Tag: decision

Posts with this tag are identified by writer Cortni Merritt as related to topics of decision-making as part of the writing and editing process.

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How to Get Published: Literary Journal / Literary Magazine Submissions

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Where can you publish short stories, essays, and poetry?

If you’ve ever wondered about the process of literary journal submissions (aka “literary magazine submissions”), this blog may be able to answer some of your questions about how to get published in these types of periodicals. 

Recently, Authors Publish magazine offered a free talk from writer Shannon Mann titled “How to Increase Your Chance of Literary Magazine Acceptance.” (You can view the entire recording HERE). Listening to Shannon speak reminded me of my own days in graduate school, as a fiction submissions reader for Southeastern Review and of my experience submitting poetry to various online and print publications. (You can check out my published poetry on THIS page). 

I am also fortunate enough to remain friends with some incredible creative writers of short stories, essays, poetry, and more, and witness their successes (and struggles!) with publication in journals and magazines. 

In this blog, I’ve compiled an overview and provided some insight into how to get published in literary magazines and journals. I hope it helps you in your journey! 

How to Get Published Tip #1: Register on Submittable

If you’ve done any literary journal submissions already, you’re likely familiar with Submittable.com, but if you’re new to submitting, you will find this platform both common and useful. For many publications, submitting via this platform is required, for others, it’s optional but may perhaps be more convenient for you. If you have a lot of material you want to publish, you ultimately could have many submissions going in many directions. A central hub for managing and tracking them will be a lifesaver.

How to Get Published Tip #2: Start with Research

There are thousands of publications, publishing every type of writing, and you can spend a lot of time and money throwing your best pieces against the wrong walls, hoping they will stick. 

If there are certain magazines you subscribe to and like their stuff, start there in your search of options for literary magazine submissions. If you’re not sure or if you don’t write the genres that your favorite magazines publish, here are a few places you can look to start keeping a list of potential new homes for your words. Consider subscribing to their newsletters (where available) for frequent and easy updates and information on opportunities as well as tips on how to get published.

  • Writers Digest 
  • Authors Publish  
  • The Sub Club and Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity newsletters
  • The Chill Subs and Duotrope databases
  • The acknowledgments in books, essays, bios, etc. of writers you admire
  • Social media including hashtags (#MSWL) and Facebook groups such as Calls for Submissions Publication Announcements.

How to Get Published Tip #3: Draft a Plan

The thing about literary journal submissions is that it’s a numbers game. The more submissions you send out, the more likely that one (or a few!) of them will get accepted and your work will be distributed. If you choose only one or two targeted publications to submit to, that’s okay, but expect not to be accepted the first time. 

First, understand that knowing how to get published is only part of the battle; you must understand your true why. Ask yourself, why am I submitting? Is it simply because I want to share my words with the world? In her webinar, Shannon discussed common reasons people submit to literary journals or magazines, including a sense of community, for validation, for prestige, to reach interested readers, and/or to build or support a writing career. If you’re trying to make money, she warns and I can confirm, these types of publications are not the way to go. 

Sure, you might win prizes or get paid some (small) fees for some of your accepted submissions, but literary magazine submissions alone (likely) won’t be enough to allow you to make a living off your writing. And if you’re submitting to publications that charge reading fees, you could pay out more than you make back. So factor that into your plan. (You could, of course, target only those publications that don’t charge a submission fee). 

Black background yellow neon sign "everything is connected"
Combine your materials, your cover letter, and your matchmaking skills into a literary submission package.

When you’re formulating your submission plan, I advise asking yourself the three following questions. Consider your true goals and strategy, and follow your heart when it comes to the answers. 

Consideration #1: What am I submitting?

While reviewing potential publications to submit to, be very clear on which pieces of yours are ready to send out. A couple short stories, a batch of poems, an essay or two that might be ready in a few months. You may want slightly different strategies for each piece, but your literary journal submission process will likely look a little different for each genre. 

First: Determine the genre. The number one place you will look for any publication to clarify how to get published with them is their submission guidelines. Look at what they require or what types of pieces they prefer to publish, and tag your work with descriptive keywords/tags to keep yourself organized. Then, you’re basically matchmaking between what you have and what the magazine is looking for. 

