tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14822112447497431112024-03-13T21:45:11.175-07:00Feel the Fear and Publish AnywayBaby Steps to Self-Publishing your Manuscript, one Writer's Hang up at a Timecorinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-92105245511920683792014-10-28T09:58:00.000-07:002014-10-29T12:41:21.237-07:00Writing, self-publishing, memoir, fiction and non-fiction writing classes and workshops.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7a64b8; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 24.0pt;"><b>Upcoming writing workshops</b></span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;">If
you live in the San Fernando area of Los Angeles, (including Woodland Hills,
Malibu, and Topanga Canyon areas) you might be close enough to attend one of my
classes and workshops. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Here
are my upcoming and ongoing writing workshops and groups:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #523698; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><b>Writing the memoir though
autobiographical short stories.</b></span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;">There
comes a time in life when you are ready to tell your story. Some people simply
want to put their memories in reading form for their children or
grandchildren (don't we all wish our relatives had done it for us?) and some aim high and wish to publish. I will help you ever step of the way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">But
writing a memoir is a tall order. Through this workshop we will learn to
bring your story to life through one (or more depending on each individual’s
stamina) biographical short story. The goal being to work toward a collection
of short stories which can be then combined into a book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">In
this workshop I will guide you week by week on how to create your autobiographical
short story by choosing the point in time and central event with you as main
protagonist. Then I will learn how to make the story compelling weaving plot,
characters, settings, and emotions. Finally we will bring those elements to
life though the nostalgia of the time period via visual and auditory elements.
The result will be a highly readable short story that people will love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;">Each
workshop is limited to ten people</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">10
weeks, 2 hours each class</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><b>Cost
of workshop $250 (it comes to less than $13 per hour of class</b></span><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #523698; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><b>Self-Publishing Workshop</b></span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;">Whether
you have a book ready for its moment in the light or you want to explore your
options as you embark in writing your first novel or memoir, this workshop will
cover all that modern-day self-publishing entails. Each week we will
cover a different element of the puzzle toward successful self-publishing. Each
element will be made simple and manageable. Once your manuscript is written
things will get easy thanks to this workshop. Marketing, production of physical
paperbacks and ebooks, selling on Amazon and bookstores can be achieved within
a short few months and nearly for free.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Week
1: Pros and cons of self-publishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you need an agent and publishers? How to sell foreign rights. Income
potential of your book, niches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Week
2: Editing the book, i.e. measuring twice, cutting once, finding beta readers,
looking like a pro.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Week
3: Creating a readership. Should you develop a mailing list, blog, tweet,
twerk, jive? Oh what to do with so little time? I will cut through the chase,
tell you what works and what is a waste of energy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Week
4: The physical book (cover, content, isbn). From Word document to the
paperback in your hands the bootstrapping way. Yes you could pay thousands but
why not do it for free or nearly?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Week
5: Making the book available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, book stores and
libraries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Week
6: Your author's identity: website, pen names, communicating with readers,
handling bad and good reviews, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Week
7: Letting the world know: how to make Amazon notice your book, how to get
reviews, choosing a title, pricing strategies, becoming your own marketing
guru.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"> Workshop limited to ten people</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">7
weeks, 2 hours each class</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><b>Cost
of workshop $200 (it comes to less than $15 per hour of class)</b></span><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #523698; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><b> Motivation workshop/ developing
a mentorship group</b></span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;">You
want to write. You desperately yearn to. So why can't bring yourself to it?
Perhaps you have ideas but can't find the right time to start. Perhaps
you are able to start but have trouble finishing. Perhaps you get in the way of
your own success. Perhaps you lack the confidence in your own work or had past
negative experiences. Pehaps it’s <strike>procrastination</strike> the P word. This class will
help you transform into a disciplined, confident, happy writer. By the end of the
class you will know the other students and trust them well enough to give birth to your own
peer mentorship group. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">This
workshop is part writing, part behavioral counseling (note: I am not a license
therapist). So we'll find ourselves digging into pretty deep stuff in a safe
and nurturing environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">Detail
of each week upon request.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;">Workshop limited to ten people</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;">7
weeks, 2 hours each class</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><b>Cost
of workshop $200 (it comes to less than $15 per hour of class</b></span><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #523698; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><b>Reach me at <a href="mailto:corinegantz@live.com">feelthefearandpublish@gmail.com</a>. We can speak on the phone
or via skype so that I can place you in the workshop that's right for you.</b></span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><b>One
on one coaching always available in person, on the phone or via skype. </b></span><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; font-weight: 800;">Note: </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In my classes students never have to read their work to other students unless they choose to. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My workshops are nurturing, unpretentious, and friendly. We learn, teach each other what we know, and have a good time. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I personally meet each potential student to make sure he or she is a good match for the group.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">One of the goals is that by the end of a workshop participants will have developed with one another the roots of a working relationships for mutual support and mentorship. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">All levels are welcome. Inexperienced writers aren’t inexperienced at life. We all have something unique to contribute to the group.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">All my workshops involve daily communication and support.</span></li>
</ul>
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<br />corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-46837833308047178512013-02-11T10:40:00.003-08:002014-10-28T10:04:02.707-07:00How to get reviews for your book<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Okay people, this is going to be a long one, so
grab a cup of coffee and let's tackle this issue of reviews.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> I wrote and sloppily edited this in the
course of 2 days, sorry about the typos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My goal in sharing my experience is to help you
make choices about seeking reviews for your book, and the pitfalls to avoid.
