Will I Always Be a Step Behind Schedule?

by Marsha Ward @MarshaWard

I'm running as fast as I can, but I feel like I'm always a step behind where I should be. Perhaps I'm judging myself harshly, but I lost precious writing days earlier in the year due to bad weather and power outages, which put me behind schedule for producing new work. That caused me to give in to anxiety, which of course put me further behind in my production schedule. I'm trying to catch back up, but the days have been lost, and putting more pressure on myself could cause another period of anxiety-driven down time, which can't be good. Unless I'm supposed to stop being so busy and be still.

Maybe I need to explore that concept?

I haven't worked out how being still will aid my publishing schedule, except in the realm of being still and knowing that God is, and that He loves me and is mindful of me. That is always a great comfort.

Two weeks ago I revealed the cover of my new book, From Julia's Kitchen: Owen Family Cookery, which was published last Friday. I'm now working to finish and format the manuscript of another book, a nonfiction Indie Publishing guide, so I can release it soon. I've been agonizing over a cover for that book. I just couldn't find anything that suited it. Then I decided to throw off fear and make the cover myself.

Perhaps that will work. I hope so! Yes, I'm fluffier than the chick on the cover, but that's how I'd like readers to think I look. I can dream, right?

I won't give you a date for the release, but if God be willing and the creek don't rise any higher (literally), it will be soon.

I have more story ideas than I have time to write them, so wish me luck, good weather, and lots of energy so I can get them all written and published.

Trying to Catch Up

by Marsha Ward @MarshaWard

Wow! I have to apologize. I've missed a bunch of blog dates. The last one I did was way back on November 8, when I announced that I was beginning an online workshop. Nope, I wasn't starting up a new project, I was commencing a course of study under the able oversight of someone who is a much more experienced writer than I am. And, well, I fell off the earth for a while, learning to write.

Then, Thanksgiving and Christmas happened. And planning for a new year for the kids' department at church. And ZooLights.

So here I am, back in the land of the living. To alert you beforehand, I've signed up for another workshop, which takes place in March and part of April. I suspect it will be even more brutal. I'm just sayin'.

And taxes.

I can't forget that the workshop will happen right in the Heart of Tax Season. I'm not a tax preparer or anything like that. I'm only a humble taxpayer, with a self-run business. Sometimes it gets complicated.

I've planned ahead for this writing and publishing year, too, and have high expectations that I will write and publish six works this year. Good luck to me!

I'm working on the first project now. It's a non-fiction guide to a certain aspect of indie writing that I hope will interest writers who look toward becoming independently publishing authors.

I likely won't make my first projected release date on the book, but I set the date before reality dawned big and bright and I realized that what should have been a small, simple project has expanded into a big, complex one. Why? Because I looove to explain things, and the topic demands some explanation to make things crystal clear.

I've got some fun fiction projects coming this year, too. I'm hoping to make one shorter than I at first envisioned, so readers can more quickly learn about the genesis of the Owen Family. We shall see what comes of that wish.

Enough about that. How was your day?

My First Rejection Letter

I'd been waiting nearly six weeks.  I'd tried not to let my hopes get up, but it was my first query, ya know? Every night--who are we kidding--every few hours I'd check my in box, wondering if they'd responded.  Then I'd check the Spam folder, and any other folder the e-mail could have possibly been filtered to.  Just in case I'd inadvertently missed the acceptance letter, and the agent was waiting for me to respond.

No such luck.

You can imagine my open-mouthed surprise when I discovered a response tonight in my inbox. I'd been closing down my work computer and it was there. Poof! Just like that.

I read the e-mail. Then I read it again.

The agent was really quite kind, for a rejection letter.

I sank back into my office chair and stared at the screen, waiting for the burn of embarrassment to rush to my face.  Or a pit of shame to form in my stomach. After all, I had not meeting this agent's expectations. What other emotion is there after a rejection?  But shame and embarrassment didn't come.  That, of all things, is what shocked me the most.

I dissected my emotions, or lack thereof, while driving home, but I was still clueless when I walked through my front door.

I relayed my rejection to my daughter and she asked, "What are you going to do now?"

What was I going to do?  My story had been rejected.  Am I not as good a writer as I thought? Maybe I was right to doubt.

Maybe not.

I recalled an article I'd read before I'd even considered publishing.  The writer ranted about how they had a 1 in 10,000 chance of being published traditionally.  I remember thinking, "I guess that means I need to send out 10,000 queries. Thank goodness we have e-mail instead of snail mail."

To my daughter I said,  "I guess that means I have 9,999 queries to go."

