tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86783526683453946332024-03-14T23:56:25.659+10:30The E-book RevolutionEmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-70307208056991788462014-04-03T00:08:00.002+10:302014-04-03T00:15:07.988+10:303 Year Anniversary, Relaunch and 7 Day Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBpmiZr-Ct_tQ98yXtyXqlT2VqQpZF1J1QpQyoI-F0WVInd-mYdigfpy_DCRD3pHw2eRR_3sSgmGHwycCWjZcDs9SSQp-cvhOdSdydM8pwbsjXx35_NpgT32ceHHW65j3eUBN37dxrzjn/s1600/e-book-revolution-logo-largest.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBpmiZr-Ct_tQ98yXtyXqlT2VqQpZF1J1QpQyoI-F0WVInd-mYdigfpy_DCRD3pHw2eRR_3sSgmGHwycCWjZcDs9SSQp-cvhOdSdydM8pwbsjXx35_NpgT32ceHHW65j3eUBN37dxrzjn/s1600/e-book-revolution-logo-largest.png" height="200" width="111" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Get ready for a week chock full of information, prizes and <strike>unicorn
wrestling</strike> fun!</i></b></h3>
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Three years ago, almost to the day, on the 10<sup>th</sup>
of April I made the smartest decision I’ve ever made. And before you ask, no I
did not decide to forgo a unicorn wrestling match (I <i>know </i>that was definitely your first thought). No, I decided to stop
playing Gladiator with the publishing gate keepers and start seeing what I
could do for myself. Enough of waiting; look where that got <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BUumw7f8EQ" target="_blank">Amy Pond</a>. </div>
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So I started this blog, as a place where I could share what
I’d learnt about ebooks, writing, publishing and marketing. </div>
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A LOT has changed since I began. Back when I dived into the fray,
all innocence and My Little Ponies and fairy glitter, Amazon hadn’t open its
doors to Australian authors, Smashwords was just getting started and Kobo was a
name I thought I heard once whispered in a dark alley by a leprechaun. I’ve
made my own path, and it was a hell of a lot more fun than turning my rejection
letters into a coat. </div>
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But frankly, my taste in website design was appalling…</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGx-kCEbgoKsNOAA2kJruCsv4XitV5VKKKeTcIB-ManmkEPnktVihSQJ4wADJwkSuZ_2qeDSrT4oOeYxrWzvzZMo2L6rRSRzM3_7wOsueA8GXlm9y5r1k3hVQbuN9x7eqSrHdA0UOqTHM/s1600/E-book+Revolution+blog+old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGx-kCEbgoKsNOAA2kJruCsv4XitV5VKKKeTcIB-ManmkEPnktVihSQJ4wADJwkSuZ_2qeDSrT4oOeYxrWzvzZMo2L6rRSRzM3_7wOsueA8GXlm9y5r1k3hVQbuN9x7eqSrHdA0UOqTHM/s1600/E-book+Revolution+blog+old.jpg" height="210" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the E-book Revolution Site looked like 3 days ago...</td></tr>
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Kind of reminiscent of a brown paper bag with a crayon drawing by a five year old. I know you guys noticed, there’s no need for those polite murmurings.</div>
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So I decided to celebrate E-book Revolution’s 3<sup>rd</sup>
birthday it was time to give the old girl a revamp, with a new look, new shoes,
and a weeklong website relaunch to go with it!</div>
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<b>Starting on Friday
the 5<sup>th</sup> of April (that’s in 2 days) I’ll be having a week long
relaunch party! </b></h3>
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Every day for the next <b>7 DAYS</b> there will be a new post on
independent publishing, and a new daily prize to be won.</div>
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I’ll be hosting a stack of entertaining and informative
guest bloggers who touch on everything from author branding, to anthologies, to
creating your own e-book app, to running events with your local book store. <br />
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At the end of each day I will pick the person with the best
and most insightful comment to win that day’s prize. <b>So make sure you come back
every day and participate for a chance to win!</b> Each prize is something that will help authors in their ebook and independent publishing journey.</div>
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Why not take a look around the new site now; there are
<a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/start-here/free-stuff/" target="_blank">free downloads</a> and <a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/start-here/" target="_blank">resource pages</a> ready for you to explore, as well as a brand
<a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/books/courses/creating-an-email-list-for-writers/" target="_blank">new multi-media course </a>teaching authors how to set up their own emailing list
and newsletter!</div>
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Until then, tell your friends about the party, and I’ll see
you bright and early on Friday!</div>
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… sorry what was that? You want to know what the 7 prizes
are? </h3>
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Well, I won’t tell you what’s up for grabs on what day, it’s
a surprise, but seeing as you asked nicely… Here they are in no particular
order:</div>
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<li><b>A <a href="http://www.kobo.com/writinglife" target="_blank">Kobo</a> ereader!</b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/about/consulting/" target="_blank">A one hour consult</a></b>
with myself to talk about anything from optimising your blog to a book
marketing strategy (Valued at $200).</li>
<li><a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/" target="_blank"><b>Chuck Wendig’s set of 6 writing guides </b></a>(<i>250 Things You Should
Know About Writing, 500 Ways To Tell A Better Story, Confessions Of A Freelance
Penmonkey, 500 Ways To Be A Better Writer, 500 More Ways To Be A Better Writer,
Revenge Of The Penmonkey</i>)</li>
<li><a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/books/e-book-revolution-the-ultimate-guide-to-e-book-success/" target="_blank"><b>Print copy of E-book Revolution </b></a>X2 (Or an ebook copy if you prefer!)</li>
<li><b><a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/books/courses/" target="_blank">A set of E-book Revolution Super Writer Courses</a></b> up for grabs X2 (<i>E-book Revolution Interview Series</i> & <i>Creating An Email List For Writers</i>)</li>
<li><b><a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/2014/03/465/" target="_blank">Two PressBook upgrades</a></b> (PressBooks allows authors to easily create their own beautifully formatted
epub, mobi and PDF files. The upgrades remove the PressBook ad in the files)</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A collection
of ebooks on marketing and self-publishing</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> (My own ‘<i>E-book
Revolution</i>’, <a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/" target="_blank">Joanna Penn's</a> '<i>How To Market You Book</i>', <a href="http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">David Gaughran's </a>'<i>Let's Get Digital</i>' and '<i>Let's Get Visible</i>', <a href="http://seanmplatt.com/" target="_blank">Sean Platt's</a> & Johnny B Truant '<i>Write. Publish. Repeat</i>', <a href="http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/" target="_blank">Dean Wesley Smith's</a> '<i>10 Sacred
Cow's of Publishing</i>', <a href="http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/works/nascence/" target="_blank">Tobias Buckell's</a> 'Nascence'<i>)</i></span></li>
<li><b>A collection of 6
Anthologies from <a href="http://emergent-publishing.com/" target="_blank">Emergent Publishing</a> and e-book copies of my own books</b>: <a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/books/e-book-revolution-the-ultimate-guide-to-e-book-success/" target="_blank">E-BookRevolution</a>, <a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/books/the-grand-adventures-of-madeline-cain-photographer-extraordinaire/" target="_blank">The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain</a>, and <a href="http://ebookrevolution.com.au/books/jakes-page-a-short-story-play/" target="_blank">Jake’s Page</a>.</li>
</ul>
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You can find the new E-book Revolution website at <a href="http://www.ebookrevolution.com.au%20/" target="_blank">www.ebookrevolution.com.au </a></h3>
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EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-88951524210203459872014-03-13T23:45:00.000+10:302014-03-14T14:48:11.549+10:30A Newbie’s Guide To Self-Publishing Poetry or How I Learnt to Love Going Nuclear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2D-HFPEaXg9Qi6PCyTZSaOlGM_qWZUoi7P6r4jtKksXry7KwTC4CqUyOv9by9NwxBKrP4RjeqggjvqxBJMzX0SffM-VUuno7kXgFsZ_ZBTKbMVh9Ud9xWTEAP17h6yJ836f5kFNJ5qVr/s1600/Ebook+Reolution+Guest+Post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2D-HFPEaXg9Qi6PCyTZSaOlGM_qWZUoi7P6r4jtKksXry7KwTC4CqUyOv9by9NwxBKrP4RjeqggjvqxBJMzX0SffM-VUuno7kXgFsZ_ZBTKbMVh9Ud9xWTEAP17h6yJ836f5kFNJ5qVr/s1600/Ebook+Reolution+Guest+Post.jpg" height="90" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Making your first move into self-publishing can be intimidating. There is so much information out there it’s hard to know what the simplest path is. I’ve known Maureen for several years, she writes beautifully, and after many years of nagging, she has finally been lured by my gingerbread house of indie-author-dom. I was interested to see how producing poetry e-books differed from prose books. And it’s been a while since I was a newbie, I find that means I assume readers sometimes have more knowledge than they do. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So I invited Maureen to give a guide for complete publishing newbies with this post. She gives a simple set of steps forwards and touches on the specifics of publishing poetry rather than prose.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_NWS0QjtIr9GmmP1C6wQN7GYARjiTrUfUsIhHE_ooeBmT7auTIOrpzIDLLWs9gDZUtzg-WpoER1ap7-_ICBUFuJkGUrMMp2p4chMOeU5OgMnL2KGUpWGU6BlswBstHw1JgyxPex5pBjq/s1600/Maureen+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_NWS0QjtIr9GmmP1C6wQN7GYARjiTrUfUsIhHE_ooeBmT7auTIOrpzIDLLWs9gDZUtzg-WpoER1ap7-_ICBUFuJkGUrMMp2p4chMOeU5OgMnL2KGUpWGU6BlswBstHw1JgyxPex5pBjq/s1600/Maureen+Book.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have been staring at a blank word document for the past half hour wondering where on earth to start with this post. Then I realised, the best place is at the beginning. My name is Maureen and I write speculative fiction novels and short stories, run a speculative fiction blog, and occasionally I write poetry. I’ve always been more of a speculative fiction gal, just like Emily, but two years ago, I started writing a poem sequence about a relationship gone wrong in bleak London. It became a verse novella titled My Heart’s Choir Sings. It sat on my computer for a long time but then it was time for action. I decided that I needed to get my book on Smashwords and Amazon for two reasons:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I had some faithful blog followers who had been waiting an age for me to release some of my work for purchase.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ebooks are the hot topic in publishing right now (But you already knew that or you wouldn’t be reading this blog!) and I felt that as a writer who wants to go professional, I needed to be up to speed with ways of reaching readers. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I managed to find my great editor, Mathilde in France, and we went back and forth until I had a far more polished manuscript. At the same time, and luckily for me, my best friend, the multi talented Tegan Ivison, is a graphic designer and she made me a simply beautiful cover for free.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Emily asked me what’s different about publishing poetry to prose when it comes to self-publishing. Actually, the answer is nothing much, as long as you’re not planning to be fancy. The only difference is that if you have tabbed indents for spacing in a poem, you need to manually create a style for that in Word (more on poetry specifics in Section 4). On the plus side, you don’t need to worry about the paragraphing section of the Smashwords Style Guide as poetry has stanza’s instead of paragraphs. Instead of chapters, you have a new poem. Formatting poetry for ebook conversion, as for formatting a novel, is all about customizing Word, which isn’t as bad as it sounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When I first started on this journey I was a little over whelmed at first. But after a lot of research I realised it wasn’t as hard to get started as I thought. Yes, this is my first book release, yes the only thing I really know is how to get the ball rolling, but for those of you who are newbies like me, and are just looking for the simplest solution to get started, this is my guide for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newbie Self-Publishing Tip Number One:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Be professional</b><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Don’t self publish something without doing the hard yards first. Make sure you use your beta readers (if you have a blog like myself, your blog readers are your first port of call). Make sure you get an editor in, one that knows your genre. Make sure your cover looks professional and if you can’t do it yourself, pay someone to do it for you (or ‘hire’ a savvy friend!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you think that sounds too much like hard work, think again, because it’s worth it if you really love the writing. This is the regular stuff you’re in charge of now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newbie Self-Publishing Tip Number Two:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Upload to Smashwords First<o:p></o:p></b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Save yourself the time that I wasted and upload to Smashwords <i>first</i>. Why, you ask? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The reason is twofold:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Smashwords Meatgrinder program that converts your Word document into ebook formats is tougher to get right than Amazon’s program. If your document gets through the Meatgrinder without a hitch, it will be fine on Amazon.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Smashwords ships ebooks to iTunes, Apple and Barnes & Noble. To get to these stores you need to get your book listed in the Premium Catalogue. This can take up to four weeks to do, depending on how many times it takes you to pass the Meatgrinder test. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So what’s with Meatgrinder? As I said, Meatgrinder is Smashword’s program to convert your Word doc. to ebook formats for sale. Because you MUST upload a doc. this means you must use Word. Unfortunately, the Meatgrinder does not like the background coding in Word. So if you don’t format your Word document by hand, the Meatgrinder will most likely reject your document for ebook conversion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To pass the Meatgrinder you have to read <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Mark Coker’s Smashwords Style Guide</span></a>. Ok, Ok it is 100 pages long, but what you want is the helpful section on formatting. If you were smart enough to read the style guide <i>before</i> you started writing your story, then you probably don’t need to nuclear your document. Unfortunately, most of us have no idea that we need to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newbie Self-Publishing Tip Number Three:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b>Go Nuclear<o:p></o:p></b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So nuclear it is. Nuclear-ing your document means that you strip your document of all of its fancy coding. To do this, copy the entire document into notepad and back into a new Word document. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next, you’ll need Mark’s book open as you figure this out. In addition, I found <a href="http://cyberwitchpress.com/smashwords/smashwords-formatting-part-1/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">this set of posts by cyberwitchpress</span></a> to be exceptionally helpful so I flicked back and forth between them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Whether it’s poetry or a novel you’re uploading, you MUST format your Word document as Coker lays it out - manually. DON’T use Word shortcuts. The ONLY safe word shortcut to use is bold, italics and underline. Everything else will bork up on various e-readers and give you a headache as you try to fix the problem blind.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newbie’s Self Publishing Tip Number Four: Know What D<i>oesn’t</i> Work</span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Make sure you have selected the ‘Reveal Formatting’ button on Word so you can see what you are fixing:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are some main things that always seem to slip notice but are super important in this type of formatting. As I went through my poetry, this was my mantra:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get rid of any returns that go for more than four lines (returns = enter key). More than four enters equals an unexpected page break on your ereader.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get rid of tabs. (This is important!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get rid of multiple space bars. (This is also important!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get rid of symbols. The ereaders hate them so use words e.g. copyright instead of ©.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get rid of fonts bigger than size 16. The ereaders also hate this. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Formatting for a novel is similar to formatting for poetry. However, there are some common issues that come up when formatting poetry:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Don’t use tab or space bar to indent lines in a poem. You must customize Word style in your Word document to indent lines.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you want to justify or centre a poem, you mustn’t use the shortcut at the top of Word. You must customize Word style.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">If you want to have a page break between poems, do not use Insert</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">à</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Page break. Not every ereader will honour this shortcut. If you want a page break you must use customize word style.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is a common theme here...</span></li>
</ul>
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newbie Self Publishing tip Number Five: Customizing Word Style</span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To format your poetry, you must use ‘Change styles’ and customize the ‘Normal’ style for each new thing you wish to format.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3j1f-UnM8NU6a2jDwTGReXHGdkK5JyUvAf0aHIPiqfrO2HYTMP9qtuR8Js52FI3T44Go-T4l14iH67VW2aqZk82VuPP5yN2-QzsaRR_arT6Mu_VUwTKAvU-O1VGF5qFb53Z3Cw1r1R10/s1600/Maureen+Im2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3j1f-UnM8NU6a2jDwTGReXHGdkK5JyUvAf0aHIPiqfrO2HYTMP9qtuR8Js52FI3T44Go-T4l14iH67VW2aqZk82VuPP5yN2-QzsaRR_arT6Mu_VUwTKAvU-O1VGF5qFb53Z3Cw1r1R10/s1600/Maureen+Im2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Remember, aside from the bold, italics and underline shortcut key on word, every other word shortcut borks up for ereaders. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You can customize things like centering text, page breaks and indenting poetry lines from the Normal style. Once you click on ‘Normal’ you can ‘Modify’ the style by clicking the ‘Format’ button. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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mso-position-vertical-relative:text'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Emilz\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image004.jpg"
o:title="normal format"/> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uxBOANcxjv0Q3YKir0gb9F4Z3U_lEjWIUJAYLj-KaNdr7_JEuphVS76DK6pOO_bUTzM_SJyHeltH1p1IS24w6SnW4SyoPX5OtfQQxP1WL4dmf36NiYzYbBo8msvWdsU8gGwLFSGlqjB5/s1600/Maureen+Im3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uxBOANcxjv0Q3YKir0gb9F4Z3U_lEjWIUJAYLj-KaNdr7_JEuphVS76DK6pOO_bUTzM_SJyHeltH1p1IS24w6SnW4SyoPX5OtfQQxP1WL4dmf36NiYzYbBo8msvWdsU8gGwLFSGlqjB5/s1600/Maureen+Im3.jpg" height="307" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When you click ‘Format’ simply select what you wish to modify, be it Font or Paragraph. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Font takes care of font size, type and style. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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o:spid="_x0000_s1030" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Font style.jpg" style='position:absolute;
margin-left:94.2pt;margin-top:8.05pt;width:265.75pt;height:278.15pt;z-index:4;
visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;
mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;
mso-position-vertical-relative:text'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Emilz\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image006.jpg"
o:title="Font style"/> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnnUySVAD77_KWb0VS9OdwogCuwxMcHnTb5OCvkpjVfvI9-8KlMOZr05vlfzcLgzIiMJTkr4lrzxwJhhyeW6MNbb7Y5b93QiLwoqx2CYyAT6WrxM5sCEt5sSEH-5d9cGqigShB34A5FBf/s1600/Maureen+Im4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnnUySVAD77_KWb0VS9OdwogCuwxMcHnTb5OCvkpjVfvI9-8KlMOZr05vlfzcLgzIiMJTkr4lrzxwJhhyeW6MNbb7Y5b93QiLwoqx2CYyAT6WrxM5sCEt5sSEH-5d9cGqigShB34A5FBf/s1600/Maureen+Im4.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Paragraph takes care of line spacing, line indents, and page breaks.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAHoSLX1YfjoXQegHiuISv86CVjhWFrdwf-ua4i6Cyt6Sb37klByC8vvrSrYe32C7qLxcL5_nly2_fYI89JeWeXjsnaM4oVSSBQQlvKdiHTaXAp_pQ7J8XU2SqH1nNS8b0mDjtu0KRzkE/s1600/Maureen+Im5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAHoSLX1YfjoXQegHiuISv86CVjhWFrdwf-ua4i6Cyt6Sb37klByC8vvrSrYe32C7qLxcL5_nly2_fYI89JeWeXjsnaM4oVSSBQQlvKdiHTaXAp_pQ7J8XU2SqH1nNS8b0mDjtu0KRzkE/s1600/Maureen+Im5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A quick note on page breaks and poetry. When you set up your page break it should look like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vTj3nJu4yhwhu_aj7wBEbjLWv23IduDd-eNRwQ9-UbqIG79uFjjceCjcpucUyJVG8TOG6SPUEwPFwmuV2_R6-Xy49DFGmrhGKvzOz9_jsFAmTxAwjtO9LZ1GlWKdAZcz2FcXx5Pxvavh/s1600/Maureen+Im6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0vTj3nJu4yhwhu_aj7wBEbjLWv23IduDd-eNRwQ9-UbqIG79uFjjceCjcpucUyJVG8TOG6SPUEwPFwmuV2_R6-Xy49DFGmrhGKvzOz9_jsFAmTxAwjtO9LZ1GlWKdAZcz2FcXx5Pxvavh/s1600/Maureen+Im6.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Apply your created style by highlighting the word, sentence or paragraph and selecting your customized style. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newbie Self-Publishing Tip Number Six: Make Your Life Easier, Minimise Pictures In Text.</span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Because ereaders don’t like too many graphics. And not every ebook format will support pictures. But if you must have pictures, you must do it manually. How? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSi5E1GowU2quyfL9L8W6gSQsxg7JznzESm3OLafys6KBeT-6nbqEzW9flGp7I1CkPjYcEIRN0t5hfeCOFVheMVlqtJz9vQq3Nf7hVdFtJvclsfODwUxB5A7ZcZXmSfIwvmxnkunrZS0P/s1600/Maureen+Im7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSi5E1GowU2quyfL9L8W6gSQsxg7JznzESm3OLafys6KBeT-6nbqEzW9flGp7I1CkPjYcEIRN0t5hfeCOFVheMVlqtJz9vQq3Nf7hVdFtJvclsfODwUxB5A7ZcZXmSfIwvmxnkunrZS0P/s1600/Maureen+Im7.jpg" height="75" width="400" /></a></div>
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<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_12"
o:spid="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="insert picture.jpg" style='position:absolute;
margin-left:-34.5pt;margin-top:31.9pt;width:526.35pt;height:96pt;z-index:7;
visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;
mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;
mso-position-vertical-relative:text'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Emilz\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image012.jpg"