I only have my own experience to draw from so take this advice with
a grain of salt. I welcome your comments, questions, and corrections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Before garnering reviews you will need two
things:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u>You’ll need paperback copies of your book</u>
which you can mail to potential reviewers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Your book must be available for sale on
Amazon</u>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">You’ll need paperbacks because most reviewers
will want a paper copy of your book. It does costs more but there are advantages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it’s harder for someone to
ignore your gorgeous paperback on their bedside table than to ignore yet one
more ebook on their e-reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
never sent a kindle or nook e-book to anyone for review. First of all I’m
not quite sure how. Second I’m a bit paranoid about my e-book being sent
every which ways. That would be the kind of ‘viral’ spreading I would not want.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">You’ll need your book to be for sale on Amazon
for two reasons 1- Amazon reviews help your book ranking (and 80% of your sales
will be on Amazon) and 2- Asking for reviews before there is a platform on
which to place the review is bad news. People want to write a review when it’s
fresh in their mind. If they have to wait they’ll never do it. And if the book
is not yet for sale, where would they post the review? That’s right. Nowhere.
And by the way, when someone emails you their review it’s as heartwarming as it
is unusable. Only <i>they</i> can upload them on the various sites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Note: Traditional publishers have the ability
to list a book on Amazon before it is available for sale, thus setting up
pre-ordering and reviewing of the book. Last time I checked self-published
authors didn’t have that ability. <u>So any review you ask for, be sure
that your book is already on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles etc</u>… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The most important thing to know about
reviews.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1- There are two kinds of reviews, those you
get as you’re trying to make your book as good as it can be. Those reviews are
really constructive (hopefully) feedback from a select few you have chosen to give
you their opinion before the book is available for sale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The other kind are the reviews posted by
readers, bloggers etc. on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Nobles online
etc… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Both types of reviews can help your book, but
only the latter can sink its chances of success. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u>The most important thing to know about
reviews is to be sure that your book is per-fect before it is up for sale.</u>
Remember, once the book is up for sale, it belongs to everyone. It’s way
out of your hands. And once a review is on Amazon, like it or not, it’s there
to stay. So, as is my advice with <i>everything</i> pertaining to self
publishing, Take. Your. Time. Do<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>not rush to hit that publish button! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">People who write reviews will not be kind to a
book that is amateurish, poorly designed, stuffed with typos, repetitions, and
grammatical mistakes, or if its cover looks like it was put together by a
five-year-old high on sugar, or much, much worst, designed by you. (I
will write about covers soon.) If you have doubts about your book as it is now,
listen to that intuition. Traditional Publishers have the highest of standards.
They would never let a book out into the world without making sure it is
perfect and as a Self-Published author you should take clues from the pros.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I've read enough reviews of books that were
self-published prematurely to know that those books get pilloried. So
although reviews are hugely helpful when they are good with a few bad ones in
between, when they are consistently bad (and trust me, people go into excruciating
details about why your book sucks) they will kill your book. Reviewers,
as a rule, do not suffer to be taken for a fool gladly. Especially if they have
spent good money on your book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If your book is not per-fect and has many bad
reviews, I would not hesitate to pull it out from sale and fix it. You
cannot erase the reviews, but worst-case scenario you can delete the book,
change the title and the ISBN and the cover. Even republish under a pen name
and/ or get a face transplant if you have to, and start over. It is your
intellectual property and it is within your rights to cut your losses and go to
plan B. (P.S. I was joking about the face transplant. A good hat, scarf and
fake nose should be enough.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So from now on let’s assume your book is as
per-fect as you can make it and the cover is glorious. I will tell you what I
did to get reviews and what I believe has been effective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The second most important thing about
reviews:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Your book will not be everyone’s cup of
tea. </u> Even if it’s an excellent book, you will disappoint some.
Some people will stop reading at page 30 and write a scathing review saying how
boring the book was and how nothing happened … just when action was about to
start, right there at page 31. If only they had read <i>one more page</i>! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Some people will simply be rubbed the wrong
way by your book. This is why it’s crucial not to sell your book to everyone
and anyone. It’s more important to market your book to your ideal
readership (I will cover this later).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This theory also applies to getting reviews.
You are more likely to get favorable reviews when you put your book in front of
people who love <i>just this kind</i> of book. Just remember, you are writing for those who
will love your book. Your ideal readers. You should also focus on
getting reviews from your ideal readers, not the rest of the population.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And of course, when you remember that no book
will ever please everyone, and when you know that even literary masterpieces
get horrible reviews, it helps digest your own bad reviews. And you will get them.
Guaranteed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Getting review from your peers.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, tell me if I’m wrong on this: Reviews
from other authors are called blurb. Reviews written by journalist are
called press.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It does looks pretty hip when you purchase a
book and on the back cover or the first pages are dozens of (glowing) blurbs or
quotes from reviews in the press. With these, signed by all kinds of
prestigious people, come Validation and Glory and Happiness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Ah if only… I don’t have a single such review
or critique for my wee book. I learned to live without.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> I console myself by reading book reviews in
the New York Times every day. Let me tell you, literary critics are scary.
Not only can they hate a book, but they express that loathing with such wit and
masterful language... Er, no... I don't think I would recover… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">If you hire a PR firm, or if you have an agent
and a publisher, perhaps you can get Press. Praises of this sort do make your
paperback’s back cover and your Amazon description sexier. In my Amazon
description I quote reviews I received on … Amazon. Those express the
excitement of some of my readers who aren’t celebrities, or literary
heavyweight, or New York Times critics, but they are my readers and I write for
them, and those are the kind of people I hope will buy my book because I know
they'll have a great time reading it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I know that many authors spend a lot of time
courting other authors in the hope of squeezing a blurb out of them (he he I
made myself laugh just imagining a cartoon depicting this. I wish I could
draw). I just don’t have that kind of time, and I am not sure it would make a
bit of difference. Also if I knew someone famous I would never dare ask.
