.

FiledBy has three valuable benefits. It is the largest online directory organized by authors and contributors. It offers any author or contributor a free website where they can connect with fans and peers as well promote their work. And it offers authors and contributors affordable digital marketing tools to enhance their online presence.

The platform is ideal for any author or contributor who needs a low-cost and effective web presence. Author and contributor sites can integrate photographs, biographies, video, podcasts, press kits, blogs, event listings and more. For others, it is an online platform that complements and links to existing author websites, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, publisher pages or blogs.

Authors and books on FiledBy cover all subject and publishing categories including general trade, academic and professional. In addition to author and contributor sites, FiledBy features more than 7.5 million books. All books are available for sale through Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N.com, Powells, Borders, Indigo and Indiebound.

The data used on the site is licensed from trusted industry sources and supplemented by data from publishers and content provided by authors and contributors.

FiledBy is the largest online directory of author sites providing web tools, e-commerce and community-building solutions for published book authors and contributors — co-authors, illustrators, photographers, artists, translators and editors. FiledBy provides authors and readers with social tools to connect with each other and can be discovered through a single database.

Link – http://www.filedby.com

Writers' Podcast Offers Perspectives on Human Behavior during this Holiday Season

Writers in the Sky December Podcast Guests to Discuss “Walk-Out Spirits,” the Mindset of Baby Boomers, and the Impact of Tragedy on our Relationships

Nashville, TN, December 1, 2008 – The holiday season is upon us and, this month, Writers in the Sky will be featuring a series of interviews that address three very distinct perspectives on the human experience. With the end of the year commonly considered a time of self-reflection, we hope the conversations with these authors will provide you with some food for thought. We begin with a discussion of movement between the spiritual and physical worlds. Then, a new author explains the psychological impact that his generation has had on our country. We end our month of interviews learning more about a novel of suspense that challenges the strong bonds of family and friends. We believe that these weekly podcasts will provide a welcome moment to pause during the frantic pace of the holidays.

On December 5, Yvonne Perry will discuss the concept of “walk-out spirits” with Ray Brennan and Masomeh Fritz as they share information from their new book titled The Legacy of the Chosen One. Yvonne will ask them about their main character, Laila, who exists in the spirit world even though her body remains in the physical world. Through this storytelling format, Brennan and Fritz hope to remove some of the mystery from metaphysics. They also will provide some insight as to why they believe such activity is happening in today’s world. Listeners who are intrigued by the spiritual world will love this informed exchange between Yvonne and her guests. For more information on The Legacy of the Chosen One, please visit the book’s page at www.OutskirtsPress.com.

The Writers in the Sky’s author assistant, Sarah Moore, interviews M. C. Lloyd on December 12 about his new release titled Moving Beyond Woodstock. Lloyd is a member of the Baby Boom generation who shares a critical take on the subset of his peers to whom he refers as the “Woodys”. These are the men and women of the 1960s who either attended the famous three-day concert in New York or who have the mindset of those particular music lovers. Lloyd employs his background as a poet to develop a humorous depiction of the legacy created by the “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” lifestyle of the Woodys, but also shares some serious concerns about how his generation has had a negative impact on our society. Lloyd’s strong opinions and sharp wit are certain to make for an entertaining interview. For more information on M. C. Lloyd and Moving Beyond Woodstock, please visit www.OutskirtsPress.com.

Our final podcast of the year will take place on December 19. Tune in to this week’s broadcast for an interview with J.A. Nevling as he discusses his new thriller, Burned. Nevling’s book starts with a tragic fire that changes the lives of the Nagol family forever. Nevling powerfully weaves a plotline with flashbacks and cliffhangers that keep readers moving from one chapter to the next, and inspires reflection on the importance of trust in relationships, especially in families. In his interview with Sarah Moore, Nevling will discuss how he carefully crafted his sentences to build a novel that creates suspense and emotional investment from the reader. He also will share how he spent years developing the writing skills for his initial publication and why Burned was so long in the making. For information on purchasing Burned, please visit www.OutskirtsPress.com.

