Wordpress? Maybe that's that company Shrykespeare's talking about. You can purchase a variety of packages that suit your needs. I know because I've set up my blog there.
But is there a difference?
Brand New Author About to be Published
- Thread starter Shrykespeare
- Start date
Wordpress? Maybe that's that company Shrykespeare's talking about. You can purchase a variety of packages that suit your needs. I know because I've set up my blog there.
But is there a difference?
I want more!
I loved it! Hooked my attention and I wanted to continue reading. I usually read fantasy booked and adult, but I'm also a very open person to just about anything. If it catches my interests I'll keep going. Keep me posted on the release please. I can actually relate to this story myself. Good job!
I loved it! Hooked my attention and I wanted to continue reading. I usually read fantasy booked and adult, but I'm also a very open person to just about anything. If it catches my interests I'll keep going. Keep me posted on the release please. I can actually relate to this story myself. Good job!
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I certainly will, Mary.
Just out of curiosity, how do you "relate"?
(I was a bullied kid. I didn't get it as bad as Joshua does in my story, but writing this story was very cathartic for me.)
Just out of curiosity, how do you "relate"?
(I was a bullied kid. I didn't get it as bad as Joshua does in my story, but writing this story was very cathartic for me.)
Bullied.
Me too. It happened in middle school back in my island home. Never did understand why she did it, either. Eventually I fought back, thank goodness it didn't come to a point where it became physical, but it did stop. Could be one of the reasons why I kept to myself though, I realized early on that if I stood out someone will try to bring you down. So in the shadows I stayed hidden for a long time, just watching and waiting.
Don't take that last line the wrong way. What I meant was that it has taken me a long time to break out of my shell and even today I still have a hard time moving away from it from time to time.
Me too. It happened in middle school back in my island home. Never did understand why she did it, either. Eventually I fought back, thank goodness it didn't come to a point where it became physical, but it did stop. Could be one of the reasons why I kept to myself though, I realized early on that if I stood out someone will try to bring you down. So in the shadows I stayed hidden for a long time, just watching and waiting.
Don't take that last line the wrong way. What I meant was that it has taken me a long time to break out of my shell and even today I still have a hard time moving away from it from time to time.
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I know how you feel, I was the same way. Even now I tend to avoid large crowds. I used to have huge self-esteem issues which I'm still getting over. That's why writing this book was such an amazing experience for me. I'm 45, and I'd never even thought about writing anything until earlier this year. Funny how inspiration strikes you sometimes.
Ha! I still do! When they tell me I look pretty I just give them a bland look like, "are you serious, stop messing with me." But I will admit this, secretly it makes my heart soar and at the same time I want to crawl under a rock and hide again. It's embarrassing and it feels good too, but I'm not used to it. So, I usually just crack jokes and make people laugh to hide behind my insecurities.
That's one of the reasons why I write too. Although mine won't be about bullying, it more about being strong willed, powerful hero's and heroines. I will live vicariously through them.
I am so happy for you and really hope you will excel further in all your writing endeavors. Don't hesitate to PM if you need someone to chat with and I truly mean that. For anything, I'm a great listener and I hope we can become friends.
First of all, welcome to AW! I'm going the self published route too. Feel free to visit the Self Publishing section and add your experiences.
It's too bad you didn't find AW sooner. We've got a thread all about iUniverse and the decline in quality, including a class action lawsuit.
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Thanks, Akaria!
Well, I'm a man of modest means, so beyond the cost of the package itself, I will not be spending any other money at iUniverse. I hired my cover artist as well as a freelance editor separately, and I will likely do the same thing when it comes time to market my book. (I already have a few learned people willing to help me with that, nearly free of charge.)
My contact at iUniverse has been nothing but friendly, and I still like to believe that she has my best interests at heart. I know that's naive, but until they fail to deliver on their assurances, I won't complain. Besides, one of the beauties about self-publishing is that I retain all the rights to my work, and I can go other routes at a later date if I want to.
