Published a Book?

[richh8285 10]

Hello Sarah I have recently published an E book on Amazon named HAVE YOU SEEN GEORGE'S GLASSES which is a children's book for 3+. If I was asked to summarise book publishing I would say do your research, make sure it's write before paying, and have a marketing plan.

I have devised the following plan which I hope helps you;

 

 

FIVE QUICK STEPS TO PUBLISH

1.Do your homework with publishers. Don't get conned into a quick purchase. Get as many quotes as you can. Look at reviews.

2. Be clear on what you want. Some publishers will provide some marketing but it costs. Maybe that's what you want or for a cheaper option you might want to market your pride and joy by yourself.

3. Are you happy with your book? Remember, once you send it off the process is extremely quick. Publishers are similar to the press ''time is money''...

4. Send everything off. This can be a sweaty experience, don't worry publishers still have a reputation and bound by legislation. My opinion is to try and send everything off as recorded mail, including the cheque. Even software, try and send as a usb or hardrive....down to personal opinion though.

5. Await for that confirmation....then celebrate. Now the fun has only just begun. Market, market, market. Sell your book to the world such as advertise on the internet, cold call, pamphlet drops-it needs to be done or your book will not sell.. It takes time and you need to persist. This is the harsh reality but follow your dream. Hope it turns out for you. Good luck. And well done for being motivated. Regards Richard Huber, author of HAVE YOU SEEN GEORGE'S GLASSES?

[Vermillion 10]

Hi Richard,

 

Clear and sound advice. But you left something out: the importance of proofreading.

[SarahD 10]

Definitely research publishers and make sure they are legit. Personally, I would never pay a publisher, I would expect to be paid by them, preferably with an advance with royalties to come later.

 

If a publisher expected me to pay for services I'd rather self-publish and hire my own editors and proofreaders etc. But that might be a lot trickier with a children's book.

 

All the best with your book!

[CraigDaley 10]

Not exactly, how about self published 9 Graphic Novels, 6 set in Sheffield, they're available from Blackwells Mappin Street, Rare and Racey, Broomhill's Galaxy 4 and Record Collector, plus Sheffield's Space Centre on the Wicker and include...

Three Surreal Murder Mysteries (not for kids)

Meadowhell: The True Horror of Shopping

Attercliffe Prowler: From the Tunnels of Hell

Football Crazy: The Theatre of Nightmares (available as United or Wdnesday)

 

Other Local titles

Sheffield Outlaws: Robin Hood 2020

Eyam: The Plague Village UFO Mystery

Stainless Steel 1913 (also available from the Millenium Gallery Shop)

 

My advice would be, just go for it, if you write and draw, and have a computer then start scanning your images or draw straight onto a program, then get your work out there...

 

All the comics are also available online from publishers like Kindle, Nook and Apple, for more info see http://cdgraphicnovels.blogspot.co.uk

Edited October 28, 2013 by CraigDaley

[Jeddo 10]

Hi

 

I'm on my second novel now at 183,000 words. I started it just before I finished my first novel of a totally different genre. I enjoyed writing the first so much, that as the end approached I knew I was going to miss it, so I started the next to ease the pain. Just like buying a pup when your old dog starts ailing!

 

Anyway this second novel is a period piece. Having been a genealogist for some years now, and legally trained in my former professional life, the novel is somewhere between Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House. I've written it in the language of the period (1840s) and have done extensive period research from the food they eat to the underclothes they wear.

 

What I want to know is, which is the best route to go for a novel like my second one. My friend has sent me a programme to convert my Word document to a digital reader format, but I personally have no experience of reading novels via those as yet, and so don't know how popular they are and how easy it is to self-publish. Is there more profit to be made by the E-reader route or paper book publishing? I would like it to be picked up by a film company eventually. In my head I've always 'seen it' on screen. Well, you have to have ambition!

 

That side of things comes second on my priority list to the urge to write, and get all those books out of me.

[sharpend 11]

just bumping this thread to see who still writing.

[Vermillion 10]

Hi Jeddo

 

I like the sound of your second novel (Victorian history is an are in which I have particular interest.)

 

You're going to have to do your homework to get a firm idea of what will be your best route to being published, and you will need to thoroughly research the ebook market. Profit and ebooks ... I don't think you can put these words together, bearing in mind the fees, etc. that epublishers charge - they're the ones who make the profit) unless you come up with something that will become as widely known as 'Fifty Shades ...'. But I would love to hear someone tell me otherwise.

 

If you want your book to be in hard copy, as I said earlier in this thread, the question is how are you going to get your book accepted by a publishing company? Most publishers will not accept unsolicited material, though some small, independents do. Finding a literary agent is another way of getting published (if they show interest), otherwise, you can get your book printed - in long or short runs, depending on how the firm operates - but marketing is EVERYTHING and you have to do it all yourself, so poor marketing will leave you a shed load of books collecting dust.

 

Have you got this year's copy of the 'Writers' & Artists' Yearbook? (The 2015 ed. may already be available) It covers digital and self-publishing and also has a section on all things literary agents, including a directory. Well worth twenty quid, methinks.

 

I love your spirit, Jeddo, we may yet know your real identity!

[Taekwondo 10]

Jeddo:

 

Hi. 183,000 words and still going will be a thick book, and could work out very expensive to print and make it unattractive to potential buyers. However if this is the route you chose then there are lots of Print on Demand - some call them vanity printers - you could chose from. You only pay for the books you order and you get a free ISBN number which is essential for all material books. On the plus side you don't have to worry about anything they just pay you every month. The down side is that you don't make a great % and the book is expensive.

