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Book Formatting: My Self-Publishing Journey

As I’ve stated in my last two blog posts, I’ve embarked on a mission to self-publish my next book series—The Roselle Girls.  The first two books are written and edited, covers have been designed and I’ve heard from experts in the indie industry with invaluable publishing tips. Now, it’s time to format Catching a Pixie for Kindle.

Book Formatting

Before I get to actually publishing my book, I needed to start compiling the non-manuscript pieces that make up a book, called the front and back matter. This includes the author’s bio, book blurb, dedication, copyright page and more.

I started that last month. It was fun surfing though the books of other authors, comparing the engaging dedications and bios to the more mundane ones and dissecting what made them engaging, to inspire my own blurbs and such.

Once I’d crafted these riveting masterpieces, I was ready to begin formatting.  

Atticus, my book formatting program, made it easy. I uploaded my manuscript, clicked the menu bar, and voila, basic front and back matter pages appear. Instead of using Atticus’ default text, I pasted my aforementioned riveting blurbs and bios into the app.

In addition to the standard book matter, Atticus has customizable sections. Since I’m writing a book series, I was able to include an “Also by” section at the end, so readers can see a list of the other books I’ve written and read a preview of my next book.    

Having dropped in all my text, I’ve started formatting the text. I’ve jazzed up some of the pages by adding my chapter numbers in italics at top, a pixie image below that and first few words of the first sentence are capitalized but no drop cap. Now, Catching a Pixie looks like a real book!

Once I had it looking as I wanted, I was able to save the settings as a custom theme. So, when I finish the second book in the series, I can easily apply this standardized design.

It hasn’t been easy. My pixie image kept disappearing and my dedication page is center justified which leaves an orphan word at the bottom. So, I need to dig into the tutorials to figure out how to fix that. Fortunately, Atticus has a plethora of videos explaining all the features and how to apply them.

Then, it’s on to the next step—getting ISBN numbers, so my potential readers can find my books!

I’ll save that step for my next blog post.

Diving into the Self-Publishing Pool (Part 2)

I announced in my last post that I was going to try my hand at self-publishing. I’ve dipped in my toe, waded to my calves and the tide dragged me in up to my knees. It was then I realized I might need to take a few lessons in how to publish and market my book properly before I found myself in over my head.

Fortunately, a friend of mine The Happy Self Publisher, posted about an upcoming conference for self-published authors. Sponsored by the Alliance for Independent Authors (Alli), it promised 24 sessions over 24 hours. For Free!

There were several sessions that I found very beneficial—tips on how to how to design a website to effectively reach readers, how to connect with other indie authors, and the steps to post a book on Kindle Direct Publishing. The KDP presenters provided me the most useful information for this stage in my journey. Although it seems to have a fairly steep learning curve, we were assured there are plenty of tutorials and staff on hand to answer questions. I’ll let you know how it goes once I decide to dive in.

If you’re an indie writer, I recommend following ALLi on Twitter to see when their next conference will be held.

Next Up

Learning to format a book. 😲

Diving into the Self-Publishing Pool

I’m going to do it. I’m going to take the plunge and self-publish my Roselle Girls series.

I had hoped it wouldn’t come to that—I liked having a traditional publisher. But when Artemis Publishing closed down last year and they returned my rights to Catching a Pixie, I’d had it with searching for yet another publisher.

So, this post will follow my journey to becoming an indie author. If anyone out there is thinking of starting down this path, perhaps it will serve as a guide…or maybe a cautionary tale…who knows.

Dipping my Toe

First step was chatting up my writer friend, Lynn Kellan who has been publishing her own romance novels since 2016. She graciously talked me through overarching steps I’d need to take, which did more to dissuade me than anything else:

  • Find a cover artist
  • Get an editor
  • Decide on a book formatting app
  • Register for ISBN numbers
  • Pick your distribution channels – Amazon, Ingram, Booksmash, Nook, print, ebook
  • And once that’s all sorted out and paid for, then come up with a marketing strategy – Facebook ads, Instagram posts, newsletters, book giveaways, the list goes on.

No way, I decided. It was all too much.

But the universe had other plans.

One of the authors I follow on Instagram (@Mindymckinleyromance) posted she was starting a cover design company and would provide a design for the first few people who contacted her–for only $25! They usually cost a few hundred dollars!  

I figured why not see what she comes up with. A month later, I had the most perfect cover for the second book in my Roselle Girls series, Counting on Him. I can’t not put this out, right??

