Category: Self-publishing

Harness The Power of Audible! — Derek Barton, 2025

Self-publishing

The ease of access and the availability of audiobooks have increased dramatically over the recent years. The potential to reach more readers and have increased sales is too critical for you as a writer not to explore. In his article, Audiobook Statistics by Market Size, Sales and Demographics, Pramrod Pawar of Coolest-Gadgets.com states: 

  • In 2022, audiobook sales in the United States generated over USD 1.81 billion.
  • The number of US adults listening to audiobooks has more than doubled in the past 10 years.
  • Younger people are more likely to consume audiobooks, with 57% of Americans under 50 listening to audiobooks in 2021.
  • Mystery and Thriller are the top genres, enjoyed by 55% of listeners.
  • Science Fiction and Fantasy are also popular, with 48% of listeners enjoying these genres.

On a personal note, as a new author, I never thought I could have an audiobook version of my book. The investment costs and finding quality talent were quite daunting. However, when I took the plunge and started the ball rolling, I found the whole experience very rewarding and valuable. My story became a “play inside my mind” when I listened to the audio version for the first time. The Elude series is my best-selling books and I credit the audio version for the reason why!

So first, you create your account on ACX.com (a division of Amazon.com). Then you’ll need to “Claim Your Title” which is a button found at the bottom of the screen. You can use your book’s title, your author name, or the ISBN to bring up your book. From the list provided, you should then be able to see and select your book.

  • Decision #1: Are you going to work with a narrator or use previously recorded files. 

Here you will need to decide if you are open to getting narrator auditions or if you want to go with a known narrator (someone you have already contacted and worked out an agreement for them to do your story) OR if you have narrated the story yourself and already have a prepared file. ACX does have very specific requirements and quality expectations. (Here is the link to those standard expectations.) Be sure to review those and match them before submitting your story for Quality approval.

  • Decision #2: what kind of narrator do you want?

ACX has literally thousands of voice actors waiting to audition and willing to work hard on your story. To narrow down the list, they have filters for genre, language, accent, voice age, vocal style, and location. These will help you to select the few actors you want to reach out to directly. I’d recommend maybe a dozen to start. You will also get auditions sent to you if you want. 

  • Decision #3: what kind of financing amount are you willing to invest in the project?

One other key aspect you’ll want to determine is how you want to pay for the narrator’s service. Professional narrators can charge $200 to 400 per recorded hour upfront. One recorded hour is around 9,000 words. If you cannot afford that, another possibility is what is called Royalty Share. Amazon decides on the total sale price of the audiobook and then takes 60% of the retail price. The remaining 40% royalty is then split between you and the narrator for each sale. When you filter for narrators, you can set it to show only Royalty Share, Royalty Share Plus (narrators who will share the royalties as before but want a little extra upfront too), or Pay Per Hour Costs (ranging from $50 to $1000 per hour). 

  • Decision #4: working through the auditions and finding the right voice for your story.

It is very important you find the right person to tell your story. I know I have stopped listening to a story if I didn’t like the voice. Many other readers will too. The voice captures the reader’s attention and brings the story to life in a whole new way. You will get all sorts of types of actors and auditions. I have even gotten auditions read with very heavy accents or even “broken English” which is not at all what I was looking for. Be kind, be tactful, but be honest and know what you want. Once the recording is finished and published, it is extremely difficult to get corrections or changes made!  

  • Decision #5: determine due dates of the 15-min sample and when the final recording is due.

Once you have contacted the narrator that you like and they have agreed to do the project, you will send them a business contract through ACX. It will stipulate the payment plan and the due dates. Normally, I give the narrator one to three months to produce the recording based on the size of the project. The 15-minute sample is a recording the narrator will make and send to you showcasing their tone, pacing, accents, etc. This is a binding business contract but if I have a good relationship with the narrator, I will give them leeway for personal events like illness or other life disruptions. If you rush or pressure the narrator, it could impact the quality of the production. Should you and the narrator have any serious issues or conflicts, you can contact ACX Support to end the contract and stop the production. It is a hassle so be sure you really want to go that route. 