I would be deathly embarrassed. If you’re ballsier than I am go for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My convoluted point is: <u>don’t focus on press
and blurbs. Maybe you could do better with then, but you can do very well
without.</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Getting reviews from friends and family.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Yeah, hmmm…. Don’t count on too many of those.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I gave free copies of my book to only 5
persons: Four close friends and my mother-in-law. Only one of them posted a
review on Amazon, if i remember correctly. The others are either not computer savvy or did not feel comfortable reviewing it. Maybe they hated it for all I know. Maybe the process of entering their credit card to be allowed to review on Amazon was too much of a hassle. I did not ask.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">These 5 copies were the only unsolicited copies
I gave away. There is a reason for this. I never want to pressure
anyone into reading my book, let alone write a review. So if a friend or family
member didn’t express interest, I did not give
them a book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Would you believe that no one asked for a free
book? Maybe they were insulted that I did not offer, but if they were
they did not tell me. In the process of not pressuring anyone, I might
have rubbed some the wrong way. I’ll never know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Many friends and family members – although not
all of them but I am pretending not to notice - bought my book via Amazon,
Barnes and Nobles online, etc. , or at their local bookstore. They did
what I hoped they would do: they did not feel entitled to a free copy (that can
add up financially) AND they wanted to show me support by buying my book and
helping my Amazon ranking, bless their hearts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I think all in all, perhaps 5 friends posted a
review on Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here is an important fact I noticed: <u>Reviewers
are a specific type of people.</u> They are people who have clear opinions, who
are not afraid to express them, who want their voices heard. Usually they
are very comfortable writing and are good with computers. If your friends or
family members happen to like writing reviews, then they will. If they
don’t they won’t. Don’t hold it against them because you really don’t know
their specific situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">By the way, I avoid asking friends or family
members if they <i>liked</i> my book. Why? Because written reviews on Amazon are
one thing, being told something you don’t want to hear to your face is another.
I have a ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy about this… But when people who love me
go out of their way to tell me they enjoyed my book, I’m thrilled and I might
ask them if they would not mind writing a wee review, depending on who they
are. I keep it cool and low key no matter how much I am burning to <i>beg</i> them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In conclusion, getting reviews from friends and
family is touchy and fraught with emotional perils. I would not focus on
it too much. Let them read your book if they wish to. Don’t shove it down their
throat. <u>Relationships with friends and family, in my opinion, should
be kept separate from your writing career. And there are other ways to obtain
reviews. </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Getting reviews from bloggers</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now that’s a concept well worth exploring. This
is how I got my first 20 reviews or so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But first, I want to tell you a bit more about
blogging, and bloggers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a
right way and a wrong way to blog, in my opinion. (with my way being the right
one, he he.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Through my personal blog I made real
connections with bloggers over the course of three years. I did not have
any idea the connections I was making would one day help launch my book.
Perhaps it was my lack of an agenda that made it possible for those bloggers to
eventually root for me and want to help me succeed. This is one of the
many ways in which blogging changed my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On my blog I never expressed any confidence
about my novel. I had none. I was vocal about it having been rejected by
agents. I expressed that I wasn't self-publishing out of temerity, but out of
loathsome bitterness. Seriously, I should have <i>paid</i> those bloggers for listening
to my whining day after day. However, the readers of my blog must have liked
the way I wrote and that was enough for them to encourage me and believe in me,
as well as decide to spread the word and writing reviews when the time came.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When the book became available as a paperback I
asked many blogging friends (only those who offered) if they would accept to
read my book and perhaps even review it. I did not ask anyone directly,
which I felt would have been too pushy. I only mentioned on my blog that anyone
interested could contact me. I sent them paperback books and a note
asking for reviews. If you read early reviews of my novel on Amazon you
get sense that the reviewer knows me, as he or she mentions me by name or
mentions my blog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">One advantage of giving your book to a blogger
you are friends with is three fold: they already like you. They
already like the way you write. And they already are on the same page via
blogging; meaning that you and that blogger are probably already interested in
the same topics, have similar esthetics, sense of humor and so on. You’re
so much better off when you give a copy of your book to someone whose cup of
tea it is. For example, it doesn't matter how fantastic a crime novel might be, those are simply
not my cup of tea. It would be agony for me to read one, let alone review
it. And it would be a big imposition to be asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> As I will explain in another post, Blogging
and the support of the blogging community can launch your book. Bloggers are
influencers, outspoken, enthusiastic and generous.<u> Your blogging 'tribe'
will not only generate reviews, but they will usually be positive ones. </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Paying for reviews</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I know that it’s done but I’ve never paid for a
review. Here is something: reviews are not everything. When a book has a
lot of five stars reviews on Amazon but a low ranking, I become suspicious. Why
so many five star reviews combined with an abysmal ranking? See, reviews and
ranking go hand in hand. People who actually like a book and review it
also happen to give the book word of mouth action. Real reviewers are
book advocates. Fake reviewers really haven’t read your book. That’s why
their reviews sound a lot like an amalgam of other reviews. They have not read
your book and won’t recommend it to anyone. People mistake the forest for
the tree. They believe that if they get more five star reviews sales will follow,
so they’d do anything to get more reviews, even by what I personally consider
dishonest means. In fact it’s the other way around. Good reviews are a symptom
of people reading and loving your book. Not the cause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now whom do you pay to review your book? I have
been asked that question. The answer is I have no idea and I don’t want to find
out. It goes without saying that I never wrote a review of my own book
anywhere. That’s because I firmly intend on going to heaven one day. I’m
just sayin’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">By the way, google the words ‘sock
puppeteering’ and read more than you ever want to know about this unsavory
practice… and<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/04/sock-puppetry-publish-be-damned"><span style="color: #0000ed;"> what it looks like when you’re caught</span></a>.
Ouch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This being said, I bet that traditional
publishers ask everyone who works for them to write one (or several) reviews of
everything they publish. How else would the book have <i>so many</i> reviews long before it’s
actually available for purchase? They might also (firmly) ask their authors to
write peer reviews. So one advantage of a traditional publishing deal might be
the ability for the publisher to make reviews happen. Notice, they <i>make
reviews happen</i>
and come out as clean-scented as roses. They don’t need to pay for reviews, all
they have to do is gently twist a few arms…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Getting reviews (and generating interest)
through book giveaways.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Once I had my website up and my book was
available for sale everywhere. I created an author profile on Goodreads.
