New Marketing Services Company Can Help Create BZZZ!For Any Self-published or Traditionally-Published Book

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.  — Author Solutions (ASI), the world leader in indie book publishing, announced today the launch of AuthorHive—a full-service author marketing services and promotion company.

 Authors, whether self-published or traditionally published, can choose from a rich array of author marketing products and services, including publicity, media relations, online services, and live event opportunities; and benefit from the convenience of working with a single entity.

 “AuthorHive provides authors a one-stop shop that brings together all the essentials of successful book marketing and allows authors the opportunity to choose exactly the right set of tools to meet their individual goals, “ said Kevin Weiss, ASI president and chief executive officer.

 AuthorHive is backed by the resources and expertise of Author Solutions, which has helped thousands of authors market their books. Each AuthorHive author will work closely with a personal marketing consultant who will help create a comprehensive marketing and promotional campaign.

 For more information on AuthorHive, call 1-866-697-5289 or log on to www.authorhive.com.

I get a lot of questions about how to get a publisher. I have strong feelings about this. You will send your manuscript to publishers that you can convince to receive it. It will sit there for months, even years, and nobody will read it. And if they do, they will want you to completely re-write it.

And then they will tell you, it’s still not good enough to publish. Or if you are very lucky they will print five thousand copies, with a bad cover design, send you twenty copies, promise you a percentage of the profits, and then send you nothing but receipts for their expenses.

And then when you want to promote your book yourself, it won’t be in the bookstores. And when you want your book back to put it out yourself, they will tell you that they own it and will not print any more or give it back to you.

The worst story I heard was in Japan. Movie star Tatsuya Nakadai’s wife wrote a book about her husband. She gave it to a large publisher. They held it seven years without doing anything with it. When she died, they immediately published it. That publisher is a bigger cut throat than the cut throat villians Nakadai played on the screen in ‘Sanjuro’ and ‘Yojimbo’.

One aspiring writer I know says, “Self publishing is not real publishing.” So he’s spent $50,000 paying publishers to read his book for consideration, and turned down by all of them. He still refuses to print up some copies to give to friends. To have. To see his work between two hard covers. He loves literature, but will leave the planet without seeing his book realized because of his belief that ‘self publishing is not publishing’.

Why go through all the above, when these days you can self-publish your book? (Not vanity press). You can design your own cover, get an ISBN number, and sell it on Authors Den, Amazon, and your own web site. And when you need more copies you can make a phone call to your printer and have them in two weeks. Your book will never go out of print. And you can revise it and anytime you want.

These days you don’t have to print thousands of copies. You can print 200, or 100 or now there is even printing one at a time. They also have programs for your PC to lay out your book for printing.

And then you will have something to hand out to promote yourself or just to share. Something cheaper than cookies to give to your loved ones on Christmas. And let me tell you it’s a great and satisfying experience. And why wait like Nakadai’s wife did? Why not enjoy having your book out now with the cover design, paper, and type style you like.

That’s what Gene Simmons of KISS did. He first met with a publisher for his “Kisstory” book. But when he realized they would take him to the cleaners with their endless deductions he published it himself.

You probably won’t make a profit. Or if you do, it will take time. But that’s not the reason to have a least one book out that represents you, be it auto-biography, fiction, or whatever subject. Just call up a printer and get the prices.

Director of six feature films including ‘Omega Cop’.

Author of ‘How to Live the James Bond Lifestyle’.

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Depending on what type of book you’re trying to publish, choosing your self publisher is key. You should do your homework before hand. As you want to be prepared and organized, having it all planned out before you is vital to having a successful publishing.

When going on search engines be specific or distinct when typing in your search and by the way Google is not the only search engine out there. Yes I know it’s the most used but majority of the time it spits out the same ad’s over and over again. This is why it’s a good idea to search on more than one search engine as they might offer one or more different websites that might be slightly different then on Google.

If you’re going to use the self-publishing route choose wisely each company has a variety of price ranges for your needs. Look around at a couple of companies and see what they offer before you agree to any terms. Also majority of them would like at least 50% down before they even consider publishing your work. Each site is different, each have their own category for the type of book they publish.

After you have decided on a few companies, you should weigh the pros and cons of each company, which one suits your needs better. Which one offers the best services, turnaround time, and royalties’ payout. Also take the time and estimate the cost of how much you would need to publish your book and any other additional services you might need.

Make sure once you have chosen the company you want to go publish with, have a list of questions you want to ask. It’s a good idea to have this already done beforehand. You want to address concerns, needs and wants. They are obligated to answer any questions you have.

