The Word Cloud

Here’s an interesting story. Back on April 20^th I posted the following on the Word Cloud blog:-

This looks an interesting event. Does anyone know anything about it?

7th May, 12-4pm, Phoenix Artists Club, Charing Cross Road, London
Feedback from Literary Professionals – In small groups, each attendee with have a chance to discuss work and ideas directly with each Literary Professional.

Hannah Sheppard - Commissioning Editor, Teenage Fiction, Headline Publishing Group
Kate Lyall-Grant - Former Commissioning Editor, Hodder & Stoughton and Simon & Schuster UK, freelance editor
Darin Jewell - Author and Managing Director of The Inspira Group, literary agency
Gareth Howard, Authoright, one of UK’s top book marketing companies
Nick Griffiths – National journalist and author of a number of fiction and non-fiction books
Jonathan Reuvid – Author, editor and consultant editor of over 30 business books and Partner in Legend Business
Rupert Eales-White - Successful business book author
Tom Chalmers - Managing Director, Legend Press and Paperbooks Publishing

Cost: £59.99. To book your place, click below or email conference@legend-paperbooks.co.uk

I received various interesting replies to the blog, but I did not state the underlying reason for writing it at the time. Here it is. 

Some years earlier Chris, my wife, had written a teenage fantasy/thriller called ‘The Salamander Stone’ which had received good attention from reputable agents (e.g. ‘there are many published writers who aren’t a patch on you out there’) but no offers. Maybe at 120,000 words it was too costly a proposition in terms of bulk production, storage, transport, shelf space, etc. 

I kept prodding her to try again, and in 2011 she contacted a few agents by email, which led to an invitation to attend the Phoenix Artists Club event above. After a good think we decided to go, and it turned out to be a pleasant and rewarding day. It was especially illuminating to chat with editors and find they were – surprise surprise – as human as the rest of us. Afterwards, Chris signed up with an agent over a mug of coffee at Foyles Bookshop just over the road. 

She was told ‘The Salamander Stone’ would be sent out in three waves of five publishers – aiming high, aiming middle, aiming modest. She was copied onto the email replies, from which she learned she nearly got a bite from an ‘aiming high’ editor (who had read and enjoyed the opening on a plane trip, but then put it to one side: and you know what happens next – momentum lost, opportunity gone.) 

A few transatlantic publishers were also tried, and in August 2011, Champagne Books of Calgary replied with an offer. There may have been some serendipity here, as Champagne Books were opening a new imprint – ‘Burst’ – and looking for appropriate titles, of which ‘The Salamander Stone’ will soon become one. 

An interesting question, though, is why a 120,000 word manuscript was no longer too long, and the answer, I suspect, is digital publishing. That’s how Champagne Books mostly issue their titles, although, for those who like solid books, they also do trade paperbacks. 

And why do I mention all this right now? Because the date of publication approaches. Timescales seem shortened with this type of publishing, and ‘The Salamander Stone’ is due out on April 2nd, 2012. 

Just a couple of months. 

Time to start spreading the word. 

For instance, click here http://www.theinspiragroup.com/List%20of%20Authors.htm to see a mugshot of the up-and-coming new author, Chris Fenge. It’s been a long road, and there are plenty more tales to tell about the journey, but right now it’s leading to April 2nd.

You won’t make any money from self-publishing.

MYTH!

The internet has revolutionized every business it has come into contact with, and publishing is no different.

For the first time, these changes are handing power back to the writer. It’s up to YOU if you want to profit from them.

Let’s Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should.

This guide contains over 60,000 words of essays, articles, and how-to guides, as well as contributions from 33 bestselling indie authors including J Carson Black, Bob Mayer, Victorine Lieske, Mark Edwards, and many more.

It covers everything from how the disruptive power of the internet has changed the publishing business forever to the opportunities this has created for writers. It gives you practical advice on editing, cover design, formatting, and pricing. And it reveals marketing tips from blogging and social networking right through to competitions, discounts, reviews, and giveaways.

If you are considering self-publishing, if you need to breathe life into your flagging sales, or if you want to understand why it’s a great time to be a writer, Let’s Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should will explain it all.

This is the ninth part of my continuing series INDIE PUBLISHING FOR INTERNATIONAL WRITERS, a step-by-step guide to getting your stories into (digital) print. I’ll be doing each step with you, learning as you do, because I’ve never done this before either.

I will be compiling all these steps into a free e-book for my blog-readers when I am done. It's called Let's Get Digital and is pencilled in for release at the end of June.

The final steps of this self-publishing guide is going to focus on further marketing tips. We have already covered the basics: blogging and websites, pricing, social networking, and reviews. Today, I talk about using discounts, competitions, giveaways, and blog tours to promote your book.

Step 9: Discounts, Competitions & Blog Tours

Read the full post here:

http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/indie-publishing-for-international-writers-step-9-discounts-competitions-blog-tours/ 

This is the eight part of my continuing series INDIE PUBLISHING FOR INTERNATIONAL WRITERS, a step-by-step guide to getting your stories into (digital) print. I’ll be doing each step with you, learning as you do, because I’ve never done this before either. I will be compiling all these steps into a free e-book for my blog-readers when I am done.

Step 8: Pricing Strategies

There is a lot of debate about pricing. Today, I want to avoid a discussion of the ethics of various strategies. Instead, I would like to talk about their respective pros and cons for the writer employing them.

This means we won’t talk about whether it is right for authors do give away work or price it low (or high). We won’t get into emotional arguments about how your novel took you three years so it’s worth a lot more than $2.99. In a strict business sense, it’s worth what people are willing to pay for it.

Instead, we will discuss what works and what doesn’t depending on your respective goals.

The only firm belief I have with regard to pricing is that you should be flexible, and find the right price for your own book free of ideology or any other such nonsense, depending on what you hope to achieve.

I will round off this post by outlining my pricing strategy and the reasons I have chosen it. Not everyone will agree with my choice. That’s fine, you should choose a strategy that suits you.

To read my assessment of the four pricing strategies (free, discount, regular, and higher), and to see what I have chosen, go here:

http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/indie-publishing-for-international-writers-step-8-pricing-strategies/ 

This is the seventh part of my continuing series INDIE PUBLISHING FOR INTERNATIONAL WRITERS, a step-by-step guide to getting your stories into (digital) print. I’ll be doing each step with you, learning as you do, because I’ve never done this before either. I will be compiling all these steps into a free e-book for my blog-readers when I am done.

Step 7: Reviews: How To Get Them, And How To Deal With Them 

Some people are sceptical about the power of reviews and whether they have any significant effect on sales. However, I think this is a very short-term view.

In today's post, I show you why every review is important if you look at the big picture, how to go about getting reviews on Amazon and Smashwords, how to find book bloggers, and how to get them to review your book.

I also discuss paid reviews, dealing with negative reviews, and how to promote your book using positive reviews.

Read the full post here: 
http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/indie-publishing-for-international-writers-step-7-reviews-how-to-get-them-and-how-to-deal-with-them/ 

Today we are going to talk about novels.  There are only two real ways to sell your novel, and the choices are, for the most part, mutually exclusive, so you have a big decision to make.  The first way is to a trade publishing house (both large presses and small, independent presses), and the second is to self-publish.

Read the rest at:  Making Money From Writing, Part 2: Novels