Of course, it's more than that.  I'm pretty sure I know what I need to cut, and where I lost this agent in my story.  I lost her at the vanity scenes I'd kept because I wanted them, not because they furthered the story.

I'd submitted this story because it was good enough to be published, but knowing it wasn't my best work.  Now, I will go back and re-write it, not to be good enough, but so readers will fall in love with my characters the same way I have.

Am I going to stop doing queries? Nope.  Look at the incredible morsels of knowledge I learned from one rejection.  Imagine how much I could learn from several.  Besides, the more rejections I get, the closer I am to my goal. Only 9,999 to go!

Riding the Conference Wave

It's crazy to think that the ANWA conference was 3 weeks ago.  Time flies when you're having fun. ...Or running around like a banshee with its hair on fire.

The Arizona conference was...uh-mazing. It's the first conference I'd been to, and I'm still sifting through all the information we received. Don't get me started on that one.  My eyes glaze over and I smile off into the distance. The speakers were awesome. The information was glorious.  The women were fantastic. And I was able to meet many fantastic individuals I'd been corresponding with via Internet and telephone for months.  Yep. These ladies are even better in person.

Two of my three pitches resulted in requests for pages (wahoo!).  One of them asked me to cut about 15,000 words from my manuscript (uh...). And I got the impression she expected those words gone by the time she contacted me again. In about four weeks.

That was three weeks ago.  Guess how many words I've removed?  1,200.  Guess how much time I've spent editing since the ANWA conference? 15 minutes.  I've had 15 minutes to devote to writing in the past three weeks.

No pressure.  I hear sleep is highly overrated anyway.

I also came home with seven new story ideas, the feeling that publishing may actually become a reality, several new friendships, answers to specific questions I'd been agonizing over for quite some time, and feeling more motivated and inspired than I've felt in months.

I will be back next year.  And the year after that...and the year after that. I'd love to see you there.

Now, I'm gearing up for the NW retreat at the end of this month.  This will be my third time.  I'm not gonna lie.  I'm giddy.  This is the first time I'm actually leading one of the classes.  Okay so it's a critique group and I don't have much responsibility, but c'mon! A girl has to start somewhere.

I'm sitting here grinning at my computer screen. Why? Because ANWA is probably one of the best things that has happened to me in my adult life (aside from children and church, of course). I am thankful to be a part of this organization, and to be able to ride the conference wave right on into the NW Retreat. And from there, I'll be riding a new wave which will propel me into NaNoWriMo in November then into 2017.

So much to do. So little time.  But at least I'll be grinning while my hair is on fire.

INDIE/HYBRID PUBLISHING

by Cindy R. Williams

One of the best ANWA Conference is now complete. I can honestly say it was extremely illuminating for my personal growth as a writer and a person.

One of the incredible things about ANWA Conferences is the attendees. This was my 10th ANWA Conference and each time it's like coming home to my family of writers. To see so many people I know and love is wonderful. The fact that they are all writers--all of us are a little ummm . . . extra creative--is wonderful. Non-writers just don't get it. And what "it" is, is not definable. You just have to be a writer, and you know what I mean.

I came into the conference looking for some publishing answers. The publishing world seems to be changing rapidly. I wanted to know where the best place for me and my stories was in this world.

Here is what I have decided. I am going to be an "Indie/Hybrid Author." You know, a person that publishes some books independently, (formerly known as self-publishing), and one that has a number of books published traditionally by some well accepted publishing houses through a "real" agent.

Let me share with you why I have chosen to be an Indie/Hybrid Author.

• Traditional publishing gives a writer more credibility. Even though indie publishing is becoming more accepted, there is still a bit of "thumbing the nose" at it. Traditionally publishing a book or two will establish me as a serious/professional writer who can play with the big boys.
• Indie publishing will give me COMPLETE CONTROL, from concept to book cover. I LOVE the possibilities here. Plus, if I do my marketing, the 70% return is a potential for some actual money. Maybe even enough to buy a trip to Hawaii for my hubby and I in a few years maybe, although my hopes are much higher.
• I hope to be able to bring in enough money so that I have only one job. I currently have FOUR; my writing career, part time newspaper reporter, my own company where I run PR campaigns for an engineering firm and others, and finally, I own a music studio. I teach; harp, guitar, 12 string guitar, bass guitar, banjo, ukulele, and piano. I must digress and add that my music is a source of great blessings to both my students and me. I LOVE to teach music. It's a gift to each student to open the magic world of music for them. Music is truly the voice of angels. 
• As James Owen pointed out at the conference, He has books published by several big publishing houses and his own indie books selling side by side. Each sells for the same price, but he makes three to four times more on his indie books than his traditionally published books. This is extremely attractive. 
• One of my favorite authors, Janette Rallison, also on the Indie/Hybrid panel at the ANWA Conference, stated that her agent died, yes, died, so she is agent-less at this time and is going to try more indie books. I admire Janette. She is a successful and smart lady.
• Indie writer, Kelly Oram, made six figures with  her ebooks and print books on Amazon and from her fan base in Hungary, during 2014. WOW! I loved how open and honest she is. My favorite quote from her is: "I'm a hot-mess-Mom, and my fans know it." She tells it like it is and has worked hard to have a fan base of over 5,000 readers.
• C. J Anaya began indie publishing in February of this year. Her first royalty check was around $2,500. She makes more than that now and it's only been seven months. She shared that she spent many hours researching how to optimize her sales on the internet. So there is much work for me to do.