“I know that everyone is busy during this time of year and I think our podcasts will provide a nice break at the end of the week,” shares Yvonne Perry, owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services, which produces the podcast. “Our three guests this month each offers unique insight into the human condition, both within ourselves and how we relate to other people. What a perfect focus while preparing for a new year and a fresh start!”

About Writers in the Sky: Writers in the Sky blog, podcast, and newsletter is a three-fold production filled with information about writing, publishing, and book publicity created by Yvonne Perry as part of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services

(www.writersinthesky.com).

Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Go to http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.

Entrepreneur Releases eBook to Help Authors Promote Books Online

Book Marketing in the Digital Age, Online Promotion Made Easy was designed by a successfully published author to specifically help other authors understand and implement the various methods available to publicize a book online.

NASHVILLE, TN-- The benefit of publishing with a conventional publisher is to gain access to trade publications and inside marketing information that self-published authors do not have. Unfortunately, most publishers, regardless of whether it’s a large house or POD (publish-on-demand) company, expect authors to do most, if not all, of their own book promotion, but many authors do not have a clue where to start with this monumental task.

Without a strong promotion campaign, a book simply does not sell no matter how good its content may be.

The best place to promote a book is on the Internet because that’s where most readers buy books. Shopping from the comfort of home, people can get books at discounted prices and many times with free shipping from online bookstores. However, other than offering an author’s page on the publisher’s Web site, most publishers are not utilizing online marketing avenues to sell books for their authors. Many publishers are not even aware of how social networking via the Internet can be used to create awareness for authors and their books.

In her new eBook, Book Marketing in the Digital Age, Online Promotion Made Easy, Yvonne Perry gives authors the basic tools needed to get started with successful online book promotion. By breaking it into bite-sized pieces, the reader of this eBook can begin to see changes in their Web ranking and book sales within just a few months of devoted use of the techniques provided. During Perry’s 2007 online blog tour, her book reached #2 in Amazon’s bestselling books for the biomedical category.

“When I launched my third book, I hired a publicist and tried doing things the old-fashioned way,” says Yvonne Perry, the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). “I gave up hours of my time trying to get my book noticed by people in the stem cell, religious, and political communities, whom I thought were my target market. I spent thousands of dollars promoting my book using print media and local venues. Only a handful of my closest friends, who would have bought my book anyway, showed up for the book signing event. In contrast, it was my online book tour that brought in book sales and pushed my book to the top of Amazon.com’s bestseller list.”

Calling upon her experience with online promotion and her book industry knowledge gained from assisting clients with editing, ghostwriting, and author promotion, Perry’s new eBook gives sample screenshots and more than 100 links to helpful sites that serve as examples to further explain the text. Tips and how-to information include: creating an online media kit, blogging tips, getting traffic to your site, virtual book tours, social media and networking, using video for book promotion, getting author interviews, and the benefits of podcasting.

For a complete list of contents, access free marketing tips, purchase the eBook, or connect with the WITS community, see www.OnlinePromotionMadeEasy.com

###
Contact:
Yvonne Perry
615-884-1224
www.writersinthesky.com

Writer's and Authors, Promote Your Book Early!

By Carol Denbow

Wait, hold on! Don’t leave just because you think this post topic doesn’t apply to you. So you haven’t published your book yet? Well this may be news to you; book marketing begins the day you begin to write! That’s correct, the very day you pick up the pen!

One of the biggest mistakes writers make is to wait until the day their book hits the stands to being their promotion efforts. Book promotion should begin at least six months before your book hits the stands and continue for at least three years to follow—especially in this new world of Internet marketing and sales. With it we have the ability to promote our book literally everywhere on this planet. It has been predicted that eighty percent of book purchasing will take place through the Internet by the year 2020. Personally, from the trend I’ve noticed recently, I feel it will be even sooner yet. Amazon.com is one of the best book-selling sites on the Internet and has expanded to include Joya Amazon.cn (Chinese), Amazon.fr (French), Amazon.de (German), and Amazon.co.jp (Japanese). Barnes & Noble booksellers online have followed suit with international sales. Their brick and mortar book stores now stock foreign publications as well, including Vogue Magazine in four different languages.

