Friday, January 29, 2016

Æther Salon: Publishing! (Edited Transcript)

Aether Salon: Publishing!

Welcome, word wranglers! If you’re here, odds are that you’ve written a story, or are thinking about writing one, or you really like to read published stories.

Even if you are not writing a book, knowing how it all works will give you a deeper understanding of what your favorite authors have gone through to bring their stories to life. No matter how books get published, they are nothing without their readers.

The process of getting your book into the hands of your readers can be confusing, I know. The purpose of my talk today is to try to remove as much of the confusion as possible and leave you with practical facts you can use as you make a publishing decision that’s right for you.

There’s various roads leading to towards publication. Once upon a time, your choices were limited. Happily, we now live in interesting times where the lack of an agent or baskets of money are no longer a hurdle. The traditional methods of publishing still exist, and rumor has it they may even be thriving, but more than ever, your writing career can remain within your control.

And remember, your path can change - you might start off self publishing and later find an opportunity to go the traditional agent/publisher route… or you might leave tradition behind and embrace self-publishing. Or mix and match, if you write in multiple genres.

So, with a tip of our hat to those early writers who pressed sticks into clay tablets and laid reed pens against papyrus—and Johannes Gutenberg and his little invention—let’s demystify the publishing process so you can make intelligent decisions about the road you and your book will travel.


VANITY PRESS


In a nutshell, if a publisher requires your money up-front in order to publish your book, you’re dealing with a Vanity Press.

I’ll admit I’m biased here. Years ago, I made inquiries of a publisher who I did not know was a vanity press at the time. I learned the hard way that these places specialize in catering to your ego as your ‘personal representative’ excitedly promises you the moon and the stars… for a hefty price. If your book is not yet complete, you’ll be pressured to commit to a deadline for production, since clearly your premise is the most astonishing one they’ve heard in years and they are very anxious to get it printed. The talk will quickly turn to how fast you’ll be able to raise the funds needed to print your book. You’ll have to work hard to get loose from their clutches if you decide to back out. I backed out pretty quickly, and not a dime was lost, but the fact that these presses still exist means a lot of money is being handed over. Who says you can’t buy a dream?

In the interest of balance, though, I will cite a couple of examples of authors who found success after starting off with a vanity publication.


In 1811, Jane Austen paid a publisher to publish Sense and Sensibility, which qualifies the book to be a vanity press publication. While her books were (and still are) insanely popular, she never received accolades as a writer, since she originally penned her stories under the anonymous name of “By A Lady”.

(Note on the slide, at the bottom, it says "Printed For The Author")

“Perhaps I am as thick as two short planks, but I cannot understand how a man can take thirty pages to describe how he turns round in his bed before he finally falls asleep.” This publisher’s rejection letter probably gave Marcel Proust some sleepless nights, but he shook it off and in 1913 paid a French publisher to print Du Côté de Chez Swann (Swann’s Way), which eventually became the first volume in his ‘novel in seven books’, À la Recherche du Temps Perdu (Remembrance of Things Past).

A side note - beware of literary agents who charge ‘reading fees’ in order to consider taking you on. Just as in other areas of life, if something seems too good to be true (and asks for cash up front), it probably is.

SMALL PRESS

A press that makes less annually than $50 million net (this is the United States threshold, other countries may vary) is classified as a Small Press. Most of these produce just a few books a year, about ten or so. They’re often called Indie Presses too, not to be confused with an Indie Author.


Virginia Woolf and husband Leonard Woolf, started Hogarth Press in 1917, for the purpose of publishing her own books and those of other selected authors. This is a very early, and possibly the first example of a small press. Many others have come and gone through the years since then. Author Dave Eggers founded McSweeney’s. Authors Kelly Link and Gavin Grant founded Small Beer Press.

Jimmy Branagh: Arkham House was small press. Look what they did for Lovecraft and others.


Not far from Ceejay’s typist, Sleeping Bear Press published its first book in 1998, called… wait for it… The Legend of Sleeping Bear. It’s a beautifully illustrated book that a local Michigan legend and turns it into a children’s story. The book is now the Official Children’s Book of Michigan. Yes, that’s a real thing. Sleeping Bear Press, based in Ann Arbor Michigan, continues to publish illustrated children’s picture books.


If your passion and genre happens to be a perfect match for a small press, you could find yourself in luck, just as Jeannine Hall Gailey did with her book of poetry inspired by her childhood in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, growing up in the shadow of the Manhattan Project. Her surreal poetry is set in a world overwhelmed by radioactivity, science, and the atomic bomb. While powerful stuff, her 80 pages of mindwarping poetry are not what the large publishers are looking for.

However, Mayapple Press, founded in 1978 by poet and editor Judith Kerman, proved to be Jeannine’s perfect match. Mayapple seeks out “...literature that is both challenging and accessible: poetry that transcends the categories of "mainstream" and "avant-garde"; women's writing; the Great Lakes/Northeastern culture; the recent immigrant experience; poetry in translation; science fiction poetry.”

If your niche doesn’t seem to be the big publishers cuppa tea, consider seeking out small presses more in tune with your style.

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING


Traditional publishing is a threesome. An author hooks up with an agent who works to get a contract with a publisher. Once this happens, all sorts of good things can happen to an author and their book.

Your book will be professionally edited, cover art will be designed to suit your story, and your book will be marketed out to bookstores. Your agent will have negotiated the best possible contract for you, and will be keeping an eye on the various legalities during the production and promotion process. For a percentage, of course. Ah, and by the way, your own earned royalties will probably amount to 8% to 10% of the sale price of the book.

On the down side, you’ll not have much say in the process. What your book looks like, where it’s sold, and how it’s advertised are out of your hands. What started out as ‘your baby’ is now a project in the hands of a team that’s been formed for the sole purpose of making some money off your book.

Sheryl Skytower: Physical book. Usually much higher royalty for the ebooks. :)


SELF PUBLISHING

And last but not least, there’s self-publishing. I’ll talk a lot more about this option because it’s the one that requires the most from you, and I want you to fully grasp the scope of work you’ll be taking on yourself as an Independent Writer.

Remember, the ‘self’ in Self Publishing is You. You’re the author. You’re in charge of getting the manuscript edited and proofed. You need to either make or hire an artist for cover art. Advertising, accounting and promoting? Tag, you’re it!


If you think self-publishing began with the arrival of the internet, think again. In the mid 1700s, Benjamin Franklin wrote and self-published Poor Richard’s Almanack. A quote from that publication, “If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.”

If you look at the image being displayed of Ben’s almanack, you can see at the very bottom, “Printed and fold by B FRANKLIN, at the New Printing-Office near the Market.”


In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the English poet William Blake not only wrote and self-published his own works, but created all the illustrations and etched them onto copper plates. After printing his works, he hand-colored the etchings.

Walt Whitman self-published the first edition of Leaves of Grass in 1855. He had 795 copies printed, and worked on binding them whenever he had the funds to pay for supplies.


Now we will run further up the self-publishing timeline. Lightning Source was formed in 1997. They are still one of the leading print on demand publishers. Print On Demand (POD) is insanely practical. There’s no excess stock to deal with, no storage issues, no out of date books leftover if a second edition is printed, and the cost is reasonable. The print on demand concept caught on quickly, and soon iUniverse, CreateSpace (Amazon’s print division) and Lulu were offering their services to Indie authors.


There’s a learning curve with POD, just as there is with every aspect of Indie publishing, but once you’ve got it figure out, I think you’ll love it. The image showing now is my own book cover, showing the front, spine and back, all of which was converted to a PDF file before uploading to CreateSpace.

After the first upload, I ordered a copy of the book to be sent to me. I checked it over and realized the spine was too narrow - parts of the front and back cover were folding over to the spine. Adjustments were made, a new PDF was uploaded, and I was much happier with the tweaks. Now, whenever a paperback copy is ordered, it’s printed and sent out, so quickly that readers usually have no clue that the book they hold in their hand didn’t exist until they placed their order.


Some of you may already be published writers and not even realize it. Journaling and Blogging are Indie Writing! They can be satisfying on their own merit, or start a writer on a path to publication.

Around 1999, we started hearing a weird word being bandied about. ‘Bloggers’ were using various easy-to-set-up websites to share serial novels, fanfiction, and promote their own works. LiveJournal was cutting-edge back then, and helped give rise to writers like Cassie Claire, who wrote Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings fanfic in her younger days. (I admit I LOVED her Very Secret Diaries, and still occasionally mutter, ‘Cannot cope, off to Mordor’.) She’s since gone on to publish YA books through Simon & Schuster and Scholastic, and reportedly makes absurd bushel baskets of money these days.


