#self-publishing authors

[writingatthepark]

Sorry Dear, I have to cancel our date. Something just came in the mail...

[outskirtspress]

Congratulations to Andrew Ceroni on his 5-Star book review from Readers' Favorite!

Reviewed by: Alma Boucher Review Rating:  5 STARS – Congratulations on your 5-star review!  First Bullet by Andrew Ceroni is a brilliantly written espionage thriller. Roy Phillips and his wife are eating dinner in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, when he notices a group of oriental-appearing men sitting near their table. His suspicions are aroused, and he questions the manager. And soon after, CIA Agent…

[elletromil]

So I do a lot of book suggestion with my public libraries because, well, I'm a big reader and I can't buy all of the books, no matter how much i might want to.

Anyway, it always completely baffles me when, with series - especially when its in ebook form where you can see fairly easily on Libby whether or not there is another installment after the one you're currently reading - *I* have to suggest the next book for it to be picked up.

And not in a 'why is the librarian not buying it' way, but rather in a 'why are people not asking for it????'

For exemple, I've been reading a series of like 5-6 books total. I suggested my library get the first ebook, suggestion got accepted, i read the book and liked it well enough. About 10-ish people were in the hold queue. Of course that doesn't mean they actually liked it but whatever.

I suggested the second book, and because of the nature of ebooks reservation, some people got to read it before me. Ok fine. I read it, about 6-7 people are on the hold queue when i finish it.

Guess what? No one asked for the third book.

For EVERY book in the series, i had to ask for the next one and i'm just...

For people to read it before me, they had to have an alert on the book so they would know when it becomes available at once. Cuz obviously I have those alerts, but even just checking 5 minutes after the notification, there would be at least 2-3 people with a hold on the book already.

And its not even a 'oh, the library will get the ebooks at a certain time every months/few months so that's why it wasn't available yet'

I finished the second to last book of the series recently. It had been available since like october-ish. I had actually started back then, but since I'm not a fan of reading ebooks, I couldnt finish the book in time, so into the hold queue I went.

I know that public library. I know how often they get their ebook. If anyone had asked for the last book, it would be available already.

It wasn't.

Do people not know they can suggest books? Is the process too obscure for them?

Anyway, there is no point to this post except to say, my good peeps, you can make books (or dvds or games or whatever kind of item your public library offer) suggestion! You usually can do it online!

If you can't find where exactly, usually just googling 'purchase suggestion' or 'reccomand a title' with the name of your public library will get you to the right page

And if you're still not sure, you should ask your librarian, they'll be happy to tell you how!

[ariaste]

🚨WRITER BEWARE🚨

I've just gotten an email from a new "self-publishing platform" called Written (written.app), which is making suspiciously extravagant promises about the benefits they offer to authors. After further research, this is just "upload your book with us and we'll make it an NFT :)"

There is a "thesis" that you can read right on their website if you're interested in looking for yourself at the business model of their grift, but if you'd like to save yourself the trouble, I've pulled out some of the highlights of the receipts over on Bluesky. TLDR: I would not touch this platform with a ten-foot-pole. This is not a book-selling platform, this is a Coincidentally Book-Themed NFT Platform.

[bonnibelleangelica]

3 Exercises To Improve Your Writing/Manuscript

1) Sentence Patterning 🎨

Print off a random page of your work and use different coloured highlighters on each sentence depending on how long they are. You might notice you’ve been stuck in a rhythm without realising it. A rainbow is what you want to see!

2) Stickynoting! 📝

Write out each scene (or topic change) on a stickynote thats colour indicates how plotheavy it is. A few fluffy, relaxed scenes are fine, but you don’t want half the book to be pointless. Likewise, you also don't want every scene to be insanely over the top.

3) Pindropping 📌

Draw a line, mark out the major events of your story, then drop in every revelation, character introduction, first mention, shift and development. See how dense certain areas might be vs others. Do you throw everything at the reader in the first chapter? Or do you hold back too much and leave your audience clueless.

