How Do I Get My Book Published for Free?

It’s possibly the most common question I get by e-mail from my Blog viewers, “How do I publish my book for free?” My answer; it can be done.

The odds of being picked up by a traditional publisher are slim; especially for the first-time author. This is likely the reason more than 80 percent of books are self-published. Most of these new self-published authors spend much more money on their book publishing than necessary. Companies such as Authorhouse or Outskirts Press charge a minimum of $200.00 for their basic services. This amount excludes some of the most important services such as editing, layout, and cover design; all “over-priced” additional fees. I’ve spoken to some new authors who invested over $10,000.00 to publish their first book. If you look at these company Websites you will see this is not even close to the most expensive package they offer. Visiting these self-publishing Websites can make a new author believe it is necessary to spend this much to release a successful book-not true.

If you are looking to publish your first book, or if you overspent your budget on your first book and are looking for a better avenue for your next, there are some free self-publishing options available to you. But remember, there will always be those unavoidable “extras” with any book publishing project. You do not want to skimp on things like page layout, cover design, and editing, and editing, and editing!!! A poorly designed book will get poor reviews and most likely WILL NOT SELL!

In my book, A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story, I cover the proper way to layout your pages as well as itemizing the necessary components for your particular book. I strongly suggest if this will be your first book project or you have minimal success with your first release, you order this book and do it the right way from the start. Everything needed from start to finish to complete your book the right way and publish a professional looking piece of literature is covered in the book as an easy-to-follow guide.

In reference to editing your manuscript, do not do-it-yourself unless you are at a minimum, an English major with a Master’s Degree. Even then, I previously read one manuscript self-edited by a writer with such a degree and found numerous typos which made the script hard to read.

If you must, and only if you must, follow these guidelines to get the best you can from your editing efforts;

*Use your spell check program.
*Read your script out loud at least 3 times looking for mistakes.
*Check for the same words repeated to closely and use Thesaurus to find other word options.
*Ask at least three non-bias friends to read your manuscript to help find your mistakes.
*Read it, read it, and read it more!

There are a few “truly” free book publishers available. Again, your book must be ready-to-publish before you attempt to submit to these sites. Otherwise, your final product may not present professionally at all. One of the best I’ve heard of (from authors who have used it) is Createspace.com by Amazon. It’s fairly easy and the only requirement is you must buy one of your own books. Your book is also listed on Amazon.com automatically and the ISBN is free.

Another with fair reviews by users is LuLu.com. However, with LuLu you still will need to submit your book to other bookseller sites such as Amazon.com unless you purchase their distribution package (no longer free).

Publish America will accept most manuscripts for publishing and will do the basic editing and cover design for you free. However, I caution you to accept their cover designs as most of the ones I’ve seen are horrific. You can design your own and submit it to them for approval.

In this post, I may be coming on as if book publishing is free and easy—it’s not. More than 90 percent of the books I used to review (quit because of this issue), were unprofessional, unedited, or just plain poorly written. Books such as these are not enjoyable to read. This may be why I feel so strongly about writers doing it correctly the first time. It’s your dream—don’t disappoint yourself. Be proud of your finished book! Learn the right process and professional way to write and publish your story before you leap in.




A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story is available through Amazon.com and direct from the author at Authors Box Bookstore.

Are You Considering Writing a Book Series? Author Yvonne Perry Shares the Pros and Cons

My good friend and multi-published author Yvonne Perry has just released The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children. In this special interview with Yvonne, we’ll learn the good, bad, and the best tips about publishing a book series.

Carol Denbow: Yvonne, long time, my friend! It’s always a pleasure to have you as a guest at A Book Inside Blog. I was so happy to hear of your new release, The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children. We have many visitors to this site who are interested in writing children’s books as well as numerous seasoned authors wishing to continue their published book saga into a book series. I have several questions for you, but let me start by asking you about this book series. Please tell us a little about The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children. Such as, what are the books about, how many are there, and where do you make your books available for purchase?