Always have a second and third company as a backup, incase the one you chose first doesn’t meet your requirements or they do not meet to your satisfactory. Remember it’s your book and you want only the best for it. Also remember it’s a process and you have to work with the publishers and vice versa.

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Writing is an art and very few are blessed with this art of expression. Most of you, who are eagerly reading this article must be either planning to write a book or must be in the first few weeks of writing your dream book. Many of us must be reading this article to get some motivation to take that extra step to start the ambitious project of writing a book for the first time. Whatever be the case, writing a book for the first time presents a set of challenges, that need to be removed at an early stage. This article is meant for those that wish to learn how to write a book for the first time.

Various forms of writing, be it fiction writing, non-fiction writing, novel writing or even writing an autobiography, all are just like carving an idol or shaping wet clay into a beautiful pot, for the writer. The process of getting a literature work published is painful in terms of the time, energy and imagination a writer puts behind it. However the joys of self-expression and self-satisfaction are equally rewarding and often incomparable to the monetary benefits, that one gets out of the project.

Writing a Book: Getting Started
Some fundamental writing tips that will guide you in the process of writing a book for the first time have been mentioned below. While trying to inculcate these habits, ensure that you tackle one of them at a time, so that you are able to achieve perfection in each of the mentioned habits gradually.

Schedule a Time for Writing
Discipline is a virtue that every writer must inculcate in their writing habits. In the beginning phase of writing, try to allocate a certain fraction of your time to writing, maybe 30 minutes or a maximum of 60 minutes per day. Choose any time of the day that you are comfortable with. The allotted time may be in the early morning, at dusk or may be just before going to bed. Just sit! Relax! And start writing. But make sure that consistency is maintained regularly. If you have started writing a book for the first time, then this discipline will help you in your entire career. You may find it fruitful to read more articles on time management.

Remove Distractions
Concentration is a prerequisite characteristic for a writer. When you sit to write, remove all distractions. A cluttered desk, noisy room, television and music are some of the common distracting factors. Try to sit in a silent room with the least number of things to distract you. Even if you prefer typing on your PC then log out of your e-mail account or better still, just disconnect the internet. Just keep the note pad or other writing options open so that you can start writing. Chatting with a friend and simultaneously writing is a very bad idea indeed. If a pen and a paper pad are your choice, choose simple stationery. Keep things simple and let nothing come between you and your words. Let the world be non-existent for some time. Writing a book for the first time needs these essential habits to be developed in our personality, so better do follow them, at least for your benefit. Learn some some simple concentration techniques and improve your productivity.

It’s all About Ideas, Capture them!
Getting engrossed the whole day thinking about your book is a waste of energy and time, besides leading to inefficiency in your other daily work. So, plan a separate time during the day, called as ‘idea time’. Just 15 minutes is enough. Plan out what you will write. You must be proceeding in your story or you may be about to introduce a new character, just plan and give a thought to them. You can even do this brainstorming a few minutes before the actual writing. Once you have decided what to include, be ready to write! Capture ideas by visiting places and meeting new people. You can also write when you are feeling inspired and motivated! For writers, there are times when we just can’t write and at times we are at the peak of expression. Accept it as a part and parcel of writing. Disappointment isn’t the key, keep striving! Read more on tips on how  to write a book.

Get it Edited and Revise Often
As you progress in the endeavor to write a book for the first time, it is mandatory that you choose someone who will love to edit your write-ups and will guide you in enhancing your writin skills. The editor can be your college teacher, some friend working in the writing department of some magazine, newspapers etc. and even your close friend who has a flair for writing and reading. In the initial stages of your writing, a paid editor is not a very bright idea as it may be quite expensive for you. Publishers and paid editors are best visited after you have a ready copy of your write up and a synopsis of the novel you are writing.

You may love to read more on

• How to Write a Novel
• Six Traits of Writing

Remember, you are just on the track of writing a book for the first time, so chalk out your plans slowly and put ample amount of thought behind it. Learn from the positive criticism of the editor and work on it instead of creating issues.These were some of the ideas on writing a book for the first time. Hope you find them useful in writing your first book. All the best.

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When you sit down to write, where do all the ideas go? Especially the ones you thought of only 15 minutes before. They went to Idea Land. Sometimes they will return, and sometimes they won’t, so you need to learn how to drum up more writing ideas. 