o:title="insert picture"/> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Like this: Insert </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Picture. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS9Kq9nhu9XjP_V5q7ooLSJQHbxnytaeccHmPNVwwN5AQ4hxeCWQJXDLdFA5ifaqvg6drSabVC3S_eNfsffAaDYf_I8aK3mgY9Du8LdOI8CGiS9GD4O0hKX124RUoV3vY6PKpS3RSBmmO/s1600/Maureen+Im8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS9Kq9nhu9XjP_V5q7ooLSJQHbxnytaeccHmPNVwwN5AQ4hxeCWQJXDLdFA5ifaqvg6drSabVC3S_eNfsffAaDYf_I8aK3mgY9Du8LdOI8CGiS9GD4O0hKX124RUoV3vY6PKpS3RSBmmO/s1600/Maureen+Im8.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When you have inserted your picture make sure that it is ‘In Line With Text.’ If you do not select this, your pictures can ‘float’ to places you never imagined or desired on different ereaders. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newbie Self-Publishing Tip Number Seven: Making A PDF? </span></b></h2>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Make sure your cover is in the same document as your manuscript. <o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Make sure your cover is in the manuscript document on page one and has been inserted so that it doesn’t ‘float.’ Otherwise, the Meatgrinder won’t upload your cover to the pdf version of your ebook and this sucks a pile of dead unicorns. I’ve been caught out by this and now need to re-upload my ebook just to ensure that my PDF version has a cover. The Meatgrinder detects the double cover for all other ebook formats and will upload with one for customers purchasing epub, mobi etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Newbie Self-Publishing Tip Number Eight: Amazon Run</span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you can manage Smashwords, Amazon is a push over. You can upload your carefully formatted Smashwords Word document direct to Amazon. Simply follow the prompts and check your document on their online previewer. No, really. If you get Smashwords right, you can’t go wrong on Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">Happy self publishing and please leave me any questions or experiences in the comments!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0x_6cLFzFlJKCJ15Hw_oVvf5GFVgZ3BcuYMas_Lyx-RJVnPy2WPk8THr8eegdSIhkcGebehC05oDI4_i8ghR0oiEOKwuwWA9u9rXSsD3jcsEJMTAMExMeNPEwec6SiV4k0GZFsJPAeyH2/s1600/Maureen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0x_6cLFzFlJKCJ15Hw_oVvf5GFVgZ3BcuYMas_Lyx-RJVnPy2WPk8THr8eegdSIhkcGebehC05oDI4_i8ghR0oiEOKwuwWA9u9rXSsD3jcsEJMTAMExMeNPEwec6SiV4k0GZFsJPAeyH2/s1600/Maureen.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;">Maureen writes young adult speculative fiction novels and short stories and is currently studying to become a teacher. She reviews genre fiction and films, interviews authors and discusses writing at her blog, </span><a href="http://inkashlings.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: blue;">InkAshlings</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">. She also writes free verse poetry about the human connection. Her verse novella, My Heart’s Choir Sings, is currently on sale for 99c on</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333;"> </span></i><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/402166" target="_blank"><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: blue;">Smashwords</span></span></i></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="color: #333333;">and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I5LT638/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I5LT638&linkCode=as2&tag=dionnelisterw-20" target="_blank"><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></span></i></a><i><span style="color: #333333;">.</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;">You can also like the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Hearts-Choir-Sings/490774427698379" target="_blank"><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">Facebook</span></i></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span></span><i><span style="color: #333333;">page.</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333;">Otherwise, You can find Maureen at her<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><a href="http://inkashlings.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: blue;">website</span></span></i></a><i><span style="color: #333333;">, on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14943418-maureen" target="_blank"><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: blue;">Goodreads</span></span></i></a><i><span style="color: #333333;"> or on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/InkAshling" target="_blank">@InkAshling</a>.</span></i><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-10732946168312080882014-03-06T14:40:00.000+10:302014-03-26T22:39:58.655+10:30Part 2: How To Create Internal PDFs For Print On Demand<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">For the next couple of months I will be posting an 8 part series on how to produce and publish print copies of your book, also known as Print On Demand (POD). Hopefully this helps make your attempt easier and quicker than my own! For links to earlier parts of the series, see the bottom of this post.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">Thank God <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>for programmers, those super smart people who understand that I don’t want to fiddle with margins or spacing or try to figure out how to change page size or how to make the conversion from Word to PDF less crappy. They understand I am more likely to fold all my bills into origami cranes than sit down and nut that stuff out. Just like I understand they’d like to live life without thousands of character voices running around their head turning them slowly insane (each to their own madness I always say). Programmers create tools that make my life, as an author on the road to independent publishing, so smooth I could be forgiven for thinking I was piloting a hovercraft. Seriously guys, I am making you all cake in the shape of lightsabers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">In this part of the series I’m going to show you how I created the internal PDF needed to produce my print book using. This tool-of-wonder has no need for you to read up on margin allowances, fonts or regulations; it does it all without you having to waste your time reading a thousand page design manual written in gobbledegook. It is set up not only to turn your novel into a print-ready PDF, but to also convert it into e-book formats for free. Meaning you only have to do the set up work for your e-books and print books once. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">Back when I was first considering independent publishing I was resigned to doing everything in Word. Smashwords had been my first port of call, because once I’d formatted that, surely I could just use the same file to create my internal PDF, right? But then I read the Smashword’s style guide, then the CreateSpace guide and then the Lightning Source guide, and realised I needed to buckle on my superhero suit for <i>that </i>gauntlet. Potentially I shouldn’t have read all the manuals at once…I’d had enough trouble deciding how to <a href="http://www.madelinecain.com/" target="_blank">format my YA novel to look like Facebook </a>, and now I had to figure out how to stop the meat-grinder from turning my work into something resembling a 52,000 word experimental poem? Did I look like I want my fingers super glued to my keyboard? And that was just the formatting for e-books, print books have a whole different look about them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m not too keen on the whole, do-the-same-thing-more-than-once-or-fall-into-the-unread-writers-hell-pit thing. I’d prefer to do it once and be done with it. So I set about looking for that golden ticket and that’s when I came across <a href="http://www.pressbooks.com/" target="_blank">PressBooks</a>, God’s gift to writers. No I am not an affiliate, nor do I work for them, they are just a damn good system that I trust and uses constantly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.pressbooks.com/" target="_blank">PressBooks</a> has taken the WordPress open source code and created a powerful tool to produce epub, mobi and print-ready PDF files. The epub/mobi files it produces (for free) is directly uploadable to Kobo Writing Life and KDP, and for $100, you can unlock the PDF option and have your print book approved first go by your POD publisher of choice. Its templates work for Lightning Source, CreateSpace, <i>and</i> Lulu. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There are several reasons why I would marry PressBooks over my partner of six years:</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>The platform is free to use to create e-book formats. You can create a file for every one of your 100 haikus if you wish.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>To unlock the PDF is only $100. I would pay that every time to avoid having to deal with contractors or Word document changes. If you find typos, you can go back and fix it instantly, no fuss, no magic incantation with wombat entrails necessary.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>It is as idiot proof as blogging with WordPress. Basically you set up each of your chapters as ‘individual blog posts’. This makes it incredibly easy to fix your own typos and add extra scenes or features you thought up while singing in the shower. You can upload and insert images in the same way you would a blog, easily compressing or enlarging your author photo depending on the size of your narcissistic streak. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>It allows you to place your front matter (copyright message, dedication, foreword), Novel (separated into chapters and, if necessary, Parts) and back matter (about the author, more books from the author and bonuses) on separate pages so it looks like a proper Big Six published book. You can select which components you want to include in the export with just one click, allowing you to create unique versions (making special edition versions of your book which you could give away as prizes in competitions).</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>It provides you with over a dozen template styles, all super professional. This allows you to choose different fonts, font sizes, flourishes and word justifications that you just can’t get in e-book formats.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>It gives you the ability to easily change the <i>size </i>of your page/book. So you decide you no longer want your novel in US Trade size (6”x9”), but in paperback size (5.5”x8.5”)? You can do that with one click. (If you are wondering what size I use for my books, I go for the standard paperback ‘Digest’ size (5.5”x8.5”) which works well in Australia.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Below is a quick introductory video to what Pressbooks looks like, its features and exactly how easy it is to use. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Creating an internal file for your POD book use to be a mountain (or a giant hole in the wallet), now the only (mother of) a mountain is marketing and the reader author connection. Sigh. Has anyone seen my Author Marketing Superhero Suit?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">In Part 3, we’ll look at how to sign up for a Lightning Source Account, and validate it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How do you create your PDF’s? How long does it take you? Please let us know about your POD journey in the comments below. Encouragement as I struggle through the process is also appreciated!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;"><i>This is the second step in the journey to holding a real, shiny book in my hands *happy dance*. As part of this process I also want to be very honest in what it has cost me to set this all up. So at the end of each post I have a running total of project costs, so all you wonderful indies out there have a guideline not only to the process, but the mullah involved. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Project Costs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Task<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cost Per Unit<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Total Cost for my 3 books<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Converting e-book cover to print<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">£25.00 =<b> </b>$41.17 AUD<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">$123.51<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Create Internal PDF<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">$100.00</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">$300.00</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">TOTAL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">$141.17 AUD<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">$423.51 AUD<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/damn-it-who-knew-print-books-were-still.html" target="_blank">Part 0: Damn It! Who Knew Print Books Were Still Important?</a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/part-1-pod-lightning-source-covers.html" target="_blank">Part 1: Creating Your Print On Demand (POD) Book Cover</a></span></i></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-3643576208303092522014-02-25T10:00:00.000+10:302014-02-25T12:58:26.677+10:30Debunking Plot Myths<div class="MsoNormal">
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<i><span lang="EN-US">There
are so many writing rules and myths bandied about that it is hard to figure out
what is someone ranting, and what is good advice. What is needed to write a
novel and what is padding. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US">In
today’s guest post author, <a href="http://www.jordanrosenfeld.net/" target="_blank">Jordan Rosenfeld</a>, shatters some of the myths around
creating a good plot.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Plot: literary writers often love to hate
it, and genre writers live by its guidelines.</b> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmEA42SoPtu_iYWBOQ7iBUf0XsLnP4eCmr-ct5N2S2-iMj0xjG2QDHs4JPh489CcwEvM6mw_GW7NtK8xauhwlHLRnQ1bkYvFbuoRfhmmuM2nmPAx8h4QN-q8uUmNOsZMVqelftMnVGK_r/s1600/Jordan+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmEA42SoPtu_iYWBOQ7iBUf0XsLnP4eCmr-ct5N2S2-iMj0xjG2QDHs4JPh489CcwEvM6mw_GW7NtK8xauhwlHLRnQ1bkYvFbuoRfhmmuM2nmPAx8h4QN-q8uUmNOsZMVqelftMnVGK_r/s1600/Jordan+book.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">If you’re a pantser (as in
fly-by-the-seat-of) you resist what you perceive as its constraints, but
plotters, well, we plotters know that plot is more than an attempt to corral
our messy muses, but an elegant strategy to assure that your stories deliver a
powerful, memorable experience to your readers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Below you’ll find five myths about plot
that, once shattered, may open up entirely new vistas to your writing
experience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">MYTH #1:</span></i></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8678352668345394633" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Plot
is just a string of events that a character travels through, kind of like a
literary obstacle course</span></i><span lang="EN-US">. <i>I can add events at will, so long as they’re flashy or twisty.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b><span lang="EN-US">TRUTH
#1:</span></b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Plot is a character’s journey of
transformation; those “events” are not an obstacle course, but personal
challenges that stem from a character’s flaws, fears and desires. Events that
put up obstacles to your character’s desires, in the form of antagonists and
challenges of a psychological, physical, and spiritual nature, do so not just
for the sake of pretty plot points, but to test, stretch and push your
character’s inner strength and hidden steel. Each plot event must deepen your
character, further your story, and provide compelling tension.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">MYTH #2:</span></i></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">You
need a lot of sub-plots to hold a reader’s interest.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b><span lang="EN-US">TRUTH
#2</span></b><span lang="EN-US">: </span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">First, sub-plots must be organic off-shoots
of your main plot to begin with; that is, they must relate to your
protagonist’s fears, flaws and desires, and ideally to her inciting incident. If
your main plot, the engine that drives a character toward compelling goals and
change is strong, you’ll find you have little need to manufacture sub-plots;
they’ll arise organically or be unnecessary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">MYTH #3:</span></i></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Plots
are built on big, epic action.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<h4>
<span lang="EN-US"> </span><b><span lang="EN-US">TRUTH
#3: </span></b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Let’s return to our main understanding of
what a Plot is: A plot is a character’s journey of transformation, i.e.
discovery or change on the journey to a compelling goal. A character starts out
in an unstable place and journeys toward some kind of stability (even if he/she
doesn’t end up stable, the story is the search for it). You don’t need car
crashes or fights atop buildings, dragons or wrestling matches; Characters should
wrestle with inner demons, inter-personally, creating powerful inner drama as
well as external action.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">MYTH #4: </span></i></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">It’s
important to explain a lot of information in a plot, in exposition, so the
reader understands what’s happening.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b><span lang="EN-US">TRUTH
#4:</span></b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">You don’t build a plot by explaining what
has or will happened (back-story, telegraphing). You build a plot by writing
strong scenes, in which a character demonstrates and discovers new
“information”—another clue in the puzzle piece of your story’s mystery and
follows a dramatic arc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">MYTH #5:</span></i></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">I
don’t need to worry about structure when writing a plot. I can plot by the seat
of my pants.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b><span lang="EN-US">TRUTH
#5.</span></b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A rare few writers can write a plot from
start to finish without any sort of outline. But the more writers I work with
of <st1:stockticker w:st="on">ALL</st1:stockticker> levels of craft, the more
certain I’ve become that some form of outline, from the loosest, most
narrative, organic version, to the most structured, will save a writer much
time. Writers are often afraid that a
plot outline, or plot structure, will kill the creativity or erode their
ability to discover. And I can assure you, that is not the case. Plot structure
is merely a blueprint for a world that you will still create in your own
individual way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: red;">Do you plot or ‘pants’
your way through things? Please leave a comment below.</span></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZgpkYqCMCqDW2O3d1FXGogDrPMJbCVEAuXU6CFbWnQ8sVrptf-r23SdeerjN6GAe6SDeCL28BAkFpKbE5uA7uF7tDtx7_CMucSM65g5CAgoZaKkLWF0YYUUsMwXzJOgr2cXT7erkpzqO/s1600/Jordan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZgpkYqCMCqDW2O3d1FXGogDrPMJbCVEAuXU6CFbWnQ8sVrptf-r23SdeerjN6GAe6SDeCL28BAkFpKbE5uA7uF7tDtx7_CMucSM65g5CAgoZaKkLWF0YYUUsMwXzJOgr2cXT7erkpzqO/s1600/Jordan.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><i>Jordan is author of the suspense novel <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">Forged in Grace</span>, and the writing guides <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time</span>,
and <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">Write Free: Attracting the Creative Life</span> with
Rebecca Lawton<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">. </span>She is co-founder of <a href="http://www.indie-visible.com/">www.indie-visible.com</a>, a
writer’s collective offering publishing and marketing support to indie authors.
<a href="http://www.jordanrosenfeld.net/">www.jordanrosenfeld.net</a><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">She teaches an ongoing series of online writing courses and
webinars on the subjects of plot, scene and tension-building, and will be
holding the first annual Plot & Scene retreat with author<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="Plot Whisperer"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">Martha Alderson, The Plot Whisperer</span></a></span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><i>,
in May 2014. <a href="http://www.writerpath.com/">www.writerpath.com</a></i><span style="color: #242222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-42394898954396882402014-02-21T16:10:00.000+10:302014-02-21T16:10:15.728+10:30Group Promotions – Attempt One<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll try anything twice. Once to thoroughly mess it up, and
then a second time to give myself a chance to learn from my previous botched
attempt (hopefully) before I assess how effective something is, whether that be
a story, a way to connect with readers, or a way to market my books.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2fv5jiFYh5yCVL22mlWq9aQVjk2vHBxmkAvwy7jjlgLiNkG-QLJH4xrt91Ea6VosVQ7p5dgPS7HbarPbbSQUNOA-UVUCADKUn_fMsJ9txR_xNgV5t0hjDi22g9qlC06YMxkBvzVdGNUY/s1600/VDay+Promotion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2fv5jiFYh5yCVL22mlWq9aQVjk2vHBxmkAvwy7jjlgLiNkG-QLJH4xrt91Ea6VosVQ7p5dgPS7HbarPbbSQUNOA-UVUCADKUn_fMsJ9txR_xNgV5t0hjDi22g9qlC06YMxkBvzVdGNUY/s1600/VDay+Promotion.jpg" height="67" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As of last week I tried my first group promotion, banding together
with 6 other authors who have a bit of romance in their books, for a Valentine’s
day special. I’ve always tried to be quite honest on my blog about the things I
attempt, my results and my thoughts on how they went. Which is why I have no
qualms in telling you that my first attempt at this method ended up looking like
a bowl full of spaghetti throw across the floor and then rolled in by a dog. Truth
be told, I expected it to be rocky considering I only decided five days before
the promo I was going to give it a crack. I wasn’t expect I’d be climbing the
charts and booting the #1 bestseller off, I just wanted to see what would
happen. I wanted to poke the mystery mound and see what came out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the first poke it appeared not a lot was in that
mystery mound. However, just because Attempt One did not take off like a child
who’s eaten a spoonful of chilli doesn’t mean I didn’t learn a lot from the
experience. So below I have broken down the result that we got and how I would
change what we did for Attempt Two.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>The Results<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxMeCNOpoj5VMwgaEKWbryV9Ji6RpCx15SCxEoJGPPj3S5-CG5r8bi1tzJO7-EHBIT2QYTx8NzEyrM1vBujnZZ3wvbj9RWETAghlZkflt0iMiayewC0VRxVozccGjmI84gJPOMw7mM2RR/s1600/Amazon+Affiliate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxMeCNOpoj5VMwgaEKWbryV9Ji6RpCx15SCxEoJGPPj3S5-CG5r8bi1tzJO7-EHBIT2QYTx8NzEyrM1vBujnZZ3wvbj9RWETAghlZkflt0iMiayewC0VRxVozccGjmI84gJPOMw7mM2RR/s1600/Amazon+Affiliate.jpg" height="140" width="320" /></a></div>
</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The promotion was run with 7 authors (including myself), and
11 books. When I set up the promotion I used a suggestion out of David Gaughran’s,
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CPQ6YYI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CPQ6YYI&linkCode=as2&tag=chifanclu-20" target="_blank">Let’s Get Visible</a>, which included setting up Amazon affiliate links to track
the number of click throughs from the promotion page to Amazon. The below figures
come from that tracking:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Number of Link Clicks
Feb 13-15</i><b>: </b>43</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Number of Kindle
e-books purchased</i><b>: </b>11</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Number of Books out of
the 11 that sold: </i>8 books out of 11 got at least one sale</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Conversion rate from
clicks to sales: </i>39.53%</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Average Conversion
rate per book: </i>~25 %</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Low numbers all around, but again this was what I was
expecting when I only had four days in which to think up exactly <i>how </i>we were going to promote this thing.
Below I break down what went wrong and what I would do differently next time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>Why The Rush?</u></b></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-ngpP6JeeLrcetBs4fJGXbUAihiio-wHwL9mmakr_2btyBIHC-DXKjMnwQGuOXUKjxFNgSlH0DHz4oyWbXAod1GujdsIDO7v2381ftAaHuELnSduoobCZhggXStTjBUhxpBtWbvFJSJA/s1600/1280px-February_calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-ngpP6JeeLrcetBs4fJGXbUAihiio-wHwL9mmakr_2btyBIHC-DXKjMnwQGuOXUKjxFNgSlH0DHz4oyWbXAod1GujdsIDO7v2381ftAaHuELnSduoobCZhggXStTjBUhxpBtWbvFJSJA/s1600/1280px-February_calendar.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day I finished David’s ‘Let’s Get Visible’ was the day I
decided I wanted to try a group promotion and cast around for the closest
special day that might relate to the themes in my book <i><a href="http://www.madelinecain.com/" target="_blank">The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain.</a> </i>Madeline Cain has a small
romantic sub plot and what happened to be popping up in 5 days time but the
world’s biggest day of the celebration of love? Knowing most other public
holidays/days of celebration were a bit too generic I decided I would try for
Valentine’s Day and see how the experience went. Which brings me to my first
point:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>Give Yourself At
LEAST 1-2 Months Lead Time</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are several reasons for this but the main one is you
need to tap influential people on the shoulder to help spread the word. Your
social network and blogs and mailing lists are all fine, but the people on them
all know about your book, they’ve probably been bugged by you several times to
buy it, and they’re probably ready to wack you over the head with a shovel just
so you’ll stop pestering them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With a group promotion not only do you need to announce it
to each author’s tribe via social media, you need to let people who know
nothing about you know that this promotion is a <i>thing</i>. The one thing we couldn’t manage to organise in five days
was to get in contact with any influential bloggers about promoting the event
out to their readers. This would require things like additional giveaways, and
a build up of excitement to the promotion day with guest posts, interviews
& reviews etc. As a result we had only limited reach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Potentially with each author pitching in a couple of dollars
we could have also built a buzz around the promotion doing our own
rafflecopters from our blogs in the two week lead up to the promotion. That
would have had the added effect of determining which authors were serious about
making the promotion the best it could be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition to notifying bloggers, in my second attempt I
would also be alerting various sites that list bargain books. These sites then
pass on good quality promotions to their email subscribers (Such sites include
place like <a href="http://www.pixelofink.com/sskb/" target="_blank">Pixel of Ink</a>,
or <a href="http://ereadernewstoday.com/" target="_blank">Ereader News Today</a> etc).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>Join Many Authors
Rather Than A Few</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comparing the amount of promotion we were able to muster to
the results David was talking about for his promotion, I can see now that we
were probably too few to make a significant traffic push. We were only 7 where
as the promotion David used as an example had almost 21 authors. We were a
bunch of skinny teens trying to push a boulder up a mountain that required an
army. For my next attempt I would try to gather at least 20 authors and
probably limit it to one book per author so we didn’t lose any potential
readers in the deluge of description.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>Split Test The
Promotion Page</u></b></h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGQvHi0V9eP3J_eo5fBCC-4hv4xTUWjnsuo8tD6zCkClqGiGb7amdXsn9ipm3IflYv8eSYntiF0ZHKSXic8iFEI2Kxz3PmTIgQH8qjD2RPLaSH7sX8uCSvk2ipLeZIYiosh9mCQpWaKyD/s1600/Promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGQvHi0V9eP3J_eo5fBCC-4hv4xTUWjnsuo8tD6zCkClqGiGb7amdXsn9ipm3IflYv8eSYntiF0ZHKSXic8iFEI2Kxz3PmTIgQH8qjD2RPLaSH7sX8uCSvk2ipLeZIYiosh9mCQpWaKyD/s1600/Promo.jpg" height="320" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How we set up each book on the page.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Valentine’s Day I kept an eye on what other group promotions
were on. I was surprised to find there weren’t many, but the ones I did find
structured their landing/promotion pages quite differently to ours (you can see
ours here: <a href="http://www.madelinecain.com/vdaypromo">http://www.madelinecain.com/vdaypromo</a>)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though our page was quite comprehensive - each book had
multiple links, a blurb, a cover and reviews - I have a feeling that many
people may not have bothered to scroll down to the end of the page. I worry
that we may have lost the impulsive buying vibe by doing this. Would love to
hear your thoughts in the comments about what does and doesn’t work for you in
our promotion page.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But my thoughts are the next time around I would set up two
pages, one we did with this group promotion, and another where all you had was
the intro blurb and then the covers with their links and nothing else to
distract someone from clicking. Then I would alternate which promo page I would
send people to over the course of the promotion. That would allow me to compare
how many more clicks each one got and then how many more sales we got as a
result. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<b><u>Create Freebees</u></b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like a child refusing to eat just one kind of ice-cream, I
have refused to join the Kindle Select program. I dislike being told you must
NOT play with the other flavours if you want to eat ours. I feel it creates a
reliance on one company and history has show that those who rely on monopolies
can get burnt. This of course means I
have a very hard time running limited-time free promotions on Amazon. It is for
that reason that I set the promotion price to be $0.99 for the books and
authors that participated in our promotion. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Doing it again, I think I would create several short works
that I didn’t mind throwing away as freebees as a way to draw people into my
other titles. Potentially this might be what I would try on my third attempt at
a group promotion, because I still believe that $0.99 books are still a viable
promotion price point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With those five alterations in place I reckon I’m in a much
better position for my next attempt. Hopefully this discussion has been helpful
in avoiding the pitfalls I willingly threw myself into -all for your benefit of
course :)</div>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: red;">Have you ever run a group promotion?
