Tag Archives: Writing

Quotes about Indie Publishing

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Quotes about Indie Publishing

“Content is King. Promotion is Queen” ― Bob Mayer

“You are a start-up … The next great business is you.”—Hugh Howey

“The best self-promotion is your next book. And the book after that and after that …”—Bella Andre

“The good news about self-publishing is you get to do everything yourself. The bad news about self publishing is you get to do everything yourself.”—Lori Lesko

“We relish the freedom, and accept the responsibility, that comes with running our own show.”–Orna Ross, Author and Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors

“The most important thing for anyone– regardless of whether they’re an author– is to decide what is their definition of success.” –JOANNA PENN, The Creative Penn Podcast

Traditional or Indie Publish continues to be a daunting questions among today’s authors. I wish you all the best on your journey to publication, dear WordsmithSix readers.

Amazon Author Page / Send Us Your Link!

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Amazon Author Page / Send Us Your Link!

By Natalie Bright

 

Last week’s post was about Amazon Author Pages. I’m still surprised at how many authors have not utilized this social media tool. In case you haven’t done it yet, here’s another reminder: If you have books listed for sale on Amazon.com, you can set-up an Amazon Author Page.

Go to authorcentral.amazon.com to add content. Nothing fancy, just the basics will do. Enough to give you an official presence.

Sign in with your Amazon Account.

Under the Books tab, you can request that any books not listed be added. Search by ISBN, author or title.

Add a bio photo and write a bio.

Include a link to your blog, or write a new blog specific for your Amazon readers.

Add events to the handy calendar.

Post pictures of book signings, research trips, author friends, your pets, or anything that might be of interest to your fans.

Add a welcome video.

Read Author Central News. This section provides great information and ideas on promotional opportunities and specific marketing tools for authors.

Now go and be brilliant!

Include a link to your Amazon Author Page in the comment section. I’m looking forward to learning about you.

www.amazon.com/Natalie-Bright

 

Basic Social Media for Writers

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Basic Social Media for Writers 

By Rory C. Keel

 

After mountains of research, hours of keeping my rear end in the chair and wearing out the keyboard, they expect me to do what?

Yes, that’s right, as a writer you need to have an internet presence on social media.

Recently, I was asked to present some basic materials about social media, to the Ranch House writers, a group of writers who occasionally gather for a meal and encouragement from others in the writing community.

This blog will be the first in a series of four, dealing with the basics of social media for writers.

What is Social Media

Simply put, social media is a varied group of internet based applications that allow YOU to create and share content.

Early in the development of the internet, most websites were static. In other words, much like a billboard on the highway, it was costly to change and no had ability to interact with consumers.

Today, social media platforms give writers the ability to create, share, discuss ideas, and publish user-generated materials.

These applications are often categorized into groups such as networking sites, blog sites, video Sharing sites and even photo sharing sites. There are hundreds of applications and Facebook, Twitter, Google +, YouTube and Flickr are just a few examples.

Will Social Media benefit me as a writer?

While there are many reasons an individual might use social media, for the writer it’s as simple as Business 101.

Writing is a business

Have you ever read the reviews of a restaurant before going out to dinner? Have you ever researched someone on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIN, before meeting for an appointment?

It is estimated that in 2015, 93 percent of all businesses will use some form of social media. For both consumers and businesses it has become the norm and is expected.

Using Social Media

Using social media as a writer allows easy communication between you and your readers. It is a medium that allows the ability to develop relationships by having accessibility to groups where individual time is not possible.

And finally, social media allows you multiple mediums to develop your brand as a writer. By blogging, posting, tweeting, google plus-ing, you can establish yourself as a writer and build a large readership.

Next Tuesday we will discuss which social media platform to use. See ya’ then!

 

BUTTON METHOD FOR WRITERS

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BUTTON METHOD FOR WRITERS
By Natalie Bright

The Button Method for Writers combines the psychology of a creative mind along with plain ole common sense, and is easy to implement. It’s guaranteed that you will experience an unbelievable increase in productivity and quality of work.

