Marketing Books: Do it Yourself

Congratulations! You have just published your amazing book you've been working on for SO LONG! Now its time to put it into your readers hands. How? I'm still learning that every day, but here is what I know so far:

Social Media
There are a lot of things you can do without spending money. There are so many social media things that do not require a fee that work wonders!!! Places like Facebook, GoodReads, LinkedIn,
Pinterest, websites, blogs, and so much more. Check out these sights for examples. All you need is a following so that, when people share what you are promoting, others will see, then more will see your work, and so on and so on. There are ways to sign up for these sites so that you are labeled as a business, which is what you want. Always be posting, commenting, sharing things so that your sites won't go stale. Always remind people you have a marvelous story you cannot wait to show them!

Bookmarks
I love to do everything myself because I like being the boss. But! That can cause a lot of problems when I don't know what I'm doing. So always be learning and know the first time around, it will be difficult and take longer then you expected.
With that said, I, again, like to do everything myself. That is why I use UPrinting for creating my bookmarks. They have several other marketing materials, like banners, fliers, and so on, but I haven't used them. I go somewhere else for that, which I will talk about in a moment. UPrinting is AWESOME because they do exactly what you say. So, if you order junkie bookmarks, it is because you did not do it right. (I did that. Not fun.) For 250, 2x6 " bookmarks, it would cost about $45, which is cheep! They have so many options and, once you select the size and specifications of your bookmark, you can design it online. You can upload your own PDF files of the bookmark, or use UPrinting's own, free images to create one from scratch. It is all very easy and, as I said, you are the boss. Love it!

Posters/Business Cards
You have to have both posters and business cards to promote your work. I use Vistaprint, a very user-friendly, low priced, high quality promotional services. They have everything from T-shirts to stationary, banners and posters, to websites and marketing assistance. They have everything! You want your book's title on a pencil? No problem! You want a picture of your characters on key chains? They've got that too! They don't have bookmarks though, which doesn't make scene to me. I love Vistaprint and they will always get my business.

Book Trailer
I'm going to have a book trailer soon (YEAH!) for "Hearts of Glass: Shattered Lives". What I did was go to the community college in my town and ask the film prophesier if he knew of anyone interested in filming a book trailer. He directed me to a student, who happened to be one of my friends, and, after a lot of planning and hard work, we shot the film and it's being edited right now.
The first thing you need is a screenplay. Don't think you can write a screenplay? Sure you can! You just wrote an epic book! You can condense it into a short story depicted by pictures instead of words. It is a lot of fun to write screenplays, you'll like it too!
First, download Celtix, a free screenplay writing software. Screenplays are formatted in an odd way, but Celtix makes it a lot easier.
If you don't want a film crew, look up royal free videos online. I have not fully researched into this because I have not needed them yet. But, I have watched a lot of the royal free videos and found some sites to be very good quality and interesting! There's always something out there, you must look for it first.

Book Signings
These are essential for selling books. I have had close to ten signings by now and have found that when I speak about the book first, people are more apt to buy it. People want to know you, to have a connection on a personal level. They don't want to see someone stand up and talk in a factual, script kind of way about how excited they are and how much they love stories. No! Get up with a grin on your face and tell them what's on your mind! Tell them the adventures you have in store for them and show them you are a person worthy of getting to know. Worthy of buying a book from.
Leading up to the book signing, promote it over and over on your several sites. People need to be reminded about the reminder reminding them to remember the book signing. Get the picture? Have fun with the signing and don't have expectations. They always get in the way.
As you plan out your book signing, make sure you scheduled it during the best time. Have it on a weekend or a time the most amount of people will be free to come and see your book. Make sure its not a holiday, with people out of town, or that there is another event going on at the same time that will pull potential buyers away from your books. Research, know what's going on, and be smart.

Give Away
Don't be afraid to give your books away or dock down the price lower then what you first had in mind. The best advertising is word of mouth. Because of this, when you give away books, people tell their friends they won such and such a book from you and that you are an awesome writer who is very nice. They may stay in contact with you to win other things as well.
Dock down the prices because the cheaper the book is, the more people will buy it, and the more people will tell their friends how great your book it. Word of mouth, always keep that in mind.

