#publishingadvice

[ancientroyalblood]

Navigating Self-Publishing: Tips for Aspiring Authors

Self-publishing has transformed the landscape of the publishing industry, offering writers an avenue to share their stories independently. While empowering, it also demands strategic planning, meticulous execution, and a comprehensive understanding of the publishing process. For aspiring authors stepping into the realm of self-publishing, here are invaluable tips to navigate this rewarding but…

[wedragonsruletheworld]

Creating Well-rounded Character - Protagonists

Creating a memorable protagonist is crucial for engaging readers and making your story impactful. Here are some tips to help you craft a memorable protagonist:

1. Unique qualities: Give your protagonist distinctive traits, characteristics, or quirks that set them apart from other characters. This can include physical attributes, personality traits, skills, or flaws.

Eg. 

* Physical attributes: Your protagonist can have distinctive physical features that make them memorable. This could be anything from an uncommon eye color or hair texture to a birthmark or scar. For example, you might have a protagonist with striking violet eyes or a protagonist with a lightning-shaped scar on their cheek. • Personality traits: Explore unique personality traits that make your protagonist stand out. They could be exceptionally witty, fiercely determined, or unusually empathetic. For instance, your protagonist might have an unparalleled talent for seeing patterns and connections that others miss, or they might possess an unwavering belief in the power of kindness. • Special skills or talents: Consider giving your protagonist a skill or talent that sets them apart. This could be a natural ability for music, a remarkable proficiency in martial arts, or an extraordinary aptitude for problem-solving. For example, your protagonist might have a gift for manipulating fire or possess an exceptional talent for mimicry, allowing them to flawlessly imitate any voice or accent. • Quirks and habits: Infuse your protagonist with distinctive quirks or habits that make them memorable. These can be small idiosyncrasies or unique behaviors. Perhaps your protagonist always wears mismatched socks, collects unusual objects, or has a habit of humming when they’re deep in thought.

2. Motivations and goals: Develop clear and compelling motivations and goals for your protagonist. What drives them? What do they want to achieve? These desires should be relatable and create a strong sense of purpose.

3. Internal conflicts: Give your protagonist internal conflicts or struggles that they must grapple with. This adds depth and complexity to their character, making them more relatable and human.

4. Growth and development: Allow your protagonist to undergo growth and transformation throughout the story. They should face challenges and learn valuable lessons that shape their character arc.

5. Flaws and vulnerabilities: Ensure your protagonist has flaws and vulnerabilities that make them more relatable and authentic. Perfection can make a character less interesting, so explore their weaknesses and how they overcome or navigate them.

6. Relationships and dynamics: Develop meaningful relationships between your protagonist and other characters. These interactions can shape their development, reveal different facets of their personality, and provide opportunities for conflict or growth.

7. Engaging backstory: Create a backstory that adds depth and context to your protagonist. Explore their history, experiences, and past relationships to shape who they are in the present.

8. Memorable voice: Craft a distinct and compelling narrative voice for your protagonist. Their thoughts, dialogue, and perspective should resonate with readers and leave a lasting impression.

9. Relatability and empathy: Ensure your protagonist evokes empathy and a sense of relatability. Readers should be able to connect with their struggles, emotions, and experiences.

10. Challenging circumstances: Place your protagonist in challenging and meaningful situations that test their strengths, force them to make tough choices, and push them outside their comfort zone.

Remember, a memorable protagonist is one who resonates with readers, captures their imagination, and remains with them long after they've finished reading your story. Strive to create a well-rounded, complex, and relatable character that audiences can root for and connect with on an emotional level.

[natalhea]

