On Self-Publishing For me, writing is like preparing a meal. After toiling for days or months, I want to be the person who serves the hot dish. I want to be the one who says, Be careful. It’s still hot. I want to be the one who watches with a kitchen towel thrown over her shoulder, arms crossed across her chest, bags under her eyes, smiling as my guests say, This is delicious. What spice is this? Words. Main Dish. Ingredients for writing Tuesday Tells it Slant: three weeks, 65,000 words, six to eight cups of coffee a day, four to five hours of sleep each night. After twenty-one days of repeating the above ingredients, I was spent. I saved my Word document a thousand times, compulsively, as I didn’t want to lose a single word. Then I slept. I slept for days. When I arose, my head was free enough to begin the editing process. Some authors outline before they begin to write. I tend to outline once I reach a certain point in the story: a kind of reverse outline, to attempt to protect against major plot holes. Soup and Salad. Ingredients for editing: a solid week of coffee, a few colorful pens, post it notes, two to three black ink cartridges, two reams of paper and the ability to look at your words without remembering the sweat behind them. I print my work, read over it with a colorful pen in hand to fix errors that can’t be seen on my laptop screen and return to the original document to correct the errors I caught. Once I do this, I print again, pouring over the second draft before finalizing the document. I wrote soup and salad because the above process is most efficient when repeated. May as well get two dishes out of it. Before I move on to dessert, I have to say that this is the point of the process when I realized I was going to self-publish. I had the desire to share my work with others immediately. I was proud and excited. I still believe that self-publishing doesn’t signify the end in the publishing world. Today, it opens doors. Dessert. Cover creation and description. This is tricky. A great chef doesn’t necessarily equate to a brilliant baker. A major force throughout Tuesday Tells it Slant was a diary. I decided to make a cover that mimicked a diary with a casual font and doodles. Make the cover relate to the book. Most readers do judge a book by its cover. This is also the part of the process where you will create the book’s description. Keep it simple, yet detailed enough to grab a reader’s attention. Don’t be afraid to give away too much. A reader doesn’t need to be surprised at every turn of the page. They need to know enough to hook them before they start reading. Setting the table with eBooks. Amazon’s Digital Text Platform allows authors to upload their work, cover, and description easily. After uploading, name your price. I priced my work at $0.99 to start. At this price, Amazon pays a royalty rate of 35%, though this figure is flipping to 70% for all eBooks priced at or above $2.99 in June. In as little as twenty-four hours, your work becomes available to Kindle owners for purchasing. As an independent author, you can also utilize Smashwords to make your work available in multiple eFormats (Sony Reader, Barnes and Noble Nook). The royalty rate for authors using Smashwords is 57%. These services are free for authors. There aren’t any set-up fees or gimmicks. They merely make your work available for download. Proper serving ware. Paperbacks. If you want to serve your readers traditionally, Amazon’s CreateSpace is the way to go. There are no set-up costs involved and the process is fairly simple to make your work available as a paperback on Amazon. Your books are printed as needed. When a reader purchases your book from Amazon, the book is then printed and shipped to that reader. Traditionally, an author would pay thousands of dollars to see their work in print. Using Amazon’s CreateSpace, a copy of your own 400-page book would cost about $4.00. Though CreateSpace offers certain (pricey) services to its authors, these services aren’t required to publish your work. Serving. Marketing, marketing, marketing. This part of the process comes easily for some. For others, it is the most difficult part of the course of self-publishing. Between press releases, reviews, social marketing and developing a readership, the road to success can be rocky, and it all depends upon the work that you put into it. For eBook sales, I recommend joining online forums dedicated to certain eReaders. The Kindle has multiple forums where authors are welcome to post their book and description. For paperback sales, consider giveaways, blog tours and obtaining reviews from reputable sources. If this seems overwhelming, you should consider hiring a publicist to help build an arsenal of marketing material. More writers are looking at self-publishing as a viable option to getting their work out there. Currently, fewer publishing houses seem willing to take on a work by an unknown, unproven author. According to Publishers Weekly, over 760,000 titles were self-published in 2009: nearly double the total from 2008. Traditional publishers printed less than 290,000 books in 2009. With the publishing industry gradually failing to keep up with the times, it seems as if the new game is self-publishing. This leaves more power in the hands of the author, instead of the hands of the publishing houses.