Here are some examples I did for my book!

Click “My Writing Tips” in the tags for more!

Click here to check out my book! @statusquoofficial

[jstor]

In the 19th century, Black authors turned to self-publishing to overcome systemic barriers in mainstream publishing. As Bryan Sinche explores in Published by the Author: Self-Publication in Nineteenth-Century African American Literature, self-publishing was often the only avenue available due to exclusionary practices in white-dominated print culture.

Self-published works were–and, arguably, still are–acts of agency. Authors used their works to piece together family histories and document lived experiences. Self-publishing also allowed for freedom in genre and form. This mode of publishing wasn't without risk, however: printing costs could lead to financial ruin, and some authors, like David Walker, faced outright censorship. Yet, it still provided opportunities to challenge dominant narratives and ensure voices that would otherwise be silenced were heard.

The linked article from JSTOR Daily highlights the resilience and resourcefulness of Black writers who used self-publishing to claim their space in the literary world.

Read a free chapter from Published by the Author.

[madi-konrad]

A DEMON'S NAME UPON YOUR LIPS

It is the curse of ADHD that, at least for me, I'm always running to the next project, and then the next, chasing the new shiny thing. And that has served me well in my creative endeavors, as much as it has stymied me. But I really do think that I caught something special in my first novel, A DEMON'S NAME UPON YOUR LIPS. And thanks to how my brain works, I rarely ever promote it! Which seems unfair for how much effort I put in, alongside my friends who patiently helped me edit it.

It's a sapphic romance between a (newly minted) Duke and the demon she summons. It's a fantasy which takes place in a secondary world loosely based on Victorian-era Europe, though without any of the queerphobic, or even sexist, hatred endemic to its real-world counterpart (or even to our modern day). It's fast paced, gay as fuck, and I poured my heart and soul into it.

I'd be honored if you picked it up; it's only $5.99. About the price of a Latte.

Grab it at the following places:

itch.io (PDF, ePub, and mobi all included!)

Kobo link (ePub version)

Apple Books, Smashwords, and a few others (ePub version)

Amazon (Kindle version)

Barnes and Noble (ePub)

Synopsis below the cut:

Lucia is a succubus, a demon with the power to shape the emotions and passions of mortals. Summoned often into the world of Melodia, she takes pride in upholding her demonic contracts to the best of her abilities. She likes to think she does her job well … though a string of recent failures say otherwise.

Talia, the recently elevated Duke of Fallmire, summons Lucia for a simple reason: to pose as her wife and fulfill marital obligations to the satisfaction of Parliament. All to say, just a few weeks of walking around the estate and playing nice with the neighbors before a conveniently tragic death. Quick and easy.

But immediately, Lucia smells blood in the water. Behind closed doors, the Duke plots vengeance upon those who killed her father—and the demon wants in. Revenge, after all, is much more fun … and more lucrative, to boot.

But can Lucia predict how hard she’d fall for the Duke? (Not a chance). And can the Duke find it in her vengeful heart to love?

Spice Level: lightly described nudity, fade-to-black sex.

64,000 words.

[thatdisasterauthor]

I am not sure where my fascination with disasters came from, but I have had it for a long, long time. So much so that I very specifically remember being in Middle School and writing a short story about a tornado hitting our school and trapping all the students in the gym (but none of the teachers, of course, because what fun would it be if the teachers were around?). My poor teacher didn't quite know what to do with me when she tried to pair everyone up by genre to critique one another's stories, as no one else had written something remotely similar. It didn't matter though, I was hooked. That afternoon I was standing in my garage and thinking about how I wanted to grow up to be an author who wrote disaster stories, and I wanted to write one story about each kind of disaster.

After several years (and two agents) trying to get these books picked up traditionally with no luck, I've decided to just do it myself. And so, the Little Disaster Books collection has been born! When you pick up a Little Disaster Book, here's what you're going to get:

A short read. Each book is around 50,000-70,000 words. That's a bit longer than a novella, and shorter than most novels, because sometimes you just need a quick book, not a door-stopper.