Back to my decision. My goal is to be an Indie/Hybrid Author for the above reasons. I plan on blogging every two weeks about my journey. Come along for the ride.

Writing Book Descriptions AKA Book Blurbs

by Marsha Ward @MarshaWard

I've seen a whole bunch of authors lately asking for help in writing their back cover copy, a.k.a. book descriptions, a.k.a. book blurbs.

As usual, writers panic when they get out of fiction-writing mode and into writing the bits of non-fiction that help them either sell a book to an editor or publisher (pitch, synopsis), or sell the work to readers (book blurb). They start to sweat, thinking of the overwhelming job of writing just the right words to do these jobs.

Author Dean Wesley Smith thinks it's not all that monstrous a task. One only needs to realize that the job calls for sales copy, not elaborate descriptions of the plot or even of the characters. Just sales copy.

Mr. Smith wrote a short book on this topic called How to Write Fiction Sales Copy. I have found it to be a must-have book on my Essentials Bookshelf.

He says that it is imperative to get rid of two deeply ingrained bad habits when we buckle down to write our sales copy for a book.

1. We can't see beyond the plot
2. We tend to write about our work in passive voice

How to Write Fiction Sales Copy gives many excellent blurb patterns. Here is just one, a very basic blurb of four paragraphs. Yes, only four paragraphs, and short ones, at that.

1. Summary of character or world. Make it interesting, Nail down the genre, if possible.
2. One very short paragraph with short sentences about the first page of the plot.
3. Plot kicker line.
4. Why readers will want to read the story, mostly using tags.

I know you're saying gaaaa, how do I do that?

Let's see how it works for Smith's A Bad Patch of Humanity: A Seeders Universe Story

Most of humanity died one ugly day four years before. Now the survivors wanted to rebuild.

Angie Park’s job consisted of telling survivors outside of Portland, Oregon, of the plans to rebuild. But some survivors wanted nothing to do with civilization.

And some thought killing worth the price to pay to stay alone.

In the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe, “A Bad Patch of Humanity” focuses down on an early event in Angie Park’s life, an event that starts her on her path to becoming a woman of legend in a hundred galaxies.

That's not so hard, right? You can do it, too! Resist any instances of "and then this happens." Use only action verbs.

To read more and quit having the vapors over book blurbs, go get this book, How to Write Fiction Sales Copy. It's well worth the price!

Indie Publishing Experiment: - Part 2: Printed Book Though Create Space on Amazon

by Cindy R. Williams

My last blog posting on June 18, was about my experiment with Indie publishing through Amazon. I walked you through a bit of how I formatted my book WELCOME TO THE MOTHERHOOD, as an ebook and have now had some success with it, even though I have NOT done any marketing yet. If you missed it, it is still in the archives.

Here is where I'm at now with my experiment.

I decided to wait to host a book launch party, bog bash, email blast, etc until the printed version is available.

I happened across the name of Lyndzee Armstrong, on one of my writing facebook groups. She is an multi-published writer from Utah. She also formats ebooks for Amazon KDP, and for print on CreateSpace.

Since I already did the work myself to format my book as an ebook on Amazon, I didn't need her for that, but . . . I loved the idea of saving about a 30-hour learning curve for how to format my file for print with Createspace.

I sent Lyndzee my file, and she had it ready in several days and even downloaded it on CreateSpace for me. Plus, she only charged $75. Well worth every penny.

SHE WAS AMAZING! She even inserted an image of key below each chapter heading and then a small key in the place of bullet points at the end of each chapter. Like I said, she saved me least 30 hours to go through all the tutorials to get the file ready for print.

The next step is to review it all, one final time before it prints. Exciting for sure. CreateSpace has an option where you can purchase as many proofs as you want. They ship them to you. You have the opportunity to hold your book in your hand and can give it a final edit. I ordered five. One for me, my daughter with the keen eye in catching typos, my editor, and another writer friend that is genius at catching repeats and other issues. The fifth one? Just because. It only cost me about $18 and this included shipping.