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson follows 17 year old Lennie after the death of her older sister, Bailey. Lennie struggles to continue a normal life, with her friends and classmates acting awkward around her. Lennie has always been the quiet side of the duo, a band geek that enjoys reading and writing, and is unable to handle when the spotlight is shoved on her. Her grandmother and uncle, whom have raised the sisters after their mother pulled a disappearing act, try to help Lennie through the pain, but nothing can fill the hole of losing a sister. On top of all that, Lennie is trying to get a handle on her new obsession with the opposite sex- including the new boy at school and her sisters ex boyfriend. I do not usually review YA novels, and I am wondering if that is why The Sky is Everywhere didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t quite grasp the characters, and I felt at times the plot twists were too over the top fictionalized. I definitely felt the tone of the characters were out of sync, and by the time I got to the end, I was just ready for it to be over. There were times when I did feel real emotion for the characters involved, but not enough to recommend the book to the others that are not usually YA readers. Rating: 2/5
I have never used dry shampoo before, but am considering trying it out. Tresemme Waterless Foam Shampoo was highlighted this month in Cosmopolitan, and the mousse helps suck up grease and add volume to hair- without making your strands look ashy and feel gritty. I don’t wash my hair everyday, I’ve worked at a hair salon before and have been told that is a big no-no, so on my non-wash days if I think my hair needs a pick me up, this dry shampoo/mousse could help me out! Does anyone else use dry shampoo, or would want to give it a shot? I think on my next shopping trip I will pick up the Tresemme shampoo and of course, write a review on what I think!
Anna’s a girl who’s desperate to be a bride. Jeff and Dave are two guys who sprint from long-term commitment. Put them together and the three of them are wildly successful! They’re raking in the cash while helping women HOOK, LINE AND SINK their long time boyfriends into finally taking a walk down the aisle. Step into the offices of HOOK, LINE AND SINK HIM, where Jeff, Dave and Anna are fantastic at turning bitter, unhappy girlfriends into bridal gown beauties. When it comes to their own love lives, though, it’s an entirely different story. All three are fishing for answers. Anna’s not sure if she’s settling, Dave’s questioning whether his current girlfriend’s right for him, and as for Jeff, he never counted on falling for Anna. Narrated by Jeff, the ultimate commitment-phobe pre-Anna, HOOK, LINE AND SINK HIM will have you laughing out loud, as you see just how far a woman will go to be a Mrs., not to mention the power of true love, and how it can turn even the most fearful bachelor into a happily faithful Joe with a gold band on his left ring finger. I have one copy of Hook, Line, and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph for giveaway! Comment on this post, re-tweet on Twitter, or comment on Facebook to win! The winner will be chosen Monday, July 12th.
Maya and Rebecca Ward are two sisters who share a special bond. Both doctors, the girls witnessed the murder of their parents when they were young, an incident that has shaped the rest of their lives. Maya, the younger sister, works as a pediatric orthopedist, married to Adam, yet another doctor. The couple has hit a hard point in their marriage, as Maya has suffered through multiple miscarriages. Rebecca is a free-spirited risk-taker, working for Doctors International Disaster Aid, which takes her all over the world helping people after disaster strikes. She has no interest in settling down and starting a family like her sister. When hurricanes devastate North Carolina, Rebecca is one of the first on the scene. She convinces Adam to join her in the rescue and relief mission, and after seeing all the children in need, Adam convinces Maya to join them. While Maya prefers her clean hospital and safe house over a ravaged city, sleeping in tents, and little food, she thinks her marriage will be helped if she joins her husband and sister. But when Maya’s helicopter goes down, everyone aboard is assumed dead. Rebecca and Adam are devastated over the loss of Maya- and turn to each for consolation. The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain is a deeply complicated story of family, betrayal, and forgiveness. The changing point of views between the sisters offer an intimidate look at each of their stories on their parents murder and other past events that has led them to their adult lives. I found this novel to be a page-turner, unable to put it down for chapters at a time. My heart ached for all the characters involved, and Chamberlain’s writing was beautiful and well researched. I was truly transported to the hurricane ravaged North Carolina, and felt that I could walk in the characters’ shoes. If only it weren’t for the ending, this novel would receive a 5 star rating. The last five chapters had my interest for a good hour, I had to see how the characters resolved the many problems they faced, and I was disappointed. I won’t ruin the ending for anybody, but I am curious to see if any other readers had the same reaction I did. Overall, I would recommend The Lies We Told, but be prepared for the ending to leave you unsatisfied.