I already had a reader profile. I love Goodreads. Goodreads is how I make
decisions about book purchases. I follow reviews of readers whose tastes
match mine and follow their leads and recommendations. Please friend me on
Goodreads so that we can have some reading fun together. But I digress…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> A Goodread author profile takes a few
days to create. They have to vet you but it’s a painless process. Once I
became a bona-fide Goodread Author I created a giveaway of my novel. I
offered 10 copies and got thousands of requests. That’s not an unusual
number. Goodread is a vibrant reading community. I sent the book to the ten
winners and added a note asking if they would consider writing an honest review
and post it on Amazon. Many did but not all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On subsequent giveaways I offered only three
books and received about the same amount of requests. My book costs me
about $7 shipping included. So at some point I was more interested in people
learning about the book than I was to ask for reviews. So thousands of
views (people interested enough to request the book) for three books
seemed cost- effective marketing. Of course if you send less books you
get less reviews. But there is a point when garnering reviews is not as
crucial. Say if you have 20 and up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Another thought about Goodreads readers:
they are on average less inclined to give star reviews than Amazon
reviewers. They are more discriminating readers than the average person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Anytime I send a book to anyone, I attach a
note thanking him or her in advance for posting an honest review on Amazon. I
think that when you write a nice note and send it with your book it makes it
more personable. If these people don’t like your book, they tend not to write a
review rather than write a negative one. Although one person who won my book
on Goodreads did write a scathing review, so I should not act so smart. Killing
people with kindness will only get you so far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I asked bloggers if they would host giveaways
of my novel. That was a mutually beneficial situation. The bloggers had
something fun to offer on their blogs, and I got many more eyes on my book.
Because I mentioned the giveaway on my blog, twitter and Facebook, they also
benefit from extra traffic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The winners of the blogs giveaway have all the
characteristic of an ideal reader: They have heard of your book through the
recommendation of someone they respect. They are active online,
communicators, and love to spread the word when they like something.
Because many of the particular blogs I connected with are enthusiastic Francophiles,
these giveaway readers who <i>wanted</i> my books and entered the giveaway turned out to be
eager to write a review and often a terrific one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How many reviews are enough reviews?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t have too many reviews even with all
this. I think 89 as I write this post. I created a chart so you can
see the exact count per month (It took me way too much time to painstakingly
collect that info but when I want to make a point, I’m motivated.) And
the point I am trying to make is that <u>reviews come slowly, but they add
up. </u> Do not despair. My book started to sell well when I had
about 20 reviews.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">data for my novel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">May 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">June 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">July 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">August 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">September 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">October 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">November 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">December 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">January 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">February 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">March 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">April 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">May 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">June 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">July 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">August 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">September 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">October 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">November 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">December 2012<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">January 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">February 2013<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 147.0pt;" valign="top" width="147"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">What do you think of that chart? It seems
so few per month. And yet they add up. It’s a marathon, not a
race. Your book is here for the long haul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Lately I noticed that Amazon sends emails
asking us to write reviews of products and books we purchase. They didn’t
use to do that. It might explain a slight increase in the number of
reviews for my novel. I also noticed that these new kinds of reviews are
shorter, more spontaneous, have more typos in them. As an author I prefer
longer reviews that tell me details about how my reader was touched by my book,
but beggars aren’t choosers. I’m appreciative of anyone who takes the time to
be kind to my book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The emotional toll of being reviewed<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t only have good reviews. Some
people passionately <i>hate </i>my books. When I get a bad review I get an extra
glass of Pinot Grigio with dinner. This being said, when I get a nice
review, I also get an extra glass of Pinot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Who said, “In writing, what do you have to
lose, except absolutely everything?” The first reader to tell me gets a
free copy of my novel because I’ve been looking for its author and it’s driving
me nuts! Maybe Ann Dillard? But where?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When we write we put ourselves out there in
such a major way. It is about everything that matters, our skills, our
thoughts, our dreams, our interests and aspiration, our fragilities and doubts.
This combined with the fact that most of us are in fact introverts (one of the
reasons we feel more comfortable expressing ourselves in writing) it is a
recipe for pain and agony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">No wonder so many of us never take that
manuscript out of the drawer! I wrote for ten years before showing my
writing to anyone but my husband. And even he had to wait five
years. So you bet I was afraid of reviews.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">To decide to share our work with the world is
to face criticism that feels deeply personal. <i>What do we have to lose
but absolutely everything</i>? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">And yet, this too is an illusion that will
vanish through the process. It’s absolutely terrifying at first. But once
your book is up for sale, there is no turning back. All you can do then
is ride the wave of praise and criticism. The cliff was there and you have
jumped, and what choice do you have but to land?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Or glide. Your first good reviews will put you
on cloud nine. Your first bad reviews will send you to the liquor cabinet
or worse. And then, soon enough you’ll be over both. Bad reviews
will stop stinging, but sadly good reviews will not bring you the same insane
joy. That is what happens to the skin when it thickens, I guess. Just
keep an abundant supply of Pinot or chocolate within immediate reach, just to
be safe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now to put things in perspective <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QyJM8f_yNnc4-zS0emXYI1Wd2mH4AmSDwMnr156G_pM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">I created a page to amuse you and show you how even Literary Masters aren’t immune to receiving terrible reviews</a>. I also added some of my awful reviews for
good measure. If you want to play along, please add your worst review in the
comments below if you dare.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Other scattered thoughts and bizarre
thinking about reviews.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The silence of people you know personally
sometimes hurts your feelings more than a bad review from a stranger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On the other hand, if they opened their mouth
it might hurt even more<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On the third hand, maybe they like the work but
it would kill them to admit it. And that would amount to a compliment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So according to my twisted logic, the silence
of those you know is actually a praise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Basically, you can imagine what you want, and
you can choose to imagine their jealously, or their negative judgment.
