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Career As A Self-Published Author

Dear fellow writers,

This week I have investigated options for publishing my second book of The Fortune Seekers Series.

It is an important decision, being more than how much it costs as it is about whether I can do it on my own, or would it be prudent to hire a vanity press or hybrid company to assist me.

There is more to being an author than writing. Promotion, marketing and websites are important- more than important -they are a must do if my books are to become known.

My challenge is how much I can do on my own, being self taught in these areas?

Professionalism is the objective.

How do I do these vital activities on my own and keep writing at the same time?

This is why I have used a vanity press for the first Fortune Seekers book – Dan and Charlotte, despite being told that to pay for this is not necessary, is a rip off, that they do a terrible job, are just after signing up a client and their prices are expensive.

But, what is expensive when you have no experience?

To be honest with you, my experience with a vanity press company has been nothing but professionalism- in respect to the finished printed book and the company representatives. I had one hiccup – poor editing, which was put right after the company republished a revised edition. The book’s price was also too expensive, and to drop the price I have sacrificed royalty income, as the company share in a percentage of the royalty.

Now, after checking out hybrid companies, who also have a payment part to the contract, I am reconsidering publishing with assistance. In this example all royalties are mine, for the fee (equivalent to the vanity press cost- both are under AU $5,000).

One year of promotion, cover designs, setting up of a website, publishing under my own publishing name, retail price of books is realistic and they actively post and promote in all social media sites, linking everything so readers can access information by single clicks. The one off payment is my only investment.

This is tempting. I understand nothing is free. Why would an author expect a Publishing House to invest and pay for everything as was previously the case years ago?

An author friend has offered to assist me self publishing. He has published about eight novels, and they are all professionally presented, well edited at a price, cover is designed at a price, published at a reasonable cost and retail price is his choice. Royalty income is all his. His offer is massive.

The only hesitation is – will I suffer by not having professional marketing and social media promotion?

What would you do?

5 Things You Need | BookBaby Blog

The following blog by ‘BookBaby’ explains the considerations we as authors must consider.

If you want a career as a self-published author, you need to do more than just write: you have to learn the business and market yourself so you’re on the same playing field as authors with big publishing houses behind them.
— Read on blog.bookbaby.com/2018/02/career-as-a-self-published-author

I wish you the best when making your own decisions.

Glennis Browne – author

#self-published-author; #no-experience; #fellow-writers; #The-Fortune-Seekers

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Do I need to go the Hybrid Publishing way ?

Hi fellow authors,

I am researching ways to improve my visibility on the web and where to publish my next book.

There are aspects of becoming visible that I can’t understand how they work. I am interested in where to obtain this assistance at reasonable prices. If any one can guide me where to go I would appreciate it with heartfelt thanks.

What I fail at is:-

Optimising my websites on Search Engine ( google, yahoo or bing ). It doesn’t make sense creating a site, making it available online and not a lot of people know about it. I need to make sure it appears on results page when people are searching for me or my book even if they are only using keywords. At the moment it doesn’t.

Amazon Author Page.

I need to maintain my Amazon Author page. At the moment if someone clicks on my book titles or my name, they are taken to my Amazon selling page, but nowhere else.

How do I set up links properly, as what I have done so far is not working properly?

Key Words

This also is not working. Using #and a keyword takes me to other people’s links, but not my own. Again, I must be doing something wrong.

Can you advise, please?

Therefore, I have been researching hybrid publishers. Many self published authors say there is no need to do this, as everything can be done by myself. But, is this the way to go when I really want to be writing? For the sake of about US$3,000 a lot can be done by a hybrid company. (See example below)

I have been contacted by hybrid publishers and wonder if this is the way to go, as I understand they set up these things for me.

Here’s what one offers.

Thank you for the time that you have spent with me on the phone.

This is xxxxxxxxxxx again from Xxxxxxxx Publications, a hybrid publisher in Xxxxxxxxxx, USA. What we do is we scout out for potential books to invest on.

The company started as an editing and marketing firm and eventually set up a publishing to further help authors publish and have their book distributed worldwide.  We operate using a hybrid publishing model in which we encourage authors to submit their manuscripts without any cost and if the manuscripts pass the standards of our editors, we offer a publishing agreement that comes with publishing and marketing services. Authors still have to invest a small amount to get started and we’ll take care of the rest of the investments. We help them push the book on several levels of marketing without incurring additional cost. It’s like a partnership agreement.

Xxxxxxxxx Publications focuses on producing quality works, creating good relationship with authors and creating the results that they expect from the book.

 

You will have the following services

1.      We will treat your book with Developmental Editing, the most extensive and the highest form of editing. This editing process covers the basic copy editing and other essential editing processes like typesetting and proofreading.