Well, I'm a man of modest means, so beyond the cost of the package itself, I will not be spending any other money at iUniverse. I hired my cover artist as well as a freelance editor separately, and I will likely do the same thing when it comes time to market my book. (I already have a few learned people willing to help me with that, nearly free of charge.)
My contact at iUniverse has been nothing but friendly, and I still like to believe that she has my best interests at heart. I know that's naive, but until they fail to deliver on their assurances, I won't complain. Besides, one of the beauties about self-publishing is that I retain all the rights to my work, and I can go other routes at a later date if I want to.
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Ha! I still do! When they tell me I look pretty I just give them a bland look like, "are you serious, stop messing with me." But I will admit this, secretly it makes my heart soar and at the same time I want to crawl under a rock and hide again. It's embarrassing and it feels good too, but I'm not used to it. So, I usually just crack jokes and make people laugh to hide behind my insecurities.
That's one of the reasons why I write too. Although mine won't be about bullying, it more about being strong willed, powerful hero's and heroines. I will live vicariously through them.
I am so happy for you and really hope you will excel further in all your writing endeavors. Don't hesitate to PM if you need someone to chat with and I truly mean that. For anything, I'm a great listener and I hope we can become friends.
You are so sweet, Mary!
I will certainly let you know when my book comes out. If you want me to send you my rough draft, PM me your e-mail address. It's not a finished work (yet), but I would love for you to read it (if you have the time).
I got my manuscript's professional review. I have some major changes to make. I really hope I can count on some help from my new friends here, because I'm going to definitely need it...
I might need some beta readers on or just after the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm hoping by then I'll have finished all of the changes my story that my editor and SPC have recommended.
Any volunteers?
Any volunteers?
You should be able to find some beta-readers if you make a thread in Beta Readers, Mentors, and Writing Buddies.
Best of luck to you!
Update:
I have gotten all of the feedback from both the SPC's editing staff as well as my independent editor, and am making final revisions.
I have also sent my story to six beta-readers that I found on this awesome forum. Still waiting to hear back from five of them.
Looking to turn in my final revision on Dec. 8, after which production can start.
YAY!!!
I have gotten all of the feedback from both the SPC's editing staff as well as my independent editor, and am making final revisions.
I have also sent my story to six beta-readers that I found on this awesome forum. Still waiting to hear back from five of them.
Looking to turn in my final revision on Dec. 8, after which production can start.
YAY!!!
Congratulations!
I am so glad you are ready to see it in print. Hurray!
I do encourage you to look at the link from Akaria, for future reference. I am just concerned about whether you will be paid accurately etc when your book is purchased by readers. Might you still be able to get this first set of books you already paid for, and then switch where you print away from that company? I'm not too familiar with all the self-publishing procedures, but I do know many reputable people here have stories that are cautionary with this company.
Again, congratulations!
I am so glad you are ready to see it in print. Hurray!
I do encourage you to look at the link from Akaria, for future reference. I am just concerned about whether you will be paid accurately etc when your book is purchased by readers. Might you still be able to get this first set of books you already paid for, and then switch where you print away from that company? I'm not too familiar with all the self-publishing procedures, but I do know many reputable people here have stories that are cautionary with this company.
Again, congratulations!
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I read Akaria's thread. Rest assured, I will do my due diligence, and beyond the cost of the package itself, I will likely not investing any additional monies into iUniverse unless I am more than satisfied that they have met or exceeded all of the terms of the contract.
I have gotten tremendous ideas from friends, co-workers and this forum re: marketing, and I'm hoping to cast a wider net on my own than iUniverse can cast for me.
Still, as of now, I've have no complaints. The thread that Akaria mentioned was last posted on a year ago, so I'm going to pray like hell that they've cleaned up their act. I know that most SPC's have a bad rep, but I've been treated very well by the people I've been in contact with from iUniverse. I will continue to exercise caution, but I'm not going to just assume that because others have had negative experiences with them the same thing will happen to me.
I have gotten tremendous ideas from friends, co-workers and this forum re: marketing, and I'm hoping to cast a wider net on my own than iUniverse can cast for me.
