The promotional and after-publishing part has, for a while, taken over the writing part.  That’s too bad, but somebody’s got to do it.  Here are my efforts to date:

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Consenting Adults Only

 

I am midway in the Amazon Scout campaign for Consenting Adults Only. 

 https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2PN5FY0XBJRS

 

I have sent many messages via email, Twitter, Facebook and Linked-in regarding the Amazon Scout campaign.  I get short bursts in page views after each effort, then the numbers drop again.  Of course it may be that readers just don’t connect with the book, but there’s no way to know if it’s a problem with the novel’s first 3 chapters (all that is on Scout) or a problem with ineffective campaigning.  In any case, I plan to self-publish CAO when the Scout campaign ends in early September.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

The Wall:  Chronicle of a Scuba Trial

 

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Chronicle-Scuba-Trial-ebook/dp/B013RHYSNW/lakesidepress

Smashwords link
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/568140

This novel is published, and feedback so far has been positive.  A couple of readers noted some inevitable typos, and I learned how to fix them myself, and upload a corrected manuscript to both Kindle and Smashwords.

 

Smashwords

1.  I downloaded Sigil, which lets you correct an Epub file.   https://github.com/Sigil-Ebook/Sigil.  When you download it the following symbol appears on your desktop:

2.  I uploaded the book’s Epub file (previously created for me by a professional e-book converter) into Sigil.

3.  I made all the necessary corrections, which was easy to do.

4.  I saved the file to my desktop, then returned to Smashwords and uploaded the corrected Epub file. In minutes, the new version was published!

 

Kindle was a bit more difficult, in part because their website offers two different sets of instructions.  One, called “Modifying converted content” is incorrect; its line by line instructions don’t correlate with anything you see on the screen.  The other set, called “Changing converted content” made sense and worked.  

“Changing converted content”

https://kdp.amazon.com/help?ref=kdp_hp_gw_en_pop_conv&topicId=A22PYSU3IVQYUQ&

 Those line by line instructions are reprinted below.

Changing Your Converted Text

You may want to make corrections to your book after publishing your book. Follow these steps to transfer your updates to your converted, published book:

1. Go to your Bookshelf and click on the ellipsis button ("...") under the Book Actions menu next to the book you're updating.
2. Select "Edit Details."
3. Scroll down to the “Upload Your Book File” section and click the “Browse” button.
4. Browse to the file you wish to upload (the latest version of your book) and click “Open”.
5. Your file automatically uploads into your bookshelf and the process converting your book to Kindle begins.
6. If successful, you see this message “Upload and conversion successful!”
7. Click “Save and Continue” taking you to the "Rights & Pricing" page.
8. Re-confirm your Content Rights and then click “Save and Publish.”
That's it -- the new file will overwrite the old file within 24-48 hours.

 

I uploaded the same corrected Epub file that I used for Smashwords.  The new file was accepted and re-published within a few hours. 

Note that, unless you are really knowledgeable about converting Word into Epub (which I used for both Smashwords and Kindle) you still have to pay for professional conversion.  However, after that, it is relatively simple to self-correct typos or mistakes and upload a new file.

 

Regarding The Wall, I also sent out twitter messages and posted information on Facebook and Linkedin.  Word about the book also got out in the retirement community where I attend writers’ workshops, and a reporter for the local newspaper interviewed me today about the book and my writing in general, for an upcoming feature story. 

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Out of Time:  An alternative outcome to the Civil War.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Out-Time-Alternative-Outcome-Civil-ebook/dp/B00K34RINA/lakesidepress
 
I submitted the list of corrections for the book to CreateSpace (for the print edition); the cost was $79.  As soon as I approve them, any further print-on-demand copies will be the updated version.  My professional ebook converter is going to make these changes (I submitted them to her before I learned how to do it myself). 
 
