What Everyone Needs to Know About Self-Publishing

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Sandra here with a good friend, Ann Lee Miller from my local chapter of ACFW.  Our group is CWOW Christian Writers of the West and you may recognize us because we sponsor the Phoenix Rattler Contest.  


Ann Lee  became our president and innovated some great projects and formats for our meetings.  CWOW grew under her leadership and she has been a wonderful inspiration for all of us.

Ann Lee is joining us today in Seekerville and will be talking about her experience in self-publishing her four novels.  She is also offering a free e-book copy of her first novel Kicking Eternity to all of you who request a copy.  A generous offer Ann Lee.   We hope you enjoy your day with us. 

[Note:Anyone who who would like to receive afree e-copy of KickingEternity, you may request yourbook at AnnLeeMiller.com and click on Contact button.]

Grab a cup of coffee and some pastries we have laid out on the sideboard and let me introduce you to Ann Lee Miller.

Threemonths ago I would have been the last writer on the planet toself-publish e-books. Now, after hearing the voice of God and chokingdown a hairball of pride, I’m a lot like Paul who persecutedChristians, then became one.Iwas the 2011 president of the Phoenix chapter of American ChristianFiction Writers. My BA in creative writing swung discretely from mybelt beside the inscription of my highly respected literary agent.I’d notched a long list of writers’ conferences into the leather.My backpack was stuffed with worn out copies of Donald Maass’books, Jack M. Bickham’s Sceneand Structure,and Renni Browne and Dave King’s Self-editingfor Fiction Writers.Indie publishing was fine for people who were impatient or not quiteready for “real” publishing. If anyone could land a traditionalpublisher, I could.Theten year anniversary of when God called me to write loomed inJanuary. The popularity of e-books and e-readers had started the bookindustry down the same road the music world had plummeted when peoplestarted downloading songs from the internet. E-books sold cheaper.They could be published by authors without the aid of a publishinghouse. Publishers’revenues shrunk. They laid off workers, published fewer books, stuckwith well-established authors, and took risks on fewer new novelists.Even literary agents struggled to stay in the business. My agent oftwo and a half years let go all her unpublished clients, includingme, to pursue more lucrative business ventures.           OnFebruary 17, at the lowest point of my despair, my son, who followedthe decline of the music industry, suggested I indie e-publish myfour completed novels. At that moment, God infused me with hope anddirected me to do something I never would have considered without Hisprompting. Since then, I feel like He is jostling me forward, saying,“This is the way, walk in it.”Seekerville’sSandra Leesmith asked me to lay out my indie publishing journey forthose of you who are considering taking this road.
Prayer

1. I pray for God’s enabling each day before I begin my day. Then, I pray through each obstacle I encounter as I write.
2. Robin Lee Hatcher inspired me to recruit friends who might be willing to pray for my writing and publishing long before I published.
3. I update my prayer team with specific requests and keep them in the loop of my progress.

Cover




Thecover is the single most important advertising element you have.Hiring a graphic artist to do your cover can cost $50-$1,000. Askyour friends for recommendations. I would be less concerned aboutwhether they have done book covers in the past and more concernedabout whether I liked their portfolio. Iused Robin Roberts at RedRedDesign.com and was very happy with theresult. I sent Robin a synopsis, head shot of my heroine I hadclipped from a magazine, photographs of the town where the book isset, detailed descriptions of each character, and a file of bookcovers I liked.Hedid three rough sketches for me to choose from, or he was willing tostart over if nothing caught me. Next came a detailed pencil sketch.I made suggestions. He painted an oil painting (which I get tokeep!), and e-mailed me a photo of the cover with text. I told him Iwanted more girly looking text. He wasn’t satisfied with the colorof the ocean and fiddled with the painting. The next day he sent me anew shot of the cover. I approved the new cover and noted that theocean really did look better. He had to let the oils dry for severaldays before the painting could be scanned and a final cover jpge-mailed to me.
ManuscriptPrep

1. Edit: I felt like one of the most important things I could do to insure the success of my book was to hire a freelance editor. Editing prices range from $800 to $3,000. Every manuscript can benefit from line editing (grammar, punctuation, wording), and most need substantive (plotting, characterization, big picture issues) editing to some degree. Editors I have used are C.S. Lakin (LiveWriteThrive.com) and Christina Berry Tarabochia (ChristinaBerry.com). There are many other excellent freelance editors who can be found through AmericanChristianFictionWriters.com or by asking your writer friends for recommendations.
2. Fix: I tend to make every change my critique partners and editors suggest, so I tried to weigh each comment carefully to determine whether it would improve the quality of my story.
3. Proofread: After implementing the changes, I had my manuscript proofread. I didn’t want to risk typos in the final copy. Proofreading starts at $400.
4. Add Additional Content:

