If you’re looking to publish a book, you’ll need to know how book publishing works, so you can make informed decisions. First you'll need to know what publishing options are available, so if you aren't aware of all the options, take a look at my article How to Get a Book Published. If you take the self-publishing route or try for a hybrid publisher who gives you some control of your book's publication – like AIA Publishing – you’re what’s known as an independent author. It’s vital that independent authors thoroughly understand the basics of how book publishing works. This is not only for your own edification, but also because dodgy operators in the publishing world take advantage of those without knowledge of—yes, you guessed it—how book publishing works! If you decide to self-publish, you'll need to do a lot of research to understand all the details of successfully publishing a book. But no matter which route to publication you take, even if it's the traditional route (good … [Read more...]
Historical Fiction Review – Katharina: Deliverance by Margaret Skea
I wouldn't have picked this book up from the cover, given the harsh expression on the woman's face; but then - apart from a few notable exceptions like the Mona Lisa - portraits from centuries past, be they painted, sketched or photographed, are mostly formal with the subjects wearing stern expressions, so what does it matter that I think the woman looks unappealing? What's important - especially since once you're reading an ebook, you never see the cover - is what's inside the book, and in this case, I found the contents surprisingly good given my initial expectations. This is a brief review, less than 5 minutes, and it includes some hints for authors attempting to write historical fiction. https://youtu.be/lg-sR1Z46Dk … [Read more...]
How to Find a Narrator for an Audiobook
Today I share a guest post by Stewart Storrar from Voquent, an online voice-actor hire service. Simple audio book concept Given the online book marketplace, most authors will eventually ask themselves whether they should produce an audiobook. With audiobooks growing in demand, the question 'how to find a narrator for an audio book?' has become increasingly relevant. When looking to get an audiobook produced, you will need to find the perfect narrator voice to work with to make your book a success. However, finding that voice and creating the final audio file is no easy feat. One option, of course, is to voice the audiobook yourself. This option may seem attractive to those just beginning to break ground into the audiobook market, but without the right equipment and computer applications, creating a successful, high-quality audiobook can be challenging. The high cost of professional equipment and the computer applications that one would need to create a professional … [Read more...]
Free Ebook: ‘Worlds Within Worlds’ – a Magical Realism Thriller
Today I'm offering my readers a free ebook of the first in the Prunella Smith series, Worlds Within Worlds. “This is riveting stuff, part magical realism dreamscape, part taut psychological thriller, and I was literally on the edge of my seat when the final twist – and what a twist it is – came around. Phew, what a ride!” “I forget most books within days, sometimes less. I won’t forget this one.” Awesome Indies reviewers DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE EBOOK COPY NOW “The barrier between the worlds shatters like the window. The beast is loose. My nightmare has become real. The guy has totally lost it. If he finds us here, we could die. No, I don’t doubt it; we will die.” Description Imagine living in a multi-layered reality of separate but complimentary worlds—physical, mental, spiritual and technological—when a bully you thought safely tucked away in the cyberworld suddenly appears in your physical world looking suspiciously like your worst nightmare. Can you stuff him … [Read more...]
How to get a book published
The video on how to get a book published gives you all the essential points in six-and-a-half minutes. The rest of the post lays it all out in greater details. But do watch the video, I think you'll find it entertaining as well as informative. https://youtu.be/OAld1EVMutY Essentially, authors have two ways to choose for how to get a book published: traditional legacy publishing and indie (independent) publishing. Traditional legacy publishing – the ‘big five’ publishing companies and their imprints.Selective;Funded by the publisher;Publisher takes the majority of the royalties (income from the book’s sales).Indie publishing includes:Small legacy publishers – independent from the big five;Hybrid publishers – selective but author-funded;Author-run and funded publishing houses (like an author’s cooperative or an author who also publishes friends).Self-publishing – Not selective, author pays, does the work and receives all the income; What does selective mean? Selective … [Read more...]