  • Decision #6: Approve and submit to Audible for their approval. Carefully review the audio files listening for mistakes, word omits, mispronunciations, file recording glitches. The narrator can send you the work chapter by chapter or they may send it all at once. I like to review as they go in order to stop errors from being repeated throughout the book (i.e. mispronounced names, etc). The narrator is expected to read and perform the writing as closely as possible. To reach a bigger audience, some readers look for a feature called Sync (formerly Whispersync) which allows a reader to go from listening to Audible to reading in Kindle and then back to Audible without losing their place in the book. That feature requires the narrator to be at least 96% accurate. 

Of course, there may be other considerations and/or minor decisions you will have to make during this process, but I hope I have taken away some of the mystery and fog hiding this key market from new writers. It’s been a great addition to my work and helped me reach even more readers.

Has Your Journey Become A Maze? — Derek Barton -2024

Self-publishing

I get asked a lot by aspiring new writers, where do I go next? “The manuscript is done and I’m ready to put it out in the world. But… I don’t know how.”

Completely understand that lost sensation. You’ve done the hard put, but you didn’t think beyond the draft. It’s an overwhelming and daunting challenge. Some find it easier to “hide it right here in my drawer. Someday, I’ll get back to it.” In other words, you feel safer if you don’t even try.

But that seems like such a tragedy to me! You’re so close to the goal. I want to help. Here is a sample of the guest blog I did for Phoenix Oasis Press detailing my template on the next steps forward (be sure to click on the link at the bottom for the complete blog):

I FINISHED MY FIRST DRAFT… NOW WHAT?

Written by Derek Barton

In front of you on your desk sits a stack of accumulated pages. The culmination of your blood, sweat, and tears, your finished draft sits patiently. It stares up at you, waiting for you to do something with it. It sits and stares. And sits some more. All while you ponder, ‘what do I do now?’ 

While I don’t have all the answers, I have been in your shoes. Last night, I completed my first round of edits on my seventeenth novel. If you plan to independently publish your work – meaning you handle everything and are in full charge of your artwork, pricing, and sales – read on for some tips to help you move forward. 

Note that this template / process works well for me. I offer it as a starting point for you to personalize to your goals and journey.

Step 1: Editing

Everyone needs an editor. No one’s work is clean, error-free, and perfect out of the gate. But before you jump into editing, take a month or two off from your manuscript. Set it aside and give yourself some mental distance. When you go back to it, you’ll approach it with fresh eyes and an open mind to improvements. 

Free online tools

Free online editing services like Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and ProWriting Aid can help keep your prose concise, clear to the reader, and develop strong reader engagement in your work. Programs like this will highlight areas of improvement including: 

  • Sentence structure – fragments, run-ons, or overly complex sentences 
  • Identifying passive voice
  • Flagging over-used or repetitive word choices
  • Highlighting weakeners – adverbs and phrases like ‘I think,’ ‘maybe,’ ‘really,’ ‘just’

Alpha reader

Alpha readers are readers or other writers you trust who have interest or experience with writing in your genre. Expect an alpha reader to give you a better, well-informed review of your work where they point out plot holes, missing or unaccounted characters, and jumbled timelines. Prepare yourself for navigating alpha (and any kind of) feedback, and also be clear about what you would like the reader to look for. Here are tips on how to do that!

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE THE FULL BLOG.

Enjoy!! I truly hope this helps and gives you some direction and hope in your journey forward.

Breaking Out — Finding The Keys To Get Noticed – Derek Barton, 2024

Self-publishing

Every day it is said that at Amazon, two thousand new books are published each day!

Often new authors ask, how do I get noticed in all that? How can I get my head above the flood? Well…I’m still trying to figure that out myself! But I have a couple of suggestions and personal experiences that I can pass along which might help you like they have helped me.

One technique is networking. Much like marketing, when you begin your journey in writing, you never fully anticipate the other aspects to being a writer. I had no idea on how to begin or how to initiate networking! Writing now is far more than simply telling a tale. That’s almost the easiest part!

There are many roles you have to take on after you’ve written the manuscript. Editor, marketer, salesman, and ad designer are only a few of the things you’ll need to learn or…find people who are or are willing to work with you. Thus, networking can be a valuable resource. I had great fortune to meet one writer/editor who was willing to share her rules and guidelines for editing. It helped me so much knowing as I wrote what to already watch out for and it saved me time on avoiding those mistakes in the early drafts.

Or another benefit for reaching out and building relationships is you meet others going through the same issues. They may have had success in an area and can give you tips or tricks that moved them forward.

