A to Z Blogging Challenge: Q

Don't forget to visit more posts in the 2013 A to Z Blogging Challenge as we near the end of the third week of blogging frenzy. Read on to learn one more way I'm going to strive for more success in my writing career as I make it my full time job starting in June.

Q: Question. I have some basic computer skills but I'm far from computer literate. There are so many things I don't know how to do. I won't go into a long list here, because I know some of you experts out there will know and put your answer in the comment. In the hustle and bustle of A to Z, I might not write it down or have the time to try it. Starting in June, I'm going to use my friends to add a little know-how to my blogs.

Online friends have helped me in the past with things such as ways to improve my blog and make it more readable. Another friend helped me when I self-pubbed one of my books. There's more to the list but what I've learned in the past is that this is a community where someone will know the answer to just about any question you have about writing, promotion and publishing. I'm going to be asking more questions on how to do all those things I have no clue about.

What questions have online friends helped you answer? Have you offered any advice or expertise lately?

At the Library

When The Keepers of Sulbreth was first released, like many other authors, I made sure those google alerts came to my mail box. I googled the title nearly every day, looking for reviews, searching for the independent stores who had stocked my title. It was fun, exciting and sometimes surprising. One of the things that surprised me was the number of libraries across the country where my book turned up on their list of titles, including my own county library.

In the past year, I've rediscovered my local library and enjoyed many books I wouldn't have read if I would have had to buy them. Lots of new authors were added to my list of 'read everything they write.'



Kansas City Public Library

But since I parted ways with the press that published Keepers for me and took the self pub route for the rest of the series, I won't ever see the next three books of The Futhark Chronicles in my local library.  I miss that and I've heard library sales are very big indicators of a book's success. 

I often look for my bloggy friends' books at the library also. Most of them are not there. The self pubs don't surprise me, but I think I should find some of those books published by small independent presses.

Does your library carry books by small, independent publishers? Do they carry self pubbed books? Do you make good use of your local library? 

It's Out There

The American Dream.  The recent economy has presented many challenges to the idea anyone can achieve their heart's desire if they work hard enough.  I wonder soon if that dream will be whittled down to being about to fill my car with gas.  My oldest son is wondering if he'll be able to afford the house he's going to look at tomorrow.  We both work hard, not only at our day jobs but at our extra jobs.

For him, that's coaching, painting with his father and just about any other odd job that comes up he can make money at while still attending grad school on weekends. During the day he is a teacher. I also teach and do a number of small extra duties that earn me a few dollars by tutoring.  But my biggest 'extra' job is my writing.

You can guess since I'm not retired from teaching, I'm not pulling in a big income from being a published author.  The business is tough, time-consuming and not for the faint-hearted or anyone who isn't very self-motivated.  And some days when I'm doing some blog hopping or checking out what my friends are up to on facebook, I wonder if I'm working hard enough.  As the publishing industry scrambles, stumbles, runs and trips over itself to keep up with the changes brought on by technology, opportunities abound for those ready to leap on the speeding missile of progress.  Am I running fast enough to make the leap or will I fall behind?  Success is out there somewhere, if only I can work hard enough and fast enough to grab the opportunities I'm told are available.

Do you feel like you're keeping up?  Or are the changes too fast for you? And guesses on the future?

Insecure Writer in September

We all have some things in this business that makes our stomachs a little queasy.  For me the list is pretty long and I'm sure I'll have more than enough material to keep up with our monthly sharing of what causes us stress and discomfort.  Thanks, Alex Cavanaugh, for getting out all together.

If you're not interested in my problems, here is a link to the list of other insecure writers sharing their headaches, woes and also the expertise to help each other.

My insecurity this month isn't a little thing. It's a huge one.  I'm getting ready to publish my first book using Kindle Direct Publishing.  Though I manage to do lots of basic things on my computer, I really don't know my way around it. I'm extremely intimidated by the task in front of me. 

A few writer friends have given me starting points and I've ran off copies of the instructions from Amazon but I'm still dithering about jumping into this project.  Do I have my manuscript formatted correctly? Have I done enough editing? What have I gotten myself into? Should I pay someone to help me with the first time?

How Do I Get There?

More and more authors are investigating the self-publishing route.  I only know a few bare bones about it, but tomorrow I'll have a guest who really knows what she's doing.  Maria Zannini will be my guest expert tomorrow.  I hope you'll visit while she shares a timeline from idea to publication.  How long does it take to do all the preparation and then get that book up on Amazon?  Maria will tell us. You'll also get a look on the book she worked so hard to produce, The Devil to Pay.

Have you self-published? How long did it take you?

O: Out of Print

I've known authors who have had book rights returned to them and been informed the book is now 'out of print.'  At one time this might have brought sadness and tears.  Today having an older book returned to an author's power can be a cause for rejoicing.  A writer can use the many self-publishing venues on Amazon to make more money from a book already completed and edited.

Most new contracts have clauses claiming every possible type of right for a book and with the shelf life of ebooks being forever, publishers want to keep those rights for just as long.  But many authors are making the decision not to sign on the line and extend their contracts for their books published before the ebook surge took off.  Why give their rights back to a publisher who will take a huge chunk of the profits and do almost no promotion for the book? 

Out of print doesn't mean the end of a book anymore.  Very often a book is not going to print at all and will be offered as an ebook only.  As more authors get the rights returned to them for their backlists, they'll make them available for reasonable prices in the ebook market.  When a reader discovers an author new to them, they'll have easy access to all the author's past works.  It will be great.  Out of print will not mean unavailable.

Have you or an author you know made an out of print book available by self publishing?  How do you think this will influence the publishing industry and the wording of their contracts? 

Not Enough Flossing

A few days ago I had my six month check up and cleaning at the dentist except because I had to change my original appointment it was over eight months since my last visit.  I used that as my excuse as the hygienist gave me a lecture about flossing more often and doing a better job of it.

As I drove home, enjoying the freshness of newly polished teeth, I realized flossing is a lot like editing.  You have to make time to do it, and you have to do a thorough job of it.  There are tools to help you, different proven methods and you're better for it when it's done. 

Flossing isn't fun and sometimes neither is editing.  Reading over the same manuscript time after time can frustrate a writer.  It's tempting to get lazy and hurry through the process but you need to hit between every tooth each time you do it.  When editing you have to read every word, contemplate every comma, and weigh the importance of every sentence and scene. 

Even though I brush every day and floss most days, I still need professional help from the dentist.  Editing is like that too.  No matter how good you are at it, you need a professional to fine tune it and make it the best it can be.  With more and more writers going the self-publishing route, I think there will be a greater demand for free lance book editors to help writers polish their work.

Have you ever used a free lance editor for one of your books?  Do you do editing for authors? Would you pay an editor to prepare a book for self publishing? What do you see as a reasonable fee for such?