• Endorsements—I asked a couple of writer friends if they would endorse my book because I wanted to make my book as much like a traditionally published book as possible.
• Statement that this is a work of fiction. (The events and characters described herin are imaginary, etc.)
• Copyright—copyright is established by inserting “Copyright © 2012 Author’s Name”
• Copyright statement—“This book remains the copyrighted property of the owner and may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical, without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.”
• Note from the Author, if you have one. Example from Kicking Eternity: “For you turtle enthusiasts—I am aware that fires are outlawed on the beach during turtle nesting season. I hope you will cut me some slack for burning imaginary fires in the middle of nesting season. I assure you, no turtles were harmed in the course of writing this book.”
• Author info—To learn more about [Author’s Name]’s books and what is coming next from this talented author, visit [Author’s website], Twitter [name], or Facebook Author Page at [Author’s page address].
• Dedication Page.
• Title Page.
• Acknowledgements—Not all authors write acknowledgements, but I read other authors’ acknowledgements with rapt attention, so I was thrilled to write my own. I placed them at the end of the book out of personal preference, but they often appear at the beginning.
• The following are usually placed at the end of the book. Author photo, brief bio, and other titles from this author. Because my books will be coming out within the next year, I added the release dates and short description of each book.

5. Format: Smashwords.com gives detailed instructions on how to format a manuscript for e-publishing. It took me (actually, it was my fantastic husband) approximately four hours of work. For $100-$200, an expert can be hired to do the job.
6. Upload: My husband uploaded my book to Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Each site walked him through the process. There are many more sites where you may upload your book for sale.

Business

1. I formed an LLC. Each state has its own application process. In Arizona, the form is about a page long and LLC status is granted three months after applying. This protects me from being sued and enables me to keep my business and personal finances formally separated.
2. Since I went the LLC route, I needed to apply for an EIN number from http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=102767,00.html. This was a very simple task.
3. When attempting to open a business bank account, I discovered my bank requires waiting until the LLC status has been granted. Also, my bank requires a $1,500 minimum balance for business accounts. Failure to maintain this balance will result in my being charged $7 per month.
4. I am considering opening a business Pay Pal account, but I will only need this if I sell books directly from my Website.
5. Since I have earned $2.10 so far, I have not yet opened personal and business freshbooks accounts for free at https://ardg.freshbooks.com/refer/www. I will need to affix my business e-mail to the business account and my personal e-mail to the personal account. I will be able to send my business invoices for personal expenses to reimburse myself, versus paying myself for expenses out of profits (this avoids double taxation).
6. I also will need to open an Expensify account to keep track of my expenses. This will keep things clean and put the most money in my pocket. I will then need to link that to my personal Freshbooks account in order to invoice my business for my expenses.

Marketing

1. Blog Tour: I contacted as many bloggers as I could who might be interested in promoting Christian contemporary romances and offered to do an interview or guest post (like this one) and giveaway. I scheduled a different blog stop each day for the month of June. Most bloggers ask for a head shot, jpg of the cover, bio, and book blurb. I recommend creating a spreadsheet to keep all the details in order.
2. Facebook: I wrote to friends and asked if they would like to help me by reading my book, posting reviews and passing my book on to their friends.
3. Twitter: Tweet as often as you can with the goal of building relationships and occasionally advertising your book. I highly recommend Joel Comm’s Twitter Power.
4. Speaking: I arranged speaking engagements in the two colleges I attended, the town where the books are set, and my hometown.
5. News Releases: I am sending news releases about my book to the above locations.
6. Kindle Select: Amazon’s three month long marketing program I plan to participate in.

Thisis more of a beginner’s testimonial than the last word on indiepublishing. My favorite book on the topic is Jeff Bennington’sIndieAuthor’s Guide to the Universe.
I’d love to hearyour thoughts on e-publishing. 


If you’ve read this far you deserve a free book! Contact me through AnnLeeMiller.com, and I’ll send you afree e-copy of KickingEternity.  (click contact button)
Bio:AnnLee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH)University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in NewSmyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to youngadults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges.When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real orimagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountainswith her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives. Ann’s KickingEternitylaunches June 1; TheArt of My Life,September 1; Avra’sGod,December 1; TatteredInnocenceMarch 1, 2013.

ShortBlurb on Kicking Eternity:Freshfrom college, Raine scores a teaching job at New Smyrna Beach Surfand Sailing Camp. A crush on the camp rebel/art teacher threatens toderail her plans to teach orphans in Africa. The broody recreationdirector spots her brothers meth addiction and Raine's enabling.Raine believes she is helping her brother--until lives arethreatened. 

Backcover copy, Kickin Eternity:Stuckin sleepy New Smyrna Beach one last summer, Raine socks away her camppay checks, worries about her druggy brother, and ignores trouble:Cal Koomer. She’s a plane ticket away from teaching orphans inAfrica, and not even Cal’s surfer six-pack and the chinks she spiesin his rebel armor will derail her. Theartist in Cal begs to paint Raine’s ivory skin, high cheek bones,and internal sparklers behind her eyes, but falling for her wouldcaterwaul him into his parents’ live. No thanks. The girl wasself-righteous waiting to happen. Mom served sanctimony likevegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full. RecDirector Drew taunts her with “Rainey” and calls her an enabler.He is so infernally therelike a horsefly—till he buzzes back to his ex. Raine’sbrother tweaks. Her dream of Africa dies small deaths. Will shefigure out what to fight for and what to free before it’s too late?

Thanks Ann Lee.  What a great outline of the self-publishing world.  If you have any question, Ann Lee will be here today to respond.  Enjoy you day with us Ann Lee.