Simple Advice for First-Time Self-Published Authors

By Guest Author

by R.F. Kristy

 

The intelligence and allure of cats has always enchanted me. Writing the Inca Cat Series arose out of the blue. I had never dreamed of self-publishing stories for children. My specialty, due to my work with the United Nations, concentrated on reports of a technical nature — a world much removed from the milieu of children’s books. However, I love reading detective stories. So when I started writing about my cats Inca and Cara, the ideas for mystery-themed adventures started flowing.

 

The Cats Who Crossed Over From Paris, Book 1 of the series, came to me from reading rather than from living or observation. Christmas Cats followed and the third, Cats in Provence is currently bubbling. I don’t think we choose our genre, I think that a genre chooses us. Or should I say, my love of detective stories and living with my cats Inca and Cara made the choice inevitable.

 

Despite my new-found passion for writing the Inca Cat Series, I found out that as a newcomer to this competitive arena, having an appetite for writing alone is not sufficient. In my enthusiasm to get my thoughts on paper, I made several errors.

 

While I reviewed the internet and read several articles about the positives and negatives and compared the various self-publishing sources such as BookBaby, CreateSpace and Ingram Sparks. What I did not pay much attention to, to my cost, were the technical specifications required for illustrations in ebooks and paperbacks. A mistake I had made was not expressly requesting the graphic illustrator of my choice to prepare the illustrations in the correct format. While the illustrations were accepted by both BookBaby (for the first book) and CreateSpace (for the second book), they correctly pointed out that the specifications would not provide the best output of the illustrations in the printed book. Worst of all, when I tried to upload to Ingram Sparks, the illustrated cover was not accepted.

 

Another mistake was not fully understanding how the self-publishing sources work. For example, for The Cats Who Crossed Over From Paris I decided to go with BookBaby. BookBaby’s technical support is strong, but a complete newcomer can still run into trouble. I found this out after I clicked on the wrong buttons for purchasing the printed version and the ebook which had appeared later on in the screen pages. This necessitated paying double after the book had been developed. In my ignorance, I had not asked the correct questions and talked my way through the whole process with their support services.

 

In a nutshell, here is my advice to new authors about to embark on the journey of self-publishing:

 

Decide on your self-publishing agent while you are writing but prior to hiring an illustrator.

 

Contact the chosen self-publishing sources and ask them to provide you with the exact specifications for the book. This includes requirements for the text formatting and layout, as well as anything your illustrator needs to know about image sizes, bleeds, or preferred resolution. This information may be available on their respective sites, but sometimes for an unfamiliar reader so much technical jargon can be overwhelming. My advice is to contact the self-publishing source either by telephone or email and ask specific questions about their requirements.

 

Above all, give some thought to your marketing strategy and work with a specialist to start devising a marketing plan before the book is published. You want to hit the ground running as soon as your book is available.

 

At the end of the day, I was pleased with the end results of both books produced by BookBaby and CreateSpace. My hard-earned lessons will help me move forward as a self-publisher as I complete the third book in the Inca Book Series.

 

See R. F. Kristi’s books here:

The Cats Who Crossed Over From Paris

Christmas Cats

 

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Simple Advice for First-Time Self-Published Authors

Traditional Writer Versus Indie Writer

By Guest Author

by Tracy Bryan

 

When a writer — whether a traditional writer or an indie writer — imagines a story, they usually can’t wait to bring it to life somehow. Most writers need to get it out of their head and put it somewhere else — on paper, in their computer, even at the bottom of a grocery list.

 

This is just the beginning of the creative process that the typical writer practices. Writers create art in the form of words. Some writers have great art and some writers not so much. The point is, all writers create something and they go through a process in order to create it.

 

This commonality that writers share gives them a reason to celebrate… together.

 

Unfortunately, like most human activities in life, there is competition. In the publishing world, where writers live, competition exists between other writers, between writers and agents, between writers and editors, and between writers and publishers.

 

There are so many elements of the publishing world that work against the common goal of most writers and their creative process. Competition is just one element that breeds negativity among writers. Publisher’s demands, editor’s needs and agent’s requests, are other elements that all get it the way of the creative process. Not to mention the cesspool of marketing schemes that writers need to solely wade through in order to find reputable ways of promoting their works. Who can a writer trust?

 

Finally, there is the reader. Even our readers (sometimes unintentionally) can be threatening to us. One bad review can diminish the creative and fragile process that we have tried to create.

 

So, how can we as writers make a difference and not succumb to the peril and rivalry of the publishing world?

 

Support each other.