Totally up to you, but the first option is way more fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">People have many reasons not to review your
book. If they did not like it, how do you think it makes them feel to be asked
to review it? I quite recently found out that we writer are not the
center of the universe! I know. I was amazed too. It turns
out people have other things to do than to focus on our needs, wants and
insecurities. They seemingly have their own. We would do well to remember this
fact when we ask for reviews and do not get the hoped-for result.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">All right, I have exhausted my thoughts on the
topic of reviews, not to mention this post is way too long and my fingers have
turned to ice cubes. It’s freezing in this room. Please feel free
to comment below or tell me if I have missed something or if your experience is
different than mine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">xoxo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .1in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">corine</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-10194329909440396832013-02-03T11:43:00.006-08:002014-10-28T10:05:11.261-07:00Palm Springs Writers GuildWere you there yesterday? Did you feel it? <br />
<br />
Speaking at the Writers Guild was such a wonderful experience for me, I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you. Okay, first of all, I need to exercise because my wrist could not hold that microphone in place and it keept ever so slowly creeping away from my mouth. Then I'd realize it and move it back and the sound of my voice would jolt me upward. I'm not exactly a pro at this.<br />
<br />
Also I came in with all kinds of lofty ideas on 'sharing' and 'giving back to the community' and 'inspiring writers to take action' but guess who got the most out of it? <br />
Me.<br />
I'm sure of it. <br />
Your generosity and support, your open faces and spontaneous expressions of appreciation made me feel soooo good! I just loved the energy in the room. Your kindness after the talk, as many came to speak to me and buy my novel, as well as the emails I have been receiving since were the icing on the cake.<br />
You have also energized me to get the book on self publishing done. I am burning to work on my new novel but I guess I will shuffles priorities around because so many of you are eager to get concrete answers to your questions.<br />
<br />
One of you emailed me about the fact that I did not get a chance to speak about reviews, as I had promised, so I will tackle this very important point in my next post sometime this week.<br />
<br />
Above this post is a link/survey about the talk. If you have a few minutes would you tell me what you thought of it so that I can make those presentations and the upcoming book better?<br />
<br />
Again, thank you for coming, and thank you for your support. And a huge thank you to the amazing Sunny for organizing the whole thing<br />
<br />
corinecorinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-20780001445852771782013-01-24T14:23:00.003-08:002014-10-28T10:05:40.590-07:00The publishing process in gif form<br />
A short post in images today. Laugh and/or weep if you're a writer seeking traditional publication.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/08/the-publishing-process-in-gif-form.html" target="_blank">Click on this to be taken to Nathan Bransford's excellent blog.</a><br />
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<br />corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-10589700384379288752013-01-24T11:44:00.004-08:002014-10-28T10:05:51.417-07:00Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing chartI've read industry blogs, blogs written by published and self- published authors. I get a feed of dozens of blogs that I go through on a weekly basis just to keep informed on the publishing industry, which is now my industry I guess. <br />
Based on my readings, and my entirely unscientific approach to things, I came up with this pro and con chart which I am henceforth sharing with ya'll. Oh my this has to be tiny to fit on this page. This is for USA only and is only possible because of the rise of ebooks, Amazon and Kindle. This chart is NOT for foreign deals. Publishing in foreign countries is an entirely different ball game, which you can pursue after you publish traditionally or self-publish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9vFcIWe-WtNYzL5Rvxrn38Iwf8H8ouAa2CA8pCKDCFxCntICHjbXqBgI_QxP3VVhBN2F8If-k2eL6Hfw6bozbHX16637XcAj_qXugtoicmdYZ5EodpeLwy1Q_ctruoHOq8xDGlysEY8/s1600/pros+and+cons+for+blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9vFcIWe-WtNYzL5Rvxrn38Iwf8H8ouAa2CA8pCKDCFxCntICHjbXqBgI_QxP3VVhBN2F8If-k2eL6Hfw6bozbHX16637XcAj_qXugtoicmdYZ5EodpeLwy1Q_ctruoHOq8xDGlysEY8/s1600/pros+and+cons+for+blog.png" /></a></div>
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<br />corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-79154787001137583312013-01-14T12:40:00.001-08:002014-10-28T10:06:09.169-07:00How much royalties do self published authors earn?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How much royalty do you earn as a self-published author? Here is a comparison I made based on what I have been reading and what my income has been:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm basing the self-publishing numbers on my own earnings</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTbw3A4mZYtRC1bFVc0yZB9NVgxTtymGlfOuWcobspww4_HBRU3deBCfco0Jo3_xgzmIxyQVhSrDiolJ2fKTOzpKVRPOmh64cKMjq8v8ltMsnl1HjJigHe6aHbUSUZXsmNX4JJzj5v5U/s1600/Royalty+comparison.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTbw3A4mZYtRC1bFVc0yZB9NVgxTtymGlfOuWcobspww4_HBRU3deBCfco0Jo3_xgzmIxyQVhSrDiolJ2fKTOzpKVRPOmh64cKMjq8v8ltMsnl1HjJigHe6aHbUSUZXsmNX4JJzj5v5U/s640/Royalty+comparison.png" height="508" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">With a traditional publishing you receive an advance against future earnings. So you have to earn at least that advance in order to receive your first royalty check.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">With self publishing there is no advance but you receive royalty checks monthly. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now of course none of this hight level arithmetic has merit if it is true that I would sell many, many more books by taking the agent/publishing contract route. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But would I have. Would they have helped me, or ignored me as they do so many authors? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">There are a lot of ifs and whats, and you certainly don't know the road you have not taken. All I know is that if they had not and I received such puny royalties on my work, I would be <i>pissed</i>. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(Traditional
publishing royalty deals in percentages depend on author, books and publishers.