What did you do to get it out into the world? Please share in the comments
below!</span></h4>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-53044266273674325662014-02-14T10:00:00.000+10:302014-02-14T10:00:00.719+10:30Group Promotions & Valentine's Day SpecialsI have to say I am skeptical about putting all of your romantic gestures into one, arbitrarily designated day. At least you could pretend to make an effort for two days, put on a nice shirt, pick a flower or two from the neighbour's garden to give to your lady love. But this year I suddenly found myself considering Valentine's day as a day I should pay attention to, and that's because of how it plays into my marketing plan.<br />
<br />
I like to delve into the how-to books of other indie authors looking for valuable new ideas or different angles of attack I can make in my own book selling efforts. My most recent read is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Get-Visible-Noticed-Publishing-ebook/dp/B00CPQ6YYI" target="_blank">Let's Get Visible by David Gaughran</a>. In the book I came across a mention of group promotions, where in a group of authors get together, set their prices low for 24 hours and then tap their networks on the shoulders to let them know what's going on. I like to call the method Sharing The Love. Apt for a day like today. David recommended that the group promotion tie in with a significant day, one where people will be turning their attention to one theme or event in particular.<br />
<br />
It made a lot of sense, and keen to try it out, I cast around for themes and special days that might fit my Facebook comedy novel, <i>The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain</i>. Though Facebook had just turned ten, I didn't think that was cause for world wide celebration, (well maybe at Mark's house but I certainly wasn't invited) which left the next big event as Valentine's Day. Make that, today.<br />
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So today I am running my first ever group promotion, how will it turn out? I can't say yet, but I can promise you I will be analyzing the event, in detail, for my next blog post. The stats, the organisation, the ultimate result, all right here in view of everyone wearing nothing but my words :S<br />
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If you'd like to see the group promotion in action today check it out here: <a href="http://www.madelinecain.com/vdaypromo/">http://www.madelinecain.com/vdaypromo/</a><br />
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What I can tell you is that each book in the promotion is $0.99; the promotion only runs for 24 hours on Valentine's Day; each falls into the genres of chicklit, YA romance, paranormal, new adult or classic romance (perfect for Valentines); each has an average of 4 stars or higher on Amazon; and we've pulled together 11 books and 7 authors (<a href="http://www.dylanwhite.com/" target="_blank">Dylan White</a>, <a href="http://www.marciassa.com/" target="_blank">Missy Marciassa</a>, <a href="http://www.anniejocoby.com/" target="_blank">Annie Jacoby</a>, <a href="http://elyesegrant.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Elyse Grant</a>, <a href="http://shawninmon.com/" target="_blank">Shawn Inmon</a> and Susan Ann Wall) in little under a week.<br />
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Watch this space to see how the experiment unfolds...<br />
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...And if you like a little bit of romance in your reading pile, or your loved one does, please feel free to pop over to the group promotion site and grab yourself a stellar bargain. <a href="http://www.madelinecain.com/vdaypromo/">http://www.madelinecain.com/vdaypromo/</a><br />
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<br />EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-75426713818821065432014-02-09T18:51:00.000+10:302014-02-09T18:59:20.001+10:30The Most Important Thing A Writer Must Do To Succeed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span lang="EN-US">Getting started in the self-publishing game isn't as easy
as some make it out to be. If you don't like writing, a LOT, then the climb to
an appreciable number of sales is long. But how do you start producing
more work, faster? </span></i><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US">Today's guest post (The first for the year!<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/p/projects.html" target="_blank">If
you're keen to write one go here</a>) is from the amusing Dylan White, an
author who I've know for several years and who has finally started to gain
traction with his work. He's a great writer, and works hard, and deserves every
bit of success! He's here to tell you why his self-publishing journey is
starting to lift off...</span></i><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>fairly<span style="letter-spacing: 2.7pt;"> </span>new<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>self-publishing scene<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt; mso-font-width: 89%;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>I’ve<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ead<span style="letter-spacing: -.65pt;"> </span>my
share<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-font-width: 94%;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>author<span style="letter-spacing: .85pt;"> </span>blogs.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>I want<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>sha<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>with<span style="letter-spacing: 2.55pt;"> </span>you<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>one<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>thing<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>I’ve<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>taken<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>away<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>f<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>om<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>all<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>them.<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>The<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>most
important<span style="letter-spacing: 2.95pt;"> </span>thing<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>writer<span style="letter-spacing: 2.8pt;"> </span>must<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>do<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>succeed...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="letter-spacing: -.9pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">W</span><span lang="EN-US">rite.<span style="letter-spacing: .55pt;"> </span>A<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>lot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It’s<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>that<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>simple<span style="letter-spacing: .45pt;"> </span>—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>but<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>it’s<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>that<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>eas<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt;">y</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">All<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>marketing,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>networking,<span style="letter-spacing: 2.7pt;"> </span>blogging,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.0pt;"> </span>tweeting,<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;">
</span>posting,<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>pinning<span style="letter-spacing: 2.75pt;">
</span>doesn’t<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt;"> </span>mean <i>anything<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span></i>unless<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>write.<span style="letter-spacing: 1.25pt;"> </span>And<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;"> </span>while<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;">
</span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>likely<span style="letter-spacing: 2.4pt;"> </span>be spending<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>eighty<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;"> </span>pe<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>cent<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>my<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>time networking,<span style="letter-spacing: 2.7pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>twenty<span style="letter-spacing: 2.15pt;"> </span>pe<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>cent<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>spent<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;"> </span>writing<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>most<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">He<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e’s<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;"> </span>why<span style="letter-spacing: 1.8pt;"> </span>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">PRACTICE<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>MAKES<span style="letter-spacing: 1.45pt;"> </span>PERFECT</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>an<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>okay<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: 2.45pt;"> </span>Sometimes,<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>good write<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: 2.45pt;"> </span>I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>certainly<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;">
</span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>g<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>eat<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: 2.45pt;"> </span>But I’m<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;"> </span>working<span style="letter-spacing: 3.25pt;"> </span>towa<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ds<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>that. By<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;">
</span>writing.<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>Every time<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>sit<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>down<span style="letter-spacing: 1.65pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>write,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>just writing.<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span><i>practicing<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span></i>writing.<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>The<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>write,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>better<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>I’ll<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>get.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>Hopefull<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt;">y</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>The<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>better I<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>get,<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>likely<span style="letter-spacing: 2.4pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>am<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>attract
and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>keep<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-font-width: 95%;">r</span>eaders.<span style="letter-spacing: -.25pt;"> </span>Also,<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>write,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>I have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>o<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">f</span>fer<span style="letter-spacing: .55pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-font-width: 95%;">r</span>eaders.<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>Mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>that<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>bit...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>don’t<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>emember<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;">
</span>whe<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>hea<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>d<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>about<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>“ten<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;"> </span>thousand<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>hour<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;">r</span>ule,”<span style="letter-spacing: 2.45pt;"> </span>but<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>says<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>you have<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>put<span style="letter-spacing: 1.3pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>ten<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>thousand<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>hours<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>befo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>you<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>become<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>an<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;">
</span>expert<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt;"> </span>at<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>something.<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>don’t imagine<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span><i>ever<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span></i>be an<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>“expert”<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>at<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>writing.<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>I’ll<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>be<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>experienced,
yes,<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>might<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>even get<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;">
</span>bette<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>,<span style="letter-spacing: -.85pt;"> </span>but<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>just<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>can’t<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>see<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">
</span>day<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>when<span style="letter-spacing: .5pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>ever<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>confidence<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>quality<span style="letter-spacing: 2.3pt;"> </span>of my<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>writing<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>call<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>myself<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>an<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>expert.<span style="letter-spacing: -.65pt;"> </span>But<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>if<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>someone<span style="letter-spacing: 1.55pt;"> </span>else<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>wants<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>call<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>me<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>an<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>expert,<span style="letter-spacing: -.65pt;">
</span>well, far<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>be it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>f<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>om<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>me<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>gue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_n0wEfVR7204feMulFc4CIw6Sfg_S1N6VHbToA6Tm7SpDJ5HJmAZ7cK7B8h-Xw4bS2xlIxpsAWqYxb9UWpkV-gId8VXYPJZ9Nm3xksWl40yfvSizdCussQfF85PqTIxi5BXM64Rean_c/s1600/Dylan+White+covers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_n0wEfVR7204feMulFc4CIw6Sfg_S1N6VHbToA6Tm7SpDJ5HJmAZ7cK7B8h-Xw4bS2xlIxpsAWqYxb9UWpkV-gId8VXYPJZ9Nm3xksWl40yfvSizdCussQfF85PqTIxi5BXM64Rean_c/s1600/Dylan+White+covers.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">LESS<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">I</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">S</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="letter-spacing: -.35pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">LESS<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span></span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>MORE<span style="letter-spacing: 1.45pt;"> </span>IS<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>MORE</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It’s<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>simple<span style="letter-spacing: .45pt;"> </span>math.<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>The<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>less<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>write,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>less<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>publish,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>less<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>sell.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>The<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>write,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>the mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>publish,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>sell.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>So<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>keep<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>p<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>oducing<span style="letter-spacing: 2.35pt;">
</span>content.<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>am<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>business
of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>being<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: 2.45pt;"> </span>That<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>doesn’t<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt;">
</span>mean<span style="letter-spacing: -1.25pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>just<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>anything<span style="letter-spacing: 1.75pt;">
</span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>th<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ow<span style="letter-spacing: 2.35pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>up<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: -.65pt;"> </span>Amazon.<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>I try<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>something good.<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>One,<span style="letter-spacing: -1.25pt;"> </span>because<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>if<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>it’s<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>good,<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-font-width: 96%;">r</span>eaders<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>buy<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>it.<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">T</span>wo,<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>want to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>be p<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>oud<span style="letter-spacing: 1.95pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Amanda<span style="letter-spacing: .9pt;"> </span>Hocking<span style="letter-spacing: 1.8pt;"> </span>(yeah,<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>playing<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;">
</span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>Hocking<span style="letter-spacing: 1.8pt;"> </span>ca<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>d)<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>had<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>eight<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>books<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>under<span style="letter-spacing: .85pt;"> </span>her<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>belt befo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>she<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>self-published.<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>Not<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>one.<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>Eight.<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>And<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;"> </span>we<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>all<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>know<span style="letter-spacing: 1.75pt;"> </span>what<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>happened<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>he<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: -.7pt;"> </span>It may<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>happen<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>me.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>It<span style="letter-spacing: .9pt;"> </span>p<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>obably<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>won’t.<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;">
</span>But<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>she<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>keeps<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>writing<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>now<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>she<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>has
nineteen<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>titles<span style="letter-spacing: .5pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: -.65pt;"> </span>Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">John<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US">Locke<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>part<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>very<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>small<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>Kindle<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;">
</span>Million<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>Club<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>because<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>he<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>writes<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;">
</span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>lot<span style="letter-spacing: .85pt;"> </span>of books.<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>Cur<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>entl<span style="letter-spacing: -1.4pt;">y</span>,<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>he<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;">
</span>has<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>about<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>twenty-five<span style="letter-spacing: 3.15pt;"> </span>titles.<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>He<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>just<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-font-width: 118%;">r</span>eleased<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>another<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;">
</span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>early Feb<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;">r</span>uary<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>this<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>year<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;"> </span>and,<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>acco<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ding<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>his<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>email,<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;">
</span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>be<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>eleasing<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>another<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>by<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>end<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>of the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>month!<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>They’<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>world-changing<span style="letter-spacing: 3.0pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>they’<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>outstanding<span style="letter-spacing: 1.55pt;"> </span>pieces of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>literatu<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e,
but<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>they’<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>fun<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-font-width: 95%;">r</span>eads<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;">
</span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>ta<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>geted<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>niche.<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>That’s<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>big<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>thing<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>knowing<span style="letter-spacing: 2.9pt;"> </span>your<span style="letter-spacing: 1.45pt;"> </span>niche.<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>But that’s<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>another<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Again,<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;"> </span>he<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e’s<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>whe<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e we<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>see<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>why<span style="letter-spacing: 1.8pt;"> </span>writing<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>ke<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt;">y</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>If<span style="letter-spacing: 1.0pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>only<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>one<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>book and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>someone buys<span style="letter-spacing: -.25pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>likes
it,<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>nothing<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>else<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;">
</span>o<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">f</span>fer<span style="letter-spacing: .55pt;"> </span>them.<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>I’ve<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>lost<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>them.<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>But<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>if<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>other titles<span style="letter-spacing: .5pt;">
</span>available,<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-font-width: 96%;">r</span>eaders<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -1.3pt;"> </span>mo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>likely<span style="letter-spacing: 2.4pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>buy<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>them.<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>So<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>constantly<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>and consistently<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>p<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>oduce<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>content.<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;">
</span>Because<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>if<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>four<span style="letter-spacing: 1.45pt;"> </span>or<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>eight<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>or<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>fifteen<span style="letter-spacing: .45pt;"> </span>titles,<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;">
</span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>eaders who<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;"> </span>liked<span style="letter-spacing: 1.65pt;"> </span>one<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>likely<span style="letter-spacing: 2.4pt;"> </span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>buy<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>most,<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>if<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>all,<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>my<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>others.<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>And<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;"> </span>they’ll<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;"> </span>follow<span style="letter-spacing: 2.9pt;"> </span>me on<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">T</span>witter<span style="letter-spacing: 2.65pt;">
</span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>“Like”<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>me<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>Facebook<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>and,<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>hopefull<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt;">y</span>,<span style="letter-spacing: 2.35pt;"> </span>subscribe<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;">
</span>my<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>mailing<span style="letter-spacing: 2.1pt;"> </span>list.<span style="letter-spacing: .55pt;"> </span>That way<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;"> </span>they’ll<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;"> </span>be first<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>line<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>when<span style="letter-spacing: .5pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-font-width: 118%;">r</span>elease<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>something else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">L</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">I</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">K</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">E</span></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="letter-spacing: -.35pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b><b><span lang="EN-US">TH<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">A</span>T<span style="letter-spacing: 2.85pt;"> </span>SONG<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>FROM<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>“FROZEN”<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;">
</span>—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>LET<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>IT<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>GO</span></b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">When<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>comes<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>my<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>writing,<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>detach<span style="letter-spacing: -1.3pt;">
</span>myself<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>f<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>om<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>outcome.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.05pt;">
</span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>let<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>go.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.3pt;"> </span>At<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>least, as much<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>can.<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>try<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>focus<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>finishing<span style="letter-spacing: 2.3pt;">
</span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>book and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>telling<span style="letter-spacing: 1.9pt;">
</span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>good stor<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt;">y</span>,<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>how many<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>copies<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;">
</span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>sell.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>also<span style="letter-spacing: -1.25pt;"> </span>try<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>obsess<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>over
it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>write.<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>just<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>let<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>it go.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.05pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt; mso-font-width: 89%;">Y</span>es,<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>still<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>go<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>back<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ewrite,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;">
</span>edit,<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>p<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>oof<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ead.<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>But<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>don’t<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>spend<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>fo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ever<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>trying to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>make<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>“perfect.”<span style="letter-spacing: 2.95pt;"> </span>Because<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: -.7pt;"> </span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span><i>always<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span></i>be something I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>wish<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>I’d<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>written<span style="letter-spacing: 2.9pt;">
</span>bette<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>. Often,<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>whole<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>thing.<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>But<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>take<span style="letter-spacing: -.7pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>mental<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>note<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>do<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>better<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;">
</span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>next<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>time. Remembe<span style="letter-spacing: -.85pt;">r</span>,<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>that’s<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>what<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>my<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>writing<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>practice<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>for<span style="letter-spacing: .85pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>next<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">S</span><span lang="EN-US">t</span><span lang="EN-US">ill</span><span lang="EN-US" style="letter-spacing: -.35pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>convinced?<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>J.K.<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>Rowling<span style="letter-spacing: 2.0pt;"> </span>just<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>evealed<span style="letter-spacing: -1.05pt;">
</span>she<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>thinks<span style="letter-spacing: 1.25pt;"> </span>she<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>should<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>had<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>Harry and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>Hermione<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;">