 

It’s that simple. No one writer is expected to love every single work of another writer, but snubbing them is not a solution. Every writer should strive to create the highest level of excellence that they are capable of, while inspiring this in other writers, particularly new writers. This support is also an important part of the process.

 

Clique-ing together in a group of creators, and excluding certain creators because they are different, unique or unskilled, just isn’t acceptable behavior. In a way, this is bullying. Creators are a sensitive bunch for the most part, especially writers. Remember, they are pulling words out of their head and forming it together in hopes of creating something. This leaves them vulnerable, insecure at times and hyper sensitive to criticism.

 

The golden rule of ‘treating someone like you want to be treated’ seems like a good way to start in trying to solidify a positive union among writers. Wouldn’t this be great? We would have writers everywhere sticking up for one another, merely because they have empathy and respect for each other. Try mentoring a writer who is not already a part of your writing community or empower in a writer who is less experienced than you helpful techniques that they can benefit from.

 

Another form of support is to break down the walls of exclusion. This is everywhere. A writer being excluded from a contest, critique group, writing organization or review forum, and/or marketing opportunity simply because they don’t write a specific genre, or they don’t publish in a particular way, or they don’t have enough educational credentials. Wall, wall, wall. We have to stop labeling people!

 

The publishing world is still in a constant flux. Indie publishing is still on the rise and more writers are considering self-publishing. Traditional publishing houses are merging together and/or forcing some smaller presses out of the industry. Writers are being faced with the dilemma of having to decide which route to take and in some cases, which side to be on. Overall, they are at most times left with the responsibilities of designing their own marketing plan. All of this combined causes competition in the market and a rift among guess who… the writers.

 

Are there more ways that we can eliminate this rift? Possibly. If writers stick together, pull each other up, and use our creative energies together, we may just create a nurturing place to create. A place where we can all overcome the threatening elements of the publishing world. A place of happiness, where each of us reaches a level of success that we are all worthy of.

 

Together, let’s try to create an almost perfect, creative world.

 

Tracy Bryan is an award winning self-published author for kids aged 4-12. She writes whimsical non-fiction picture books about emotions, coping skills, mental health and mindfulness. Currently, Tracy has just released her debut fiction picture book called Put Away Your Phone!  View the book trailer.

 

Tracy writes a monthly personal Blog for adults on her website and one for kids aged 6-12 called The Awesomeness Blog. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads & Amazon. To learn more about Tracy or contact her, please email tracy@tracybryan.com or visit her website tracybryan.com. 

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Traditional Writer Versus Indie Writer

My Manuscript is Finished. What Do I Do Now?

By Guest Author

Writer’s coach Teresa Funke explains what to do with your completed book manuscript, including both traditional and self-publishing choices and some tips on marketing and promotion.

 

To get more great advice from Teresa, visit teresafunke.com

 

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: My Manuscript is Finished. What Do I Do Now?

Self-Published Author Assembles Magical Team

By Guest Author

by Tracy Bryan

 

From the moment I began writing my new release, Put Away Your Phone! I had imagined bright and vivid pictures to give it a real traditional feel. How was I going to find an illustrator for my book that fit these needs?

 

I first began searching for an illustrator towards the end of the final draft of the manuscript. Up to this point, I’d been writing picture books mostly about mental health and other diverse and social issues that affect kids. Although I consider myself a creative, I have absolutely no training in visual art. Besides, I wanted my first fiction picture book to be more conventional, with a hand drawn and painted look in the illustrations.

 

I’m a member of the Society of Children Book Writers (SCBWI) and I have access to a gallery of illustrators who are also members. Naturally, I looked here first. There are dozens of talented and professional illustrators in this database and each one has their own unique and distinctive style. I knew what look I wanted for my book, so now it was just a matter of finding someone that suited my budget, my project intentions, and my creative process.

 

As for my budget, I needed to do some research first. The industry rates of services for a children’s illustrator are based mostly on the time it takes to complete the project, materials needed and the artist’s level of experience.

 

According to the creativepenn.com: “The current industry rates for children’s picture books (based on a 32pg book) estimates range from $3,000 – $12,000, plus royalties. To break it down another way, if you estimate that an illustrator is creating 20 original illustrations for your book and you are paying them $3,000 for art that is $150 per illustration.”
Before I made a final decision about my budget projections, I wanted to ask myself a series of important questions regarding the criteria of this project (my book) and my objectives for it.

 

WHAT is the project?

 

I was creating an illustrated children’s book. This was the number one question I asked in the beginning because it helped me focus on exactly what my intentions were. I didn’t necessarily want a graphic designer who only created digital advertisements to work on my project. They probably wouldn’t understand my market like a picture book artist would. Also, it’s essential to me to see previous work done by any artist so that I can get a feel for what their level of expertise and style is. I wanted to see evidence of what my pictures might look like.

