How Authors Sharing Tips Of The Trade Can Help You Succeed

What I Wished I'd Known before I Published
Part Three

It's great to have a book ready to go but in the digital book one book often gets lost so be sure to have book two ready to go hot on its heels. - Monique McDonell

Read the FAQ! - Alex Butcher 

Write every day. - Wayne Bartlett

If you want to make a living from your craft, you have to treat it like a business. Your writing is your product, and a successful business will do whatever it takes to put the best product out to the public. That means doing the best job you can where your talents are strongest, and hiring "outside vendors" to take over where you are weak. If you have a talent for graphic arts, do a great cover. If you don't, then for Ghu's sake, hire someone to do a professional cover.

And whether or not you are a good editor, NEVER edit your own writing! Your mind will see what you *intended* to write, and not necessarily what you *actually* wrote. Hire a good editor. - Jeff Brackett

Learn how to market before you hit the publish button because it's all on the author. Wear a thick skin because no matter how many times you edit/check/re-check someone will find a typo and blow it all out of proportion. Get into a writers group like this one so you can keep gaining knowledge. - Elaine Raco Chase

Great cover art is worth its weight in gold. If you can't afford great cover art, see if you can do a swap (babysitting, editing, whatever). - Connie Keller 

I wish I'd known about creating a mailing list. I started indie publishing at the end of 2010 and I didn't know such things existed. I also wish I'd paid a cover artist sooner. Also--it is okay to go back to earlier books and 'fix' them. I just reedited (for dialogue tags and typos) my first book and uploaded. It just means that the people who buy it today are getting a version I like better. - Sarah Woodbury

 

Don't rush to publish. It's easy to do when the thrill of finishing a book is swimming through your head. After you've finished that final edit, step back at least two weeks, then reread. - Jolea M Harrison 

 

Actually I'm glad I wasn't told all of the pitfalls or how difficult it was to get published. If I'd known it might have put me off trying. - Patsy Davies 

Matthew Wayne Selznick - "Whenever possible, direct potential readers to the sales page on your website, not to Amazon.com or another retailer. There are two good reasons for this: 

1) Your reader might not want to shop at the retailer you choose in the region you choose.
2) (This is the big one) By bringing a reader to the sales page on your own site, you raise the chance they'll subscribe to your mailing list and become part of your reader community. This is far more valuable in the long run than the chance of a one-time sale."

Connie Keller  - Make sure your betas are good editors. Not every writer makes a good editor for someone else's work. Also, when proofreading, read the book aloud from back to front, i.e., start with the last chapter and read it through aloud. Then, the second to the last chapter, then, the third to the last chapter and so on until you read the first chapter last. This will keep you from getting caught up in the story and you'll do a much better job of proofreading.

Vickie Taylor - Pay attention to details. It's the little things that whisper "professional" versus screaming "amateur". Time to make a modern cover. Editing. Formatting. Proofreading. Sometimes the smallest things like using two dashes instead of an em dash or straight quotes instead of curly quotes can give a reader an impression of your book's quality and your skill as an author.
 

Secondly, develop an open mind, but thick skin. That means be able to listen to criticism objectively without hurt feelings and then decide if it is something you really want to rethink.

Three probably isn't fair, but here goes. Don't feel like you have to (or even should) publish your first book (as in for sale, where people are going to give you money for it). Put it out there for people to read, sure, possibly on your blog or on Wattpad or even a fan fiction type site where people can read it and maybe give feedback. But writing, like any other craft or art, can take time to develop. I've never seen a pianist charge for attending a concert to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star or whatever other first song they learned. Hone your skill. Go big when you're ready. And I know some people won't agree with that. That's okay. I've been working on my #2

 

Vickie Johnstone - Nothing will happen overnight. Finding readers takes time. Don't give up though and keep writing. Ask for beta readers. I only did this after publishing several books and they were a great help. It also takes the 'oh my God' out of hitting 'publish'. I published my first book without anyone having read it, which is scary, scary, scary! Oh, and make sure you get an editor. I am one, but still need one. 

Don't waste writing time! Author tips shared here!

What I wished I'd known before I Published
part two

KEEP CALM. Writing already takes second place to my day job and I was squandering this meagre resource in pursuit of a frenzy of Facebook, Twitter, forums and pestering. I can’t compete with the fulltime twitbookers, but it doesn’t matter. I do as much publicity as I can, but make sure I stay on top of the important thing – writing.- Eric Tomlinson 
 

It is crucial--not just a good suggestion--to at least some kind of marketing strategy in place BEFORE you publish. - Rikki Strong
 

I wish I'd been told not to get distracted by what seem like great opportunities that actually take you on a path away from what you wanted from your writing. Identify the one thing you want from your writing, print it, pin it to your wall, and never forget it. - Dan Holloway