To gain world-wide exposure for a book, authors need to start early. The Internet is an interesting place. It’s like mold—it grows and expands slowly. It can take months, even years for one promotional article to reach its full audience potential.

So get out there now! Even if you’ve just started your manuscript—promote it! You’ll be surprised how well your book sells “hot off the press!”

Carol Denbow is the author of three books, including A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story which includes 25 Unique Ways to Sell Your Story. Visit Carol’s Website at http://www.BooksByDenbow.Weebly.com

A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story

Today we are hosting an interview with author Carol Denbow. She is here to talk about her new book, “A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story.”

Yvonne Perry: Is this your first book?
Carol Denbow: No, it’s my third release. My first book, Are You Ready to Be Your Own Boss? was released in 2006. Then after a two year gap, I’ve had two new books released in just the past three months. This one, A Book Inside, which I self-published, and Stress Relief for the Working Stiff: How to Reverse the Embalming Effect, which was published by Publish America.

Yvonne: So you’ve self-published and been traditionally published?
Carol Denbow: Yes.

Yvonne: Do you recommend self-publishing a book?
Carol Denbow: Well, there are advantages that go along with traditional publishing, primarily, the cost—there really isn’t much when compared to self-publishing. But you do give up a considerable amount of control in exchange. For instance, I genuinely dislike the cover that was designed for my book, Stress Relief for the Working Stiff. I don’t feel it represents the contents of the book as well as the title being difficult to read from any reasonable distance. To me, this breaks the first rules of a good book cover design. But regardless of my efforts to change it, I have a contract with the publisher, and that is concrete. So even though it’s my book, I lose the power and control I would have had I self-published the book. Because of these things, I prefer to self-publish.

When you self-publish a book, and here I’m excluding print-on-demand publishing, you maintain complete control, but, in turn all expenses and a lot of work falls on your plate. Self-publishing requires an enormous commitment to what can equal years of preparation. After spending what may seem like endless hours writing your manuscript, there will be many more devoted to editing, layout, cover design, finding a reliable printer, marketing, and promotion. But of course, when you do-it-yourself, all profits are yours to keep.

Print-on-demand publishing is when you pay a publishing house to do a considerable amount of the work for you and make your book available to most buyers. But with POD publishing you still have to pay for copies of your own book. Also, your book is rarely “returnable” by retailers such as Barnes & Noble, so they are reluctant to order it, limiting your sales market.

Publishing options are something each individual author must choose according to their personal needs and expectations. For me, yes, I prefer to go all the way and self-publish on my own.

Yvonne: So does A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story teach new writers how to self-publish their books?
Carol Denbow: Absolutely. But it is the writers’ choice of which publishing method they personally prefer or suits them best. The book explains all methods of getting published, including Print on Demand. That way, the reader can weigh the differences prior to making their choice. Once they decide what’s right for them, they can follow the step-by-step instruction and use the references to locate the resources they need.

Yvonne: For such a small book, A Book Inside contains an incredible amount of resources. Where did you find these?
Carol Denbow: Research, research, and more research—about three years of it

Yvonne: I like the way you get your message across in all your books. I found them to be really easy to follow. Did you plan the books to be this way?
Carol Denbow: I hate to admit this, but I’m not a reader. In fact, I’ve read very few books cover-to-cover. I’m sure it’s just me personally, but when I pick up a book for the sake of learning something, or to better myself, I don’t want to read a lot of unnecessary “filler” text. So when I write, I create a simple outline of the lesson and then fill in the blanks with the most valuable information I can find. I don’t like books which are loaded with repetitive information. If you teach the lesson once and position it in the text to make it easy to find again, you won’t have to repeat yourself. Basically, my books have all the information “needed” and not the mumbo jumbo extras.

Yvonne: Many of the writers I work with self-publish their books; do you think a marketing plan is necessary for self-published authors?
Carol Denbow: If I said no, I’d be shot dead! Writing is a business and as with any business, you need to have a plan. There is no point in writing and publishing a book unless it will sell. Since more than seventy-five percent of books are self-published, I would like to direct this answer to those. On average, a self-published book sells only 120 copies. Are these statistics from published authors who lacked a good marketing plan? Absolutely!

