Myths of Self-Publishing

Every day I get a a handful of emails that all ask the same thing....

Why did you self-publish? Do you think self-publishing hurt your chances at a traditional career?

The truth: I got my right back from my publisher only four weeks out from my publication date. I freaked because I had planned two book signings, a release party, and told everyone that Carpe Bead 'em was going to be published.

I jumped in feet first, contacted a few self-published authors for some guidance and learned everything I could to get my novel released on the release date that had already been scheduled.

It was the best thing that I ever did for my career. Does that mean that I'm against traditional publishing? Absolutely not. I believe in all roads to publication and doing what is best for your career.

BUT...self-publishing is not for everyone. Some people have to get over the stigma of self-publishing. I really don't care what people think of me. I only care about what my readers think of my books. So if a stigma is holding you back, you should really check that ego at the door and weigh the pros and cons of self-publishing.

There are many pros and cons. But today I wanted to blog about the second question....the myths of self-publishing.

1) If you self-publish your book, a traditional publisher will not pick it up.

Ummm. . .NOT TRUE!
Take a look at Jessica Park's FLAT OUT LOVE. Jessica published FLAT OUT LOVE a year ago. Sold a crap load, got the attention of so many readers, got the buzz and then got picked up by Amazon.
Then you have John Locke, Amanda Hocking, and E.L. James (that 50 book;)), those are just the big names. There are a lot more mid-list self-published authors getting their novels picked up by agents and publishers on a daily basis.

Just like you, they check out those bestsellers list on a daily basis. Trust me, they want to make a dollar too, and their ego doesn't get in the way when they send you an email wanting a little bit of your success.

2) Real readers won't find me because I'm not in TARGET!

Welcome to the twenty-first century, my friend! Have you heard of a little gadget called an EREADER?
They sell those in TARGET and all major bookstores!
Readers don't care who you are published by as long as you give them a good book. TRUST ME! When I say that I did a lot of research before I published Carpe Bead 'em, this was one of those things that I took serious.

Sure I had my writer friends, but readers are my target audience NOT my writer friends. Luckily I had gained a rather nice following of readers by interacting with them before Carpe Bead 'em was published, so I had asked several questions about ereaders and publishers. They couldn't even name who their favorite authors were published with.

So....you have to write a good book that readers will enjoy and they will NEVER think about who the publisher is.

If that's so important to you, you can make up a name and stick it in the 'PUBLISHERS' box when you upload it to each ereader. I just leave it blank because....I don't care if readers know I'm self-published.

3) Self-published authors couldn't make it traditionally so they self-published.

Sigh....Did you read that I GOT MY rights back from my publisher?

Once I self-published, I didn't turn back. I will always self-publish, but I didn't turn back from traditional either. (I do have some traditional irons in the fire, but this is only because I believe in doing everything.)

In some ways, self-published authors are more comfortable in their writing than traditional authors. Self-published authors are not running with the herd, they aren't the sheep. It takes guts to self-publish, and I love confidence!

4) Self-published books suck and are full of mistakes.

I agree that there are a lot of crap books out there, but that includes traditional books too. Granted, a traditional book goes through six months of edits with an editing team. So why can't a self-published book?
It can!

If you are going to self-publish and your name is on that book, you should make sure that you are going to put out the best book out there.

Get an editor that will do edits more than ONCE, hire a great cover artist, get some beta-readers, join a critique group, etc....

5) Self-publishing is expensive and I want to write the book and sit back and get paid.

Self-publishing is not expensive or hard! Once I get my book out, I do sit back and get paid. . .monthly!

Over the years, it's become a lot less expensive to self-publish. It doesn't cost you a penny to upload to the various mediums. The only thing that will cost you is an editor and a cover.
Even print on demand has gotten so easy and inexpensive.

6) Self-published authors don't make money.
**insert cough**

I'll give you one hard fact....
I got a royalty check from my publisher (yes, I still have a couple books with a publisher) from a book I DO NOT EVEN PROMOTE for various reasons and the total was .64 CENTS for a total of 8 (I think it was 8. I know it wasn't more) books! That was a quarter statement.

