What I've Learned (so far) About Being A Self-Published Writer

When I wrote a piece back in January about why I had decided to self-publish ( http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2013/01/why-ive-decided-to-self-publish.html ), some of you asked me to keep you posted on how I did things, how they turned out and I felt about it all.

But stop right here for just a minute.  You've written YOUR book!  Be proud.  Remember to hold this dream in your heart 'cause if you're a writer, the chances are the rest of this stuff isn't going to really be your cup of tea.  BUT.  It's necessary. As necessary as having an editor.  You've done that, right?  Had your book looked at by an editor?  If not, back up.  Have your book edited by someone other than yourself.  NOT proof read - edited.  By someone reputable, not just some name you randomly pulled off the web.  Ask your writer friends to recommend someone.  Several someones. Talk to people before you make your final decision.  But this step is every bit as important as the writing was.  A good editor is going to make your work better.  Believe it.

So here's the story (so far).

I honestly didn't have a clue as to what I was doing, so I asked a few friends questions, gathered the information that was useful to me and just kinda jumped in.  If you're writing and considering your options whether or not to self-publish, I would encourage you to do this.  Do your research! Ask questions!  And ask them of people you know and trust.  Everyone has different goals and experiences, so you're still going to have to make your own decisions based on what you want.  And you're going to have some surprises along the way.  Be prepared.  Not everything is going to go as planned.  Try to remember it's a learning experience and what you learn the first time around will help things be easier the next time around.

One of the most helpful things I found was Kimberly Hitchens' webpage for her company, Booknook.biz.  Hitch is extraordinarily generous with her wealth of knowledge in the world of self publishing and shares a lot of it in her "eBookery 101 - The Handbook."  After reading through "The Handbook" a couple times and looking through her website, I decided to turn my manuscript over to a pro and have them do the eBook conversion.  One of the smartest things I've ever done.

While working with Booknook.biz, I hired another pro to do my cover.  Luckily, I happen to have a friend who is well versed in design work and I knew I'd be happy with what we came up with.  I knew exactly what I wanted and she helped me get it right down to the smallest detail.  I went to some of the royalty free photo places on-line and searched out the different aspects I wanted to include.  If this is a new venture for you be aware that "royalty free" does not mean the images are free for you to use at will.  They're not.  You pay a licensing fee to use these images.  Some are very reasonable and some are much more expensive that I could afford - just browse and enjoy the art work and you'll find what you want at a price you can afford.  A couple places you might start looking are iStockphoto.com and dreamstime.com.  But that's just two of many.

Here's probably a good place for me to send you over to L.J. Sellers' blog.  (Another person sharing a wealth of information!)  http://ljsellers.com/e-book-self-publishing-roundup/.  This is a place you'll need to bookmark (along with Hitch's handbook) and refer to often. 
 
The way I'm telling things may, I'm afraid, make everything sound a lot more simplistic than it really is.  For example - your cover is separate from your eBook conversion.  But it needs to be included in your Kindle upload.  And you'll need your cover files from your cover designer in order to upload it. 

You don't need to be afraid of the process - just knowledgeable.  And the knowledge is available.  Between L.J.'s blog and Hitch's handbook, you're going to be well on your way.

My next step was taking my book file from Booknook.biz and my cover file to amazon and uploading my files at Kindle Direct Publishing, where it popped up at amazon WAY quicker than their original estimate. 

I then went to CreateSpace.com (also an arm of amazon.com) and uploaded my manuscript for the print version.  Again, CreateSpace will walk you through, step by step.  It was not a difficult process, but it was a lengthy one.  And you will also need your cover files here.  And not just the front cover, but the back cover and a spine.  I "think" there are cover templates at CreateSpace to help you design one on your own if you don't already have one.  (I "think," but I'm not sure about this).

This is probably an obvious point to everyone, but it wasn't to me.  My first upload to CreateSpace (thank goodness they send back a proof!) was all wrong.  I just "assumed" that my manuscript was fine to upload as it was.  "As it was" happened to be as it was created - 8 1/2 x 11.  That's what our Word files are, right?!  Right!  But, wrong for making your manuscript into a book.  Change your paper size on your computer to the book size you choose at CreateSpace. 

And do your proofing thoroughly.  By this time you're going to be sick to death of reading your manuscript.  No matter.  Do it!  And when you send it back to CreateSpace to make the changes (and you will) be sure and look over that next proof thoroughly again.  Don't assume they've caught all your changes.  (I had this happen).

Some people do this differently than I did.  Some will take their manuscript to CreateSpace and do their print version first, then have CreateSpace communicate with Kindle Direct Publishing to have the electronic version done.  Your choice.

Here's another thing I did which, again, is a personal choice.  I was told by an independent bookseller who I know and trust that a lot of booksellers would rather buy their book stock through their normal distributor - which in most cases is Ingram.  In order for your self-published book to get to Ingram it will need an ISBN number.  The ISBN given to your book through CreateSpace is for their own inventory purposes.  So.  In order to get an ISBN (IF you want one) you'll need to go to the only place that sells them.  That's Bowker.  And you have yet another bit of "paperwork" to do, and it too is timely but not difficult.  Just read the directions and follow them.  Don't assume anything while you're doing this - read the directions and you'll be fine. 

