Monday 15 October 2012

Author Guest Post - Maria McKenzie - The Most Important Tips for Independently Publishing Your Book.


Hi one and all!

Today we have another treat for you - more on Indy publishing. Are we sending you a message? We know RFW members and followers are wonderful writers, and we hope to encourage each other to take the steps towards publishing, whether traditional or indy. Don't forget to check the Publishing links in our right sidebar. It contains some great publishing opportunities. (But first you have to finish that story!) 

So let me introduce to you - Maria McKenzie...who has some great tips to share with us, following those we've already learned...

The Most Important Tips for Independently Publishing Your Book

Now is the best possible time to be a writer!  With the advent of online publishing and e-books, authors can publish their own work.  However, if you’re considering going independent, keep these tips in mind so you can create the most professional product possible:

1.      Write a Great Story – Although your mother and your friends will love your book, make sure other writers have read it and given you an honest opinion.  Join a local or online writers group or find a critique partner if you don’t have one already.  If you need to, Google Online Writing Groups or Critique Groups.  To hone your skills, don’t only read books on craft, read books similar to what you love to write—that’s a great teaching tool in itself.  Some of my favorite craft books include Strunk and White’s The Element’s of Style, Stephen King’s On Writing, Leigh Michaels’s On Writing Romance, Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation and Conflict and Robert Masselo’s Robert’s Rule’s of Writing.

2.      Edit - Once you’ve completed your novel, have it professionally edited.  You cannot edit your own work! Once you’ve worked on a piece for months or years, it’s very easy to overlook left out words, typos and misspellings (been there, done that). An editor will not only catch these mistakes, but he/she can also help fine tune your finished product by re-crafting sentences or cutting unnecessary words to improve the flow of your story. If you don’t know of an editor, Google eBook Editing Services. 

3.      Format - Format your book correctly! Formatting an e-book isn’t difficult, but it is tedious, not to mention a little overwhelming for the non-technical among us—of which I am one! I did my own formatting for the Kindle and Nook versions of my books, so if I can do it anyone can. The Smashwords Style Guide (free) walks you through the formatting process step by step to prepare your manuscript for upload to their site.  The same formatting can be used for Barnes and Noble Pubit.  Amazon guidelines are different, but very easy to follow.  However, if you don’t have time for the task, or you’re more comfortable letting a pro do it, there are many out there who’ll do it for a reasonable price. Just Google eBook Formatting Services.

4.      Design an Eye-catching Cover – Your cover is the first impression your book makes on the outside world, so it needs to grab your readers’ attention. Even if your story is great, an ugly cover will discourage readers from clicking on it. Hire a professional artist to create an awesome cover for you! Google eBook Cover Design if you need help finding one.

These are just a few tips, but some of the most important.  However, if you’re seriously thinking about going indie, I highly recommend reading some sources that will give you a thorough overview of what to expect before taking the plunge! Jeff Bennington’s The Indie Author’s Guide to the Universe is great.  I finished it recently, and wish I could have read it before I dove in blindfolded!

Just a few last words.  You might have writer friends who are experts in all of the above, but not the money to pay them. Indies are usually on a shoestring budget, so don’t hesitate to barter services.  Can you edit, proofread or be a beta reader? Exchange that service with a writer friend who’s a graphic designer. 

Visit me any time at www.mariamckenziewrites.com. I’ve compiled a “Help for Writers Page” with great links to lots of free information to help you on your indie journey!

Maria McKenzie is the author of the Amazon bestseller The Governor’s Sons. Her newest release is Escape: Book One of the Unchained Trilogy, a family saga. She is currently at work on Masquerade: Book II of The Unchained Trilogy.  Maria lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two boys. She’s  into fitness and enjoys running.  As long as she’s not listening to an audio book, she comes up with story ideas during her morning runs.
Maria around the web:
Facebook        Twitter        Website 

Maria has just released ESCAPE – Book One of the Unchained Trilogy
Daniel and Lori love each other, yet to live as one in 1856, they must escape from the unyielding society that imprisons them.

Lori was born a slave in North Carolina, yet by chance was raised alongside Daniel in a wealthy abolitionist household. The sudden death of Daniel’s mother catapults Lori back into bondage.

Relegated to chattel on a rice plantation, Lori lives in constant fear under the tormenting scrutiny of Daniel’s wretched Aunt Lucinda.

After Daniel fails to convince his relatives to free Lori, he is compelled to devise a daring escape. Although a life threatening endeavor for both of them, Lori’s freedom is priceless to Daniel, and he’s willing to pay such a price for her love.

Buy Links:

Amazon
Amazon UK
B&N
  • Have you independently published your book? If so, what are some important tips you’d like to share?
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Don't forget to sign up TODAY for our Halloween House of Horrors Challenge! 1,000 words of prose or poetry. Scroll down to the linky or check guidelines on the Challenges Page above!