I sell at least 100 books a day. That blows this myth out of the water! Granted I have ten books self-published, but still you do the math.

I'm not going to get into the logistics of advances and royalties from publishers because those vary, but I can tell you that traditional authors AREN'T getting rich....at least the mid-list ones, which are 90% of the traditional population.

I'm not here to sway you either way. Like I said, I believe in all roads to publication that gets a book in front of a reader. But these are the facts, you have to decide what is best for you and your career.

Covers Do Matter

I'm honored to welcome author, Mila Ballentine to the blog today. She's blogging on a very important topic. . .COVERS!! 


The Cover MATTERS!

Don’t let the cliché, 'Don’t judge a book by its cover,' sway you. Everything is judged by its cover, whether it’s an object or a person! The presentation of a product for sale is important. If you’ve ever been attracted to a particular product while shopping, 9 out of 10 times it had everything to do with the presentation. However, the contents are equally important, but this article will focus on what’s on the outside. 

I went to a small business workshop a few months ago and the instructor recommended a book by Paco Underhill, WHY WE BUY. It’s worth the read and it’s available in audio book. It was helpful and reinforced aspects of marketing that I already knew. As an independent publisher/author, I devote as much time to choosing a cover as I do to writing. Without a cover that represents the essence of your story, you are simply nailing your foot in the “No Name Brand,” market. I think we all have a sense of how people feel about “No Name Brand” products….low grade, cheap, imitation…you get the idea.

When your cover has the presence of attracting the naked eye, the odds are, they will move in and investigate the product. If the Blurb grabs them, you caught one! However, you had to get their attention first! It took two weeks to find the cover for IN THE VALLEY OF MUD AND WORMS, but I knew it was ‘the one’ when I saw it. It represented the character and the story, but you wouldn’t know until you read it. I was not as lucky with finding a cover for NO STRAYS ALLOWED, so I illustrated it myself. The optical illusion tricks the eye to think that something is wrong. The effect …you move in closer to see if your eyes can correct the error, but there is none. It’s effective because the potential customer interacts with the product. Finally, the cover for THIN SKIN SOUL PINNED took three mind-numbing weeks to find, but it was worth it! 

So by all means, judge a book by its cover. It is something we do unconsciously and it plays a major factor into what we buy. Also, I could have easily included examples of covers that aren’t the best representation of a book, but it is not my desire to muddy anyone’s hard work. Instead, I will provide an avenue where you can obtain photos that will improve your chances of finding the PERFECT cover! Bigstock.com is an excellent site and one of the easiest to use. I am including the following 50% off link.http://bigstock.refr.cc/MN7Z9B8 

Marketing a product is not an easy task. The next time you go shopping, think about why you buy something. I am interested to hear your thoughts on this subject. 

Thin Skin Soul Pinned  Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/Nfu5SC

Blogging doesn't make you money....SAY WHAT???

Sometimes I come across some really GREAT people that make really IGNORANT comments. It cracks me up because most of the time, these people have no clue what they are talking about...and in that case, they really should keep their mouth closed.

Am I ranting? No. I'm actually chuckling inside, because these comments give me GREAT ideas to blog.

I'm not going to tell you the participants in this story, but I think it's really important for you to know the outcome....

I had suggested to a TRADITIONALLY published author that they should start a blog using their new book as the theme. IT'S A GREAT IDEA!!

I got a sweet smile, laughed at, and then..."blogging doesn't make you money."

I didn't rant, or go off, I simply got a pen out of my purse and wrote GREAT BLOG TOPIC on the palm of my hand. I did NOT want to forget the feeling I was having when those words left the mouth of that author.

I was almost giddy! Excited in fact! Little does that author know....

So this brings me to what I think is going to be a GREAT topic. WHY BLOGGING IS CRITICAL TO MAKING YOU MONEY!

1) Forces you to think about a target audience. Isn't this what helps sell our books??? Selling books=money...right?

If you target your audience (this blog targets writers and how to help them-readers probably AREN'T reading this blog), and promote it as the targeted blog, you will gain readers. The author who prompted me to write this blog, has a VERY targeted theme that would appeal to a VERY targeted audience that will lead to many sells...