Half sisters Peck and Cassie have taken up residence in the Hamptons after the passing of their beloved Aunt Lydia. Lydia left her house, Fools House, to her nieces, with the instructions that they needed to find the thing of “utmost importance.” Throughout the summer, the girls trot along, finding love, finding mystery, and ultimately finding the importance of being sisters. The girls couldn’t be more different- Peck an extrovert, a wannabee actress who thinks the world is her stage- and Cassie, the sensible, responsible sister, who is wanting to quickly get Fools House sold and get on with her life. But with long-lost loves, an unwelcome house guest, over aggressive real estate agents, and posh Hampton parties, the sisters find enough adventure and revelation over the summer to last the rest of their lives. The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek wasn’t my favorite novel of the summer. It took me almost half the book to really start to feel for the characters, and I felt at times the story was just too simply farfetched. Ganek is a great writer, and her knowledge and love of art shined through at times, but I didn’t feel it was enough to carry the characters along through their summer at Fools House. I usually look to see how the supporting cast ties in with the main characters, and I thought they fell a bit flat as well. There were also some scenarios that were mentioned once then faded away, never being played out. Overall I was disappointed, once I closed the book the characters and plot were gone from my mind.
Tallulah Jones is a struggling entrepreneur, trying to keep her beloved ice cream parlor in business. Unfortunately for her, the biggest way to drive in customers is catering the big annual luau taking place in town- run by her cheating ex-husband. Wayne, a highly successful and egocentric entrepreneur, doesn’t have a problem flaunting his younger girlfriend, Brittanie, in front of Tallulah, further increasing her humiliation. But when Brittanie mysteriously dies after the luau, people are saying it was murder- and fingers are pointed at Tallulah. Knowing full well she did not murder Brittanie, Tallulah is determined to clear her name. She sets out on her own investigation, quickly racking up names of people around town that held a grudge against the young woman who stole her husband. Along the way, she finds a love connection with an old flame- but could he be involved in the mysterious murder? I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson is a deliciously written cozy mystery that will delight chick lit fans, especially those who like added suspense. There is enough humor and plots twists to keep the characters engaging, and the love story is nicely played with the “did he or didn’t he?” throw in. A fun, fast, and tasteful read.
Celebrities and their money. I don’t want to sound like I’m just jealous of the ridiculous cash flow celebrities have, but constantly flaunting your wealth makes me a little ill. Nothing frustrated me more than last week, I get on the internet and start reading about people in the Gulf. Families who have lost their homes, their possessions, their jobs. Then I read about the flooding that is affecting my home state, Iowa, once again. There are some people that still aren’t back on their feet after the devastating floods of 2008. So while our own country is going through hard times, I have to read about celebrities buying their children, their babies, toys and cars that cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Celebrities who think it’s hilarious to drop $20,000 in one hour on Rodeo Drive. Spend millions of dollars on homes they visit twice a year. I ask- couldn’t this money be used on something better? Why are celebrities getting paid to party and make sex tapes, while teachers work their asses off trying to give children a decent education and a chance for a future and can barely scrape through the year? I just wish these celebrities would realize they don’t need 15 cars, 4 houses, and different hair extensions each week to be happy. What do you think are the most ridiculous items celebrities blow their money on?