If a publication is looking for flash fiction and you have only nonfiction essays to offer, it’s not a good match. Know what you have, organize it for yourself, and make it easy to find when the time comes; this will give you the best chance possible to match up the right piece with the right publication at the right time. 

Consideration #2: What practical information do I need for submitting?

After you’ve created your short list of pieces to submit and your short list of places to submit, you’re on your way! 

First: Consider the upcoming timelines. You might want to schedule a single day once per month to go over upcoming deadlines and send out your submission packages. If you have a lot to submit, maybe you schedule a few hours every week. But whatever your planned schedule, you’ll be far more efficient if you have one, and far more likely to actually follow through on your literary magazine submissions if you make it a regular item on your to-do list and block off time on your calendar. 

Second: Plan ahead for fees that need to be paid. Don’t wait until the last minute to see if you have the money and find yourself overspending. Incorporate that as part of your plan and make sure to budget and have the card you want to use prepared. 

Third: When it’s submission day/time and you sit down to send off your writing to your publications of choice, pay attention to the submission guidelines for each of them. Every publication will tell you exactly what they want you to include in your submission package and how they want your work submitted. If you can’t follow these basic guidelines, expect to receive rejection letters for every submission. 

Don’t spend time formatting your literary journal submissions or your cover letter in any way other than what the guidelines ask for. If there are no instructions, assume that a common font like Times New Roman or Arial is preferred, and stick with a medium-sized font like 11 or 12. I’d suggest 1.5 or double spacing as well. 

However, if they are specific, follow all instructions. If they ask for no more than a certain number of pages or poems, don’t go over the limit. If they ask for all work to be single-spaced, then format it as such. Etc. 

This may seem tedious or nonsensical to you, but they have their reasons, and if you want to play on their team, you’ll just have to play by their rules. It’s as simple as that. The best advice on how to get published: Follow all submission guidelines to a T.

Consideration #3: What do I say in my cover letter?

Many submissions will have you attach your work to an email or upload it to a platform. Either way, it’s appropriate to include a cover letter that addresses the recipient of your message (email or otherwise), providing some basic information regarding your literary magazine submission.

If the publication has a masthead and/or you can identify the name of the submissions reader at the publication, address them specifically. Remain professional, not overly personal, but addressing your message to the specific person is more welcoming and warm than “To whom it may concern.” 

Keep the letter short and sweet. It’s appropriate to open with something you like/admire about the editor’s work in particular or the publication’s work, such as an example of a story they published that you enjoyed, etc. This can help establish a personal connection. 

Include any information asked for in the submission guidelines, and tell the editor you hope they enjoy the attached [insert work here] (five poems, two essays, partridge in a pear tree, etc.).

Special Note!: Simultaneous Submissions

Always pay attention to whether the publication allows concurrent/simultaneous submissions. Many publications will ask you to let them know if you are submitting the same piece simultaneously to multiple places. You may need to include a line about whether any of the pieces included in this literary journal submission package are being simultaneously/concurrently submitted to other publications. If asked to include this information, be sure it’s in there. 

If the submission guidelines ask for an author bio, give them what they ask for. Usually, an author bio is expected to be between 50 and 100 words, written in third-person, and include info such as where your writing has been featured befor, or if you’re a debut/new/emerging writer who is excited to publish their first piece. Use a little humor and showcase your personality here.

How to Get Published Tip #4: Expect Rejections

It’s reasonable to expect that between 0% and 20% of your literary magazine submissions will get accepted. If you’re really good, your stats might be above that, but even professional writers know that not every piece is right for every publication at every time. Maybe your beautiful poem about your mother’s death happens to get submitted a month after they published another poem on the same theme by a different poet, and they don’t want to publish the same type of material in back-to-back issues. So it goes. Timing is out of your hands. Rejections happen for any number of reasons other than just “my work sucks,” so it’s time to get ready to grow some thick skin. 

Related blog: How to Face Rejection as a Writer: https://srdeditingservices.com/how-to-face-rejection-writer/

Consider: What is a Successful Submission?

