Here is a post I found about marketing a self published book:

http://bookpal.livejournal.com/1397.html

Dunno how useful the info is. but maybe it'll help someone?

While reading my Flist today, I came across this post:
http://community.livejournal.com/nanowrimo/2217089.html

which speaks about a site where writers and upload ebooks and sell them at their own price. I figured I'd pass it on in case anyone was interested in making use of this site as another venue to sell independently published books.

ALSO:
if you are on Twitter, I highly suggest following @zoewinters.
http://twitter.com/zoewinters

In case you guys haven't heard, Harlequin has created an assisted-self-publishing imprint, to which they will be directing authors to in their rejection letters. The following two links details a conversation between the Mystery Writers of America and Harlequin on the subject of Dellarte press.

Part 1
Part 2


This makes me extremely sad.

Even though I chose to go with a POD for my first book, I still harbor dreams of getting my work published by a "real" publisher. Even I can't get over the idea that because I POD'ed my book, it's not really published and I'm not really an author yet. I guess I've been brainwashed rather thoroughly by the commercial publishing industry that independently published books are BAD BAD BAD. But part of it too is that I want to be recognized by a source outside of my direct influence - told that what I'm doing with my time and energy and thought processes is actually worthwhile. Self-publishing is like yelling out into a storm. Maybe someone will hear, but what they do about it... Unfortunately, it looks like that's going to be the only option available fairly soon.

I say this because all the signs and symptoms point to "traditional" publishing going down the tubes. Other publishing houses are going to follow Harlequin's example once they realize there’s serious money in it and open ASP divisions and direct their rejects and slush pile there. They will then only concentrate on marketing the NEXT Twilight or the NEXT Hairy Potter. They only want the next superstar that will sell millions of books. This means that those authors that only have a few thousand books printed will disappear entirely. Meanwhile the "traditional" publishers will be preying upon the hopes and dreams of people like me who just want some attention - want to be recognized for being a good story teller. And instead they'll get: "REJECTED - BUT you can still print this book with our ASP division." yay consolation prize YOU have to pay to receive.

Newspapers and Magazines are already dying out in favor of online options, which are generally free for the public to read. Now, the middle-section of writers who have good books but aren't getting much marketing attention is dying out due to lack of attention from the publishers. Sure, their books are available in B&N and BAM, but what good is that if no one knows about them? As for me, I’ll pick up a book by an author I’ve not heard about and take a try at it, but I’m not the market, and I’m not the usual reader. Next, it'll be bookstores as eReaders become popular (though that's probably going to be a very slow trend, given the price and the price of eBooks currently).

More and more authors are expected to market themselves rather than a publisher doing it for them, as they have in the past. And it will depend on whether Oprah said something about your book as to whether it becomes a superstar and thus worthy of getting money and time from the marketing department. Unless you've already got fans, you're not going to sell any books. So what's the point of going with a traditional publisher if you're going to have to do it all yourself anyway?

Additionally, the "traditional" publishers won't be able to say "Self published books are BAD because they're crap and they don't get any editing" because they'll be the ones printing these books and not editing them. Or, they could say that kind of thing, but it'd be hypocritical of them. Either way, I've read at least 15 recently printed books in the last year and ALL of them had missing words, typos, grammatical errors, and other problems that an EDITOR should have caught and fixed, but didn't.

I suppose in the end, authors are going to have to rethink who and what they are. With the actual business of getting books sold being dumped on us, it's only a matter of time before "traditional" publishing no longer exists. Nanowrimo has a start on getting authors together and talking, and WeBook is a start at organizing those who would go the direction of ASP, but Nanowrimo doesn't extend past November, and WeBook is still a business.

In the wake of all these die-offs will sprout a bunch of ASP's and other self publishing industry peripherals (such as scammer “editing” agencies), and every last one of them will be out to prey on the poor authors who just want to be noticed by the world. And we will get preyed upon because we’re unable to spread the word about such places. Writer Beware is nice, but they’re still geared towards people who are going with “traditional” publishing. If only we (those who choose to self publish or post our work online for free) could change what writing is perceived to be. If we could change it from being something we do by ourselves in a dark corner of our house, hiding from the children like a hermit, we'd be able to unite to keep these publishing companies from taking advantage of us. And an added benefit to joining as a group would be the networking options. "If you build it, they will come" isn't a real business model. We’re going to have to support each other in order for all of us to become successful. I don’t see it working any other way.

