tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post4609611446443668967..comments2024-03-29T03:42:04.742-04:00Comments on Author, Jody Hedlund: How Can Writers Know if Their Work is Ready for E-Publication?Jody Hedlundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-41130542410995081552015-02-16T01:55:37.477-05:002015-02-16T01:55:37.477-05:00Your Premier group is basically the Barclays Most ...Your Premier group is basically the Barclays Most recognized League pertaining to sponsorship motives. It is often a British specialized league pertaining to football golf equipment. Twenty golf equipment contest within this league. <b><a href="http://www.scorespro.com/soccer/england/premier-league/" title="scorespro.com" rel="nofollow">www.scorespro.com</a></b><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12030878660747500623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-89823711141886745202011-04-14T23:30:35.617-04:002011-04-14T23:30:35.617-04:00My solution to ensuring my writing is as decent as...My solution to ensuring my writing is as decent as possible: I hired an indie editor recently, who will be editing my work prior to release. I've epublished 2 novels already. They were well-received, but I felt I still had a lot to learn. I've never found a decent critique group, and the contest circuit didn't do much either!! So I went out on my own. I wrote a blog post about what I call <a href="http://www.guerrillawordfare.com/2011/04/going-guerrilla/" rel="nofollow">going guerrilla</a> and what I learned that made me go the indie route with epublishing. Good luck to you! <a href="http://www.guerrillawordfare.com/" rel="nofollow">Lizzy Ford</a>Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12438332917110811544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-72667589402619422812011-04-14T19:45:14.066-04:002011-04-14T19:45:14.066-04:00Very informative, thanks for sharing:)Very informative, thanks for sharing:)Toyin O.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08429675861306256504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-51175098081379739532011-04-14T16:47:23.719-04:002011-04-14T16:47:23.719-04:00Talking self-publishing of ebooks, epublishing is ...Talking self-publishing of ebooks, epublishing is a gamble even when the book is well-written because all of the promotional responsibility is on the writer. There will be serious writers dedicated to craft and others who want to make a buck. Both may earn money. I don't have a problem with that. The differentiating factors will be marketing and quality. Word of mouth is still the best thing going. If an author puts out junk, word will get around. Think of all the one-hit musical artists. There will be one-hit authors. The market will get rid of them.PatriciaWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04572087157439187319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-87940597816937264922011-04-14T13:27:59.417-04:002011-04-14T13:27:59.417-04:00Amanda,
Great to hear from you! Glad to hear that ...Amanda,<br />Great to hear from you! Glad to hear that you're putting the work into editing and not rushing into it. That's exactly what I'd do too, in your situation.<br /><br />And Anne,<br />I think your statement about being branded as a terrible writer can happen with traditional publication too! That's why it behooves all of us to do the very very best we can to write excellent and well crafted stories no matter what route of publication we go. :-)Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-23897020957542046362011-04-14T12:01:12.126-04:002011-04-14T12:01:12.126-04:00This is such an important subject. "Most writ...This is such an important subject. "Most writers are blind to their own mistakes" is so true. <br /><br />The problem with eBook's argument above is that everybody's a terrible writer in the beginning. Good writers are trained, not born. If you sell your books before their time, you will be pegged as a terrible writer forever. <br /><br />This is a great post.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-42647639699375533012011-04-14T08:37:24.512-04:002011-04-14T08:37:24.512-04:00I completely agree with focusing on writing and ge...I completely agree with focusing on writing and getting critiques. I was just about ready to self-publish when I decided to wait. I started working with an English Teacher on my writing and it has changed dramatically. I'm going through my manuscript I thought was complete and changing almost every sentence. <br /><br />I had a lot of positive feedback from non-writers so I think it's important to also get professional feedback. <br /><br />Plus working on building a platform is key as well. My blogs are now drawing attention and I'm getting requests to be a guest on other sites and a radio station.<br /><br />Waiting and perfecting our book and our platform is key. I'm so happy I didn't rush into self-publishing. <br /><br />Thanks for the post. Your blogs are always a blessing:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-71114771982363196852011-04-14T06:34:21.982-04:002011-04-14T06:34:21.982-04:00Once again, I've really appreciated the divers...Once again, I've really appreciated the diversity of opinions! I learn so much from all of your thoughts. So thank you!<br /><br />And Jennifer and Karen thank you for your very sweet words! I appreciate the encouragement! :-)Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-9038069230462969142011-04-13T22:42:36.800-04:002011-04-13T22:42:36.800-04:00Jody and James, thanks so much for sharing this in...Jody and James, thanks so much for sharing this info. You are two of my favorite authors. :) I will be checking this book out!Karen Langehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18177923284595298347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-48072216462768028232011-04-13T22:29:46.932-04:002011-04-13T22:29:46.932-04:00Jody, I'm impressed how you continue to come u...Jody, I'm impressed how you continue to come up with interesting and compelling blog posts day after day. Keep up the good work!Jennifer Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13300124780126853962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-55440112656880096912011-04-13T21:42:43.134-04:002011-04-13T21:42:43.134-04:00Jody, you turned me on to Bell's books, and no...Jody, you turned me on to Bell's books, and now I'm like an obsessed groupie. I love PLOT & STRUCTURE and REVISION & SELF EDITING. His books are written in a down to earth manner that I appreciate.