Now, one interesting thing that Shannon discussed is that a custom rejection letter is a successful submission. Why? Because editors don’t write custom rejections for everyone. They have standard form letters/templates that are sent to most people. But, if you receive something that seems like the editor genuinely liked your piece, or it contains a personal detail that is outside the realm of a form letter, then make note of that in your submission records/notes. You should try that publication again later, with a different piece. Because there’s a chance that editor will remember you, and there’s a chance that your next piece might be more along the lines of what they’re looking for.

How to Get Published Tip #5: Execute Your Plan, Track Your Data, & Adjust Your Approach

Of course, you will not see results from a plan you do not execute. Once you’ve laid out your strategy for a literary journal submission process, you must follow through. Those dates you marked off on your calendar, reserved for sending your materials out in the world? You must sit at your computer on those days, follow the guidelines, and put the plan into action. Send your writing into the world. 

After some time – typically a few days to as long as a year – you will begin hearing back from the publications where you submitted. (Even if you haven’t heard back when your next scheduled submission date comes around, proceed with the plan!) You’ll need to keep track of which pieces were accepted (hooray!) and which were rejected, which means they can now be submitted elsewhere. So now it’s time to choose a new potential home for them and put them back in the submission queue! 

After a few rounds of literary journal submissions, you’ll begin getting the hang of the process and know a bit better what to expect. As you learn more about how to get published in your genres or in your dream publications, make adjustments to your approach. Workshop the materials more if need be, and always update and customize your cover letter. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so making tweaks to suit your personal style and goals is the only way to reach those goals and fulfill your why. 

Consult with SRD Editing Services for Literary Journal Submissions

Contact SRD Editing Services
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How Long Will It Take to Edit My Book?

Answer to the question how long will it take to edit my book symbolized by woman's hand holding pen and marking up document.

Sometimes a question seems straightforward, like “How long will it take to edit my book?” but the answer can be a bit deceptive. There are a few variables to consider before you arrive at the right answer for your situation. 

In this blog, we’re going to consider what different timelines might look like if you get your book edited by a professional. But if you’re interested in some steps you can take to self-edit your work before hiring a pro, take a look at these blogs for some suggestions: 

“Self-Editing Checklist for Authors”

“29 Words to Cut from Your Novel”

“Self-Editing Tips: Use CTRL+H to Edit Your Novel”

If you’re thinking, “I want to hire an editor for my book, but I don’t know how long it will take,” read on! 

Different Levels of Book Editing

One of the biggest factors in how long it will take when you get your book edited is the level of editing your book needs. If you are an amateur writer who is just getting started, you may not have a clear idea of what these terms mean or what the results will look like after your book has been out through that round of editing. 

Please don’t expect an editor can” fix” everything in a single round. If you have questions about what is included in your editor’s services, you should ask. When you get your book edited, you should always have a clear understanding of what your editor is doing. If there is something specific you want them to do, make sure to address that with them.

Developmental Edit

A developmental edit can take several months. Many people think, “It won’t take that long to edit my book,” and sometimes it doesn’t, but if you want the ultimate package that includes feedback, direction, and coaching, you shouldn’t rush this process. 

Typically a developmental edit happens when you haven’t yet finished your manuscript. Maybe you need help brainstorming or finishing the writing of certain sections. If you’ve got a plot hole you don’t know how to fix, or you’ve written everything except the conclusion, or you’re not sure about big-picture things that affect the whole book (like pacing, structure, and tone)…look at your developmental editing options. 

This level of editing will help you cross the finish line if you haven’t gotten to the goal word count you’re reaching for, or it will help you cut down the manuscript to a marketable length if you’ve overshot the ideal word count for your book’s genre. Think of it like professional “workshopping,” where an experienced editor (who is often also a writer) helps with way more than just the technical elements of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. 

Content and Structural Editing

Content editing can reasonably be expected to take a few weeks to several months, depending on the length of your manuscript and whether you provide your editor with detailed directions for what you want. 

This level of editing most often happens once you’ve completed your manuscript, but often when you get your book edited with a developmental package, suggestions for the structure and content are included. 