The Button Method is best explained like this:

1. Butt-On Chair
2. Write

The more you do, the better you become at the doing. Isn’t that true with almost every career? I heard the Butt-on tip early as a newbie writer, but honestly I haven’t always applied the method.

Two of my writerly friends have, and they are a source of great inspiration for me. Linda Broday and Jodi Thomas are both New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors. They’re currently writing series; Linda for Sourcebooks and Jodi for HQN. By writing, I do mean they’re ALWAYS writing. They both have set times every day, and rarely waiver from that schedule. They both practice extreme self-discipline.

I asked Linda one time how she manages to keep pushing herself, and she told me that when she’s writing, it’s the time she feels the most calm and relaxed. For her, social media and crafting blogs creates more anxiety than disappearing into her fictional world.

Jodi fell several years back and injured her wrist. During that same time, I twisted my ankle. We met for lunch and exchanged details and sympathies. Jodi says,” I asked the doctor to set my cast in a different way, because if I prop my arm on pillows I can still type with the tips of my fingers.”

I had planned to head home for aspirin and to prop my foot on pillows. Jodi went home to write.

Butt-On is the key.

Writing Benediction: Focus on the pure joy of crafting stories with words.

BUTTON METHOD FOR WRITERS

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BUTTON METHOD FOR WRITERS
By Natalie Bright

The Button Method for Writers combines the psychology of a creative mind along with plain ole common sense, and is easy to implement. It’s guaranteed that you will experience an unbelievable increase in productivity and quality of work.

The Button Method is best explained like this:

1. Butt-On Chair
2. Write

The more you do, the better you become at the doing. Isn’t that true with almost every career? I heard the Butt-on tip early as a newbie writer, but honestly I haven’t always applied the method.

Two of my writerly friends have, and they are a source of great inspiration for me. Linda Broday and Jodi Thomas are both New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors. They’re currently writing series; Linda for Sourcebooks and Jodi for HQN. By writing, I do mean they’re ALWAYS writing. They both have set times every day, and rarely waiver from that schedule. They both practice extreme self-discipline.

I asked Linda one time how she manages to keep pushing herself, and she told me that when she’s writing, it’s the time she feels the most calm and relaxed. For her, social media and crafting blogs creates more anxiety than disappearing into her fictional world.

Jodi fell several years back and injured her wrist. During that same time, I twisted my ankle. We met for lunch and exchanged details and sympathies. Jodi says,” I asked the doctor to set my cast in a different way, because if I prop my arm on pillows I can still type with the tips of my fingers.”

I had planned to head home for aspirin and to prop my foot on pillows. Jodi went home to write.

Butt-On is the key.

Writing Benediction: Focus on the pure joy of crafting stories with words.

What’s He Wearing?

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What’s He Wearing?

By Natalie Bright

Writing Excuses podcast touched upon a subject I had never given much thought to: fashion.

In an interview with Rebecca McKinney, they talk about how clothing descriptions can add depth to characters and detail to your story.

Here’s the link, if you want to take a listen: http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/05/08/11-19-fashion-for-writers-with-rebecca-mckinney/

Character Profiles

This opens a whole new list of possibilities in my mind. Fashion could be used as a personality flaw. Maybe quirky colors in an attempt for attention or a certain look that becomes an obsession. How about the teenager that changes clothes every time she leaves the house, and how does that reflect her personality? Perhaps a meticulous appearance might be a sign of deeper psychotic issues.

Historical Accuracy

Fashion isn’t the only thing that has changed throughout time. As an author of historical fiction, the podcast reminded me to dig deeper. Think about the materials available at the time of your story. Laborers, European aristocrats, the plantation owners, eastern business men, and the cowboys out west would have dressed very differently.

Take jeans for example; they haven’t been around forever. Levi Strauss first appeared on the scene in 1870 when he took a twill made in France and died it indigo. At first his blue denim work pants were considered for the poorer working man. Miners working in the gold fields of California were some of the first to appreciate the sturdy denim.