One good way is to think of a dramatic scene: 

    Two ice skaters on a lake – one falls through the ice and drowns
    Someone is kidnapped and they left a clue on purpose
    The janitor at school wins a lottery ticket. What happens to him?
    Someone hacks into a computer and steals the owner’s identity
    A mother and child are separated in a shopping mall 

Ideas are all around you in real life. Read the newspapers. Listen to the news. Search old newspapers, rename the people, and lift out some of the information to make your own story. You could sit in a restaurant and eavesdrop on other people.  Imagine all sorts of things according to what you hear. Or stand in a crowd and do nothing but listen. Life is full of weird things. 

Look at any object – a house, semi-truck, car, dog, child, bridge, etc., and ask the six questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Example: Who is that person, when did they get to that place and why? Where is that truck going and what will happen along the way? What is the name of that bridge? Why does it carry that name? 

All of these things can trigger ideas in your imagination. Some of your best ideas will come from real life. Don’t make the mistake of copying private circumstances into a story. That’s a good way to get sued, but you can take circumstances from three or four people and mix them up until they give you a story. (And then you can be sued by three or four people. Nah. Just kidding.) When you use circumstances in someone’s life, disguise them well and you will have no fears. 

Here’s something I read on the net recently – look at a piece of furniture and imagine that one piece of furniture is in a house, hundreds of miles away. Now furnish the house however you like; fill it with occupants, landscape the yard, and focus a story on the house or the people. 

You can come up with good ideas from writing prompts, too. For example: Three men are surviving in a life raft. Land is still three days away and even with rationing, there is only enough water for one man. What happens? When you think of the answer, ask yourself “What if?”. That will expand your mind to all the various possibilities. 

And when you get the idea you want, run with it! Sit down to the keyboard and type and type and type. Do not edit until your ideas run out. If you can’t write at that moment, take brief notes so you don’t lose the thought.

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Deborah Owen, founder of http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com - the only fully mentored writing school. Have your own private tutor at bargain basement prices. To receive our newsletter or a free evaluation of your writing, write to deborahowen@cwinst.com

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Whether you have just completed your first, third or fifth book you want to see it succeed. Book promotion is a daunting task that can leave even a seasoned publicist floundering for ideas. There are thousands of books jockeying for the readers’ attention and you want your book to be their first choice. Promoting a book is like being a cross between Houdini and a detective. You have got to sleuth for creative promoting avenues then magically tie them to your book to maximize revenue-generating publicity.

With these super easy tips, you can promote your book like a pro. Promoting should be done off and on-line. Your goal is not only to be creative but to garner as much publicity for your book as possible. On all the items listed below be sure to include your book cover, website address, contact information, and, always a must, ordering information.

-Magnetic signs: We have all seen these signs on vehicles advertising everything from AVON to plumbing services. Why not use them to promote your book? Full-color magnetic signs placed on the sides of your car are the ultimate advertising tools. If your daily commute is anything like mine, an hour each way to work, hundreds of people can see them on a daily basis. They are relatively cheap. Depending on the size and design you choose, you can get a pair ranging from $18.00 to $85.00. All you have to do is email the company the verbiage, a succinct description of your book, website address and a .JPEG of your book cover. Be sure to review the proof they send you. The company can have a custom sign to you within three to five business days.

-Create your own blog: Blog, what a funny sounding word, it almost sounds like you are regurgitating lunch. But trust me there is nothing funny about it. Having a blog has become one of the coolest and in some cases most profitable things on the Web. Blog, nickname for web log, is an online personal journal on which you can add links to your favorite sites. A blog can take your diary ramblings and turn them into a publicity-generating machine. Depending on the popularity of your blog it can receive more than one hundred thousand hits a day. A blog provides an excellent venue to showcase your writing in addition to keeping your fans abreast on what is going on with you. Be sure to include a link on your blog that point visitors back to your main website for them to read an excerpt of your book and to purchase it. You may read my blog at http://desireeday.blogspot.com.

-A mug: My agent, Bob Diforio, had my book cover emblazed on a coffee mug. The mug can also serve double duty as a candy dish. If you work in an office, give one to the receptionist to use as a candy dish, that way every visitor to the office will see it.

-An acrylic holder: You can make your own holder or order one from a promotional item company. Hang the holder on your car window to hold your postcards. Whenever you stop at a store, pull out your holder. Passersby can take a postcard while you are shopping.

-Clothing: Make this a family event. Have your book cover, website address and succinct information on your book emblazed on a T-shirt, baseball cap, sweatpants, etc. Have family members wear their T-shirts and/or baseball caps whenever the opportunity presents itself. At the gym, out shopping, or just out getting ice cream. There’s no better walking billboard than your loved ones.