My books arrived this week. I know they're just proofs, but what  rush to hold them in my hand.
So . . . now what. I passed out the proofs, and will collect them by this Tuesday. I plan to add these final edits to the file by next weekend and do another drum roll as I push "GO".

Oh, one fun side-bar. The picture on the front cover I used is of my three-year-old, grand-daughter. She is peeking around the tree she is climbing and has a huge, absolutely delighted grin with happiness exploding from her lovely little face, the look and image that only little children can do. When I dropped the proof off to her mother, I showed her the book. She screamed and jumped up and down. Again, this writing journey is such a blast. (By the way, I gave her parents some money for her college fund for allowing me to use this picture on my cover.)

The next few blogs will keep you up to date on where the book is, when the print version is available, the total cost on my end so far, and how to create your own cover.

Stay tuned. This is a SUPER FUN EXPERIMENT!

Indie Publishing Experiment - Part 1: Ebook Through Amazon, KDP

by Cindy R. Williams

My writing career is bizarre. Isn't yours?

I have at least 30 WIPS, anywhere from 2,000 words to 65,000 words.

Even better, I have seven books complete and in various stages of making it out to the world. All forward movement and good stuff, but . . . what I want to visit with you about right now is the book I am experimenting with in the Indie Publishing world.

I completed a book I call, WELCOME TO THE MOTHERHOOD. I submitted it to Deseret Book and it made the cut up to the marketing meeting. They didn't know quite how to market it so . . . alas, earwax--back in my hands. I decided to try my hand at Amazon; KDP for ebooks and CreateSpace for the printed version.

What a fun journey it has been. A big help was attending the ANWA Workshop in February. Jennifer Griffin taught about how to do this exact thing. I took copious notes and rolled up my sleeves and gave it a go.

It was quite a learning curve, and took me around 30 hours to get WELCOME TO THE MOTHERHOOD available for sell on Amazon. Don't grown, or shy away from trying it yourself. It really has been worth it.

I jumped through the hoops on formatting and found that it wasn't hard, it just took time to figure it all out, but was doable. About six of those hours was spent on creating my own cover. I experiment with tons of covers and pictures and colors and finally created one that made total sense and popped! I did my own drum roll and pushed the button to upload and voila . . . readers are purchasing it even though I chose not to market it yet, nor do a book launch party for it until it is available in print.

In May, our family made the annual trek to Disneyland. Back at the hotel one evening, my middle son, Hunter, received a text from a former sister-missionary from his mission in Dallas. She asked if the author, Cindy Williams, was his Mom. He texted her back that, "Yes, she is indeed my mother." She then told him that she bought WELCOME TO THE MOTHERHOOD for her mother for Mother's Day, and they read it together. They loved it and wandered when the printed version would be available. They wanted to buy some for other family members and friends.

It has started, Indie publishing is selling books while I sleep.

So, what next? CreateSpace and the printed version of the book.

Stick with me and check my next blog on July 2nd, for what happens next.

Author Earnings Report, Sneaky Money Grabs

by Marsha Ward @MarshaWard

Writers have so much to watch out for: Money. It is coming in from sales of our products? Contracts: Are we aware of how things can go wrong in the world of publishing?

Of course there are tons of other things to concern us, but since I have two blog posts from others that I want to spotlight, I'll go no farther on worries and concerns. Maybe later.

Some two years ago, an author named Hugh Howey and a number cruncher known only as "The Data Guy," teamed up "to gather and share information so that writers can make informed decisions. Our secondary mission is to call for change within the publishing community for better pay and fairer terms in all contracts." Their website is called Author Earnings, and shines quite a light on money matters for the entire publishing industry.

The team has steadily produced quarterly reports of data they've gathered ever since. The May 2016 Report has just been released.

While it's true that I sometimes drown in all the numbers and graphs, I've learned that if I take it slow, digesting the information bit by bit, I understand it much better. I recommend the reports for your enlightenment.

What about contracts?

Writers are given contracts to sign all the time. Agents and publishers in the traditional path to publication, but for indie authors, there are still quite a lot of contracts to sign: audiobook contracts, contracts with cover designers or image vendors, contracts with editors, and contracts for box sets, for a start. How prepared are we for terms and conditions, clauses, and sneaky efforts to keep money away from us writers?

For several weeks, I've been following a series of blogs that Kristine Kathryn Rusch has been writing each Thursday about contracts, and why writers need to think about them and avoid certain pitfalls that should always be deal-breakers. She's doing a stellar service for all writers, including new writers, who so often don't think much about the contents and clauses in a contract before they happily sign on the dotted line.