Resources

Since the majority of my historical stories are set in the west, I have found these books to be invaluable resources:

HOW THE WEST WAS WORN, Chris Enss, Morris Book Publishing (2006).

“Clothes and Accessories”, Chapter Six, EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE WILD WEST from 1840-1900, Candy Moulton, Writer’s Digest Books (1999).

Don’t Be Fooled: Writing is HARD Work

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Don’t Be Fooled: Writing is HARD Work

By Natalie Bright

Without a doubt, writing is the hardest work I’ve ever done. I was remembering the other day about the other jobs I’ve held in my lifetime. Waitressing comes in at a close second, but physical labor doesn’t exhaust me the way an intensive brain workout does.
Writing a story forces you to dig deep emotionally. You can’t hold back for your character’s sake. They deserve all that you have, and so do your readers. The roller coaster ride of emotion in finding the right words can leave us drained.  We’re writing straight from the heart.

On the other hand, there is the practical side of writing which involves marketing, promotion and selling your novels. This is a totally different mindset.  The WordsmithSix Critique Group has been meeting together for almost six years, and I completely trust their wisdom and suggestions in regards to my work. As much as I love them however, there are times that I may not choose to do anything that they say. This side of writing is ruled by my head. As the creator, you alone, must know what’s best for your writing career.

From your heart, you create stories that feed your soul.
From your head, business must be business.
Two completely different notions that now more than ever, today’s authors must embrace and understand if they want to be successful. How crazy is that? Writing is not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure.

Write onward!

LEARNING ALL ABOUT SCRIVENER

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LEARNING ALL ABOUT SCRIVENER

By Natalie Bright

Re-typing 15,000 words for Book #2 of a middle grade adventure series set in the Wild West into Scrivener this week. At present, I write everything in Microsoft Word, including this blog post. It’s going to be a huge learning curve to retrain my brain.

SCRIVENER

“Scrivener is a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents. While it gives you complete control of the formatting, its focus is on helping you get to the end of that awkward first draft.” http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

I heard about Scrivener when I discovered a great podcast for indie authors: thecreativepenn.com Thriller author, Joanna Penn and several of her guests, claim to have greatly increased productivity by using this writing software.

Here’s what I really like about Scrivener:

The price! Only $40.

The ability to see my entire novel in a notecard format on the corkboard view. Each notecard can be labeled by chapter or scene, with notations for that scene or plot point. Attached to that notecard can be images, links for research, and the scene or chapter manuscript itself. Since I’m adding a mystery element to the WIP book, it helps me plan where I need to take the story.

I also like the project outline view which shows chapter and word count.

Untitled

Image Credit: Tinted index cards on the corkboard view from http://www.simplyscrivener.com

Editing Your Story made Easy

Scenes rarely come in sequential order. My writing brain has never worked that way. If you’re like me, elements of your current work in progress can hit you at the worst possible times. My brain is a swirl of images as the story plays out in my head. It’s usually coming faster than I can stop whatever I’m doing to jot a note. I’ve scribbled notes on lunch napkins, bank deposit slips, and grocery check-out receipts. Everything else in my life is structured and planned, but I’ve never been able to write a book from point A to point B to point C and so on.

With Scrivener, it’s really easy to find the place where that additional imagery or dialogue needs to be added. I can gather up all of my notes, and using the corkboard view, I can find right where the edits will fit. No more scrolling through a 60 page Word doc or sifting through stacks of printed pages trying to find a particular scene.

I’ll keep you posted on how this goes and what I’m learning.

Is anybody out there using Scrivener? Please share your thoughts, tips, likes, or dislikes.

Writing onward…

 

 

 

AUTHOR RIGHTS

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AUTHOR RIGHTS

By Natalie Bright

One of my 2015 writing goals was to find a home for a self-published eBook about grief based on our experience of dealing with the loss our first born son. A small press expressed interest. While I waited for the contract, I schooled myself on understanding the rights that I’d be willing to relinquish for a traditional publishing deal.

