Publishing

, , ,

Self-Editing: Can You Really Do It?

In last week’s class for Backpack Your Book, I talked about when (and how!) to hire a professional editor. Even though I work as an editor for others, I KNOW that it’s impossible to catch every single mistake…

111715-EditsAnd some “mistakes” are really a matter of preference or perception. Like the Oxford Comma!

But the question is, can you really self-edit your manuscript?

Yes…

And no…

There’s a lot you can do to catch things that need to be edited. Especially when it comes to grammar, spelling, or punctuation. But for structural problems, flow, and things not making sense, it’s always a good idea to have a second set of (trained!) eyes.

Let’s see how good your editing skills are! See if you can spot the problems:

  • Most public campgrounds in have paths between sites to the bathrooms, trash, etc.
  • When the sun begins to sweat you’ll get a chill.
  • A fist aid kit is a must for any camping trip; you just don’t know when you’ll get a splinter.
  • I recommend packing in a duffle big.
  • And never underestimate the importance of a pair of slip of shoes.
Three tips for #editing your #book. Click To Tweet

Keep Reading!

,

7 Tips for Writing a Kick-Ass Author Bio

I’ve been speaking more and more lately – which necessitated the need to create a formal speaker one-sheet with my bio and an intro. And that led me to remember that it was time to update my author bio sheet for the year!

Your author bio shouldn't be boring!Here are my top 7 tips for writing a kick-ass author bio that is not boring!

1. Write in third person

Use your full name the first time. (Be sure to decide which variation of your name you want to use! I’ve been transitioning from Kimberly to Kim – I like Kim better!) You’ll use plenty of pronouns so be sure to intermingle your name in there as well. It’s up to you if you’ll use your first name or your last. Personally, I usually use my first name (Kim) and save the Ms. Eldredge for more formal bits of writing. Now, if I was DOCTOR Eldredge, I might be more inclined to use “Dr. Eldredge” as opposed to Kim.

2. You’ll have different versions of your author bio

At a bare minimum, you’ll need three versions:

  • End-of-book (300-500 words)
  • End-of-article (100-200 words)
  • Blurb (25 words or less)
Publishing a #book? You need three versions of your #author bio - short, medium, and long! Click To Tweet

AND you might have different variations on the bio as well. I write in two distinct genres, outdoor recreation and book publishing. My bio for my outdoor recreation books isn’t going to impress the world of business coaching; they don’t care how long I’ve been camping for!

Don’t forget that each version needs to link your website!

Keep Reading!

,

Get To Work! How To Make Your Content Work For You

Many small business owners, especially those with an online presence, understand the importance of writing and publishing a blog or newsletter. Without fail, they write well-researched, relevant content and email it out to their customers and prospects, hoping to gain sales and customers.

What these small business owners/authors don’t realize is that they are leaving easy money on the table! It’s simple to make your content work for you – after it’s initial job!

Are you leaving money on the table by not re-using your #blog articles? Click To Tweet

I’m currently working with Ken, the owner of a local brick-and-mortar store; a hugely successful garden center. One of the reasons his business is so successful, even during periods of economic challenges and major road construction, and is still able to compete head-to-head with the Big Box stores in town, is through the quality content that is emailed weekly to subscribers. Ken knows the power of content!

Since the garden center is known as the place to go to for local plants, garden supplies and knowledge, at first glance it looks like all that weekly content is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: establish credibility and bring people in the door.

There’s work to write, edit, and publish each article. But after the customers are at the garden center, the content is no longer working on Ken’s behalf.

101215-SockDrawerMoneyIt like the old adage: make your money work for you. Most people agree that it’s better to get even the tiniest fraction of interest on money in a savings account than to have the money sitting in a sock drawer, lazing around. Money earning interest, even a miniscule amount, is money that is working.

So why not treat articles the exact same way? What do you do with your articles after you send out your newsletter or publish them on your blog?

If you archive it on your website and then forget about it, it’s the same as letting your money watch bad daytime TV while hanging out in your sock drawer! Content you’ve already written can be put work for you – bringing in additional dollars from a brand-new market.
Keep Reading!

, , , , , ,

What I’m learning hosting the Brew Your Book Summit – Part 1

It was a goal of mine to host a telesummit in 2015. It’s a big goal! Identifying, inviting, and organizing 14 speakers to share their wisdom about writing books was a challenge. Then add in keeping track of promotion, schedules, bios, links… oh my!