But since it’s the second book, I begged her to design a cover for Book 1, Catching a Pixie. Which she did, creating another stunner.

If you want to learn more, visit her website: https://www.bananabreaddesigns.com/

Wading In – Calf-Deep

Since Catching a Pixie has already been edited by my publisher, I was able to skip that step. So next up was finding a book formatting app. Lynn had suggested Vellum, but it’s Mac only and I’m a PC gal. I searched the interweb for suggestions and found that Atticus.oi is reasonably priced, easy to use and produces quality formatting.

For the uninitiated, book formatting allows you to adjust the type font, page margins, chapter headings and section dividers. Atticus also gives you a template for your title page, copyright page, a dedication, and placeholders for your author page, book blurb and “Also by”, a nice feature to promote your back catalog.

I can even put a cute little pixie graphic on each chapter header page.     

Knee-High and the Tide is Dragging Me Deeper

 I’d created a website when my first book, Dare to Love, was published. Then when Catching a Pixie came out, I reformatted it to showcase two books. Now that I’m going to launch Pixie as a multi-book series, I’m working on refreshing it once again. So, that’s where I am now.

WordPress has a lot of new features, so I’m playing around with design options. It looks terrible now, so don’t go visit it until I tell you to. Then, I’ll welcome any feedback, corrections or compliments.

Stay tuned for my next post. Hopefully, I’m not getting in over my head.

Analogies for Skiers and Writers

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snowy-trail-at-okemo

I love skiing, but I hate being cold. That may seem like an untenable conflict, but it’s actually not. You see, I have spent considerable time and energy (not to mention money) creating the perfect layering philosophy.

For you novelists out there, you’ll appreciate how this philosophy aligns with writing strategies:

  1. Double layers. To stay warm in single, and low double digits temperatures, make sure every body part is covered with three or even four layers. Camisole, shirt, sweater and jacket on top and socks, leggings, long underwear and ski pants on the bottom.
    For writing, I equate double layers to the symbolism you should weave through your writing. By adding repeating themes or elements, you can give your reader a jolt of pleasure when they recognize a pattern–it’s like finding a prize on a treasure hunt. In Dare to Love, Nivea’s favorite flower was the forget-me-not. I used it to represent her hope that Dare would not cast her aside, and it provided a nice tangible element that ties them together throughout. Nivea’s wedding dress is blue and Dare gives her a handkerchief embroidered with the delicate flower.
  2. Make sure all your layers are smooth. When wearing so many layers of clothing, it’s hard to bring everything together smoothly. But there is nothing worse than stepping out on the slope and realizing you have a big wrinkle in your sock, right under your left heel. And it’s driving you crazy. But you’d have to take off six layers of clothes in the freezing cold, to smooth it out. So, while you’re dressing, make sure everything is comfortable before adding another layer.
    Writers – figure out your pacing. Your readers want a satisfying conclusion. But they don’t want the ending to feel rushed. Build the attraction, draw out the conflict and then develop a satisfying resolution. Readers want the hero and heroine to overcome challenges, but deserve each other in the end.
  3. Tuck everything in. Shirt tucked inside leggings, gator tucked into jacket, glove liners tucked into sleeves. The cold will creep into the smallest openings and drive you nuts.
    Writers – don’t leave the reader hanging. If you mention a person/place/situation, make sure there’s a reason. If your heroine references a crazy Aunt Doris in chapter two, be sure she pops up in chapter 17 to offer unexpectedly sage advice or to diffuse a tense situation. Readers don’t appreciate dead ends…unless they serve as a teaser for your next novel.
  4. Fill your pockets – On the mountain, you are at the mercy of mother nature. The cold will make your lips freeze, your nose run, your eyes tear. You’ll get hungry, thirsty and tired. But you will also see amazing sights you’ll want to share with your friends. This is where the ski pockets come in. My jacket currently contains:  a mask (Covid!), chapstick, tissues, ski pass, money (hot chocolate with Kahlua is da’bomb!), hand/foot warmers, trail map, cell phone, a PB&J sandwich (because ski food is expensive!) and a small flask (ditto). If you’re aptly prepared, you can ski all day!
    Writers – get the tools you need. There are a number of great books to help you–Stephen King’s book On Writing  is my favorite. Find a writing chapter, support group, or writers conference where you can learn the finer points of writing dialogue, researching, copy editing, creating a plot board, etc. and hopefully, the best resource–a critique partner. No matter how smoothly the story sounds in your head, it is most likely not translating as seamlessly on paper. Creating a support network of writers will help boost you up when times get tough, cheer you on when you have doubts and celebrate when you finally achieve your dreams. Gather these tools and your writing career can last a lifetime!