For instance, if you write paranormal, you would do some great blogs posts on haunted houses, paranormal activities, talk about paranormal shows....etc....you get the point. You are building that target audience.

2) Forces you to write.
We have to write in order to get a book out. Blogging helps you stay focused and write! It helps you hone your voice. You can experiment with what works best for you and see the results from the traffic you get and  comments you will receive.

Blogging helps you explore topics that forces you to research topics, which in turn makes you more knowledgeable. AND that could spark more ideas for writing. Writing=money!

3) Makes you more visible. (blog forums)
I use my blog to promote my novels. Regardless this is for writers, I post on all forums. When I post a blog, I go to the Kindle forums, Nook forums, writer forums and post the blog topic with the URL. This leads to a lot of page views and believe it or not...usually a couple books sold!

The forums have my books in my tag lines and I hear from the reader how much they liked my blog and book covers so they bought "such and such book." THAT'S MONEY....RIGHT?

4) Creates a following.
A following is what all authors want! WE love to have readers, regardless of where they come from.


5) Leads to appearances.
This blog has given me a great platform to teach workshops. I've been teaching workshops for over three years. During this time, I have met some GREAT people in the writing community. I teach at conventions where I meet readers and writers. The readers want my books, the writers want any advice I can give them.

Blogging has also given me the opportunity to participate in book clubs! The book clubs read one of my books, and they love to bring up how I come up with characters, their development, the process. With out blogging about it here, I'd have a really hard time answering those questions.

Don't listen to ignorant statements. Don't miss out on opportunities to find an audience. Hey...Donald Trump blogs! Do you think he'd waste his time if he wasn't making money???

Blogging is like the NEW BLACK for authors. Well...maybe black doesn't look good on everyone, but it is my favorite color!

Is Self Publishing Still A Stigma?

Literary Karaoke? Really??

I read the Huffington Post article going around the past couple of days and it made me pause. Sort of dumbfounded really.

It's no secret that I want a traditional publishing contract. It's a dream of mine to be on the shelf at Target. BUT I absolutely LOVE having my indie career. I will NEVER EVER stop self-publishing. So when another author sent me the article, I about choked on my RED HOTS!

I'm assuming I have had my head buried in the sand over the past few months because I was under the assumption that agents (or at least the agents I'm working with) are really embracing the indie author. AND a lot of traditional authors are either publishing both ways or dumping their agents and going indie.
And hearing that some authors have an all out campaign against indie authors, it made me sick.

Indie authors work much, much harder than traditional authors. I'm NO WAY putting down traditional authors, but I know a ton of them and I can tell you that hands down I do WAY more for my career than they do.

1) I attend conferences just like them.
2) I have book marks, tote bags, business cards, author swag just like them.
3) I have print books just like them. And I get the final decision on my COVER, not like them!
4) I have ebooks just like them. Though I get to set my price to the market, not like them!
5) I tweet just like them. Only I'm on several tweet teams to get my name out there!
6) I'm on Goodreads just like them. I connect with my readers on a personal level!
7) I blog just like them. Only I pay it forward without expecting anything in return!
8) I'm on Facebook just like them. Only I'm on Facebook a lot more working on my marketing!
9) I write one word at a time to make a novel just like them. And PUBLISH four-five novels a year $, not like them!
10) I have book signings just like them.

What I have that they don't:
1) A STREET TEAM of readers that would do anything for me!
2) A GREAT group of blog followers.
3) I market way more than them!
4) I promote way more than them!
5) I keep my title!
6) I'm hungry! I want to connect with my readers.
7) I set my own deadlines.
8) I control my career. Plan and simple.

Will all the things I do stop once I have a traditional novel? NO! I know the value of hard work on the marketing and promotional side of this business and will only make me stronger!

At the end of the day, there are so many readers out there and with the world of ereaders, reading has gotten so popular! There is enough for everyone! Oh. . .a little secret. . .readers have NO clue if you are traditional published or self-published. They just want a great book and great prices.

What's your thoughts? Still a stigma?