In 2002, Julie Powell’s The Julie/Julia Project blog, which was a chronicle of her attempt to prepare every dish in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, eventually led to the the publishing of the book Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen AND the 2009 movie Julie & Julia. Which was great. Find it and watch it.

By 2008, IndieGoGo, Kickstarter, and RocketHub appeared on the web, giving authors another resource to help with the expenses of self-publishing a book. A heads-up for you—on February 29, 2016, Publaunch.com will start offering crowdfunding events specifically for books and publishing services.

So, all that being said… what exactly are the tasks you’ll need to take care of as an Independent Author? Let’s find out.

SELF-PUBLISHED WRITER’S CHECKLIST


Toss your pride aside and get a critique of your final draft. Round up a few Beta Readers and take their comments to heart.

After you’ve tweaked the needfuls recommended by the Beta Readers… secure an editor to give your work that final polish before publishing. Don’t be so presumptuous as to think ‘I’ve read it a dozen times, I am positive it is perfect.’ Trust me, it’s not. You are too close to the work, and that makes you blind to the flaws. If you cannot afford an editor, who will point out plot flaws, rearrange your badly worded sentences and fix all your punctuation as well as letting you know where your book bogs down and where it’s awesome, at the very least, hire a proofreader to kill all the punctuation mistakes, synonym misfires, and shrapnel.

What is shrapnel? Shrapnel happens when you re-write a sentence over and over, and in the end forget to remove some of the leftover words. I edited Pip Ballantine’s Weather Child. It’s a magnificent book, and I highly recommend it! Especially after I carted out at least three trailer loads of shrapnel. :) We are all prone to producing it, and you would be amazed at how much if it you can go blind to as the author.


Start building your platforms. Make a website. Create Facebook and Twitter pages. Set up a GoodReads account. And that’s the bare minimum. Don’t wait till you’re published to get this all settled. Do it in advance so when your head is spinning at LEAST you have these things in place.

Back to Beta Reading. Give copies of your manuscript to some readers who will give you feedback, and if you are very lucky and the gods of the quills are smiling upon you, they will respond with some quotable phrases you can use in promotion, or even on your back cover!

Choose your publishing service. Are you going to go paperback or digital or both? Every service has its own formatting and cover art requirements. It’s good to know what they are so you can get the info to your artist, if you’ve hired one.

Or… choose your publishing services, plural. You CAN publish at Amazon and elsewhere too, but you’ll need to carefully choose the right answers when you set up your agreement with Amazon. If you are willing to take 35% in royalties, you are free to publish anywhere else you like. If you want Amazon’s tempting 70% royalties, you will give up your rights to publish elsewhere.

Ceejay Writer: (Sheryl, it's 35% at Amazon now, right? )
Sheryl Skytower: I believe so....
Maxwell Grantly: Royalities at Amazon depend on what price you sell your ebook for.
Ceejay Writer: Those percentages are for Kindle eBooks.

Choose wisely, and take all the time you need to read everyone’s contracts and rules. Don’t rush this step. Learn everything you need to know.

Hire an artist or dig in yourself to create your cover art. Browse bookstores with an eye to everyone else’s cover art. See what works for you and what doesn’t. This will help you finalize your vision for your cover art. Read the requirements your chosen publisher has provided to be sure about the requirements for the final art upload.

Daniel Rothchen: Many suggest spending most of your money on getting a good editor before publishing on Amazon and its ilk .. would you agree?
Ceejay Writer: My opinion - put the money into editing and cover art.

Upload your manuscript. Then proof the output. Every page. If you have chosen to use multiple distribution points, you’ll need to do this step for each version; Kindle, Nook, Paperback, PDF… one might be perfect, but another format might need help.

BLURBIE TIME. This may be the toughest step yet, other than actually writing the book. For marketing purposes, you will need some promotional wording. Craft some short tagline sentences, two long synopsis (one with spoilers and one without), a short synopsis, something that fits Twitter’s limitations, and any other snappy bits you can think of to help keep interest high in social media. Save these all in one document for on the fly cutting and pasting.

Steadman Kondor: big publishers are starting to skimp on their cover art now, unfortunately. comfirmed by mates in the industry...
Ceejay Writer: Indie authors should take note of that! There's an area to outdo the big guys.
Satu Moreau: A bad cover too can repel instead of attract a reader.
Steadman Kondor: yes!
Ceejay Writer: I admit to buying some books based on cover art.
Maxwell Grantly: never judge a book based on its cover - but we do!

Have a high res author photo and a written bio ready for the world to see. Scary. I set up a Media Kit page at my website and shoved these things in there for easy access.

Start thinking about advertising. Will you have book giveaway contests? Will you pay for ads on Facebook and other sites? Will you find blogs to be a guest writer on, will you try to get interviewed, will you haul boxes of your book to signings, will you sign up as an author at conventions?


Reviews: You’re probably going to have to beg for them, dangle free review copies in front of people’s faces, beg some more, and never stop groveling. Amazon’s cracked down hard on who can post reviews, and will slap your hand if they think you book has been loaded up with reviews from family and friends. It’s frustrating. And you NEED reviews. Within the online eBook seller websites, those reviews are what push your book up from the basement to where readers can actually find it on their own. When the reviews taper off, your book sinks again.

Those of you who read (I hope that’s everyone!): When an author encourages you to review their book, they are really hoping you will. Post an honest review. It doesn’t have to be long. A sentence or two will do. And repost it at GoodReads, even if you don’t like the place much. :) It’s got some clout. You will have done something very important for that book, and it’s writer.

As an Indie Writer, you are responsible for all aspects of your book. You’ll find allies and help along the way, but not if you don’t seek them out, and pay them when appropriate. At the end of the day, it’s all on you. But on the flip side anything fantastic that comes of this publishing adventure is all yours, too. :) It can be incredibly satisfying.

And finally, the last step. Sit back, relax, try not to yell at the inevitable crappy reviews, and get used to the notion that you are a published author. And then get started on your next book.



Darlingmonster Ember: !think a book ahead if you can!
Sheryl Skytower: Think three!
Ceejay Writer: And that's my advice! I know we have other authors in this room and I value their experiences and opinions too. Feel free to make yourself known if you wish to let others ask you questions later, too.

Daniel Rothchen: On DeviantArt, I understand there are alot fine graphic artists that can be hired for your cover art. They are not big time but yet professional freelancers.
Ceejay Writer: DeviantArt has WONDERFUL artists. Just get one with a decent attention span!

Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Fraulein Ceejay, if your fellow authors here - Nika, Fraulein Skytower and anyone else - could list their books' titles and where to find them, they will be in the transcript.
Sheryl Skytower: If anyone wants info on the romance writing industry, please feel free to drop me a pm and I'll help if I can.
Sheryl Skytower: I have... 13 books presently out with four this year. I am agented and can be found at www.sherylnantus.com. :)
Sheryl Skytower: I've had experience with small publishers (Samhain, Carina Press) and right now have contracts with St. Martin's Press and Entangled for romance. :) http://www.amazon.com/Sheryl-Nantus/e/B002BM60WW

Fauve Aeon: I have articles in here http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Addicts-Guide-Life-Emerian/dp/1508772525

Ceejay Writer: Here, include this page in the salon transcript. http://www.brassbrightcity.com/2015/06/10/the-literary-world-of-new-babbage/

Nika Thought-werk: Sure ... presently, my first book may be found here ... and I am working on the second and the third ...http://www.amazon.com/Do-Clockworks-Dream-Gear-Toothed-Sheep-ebook/dp/B014EEOELI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452927137&sr=8-1

Mosseveno Tenk: if you're more a short story person, check this out: http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/
Magda Kamenev: Hmm. There is also a submissions tracker and announcement board for short stories and poetry - Duotrope - but it is a subscription service.
Magda Kamenev: https://duotrope.com/
Mosseveno Tenk: The Grinder was inspired by Duotrope's subscription prices. It's the free version.

Sheryl Skytower: If you're looking for a good writing forum for all genres and self-pubbing, may I suggest Absolute Write? www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
Sheryl Skytower: Absolute Write can also help you avoid the scammers and shady publishers - highly recommend going there, you can lurk and relax as you read.

Nathan Adored: hmmmmm.... did workshop groups get mentioned today, too? If so, I blinked and missed it. That is, the idea of joining a group of fellow struggling writers to help each other get better at it.
Steadman Kondor: for writing groups you need a strong and kind convenor.
Darlingmonster Ember: There are some good workshop groups online, but be choosy.
Steadman Kondor: ...or you get ripped to shreds ... or the opposite - you only get claps and praises:)
Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: I seem to remember there's a professional fellow who has writing resources here on the grid.
Ceejay Writer: Michael Stackpole.