So there you have it! That's all I've got for right now, though in a month or so I may learn something else I need to share. There's endless resources out there, radio, TV, YouTube adds, and so on. Don't limit yourself. Go out and conquer!

Publishing: Do it Yourself

I love publishing books! It is so fulfilling and wonderful! Do it, you really should.
But! Did you know there is SO many steps that goes into publishing? Yes, there is! So, instead of you trying to figure it all out by yourself, like I did, I'll give you all the answers. Read and be enlightened:

Write a story.
If you need help in writing a story, check out my other blog posts. I'm going to assume from here on out your wonderful story is complete.

Read the book over.
Make sure everything is exactly how you want it.

Editing.
Good job! The story's all done! Now time for the real work. Writing the book itself makes up about 10% of the publishing processes. You can read more about it in my blog post called  Editing (When the Real Work Begins)
Step 1:
Here is when you need to rely on someone else to help out (I don't like this part). Find a trusted friend, preferably someone who knows the rules of grammar and spelling, who is willing to read all yous silly mistakes. Yes, you are an amazing writer who knows how to craft great stories, but do not think for a moment you can just skip this step. It is foolish to think you will see every error you write. You can't do that, your story is your baby and, just like a mother's blind love, a writer will never see all the flaws. Be humble and ask for help.
When you find a friend to edit your work, here's a tip. Instead of sending them the entire three hundred page manuscript, send them one chapter at a time. The entire book scares most people and, in the end, they don't finish editing. Give them one piece at a time until the book is done so that its not overwhelming . Besides, you can be reading over their editing suggestions as they work on the next chapter.

Read the book over.
Just to make double-y sure its wonderful (which it is).

Editing (continued)
Step 2:
Next, find a professional editor who knows what they are doing. You will have to pay them. Editors charge either by the number of hours they work or a standard charge per page, like $1.50 per page. It is wise for them to read it over more then once. Again, be humble and know that you made A LOT of mistakes, and that's OK. Try your best not to be sensitive during the editing process. Unpleasant things will be said about your book, not to hurt you, but to improve the masterpiece you have been working on for a long, long time.

Read the book over.
Before giving it to a publisher, make extra, extra, extra sure its how you want it. Mind you, there will always be a sentence to correct, a word not quite right, or a line that needs to be moved. There comes a time to just let go and know the book will never be 'perfect'.


Find a publisher.
There are several ways to publish these days, some are traditional where as others are self-publish.
I strongly suggest to not go the traditional rout. Most of the time, a publishing house takes the book's rights and doesn't give the book a chance to catch the eye of the public. Plan on your book to take years, yes I said YEARS, to become noticed by the public. Publishers don't have that time, even though that's what your book needs. I have never gone this rout, and I never plan on it.
Self-publishing is so much better because you are the boss. Everyone wants to be the boss, especially when it involves something dear to their heart. You can make it into an e-book through Amazon Publishing and Smashwords. I have not used these sights personally, but I have fellow author buddies who have who are very pleased. This is vital for publishing because everyone wants a book as an e-book. This is a MUST HAVE.
Another thing you must have is a hard copy available to your readers. There are old fashion people, like me, who need to feel a book, watch the pages turn, and don't like the idea of staring at a screen. Because of this, a successful writer must have both formats, electronic and physical. There are endless houses for self-publishers, but I will tell you about the one I use, because I like it a lot!
CreateSpace
This is THE BEST publisher! I don't plan on using anyone else because they are so awesome! Why? Because they offer to help out with everything, formatting to book's interior and exterior, is so user friendly, very ease, and there is no contract.
I don't like to rely on other people when it comes to my books. Sorry, that's just how I am. If I've been working on a project for, oh, four years or so, I want it done right! And that's what CreateSpace allows, for the author to do everything his/herself. This is good and bad at the same time.
Good, because I have total control.
Bad, because I'm a writer, not a book cover designer, or know how to take good pictures, or how to format a book. I have taught myself though, and I will teach you.