Yvonne Perry: Each story in The Sid Series is a collection of 12 body-mind-spirit stories that gives insight on some mature subjects such as recycling, being who you really are, overcoming the fear of storms, helping others, listening to one’s inner guidance, caring for the body, accepting and appreciating diversity, dealing with family change, and coping with the death of a pet. See http://TheSidSeries.com

Carol Denbow: When one writes a series of books, do they write them all at once? For instance, is the entire story line written as one bundle, and then divided into several books, and how did you personally go about this?

Yvonne Perry: I began writing The Sid Series when my grandson, Sidney, was very young. The stories were inspired things we did together. I typed the stories into a Word doc, and would later read the stories to him while he sat on my lap in front of the computer. He wanted pictures to go with his stories, so I attempted to illustrate them and bring them to life with colored backgrounds.

Next, I formatted the first three stories and printed them in black and white since my printer was out of color ink (as usual). I didn’t have a stapler with an arm long enough to reach to the centerfold, so I stapled the left edges together to hold the pages tight. It looked like a kindergarten term paper! It just didn’t “feel” like a book. I wanted a better way to bind them, and the pages needed to be in color according to Sid.

I took the file to Kinko’s thinking I would have the stories printed in color on both sides. Gasp! It would cost about $15 per book to print 15 pages and a cover! I decided if I was going to go to the trouble of printing and binding the stories, I might as well go ahead and publish them. I found a commercial printer that offered to produce the books in color with a center staple for about $7 each. I printed about a dozen copies of each title thinking I would sell the ones I didn’t need. However, printing them at $7 each didn’t allow any room for profit because folks weren’t willing to pay more than $7 for a 15-page book. Since it cost me another $2 to ship them, I would actually be paying people to buy them.

But none of that mattered. I didn’t write or publish them with the intention of getting rich! I was happy that we could hold and read the books together when it was time for bed. Sidney was so proud of our books that he took them to school for his teacher to read to his kindergarten class.

As time passed, Sid and I added more stories to the collection. He would dictate a story while I typed it. Sid became interested in the computer and was able to play games and get around quite well on the Internet. Once he learned to read, I formatted some new stories into e-books that he could read to himself any time he wanted. I still offer the e-books on my Web site for $3 each.

Still, I wanted the new stories in printed format. That’s when I decided to put all twelve stories in one book and publish them as The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children. I’m glad I did. Now I have a lasting and tangible reminder of the times Sid and I spent together and we have a way to share them with other children and adults.

Carol Denbow: Is it considerably more expensive to publish a series at one time, or can it actually save you money in the long run?

Yvonne Perry: It is much more expensive to do the stories one at the time. Publishers/printers charge a setup fee and catalog fee for each book title/ISBN. Plus, if you are unable to design your own cover, you will need to pay someone to do a cover for each title rather than for one cover for a book containing all the stories. That is why I published the stories as individual e-books until I finished writing all twelve. Then, I laid out the stories as one book and self-published using Lightning Source.

Carol Denbow: If a writer is considering a book series, would you recommend they complete and publish one book at a time, or write and publish them all at once, and how did you make your own decision to publish them all at one time?

Yvonne Perry: It depends on whether you plan to self-publish or query a conventional publisher, how many pages your book will have, your budget, and whether you are going to print the books in color or black and white. Printing in color is more expensive than black and white.

I self-published through Lightning Source which gave me distribution through Ingram and the ability to offer Amazon a 25% short discount rather than the 55% discount most publish give them. The Sid Series is a 54-page picture book with color illustrations. Each story has 15-18 pages. I paid a $95 setup fee, a $12 catalog fee, and each time I order a new supply of books, I am charged a $1.50 per-book handling fee plus shipping. Now, times that amount by 12 titles and you will quickly see why I decided to publish the entire series as one book/title! However, had my book been a children’s chapter book with 150 black and white pages, I would have published each title separately.

Carol Denbow: Do you think a traditional book publisher would be as interested in publishing a complete series at one time, or publish the first of a series to test the waters before committing (assuming the first book is not labeled or written as a Part 1 book)?

Yvonne Perry: It’s hard to answer that because large publishers with large budgets might do something more risky than a small house with limited resources. Large houses seem to publish in volumes or sets. For example, Random House published the 44 books of Mary Pope Osborne’s Tree House series by issuing 4 or 5 books per year as boxed sets. The books are for sale individually as well. The same is true of Daisy Meadows’ Rainbow Magic Fairies (published by Scholastic Paperbacks) and Gertrude Chandler Warner’s Boxcar Children books (published by Albert Whitman & Company).

