Congratulations to the winners of my Aha Moments Contests. I had TWO contests going through June. One was posted on Goodreads and the other was run here on my Fringe Dweller Blog.
Showing posts with label One Author's Aha Moments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label One Author's Aha Moments. Show all posts
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
An Indie Author’s Checklist – A Look Behind the Curtain of OZ (Post #1)
This is post #1 in a blog post series that I hope you will find interesting—things that I have learned on my indie author journey. Since I’ve been fortunate enough to be published by HarperCollins and Harlequin Teen, I can see and appreciate the differences in what I will be doing as I self-publish. I’m discovering what my houses do behind the scenes for authors on the e-book front and realize that when I become an indie author, I will have to make choices on how to expand my distribution and retail visibility—ways my traditional publishers did for me without me knowing it.
My first recommendation for any indie author is to do your research on what’s involved. It’s not simply writing a story, editing it well, spending some coin to format and cover it, and uploading it onto Amazon and expect readers to find you. You first have to put out the best book you can, because quality will help you build a readership. Secondly, there is a business side that detracts from your writing time and you must be aware of how time consuming this can be. You won’t be able to load your book up and have readers flock to find you. It takes time to build a virtual shelf of quality work and expand your distribution. That’s why I wanted to share my experiences so you can research what will work for you and not spin your wheels, trying to gain traction.
This series of posts are intended to jumpstart your research, but for the purposes of discussion, I will lay out the decisions I had to make as I began. I’d spent time researching and building service provider contacts. I already had an infrastructure in place where I had an online presence, blogs, twitter accounts, Facebook pages, and many other sites that I have grown my online presence. A new indie author would not start where I did. They’d have to catch up and that takes time and money to set up your promotional foundation. This post is not intended to start from scratch. I’m sharing my experiences, starting from a spot where I already had insights into the industry. I hope what follows will help any author build on their expertise.
For me, the process started with me making decisions on which service to upload my books into after I’d done my initial due diligence into self-publishing. I knew I would upload to Amazon and B&N. They provide comprehensive systems that make the process easy and their reach encompasses most of the e-books being sold today. So realize that if you upload to Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook, you are probably reaching 60-70% of the digital books being sold. In a quickly changing world, however, the shift in technology could change this dynamic, but for now I’m comfortable with my digital offerings being on these two sites. For many established authors, who want to step foot into the indie world, this might be enough. But it’s not enough for an indie author with dreams of finding another way to make a living and who might be starting from scratch.
A traditional publisher uses its name to aggregate digital books to retailers and provides the latest offerings in a bundle. They support and build an infrastructure to get their books into as many viable venues as possible, to get books into the hands of today's online readers. An indie author is on their own to figure out how to expand their reach and what to promote, but traditional houses have resources en masse with staff to support that effort. For an indie author to learn what works—and to grow what they know— they must navigate uncharted waters of Distributors and Retailers that are willing to allow self-published authors or small houses to have the same access as larger publishing houses.
I thought it would be interesting to break down what I’ve learned into five posts and create a future page of resource links on my FRINGE DWELLER blog for indie authors that I will maintain for myself and to share. My hope is to demystify the process of self-publishing so authors can make informed business decisions on how to get their work in the hands of readers directly. Ultimately, this will become a comprehensive “how to” book on author promotion that will cover various topics from branding and online presence, to press kits and resources, with practical tips on distribution. This indie process has educated me and will continue to do so.
But in doing this, I’m also realizing what my traditional houses have been doing for me and appreciate their efforts. I’m hoping to maintain a balance that works for me where I can still have projects through traditional publishers, but reap the benefits and gain experience with being an indie author for certain projects. Sustaining my online presence and growing my name recognition will hopefully be a benefit and a WIN-WIN for any house I work with as I self-publish. By expanding my reach, I can also give my agent more to represent.
Even authors who have no plans to self-publish can gain an appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes beyond your desk, your publisher, and your friendly retailer—because today's readers have many ways to discover books outside the brick and mortar stores.