</span>end<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>up<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>togethe<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: -.7pt;"> </span>Even<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>J.K.<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>Rowling<span style="letter-spacing: 2.0pt;"> </span>isn’t<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>completely<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>satisfied<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;">
</span>with<span style="letter-spacing: 2.55pt;"> </span>her own<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>international<span style="letter-spacing: 2.25pt;"> </span>phenomenon.<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>But<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>millions<span style="letter-spacing: 2.65pt;">
</span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt; mso-font-width: 95%;">r</span>eaders<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e.<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>So<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;">
</span>doesn’t<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt;"> </span>matter<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>if<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>you think<span style="letter-spacing: 2.2pt;"> </span>it’s<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>perfect.<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;">
</span>Someone<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>somewhe<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e<span style="letter-spacing: 3.0pt;"> </span>will.<span style="letter-spacing: 2.6pt;"> </span>And<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;"> </span>hopefully<span style="letter-spacing: 2.85pt;"> </span>lots<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>someones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">This<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>past<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>Novembe<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>,<span style="letter-spacing: .55pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>participated<span style="letter-spacing: 1.75pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>NaNo<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;">W</span>riMo.<span style="letter-spacing: 3.1pt;"> </span>If<span style="letter-spacing: 1.0pt;">
</span>you<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>never<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;"> </span>done<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;"> </span>National Novel<span style="letter-spacing: 1.35pt;">
</span><span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">W</span>riting <span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>Month,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>highly<span style="letter-spacing: 2.45pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ecommend<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>it.<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>It’s<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>an<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>annual
online<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>challenge to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>a 50,000
wo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>d<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>novel<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>30 days.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>It<span style="letter-spacing: .9pt;"> </span>doesn’t<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt;"> </span>say<span style="letter-spacing: -1.3pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>good novel, just<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>novel. Only<span style="letter-spacing: 1.45pt;"> </span>about<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>a
thi<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>d<span style="letter-spacing: 2.7pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>people<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;">
</span>who<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;"> </span>participate<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>actually<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;">
</span>complete<span style="letter-spacing: -.7pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>challenge.<span style="letter-spacing: -.25pt;"> </span>I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>p<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>oud<span style="letter-spacing: 1.95pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>say
I’m<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>one<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>w<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ote<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>snarky<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>detective<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;">
</span>novel<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>called<span style="letter-spacing: -.25pt;"> </span><u><span style="color: #021eaa;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJTJ088/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HJTJ088&linkCode=as2&tag=chifanclu-20">DEAD<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>SEXY</a></span></u><span style="color: #021eaa; mso-font-width: 91%;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>it’s<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>first<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>what<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>will<span style="letter-spacing: 3.3pt;"> </span>be a
series.<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>It’s<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>g<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>eat.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>It’s<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>good,<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>but<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>it’s<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>not<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>g<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>eat.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>But<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>he<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e’s<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>deal<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;"> </span>—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>didn’t<span style="letter-spacing: 3.15pt;"> </span>judge<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>as I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>w<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ote<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>it.<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>just<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>w<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ote<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>it.<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>went<span style="letter-spacing: .9pt;"> </span>back<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>fixed<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>late<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt;"> </span>Because<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>had<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>deadline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">They<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>say<span style="letter-spacing: -1.3pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>goal<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>d<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>eam<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>with<span style="letter-spacing: 2.55pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>deadline.<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>say<span style="letter-spacing: -1.3pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>deadline<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>is<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>deadline.<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>Good<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>or<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>bad,<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span>I still<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>had<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>cohesive<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>50,000
wo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>d<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>novel<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>30 days.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>That’s<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;">
</span>it.<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>The<span style="letter-spacing: -1.0pt;"> </span>“goal” <span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>part<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;">
</span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>it was<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span><i>good<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span></i>novel<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>in<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>that<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>30 days.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>w<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ote<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>first,<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>fixed<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>second,<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>let<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>go thi<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>d.<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>And<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;"> </span>guess<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>what<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>it’s<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>selling<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>better<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>than my<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">Y</span>A<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>Paranormal<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;">
</span>Romance<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;"> </span>series,<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span><u><span style="color: #021eaa;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dylan-White/e/B006CR0XA2/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=chifanclu-20">The
Apparition<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;">
</span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">T</span>rilog<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt;">y</span></a></span></u>,<span style="letter-spacing: 2.2pt;"> </span>which<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>spent<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;"> </span>four<span style="letter-spacing: 1.45pt;"> </span>years<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>writing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 2.1pt;">
<span lang="EN-US">I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>attribute<span style="letter-spacing: 1.75pt;">
</span>that<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>two<span style="letter-spacing: 1.3pt;"> </span>things:<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>one,<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>w<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ote<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>to<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>particular<span style="letter-spacing: 2.25pt;"> </span>niche<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;"> </span>that<span style="letter-spacing: .4pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>knew<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;"> </span>sold<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>well, and,<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;">
</span>two,<span style="letter-spacing: .9pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>detached<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>myself<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>f<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>om<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>outcome.<span style="letter-spacing: -1.05pt;">
</span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>didn’t<span style="letter-spacing: 3.15pt;"> </span>think<span style="letter-spacing: 2.2pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>selling<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>lot<span style="letter-spacing: .85pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>copies<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>as
I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>w<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ote<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>it.<span style="letter-spacing: .65pt;"> </span>My<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>only<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>concern<span style="letter-spacing: 2.1pt;"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing: -.7pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;">
</span>w<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ote<span style="letter-spacing: 1.15pt;"> </span>was<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>meeting<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>my<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>daily<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;"> </span>wo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>d<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>quota<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>getting<span style="letter-spacing: .95pt;">
</span>it done.<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">T</span>oda<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt;">y</span>,<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>still<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>set<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">
</span>daily<span style="letter-spacing: 1.85pt;"> </span>wo<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>d<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>quota.<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>focus<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>quantity<span style="letter-spacing: 2.4pt;"> </span>first.<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>Then<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>go<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>back<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>and try<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>for<span style="letter-spacing: .85pt;"> </span>qualit<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt; mso-font-width: 111%;">y</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Imagine<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>how<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>much<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span>you<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>could<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>write<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>consequently<span style="letter-spacing: -.85pt;"> </span>sell<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;"> </span>—<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>if<span style="letter-spacing: 1.1pt;"> </span>you<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>just<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>w<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>ote.<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>Get
the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>story<span style="letter-spacing: .5pt;"> </span>out<span style="letter-spacing: .6pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>your<span style="letter-spacing: 1.45pt;"> </span>head<span style="letter-spacing: -1.15pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>onto<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span>pape<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: -.55pt;"> </span>Once<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>it’s<span style="letter-spacing: .75pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>e,<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>let<span style="letter-spacing: .05pt;"> </span>it<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;"> </span>go.<span style="letter-spacing: -.85pt;"> </span>That’s<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>time<span style="letter-spacing: .7pt;"> </span>to write<span style="letter-spacing: 2.05pt;"> </span>another<span style="letter-spacing: -.4pt;"> </span>one.<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>Then<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>anothe<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>Then<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>anothe<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>.<span style="letter-spacing: -.75pt;"> </span>Lathe<span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span>,<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>rinse,<span style="letter-spacing: -.7pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>epeat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">TH<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">A</span>T’S<span style="letter-spacing: 2.1pt;"> </span>MY<span style="letter-spacing: 1.65pt;"> </span>STO<span style="letter-spacing: -.65pt;">R</span>Y<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>AND<span style="letter-spacing: 2.85pt;"> </span>I’M<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>STICKING<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>TO<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>IT</span></b><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEfbU2TKfhAVkufkmeFYRn1S1ig8dsIuiGWCyBQ4cHhxcrI5z-DCIwPNsGhVUJzHAdWsysyRZxXHJRUCM7KWgAaxOiExNnc1pRMpBe7jMXuH8FjcSwB2G0qOVmCahf6VKnR8n_Zq3Da22/s1600/Dylan+covers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEfbU2TKfhAVkufkmeFYRn1S1ig8dsIuiGWCyBQ4cHhxcrI5z-DCIwPNsGhVUJzHAdWsysyRZxXHJRUCM7KWgAaxOiExNnc1pRMpBe7jMXuH8FjcSwB2G0qOVmCahf6VKnR8n_Zq3Da22/s1600/Dylan+covers.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a></span></b></div>
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Once I’ve chosen what I’m going to write, I don’t write anything else. I may have other story ideas and I’ll write those down or take a few notes, but I don’t take on one novel while I’m working on another. I give it my focus because otherwise I’ll never finish it. That’s how I used to operate. I have a ton of half-finished and barely-begun stories. Now, I force myself to focus on finishing because I don’t allow myself to write something else until I complete what I’m working on. Sometimes it’s hard, but you can’t have the baby if you don’t have the labor pains. Speaking of labor pains...<br />
<br />
<b>HOW TO BREAK THROUGH WRITER’S BLOCK</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
You have know the answer by now. Write. There are times when my writing flows smoothly like a glass of Gentleman Jack. Other times, it’s like molasses in winter. Actually, most times are molasses times. And those are the times I curse the word processing Gods, tell myself I’m awful and I’ll never write anything good. Sure, I try to remind myself that every writer goes through this, but it doesn’t help. The only way to break writer ’s block is to write. Even if it’s garbage. Even if I don’t know what I’m going to write about, I start writing. It will come. It always does. It sucks while I’m doing it, but in the end I’m always glad I did it. Because invariably I come up with something better than I imagined.<br />
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See? Simple. But not easy. All the marketing in the world won’t matter unless you have a product to market. So write. Focus, finish, and let it go. Like Billy Crystal said in Throw Momma From The Train, “A writer writes — always.”<br />
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Now, since none of this counts towards my word count goal today, guess what I’m gonna go do ...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLDb5qIZJHBkScN5dt5RcissLLrErTggW6FSCYul9XFJdeIAuJhdEms860Sqctok5U2YUvLYq1dW6dfL7KVdJzW_RBO5xu1SGy4BJySnCHvwcmkDJpYl3lm0GNLVvesbukEXHzDBA0YU1/s1600/Dylan+White.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLDb5qIZJHBkScN5dt5RcissLLrErTggW6FSCYul9XFJdeIAuJhdEms860Sqctok5U2YUvLYq1dW6dfL7KVdJzW_RBO5xu1SGy4BJySnCHvwcmkDJpYl3lm0GNLVvesbukEXHzDBA0YU1/s1600/Dylan+White.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"> </span><u style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #021eaa; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dylan-White/e/B006CR0XA2/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=chifanclu-20">Dylan<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>White</a></span></u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #021eaa; letter-spacing: 0.9pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">is<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>author<span style="letter-spacing: .85pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .55pt;"> </span></span><u style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #021eaa; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-width: 96%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dylan-White/e/B006CR0XA2/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=chifanclu-20">The<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>Apparition<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt; mso-font-width: 100%;">T</span>rilogy</a></span></u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #021eaa; letter-spacing: 2.55pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">and<span style="letter-spacing: .2pt;"> </span></span><u style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #021eaa; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJTJ088/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HJTJ088&linkCode=as2&tag=chifanclu-20">DEAD<span style="letter-spacing: 1.4pt;"> </span>SEXY</a></span></u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #021eaa; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="letter-spacing: -.8pt;"> </span>A<span style="letter-spacing: .3pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">W</span>atts<span style="letter-spacing: -.3pt;"> </span>& Parker<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>Detective<span style="letter-spacing: -.6pt;"> </span>Novel,<span style="letter-spacing: 1.05pt;">
</span>as<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>well<span style="letter-spacing: 1.7pt;"> </span>as<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span>this<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>article,<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>several<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>emails,<span style="letter-spacing: -1.05pt;"> </span>a<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>ton<span style="letter-spacing: .35pt;"> </span>of<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span>tweets,<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;"> </span>and<span style="letter-spacing: -.15pt;"> </span>the
occasional<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>ransom<span style="letter-spacing: -.7pt;"> </span>note.<span style="letter-spacing: -.95pt;"> </span>(Don’t<span style="letter-spacing: 1.5pt;"> </span>ask)<span style="letter-spacing: -.25pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">Y</span>ou<span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"> </span>can<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span>find<span style="letter-spacing: 1.8pt;"> </span>Dylan<span style="letter-spacing: 1.25pt;"> </span>online<span style="letter-spacing: .8pt;"> </span>at<span style="letter-spacing: -.1pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #021eaa; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.dylanwhite.com/">ww<span style="letter-spacing: -1.1pt;">w</span>.dylanwhite.com</a></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-width: 89%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">, </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">“like”<span style="letter-spacing: -.85pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">him<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span></span><u style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #021eaa; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-font-width: 94%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DylanWhiteFanPage">Facebook</a></span></u><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">,<span style="letter-spacing: .1pt;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">or<span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;"> </span>follow<span style="letter-spacing: 2.9pt;"> </span>him<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: .15pt;"> </span></span><u style="line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #021eaa; letter-spacing: -1.1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Dylan__White">T<span style="letter-spacing: 0pt;">witte</span><span style="letter-spacing: -.9pt;">r</span></a></span></u><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">.<span style="letter-spacing: 2.3pt;"> </span>Just<span style="letter-spacing: -.35pt;"> </span>don’t<span style="letter-spacing: 1.6pt;"> </span>follow<span style="letter-spacing: 2.9pt;"> </span>him<span style="letter-spacing: 1.2pt;"> </span>on<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;"> </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: -.45pt;"> </span>st<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>eet. That’s<span style="letter-spacing: -.5pt;"> </span>c<span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">r</span>eep<span style="letter-spacing: -1.35pt;">y</span>.</span></i></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-51514647857332533832014-02-06T00:34:00.000+10:302014-02-06T00:34:00.619+10:30E-Book Revolution Podcast Episode 15: How To Prepare For A Radio Or TV Author Interview With Bill Thompson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5U-ARJZdxHWzgUALcWIiCIUsp3OcucodK_WMfwjDTavn52nGInRAUoGjRpnmO7F_OGOOUOqcxTHXtOKFNlbPO7vWV1ApTMRqsnkfHcZLpEl5ozMeHg_HTM2YbiHZVRhPk4Dna4vLK1Ie-/s1600/the+bookcast.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5U-ARJZdxHWzgUALcWIiCIUsp3OcucodK_WMfwjDTavn52nGInRAUoGjRpnmO7F_OGOOUOqcxTHXtOKFNlbPO7vWV1ApTMRqsnkfHcZLpEl5ozMeHg_HTM2YbiHZVRhPk4Dna4vLK1Ie-/s1600/the+bookcast.gif" height="65" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Welcome to the first podcast for 2014!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">If the thought of public speaking makes you feel like you’ve swallowed a litre of tequila, then I’m assuming the thought of approaching radio or TV shows to promote your book is the most horrifying thing you could think of short of chopping off your ears and sewing them to a mouse. No one wants to sound the fool, and when you’re not in charge of the questions being asked that can be a very real possibility. Plus, there’s the whole problem of how horrible you sound on tape. Well maybe not <i>you</i>, maybe you’re one of the rare few whose voice sounds like God’s gift to birds, but I know I sound horrible (Or think I do, sometimes listening back to these podcasts is torture). I feel like I’m kind of squeaky, slightly slow and my vocabulary seems to shrink by half. It’s an illusion of course, potentially a kind of jedi- mind-trick to make sure our egos don’t become too inflated, but it still makes those recorded snippets of promotion uncomfortable like you’re trying to swallow a cactus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpSTzrJX55yC_gxQMIeMUbFCRxClHnvLBOH-7AJEa15uMInv4r2QULE3K6PasHSGTMXRj8FA7JF6HjDnGFUShiNO1mQaJ5VnYwGUd4WpGpeXT7HrDW2AjS_qpWb141IHXBYpLG6MFzh2K/s1600/Bill+Thompson+At+The+microphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpSTzrJX55yC_gxQMIeMUbFCRxClHnvLBOH-7AJEa15uMInv4r2QULE3K6PasHSGTMXRj8FA7JF6HjDnGFUShiNO1mQaJ5VnYwGUd4WpGpeXT7HrDW2AjS_qpWb141IHXBYpLG6MFzh2K/s1600/Bill+Thompson+At+The+microphone.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">But for an author, particularly a self-published author, audio and video interviews are crucial to your success. Because the best way to ‘sell’ is still ‘face-to-face’ or ‘voice-to-voice’ as the case may be. Words can be misconstrued, but when people listen to you speak they hear the passion you have for your writing and they connect with the emotion in your pitch and tone. Your personality shines through and you become more human to them, more interesting. When I first went searching for opportunities to promote my own book, I realised I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I needed to be to do recorded interviews. So for this podcast I went to an expert, a radio and interviewing veteran with almost twenty years under his cap, and I asked him what was the best way for an author to prepare themselves for an interview. That man is Bill Thompson, and not only does he sound <i>amazing </i>(man I wish I had a voice that smooth – it’s the kind of voice you get up in the middle of the night to listen to) but he had some practical and step-by-step advice to share.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Bill Thompson is the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Creator and Host of <a href="http://www.thebookcast.com/" target="_blank">The Bookcast</a>. A radio journalist by profession, he is currently on the air on a major station in Washington, D.C., and has worked for the Associated Press Radio Network, USA Today <i>SkyRadio</i>, and Voice of America. Since 1985 he has interviewed well over nine thousand authors, including some of the biggest names in contemporary literature. In 2006 the opportunity to go “indie” presented itself and he grabbed it, taking </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.eyeonbooks.com/" target="_blank" title="Eye on Books"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Eye On Books</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> to the web, and creating <a href="http://www.thebookcast.com/" target="_blank">The Bookcast</a>. Devoted solely to interviews with indie authors, its aim is to introduce readers to these immensely talented writers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">I was lucky enough to be able to do an interview with Bill for my Facebook Comedy novel <a href="http://www.madelinecain.com/" target="_blank">The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain</a> which you can listen to <a href="http://www.thebookcast.com/indie-author-emily-craven-the-grand-adventures-of-madeline-cain/" target="_blank">here</a>. It was wonderful to work with such a professional, and I’m so grateful for his further kindness in appearing in this podcast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">In this podcast we discuss:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What an author needs to get ready for an interview</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How to weed out bad speaking habits so you sound like a pro</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The top three things you need before you approach a station for an interview</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The mistakes indie authors make when approaching book interviewers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What you need to practise and purchase before your interview</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The importance of knowing how much time you have to answer the questions.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The secret to preparing your voice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Why you should avoid the sleep inducing ‘monotone’</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Three big no-noes to avoid</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What the most important thing an author needs to get across in a three minute interview is</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Whether interviews are worth your time</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And much, much more!</span></li>
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<a href="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/play/m4z9xj/Ebook_Revoluton_Podcast_15-How_To_Do_Author_Interviews.mp3">Listen to this episode</a><br />
<a href="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/m4z9xj/Ebook_Revoluton_Podcast_15-How_To_Do_Author_Interviews.mp3">Download this episode (right click and save)</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At the start of the podcast I also talk about my New Year goals (see the blog post <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/happy-new-year-2014-time-to-talk-goals.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and my rather whimsical way of keeping track of my successes, a little jar where I place pieces of paper on which I’ve written my successes as they happen. So at the end of 2014 I can open the jar and remind myself of how far I’ve come. Here’s a picture of it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s all from me this time around, I hope you enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I love hearing from my listeners! If you’d like to appear as a guest, or offer any feedback on topics you’d like to see covered, email me at: ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com.<br />
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<em>Emily's non-fiction book E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-book success is now available at <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/-Book-Revolution-The-Ultimate-Guide/book-NXBNoh_Nw0ubfpli-u-sPA/page1.html?s=7K66Klr_7kyWqO7RKsyj2w&r=3" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: windowtext;">Kobo</span></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/E-Book-Revolution-Ultimate-Success-ebook/dp/B00AT5XVUM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357872919&sr=1-2" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: windowtext;">Amazon</span></a> and <a href="http://emilycraven.tomely.com/" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: windowtext;">Tomely (Australian e-book store)</span></a>.If you enjoy her tongue in cheek style you may also enjoy her comedy novel set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire also available from <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Grand-Adventures-Of-Madeline/book-OkvycKZlqkqua409waSv0g/page1.html?s=iJLolREqpU-QVFhARpOOFQ&r=1" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: windowtext;">Kobo</span></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Adventures-Madeline-Cain-ebook/dp/B00ATC7GKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357872776&sr=8-1&keywords=the+grand+adventures+of+Madeline+Cain" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: windowtext;">Amazon</span></a> and <a href="http://emilycraven.tomely.com/" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: windowtext;">Tomely</span></a>.</em><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<em><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span></em> <em><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The companion website for this podcast is <a href="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com</span></a></span></em>EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-55815328472737039632014-01-30T00:22:00.000+10:302014-01-30T00:22:02.491+10:302014 The Year of Marvellous Writing - January Round Up<div class="MsoNormal">
I mentioned in a <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/less-emphasis-on-publish-more-on-good.html" target="_blank">blog post at the end of last year</a> that I would be refining the posts in this blog, not only focusing on e-book
publishing and marketing, but also on what makes a great book, what you need to
make sure your writing is the <i>best </i>it
can be before releasing it on the unsuspecting public. We all get so caught up
in the technicalities and multiple avenues of publishing and marketing that we
forget what makes a writing career is gold plated, highly polished, unicorn
blessed, narratives. And how do you get that? You may ask. By checking out the
regular blog posts I’ll be sending your way.</div>
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So this post will be
the first of my regular Awesome Writing Advice, Kick Your Creativity Into Gear,
Round Ups. This post will list both my own and other posts by awesome writers
on the craft of writing <i>marvellously </i>rather
than just <i>good. </i>My grandmother wiped
her butt with good. Marvellous will help you take over the writing world! The
world I tell you! Aherm…</div>
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So, this week’s writing advice can be found below.</div>
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January Round Up Of All Good Writing Blog-y-things:</h2>
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<b><a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/the-naming-of-things_18.html" target="_blank">The Naming of Things</a>:</b>
As writers, we tend to get a little drunk on our God like powers when creating
our worlds. This blog looks at the do’s and don’ts of naming characters and
places in your stories.</div>
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<b><a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/begin-at-beginning-end-at-end-then-cut.html" target="_blank">Begin At The Beginning & End At The End, Then Cut Them Both</a>:</b> If you’re like me, I get paralysed any time I am looking to start of end a
piece. I’m like a piece of not too interesting modern art. This post should
help you get past the statue phase in your own writing.</div>