Ceejay Writer: If anyone has questions later, I'm an open book. *laughs* ceejay.writer@gmail.com
Sheryl Skytower: I'm open for emails as well at sherylnantus@gmail.com - I only know about romance writing, so... :)

Æther Salon: Publishing! (Cleaned-up Otherwise-unedited Transcript)

[14:04:06] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach makes a note that New Babbage time is five minutes late.
[14:04:24] Elleon Bergamasco: at least...
[14:04:28] Ceejay Writer: Takes twice as long for a Babbager to scrub their face for a fancy event.
[14:04:34] Darlingmonster Ember: sounds like they need a clockwinder?
[14:04:36] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Heh.
[14:04:37] Blossom Love: Hi Wright!
[14:04:40] Satu Moreau: Hah
[14:04:43] Wildstar Beaumont: NBST
[14:04:44] Sheryl Skytower: Is it the right day?
[14:04:55] Jedburgh Dagger: or a bigger clock. Or maybe we're all ignoring it.
[14:05:00] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: All right, while we await latecomers, let me thank you all for coming, and issue a few 'housekeeping' points of order.
[14:05:04] Blossom Love: Hi Satu and Nathan!
[14:05:06] Ceejay Writer: I'm ready whenever everyone else is!
[14:05:22] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: 1) To ensure you can hear the speaker, stand or sit on the patterned carpet.
[14:05:27] Elleon Bergamasco pulls out her notepad and licks her pencil
[14:05:47] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: 2) If you do not have a wearable chair and wish one, please contact me in IM.
[14:06:11] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: 3) Please remove all lag-feeding thingamajigs you might be wearing.
[14:06:20] Blossom Love: Hi Bixyl!
[14:06:27] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: 4) A tip jar is out for our speaker. Do please show your appreciation!
[14:06:30] Blossom Love: Hi Idris!
[14:06:36] Dr. Henry Jekyll: Hello, hello.
[14:06:39] Blossom Love: Hi Wulfriðe!
[14:06:41] Bixyl Shuftan: Hello Blossom
[14:06:48] Idris Darwinian: hello
[14:06:55] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Robotnika Resident!
[14:07:02] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: 5) Any tips to help support the establishment will also be welcome - just click on one of the support signs or this handsome clank floating above us. We are in particular need this month, if your generosity is possible.
[14:07:16] Solace Fairlady: Hello Miss Myrtil:)
[14:07:22] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Fauve Aeon!
[14:07:28] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: 6) If you are not a member of the AEther Salon group, there are signs that will let you join up. You'll be most heartily welcome.
[14:07:30] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Darlingmonster Ember!
[14:07:32] Myrtil Igaly waves to everyone and apologizes for any unmeant rudeness due to internet problems
[14:07:33] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Sheryl Skytower!
[14:07:42] Dr. Henry Jekyll: Hello everyone!
[14:07:42] Ceejay Writer: Sixty Eighth salon! Support this historic venue!
[14:07:47] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: 7) Edited and unedited transcripts of these proceedings will be posted at aethersalon.blogspot.com.
[14:08:01] Erin Brennan: Hello everyone!
[14:08:03] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Magdalena Kamenev!
[14:08:04] Blossom Love: Hi Count!
[14:08:07] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Satu Moreau!
[14:08:12] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: And lastly:
[14:08:21] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: 8) Tea and treats are set out - help yourself! Fraulein Skytower is guarding the cookies, though.
[14:08:22] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Solace Fairlady!
[14:08:31] Satu Moreau: Hehe
[14:08:33] Jimmy Branagh waves to Miss Erin
[14:08:46] Jimmy Branagh: Hoy Count!
[14:08:54] Sheryl Skytower: I'z is in charge of quality control. *waves one in air*
[14:09:04] Solace Fairlady waves to Satu, and to Misses Dee and Jed
[14:09:07] Dr. Henry Jekyll: Did everyone just come in right before Ceejay began to speak?
[14:09:14] Sheryl Skytower: Iz important work! *nibbles*
[14:09:16] Blossom Love: Hi Vernden!
[14:09:18] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: They did.
[14:09:21] Blossom Love: Hi Emerson!
[14:09:28] Blossom Love: Hi Rufus!
[14:09:29] Ceejay Writer: Everyone is uncanny that way.
[14:09:34] Blossom Love: Hi Lia!
[14:09:35] Solace Fairlady: and to both the Admirals:)
[14:09:49] Lia Venuto: =)
[14:10:04] Steadman Kondor: oh miss peaches :) waves
[14:10:09] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: I need not introduce one of the most beloved citizens of the Steamlands as a whole, so I shall merely give over to Fraulein Writer to make the most of this time.
[14:10:13] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach applauds
[14:10:16] Peaches Latrell Kronos waves
[14:10:20] Darlingmonster Ember applauds
[14:10:22] Magda Kamenev claps.
[14:10:23] Bookworm Hienrichs applauds.
[14:10:23] Wulfriðe Blitzen applauds
[14:10:23] Ceejay Writer: Oh good gosh. *blushes*
[14:10:24] Solace Fairlady applauds
[14:10:25] Jimmy Branagh applauds
[14:10:26] Satu Moreau: :)
[14:10:27] Darlingmonster Ember applauds
[14:10:29] Maxwell Grantly claps
[14:10:29] Dr. Henry Jekyll applauds.
[14:10:31] Sera Puchkina applauds
[14:10:33] Steadman Kondor claps
[14:10:34] Bixyl Shuftan claps
[14:10:38] Maxwell Grantly: ஜॐ♥ஜ______ஜॐ♥ஜ
[14:10:38] Maxwell Grantly: APPLAUSE!!!
[14:10:38] Maxwell Grantly: APPLAUSE!!!
[14:10:38] Maxwell Grantly: APPLAUSE!!!
[14:10:38] Maxwell Grantly: ஜॐ♥ஜ______ஜॐ♥ஜ
[14:10:38] Erin Brennan claps politely
[14:10:38] Nika Thought-werk applauds happily.
[14:10:41] Ceejay Writer: Okay, here we go!
[14:10:44] Count Bologna politely claps
[14:10:46] Ceejay Writer: Welcome, word wranglers! If you’re here, odds are that you’ve written a story, or are thinking about writing one, or you really like to read published stories.
[14:11:01] Blossom Love: Hi Sella! Hi Tenk!
[14:11:03] Ceejay Writer: Even if you are not writing a book, knowing how it all works will give you a deeper understanding of what your favorite authors have gone through to bring their stories to life. No matter how books get published, they are nothing without their readers.
[14:11:27] Ceejay Writer: The process of getting your book into the hands of your readers can be confusing, I know. The purpose of my talk today is to try to remove as much of the confusion as possible and leave you with practical facts you can use as you make a publishing decision that’s right for you.
[14:12:08] Ceejay Writer: There’s various roads leading to towards publication. Once upon a time, your choices were limited. Happily, we now live in interesting times where the lack of an agent or baskets of money are no longer a hurdle. The traditional methods of publishing still exist, and rumor has it they may even be thriving, but more than ever, your writing career can remain within your control.
[14:12:14] Blossom Love: Hi Stereo!
[14:12:19] Blossom Love: Hi Dee!
[14:12:24] Lady Sumoku struggles valiantly to rerez everything a second time.
[14:12:38] Stereo Nacht waves quiestly so not to disturb too much
[14:12:48] Ceejay Writer: And remember, your path can change - you might start off self publishing and later find an opportunity to go the traditional agent/publisher route… or you might leave tradition behind and embrace self-publishing. Or mix and match, if you write in multiple genres.
[14:13:03] Solace Fairlady waves to Capt Stereo:)
[14:13:20] Ceejay Writer: So, with a tip of our hat to those early writers who pressed sticks into clay tablets and laid reed pens against papyrus—and Johannes Gutenberg and his little invention—let’s demystify the publishing process so you can make intelligent decisions about the road you and your book will travel.
[14:13:58] Ceejay Writer: Our first type of publishing.... is the Vanity Press.
[14:14:09] Ceejay Writer: In a nutshell, if a publisher requires your money up-front in order to publish your book, you’re dealing with a Vanity Press.
[14:14:14] Blossom Love: Hi Peaches!
[14:14:38] Ceejay Writer: I’ll admit I’m biased here. Years ago, I made inquiries of a publisher who I did not know was a vanity press at the time. I learned the hard way that these places specialize in catering to your ego as your ‘personal representative’ excitedly promises you the moon and the stars… for a hefty price. If your book is not yet complete, you’ll be pressured to commit to a deadline for production, since clearly your premise is the most astonishing one they’ve heard in years and they are very anxious to get it printed.