Something to be aware of.  If you purchase your own ISBN, there's a lag time from when your book will appear at amazon.com and when it will be available through Ingram.  That period is about 6 to 8 weeks.  If you want booksellers and libraries to order your book, it's best to wait and alert them once you're sure your ISBN is showing up in Ingram's database.  A bookseller can easily check this for you.

Okay.  So.  You do all this and voilà, your books are available (and it feels great!).  Now you get to do some promotion.  And you get to decide how much promotion you feel comfortable doing.  Remember Hitch's handbook?  There are some great suggestions there. 

And in answer to a couple final questions. 

Am I happy with my decision to self-publish?  Yes.

Will I do it again?  Yes. (and doing everything exactly as I did the first time - but with a bit more knowledge this go 'round). 

Have I made any money?  Considering the up-front costs, I admit, I was concerned.  But in my first month I have recouped what I spent (whew!), and have a bit of profit to boot. 

Am I going to get rich?  Pffffft.  Noooooo.  But I'm having fun and I'm gratified with the reviews and comments and notes I've gotten from readers.  Who - by the way - have grown to include people beyond my friends and family - Yay!!!!!  But friends and family helped enormously by helping me spread "The Whimsey Word."  As you've heard a million times, writing may be a solitary art, but getting your work noticed and selling it can't be done by just one person.  Let friends and family help. 

One more thing.  Not everyone is going to be as supportive as you think they will.  But at the same time, support will come from places you might never expect.  And I'm thinking of different kinds of support here; financial and emotional - intertwined but separate.  Be prepared. You may feel confident that those you've supported in the past will support you in return.  That's not necessarily so, and it hurts me to say that, but, there you go.   And - not everyone is going to like what you've written.  It's okay.  Not every book is written for the same audience.  Don't worry about that.  Your job is done - you've written the book YOU wanted to write.  What other people think at this point is no longer your business, really.  Will you get your feelings hurt?  Oh yes, you betcha.  But you've written your first book and you'll write your next book.  And THAT'S REALLY WHAT COUNTS.   Be damned proud - it's an accomplishment to be proud of.  It's an accomplish you alone now own and no one can take it away.  Don't allow them to even tarnish it the littlest bit.  Anyone who thinks it's easy hasn't done it.  And those critics?  Honey, their opinions are no more valid than the next reader's.  And the next reader may very well love what you've given them. 

So - - - - - -

And have fun!!!!

Then feel free to shout it out - loud and proud.

How An Opening Scene Becomes a Futuristic Thriller by L.J. Sellers

L.J. Sellers is an award-winning journalist and the author of the bestselling Detective Jackson mystery/suspense series: The Sex Club, Secrets to Die For, Thrilled to Death, Passions of the Dead, and Dying for Justice. Her novels have been highly praised by Mystery Scene, Crimespree, and Spinetingler magazines, and the series has been on Amazon Kindle’s bestselling police procedural list. L.J. also has three standalone thrillers: The Baby Thief, The Suicide Effect, and The Arranger. When not plotting murders, she enjoys performing standup comedy, cycling, social networking, and attending mystery conferences. She’s also been known to jump out of airplanes.

How An Opening Scene Becomes a Futuristic Thriller

by L.J. Sellers

Where do you get your ideas? That’s what readers often want to know, but for my latest novel, a futuristic thriller, I get that question more than ever. Typically, my plots spring from social issues I feel passionately about or from intriguing criminal concepts, but The Arranger started with the opening scene. One day as I watched paramedics carry a patient from a home, I thought: What if those paramedics witnessed a crime? Or heard a deathbed confession that made them a target to be killed? I visualized such a scenario as an opening scene for a crime fiction novel. I became so intrigued by the idea, I decided to see if I could develop a plot.

At the time, I was considering writing a futuristic thriller, one of my favorite genres to read, and I realized Detective Evans from my Jackson series had a background as a paramedic. Those things came together to give me a time frame, a character, and an opening scene. As for how the rest of the plot developed, it was a complex combination of ideas that eventually melded.

The underlying themes in my stories are almost always rooted in my fears. Because I try to be optimistic—and fearless—in my personal life, my fiction gives me a way to process fears that I otherwise try to suppress. One of my greatest concerns now is what will happen if high unemployment continues and the economy stagnates. In such a scenario, ten or fifteen years from now, I envisioned that jobs would become a premium, valuable commodities with the inherent capacity for corruption. 

Once I had that idea, my second character, who’s both a protagonist and antagonist, quickly developed. At first, I envisioned Paul as a sociopath, but as I began to write his story, I empathized with him and he morphed. I began to see him as someone who felt powerless and invisible, yet wanted desperately to be seen and loved. Paul is a decent man who is presented with an opportunity to change his life. And he does. But as a result of an interesting set of circumstances, he goes too far in his transformation.

The real protagonist, ex-detective Lara Evans, already had a background established in my fifth Jackson book, Dying for Justice. She is intensively physical with impulsive tendencies. From that, the idea of a national endurance competition with jobs as the prize emerged as the ideal scenario for Lara. Her impulsiveness also gave me an idea for what had happened to end her law enforcement career and give her the driving motivation to win the Gauntlet.