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<b><a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/pare-back-emoting-overwriting-round-2.html" target="_blank">Pare Back The Emotion– Overwriting Round 2</a>: </b>In my first drafts I climb into my paranoid ‘but what if the reader doesn’t get
what the character is <i>really </i>feeling’
clown car. The problem is, I go over the top with the emotion, something you
must delicately balance in your writing. This blog goes into how you pare back
that overwriting. Remember, your readers are smarter than you.</div>
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<b><a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/good-writing-is-not-about-you-being-god.html" target="_blank">Good Writing is Not About You Being God</a>:</b> <span style="background: #FAF7F7;">This blog delves into the issue of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i>how<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>you tell a story. Sure you know everything, but does that
mean the story is best told with the reader knowing everything? Probably not,
what would be the point of reading from the first page to the last?</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/01/09/writing-fiction-dialogue/" target="_blank">Fiction Writing:Dialogue Tag Basics</a>:</b> Never seem to be able to make your dialogue flow? Or does it not sound
realistic? Then this post on Joanna Penn’s Creative Penn blog should help.</div>
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<a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/01/22/scott-sigler-five-things-i-learned-writing-the-infected-series/" target="_blank"><b>Scott Sigler: Five Thing I Learned Writing The Infected series</b></a>: An awesome post from Scott Sigler on Chuck Wendig’s blog. Scott takes lessons from the writing of his series which include talking about
creating believable dystopian worlds and using science to make all the make-believe seem real...</div>
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Enjoy and happy writing!</div>
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<span style="color: red;">Have you found any great posts on improving your writing this week? Share them in the comments below:</span></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-1827526731006242662014-01-25T01:10:00.000+10:302014-01-25T01:10:34.103+10:30How To Structure An Author Talk – You Can’t Preach From A Garret<div class="MsoNormal">
The days of writing in a garret and passing on your words, never to look a reader in face, are done. Overdone. Well done. They may quite possibly be charred beyond recognition and masquerading as a black hole. Or charcoal. In fact if you’re a writer, and you get a stocking full of charcoal for Christmas, then they are your old writing garret days. Sorry.</div>
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Because the fact of the matter is, if you want to make it as a writer, and I mean <i>really </i>make it as a writer, you have to be able to learn to connect with people. And not just for the warm and fuzzies and building your tribe. Yes that’s part of it, but that’s not the main reason. We can’t eat warm and fuzzies. We can’t pay our bills with good will and pats on the back. Sure it builds the confidence but my preference is not to get to the point where I have to eat paper to feel full. </div>
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Many authors don’t realise this, but the money an author gets for speaking for an hour, or giving a workshop, or appearing at a festival, is what sustains full time writers in their careers. Even a well know and successful indie author like <a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/09/26/2-years-author-entrepreneur/"><span style="color: blue;">Joanna Penn</span></a> admits that her speaking gigs and courses (which she presents) are a large source of her income. It’s here that we come to a problem. Because if you suck at public speaking, those gigs are going to be as likely as flying dolphins with jetpacks. Even if you are a confident and mildly amusing person, if you don’t know how to do it right, if you don’t know how to flip those switches like a Japanese game show host, if you don’t know how to reach all types of people, chances are you are only going to connect with 5% of the room. If you don’t know which 5%, they’ll be the ones that <i>don’t </i>have that glazed look in their eyes that says they’ve been watching reality TV for too long. </div>
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I’ve been to a lot of bad presentations; I think I’ve killed at least half a dozen authors in slasher daydreams in my head, and I decided that that wasn’t going to be me. So last year I decided to take a three day course in the art of public speaking from a wonderful woman called <a href="http://www.carrensmith.com/live-events/speakers-fast-trak/"><span style="color: blue;">Carren Smith</span></a>. Carren is an amazing public speaker, a beautiful woman, and an even more amazing human being, coming all the way from surviving the Bali bombings to where she is today. Before that weekend I would never have known the art of opening your mouth and making sounds could be so calculated but at the same time, so simple. I’d been doing it all wrong. If you get the chance to attend one of her seminars, you could not go wrong.</div>
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If you took a <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/how-to-release-your-inner-creativity.html"><span style="color: blue;">look at my last blog post</span></a> you would have seen my presentation from that weekend in its entirety. And here today, I’m going to break down the mechanics of that twelve minute presentation for you, so that you too can learn how to structure and land those speaking gigs that allow you to start carving a writing career that <i>makes </i>you money, rather than sucks you dry. In fact this structure works so well I’ve started using it for my blog post writing as well. Your talk can be on a topic or theme from your book, it can be about how you write and teaching others to be creative. It doesn’t matter <i>what </i>you want to get across, we’ll have you ripping up the stage like a bad ass entertainer in no time. So let’s get too it!</div>
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<b>There Are Four Different Types Of People</b></h3>
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No I don’t mean fat, thin, tall and dwarf. I don’t even mean greedy, kind, mathematical or good a selfies. It would be more accurate to say there are four different types of learning styles. If you cover all of the different ways people learn in one presentation, then you are more likely to reach <i>more </i>people and suddenly you’re seeing your 5% attention rate jump up to over 50%. The four learning styles include:</div>
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<li><b>The</b> <b>Why People</b>: They want to know why they should give a damn, about you, about your book, about the life, the universe and everything. They are the ones with the short attention spans, they are the ones you have to grab first before they start throwing spit balls at the other attendees.</li>
<li><b>The What People</b>: What is this thing/object/topic that you insist on talking about. If they know <i>what </i>it is, they can classify it and are happy to move on.</li>
<li><b>The How People</b>: How do you do that thing you do? No really, <i>exactly </i>how is it done, how can they replicate that, how can they learn from all your time wasting mistakes and make a clear path for themselves. These types of learners need a structure, a yellow brick road they can skip down with a childhood hallucination on each arm.</li>
<li><b>The Do It People</b>: Cool, cool, sweet, sweet, now can I touch it please??? Pretty please?? I need to play with it. I know that came out wrong, but you really need to let me do the thing you were talking about now, please. These people aren’t happy unless they are putting something into action. They’ll listen to all the talk, just as long as you give them something to tinker with at the end. </li>
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You need to address each one of these learning styles in each section of your presentation. ‘How many sections should I have?’ you ask. Well, there should be Four:</div>
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<b>The Introduction</b></h3>
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This is where you hook in all your learning styles in one fowl swoop. This section should never be over a minute and a half, if you were doing a three minute video you should have this baby wrapped up in thirty seconds. It needs to be sharp, punchy, and have all the kick of a black belt. You should see all these elements in the video below:</div>
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<li><b>Topic: </b>What is this whole presentation about? People need to know WHY they should even bother listening to a minute more. Where is this hour going? When can I have tea?</li>
<li><b>Audience:</b> Who will this presentation help? Who is it aimed at? The worst thing you can do as a presenter to your audience is to let them get to the end of the presentation none the wiser about whether or not you were speaking to them or the person behind them. They need to know, you know, who you’re talking to. Basically this is the, ‘Are we on the same page’ test.</li>
<li><b>What Keeps Them Up In The Night:</b> What is it that has them jerking awake in their bed and nibbling at their fingers until they are bloody raw stumps? This needs to be emotional and trigger their imagination and inner feelings. Dramatic faces are recommended.</li>
<li><b>What in it for them:</b> By the end of this presentation, after they’ve put off their smoko, and rested their Facebook thumbs, and decided to spend their day inside with someone they’ve never met but kind of looks like their smelly neighbour, what will they have? What knowledge or process or fun gift pack will they come away with?</li>
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<b>About Me</b></h3>
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The audience needs to know they are in safe hands and that you are in fact a human who feels human-type things and has had the same or worse shit happened to you. This is the ‘Are you a robot/crackpot/narcissist/Animal/mineral/vegetable’ test. If they feel like they know you, if they feel they have a connection with you, then they are more likely to trust that you will lead them into the land of good writing and entertainment. This section has a more simple structure than the first. You have to take them on a rollercoaster ride: start high, go low, end high. You’re low doesn’t have to be death or destruction, depression or homicidal tendencies; it just has to be a point in your journey where you could have give up but didn’t and broke through. Normally it is the tipping point, the pivotal moment where you said enough is enough. It is <i>always </i>important that you end on a high note. Any presentation that starts off all doom and gloom with no way out is going to get you lynched mobbed at the end, not a standing ovation. This section should take up about 20% of your presentation time. See how I handle it here:<br />
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Alright, I’m interested in what you’re saying, and now I trust you, please guide me oh messiah to the promised land! Fifty percent of your presentation happens right here, right now. Depending on the length of your presentation you should have either 3, 5 or 7 steps. Odd numbers have been psychologically proven to stick in the head more (says Dr Craven…) and as a result odd numbers are used often in marketing. But add too many steps at your peril; you don’t want your audience getting overwhelmed and felling like you’re trying to ram a university degree down their gullet. You need to count down each step starting with the least important and working up to the most insightful-piece-of-information-that-has-ever-graced-the-world-stage! Aherm. <br />
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Anyway, as you may have guessed, this section isn’t just for the how-to learners, you need to hook in each learning type into each of your steps. So for each step you’re going to have to explain <i>why </i>it is important, define <i>what </i>it is you are referring to and describe it, and tell people <i>how </i>they can achieve their own Step 3/2/1 and end with one thing they can do when they get home (or do in the workshop).<br />
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<b>The Close</b></h3>
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Here is where you get people to take action, this is for the DO IT types, the active people who have probably been shifting in their seats like a child who really needs to pee but has been told to stay put. Whether you direct them to do a task, buy your book, or do further learning with you, this is the action point and it should involve at least a bit of body movement and have some sort of deadline attached. Nothing gets the action going like a deadline. <br />
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This part of the presentation I didn’t include in my original upload in the last blog post, mainly because I made the webinar up. It was an exercise at the time I recorded it and it seemed silly to inspire people only to send them to an event that didn’t actually exist. It might exist one day if enough people ask, but as of this moment it is as imaginary as my six pack. In this excerpt you’ll find a similar pattern to the other sections, I go into <i>why </i>the watchers should attend the webinar, <i>what </i>the webinar was for, <i>how </i>they could book into it and the urged them to bloody well <i>do it</i>!<br />
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<b>The Number One Rule Of Presenting??</b></h3>
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No PowerPoint. PowerPoint is like a growth, a crutch, a carpet pulled out from underneath your feet. When you use PowerPoint treat it like a photo frame, no words, pictures only. PowerPoint puts people into a passive state of learning. You want them in an <i>active</i> state, where they are more awake and retain more of the word-sounds that come out of your mouth. If you must, give them a sheet at the end that has all the information they need.</div>
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So you know <i>why</i> learning to give a proper author talk is important, <i>what</i> an author does with one, and <i>how</i> to structure and present one. So what are you waiting for? Develop a ten minute talk for your book and DO IT!!!</div>
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<span style="color: red;">Do you have any tricks of the trade when it comes to public speaking? What’s the hardest audience you’ve presented to? Pop a comment below.</span></h4>
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EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-18843669649778919082014-01-17T17:00:00.000+10:302014-01-17T17:00:01.250+10:30How To Release Your Inner Creativity<h2>
Make This The Year You Call Yourself A Writer</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_Rx-vEtteoipV9hTYjkDN45SZA-A-lZBfUTyJY7rLmlJqHFx1soNVk6kHiwwAF5EsEXBBAbMiGnJ_hIbID5WMCSuUs5YMS4wCiU4aPCy1tC82jWrwG-SemrwS-5W1S2EQcXf_c-5r9rD/s1600/dinosaurs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_Rx-vEtteoipV9hTYjkDN45SZA-A-lZBfUTyJY7rLmlJqHFx1soNVk6kHiwwAF5EsEXBBAbMiGnJ_hIbID5WMCSuUs5YMS4wCiU4aPCy1tC82jWrwG-SemrwS-5W1S2EQcXf_c-5r9rD/s1600/dinosaurs.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the start of every year I like to give myself a kick up the wazoo by reading an ‘inspirational book’. Something that gets my mind so motivated that it’s doing star jumps and one handed push-ups with a dinosaur on its back. Yes, there are dinosaurs living in my head (what, they’re not living in yours? Are you sure you’re a writer?), they make sure I keep to my word count. There’s nothing like the threat of a dinosaur rampage in your skull to keep you on track.</div>
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But that’s not the point; the point is this year’s book was actually a re-read of one I read last year, <a href="http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Seth Godin’s</span></a>, <i><a href="http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/books.asp" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Icarus Deception</span></a></i><i>. </i>If you are a writer, no matter what stage you are at in your career, and haven’t read this book, then you have to get off this blog right now and go order it! But ah… make sure you come back ok? I promise I’ll make it worth your while. </div>
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I had forgotten just how instrumental this novel was to setting me on the path I am today. This book taught me that it was ok to be an artist (aka writer of awesome), but also that <i>I </i>was the one who needed to give myself permission to do that. In fact, the book affected my outlook so much I wanted to share the inspiration, like a plague. But a nice plague, one that spread ideas and passion rather than death and boils. So I went out and recorded a short presentation to try and help other writers (and creatives in general) to release their inner creative. </div>
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And the first month of a new year seemed to be the best time to then share this, rather earnest and passionate rant with you.</div>
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<b>So this is my challenge to you in 2014 – To give your creative self a chance. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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To give yourself permission to be an artist.</div>
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<b>Life is too short to spend it doing something that isn’t rewarding.</b> This video will show you how to get started.</div>
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And if you’re the sort of person who doesn’t like watching white women offer ‘crazy’ suggestions to bring about the life you always wished you had but never got around to because you had to watch that new Doctor Who episode (I hear you!), then you can read a summary below the video.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">Do <i>you </i>consider yourself a writer? What’s stopping <i>you</i>? Drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>How To Release Your Inner Creativity:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Many of us are told when we are young, “There are a lot of artists out there and you’re not good enough to make money from what you love.” And this is true. That is, if you continually wait to be picked. But the trick is, in this crazy artistic world full of some <a href="http://www.amusingplanet.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">weird and wonderful things</span></a>, you need to pick yourself. So I challenge you this year to give your creative self a chance, give yourself permission to be an artist and turn what you love into something you can get paid for. Don’t be trapped in a job you hate.</div>
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<b>You ARE Good Enough To Create Art<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In 2011 I realised my back up plan had become my life, and it sucked. I had to ask myself, how much worse could taking a chance on my true passion be? Now I ask you the same question.</div>
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If you’re ready to change your life, if you are ready to shout “I’m a writer!” in your best Tarzan voice, then keep reading. I’m going to give you three things you need to do to make your true passion a reality this year. Are you ready?</div>
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<ol>
<li><b>Break Free Of Your Programming: </b>As children we were told in school that we should fear failure. We were punished if we didn’t have the ONE right answer. As if the world ever works that way. Einstein has this fabulous quote, which I think is something everyone, particularly parents, should keep in mind: <i>Everybody is a genius. But if we judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it is going to end up believing it is stupid forever. </i>So what is holding you back? For most people (this comes from our childhood robot ‘programming’ years), the answer to that question is fear. Fear of being found out as a fraud. So to break free of that programming you have to dance with fear, you need to celebrate the failures as well as the successes, because it’s only by failing that we learn to do things better. So your action step to help you break away and dance with fear, is to create something new every day. I don’t care what it is, whether it’s a paragraph, a chapter, a haiku, or an artistic photo for your Instagram. Get into the habit.</li>
<li><b>Educate yourself:</b> You need to learn the conventional wisdom, the rules if you will. Of publishing, of writing, of genre, of life. Not so you can obey them, but so you can break them. Writers are born with a seed of talent, but if you want to make a living out of your passion, out of your art then you need to fertilise that seed with a trailer load of manure. You need to stink yourself out. You’ve got to build the skills, there is no such thing as natural born talent. To be an artist, to call yourself a writer, you must create something new every day, and to create something new, you must learn what came before. <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/why-writers-should-educate-themselves.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">I’ve done a post on this blog</span></a> about the importance of educating yourself before. So go get to it, grab a crap load of books, listen to podcasts, videos, and search out mentors (who are by far the greatest way to accelerate your learning). Learn how people do stuff so you can be a bull in their china shop.</li>
<li><b>Share Your Art With Others:</b> What you create isn’t art unless you share it with someone. Unless you say, “Here, I made this for you.” It is only by getting feedback that you can learn from failure and improve. Only then can you make a difference in someone else’s life with your art. You need to look your fear in the face and connect with people. And how do you do that? You need to go <i>online, </i>find out where your tribe is, where the people like you are and create that connection, so that when the time comes to present your art, you have people who have bonded with you and who will help you improve and create bigger, better art.</li>
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Make <i>this</i> the year you call yourself a writer.</div>
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Image: <a href="http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/books.asp" target="_blank">Seth Godin’s The Icarus Deception</a> and Flickr Creative Commons <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephwuorigami/4198855443/" target="_blank">Dinosaur by Joseph Wu</a>.</div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-39574218319184436452014-01-14T17:16:00.000+10:302014-01-14T17:18:52.017+10:30Happy New Year 2014! Time To Talk Goals<br />
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Nope, I’m not talking about footy goals, soccer goals, hockey
goals, rugby goals or a quest to find the Holy Grail. I’m not talking about
those wishy washy goals you make like <i>I’m
going to stop eating chocolate</i> or <i>I
want to make a million dollars</i> or <i>I
think I’m going to paint my house some shade of pink to piss off the neighbour
next door</i>.<br />
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<b>I’m talking about figuring out what is most important to you
and doing it. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Goals and resolutions are all well and good for those of you
who can imagine in 3D without the aid of those funky glasses, but for myself
affirmations of <i>I will build my author platform
and wield an army of reader minions</i> is not specific enough. I mean how do
you even measure that? One thousand minions = success? Two thousand minions? One
hundred hits on the blog? Three hundred minion sign-ups to the newsletter? A Guinness
Book of World Records attempt to create the world’s biggest book igloo
dedicated to you? <o:p></o:p></div>
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As much as you’d like to think that you can manipulate
outreach, you can’t. There is no lucky formula, you can’t grind up leprechauns
and drink them in your tea to make your exposure equal to the amount of work
you put in. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But what you can specify is what gets completed at your end.
For that you need to figure out what projects you are most passionate about and
want to advance. You need to figure out how you can expand what you already
have into other forms. You need to have a realistic expectation of how much time
you have and how fast you work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I know exactly how long it takes me to write the magic
number of 1,667 words: two and a half hours. If I want to put a grant
application together: three days. If I want to record, edit and produce a video
about 5-10 minutes in length it takes me six-seven hours. A podcast takes three
hours. This is important for me to know so I don’t get disheartened. Because if
I under estimate the amount of time it takes me to get things completed I don’t
complete my daily ‘goals’, let along my goals for the month or year and I feel
like I’m on a hamster wheel on the fast circuit to nowhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s hard to see past the hamster wheel, the assumed
failures, the unbalanced effort vs. exposure equations. Which is why it’s
important before you start your planning to realise how far you’ve come. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When the New Year dawned in 2012 I was still working in a
mining company, bored out of my mind and dreading the first day back to work.
How times have changed. Now I work in Australia’s largest writers centre, my
job is to investigate and run writing experiments, I have three books out in
the world, I gave over a dozen lectures across Australia in 2013 on topics I
love, and when I added up my total (edited) word count for 2013 it equalled
137,680 words, 80,000 of which were written in the final three months. Before I
started pulling that together list of achievements I was inhabiting a world of doubt, but now it’s full steam ahead for 2014. I hope after you look at your
2013 you’ll feel just as positive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, here is my list of creative and writing projects for
2014, I call it my happy list. You can call them goals if it makes you feel
more comfortable. I’d love you to share some of yours in the comments below:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3b8wnmuq0_7rdCrB6hehmBcUkBJEFRq8zqgLNqrLxXV7XwRsub1aJVub2G4fS5akzArfWC9zbmg7tNW384vKJ1lg8Mgn1u-w8xSdsz7UHoAjXMnodAVQF8vI14q-_xKMvYM5uScSHhZz/s1600/New-Year_Resolutions_list.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3b8wnmuq0_7rdCrB6hehmBcUkBJEFRq8zqgLNqrLxXV7XwRsub1aJVub2G4fS5akzArfWC9zbmg7tNW384vKJ1lg8Mgn1u-w8xSdsz7UHoAjXMnodAVQF8vI14q-_xKMvYM5uScSHhZz/s320/New-Year_Resolutions_list.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<b>HAPPY LIST</b></h2>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<h3>
<b>1) You Can’t Advance
Your Career Without Words, so Step 1 is to Write, Write, Write!</b></h3>
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This is what’s on my ‘Make Art’ list for the year. I’m not
exactly sure in what order it’s going to come out of my head and into the
publishing sphere but I’m excited for the journey!</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Finish and publish
the sequel to my comedy novel</b> set in Facebook ‘<a href="http://www.madelinecain.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain</span></a>’. It’s already at 90,000 words and still going but I’m confident
it will be out before mid-year.</li>
<li><b>Revisit, edit and
release my inspirational and kooky Gap Year travel memoir</b> as an e-book. It’s
been sitting on the hard drive for almost eight years doing nothing. It’s time
it was out there connecting with people.</li>
<li><b>Collating my fantasy
short stories into a collection</b> for sale as an ebook. I’ve got six stories
completed and will work on another two to round off the collection. Time to
start drawing people to my fantasy writing.</li>
<li><b>Non-fiction book
based on my blog <a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Original Fantasy</span></a></b> detailing the lessons I learnt during
my mentorship with award winning author Isobelle Carmody, focusing on writing
good fantasy stories that say something different, not cliché.</li>
<li><b>Working my notes from
my trip to Cambodia in 2012 into a long form journalism piece</b> – basically a
non-fiction novella.</li>
<li><b>Developing my Deck of
Cards series</b>, a YA urban fantasy, into an outline. I was so super excited
about this one I even wrote a short description: <span class="req"><i><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jack, is an
urban fantasy novel about a boy who discovers his gypsy heritage after unwittingly
releasing Jack the Ripper into the world from a deck of magic cards.</span></i></span></li>
<li><b>Developing my series
of fantasy novels set in Easter Island</b> into an outline: <span class="req"><i><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: .1pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Moai, is a
historical fantasy set in Easter Island about a young statue carver who must learn
how to trap the evil spirit of the land, Tatane, before it leads her
civilisation to self-destruction.</span></i></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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This is definitely a long list but now I know my writing
speed I’m fairly sure I can pull it off. And if I even manage half this is will
be a victory worth toasting!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
<b>2) Expand my markets</b></h3>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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I am a big advocate for taking the work you have already
done and allowing the words to leave the page and take a life of their own in
another media. And I’m very excited to be partnering with creatives like
voice-over artist<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://kevinpowe.voiceoverartist.com.au/" target="_blank">Kevin Powe</a></span> to achieve these aims with my fiction!<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Turning ‘The Grand
Adventures of Madeline Cain’ into a series of animate YouTube videos</b> or a
podcast with the help of Kevin and his animator/sound engineering contacts. I
am so deliriously excited about this project that I’ve been hugging strangers
(no seriously, don’t get too close)</li>
<li><b>Turning my fantasy
manuscript ‘Priori’ into a podcast</b>, again with the help of Kevin. I’ve been
looking for a way to build up an audience for my fantasy work and I feel
podcasting is the way to go, with plans to either self-publish or traditionally
publish the novel at the end of the podcast series.</li>
<li><b>Continue to do
physical book signing</b>s with my print edition of ‘The Grand Adventures of
Madeline Cain’. Yes print <i>is</i> a
different media, and one I feel speaks to my target audience just as strongly eBooks.
Print books are still a <i>massive </i>market
share and I’ve been surprised at the number of print books I was able to move
at the end of 2013, so I’m going to try and expand this via signings and talks
in 2014.</li>
<li><b>Move ‘Jake’s Page’
into production</b> in the real world. ‘Jake’s Page’ is a mixed format book I
created last year that is part short story, part play script. My aim for this
work is to get it into the school system here in QLD, particularly boys
schools, to be produced by their drama students. The book deals with themes of
social media, drinking and transitioning into university </li>
</ul>
<br /><o:p></o:p>
<h3>
<b>3) Focus on being a
more regular part of the community via the blog, podcasting and online courses</b></h3>
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<br /></div>
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At times I have found it hard to run my blogs at the same
time as achieving my fiction writing goals, mainly in part because I believed I
was some sort of literary superwoman and had the time to both produce fiction
and write for my blog every couple of days. I fear I do not have super powers,
I may in fact have anti-super powers considering how often technology seems to
fail around me and so I have shifted my focus slightly to a more manageable schedule:</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Sick of the lack of control I have over my two blogger <b>blogs I shall be shifting my blogs to shiny
new sites</b>! You’ll still be able to access all the archives, it will just
look prettier, have better navigation and will have more pages full of relevant
information. Basically it will make this blog look like the ugly step sister.</li>
<li>I will be posting on my <b>E-book
Revolution blog twice a week</b> (one post by me, another by a guest) and <b><a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Original Fantasy</span></a> once a week</b>. I
feel this is less likely to kick me in the butt and paint me in rainbow
bruises.</li>
<li><b>I will be actively
calling for guest posts by other writers</b>, industry players and future
thinkers. If you feel you have a post that fits this site, whether it be about
writing or publishing or teaching people how to do something themselves drop me
a line with a short pitch and bio at <span style="color: blue;">ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com.</span></li>
<li><b>I will be doing a new
podcast once a month</b> on e-books, digital media and marketing. I’m always
looking for interesting people to talk to so again drop me a short pitch and
bio at the above email.</li>
<li><b>I will be focusing on
two new courses to help launch the new versions of my blogs</b>, one on creating
quality print versions of your indie e-books and another to help authors set up
that bewildering email list of readers you may have heard about. So stay tuned!</li>
</ul>
<br /><o:p></o:p>
<h3>
<b>4) Professional
Speaking</b></h3>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would like to increase the number of speaking events and
the topics I cover, potentially even moving into speaking internationally. I’ve
divided this into two levels: Speaking about the digital revolution and
marketing, and soliciting school visits to talk about my Facebook novels and creating
narratives using social media. Yes, I have spoken all over Australia! Please
check out my <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/p/need-more-help.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Speaking page</span></a> if you know of any opportunities to spread my
knowledge.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3SZe-VLBJIqFne4cPkyUHJNOutikV4izIUAs4Z_CGsGee_KY1nx54ROkFIl-KwJilcb7VL5kadC0-j89n4eJWtYJ7Wi_1areASs3myWUxt9VFw6x4A8pS6gwlza83jPwBlNkJ1U8Bzui/s1600/CHOOSE+YOUR+ADVENTURE_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3SZe-VLBJIqFne4cPkyUHJNOutikV4izIUAs4Z_CGsGee_KY1nx54ROkFIl-KwJilcb7VL5kadC0-j89n4eJWtYJ7Wi_1areASs3myWUxt9VFw6x4A8pS6gwlza83jPwBlNkJ1U8Bzui/s320/CHOOSE+YOUR+ADVENTURE_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
<b>5) Start my own
alternative publishing house experiment</b></h3>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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I do a lot of publishing experiments as part of my if:book
Australia role, but this year I want to focus on one experiment in particular,
my real life <a href="http://www.streetreads.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Choose Your Own Adventure</span></a> stories. The aim is to culturally enrich
cities with fictional stories and this year I want to move the idea from concept
into a real app. As such I need to:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 38.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Partner with an app developer to create Apple
and Android apps. If you know any technologists interested exploring a new
story format in the digital realm feel free to send them my way
(<span style="color: blue;">ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com</span>)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 38.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Contact local councils and government bodies to
try and raise funds for development of both the application and stories in
their towns/cities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 38.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Apply for grants to kick start development of
this new publishing space (known as locative literature).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
When I put it all together it’s a lot of work, but as I said
before, I’ve actually narrowed my focus down, this is <i>little </i>for me. The thought of achieving half this makes my so happy
I could puke rainbows. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And by telling you all of this I am making myself
accountable, or am trying to. If you see me slipping please, poke me with a
digital stick and tell me to get a move on! Set cartoon characters on images of
my across the internet! Hire hitmen to…. No wait that’s probably too far, but
you get the drift. Because sometimes my brain takes holidays and I’ve really
got to teach it to put in an annual leave application first…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: red;">So that’s my 2014. Please share your
‘happy lists’ for 2014 in the comments below. Let’s keep each other