Formatting.
Interior:
A book's insides are difficult to format. It took me forever to figure it out! Actually, I didn't figure it out, I found a program that will do it for me. Book Design Wizard saved my butt big time. It is only $40, instead of paying CreateSpace $200 something to do it for you. You plug in the information needed, what's the title, what font is it, how big, do you want page numbers on the bottom of sides, and so one, then hit 'create book'. In what used to take me 4-5 months now takes me 4-5 days! (You see why I love it?)
Once the book if formatting, you can copy and paste your book under the correct chapters, and please be careful to put the right chapters in the right spots. I didn't last time and got really confused. The book looks great now, but there were some issues. Also, be sure to scroll through every page, yes, EVERY, so that it all looks great. Sometimes, and I don't know why, the book wizard messes a few things up. Its probably operator error, but we can blame it on the software for now. Once that's done, save it as a PDF, because that's all CreateSpace accepts.
Exterior:
The cover! Ah, I love making a cover! The face of a story, the thing that draws readers in! Therefore, make is count and attractive so that people will want to read the story. Give some clues about the book, but not all, and leave a potential reader wondering. CreateSpace has the option to make a book cover for you, but you can supply your own. .
After you come up with a design, get the photos/graphic art you need. I use Dollar Photo Club because, well, its good pictures for cheep. There is no extra fees for using a photo for commercial purposes, but its always good to read the Terms before signing up. There is a monthly fee of $10, but you can create an account, get a pic, then cancel the account right afterwords. Be careful though, I tried to do that, almost a year ago, and they kept withdrawing $10/month. Now its stopped, but that means I have like 100 free photos to pick out, so that's good.
I used this site for my book Hearts of Glass: Shattered Lives, as well as an awesome friend's photography expertise. So, if there's a local photographer who wants to try something new, or a friend who knows what they're doing behind a camera, ask them for help. 
Once you have the photos you need, its time to design the cover. I use Gimp. It is a free photo editing software. Its not classy or full of whistles and bells, but it gets the job done. One thing to keep in mind is to figure out how big your book cover needs to be. If its a standard 6x9, you can't make the cover that size. The spine needs to be factored in as well. A spine's width is calculated by how many pages you have, if its a black and white book or a book with pictures, and if it is going to have white pages or cream pages. CreateSpace has the calculation for that on its submission requirements page.
Gimp cannot save a photo as a PDF, which is what CreateSpace needs. So, go to Open Office and save it through that software. Go to The World of Ryallon to read how to format your finished book cover in Open Office so that it will turn out.
Once that's all done, submit it to CreateSpace. There's not membership fees, no fee every time you submit a book. The only charge is when you buy the books themselves. That's it!
CreateSpace takes 24 hours to go through someone's book and see if it meets the requirements or not. Make sure to read over EVERYTHING so that you understand the requirements. Once that's all done, you can buy a copy to make sure you love how it looks. If the book is to your liking, tell CreateSpace to put it onto Amazon.
ISBN:
There's one thing you have to buy before publishing your book through CreateSpace. An ISBN is a book's ID number, it tells who the author is, when it was published (I think), and who published it. A book cannot be published without it. CreateSpace offers to give one to you, but don't do it! If you use their ISBN, the book instantly belongs to them! Instead, check out their channels and buy your own ISBN for the outrageous amount of $10. Just thought you should know this part.

Congratulations! Your wonderful story is for the entire world to see! But how will people read it if they don't know about it?

The next blog post will be about marketing.