Write. Keep writing. Set deadlines and guidelines and stick to them. And 15-minute writing sprints are magical. - Madeline Freeman 

Don't spend months (or years) pouring your heart and soul into your book and then slap a crappy-looking cover on it! That's like putting a bikini on a mature woman - no one wants to see that and it will deter potential purchasers!- Janet Eve Josselyn

The rewrite and editing process really takes as long as writing the book. - Lene Andersen

That it's important to separate the business side and creative side of self-publishing. Mixing the two can be detrimental. - Adrienne Thompson

Not to underprice yourself. - Deb Nam-Krane

Carmen Amato - Join a writer's group and don't argue when your stuff is being critiqued. And what Jane Starwood said about not publishing a first draft. Maybe the 20th. Plus, if you going develop the "author platform," with a presence on Twitter, FB, blog, etc, do so in as professional manner possible. No orange text on purple background.

Indie authors, listen up!

Authors are offering advice in 'What I wished I'd known before I published' all through January

Part One

Before publishing I wish I had known about self-publishing and the many great programs that can be used to do so. There are pros and cons to using a publisher, it can get costly and frustrating with the time consumed in the communication during the process. - Anna Othitis

Don't rush to get out there. First impressions are everything. Cover, blurb, opening pages. You only get one chance at a first impression so make it count. Also, don't think that just because trad books "have a few typos" that it doesn't matter if yours does too. It does matter.- Debbie Bennett 

Agreed, don't rush, get someone else to edit for you and get beta readers! Then, listen to other writers and use the common information they are giving you before pushing that publish button. In other words, do NOT do what I did! LOL - Linda Zukowski 

Make sure your book blurb is the best it can be before you press publish. It goes without saying that editing, formatting, cover and presentation is as good as it can be too. - Pam Howes 

I wish I had been told, sternly, that a social media platform is essential for building your author brand but you have to discipline yourself in ring-fencing time to continue writing creatively. - Ruby Barnes 

I wish I'd known that by reading a printed proof I’d notice literally dozens of errors that I'd missed on-screen, despite reading the electronic document many, many times. - Peter Reynolds

Don't write for money, fame, or accolades. If you do, you'll be disappointed. Write because you love it.- Simon Parkinson

Focus on writing more books. You don't realize how much having a second book helps until you have a second book. Promotion is helpful, but if you spend more time promoting than writing your next book, you're not spending your time well. -  RJ Crayton

Matthew Wayne Selznick - A month of planning before you type "Chapter One" will save reams of paper and hours of editing after you type "The End."

Rachel Eliason -  Publishing your first book is the beginning of the process of becoming an author, not the end of it.

Jolea M Harrison - Don't rush to publish. It's easy to do when the thrill of finishing a book is swimming through your head. After you've finished that final edit, step back at least two weeks, then reread.

Mandy White  - 1. Ebooks are where the money is. Ebook first, print after, not the other way around. Only do the print version AFTER it's been edited by a professional.

2. Don't waste money ordering a zillion copies in print of a book that you haven't even seen yet. There WILL be things you want to tweak before you distribute it to friends, family and local readers. Take your time and make sure it's perfect. Your credibility as an author is at stake.
3. Readers can and will judge a book by its cover. Make sure your cover is a good one.

4. Understand that other writers are busy with their own projects. If someone offers to use their valuable time to read your work or offer advice, express your appreciation.

Deb Nam-Krane - 1. I want to take off on what Mandy White said: order a print copy of your book BEFORE you publish the e-copy and read it through. Plan on doing it twice, because you'll find things you'll need to change, no matter how many times you and your editor looked at it. Make the changes to the e- and paper-versions, then put them up for sale. I cannot tell you how much less angst I had with the second than the the first doing it that way rather than publishing the e-version and then going through the print.

2. Outsource anything you can't do well yourself (for most of us that's the cover and for all of us that should be the editing), but if there's something you *can* do yourself, do it. Learning to format your own book can save you money as well as worry if you want to make small changes.

Mandy White What Deb Nam-Krane said is also true - to proofread a print copy because the book will look different on paper than it does on the computer. You will see typos that you missed on the computer. The reason I said ebook first, print second is that I skip the paper-proof step by reading it on my Kindle. I find the Kindle works just as well as a paper copy and it costs nothing to put my book on it.

More author tips all through January on WWBB in 'What I wished I'd known before I published'.

Jane Linfoot advises Review Blog Tours with...

Wished I'd known that before I published

by

Jane Linfoot

My first tip is very simple and that's talking to fellow authors! I was chatting to fellow Harper Impulse Author, Aimee Duffy on Facebook and she suggested a Review Tour.

Not having a clue, I pushed for more information and discovered that this is where your book is reviewed by each Blog Host on the tour, so, subsequently I was put in touch with Lisa Filipe of Tasty Book Tours and the ball was set rolling for How To Win a Guy In Ten Dates.