Through networking you can also find opportunities! I have been able to work with some other great authors this way. Tie into an anthology. This not only gets your writing more exposure but allows you some valuable time with people in your field.

One other opportunity I found was I could offer help to others with their early work. One author I’m currently helping needs assistance in formatting. For a small fee, I’m helping him at the same time getting money I can put towards an ad campaign to sell my work!

Another network bonus is your readership or fan base can build from it. When you’re work is published with other writers, the other author’s readership gets to read your writing. This will often lead to new crossover fans. It benefits everyone involved.

The other technique I’ve learned from experience to get ahead is joining a writing group. Not only will this give you an idea of what is trending in writing and with readers, but it will give you fresh perspectives on similar problems. You share in the group things you are encountering or writing blocks, etc. You can often get advice or maybe leads on how to work out a writing issue, find motivation and inspiration, or even more opportunities to partner in collaborations and anthologies.

My current writing group, called Shut Up & Write meets weekly and provides me a dedicated hour each week that I am free of distractions, a place where no one will interrupt me, and makes me write – no way to give myself an excuse not to write.

In this day and age of the infinite internet, it is easy to get sidetracked.

Plus with this group, we have decided to work on an anthology and pool our resources to get published. We are even going to try to submit our work in competitions or award contests.

So these two minor but powerful techniques have lead me to a couple of anthologies that will be published this year and the next, given me time and discussions with a lot of writers some smaller, some bigger than me and it’s led me to getting exposure on author pod casts!

All has been a rewarding, fantastic boost in my personal journey in writing.

I highly recommend that everyone find a way to network (social media platforms like Facebook, instagram, and X are great ways to start!). And if you have free time, use it to advance your career by joining a writing group. They can provide incredible advice or even an outlet for feedback! Don’t overlook the fact that many groups can offer Zoom meetings and won’t require you to commute. Meetup.com is a great resource to find local established groups.

My Endless Debate Over Editing — Derek Barton-2023

Self-publishing

There isn’t a writer out there that hasn’t been beaten over the head about why professional editing is essential. And for the most part I agree, good editing can be pivotal to the success of your story and the impact your book will have in sales.

Where my biggest dilemma stems from is cost vs results. In other words, for beginning writers or small press, indie writers like me face the daunting bill of $.02 to $.05 a WORD charged by professional editors. My first novel was over a 100,000 word count. Can you see the picture I’m painting here?

For another example: In 2019, I produced my horror-suspense series called ELUDE. To date, it’s sold close to 500 copies (sad, but true!). With Amazon/Audible royalties roughly $1.50 per sale, I garnered close to $750. At 80,000 words x .02 (the cheapest rate) = $1,600 investment! Difference -$850. How many businesses would stay open if they made no money and lost over half their investment? Yes, there is a great argument that a poorly written book will not sell, but a masterpiece never seen is just as unlikely to do well.

You have to ask yourself, are you honestly going to sell enough books to make that up? Did having that editing help you generate more sales?

Now factor in marketing and advertising costs to increase sales. The marketing campaign budgets are money pits. Also consider the other costs like what you pay for a book cover artist. Thus, the deeper in the debt rabbit hole you go.

With today’s technology, the unlimited amount of knowledge, and writing craft available online or on YouTube, this is easily the best time to be a writer. Yet, the immense competition and the investment required… makes it overwhelming for beginners. All I’m saying is don’t expect Stephen King royalty checks. It can happen and a few have that lightning strike, but for the thousands of us who have new books every day on Amazon, I have to wonder is it worth it.

Pros….

Top reasons for an editor:

**Professional editors may have the experience and expertise to help you perfect your manuscript. 

**Their main purpose is to assist you with ways the story content can be revised or improved, such as structure, clarity, and flow. 

**Editors will help prevent grammatical errors. 

**They can ensure that the tone of your writing is consistent and and the narrative is appropriate and on point. 

**They can highlight or point out potential plot holes or provide creative solutions to keep readers invested in your story. 

**Some editors may be tuned into changing trends in literature, and can help you adapt to those trends.

Cons….

Top reasons for not going with an editor:

**The cost of hiring professional editing services can extend or exhaust any budget.

**The process can delay and cost a great deal of extra time to the publication process.

**Hiring an editor requires good judgement in order to make sure the person you choose is the right fit for the job — so it’s important to know your reader and to know who will have similar ideas on how to relate to those readers.