Each book is a standalone. Because, again, sometimes you just need something quick that you don't have to invest in for a decade while you wait for each book to come out.

Lots of queer characters of all sorts. The disaster genre is, unfortunately, pretty notorious for either not having queer characters at all, or killing them off. Little Disaster Books will instead center them and their narratives. But, the stories won't be ABOUT queerness, they'll just have characters that are queer.

No quickie romance. There will be characters in relationships (I'm a sucker for books with couples that are already together at the start), and maybe the first blooms of a potential romance, but nobody is falling head over heels when they should be focused on survival.

No gore for gore's sake. Characters might get hurt, or even die, but these aren't horror books or slasher books or anything in that vein.

A realistic look at disaster. I'm not just obsessed with fictional disasters, I'm obsessed with the real ones too. I have spent a lot of time studying disasters, myths around disasters/disaster response, and the sociology of disasters. With Little Disaster Books I have worked very, very hard to make the books as realistic as possible when it comes to things like civilian responders, everyday heroes, and how disaster response tends to work. At the end of the day they are still fiction, but they're fiction heavily grounded in reality. No "everyone for themselves/we're all animals when the lights go out" nonsense here.

Full endings. There's a bit of a trend in survival thrillers for them to end right at the climax/moment of rescue, or within a few pages of it, even if things haven't been fully wrapped up. Little Disaster Books will all have more rounded endings that delve, at least a little bit, into the aftereffects of what the characters go through, because sometimes the after is the hardest part of all.

The first book in this collection, Lie Down in the Ashes, is launching on Kickstarter on Janaury 15th, 2025! Sign up to be notified on launch here. It is about a group of teens who get caught in the middle of a fast moving wildfire that one of them accidentally starts.

Sign up to be notified on launch here.

[alinacapellabooks]

The temptation to share snippets of my WIPs vs the desire to not spoil too much of them before they’re published

[thedaddycomplex]

Hi, I was wondering which is better: Self-publishing or going through an actual publishing company like penguin house, etc. For some context, I've been set on self-publishing on kdp, mostly because I don't want a company to turn down my manuscript that I worked so very hard on AND think is very good writing. I also don't want to be the "Face of the book" if you will, and I am currently using a pen name. I want to get the best value out of my book, so I kinda want to do this right. Advice?

Well, I can't really answer which is "better" because that depends entirely on your ultimate goal. So, let me break down the advantages and disadvantages of both self-publishing and traditional publishing and you can see which sings to you.

Self-publishing is a good way to go if you want complete control over the process — editing, cover design, marketing. This works well if your ultimate goal is simply to have a printed book (or e-book) untouched by anyone but you.

It is not a good way to go, however, if you hope to make any money or have a new career. While all of us can point to the handful of authors who've made tons of money self-publishing (Andy Weir, for example), they are the exception, not the rule, and they all spent years building an audience online before they had their success story.

Also, as a self-published author, you are your own communications team, marketing team, PR team, etc. You basically have to take on multiple extra full-time jobs for no pay. [In that way, I guess you do get a new career(s).]

Traditional publishing comes with communications, marketing, design and, most important, editing baked in. And it comes with an advance, so out of the gate there's money. (Note: You do have to pay back the advance, but it comes out of your sales, not your pocket.) Plus, they have their own distribution channels set up. All you really have to do is write, do some self-promotion on social media, and get on the phone for the occasional press interview.

The obvious downside with traditional publishing is breaking in. It is a long process of putting yourself out there for a series of rejections and there's no guarantee you'll ever actually break in. To do so takes a magic blend of talent, persistence, timing, and luck.

If you want to avoid getting turned down by a company, it sounds like your choice is already made. However, I would strongly urge you to send your book out to publishers and agents anyway. If you get rejected, ask why. If you disagree with their reason, fine, move on to the next one. If you can see their point, however, consider it a note that can improve your book.

