Wise Ink Said I Could Share! "Ten things not to say to a Writer" Enjoy!

Writing a book or already published? Take a breather and enjoy writing and publishing tips that'll help you on your journey!

What You Probably Meant to Say To Us:
A Twitter-Inspired Etiquette Guide


Here we are, trapped behind our laptops, just trying to transmute our vast, disorganized thoughts into legible English. We haven’t been bothering anyone. In fact, if we think about it, we’ve actually been entertaining the public for the past couple centuries. We’ve churned out best sellers, inspired Hollywood films, and incited entire cultural movements.

And yet, we can’t seem to get societal approval for our creative routines. Huh.Welcome to life as a writer.

Recently, we took our frustration to the Twittersphere to expose the most irksome comments we’ve heard over the years using the hashtag#TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter. The result was painfully humorous and all too true.

And simply too good to restrict to Twitter.

So, we’ve repurposed our writerly pain and into an etiquette guide for individuals who seem confused about how to address a real live author. Writers, feel free to distribute this list of unnecessary comments (and their preferred counterparts) to friends and acquaintances who just don’t get it.




1.




We aren’t really sure what about writing doesn’t constitute work in the mainstreamer’s mind, but we are getting tired of being asked about our “real” jobs.

What you probably meant to say: “Tell me about your latest writing project!”




2.

There’s no way our first drafts are perfect—we knew that before we asked you to be a beta-reader! We don’t expect a full copyedit, line edit, and proofread—we’ll get the paid professionals to do that. We just want your honest thoughts from a potential consumer’s perspective.

Instead, try answering these questions: Is the dialogue convincing? At what point (if any) did you lose interest in the storyline? What questions did you have about the main character while reading? Were there any gaps in the plot?




3.

You’re right, “reading” and “writing” ARE synonyms. The process is exactly the same. Likewise, haven’t you heard it isn’t polite to make everything about yourself?

Next time try: “I know you do a lot of writing—how did you decide to publish your most recent project?”




4.

Sure, sometimes we glean character ideas from our surroundings, but it’s not a given. Don’t assume we are writing about ourselves, and for the love of all that is good and holy, do not assume we are writing about YOU either.

This conversation starter might be better received: “Where did you get your inspiration for your latest project?”




5.




Absolutely, and we will just continue our lives as starving artists.

Keep in mind we writers spend months upon years polishing our manuscripts. While it’s not every author’s goal to make millions, it would be nice to turn a profit on all our hard work.

What you probably meant to say: “Where can I buy a copy of your new release?”




6.

Thanks for having our back, but that’s not necessarily the type of writing we do. Unless we’ve been vocal about our need for additional work, it’s best to assume we are devoted to the projects we’re already undertaking.

Before you offer us a side job, ask us: “What’s your genre and ideal audience?”




7.

We don’t have to defend our decision to self-publish—we know traditional publishing is no longer the only route to success, and we are confident in our choice! Self-publishing is not just a “start” but a means to an end—spreading our mission and message.

Next time, try saying: “Tell me about your self-publishing process! What are the challenges and benefits?”




8.

We appreciate you taking the time to read and rate our books! But a three-star review might be doing us more harm than good. Prospective readers are scanning for the next best read, so if you genuinely loved our book as you claimed, go ahead and show your enthusiasm with a five-star review!

Tell your favorite author this instead: “I rated your book on Amazon! Where else can I write a reader review?



9.




We aren’t going to lie—sometimes we do sit back and write beautiful things. But these moments are wedged between weeks of writers block, the toils of re-writing, and agonizing over how to sell our brainchild.

We suggest you ask: “What’s the daily life of an author really like? Tell me about your process!”




10.

We LOVE that you read the gritty innards of our book and absorbed our message—that’s our ultimate goal! But we would love it even more if you remembered our titles so you could recommend it to your friends (or even enemies). Word-of-mouth is the most affordable marketing, people!

Next time, try: “I keep a copy of Why We Ink on my bedside table at all times because it offers me daily inspiration!”



We’re guessing all these underhanded comments just “came out wrong.” Don’t worry, friends and family—we understood what you really meant.

Readers, what were some of your favorite #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter? Let us know in the comment section below!

The post What You Probably Meant to Say To Us: A Twitter-Inspired Etiquette Guide can be found on the Wise Ink Blog.






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Artisanal Authoring: The Strange Need to Justify Authorpreneuring - By Erec Stebbins

Artisanal Authoring: 

The Strange Need to Justify Authorpreneuring

I have a number of friends in the Native American style flute community who make flutes for a living or as a hobby. Some full time, some part time. In fact, you might like to check out some amazing instruments in wood  and ceramics.  These are artisans in the best and oldest sense of the word. They are homeshop craftsfolk, working with their own hands, nowadays hanging their virtual shingles on the internet.