accountable. </span></h4>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Image: Flickr Creative Commons by </span><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New-Year_Resolutions_list.jpg" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank">New Year Resolutions List from wikimedia commons</a> and<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/epicfireworks/3615445333/" target="_blank">EpicFireworks</a> </span>EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-4990410212049874042013-10-25T11:08:00.002+10:302013-10-25T11:11:27.086+10:30iBooks Alternatives: Transform Your eBook Reading Experience<i>By Claire Johnson</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Guest Post Note: I have been known to poo-poo Apple. Sorry, (well... not really...) but I've always been a PC person. Android phone and tablets give me everything I need without making my head explode from frustration. I had an iPod once, but it just didn't play nice with the other tech kids in the sandpit. But after sitting in on a couple of sessions at the State Library of QLD on iPads for educators, I realised that though I may prefer to forgo Apple tech, there is a very vibrant community of educators and readers out there who want to know about the options available to them on the iPad. So the very lovely Claire Johnson offered to do up a short summary of alternatives to the sometimes limited iBooks App. Thanks Claire, and enjoy!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">eBook</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">users who own an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch were prompted by Apple to upgrade to the new<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">iOS</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>7 last week, which offered several new features and a design overhaul for some of its long standing pre-installed apps. While Newsstand has seen its wooden shelves replaced with minimalist horizontal bars and a subtle transparent effect, the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">iBooks</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>app remains exactly the same as<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">iOS</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>6, seemingly escaping the Apple redesign.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">iBooks</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is also severely lacking in features compared to third-party applications available to purchase from the Apple Store. For eBook authors who want to get their literature read by as many people as possible, it is imperative that their work is available on a number of </span><a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/exploring-other-platforms.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">different digital platforms</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">. Here we review several<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">iBooks</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>alternatives for those who want to use their<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">iDevices </span>as their primary<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">eReader</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></div><h2><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">iOS7 apps for eBook reading</span></strong></h2><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">With over 4 million book downloads, <i>Stanza</i> is one of the most popular</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarenosuggestion" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">eReader</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">apps and supports a wide variety of file types including PDF,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarenosuggestion" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">ePub</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">and CBR in several languages. Open Publication Distribution System, an online </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">catalog</span><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> where users can source and download free reading content, can be used within the app, though there are no syncing features between different devices. With <i>Stanza</i>, the layout of the screen can be</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">customised</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">by changing the</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">colour</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">of the text or adopting one of several ‘themes’ which change the design of the background. By tapping left or right on the device screen, <i>Stanza</i> will turn the pages of the eBook and whole chapters can be jumped by swiping the page. In contrast, Kindle</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">now allow</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">users to purchase content from the Amazon store and read it through their app, which is worthwhile if your audience read content from several programs as the app</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">utilises</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">files imported via iTunes. The app also has support for Japanese vertical text and characters, useful for authors of manga, as well as options to change the font type and size and to control the contrast of the device from within the app. Text can be quoted and shared on Twitter or Facebook and a</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">note</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">feature allows readers to add and save comments next to</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">particular highlighted text</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></div><h2><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">eBooks</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></b></span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">and audiobook apps</span></strong></h2><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><i><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">OverDrive</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><i>Media Console</i> can also be downloaded from the app store and gives users access to over 18,000 libraries worldwide, allowing them to import your ePub and PDF formats. Readers can also<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">customise</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the screen into “multi-column” mode, making it easier to read eBooks on an iPad in landscape.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect"><i>OverDrive</i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>suggests similar titles readers might be interested in and its bookmarks features can<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">mark</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>several points within a single book. Users of the app can download MP3<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">audiobooks </span>and with the use of video converting software on your PC or laptop, they can even </span><a href="http://download.cnet.com/YouTube-to-MP3-Converter/3000-2071_4-75959915.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">convert YouTube videos into MP3</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> audio to listen to in <i>OverDrive</i>. This is particularly handy as YouTube offers hundreds of free<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">audiobooks</span>, ranging from the works of Mark Twain and William Shakespeare to contemporary literature. Uploading an audio version of your eBook onto YouTube can<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">therefore</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>prove to be a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect">successful</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>marketing tool. Audiobooks are a </span><a href="http://www.kpl.gov/blog/?id=20888" target="_blank"><span style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">great educational resource for children</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> and can provide a welcome distraction on long car journeys, providing entertainment for the whole family.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></div><h2><span class="yiv5085404550gingersofatwarecorrect"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">eBooks</span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></b></span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">and educational resources</span></strong></h2><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><br />
</span></strong></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><i>Kobo</i> allows readers to share reading achievements and milestones via social media websites like Facebook. Friends who are reading the same book, perhaps for a school project or essay, can quote lines of text and discuss a particular verse or chapter. The app supports the ePub file format and can display the number of pages in each chapter, a helpful resource tool. Text can be resized, highlighted and changed in colour and readers can switch between left, right or justified text alignment. Users will need to register for an account on the <i>Kobo</i> website before they can browse the eBook library.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Additionally, <i>Books</i> has a database of over 20,000 free eBooks specialising in classic literature with a wide variety of choice. This is a paid app but there is a free ad-supported version available to download. Other features include the ability to read a book review before downloading it and “night mode”, which adjusts the colour and layout settings for ease of reading when dark. <i>eBook Reader</i> is an app which comes preloaded with several full books such as Moby Dick by Herman Melville. <i>Zinio</i> offers readers the chance to download hundreds of different magazines and online publications and even purchase a magazine subscription as a gift for a friend.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><i><b><u><br />
</u></b></i></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><i><b><u>ABOUT CLAIRE</u></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style=" white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>Claire Johnson gave up a career in advertising to become a mother, but also it was more of an excuse to get out of the industry and reconnect with her roots; her desire to learn about art and to write about it. When not working or looking after the kids (including the husband), she likes to go for long walks and read books (watch people) in cafés.</i></span></div>EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-71870714332532593222013-10-17T12:18:00.005+10:302013-10-17T12:18:59.620+10:30Less Emphasis On The Publish & More On The Good WritingThe danger with self-publishing is getting caught up in the hype.<br />
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So Much Information! So Much Preparation! So Much Marketing Needed!<br />
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MUST GET IT PUBLISHED!!!!<br />
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Self-publishing is a blanket that covers a myriad of hidden trap doors, sand pits of quicksand that suck time and aggressive publishing services telling you they're the golden ticket to the bestsellers. In among it all, people lose their drive to write, because the making and the marketing just takes over. We not only forget how good it feels, but we also forget the need to constantly hone our craft, because all the marketing in the world will not help a good book float in a turbulent sea of word-sharks.<br />
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Self-publishing and Indie blogs seems to just focus on the publishing/marketing. That's all this blog has focuses on for many years. It's time address the writing, it's time to address that first point at the top of each successfully self-published author's list - Write a fucking awesome book.<br />
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This month I'm honing my writing craft with the help of the book <i>Dear Writer Revisited </i>at my other blog, The Original Fantasy (yes, there is a second one!). I've set myself a 6 week challenge, to blog my way through this book every second day in an effort to improve my prose and give my slack-arse self a kick up the bottom. Every second day I will blog about a new technique I have learnt to tighten, tone and tan my prose into top shape.<br />
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<b>Please join me in your own blogging challenge</b>- heck we can even have a little Twitter party at the end to celebrate- to reducing the stigma of poor self-publishing and put the emphases back to good writing, and off publishing and fame. Because the first will eventually beget the last.<br />
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I've already been going for a week, so here are some posts to sink your teeth into!<br />
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<a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/dear-writer-start-your-engines.html" target="_blank">Dear Writer - Start Your Engines</a><br />
In which we discuss THE PLAN, setting up a Writing Cave and Writing Truths. There are also posters for you to print out for said Writing Cave.<br />
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<a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/know-where-you-are-filling-in-details.html" target="_blank">Know Where You Are - Filling In The Details Of Your Story</a><br />
We all have those filler phrases in our first draft "and then there was fire, then Kate exploded, then shit went down". This post is all about filling in the details during the dreaded rewrites-of-death.<br />
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<a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/stop-trying-to-be-insert-famous-writers.html" target="_blank">Stop Trying To Be [Insert Famous Writer's Name Here] - Dear Writer Letter One</a><br />
Where we talk about avoiding imitation. If you can't get published, and you can't get traction self-publishing, then you're looking for your stories in the wrong place. <br />
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<a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/merging-characters-cull-your-robot.html" target="_blank">Merging Characters - Cull Your Robot Clone Army</a><br />
Sometimes we create more characters than we need, little character clones running around with a different name and face but essentially doing the same thing. Here we talk about why those characters need to merge into one super character.<br />
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<a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/to-add-word-or-take-word-that-is.html" target="_blank">To Add A Word Or Take A Word, That Is The Question - Dear Writer Letter Two</a><br />
While some writers can use adjectives and adverbs to great effect, chances are, you're not one of them. Sorry. *<i>Not sorry</i>*. It's ok, I'm still learning too. In this blog we explore how to polish that description until it shines.<br />
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Also, I'm going to be making LOTS of these for inspiration:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGA2ou-uMo4iDXM6i9l3WsBDmN4-m8Xn5gds1SFp5wz1xLpBOaByd7sASmr_NR35YVwMyy-zbVVN1fP11xkMb_qXkw5IT089DU1prd7L0tdaWp_8z3OLQO-egiha5cG5Y6wCVcYiDmyhUD/s1600/Letter+2+-+Em+Craven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGA2ou-uMo4iDXM6i9l3WsBDmN4-m8Xn5gds1SFp5wz1xLpBOaByd7sASmr_NR35YVwMyy-zbVVN1fP11xkMb_qXkw5IT089DU1prd7L0tdaWp_8z3OLQO-egiha5cG5Y6wCVcYiDmyhUD/s200/Letter+2+-+Em+Craven.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5e2VG1A5366hdO0b9FGFhAWhkEDY5W2iIQR7iUmzixhZi8hIZW6x3AuZzQz1ipl6PgTMYyvkYA_DDkt9f1iSaKDPxmaO-xwxoO6kWAuujun749FklNZBhFCaf5QX9f9tXCErlOvPoGm0/s1600/Letter+2+-+Emily+Craven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5e2VG1A5366hdO0b9FGFhAWhkEDY5W2iIQR7iUmzixhZi8hIZW6x3AuZzQz1ipl6PgTMYyvkYA_DDkt9f1iSaKDPxmaO-xwxoO6kWAuujun749FklNZBhFCaf5QX9f9tXCErlOvPoGm0/s200/Letter+2+-+Emily+Craven.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPdeRFsXJFKWZe2piG2-IR6MlN0_-dEyf7j1RFyAoiYlk6_O5FeU7IIHsx_pOosDEps4RiyhO8RC19flrDWiogT3qjbrJ1wHBqg1D6_zQ-CAwLsXwM0VytNoqn26ZyxaLFkESvt7tj5wt/s1600/Writing+Inspiration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPdeRFsXJFKWZe2piG2-IR6MlN0_-dEyf7j1RFyAoiYlk6_O5FeU7IIHsx_pOosDEps4RiyhO8RC19flrDWiogT3qjbrJ1wHBqg1D6_zQ-CAwLsXwM0VytNoqn26ZyxaLFkESvt7tj5wt/s200/Writing+Inspiration.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWY28eHdiBWeoeF2tC1o5pnjA69ypfzAZCFMeF4U-OyIRVMrDZ784CF6AbKXWzjsZtA6sy6WxpvEIH59uTOYBbBXzRLDE3N3ktwKPsFKtUYeXC6uUOsgaUpAWzoTm3VV_5N7LIRXnAy9j/s1600/Letter+1+-+Emily+Craven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWY28eHdiBWeoeF2tC1o5pnjA69ypfzAZCFMeF4U-OyIRVMrDZ784CF6AbKXWzjsZtA6sy6WxpvEIH59uTOYBbBXzRLDE3N3ktwKPsFKtUYeXC6uUOsgaUpAWzoTm3VV_5N7LIRXnAy9j/s200/Letter+1+-+Emily+Craven.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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It's become an obsession, lets not dwell on that...<br />
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Check into <a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/">http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au</a> for highly manic postings over the next month.<br />
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Until then...<br />
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DO YOU ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE?EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-74556784176734909522013-08-14T23:18:00.000+09:302013-08-15T10:22:27.117+09:30E-book Revolution Podcast Ep14 - How To Make Your Own Book Trailer With Red 14 Films<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXkKuWePza18YbVZAODpLhAmecUlP16VnbezkP2-1P2JTARzyYJb85CN5Vd1YQewbfG3GxP1RQLR2eStcbDSPa4xs4MYr8Vp-a33t2x4kNo1I2LCf3LqBbKgVm85YtSQqxj4wRA-MOlEB/s1600/Red+14+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXkKuWePza18YbVZAODpLhAmecUlP16VnbezkP2-1P2JTARzyYJb85CN5Vd1YQewbfG3GxP1RQLR2eStcbDSPa4xs4MYr8Vp-a33t2x4kNo1I2LCf3LqBbKgVm85YtSQqxj4wRA-MOlEB/s200/Red+14+logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one out there who thinks scrolling script, stock images, or god forbid, a PowerPoint presentation that zooms in on those images, is not a trailer. Not even close. If I wanted to be bored for 2 minutes I could watch the political debates. Or grass grow, or paint my toenails. No, a trailer is meant to entertain, excite and intrigue. Frankly when I think trailer, I think dynamic movie trailers with minimal words, a killer backing track, and people that move. Alright, a book is not a movie, and it would make sense that a book trailer is not a movie trailer, but fact of the matter is, if what’s floating around on YouTube is what I’m expected to produce for my story, I’d rather be smothered by a mound of my own books. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So to avoid death by one’s own work, I did this podcast with Adam Cushman from Red 14 films on what makes an awesome book trailer and how you can make a live action one yourself for as little as $3. Red 14 Films was founded in 2011 by a small group of writers and filmmakers looking to engage potential readers through digital film. They produce very short arthouse films that accompany your book, serving as a cinematic back-cover synopsis. These trailers are made for publishing houses big and small, as well as indie and self-published writers. You can find out more about Red 14 Films and making your own book trailer at <a href="http://cinematicbooktrailer.com/post/50032796192/how-to-make-a-cinematic-book-trailer-for-3-00">cinematicbooktrailers.com</a>. Red 14 Films as also running an awesome crowdfunding project at the moment to fund several of their authors trailers. Check that out here: <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/red14films/four-literary-short-films">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/red14films/four-literary-short-films</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In this podcast you’ll discover<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Why authors <i>need </i>a book trailer<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Why you should treat a book trailer like a music video<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">How book trailers can be used to promote rights to film studios<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">The difference between a cinematic and regular book trailer and why they’re not out of your price range.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Top tips for looking professional<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">How to make your own trailer for $3.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Why you shouldn’t use a large amount of stock footage<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">The reason why you should use voice overs over production sound<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Where you can hire a cheap (but good quality) camera<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">How to pick what parts of your book should appear in your trailer<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Why trailers shouldn’t have credits and why they shouldn’t show your book cover<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">The variety of video platforms you can distribute to <i>other </i>than YouTube.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">And the mistakes authors make when making a trailer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In this podcast we talk about free stock footage websites like <a href="http://www.videoblocks.com/">video blocks</a>, <a href="http://www.pond5.com/">pond 5</a> and <a href="http://www.archive.org/">archive.org</a>. We also talk about the music site <a href="http://www.incomptech.com/">incomptech.com</a> and the iPhone app <a href="http://www.videfy.com.au/">Videfy</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love hearing from my listeners! Please feel free to contact me or offer any feedback on topics you would like to see covered at: ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Emily's non-fiction book E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-book success is now available at <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/-Book-Revolution-The-Ultimate-Guide/book-NXBNoh_Nw0ubfpli-u-sPA/page1.html?s=7K66Klr_7kyWqO7RKsyj2w&r=3" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: #333333;">Kobo</span></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/E-Book-Revolution-Ultimate-Success-ebook/dp/B00AT5XVUM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357872919&sr=1-2" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: #333333;">Amazon</span></a> and <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: #333333;">Tomely (Australian e-book store)</span></a>.If you enjoy her tongue in cheek style you may also enjoy her comedy novel set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire also available from <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Grand-Adventures-Of-Madeline/book-OkvycKZlqkqua409waSv0g/page1.html?s=iJLolREqpU-QVFhARpOOFQ&r=1" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: #333333;">Kobo</span></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Adventures-Madeline-Cain-ebook/dp/B00ATC7GKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357872776&sr=8-1&keywords=the+grand+adventures+of+Madeline+Cain" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: #333333;">Amazon</span></a> and <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" target="_blank" title="http://"><span style="color: #333333;">Tomely</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> The companion website for this podcast is <a href="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/">http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com</a> </span></span></i></span></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-19428777752694120702013-07-25T08:57:00.001+09:302013-07-25T09:09:38.645+09:30Cast Your Pod To The Wind<div class="MsoNormal">
For those of you new to the blog, I’m not only a writer but the Digital Producer for if:book Australia (the institute for the future of the book). At if:book we (Simon Groth, if:book manager and myself) have been putting together a fortnightly podcast on the future of the book discussing projects, cool stuff we found on the internet and start-ups. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s a quick (30mins) light-hearted podcast that is worth a listen to (if I do say so myself!). You can find the first two episodes below, and for those of you who are inclined to subscribe <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; padding: 0cm;">the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #1c1c1c; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"> </span></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; padding: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/feed/podcast/" style="outline: 0px;">RSS feed is now working</a></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"> </span></b></span></span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; padding: 0cm;">and for those using</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #1c1c1c; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"> </span></b></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/if-book-australia/id674881188?mt=2" style="outline: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">iTunes, it’s there too</span></a><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-weight: normal;">.</span></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">if:book Australia <a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/page/2/"><span style="color: blue;">Podcast 1: Cast Your Pod to the Wind</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The first podcast from if:book Australia features Simon Groth and myself discussing the Jeff Sparrow’s ‘On Not Writing’, latest essay from if:book’s series The N00bz, a preview of the upcoming event ‘Memory Makes Us’ with Kate Pullinger, and a discussion of BitLit, a new Canadian startup that promises to convert your print library to digital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Links to the stuff we talk about in this episode:</span></div>
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<li><a href="http://archive.org/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.25pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">The Internet Archive</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/2013/06/24/on-not-writing/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.25pt;" title="On Not Writing"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">On Not Writing by Jeff Sparrow</span></span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://memory.futureofthebook.org.au/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.25pt;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Memory Makes Us</span></span></a></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.25pt;"><a href="http://bitlit.ca/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.25pt;">BitLit</a></span></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">if:book Australia <a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/2013/07/17/all-your-pods-are-belong-to-us/"><span style="color: blue;">Podcast 2: All Your Pods Are Belong To Us</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Episode two of the if:book Podcast is features special guest Kate Pullinger. Just prior to her role as chief memory maker, Kate sat down with if:book’s Simon Groth and myself to anticipate what might happen when writing live before an audience for <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">Memory Makes Us</span></i>. We also catch up with her thoughts on writing for digital narratives and transmedia projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Our regular review of <i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">Stuff We Found On The Internet</span></i> picks apart the US Department of Justice’s case against Apple and the implications (such as they are) for the recent verdict in the DOJ’s favour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Links to the stuff we talk about in this episode are:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://tidbits.com/article/13912"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Explaining the Apple Ebook Price Fixing Suit</span></span></a><span style="color: #525252;">, </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Adam C Engst</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://mikecanex.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/more-proof-the-big-six-of-publishing-are-run-by-morons/"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">More Proof The Big Six Of Publishing Are Run By Morons</span></span></a><span style="color: #525252;">, </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Mike Cane</span></li>
<li><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><a href="http://www.inanimatealice.com/"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Inanimate Alice</span></span></a><span style="color: #525252;">, </span></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; padding: 0cm;">Kate Pullinger & Chris Joseph</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="http://flightpaths.net/"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">Flight Paths</span></span></a><span style="color: #525252;">, </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Kate Pullinger & Chris Joseph</span></li>
<li><a href="http://memory.futureofthebook.org.au/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Memory Makes Us</span></a></li>
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EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-50621386809026302052013-07-16T20:37:00.000+09:302013-07-16T20:40:48.129+09:30Part 1: POD & Lightning Source & Covers<div class="MsoNormal">
Every good journey starts with a to-do list. The major sites
you <i>must </i>see in Spain, the ten most
disgusting things you need to dare you spouse to eat in Asia, the bucket list
you’re going to kick into action once you make friends with that rich guy on
TV. Though the list below is a little more average, it’s just as important to
make. With it, you can get your POD pushed through with minimum effort; without
it, the time delays will make child-birth seem like a preferable option to book
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So what are the vital steps I’ve needed to take in my POD
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<li>Create my e-book covers (<i>Complete with compelling blurb and kick arse
reviews</i>).</li>
<li>Create the internal PDF for my
books (<i>With the ever divine, and free, PressBooks.
No need to read up on margins allowances, fonts or regulations – this tool does
it all without you having to waste your time reading the design fine print</i>).</li>
<li>Sign up for a Lightning Source
Account, and validate it <i>(And just to be
on the safe side, make an extra copy and stand by for requests of extra
validation).</i></li>
<li>Purchase my ISBNs and set up my
titles <i>(With additional research to figuring
out what the hell the terms ‘laminate’, ‘perfect bound’ and ‘stitch bound’ refer
to).</i></li>
<li>Generate my book cover templates
and back cover barcodes (<i>Yep, the cover
fun doesn’t end with your designer, you need to submit it in the format and
templates Lightning Source require. Why? The only plausible explanation I can
come up with, is shits and giggles. The ISBN agencies also lead you to believe
you have to purchase the matching barcode for your ISBN, but I have a little
secret, with Lightning Source you can generate it for free…</i>)</li>
<li>Submit your files (<i>And wait…. And wait…</i>)</li>
<li>Submit your file revisions <i>(Hopefully learning about my mistakes will
mean you can skip this step with your own project and avoid all the Greek style
plate smashing I’ve been doing to de-stress…</i>)</li>
<li>Order a proof (<i>For a bizarrely expensive cost).</i></li>
<li>Hey presto! Start making those
printing orders because it’s a goer!</li>
</ol>
<br />
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</div>
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<b>Treat the above like your road map to POD and follow my lead…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<i>It’s time to tackle
the Print-On-Demand book cover…<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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E-book covers translate well into print covers. Why? Because
the designers use the KISS principle – Keep It Simple Stupid. A cover that has
wow factor as a thumbnail can’t help but pop at the print book cover size. If
you want to learn more about cover design see my <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/got-it-covered.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">previous post</span></a> or listen to my
<a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/e-book-revolution-episode-2-great-e.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">podcast interview</span></a> with e-book cover designer Kit Foster. </div>
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But the real challenge is making sure your blurb is a
dynamite stick of words ready to blow a reader’s mind. I talk about creating
your book ‘pitches’ <a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/foundation-for-published-success.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a> if you need a little awesome-blurb-writing-refresher-course.
However, the key things to remember are:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>The blurb is a sample of the writing in your book, it has to
entertain, and intrigue in equal measure.</li>
<li>It must introduce your character, the villain, the world and
the obstacles faced by your protagonist. Don’t include subplots; they come out
in the reading of the book!</li>
<li>It needs to mention what the protagonist stands to lose or
gain.</li>
<li>Finally, you have to leave the reader hanging with a statement
or question.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If your e-book has been out there for a while, you may also
have some kick arse reviews you can add to the back of the book to further
intrigue and entice your reader to buy. Below are the conversions of my e-book
covers to print book covers. As you can see, the front cover is the same as the
e-book version, the spine is of the same font (and for The Grand Adventures of
Madeline Cain, part of the title has been removed to make it fit nicely on the
spine), and the back cover is very simple.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://tiny.cc/TheMadelineCain" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbpZ2PAc389Htz21eqYkG-pKWM995_W9sEwoBn5CVvkWozSDlezG4qTq8HGTT82XtIwxtBiC5Q3_fz7VTnZ-zCIVl_9EP30SwoWJG4k3rx-chlSc9EftVIn_rzaVO1Du0A_H4MtKrGZDv/s320/Madeline+Cain+Final+SM+JPG.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://tiny.cc/TheMadelineCain" target="_blank">E-book Cover: The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY4wIaQ7gR6WaWy3ZyAxW42TXLG7CMzMfBxqRcl_7-epPE6uo-5Ae1_WDC6UDwh83MnGDvzv5m63dkzacln_3q6q4A3cp3kzQ7aZqLZBs6DfCSY-7EWUu2ymvSa64bL0tPxPmxhC3nyzL/s1600/MCPE+-+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY4wIaQ7gR6WaWy3ZyAxW42TXLG7CMzMfBxqRcl_7-epPE6uo-5Ae1_WDC6UDwh83MnGDvzv5m63dkzacln_3q6q4A3cp3kzQ7aZqLZBs6DfCSY-7EWUu2ymvSa64bL0tPxPmxhC3nyzL/s400/MCPE+-+Final.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Print Book Cover: The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire (Click on the cover to enlarge)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://emilycraven.tomely.com/e-book-revolution-the-ultimate-guide-to-e-book-success" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYUYTBcsc77h9cMtORKWSVMitZ0dm9x_a1K89w7R7wtFSm0pagFc1svu48a0bbcX2kuYmBx_E2tB_B651TqYKYJRzYeUYPXJz0F7FIWTTy7cjSQDJF0sU4g3eASA2lKRt2sr_ebh5CRwd/s320/E-Book+Revolutions+Cover+-+small.jpg" width="227" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://emilycraven.tomely.com/e-book-revolution-the-ultimate-guide-to-e-book-success" target="_blank">E-Book Cover: E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Path To E-book Success</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwy8QTQ9UHF4YPbPGM0aI03deiHnqrMePIsgg0ZLDUuUKsQKFgBON8Yc4aSMVRIV8w8Dr0B5cyhJ7hh_pjUCAlYaOuCGg-P2S4poiTCeLKIBcExAyZp3QovxEFBIK4hBrFDaU61QU9mxIQ/s1600/eBook+Revolution+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwy8QTQ9UHF4YPbPGM0aI03deiHnqrMePIsgg0ZLDUuUKsQKFgBON8Yc4aSMVRIV8w8Dr0B5cyhJ7hh_pjUCAlYaOuCGg-P2S4poiTCeLKIBcExAyZp3QovxEFBIK4hBrFDaU61QU9mxIQ/s400/eBook+Revolution+Final.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Print Book Cover: E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide To E-Book Success (Click on the cover to make it larger)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://tiny.cc/JakesPage" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VUq8yRM2u_5LrpL9xXzP_WAdrlm-qfAmeQBsqCttDa95x1vBiEY1MMKLZj0kIuw1v0NOsccmFTk5io1tuZEUa1pEI9TUMqSxQJiNxKGLKkKHuCjHA_z7LhHGnSunjPJEIFvBFzhe1cRe/s320/Jakes+Page+Final+SM.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://tiny.cc/JakesPage" target="_blank">E-Book Cover: Jake's Page A Short Story and Play</a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnf2BODH2my0AgzJfooGA32xBdbw1gY4tJsgH3VhbrkRI6pCGtqnbFnr5_jOkqCqSW3zCSwAQKpffg9vvLpC7v4oJxqDxCs44HzrnP5pdoT-0XnjRKaeqv2PUjKrx7CZucbSgMK3jLCTz/s1600/Jakes_Page+Full+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnf2BODH2my0AgzJfooGA32xBdbw1gY4tJsgH3VhbrkRI6pCGtqnbFnr5_jOkqCqSW3zCSwAQKpffg9vvLpC7v4oJxqDxCs44HzrnP5pdoT-0XnjRKaeqv2PUjKrx7CZucbSgMK3jLCTz/s400/Jakes_Page+Full+Final.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Print Book Cover: Jake's Page A Short Story and Play (Click on the cover to make it larger)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I limited each blurb to 150 words, basically one paragraph,
so the back cover wouldn’t look crowded <i>and
</i>I could add several review blurbs without going into the blank area at the
bottom where the barcode for the cover needs to be. For non-fiction (in my case
the E-book Revolution book I’m creating) you should always have a short 50-100
word author bio and photo about yourself on the back. Proving your credentials
as an expert is vital to convincing an audience to buy a non-fiction book,
particularly in print, as they are paying a lot of money in comparison to an
e-book. You need to give them a reason to give you a chance, just don’t fake
superhero credentials, ok?</div>
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Before you design a print book cover you need to know:</div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>What the dimensions of the book are going to be.