Here are the bullet point topics I will cover in this blog post series:
1.) Introduction (Post #1)
2.) E-Book Retailers – A Checklist Place to Start (Post #2)
3.) Distributors & Library Sales (Post #3)
4.) Retailers with Volume Restrictions or Limited Access (Post #4)
5.) Conclusions & Introduction to My Resource Page (including review sites receptive to indie author books by genre) (Post #5)
Please share your questions and topic suggestions that you hope I will cover so I can target the focus of my series. I’d appreciate your input.
In the mean time, I hope you will indulge me in a little blatant self-promotion for my first ever self-published offerings.
ONE AUTHOR'S AHA MOMENTS (92-page POD, e-book) is geared toward aspiring authors and has an emphasis on the Young Adult genre. These writing tips may also be helpful to experienced authors and those who write other genres. My advice comes from my personal experiences on writing fiction for adult and teen markets and what has worked for me. Topics include: Young Adult fiction themes, voice, and characteristics; how to create characters editors look for & give them a unique voice; plot structure that even a non-plotter can love; how to hook your book; the writer’s life, goal setting, editing, book promotion and more.
.jpg)
My first anthology of short stories—SEX, DEATH & MOIST TOWELETTES (e-book)—is now available. It's a mix of stories from crime fiction noir to paranormal, with my brand of dark humor. As a teaser for anyone not familiar with my adult paranormal writing, I’m releasing DARK KISS (e-book) as a single short story from the anthology for a discounted price.
My first recommendation for any indie author is to do your research on what’s involved. It’s not simply writing a story, editing it well, spending some coin to format and cover it, and uploading it onto Amazon and expect readers to find you. You first have to put out the best book you can, because quality will help you build a readership. Secondly, there is a business side that detracts from your writing time and you must be aware of how time consuming this can be. You won’t be able to load your book up and have readers flock to find you. It takes time to build a virtual shelf of quality work and expand your distribution. That’s why I wanted to share my experiences so you can research what will work for you and not spin your wheels, trying to gain traction.
This series of posts are intended to jumpstart your research, but for the purposes of discussion, I will lay out the decisions I had to make as I began. I’d spent time researching and building service provider contacts. I already had an infrastructure in place where I had an online presence, blogs, twitter accounts, Facebook pages, and many other sites that I have grown my online presence. A new indie author would not start where I did. They’d have to catch up and that takes time and money to set up your promotional foundation. This post is not intended to start from scratch. I’m sharing my experiences, starting from a spot where I already had insights into the industry. I hope what follows will help any author build on their expertise.
For me, the process started with me making decisions on which service to upload my books into after I’d done my initial due diligence into self-publishing. I knew I would upload to Amazon and B&N. They provide comprehensive systems that make the process easy and their reach encompasses most of the e-books being sold today. So realize that if you upload to Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook, you are probably reaching 60-70% of the digital books being sold. In a quickly changing world, however, the shift in technology could change this dynamic, but for now I’m comfortable with my digital offerings being on these two sites. For many established authors, who want to step foot into the indie world, this might be enough. But it’s not enough for an indie author with dreams of finding another way to make a living and who might be starting from scratch.
A traditional publisher uses its name to aggregate digital books to retailers and provides the latest offerings in a bundle. They support and build an infrastructure to get their books into as many viable venues as possible, to get books into the hands of today's online readers. An indie author is on their own to figure out how to expand their reach and what to promote, but traditional houses have resources en masse with staff to support that effort. For an indie author to learn what works—and to grow what they know— they must navigate uncharted waters of Distributors and Retailers that are willing to allow self-published authors or small houses to have the same access as larger publishing houses.
I thought it would be interesting to break down what I’ve learned into five posts and create a future page of resource links on my FRINGE DWELLER blog for indie authors that I will maintain for myself and to share. My hope is to demystify the process of self-publishing so authors can make informed business decisions on how to get their work in the hands of readers directly. Ultimately, this will become a comprehensive “how to” book on author promotion that will cover various topics from branding and online presence, to press kits and resources, with practical tips on distribution. This indie process has educated me and will continue to do so.