Here's a link to the entire series from the get-go. Scroll down to begin at the beginning. Put on protective clothing, as you may find yourself scared enough to ________ (you fill in the blank).

If you like Kris's advice, consider dropping some coins into the hat on your way out.

Thanks for reading!

Marsha Ward is the author of the acclaimed historical series "The Owen Family Saga" and other novels set in the 19th Century. See her website at marshaward.com

Standing Against Plagiarism

By Marsha Ward @MarshaWard

Almost two years ago, a fellow author, Rachel Ann Nunes, learned that someone had gotten a hold of one of her sweet novels, altered the text to make it an erotic book, slapped her "name" on it, and published it to Amazon.

This is called plagiarism, if you're unfamiliar with this sort of intellectual property (IP) theft. Rachel decided to take a stand. With the help of several friends and a good attorney, she found the identity of the "alleged thief" and has taken her to court.

You cannot begin to imagine how costly this process is. It is not supported by any governmental entity as a criminal matter. It's all on Rachel. She had to sue the "alleged perpetrator" in Federal Court on her own. The case still has not been seen in open court. Rachel is embroiled in all the stuff that goes on before a matter comes to trial: discovery, depositions, and a host of other things.

The cost to Rachel has been much more than the monetary expenses of bringing the "alleged thief" to justice. She has endured harassment, loss of writing time and with that, loss of writing income, nightmares, anxiety, loss of time with family members, heartache, and did I mention that she is the sole breadwinner in her family? Her husband quit his job just before all this hit the fan, to work on a project he and Rachel held dear to their hearts.

Many people in the writing community have rallied to assist Rachel. One of the chief ways they have helped is to donate items or services of value that can be purchased on her Go Fund Me fundraising site.

I previously donated Naming Rights to characters in my novel, The Zion Trail. Now I've made a new offer for the right to name characters in my romantic post-Civil War work-in-progress (WIP), Mended by Moonlight.

I'm happy to report that four out of the five character's names have been snapped up by purchasers. But there's one more available!

For only $12 (or more, if you see fit), you can purchase the right to name a married 30-year-old wounded Northern soldier (who dies) in my WIP. Don't lose out on this opportunity! It's the final name I'll put up for this work.

This is the last chance for you to see your name, or immortalize an ancestor, in this book. Don't worry. I don't use your characteristics or physical attributes in any way (if I even know you), except by some bizarre coincidence.

To help my friend Rachel in her fight against intellectual property theft, go here, scroll down almost to the bottom to where the "Select a Reward Level" offerings appear, and in the next-to-last row, click on the "Name Character" icon with the $12 price.

Thank you!

The Zion Trail is launching this Friday!

by Marsha Ward

This is an exciting week for me. My newest novel, The Zion Trail, will be released as an ebook on the 19th, which is this Friday.

The ebook is available for pre-order at the following venues:

Kindle | Barnes and Noble (Nook) 
iTunes (Apple iBook Store) | Kobo

Here's an endorsement a fellow writer gave the book:

“In The Zion Trail, Marsha Ward weaves an intriguing tale of a young man’s journey in faith. From an unexpected beginning in Pennsylvania, Elijah Marshall travels through heartbreak to cross the American plains to claim his purpose in life. While the story illustrates the early history of the LDS church, the message is one of personal triumph through perseverance. The relationships kindled throughout the book lead through unimaginable trials, culminating in a most satisfying resolution that you won’t want to end.”
~Carolyn Steele, author of Soda Springs and Willow Springs

I'm going to share a brief tidbit from The Zion Trail that shows one of the relationships Mrs. Steele talks about: that of Lije and his younger sister, Mary Eliza.
~~~

By the time Pa dismissed us to go about our assigned tasks, Mary Eliza had awakened and gotten herself to the table. She had a cold bowl of porridge before her, into which she had slopped a healthy portion of milk. Her hair hadn’t been combed and hung halfway into her face. I chuckled and patted her on the head as I proceeded on my way outside, and felt her squirm under my hand.

“Lije,” she protested. “Don’t mess my hair.”

I squatted to look into her face. “You look beautiful, Pumpkin,” I said. “Eat hearty. We’re going on an adventure.”

“A ‘venture, Lije?”

“You’ll see tomorrow,” I told her, and left her with those teasing words hanging in the air.
~~~

Here are the places where you can reserve your ebook copy of The Zion Trail:

Kindle | Barnes and Noble (Nook) | iTunes (Apple iBook Store) | Kobo

The Zion Trail will be available as a trade paperback print book on March 25.

