Ruthy here! With so many of us branching out as either hybrid authors (traditional publishing + independent self-publishing = hybrid) or independently published authors (either self- or small press-pubbed) we decided it was time to ask some of the best and brightest of the e-pub/independent-pubbed industry to stop by and talk us through some stuff... Marie Force's bio is below, and it's wonderfully impressive, but on top of her publishing kudos, Marie and her "fairies" have blazed a trail for folks to deliver a great product to the marketplace time and again. And that's clutch when you're courting readers!
Time and again, authors ask the E-book Formatting Fairies for assistance
because they don't have the time, skills or necessary technology for e-book
publishing. Writers want to write, not wrestle with technology. With more than
25 published books, 17 of them self-published, I've learned a lot on this
journey. I started the E-book Formatting Fairies in early 2012 to help authors
create e-book and print-on-demand files ready for sale on all the major
retailers.
But let's back up for a second and talk about self-publishing in more
general terms. Why is this the best time ever to be an author? Never before has
it been so easy for authors to take control of their careers and get their
books directly to readers. With the advent of digital devices and e-books came
platforms such as Kindle Direct Publishing at Amazon, NookPress at Barnes &
Noble, iTunes Producer for Apple and Smashwords to distribute e-books to
readers. By distributing directly to these retailers, authors can earn royalty
rates of 70 percent, a dramatic increase over the royalties authors have come
to expect from traditionally published titles. Add to that the opportunity for
full control of content, covers, release schedules and promotion, and authors can
get their work to readers and potentially make a lot of money.
Now back to e-books. You've finished your manuscript. What’s next?
Start thinking about your cover, editing and formatting. I was a
professional copy editor for more than twenty years. I have a degree in
Journalism and have had courses in copy-editing. I’ve worked on newspapers and
served as editor-in-chief of a national trade magazine for 16 years. All of
this experience has helped me in my writing career, but I wouldn't dream of
publishing a book without a professional copy edit. Copy editors know things
most people don’t know—such as which four states are commonwealths and when to
use lay, lie or laid. Readers catch typos and often report them in reviews or
on social media. Avoid this by having your book reviewed by a copy editor. You
won’t regret it.
A book cover is often the first, and sometimes the only, thing a reader
will see when considering whether or not to purchase your book, so it should be
memorable. Getting there isn't as easy as you might think. Do you have the
skills to design high-quality (and high-resolution) images that reflect your
story, characters and setting? Can you develop an impactful title treatment
that will stand out in all the various sizes used on retail sites? You might be
tempted to tackle the cover design yourself, but a homemade cover looks, well…
homemade. There’s no substitute for a professionally designed and executed
cover. Think of it as the “face” of your book and put forth your very best
effort.
E-book formatting is what the Fairies do most often for our clients. We
are contacted every day by authors who need their books formatted for
distribution to the major retailers. Incorrect or inconsistent formatting can
keep the reader from enjoying, and in some cases understanding, your book. Front
matter, including a copyright statement, is important in identifying your book
and in some cases required by the retailer. Back matter should be used to let
the reader know more about you and your other titles. If you have more than one
book available for sale and are not listing it in the back of your book with
live purchase links, you’re missing out on potential sales. I have links to all
my titles in the back of my books, as well as excerpts for the next book
available in the series. I also customize my e-book files for each retailer so
when a reader finishes book 1 in my series and reads the excerpt from book 2, they
can immediately purchase it. I include links to my website, mailing list and social
media as well. Don't miss out on this opportunity for readers to connect with
you AND your other books!
Did you think print was not an option for self-published authors? Think
again. There are ways for authors to get their book in print through services
like CreateSpace, an Amazon company. We can format your book and your cover for
print on demand, and CreateSpace will make it available for sale on Amazon and
available to other retailers and bookstores through distribution channels. I
have found that many readers still enjoy holding a paper book in their hand and
make sure all my self-published titles are available in print. Just because you
don't have a print contract with a publisher doesn't mean you can’t have books
in print!
I’ve only talked about a few aspects of self-publishing and e-book
formatting. I encourage you to read through the blog posts on the E-book Formatting Fairies site and learn more
about self-publishing, the services we offer to help authors successfully self-publish
and the Independent Author Symposium taking place in Warwick, RI this Nov. 1-2.
If you want to learn the ins and outs of self-publishing, consider joining us!
Find out more about the Symposium here: http://e-bookformattingfairies.blogspot.com/p/independent-author-symposium.html.
Marie Force is
the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal
bestselling, award-winning author of more than 25 contemporary romances,
including Maid for Love, book 1 in the bestselling McCarthys of Gansett Island
Series, which is a free e-book. Her other series include the Fatal Series, the
Treading Water Series and numerous stand-alone books. All You Need is Love,
book 1 in her new Green Mountain Series from Berkley Publishing, is out on Feb.
4, 2014.