We’ll assign your book with Editors who are experienced and expert in your book’s genre. Your team of Editors will conduct a thorough analysis that considers all the aspects of the manuscript that make the book readable and enjoyable. They will look deeply at the organization and strength of your book. They scrutinize the order, flow, and its consistency helping the manuscript reach its full potential.

Please note that because of the extensiveness of the process, completing it requires a considerable amount of time. And because of its nature, it would come out as the most expensive type of editing as well. Most publishers would charge $.07/ word. However, because we aim for your book’s success we never hesitate to include it in our partnership program. Your success is our success too!

Here’s why we find that your book deserves nothing less than the extensive editing process:

• We would like to build your credibility as a good author. As they say, first impression lasts. Publishing a work not thoroughly edited destroys your credibility. Convincing someone to pick up a book by a new author is never easy, and when they do and see that your book is boring or sounds like a work of an amateur, almost without thinking, they put it down and go pick up something else. Your book could have the most terrific idea for readers to enjoy and appreciate, if only you chose to have it extensively edited. That makes that book reader not to trust any other works you have. And this goes the same with other buyers too. So, are you going to take the risk? Or choose to avoid it and create a lifetime impression of your expertise.

• A great writing finds its way to the top. Definitely, it will make your book sell. Of course, it must be coupled with proper marketing which will also be discussed later in this email.

2.       We create a beautiful, sellable and professional cover for your book. Our team of professional designers will provide you lay-outs for approval. A brief will be sent to you for us to have an idea on what you want for the cover. We’ll incorporate all the good ideas to come up with the best cover that speaks about your book, speaks to your audience and appeal to their expectations.

3.       We market your own business and promote your own brand for 1 year. While writing is a creative process, promoting your book is a business. A good book coupled with great marketing strategy gives your book the maximum exposure it deserves and brings maximum results. The ISBN of the book is registered under your name and we promote it like your very own business.

Here’s how we market your brand (1 year)

1.     Professional Website. Your website shows how professional and serious you are as an author. There isn’t should be a better place of knowing more about you and your works than your own site. It should be a destination for fans of your book looking for recent updates and those having just discovered you searching for more information. Your author website is a place to promote your books and a place to build community for interested followers.

We’ll do the following for your site.

• Manage it. We can help you update the content should you have additional or relevant information that you want to upload to the site.

• Optimize your website on Search Engine ( google, yahoo or bing ). It doesn’t make sense creating a site, make it available online and not a lot of people know about it. We must make sure it appears on results page when people are searching for you or your book even if they are only using keywords.

2. Professional Logo. Our professional logo designers will create a distinct and stronger identification of yourself that helps people easily distinguish you from any other author.

3. Domain Name for the Website. May it be your name or a domain that you’d like to use for your branding.

4. Personal Email. We will create a business email for you. People would trust you more if you use a business email than a generic email. This email is what we put on your Contact Page on your website.

6. Book Page on Amazon. Book buyers can see your book and your book information like the number of pages, trim size, date of publication, ranking etc. It also shows your book reviews for people to appreciate it.

 

5. Amazon Author Page. Aside from getting a page for your book on Amazon, we will also set up and maintain a page for you as an Author. This is a handy place for your book buyers who go on Amazon to learn about you by showing them your photos, biographical information, feeds to your blogs, videos, and a calendar of your events. This tells readers something interesting about yourself, including any details about your background, awards you have won, other books you have written, and personal details might want to know and even feeds to blog posts. You can use your Author Page URL in your email signature, blog posts, Facebook posts and Tweets.

6.Online Community Reviews. You will get five (5) book reviews from five (5) different authors who are well-established individual book reviewers. The reviews will be detailed and will focus more on the strength of the book for people to appreciate it. The reviews will be posted on your book page on Amazon to drive more sales.

7. Social Media Accounts. We will set-up your Social Media Accounts (Facebook, Instagram or twitter). We’ll create articles to help us introduce your book more to create a large following. These social media sites will be connected to your website and author page on amazon.

8. We expose your book to traditional publishers globally. Bookmark Publications is a member of a wide network of publishers including traditional publishers, agents and physical bookstore owners globally. This is a paid membership to build a wider network and provide your book with great opportunities. We make your book more visible to agents and traditional publishers with high hopes that they would be interested in your book. If a traditional publisher in the US is interested in your book, you’ll be paid for your book. And if someone is interested to buy the foreign rights of your book and wanted to translate and distribute it to their own language and territories, you will also be paid for the foreign rights.