Yours might be different. This is an average gathered in the industry’s press
and blogs.)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">source:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.brandewyne.com/writingtips/authorspaid.html" target="_blank">Rebecca Brandewyne's website</a> and my favorite disgruntled papa bear of self publishing, Joe Konrath. who sums in up it this angry/hilarious post, <a href="http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/02/do-legacy-publishers-treat-authors.html" target="_blank">Do Legacy Publishers Treat Authors Badly</a>.</span></div>
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<br />corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-90998305068065694092013-01-09T09:08:00.000-08:002014-10-28T10:06:20.209-07:00Step by step to designing a blog on blogger<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now that I have written a few posts, I feel it's time to make the blog look a bit prettier. I don't like the font (or typeface) I chose for the titles. Also I notice that my links come out in a color I don't like. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I usually use Typepad when I blog and it's second nature to me, but I felt that for your purpose, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I think blogger is better </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">as you are developing a 'brand'</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(eek, that' s word irks me. Branding evokes labeling, and over- simplification and being part of the system and you know... cows and sheep.) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Here is why I think blogger is best for your purpose:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Blogger is own/made/controlled by google. It's connected to gmail, google + etc. The interface between all of those makes it very easy to go from one to the other without having to enter passwords etc.. The google search engine probably favors blogger blogs (don't quote me on that but in its pursuit of world domination, don't you think google would?) Also, when the time to blog comes to communicating with other bloggers and commenting, it will all be very smooth and easy.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">By the way, I know you'll hear everywhere that you should use wordpress because... because... because? Well I see no advantage to using wordpress. It's hard to navigate and create, the interface makes it more difficult to comment and you can't monetize wordpress blogs with advertising so please tell me why this is better. For your use and purpose, blogger will work great and smoothly. You can always export your blog to another platform later on.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sorry for digressing. Here I am trying to understand how to design this blog to make it prettier, and help you design and create your own blogger blog in the process.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Okay on that main blogger page (in case you can't find it, just search up 'blogger' on google and you'll get right to it if you're already logged on to gmail, and if you are not you'll be asked your gmail account and password), click on the title of the blog you want to make pretty (in case you have more than one blog).</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the left hand column, click on <u>'template'</u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">See the title of your blog there, appearing? </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I use 'simple' as a my template for this blog. Not a bad one, clean and basic. Don't get tempted by the frilly templates. Nothing spells amateur like the templates with images already incorporated. When in doubt go lean, simple and white.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">See the button that says <u>'customize'</u> ? Click on it.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This bring you to a relatively intimidating page. Gulp once, and look at the top grey bar and find:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u>Background: </u>If you used simple, it will offer white and that's all you need to know. Moving on, not to the tab below, skip a few first and click on:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Layout</u>: We're doing this out of order because.. just trust me on that one. How can you adjust width of columns when you haven't even decided how many columns you want. I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">n my experience, three columns work best.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> The footer doesn't matter for now, select which ever you want. Note: Interestingly this page informs you that you can move parts of your layout around, only you cannot do it here. This tab is just to select a layout. In order to move things around </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(such as gadgets) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and add, remove and edit them you will have to go to the actual 'Layout' page. Moving on to the fun stuff:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Adjust widths:</u> You can move the curser and decide how wide each column should be. I made this blog 1370 px (I think that's short for pixel, whatever those are), and each column 230 px. You want large enough side columns to put all kinds of goodies and buttons (which blogger calls 'gadgets'.)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Did you see how your blog moves as you move the curser? This is how fun it is to design your blog on blogger. The parts you're working on are highlighted in red and as you try things, it is reflected below. So keep an eye on what's happening on your blog as you click away.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">note: periodically click on the top button '<u>apply to blog</u>' or your changes will be lost and you will be cursing like a sailor. Allright friends, time to move on to the advance tab, because yes, that is what you are. Advanced!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'advanced'</u>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Oh my... even more intimidating. What are all those choices!?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Well it's self explanatory as long as you take it <i>slow </i>and go methodically one line at a time. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'page text'</u> : This is where you choose the font (typeface) and the color of the text in each of your posts. I suggest black and a classic font such as Times New Roman. As you click on various fonts and color you can see exactly how it would look on your blog. When you've chosen, make sure to go up to that button up on top that says 'apply to bloga. If you don't those new settings won't be saved.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'background'</u>: opt for all white for now. Chose transparent for the banner for now. You can go mad with color later but here we are sticking to simple (at least until you decide on the color scheme of your brand (eek, that word again...) </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'links'</u> the point here is for readers to distinguish regular text from the text that will lead them to a webpage. The color should be different from the text but still readable. 'Hover' is the color the clickable text changes to when your reader's curser 'hovers' over it and 'visited' color is to indicate to your reader that this is a link they've already visited. It makes them easier for them to keep track of what they are reading and visiting. I made my link in pink hues, so as to keep the color scheme coherent. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Remember to click the orange <u>'apply to blog'</u> button to save your changes.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">'blog title' This is where you choose the typeface, size of typeface and color of your blog's title. Go ahead, choose big letters. You can create a custom made banner later, there is absolutely no need to obsess about it right now, as your blog will not be public until it is perfect. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'blog description'</u> :same thing for your blog description. This too will be replaced by a custom banner later on. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'tab text'</u>: below your blog you have the possibility to create a navigation menu/bar. Visitors can click on those, for example a home page, an about the author page, and be taken to a stand alone page. See how I created a 'how to navigate this blog in a bar below the blog title? Those pages are created by going back to your main page and clicking on 'pages' . You can also see my <a href="http://outofthedrawerintotheworld.