**Some editors may challenge your work and push you to think differently or come up with ideas you don’t agree with. They may also not take into consideration the nuances of a particular industry or domain.

**Some services might not be available for projects that are considered ‘niche’ or ‘difficult’. This may time and money to research and acquire a specialized editor.

**Professional editors may not be willing to “think outside the box” and be open to creative liberties with your work.

**They may also require you to enter into a contractual agreement, which could lead to disputes or costly litigation.

**Some editors will not have a “bedside manner” and can demoralize or even defeat your motivation. Be ready for that and try to have a thick skin, just like when you read reviews. Truth can be brutal…

Technology has also handed us widely used alternatives. A great way to see how easy your content is to read is the Hemingwayapp.com. It also gives you tips to avoid over using words or watering down your work with adverbs.

Or to knock out simple errors with punctuation, grammar or typos, I use the free Grammarly.com editor.

To be sure you have understood or provided the exact facts, ChatGPT has become a new tool to fact-check in your arsenal.

Overall, I believe it is a case of your individual judgment and your level of expertise. And it may be a case where you need feedback or want the extra eyes upon your work before it heads out the door.

It is a sad fact that sales are a numbers game. You may have excellent, edited prose that shines on the paper like Mark Twain wrote it himself, but if no one sees it buried in the new book landslides that hit Amazon every day…

What we need are editors for small time writers like me! I want editing but it’s hard to warrant the investment. Editors that accept lower rates can be found on Fiverr.com, but of course buyer beware and use common sense — read their reviews and see if they’ll be the one worth your dime.

Thus, it’s my endless debate. What do you think? Do you have points out arguments that I’ve not considered leaving you one way or another? Love to hear any comments or ideas!

The Essential Elements of Book Covers — Derek Barton – 2018

Self-publishing

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When there are hundreds of new books traditionally published or self-published on a daily basis, how will your work stand out?

When a reader scans through the Amazon or Kindle online sites and spends one to two seconds on your novel’s image, how will you keep their attention?

These are just two of the critical questions you should ask yourself and give serious thought to when it comes to your book’s cover.  The easiest way to make or lose sales depends on how you present your novel.

It is just that simple, and yet, IMPORTANT.

I have possibly two or three of my own works coming out this year so I wanted to be sure I had all the available tools and weapons from the industry at my disposal.  Thus, for the last month, I have been reading articles, documenting notes and discovering just what the professionals consider a “professional book cover”.  What were the keys to the “best” covers and what are the strikes that torpedo cover art?

Here are some of the laws or elements that the professionals have suggested and I have outlined here for you!  They are broken down into three subjects:  Overall Principles, Style and Typesetting.

Overall Principles:

  • Keep it simple!
  • Let the cover “breathe” —  keep the cover open and not crowded.   If they don’t know what to focus on, they are just going to skip past it.
  • Use no more than three different colors and include black, white, or grey.  
  • Focus on a theme or emotion.  Relate it to what your story is about.  This is your novel’s billboard after all!
  • Find good imagery.  Don’t use anything blurry or cluttered which can confuse the reader and make them move on.

 

Style:

  • Place a darkened border around the edges to make the cover POP or stand out.
  • Beware using centered text as it creates a “wineglass effect”.  This effect has become cliché and earmarked as amateurish.
  • Create an imaginary box for implied margins.  All your words, titles and names should stay within the box and not go to the edge of your page.
  • Consider “ghosted boxes” or page divisions for text.  This can help keep fonts colors from blending or contrasting with your image colors.
  • Composition – make a grid of your cover and keep in mind the placement of each item.  This will prevent clusters or odd centering issues.

 

Typesetting:

  • Limit your cover to as few typefaces as you can.  The fewer fonts you have the more simplistic, cleaner look.
  • Avoid script and calligraphy typefaces!  If the title or YOUR NAME is hard to read, then what is the point?  I broke this one myself on my first book cover version — It may look awesome to you, but if the reader cannot tell what it says, then no one will care what it says.
  • Distressed text should not have uniform letters.  If your font looks like it has marbling, be sure that there isn’t consistent marbling in each letter or it will not look natural.
  • Don’t stretch or condense words!
  • Kern your text – letter spacing.  Kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, usually to achieve a visually pleasing result.  It will also prevent your words from being misinterpreted.