I found the outlay for this (see prices on the Tasty website above) was very small, compared to the solid start it gave both the book, and my author platform, and I would definitely recommend this route/tool to other new authors.

Author Page Facebook | Personal Page Facebook  | Twitter | Website

Introducing...

A 10 Date Challenge -  a firecracker of a romance

Amazon.UK
Amazon.com

How to Win a Guy in 10 Dates

Day 1: Take one loaded commitment-phobe explosives expert, embarking on the impossible–a challenge to have ten dates with one woman.

Day 5: Add in a fiercely independent and feisty burlesque teacher who has sworn off men.

Day 10: She’s so not his type and he’s so not in her life-plan. But the heat is sizzling and the attraction is explosive. And they’re fighting it all the way….

In Jane's own words...

'I’m Jane Linfoot, and I write fun, flirty fiction, with feisty heroines with a bit of an edge.

I live in a mountain kingdom in Derbyshire, England, where my family and pets are kind enough to ignore the domestic chaos – happily, we’re in walking distance of a supermarket.

For me, writing romance is cool because I get to wear pretty shoes instead of Wellies. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, most things French.

When I’m not on Facebook, and can’t find an excuse for shopping, I’ll be walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.'

What I wished I'd known before I published!

Discovering Book Tags

by

Louise Wise

This month, I've asked authors to send in their contributions for what they wished they'd known before they'd published.

The eBook publishing industry is changing all the time and it's difficult to keep up, and when I first started out not only were the words 'eBook' and 'Facebook' a twinkle in the developer's eye, I seemed to be the only struggling author in THE WORLD!

That's how it felt, but I've come a long way since then, or so I thought, until, only a few months ago, I realised the potential of tags: a keyword or label given to your book after uploading onto Amazon (or Smashwords, D2D etc).

These tags not only help the customer find books, but allows your book to rise to the top of a category with only one or two sales: say you have tagged your book with romance, love, coming of age, friendship.

The romance and love tag are common, but coming of age less so and friendship even more. These are the categories where your book has the opportunity to hit the top spot when it's lagging at 100,000 in the charts. And once it hits that top spot it has more chance of being seen and pulling in readers from other directions.

So study your book's possible tags and use them wisely.

Sequel to Eden...

HUNTED

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Jenny was marooned on Eden a long time ago. As a woman from the 23rd century and living life in the fast lane, adapting to her prehistoric world was never going to be easy. She tamed Fly, her alien lover, and fell in love with her new life. She has everything she wants: an alien man who loves her.

But then he's taken away.

Jenny's out for revenge.

Eden's sequel - HUNTED

A book advisory service can make or break you. Don't let it become the latter.

A Day in the Life of... 

Louise Wise

March 8th 1999 was the day I BECAME an author.

I'd been writing a long time before that, but that was the defining moment in my head and where I received the most horrendous review on my precious novel. I'd sent it for analyst to a well-known (shall remain nameless because I'm still scared of them) book advisory service.

I paid my money (over £400) and waited for them to fall over themselves in recommending me to agents and publishers (we're dreamers, us authors).

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Four months later, I received my ms back (in those days it was all done via the old fashion postal service) and I opened the brown package with eager fingers. The smell hit me first: cigarettes. But I wasn't deterred. I sat down with my smelly ms to read the advisory's review, digest their suggestions and to feel warmed by their encouragement.

What I got was wriggly red lines underlining sentences, red circles around paragraphs and lots of exclamations or question marks in the margin. There was no explanation to these marks, but there was a one-paged mockery analyst of my work. It was handwritten with very bad handwriting at that.

Of course, I was devastated, and my husband suggested I not contact the advisory until I calmed down. But name me a woman who listens to her husband! Oi, put your hand down, you.

The advisory was blunt, unapologetic: "Welcome to the writing world, dahling, this is what it's like, get used to it." They blamed the smell of the ms on the 'cheap' (their words) ink I'd used, and said the wriggly lines and circles should be self-explanatory. 

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They offered to take the ms back and re examine it 'providing I pay the postage costs'. But I was so shocked and demoralized by their attitude I declined. 

The report could have broken me. It was more than harsh, it was nasty. In hindsight, I think I was sent the note version of the analyst although this was never admitted. But you know what, that day something clicked in my head and my backbone strengthened.

I put the ms aside and began another book. This time though, I used another advisory service: Cornerstones Literary Consultancy. This book wasn't ready either, but the service was encouraging, patient and most of all, a learning experience.

The moral? 

There are some nasty people out there. Be strong.

Louise Wise has written two comedy romances, two science fiction novels, a collection of short stories and a non-fiction novella.

Merry Christmas from me to you!

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. 
May all your wishes be books!

© Egidijus Mika | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Back for business December 27th!