Now all I had to do was bring the diverse ideas together in a way that worked with my opening scene. It required a few brainstorming sessions, but then the story seemed fall into place. Still, it was the most difficult novel I’ve written yet. In some ways, The Arranger is less complex than my mysteries, but the characters were more challenging, and the Gauntlet scenes were out of my league. Yet writing them was the most fun I’ve ever had, and early readers say those scenes left them breathless.

Many readers have asked if The Arranger is the start of a new series, hoping that it would be. I honestly don’t know. My plan is to write two more Detective Jackson novels, then see what comes up for me next. If “future Lara” proves to be popular, she could make a comeback.

Readers: Will you follow a familiar character into the future?

Writers: Where do you get your most unusual plot ideas?

Fantastic Female Film Characters by L. J. Sellers

L.J. Sellers is an award-winning journalist, editor, novelist, and occasional standup comic based in Eugene, Oregon. She writes the Detective Wade Jackson mystery series. Two are in print, The Sex Club and Secrets to Die For, and two more will be published soon: Thrilled to Death and Passions of the Dead. A standalone thriller, The Baby Thief, will be released in 2011. When not plotting murders, L.J. enjoys cycling, social networking, attending mystery conferences, and editing fiction manuscripts.
































Fantastic Female Film Characters
by L. J. Sellers

With the Oscars on the horizon, it seems everyone is thinking about movies. So I asked Professor Kathleen Rowe Karlyn, a film studies expert, to share her top ten female film characters. As the author of The Unruly Woman: Gender and the Genres of Laughter, Kathleen is drawn to “independent women who hold their ground.” This list she says, “represents the range of ways strong and interesting women can appear in film and on TV.”

1. Charlotte Vale, played by Bette Davis in Now Voyager (1945). “Davis plays a character of great dignity and strength who demonstrates a woman’s capacity for self-realization. Her character overcomes great challenges, and her transformation is inspiring. This a classic in the genre of women’s weepies.”

2. The titular characters Thelma and Louise (1991), played by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. “This film is historically important. It’s shocking how much controversy there was when it first came out. I teach this film all the time, and even my male students are blown away by it. It’s a love story between women. It’s about girlfriends who put each other first and take care of business.”

3. Jean Harrington, played by Barbara Stanwyck in The Lady Eve (1941). “Stanwyck played wonderful characters in all genres but I’m especially fond of romantic comedy and this is my favorite one. It’s literary, sophisticated, and funny. Stanwyck is smart, cool and sexy, and runs circles around Henry Fonda. She’s also vulnerable, but gets what she wants in the end.”

4. Mother and daughter characters, Rose and Loretta Castorini, played by Olympia Dukakis and Cher in Moonstruck (1987). This is one of the few films that show a strong mother­–daughter relationship. It has an intelligent script and a superb score that pulls together the operatic passions of romance and sex with a wry comedy. It has a wonderful sense of female power and solidarity, but also has loving men who adore these women.”

5. Antonia (1995) played by Willeke van Ammelrooy in Antonia’s Line. “I adore this movie. Antonia is a formidable figure of strength, a matriarch of heroic proportions. The film is about building a community based on feminist values and strong women. It’s inspiring, epic, wise, and brave—a utopian film about the power of women’s connections across time.”

6. Agrada, played by Antonia San Juan in All About My Mother. “Agrada is a transgendered woman who adores the pleasures of being a woman but does not give up aspects of her masculinity. She is the soul of generosity and sophistication in a film that is filled with extraordinary female characters. Agrada embodies the pleasures of femininity in its construction. It’s about how we make ourselves in the image of our own fantasies.”

7. Vanessa Lutz, played by Reese Witherspoon in Freeway (1996). “Freeway is a pulp version of Little Red Riding Hood. It’s a bad B movie, but it took my breath away the first time I saw it. Reese Witherspoon plays the biggest badass little girl you have ever seen. She is one of the fiercest female characters I’ve ever seen on film. It’s my favorite action movie for girls.”

8. Nora, played by Brooke Adams, in Gas, Food Lodging (1992). "Brooke Adams plays a single mother doing her best to raise two impossible teenage girls while also taking care of herself. This film is a beautifully realized portrait of a working class mother trying to do the right thing. It’s the daughter’s film, but it has one of the best mothers on screen—stoic, philosophical, poignant, and funny."

9. Hwei-Lan Gao played by Joan Chen in Saving Face (2004). “This wonderful romantic comedy is set in a Chinese American community in New York. Chen and her adult daughter break serious cultural taboos about sexuality and gender. Both of these women are unruly to the max. The daughter is gay, and the mother is a widow who gets knocked up, and I love it because these are things you don’t normally see in the movies.”

10. Roseanne (1988-1997), played by Roseanne Barr in the TV series of the same name. “She’s not a movie star, but she’s a giant in popular culture, and I built the first phase of my academic career around her. She’s the ultimate unruly woman who breaks all the rules and remakes herself at will. Her legacy is enormous.”