[14:14:58] Bookworm Hienrichs chuckles at the picture.
[14:15:00] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Isobel DeSantis!
[14:15:07] Nika Thought-werk blinks.
[14:15:07] Sheryl Skytower nods
[14:15:07] Darlingmonster Ember: ohmy
[14:15:08] Jimmy Branagh: Boo Vanity publishers!
[14:15:11] Ceejay Writer: The talk will quickly turn to how fast you’ll be able to raise the funds needed to print your book. You’ll have to work hard to get loose from their clutches if you decide to back out. I backed out pretty quickly, and not a dime was lost, but the fact that these presses still exist means a lot of money is being handed over. Who says you can’t buy a dream?
[14:15:15] Dr. Henry Jekyll groans.
[14:15:44] Nathan Adored: Yeah, anything that wants money up front like that.... run away from it.
[14:15:45] Lady Sumoku: Or a nightmare
[14:15:52] Ceejay Writer: In the interest of balance, though, I will cite a couple of examples of authors who found success after starting off with a vanity publication.
[14:16:10] Ceejay Writer: In 1811, Jane Austen paid a publisher to publish Sense and Sensibility. which qualifies the book to be a vanity press publication. While her books were (and still are) insanely popular, she never received accolades as a writer, since she originally penned her stories under the anonymous name of “By A Lady”.
[14:16:43] Ceejay Writer: (Note on the slide, at the bottom, it says "Printed For The Author")
[14:16:47] Nika Thought-werk blinks "But, she was a lady."
[14:17:00] Ceejay Writer: *winks at Nika* Indeed.
[14:17:06] Dr. Henry Jekyll: Which lady, though. There are many ladies in the world.
[14:17:13] Nathan Adored gets a goofy, lopsided smile.
[14:17:17] Ceejay Writer: “Perhaps I am as thick as two short planks, but I cannot understand how a man can take thirty pages to describe how he turns round in his bed before he finally falls asleep.” This publisher’s rejection letter probably gave Marcel Proust some sleepless nights, but he shook it off and in 1913 paid a French publisher to print Du Côté de Chez Swann (Swann’s Way), which eventually became the first volume in his ‘novel in seven books’, À la Recherche du Temps Perdu (Remembrance of Things Past).
[14:17:22] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Stereo Nacht!
[14:17:35] Nika Thought-werk looks at Mister Hyde "Oh! Good point."
[14:17:38] Jimmy Branagh chuckles
[14:18:07] Ceejay Writer: A side note - beware of literary agents who charge ‘reading fees’ in order to consider taking you on. Just as in other areas of life, if something seems too good to be true (and asks for cash up front), it probably is.
[14:18:25] Darlingmonster Ember makes furious notes
[14:18:39] Ceejay Writer: And now we move on the the next publishing method -- The Small Press
[14:18:45] Sheryl Skytower: Words of da wisdom...
[14:18:59] Ceejay Writer: A press that makes less annually than $50 million net (this is the United States threshhold, other countries may vary) is classified as a Small Press. Most of these produce just a few books a year, about ten or so. They’re often called Indie Presses too, not to be confused with an Indie Author.
[14:19:29] Jedburgh Dagger: or Indy Jones?
[14:19:45] Ceejay Writer: :D
[14:19:48] Ceejay Writer: Virginia Woolf and husband Leonard Woolf, started Hogarth Press in 1917, for the purpose of publishing her own books and those of other selected authors. This is a very early, and possibly the first example of a small press. Many others have come and gone through the years since then. Author Dave Eggers founded McSweeney’s. Authors Kelly Link and Gavin Grant founded Small Beer Press.
[14:19:52] Lady Sumoku whispers "The torch is going out!"
[14:20:07] Steadman Kondor: mutters... William Blake too
[14:20:24] Ceejay Writer: Wait for it, Steadman..... *wink*
[14:20:30] Jimmy Branagh: Arkham House was small press. Look what they did for Lovecraft and others
[14:20:31] Nathan Adored wonders suddenly if there's an indie press publisher that specialises in indie jones knock offs
[14:20:52] Ceejay Writer: True that, Jimmy!
[14:21:02] Jimmy Branagh nods
[14:21:15] Ceejay Writer: William Blake qualifies for self-publishing, and will be mentioned later in the talk.
[14:21:41] Jimmy Branagh recalls the Red Dragon tattoo on his back ...
[14:21:58] Ceejay Writer: Not far from Ceejay’s typist, Sleeping Bear Press published its first book in 1998, called… wait for it… The Legend of Sleeping Bear. It’s a beautifully illustrated book that a local Michigan legend and turns it into a children’s story. The book is now the Official Children’s Book of Michigan. Yes, that’s a real thing. Sleeping Bear Press, based in Ann Arbor Michigan, continues to publish illustrated children’s picture books.
[14:22:18] Darlingmonster Ember: Nice
[14:22:23] Ceejay Writer: (pardon the squished ness of some of my graphics, my slide projector is rather rigid in its way of thinking)
[14:22:33] Blossom Love: Edward Gorey is my favorite author!
[14:22:55] Ceejay Writer: If your passion and genre happens to be a perfect match for a small press, you could find yourself in luck, just as Jeannine Hall Gailey did with her book of poetry inspired by her childhood in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, growing up in the shadow of the Manhattan Project. Her surreal poetry is set in a world overwhelmed by radioactivity, science, and the atomic bomb. While powerful stuff, her 80 pages of mindwarping poetry are not what the large publishers are looking for.
[14:23:37] Nika Thought-werk frowns and shakes a fist at the large publishers.
[14:23:39] Ceejay Writer: However, Mayapple Press, founded in 1978 by poet and editor Judith Kerman, proved to be Jeannine’s perfect match. Mayapple seeks out “...literature that is both challenging and accessible: poetry that transcends the categories of "mainstream" and "avant-garde"; women's writing; the Great Lakes/Northeastern culture; the recent immigrant experience; poetry in translation; science fiction poetry.”
[14:24:20] Ceejay Writer: If your niche doesn’t seem to be the big publishers cuppa tea, consider seeking out small presses more in tune with your style.
[14:24:25] Stereo Nacht takes a note
[14:25:13] Ceejay Writer: And now we move on to... Traditional Publishing. If all the air soon feels sucked out of the room, Big Publishers took it.
[14:25:26] Bookworm Hienrichs chuckles.
[14:25:33] Darlingmonster Ember searches in her purse for her breather
[14:25:37] Ceejay Writer: Traditional publishing is a threesome. An author hooks up with an agent who works to get a contract with a publisher. Once this happens, all sorts of good things can happen to an author and their book.
[14:25:38] Jimmy Branagh: hehe
[14:25:47] Nika Thought-werk frowns and shakes a fist at the big publishers.
[14:25:52] Count Bologna: "can"
[14:26:04] Sheryl Skytower: *grins* I likes da threesomes!
[14:26:15] Ceejay Writer: I did not say will for a reason! :)
[14:26:26] Bookworm Hienrichs snerks at Sheryl.
[14:26:41] Lady Sumoku: So we have nobody to fire at.
[14:26:50] Ceejay Writer: Your book will be professionally edited, cover art will be designed to suit your story, and your book will be marketed out to bookstores. Your agent will have negotiated the best possible contract for you, and will be keeping an eye on the various legalities during the production and promotion process. For a percentage, of course. Ah, and by the way, your own earned royalties will probably amount to 8% to 10% of the sale price of the book.
[14:27:15] Bookworm Hienrichs: Wow.
[14:27:17] Darlingmonster Ember: (cough)
[14:27:19] Ceejay Writer: On the down side, you’ll not have much say in the process. What your book looks like, where it’s sold, and how it’s advertised are out of your hands. What started out as ‘your baby’ is now a project in the hands of a team that’s been formed for the sole purpose of making some money off your book.
[14:27:20] Sera Puchkina: Yes, wow
[14:27:33] Jimmy Branagh: Ergo, L. Ron Hubbard started a religion ...
[14:27:35] Mosseveno Tenk: but... prestige?
[14:27:40] Sheryl Skytower: *raises paw* physical book. Usually much higher royalty for the ebooks. :)
[14:28:03] Ceejay Writer: If you are into prestige only, you probably already fell into the gaping maw of a Vanity Press. *chuckles*
[14:28:17] Ceejay Writer: Good call, Sheryl. Yes.