I would suggest you use one of the two most common - trade paperback (6”x9”) or
regular paperback size (5.5”x8.5”). </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 37.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>You need
to know how many pages your book will be when it’s printed – this dictates how
thick the spine has to be and how little the writing will need to be on the
spine. Just promise me you won’t make your book dimensions so large that the
spine becomes a sliver that has to be read with a magnifying glass. We will go
through how to create the interior and find out that all important page number
in Part 2 of this series. </div>
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You then need to put this cover into a Lightning Source
template, making sure that all of the text, images and logos fit within the correct
areas in the template. The biggest advantage of the template (only <i>just </i>eclipsing its ability to annoy the
crap out of you) is that it generates a barcode coded to your ISBN. Why is this
important? Every print book is required to have an ISBN and barcode on the
back. Many authors are lead to believe they have to <i>buy </i>their barcode from the ISBN agency in their country. I don’t
know about you, but I’d prefer to save my $40 barcode cost and replace that
with a perfectly good free one, thank you very much – so watch out for Part 5
of this series where I talk about Lightning Source cover templates and free barcode
generation.</div>
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This is the very simple first step of that processes to
holding a real, shiny book in my hands *happy dance*. As part of this process I
also want to be very honest in what it has cost me to set this all up. So at
the end of each post I am going to put a running total of project costs, so all
you wonderful indies out there have a guideline not only to the process, but
the mullah involved. </div>
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In the next post we’ll look at how to create the internal
PDF file for your Print on Demand (POD) book. </div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Until then, why not leave a comment below voting for your
favourite of the above three covers? What content did you put on the back of
your book? Would love to hear what you think is most important. Encouragement
as I struggle through the process is also appreciated!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfsTsd-lDoP0gF8TeG-oSO48tzOBF8NxDmoW63hgxCCpVvEJC6k3YuLiSzrEWcUejgNrRje6cGG_AMIASqWfX9z191VxTFynLI7TyeH0GJR3FPca9SHohCqDDCbT7LmEsKjXqeF-Cayo0/s1600/Lightning+Source+Project+Costs+Part+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfsTsd-lDoP0gF8TeG-oSO48tzOBF8NxDmoW63hgxCCpVvEJC6k3YuLiSzrEWcUejgNrRje6cGG_AMIASqWfX9z191VxTFynLI7TyeH0GJR3FPca9SHohCqDDCbT7LmEsKjXqeF-Cayo0/s400/Lightning+Source+Project+Costs+Part+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-5925936091502929712013-07-11T10:00:00.000+09:302013-07-11T10:00:01.271+09:30E-book Revolution Podcast Ep13 - Long Form Journalism E-Publishing With Charlotte Harper<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<img align="left" alt="editia-logo.png" border="0" height="109" src="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/7vfsiv/editia-logo.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="editia-logo.png" width="200" /></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Thousands of commuters every day are looking to fill in the boredom during their public transit, I know I am! They need short, snappy pieces that can be consumed in a day on the ride to and from work. It is this need, and the decline of in depth features in newspapers and magazines, that has seen the rise over the past twelve months in long form journalism, non-fiction pieces between 10,000 and 35,000 words that according to Mark Leslie at Kobo, are selling like hot-cakes through the online platforms. We’re not talking a massive reporting of the facts, e-book readers are after narrative non-fiction, a sort of evolution of the non-fiction article for e-book consumers. A half way point between fiction and non-fiction if you will. This has opened a huge opportunity for writers of all callings, from journalists, to non-fiction authors to fiction writers who pen travel, to memoir, to essays about writing. It is non-fiction’s answer to short stories and novellas.</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">At the end of last year, my writing mentor, world renowned fantasy author Isobelle Carmody, presented me with a challenge. Keep a diary of impressionist writing, describing my trip to Cambodia as simply as possible with as little judgement as possible – let the description speak for itself. When I returned and let her read through the entries she was astounded at what I had written, “This is possibly better than your fantasy writing, you should do some non-fiction pieces with this.” Then I spoke with Mark Leslie, touching on the rise of long form journalism, and suddenly my interest was piqued enough to seek out a podcast expert in this area! In this podcast I talk to new digital first long form publisher, Charlotte Harper from Editia about the rise of long form journalism and how emerging writers are using it as a path to professional publication.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img align="left" alt="charlotteharper.jpg" border="0" height="200" src="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/gqx5qb/charlotteharper.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="charlotteharper.jpg" width="124" />Charlotte Harper covered the digital transformation of the book industry between 2010 and 2012 for Fairfax Media,<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></span></span><a href="http://www.booksellerandpublisher.com.au/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bookseller + Publisher</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and the<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><a href="http://ebookish.com.au/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">EBOOKISH.com.au</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></span><a href="http://www.booku.com/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Booku.com</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">blogs.<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span>Charlotte is a former technology journalist, a Walkley Award-winning web producer (for her contribution to The Sydney Morning Herald’s online coverage of the 2000 Olympics) and ex-literary editor of The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. At The Canberra Times, she was variously chief sub-editor, features, online editor, and editor of firstly the Saturday news features section and then the Sunday magazine.<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span>Charlotte recently founded publishing company</span><a href="http://www.editia.com/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Editia</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, which<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">is a new digital first publishing business devoted to long form journalism and non-fiction shorts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">In this podcast we discuss:</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Why long form journalism is becoming so popular</li>
<li>Why writers should look at it as a potential path to publication</li>
<li>The length of a feature article in comparison to long form or a novel</li>
<li>The rise of ‘commute’ fiction</li>
<li>The potential for writers to make more money over time in comparison to freelance</li>
<li>How long form publication could help increase your profile</li>
<li>The importance of tying into recent news events when marketing long form journalism e-books</li>
<li>Where the e-book revolution is going and how it will effect different genres</li>
<li><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The possibility of newspapers/magazines following Editia’s long form journalism path</span></li>
<li>Thoughts on the future of newspapers</li>
<li>Top 3 things an author needs to create a successful long form piece</li>
<li>Elements of good research and interviewing</li>
<li>The Key to being successful in this e-book niche</li>
<li>The important difference between journalism for website/newspapers and journalism for e-books</li>
<li>How to pitch long form journalism</li>
<li>Marketing long form e-books</li>
<li>Editia’s upcoming projects</li>
<li>The top 3 tips for breaking into publishing via long form.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img align="left" alt="CrowdfundItFinal1-187x300.jpg" border="0" height="200" src="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/hrhsg9/CrowdfundItFinal1-187x300.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="CrowdfundItFinal1-187x300.jpg" width="124" />Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I love hearing from my listeners! Please feel free to contact me or offer any feedback on topics you would like to see covered at: ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com.</span></div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Emily's non-fiction book E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-book success is now available at<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></em><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/-Book-Revolution-The-Ultimate-Guide/book-NXBNoh_Nw0ubfpli-u-sPA/page1.html?s=7K66Klr_7kyWqO7RKsyj2w&r=3" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kobo</em></a><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E-Book-Revolution-Ultimate-Success-ebook/dp/B00AT5XVUM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357872919&sr=1-2" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Amazon</em></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></em></span><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bkclb (Australian e-book store).</span></a></span></em><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">If you enjoy her tongue in cheek style you may also enjoy her comedy novel set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire also available from </em><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Grand-Adventures-Of-Madeline/book-OkvycKZlqkqua409waSv0g/page1.html?s=iJLolREqpU-QVFhARpOOFQ&r=1" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kobo,</em></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </em></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Adventures-Madeline-Cain-ebook/dp/B00ATC7GKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357872776&sr=8-1&keywords=the+grand+adventures+of+Madeline+Cain" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Amazon</em></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </em></span><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bkclb</span></a>.</em></div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The companion website for this podcast is <a href="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/">http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com</a> </em></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-1956523793161914492013-07-06T15:24:00.000+09:302013-07-06T15:28:39.973+09:30Damn it! Who Knew Print Books Were Still Important?<div class="MsoNormal">
Last month I had a bit of an epiphany that in hindsight should
have slapped me on the head a year ago. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>People like print books, even though the topic is about something
completely digital.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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A lot of you may be saying ‘duh – exactly <i>how</i> long has it been since you picked up
a real book - <i>not </i>the square plastic
kind?’ But I’m hoping that you e-book authors out there kind of get where I’m
coming from. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I speak around Australia delivering seminars and workshops
for writing centres and conferences on a variety of topics, but most often it
is e-books for beginners. What a great opportunity to build a repour over a couple
of hours and sell my e-book <i>E-Book
Revolution: The Ultimate Guide To E-book Success, </i>right? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Thing is, I haven’t sold one book from a single one of my
speaking gigs. Why? Because the people who come to my workshops don’t actually
understand how e-books work and more often than not, have never even read one.
Wouldn’t even know how to go about getting one on their reader. And by the time
they got over their all consuming fear of technology and actually found out how
easy it was, knowledge of my book would be so far removed from their brain they
wouldn’t even stop at the cover as they scanned the pages of Amazon. Even if
they do already have a reader, they have to remember when they get home to pull
their reader out, log onto their e-book store of choice, search for, and then
purchase my book. Let’s face it; people have trouble deciding whether or not
they want the free paper at the train station, why would they go to the four
step trouble of purchasing my e-book when they just had a 6 hour session with
me? It doesn’t matter how much further I tell them the book goes, I’ve sent
them out of that room with a brain meltdown, the chances of them buying are
zero to eating dog food. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So even though I believe that having a print book about how
to make an e-book is the most pointless, and ironic, idea I’ve ever heard of,
if I want to see that book bought by the audience that is most likely to use it
and review it, I have to go to more traditional means. The more I thought about
it, the more I realised that to make speaking gigs worthwhile, I had to
actually have something <i>physical</i> to
sell people. Even my fiction books, which are aimed at a YA audience, need a
physical product, whether it’s a print book or something I can sell them that
represents my e-book.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I held a How to
Create E-books workshop for teens during the last holidays, and the kids were
super keen when I told them about my fiction books set in Facebook. Abusive
umbrellas? Super hero chameleons? Getting mistaken for a spy by the FBI? Heck
yes! But because I didn’t have anything they could get their parents to buy off
me at the time, or anything they could purchase with pocket money, again I made
no sales of my fiction e-books from the gig. As I was planning to do more speaking
gigs for teens I had to figure out, <i>how do
I sell them my books?! </i> Even though
teenagers are huge users of technology and readers of e-books, they <i>don’t </i>have credit cards and must rely on
their parents to purchase their e-books for them. The chances of you getting
through the gatekeeper that is a budget pressed parent? About as good as getting
a Luddite to purchase an e-book about e-books. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if I wanted my writing career to survive past the days
people actually knew I existed because I was in their face like a bad smell, I
had to come up with a solution for two problems:<br />
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">How do I create a print copy of my book?</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">How do I sell my e-books to the person standing
opposite me with the memory of a goldfish?</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<br /></div>
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While I am secretly working on a way to sell e-books in
person with the help of the awesome team at <a href="http://www.tomely.com/">Tomely</a>
(all of which will be revealed in goodtime on this blog), I have also embarked
upon the daring mission to convert my three e-books to print books via
Lightning Source. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Why not use an easier service like CreateSpace or Lulu you
may ask? Well, it’s because of quality. I’ve seen the books that come out of
CreateSpace with the covers that peel after three sessions with a book or come
out of the pack, covers scratched and corners bent. Heck, when I wanted to edit
my fantasy manuscript I actually created a proof copy in CreateSpace so that I
could look at the text in a different format (the best way to help you pick up
typos). The book was wrecked within a week, after my whole family had read it,
it looked like it was five years old. Whereas Lightning Source is a service
used by publishers around the world for their POD ranges. Yes it is <i>hard </i>to navigate, and a pain to deal
with, but it produces that high quality work that distinguishes your book from
that of a vanity publisher.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve never attempted to do print on demand before, so this
is a whole new field to me. I’m excited, and a little bit nervous, because I
have decided to share the whole process on this blog. From design, to set up,
to ISBN’s to pricing decisions. Everything. I want this blog to be the definitive
place you go to make dealing with Lightning Source a walk in the park. </div>
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<br /></div>
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First stop on the road to POD and next week’s blog? </div>
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<br /></div>
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Converting your e-book cover to a print one. Here’s a sneak
peek of one of my covers below. What do you think?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvCAz0cQuTZ84GEkhZ5jYisvVjodjmxNid_T-NZnV2aD-5m6mAU4NIoi_9QsymemQ4i2lGt3GIkpP4x8HYD8hPb6qrf_7K6bnZSjPKn1aUoMs95_w9KrdXW3kY-WShM6vu-W6I_ZaMh8K/s1600/E-Book+Revolutions+Cover+-+Large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvCAz0cQuTZ84GEkhZ5jYisvVjodjmxNid_T-NZnV2aD-5m6mAU4NIoi_9QsymemQ4i2lGt3GIkpP4x8HYD8hPb6qrf_7K6bnZSjPKn1aUoMs95_w9KrdXW3kY-WShM6vu-W6I_ZaMh8K/s320/E-Book+Revolutions+Cover+-+Large.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Original E-book Cover</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXTePBOg2ZNUVrcnq4k2s75Hk8HE7hLW_T5WtU3I6zqFMUJ5kzvJwrACSMGW-vf7sH7v-qRMi1QI_i6tmcH9ovxITgf7JTHd9EAKEe3L3MhAnN3ucV2dCzPPWHOcgczebz2iWHn7-q4hm/s1600/eBook+Revolution+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXTePBOg2ZNUVrcnq4k2s75Hk8HE7hLW_T5WtU3I6zqFMUJ5kzvJwrACSMGW-vf7sH7v-qRMi1QI_i6tmcH9ovxITgf7JTHd9EAKEe3L3MhAnN3ucV2dCzPPWHOcgczebz2iWHn7-q4hm/s400/eBook+Revolution+Final.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
POD Cover</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Have you done POD before? Why did you do it? What were your
major troubles? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Encouragement as I
fight my way through would be greatly appreciated!!!</b></span></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-38666799503671829652013-06-10T12:14:00.000+09:302013-06-10T12:14:55.285+09:30E-Book Revolution Episode 12- Creating Audio Books With Bruce Coville<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<img alt="fca_logo_75.gif" border="0" height="75" src="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/me5up4/fca_logo_75.gif" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="fca_logo_75.gif" width="136" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img align="left" alt="Magic_Steps_FP.jpg" border="0" height="160" src="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/kif8vc/Magic_Steps_FP.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="Magic_Steps_FP.jpg" width="200" />My parents tell me that when I was a little girl, I use to insist that the same book be read to me ten times in a row. Frankly, I can’t remember anything that happened before high school, so I’m not sure whether or not it’s an exaggeration. But it does make me wonder if some unconscious memory of these readings has contributed to my recent discovery and love of audio books and podcasts. Hearing stories of the followings authors like Scott Sigler, Cory Doctorow and JC Hutchins built via audio only intensified my interest in the process of production and how I possibly could apply it to my own writing. I decided not only would I like to find out more about the audio process, but I would also like to explore ways indie authors might be able to do their own!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img align="left" alt="bruceold.jpg" border="0" height="200" src="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/pz8q4r/bruceold.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="bruceold.jpg" width="150" />In this podcast I talk to YA author and audio book producer Bruce Coville. Bruce is an American author of children’s and young adult novels, one of his most popular series being <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Into the Land Of The Unicorns</em>. He is also the founder of Full Cast Audio and prior to starting the company was involved in the production of acclaimed full cast audio books such as Phillip Pullman’s<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Golden Compass.</em> </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Full Cast Audio (FCA) has a simple mandate: to produce unabridged recordings of fine children's novels using a full cast rather than a single reader. Whenever possible, they invite the author to serve as narrator. Their recordings are always unabridged—the only things deleted from the text are those attributives ("he said", "she growled", etc.) made unnecessary by having a full complement of actors. </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Authors who have worked with FCA include<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Elizabeth Winthrop,<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span>James Howe, and<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span>Tamora Pierce, who wrote an original novel called<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Melting Stones</em><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span>specifically for the company to record<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">before</em><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span>the print edition appeared. </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">You can learn more about Bruce at </span><a href="http://www.brucecoville.com/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">www.brucecoville.com</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, </span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and full cast audio at<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></span><a href="http://www.fullcastaudio.com/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">www.fullcastaudio.com</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">In this podcast we discuss:</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The benefits of producing an audio version of your book</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How an audio book can enhance the emotional intensity of your work</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The benefits of having a full cast</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How to match a voice to the character to increase characterisation</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How book adaption’s (radio theatre/plays) differ from audio books</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">What you need to produce a good audio book</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The importance of articulation</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Things to consider if you’re doing a single voice narration rather than full cast</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tricks used to indicate visible tags like italics or bold</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Why FCA don’t use sound effects</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">When you should use music</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">How indie authors can produce their own audio books</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The pros and cons of serialising audio (podcasting) in comparison to releasing the complete work.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The science of luck</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The science of clean sound</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">·<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Whether or not accents are a good idea.</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I love hearing from my listeners! Please feel free to contact me or offer any feedback on topics you would like to see covered at: ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com.</span></div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Emily's non-fiction book E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-book success is now available at<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></em><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/-Book-Revolution-The-Ultimate-Guide/book-NXBNoh_Nw0ubfpli-u-sPA/page1.html?s=7K66Klr_7kyWqO7RKsyj2w&r=3" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kobo</em></a><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E-Book-Revolution-Ultimate-Success-ebook/dp/B00AT5XVUM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357872919&sr=1-2" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Amazon</em></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </em></span><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bkclb (Australian e-book store).</span></a></span></em><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">If you enjoy her tongue in cheek style you may also enjoy her comedy novel set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire also available from </em><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Grand-Adventures-Of-Madeline/book-OkvycKZlqkqua409waSv0g/page1.html?s=iJLolREqpU-QVFhARpOOFQ&r=1" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kobo,</em></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </em></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Adventures-Madeline-Cain-ebook/dp/B00ATC7GKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357872776&sr=8-1&keywords=the+grand+adventures+of+Madeline+Cain" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Amazon</em></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </em></span><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">and <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bkclb</span></a>.</em></div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The companion website for this podcast is: <a href="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com%20/" target="_blank">http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com </a></em></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-22501110198155794072013-05-27T09:15:00.000+09:302013-05-27T09:15:40.993+09:30E-book Revolution Podcast Ep11 - Contracts & Agents For Traditional & Self-Published Authors<div style="text-align: center;">
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When you are trading in ideas, creativity and intellectual property, the legal waters can get murky, as many writers have had the misfortune to find out. Whether you are traditionally published, accepting the terms and conditions of self-publishing platforms like Amazon, Kobo or iBooks, or a self-published author about to sign your first traditional publishing deal, you need to have some understanding of what a fair contract looks like and what rights you should (or shouldn’t) be giving away. For writers who are looking to build online communities or use digital platforms to enhance their stories, basic knowledge of how to cover your arse from a sue-happy world is vital. </div>
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In this podcast we’re going to delve into the world of contracts and agenting, but I promise you, we avoid jargon, incomprehensive phrases and snore worthy discussions like the plague. I’m a simple girl, I prefer to learn from experts I can understand and actually stay awake with, and I’m sure you’d prefer that too! In this lively conversation with Alex Adsett about the business of writing - which writers tend to avoid only to have it come back to bite them in the arse when they realise their money is ‘missing’ – we talk about the things traditional, self-published and hybrid authors need to know about contracts, legalities and rights.</div>
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<img align="left" alt="alexadsett-image-225x300.jpg" border="0" height="200" src="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/3x7mwr/alexadsett-image-225x300.jpg" title="alexadsett-image-225x300.jpg" />Alex Adsett is a consultant offering publishing contract advice to authors, publishers and booksellers, and has more recently expanded into the more traditional role of literary agent. She has fifteen years experience working in the publishing and bookselling industry, as well as a solid background in legal research and contract drafting. She worked for three years in the Rights and Contracts Department of Penguin Books in Melbourne, before moving to the Contracts Department of John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. Alex has managed <a href="http://alexadsett.com.au/">Alex Adsett Publishing Services</a> since 2008. She relies on her experience and passion for book publishing to offer sensible publishing business and contract advice. Separate from her freelance consultancy work, Alex has also taken on the role of literary agent.</div>
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In this podcast we discuss:</div>
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<li>The benefits of having a publishing consultant </li>
<li>What self-published authors, moving into traditional publishing, should look out for in a contract</li>
<li>The importance of escape (reversion) clauses</li>
<li>Why you should make your publisher aware if you have previously self-published the book they are buying</li>
<li>Three things any author should keep in mind when signing a contract</li>
<li>What rights you should give a publisher</li>
<li>Why advances are not the be-all-and-end-all</li>
<li>Whether or not you should give a publisher world e-book rights or split the rights by country</li>
<li>Why authors should look at rising royalty rates for e-books</li>
<li>What the dangers of an ebook retailer contract are (eg. Amazon, Kobo, iBooks)</li>
<li>Why you should hold onto your film rights</li>
<li>Why exclusivity is not in the best interests of the author</li>
<li>How authors creating online communities and interactive projects can cover their arse</li>
<li>Why authors should be careful about using photos and videos on their blog</li>
<li>Whether agents are still relevant for today’s authors</li>
<li>Why you don’t need an agent to negotiate a fair contract</li>
<li>And the most successful way to approach an agent. </li>
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Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><a href="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/mf/web/fcutt8/E-Book_revolution_Podcast_Ep11-What_Traditional_And_Self_Published_Authors_should_Look_For_In_A_Contract.mp3">Download this episode (right click and save)</a></span>
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I love hearing from my listeners! Please feel free to contact me or offer any feedback on topics you would like to see covered at: ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com.