Carol Denbow: I hope this interview has helped our interested viewers. Yvonne Perry is the author of several other books as well. Yvonne, please tell us a little about the other books you have authored.

Yvonne Perry: Besides the books I’ve ghosted, edited, or proofread for clients, I have published the following titles. The ones with an asterisk (*) are available on Amazon.

Book Marketing in the Digital Age, Online Promotion Made Easy is an e-book designed to help authors promote their books online.
* Right to Recover ~ Winning the Political and Religious Wars Over Stem Cell Research in America is available as a printed book (Nightengale Press) and for the Kindle Reader on Amazon.
* My Mother's Bipolar, So What am I? co-authored with Angela Grett provides help for adult children dealing with the aftermath of being raised by a bipolar parent.
Email Episodes ~ A Hilariously Honest Look at Life is about a woman who is having a midlife crisis while her teenagers are raising reptiles in the basement.
Both an e-book and printed book, * More Than Meets the Eye about Death, Dying and Afterlife was written to comfort those who have lost a loved one or is caring for someone who is dying. Tips for Freelance Writing is an e-book that provides information for starting a free-lance writing business. Both of these e-books are free to those who subscribe to my free monthly newsletter.
I have published several poetry chapbooks and e-books about trips I have taken. All my books and e-books are available at http://writersinthesky.com/books-by-yvonne.html and several are free!

Carol Denbow: You also have a Web site and I’m sure more to share with us?

Yvonne Perry: I provide mentoring/consultation on writing and publishing; My team and I offer ghostwriting, editing, and proofreading services as well as marketing assistance to businesses and individuals http://writersinthesky.com.

You’ll want to check out our blog, podcast, and newsletter while you are there. All three provide more information about writing, publishing, and book marketing.

Carol Denbow: Yvonne, thank you so very much for visiting us on the Blog. Your information has been extremely helpful and is very much appreciated. Have a happy New Year everyone!

Yvonne Perry: Thank you for interviewing me for this blog. I would be happy to answer questions. I will stop by later today to see if anyone leaves a comment on this Blog posting.

Happy New Year "Righters!"

I would like to wish everyone a VERY Happy New Year! Last night (New Years Eve), I spent the evening drinking margaritas and playing bingo. I worry I'm getting old!

Just for fun, I would like to share something amusing with you on this New Years Day.

I regularly check my visitor hits to this and my other sites so I can learn where my visitors come from, i.e., how they find this Blog. Today, when I searched the keywords some have used to find us through Google, I found the most interesting keyword usage. One interested person used the key phrase “how to right a book.”

The good news is, they found us, the bad news is, they probably shouldn’t be considering “righting a book!”
Have a blessed New Year!

Book Donations

Hi all! It's that time again. The South Coast Hospice Annual Casino Night fundraiser is coming up in October. As many of you already know, I am a commited volunteer to hospice. Many of the authors who regularly visit this Blog were gracious last year in donating a signed copy of their book for the event's auction. This year, I am hoping more authors will come out of the woodwork and contribute a copy of their published book for our important cause. Thank you for your consideration. Remember...you may not need hospice now, but you most likely will someday!
Books can be sent to Carol Denbow at 66513 Schoolhouse Rd., North Bend, Oregon 97459.
May God bless you always!

Do You Need a Website? Ask MaAnna Stephenson

I realize I have hosted several interviews recently and some of you might be thinking, “get on with the publishing stuff here!” But for those of you who are on the verge of publishing your first book, or are already seasoned authors, you might already realize the importance of educating yourself on book promotion—especially pre-publication marketing.

Selling books begins with extensive exposure and that takes time. Need pre-publication reviews? Of course you do. This Blog, A Book Inside, was started nearly one year before the release of my book by the same name. Now, viewers swarm to this site in search of information on writing and publishing their stories; maybe they buy a copy of my book. A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story was accepted for review by professionals in the industry partly because I had already established this Blog along with my other writer’s Websites. As a writer and author, you MUST have a professional Blog and/or Website to succeed.