-Advertise on www.classmates.com: The creation of this website has allowed individuals to keep in touch with or renew acquaintances from years past. For a nominal fee you can send an announcement of your new book to the alumni of your high school and college. Although they restrict you from adding a URL to your announcement, you can still add information that will get noticed. For example I used: Desiree Day has just published her novel Crazy Love. Interested readers can then Google me to find my website.

-Independent Book Sellers (IBS): By now you should know the names of all the IBS within a one hundred mile radius of your home. A number of them collect demographical information on their customers, such as name, mailing address and email address. This is vital information that you can use in promoting your book. Contact the owner to see if they are willing to mail out your promotional materials. However; if they do mail your information, be prepared to pay postage.

-You: Keep a copy of your book with you at all times. Just having it is bound to elicit questions. This is an especially excellent technique if you are on public transportation. Anyone within three feet of you is bound to ask what you are reading. Also have a supply of your postcards to pass out to everyone you meet.

Do not forget that you can also promote your book by writing articles, facilitating a workshop, volunteer as a panelist, and joining an assortment of professional associations and organizations.

You can tack your postcards on local bulletin boards, post your web site on Yahoo and MSN groups, have a friend host a book signing/reading party and, finally, send press releases to independent booksellers.

Happy Promoting!

Desiree Day Author of Crazy Love http://www.desireeday.com/

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There are a number of articles and posts discussing whether it’s important to have a degree in writing in order to be successful in your writing career. The articles that I’ve read all agree that it is not necessary. But, there are at least 6 essential steps you will need to take to reach the golden ring of publication.

The 6 Steps to Publication:

1. Learn the craft of writing

While it’s not essential to have a degree in writing, it is essential that you learn the craft. You can obtain this knowledge through a number of avenues, such as:

a. Become a part of a coaching program or club. Just make sure the instructor or coach has the necessary credentials to teach or guide.

b. Research blogs and sites that offer instructional articles on the genre you are writing in. You can also find articles through the article directories.

c. Attend writing conferences. Even if you can’t go in person, or can’t afford to go, there are a number of free online conferences that offer great workshops, networking, and even pitches to publishers. One such conference is the Muse Online Writers Conference.

d. Join a critique group that has new and experienced writers. Critique groups are a great way to learn the ropes. The experienced writers will provide a kind of one-on-one tutoring. Through the critiques you receive you’ll begin to notice your common errors and how to correct them. Through the critiques you give, you’ll be able to pick up on errors much quicker. All this will help you to hone your craft and become a confident writer.

e. Read books about writing, self-editing, and books in the genre you are writing. Study these books.

2. Write and keep writing

Remember the old express, ‘practice makes perfect.’ It’s important to make time to write every week, whether it’s daily or specific days, or even if you have to squeeze it into your schedule. The more you write, the more comfortable you will feel about writing.

3. Read your work, proofread your work, self-edit your work, revise your work…repeat

This is where you apply the information you’ve reaped from Step 1. After you think it’s ‘really’ good, submit it to your critique group. Then repeat Step 3. When you think it’s perfect you’re ready for Step 4.

4. Submit your work

In this step you can take two paths:

a. Submit your work to an experienced editor. This is the path almost all writers will advise you to take. The editor is trained to spot things that you and you’re critique group will not. Yes, it will be an expense, but there are some reasonable and experienced editors out there that you can take advantage of.

b. If you cannot afford an editor, be sure to carefully read a book about self-editing, print your manuscript out and go over it with a fine tooth comb. When you feel confident that it’s as good as you can get it, start submitting it to publishing companies and/or agents.

5. Read publishers’ guidelines carefully

Along with reading them carefully, you need to follow them carefully. Publishers have more submissions than they can handle, if your submission doesn’t meet their guidelines it would be highly unlikely it will avoid the trash pile.

6. Persevere

It’s not necessarily the best writer who gets published and has a successful writing career…it’s the writer who perseveres. Writing can be a long and arduous road and is usually filled with a great deal of rejection. But, if you work toward your goal, learn your craft, and keep moving forward, you have what it takes to become published.

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Most writers have heard the amazing stories of authors who were turned down by publisher after publisher before finally deciding to self publish their books. In these modern day fairy tales, the author is rewarded not only for her creative writing skills, but also for her initiative, by selling a zillion copies. Then the big publishers start to take notice. They get into a bidding war, and the book writer is again rewarded, this time with a fat contract and a book that hits the best seller list. 

So, do these things really happen, or is it all a myth? The answer is a little bit of both. Yes, there have been some authors that have risen to fame after deciding to self publish. Some examples include: 

1) Rich Dad Poor Dad was self published by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter. A decade later, the book has been featured on the Oprah show and has spent more than three years on various best seller lists. 