Happy writing. Happy 2021!

Burnout

Are you suffering from stress?

I don’t mean do you have occasional, manageable stress. But the relentless feeling of being overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated, depressed or even flat-out angry?

Yeah, me too.

But, much like Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, Emily and Amelia Nagoski are here to tell you “Its not your fault. No. Really. It’s not your fault.” And that 20-second hug Robin gave Matt Damon? That’s actually part of the solution.

The Nagoskis have published a book called “Burnout: the secret to unlocking the stress cycle” and it is a health-changing life-saver. Literally. We’ve all heard that stress is bad for you health. In fact the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently recognized burnout as a syndrome.

But Emily, a PHD in Health Behavior, explains that the platitudes about relaxing with bubble baths, coloring books and green smoothies aren’t enough. They do not get to the root of the problem which is – Live is hard, messy and exhausting. Emotionally exhausting.

She recognizes that you have stressors in your life – some that you may be able to remove, but many you can’t. So you need to strategies to manage how you physiologically react to that stress. And that’s what this book does. Each chapter has a strategy with a Spark Notes type summary at the end, and a worksheet (so you can play along at home!)

Here are the things I found the most helpful:

Kill the Lion

Stress is your body’s natural reaction to a dangerous situation. You’re being chased by a lion. Either you get eaten (end of problem) or you run away. Your adrenaline spikes, you either kill the lion or you run fast enough to evade him and you feel relief. Problem solved.

Nowadays, the lion follows you home, lurking in your bushes All. The. Time. Your adrenaline’s spiked but there’s no relief. You need to kill the lion – metaphorically–since the lion is likely your boss or spouse or child or seemingly everyone who crosses your path.

Human Giver Syndrome

You want to help people. It’s who you are. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of your well-being. And it is, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. These are going to be things you’ve heard a million times, but the Nagoski’s make it sound doable. And once you know why it works, it’s much easier to justify building them into your schedule.

Solutions:

  • Sleep more – it’s important and you need to make it a priority–and they tell you how.
  • Exercise – you don’t have to strive for that impractical 60 mins/day, 5 days/week nonsense unless you want to. But moving your body helps clear your brain and mentally Kills Your Lion. When you’re feeling stressed, take a walk, do yoga stretches, something. It helps.
  • Make a human connection – Talk to a friend or coworker. Share your stress with someone who understands. Or my favorite solution which harkens back to my Good Will Hunting reference–share a 20-second hug with a loved one. It allows you to press pause in your life and feel valued.

The Madwoman in your Attic

I wasn’t sure this chapter was relevant to me. Until I sat down, had a nice heart-to-heart with her and then let her rampage in her dusty room, breaking things like an enraged toddler while I relaxed downstairs with a lovely Chardonnay.  And I had the best night’s sleep in months!

Let me explain.

Most women–and maybe a few men–have that voice in your head that tells you all the ways you’re failing. Sure, you (pick whatever’s appropriate) went to work, addressed 15 crises, picked up snacks for your kid’s sports team, cooked a healthy dinner, paid bills, did laundry, called your mom, listened to your husband/child/friend’s complaints about their lives, brushed and flossed and went to bed. But then the madwoman in your attic pops in to remind you that you didn’t give the dog his heartmedicine or lose 5 pounds or you were mean to the sales clerk. See, failure.

The Nagoskis are referencing Rochester’s wife in Jane Eyre. Was she really crazy or was she a perfectly normal woman trapped in the insufferable cage of patriarchy (ugh) and Rochester just locked her up there for his own peace of mind?

Because women weren’t supposed to have their own dreams and desires and expectations, they were put on this earth to make others happy, look pretty, be kind, patient, organized and never ever get angry. See, madness!

Yet those unrealistic expectations still haunt us today. We are expected to be perfect–either internally, or by external forces like family, friends, the media, the world–and the madwoman in your attic is keeping track of all the ways you’ve let them down. Those thoughts are what turns your daily life from productive problem solving to relentless stress.

You need to talk to her, ask her why she keeps nagging you to be better. In some things, she’s right. So give her permission to rage about the unfairness of life, unrealistic expectations and failure of others to give you what you want. And while she’s throwing plates and slashing pillows, lay there calmly and figure out what you can fix, how you can perhaps move the needle in the right direction for a longer range solution.