Content/structural editing focuses on the storyline and pace, organizing the chapters or sections, and ensuring continuity and cohesion. If you’re not sure if chapters are in the right order, or if you want help from an outsider’s perspective with double-checking content and organization, content editing may be the right option. A content editor may or may not also include line editing and correcting errors as part of their process, and of course, if line editing is part of the process, content editing will take a bit longer. 

Line Editing

Line editing can go quickly when you hire a professional editor for your book. At SRD Editing Services, we estimate one week per 25,000 words for our line editing services, although most are completed sooner.  

A line edit is what people commonly mean when they say, “I need someone to edit my book!” A line edit frequently focuses on line-by-line changes, looking at specifics of word choice, repetitive wording, in-chapter changes, and corrections to elements of style and grammar. A line edit will often include more than merely corrections to typos and grammatical errors; it can also include suggestions for improvement, although these tend to be more focused and less sweeping than what you’ll find in a developmental or content edit. 

Copyediting

The least-intense, and therefore quickest, type of editing—copyediting—can typically be completed by a professional in a week for most manuscripts of 100,000 words or less. If you’re looking to get your book edited by a professional, at the very least get it copyedited, even if you skip all the other editing steps and options. 

People often confuse copyediting and proofreading, so it can be helpful to be aware of the difference. 

Have your book copyedited as an MS Word document before you have it converted into a PDF or epub file by a professional graphic designer. Word has several valuable features that make it easy to search for and correct grammar mistakes, spelling errors, punctuation problems, and more. Once your manuscript is turned into a PDF, making changes can often be more difficult and involve more steps/more work. 

Have your book proofread after it’s turned into a PDF. Once you or a graphic designer has converted the manuscript into “what it will look like” to the consumer, you’ll want to do a final review to catch any small mistakes before the book is available to readers. 

Copyediting will likely involve correcting multiple errors on a page; by the time you’re proofreading, hopefully, your manuscript will need only one correction every four or five pages.

What Other Factors Affect the Timeline to Edit My Book?

While the type of editing you choose for your manuscript will naturally affect the timeline when you hire an editor for your book, there are other factors to consider that will affect how long it takes to edit your book.

Length of the Manuscript

While it seems self-explanatory, longer manuscripts usually take longer to edit. Although it’s not quite that straightforward. While a 10K-word manuscript may take less time than a 50K-word manuscript, if the shorter one needs a more in-depth edit (like a developmental edit) and the longer one needs less editing (like a copyedit only), then the two manuscripts may take approximately the same amount of time.

Genre of Manuscript

Complex or heavily researched manuscripts will take additional time due to fact-checking, reference-checking (whether as Notes or in a Bibliography), character tracking and consistency reviews, or structural analysis. Poetry, fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction and nonfiction are some examples of genres that commonly take more time to edit.

Experience and Approach of Editor

Ask yourself: “What’s important to me when I hire an editor for my book?” Editors, like writers, have different processes. If your editor is very experienced, they may have a standardized form or set of questions to help them save time. They will likely have a specific style guide they want to use, and if you are more familiar with those standards, you can save time collectively.  

Avoid an editor who claims to use AI to assist their editing. Amazon and other online publishers are now developing policies to prevent writers from uploading AI-generated materials. There is a fine line between AI-generated and AI-assisted, and mislabeling your content can result in severe penalties. 

Final Thoughts on Hiring a Professional to Edit My Book?

No matter what factors influence the timeline for your book’s edit, it’s prudent to underestimate that multiple factors can affect your personal publishing goals. A professional editor can make a reasonable or general estimate, but snags can always come up during the process when you get your book edited by a pro. 

Whatever timeline you and your editor agree to, it’s wise to add 10% as a cushion, especially if you have additional deadlines to meet after the edit. My book editing schedule includes extra time built in to account for the “unknown unknowns,” and I suggest you take this precaution as well. While it isn’t always necessary, clients (writers) are often happy when I plan for this extra time and end up having their edits completed ahead of schedule. Win-win.  

Contact SRD Editing Services

Ready to Hire an Editor for Your Book?

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Cost to Self-Publish a Book

Graphic design image of hands exchanging ebook for money; symbolizes the cost of self-publishing a book

What Does it Cost to Self-Publish a Book?