<br /><br />Anyway, on to the subject: I wouldn't trust myself to e-publish a book. I've caught typos that I'd glazed over numerous times. I know it sometimes happens in traditionally published books also, but I can't imagine errors in work that I put out there myself. *shudder*Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-3486526060996400992011-04-13T21:40:50.670-04:002011-04-13T21:40:50.670-04:00I don't think there is too much "freedom&...I don't think there is too much "freedom" for authors interested in publishing their books. People are offering their wares to the public and people can either buy or ignore them.<br /><br />The fear of the unknown plays a huge role in these types of questions (I'm not accusing Jody Hedlund of this). I think there is a fear of a heavy influx of material that will make it difficult for already established writers to maintain their 'dominance.'<br /><br />There is the fear of having to compete. Yes, there will be terrible writers but there will also be good, very good and brilliant writers who will offer their work just as cheaply as the bad ones. It is natural to want to maintain one's position in the hierarchy but we must all evolve or perish. <br /><br />I also ask who am I to drop a bomb on someone else's dreams of wanting to self-publish (ebooks) or to get an idea out or to share what they feel needs to be shared? Why should I be allowed to sit on a perch and claim that since I have a decade of experience that others must also wait years before they can publish?<br /><br />The writing industry is just like every other "industry" that the public has ready access to and that can be very lucrative. People will flood to it. You see it in sports, academics and entertainment. Just like any other field if you want to stay in it you need to go out and compete, you need to win, you need to rack up victories, you have to be able to do what no one else can do or do something better than anyone else. <br />Yes, some people are lucky and there will be people who you feel will not deserve it. But to try and say that someone doesn't belong or isn't ready is a critic's role. For all intents and purposes we are writing athletes and as an 'athlete' I am unwilling to critique someone else's game. <br /><br />I'd rather face them on the court.eBook Magichttp://www.amazon.com/eBook-Magic-books-Everywhere-ebook/dp/B004V0482Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1302743758&sr=8-1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-70512952993146812152011-04-13T19:12:58.481-04:002011-04-13T19:12:58.481-04:00Very timely advice for me since I am looking into ...Very timely advice for me since I am looking into e-publishing. Since I write in a genre that is most often printed by small presses, I don't see the harm in trying self-epublishing. That being said, professional editing will be a must for me when the time comes. I don't want to be remembered for typos and bad grammar!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00823616282284779390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-19152212024859265702011-04-13T16:04:28.043-04:002011-04-13T16:04:28.043-04:00Really good questions--and answers. I think a lot ...Really good questions--and answers. I think a lot of writers are rushing off to e-publication before their writing is ready (yes, like their very first novel). If a writer decides to do it, he/she needs definitely to do the homework, get critique feedback, know his/her stuff!Carol Riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14092209912983783974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-52792122387298397782011-04-13T14:55:48.689-04:002011-04-13T14:55:48.689-04:00I agree with you there, James. Incentive pricing i...I agree with you there, James. Incentive pricing is another ball game. It's not the standard. Putting your debut out there for 99 cents for the first 30 days, or offering the first book for a buck if you buy the second. I can see things like this. Specials have a different mindset to them. People don't equate quality and price at this point. It's all about getting a deal on something that is worth more. As long as we don't succumb to the dollar standard, I'm fine with all kinds of incentives to help boost sales.JDuncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00487305836910594252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-13299704889035361632011-04-13T13:40:23.307-04:002011-04-13T13:40:23.307-04:00Once again, brilliant post. Great way to dive in a...Once again, brilliant post. Great way to dive in and get at the core. It really is all about the product, the end result. The mediums be it self-pub or trad-pub it's all about producing the best possible piece. Even for self-pub there's no reason to bypass the traditional steps of edits, revisions and re-writes. If you want to succeed you need to have the best foot forward regardless of medium.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01046515540256155412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-19090031175087255082011-04-13T12:40:15.429-04:002011-04-13T12:40:15.429-04:00Everybody is talking about e-publishing lately--mo...Everybody is talking about e-publishing lately--more often than even a couple of months ago. Interesting. Will stay tuned.Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05536293384635588296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-51969749595150535452011-04-13T12:01:50.441-04:002011-04-13T12:01:50.441-04:00THANK YOU Jessica!!! And Jody for making some chan...THANK YOU Jessica!!! And Jody for making some changes to your post!!!!Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17401931638397651614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-48034647705195444742011-04-13T10:51:00.073-04:002011-04-13T10:51:00.073-04:00Thanks for posting this interview, Jody! Valuable ...Thanks for posting this interview, Jody! Valuable information here. Glad to see the ideas James shares are very similar to those I've employed (Not necessarily for e-pub, but for traditional pub as well: group of beta readers,critique group, etc.)<br /><br />Have a wonderful week. God bless!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11475395753533265087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-22886407020796677102011-04-13T10:38:11.891-04:002011-04-13T10:38:11.891-04:00Jody, thanks so much for the clarification! I get ...Jody, thanks so much for the clarification! I get what you're talking about now, even though I think your points (and Bell's) are still relevant for all forms of publishing.<br />Thanks!Jessica Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12365768876905444157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-53001975338592507652011-04-13T10:21:30.050-04:002011-04-13T10:21:30.050-04:00Yes, I am talking about publishing E books myself....Yes, I am talking about publishing E books myself. The reason being that one takes in the entirety of royalty income that way. For me, all the up front costs are on a fee basis. <br /><br />Unfortunately, I'm going to be on the road a good part of the day, so won't get to comment as much as I'd like. I'll try to catch up later.James Scott Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00676794013514302359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-90783762740899922822011-04-13T10:18:01.796-04:002011-04-13T10:18:01.796-04:00Rich,
You asked some excellent questions about ed...Rich,<br /><br />You asked some excellent questions about editors and the changing climate of editor/author relationships. I think that there should be a growing market of editors out there offering their services to writers who want to e-pub. Good editors SHOULD start promoting themselves and their services! But as I said, my traditionally published books have come under the intense magnifying glass of MANY editors while going down the publication pipeline. So, I'm not sure that ONE editor's opinions and thougths are enough.Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-20266903479837815312011-04-13T10:13:58.363-04:002011-04-13T10:13:58.363-04:00Jessica,
Sorry about the confusion. I went back an...Jessica,<br />Sorry about the confusion. I went back and added a couple of things that I hope will clarify the post. Today, I'm talking about e-publishing as ONE self-publishing option. There are many authors (like Steph and myself) that are traditionally published but also have e-books (or only have e-books). In other words our publishers have put our e-books out there versus us doing it ourself.<br /><br />Mr. Bell has self-published through e-publishing his two latest books. And that option is becoming quite popular. THAT's primarily what we're talking about today. How can a write know if they're ready to self-publish with an e-book?Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-7197452563966724812011-04-13T09:59:00.358-04:002011-04-13T09:59:00.358-04:00Jody and James:
Thank you so much for this post. I...Jody and James:<br />Thank you so much for this post. I'm currently working on my second book, and it will be my first attempt to become published. I know it's a good story, and my writing has improved, but I also know I need a lot of guidance. I already have a fantastic and qualified editor as well as a couple of pre-readers in my target demographic, but while the idea of getting rejection after rejections from agents and/or publishers stings, I can't help but believe there is some value in those, especially for a fledging author.<br /><br />If an agent is willing to give feedback as to WHY they don't want the book, or what's not working, that's invaluable. While my writing has improved substantially in the last two years, I know I've still got much room for improvement. That's why I believe I will eventually query traditional, even if I go the e-publishing route. <br /><br />As Stephanie said, you still have to submit and be edited, and those things are invaluable.<br /><br />Great post!Stacyhttp://www.stacygreen.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-48960012135042848502011-04-13T09:56:06.629-04:002011-04-13T09:56:06.629-04:00Hi Jody, you know I always love your posts and thi...Hi Jody, you know I always love your posts and think they're excellent, but this one may need clarification???<br />E-pubbing can have the same checks and balances as Traditional. It depends on the publisher. Some e-pubs are vanity publishers. Some appear to be traditional but have very little marketing clout. Some e-pubs are tradional publishers in every sense of the word, from offering an advance to the use of editors and cover artists. <br />The post sounds more like it's referring to self-publishing? But self-publishing can also be in print format, just like many e-publishers will use POD technology to create print books after a novel's debut as an e-book.<br />So did Bell self-publish his book? I guess that's where I'm confused. I'll check back later or maybe go take a look at his book.<br /><br />Either way, the advice here can really go for any kind of publishing, in my opinion. :-) It's definitely important to be ready.Jessica Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12365768876905444157noreply@blogger.com