I’d like to point out as well that book marketing is an ongoing effort. A new release can take up to three years to show signs of success. Some authors give up long before their book has the opportunity to really “get out there.” My first book, Are You Ready to Be Your Own Boss? was released back in September of 2006, but didn’t evolve into what I would consider a “successful” book until early this year. It takes a good and ongoing plan with aggressive and unique ideas to properly market a book.

Yvonne: So where can we find your books and do you have a Web site?
Carol Denbow: All my books are available through Amazon.com as well as through my Website at http://www.booksbydenbow.weebly.com/. I also have a great blog for new and seasoned writers at http://abookinside.blogspot.com/. To see where by book tour is taking me this year, readers can visit my Website.

Yvonne: Thanks for stopping by and sharing this information with us!
Carol Denbow: Yvonne, it is absolutely my pleasure and may I add in a final note, thank you for all you do to help writers and published authors find success in their journeys.

Authors Use Books as a Career Opportunity

Business entrepreneurs find the business aspect of being an author just as important as writing the book. Four authors/businesspersons share their road to writing, business, and book marketing success on September’s Writers in the Sky (WITS) Podcast.

Being an author these days is as much about being a businessperson as it is about writing a bestseller. With so many authors taking the publish-on-demand (POD) route to bring their books to market, authors have the responsibility for promoting their own work. The publicity a book requires to be successful could become a career in itself.

Gone are the days when an unknown author can expect to be picked up by a conventional publishing house and get a free ride with upfront advances. In fact, authors are paying thousands of dollars to have their books published on demand. Authors must be able to convince a publisher that they can sell their books. And, publishers are not usually willing to invest a lot of time and money on a book that has meager potential.

Podcast host Barbara Milbourn is an editor on the WITS team who works with authors to prepare their books for publishing. “If a book is not well-written or has grammatical and mechanical errors, it will struggle to find success on the market, says Milbourn. “If it happens to be a super book and the author gets it out there, it may endure mixed reviews like this: ‘I love this book. Had it not been so jammed with great info, I would have been more turned off by the typos and somewhat disjointed nature of the read.’ This is an actual review posted on Amazon for the first edition of a book that was not carefully edited and proofread. I’m happy to say the author and I are working together on his second edition. It is important for a book be edited and proofread before the querying process begins.”

And once a book hits the market, the author’s work is not over. Books must compete for sales in a shaky economy. They need to be of top-notch literary quality in order to turn enough profit to make the publishing process worthwhile. “Writing a book and bringing it to market is the beginning of the author’s job. Promoting a book can easily become a full-time business in itself,” says Yvonne Perry, podcast host and owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. “If an author understands the book publishing industry and how to market a book online, he or she has a better chance of becoming a successful author.” Perry is the author of five books including an eBook titled Book Marketing in a Digital Age Online Promotion Made Easy that she plans to release in October.

September 5
Tamera Lawrence, author of The Pond is interviewed by podcast host, Barbara Milbourn. The Pond is a twisty little mystery/thriller partially based on a true event as told to the author by her mother. Twenty-five years have passed since eight-year-old Carl Weber drowned in Gray’s Pond and now his best friend has returned to the area with his wife and daughter to reside at his parent’s estate.

Strange things begin to happen. Tension builds with each odd occurrence, and the reader gets closer to the edge of their seat as the mystery unfurls. As a young girl Tamera loved to read and aspired to become a writer. Somewhere between raising six children and helping her husband run his business, she accomplished her first work and is on to the second. In the interview Barbara and Tamera will discuss the book’s content as well as how Tamera became a businesswoman as a result of her book and the writing process.