[14:28:21] Mosseveno Tenk: so i really look that dumb?
[14:28:31] Dr. Henry Jekyll: Oh, hello Mayor.
[14:28:34] Mosseveno Tenk: don't answer that...
[14:28:34] Ceejay Writer: *no comment*
[14:28:53] Nathan Adored has no comment for the press at this time, either.
[14:29:09] Fauve Aeon: I'd pay to vanity publish if I found a press that made stupidly pretty books in small lots, just for fun :P
[14:29:11] Ceejay Writer: And now we move on to self-publishing, which gets a lot more of the Salon time, basically because there's SO MUCH you need to know before tackling it.
[14:29:47] Ceejay Writer: Fauve, some people do that. Espeically if they already have a waiting audience for the book. I hear quite a few comedians have used that route, weirdly enough
[14:29:57] Stereo Nacht turns to a fresh page of her notebook
[14:30:02] Ceejay Writer: And last but not least, there’s self-publishing. I’ll talk a lot more about this option because it’s the one that requires the most from you, and I want you to fully grasp the scope of work you’ll be taking on yourself as an Independent Writer.
[14:30:24] Ceejay Writer: Remember, the ‘self’ in Self Publishing is You. You’re the author. You’re in charge of getting the manuscript edited and proofed. You need to either make or hire an artist for cover art. Advertising, accounting and promoting? Tag, you’re it!
[14:30:52] Nika Thought-werk frowns.
[14:31:11] Jimmy Branagh: Yes, marketing would be the fun part ...
[14:31:15] Jimmy Branagh chuckles
[14:31:18] Ceejay Writer: If you think self-publishing began with the arrival of the internet, think again. In the mid 1700s, Benjamin Franklin wrote and self-published Poor Richard’s Almanack. A quote from that publication, “If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.”
[14:31:35] Bookworm Hienrichs chuckles.
[14:31:44] Elleon Bergamasco grins
[14:31:50] Stereo Nacht: (This quote was used in Civ IV! )
[14:31:51] Nika Thought-werk whispers "Franklin ... ah."
[14:31:57] Ceejay Writer: I know its scrunched up, but if you look at the image being displayed of Ben’s almanack, you can see at the very bottom, “Printed and fold by B FRANKLIN, at the New Printing-Office near the Market.”
[14:32:29] Ceejay Writer: In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the English poet William Blake not only wrote and self-published his own works, but created all the illustrations and etched them onto copper plates. After printing his works, he hand-colored the etchings.
[14:32:30] Nika Thought-werk smiles happily.
[14:32:50] Blossom Love: Will we be able to learn about Edward Gorey as well?
[14:32:55] Elleon Bergamasco: wow, even folding!
[14:33:21] Jedburgh Dagger: 18th century chapbooks are a whole 'nother thing
[14:33:26] Ceejay Writer: I have not included Edward Gorey in today's talk, but by Googling his name you will learn more than you could read in a week, I am sure!
[14:33:45] Ceejay Writer: They really are, Jed. I include a few as historic inspiration, though.
[14:33:48] Lady Sumoku: And much of it will rhyme.
[14:33:53] Ceejay Writer: Walt Whitman self-published the first edition of Leaves of Grass in 1855. He had 795 copies printed, and worked on binding them whenever he had the funds to pay for supplies.
[14:34:14] Nika Thought-werk smacks her lips.
[14:34:19] Steadman Kondor: sigh.... genius!
[14:34:37] Ceejay Writer: Now we will run further up the self-publishing timeline. Lightning Source was formed in 1997. They are still one of the leading print on demand publishers. Print On Demand (POD) is insanely practical. There’s no excess stock to deal with, no storage issues, no out of date books leftover if a second edition is printed, and the cost is reasonable. The print on demand concept caught on quickly, and soon iUniverse, CreateSpace (Amazon’s print division) and Lulu were offering their services to Indie authors.
[14:34:44] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Lady Sumoku!
[14:34:51] Stereo Nacht kinda wonders at the price one such first edition would have
[14:35:16] Mosseveno Tenk doesn't recommend Lulu
[14:35:29] Ceejay Writer: Beyond my reach, Stereo. Last I heard, 200 of the 795 copies of Leaves of Grass remain.
[14:35:40] Darlingmonster Ember snerks
[14:35:52] Nika Thought-werk wonders how they taste.
[14:36:12] Darlingmonster Ember: ...and the glue, leaves, grass, oh, never let a poet bind your business
[14:36:23] Ceejay Writer: I'll go off script a bit and say I don't really recommend LuLu either. The books are stiff and not cosy in the hands for reading. Their ordering system is daunting to readers, too.
[14:36:32] Magda Kamenev: Bay rum, ozone and pure, clean river water, Miss Nika.
[14:36:48] Ceejay Writer: There’s a learning curve with POD, just as there is with every aspect of Indie publishing, but once you’ve got it figure out, I think you’ll love it. The image showing now is my own book cover, showing the front, spine and back, all of which was converted to a PDF file before uploading to CreateSpace.
[14:36:58] Sheryl Skytower: *:-.,_,.-:*'``'*Yayyyyyyy!!!!*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*
[14:37:12] Steadman Kondor: i will play devils advocate and say i have found lulu's paperbacks i purchased quite fine glossy cover and creamy quality pages
[14:37:53] Ceejay Writer: Fair enough, Steadman. I know personal preferences play into this. Their covers ARE nice and glossy, yes!
[14:38:08] Ceejay Writer: After the first upload, I ordered a copy of the book to be sent to me. I checked it over and realized the spine was too narrow - parts of the front and back cover were folding over to the spine. Adjustments were made, a new PDF was uploaded, and I was much happier with the tweaks. Now, whenever a paperback copy is ordered, it’s printed and sent out, so quickly that readers usually have no clue that the book they hold in their hand didn’t exist until they placed their order.
[14:38:35] Nika Thought-werk smiles.
[14:38:47] Ceejay Writer: Some of you may already be published writers and not even realize it. Journaling and Blogging *are* Indie Writing! They can be satisfying on their own merit, or start a writer on a path to publication.
[14:39:04] Daniel Rothchen: but are the pages designed to last... thats where most publishes get you . A few years later your book is browning and starting to turn to dust on your shelves.
[14:39:14] Ceejay Writer: Around 1999, we started hearing a weird word being bandied about. ‘Bloggers’ were using various easy-to-set-up websites to share serial novels, fanfiction, and promote their own works. LiveJournal was cutting-edge back then, and helped give rise to writers like Cassie Claire, who wrote Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings fanfic in her younger days. (I admit I LOVED her Very Secret Diaries, and still occasionally mutter, ‘Cannot cope, off to Mordor’.) She’s since gone on to publish YA books through Simon & Schuster and Scholastic, and reportedly makes absurd bushel baskets of money these days.
[14:39:42] Jedburgh Dagger: LJ *waves*
[14:39:43] Steadman Kondor: also (erhem) diary of a callgirl etc... bloggers to mainstream publishing fame
[14:40:04] Ceejay Writer: I used to be LJ Famous. *koff*
[14:40:18] Lady Sumoku: The best bushel baskets for money are the absurd ones.
[14:40:19] Ceejay Writer: In 2002, Julie Powell’s The Julie/Julia Project blog, which was a chronicle of her attempt to prepare every dish in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, eventually led to the the publishing of the book Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen AND the 2009 movie Julie & Julia. Which was *great*. Find it and watch it.
[14:40:23] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Abaloneka Resident!
[14:40:23] Fauve Aeon: I am also curious how the books hold up over time
[14:40:29] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Minorsun Resident!
[14:40:41] Darlingmonster Ember: oh good example
[14:40:41] Sheryl Skytower: A lot of fanfic authors moved on to pro. :)
[14:40:44] Ceejay Writer: I will come back in a decade with my book in hand and let you know!
[14:40:56] Ceejay Writer nods at Sheryl
[14:41:06] Ceejay Writer: By 2008, IndieGoGo, Kickstarter, and RocketHub appeared on the web, giving authors another resource to help with the expenses of self-publishing a book. A heads-up for you—on February 29, 2016, Publaunch.com will start offering crowdfunding events specifically for books and publishing services.
[14:41:24] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Riven Homewood!