But in doing this, I’m also realizing what my traditional houses have been doing for me and appreciate their efforts. I’m hoping to maintain a balance that works for me where I can still have projects through traditional publishers, but reap the benefits and gain experience with being an indie author for certain projects. Sustaining my online presence and growing my name recognition will hopefully be a benefit and a WIN-WIN for any house I work with as I self-publish. By expanding my reach, I can also give my agent more to represent.
Even authors who have no plans to self-publish can gain an appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes beyond your desk, your publisher, and your friendly retailer—because today's readers have many ways to discover books outside the brick and mortar stores.
Here are the bullet point topics I will cover in this blog post series:
1.) Introduction (Post #1)
2.) E-Book Retailers – A Checklist Place to Start (Post #2)
3.) Distributors & Library Sales (Post #3)
4.) Retailers with Volume Restrictions or Limited Access (Post #4)
5.) Conclusions & Introduction to My Resource Page (including review sites receptive to indie author books by genre) (Post #5)
Please share your questions and topic suggestions that you hope I will cover so I can target the focus of my series. I’d appreciate your input.
In the mean time, I hope you will indulge me in a little blatant self-promotion for my first ever self-published offerings.
ONE AUTHOR'S AHA MOMENTS (92-page POD, e-book) is geared toward aspiring authors and has an emphasis on the Young Adult genre. These writing tips may also be helpful to experienced authors and those who write other genres. My advice comes from my personal experiences on writing fiction for adult and teen markets and what has worked for me. Topics include: Young Adult fiction themes, voice, and characteristics; how to create characters editors look for & give them a unique voice; plot structure that even a non-plotter can love; how to hook your book; the writer’s life, goal setting, editing, book promotion and more.
.jpg)
My first anthology of short stories—SEX, DEATH & MOIST TOWELETTES (e-book)—is now available. It's a mix of stories from crime fiction noir to paranormal, with my brand of dark humor. As a teaser for anyone not familiar with my adult paranormal writing, I’m releasing DARK KISS (e-book) as a single short story from the anthology for a discounted price.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
EBOOK GIVEAWAY - AHA! Contest
Celebrating the release of my first non-fiction book - ONE AUTHOR'S AHA MOMENTS - Writing Revelations with a Focus on the Young Adult Market - I am holding a contest to giveaway FIVE FREE EBOOKS.
LOGIN on the form below to see how you can enter. There are many ways so you get more than one chance. The form calls for your email so winners will be notified. Your emails won't be used for ANY other reason.
Good luck to the entrants!
ABOUT THE BOOK
One Author’s Aha Moments by Jordan Dane is a 92-page book geared toward aspiring authors and has an emphasis on the Young Adult genre. These writing tips may also be helpful to experienced authors and those who write other genres. Jordan’s advice comes from her personal experiences on writing fiction for adult and teen markets and what has worked for her. Jordan hopes her book will kindle a fire in you to write—a passion worth pursuing.
Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes& Noble (Nook)
Bio:
Jordan Dane's gritty plots weave a tapestry of vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly named her debut thriller, No One Heard Her Scream, as a Best Book of 2008. This national bestseller and critically acclaimed author also writes Young Adult novels for Harlequin Teen. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with several lucky rescue animals.
Praise for Jordan Dane’s Young Adult Novels
"Adult thriller writer Jordan Dane pens a macabre and thoroughly eerie plot for In the Arms of Stone Angels. Dane's well-developed characters provide an authentic young adult exploration of guilt, loyalty, and belonging."
—Publishers Weekly
"Dane's On a Dark Wing is a great new young adult tale about death, love and starting over. It's an exciting mix that will remind readers of Bree Despain's The Lost Saint and Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers. Paranormal fans will love this. A compelling page turner."
—RT Magazine
ABOUT THE CONTEST
The contest will run from Tuesday, May 22nd to Saturday, June 30th. Deadline times, rules, and ways to enter are on the Rafflecopter form below. Winners will be selected using random.org. There are many ways to enter on this form.
This is a contest giveaway for EBOOKS ONLY. NO PRINT BOOKS will be awarded or shipped.
Entrants must have the ability to download the digital format onto an e-reader, their computer, or smart phone via AMAZON or B&N NOOK.