 

WHO is the project for?

 

My book is for kids aged 4-8. Age group criteria can really matter when seeking a children’s illustrator. While most illustrators are happy to get the work, there are certain artist’s that specialize in creating pictures that appeal to a certain age group. I was looking for someone that could relate to kids of this age and possibly even know young kids that they could work from.

 

WHEN is the project needed?

 

A timeline is a definite must on both sides of the working agreement. In most situations, this is based on the artist’s skill level. I had a time frame in mind, but from being a creative myself, I wanted to respect that my illustrator would need to work at a speed that was in balance with their process. Although it’s critical to establish a set time for publication in a written contract, I also know that putting too much constraint on the end date can kill the creative flow.

 

WHERE will the illustrations be used?

 

I would be using the illustrated artwork in my book, but I also had to consider some of this art being used on my website, in guest blogs, in my book trailer, and on social media. With all the copyright laws now, it’s vital to know each party’s rights in the project. Again a written contract is absolutely necessary in order to protect all of those involved, establish clear boundaries for the project and to make it fair on both ends.

 

My husband is my agent so I had him assist in drawing up a document that worked for me. There are many resources available to authors and illustrators with regards to contemporary user rights (and other legal issues) and I highly suggest setting out these guidelines before any project is started. As a side note: Just to protect the artists and their work that I would use, I kept in mind to make sure to purchase rights to the work, ask permissions and/or insert a copyright image on any artwork (and stock audio) that I was using, if it wasn’t there already.

 

So…HOW MUCH?

 

Because I’m an Indie Author and I self-publish myself, I had to keep a budget in mind. Also, I knew that if I chose a “professional” artist, (someone that was already established, had a reputation and was getting paid according to the industry rate) I would have to consider their asking price first and then begin negotiations there. Pretty standard stuff. However, because I was a novice in this industry, I had a feeling that what I wanted to pay and what I actually would have to pay might be different figures.

 

If an illustrator asks for a price that fits your budget, sometimes negotiations aren’t even necessary. This is exactly what happened with me. I accepted the price because it seemed fair and I was the novice after all. My illustrator had been in this industry for longer than me and they had much more experience.

 

I had created a business and marketing plan for this project and cost of an illustrator was on it. I figured this final fee into my author/illustrator contract agreement, where I pay half up front for services and the other half upon completion of the project. This was going to be a flat fee and that meant there would be no “add on” service fees later when the project was finished. The fee included the purchase of all rights to the illustrated pictures and even if the book became really successful, there would be no future royalty payments either. This was really confusing details and legal information for me, so I had my husband/agent explain some of this to me and I did a lot of research too.

 

Finally…WHY do this project?

 

Above all, the most important question I needed to ask myself. Why was I doing this? I wrote Put Away Your Phone! two years ago and I still feel as much passion for it now as I did then, if not more! There is a message in my book that I believe the world needs to hear-especially kids. I knew I couldn’t do this alone, I still don’t. Some projects just need collaboration in order for them to be the absolute best they can be. My project would be bland without my illustrator… David Barrow.

 

I feel so grateful to have found David that day, when I was searching through the gallery on SCBWI. Several emails later, project complete and book launched, and I can genuinely say I’ve found someone that I hope to continue doing projects with for a long time. Working with David has been exciting, rewarding and enlightening. Looking back at all the questions I initially asked myself, he has met all those criteria and more! Together, we have created a complete book with our own unique styles combined. I think we are a small, magical team.

 

In an industry where some creatives massively produce according to the market demands, I like being a part of something that produces exclusively for those in which the work was intended…the kids!

 

Follow this link to return to Tracy’s website and continue on her virtual Book Tour!

 

 

Tracy Bryan is a self-published author for kids aged 4-12. She writes whimsical picture books about emotions, mental health, mindfulness and social issues.

 

Tracy’s latest release is called Put Away Your Phone! and is now available on Amazon. This quirky and important tale about modern technology stars a little girl and her dislike for grown-ups who are always on their phone.

 

View the book trailer for Put Away Your Phone! here. To learn more about Tracy, please visit tracybryan.com

 

 

 

David Barrow began by drawing pictures on the floor in front of the family TV. Mostly self-taught, he pored over the books and images of the world around him. Throughout his career, he has been known for his congenial attitude, innovation, creativity, and drive.