Otherwise, nothing new on this book.  I have not mounted any campaign for publicity, except for sending free copies to several Civil War magazines.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

 

Nothing new on Gravity is Always With You...Unless You're an Astronaut.  I have not yet decided on an illustrator.  My preparation for this book has temporarily stalled while I have worked on the other three books.  (See August 12, 2015 blog post for more info.)

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Have been busy publishing...and promoting!  If you are a self-published author, you have to do the latter to be successful in the former.  That means using "social media."  I have been posting to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. 

Here's a rundown of 4 books, starting with the most recently published.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

On August 11 I published The Wall:  Chronicle of a Scuba Trial, in e-book format.  I posted it to both Smashwords and Amazon Kindle.  It is only 46K words, and I don't plan to put it in paperback.  For publicity I've started a twitter campaign, and am considering small ads in scuba magazines. 

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Chronicle-Scuba-Trial-ebook/dp/B013RHYSNW/lakesidepress

Smashwords link
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/568140

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

 

Today is the 7th day of my Amazon Scout campaign for Consenting Adults Only. 

 

 https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2PN5FY0XBJRS

 

I have used Twitter and Facebook to announce the book, but so far it's not going well.  The book has not reached "hot and trending" status, which presumably is a requirement for Amazon to take notice and consider publishing the book.  I have also sent out a bunch of twitter messages to categories dealing with Las Vegas (the book's setting) and Emergency Department nurses/doctors (the main protagonists). 

 

One problem is that Amazon Scout only shows the first 5000 words.  That may not be enough to hook the reader.  The book was designed for the first 4 chapters to do this job, and that's about 10,000 words.  Anyone reading the first 4 chapters would want to continue, but if they got to 10K words they would be hooked to continue.

 

Unless there is some dramatic turnaround in the next 3 weeks, I expect to be self-publishing CAO this fall.  It will come out in both e-book AND paperback.  I think the novel should have wide appeal and may yet gain an audience.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

 

 

Out of Time:  An alternative outcome to the Civil War, has been in e-book format since April and paperback format since June. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Out-Time-Alternative-Outcome-Civil-ebook/dp/B00K34RINA/lakesidepress

 

I have made a list of corrections that will be submitted this week, to both my e-book formatter and CreateSpace (print edition).  They won't affect the ISBN or anything else; just a few minor typos.  This is the bane of self-published authors unless they spend thousands for meticulous line- and copy- editing.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

 

I continue to work on a children's book, called Gravity is Always With You...Unless You're an Astronaut.  I have contacted an illustrator and also spent time on the Shutterstock web site.

 

http://www.shutterstock.com/

 

Shutterstock has thousands of pictures available for downloading.  For a one-time fee of $229, you can download up to 25 pictures for use in your book.  You have to pay more if your book sells more than 500,000 print copies!  Any self-published author would be happy to pay more for those numbers.  The cover mockup below uses a Shutterstock photo of an astronaut.

 

My plan is to use both Shutterstock and a professional illustrator for the book.  I went to the trouble of registering the book with the Library of Congress (the text only, not the pictures; cost $55), and plan to self-publish the book later this year.  Still to be worked out are how many illustrations to use, the format size (different than for adult books - typically square), and the specific target age for the book.  Right now my target is 6-10, though that may be a bit broad.  I have been testing it on my grandkids (age range 3 to 9).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Consenting Adults Only was accepted into the Amazon Kindle Scout Program, and the first 5000 words are now available for reading.

The link is

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2PN5FY0XBJRS

Here's the way the program works.

During the 30-day campaign people can nominate the book for publication (through Sept 5, 2015).  Nominations, plus Amazon's own internal review, will decide if Kindle will publish the book.  If it is published by Amazon Kindle the author gets an advance, plus royalties on both the Kindle version and the audiobook. The author keeps the paperback rights.

I had to sign an agreement to these terms before submitting the book.  However, it's not a bad deal, considering the fate of most self-published books.  Of course, you have to have a good book to begin with, with broad appeal.  I think Consenting Adults Only fills that requirement. 