The Hardware Way

What do you think when you walk into a hardware store? Things like "gotta get this honey due done so my wife can be nice!" or "now, where go I go to find that hammer I've always wanted?" or "ah! Why did he send me here? I don't even know what I'm looking for!"
You know what I think? "Time for work!"
I've been learning a lot now that I work at a local hardware store, some good, some bad. I have been seeing how men view women, why, in my opinion, men are easier to work with, and how people react when they don't have a clue what their talking about!
Saturdays have the more unhappy costumers.Why? Because its their weekend after a long, hard week of work and the last thing they want to hear is "James, go fix the sink! It keeps making odd noises!" Go and help him then, guys get energized when they're women's working along side them.
Now, when a guy sends a girl to pick something up, say a screw, please give her over and above information about what she's looking for. Girls generally don't know a thing about hardware, so please help her along. So many ladies come in and say, "I need a screw!" Great! We have lots. What kind? A wood screw, deck, sheet metal screw, self trapping screw, Phillips, star head, pan head, and on and on. Guys, help your lady out so she knows what she's supposed to get.
When people, men and women, don't know what it is they are looking for, they do one of three things: get defensive, laugh and say they don't know anything in an acquired way, or admit they don't know what they need and are willing to learn.
Defense: most people who automatically attack and demand my coworkers and I to fetch whatever they need are the elderly, no offense. Everyone does it, but these people do it the most. It is very frustrating and difficult to try and help someone who is in my face about what they want and they want it now! I'm trying to help, not tell you that you're stupid.
The awkward people: they have low self esteem and assume they, and everyone else around them, think they're stupid. They're not, but they act like it.Very apologetic, shy, and not really wanting help (God forbid if anyone saw they didn't know something!) I get it though, I used to be like that. Not any now. (whoopwhoop!!!)
Confidant: my favorite customers are the ones that instantly say they don't know what they're looking for and they are ok with that. They are willing to learn and are enjoyable to be with. I respect them a lot more and am more willing to help.
(So hidden message: be confidant!)
Lastly, if you see a girl working at a hardware store, and you think she's cute, please don't give her the googly-eyed look. There's nothing more unnerving then for a man old enough to be my dad/grandpa, to undress me with his eyes. Thank you for finding me pretty, but please don't do that.
So they're you have it! The ways of a hardware store through the eyes of a young woman. Its a really good job, to be honest. I like my crazy coworkers and boys are always fun to work with. They always come up with the oddest things to do, like have a war with wrung up rags or throw pens at each other. Fun stuff. All the time. Go to a hardware store and see for yourself.

Find Your Weirdness

I'm going to be open and be venerable right now and share a little bit about myself. Why? Because I want to encourage you to be yourself.

"Ah, really? Everyone talks about that. Its stupid! I know myself! I'm fine with me! Can't we talk about something else?"

No, because most of the time, right when we think we know who we are, we learn something new about ourselves. First, I will tell you how I used to be. When I was a kid, mostly in middle school (which is everyone’s favorite time in life. Not!) I did not know who I was. Most people don't because that's when everything in life is turn on its head and we think we're going crazy as our bodies change. I didn't know who I was because I was afraid to find out the real me. What if I didn't like me? What if I disappointed me? Worst of all! What if everyone else doesn't like the real me? What will they think? Things you've never thought of before I'm sure. (I hope you can hear my sarcasm.)

I was always afraid of what other people thought of me, especially peers, and I hated myself aid the whole world because of it. I barley knew me, and the few aspects I did, I didn't like.

So what changed? What forced me out of my scaredy cat self? Well, I'll tell you.

I got sick of it. You heard me, I got sick of it. A determined, tenacious sickness that wasn't going to give up! I was sick of being afraid of what others think! Sick of being afraid of my real self, the self-deep down inside that never came out! Sick of what others would think of me! So I was done with it, done with being afraid, and done with feeling like a fake. I started to stand firm in what I liked and believed in. I would no let others' negative comments and judgmental glances change my mind.

I realized I am special and unique. I accepted my weirdness and knew I was free to be myself. I'm stuck with me all my life, I might as well enjoy me.

Now I like me because I got acquainted with myself. I kept in my mind God loves me no matter what and made me just the way he wanted me. I'm awesome because God made me that way, just like how he made you.

There's a time in everyone's life where we have a decision to make: will we let other opinions effect us, or will we be true to ourselves and be real?