Smoke and Mirrors. . .Fall In Love With Your Blog

I get a lot of emails from other writers that tell me they really enjoy my blog. This truly makes my heart sing. The purpose of my blog started out as a mish-mosh of stuff before I realized that I get so many comments/emails about my marketing and promoting skills, along with my positive attitude.

Don't let all the smoke and mirrors full you! I do love my blog, I am a positive person, and I love writing, but I have my days that I let out a big ole sigh and have to make myself sit down to come up with something, anything to put here.

Recently I received an email from a reader who has a lot of issues with coming up with ideas and he flat out said that he HATED his blog.

My response. . .OF COURSE YOU HATE YOUR BLOG BECAUSE IT'S HARD! IT'S A COMMITMENT!

It's not like the first time you got the butterflies in your stomach when you decided you wanted to start a blog. You carefully chose the design, the colors, the font, the pictures, the tabs. . .all fun and games until you make it live and realize that you have set a precedent to be there, make a commitment to you readers--yourself.

Here are some great tips to help fall back in love with your blog and connecting to your readers.

1) Redesign your blog. Maybe you are a little blah and need a little more creation. I have redone my design twice in the past six months. I do this with my colors of my house to get my creative juice flowing and being in my little world of the blogsphere is no different.

2) Add some fun with new plugins. Blogger plugins here, Wordpress plugins here You can check them out and see what will work for your blog. You can add some cool plugin bling!!


3) Check out your older posts. Frequently I will go back and look at topics that I blogged about that has already changed. Like my blog on Facebook. It was pre timeline! Guess what? I need to resurrect that blog and add to it. Make it better.


4) Guest blogs. Add some guest bloggers. I don't host a lot of guest bloggers here, but when I do it's because I think they have something really great to offer or to help you learn something new. Get some guest bloggers that are industry leaders. Most of the time these leaders will recycle blogs from other appearances, but that's okay. It will be your readers first time seeing it.

I might have some days that make me squirm or procrastinate to write the blog, but I'm committed to making my career exactly how I want it. AND quitting is not an option....

What do you do to fall in love with your blog on a weekly basis?

The "F" Word And How to Use It While Writing

Did that title catch your attention?

Did I mislead you? Maybe. Because I'm talking the big 'F' word , FAILURE!
And I want to talk to you about how we can use failure in our FAVOR! Then we can talk about a new 'F' word, FAVOR!
I have to admit that I get a lot of mail from writers about the ups and downs of writing, mainly their failures. They want to know how I did it. Trust me, there were a lot of FAILURES and I still have them. But I turn them around and use them in my FAVOR!

If you follow me on Facebook (and I hope you do), you know that I post a lot of inspiration quotes and motivation quotes. There are two reasons I do this.

1) There is so much negative energy in the world that if I can touch one person or change one person's attitude for that day, it was worth it.
2) I post quotes everywhere. They make me feel good. I even sharpie marker them on my laptop.

Yes! I'm one of those happy people. I never return an email that doesn't have something positive to say. Yes! I've said the typical answers that you have heard from others when you have told someone that you have failed:

"Look how far you have come."
"Pay it forward to others authors."
"Give gratitude."
"There is always a reason this is happening to you."

But what about those BIGGIE FAILURES?

The last thing you want to hear is that it happens for a reason, or you need to look at the glass half full. Even I get a little discouraged with the biggies. And by biggies, I mean rejection letters from agents/editors, when you self publish your novel and only five people buy it....those are BIGGIES that aren't taken lightly.

These BIGGIES are the ones that fester inside us, looks like there is no end in sight, not a bruise but the one that becomes infected and stifles our creative limb that you think you need to amputate.
NO DON'T AMPUTATE WRITING FROM YOUR LIFE!!

This is the time that those sweet quotes don't work. The kind words don't make us feel better, and even moral support isn't enough to pull us out of the muck!

Sometimes we just have to get out the white flag and surrender. Yes! Surrender.
Surrending is NOT failing. It is realizing that something didn't go the way we wanted it to, even though we did do our best. It's time we realize that some things are just out of our control. AND this was one of those times.