But let me tell you… It’s been oh-so-worth it! The words of wisdom from these experts have inspired me to step up my own game.

Dreaming of writing a #book? Find out how on Brew Your Book Summit starting 9/30! Click To Tweet

The summit is September 30 – October 2. That’s three FULL days of training, stories, and advice from published authors to help you go beyond percolating on your idea and FINALLY write your book.

I wanted to share a “sneak peek” with you – and invite you to register!

2KeithLeonKeith Leon
Keith Leon, aka “The Book Guy” learned quickly to “fail forward fast” as he was writing his books. But through it, he learned to recognize that his message was just as valid, important, and awesome as the “experts”. You’re going to want to tune into this interview for a MAGICAL story Keith tells about meeting a reader. It gave me chills!

 

2AmethystWyldfyreAmethyst Wyldfyre
Think about how many people you can SERVE with your book! When she was writing her book, Amethyst always kept this in the forefront of her mind so she was able to distill her message into “baby bird bites” so her audience could receive the information she was sharing.

 

2JJFlizanesJJ Flizanes
JJ was hired by a publisher to write a book in her field – and then realized that the book she was being paid to write wasn’t the one she was being called to write! So in a super short time, JJ wrote not one book, but two! (And became an Amazon best-selling author!)

Keep Reading!

, ,

What’s the difference between self-publishing and a vanity press?

Last week we looked at what is a vanity press – so let’s take a look at the differences between a vanity press and self-publishing your book.

Vanity Press publishing isn't self-publishingVanity Press Recap:

  • You pay them to publish your book
  • They use an ISBN number that belongs to them
  • The vanity press takes a percentage of the cover price
  • Strict rules your book must adhere to
  • You’ll probably be charged for changes
  • You will have to buy (and sell) copies of your book
  • They may or may not own the rights to your book

When you self-publish your book, all the rights are yours and so are all the profits. You completely own the work – and have all the business decisions like title, cover design, internal layout, sales price, and marketing.

Keep Reading!

, ,

eBook vs Paperback? Which is better?

Ice cream with sprinkles and chocolate sauce.In some ways this is like asking to I want chocolate sauce or sprinkles on my ice cream… I want both!

Still, a question that I answer a lot is:

“Should I publish an eBook or a paperback?”

That’s a great question! Here’s the quick and easy answer:

YES!

I’m a firm believer that you should publish your book in BOTH versions! And here’s why:

eBooks:

  • Lower cost to buy – People who are price resistant are more likely to buy it
  • Instantly available – If your book solves a pain, people don’t want to wait for their solution
  • Available anywhere – Printed books though Amazon aren’t available in all countries (or its cost prohibitive to ship!) so an eBook solves that problem
  • Wave of the future – Just like postal mail, printed books are never going away but eBooks are the current technology
  • Highly portable – Big or small, your book weighs exactly the same as the eReader used to read it
  • Private – so if you’re reading something that you don’t want to announce to the world, all they see is the back of your eReader or smartphone.

(Um, I’m not actually thinking about trashy novels here, although that fits as well! I’m really thinking that you might not want your spouse to see you reading a travel guide to Italy if you’re planning a surprise vacation for him!)

Keep Reading!

,

7 Tips on How to Write a Kick-Ass Author Bio

I recently got asked by two different online magazines if they could reprint one of my articles. Each was offering an author bio and link to my website.

051314-HowToGraphic

Of course I said yes!

But then I was stuck when I realized I didn’t have an up-to-date author bio. Crud! Here are 7 tips to help you write YOUR bio.

1. Write in third person

Use your full name the first time. You’ll use plenty of pronouns so be sure to intermingle your name in there as well. It’s up to you if you’ll use your first name or your last. Personally, I usually use my first name (Kimberly) and save the Ms. Eldredge for more formal bits of writing. Now, if I was DOCTOR Eldredge, I might be more inclined to use “Dr. Eldredge” as opposed to Kimberly.

2. You’ll have different versions of the bio

At a bare minimum, you’ll need three versions:

  1. End-of-book (300-500 words)
  2. End-of-article (100-200 words)
  3. Blurb (25 words or less)

AND you might have different variations on the bio as well. I write in two distinct genres, outdoor recreation and book publishing. My bio for my outdoor recreation books isn’t going to impress the world of business coaching; they don’t care how long I’ve been camping for!

Don’t forget each version needs to link your website!

Keep Reading!

«< 4 5 6 7 8