 As an editor with more than ten years of experience, I can’t tell you how many times writers have asked me, “What does it cost to self-publish a book?” Although it seems like a straightforward enough question, the simplest answer is “It varies,” but writers are seldom satisfied with that. 

You will find a range of numbers online or hear stories from other writers of what they paid. Or, stories of what they didn’t pay for and regretted not having done professionally. 

The reality is that it depends on so many factors and individual decisions, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The biggest factor and what the cost to publish a book really comes down to is this: How much of the work do you want to do yourself, and how much of the work will you hire out to separate professionals or purchase a package from a service? 

I don’t think I can answer every single question about the cost of self-publishing in a single blog, but for what it’s worth, I will try to provide some basic information to give you the food for thought that will help you in your publishing journey.

How to Calculate Your Cost of Self-Publishing

Let’s go through some of the common steps of the publishing process and look at how that relates to the cost to publish a book. You can learn how to execute any of these steps in the process and save a line item in your self-publishing budget, but based on your time, resources, or prior knowledge or experience, it might make sense to hire professionals for some services and take on others yourself. In hiring professionals to fill in your own gaps in knowledge or expertise, you can greatly reduce your cost to self-publish a book. 

The publication process can include:

To save money upfront, you can certainly take on any of these steps yourself. As in any startup business, the self-published author has to wear several hats and perform many duties. Of course, for the most professional final product or the greatest return on your investment, hiring professionals for some parts of the process may be the right decision.

When Prioritizing Costs of Self-Publishing…

Now, I can’t advise you how to spend your own money. Obviously, you have worked hard on your manuscript, and as an editor and book lover, I think your manuscript deserves the best that you can give it when being launched.

My main piece of advice is: Think through everything. 

Every decision you make can affect your cost to self-publish a book, especially how much you pay out of pocket. 

During the writing process, many authors continue to see their book as their baby. They have such an emotional attachment to it. At this point, it’s time to switch over and begin to see your book as a product. You have to sell it. Which means you have to begin to think like a business person and not like a protective parent. 

Don’t learn by trial and error or get halfway into a step in the process and refuse to pivot when a challenge arises. Make decisions and a plan based on the best information you can find, then remain a little flexible for the journey. Having a plan at the onset can save you time and frustration and reduce your cost to publish a book. 

And, if you can build a 10% cushion into your budget to deal with unexpected expenses, do it.

"Shop Your Comps" (Competitors/Comparable Products)

Book cover with black and white image of books on a bookcase with yellow text "Sell books"

One of the first things I learned in sales more than twenty years ago is to always “shop your comps.” Now, “comps” might be short for “competitors/competition” or “comparables,” depending on who you’re speaking with. When evaluating your costs of self-publishing, you may even have to consider that you have different comps in different formats (i.e., ebooks may have different comps than printed books, even in the same genres). 

Although I know you’re likely thinking in terms of ebooks published to Amazon KDP and other platforms, consider this when thinking about your book’s comps: 

If you walked into a literal bookstore and found your book on the shelf, what would you expect to find next to it? 

If your book is a historical romance set in 1860s London with a feminist female lead character…then you should shop for other historical romances set in the 1860s (hopefully in London), with feminist female lead characters. If your book is a memoir that describes your rags-to-riches success story, your comps are other memoirs that detail the same kind of success story, perhaps even from someone with a similar background to yours. 

It may seem like a strange way to shop or a strange step to take when considering the cost to self-publish a book, but this is how your readers are finding books. If they leave a review or show interest in a particular book, the algorithm on Amazon will show them more products that are similar to ones they’ve already liked. Readers also tend to browse by categories and genres of books they already know they like, so if yours stands out “next to others on the shelf” (literally or metaphorically), your book has a better chance to sell. 

So, go to Amazon and search through the categories and genres in which you plan to publish. Don’t look just at the big-name bestsellers you’ve heard of before, but filter your search results to see the best-reviewed books, most recently released books, and books recommended based on others you’ve read or know.