Making Goals for 2016

by Marsha Ward @MarshaWard

I've talked about Goals and Goal Setting before. In 2012 I suggested that our goals be obtainable, that is, that we have control over the outcomes, and in 2013, I wrote about three categories into which I had broke down my writing business-related goals for the past year. I noted that writing down the goals in an achievable fashion made them so much easier to accomplish, and that I had completed many of them and had a productive year.

I continued making goal lists in 2014 and 2015, expanding the categories and seeing a lot of forward progress and accomplishments.

For 2016, I have further refined my categories, and have a very ambitious writing and publishing program outlined for myself [Lots of prayers needed for keeping my nose to the grindstone!].

Here are the categories I've defined for 2016 and roughly what they include:

WRITE (works in progress and proposed projects)
WORK WITH OTHERS (cover designers, mostly, but also possibly audio book narrators)
PREPARE/FORMAT (mostly book bundles or new print editions, with some solo releases of previously bundled stories)
MAKE COVER FOR (upcoming releases)
PUBLISH (proposed schedule)
MARKET (expand frequency of mailings to Reader List, updating product interiors, re-doing keywords/categories)
PROMOTE (advertising and co-op sales)
INTERNET PRESENCE (blogging commitments and website upkeep)
EVENTS (what I plan to attend or where I'll present)
SERVICE (how I will give back this year)

I also outlined several business questions I have to address during the coming year.

Now, these goals still have nothing to do with my life outside of writing: my family, church commitments, educational pursuits, friends, and social events. Someday I probably will work them onto the list, but for now, my written goals still focus on the business side of my life.

What process or method do you use to set yearly goals? Does it work to help you achieve them? If not, what changes will you make for 2016?

Time to Step Up!

by Cindy R. Williams

   

      Life is changing fast, and I'm going to change too. I have watched many of my writing friends indie publish both ebooks and hard-copies. I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I have been writing for some years now and stacking up the stories, with ten now complete. I will send a few out to agents but some I want to experiment with and see what this new writing world is about.
 
 I own my own LLC already that I use to run my music studio, and sell my two books (CHASE MCKAY DIDN'T GET UP TODAY,www.cindyRwilliams.com

and an anthology which includes a few of my short stories titled, VALUE STORIES FOR A YOUNG WOMAN.)
With my LLC, I purchased a packet of 10 ISBN numbers, and have an account set up with Lightning Source-Ingram. I have CHASE MCKAY for sell on Amazon, Barnes Noble.com, and my website,
   
      So . . . I have a start. My platform is out there and moving forward.
 
     This year though, I want to learn how to format books on Create Space and Kindle. I have two great books I am studying called:

MAKE A KILLING ON KINDLE by Michael Alvear,


and HOW I SOLD 1 MILLION eBOOKS IN 5 MONTHS  by John Locke.
   
 

      I have been doing research by gleaning "how to" information from my ANWA friends whom have successfully indie published.
 
      I will continue to post what I am learning on this journey. Maybe it will help you take the plunge and get your completed and polished WIP out to the world.
 
      Fast changes are a comin'.  This is exciting!

The Latest Publishing News....and it's not good

by Terri Wagner

Every once in a while I revert to my favorite form of writing for myself...technical or non fiction. Today I decided on a whim to look for the latest publishing news. The "worse economy since the Great Depression" (not my words but cannot find the link) has impacted the writing world as much as would be expected. According to the Authors Guild, if authors relied solely on their writing profits, they would be below the poverty line. Sit back and re read that. How can that be? Look at JK Rowling, Tom Clancy, James Rollins, Terry Brooks, the list goes on. Consider Jackie Collins who recently passed away. Bells go off when I read articles like this. I think it is the analyst in me.

The article continues its dismal news by blaming interestingly enough e-book publishing and Amazon in particular. Apparently the Authors Guild blames technology for the low return rate for authors. Not sure I follow that logic. And here's where my nose starts twitching and why I love non fiction.

First, what is the poverty line? Next, what is the average salary from writing and where did they get their information? Follow up, why assume it is the epublishing situation? What other information is out there available? Are salaries down everywhere? Is this a systemic or a isolated event? When did this start to occur? While novelists get a thrill out of their characters, I get a thrill out of tracking down usable information.

Out of my questions, the article answered a few, but not enough for me to decide whether this information is useful to me or not. And that is the real test for non fiction. Is it useful? The stats were derived by a survey of about 1400 writers, over 89% over the age of 50 (which is rather strange since it is young people who are technology savvy). I would have been interested in a bigger cross-section of author age. Of those authors, 33% had at least one self published book. While the Guild admittedly did the survey to ascertain the effect of ebooks on writing salaries, the whole article only whets my appetite.