2) The Celestine Prophecy was self published by James Redfield in 1993. Eventually he sold it to Warner books for $800,000. 

3) The One-Minute Manager was self published by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson to go along with their seminars. After selling 20,000 copies on their own, a publisher purchased the book and it became a best seller. 

4) Eragon was written by 15 year old Christopher Paolini who enjoyed writing fiction. He decided to self publish his fantasy book and sell it on his own. Two years later, Paolini received a contract and was signed to write two sequels. 

5) What Color is Your Parachute was written and self published by Richard Nelson Bolles more than three decades ago. It spent 288 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and is still incredibly popular. 

On the other hand, the majority of writers who self publish do not become rich or famous. There are several reasons that a book writer might choose to self publish, and getting noticed by big time publishers is only one. Other reasons include wanting to publish the book specifically for family and friends, planning to make a little extra money selling them on the side, or just wanting to see the final product in print. (There’s a reason self publishing companies are called “vanity presses.”) Some writers feel that having a copy of the book that can be sold is what it takes to make them a professional writer, and if that’s a dream of theirs, self publishing can be one way to fulfill it. 

Self publishing is easier today than it ever has been before. The process used to involve printing hundreds of copies of a book, all at the author’s expense. He or she would keep the books on hand (often in the trunks of their cars, apparently) to sell at seminars, workshops, or even swap meets! With print-on-demand publishing, it is now possible for a novel writer to simply direct buyers to self publishing websites where they can order one copy at a time. This may or may not cost the author a fee up front, depending on the service. 

One final advantage to self publishing is that it frees writers up to do more jobs writing. Rather than focus so much time and energy on creating book proposals, reviewing writer guidelines, working with editors, and keeping track of manuscript submissions, writers can spend their time doing what they love the most-writing. While it’s not the right choice for everyone, there are some writers who really can benefit from making the choice to self publish in today’s market.

While there has traditionally been a stigma attached to self-publishing, for some writers the option to self-publish has many advantages.

Advantage 1: Self-publishing allows you to make a much larger profit on each book sold. If you already have a channel to sell your books, self-publishing can make the writing/publishing process more profitable than having your book traditionally published. Writers who frequently speak at conferences, for example, might benefit more from self-publishing than from using a publisher.

Advantage 2: Self-publishing gives you complete control over your editorial and design. If you want to use your book to brand either yourself or your company, you can use your cover in ways a traditional publisher would probably not consider. You can be much more free with plugs to your own products and services in a self-published book and not be concerned that they’ll be edited out.

Advantage 3: Self-publishing allows you to set the timeline. If your book is related to a current or upcoming event, you can push your schedule to ensure that you have printed copies of your book on-hand when that event happens. A publishing house has its own schedule that doesn’t necessarily coincide with yours. It will likely take much longer to see your book in print than if you self-publish.

Advantage 4: When you self-publish, you retain all copyrights. If your printed book doesn’t sell the way you expected, or if you really want to re-purpose it as a video or ebook, with a traditional publisher you are stuck. Your contract likely prohibits you from using your content in any way without them. As a self-publisher, you can create ebooks, articles for your website, videos, or booklets from your book’s content without contractual repercussions.

Of course, being a self-publisher also has its hardships. You need at least some initial financial outlay to self-publish a professional looking book, and if the book fails to sell, there is no one to blame but yourself.

However, for the adventurous, sales-minded writer, self-publishing may be the best of all possible worlds.

Before choosing a Print on Demand (POD) publisher, you need to consider seven crucial factors: set-up costs, cover price, royalty payments, control, distribution, author’s discounts, and the publisher’s reputation.

Print-On-Demand (POD) publishers merely print a single copy of a book at a time as it is ordered, rather than mass printing. Yet POD, as a term, has come to be synonymous with a business model in which publishers, in one way or another, charge authors to bring their books to readers. The payment may be through up-front set-up fees, a share of the sale price, or a combination of both. Authors who choose this form of publishing should understand that although their books may be available for sale on online retail sites, they will likely never appear in bricks and mortar bookstores. Authors will have to do their own marketing, and they can expect that their books will not be regarded as true publishing credits by most people in the publishing industry.

Despite these disadvantages, POD publishing is still right for some. If you wish to self-publish a book in order to reach a small, niche audience, POD is a low-risk means to do so. But before you choose the publisher who is right for you, you need to research the options and compare the offerings. When making your comparisons, don’t choose a company based on one factor alone. Be sure to consider all seven of the key factors outlined in this article, while giving slightly more weight to those issues that are most important to you.

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