I don't understand mankind sometimes, why we all want to be like everyone else. To be normal and not stand out. That doesn't make any sense! No one is 'normal', what does that even mean? Everyone has their odd desires, their unique quirks that are the foundation of their dreams and abilities. I don't want to be normal anymore because that just isn't me. I'm not normal, and I'm okay with that. 

You're not normal, is that okay with you?

Be yourself, God made you special and loves you how you are. If he wanted you to be better at sports, he would have allowed you to be so. If he wanted you to be prettier, he would have made your appearance different. But he didn't do that, he made you, you because he loves you just the way you are. 

So love yourself. No, its not prideful or wrong. There's a balance, a healthy love.

Because your awesome and, when those annoying people come along who think otherwise, just ignore them and hold onto who you are. 

You are special.

You are created in the image of God.

You have a mighty destiny God has planned for you.

You are unique.

And that's just the way you're supposed to be. 

Friendship Flows

The heart of a friend is pure
A close friend, as a leaf on a tree
The conversation mends the soul and links hearts
With cords that, though streached by time and distance, bind and hold true
A shoulder to cry on
A hand to hold
A life to take part in
Like two streams flowing together to form a river
Strong
Flowing
Cutting through rocks in their path
And another steam joins, the river roars like a lion on a mission
Together they carry on
Over mountains and hills
Through peaceful meadows and over cliff sides
Together
Firmly together
On their way to the ocean
Their way to home
To join all the other rivers, the other lives, the other hearts joined by cords of their own
To flow together as one life
One kingdom
And one body

The Poet in You

The soul of a poet is the peace in a storm.

Yes, the heartbeat of my life is writing novels, but poetry gives a blank page life in a way a story cannot. I do not classify myself as a poet. I do not have to write poetry to function, as I do with writing novels. When I am inspired, a story comes to mind instead of a poem. However! Poetry is a way to express the writer's soul, their life, and how they feel about it, in a way story writing cannot. In this post, I want to encourage you to write poetry!

As I said above, I do not classify myself as a poet. I used to think that poetry was an unnecessary writing theme and, honesty, unpopular. I was wrong. I have a writing buddy who is a poet. That is what he does and I love to see the sparkle in his eyes when we talk about poetry. (He also writes everything on an old fashion typewriter! Now, there's no way I can do that, but he can. Impressive, I'd say.) After discussing with him the meaning of poetry, and reading his really good work, I found poetry needs to be part of every creative writer's life. Click here to check out his website and here to see my interview he posted.

Poetry is a chance to dive deep into your inner soul and find the words that flow like a song, from one word to another. I usually write poems to get out negative emotions and process the world around me. He writes because it shows a clearer expression of the world. Whatever the case may be, write poems! 

When I started to listen to other people's poems, they didn't make that much sense. Now, some poems do, but then there are some where one line does not relate with the other or there is so much imagery and metaphors the reader/listener forgets what the writer is trying to say. And that is okay. Poetry is abstract and, just like a painting on the wall, it is subject to interpretation. Yes, a poem might not make sense. Is that wrong? No, not at all. Poems are more about the feeling behind the words then the words themselves anyways. Don't let this hinder you.

Poems also teach you how to stop thinking critically and with your logical brain and how to let your emotions naturally flow from your pen. As a story writer, my words must make sense and the readers much understand or the plot will be ruined. But! What if my soul focus was telling a story and not the emotion, the heart, behind it? Then it would be empty. It would be meaningless. A book must have a soul, and you are responsible for giving it just that. How? By emotion. By passion. By poetry. By letting your soul connect with the story. And how do you teach your inner self to come close to your stories? By practicing with poetry. 

Poems show life in a new way with flowery words that tickle the ears and provoke ideas. Go on, be a poet, if only for a little bit. Let your mind be still and quiet and allow your poet side, the side the feels and creates and wants so desperately to live, to take the helm. Write nonsense if you have to, but write a poem. Your words will be like a stream that builds with ideas and inspiration until it is a river that will find the ocean! Go find the ocean. It's waiting for you. 