I love that self-publishing exists and it is a fantastic way for authors to get their work out into the world. But, personally, I prefer trad publishing. It allows me to focus almost solely on the writing. And I wholeheartedly believe that a good editor makes a writer's work better.

[sweetfirebird]

Also, indie authors, especially authors whose work might end up shadowbanned or regulated to the dark corners of the internet:

if you haven't looked into divesting from only having your work on Amazon, you might want to consider that now. or take some of your books wide, if not all of them.

also, if you don't have a website, get one. even a free one. so that you and your work come up in a search in more places than just Zon or Goodreads

list your stuff on BookBub (you can create an author account)--you can do this even if you only publish through Amazon

if you publish anything "adult" consider itch.io. Draft2Digital/Smashwords has adult stuff for now, and through them, you can work with Bookshop.org. But itch for sure takes adult content and uploading is straightforward. (And you get a better cut of the royalties)

[outskirtspress]

Congratulations Reader Views Literary Award-Winners from Outskirts Press

These are the 2024 Reader Views Literary Award-winning books from Outskirts Press. It was a very competitive contest this year; congratulations to our amazing authors. Click on the book covers for more information or to order at a 10% discount. Category: GOLD CLASSICS HISTORY:  Category: FINALIST EARLY READERS (ages 6-8) – FICTION Category: GOLD YOUNG ADULT (ages 16+) NON-FICTION and REGIONAL…

[traegorn]

A simple ask for folks who self publish

[autumn2may]

GUYS DO NOT GIVE YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO AN AI THIS IS A BAD IDEA ON EVERY LEVEL DON'T DO IT

original tweet from @jamesjyu reads: "We launch Shrink Ray today on Sudowrite! Upload your manuscript and get loglines, blurbs, synopsis, and full outlines automatically. Takes a ton of legwork out of book marketing. Below the tweet are two images of the program."

original quote tweet from @sudowrite reads: "New in Sudowrite: Upload your whole novel/script, get instant longlines (sic), blurbs, synopsis, and outline!"

tweet from @FantasyFaction reads: "Oh jeez! Bad bad, very bad! Writers DO NOT willingly give your manuscript to an AI so it can "learn" by stealing your work! I know blurbs and synopses are hard, but PLEASE do not do this! - JI 🐉

(stolen from ML Brennan & Sravani Hotha so I can include alt text)"

[writeblrfantasy]

I am far from the first person to make this point, but…

Isn't it strange how authors, both self and traditionally published, have been forced to become jacks of all trades in recent years? Graphic designers, content creators, social media managers, web designers, marketing managers tasked with knowing what’s trendy and exactly where to go viral, all while juggling day jobs and leaving room to actually write?

since we are both passionate about this strange shift in recent years, author @ettawritesnstudies and I collaborated on this topic, and you can read our blog post about it here.

if you're an author for which this issue grinds your gears like it does mine, give it a read! not only is there some good old fashioned (thank you, etta, for your endless optimism and insistence on finding a solution to the problems of the publishing market.)

enjoy! if you're an author with any personal experiences to share or thoughts to add, we would love to hear them. we worked hard on it and i would love to hear what everyone thinks

[reasonsforhope]

Book Publishing Resources

Well, since a few people said they were interested and/or that posting about it on here occasionally was a decent idea, here we go!

I'm MC Calvi, a freelance editor specializing in self-help, psychology, spirituality, paganism, workbooks, and LGBTQ books.

You can find out more about me at my website, where I also offer free twenty-minute book/publishing consultations, in addition to regular editing services.

I am also now offering some pay-what-you-can resources on my website and on Gumroad. I'm committed to offering pay-what-you-can resources because the odds are already so stacked against marginalized authors, and publishing shouldn't be pay to win.

I have two new booklets I'm actually super happy with! They both draw on my eight years of experience in the publishing industry to give authors a leg up.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming as I hit "publish" on another good news post!