 What are You Willing to SIGN AWAY?

Publishing companies have to make money. I totally understand how this big business works. They are able to make money via manuscripts produced by writers. It’s a fascinating and frustrating industry, mixing the creations of our hearts with hard, cold finance, but that’s the reality.

Consider the prestige of having a publisher choose YOU. It is very exciting and does wonders for your ego, and then consider what you might be giving away. In my research, I learned that some publishers take rights that they never exploit, and perhaps never intend to. For example, a small, local press may not have the resources to sell your book in multiple languages so why would you grant, transfer and assign all of your foreign rights?

Here’s a sample list of possible rights already owned by you as creator and that are associated with your work:

Hardback editions

Paperback editions

Electronic rights

First world English rights

British, European, or Australian rights

Translation rights, or language rights

Exclusive use rights

Publication or sale by book clubs

Reprint rights

Publication in digests

Publication in condensations

Publication in anthologies

Publication in compilations

Serial rights

Dramatic, multimedia, television, and motion picture rights

Internet distribution rights

Archival rights

eBooks, Kindle, Nook, and other electronic distribution rights

Audio, mechanical, and visual reproduction

Computer programs

Microprint

Microfiche

Microfilm editions

Syndication rights

Permission rights for quotations, excerpts, illustrations

Merchandising rights

Any media hereinafter created

Resources

For more information, there’s a great article at writing-world.com by Marg Gilks, “Rights: What They Mean and Why They’re Important.”

Check out thecreativepenn.com for several excellent podcasts with Joanna Penn on this topic and loads of other topics relating to Indie Publishing. Her FREE Author 2.0 Blueprint is full of helpful information.

INDIE ALL THE WAY with Bethany Claire

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INDIE ALL THE WAY with Bethany Claire

By Natalie Bright

 

Author Bethany Claire gave an energetic and informative talk to the Texas High Plains Writers in Amarillo this past Saturday about her experience as an Indie (independently) published author.

“Indie publishing is very much an individualized decision,” she told the packed room of area writers.

We Love What We Do

She told us about attending a writer’s conference when she decided to give up teaching and turn writing into a career. At that conference, she made an effort to attend sessions about both traditional publishing and self-publishing. She discovered that the self-published group better fit her goals.

“Indie published authors are excited, they are in control of their careers, and they love what they do,” said Bethany. “I am definitely a control freak.”

Real Time Reporting

One of the aspects she likes the most is the ability to realize real-time reporting. “See your sales at that minute,” Bethany said. “The money you make as an Indie author is directly correlated with how much work you are willing to do.”

If something isn’t selling, authors can determine why. Is it a bad cover? Maybe the price is not in line with the other books selling in your genre?

One of the musts for any author who is considering indie pub options and is serious about making money, is the need for a professional editor. Bethany uses two. She suggests researching lists of people for hire, and submitting two to three chapters and requesting an audition edit. Compare those editing styles to determine which one fits you can work with the best.

Writers’ Academy

One of the turning points in her writing came through participation in a week long writer’s academy. Held in June of every year on the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, the event is hosted by Amarillo Author Jodi Thomas. Jodi has penned 40 books and is a New York Times Bestselling Author.

I’ve attended the academy twice, and it is a life-changing experience. Bethany will be teaching a class in 2016 at the academy. Here’s the link to register:

http://wtamu.edu/academics/eod-writing-academy.aspx

Bethany will also be offering an online class later this year about her writing process, marketing, and other facets of publishing your work as an Indie Author. You can learn more about Bethany Claire on her website:

Bethany Claire USA TODAY Bestselling Author of

Morna’s Legacy Series, Scottish Time-Travel Romances

Purchase books at: http://www.bethanyclaire.com/love-beyond-time.php

www.bethanyclaire.com

www.facebook.com/bethanyclaire

www.twitter.com/BClaireAuthor