Immortalis Carpe Noctem by Katie Salidas

Kate Salidas on Self-Publishing

Self-publishing is often thrown around like a dirty word, but really it shouldn't be. It's hard work putting a book together and getting out there to sell it. There are two basic flavors of self publishing. You can go with a service based publisher like IUniverse, Trafford, or Lulu. They will help you with all the tedious parts of putting the book together. With this method you give up a little creative control. You might use templates and have limited choices in cover art, but it will make the process easier.

Or you can do it 100% yourself. If you chose to do it this way, you have quite a list of things to do in order to put your book together, but you get the freedom to really make it yours. If you choose to go this route, stop into your local library and pick up a few books on how to do it. I believe Dan Poynter’s The Self-Publishing Manual is considered the “bible” for all people choosing this route. I have a copy myself and found it to be extremely helpful.

To start, you will want to make your “to do” list. Each step in the process has one major goal with many minor ones to consider. Take your time with each step because the final outcome depends on it. Here is the short list.

1) Write the book and get it critiqued.
Make sure it is 100% ready before you send it off to an editor. Use critique groups to help you make the story as good as it can be. If there are no local crit groups in your area, check out some of the online sites. There are plenty of them out there, just make sure that your work is protected when you post it. Look through the rules and FAQ’s for the site and make sure your work is not searchable via sites like google. You don’t want your book all over the internet before you publish it. One of my favorite sites to work with is: http://www.critiquecircle.com/


2) Have a Pro edit the book.
Your book may have been several rounds with a critique group and you may have a masters in English, but don’t send out a book that hasn’t had a pro look at it. Self-Publishing is already looked down on, don’t give reviewers another reason to put a nail in your coffin. To find info on editors, check out Predators and Editors:
http://pred-ed.com/peesla.htm. Think of it like the “Consumer Reports” page on Writing and Publishing. It’s a great wealth of information.


3) Printing and Distribution.
Unless you plan on going door to door with a stack of books, you want a printer who can distribute to the big guys like Amazon.com. You can use Amazon’s Create Space/Book Surge to have your books put together and distributed. Check with them on what services they offer too. https://www.createspace.com/
No matter who you choose, you want to have your printer selected before you move on to further steps in the book process.


4) Book Layout.
This can be done in word, but it is quite a frustrating process. The layout is how you book will look when printed; all of those fun little details like: headers and footers, font, page breaks, page size, margins, etc…
You can hire out for this, or you can look for programs that help you do it yourself. I found one on Self-pub.net that was quite helpful. http://www.self-pub.net/wizard.html


5) Book Cover Design.
Finding a reasonably priced designer can be a fun venture. Do your research and ask around to find your designers. Social networking sites like Facebook are wonderful for this, there are lots of groups out there with aspiring novelist, they are a wealth of information and leads. I found both my print and ebook cover artist via networking on Facebook. Check out: http://stellaprice.deviantart.com/gallery/


One note to remember here, your designer will want to know some things before they make your cover. I learned this the hard way. Know what your book dimensions will be before this step. Know the page count, know the size of the book, paper or Hb. Do your book layout first.


6) ISBN.
Every book has one so you will have to purchase these. Check out: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/index.asp




7) PCN or LCCN.
If you want your book able to be on library shelves, you will need one of these numbers:
http://pcn.loc.gov/pcn001.html
Please note, you will have to send them a copy of the final product after publication.


8) Copyright.
File online! Yay! http://www.copyright.gov/


So there you have it, the short list. If you’re still considering self-publishing, don’t feel overwhelmed. It is do-able. You just have to take your time with it.

Kate Salidas, author of Immortalis Carpe Noctem, on self-publishing.

Bleeding to death after brutal mugging on the campus of UNLV, Twenty-five year old Alyssa, is rescued by the cold and aloof, vampire, Lysander. Taking pity on her, he shares the gift-and curse-of immortality. She awakens as a vampire and is soon devastated by harsh realities of her new way of life: the loss of her friends, her independence, and her humanity.

As if having her humanity stripped away was not enough to make life interesting, Alyssa finds out her “turning”, did not go unnoticed by the rest of undead society. Old enemies; an ancient sect of vampire hunters, known as the Acta Sanctorum, as well as a powerful Vampire mistress, each set plans in motion to destroy both Alyssa and Lysander.

Only by accepting her newfound immortality, seizing the night, will Alyssa hope to survive. She and Lysander must fight together against two sets of enemies bent on destroying them both.

The book has fetched a mixture of Reviews, mainly excellent, but why not grab a copy for yourself and see if they are right?"

HOUSE OF IMMORTAL PLEASURES

Blindfolded and kidnapped, Daphne is whisked away to the famed, House of Immortal Pleasures, a Vampire-run Brothel in Pahrump, Nevada.

Sometimes the only way to mend a broken heart is to get back in the saddle. At least that is how Daphne’s friends see it. And since Daphne isn’t showing any signs of letting that happen, they take it into their own hands. With a few shots of liquid courage, a pat on the ass, and a donated gold card, Daphne is unwillingly sent into fantasy room 123 to meet her creature of the night, Connor.

It’s Connor’s job to seduce and entice Daphne to try all the expensive, sexual services on the menu. And he is prepared to do just that, until he peers into her mind and sees the damage done by her broken heart. After learning of her past pain, Connor’s plans change. No more is this a game of seduction to pad the pockets of the brothel owner. Connor decides to lavish Daphne with real attention and affection. Something she desperately needs. He will heal her heart the only way he can, by showing her she is beautiful, desirable, and sexy.

Available on Amazon Kindle

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