✨✨✨ Chers amis lecteurs, Aujourd’hui, je vous propose de répondre à une question qu’on m’a souvent posée : comment faire pour publier son roman ? ✨✨✨ Évidemment, je ne prétends pas détenir la vérité absolue sur ce sujet, mais puisque je suis justement en train d’essayer de faire rééditer mon premier roman ÉZÉCHIEL, je me suis dit que ce serait là l’occasion parfaite d’explorer tout le processus de publication d’un roman. ✨✨✨ En effet, ÉZÉCHIEL et moi, c’est une belle aventure qui dure depuis maintenant plus de 13 ans, et qui est passée par toutes les étapes possibles de l’édition : à compte d’auteur, autoédition, à compte d’éditeur, et finalement la réédition ! ✨✨✨ Je vous propose donc d’embarquer avec moi pour ce long voyage, où je m’efforcerai de vous donner mes conseils personnels d’après ma propre expérience. Je m’excuse d’avance car c’est assez dense (et encore, j’ai dû couper, mais que voulez-vous, c’est cela que d’être écrivain !), mais je pense que si vous êtes aspirants auteurs, vous trouverez dans les slides suivantes les réponses à pas mal de questions que vous avez pu vous poser 😉 ✨✨✨ N’hésitez pas d’ailleurs à ajouter des remarques, questions, commentaires, et j’espère sincèrement que ce petit post vous intéressera et vous sera utile dans vos futures démarches 😊 De mon côté, si cela vous intéresse, je vous tiendrai au courant du succès ou non de mes envois pour ÉZÉCHIEL 😉 À très bientôt pour de prochaines aventures livresques ! ☀️ ✨✨✨ #bookstagramfrance #bookstagram #livrestagram #writingadvice #conseilecriture #publier #publierunlivre #publiersonlivre #publierunroman #conseildecriture #publishingadvice #howtopublishabook #writersofinstagram #ecriture #écriture #writing #writer #roman #novel #book #livre #ecrivain #écrivain #ecrivaine #écrivaine #auteur #auteure https://www.instagram.com/p/CnhC_veKb2g/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rwhague]

Bankrupt Publisher: Dangers of Indie Publishing

I didn't get my regularly scheduled blog out last week for a couple of reasons. First being that it was the Fourth of July weekend. And second being the bombshell that came the following morning. My publisher announced it was officially closing its doors. Because my book had not yet been published, my contract termination and the reversion of my rights came with the announcement. Although I am starting at square one, I am free to query other agents and publishing houses. Others were not so lucky. My friend Cheryl King. who guest blogged on my account in May, launched her book with our publisher only three weeks ago. There is a giant question mark hanging above the promised pre-ordered copies (Not the ones from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Those are still good to go.) and author royalty payments. Other authors state they have not received their royalty payments in months. Will these fund be wiped away after the company declares bankruptcy? Who knows? Then there comes the question of author rights. According to the contract, if the company goes bankrupt, rights revert to the author. If, however, the dispute ends up in bankruptcy court, such things can be tossed out the window. Book rights can be considered assets to the company and the courts may order them to be retained by the publisher so the publisher can pay back their debts. Obviously, many of the burned authors are seeking legal counsel immediately. So what shall we then do as authors? How do we protect ourselves from these problems? Well, that's a Catch-22. Because if you don't trust anyone with your manuscript, you will never be traditionally published. If the only ones offering to publish your book are untried, tiny houses, what is an author to do? If you look back at my previous blogs, you will see an article written about my decision to go with City Limits Publishing and my hesitancy regarding the company. It was a small company with limited social media presence and had only been open for a little over a year. At the time, the number of authors was few, but their covers were beautiful. Oh my gosh they are still beautiful. I'm hoping to get permission from the artists to show my proposed cover on here some day it's so pretty. After speaking to a couple of their authors, all who were enthusiastic about the company at the time, I signed  a contract with them. And a couple of months later, tunes started changing as things slid downhill. Do I regret my decision to sign that contract? Honestly, not really. Because I wasn't relying on this publisher to make my career: I was relying on me. Any extra boost my publisher would give me was great! But ultimately, I was the one I trusted to sell my book, not them. While I waited on the book to launch, I redoubled my efforts at building author connections and relationships, building my social media platform, and continued writing more books. Publishing is an extremely competitive business and getting a publishing deal, any publishing deal, is a huge accomplishment. Even if the publishing agency is small and untried, your number of sales might be enough to intrigue another publisher or literary agent in the future. I knew they were small. I knew they could go under--small businesses often do. So, taking the information that I had, I signed a publishing deal. Am I thrilled about re-entering the query trenches? Hell no. And I can't say I'm not immensely disappointed that this venture did not work out. But if I hadn't tried I would never have had a chance at success. So I'm picking myself up and getting back out there. I'm querying the hell out of my book, because I still think it's worth it. And I'm going forward with eyes wide open and chin held high. Because, in the end, that's all we can really do.