For more on this one year-old program, see http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/27/amazon-kindle-scout/

I found one author's comments about the Kindle Scout program closely reflecting my own, including about self-promotion.  Polly Iyer is a self-published author whose book, Indiscretion, was accepted for publication by Amazon Kindle this past June (current link at https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3GQQOWLUFNS5C). 
Had Iyer's Indiscretion not been accepted, she would have self-published it.

Her comments (before she knew the book would be accepted) are on Marilyn Meredith's blog.
http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/2015/06/indiscretion-on-amazons-kindle-scout.html

There are so many great books turned down by agents and publishers (or not even looked it, with computerized rejection), that the situation is somewhat comical.  Search in Google for self-published best sellers and you find web sites like these:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ronald-h-balson/bestseller-success-storie_b_4064574.html

and
 
www.parapublishing.com/files/.../155-Self-Published%20Books.pdf
 
If Consenting Adults Only is not published by Amazon Kindle, I will proceed to self-publish it in e-book and paperback formats.  (This will be my 15th book and 4th novel.)  The first 10 people who email me a request will get a free copy of the paperback when it does come out (though may be several months from now).

Larry Martin, MD
drlarry437@gmail.com

I am juggling four books at once, all in various stages of publishing.

Consenting Adults Only.  I am done with proofing and editing, and the cover is completed.  I started the book in my head last year, but began the actual writing March 15, 2015.  I had a first draft finished April 15, and a second draft by May 15.  Since then I’ve made several alterations, the most significant being the Prologue.  I had a great Prologue, but one beta-reviewer rightly thought it did not serve the novel well.  I folded it into story, and the book and story now begin on page 1. 

This is all remindful of Stephen King's admonition in his book On Writing:  A Memoir of the Craft:  "Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” By this he meant, of course, to get rid of things you love if they don't advance the story.  Getting rid of my "darling" Prologue was painful, but in the end the novel is better for it.

I paid $200 to have CAO proofread (after multiple beta-reads), and that final step was completed last week.  I made some necessary changes and "finished" the novel yesterday.   So almost 5 months since I began the writing.  As planned, I have submitted the novel to Kindle Scout, one of Amazon’s publishing arms.  https://kindlescout.amazon.com/about

Kindle Scout will let me know within 2-3 days if the book is accepted for their program; this phase is called the Eligibility and content Review.  From the Scout website:

·  Eligibility & content review

You'll hear from us in 1-2 business days (longer if we have a ton of submissions). Once your submission is approved for launch we'll send you an email with a preview link so you can see exactly what your readers will see. We'll also tell you the exact launch date of your Kindle Scout campaign. What are we reviewing for? If you haven't already, check out the Kindle Scout Eligibility & Content Guidelines.

 

 If CAO meets the Eligibility and content review, the book will be publicized in Kindle format for 30 days to see if it merits publication.  This decision is in part based on feedback from readers.  I am expected to notify friends and email acquaintances of the book’s existence on Kindle, so they can read and critique it.  Amazon Kindle promises to let me know within 45 days if they will then publish the book.  If accepted I will receive a $1500 advance, plus royalties for both the e-book and an audiobook.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Out of Time:  An alternative outcome to the Civil War, has been published in paperback via CreateSpace, and in e-book format via both Kindle and Smashwords. 

Recently, one reader of the Kindle edition noted a few typos, which I feel important to correct; all are minor but still, if you mean the Arizona desert, don’t spell it dessert.  That type of thing.  I will have to pay Create space to update the print-on-demand file, and also pay my e-book formatter a small amount to update both e-books formats (Mobi for Kindle and Epub for Smashwords). 

One could argue that a couple of thousand dollars spent on a top-flight editor would have caught these minor typos (and at 97,000 words, we are talking 2K for line editing).  Perhaps, but is it worth it to the Indie author?  At least half a dozen people read this manuscript before publication, and not one caught the typos now brought to light.  It will cost me <$100 to make the corrections in all formats.  I am not defending this as a self-publication option, just pointing out the economics of the situation.  It’s one every self-published author makes.  There is a difference between sloppy editing and a few typos.  The former is worth any price to correct; the latter, less so.