[14:41:37] Ceejay Writer: So, all that being said… what *exactly* are the tasks you’ll need to take care of as an Independent Author? Let’s find out.
[14:41:38] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Wildstar Beaumont!
[14:41:41] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach waves at Fraulein Homewood
[14:41:46] Nika Thought-werk waves happily to Miss Riven.
[14:41:54] Ceejay Writer: Toss your pride aside and get a critique of your final draft. Round up a few Beta Readers and take their comments to heart.
[14:42:16] Ceejay Writer: After you’ve tweaked the needfuls recommended by the Beta Readers… secure an editor to give your work that final polish before publishing. Don’t be so presumptuous as to think ‘I’ve read it a dozen times, I am positive it is perfect.’ Trust me, it’s not. You are too close to the work, and that makes you blind to the flaws. If you cannot afford an editor, who will point out plot flaws, rearrange your badly worded sentences and fix all your punctuation as well as letting you know where your book bogs down and where it’s awesome, at the very least, hire a proofreader to kill all the punctuation mistakes, synonym misfires, and shrapnel.
[14:42:41] Stereo Nacht: (As an English as second laguage to read too, to catch the little stupid mistakes that got through? ;-) )
[14:42:44] Ceejay Writer: What is shrapnel? Shrapnel happens when you re-write a sentence over and over, and in the end forget to remove some of the leftover words. I edited Pip Ballantine’s Weather Child. It’s a magnificent book, and I highly recommend it! Especially after I carted out at least three trailer loads of shrapnel. :) We are all prone to producing it, and you would be amazed at how much if it you can go blind to as the author.
[14:43:01] Stereo Nacht: (*ask*)
[14:43:07] Nika Thought-werk frowns.
[14:43:16] Ceejay Writer: Stereo is a treasure, as her eyes take nothing for granted in our English written manuscripts
[14:43:30] Nika Thought-werk adds "Writing can be like warfare, yes."
[14:43:34] Ceejay Writer: Start building your platforms. Make a website. Create Facebook and Twitter pages. Set up a GoodReads account. And that’s the bare minimum. Don’t wait till you’re published to get this all settled. Do it in advance so when your head is spinning at LEAST you have these things in place.
[14:43:55] Ceejay Writer: Back to Beta Reading. Give copies of your manuscript to some readers who will give you feedback, and if you are very lucky and the gods of the quills are smiling upon you, they will respond with some quotable phrases you can use in promotion, or even on your back cover!
[14:44:21] Ceejay Writer: Choose your publishing service. Are you going to go paperback or digital or both? Every service has its own formatting and cover art requirements. It’s good to know what they are so you can get the info to your artist, if you’ve hired one.
[14:44:30] Stereo Nacht giggles at the picture
[14:44:40] Ceejay Writer: Or… choose your publishing services, plural. You CAN publish at Amazon and elsewhere too, but you’ll need to carefully choose the right answers when you set up your agreement with Amazon. If you are willing to take 35% in royalties, you are free to publish anywhere else you like. If you want Amazon’s tempting 70% royalties, you will give up your rights to publish elsewhere.
[14:44:55] Ceejay Writer: (Sheryl, it's 35% at Amazon now, right? )
[14:45:13] Sheryl Skytower: I believe so....
[14:45:15] Maxwell Grantly: royalities at amazon depend on what price you sell your ebook for
[14:45:23] Ceejay Writer: Those percentages are for Kindle eBooks.
[14:45:25] Sheryl Skytower mumbles something about highway robbery
[14:45:49] Jimmy Branagh chuckles
[14:46:07] Jimmy Branagh: "Who said anything about paying the writer?"
[14:46:10] Ceejay Writer: Choose wisely, and take all the time you need to read everyone’s contracts and rules. Don’t rush this step. Learn everything you need to know.
[14:46:27] Ceejay Writer: Hire an artist or dig in yourself to create your cover art. Browse bookstores with an eye to everyone else’s cover art. See what works for you and what doesn’t. This will help you finalize your vision for your cover art. Read the requirements your chosen publisher has provided to be sure about the requirements for the final art upload.
[14:46:34] Daniel Rothchen: Many suggest spending most of your money on getting a good editor before publishing on Amazon and its ilk .. would you agree?
[14:46:59] Ceejay Writer: My opinion - put the money into editing and cover art.
[14:47:17] Ceejay Writer: Upload your manuscript. Then proof the output. Every page. If you have chosen to use multiple distribution points, you’ll need to do this step for each version; Kindle, Nook, Paperback, PDF… one might be perfect, but another format might need help.
[14:47:22] Nika Thought-werk whispers "Ah, cover art ..."
[14:47:45] Ceejay Writer: BLURBIE TIME. This may be the toughest step yet, other than actually writing the book. For marketing purposes, you will need some promotional wording. Craft some short tagline sentences, two long synopsis (one with spoilers and one without), a short synopsis, something that fits Twitter’s limitations, and any other snappy bits you can think of to help keep interest high in social media. Save these all in one document for on the fly cutting and pasting.
[14:47:48] Steadman Kondor: big publishers are starting to skimp on their cover art now, unfortunately. comfirmed by mates in the industry...
[14:48:16] Ceejay Writer: Indie authors should take note of that! There's an area to outdo the big guys.
[14:48:20] Satu Moreau: A bad cover too can repel instead of attract a reader.
[14:48:22] Steadman Kondor: yes!
[14:48:43] Ceejay Writer: I admit to buying some books based on cover art.
[14:48:44] Jimmy Branagh: Get Stephen King to say "It's amazing!" to you, for any reason. Fair back cover quote.
[14:48:48] Jimmy Branagh grins
[14:48:52] Ceejay Writer: :D
[14:48:53] Maxwell Grantly: never judge a book based on its cover - but we do!
[14:48:54] Ceejay Writer: Have a high res author photo and a written bio ready for the world to see. Scary. I set up a Media Kit page at my website and shoved these things in there for easy access.
[14:48:56] Riven Homewood: Especially covers that don't seem to have anything to do with the book
[14:49:06] Nika Thought-werk giggles at Mister Jimmy.
[14:49:09] Ceejay Writer: Start thinking about advertising. Will you have book giveaway contests? Will you pay for ads on Facebook and other sites? Will you find blogs to be a guest writer on, will you try to get interviewed, will you haul boxes of your book to signings, will you sign up as an author at conventions?
[14:49:25] Ceejay Writer looks at clock, talks faster
[14:49:37] Ceejay Writer: Reviews: You’re probably going to have to beg for them, dangle free review copies in front of people’s faces, beg some more, and never stop groveling. Amazon’s cracked down hard on who can post reviews, and will slap your hand if they think you book has been loaded up with reviews from family and friends. It’s frustrating. And you NEED reviews. Within the online eBook seller websites, those reviews are what push your book up from the basement to where readers can actually find it on their own. When the reviews taper off, your book sinks again.
[14:49:37] Darlingmonster Ember smiles
[14:49:43] Riven Homewood: All of the above, if you want to be known and sell your book
[14:49:58] Ceejay Writer nods
[14:50:03] Ceejay Writer: Those of you who read (I hope that’s everyone!): When an author encourages you to review their book, they are *really* hoping you will. Post an honest review. It doesn’t have to be long. A sentence or two will do. And repost it at GoodReads, even if you don’t like the place much. :) It’s got some clout. You will have done something very important for that book, and it’s writer.
[14:50:18] Nika Thought-werk nods quietly.
[14:50:29] Ceejay Writer: As an Indie Writer, you are responsible for all aspects of your book. You’ll find allies and help along the way, but not if you don’t seek them out, and pay them when appropriate. At the end of the day, it’s all on you. But on the flip side anything fantastic that comes of this publishing adventure is all yours, too. :) It can be incredibly satisfying.
[14:51:05] Ceejay Writer: And finally, the last step. Sit back, relax, try not to yell at the inevitable crappy reviews, and get used to the notion that you are a published author. And then get started on your next book.