[authorlauren]

Editing Your Story

Editing Your Story - A writer's arch nemesis, the dreaded road to editing. #editing #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #writers #books #publishingadvice #writertips

It’s coming! A writer’s arch nemesis, the dreaded road to editing. Not really, but you get the point. Most writer’s love writing the story, but the thought of reading, rereading, and rereading some more to find all those developmental and grammatical errors is pretty daunting. I would say that I’ve read over my stories somewhere around 20 times before placing them on Amazon and I’m sure 98% of…

[typingoverworld]

A form rejection without comment can alert you that your query or cover letter is in sorry shape. A form rejection with a quick note will tell you that someone found something of some merit in your work to merit a modicum of respect.... A long form rejection, with specific notes, is a sure sign of being taken seriously. A call to explain why an agent or editor is passing is an invitation to submit something in the future....

Pat Walsh, “78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published & 14 Reasons Why It Just Might” p. 186

[scifrey]

Appearance Announcement: 2020 Toronto Writing Workshop Created by the incomparable Chuck Wendig, I’ll be at this workshop with two lectures: “Creating Believable SF/F” (a.k.a. Culturebuilding 101) and “I Did It, It’s Done, Now What?” (a walk through the steps of how a manuscript turns into a book). #TorontoWritingWorkshop2020 #HowTo #PublishingAdvice #JMFrey #PublishingIndustry #WritersWorkshop #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #Writing #WritersofInstagram #AuthorsofInstagram #AuthorAdvice www.jmfrey.net | @scifrey | scifrey.tumblr.com   https://www.instagram.com/p/B8AFLuDgTAp/?igshid=17n4sx9rufakd

[adielwyn]

Just finished a first draft of my book The Fourth Summer! It’s autobiographical but in the form of free verse/ journaling. Does anyone have suggestions on publishing? #firsttimeauthor #newauthor #publishing #christianpublishing #christianpublishinghouse #publishingadvice https://www.instagram.com/p/By_2z9kHRfkw6sLE9Db7bOFKT6Of-yx0STHDgM0/?igshid=1p1bdymdtvhgy

[danafraedrich]

Lots to celebrate, but also some changes are happening around the site. A super quick set of updates and a cute and helpful guide for anyone interested in traditional publishing. You can read that post here: https://ift.tt/3FIhlFQ . Enjoy! . . . . . . . #author #authorsofhinstagram #authorsoftumblr #books #booksarelife #booksaremagic #bookstagram #bookstagramcommunity #bookstagrammer #blog #authorblog #blogpost #indieauthor #read #reading #writer #writerscommunity #writerslife #writersofinstagram #writersoftumblr #tradpublishing #traditionalpublishing #writingadvice #publishingadvice #publishingguide #aegill @a.e.gill #authornews

[bizarrowriter]

Come join @rdspress and myself at @carpelibrumbooks TODAY for Tea with the publisher at 4! #baltimore #BookEvent #PublishingAdvice #GreenTea #Darjeeling #EarlGrey #IndieBooks #IndieBookstore #BookShop https://ift.tt/335ercf

[tls-fan-club]

Avoid these 5 major publishing mistakes when you decide to submit your manuscript! Tips for writers when submitting their stories to publishers. What to know when you submit to agents and publishers. Publishing tips for writers. Advice for writers who want to be published. #writingtips #tipwforwriters #writingadvice #publishingtips #publishingadvice #writers #amquerying #amwriting #submitting #manuscripts http://bit.ly/2HK28YN

[abigayleblood]

How to Self Edit and Proofread your Book

How to Self Edit and Proofread your Book #publishing #publishingadvice #proofread #selfedit

Self-publishing may be an inexpensive way to publish a book, but without thorough proofread and editing, it can turn out to be an embarrassing disaster. While there is just no escaping the absolute necessity of having an independent pair of eyes at least proofread your book before publishing, you can save yourself a lot of money and embarrassment by doing some of the work yourself. However, our…

[hunthayesblog]

To Self Publish or Nah (Go Traditional)?

The road to becoming a published author can be a winding one. This Harlem chick is probably about as optimistic as one could be like---ever in life. Mentally, the glass is USUALLY half full for me, and I hope that you will maintain a positive outlook as well.  There are obviously going to be some obstacles  in the way, so don't let me sell you the Brooklyn Bridge before you know what you're getting yourself into. 

 One of the first things that you'll have to decide once you're done with your manuscript (book), is whether you want to go the route of traditional publishing, or do the self publishing thing. If you choose traditional publishing, then that means that you will be looking for a literary agent or an editor. Just know that neither will make time to read your entire book. Well, not just yet anyway.