Urban Fantasy Series Review: Death Before Dragons
I'm sharing my love of good books with this urban fantasy series review. The review is not just for readers, it's also for authors, because in it, I tell you exactly what is so great about this series, and those are the things you need in your book if it's to do as well as Lindsay Buroker's books do. She's a full time author. It's been a long time since I wrote my last review. I gave up because I was already spending enough time on the keyboard editing and writing appraisals for authors who wanted my opinion on their work before they published it. But I realised recently that I'm quite happy to video me talking about books I've read. I always have a book on hand, reading a lot just for the pleasure of it, so I have plenty of books I can talk about. Hence this review. And everything I read for pleasure is on Kindle Unlimited. When you pay for that service, you don't want to pay for more books, so you keep your reading to what's in KU. At least for fiction. So enjoy this … [Read more...]
What’s the difference between line editing and copy editing?
Many authors think that getting their book edited means getting a copy edit. And if they've even heard of a line edit, they often think that there's no difference between line editing and copy editing. WRONG There is a difference between line editing and copy editing. Many authors think that a copy edit is all their book needs. WRONG. Both kinds of editing are important if you want your book to compete with genuinely professional authors. And you need a developmental edit as well. Developmental editing Before the copy and line editing can begin, you'll need to have your book looked at for conceptual and structural issues. This is called the developmental edit, and it can be done in a manuscript appraisal. This will tell the author what they need to do to solve structural issues like plot, pacing, world building, characterisation, dialogue and so on. It's the big-picture editing. Quality beta readers can give you this level of feedback, but they need to be … [Read more...]
A 2020 Short Story: the Year that Changed Me
In my last post, I shared a video suggesting that you write a 2020 short story. But if you liked the idea, you may have got stuck at the question of how to best approach the task. I decided to give it a try myself, and I began by focusing on what had the most impact for me. I've published that part of it below - it happens to be the beginning of my full 2020 short story. I found that writing the story of my experience of 2020 gave me a greater perspective and some psychological distance from things I'd found upsetting. So even if you don't want to share your story with anyone, you might like to write it, just for yourself. You could try just writing one scene, the moment you found most powerful, or the thing you remember most about the year. Enjoy ... Fire Fire. To the north. To the south. And to the west. Heat. Inescapable. Searing winds. Shatter my peace of mind. So hot it’s hard to breathe. Hard to move. Fireworks? New Year celebrations? None of that. Just a creeping … [Read more...]
2020: Congratulations, Thank You, and Writing Inspiration.
My last post for this year is a vlog (posted below) in which I thank my clients for their support, congratulate us all on getting through the year, acknowledge the difficulties we faced, and offer some writing inspiration. On top of that, I hope you all have a lovely holiday season and enjoy your smaller-than-usual gatherings. Especially at Christmas, it's good to celebrate our good fortune rather than dwelling on our loses - and less people are a lot easier than managing large gatherings. That said, if you have lost a loved one, you will miss them terribly at this time. Don't be afraid of tears; they wash away our pain. I hope you can acknowledge the absence of your loved one, celebrate their life and send them love wherever they are. The photo represents the sun rising on the new year. May 2021 be a better year for all of us, and may we learn to love the earth. As David Attenborough said, "If we take care of nature, it will take care of us." With all my … [Read more...]
5 Poor Writing Practices that Make me Stop Reading
Books that display poor writing practices make me stop reading. In this article, I look at five poor writing practices to avoid. I read a lot. I always have, but in the past my reading was limited by the cost of books. The arrival of ereaders on the publishing scene made books cheaper –especially indie books – which allowed me to indulge my passion for reading. But I read so much that I was still spending a lot each month, and so I joined Kindle Unlimited (KU) where I pay a monthly fee and can read as many books as I want without extra charge – as long as they’re in KU. This has allowed me to try all manner of books because if I don’t like them or they don’t hold me, I simply return them and find another. Cheaper but less trustworthy When I paid $25 for paperbacks, I took a long time to choose one I thought I’d like, and I always finished them. Publication by a mainstream publishing house - as they all were back then - meant that the books were at least readable even if we … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 83
- Next Page »