Of course it didn't turn out the way we wanted it to. So we worry about it. We think about all the possibilities like timing, or what happened. These things are out of our control. Wave the white flag.

BUT we can control how we react to FAILURE! And how we handle ourselves.

1) Go ahead, punch a pillow, scream out loud in an empty house, cry, and remember to laugh.
2) Decide who you want to share your failure with. They have had failure too. Don't fall into people saying "people are going through something worse than you." NO! This is your worst and you need someone who is going to listen.
3) Heal. Don't pull up your boot straps and put on your big girl panties/big boy underwear. You have had a major setback that is important to you. You need time to heal. Don't swallow your pride. Pride can be evil and you don't fall into it. It's time to be vulnerable and honest with yourself. Doing so will give you the steps you need to grow in your career. Facing it gives you the opportunity to face your fears.
4) During the healing process, remember to take care of yourself and do the things you love to do. If it's going to DQ and getting an ice cream. . . do it! If it means buying a new tool, do it. Going to the spa. . .DO IT!
5) Stop trying to impress the authors that you think is doing better than you. They have their issues too, but they approach them differently. You are unique. There are NO two writers alike AND that includes you!

At the end of the day, we can not control the publishing industry. We can only control us and how we react to the situation that is handed to us. We can not determine the outcome of anything in this industry. If we could, we'd all be on the New York Times Best Sellers list! All I ask is to do your best and when your world falls apart, and someone tells you to "work harder". . .ignore them! You decide how you treat yourself at the end of the day. I hope you chose respect, love, and compassion. No one is going to take care of you better than you!

Have you let the "F" word define who you are?

Hands In the Air~You Are On The Writing Roller Coaster!

Take a good looooong look at this roller coaster!

There are some ups and downs not to mention a few turns. WOW! Doesn't that sound a lot like writing? The emotions of up and down, not to mention those unexpected turns. Everyone of us go through it.

Some of us hang on and smile and some of us hang on and cry. Either way, there isn't an option to get off. We are WRITERS! We love WRITING! But how we handle the ride can make all the difference in the world.

This was probably the hardest part of writing for me. I NEVER once wanted to quit or give up. But I do get stressed out and that is no fun to me or anyone around me.

Here are a few of my tips and tricks:

1) Take a break. Not a long break, but a fifteen minute break if you get stressed when writing. Lay down and try to concentrate on your breathing. This will help get oxygen to your brain and your stress should begin to lessen and help you refocus.

If your writing career is what is making you ride the roller coaster, take a couple days  and walk away from the novel. Read, walk, be with yourself, do something with your kids, finger paint, meditate, anything creative will encourage your mind to open up. Check out these great tips to help unleash your inner creative kid.

2) Long hand. Don't shoot me! I mean with a pen and paper, old school. Many times throughout the day, I have a hard time starting a new chapter. I grab my pen and journal ( I keep a journal for each book) and I start writing. This really does open up my creativity and get my characters talking to me again.

(I never said I was a neat writer.)

3) Egg timer. And I don't mean make something to eat. Use this handy on line timer at E.gg Timer.

Sometimes we put unrealistic expectations on ourselves. Or we set a goal that is entirely too high, but at the time it sounds doable. Get a timer and set it for five minutes.

For five minutes you are committed to doing nothing but writing. The writing can be good or bad, but just write on your story for five minutes. Don't edit. Just write. Do what you love.

Once you are comfortable with the five minutes increase to eight or ten. You are teaching your brain to focus on a chunk of time devoted to writing. No Facebook. No Twitter. No nothing but writing. You will be surprised how many words you can write in under ten minutes.

4) Do your own thing! I'm just giving you suggestions that have helped me. But maybe you do something else. Sometimes I jump up and take my dogs on a twenty minute walk. Especially when it's sunny out and I want to be in it!

Fifteen to twenty minutes is what I have found that I need to regenerate me and my creative juices to help me hold on to the roller coaster and smile.

Me, I never get off the roller coaster. Some days the roller coaster has more twists and turns, but I know that I'm never giving up. I'm going to hold on and smile the entire ride.

What do you do to help this roller coaster life we've chosen?