My guest today is author is MaAnna Stephenson. MaAnna is the author of the Just the FAQs eBooks Series. She is a professional at setting up quality Blogs and Websites that draw visitors. So let’s get started.

Carol Denbow: MaAnna, welcome! Your topic is one we all need help with.

As I’ve already stated, I started building this Blog nearly a year prior to my books release. Can you please tell us why it is so important to get a Blog or Website up-and-running early?

MaAnna Stephenson: A site is the very heart of any online marketing campaign. It’s the central hub where folks can find more information about you and your book. All of your other marketing material will need to reference the site, so it’s important to get it ready early on in the process of establishing an online presence.

Carol Denbow: When I started this Blog, nobody came to see it. I was so worried it was a failure. I spent months “learning the ropes” through research online and probably wasted several days which included severe frustration. But after all the hard work, this Blog is at PR4. Please explain to our visitors what a PR is and does for you, as well as how to get to that level.

MaAnna Stephenson: PR stands for Page Rank. Google uses their own terminology to distinguish the ranking of a site in their search engine by giving it a PR rating of 0-6, with 6 being the highest. It’s important to keep in mind that this ranking is based on Google’s algorithms for their search engine alone and may not actually reflect site traffic. In fact, several sites that are ranked PR3 have more traffic than sites ranked PR5.

You can run yourself silly following the latest advice from the latest guru about SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. The fact is, each major search engine ranks pages differently and the way they do it is top secret. Some folks are paid big money by big business to find and exploit loopholes in SEO, and they usually don’t share their top trade secrets with the general public. Another thing to keep in mind is that search engines change those methods often. So, what has worked in the past may not work well at all today.

There are, however, some tried and true basic steps that will certainly improve your ranking. These include good keywords used in every element of your site. But, the most important thing to keep in mind is that if you are offering helpful information, and actively sharing it with others on a few social media sites and such, traffic will come to your site and more folks will link to your site, all of which will affect your SEO ranking too. More importantly, it will drive continuous traffic to your site, and that’s the real thing you are trying to achieve.

Carol Denbow: You have several books under your belt. Is all your work related to Website and Blog development?

MaAnna Stephenson: I’ve done technical writing for private companies for several years. But, the first book that I wrote for publication was The Sage Age – Blending Science with Intuitive Wisdom. It debuted in September 2008 and was featured in Publishers Weekly a few weeks later. In all, it took over four years to research and about another eight months to write.

The Just the FAQs series was written as I documented the process of creating an online presence for The Sage Age. So, I fully understand the wasted time and frustration many new authors feel trying to figure out all of the technical aspects without step-by-step guidance that cuts right to the point of what they are trying to accomplish. I also understand how budget conscious new authors have to be. That’s why the first books in this series deal with establishing a site on a free platform that is very stable and easy to use, while offering a lot of perks.

More advanced books will be in the works later this year including help with WordPress sites. All books in the Just the FAQs series are written for non-geeks and have a lot of color and symbols in the formatting that creatively-minded folks will find appealing and easy to use.

At the moment I’m writing a class based on material I touched on in The Sage Age. It’s titled Acoustics for Intuitives and will be a fun way to bring information about the physics of sound to those who work with it in healing modalities. I’m also researching material for another book about the ethics-shattering changes just around the corner in the field of biotechnology that will cause us to completely rethink what it is to be fully human.

Carol Denbow: Can you please tell us a little more about each of your books, such as their titles and what readers can expect to learn from each one?

MaAnna Stephenson: Just the FAQs - Blogs along with Just the FAQs - RSS Feeds help folks dramatically reduce the learning curve of setting up a blog with Blogger and adding RSS feeds with Feedburner by giving them step-by-step directions for all aspects of optimizing and customizing the features of both. In July I will also be teaching classes on these two books that will take folks through the process and show them some advanced tricks and tips that are not covered in the books.

The material in Just the FAQs - Websites is based on my years of experience as a Web designer and director for several non-profits and small businesses. It has three printable worksheets to help folks participate in creating a great site that works well, including organizing all the content and developing a good theme or design. It will also help folks avoid the expensive pitfalls of site ownership. The information is good for those who want to create a static site or a WordPress site. And, if someone already has a static site, there’s no need to do a complete site redesign or switch over to WordPress to incorporate blog posts. It’s actually a rather simple process to use RSS feeds to populate a static site with your posts.
The Articles book contains step-by-step instructions to get set up with all the major article directories. It also includes tips and tricks for running a successful article marketing campaign that can help drive traffic to your site.