September 12
Barbara Milbourn served as copy editor and proofreader for Linda Ballou’s book Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai’i. Barbara and Linda will discuss the writing process of the book, its content, and briefly how an author works with an editor. Wai-nani is an historical novel couched in magical realism set in pre-contact Hawai’i. Wai-nani’s character is inspired by the favorite wife of Kamehameha the Great, who was responsible for ending the 2,000-year-old Polynesian kapu system. Linda Ballou is an author and businesswoman who did it right. Careful and diligent at every turn, she began by living there—experiencing it first-hand—and went on to years of careful and voluminous research of the period and place, people and language, plants and land and sea. Then she willed her poetic travel writing talent to pull it together and bring it back to life. In her thinking place, she sat with it and when she was ready to bring it out of her drawer she went on the hunt for the right editor, the right publisher, the right illustrator. That team in place, and the work nearly complete, and knowing the job wasn’t done yet, the ultimate businesswoman went to work on marketing. The book was released in June, and the business of it goes on.

September 19
Yvonne Perry’s interview with Lillian Brummet on the business aspect of freelance writing. Lillian is a radio talk show host, environmentalist, successful author, and businesswoman. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ConsciousDiscussions. Yvonne is an author, experienced freelance writer and editor, who operates a writing and editing business, publishes a newsletter, manages a blog, and provides a podcast for authors.

September 26
Sarah Moore will interview Dennis Snow about his book, Lessons from the Mouse. Dennis is a writer, consultant, and public speaker who uses his twenty years of experience with the Walt Disney World Company to share how organizations can create “walk through fire” customer loyalty. Using Disney as the premier example of service excellence, each chapter develops a specific lesson with relevant examples from diverse industries and discussion questions to generate strategies for creating outstanding customer service.

Can a book be a cornerstone for a business? Can a business be promoted by launching a book? Yes, and yes. If a quality book on a hot topic is marketed well, it can create a business opportunity for its author. A businessperson such as Dennis Snow, who has already carved his niche as a speaker and consultant, can use his book to extend the reach toward his target market.

Sarah Moore is the author’s assistant and podcast coordinator on the WITS team. She helps authors with the development of marketing text for books, which she has often edited or proofread. Sarah worked with Dennis to create a media kit to help him garner more speaking engagements Learn more about the business and craft of writing through the Writers in the Sky Podcast at www.writersinthesky.com

September Newsletter on Writing Available

The September issue of Writers in the Sky Newsletter has been released. Access this free e-zine about writing, publishing, and book marketing on the WITS Web site: www.writersinthesky.com.


Those who subscribe to Writers in the Sky Newsletter are entitled to receive a complimentary eBook, Tips for Freelance Writing. This book has some great "how-to" information for those who are trying to get a freelance writing career off the ground!




SUBSCRIBE TO WRITERS IN THE SKY NEWSLETTER

Author's and Writing Update

August Author's Corner

My grandmother’s 92nd birthday party was a lot of fun. I saw family members that I only see once every year or so. We had great food including homemade peach ice cream—my aunt’s delicious annual contribution. My grandmother enjoyed all the decorations my mom and her sister tacked on every wall and light fixture in the house. They even had a Princess Nanny balloon alongside the front walkway. Do you want to know what kind of gift to give a 92-year-old? Food gift certificates! Nanny is thrilled to use her gift card when she calls Pizza Hut to her door! And, she loves getting gussied up and having her own “money card” when my parents to take her to a local restaurant.

Forbes.com did an interview with me this past month titled A Freelancer's Survival Guide. The article turned out well and you may find the information helpful if you are thinking of starting a freelance business.

I have a new eBook Book Marketing in the Digital Age, Online Promotion Made Easy coming out in a few months. It’s the one about online book promotion that some of you have been waiting for. I’ve compiled everything that I have learned about online marketing into a 50-page eBook with tons of links to the sites of other experts—yours may be one of them! Preview this book marketing eBook at http://www.onlinepromotionmadeeasy.com/

I am asked the same questions over and over from authors who want to self-publish their books: What is the best way to print my book? How much should I expect to pay? Do you have any recommendations for a reputable printing company? If you know of a printing company that you can confidently recommend to our readers, I would like to hear from you.

Our trip to South Carolina to see our kids and grandkids was a pure delight. Being on the beach all day Friday, July 4, and again the following Sunday was just what I needed to help me release the stress I had been under. Along with several smaller projects, I’ve ghostwritten, edited, or proofread at least a dozen books this year, and I’m simultaneously working on three more books right now. That’s in addition to running and marketing a business, producing a podcast, blog, and newsletter, and trying to be a human. I’m certainly not complaining. I love what I do and I’m thankful to be able to work from home.