Writers Need Help Too

The art of writing is viewed as a solo career.
Is it not.
At all.
The act of writing a book, essay, paper, novel, etc. is only 10% of the work. Good job if you think you are so amazing for writing a one hundred and twenty page story, but that is only the beginning, and, honestly, the easiest part. As writers, writing is the simplest part of creating a story (or whatever form you like). That is what we do, we sit down and let our thoughts and emotions flow from our hearts, down our arms, though the pen, and onto the paper. Easy. It is what we were made to do.
But! That is the first step in the final product! You cannot stop there! Editing is the next step. "But Heather, you've already talked about editing in your post Editing (When the Real Work Begins)," you wine. Yes, I know, but I must share more because I'm learning more and more about it. It is so exciting!
I am going to share the steps I take in editing, what I found helpful, and what I will not do again.
First, write the dang book. Stop stressing about making everything sound perfect the first time. Let me save you a lot of pressure and say its impossible. Don't worry about it. Just sit down, empty your mind, and write what's inside and what your characters want to share with the world. Its alright to make mistakes, you can always go back and rewrite.
Once you have your wonderful work of art completed, put it aside for a week or so. When I get done writing something, the idea and meaning I wanted my words to convey are fresh in my mind. I think its excellent! A masterpiece! I know what I'm trying to say and I did it perfectly! Then I put the manuscript to aside for a time until I can't remember as clearly what I was trying to say. When I go back and read it over, I am looking at it with fresh eyes and am often appalled at how confusing I can be. Mistakes stick out more and can easily be spotted and dealt with.
I usually reread over my work, editing as I go, and read it all over again once I'm done. If it still needs work I continue editing until it is good. Then, after rereading it all over again, I send it to an editor. Now, an editor doesn't have to be a big wig, somewhere in an office who has been editing for years and years. You will need someone like that later down the road of your book's editing process, but for now, find a trusted friend, family member, teacher, or anyone who wants to help you. There are people like that out there and, if you intend to publish your work, they may want to help even more. Say you'll thank them in the acknowledgment page and give them a free copy once it is done. I'm blessed with a friend who loves editing, a writing professor who has taken me under her wing and is willing to help, and an old family friend who is a part time editor. They all help me in some form or another. Ask for help, its ok.
Now, I made a mistake. I asked WAY to many people to edit my book and sent it all to them at once. Not a good move. They sent back a lot of negative feedback about how simple my errors were. In my defense, I am not the best editor. I am a writer, not an editor. I am getting better, but still. . . .
Glasses 1Several were unhappy. If people are reading your work for free, NEVER make them unhappy! I did. My bad.
Instead, do this. After reading and editing your work to the best of your ability, send it to ONE trusted friend, family member, or whoever who will help you. They can dig though all the simple problems you did not see and point them out. Books are a mess at first, won't you agree? As writers, we are blinded by our own vision of what the story can be to see our mistakes. Allow a friend to help you see the common errors, things that an average person can find, THEN you can send it to the group of editor friends for their revision.
After that one editor has read though your work, send it to your primary editor, I.E. the one you will have to pay and who has edited for years. It is horrible to pay someone to point out mistakes a friend could find. The professional editor should only see deep, hard to find errors that, honestly, only editors really notice.
Once you have it revised a million times, read it all over again. Make doubly sure it sounds and flows just how you want it to. THEN give it to your publisher.
"But why give my written work to other people," you ask? "I'm really good at editing. I can just do it myself." Again, writers are blinded by their own vision of the book to see their mistakes. Besides, you want to be taken seriously as a writer. Then give the world your best work which is accomplished by the help of others. Lay down your pride, suck it up, get the backbone to hear your perfect, amazing book needs work, and find editors.
They will say things you don't want to hear.
They will tell you what's wrong with what you hold so dear.
They will point out things you disagree with.
But that's ok. That's what editors are here for. To help. To make your masterpiece into an epic. And it will be epic. It will be all that and more.