This is what excites me as a writer and a teacher. Dissect the news. Decide its usefulness. Go prepare a more extensive article yourself. Hmmmm wonder how much money I could haul in that way? The article does not tell us what kind of writers these were. More fodder to uncover! Who said non fiction was boring?

Self-Publishing Checklist

by Marsha Ward

Several days ago I made a note to myself that I needed to find--or write--an all-encompassing work flow for getting a project from finished draft to published, in both ebook and print formats. I wanted it to include items I had forgotten in previous forays into the indie publishing world, such as registering a copyright.

I know I have such a chart somewhere among my treasures, but at the time I couldn't find it, or maybe I didn't look in the right place. At any rate, I wanted to find something that would serve, so I went hunting on the Internet.

Of course, keywords being key in a search engine, I started off with workflow. Well, that was all about software, and not what I needed at all. After a couple more adventures with keywords, I hit the right one. What I needed was a checklist.

I hit several sites that were helpful, and many that were not. Along the way, I collected links to some of the more useful ones, but none was exactly what I was seeking.

Perhaps some of these lists and posts (some of which are quite funny) will be of use to you:

http://catherineryanhoward.com/2013/06/13/how-self-published-books-are-made-start-to-finish-part-i/
http://catherineryanhoward.com/2013/06/19/how-self-published-books-are-made-start-to-finish-part-ii/ 

This post nearly came the closest to what I needed, plus it's designed for self-publishers:
http://www.eschlerediting.com/how-to-self-publish-a-checklist/ 

But then I came across this post, and found even more elements that I wanted for my list. Oddly enough, it's from a book printer's site, about sending a manuscript to them for printing, but hey, there are things there I want--also some I don't need but you might, so I include it here.
http://www.book1one.com/HelpfulResources/SelfPublishingChecklist.aspx

In the end, I will have to winnow through the various suggestions and write up a checklist that will work for my business, but that's okay. At least I have many suggestions so I can make a start on that project.

What will your publishing checklist contain?

Research Power

by Terri Wagner

I was asked to help edit a book in a genre I am very unfamiliar with....horror. Thank goodness it is not paranormal, I scare myself with stories about ghosts. This is a twisted horror story that has the best and worst of mankind pitted against each other. And unlike fantasy, which is my personal preference, it ends more real than it begins if that makes sense. This is not your typical Stephen King novel, more like Criminal Minds. I make it a habit of not watching any show that's too real. The tragedy of true life is more than I can handle, I don't want to read about it. But I was asked to edit, and so I am doing it.

The first chapter focuses on what becomes the bad guy. Getting into the head of a psycho killer is not something I would take lightly. I am actually struggling with the fact that first chapter isn't scary enough. The third chapter he morphs into a truly horrifying enigma. So I am trying to steer the author into a direction where either chapter 2 becomes 1 or the killer's sickness is unveiled earlier.

However, the author doesn't quite trust me (imagine that?) and asked for a beta reader. Recently, the author asked me to check over the beta reader's comments. The first one off the bat made me laugh and blush a bit because I did not catch it. But then why would I? I know nothing about drugs.

The beta reader noted that if a person's teeth were that damaged by meth use, they would not be thinking that clearly. They would be more like an animal. The reasoning power of the person would be gone. Only the basic survival instinct to live and get more of the drug would be left. I don't know if that's true, but I do know this first chapter needs to place the killer firmly in the mind of the reader. So how do you research all that?

I watched about a month of the show Intervention only to conclude the intervention is for the family to basically draw a line in the sand. Rarely does the drug rehab "cure" the abuser, but it does give the family that one last chance to save their loved one, and then get back to some semblance of normalcy. It's a hard hard road for everyone involved.

Bottom line: both the author and editor (me) should have caught that. I should have researched the details. You really do live and die by the details. Never underestimate the power of research...or the need for it.

Indie Writer's Resources

by Marsha Ward

I'm an indie writer and author. That means I don't take the traditional path to publication through an agent and publisher. When I began to publish, I was forced into doing it myself (with the help of a now-despised outlet) because of a medical diagnosis. My days were numbered, my doctor said. Fortunately, he made a slight mistake, for which I am very grateful. Nevertheless, I was set upon a path that I've embraced wholeheartedly, because, well, I'm a control freak!

My current books are published by WestWard Books.

As my own publisher, I write, arrange for beta readers and editing, do my own covers or use a designer, format both ebooks and print editions, arrange for distribution, maintain websites, do all the publicity and marketing, and engage readers through social media and an email newsletter.

Yes, it's hard work! However, I love what I do, and most readers seem to like the results of my labors.