[14:51:41] Darlingmonster Ember: !think a book ahead if you can!
[14:51:55] Sheryl Skytower: Think three!
[14:52:02] Ceejay Writer: And that's my advice! I know we have other authors in this room and I value their experiences and opinions too. Feel free to make yourself known if you wish to let others ask you questions later, too.
[14:52:13] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Wulfriðe Blitzen!
[14:52:20] Stereo Nacht thinks of all those writing projects waiting for her, then all her craft projects, and starts thinking she needs three lifes
[14:52:20] Steadman Kondor: and dont quit your day job
[14:52:22] Ceejay Writer: I do have a gift for everyone who was kind enough to come today. I've also, by way of following my own advice, stuck a promotional notecard for my book inside the gift. Leading by example. *wink* Enjoy!
[14:52:24] Jimmy Branagh: hehe
[14:52:25] Daniel Rothchen: On DiviantArt, I understand there are alot fine graphic artists that can be hired for your cover art. They are not big time but yet professional freelancers.
[14:52:29] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, EmiScordata Resident!
[14:52:35] Bookworm Hienrichs grins and applauds.
[14:52:35] Magda Kamenev cheers!
[14:52:43] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Maxwell Grantly!
[14:52:44] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Bookworm Hienrichs!
[14:52:46] Jimmy Branagh applauds
[14:52:48] Darlingmonster Ember applauds
[14:52:50] Blossom Love: Bravo!
[14:52:51] Maxwell Grantly claps
[14:52:52] Stereo Nacht: `*.¸.*´ APPLAUSE `*.¸.*´APPLAUSE `*.¸.*´
[14:52:52] Ceejay Writer: DeviantArt has WONDERFUL artists. Just get one with a decent attention span!
[14:52:52] Steadman Kondor: :) applauds . Thank you!
[14:52:54] Darlingmonster Ember applauds
[14:52:54] Wulfriðe Blitzen Applauds
[14:52:54] Maxwell Grantly: ஜॐ♥ஜ______ஜॐ♥ஜ
[14:52:54] Maxwell Grantly: APPLAUSE!!!
[14:52:54] Maxwell Grantly: APPLAUSE!!!
[14:52:54] Maxwell Grantly: APPLAUSE!!!
[14:52:54] Maxwell Grantly: ஜॐ♥ஜ______ஜॐ♥ஜ
[14:52:56] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Jimmy Branagh!
[14:52:56] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Jedburgh30 Dagger!
[14:52:56] Sheryl Skytower applauds
[14:52:56] Sera Puchkina applauds
[14:52:59] OldeSoul Eldemar: thank you so much !
[14:53:00] Dr. Henry Jekyll applauds.
[14:53:00] Solace Fairlady: Thank you Miss Ceejay for a fabulous talk!
[14:53:03] Sheryl Skytower: *:-.,_,.-:*'``'*Yayyyyyyy!!!!*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*
[14:53:09] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Serafina Puchkina!
[14:53:09] Solace Fairlady applauds heartily
[14:53:10] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Fraulein Ceejay, if your fellow authors here - Nika, Fraulein Skytower and anyone else - could list their books' titles and where to find them, they will be in the transcript.
[14:53:12] Abaloneka Resident claps
[14:53:12] Sheryl Skytower: *raises paw* If anyone wants info on the romance writing industry, please feel free to drop me a pm and I'll help if I can.
[14:53:14] Lady Sumoku cheers
[14:53:15] Darlingmonster Ember: wait...artists have attention spans?
[14:53:17] Nathan Adored: yes, very interesting and informative talk
[14:53:17] Erin Brennan: Wonderful talk!
[14:53:23] Nika Thought-werk cheers "Miss Writer, great work and great words!"
[14:53:24] Emerson Lighthouse whistles
[14:53:29] Maxwell Grantly: thank you very much for a well-researched and useful lecture, full of personal advice and information
[14:53:33] Steadman Kondor: I'd love to collect all new babbage authors for my clockhaven bookshop.
[14:53:34] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Myrtil Igaly!
[14:53:38] Nathan Adored: may I friend you, miss ceejay?
[14:53:45] Steadman Kondor: Please message me if i dont contact you over the next two weeks
[14:53:49] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Nika, Sheryl, do speak up.
[14:53:53] Sheryl Skytower: I have... 13 books presently out with four this year. I am agented and can be found at www.sherylnantus.com. :)
[14:53:54] Ceejay Writer: I also have a page at my website listing BABBAGE authors too. Let me find that link. And your giftie is on the stage now. The box is my book cover. (Endlessly promotes)
[14:54:00] Fauve Aeon: I have articles in here http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Addicts-Guide-Life-Emerian/dp/1508772525
[14:54:01] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Stereo Nacht!
[14:54:07] Steadman Kondor scribbles
[14:54:21] Emerson Lighthouse: Thanks Ceejay, great talk
[14:54:29] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: No wonder she needs cookies.
[14:54:30] Jimmy Branagh: Thanks Miss Ceejay!
[14:54:34] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Nika?
[14:54:35] Sheryl Skytower: Yay for Ceejay!
[14:54:36] Isobel DeSantis: Excellent talk, thank you ㋡
[14:54:37] Magda Kamenev: Indeed, thank you, Ceejay!
[14:54:41] Riven Homewood: That was really well-done! Thanks, Ceejay!
[14:54:43] Dr. Henry Jekyll: That was lovely, thank you Ceejay.
[14:54:44] Nathan Adored has at least three differnt novel ideas he's been poking with a stick for the last two or three decades.
[14:54:51] Wulfriðe Blitzen: Thank you Ceejay, an excellent talk!
[14:54:58] Ceejay Writer: Here, include this page in the salon transcript. http://www.brassbrightcity.com/2015/06/10/the-literary-world-of-new-babbage/
[14:55:02] Sera Puchkina: Well done, Ceejay. Thank you.
[14:55:02] Solace Fairlady: Goodness, well done Miss Sheryl!
[14:55:05] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Excellent.
[14:55:06] Maxwell Grantly: thank you
[14:55:11] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Danke, Fraulein Ceejay.
[14:55:15] Mosseveno Tenk: i spent the weekend with emerson reading a slush pile
[14:55:19] Ceejay Writer: Thank you all for coming and listening, and please let me know if anyone publishes a book I can read and review!
[14:55:20] Count Bologna: Brava!
[14:55:20] Nika Thought-werk: Sure ... presently, my first book may be found here ... and I am working on the second and the third ...http://www.amazon.com/Do-Clockworks-Dream-Gear-Toothed-Sheep-ebook/dp/B014EEOELI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1452927137&sr=8-1
[14:55:34] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Excellent!
[14:55:45] Solace Fairlady: and congratulations Miss Nika!
[14:55:46] kalfoo Resident: Cheers Miss Ceejay
[14:55:49] Mosseveno Tenk: if you're more a short story person, check this out: http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/
[14:55:59] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Danke, Herr Clockwinder.
[14:56:02] Ceejay Writer: Catching up, Nathan, yes please. :)
[14:56:12] Wright Davis chuckles: I tried my hand at writing a story, i got nearly 30,000 words into it before i burnt out
[14:56:14] Steadman Kondor scribbles
[14:56:33] Solace Fairlady: and m Clockwinder too, how amazing to be able to write stories, you are all so clever!
[14:56:40] Nika Thought-werk smiles at Miss Fairlady "Thank you!"
[14:56:42] Sheryl Skytower: I've had experience with small publishers (Samhain, Carina Press) and right now have contracts with St. Martin's Press and Entangled for romance. :) http://www.amazon.com/Sheryl-Nantus/e/B002BM60WW
[14:56:43] Ceejay Writer: Wright - perhaps your story is really a couple of novellas?
[14:56:54] Magda Kamenev: Hmm. There is also a submissions tracker and announcement board for short stories and poetry - Duotrope - but it is a subscription service.
[14:57:06] Daniel Rothchen: Are there helpful writing aides that can help writers focus and clean-up and/or organize there thougts
[14:57:07] Jimmy Branagh mutters about 117,000 words ...
[14:57:15] Ceejay Writer: Sheryl knows MUCH more than I do about agents and small publishers. Lets tackle her!
[14:57:23] Magda Kamenev: https://duotrope.com/
[14:57:24] Mosseveno Tenk: the grinder was inspired by duotrope's subscription prices. it's the free version
[14:57:25] Sheryl Skytower: If you're looking for a good writing forum for all genres and self-pubbing, may I suggest Absolute Write? www.absolutewrite.com/forums/
[14:58:04] Wright Davis: It probably is, i think parts of it need a rewrite, i need to balance out the characters more, and i lost the plot when it came to the main villain, one day i'll return to it and fix the issues i have with it.
[14:58:08] Magda Kamenev bids adieu to all.
[14:58:12] Ceejay Writer: Absolute Write is GOOD!
[14:58:22] Solace Fairlady: safe travels Miss magz!