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-navigate-this-blog.html" target="_blank">detailed description of how to create stand alone pages or navigation menu on bloggers</a>. Go ahead and decide on the color of the text and then go down on your list and change the color of the navigation menu background by selecting <u>'tabs background'.</u></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now that you are a pro at this, move on to the next steps and apply what you learned to <u>'post title'</u> (Notice that the color of the post title is the same as the text, and turns to the color you chose for links once you've clicked on it.), <u>'date header'</u>, <u>'post footer'</u> (notice as well that some elements of the footer appear in the colors you chose for links because somehow they are considered links).</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>"gadgets' </u>: here is where you make pretty the titles of the gadgets you created. By gadgets blogger means 'gizmo' or 'thingy', basically stuff you want, such your list of favorite blogs or most read posts, a link to twitter or facebook, a link to your book on Amazon, or your all important opt-in form where people sign up to be on your email list. I decided to make my gadget titles more funky to draw attention to them and make the blog look more fun. This is my mood of the moment but you now see how easily I could make those changes.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">By the way.... when was the last time you saved your changes by clicking on the <u>'apply to blog</u>' button?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'images'</u>: go for white for background, black for text.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'accents'</u>: those are lines separating columns. Try a few colors or none at all and decide what you like.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'mobile':</u> I think this is for the way your blog will look on a cell phone. I'm leaving white because this is a detail I'll fix later.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>'add css'</u>: this is for the geniuses among us who know how to alter existing template coding, fuggetaboutit.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Congratulations, you have designed your blog! As you become more confident, and as you decide on the overall look you want your </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Brand</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> to have, you will make changes. <a href="http://outofthedrawerintotheworld.blogspot.com/2012/11/this-is-my-first-post.html" target="_blank">Now is time to write your first post. </a></span></span>corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-28771045801619070992013-01-08T18:01:00.002-08:002014-10-28T10:06:32.510-07:00How to navigate this blog?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Hello and welcome fellow terrified writer!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I created this blog to share my experience as a self-published author. I believe that self-publishing solved a lot of my angsts and made a happy and fulfilled author out of this insecure French girl. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How many books never see the light of day because their authors did not have the grit to endure the jumping through flaming hoops that is looking for publication? The agents rejections, the query writing, the loathed SASE that never makes it back to your mailbox, the waiting game.. Some of us simply don't have what it takes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I am one of those writers who gave up early on. I never could get that first query written properly, agonized over it for months, was rejected (or ignored) a few times, and then gave up. Would my book be published by a traditional publisher if I had endured and persevered? This I will never know.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But I'm not sure that I care.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My books will never be reviewed in the New York Times. Oprah will not invite me over, but my books are getting in the hands of a whole lot of readers and many of them are thrilled with them.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">That's really all I need to know.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Writing and pain might go hand in hand, but publishing and pain no longer have to. Amazon and others have set the tone: they are compensating writers fairly, and eliminating the middle men. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In this blog and my upcoming book I will try to identify every fear we writers experience and help you push through them in order to get that manuscript out of the drawer, and into the world. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If I did it, everyone can. No, really.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I created this blog for the future readers of my upcoming self help book for writers, and for those of you who have heard me speak somewhere and whom I managed to convince not to wait another minute before plunging into the exhilarating, empowering and ultimately sanity-restoring experience that is self publishing. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">There are several ways to read this blog. The best way is to start with the earliest post and work through them one at a time chronologically. You can also go through the archives when you need help on one topic or another. I tried to make each title as self explanatory as possible.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The best way of course is to sign up (in the left hand column) and go on my list to be alerted right away when the book becomes available. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I wish you the very best. Please email me at corinegantz (at) live.com if you have questions. Comments are also welcome, as are suggestions. I reserve the right to delete mean comments. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">If you find typos, tell me. This is a work in progress and often if I have to make a choice between getting the info out to you now, or getting it to you perfect, I choose the 'now' option. I believe this is how blog posts should be written. Sloppy is better than not at all.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Please comment below and help me makes this a better blog. Merci!</span></div>
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corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-29785306325527857952013-01-08T17:48:00.002-08:002014-10-28T10:06:40.282-07:00How and why authors should develop email lists<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Today I wrote a chapter on the hows and whys of creating an email list of your readers. Here I am posting the chapter as is. I wrote it in about two hours and as I went through the process I also created the opt-in form I describe below. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">That opt-in form asks you, you guessed it, to sign up to be on my email list. I made it nice and green and early fluorescent so if you've missed it you are officially color blind. I promise never to hold this against you if you will be so kind as to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">sign up... p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">retty please.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I need to edit this chapter as it is quite clunky. So it will sound much better in the book (it better!), and I will perhaps add a few important points that did not come to mind as I first wrote it. But for the sake of de-dramatizing the blogging process, to show you how messy and imperfect is really okay in blogging, I'm leaving it as is. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Don't shoot me if I mixed up my there, their, they're, and thaires, or if I skipped some words or if my grammar sucks and my vocab is weak. This is what we call in the <i>bidness</i> a crappy first draft. ideas pouring out, no inner judge. Perfectionism is the enemy of productivity. I let my ideas flow, and here is 1.45 minutes later, the pdf. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Why did I leave it as a pdf file rather than cut and paste into this blog post? because it is imperfect and I don't want it to be copied and quoted as is. Have you notice you can copy chucks of this text onto a document but you can only read and print a pdf? exactly!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So here it is: <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7q-Jp4W2_yuNEtUT09jVG5wMk0/edit" target="_blank">How and Why author should develop their own email list</a>. </span></span>corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-32317524178023899442013-01-08T17:23:00.000-08:002014-10-28T10:08:22.907-07:00How to share a pdf document on blogger.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Day two of this blog as I prepare for my Palm Spring presentation. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Here is what I want to do today: I want to create a document (i'll use Word) turn it into a pdf, and then attach the pdf to this blog so that you can download it and print it to use as a worksheet.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The pdf I'm creating today is a worksheet to help you navigate your own notions about writing and publishing.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">To make it available to you on this blog, the easiest way (that I found) was to upload it onto 'google doc'. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">To do this I believe you need a gmail address. Don't do this now, as I have a whole chapter on how and why create a gmail address. Right now all you want to do is print this document, but I though this would be a good opportunity to show you how I made it available to you.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">First log onto your gmail account</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Then go onto <a href="https://docs.google.com/" target="_blank">google docs </a> or 'drive' (see those little squares? click there.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Click on the red button to create a document</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Write or paste the text.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Save by clicking 'share'</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When prompted, open it up to everyone or a select few</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Copy the link that is given to you and place it as a link on your website or blog. </span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When you upload a document on Google doc, and then click on the uploaded document it becomes a an internet address or URL (meaning that it starts with http//:)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So here it is, tadah! a pdf document you and other can now print and work with.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The best way for a document or a link to be discovered by search engines and therefore to come up on google searches is to attach a detailed description of that document or link, describing it the way someone might look it up on google. So this document is about <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7q-Jp4W2_yuaXdkSFV2c1JiREk/edit" target="_blank">your beliefs as a writer</a>. (So I highlighted this sentence, clicked on link and pasted the URL of my PDF.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Here is the pdf. Print it and fill it out, and use it as a worksheet to observes your firmly held beliefs, assumptions and certainties about you as a writer, as an author, about the publishing industry, about publishing in general. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Many of those could be crippling you into inaction. So it is important to take a look at them.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Please take a calm moment out of your day and fill this form.</span>corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1482211244749743111.post-85065866108714250442012-11-27T16:39:00.001-08:002014-10-28T10:08:52.442-07:00What to write on a first blog post<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Today is January 4th, with the new year came the resolution to start this blog. I set it up in a hurry and plan on making it look prettier over time, but there is no present like the gift, and this is why it's called the hurry up already and get it started. (I think the precise quote is: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">"Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today is a Gift, Thats why it's called the Present."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So what do you write about in a first post? Bah, don't sweat it. Something on your mind. Anything really. The stakes aren't high. So what if this post isn't witty and all around genius. There is always tomorrow's post, right?</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">The point is: get started.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Here is what is on my mind (pertaining to self-publishing) I just downloaded and spent $9.99 on the latest self-publishing 'how to' on Kindle. </span>APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur—How to Publish a Book by Guy Kawasaki and Shaw something.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"> (sorry no links and accuracy today I am in a rush) I'm working on a book to help writers turn to self publishing authors, so the least I can do is buy the competition and learn some tips and look for anything I've been missing, anything I've been doing wrong. I scanned through the book in a couple of hours looking for juicy bits about marketing and especially PR, and finally here it came, the thrilling moment where they tell you how <u>they</u> did it:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"PR: We hired a PR team to launch APE even though Shawn and I have many relationships with the press and bloggers."</span></span><br />
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My thought is ahem.... Did I just spend ten bucks to be told to hire a PR firm?</span><br />
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No... not just that. For $9.99 I also learned this: </span><br />
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"Eat like a hummingbird, poop like an elephant. Read voraciously outside your area of expertise. Attend conferences and trade shows that have (ostensibly) nothing to do with your niche. Think of ways to apply other niches to yours. And then spread your knowledge— don’t keep it to yourself. Wondering about the bird and elephant? If humans had the metabolic rate of a hummingbird, we’d ingest 150,000 calories per day, and elephants poop 150 pounds per day. That’s how much information you should consume and pass along. "</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Okay now they've got me worried. I immediately visualized a poor little humming bird having to... wow... for all of us who've have the unfortunate pigeon experience, can you imagine this delicate fluttering things passing over your head and BHAM! gigantic elephant poop explosion...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xLOnl6aSFtlCAidgUThyYkD5kNmSNCbC2ZWQvcd5Z0qlX9knNop6YmGj2nDDzeJE5DbypJoGG1adzkkaQf0fdUCdqifW2SlMP_Gj2qBlnWRAXIGgYs-iwyi9wr_iPMBHVDN9DtoBqBY/s1600/elephant+on+the+potty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xLOnl6aSFtlCAidgUThyYkD5kNmSNCbC2ZWQvcd5Z0qlX9knNop6YmGj2nDDzeJE5DbypJoGG1adzkkaQf0fdUCdqifW2SlMP_Gj2qBlnWRAXIGgYs-iwyi9wr_iPMBHVDN9DtoBqBY/s320/elephant+on+the+potty.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This is the least objectionable picture of elephant poop I could find on the internet. Here is the <a href="http://www.funlol.com/1669/Elephant_Size_Poop!.html" target="_blank">source</a></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">All this to say that, no. This is spinning your wheel. I don't want to consume and pass along mega amounts of crap. I want to do my work in my little corner, produce the books I am capable of producing, at my own pace and I will stay as far away as possible from conferences and trade shows because they suck and I am not the kind of person who smoozes. I want to connect in a meaningful way with readers and writers. I cannot be and will never be the person they describe in APE. I will never be that super hero they define as Author, Publisher Entrepreneur. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I won't be. I don't need to be. And neither do you. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(By the way, do you get the sense that this makes me mad? It does.)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Reading this APE book cemented my conviction that most books on self publishing are written by, and for those self confident go getters that we admire, envy and fear. The rest of us get a headache as we contemplate the road ahead. We want to give up before we even start. We don't even know where to start. I'm hoping this blog can help the insecure writer, the self doubting writer, the introverted writer. The others are already doing very well as it is. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Look up under this blog title for the 'how to navigate this blog' tab, or just <a href="http://outofthedrawerintotheworld.blogspot.com/p/how-to-navigate-this-blog-welcome-to-all.html" target="_blank">click here to get started</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Additional note of writing a first post: Sometimes you regret what you wrote on your blog. For example, this post is way snarky. I don't want to be that person. I can just delete and no one will ever know my bitchy side. But I am leaving it here just to share the process. To self-censor or not to self-censor. That is often the question. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>corinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12752871210851803525noreply@blogger.com0