Carol Denbow: I know you have Websites as well. Can you give us the links to your sites so we can see an example of your work?

MaAnna Stephenson: The URL for the Just the FAQs series is http://www.JustTheFAQs.net. The URL for The Sage Age is http://www.SageAge.net. I also have a site for my wood carvings, which have been featured in two national magazines, including Woodcarving Illustrated. They can be seen at http://www.HeartwoodArt.com.

Carol Denbow: As always, we all love freebies and I enjoy giving my viewers a chance to get something for nothing. I hear you’re offering giveaways to people who leave comments during the tour. Can you tell us more about that?

MaAnna Stephenson: I’m delighted to help folks get started with creating an online presence. The Quick Step Guide for setting up an account with Blogger and Feedburner is available for free download here http://tr.im/nlZe. It will help you set up the accounts properly the first time.

I’ll also be giving away two free classes in a random drawing of folks who leave comments during the tour. You can read more about the classes here http://tr.im/nlZv

Carol Denbow: Wow, this has been informative. I can’t thank you enough for stopping by and sharing this valuable information with us.

Hey guys and gals, watch and learn! You MUST have and draw exposure to your own Website and/or Blog to get your book noticed. The Web is an awesome tool because it’s not a “one-and-done.” Every post (even this one) stays in cyberspace forever to be found and found again.

My guest author today, MaAnna Stephenson, author of Just the FAQs eBooks Series. Thanks again MaAnna!

Please leave your comments below (maybe a freebie is in-the-bag for you!!)

FYI…Each time a blog visitor comments on any or all of the blog stops, they will be entered in a random drawing for two free Just the FAQs classes. Not only that, but every commenter is a winner and will receive a copy of MaAnna Stephenson's e-book the Quick Step Guide. If you haven't already read her books, be sure to pick up the series at http://www.justthefaqs.net/ebooks.shtml.

For more information about MaAnna Stephenson and her virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/05/just-faqs-blog-tour-with-maanna.html

Already have a Website or Blog? See how your's rates now with a free tool I found online at http://www.websitegrader.com/

Tips to Query a Publisher

Your first step in querying a publisher should be to order the book Writer's Market. The book is available through Amazon.com for about $20. Writer’s Market includes 4,000 listings for book publishers, consumer magazines, trade journals, and literary agents. Most publishers’ listings in the book will tell you if they accept new authors, with or without agent representation, what types of manuscripts they want, what they pay, their contact information, and where to obtain authors’ submission guidelines for their company. Confirm all information by visiting the publisher’s website if available. Most publishers’ Websites will have authors’ guidelines as well.

Once you have chosen the right publisher and are ready to submit your package, you will need to write the all-important query letter. The query letter must get the attention of the acquisitions editor, or, more likely, an editorial assistant or reader. Many packages are thrown out after the first sentence is read. Your query letter should be a brief one-page tool used to get the editor interested in your book idea. The idea of a query letter is to draw enough interest in your book that the editor will request your entire manuscript be sent. Some editors want to see the entire manuscript on first contact. Check the submission guidelines to determine exactly which method the editor prefers.

Editors change job positions and companies regularly. Don’t assume the listed editor is the current one. Always call the publishing house and ask who the current editor is and then address your letter to that person.

When formatting your query letter:

• Limit it to one page.
• Use single spacing with one-inch margin.
• Use an easy to read typeface such as Times New Roman and a 10- or 12-point type.
• Include your complete contact information including e-mail and phone number.
• Address the letter directly to the acquisitions editor by name.
• Be creative. Get the editor’s attention with a catchy opening line.
• Let the editor know briefly what your book idea is about.
• Include whether or not you have illustrations.
• Inform them of any expertise you have in the subject matter.
• Let them know if you have been previously published.
• Close with a polite offer to send the entire manuscript.
• Thank them for their time and say you look forward to hearing from them soon.

You can locate sample query letters and book proposals in the Writer’s Market book.