As I stated above, these are just the most consistent laws or elements discussed when describing the fundamentals to book cover art that I have found.  There are other factors that can produce or reduce sales.  And sometimes there are “break out” covers that will not adhere to these rules and are very successful.  It all comes down to fan judgment and book sales success to really know if you scored well on your book cover design.

I truly hope that this is beneficial to your own book cover creations and if you have a suggestion or an element that you would suggest, feel free to comment.

 

Lost Within the Trees… — Derek Barton

Self-publishing

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Are you ready to step out of the inky shadows, march down the twisted path and stride boldly into the shining sunlight?

In other words, your first novel has gone through a dozen  rewrites and you’ve made all the adjustments recommended by your book critiques (either from professionals or beta-readers) –  so what exactly is your next move?

Well, be prepared!  Not only will you have to sell your work of art, but it is now time to sell YOU!

M A R K E T I N G

Ugh… That word alone causes an immediate case of cold shivers down the spine to most of us new indie writers.  I know that I had no real idea what to do.  Even up through today, I am still looking out for new ideas, original techniques or alternative options to get my book and my name out there.

Now questions you will need to ask yourself are:

  • what are your expectations with the marketing?
  • what are your resources?
  • what are the outcomes that you want and are they realistic?

If your expectations are to get immediate sales and fame, that’s not too likely.  I am seeing that many writers have to play a slow game of “If I write it, the readers will come… eventually.”

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Word of mouth and a variety of original works will gain you a loyal fan reader base.  If you appeal to different types of readers that can also help grow your share of readers.

What about your resources?  Are you financially able to invest in your work?  Can you afford to market or advertise?  Everyone’s budget varies of course and there is no set answer on that.  Just because you throw a ton of money at the wall will not guaranty success, but on the other end if you don’t put anything into getting your name out there, you run the risk of being obscured in the blur of thousands of new published books every year.  Another new name among a mountain of new names.

The outcomes or the payoff for all this marketing can bring you readers or it can also bring you some new opportunities.  I haven’t seen any true financial boost (yet!), but that could be an option.  Marketing is a gamble and it’s a gamble on you and your writing. When you decide what you want to do, you also have to decide what is going to satisfy you.  You are investing time, money and your own name for the sake of your story. On what level do you say that your marketing has been successful and fulfilling or at what point do you stop, redirect your efforts?  Those are answers you will have to work out yourself.

Personally (and I always try to share with you the avenues I took that worked or didn’t work for me), I researched a lot online, read a ton of blogs, bought multiple books for marketing and strived to figure out what I felt I could do, afford and what I wanted from all of this.  Sure I want thousands of readers and the life of a famous writer (why not?!), but that is a lofty goal for a lifetime not a goal for just one book from a first-time indie writer.

I don’t have the money for commercials or making Youtube ads, but maybe you do and that can be an option for you.  Again, investing and marketing is a unique path for each person.

By the way, the biggest mistake the experts are saying that newbies make is paying to have their book reviewed by a site or company.  There are tons of ways  to get your work reviewed for free — just means you will be doing a lot of emailing or posting (begging) readers, family or friends to write them for you. Or you can make arrangements with beta-readers — send them a free book for a promise of a book review.  Why big push for review and feedback?  Reviews will sell your book on Amazon and other sites.

The best advice and the most stated advice I have seen is to utilize Social Media outlets and make sound uses of them!

Get your name, profile, bio and blurbs about your books on each of these sites:

  • Facebook (business author page)
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Goodreads
  • Amazon Author page
  • AND MAKE YOUR OWN AUTHOR WEBSITE/BLOG

These will get your name, face and books in front of thousands of readers.  Will these viewers all immediately want to read every word you have written?  No, of course not, but it will reach a lot more than you’d be able to do on a daily basis by yourself.

Make good use of them by posting often about your work, give samples for readers to read of upcoming work or from published works already available for sale, share inside views of what it takes to produce your writing and be sure to announce where you are going to be for book signings.

One tip I followed recently that has paid off pretty well for me was Book Giveaways.  On Goodreads.com, I posted a Goodreads Giveaway for a few signed books and this has generated a ton of interests in not just readers wanting free books, but I have over half the contest entrants placing my book now on a “want to read” list.