<i>Emily's non-fiction book E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-book success is now available at </i><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/-Book-Revolution-The-Ultimate-Guide/book-NXBNoh_Nw0ubfpli-u-sPA/page1.html?s=7K66Klr_7kyWqO7RKsyj2w&r=3" target="_blank"><i>Kobo</i></a><i>, </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E-Book-Revolution-Ultimate-Success-ebook/dp/B00AT5XVUM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357872919&sr=1-2" target="_blank"><i>Amazon</i></a><i> </i><i>and <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/">Bkclb (Australian e-book store).</a>If you enjoy her tongue in cheek style you may also enjoy her comedy novel set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire also available from </i><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Grand-Adventures-Of-Madeline/book-OkvycKZlqkqua409waSv0g/page1.html?s=iJLolREqpU-QVFhARpOOFQ&r=1" target="_blank"><i>Kobo,</i></a><i> </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Adventures-Madeline-Cain-ebook/dp/B00ATC7GKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357872776&sr=8-1&keywords=the+grand+adventures+of+Madeline+Cain" target="_blank"><i>Amazon</i></a><i> </i><i>and <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" target="_blank">Bkclb</a>.</i>
<i>The companion website for this podcast is </i><a href="http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>http://ebookrevolution.blogspot.com</i></a>EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-65279133086021339762013-05-20T13:53:00.000+09:302013-05-20T14:09:04.182+09:30Self-Publishing & Speculative Fiction<i>I was re-reading a post I wrote at the end of last year for ACT Write magazine (The publication from <a href="http://www.actwriters.org.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">ACT Writers Centre</span></a> in Canberra, Australia) and thought there were several points there that I hadn't yet addressed in this blog. What are your thoughts on why YA speculative fiction indie authors are doing so well?</i><br />
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<b>It’s not a coincidence that some of today’s best known self-published authors are speculative fiction authors.</b> </h3>
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Many put it down to spec fiction writers just being lucky, still riding the wave of Harry Potter crazed Twi-hards if you will. Or their ability to write trilogies of books within the same time span it takes a literary writer to create one chapter. While both have definitely contributed to the five figure per month pay checks of self-published e-book authors like Amanda Hocking or Brian Pratt, I find myself shaking my head and switching questions. Diluting their success down to trends, timelines and repeatability is a very shallow way to categorise why they have such a strong impacted with the audience. What we should be asking is why <i>them </i>specifically? <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is an unfortunate reality that speculative fiction inspires some fairly disastrous spin-offs from readers who believe a spec fiction story should be easy to write because everything can just be imagined, it doesn’t have to exist. There are hundreds of self-published spec fiction authors out there with tens of titles to their name; the market is saturated with bad Superman wannabes, Tolkien look-a-likes and elves in every conceivable incarnation (evil, good, tall squat, dirty, rainbow coloured, smelly, technologically advanced, shooting laser beams out their bellybuttons, accountants). Poorly written, stereotypical, one dimensional stories that sink like a stone in the digital swarm. At the same time, the brilliant stories must also fight the swarm of middling tales to reach the top. Getting noticed is a source of anxiety for many self-published spec fiction authors. So why did the likes of Amanda Hocking and Brian Pratt make it, when their e-books are riddled with self-confessed typos and grammatical mistakes?<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are two reasons. The first is very simple, these authors are YA authors. It’s the old, you-can’t-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks-without-a-cattle-prod analogy; children and young adults have the ability to accept new concepts easier than adults and as such it is inevitable that they would take to e-books more naturally. Many YA speculative fiction novels are known for their ability to ‘crossover’ to an adult age range furthering the popularity of self-published YA e-books. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Secondly, and perhaps more fundamentally, for all the typographic faults, their stories fire imagination, strike a chord of truth, and move at a cracking pace that holds a young adult’s attention and engages them. Young people are very creative for they don’t have the barriers in the mind that tell them something is impossible. It is a matter of latching onto an idea they think is ‘awesome’ and making it happen. As children we use imagination all the time, it is how we entertained ourselves in early life, and this ability to fantasise bleeds into the mindset of young adults and is part of the reason why the genre is so popular. However, at the same time the tale needs to be relevant to them and the fantasy must make <i>sense. </i>In a way, while there is always some kind of subconscious sense behind a child’s play or idea, a successful speculative fiction story is one which is able to teach the reader how to make that idea work, make it seem - or actually be - a reality.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I solely credit my reading of YA fantasy for giving me the ability to realise the crazy ideas I imagine, such as the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AdelaideAdventure" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;">physical choose-your-own-adventure</span></a> I ran in 2012 at Adelaide Writers’ Week, the multimedia e-book I sell at the <a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/ebook-revolution-interview-series" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">online Bkclb website</span></a>, or the mentorship I <a href="http://theoriginalfantasy.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">conceived and completed</span></a> with Isobelle Carmody which took some out of the box creative thinking to make a reality. I started writing YA fantasy in high school and carried the same novel I began through to my adult years, flexing, refining and exercising the imaginative mindset from my childhood that ‘anything is possible’. It is a skill that has opened a lot of doors for me in all facets of my life, not just writing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The most important thing I learnt about fantasy writing from Isobelle is it doesn’t matter how many grand battles, fantastic spells or weird creatures you scatter throughout your novel, unless there is an internal logic in how the world/magic/spacecraft/monster works, unless the characters have depth and a motive behind their words and actions, the world will not ring true and the reader’s attention is lost. </div>
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Because young adults will only want to be a part of a world, if they can imagine themselves in it. </h3>
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To do that, an author’s world must be almost three dimensional. As an emerging writer, it was wonderful to realise that once you know exactly how things work in your novel then you can choose one right word that’s so strong it can replace ten words and still create the same image. An image that leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind that this scene is <i>real, </i>and if the reader could just reach far enough, they might be able to break through the barrier into that world. To grow in one’s life, a person must strive for a goal or dream; a good story triggers this need to strive in a reader for something more than themselves. As a writer, I hope this will translate to the reader striving for that feeling of truth in their own life, of striving to become more than they currently are.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Good spec fiction, as I mentioned before, must fire the imagination and ring true, but it must also be relevant to a young adult’s life. Spec fiction does this well because it can examine real world truths fantastically, truths which would normally be taboo or not make sense to a young adult if explained in a real world situation. For example, if a reader is attached to the main character of a story who is starving and that character explains the debilitating effects on their sanity ‘first hand’, this has more of an impact than images of a trio of starving children in Africa whom the reader feels no connection to. The reader’s ‘personal’ association to the horror of starvation will produce a stronger reaction and greater idea of the difficulties then they can glean from a single image. Fantasy and speculative fiction translates the world for young adults, if you will, into terms that can be understood and empathised with. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This is why those self-published authors have risen above the rest, they use a vehicle (e-books) which their readers are not prejudice against and they incorporate the elements explained by Isobelle into their story. Basically, they speak to the wants and needs of their audience. </div>
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A young adult can live with typos, because it’s the story and world that matters.</h3>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>What are your thoughts about why some successful indie authors have risen above the rest? Put your thoughts in the comments below.</b></span></h4>
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EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-7490019035291112402013-05-09T10:17:00.000+09:302013-05-09T10:33:45.111+09:30E-book Revolution Podcast Ep9 - Digital First ‘Traditional’ Publishing With Jeffe Kennedy<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XkdynEHVF5nbS8GeR4olU6wPHHd6WQtrD1jmtjIOFAOz8RSKOTBKu8_44RzUvrI7tXDV5w3Jj1YvG2hWoA_X1qD-k2vumupQpVL9XSDnR1Alhyphenhyphen-HrCOqrDzW-5aGOTK65qVsnh04hh45/s1600/Platinum_final-cover-for-Jeffe-Kennedy-300-120x188.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XkdynEHVF5nbS8GeR4olU6wPHHd6WQtrD1jmtjIOFAOz8RSKOTBKu8_44RzUvrI7tXDV5w3Jj1YvG2hWoA_X1qD-k2vumupQpVL9XSDnR1Alhyphenhyphen-HrCOqrDzW-5aGOTK65qVsnh04hh45/s320/Platinum_final-cover-for-Jeffe-Kennedy-300-120x188.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnfbWRV6cIV7gMd_LglZJB2StlEDwE93RXJbPYa1yR16wa3plrSiG5YHA06klk33I0SvhqBmtjn6UaE10aDu9ftUeXLGxbdT2zk7aeBhG5yIlipePv1_bD5pcZXy3yijgU5TTOUXLTFpZ/s1600/Rogus_Pawn_final-400-121x188.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnfbWRV6cIV7gMd_LglZJB2StlEDwE93RXJbPYa1yR16wa3plrSiG5YHA06klk33I0SvhqBmtjn6UaE10aDu9ftUeXLGxbdT2zk7aeBhG5yIlipePv1_bD5pcZXy3yijgU5TTOUXLTFpZ/s320/Rogus_Pawn_final-400-121x188.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisU3U1UsOG1UMXtl7PMAJLENXnT1o4QUqo5CrOuNXkqhyphenhyphenlzGVkEzQMILPhEmpdChJToLV3o35PpuXUDXoKfnOV1K3vBqf-9OaPIjGY2MDVQkQBsx_vlu_O1326ARm6OD6baQSuTuwXsjZB/s1600/feedingthevampire_msr-114x188.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisU3U1UsOG1UMXtl7PMAJLENXnT1o4QUqo5CrOuNXkqhyphenhyphenlzGVkEzQMILPhEmpdChJToLV3o35PpuXUDXoKfnOV1K3vBqf-9OaPIjGY2MDVQkQBsx_vlu_O1326ARm6OD6baQSuTuwXsjZB/s320/feedingthevampire_msr-114x188.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most aspiring authors today are quick to note that the traditional publishing gates are closed to them and that digital is the way of the future. For many authors it has boiled down to self-publishing being the only potential path they are aware of to get their work published. And though the old prejudices against self-publishing are slowly fading (not without a whole lot of bar fighting and knifing of authors with one star reviews) the stigma is still there - digital books/authors = self-published = lesser quality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet, with e-books taking a greater share of the reading markets each year it was only inevitable that traditional publishers would start using digital strategies to solve one of their biggest problems – how they could publish authors they really loved, but had to pass up because they didn’t believe there was a strong enough local market for an author’s odd mix of genre. Enter digital first publishing imprints, all the benefits of a traditional publishing deal (yep, editing provided and no formatting, designing or technical know-how required) with less risk to the publisher and more royalties for the author. In this podcast I talk to digital first author Jeffe Kennedy, a ‘traditionally’ published author with Carina Press (imprint of Harlequin), who has only had her work published digitally. During the podcast we explore this alternate path for authors, who just want to write and be published without dealing with the self-publishing/vanity press rollercoaster.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFGwTTFoOVNYfpxNB6Xe6CkcnDlc4BfH44rW8Bz3iKhkPvBbirxsXnIXafEXFzCXNYISJMcJpPUkft02KUOlP0kJbu3gch4DAn8_X7bu2mDxDocno36Wt__ZYh7LEA9qOva_2zzeF76yW/s1600/Jeffe-Headshot-Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFGwTTFoOVNYfpxNB6Xe6CkcnDlc4BfH44rW8Bz3iKhkPvBbirxsXnIXafEXFzCXNYISJMcJpPUkft02KUOlP0kJbu3gch4DAn8_X7bu2mDxDocno36Wt__ZYh7LEA9qOva_2zzeF76yW/s200/Jeffe-Headshot-Small.jpg" width="147" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Jeffe Kennedy is an award winning author with a writing career that spans decades. Starting originally as a highly successful essayist, Jeffe found her career drawn towards fantasy and romance. Finding her feet at digital first imprint, Carina, her fantasy BDSM romance, </span><a href="http://www.jeffekennedy.com/petals-thorns/" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Petals and Thorns</span></em><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">,</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> has won several readers awards. </span><a href="http://www.jeffekennedy.com/sapphire/" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">Sapphire</span></em></a><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, the first book in <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Facets of Passion</em> has placed first in multiple romance contests and the follow-up, </span><a href="http://www.jeffekennedy.com/platinum-2/" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">Platinum</span></em></a><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, is climbing the charts. Her most recent works include three fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A Covenant of Thorns</em>, the<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Facets of Passion</em>, and the post-apocalyptic vampire erotica of the <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Blood Currency</em>. Jeffe can be found online at her website: </span><a href="http://www.jeffekennedy.com/" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">JeffeKennedy.com</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.09375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> or every Sunday at the popular Word Whores blog. She is represented by Pam can Hylckama Vliea of Foreword Literary.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In this podcast we discuss:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Traditional’ deals in digital (Digital first publishers)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How the romance community are at the forefront of the digital revolution</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Alternate paths to traditional and self-publishing (No, we’re not talking vanity press!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">The benefits of submitting to digital first publishers rather than self-publishing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How Jeffe ended up at a digital first press</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Benefits of online friendships with other authors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How Jeffe signed with an agent after being published with a digital first press</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How the Harlequin ‘propaganda machine’ works</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marketing a digitally published book</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What genres lend themselves better to digital first releases</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Appeals of digital erotica to readers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whether or not her readers follow her work from romance to ‘sexy’ novels</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">How digital first publishers are more likely to give ‘different’ books a chance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fairer royalties for authors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">And the more diverse marketing opportunities for erotica writers.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love hearing from my listeners! Please feel free to contact me or offer any feedback on topics you would like to see covered at: ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com.</span><br />
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<em style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Emily's non-fiction book E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-book success is now available at </em><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/-Book-Revolution-The-Ultimate-Guide/book-NXBNoh_Nw0ubfpli-u-sPA/page1.html?s=7K66Klr_7kyWqO7RKsyj2w&r=3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kobo</em></a><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">, </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/E-Book-Revolution-Ultimate-Success-ebook/dp/B00AT5XVUM/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357872919&sr=1-2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Amazon</em></a></span><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </em></span><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;">and </span><a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">Bkclb (Australian e-book store)</span><span style="color: #333333;">.</span></span></a><span style="color: #333333;">If you enjoy her tongue in cheek style you may also enjoy her comedy novel set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain: Photographer Extraordinaire also available from </span></em><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Grand-Adventures-Of-Madeline/book-OkvycKZlqkqua409waSv0g/page1.html?s=iJLolREqpU-QVFhARpOOFQ&r=1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kobo,</em></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </em></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Adventures-Madeline-Cain-ebook/dp/B00ATC7GKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357872776&sr=8-1&keywords=the+grand+adventures+of+Madeline+Cain" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Amazon</em></a></span><span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </em></span><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #333333;">and </span><a href="http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Bkclb</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">.</span></em></div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The companion website for this podcast is <a href="http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com/" target="_blank">http://ebookrevolution.podbean.com </a></em></div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-28578080857704333442013-04-25T22:45:00.002+09:302013-04-25T22:51:52.295+09:30Building An Enhanced E-book<i>A huge thank you to Simon Groth who pulled together his If:Book essays on If:Book's Choose Your Own Poetry </i><i>Adventure </i><i>event in 2012 for this guest post.</i><br />
<span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The recent official launch for </span><a href="http://bit.ly/citybuild" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The City We Build</em></a><span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, the amplified ebook made between if:book and the </span><a href="http://www.queenslandpoetryfestival.info/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Queensland Poetry Festival</a><span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, has highlighted some of the challenges faced by authors, publishers, and readers when designing digital books that take advantage of their capabilities.</span><br />
<span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In the </span><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/2012/10/17/choose-your-own-poetry-adventure/" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" target="_blank">original project</a><span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, three local poets wrote a series of pieces based around specific locations within Brisbane’s home of everything loud and late, Fortitude Valley. Each of the three adventures opened at the Judith Wright Centre on Brunswick Street and, from there, readers had to choose the next location and walk there to read (or listen) to the next poem.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The poets – </span><a href="http://www.chrislynch.com.au/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chris Lynch</a><span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, Carmen Leigh Keates, and Julie Beveridge – not only created beautiful, evocative, and sometimes hilarious poems, they also played with the notion of choice and prompted quite a bit of what looked like aimless wandering through the Valley streets.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">To adapt this locative project for the small screen, we brought in photographer </span><a href="http://clk27.wordpress.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cindy Keong</a><span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> to the project to capture the essence of the locations for each piece. We also brought the humble hyperlink to the book. Readers can either move sequentially through the book or brave the links to jump between each location minus the heat and legwork (unless you really want to, in which case we have maps).</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Titled </span><em style="border: 0px; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The City We Build</em><span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">, the book is available free from </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-city-we-build/id599211495?ls=1" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" target="_blank">Apple’s iBookstore</a><span style="color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">. Here are a few images we took while recording the poets’ performances.</span><br />
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<div class="gallery galleryid-1796 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail" data-carousel-extra="{"blog_id":1,"permalink":"http:\/\/www.futureofthebook.org.au\/2013\/02\/04\/building-an-enhanced-ebook\/"}" id="gallery-2" style="border: 0px; margin: auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<dl class="gallery-item" style="border: 0px; float: left; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 211.1875px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3142.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; line-height: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="IMG_3142"><img alt="Mics: Making an ebook with QPF" class="attachment-thumbnail" data-attachment-id="1802" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1358436486","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.13","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.0666666666667","title":""}" data-image-title="IMG_3142" data-large-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3142-768x1024.jpg" data-medium-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3142-225x300.jpg" data-orig-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3142.jpg" data-orig-size="2448,3264" height="150" src="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3142-150x150.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(207, 207, 207); height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="150" /></a></div><dt class="gallery-icon" style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text gallery-caption" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mics: Making an ebook with QPF</dd></dl><dl class="gallery-item" style="border: 0px; float: left; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 211.1875px;"><dt class="gallery-icon" style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3141.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="IMG_3141"><img alt="Editing audio: Making an ebook with QPF" class="attachment-thumbnail" data-attachment-id="1801" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1358429480","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.13","iso":"64","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":""}" data-image-title="IMG_3141" data-large-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3141-1024x768.jpg" data-medium-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3141-300x225.jpg" data-orig-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3141.jpg" data-orig-size="3264,2448" height="150" src="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3141-150x150.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(207, 207, 207); height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="150" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text gallery-caption" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Editing audio: Making an ebook with QPF</dd></dl><dl class="gallery-item" style="border: 0px; float: left; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 211.1875px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3146.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; line-height: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="IMG_3146"><img alt="Performance notes: Making an ebook with QPF" class="attachment-thumbnail" data-attachment-id="1800" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1358436578","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.13","iso":"160","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":""}" data-image-title="IMG_3146" data-large-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3146-768x1024.jpg" data-medium-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3146-225x300.jpg" data-orig-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3146.jpg" data-orig-size="2448,3264" height="150" src="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3146-150x150.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(207, 207, 207); height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="150" /></a></div><dt class="gallery-icon" style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text gallery-caption" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Performance notes: Making an ebook with QPF</dd></dl><br style="clear: both; line-height: inherit;" /> <br />
<dl class="gallery-item" style="border: 0px; float: left; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 211.1875px;"><dt class="gallery-icon" style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3143.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="IMG_3143"><img alt="Gear: Making an ebook with QPF" class="attachment-thumbnail" data-attachment-id="1797" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1358436509","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.13","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.0666666666667","title":""}" data-image-title="IMG_3143" data-large-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3143-768x1024.jpg" data-medium-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3143-225x300.jpg" data-orig-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3143.jpg" data-orig-size="2448,3264" height="150" src="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3143-150x150.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(207, 207, 207); height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="150" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text gallery-caption" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gear: Making an ebook with QPF</dd></dl><dl class="gallery-item" style="border: 0px; float: left; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 211.1875px;"><dt class="gallery-icon" style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3144.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="IMG_3144"><img alt="Sliders: Making an ebook with QPF" class="attachment-thumbnail" data-attachment-id="1798" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1358436519","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.13","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":""}" data-image-title="IMG_3144" data-large-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3144-1024x768.jpg" data-medium-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3144-300x225.jpg" data-orig-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3144.jpg" data-orig-size="3264,2448" height="150" src="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3144-150x150.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(207, 207, 207); height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="150" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text gallery-caption" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sliders: Making an ebook with QPF</dd></dl><dl class="gallery-item" style="border: 0px; float: left; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 211.1875px;"><dt class="gallery-icon" style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3145.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="IMG_3145"><img alt="Cables: Making an ebook with QPF" class="attachment-thumbnail" data-attachment-id="1799" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1358436543","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.13","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.0666666666667","title":""}" data-image-title="IMG_3145" data-large-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3145-768x1024.jpg" data-medium-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3145-225x300.jpg" data-orig-file="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3145.jpg" data-orig-size="2448,3264" height="150" src="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/IMG_3145-150x150.jpg" style="border: 2px solid rgb(207, 207, 207); height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="150" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-text gallery-caption" style="border: 0px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cables: Making an ebook with QPF</dd><div></div></dl></div><br />
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Regardless of how well designed or how beautiful its content,<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The City We Build </em>is unlikely to ever reach some readers. This is because it has been designed for one digital platform alone.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Writers and publishers alike want their content accessible and available to as many readers as possible, but in the digital world this means taking into account a wide variety of devices. Some have high colour screens that can handle video and other content. Some have more simple ‘eink’ black and white screens that are simply not fast enough to handle anything other than page turns (and even those are too slow for some readers). Some devices are connected to the internet and handle much more than just reading; others are largely unaware of anything on the web other than their own bookstore. Some devices use highly response touch-sensitive surfaces, others opt for physical buttons.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some devices are available in Australia, others are not.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s entirely appropriate there should be no one-size-fits-all reading device. But, for creators of content, this incredible diversity of devices presents a challenge of first principle.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What kind of book are we making here?</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="more-1822" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>To suit as many readers as possible, books must be designed for the simplest of devices. To a large extent, this means text only. The simplest ereaders replicate the basic book experience as closely as possible. This means no colour, no video, no hyperlinking. Of course, for many books, this presents no problem at all.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The original poems from <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The City We Build </em>were written for a <a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/2012/10/17/choose-your-own-poetry-adventure/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Choose Your Own: Poetry">Choose Your Own</a> locative project. To read the poems, you had to stand there, <a href="http://www.futureofthebook.org.au/qrstories/julie/02-2/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">on the corner of Brunswick and Ann</a>, smartphone or tablet in hand. Your phone connected you to the poem via the web. You read or listened along, while juggling your phone, searching for references, and looking strange to passers by. That was part of the fun.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The purpose of <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The City We Build</em> was to adapt the locative project into book form, without losing its sense of place or its multimedia origins. We wanted you to feel as though you were still wandering the Valley streets, maybe minus the heat and the legwork. This meant incorporating images and audio. Most of all, to replicate the reader’s choice of experience, jumping from poem to poem, we needed hyperlinks.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In Australia, right now, the platform that meets all those needs is Apple’s iPad.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So who has iPads anyway? There’s some debate over exactly what market share the iPad enjoys globally, but the most recent (and apparently dourest) estimates still hit <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2013/02/02/apples-ipad-market-share-slips-farther-below-50/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">more than 40%</a>. In Australia, without competition from the Kindle Fire or the Nook, the share would almost certainly be higher. In real numbers, apparently <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad#Usage" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">22.9 million of the things</a> were sold in the last quarter alone (if you have specific figures for Australia, let me know). Man, that’s a <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lot</em> of tablets. And, although Android tablets (most of the remaining 60%) make <a href="http://play.google.com/intl/en_au/about/books/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">perfectly fine reading devices</a>, the platform is yet to emphasise the kind of extra features needed for this project.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Although that’s the picture today, don’t forget this is likely to change at any time. Already <a href="http://thepeoplesebook.net/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">we’re seeing some projects</a> that could revolutionise the way digital art books are made in the near future, but for the moment (and with our resources), <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The City We Build </em>is a project with but one destination.</div><div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s a trade off publishers and writers face all the time. Do you make a work suitable for a range of devices or do you exploit the features of a single device to make as rich an experience as possible? The direction you choose will depend on a myriad of factors, but the guiding principle should always be to serve the work itself first.</div><br />
<div style="border: 0px; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><strong style="border: 0px; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Simon Groth</strong><span style="color: #201f1f;">’s stories can go anywhere from tangled relationships and virtual writers to rock music and sleep disorders. His books include </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #201f1f; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Concentrate</span><span style="color: #201f1f;">, </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #201f1f; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here Today</span><span style="color: #201f1f;">, and </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #201f1f; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Off The Record: 25 Years of Music Street Press</span><span style="color: #201f1f;">. As director of if:book Australia, Simon writes regularly on the future of the book and took the role of lead writer for the 24-Hour Book. On Twitter, he’s </span><a href="https://twitter.com/simongroth" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">@simongroth</a><span style="color: #201f1f;"> and his website is </span><a href="http://simongroth.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #1681b3; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">simongroth.com</a><span style="color: #201f1f;">.</span></i></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #525252; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</div>EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8678352668345394633.post-90724233518805264602013-04-13T09:00:00.000+09:302013-04-13T09:00:00.085+09:30Is Your Book Not Selling As Well As You Hoped?First of all, apologies for making this a short written post today. My body, in short, hates me and I'm in my 6th day of beating off a cold with a combination of drugs (legal - I'm my pharmacist's best customer this week) and lemon & honey tea. My writing is still being done, but all other tasks have fallen to the wayside including the post I had originally intended for this week. Luckily I had a back-up plan thanks to the lovely Georgina Hannan!<br />
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I've had a lot of emails this year from authors telling me their book isn't selling as well as they'd hoped. They've followed all the conventional advice and they're just not sure what else they can do to boost the publicity machine. So, if your book isn't selling as many copies as you thought it would, then perhaps this consult between fledgling author, Georgina Hannan, and myself will give you some extra tools to add to your marketing plan.<br />
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In this short call we talk about optimising her blog and back of book blurb, finding reviewers for her book (and why she needs to get over her fear of sending <i>Cursed </i>to reviewers), and how to automate twitter to bring in more traffic for her website. The video demonstration for the consult kicks in at the 3-4 minute mark, and for a full break down of suggested steps see around the 40min mark of the consult.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BCWf2Kcj0_s" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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A huge thank you to Georgie, who gave permission for her consulting call to be posted for promotion purposes.<br />
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This call should give you a great starting point, however, if you feel you need a marketing plan that is more specialised to your novel and personality, then I still have consulting spots available for this year, please feel free to email me at ebookrevolution (at) yahoo (dot) com. I love chatting to authors and brain-storming! Don't worry, if you would like your own consult I will never post your call online without your expressed permission. Promise!<br />
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Hope you get some awesome actionable tips from the video that help you restart your books momentum.<br />
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Stay well!! (Truly, it's better then converting the water content of your body into slime...)</div>
EmCravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04225569265584389746noreply@blogger.com0