Still, as of now, I've have no complaints. The thread that Akaria mentioned was last posted on a year ago, so I'm going to pray like hell that they've cleaned up their act. I know that most SPC's have a bad rep, but I've been treated very well by the people I've been in contact with from iUniverse. I will continue to exercise caution, but I'm not going to just assume that because others have had negative experiences with them the same thing will happen to me.
I've reviewed many books which have been published through iUniverse. In my opinion the editing they offer is of a very poor standard: the books they publish end up being reasonably clean, in terms of typos and grammar, but they don't seem to do much in the way of developmental editing. I suspect they employ English graduates to do the work rather than good editors and while I don't doubt their editors work hard, the results are not good at all when measured against the sort of editing work I've seen from the editors who work for good trade publishers.
The design of their covers can be ok but the internal layout of their books is often poor: the books look like the text has been flowed into a standard template but not typeset properly; and because of the lack of proper editing there are always inconsistencies in not just the punctuation, for example, but also the layout.
The marketing efforts are not good. Press releases are emailed out but as I understand it, press packs are not sent so reviewers don't automatically get copies of the books--which means they don't review them. The press releases are often generic and don't give publications the information they need to make anything of them. They're not sent out early enough in the publication process to allow most publications to use them. And these things put together mean that the marketing packages are next to useless.
I am glad you're happy with your experience with them: but their being nice to you won't make up for the lack of expertise involved in their publishing process, I'm afraid.
I appreciate your input, but if I didn't make it clear before, I am not using their editing services or their cover design. They are publishing it, that's it. They did give me an Editorial Review, which did contain some insight that I found valuable.
I pride myself on my editing skills. The spelling, grammar and syntax will be just fine when I turn in the final revision.
As for their marketing, as I said, I am not paying for that either.
I pride myself on my editing skills. The spelling, grammar and syntax will be just fine when I turn in the final revision.
As for their marketing, as I said, I am not paying for that either.
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Thanks Damon. (I see you're at 50 posts now, so congrats.)
With the help of no fewer than eight beta-readers from this very site who gave me feedback on my novel, I hope to have all of the revisions done by Friday. Once I get the last change to my cover done, my author photo developed and my marketing copy solidified, I can finally start the design phase.
2015 is going to be a banner year for me. And goddamn it, I am DUE.
With the help of no fewer than eight beta-readers from this very site who gave me feedback on my novel, I hope to have all of the revisions done by Friday. Once I get the last change to my cover done, my author photo developed and my marketing copy solidified, I can finally start the design phase.
2015 is going to be a banner year for me. And goddamn it, I am DUE.
Dashing to fifty posts isn't the way to reach the threshold which allows one to start a thread in our Share Your Work rooms.
Spending time in our Share Your Work rooms helping other members with their work is.
Spending time in our Share Your Work rooms helping other members with their work is.
And .... DONE!
I have just this minute finished up my final revisions to Joshua's Island. I will be sending it to my self-publishing company tomorrow, along with my author photo, and then we can begin the design phase.
I want to pop a bottle of virtual champagne to all those who helped me, nudged me, criticized me and whatnot on these boards, I will be giving special mention to this site on the Acknowledgements Page of my novel.
As most of you know, my story is in the YA genre. I have thousands of potential fonts to choose from when the book is printed. Can anyone recommend a good one for my story? I wrote the MS in Times New Roman, but I'm told Garamond is a good one. Would love to get some more opinions.
I have just this minute finished up my final revisions to Joshua's Island. I will be sending it to my self-publishing company tomorrow, along with my author photo, and then we can begin the design phase.
I want to pop a bottle of virtual champagne to all those who helped me, nudged me, criticized me and whatnot on these boards, I will be giving special mention to this site on the Acknowledgements Page of my novel.
As most of you know, my story is in the YA genre. I have thousands of potential fonts to choose from when the book is printed. Can anyone recommend a good one for my story? I wrote the MS in Times New Roman, but I'm told Garamond is a good one. Would love to get some more opinions.