Compared to Yamaha recorders, their hand crafted, more variable, personally quality checked without robots products are valued more highly than the precision, machine crafted flood of flutes that sell for much cheaper. These “makers” are considered artists, their individualism in their art part of the charm and value.

When potters form their plates and bowls, hire external shops to fire them, then sell the products locally and/or online, they are artisans. I have never heard the term “Vanity Kilns” applied to them. Jewelry makers rarely have the label of “self-forged” on their earrings as a derogatory comment. In general, the image of an artist is enhanced by their ability to bring to fruition their work “from their own two hands.”

Not so with writers.

Until recently, and still now the tendency is strong, writers who do not go through external businesses specializing in producing books are considered somehow less than artists. There is no equivalent “artisanal” mystique about self-publishing. The more one does oneself – from writing to layout to artistic work for the covers – the more one is considered doing it for “vanity.” There are no vanity kilns, only vanity presses. Such writers have historically been met with derision and mockery.

The reason for this is actually quite obvious. Until the last 10-15 years of human civilization, it was quite impossible for single artisans (aka “writers”) to produce books. The technology of disseminating the written word either was extremely limited inherently (stone carving early on, or handcopying), or was the province of large, industrial machineries affordable only to businesses and not individual proprietors (unless they possessed a private fortune).

Therefore, the cultural structure of publishing became centered on large capital, the companies that could afford it, and the process of getting books to those printers. Those who could afford them – in order to maximize their wealth – screened writings for what would generate that wealth and allow for the business to continue. Quality was only one of several variables in the financial equation and often not the principle term. And there was a strong incentive for these businesses to delegitimize any other approach to the process.

With Print On Demand services (POD), digital technology in word processing and art, and the connection of anyone, anywhere through the internet, it became possible very recently for writers to write their books, format them, create covers etc, and send digital forms of the manuscript (for print or ebook) to services that would produce hardcopies and digital distribution at a fraction of the cost that typified such efforts in the past. Now hundreds of thousands of self-published novels are released each year.

Regardless of what one thinks of this trend, the larger picture is that the process of producing and distributing books has been democratized (and there is no going back). Anyone can paint, sculpt, knit, fashion jewelry or pottery and sell their goods without undo stigma (well, assuming it isn’t horrendous!). The situation is now no different with the written word.

The question is therefore when, not if, writers will take their (rightful) place among other artists and craftspeople. As is usually the case, the true cultural paradigm shift requires some generational die-off (we more enlightened ancient ones, notwithstanding). You see most of the resistance and mockery of artisanal authorpreneurs in the established (read older) generation, and most of the acceptance of it in the young. Soon the young will be the established: révolution accomplie.

It used to be that if you couldn’t convince a large industry to take your book, you could never shop it around for an audience. Imagine if a potter had to run her works by a large ceramics corporation, with its high throughput, standardized guidelines for mass market sales, and other requirements of big business, in order to ever offer her work to the public? If the corporation refused (for many reasons), the poor products of her hands would be shelved and forgotten.

Once it was so with authors. But not anymore. Now writers can publish digitally and in print without the need of “respect laundering” through a publishing house. Of course, high sales are not promised (and are rare), but the technological barriers are removed for this area of artistic expression.

Welcome to the brave new artisanal world of publishing.

Dara Beevas Directs Excellent Reference Guide to Writers!

http://www.wiseinkblog.com/

the Indie Author

Revolution

An Insider's Guide to
Self-Publishing

Dara M. Beevas


Most of you know by now that I support Indie Authors activities in this exciting time when changes to the publishing world allow more and more writers to ensure their books are completed and available across the world! During my activities at Rainbow's End Publishing Company, I had the great experience to work with the author and publisher as she wrote a how to, entitled Self-Publish Your Book With Little or No Money! (Note that this book is now outdated. A caution to all for this type of book: Make sure the copyright is fairly new to ensure the latest information.)

Of course, it is a lot more work for Indies, isn't it? That's why I wanted to read and review Revolution by Dara Beevas. Because it is indeed a revolution that is happening as more and more writers choose the self-publishing road. I'm the type of individual that buys this type of book for my personal home library. Once writers start this road, an easy-to-use reference, in my opinion, is mandatory! And this book meets that criteria. Not only is it well-documented with a Table of Contents, Bibliography, and Index, it has further relevant information giving a glossary, resource directory, sample plans and directions on copyrighting. In fact, I should immediately add that this is also an excellent reference for any writer, because the entire process is shown and can help you follow your work through all the necessary steps no matter what route you choose in the publishing world.