I put together a video about our writing business to show what WITS is all about. I’d love to have your comments on YouTube.com.

We have more articles in this issue than usual, but they are all so good, I hated to cut any of them. Our “Network With Us” section could use a little pumping up, so be sure to send me your announcements by the 22nd day of August for inclusion in September’s issue.

I hope you enjoy WITS Newsletter and will forward it to your friends and let them know how to subscribe.

Get Noticed… Get Referrals: Build Your Client Base and Your Business by Making a Name for Yourself.

Today we welcome Jill Lublin to our writing blog. She is discussing her book Get Noticed… Get Referrals: Build Your Client Base and Your Business by Making a Name for Yourself.

Yvonne Perry: Tell me something about yourself and your writing background.
Jill: I’ve written two bestselling books Guerrilla Publicity and Networking Magic which went to #1 on Barnes and Noble. I’m privileged to be featured on McGraw Hill for my third book Get Noticed and all of my books teach people how to be influential, using publicity, networking, and referrals.

Yvonne: What is the title of your book? Give us the basic story line so we’ll know what it’s about.
Jill: Get Noticed…Get Referrals. The story is about how to get more referrals and build your client base and your database by making a name for yourself.

Yvonne: What inspired you to write this book?
Jill: Because I noticed that most people are afraid to brag. They don’t know how to expand and leverage their network and how to give and receive referrals.

Yvonne: Is this the first book you have written?
Jill : No, I’ve had the delightful pleasure of authoring two other books Guerrilla Publicity and Networking Magic.

Yvonne: How long did it take to write this book? Any interesting tidbits about your writing method or how the book developed?
Jill: From the date of the contract to the book being published took a year and a half which is incredibly fast in the publishing industry. That’s because I’m a published author already with an existing platform and McGraw Hill is happy for that. I always work with a writer since this makes the process a lot easier and faster and I can concentrate on what I do best which is consulting and teaching my crash course in publicity.

Yvonne: How did you publish your book? Tell me about your publishing experience and what you learned from it. Please go into detail if you wish.
Jill: My publishing experience is with McGraw Hill. I had an agent pitch my book. I actually got two offers, one from Penguin and one from McGraw Hill and I decided to go with McGraw Hill because of their large reach and big company machine. It was an exciting and stimulating time with different publishers interested in my work and I’m thrilled to have McGraw Hill as my publisher.

Yvonne: Did you work with an agent? If so, how did you find the agent? Was it beneficial to you?
Jill: I worked with an agent who shopped this book for close to a year. It is absolutely beneficial and one of the keys to my success.

Yvonne: Where is your book available? Do you have a Web site or blog where we can learn more about you or your book?
Jill: Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Borders
www.getnoticedblog.com
www.jilllublin.com

Yvonne: As far as marketing, do you do more online publicity or print/radio/TV promotion? Tell me some ways you have promoted your book. Give examples and links to any sites you feel might help other authors.
Jill: I do more of print/radio/TV publicity. I am doing a blog tour, a joint venture campaign, a national radio campaign, a print campaign; I’m telling everyone I know to buy it and I’m telling my personal connection to tell them to help promote the book with me.

www.speakerservices.com
www.parapublishing.com
www.smallbusinesssuccess.com

Yvonne: Have you hired a publicist to help promote this book? If so, what was your experience like?
Jill: I’m working with Annie Jennings to promote the book and I’m very excited to be working with her, she does great work.


Yvonne: Any other comments or things you would like for us to know?
Jill: Creating a book is a huge job, you have to be prepared for it from start to finish and know that when you finish writing the book the real work begins—publishing and promoting it! I wish you luck in all your endeavors.

Yvonne Thank you for giving us the opportunity to get to know you and learn about your book. I wish you well.

For more information about Jill Lublin Author of Get Noticed… Get Referrals: Build Your Client Base and Your Business by Making a Name for Yourself (Touring July 7 - August 1) visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/06/jill-lublin-author-of-get-noticed-get.html