 

Eventually, the pull of visually telling stories drove him to strike out on his own, illustrating, animating and designing for local and national clients. Today, David has built a wide-ranging portfolio and a reputation for fairness and excellence. David also writes a personal blog.
To learn more about David and to view his blog and portfolio, please visit drawingdavidbarrow.weebly.com

 

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Self-Published Author Assembles Magical Team

Tips for Working with a Self-Publishing Company

By Guest Author

Editor’s Note: If you’re considering self-publishing your book, you can research and piece together the process entirely on your own, or you can hire a publishing company like Mascot Books that assists authors in the production, marketing and distribution of their work. In this post, Naren Aryal, CEO of Mascot Books, explains the format picture book authors should use when submitting their story to a self-publishing company.

 

These days, it’s not uncommon for an author (whether a newbie or seasoned pro) to choose to self-publish.

 

So you have a good idea for a children’s picture book. Now what? I’m often asked what form the manuscript should take. In the world of children’s books, manuscript style can vary as much as the subject matter of each book. Here’s some practical advice from someone that’s reviewed countless manuscripts over the years.

 

First, you should know that most picture books are thirty-two pages, and after you’ve allocating space for end pages, copyright page, and title page, you’re typically left with twenty-four pages … or twelve spreads of artwork. A “spread” is comprised of the left and right pages when you open a book. A spread is sometimes referred to as “scene” which is also an appropriate term, but here we’ll stick with the term “spread.” Sure, some books may have more or less than twelve spreads, but twelve is most common.

 

You’ll want to divide your story into twelve spreads, and for each spread include your text and your thoughts regarding accompanying illustrations (to the extent you have strong feelings about the illustrations). I find it helpful to know what an author has in mind for illustrations when reviewing a manuscript. The final illustrations rarely end up being exactly as described in the initial manuscript, but it is a good starting point for discussions among the author, publisher, and illustrator. The final script almost always changes from the time of the initial submission to the printed book … but that’s okay! There’s editing that occurs, and after the illustrations are done it’s normal for lines that seemed to work previously to end up requiring some tweaking when coupled with artwork.

 

It’s not necessary to use actual page breaks when formatting your manuscript, but spread headings (usually as simple as Spread One, Spread Two, etc.) are useful. If you prefer the spread to consist of two unrelated illustrations, you can indicate that by creating sub-headings on the spreads listed as “pages,” (for example, Spread One would consist of pages 1 and 2; Spread Two would consist of pages 3 and 4, etc).

 

Remember, these are general guidelines. Since substance always trumps form, don’t be shy about submitting your story. The publisher will help with formatting if needed.

 

Write away!

 

---

 

Naren Aryal co-founded Mascot Books in 2003. Mascot Books is a full service book publishing company that works closely with independent authors in every phase of writing/editorial, book production, book marketing, and book distribution. Their roster includes bestselling authors who have previously traditionally published, first time authors, and authors at various levels in between.

 

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Tips for Working with a Self-Publishing Company

One Author/Illustrator’s Route to Self-Publishing

By Guest Author

by Stewart Mckenzie

 

Soccer Sami and the Big Meanie Coach is the story of an enthusiastic little hippo named Sami, who loves to play soccer. She joins her friends on a young girls’ soccer team only to be bullied by a big meanie coach. The coach only cares about winning so he never plays Sami… until he has to, in the championship game. It’s a fun book about sportsmanship, teamwork and compassion for everyone from toddlers to young readers.

 

I first got the idea for this book while walking my dog. The basic concept just sort of struck me as I was wandering the trails of Mt. Seymour. It took a bit of work after that to form it into a viable story, but I was pretty excited about the process.

 

I had done some writing in the past—songs, ads, promotional materials—but never a children’s book. As an illustrator I realized that I had to stay focused on story first, visuals second. Editing was huge. I wrote all sorts of passages for Sami’s world only to visit them later and realize that they did not move the story along. I went through a whole box of red pens on this book. I had originally written the book in prose but it seemed to be falling flat. I was initially reluctant to go with a rhyming scheme because of the obvious comparisons I knew it would draw to Dr. Seuss, but I figured there are plenty of other rhyming books, so why not.

 

The first major version of the completed story had a completely different ending than what it is now. I had the protagonist fail and feel like a loser but her team still loved her anyway. My wife Sharon never did like that version and always said that everybody likes a happy ending. I showed this draft to a writer friend of ours, Nancy Warren and she agreed with my wife that the ending just wasn’t working. I went away, knowing in my heart they were probably right, and ran various scenarios through my head. Like most things with this project, an answer presented itself within about two weeks. I think I was probably driving when the inspiration hit me. Both Sharon and Nancy really liked the revised second half, and they were right, it has a much better feel.