ROYALTY

You will get 100% royalty. This means that we don’t get any share on the royalty. Remember, your book’s ISBN is registered under your name, thus you deserve to get all the royalty.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Design Stage:

• Unlimited Book Cover Consultation

• Customized Cover Design with Unlimited Revisions

• Free Images for the Cover

• Customized Interior Design with Unlimited Revisions

• Unlimited Graphics/ Images and Tables

 Book Formats and Production Features:

• 3 formats: Paperback, Hardcover and Ebook

• Developmental Editing – no word or page limitation

• Includes Citations, Footnotes and Endnotes if applicable

• Electronic Galley

• Unlimited Corrections and Alterations

Distribution and Post-Publication

• Paperback Copies

• Online Distribution Thru Amazon, Barnes an Noble, Google Books etc.

• Distribution Thru Ingram and Baker and Taylor

• Registration of Books on Print-on-Demand Database

• ISBN Assignment

• Book Webpage on our Online Bookstore

• Quarterly Royalty Accounting and Payments

• US Copyright Registration

• Library of Congress Registration

• Set Your Own Price Program.

What do you think about this proposal?

With as little as $x,xxx, you are able to get all the services mentioned above. We will take care of the rest for you. Should you consider this partnership, what’s next is we’ll be asking a copy of the manuscript for our book doctors and editors to look at and read to finalize the process.

I look forward to knowing if you are interested. You may call me at xxxxxxxxxx. or send me back an email

It reads well, gets my next book published and marketed, and links, keywords, and Amazon author page set up properly.

This blog is also informative-

Here Are 4 Things All Writers Should Know | WritersDigest.com

Hybrid publishing (author-assisted publishing, indie publishing, partnership publishing, copublishing) is an emerging area all writers should know about.

— Read on www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/what-is-hybrid-publishing-here-are-4-things-you-should-know

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Glennis

#hybrid-publishing; #The-Fortune-Seekers-Dan-And-Charlotte; #what-is; #Glennis-Browne-Amazon-Author-Page

Xlibris book web page

My Amazon author page

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20 points to consider when when writing a book review.

pwr.taylor.edu/2018/02/06/20-questions-to-ask-when-writing-a-book-review/

Authors appreciate book reviews. In fact, reviews are a key factor a purchaser looks to when deciding whether or not to buy a book from an unknown writer.

Reviews are hard to obtain, as only the minority of readers think to place a review.

Perhaps knowing what to say other than ”I enjoyed this book”or the negative, ’This book was hard going” is the problem. There are clearer methods and tips for explaining your thoughts other than the above that will be helpful to both potential readers and also the author.

I am sure you will find the twenty tips helpful.

if you are less formal and prefer to write simply from the heart below is a simple comment that could be placed as a review that I received yesterday morning, on my facebook feed –

I met you at the Noosa Marina markets a couple of months ago and purchased your book. I’ve just finished reading it and loved it !!! Looking forward to the next one.

Sonia

This is a gracious comment from a customer. My confidence in achieving my goal is restored.

Back to the keyboard, I return to my keyboard to complete the second of the series, for Sonia and other waiting readers to read. And, thanks for every review you write in the future.

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But what becomes of my book when its taken from its bag?

Book displays and personal signings are part of the life of an author. A lovely part, for sure.

Last weekend I attended a Sunday Market event and spent the day chatting with holidaymakers who had arrived on the local ferry. Also, locals were enjoying the holiday town we live in, happily browsing the stalls, stopping as they wander to chat with stallholders before choosing which eatery to dine in.

A vocalist accompanied by her backup tracks adds to the festive atmosphere, filling the marina with mood.

But, yesterday, potential customers held their wallets close to their hip pockets, as, for the stall holders, this weekend had not brought the usual sales. The buying mood was off for most.

There were happy customers as well.

The greatest pleasure I receive is chatting about a person’s historical interests, and upon obtaining a sale, personalising each book, then slipping a bookmark between the covers, and sometimes even the Fortune Seekers pen that I used to sign with.

This is how memories are made for my book buyers.

But what becomes of the book when it is taken from its bag?

Is it read?

Does the reader like it enough to finish it?

Or is it left behind in the apartment unwanted, or to gather dust on a bookshelf?

Have I succeeded in providing something of value to my customers?

I sometimes think about this, as the majority of books go someplace and nothing is heard from the book reader again.

Not so this morning, as in my facebook feed I received the following comment-

”I met you at the Noosa Marina markets a couple of months ago and purchased your book. I’ve just finished reading it and loved it !!! Looking forward to the next one.”

Sonia

Such a gracious comment from a satisfied book reading customer. My confidence in achieving my goal is restored.

It’s back to the keyboard, with the next one well underway, each page dedicated to Sonia.