I'm not going to spend too much time going over content. If you're a writer, I couldn't think of anything that was not.  included. On the other hand, I can praise Beevas for the quality and quantity of her information; that is, the book itself if very well done...beautiful cover, excellent spotlighting graphics and extra little detailed page highlights that show this individual knows what she's doing!

The second thing I noticed was that she was quick to point out that it is totally up to the self-published writer/author to set a high standard and to ensure that it happens! Kudos to the author for creating a reference tool, but also an excellent example of the quality readers expect in books, in her own published work!

Okay, here's the most important thing I personally learned and it is an exciting addition to the self-publishing process. Did you know  there is now what is called a "Mentoring Press?" The title itself is wonderfully welcomed I am sure. But let's  learn exactly what that means:

A hybrid publisher that guides authors with marketable manuscripts through the self-publishing process. Mentoring presses offer services for a fee that includes coaching, editing, book design, printing, publicity and distribution. Mentoring presses are often selective and emphasize the importance of editing and good design to create successful books.

If you have worked with hundreds of writers like I have, you soon realize that some know some things, but need help on other parts of the process...Knowing about this made reading this book totally worthwhile for me as a reviewer and responder to lots of process questions! Both advantages and disadvantages of this is provided in the Guide.

Little things mean a lot to me, given my business administration background, so I'll also thank Beevas for things like:

• Providing signs that indicate when a publishing expert is not a true expert...
• Providing "The Last Word" and "Indie Author Wisdom: throughout the book 
• Providing same style sheet for submission of manuscript.
• Perceiving the book as "a complete product requiring attention to every detail."
• Reminding writers that galleys are printed while your book is with the proofreader!
• Covering what POD means.
• Including information on multiple writers, book pricing as well as credit card functions!
• Marketing--reviews, complimentary copies {"A word to the wise: be strategic with your complimentary copies...}, and using the Internet as part of the selling process.

Writers, Authors and publishing staff, or service providers in publishing could all benefit from having this book on their resource shelf! Indies: A Must-Read! Get It!

GABixlerReviews

Dara M. Beevas is a writer, editor, blogger, speaker and indie author. She mentors other indie authors as Vice President of Beaver's Pond Press, an award-winning mentoring publisher in the Twin Cities that has helped more than 600 indie authors self-publish. Her passion for authors and the indie author revolution led her to launch Wise, Ink, an online community for indie authors.

For most of her career, Beevas has worked in publishing. She was acquisitions editor for the American Chemical Society and has also worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She received her Master's Degree in publishing from George Washington University and was selected as an emerging writer by the Givens Foundation for African-American literature.

Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Beevas moved to Minneapolis in 2007 with her husband Tomme Beevas. The Twin Cities' writing community captivated her almost immediately. In her spare time she writes poetry, short stories, and is a speaker on the topic of self-publishing. She's reachable via her blog www.wiseinkblog.com, LinkedIn, and @darairene on Twitter.

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BRH Welcomes Chris Lindberg - and He's Ready To Roll!

Comments Wanted!  

Ready to Roll: 

one Author’s Experience

in Self-Publishing 

By Chris Lindberg 

I’ll bet every single Indie Author has a unique story about how we came to self-publish our book, and each story has its share of highs and lows.  The first high comes at the moment you type that last line and hit "save."  You lean back from your keyboard, take a deep breath, and savor the moment, reflecting on your accomplishment -- you’ve just completed your novel, and it feels great.

 

And then the real work begins: it’s time to get your creation ready to meet the real world. 

You might edit it two, maybe three times, adjusting the word count, the story line, refining dialogue, scenes, characters.  Then, once you feel like it’s the best novel it can possibly be, you ship the concept off to the world in the form of a query letter, putting it out in front of editors and agents.  These are the people who can make your novel a reality: someday you’ll see it on bookstore shelves, newsstand racks, in the hands of people on buses, planes, and trains … and of course, on the New York Times Bestseller List.

 

Until that first rejection letter rolls in … then you feel your first real low.   The letter is polite and has a “it’s-not-you-it’s-me” tone to it, but it’s still a “no thank you.”  But it’s just one person’s opinion, so you pick yourself back up, and you eagerly await the next response, knowing the next agent will surely be smarter than the first, and see the true potential of your book.  And then the next rejection comes in, followed by another.  And then another.  And before you know it, you have a pile of letters, all saying your work isn’t quite what they’re looking for.

 

At this point do you doubt yourself, and your work?  Of course, it wouldn’t be human not to.  But luckily you’ve grown a thick skin throughout this process.  And you realize that you didn’t spend three years pouring character, detail, storyline, and scene onto a keyboard just to have a few people tell you it’s not worth bringing into the world. 