 

Now that I had most of the story written I started doing what animators do: I used storyboards. They really help to see how the plot unfolds, as well as getting a good feel for how the book will look. I was lucky enough to take a week off of work and hide away in a friend’s cabin in Whistler British Columbia, allowing me the time to outline the illustrations and block in the basic colors. The rest of the work came over the next few months. I had always seen the images in my head so the illustration portion was kind of fun. Visually I was aiming at something between the vibrancy of “Yellow Submarine” and the looseness of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. It doesn’t look like either of those but I was happy with the results.

 

In late summer 2015 I finally had my first book. Now what do I do? I did my homework on publishers and the general consensus from blogs, reps and other authors is that unless you have an incredibly well connected agent, your manuscript will most likely go straight into the trash. I do know a few authors and book reps and they agreed that the “gatekeepers” were pretty closed to unknown newcomers. Most publishers posted that they were not even accepting illustrated children’s books.

 

We watch the television show Shark Tank quite regularly and the common thread throughout those shows is that you should have some sales figures behind you before you knock on those big doors. I felt that if I could generate some interest through friends, the web and some local merchants, the book might get some traction. That’s when I made the decision to self-publish.

 

I happened upon a YouTube video by Joanna Penn who was interviewing Laura Backes about self publishing children’s picture books (check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdioOgKU5Ks). Laura was talking about the then new Kindle Kids’ Book Creator software and how she was very optimistic about this new opportunity. Laura actually said. “This is a game changer.” This being the first bit of good news I had heard, I thought I’d see who Laura Backes actually is. I found that Laura and her husband Jon Bard operate not only the WriteforKids.org site but also Children’s Book Insider, helping new and budding authors get a good start. The course they offered that caught my attention was Picture eBook Mastery, which takes you step-by-step on how to upload and market your eBook to Amazon. I’m not one that usually buys into online courses but it did seem to offer an awful lot of answers as well as streamlining the KKBC process. Both Laura and Jon were very quick to respond to any questions I had, and I did have some. It was a very worthwhile experience.

 

The book got uploaded, I built my street team, built my email list, and I joined Beau Blackwell’s authors group to share stories and experiences. I also got to know John Dorey who writes and reviews books. These were both great connections I made through joining the Picture eBook Mastery course.

 

Soccer Sami and the Big Meanie Coach is available at http://www.stooart.com/ in both ebook and print versions. When all is said and done, I had a wonderful time writing and drawing this book. Whether it’s a printed book or an eBook, there is nothing that parents enjoy more than to cozy up with their young ones and reading them a good story.

 

What’s your story? If your path to publication (either self-publishing or submitting to publishers) has information that would be helpful to other aspiring writers, let us know. Email Laura@writeforkids.org.

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: One Author/Illustrator’s Route to Self-Publishing

Sneaky Marketing for Self-Published Authors

By Laura Backes

If you’re a self-published author, the idea of being writer, editor, publisher, art director and promoter for your book can be intimidating. But when it comes to marketing, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. If you don’t have a marketing staff, take a look at what the big publishers are doing, and put your own spin on the process.

 

Here’s one terrific example:

 

In order to create a buzz for the paperback edition of Dreams of Gods and Monsters, the final installment of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone young adult fantasy trilogy, Little, Brown devised a way to give readers a window into the author’s writing process. The publisher is asking fans to tweet their favorite quote from the series, with the hashtag #UnlockLainiTaylor. Once 613 hashtags are reached (the same number as the page count of the book), the publisher will unlock a bonus chapter written by Taylor, which has never been released.

 

Using Genius (the company that started “Rap Genius“, which allows users to annotate rap lyrics), the unlocked chapter will have Taylor’s own annotations about her writing. By clicking on highlighted bits of text, fans gain insight as to how this early chapter inspired the series, and see comments on her process as she developed the story and characters.

 

Of course, this works best if you’ve got a fan base to start from. It’s a natural for series, but could work for a first book if you have an online following before the book comes out. For tips on the one best way to build a fan base, check out Jon Bard’s Easy Author Marketing video.

 

Another publicity trick (which works especially well for picture books and easy readers), is to show video of young fans enjoying your book. These videos can be embedded on your blog or website, Tweeted, or even posted on an Amazon review. (Note: Always get signed permission from the child’s parents before you post anything online, and remember that someone else has to post the review on Amazon. It can’t come from you.)

 

Take a look at this adorable two-year-old gleefully “reading” Not a Box by Antionette Portis in this Amazon review. I defy any grandparent to watch this and then resist immediately purchasing the book for their grandchild. It’s physically impossible!

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Sneaky Marketing for Self-Published Authors