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The US Review of Books (w/ Eric Hoffer) for The Fortune Seekers – Dan and Charlotte

Book US Review of Books March 2018

The US Review of Books (w/ Eric Hoffer) for my book, The Fortune Seekers – Dan and Charlotte, revised second edition, has been completed. It’s interesting reading. I hadn’t seen Eric Hoffer’s interpretation between the lines.

The Fortune Seekers: Dan and Charlotte

by Glennis Browne

Xlibris

reviewed by Eric Hoffer Staff at The US Review of Books

“I know my adversary. This is a spiritual battle between good and evil.”

Dan and Charlotte, both questioners of established Christian doctrine circa the 1800s, seek to leave behind their renegade reputations in Wales and England by escaping into what they hope is their promised land of Australia. But the stability allowing for their navel-watching philosophy is overwhelmed by the need to simply survive in the Social Darwinist world of the Australian gold rush. Through this adventure, they discover answers to theological and cosmic questions. For readers, tales of heroic ancestors might be a familiar yarn, but this book takes the reader into the 18th-century world of Australia, where survival was the first order of the day. Having put the reader into the mindset of an 18th-century rebel/adventurer, the author gives the story of taking care of one’s family a universal appeal. Faced with these daily travails, the characters are provided answers to theological questions that forced them out of Wales and England.

Themes of a “brave new land” abound, Browne delivers the promise and struggle of courageous people who settle a new frontier. The author is skilled in making the reader feel the sweaty and unstable atmosphere, where cabin-fevered treasure hunters and lurking threats in the dead of night prey upon the emigrants who flocked to Australia. Yet in spite of this dangerous climate, the author imparts to readers why so many regarded the country as signifying a second chance for those who could not compete in England. It’s memorable prose and story, grounded in history.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

The US Review of Books (w/ Eric Hoffer) for my book, The Fortune Seekers – Dan and Charlotte

©2018 All Rights Reserved • The US Review of Books

This review was written by a professional book reviewer with no guarantee that it would receive a positive rating. Some authors pay a small fee to have a book reviewed, while others do not. All reviews are approximately half summary and half criticism. The US Review of Books is dedicated to providing fair and honest coverage to all books.

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Can First Chapters Ever Be TOO Dramatic?

Hi, again writer friends,

Yesterday I blogged about the writing advice Mary Carroll Moore passes on in her weekly blogs.

Her topics open my eyes with wow moments, and the most recent blog contained another pearl I want to share with you.

Writing teachers and writing classes– if you’ve worked with either, if you’ve shared your writing for feedback, you’ve probably heard the golden rule of first chapters.

They need to have something happen. Preferably something outwardly dramatic. It’s called a triggering event, and it literally triggers your story. Here are some classic examples: All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr): war begins The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls): homeless mother is spotted rooting through dumpster The Passenger (Lisa Lutz): husband dies falling down stairs Everything I Never Told You (Celeste Ng): daughter is missing Cruel Beautiful World (Caroline Leavitt): high school girl runs off with teacher Each of these has an event that readers can logically, outwardly follow. Usually one event.

And the event must have meaning in the character’s life. It must be life-changing in a way. It must cause readers to know the character in a new way, as we see their reaction to the event. If you don’t have a triggering event in that first (or second) chapter, how will you show us the character in a way that we can grab hold of? Engage with? Want to follow? I think of Americanah, by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The first chapter, or triggering event, has the narrator going to get her hair braided at a salon. It’s an event that tells us about her, her culture, her background, and her tenuous hold on life in the U.S. It’s not war, death, murder, loss. But it says so much about this narrator, we understand why Adichie chose it to launch the story.

One of my long-time students is finishing her novel and asked the question: Can the opening chapter be too dramatic? Can the triggering event just keep your pulses racing but not really engage you in the story? I think, yes. If the triggering (dramatic, outer) event reveals the character’s dilemma, shows where the character gets their false agreement or misunderstanding about this dilemma, and presents a possibility of overcoming it, then it’s character-engaged drama and we want to read more.

If it doesn’t relate to the character, it’s just drama for its own sake. We can listen to the news for that. Your weekly writing exercise: Ask yourself if your triggering event reveals the character who’s involved in it. Ask if it reveals the dilemma that character is going to face during the book, and if it presents some basic misunderstanding or false agreement the character has that fosters this dilemma–a misunderstanding that will need to be faced and dealt with during the book. If yes, your opening event is golden. If not quite, what can you change?

What do you think?

Inciteful?

Certainly was for me.

I am Glennis Browne, the author of The Fortune Seekers series. Book one is The Fortune Seekers -Dan and Charlotte. It is available on Amazon and Xlibris in a revised second edition now.

Amazon book sales

Xlibris book sales

View Youtube video. Here: YouTube: https://youtu.be/tGmaalu4RHc

Book two is almost at the editing stage and book three is being planned and under the first draft.