Posts Tagged ‘self-publishing’
Posted on July 27, 2010 - by Monica Valentinelli
Providing a Service Versus Offering an Asset
For any creative professional who is providing a service, the difference between making money now and making money over the long-term can be pretty frightening. On the one hand, we all have the tendency to make decisions based on the power of a dollar. How many jobs have we taken that we were over-qualified for? [...]
Posted on May 6, 2010 - by Monica Valentinelli
Guest Post: Three Reasons To Self Publish (And A Big One Not To!)
Today’s guest post about self-publishing is brought to you by author and game designer Jess Hartley. Jess is a professional writer who is experimenting with different options to expand her readership and engage existing fans.
Due to recent trends in technology and on-line marketing options, it is easier for a writer to self-publish today than ever [...]
Posted on January 25, 2010 - by Monica Valentinelli
Calculating the Cost of an E-Book
I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from my previous post entitled Weighing in on E-Books, so I wanted to talk about ways to calculate the cost of an e-book.
First, let’s pull some arbitrary numbers. (And by arbitrary, I mean that these are not precise figures.) Let’s say that we paid our author $3,000 for [...]
Posted on October 5, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Tips on How to Be a Pro | Part 3 of 3
Thanks for your feedback on this series about “How to be a Pro.” Even though I could go on forever about the importance of being a professional, I’d like to wrap up this topic by offering more tips from other pros and ten more nuggets to consider.
First, here are the links to the first [...]
Posted on April 29, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
The Importance of Being Persistent
In an earlier post, I wrote a letter to new writers where I described how the path of a writer is one that winds, ebbs and flows. How do you keep following the same path? One of the qualities that a writer must have is the ability to be persistent. Well, that one word can have a lot of connotations, so I’d like to explain what “being persistent” means to me.
So what does it mean? Well, if you want to be a writer it means you don’t give up. It means when you “think” you have no readers, no chance of success, or that you’ve just written something terrible you keep on the path. You see, it is too easy to drown in self-pity or thoughts about how you’re a horrid writer, but the truth of the matter is that you (and only you) have control over that. To be blunt, if you think you suck — get an editor, or get your work critiqued. If you believe you can’t write horror because your fight scenes are terrible, try perfecting your dialogue for a while instead. Practice, practice, practice and play with your words. If you take a break, plan to get back on that wagon, but don’t ever give up completely.
Posted on November 4, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli
My Thoughts about Online Self-Promotion
So admittedly I am not the best “self-promoter.” In fact, I’d say that selling my work isn’t something I do well. I’d rather have someone else do it, honestly. Part of the challenge is that I really can’t stand writers who sit there and tell me how great their book or game is without telling [...]
Posted on September 19, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli
How the Publishing Industry is Evolving
This article entitled “Have We Reached the End of Book Publishing? spells out what I’ve suspected for so long and heard from some of my fellow writers — that the very nature of the way major publishers do business does not bode well for aspiring writers. Large, million-dollar advances taken on new authors spell doom [...]
Posted on August 22, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli
Do you Know Why you Need Public Domain Fonts?
Bluntly, public domain (or open domain) fonts are fonts that you can use for commercial use. Public domain fonts are not the same thing as “free fonts.” Simply, “free fonts” mean that you don’t have to pay for the font; public domain fonts allow you to use the font for professional use. Just because you [...]
Posted on July 9, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli
What is the Definition of a Legitimate Publisher?
Well, we’ve now been through the cost of writing and where you can look to publish your fiction. We know that there are paid subscription listings available and a few of you may subscribe to other places like Absolute Write or the Freelance Writing Job Bank. As you go through the listings, though, you may [...]
Posted on February 22, 2008 - by Matt M. McElroy
ePublishing 101 – Collected Edition
ePublishing 101 is a tutorial on every aspect of doing business as a PDF publisher, covering topics from planning and production to release and marketing, and everything in between– giving readers the benefit of the extensive experience of Phil Reed of Ronin Arts and Gareth-Michael Skarka of Adamant Entertainment.
Anyone interested in creating and self-publishing their [...]
Posted on February 1, 2008 - by Matt M. McElroy
POD People
Beating the Print-on-Demand Stigma
POD People. Seems like they’re everywhere all of a sudden. Thousands of authors are publishing their books via print-on-demand, but only a very small percentage of them find any kind of success. Why? POD People must not only act as author, but also publisher, advertiser, editor, agent and graphic designer.
The sad truth [...]
Posted on January 28, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli
Marketing 101: What has Changed for Novelists Selling their Books
Straight out of the comments from this previous post about writing unconventional fantasy settings, author Joe Cooke asked:
If we write stories that are outside the bounds of the tried-and-true, how do we get them to market?
Dear readers, that is the million dollar question and one that I have heard many, many times. It’s also the [...]
My Recent Releases
The Queen of Crows
Download THE QUEEN OF CROWS e-book at DriveThruHorror.com
Watch the Promo Video
Family Games: The 100 Best
Order through Amazon.comThe Bones
Available at Gameplaywright.netRecommended Writing Music
Violet War
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