Learn to Upload Electronic & Print Books

Do-it-yourself has flooded the publishing industry. The landscape of publishing has changed so much in the last several years. More and more authors are skipping the query-writing, agent-hunting, contract-grasping travails of writers past, and taking their books in hand to make their publishing dreams a reality.

Because of the rapid changes, it's hard for writers to keep up with what to do and how to do it. There are resources waiting for self-publishing writers, but it's difficult to weed through the enormous amounts out there.

Mary DeMuth is both a traditionally published author, and the author of several ebooks. She has put together a free report: Free Step-by-step guide to uploading e & print books.

In this 30-page guide, DeMuth shares:

~how to upload an ebook in 7 steps

~how to upload a physical book on CreateSpace in less than 2 hours

~the site she uses in conjunction with PayPal to administrate her e-purchases

~a brief overview of copyediting and writing mistakes to get your manuscript in shape

~marketing tips for your new book

~photos of the exterior and interior of books from CreateSpace

If you're interested in the free book, head over to DeMuth's site Write Uncaged. Signing up for her free monthly newsletter gives you the book in a few minutes. While you're there, check out DeMuth's blog, with posts like Why Writers Can Seldom Live On Advances. And don't miss the freebie page, with articles on querying, becoming an email jedi, and publishing myths.

Have you taken the plunge into self-publishing? Are you considering it?

Writing Inspiration from Martin Luther King

Today's post is short. My husband came down with the flu yesterday, so nursing skills will be put into use more than writing skills today. I decided to browse through some Martin Luther King quotes to see if any could apply to writers. He was a gifted man with words, himself.

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.

Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent.

Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.

 

Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

And my favorite of the day:

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. 

The staircase of publishing is long and winding, but there are many traveling with us. Hoping you'll find inspiration to write today. 

More Hours In the Day: Time Management for Writers

I'm ending the week with one more post on time management. One more opportunity to prod myself into action.

I was inspired by Michael Hyatt's article on How to Shave Ten Hours Off Your Workweek. Several of his tips give advice on keeping computer and internet time from consuming productivity--something I struggle with. My friend Stacy S. Jensen has the right idea. She's begun the year by getting her writing in before going online.

Copyblogger has a post called Time is not on your side that includes links to a quiz that helps you figure out if you're a time waster, a downloadable time log,  and a downloadable survey to help set goals.

And if you need something more in-depth, Manage My Time Now has a free time management course and a time management personality test.

But don't take too much time away from writing to read about time management. The best thing we can do as writers is to establish some kind of daily writing ritual that doesn't get shoved aside when life gets busy. Even if we're only getting a few hundred words down, it's progress toward writing "the end".

So now it's time to get some writing and critiquing done so I won't be ashamed when I meet my critique group (The Fearsome Foursome) tomorrow. How about you?

Writing Goals for 2012: Have you got yours?

These first few weeks of the year are always full of paper. And not the fiction kind. Receipts, bank statements, and check registers are spread in piles as I fill out college financial aid forms, and get our taxes in order.

But one sheet I fill out every year is my list of goals for the year. If I've got nothing to shoot for, I'll certainly hit it. In 2010 I used this sheet, and it worked well. Last year, I hand-wrote my goals. This year, I decided to look for something a little more official.

I found lots of downloadable goal sheets on the web, but I'll highlight just a few since it can be overwhelming.

My favorite of these worksheets is from a site called Money Saving Mom. With this set of sheets, you choose six priorities for the year. Each subsequent sheet allows you to take one specific goal and break it down into smaller, achievable goals. The bottom of each sheet has a spot where you can do a monthly checkup to see if you're on track.

Summit Street Joy has a single page that gives room for not only a timeline of when you want to complete your goals, but also asks the questions "why does it matter?" and "what's my motivation?".

The first three downloads on Tip Junkie are great for goals or resolutions. If you scroll down the page, you'll find dozens more free downloads for all kinds of organization.

And if you want to go more in-depth, check out the free Goal-setting and Action Workbook at Live Your Legend. You can download the pdf, or an MS Word version that you can type directly into.

Other resources you might be interested in:

Michael Hyatt's free ebook, Creating a Life Plan.