She’ll eventually complete the stress cycle, kill her lions and fall into sleep. Hopefully you will too. And you’ll emerge rested and ready to face the day.

 

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the Nagaskis or their publisher. I am simply a fan of both of Emily’s books BURNOUT and COME AS YOU ARE. She offers women engaging and practical advice that is grounded in science.

Seriously, they are life-changing. You should read them and then buy them for friends and family-  

 

Let the Bidding War Begin!

writing-at-snowy-window

Let the Bidding War Begin!

Shaaa! I hope.

I finished my next contemporary romance novella last week and spent Easter weekend submitting it to a half-dozen lucky publishers. You may remember from an earlier blog post just how taxing book submissions can be (ha ha, since I sent them April 15/16).

I’ve posted a few extras and excerpts from Counting on Him for your enjoyment.

Here are 5 reasons to love this book: 

  1. The hero, Sean, isn’t a massive, successful, tough, Vin Diesel Alpha male. He’s more of a laid back, charming, Matthew McConaughey screw-up. He lives life on his own terms, doesn’t bother anyone, doesn’t rely on anyone, has gorgeous green eyes and is happily cruising through life.
  2. I wanted to add a little diversity to my book, but I’m about as diverse as a box of tissues. What do I know about the complexities of life experienced by people of color, gender fluidity, refugees of war-torn nations and the like. Nothing! Not. A. Thing. But I did grow up in North Jersey. And 30 years later, the nasally twang of my friends’ Jewish mothers still infects my brain. Not necessarily in a bad way…but it’s there nonetheless. So, I decided my heroine, Gabby, would not only struggle dealing with her life choices, but the anticipated reactions of her Jewish mother.
  3. Stephen King’s On Writing book encourages authors to weave symbolism into their writing. I embraced that sentiment and added a few elements into Counting on Him.
    To mirror the book’s title, numbers are prevalent. Sean counts the floors in the slowly ascending elevator. Gabby counts the weeks before she has to make a decision.
    To build tension through the book, the summer temperatures grow more and more oppressive–until the story culminates in a massive cathartic thunderstorm.
  4. I loved the Gilmore Girls and desperately wanted to live in Stars Hollow, so I gave Roselle a similar small town vibe. The coffee shop has a bell over the door and a big bay window. The town hosts a Community Service Fair in the park. It’s quaint and charming and I can’t wait to revisit it in my next book.

Number 5–The book’s ending is to die for! Sean finds his motivation, Gabby gets her perfect man and they live happily ever after. Isn’t that all any of us want?

SO, now I just have to sit back and wait to hear the accolades from my potential publishers. FYI – I give points for quick responses.

Tick tock, people. There’s a whole world out there, eager to read my book. 🙂

Is your manuscript award-worthy?

Starting March 5, the Valley Forge Romance Writers is accepting submissions to their The Sheila Contest.vfrw Finalist Badge

Participation is open to all romance writers (unpublished, self-published and published) interesting in submitting an unpublished manuscript in the following categories: historical, erotic, romantic suspense, single title or paranormal/fantasy/futuristic.

Entrants enjoy two benefits. During the scoring process, judges provide beneficial feedback regarding 20 writing elements (dialogue, descriptions, grammar, etc.). Many past applicants have used these insights to improve–and subsequently find a publisher for–their story.

Top scoring manuscripts are judged by a professional agent or editor, and the winners receive a certificate and have their names published in RWR magazine

It’s a great deal, so get moving! The deadline is April 8, 2017.

Contest Name: The Sheila Contest
Sponsor: Valley Forge Romance Writers (Chapter of RWA)
Website: www.vfrw.com
Fee: $25 for VFRW members, $30 for non-members

Opens for Entries: March 5, 2017
Deadline: April 8, 2017

Eligibility: Participation is open to all romance writers who are unpublished, self-published, and published. Entry must be the author’s original unpublished work and not under contract.

Entry: First 20 pages of manuscript and up to 5 page unjudged synopsis.
First Round Judges: Three (3) qualified, trained judges, including General, PRO and PAN members. Judges are strongly encouraged to comment directly on the entry as well as overall comments on the scoresheets.

Categories and Final Judges:

  • Single Title: Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
  • Historical: Keren Reed, Loose ID
  • Erotic: Tera Cuskaden, Cuskaden Editorial and Publishing Services
  • Romantic Suspense: Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks
  • Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal: Nicole Resciniti, The Seymour Agency.