 You'll first have to craft what's called a query letter, which is basically a one page letter spelling out who you are, and what your book is about. Oh, and it has to be really,really, really, GREAT, because agents and editors can receive hundreds of submissions within just a weeks time.  Think about what compels you to read  and or buy a book description wise. This is exactly what the Book Peeps want, and believe it or not, they want you to be the next greatest writer of of our time. This is your chance to SHINE bright like a diamond. 

Unfortunately, getting rejection letters is just a part of the game until you find a agent/editor fit that is right for you and your work. As difficult as it may be, try not to take the no's too personal. If a literary agent or editor is kind enough to provide you with constructive criticism, then use it as a tool to better what you've written. Here’s a newsflash. A writer doesn’t always know EVERYTHING just because we are in love with what we’ve written.

 For more on query letters, check out this gem of a writing source. 

 Here’s the flip side. You can self publish. As a writer, it’s  nice to have options, and in this technological age, it’s very simple to do.  With a few point and clicks, you can be well on your way to seeing your work made widely available on the web or have your own printed books in inventory. Can a Sistah provide you with a little advice though? Be professional at all times. Present everything that you do like a business.  Getting your books done via the cheaper route might sound oh-so-appealing, but you should know that sometimes you have to spend money to make some. 

I went all out as a new author; bought galleys, sell cards, hired a pro to do my author website all kinds of ish. You certainly don't have to do exactly what I did. What I'm trying to stress here is that it paid off for me. I got  the attention of 3 literary agents and scored a two book deal with a major publisher. There's another aspect of following this method that you should know about. It's going to take a lot of time. You'll only get out what you put in. Give up early and it 's a wrap HOMIE. One of the best books that I ever read was how to get happily published by Dan Poynter. Think of it as a literary how-to bible because it’ll provide you a solid foundation of what to expect and also, what is expected of you as an author/self publisher. Trust,  It walked me through every step.If you’re interested in copping one of the best books out on the market, here’s the link.  Until next time.

Sidebar : Please forgive me for not getting these posts out as regularly as I wanted to have them go out. Your girl is juggling a few projects all at once. But just keep coming back. Know that I’ve still got your back and I’ll still keep the entries worth the visit. Just remember to pass on what I share to any aspiring writers that you know. Keep it moving, and keep it in the circle.

I’m out.

Hunter Hayes

[rwhague]

Bankrupt Publisher

My publisher just went belly up....

Thankfully, since my book had not yet launched, I was able to have my rights reverted and contract terminated in short order. But now I am stuck in the query trenches once again...

I’m revamping my query letter and need help with my blurb. The blurb is essentially the teaser on the back of the book. Does this sound interesting to y’all? Comment below with your thoughts and throw me some likes if you’d pick it up! 

Blurb: Katie Thompson, the fifteen-year-old daughter of an FBI agent, is kidnapped by drug-lord and human trafficker, Midas, in an effort to subvert her father's investigation. While most victims of kidnapping are killed once the ransom deals have ended, Midas turns his prey into slaves, extracting what little value he can from their labor before they end up in a shallow grave.

Jared Kelley, a scrawny and ill-temper traitor who has sold out his fellow slaves in exchange for better living conditions, rules over the others. While his own sister fights for scraps in a lice-infested shack, Jared has his own quarters and receives amenities such as cigarettes and weed. But when her captors assign Katie a job working with Jared, she discovers hidden messages being sent to someone on the outside, food being distributed under the noses of their captors, and Jared’s hand tremor that shows he’s close to cracking. Escape is a death sentence, but mere survival might mean losing everything else.  

[authorlauren]

Launching a Pre-Order Campaign

Launching a Pre-Order Campaign - Ever thought about testing it out? Well, I've done it for you and here's what I've learned. #writingcommunity #writing #publishing #books #indieauthors #marketing #publishingadvice #writingtips #preorders #booklaunch

I’ve been testing out pre-order campaigns over Amazon and Draft2Digital. I wanted to see how they worked and what I could potentially learn from them if I decided to try it all again later down the road. So, here’s what I’ve gathered so far: I started my pre-order campaign on Amazon. Since, I’m self-publishing my latest novel, Every Waking Dream, I wanted to see how much control I had over doing…