Kenda Turner's guest post on finding time to write: Aim, Shoot, Bull's-Eye.

The important thing is to have something you're aiming at. How do you record your goals for the new year?

Get in Gear for the New Year

Wow. In more than two years of blogging I've never taken more than a week off here or there. Over the holidays I took a two and a half week break.

We had two family reunions in two separate states. I cooked and baked enormous amounts of food. We visited the incredible Grand Canyon. We nursed my sixteen-year-old son, who was sick the entire vacation. And we said goodbye to a beloved cat, who passed away while we were gone. 

It was a break full of ups and downs. Can you imagine how much writing I got done?

That's about right.

So here I am, trying to find the wherewithal to get back into my routines. It's hard. I have to work on taxes. And Fafsa applications for two kids. And the dozens of things that go along with life.

But I'm going to write today. Even if it's only for 30 minutes while waiting in the orthodontist's office. My daughter suggested I go back to using the Pomodoro Technique of time management. She's probably right.

If you're having trouble getting back to your routines, check out the new Writer's Digest article, 6 Simple Ways to Reboot Your Writing Routine. Number one was the tip I really needed to read.

How is the new year treating you? Are you starting off with a bang, or do you need to get in gear, too?

Merry Christmas from Colorado!

Here's a glimpse of what I see outside my window right now. Family has flown in, the kids are all home, and it's time to tackle the Christmas baking!

In other words, I won't be blogging for the Christmas holidays.

I hope you and your families will create wonderful memories during the holidays. We'll be sledding, eating, playing games, and hanging out together.

See you in January!

How Will Publication Change You?

The throngs of pre-published writers ache for the day they'll find their book sharing space on shelves in bookstores and libraries. To walk in and find a volume with your name on it, side by side with big-name authors is an experience to look forward to.

But have you ever thought about how publication might change your perceptions about yourself and others? Taherah Mafi has.

Mafi's debut novel, Shatter Me, recently came out, and the formerly active blogger has been unusually silent. Why? She feels different now. 

Uncomfortable with the recognition and adulation that comes from publication. 

Unsure what to say when people exclaim over her accomplishment. 

And uneasy that some writers might feel she's on another level from them just because she garnered a book contract.

I really hope you read Mafi's post about how conflicted she feels. I imagine most first-time authors feel the same way, but they aren't as transparent (or humorous) as Mafi. I love how she pinpoints the tendency to under-appreciate artists and writers until they have the "stamp of approval" of a sale.

Do you think experiencing publication could make you uncomfortable?

What Defines a Bestseller?

While researching literary agents, I've come across something similar on many of their websites. When describing what they're looking for, quite a few mention they would like to find books "at the intersection of literary and commercial". 

What does that mean? It sounds like a vague description of a book that reads like literary fiction, but enjoys commercial success. But how does an agent identify which manuscripts will sell well? I guess they guess.

Recently, agent Rachelle Gardner asked readers for questions she could answer on her blog. So I asked, "What are some examples of books that fall into the mysterious literary/commercial intersection?"

Today she answered.

Head over to Gardner's blog to see how she responded. The comments are interesting, with a lively discussion of what some consider to be good examples of this hard-to-define kind of book.

What do you think? Have you read books that seem like good examples of literary and commercial success? And do you think your manuscript would qualify?

Keep Updated on Books in Your Genre With This Site

One of the tasks of a pre-published writer is to read in the genre they're writing in. With all the books being published, it can be overwhelming trying to keep track of what's new.


Cheryl Rainfield, author and fellow member of the wonderful Yahoo group Teen Lit Authors, recommended the site, Any New Books. Definitely check out her website and new book. And she's got some beautiful bookplates free to download.


When you sign up with Any New Books, you just type in your email, and choose from over forty categories of books. You can even choose to be alerted to new Kindle releases. For each category you choose, you'll receive an email once a week with titles and descriptions of new releases. 


You can also check out the staff picks, browse through the archives by genre, or read about what's new on the Any New Book blog. The site is a great way to add to your to-be-read list.

Here's the list of genres you'll choose from.

I signed up for children's, teens, and Kindle books. What would you sign up for?