Your book should “look” as much like the competition as possible. Take note of the cover artwork and interior design and formatting (if you can get a sneak peek into the book). Take a look at the back cover or online description and author bio.

Apply a critical researcher’s eye. What do you see? 

Is it common to see clean copy in the book descriptions or do you notice typos and errors? Do the covers look similar? Can you tell which covers are professionally designed and which are more likely done by an amateur? Are a lot of your comps published in multiple formats (ebook, audiobook, paperback, hardcover, etc.), or is it pretty common to see others in your category exclusively in one format? What do the reviews look like? What are some readers’ biggest points of praise and complaint? 

 Then in big-picture terms, start applying these ideas to your thoughts on budget and cost of self-publishing. Addressing or thinking ahead about the following can help you reduce some of those costs or get the most value out of what you pay: 

  • What would make your book more appealing than theirs? 
  • How would yours stand out as different? 
  • Could you add a subtitle? (are subtitles common in your genre?) 
  • How can you craft your online description/back cover copy to both fit in and stand out among your comps? 
  • Would a blurb from another author in your genre be helpful or welcome or do the readers in your genre steer clear of that kind of promotion?

Remember, these books are your competition. Readers might scroll past one of these books and land on yours. What is going to make them click to “Read More”? And then, what is yours going to do differently to make them put it in their cart or on their TBR list?

While the cost to publish a book is the main focus during these recon missions, this information-gathering will be helpful in every step of the publishing process, and by doing this at the beginning, you can save yourself valuable time and avoid common errors or holdups that other authors run into.

Keep Track!

Take notes. Keep a list of resources, videos, links, articles, and advice that answers your questions or provides useful tips. Use bookmarking in your web browser and other apps to keep track of your own resources for info on the cost of self-publishing.

Whatever your process is, take notes, and once you’ve eliminated an option as no longer being right for you, strike through it, but don’t delete it. It’s then easier to see what options you’ve evaluated and rejected so when someone recommends it to you again, you won’t think to yourself “Wait, have I looked at that already?”

Editing Costs When Self-Publishing

In the traditional publishing model, the publisher pays the associated editing cost to publish a book. But as a self-published writer, you will have to decide how much editing you would like to do yourself and how much you want to pay someone else for. 

Traditionally published manuscripts typically receive four rounds of editing, at least. Usually, the author’s agent has offered developmental editing and assistance with revising and rewriting before the manuscript is even pitched to a publisher. Then, the publisher may ask for their own round of developmental edits and revisions – including removing or adding characters, rewriting entire scenes or storylines, or completely revising the beginning or ending of a story. 

Then, the manuscript typically goes through a round of line editing followed by a round of copyediting, to remove any word choice errors, reduce repetitive language, and fix grammatical or technical problems. These steps may be repeated. 

Then, after formatting by the graphic designer, the manuscript typically goes through a round of proofreading to ensure that no errors made their way into the publish-ready manuscript (called the “proof”). Once the proofread is complete and corrections are implemented, the book typically goes off to the printer. 

Now, while readers expect self-published books to be as error-free as traditionally published books, all those rounds of editing certainly affect the cost of self-publishing. Paying a fair market rate to each of the editors may be out of budget, which is why many self-published authors choose to improve their self-editing skills and edit their own material, or to skip one or more steps in the process. It’s totally understandable. 

Check out our blog with a Self-editing Checklist for Authors.

Check out our blog on Using Ctrl + H to Self-Edit Your Writing.

On the other hand, that’s often why self-published books are derided as being poor quality compared to traditionally published books. Many readers expect a book to be completely error-free once it reaches their hands; they are accustomed to books that have been put through many rounds of edits. Readers may be especially sensitive to typos, unclear or repetitive sentences; awkward, stilted, or wooden dialogue; unchecked facts; and a number of other inconsistencies and sloppy inaccuracies in self-published materials on Amazon KDP and other platforms. 

Of course, as an editor, I’m biased. I think it’s absolutely worth including the cost of editing in your budget of cost to self-publish a book. I 100% recommend that every book go through *at least* a line edit and a proofread. If possible, these two duties should be performed by different people. A line edit before the formatting layout helps catch errors of clarity or meaning; a proofread after the layout helps catch errors of readability. 