I could not have done all that I have achieved without the help of many, MANY people; and thousands of websites. My thirst for knowledge keeps me learning all the time, because so much changes in the world of book publication, and I have to keep on top of the changes, to the best of my ability.

Here are some of the sites that have helped me along the way. The list is not very long, so you'll likely need to expand it to include places you find yourself through links and referrals of other writers.

The Writings and Opinions of Dean Wesley Smith: one of my first mentors--check out the series of posts under "Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing"

The Passive Voice: A Lawyer's Thoughts on Authors, Self-Publishing and Traditional Publishing

A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: advice and thoughts from the often-profane but very helpful J.A. Konrath--go back and read 2009-2013 posts for a college education

David Gaughran/Let's Get Digital: a good watchdog for writers' interests, and always helpful

Advanced Fiction Writing Blog - Randy Ingermanson (the Snowflake Guy): if you're a plotter, the Snowflake Method can be invaluable to you in planning out a novel

Kristen Lamb's Blog: Very helpful to my style of writing--I never miss reading all her posts

Hugh Howey: a newer mentor

The Write Conversation: a Christian-oriented blog that has many helpful posts

I'm sure that as you check out these links, you'll find a wealth of knowledge, not only for those of you who are investigating or are on the indie writer path, but for other writers who need tips on using the Internet for publicity efforts, as well.

Which site can be most helpful to you?

Questions and Quandaries

by Marsha Ward

My mind is a busy place. Sometimes, however, it grinds to a halt, as though something has gotten caught in the gears. This usually happens when I'm stressing about something.

I think I'm trying to second-guess where I'm going with my current WIP. I've written historical romantic fiction for a general audience up to now, but this novel is different. It begins on a farm in Pennsylvania, where life changes for the Marshall family when two visitors introduce them to a new religion.

Yep, it's those awful Mormons, come around to gain converts to their cult.

Or so many general fiction readers will think.

I'm not trying to round up new readers who are uncomfortable with the concept, or unwilling to take this journey with Elijah Marshall. But will my current non-LDS fans accept this step in a new direction?

It's not so much a permanent change of direction. It's more like a temporary detour. It's a piece that has been hanging around, awaiting completion, for a very long time. Since I bought the perfect cover back in 2013, it's really time to finish up the novel and give it birth.

The top half of the cover

I pledge to write my usual character-rich prose, full of adventure and romantic tension. Whether it's a novel about Mormons or Buddhists or Catholics, it shouldn't matter. It's about people overcoming adversity and finding a satisfactory ending by the conclusion of the book.

If I can only find assurance that my readers will stick with me through this deviation from the Owenverse (Owen Family + Universe), I think I can unclog my mental gears and write with my usual hectic brain feeling the story.

What do you think? Will you stick, or will you wander? Will I be devastated or comforted? Let me know in a comment below.

Thank you.

Writer, Beware! Nook Press = Author Solutions

by Marsha Ward

In the Indie Author world, until recently, there have been two accessible print-on-demand-technology print edition options: CreateSpace and Lightning Source. Last October, Barnes & Noble launched Nook Press, giving authors another printing option . . . or so it seemed. Nook Press also offered a selection of author services that included editing and cover design. "Yahoo," everyone thought. "Now I can get a good editing job AND a cover, without going on the hunt!"

Questions quickly arose about why the prices seemed, well, a bit high for the services. Luckily for Indie Authors everywhere, several people have been digging into the answers, and David Gaughran is one of the best watchdogs around. Here's his post today, which I highly recommend you read and digest.

Author Solutions, Bloomington, IN. Image from Wikimedia, by Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0

Vigilance is always required in order to avoid getting ripped off. Thank you, David Gaughran!

Don't sweat the small stuff

by Marsha Ward

Somebody on a Facebook Group for authors recently mentioned how tormented he/she was to see their cover art used on another book. That's the breaks of using stock images.

I've seen the exact image my designer used for Spinster's Folly, maybe on a website, or maybe it was a cover for somebody's Facebook Page. Here's an example I saw this week of someone else manipulating a specific element for cover art. It doesn't bother me. It's a totally different cover/look.

 















As you can see when you compare the two images, the other designer flipped the image of the girl, changed the skirt, changed the face, moved the arm away from the body and added a hand. Nice work!

One of my mother's favorite sayings was "Don't sweat the small stuff." By that, she meant to say that there are many things in life to deal with, but the "small stuff" is certainly less important to waste brain power on than big things. Another way of putting this would be "Pick your battles."

So what if another author or cover designer also buys the same image that shows up on your cover! Just make sure that each book you write is outstanding!