[14:58:24] Sheryl Skytower: Good forum for those looking for help from first page to last. Publishing, agents, bewares and all the contacts you can find!
[14:58:25] Lady Sumoku waves
[14:58:30] Wildstar Beaumont: good night everybody !
[14:58:36] Stereo Nacht: Good night Ms. Kamenev!
[14:58:40] Solace Fairlady: fair winds Admiral!
[14:58:42] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Gute Nacht and Danke, those leaving.
[14:58:42] OldeSoul Eldemar: Take care everyone !
[14:58:44] Satu Moreau: :) Thank you, Ceejay, Baron.
[14:58:47] Dr. Henry Jekyll: Farewell, miss.
[14:58:48] Rufus the Drunk: Nighty-niiiiiiight
[14:58:52] Jimmy Branagh: Gotta run too! Noight awl!
[14:58:52] Ceejay Writer: Take care, leaving ones!
[14:58:56] Stereo Nacht: Good night Mr. Eldemar!
[14:58:58] Sheryl Skytower waves
[14:59:00] Jimmy Branagh: \Thenks again Miss Ceejay!
[14:59:04] Myrtil Igaly's head spins with so much information
[14:59:05] Stereo Nacht: Good night Mr. Branagh!
[14:59:12] Myrtil Igaly: Thank you Miss Ceejay!
[14:59:16] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Everyone is welcome to stay as long as Fraulein Ceejay has the energy for it.
[14:59:17] Fauve Aeon: Thank you, most informative!
[14:59:20] Isobel DeSantis: Thank you so much for a wonderful talk!
[14:59:21] Jimmy Branagh waves
[14:59:29] Stereo Nacht: Oh, well, good night everyone, and I'll read what I missed in the trascript!
[14:59:35] Isobel DeSantis grabs a cookie on the way out
[14:59:38] Dr. Henry Jekyll: I suppose I ought to get going myself. Thank you for the talk, Miss Ceejay.
[14:59:40] Myrtil Igaly: Good night everyone!
[14:59:46] Steadman Kondor waves
[14:59:54] Elleon Bergamasco: thanks so much
[14:59:56] Ceejay Writer: Daniel, I think using beta readers to help you focus your thoughs is a good route. Get some feedback and adjust till you are satisfied
[14:59:59] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Nathan Adored!
[15:00:14] Ceejay Writer: I am catching up with chats! I can stay a while.
[15:00:42] Elleon Bergamasco: I'm curious about the audiobook option...
[15:00:44] Wright Davis: i've been part of a group with some friends where we have an ongoing adventure game, one of us is tasked with writing the current adventure, that's also helped me improve, especially when it comes to plot formation
[15:00:45] Nathan Adored: hmmmmm.... did workshop groups get mentioned today, too? If so, I blinked and missed it
[15:01:12] Nathan Adored: That is, the idea of joining a group of fellow struggling writers to help each other get better at it
[15:01:15] Lady Sumoku disconnected too often to know what got covered.
[15:01:26] Salon Speaker Tipjar: Thank you for supporting the Aether Salon, Peaches Latrell!
[15:02:11] Steadman Kondor: for writing groups you need a strong and kind convenor
[15:02:16] Darlingmonster Ember: there are some good workshop groups online
[15:02:23] Darlingmonster Ember: but be choosy
[15:02:29] Steadman Kondor: or you get ripped to shreds ... or the opposite - you only get claps and praises
[15:02:29] Sheryl Skytower: Absolute Write can also help you avoid the scammers and shady publishers - highly recommend going there, you can lurk and relax as you read. :)
[15:02:57] Ceejay Writer: The audio book is something I'm learning right now. I'm having mine read for Audible even as we speak.
[15:03:02] Wright Davis: yes, just working with other writers can be a boon, especially if it's an informal thing, C.S. Lewis and J. R.R. Tolkein were part of a writing group together.
[15:03:13] Nathan Adored: I'm in a writers workshop sorta group over on the small opensim world Nara's Nook, they meet certain Monday nights at 6pm pt
[15:03:29] Ceejay Writer: I DID not know till I got well into it that a totally different type of cover art is needed for audio books, since they also sell in jewel boxes. So you need a square cover for that step.
[15:03:32] Fauve Aeon: my art support groups have often turn into grumpy whining, I've been afraid to join a writer's group. at least with art, you can ignore the words :D
[15:03:42] Nathan Adored: but I'm still at the scribbling-down-ideas-to-go-into-a-novel stage of writing
[15:03:47] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: I seem to remember there's a professional fellow who has writing resources here on the grid.
[15:03:52] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Michael someone.
[15:03:59] Ceejay Writer: Michale Stackpole.
[15:04:05] Nika Thought-werk nods.
[15:04:08] Ceejay Writer: You;ll find his info inside the gift. :D
[15:04:13] Darlingmonster Ember: :D
[15:04:16] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach nods
[15:04:30] Sheryl Skytower: Mike's a good guy. See him every year at Origins Game Fair. Excellent advice from him!
[15:04:37] Darlingmonster Ember: fab u lous, nice to see so much energy in this group
[15:04:37] Nathan Adored: hmmmmm.... yeah, that makes sense. square cover art for audio book CDs
[15:04:52] Elleon Bergamasco: Baron, I do hope the Baronin is well. please send her my regards.
[15:05:20] Darlingmonster Ember: Thank you so much Miss Ceejay
[15:05:23] Ceejay Writer: I had to rip my cover to bits and re-do it to get the audible cover.
[15:05:32] Bixyl Shuftan: need to head out, thank you again, Ceejay
[15:05:37] Bixyl Shuftan tips his hat
[15:05:41] Ceejay Writer: If anyone has questions later, I'm an open book. *laughs* ceejay.writer@gmail.com
[15:05:45] Sheryl Skytower: And don't do your own audio book! Pay for a professional! *laughs*
[15:05:57] Ceejay Writer: YES! Gawd, I would not want my voice on my book
[15:05:58] Darlingmonster Ember: welcome Zanta
[15:06:02] Dee Wells Dagger waves to the Baronin :)
[15:06:11] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach puts an arm around his wife and kisses her cheek
[15:06:14] Wright Davis: unless you have the voice of morgan freeman
[15:06:15] Solace Fairlady: Guten abend your majesty! what a fabulous landing you have:)
[15:06:24] Fauve Aeon waves to the baronin
[15:06:31] Elleon Bergamasco: lemony snicket did his and it was terrible!!
[15:06:32] Ceejay Writer: Sometimes I do have Morgan's voice. Which is sad cause I am female.
[15:06:39] Baronin Zantabraxus smiles to everybody and apologizes for her tardiness
[15:06:44] Bookworm Hienrichs laughs.
[15:06:48] Sheryl Skytower: I'm open for emails as well at sherylnantus@gmail.com - I only know about romance writing, so... :)
[15:06:49] Elleon Bergamasco: hallo!
[15:07:01] Lady Sumoku: You came late and missed all my crashing.
[15:07:02] Wright Davis: that's not sad, mr freeman's voice can turn stardust into diamonds
[15:07:06] Darlingmonster Ember: Toodles all
[15:07:21] Nika Thought-werk: Be well, all of you. I will be off for now.
[15:07:21] Juliette Delmonte: Sorry Elleon
[15:07:28] Solace Fairlady: thank you again Miss ceejay and much mojo for your next publication!
[15:07:42] Solace Fairlady waves and flits!
[15:07:49] Sheryl Skytower: *hugs Ceejay* Yay!
[15:07:50] Ceejay Writer: Hee. Okay, I am going to flit back to my library and answer a few of the more thoughtful longer questions I recedived in IM's
[15:07:58] Nika Thought-werk nods at Miss Fairlady's words and poofs.
[15:08:06] Peaches Latrell Kronos: thank you for the wonderful talk
[15:08:06] Ceejay Writer: Thank you everyone, it was great to see you all get so animated about writing!
[15:08:10] Elleon Bergamasco: thank you for a wonderful talk
[15:08:15] Maxwell Grantly: thank you once again
[15:08:18] Maxwell Grantly: good night all
[15:08:19] Ceejay Writer: Absolutely my pleasure.
[15:08:28] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach applauds
[15:08:33] Steadman Kondor: take care all :)
[15:08:37] Steadman Kondor: sorry i cant find the tip jar
[15:08:41] Bookworm Hienrichs applauds Ceejay.
[15:08:44] Steadman Kondor: (am blind)
[15:08:51] Steadman Kondor: is there one for the author and the salon?
[15:09:07] Fauve Aeon grabs all the cookies, stands and runs for it *grin*
[15:09:10] Lady Sumoku: The author's is by the stage
[15:09:18] Nathan Adored: hmmmmmm..... I tihnk the Speaker one is the jar in front of the slideshow thingy
[15:09:20] Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: The author one was up front, the Salon ones are around, including this fine clank overhead.
[15:09:21] Sheryl Skytower gasps and runs after Fauve
[15:09:24] Lady Sumoku: The salon's is the wall sign or the hovering thing.
[15:09:35] Elleon Bergamasco: oh dear Sheryl
[15:09:47] Wulfriðe Blitzen: I will make her book available in my bookshop in New Baggage Main tonight