Many established book awards will not consider submissions from independent presses or self-published authors. My guess is that traditional publishing is still viewed as a quality standard. If the Big-5 publishes a book, there’s a virtual guarantee that it has been vetted, edited, and designed by professionals. While there are many worthy self-published titles, there … Continue reading
As one of my first forays into marketing for my POD (print on demand) title, I took a chance on the Publishers Weekly insert that highlights books from the DIY crowd. It may not generate sales, but still looks pretty neat. At a minimum, it feels pretty good to have finished a project that is … Continue reading
Here are a few writing events that I’ve found in the Northeast. Feel free to send me info on others. Connecticut: The Big Book Giveaway, Mohegan Sun, (TBD). SCSU MFA Writers’ Conference: A Gaterhing of CT-Region Writers, March 6 & 7, 2015 (New!) Mark Twain House Annual Writers Weekend, Hartford, CT, April 17-19, 2015. CAPA-U, … Continue reading
An analysis of U.S. ISBN data by Bowker has revealed extraordinary growth for self-published books, 391,000 titles in 2012, which represents a 59% increase over 2011. Ebooks comprised 40% of ISBN numbers. Eight companies produced 80% of the print & e-book titles, including: CreateSpace, Smashwords, Lulu, Xibris (Div. of Author Solutions), AuthorHouse (Div. of Author … Continue reading
I few years ago I joined a drawing group to gain some basic skills that might help with powerpoint presentations. I liked sketching strategic concepts, but I was never able to translate whiteboard sketches into anything that looked halfway professional. After weekly lessons, I’m now a lot better. What’s become more enjoyable, however, is meeting … Continue reading
A friend (thanks Karen!) recently loaned me a book that’s titled “Family Album, Photographs of the 1890s & 1900s.” The book was “assembled” by Mark Silber and published in 1973. The photographs were taken by Gilbert ‘Burt’ Tilton and Fred W. Record, in Buckfield, Maine at the turn of the century (1900!). Silber assembled the … Continue reading
The Wall Street Journal reports (July 19, 2012) that Penguin (owned by Big-6 publisher Pearson) has announced that it will acquire the self-publishing company Author Solutions, Inc. for $116M in cash. It seems that the publishers want to make money from writers as much as from readers. In addition, Author Solutions has “..a trove of … Continue reading
Hooray! The Espresso Book Machine (EBM) is now available at the independent bookseller called Bookshop Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, CA. (http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/). This device is pretty much a gigantic printer that can print and bind books to look pretty much like every other book in the bookstore. With color cover capabilities, varying trim sizes, … Continue reading
I spent three days at the Wesleyan writer’s conference last week. My manuscript review went well, as I received the objective feedback that I needed. The reviewer, Jay O’Shea, recommended that I study the humorists as there is a structure for humor that involves building tension before resolving that tension humorously. I was given (voluntary) … Continue reading
This is my very first post. My blog will focus on memoirs. I wrote a few of my childhood stories for my 80-something parents as a 2011 Christmas gift. I wanted to write the funny little stories that had been told and retold around the dinner table so many times. I started out with the … Continue reading
kelleytjansson 