As an aside, it would be much better if the author could do minor post-publication editing himself/herself, but that’s not possible.  While some authors (very few, no doubt) might have this skill for e-book formats, they still must upload a new file after each change or series of changes.  And even then, they can’t change the print-on-demand file without going through an intermediary.  My ideal would be for any author to have access to the ACTUAL, WHAT-YOU-SEE-IS-WHAT-YOU-GET file, and be able to edit that, then save it.  NO INTERMEDIARY.  We do this now for our web sites, of course.  Why not for self-published books?  The time will come; we’re just not there yet.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Wall: Chronicle of a Scuba Trial is complete and has been submitted for conversion to e-book format.  My cost (for both Smashwords and Kindle formats) is $100, and it is done expertly by Maureen Cutajar (www.gopublished.com).  In addition, I spent $100 on the cover design.  The cover is by Judy Bullard (www.customebookcovers.com), who has done all my covers, starting with Sherman’s Mistress in Savannah.

At this time I have no intention to publish The Wall in paperback.  It is a short work (46,000 words) and aimed at a niche market, so e-book seems to be an ideal format. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

I have finished a draft of a children’s book on gravity.  My schematic of a possible cover design is above.  The next step is to look for illustrators.  This is a brand new area for me, and at this point I am not sure if the work is feasible.  It may be that the cost of illustrations is going to be prohibitive.  A better option would be a collaboration with an illustrator, if that is possible (i.e., co-authorship, share any royalties).  I have some contacts and will begin pursuing those.

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Self-publishing Non-fiction

Most self-published authors write fiction.  That’s a fact.  In writing clubs I attend you almost never hear anyone reading their non-fiction excerpts.  It’s always fiction -- thrillers or mysteries or romance or war stories.  There are two reasons for this.

1)  You don’t need to be an expert on a subject to write fiction.  Anyone can do it. When you need to provide factual information on a topic you know nothing about, you can just do a quick internet search.  Paradoxically, while it is much easier to come up with ideas for fiction, the craft involved in writing a novel is more complex than for a non-fiction book.  (In most of my career I did only non-fiction (http://www.lakesidepress.com/books.html).  Until I started writing fiction a few years ago I was clueless about things like “Point of View” and “Show don’t tell.”)
 
2)       Most non-fiction is aimed at niche markets and not the general public, so your potential sales will be limited (compared to any popular fiction book).  Everyone dreams of writing a fictional best-seller.  Few people dream of writing a non-fiction best seller.  As example, a few years ago I wrote a book on medical aspects of scuba diving.  If you’re not into scuba you’re not going to read it – ever. 

***

If you do have expertise in a certain area then by all means try your hand at non-fiction.  Here is what Joel Friedlander writes, in his daily newsletter, about self-publishing non-fiction. http://www.thebookdesigner.com

“Figure out who you’re publishing the book for…My first tip is to be specific--the more specific you can be in describing your typical or ideal reader, the easier it will be to locate them and understand what they need from you.  Most self-published [non-fiction] books are on niche subjects, and that makes good sense. A niche subject is by definition one that isn’t served by mass-market publishing.” 

Friedlander then goes on to give specific examples. 

“In each case, these authors would have no trouble telling you in an instant who they are publishing for, and why.  Can you do the same? If you're writing nonfiction, it's absolutely critical to be able to answer this question. And the more specific you can be, the more easily you'll find your readers.”

 ***

My self-published book, We Can’t Kill Your Mother! And Other Stories of Intensive Care, is a non-fiction account of actual patients in the ICU.  I changed all the names of course, but the stories and medical conditions are real.  My intended audience:  that part of the general public who may be interested in patient stories. 

***

There is a discussion group for physicians, called Sermo, in which physicians can comment on anything that might interest their colleagues.  Recently two physicians posted their self-publishing efforts.  One of them, Dr. Kennedy, is a surgeon who has self-published two books, the second one  just last month.

