Authoring Onward

Being an author comes with a lot of rejection: rejections from agents and editors.

Even if you self publish, you still have to deal with criticism. Can’t please everyone.

Luckily, I’ve got middle-grade author Eileen Schnabel on the show today to talk about keeping a positive mindset so you can keep on writing. Keeping on keeping on is the only way to produce the wonderful work that only you can do!

Have a listen below…and be sure to check out her cool new book about time travel and the Revolutionary War.

About Eileen:

Eileen Schnabel had taught law for ten years when she wandered into a local cemetery and spotted the grave of a soldier who’d served under George Washington. Thinking of the hardships of Valley Forge and the sacrifices of those early soldiers, she wondered if modern Americans still had the grit to fight the Revolutionary War. To answer that question, she sent four kids back in time to Boston, 1775, to take Paul Revere’s midnight ride, hang the famous lanterns at Old North Church, and rescue John Hancock and Samuel Adams from hanging as traitors to the crown.

Find out more at: https://eileenschnabel.com/

 

So, some of the last few interview episodes have gotten into the weeds on printing, distribution, and ISBNs for self publishers. I thought it was about time I addressed these issues to establish some of the basics for those new to self publishing or just those who have some questions.

Today, I go over:

Printing options, including the difference between print runs and print-on-demand

ISBNs (and, no, it’s not ISBN number)

Ebook distributors

Watching out for scams and vanity presses

Some helpful links:

Print-on-demand services

Ingram Spark

KDP Print

Lulu (not as favored as the other two, but useful for spiral-bound books)

ISBNs

Bowker’s MyIdentifiers Site (the place to get ISBNs in the US)

Ebook Distributors

Draft2Digital

PublishDrive

Smashwords

And, finally…

Writer Beware (to check up on possible scams)

How do you sell more books? First you have to reach the buyers.

And who are they?

Sometimes, answering that question means understanding the demographics and interests of your audience. Sometimes, it’s more complicated. In children’s books, the readers aren’t the buyers. You have to think differently to reach them.

Today, I talk with children’s author Darcy Pattison about how she set up her self-publishing business from the get-go to reach children’s book buyers, in particular how she approached distribution and book awards. It’s a great listen.

So, take a little time to think. Who is actually buying your books. And what do they need for you to reach them.

About Darcy:

Darcy Pattison is an Arkansas (US) children’s book author and writing teacher.

In 1999, she created the Novel Revision Retreat, which she now teaches across the nation.

 

Find Darcy’s children’s books here: https://mimshouse.com/

Find Darcy’s blog about writing and publishing here: https://www.darcypattison.com/

We all want to be superhuman writers, right?  I know I do.

But we’ve been dealing with some unexpected stuff in my family, and I had to make a tough decision this week. I had to push back a preorder. It didn’t feel very good, even though I know it was the right decision.

So, today’s episode is all about bouncing back from setbacks. I include some of the steps I’ve already taken and some of the ones I have yet to take.

But I know I am not alone. None of us writers are robots. Things happen. What steps have you taken to bounce back from a setback?

Hi, folks. Busy times here. T-minus 20 days until The Body in the Bookmobile releases!

Today, I’ve got a fun (and a little technical) interview with children’s author Treena Wetsel. She’s taken a page from traditional publishers in producing and marketing her books. Have a listen and hear how she published board books and produced a tie-in toy (both rarities in the self publishing world).

Treena also shares an important warning about ISBN purchases, so it’s a longer intro section this time, while I go into some ISBN basics and how to avoid the pitfalls when self-publishing. It seems when Treena first purchased ISBNs, she went through a partner company of Bowker’s, rather than going direct to Bowker, so she picked the wrong option and ended up with numbers that wouldn’t work for libraries and physical bookstores. Read carefully before you order. It’s best to go direct to the source: in the US, this is Bowker.

 

From Treena’s website:

Treena in a Minute:

Grew up in the Bronx

Worked at the New York Public Library

Joined the United States Marine Corps

Joined the United States Army Reserve

Worked as a Correctional Officer

Wrote several manuscripts

Joined the Federal Government

Went to night school 

Graduated from Johns Hopkins University

Served on the Howard County Commission for Women

Raised three children

Became a step-mom

Became a grandmother

Self-published her book

 

 

 

Got an older book that’s not selling as well as you like? Today’s episode is all about some tactics self publishers can use to breathe life into an older book and get readers interested.

I’ve also got a question for you all: I’m looking for themes to guide Quarter 2’s podcast episodes. What themes and topics would you like to see covered?

Until next time, happy writing!

Hi, folks. This week on the show, I chat with Misty Barron about her picture books inspired by Laughter Yoga. She talks about the process of constructing picture books as a self-publisher, including the need for templates and sourcing images.

Though our discussion focuses on picture books, there’s a lot of great tips in here for anyone looking to produce an image-based book. Have a listen.

Since it’s been all busy here at the Dowell household, I don’t have much of a writing update for you all this time, so I’d love to hear in the comments, what have you all been working on?

Some more resources on templates and images:

Tara Lazar’s picture book construction post. (While this isn’t focused on sizing and margins, as Misty discussed, the layout and page count info on this page are crucial for picture book writers and illustrators BEFORE they move on to page size and margins.)

The Book Designer: Sourcing and using images. (This post is focused on image use for book covers, but is also helpful for folks looking to used stock imagery in other ways.)

 

More about Misty:

“Laughter Yoga brought me recovery from chronic seriousness and the darkness of living with a chronic pain condition. It freed me from the bondage of narcotic use for pain management which in turn brought me back from the brink of death at a time when doctors predicted I had a few months left to live. My discovery of this unique form of yoga (a Sanskrit term meaning “union”) began with the question, “How can I be happy (in this suffering)?” The journey to follow began an awakening to Spirit, a return to joy, and a remembering of my true essence.”

Misty’s site: http://mistybarron.com

 

Hi, folks!

I’m back with the first solo episode of the new year. Another author interview episode with Misty Barron is coming next Wednesday. Today is about tips.

And the tips today are related to something I’ve been doing in the publishing space lately: editing! I recently reopened my doors for editing and proofreading.

Thus, today is all about grammar…

Or at least the grammar “rules” you can throw out the window.

Feel free to ditch these guidelines (at least in most situations). Go out there and break some rules with your words this week!

 

It’s a busy new year and new decade here! Everybody’s making lists of goals and sprinting toward them…

at least until February.

But not you all and me, right? We’ve made reasonable goals and a plan to keep accomplishing throughout 2020. It’s just the rest of the world that’s wildly productive for only one month.

Case in point, I witnessed a vegetable run yesterday.  For real. A run on vegetables.

We’ll see who’s still buying all that kale by Valentine’s Day.

Happy New Year and New Decade!  I hope you are bursting with writing plans this time of year.

Today, I chat with Dorena Williamson about her children’s books and about diversity in literature, a topic dear to my heart and important not just for children’s books but for all books. We have a few audio issues on the interview, but I hope they won’t be too distracting from our wonderful chat.

I’m still looking for beta testers for my indie author planner. If you’d like a free copy, just fill out the form below. To play the episode, just scroll on down to the bottom of the page.

About Dorena:

Dorena Williamson is a bridge buider, speaker, writer, and worship leader who knows the power and beauty of racial awareness. She and her husband, Dr. Chris Williamson, planted Strong Tower Bible Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and have spent more than twenty years ministering to its richly diverse faith community. Dorena and Chris have four children. Learn more at her website.

 

 

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