Another outlet for me will be book signings and comicon appearances.  This is a fantastic way to get media on you (nothing is more exciting than seeing your name on an event website as a “guest appearing author”!) and it’s an easy way to meet fans and build an honest and lasting fan base.

If reaching out and sharing your story is the most important goal for your writing then you have to do the hard work of getting that attention.  The amount of effort you put into your marketing will be a key factor in your own success.

Likely you went down the road of self-publishing like I did because you didn’t want to waste any more time waiting for some literary agent or traditional publishing house to give you, “an unknown”, a chance.  In these times, it probably just doesn’t make “business” sense for them to market you…  Is that fair?  NO!!  Is it the world?  Yeah… at least for now.

And because you have decided you aren’t going to wait for them, that means that you are the Marketing Department.  You are responsible for it all.  Now get busy!

Hopefully, I have cut down on some of your own marketing research and given you some helpful direction.  Some of this may be obvious or maybe some of this might be the spark you needed.  Either way, I wish you all the luck and blessings in your endeavors into the Murky Forest of Marketing!

 

One Thousand Questions… — Derek Barton

Self-publishing, Writing Tips

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As I stated in my last blog, After You Have Climbed The Mountain…, I wanted to share some of the lessons I have learned about self-publishing and some factors to watch out for and consider how to deal with.

You finally have gotten your manuscript to its glorious, untouchable near-perfect state with edit after edit, beta-readers and even professional reviews (if you have taken my advice and gotten a professional copy editor).

Now what?

At this point you have to decide what direction you will want to take and who you are going to involve with your great work of art.

You may not realize just yet, but you will have a lot of questions ahead that you must take some time with and you will need to make some definite decisions. There are many paths you can take, but the good news is, I didn’t find that there are “wrong” answers to the following questions. I found that there are just different experiences and outcomes you can have with your various choices.

Here is the list of some of the critical questions that we can get into and work through together:

  • Who is going to design your book’s cover art?
  • Are you going to seek out local artists?
  • Are you going to seek out professionals?
  • Are you going to do it yourself?
  • What do you want as a cover?
  • Are you going for an actual scene from your book?
  • If so, which one and which one do you use that won’t give away too much of your story and/or mislead the readers?
  • Which publishing site am I going to use?
  • Do I want to use more than one?
  • Am I going with Amazon/Createspace first?
  • Or am I going with Nook (Barnes&Noble) first?
  • Do I sell my work through Kindle?
  • Do I want just ebooks or do I also want actual hardbound or paperback copies?
  • If I want the actual product in hand, how much do I order?
  • Do I have the money to invest?
  • Do I have a place to keep the inventory?
  • How do I sell my work?
  • What price line do I shoot for?
  • Do I give my work away free at first?
  • Do I do contests, advertising and/or giveaways?
  • What are some of the best ways to market and get my name out there?

I didn’t lie to you when I said that you have many considerations ahead. And NO, I do not have all the best answers and the best techniques. I just have my own experiences and results to share with you.

So going in order of the questions presented I will share my experience and what I decided.  Hopefully, this will give you even more insight and information to which you can make your own choices.

Who is going to design your book’s cover art? Are you going to seek out local artists? Are you going to seek out professionals? Are you going to do it yourself?

I really lucked out here. My cover art for Consequences Within Chaos was designed by a good friend Daniel Thomas of Dark Art Komics, who is also a professional comic book/graphic novel artist. You can check out his work here: Daniel Thomas — Dark Art Komics.

Before Daniel reached out to me, I went with a site you might have heard of called Fiverr.com.  I won’t say outright that this was a bad idea. For anyone who is not familiar with it, the site is set up to offer low cost solutions for editing, cover book art work and many other services from all over the world. Most of their representatives offer $5 packages or higher value deals for their work. I tried it as I am always dirt poor and wanted to see just what $5 cover work I would get.

The artist that I selected asked in email for what I was looking for. I detailed that my novel centered around a royal family in a medieval fantasy prepping for an oncoming war. What I got back was comical if not tragic. She sent me a cover with three soldiers silhouetted in black in a field holding what I am guessing were sub-machine guns. Insert #faceinpalm here! As I stated above, this site I am sure works for some and I am sure if you went with a higher value package you could “get what you pay for”.