Personally, I'd love to join a writing critique group - and I've tried joining some before - but the problem is that writers are what they are and I can read and comment on people's work all day long and never get anyone to look at mine in return. If I knew that I would get my share of reviews, I'd happily participate. But until then, I’m stuck trying to improve with no feedback (which happens to be a rather difficult task).

This is what one writer of SFWA has to say about Self-Publishing and where it's going.
Interesting insight. Even mentions Createspace by name, for that matter.


Here's some neat essays on the use of language too:

How Pragmatics can help you

How Morphology can help you

How Articulatory Phonetics can help you

How Linguistics can help you

Forgive me if I've posted these before, but I'm finding them a highly informative and interesting series to read.

Here's a Lovely Gem on one self published author's view on Promotional Plans.

He's got a good point.

Additionally, Stirring the mud in order to see what answer I get


Further edits:
Another author offering advice on how to get published traditionally. Which involves a lot of self-promotion.

An indi publisher's rant about small-press books getting ignored


Neutra Face... serious lolz.

I had read somewhere (can't remember where but I think I found the link to it on here) that some authors get a lot of customers from twitter. So I thought I would give it a try.

In 2 weeks only 3 people chose to follow me. I began to wonder how I could attract more people. Then I heard about wefollow.com where you can put yourself in 5 categories that you choose. I chose ones that fit what my novels are about.

I did this earlier today. Already I have had 8 more people start to follow me. I think it's great!

note: I am not affiliated with wefollow at all. I just found it to be awesome and thought someone on here might find it to be the same. :)

Here's some definite DON'TS

http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/book-promotion/ethical-self-promotion/

Seanan McGuire wrote an interesting piece on taking breaks that I thought you guys might like to read.

Here are some sites for networking with other writers and possibly agents and publishers. Or ...just other sites that looked like they might be useful, or had useful information on them.


http://www.writerface.com/
This is... I'm not sure what it is. I haven't had the chance to look through it, but it looks like it might be useful.

http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/
This also looks like it might be useful, but I haven't had the chance to look through it yet.


Why we should embrace Self publishing.


http://www.strangehorizons.com/guidelines/fiction-common.shtml
While this one is a site for a horror writer's group, their list of Stories They've Seen Too Often is mildly amusing and generally helpful on what to avoid writing.

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/
This is the blog of S. L. Veihl (or Lynn Viehl). Her latest post is about ways to improve your blog: http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2009/08/rejuvy-ten.html
Blogging is also a good way to attract readers. Especially if you can manage to get on the LJ Spotlight of the week.

http://www.writingexcuses.com/
This is a podcast about writing things, from world building to how to do endings. I find them rather amusing.


Some communities you should probably follow on LJ inclued
the Science Fiction Writers Of America (SFWA) - they have posts about industry news that affects authors, not just sci-fi writers.
They also post a Writers Beware page that details a lot of scams - by name - and gives suggestions on some important things.

There are other writer's communities on LJ you can join as well, which you can post ads for your work on, and possibly ask questions, but I haven't seen any that are really active.

If you need help getting motivated to write, check out the All Year Sprints group: http://community.livejournal.com/allyear_sprints/



This is a short rant about query letters. Good info to know if you're still looking for an agent. Though there are a lot of lists out there, this one generally has all the major No-No's on it.
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-stop-reading-when.html


I will go look for the other interesting links I saw elsewhere and make another post once I've gotten them together.
But, I also suggest checking out Twitter, and trying to make your blog on LJ interesting. Joining communities you're interested in and participating in the general discussion as a person before mentioning that you write will go a long way towards getting readers too.


I am @DEMONICFANGIRL on twitter, if anyone wants to follow me.
I theoretically have a Facebook, but I'm never on it, so don't bother looking for me there. lol.

I am not affiliated with this zine, but I thought I'd pass it on, just to see if any of you guys were interested in it:

http://community.livejournal.com/chaos_zine/profile
"This is all of our new brainchild, an art/cultural/literary/scientific/social commentary/essay zine tentatively called "Chaos Theory" (referring to some kind of not-obviously-apparent logic that emerges spontaneously from randomnity, basically a fun way to have a theme without having a theme.)

Sort of a way to help the aspiring artists we constantly meet to get their names out there and spotlight some excellent work which should have an audience but the artists don't want to go through the publication process. And to give people committed to worthwhile causes a way to speak out or to use their personal experiences to educate others.

Everyone's invited to submit (and everything will be accepted, unless it's obscene or hateful). If you are interested please send a submission via email anytime this summer. For now please use my email (cedeptula@sbcglobal.net) although we hope to designate a regular editorial team soon."