 

About his first book, A Brief History of Disease, Science & Medicine (2004), he writes:  “The medical history book began about 15 years ago as a series of lectures for the students on medical history. Eventually I decided to turn it into a book. Yale U Press looked at it and their readers objected that I was not a PhD in history so they passed it up. That book has sold around 20,000 copies so far and sells about 20 to 50 a month on Amazon now. It was adopted as a textbook at several places, including Johns Hopkins and UCLA. Had Yale done it, they would have overpriced it and it would have sold about 1,000.”

He set up his own publishing company (Asklepiad Press) for A Brief History, which also produced his 2^nd book, 50 Years in Medicine:  War Stories (2015)

***

Another physician recently self-published a book aimed at practicing doctors, and chose a brilliant title:  How to Be a Rock Star Doctor - the Complete Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Life and Your Profession

 

On the Sermo discussion site Dr. Bernard wrote:  “The book is geared towards newer docs with advice on how to “work-around” some of the gazillion challenges that we face in medicine, especially in primary care.”   She has clearly identified her niche market. 

***

One of the more successful self-publishing efforts by a physician is White Coat Investor, by Dr. James Dahle.  An emergency medicine physician, Dr. Dahle also keeps up an active web site, http://whitecoatinvestor.com/, where he offers lots of useful investing advice.  He set up his own company to self-publish White Coat Investor.




The listing on amazon.com gives an interesting tidbit about his start as a writer. 

  “James M. Dahle, MD, when not out skiing, mountain biking, or rock climbing with his wife and three children, practices emergency medicine in suburban Utah. As a medical resident, he grew tired of being ripped off by unscrupulous financial professionals including mutual fund salesmen, insurance agents, realtors, mortgage lenders, and stock brokers and began educating himself on the ins and outs of personal finance and investing. In 2011, he started The White Coat Investor, now the most widely read, physician-specific personal finance and investing blog in the world, with nearly 200,000 page views per month. His writing helps doctors avoid the mistakes he made and get a “fair shake” on Wall Street.”

***

So if you have become knowledgeable or expert in some area – doesn’t matter what it is – consider writing a non-fiction book.  And then self-publish it.  Here are 3 web sites that tell more of what you need to know, plus the link to a Kindle book aimed at non-fiction self-publishers.

http://www.selfpublishingadvice.org/the-advantages-of-indie-publishing-for-non-fiction/

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/10/14/non-fiction-success/

http://briancartergroup.com/thought-leadership/non-fiction-authors-should-you-self-publish-or-go-traditional/?hvid=47yXr

http://www.amazon.com/Success-Writing-Self-Publishing-Non-Fiction-eBooks-ebook/dp/B007B4X7DA

SELF-PUBLISHING UPDATE - JULY 11, 2015

It’s been a busy week for my self-publishing efforts.  One novel came out in paperback on Monday, July 6.  Two more novels soon to be published.  A recap.

***

The paperback edition of Out of Time:  An alternative outcome to the Civil War, went up on Amazon this week, via Create Space platform.  OOT has already been out in e-book format, both Kindle and Smashwords. 

Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/Out-Time-alternative-outcome-Civil/dp/1514161214/lakesidepress
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/552121

Now the task is publicity.  I have sent copies to Civil War magazines, which may or (since it’s self-published and is historical fiction) may not review the book   I also sent copies to a few Southern newspapers, in cities where the action takes place (Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Richmond).

Professional Services I Used to Publish OOT

Beta-readers (x3)  -- $300 (one Beta-reader did it for free)

Formatting for Kindle and Smashwords -- $100
Uploading files to Kindle and Smashwords -- $0
Library of Congress Copyright registration -- $55

Cover Design -- $150
Create Space for interior design and print on demand -- $350

Professional services NOT used

Line editing
Publicity

I chose not to do professional line editing because the book has been reviewed by several people via beta-reads, plus myself several times.  The few typos that might be picked up did not seem worth the cost of over $2000 for professional editing (the book is 97,000 words).  Also, in the CreateSpace platform, you can make up to 20 text changes for less than $100.  So if people find errors and inform me, I can easily and inexpensively update the book.