 

The other route is to publish through Kindle. It's free and you get up to 70% of the

profit. Their website is reasonably easy to navigate and you could have your book on the market within a few hours.

 

Below are the ones I use, here are others out there. Completely novel are good but they charge a monthly fee

 

https://kdp.amazon.com/

https://www.createspace.com/

https://lulu.com/

Edited September 14, 2014 by Taekwondo

[stevekay1 10]

There's another thread running on this but thought I'd ask if anyone has indie-published a novel set in Sheffield that I have missed? I have a blog post ongoing reviewing Sheffield novels: now up to 15 - many more to go: http://stevek1889.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/sheffield-novels.html. Didn't realise there were so many when I set out!

 

Also published an interview with A J Oates who is from Sheffield and indie-published Bolt-hole, a cracking psychological thriller. See: http://stevek1889.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/interview-with-j-oates-author-of-bolt.html

 

---------- Post added 14-09-2014 at 22:56 ----------

 

Regarding self-publishing, it doesn't have to be expensive to set up a POD. I got The Evergreen in red and white done for £200 total. I did all the typesetting on a home computer, for the paperback, to save money: a bit of a pain but once I'd found a reliable way to convert to PDF (using freeware) it was OK. The royalties are then 100% once printing costs and retailer discounts are taken off. Be careful there are a lot of people out there who will rip you off. Don't pay anyone to do an e-book: it is easy enough to learn how to create your own formatted MOBI file to upload to Kindle (again using reliable freeware and bit of sweat) (this and the above for paperback are better options than using some POD options that cream off lots of money and Word conversion software that doesn't always look good on a Kindle and other e-readers). Take a look at The Evergreen to see what is possible: it's not the best but I'm still quite proud of it. You can just have a look via the "Look Inside" facility if you don't want to buy it. Save any money you have budgetted for a really good cover: but you can even do that yourself relatively cheaply if you have photoshop: there are some great-looking cover templates out there for a reasonable price that work with photoshop. (My cover was done by me and a mate on a home computer using a basic desktop publishing package (not even photoshop) for nowt: it's not the greatest but it meant I could break even relatively quickly without huge sales: be realistic on what you can sell. Without a publisher behind you it is very hard to get a break no matter how good you book might be. For me breaking even was very important for my self-esteem: this is "indie-publishing" not "vanity publishing.") Hope this helps.

Edited September 14, 2014 by stevekay1

[Taekwondo 10]

Hi stevekay1

My novel "Only Bloody Lovely" is set in Sheffield. See link below.

It had very good reviews in a local magazine called Your Voice and as a result I was invited onto the Roni Robinson show. Sadly my only claim to slight fame.

 

If your are interested I can send you a digital copy.

[soft ayperth 11]

OK. I posted news about my book (after consulting with the mods) as a separate thread on here but it looks like it has been taken down for whatever reason. No matter. It fits in very well here.

 

I live in Canada, now retired, but grew up in Sheffield. I am about to publish my memoir (launch date here is Nov14) on what it was like growing up in Sheffield post ww2 (late 40s to late 60s). The book brings in social stigmas of the day including divorce, marital infidelity and most important, mental illness. I temper these darker elements by the use of ironic humor and by placing events within my childhood within the context of the Sheffield scene and key moments in Sheffield and British history. Because mental illness is an important theme, I am donating 50% of the royalties to the Canadian Mental Health Asscn and either the Mental Health Foundation (UK) or Mind (haven't decided yet).

 

In terms of process, I never bothered trying the major publishing companies because they require an agent. I tried several small, independents but their problem is the narrowness of their bottom line. They want a sure thing. So, for memoirs, it pretty well has to be a celebrity as an author. I received very flattering reviews but I just wasn't in their marketing niche.

 

So, I am self publishing on Amazon.com and Smashwords. I have hired a marketing firm to help promote the book. Prior to that, I hired a company to set up my book web site and facebook site:

 

http://www.startingtoframe.com

http://www.facebook.com/startingtoframe

 

I considered a book blogging tour but came to the realization that these are not for memoirs - mainly for YA and romance fiction.

 

I have contacted the Star and they are interested in doing a story about my book, likewise the local media here in Canada.

 

And I'm reaching out to social networks - my old Grammar School (High Storrs) and on here, because my book contains a good deal of nostalgia and informative material about life in the 50s and 60s and life at my various schools.

 

I welcome people visiting my websites, "sharing," "liking," "commenting," "blogging," or contacting me personally.

 

And if anyone has any advice to offer as to which of the 2 mental health bodies in the UK would better utilize my donation, please fire away.

 

---------- Post added 03-10-2014 at 19:17 ----------

 

OK. Now I see it. My thread is still there (Memoir set in Sheffield).

 

Given the amount of interest it has engendered (zero) and the fact that my post in this thread will suffice, will one of the mods take it down? I can't figure out how to.

[bigbill 10]

please see the following link

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fear-Blank-Mind-Epitaph-Generation-ebook/dp/B00O3KFISC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1413275722&sr=1-1&keywords=fear+of+a+blank+mind

 

also

 

http://www.yourblankmind.com

 

feel free to ask me any Qs

 

thanks

 

Bill Stewardson

 

Broomhill