28 comments:

  1. It is our pleasure to host you today Maria. I have learned so much more about self-publishing from reading this. I wish you good sales for Escape.

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    1. Denise, thanks so much hosting me today, and I appreciate your good wishes:). Glad to share what I've learned about indie publishing!

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  2. Thanks for the Indie publishing tips Maria. And thank you for guest posting today.

    ......dhole

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    1. Donna, thanks for having me here! I appreciate the chance to meet your audience:).

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  3. Don't have anything to add - you clearly covered the important points.

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    1. Hi, Victoria! For me, these points are the biggies;).

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  4. Great post, Maria! I'll bet it doesn't occur to many people that they can barter services, but that's so smart.

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    1. Yes indeed, and economical too;). Thanks for stopping by, Melissa!

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  5. These are sensible and practical and oh so important tips to remember when publishing!! thanks lovely Maria! take care
    x

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    1. Thank you, Old Kitty! Thanks so much for visiting:).

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  6. Hi Maria, Denise and Donna and all my other wonderful RFW friends.

    Maria, well said, I echo every word. Thanks for all the book suggestions. Now if I could just find readers!

    To everyone else. My short story and flash fiction post is up. I hope you come by since it is my intention to help you all.

    Also, thank you, thank you to Denise and Francine for all the wonderful help during my malware virus difficulties. I never would have survived without you. Also, many others stopped by with some good tips.

    Looking forward to Friday!
    Nancy

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    1. Hi, N.R., thanks for stopping by:). I'll be sure to swing by and visit your fash fiction post!

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  7. Outstanding tips, Maria!

    Thanks for hosting her, Denise!

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    1. Scarlett and James, thanks so much for visitng;). Glad you liked the tips!

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  8. You got my favorite tip - bartering! I'm very lucky to have a graphic design background, so I trade cover design for beta reads and editing. My other thing to know is how fast this industry is changing, so it's ever more important to keep up with the news. What worked for promotion six months ago might not be effective today. I love places like the Writers Guide to Epublishing blog and the IndieRomanceInk Yahoo group for this.

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    1. Hi, Jennette! I thought about you when I wrote about bartering--oh writer of many talents:)! Thanks for sharing the epub blog and Indie Yahoo group--those are places I need to check out! Thanks for visiting RFW!

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  9. Great advice, and bartering, wonderful! I'm on less than a shoe string budget!

    Wishing you nothing but success!

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    1. Hi, Yolanda! Thanks for visiting, and thanks for your good wishes! Bartering really does save the day:)!

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  10. Great tips and resources. Thanks Maria!

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    1. Hi Heather! You're welcome:). I'm glad you liked the post!

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  11. Thanks for this sharing these tips, Maria. The technology world is on a cloud somewhere I can't seem to grasp (ahem!) and feel fortunate a fellow blogger has those skills to bail me out. There's sooooo much talent in Blogville!

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    1. Hi Kittie! You are absolutely right! There's a lot of talent out there that belongs to nice folks willing to help:)!

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  12. Hi Denise - what a great guest .. and Maria - excellent ideas here - always useful to read other's stories .. thanks so much ... Cheers Hilary

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  13. Dear Maria,

    Great post. I agree with the others; you have some very good advise here.

    I have a background in graphic design, so maybe I could barter with someone who needs ideas for/concrete help with their cover. (I am also my own photographer.)

    When it comes to writing novels, short stories, etc., I'm just a beginner and have nothing published yet. For me, RFW has been/is a good group to start with. I have learned so much from these talented writers. It's a good thing that we are all so different. We can help each other in different ways.

    Good luck with Escape (What a cool title!).
    Best wishes,
    Anna

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  14. Hello again, Maria,
    I have already read Strunk and White’s The Element’s of Style, as well as Stephen King’s On Writing, but Leigh Michaels’s On Writing Romance, Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation and Conflict and Robert Masselo’s Robert’s Rule’s of Writing are new to me.
    Thank you for those suggestions!
    Anna

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    1. Anna, thanks so much for stopping by and sharing that you are a graphic designer and photographer! Your willingness to barter is much appreciated:)! Good luck to you in your writing! Those sources I mentioned have really helped me a lot! I hope you find them useful too;).

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  15. Maria; thanks again for your guest post, and for responding to your viewers. It has been a pleasure to host you, and I hope we will see more of your tips and insights in the future. It has been our pleasure to host you.

    Thank you for your encouraging words and dedication to the writing profession.

    .......dhole

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    1. Donna, you're welcome! It was my pleasure to post with you, and I've enjoyed meeting some of your readers:). Thank you for providing such a great blog for writers!

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