Anyway, I know that not everyone knows an artist or has that sort of connection that I just happened to have. In my own research, I found some articles on the web that offered some other possible good resources to find your own cover artist. You could check out the local colleges to search for student artists that might work with you on a cheap basis. You could also go on to websites like Craigslist and advertise for an artist. Or you might go on web forums and speak with other writers to see who might be able to offer you a direction or a lead.

One thing to keep in mind is that you need to be flexible with what you are looking for, be patient and take some time to know what you would like to use on your cover.   The more details you can offer the artist the better. Having several options in mind would also be a good idea. Remember that your cover is your “first impression” with the reader and it definitely has to be eye-catching and stand out, especially when you are competing with thousands of other new books that come out each year.

The biggest lesson to learn for new and first time writers is that there is still a lot of work to do with the novel after you have completed writing it. I have only scratched the surface of the questions I have presented to you, but I will go over more in my next blog.

I will submit to  you as a self-published novelist, that this ride is so worth the work and effort. Take the time to think of your options as this is your baby.  Dress her up nice!

You are in for a helluva ride and an exciting experience. And it will get even easier the next go-around. PROMISE!

After You Have Climbed The Mountain… — Derek Barton

Self-publishing, Writing Tips

 

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Back in July when I first created this site and began to delve into writing blogs, I stated I also wanted to “share the wealth” of what I experienced and learned in my own journey into self-publishing. This is the first in my series of doing just that: giving you the readers a behind-the-scenes look into the steps involved and the resources that are out there.

The first step without a doubt is the most crucial and difficult task ahead: your manuscript. This is the main reason you are even writing after all and this is the focus point of every reader, editor or publisher that comes across your work.

Why you ask is the manuscript the most difficult part? Besides the obvious fact that you will want a compelling, provocative work that leaves your readers breathless and wanting even more. It is a top priority because there are so many working parts and a multitude of intricate details involved that have to be precise.

What I mean by that is if you want to be taken serious as a writer and by the industry, be trusted by your readers and/or fans, you have to produce value as well as art. Your manuscript cannot be riddled with mistakes, typos or grammatical errors.

Not only will your error be an eye-sore that some readers will not be able to overlook or forgive, it automatically defeats the very purpose of what you are doing: immersing the reader into your world.

If the reader comes across an error or typo in your prose, it is more likely that instead of continuing to read, that they are spending their time deciphering what you actually meant or determining what the real word you were wanting to use. In other words, instead of being right beside your hero as he paces in indecision in front of the creature’s lair and the reader is wondering whether your hero will brave the shadows ahead and face possible horrific death, a giant hand comes down snatches them right off the land of fantasy and right back into their grim desk chair of reality!

I spent three years off and on writing my first book, Consequences Within Chaos. However, when I was at the end, I quickly found out that this was not the conclusion I expected! No, what I faced was a ton of work ahead in editing and proofreading. It was as if I had struggled up the side of a huge mountain only to face a vast ocean on the other side before I could get home.  In fact, I spent another two years editing and reworking my book. Every time I thought “okay, now I am ready to have this sucker published!” I would find or a beta-reader would find an ugly, glaring error.

The main reason we as writers are not able to see these pesky word-gremlins ourselves is due to the fact that we are too emotionally tied to the work. We are blind to the little flaws of our work just like every parent feels unconditional love and pride in everything our own children accomplish. We know what we meant even if we didn’t actually convey it correctly on the page. Our brains fill in the missing words or even corrects the spelling in our minds so fast that we are literally just smart enough to get ourselves into trouble!

What can be done to fight this dilemma?  The best advice is to have it done by a trusted professional.

Is it cheap? NO WAY! The industry standard is relatively around $.02 to $.04 a word.

Will this prevent you from tarnishing your reputation, save you embarrassment and give you that polished, professional story?  Yes.

What if you are like me and on an extremely tight budget? Then you have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to have a clean manuscript and a work that you can be proud that your name is on. As I said, it took me two years of several full revisions, a lot of work with other writers (trading books for review), several rounds of beta-readers and tons of research and studying writing craft articles.

I am very pleased and happy with my work, but in complete honesty, I am also aware that I would have saved time and effort using a professional editing service. I am currently developing my sequel which I fully intend to submit to an editor this time.

There are certain elements to self-publishing that you can work on a DIY model, but there are other elements that truly require dedicated professionals. This is just one of the lessons I have learned and I am passing along here.