The apps for digital downloads are free at these online retailer sites if an entrant does not have an e-reader device. It is the entrant's responsibility to have the digital capability to download the prize if they win, otherwise they will be ineligible and the prize will be awarded to another entrant.
International entrants must have the ability to transact on the AMAZON or NOOK site wherever the digital e-book prize is being sold. The author will not be held responsible for any limitations of the AMAZON or NOOK global online system.
LOGIN on the form below to see how you can enter. There are many ways so you get more than one chance. The form calls for your email so winners will be notified. Your emails won't be used for ANY other reason.
Good luck to the entrants!
One Author’s Aha Moments by Jordan Dane is a 92-page book geared toward aspiring authors and has an emphasis on the Young Adult genre. These writing tips may also be helpful to experienced authors and those who write other genres. Jordan’s advice comes from her personal experiences on writing fiction for adult and teen markets and what has worked for her. Jordan hopes her book will kindle a fire in you to write—a passion worth pursuing.
Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes& Noble (Nook)
Bio:
Jordan Dane's gritty plots weave a tapestry of vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly named her debut thriller, No One Heard Her Scream, as a Best Book of 2008. This national bestseller and critically acclaimed author also writes Young Adult novels for Harlequin Teen. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with several lucky rescue animals.
Praise for Jordan Dane’s Young Adult Novels
"Adult thriller writer Jordan Dane pens a macabre and thoroughly eerie plot for In the Arms of Stone Angels. Dane's well-developed characters provide an authentic young adult exploration of guilt, loyalty, and belonging."
—Publishers Weekly
"Dane's On a Dark Wing is a great new young adult tale about death, love and starting over. It's an exciting mix that will remind readers of Bree Despain's The Lost Saint and Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers. Paranormal fans will love this. A compelling page turner."
—RT Magazine
ABOUT THE CONTEST
The contest will run from Tuesday, May 22nd to Saturday, June 30th. Deadline times, rules, and ways to enter are on the Rafflecopter form below. Winners will be selected using random.org. There are many ways to enter on this form.
This is a contest giveaway for EBOOKS ONLY. NO PRINT BOOKS will be awarded or shipped.
Entrants must have the ability to download the digital format onto an e-reader, their computer, or smart phone via AMAZON or B&N NOOK.
The apps for digital downloads are free at these online retailer sites if an entrant does not have an e-reader device. It is the entrant's responsibility to have the digital capability to download the prize if they win, otherwise they will be ineligible and the prize will be awarded to another entrant.
International entrants must have the ability to transact on the AMAZON or NOOK site wherever the digital e-book prize is being sold. The author will not be held responsible for any limitations of the AMAZON or NOOK global online system.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
One Author's Aha Moments - My First Non-fiction Book
When I first sold in 2006 to HarperCollins in auction with my debut book and two others coming out in 2008, I've been excited about realizing my passion to write. Over the years I've shared my thoughts on blog posts, workshops (online and in person), magazine/newsletter articles, speaking engagements, local writers' groups, and through people who have contacted me directly through my website. This has been my way of "paying it forward" for all the kindnesses that other authors and the publishing industry has shown me. I feel truly blessed to be living my dream and found another way to enable other authors to hopefully do the same.
I've put together a collection of my writing epiphanies, my "Aha!" moments of things that have worked for me when writing for the adult thriller and YA markets. These thoughts come from my blog posts, handouts, magazine/newsletter articles, and various other sources over the years. My hope is that aspiring authors, with the dream to write, can find nuggets in this book that will help them take a step further in achieving their goal to get published.
Here is the cover reveal. The book should be out later in May 2012. Details to come soon!
I've put together a collection of my writing epiphanies, my "Aha!" moments of things that have worked for me when writing for the adult thriller and YA markets. These thoughts come from my blog posts, handouts, magazine/newsletter articles, and various other sources over the years. My hope is that aspiring authors, with the dream to write, can find nuggets in this book that will help them take a step further in achieving their goal to get published.
Here is the cover reveal. The book should be out later in May 2012. Details to come soon!
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