When a publisher requests an entire book proposal be sent, your submission should include the following:

• A query letter as described above.
• A chapter summary that gives an idea of your book’s subject and shows in detail how you plan to develop your idea. For fiction books, cover the basic plot.
• An outline of your book’s chapters and what is included in each one.
• Your author biography that includes why you are qualified to write this book as well as any previous writing experience. You can include relevant clubs and organizations you belong to.
• Sample chapters or the entire manuscript. See the publishing house’s specific guidelines to learn how much of the manuscript the editor requests.
• Marketing information. Editors want to who will buy your book and how you plan to reach those people. Be specific.
• Competitive title analysis. Include similar books on your subject and how they differ from yours. Why will your book be better?

Most publishers will let you know through their submission guidelines exactly what they want to see included in your fiction or nonfiction proposal.

To learn more on this topic and the entire process of book writing, publishing, and marketing to help you get your book finished, read A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story, ISBN 9780615199245, available at Amazon.com and wherever books are sold.

THE PROMOTIONAL EVENT FOR THE WRITING INDUSTRY IS BACK!

PROMO DAY makes its return in 2009 and promises to be the best yet. Mark your calendars for Saturday 9th May 2009!

An all day, online, international event for people in the writing industry packed full of tips and advice along with a variety of opportunities for writers, publishers, editors etc to promote their work and services. Readers are also welcome to drop in and get to know the authors better in the online chatroom, view the video trailers or read the sample chapters on site.

Founder and Organiser of the event, Jo Linsdell, had this to say “PROMO DAY came about because I was looking for opportunities to promote my books using the internet at little or no cost. After attending the Muse Online Writers Conference back in 2006, I searched the internet for similar events aimed at what to do after you’ve written the book and found none. I decided to fill the void and so PROMO DAY was born. PROMO DAY is a great opportunity to network with other members of the industry, take part in online workshops and promote and best of all it’s FREE."

New features for this year is the Official Blog for the event, http://promoday.blogspot.com, where everyone can keep up to date with new announcements and information regarding the event and the official PROMO DAY book, packed full of information and resources, which will be available to buy during and after the event.

Visit the website http://jolinsdell.tripod.com/promoday for more details of how you can be involved.

BE PART OF THE ACTION, BE PART OF PROMO DAY!

7 Tips on How to Write a Book

Here are 7 great tips to get you on the road to finishing your book! Please feel free to add your own tips or comments.

1. Write your book. Whether it’s non-fiction or fiction, Fantasy, Autobiography, Crime or Mystery, just write what you feel. Never worry about editing as you go; as that will bury your creativity.

2. Find a quiet place to write. An extra bedroom, office, or even a garage (preferably heated), are all good places “away from it all.” Never look for your muse where friends or family are always interrupting you.

3. Set time aside to write. It takes time to find your inspiration to write. It’s not likely you will write well or accomplish much in a ten minute session. Allow yourself at least two hours to work on your writing project.

4. Choose you books topic according to demand. Are there a million books already written which follow the path of your story or subject? Is there even an audience out there who will buy your book? With nearly 30 books being released in the U.S. every hour of every day, the competition is fierce. If you plan to sell your book to the reading public, make sure you will have a customer base before you put your time and money into publishing a book.

5. Draw an outline for your book before you begin. A well drawn out outline will keep you focused on your total project. Outline your story or information. For fiction book writing, an outline of your plot, when to introduce your characters, and path of the story, that is, the beginning, middle, and ending placed into chronological order. For non-fiction book writing, the same applies. Organize your information into a logical and useful order.

6. Choose your title carefully. Not only is a catchy title a must, but for non-fiction and some fiction books, your title words will most likely be used as “key words” when a potential book buyer searches the Internet for a book similar to yours.

7. Once your book is complete, find a professional editor to fix your mistakes. Spell Check in your writing software is not enough to handle the job.

Carol Denbow is the author of five books, including A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story, available at Amazon.com. She is also a regular contributor to numerous writers’ websites and newsletters and has been a featured guest on radio and television.

Please visit Carol’s Websites at Author’s Box at http://www.authorsbox.com and Books By Denbow at http://www.booksbydenbow.weebly.com.