So you shake it all off, and you decide to self-publish.  After all the revisions you’ve done, you feel your novel is ready to roll.  Some people tell you not to, saying that self-publishing will place a stigma on your work, but you’re not going to be denied:  your novel is a labor of love, and it deserves to at least see the light of day, even if you’re the only one who winds up reading it. 

So you pick a self-publishing partner (Lulu, iUniverse, CreateSpace, or any number of others), and you move forward: designing a cover, formatting the copy, making final revisions.  It takes weeks, maybe months, but at the end, you’re holding your finished work in your hands, proud of your accomplishment, and ready to see if anyone else will think it’s as good as you hope they will.
 

That was my experience in getting my first novel, Code of Darkness, out there.  I’m currently working on the promotional phase right now: updating Facebook, Tweeting whatever I find worth sharing, doing a Virtual Book Tour, submitting for reviews.  And getting some nice feedback so far!
 

Now I’d like to hear from you: where are you in your publishing process, and what have your experiences been like? 

_____




 

About the Author

Chris Lindberg was born and raised outside Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Northern Illinois University in the mid-1990s, he headed out to the west coast for a couple of years, where he began writing as a casual pastime.

Some time after returning to Chicago he began attending writers workshops at StoryStudio Chicago, where he wrote two character studies, both of which have since been developed into key characters in Code of Darkness.

Chris now lives outside Chicago with his wife Jenny and their two children, Luke and Emma. You might catch him working away on his second novel while commuting on his morning train into the city.

Chris Lindberg’s first novel, Code of Darkness, was released in August.  You can find out more by visiting www.codeofdarkness.com, or visiting Facebook and searching on “code of darkness.” 

To purchase Code of Darkness in paperback or e-book edition, please check out: http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=code+of+darkness

Or search “code of darkness” on Amazon or BN.com. 

You can also email Chris at chris@codeofdarkness.com – he’d love to hear from you. 

Or find him at Facebook...https://www.facebook.com/chrislindberg7?sk=wall

Check out My Review! But before you do, please take the time to respond to Chris' desire to hear from YOU! You must "follow BRH" to comment - and I certainly hope you look in the right column to do that!!!!

Vanity Press or Self-Publish? Paul Kyriazi Shares More...

Don't wait to get your book out.



A lot of people confuse 'vanity press' with self publishing. Vanity press is where you pay them to print up your book and they put it on amazon and send out some copies to reviewers. And that's okay, depending on the price.

Self publishing means exactly that. Remember publishing houses use separate printers just like you will be doing. And try to market it just like you will. They have the big connections and money to promote so if you get a book deal, great. But it's 95% they won't read your manuscript, or make you re-write it and then still say no.

I could give you many examples of some semi-famous people, such as Paul Peterson ( the Donno Reed Show) who I talked with, who's book is out of print from his publisher, yet cannot get his book rights back from them. No books, can't make more. Publisher won't make more. Publisher won't return rights.

I have a acquaintance that only wants his book to be published by a 'real publisher'. So he paid thousands of dollars in reading fees over the years with no takers. He hates self publishers, but he will leave the planet without the fun of seeing his book come running out of the presses. And I recommend you are in the print room when it happens. What a sight.

I want everyone to have at least one tangible product that sums them up. To give out to new friends and loved ones. So the next time you're in a bookstore and see those big texts between two beautiful hardbound covers with great graphics, you'll think, "Hey, I did one, too."

And start designing the cover while you're writing it. That keeps you excited. I love my 'Rock Star Rising' design that I did myself, with the help of a PC designer. I drew it out in stick figure, found the photos, and worked with him to get what I wanted in an hour. No wasting time with him making 10 test covers for $1,000 that you don't like.

You can view my audio-novels with the 21 movie stars, in a 3 minute photo show at www.myspace.com/paulkyriazi

It starts automatically, just scroll down a tad to see the whole screen.

Be very sure to read my article 'Searching for a Publisher'. (Ran yesterday here at BRH)


 
 
 
 
 

Living the James Bond Life
with Paul Kyriazi!

Highlighting Bettie Tucker's Book on Self-Publishing!

Image via Wikipedia

It has often been said that a person cannot be taught to write a best seller. In other words, authors are blessed at birth with a literary talent and it is because of this talent that they succeed. Although there is some truth to this statement, we feel it needs to be expanded upon.

When a person has a deep desire to write, it is impossible not to write! Many writers are miserable when their creativity is bottled up because of lack of time and/or opportunity. Writers should try to develop their full potential. Although talent cannot be taught--proper grammar, dialogue, description, and writing styles can be....

Many writers would like to self-publish but fear doing so because they lack sufficient knowledge of the process, or believe that they do not have sufficient finances to undertake such a project. This manual has been written to assist these writers to overcome such fears by giving them step-by-step guidelines in the writing, preparation, manufacturing and selling of their books...Excerpts from the Preface