As to publicity, money spent advertising a self-published book is almost always a waste.  Better to use your resources to send out copies for review, or social media to publicize your book.  People also pay for "reviews" in some magazines, e.g. Kirkus Reviews charges $425 for this service. 
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author-services/indie/
A paid review might be worth it IF you get a stellar review that draws attention to your book.  I've not used this or similar service, so can't comment further.

Many web sites discuss how to achieve publicity for self-published books. 
http://writerunboxed.com/2013/06/19/dos-and-donts-for-a-good-self-published-pr-experience/
http://www.selfpublishingadvice.org/category/book-marketing-for-indie-authors/
http://www.bidinotto.com/2013/03/10-winning-marketing-strategies-for-your-self-published-book/

One service I've used in the past was BookDaily's monthly publicity campaign ($49/month). 
http://www.bookdaily.com/authorresource/blog
BookDaily uses blast emails to notify people of your book, but after a year I saw little little value and quit the service.  That's not to say it won't help some authors, though.  The wider the audience for your book, the better the value may be. 
Whatever you do, PAYING BIG BUCKS FOR PUBLICITY COULD BE A RIPOFF.  BE CAREFUL.  For thousands of dollars some publicists will sell you things that will not sell your book (like access to Hollywood producers). 

Spend your money wisely.  Remember, you want to sell your book.  Look carefully into paid publicity before you leap.  Is the expense worth it?  It is tempting to try little things (BookDaily; Kirkus Reviews) and see what happens.  But with rare exception, I have come to realize that the money spent on publicity will likely NOT be recouped in book sales.  So be creative with your time and money when publicizing your book. 

***

Consenting Adults Only is my 2nd novel that will come out this year.  That manuscript has been beta-read 5 times, and I have made all the changes needed from my end.  However, I have sent the manuscript out for professional copyreading.  I chose a copyreader on Fiverr (www.fiverr.com).  The people who offer this service seem very qualified, based on user comments on the fiverr web site.  Also, their prices are reasonable compared to corporate-type offerings. 

 I have also ordered a cover from a free-lance cover designer, who did my previous covers.  The cover above is just a suggestion to my designer; she will come up with something far more intriguing.

 ***

The Wall:  Chronicle of a Scuba Trial is my third novel coming out this year.  I wrote it sometime ago, but never published it. 

I re-did the book this year and ordered a professional cover design (see above).  I also ordered a couple of drawings for the book, using free-lance artists found on fiverr; they are very reasonable and offer quick turn around.  The Wall manuscript is also out for copyreading.  I plan to publish it only in e-book format, since it’s really a niche book that will probably only interest scuba divers and (some) trial lawyers. 

***

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

ALLI


In my blog post of June 30, which discussed other self-publishing blogs, I did not include a biggie from the UK, known as ALLI, Alliance of Independent Authors.  It is actually a world-wide non-profit organization, which publishes a daily blog at:

http://allianceindependentauthors.org/

I get it daily and skim it, taking away some useful tidbits here and there.  The blog post today is a winner, one that all self-publishers should read. 

http://www.selfpublishingadvice.org/all-the-ways-to-self-publish-a-book-on-amazon/

It covers all the Amazon publishing platforms, giving pros and cons on each.  Also covers Amazon's promotion tools. Here is the list of items discussed.

PLATFORMS

• Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) for Audiobooks
• Createspace (CS) for Print
• Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for publishing and selling ebooks
• The specialist Kindle programs (limited access):
  • Kindle Scout
  • Kindle Singles
  • Kindle Owners Lending Library (KOLL)
  • Kindle Unlimited (KU)
  • Kindle Worlds (KW)

PROMOTION TOOLS

• KDP Select
• Amazon Advertising
• Amazon Giveaways