Best of the Best – 1st place winners from the final round will move on to the Best of the Best round, judged by Best Selling Authors and Booksellers:

  • Kate Welsh – New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author
  • Mariah Stewart – New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author
  • Terri Brisbin – USA Today Best Selling Author
  • Joan Silvestro – Indie Bookseller – Book Trader

Grand Prize for Best of the Best: $100

Top Prizes: Certificates, and the 1st through 4th place winners will be printed in RWR Magazine.

For more information please visit our website: www.vfrw.com

Email questions to The Sheila Chairperson, Miranda Montrose at thesheila.2017chairperson@gmail.com

Reality mirrored my manuscript

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lax-sticks-in-fieldLast week I submitted my manuscript to prospective publishers, and two days later, I went to my college homecoming. In a bizarre twist, the alumni lacrosse team descended upon our tailgate. One of the attendees brought a green pick-up truck.

Why is this bizarre? Take a look at this snippet from chapter 3 of my upcoming novella Catching a Pixie:

The north field was packed with cars, but I managed to spot my brother gathered around a grill with his lacrosse teammates.

Typical guys, they were all in T-shirts and jeans, not a sweatshirt in the bunch. Meanwhile, I was still bundled up in a coat and mittens—thankfully, since the beer I was holding would have turned my fingers numb.

We waved at him before settling into a pair of blue canvas chairs a few spots over. We’d only been there a few minutes before Gabby turned to me and said, “That guy is totally checking you out.”

I whipped around. “Where?”

Keeping her hand near her lap, she pointed across the way. “Down there. See Sean by the grill? There’s a tall guy to his left, sitting on the bed of the green pickup truck.”

I glanced over. Hmm, cute. Well built, nice smile, not bad. But also, not looking at me. “No he’s not.”

She shrugged. “Well, he was.” A minute later she nudged me again. “Linds, he is definitely checking you out.”

I peeked over again and this time he was looking. Our eyes met and he flashed me a smile. Squee!

lax-tailgate-horiz

It looks like my imagination isn’t just vivid, it’s incredibly accurate as well. There were blue chairs as well, but they were farther down the row…where Lindsay and Gabby would have been sitting.

AND there was a younger player with curly brown hair and long eyelashes who was the mirror image of Sean–the hero of my next book Counting on Him!

I would have loved to have gotten his photo, but wasn’t sure how to start that conversation. “Hey, I’m a romance writer old enough to be your mother. You look just like the sexy hero in my book. Do you mind if I take your picture and post it on my blog?” Yeah that wouldn’t have been at all creepy. :0

Should You Self-Publish or Traditionally Publish?

I am struggling to decide whether or not to keep torturing myself finding a publisher.

My current manuscript is 40,000 words, which doesn’t fit in with most submission guidelines. Plus, it’s a romance novella that doesn’t bash you over the head with conflict in the first five pages. I have been repeatedly reminded this violates the ironclad GMC model of romance writing.

But maybe there is a market out there for readers who don’t want to be force-fed drama. They’d rather see a relationship build at a realistic pace, before plummeting into heartbreak and despair. Just because it doesn’t match the standard publisher’s formula, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t see the light of day.

A.G. Young’s blog raises some other valid points as to why I might want to go the self-pub route.

A Writer's Path

Doors

by A.G. Young

So today we’re talking about if you should Self Publish or Traditionally Publish that baby you have been working on for months or years. This of course is no easy question to answer, and also very highly personal to each writer. So I am going to discuss my opinion on the matter. And a little forewarning, because of the topic of this post, this is going to be a long one.

Before you can answer this main question, you must answer a few others first. Let’s see what those are.

View original post 1,156 more words

Respect The Reviewer 2: How to Find, Contact and Stay on the Good Side of Reviewers

I’m new to publishing and didn’t realize there was a whole strategy and network to obtaining book reviews. This blogpost, written by a reviewer, outlines the how to’s and how-not to’s for authors, helping them find, submit and communicate with this key audience.

Happymeerkatreviews

Here’s the second Respect the Reviewer article I’ve written (the first can be read here).  This is for all authors out there.  While some tips might be obvious others you may not have thought of, either way I hope some of these tips will help you find a reviewer and go about contacting them the right way.  🙂

respect cat

All authors know the importance of getting book reviews. Not only can a good book review encourage others to buy your book but if you get enough of them your book will be listed higher on amazon (or so the rumour goes). But how can authors go about contacting reviewers? And what’s the right or wrong thing to say and do when asking and waiting for a review?

I’ve been reviewing books for some time now and take this ‘job’ very seriously. I recognise the need to give an informative and honest…

View original post 3,216 more words