The first cut-off number recommended professionally is 40 errors per 1,000 words. Before you move into the formatting/layout stage, get your manuscript below that number and it’ll be “mostly clean.” For a proofread, you want to keep reviewing it until your error rate is lower than 1 error per 1,000 words. 

Some ways to reduce this cost of self-publishing include beta readers, group workshops or critique swaps, or run your draft through the Editor tool in MS Word, Grammarly, or ChatGPT. The real-life people can help you catch errors in meaning and ideas that would engage the reader, and the technical/AI tools can help you catch technical errors and correct grammatical problems. Doing both of these before handing it off to a professional editor can help reduce your time, frustration, and cost to self-publish the book.

Cost of Self-publishing: Design

Man in grey shirt handing money toward the camera; symbolizes design costs of self-publishingIncluded also in the cost to publish a book are the visual elements,  pictures, graphics, and other details that contribute to the look and presentation of the finished product. Design costs include the creation of art and organizing the layout of both the book’s interior and exterior. This means the book’s front cover, spine, and back cover, as well as a book jacket if you’re publishing a hardcover book. Then of course, the text must be laid out and formatted. 

Design costs will vary depending on the complexity of your book. Again, you might be able to learn to do some or all of this yourself. Some graphic designers offer services to illustrate and create both interior and exterior of the book; others specialize in one or the other. In addition, if you envision your book having multiple images–photos, charts, graphs, maps, or illustrations–there may be additional costs associated with producing, editing, or formatting them. 

And, this is not to get into too much detail about graphic novels, cookbooks, and illustrated kids’ books–anything with specialized fonts or additional graphic work for the text will add to the cost to self-publish that book. If you’re planning to publish an image-heavy book, expect costs that text-heavy books wouldn’t encounter. And of course, whether you’re publishing via Amazon KDP, multiple ebook platforms, or in print can affect your total costs. 

Need a referral for a professional graphic designer? Please ask! SRD Editing Services is happy to provide referrals for professional graphic designers and book cover artists with whom we’ve worked before. 

Some common design-related expenses include:

Front Cover Design

The front cover design is essential for attracting readers, who will expect a professional look that speaks to your book’s genre, themes, and central plot. You can create a cover yourself for free, but I wouldn’t recommend doing so without experience, unless you utilize the templates and tools available from a program such as Book Brush, which is designed for authors who may not have graphic design knowledge. 

If you choose to hire a professional, you can buy a pre-made template or have a design custom-created to your specifications. The cost of this self-publishing step can range from less than a hundred dollars to over a thousand. Typically, as with many creative products, you “get what you pay for,” but you always want to look for a designer with a wide portfolio that includes examples in your book’s specific genre. If you find a designer who offers multiple revisions, that is usually best, as it allows for some trial-and-error to help you get the exact right cover for the book you’ve worked so hard on.

Interior layout

This may be one way, if publishing only an ebook, you can reduce the cost to self-publish a book. Free ebook formatters like those at Reedsy or the open-source software Calibre allow writers with very little design experience to get the job done, with a low-enough learning curve. 

However, if you want a print version of your book, it is more difficult. Or, if you’re concerned about digital rights management (DRM) and keeping your ebook secure (especially on Amazon KDP), you may want to consider if the cost of hiring a professional is worth it. 

Whether you’re publishing in ebook or printed, a book’s interior layout should be polished. For a printed book, this means things like page numbers and running headers and footers in the right places. For an ebook, it means details like creating an auto-formatted table of contents and hyperlinking it to each corresponding chapter. There are also considerations such as adding and finalizing the front and back matter and adjusting page layouts for bleed and trim sizes on printed materials. 

If you are authoring a children’s book, graphic novel, or other printed book where you want to purchase a unique font for publishing, you may have to pay the graphic designer who owns the font copyright for licensing rights to use their font. 

A professional will take care of all these details and more, and this cost of self-publishing will vary from a few hundred dollars to over one thousand, depending on the person’s experience and the scope of work.

Illustrations & Graphics

If your book requires illustrations, charts, graphs, or other graphic elements, you may need to hire an illustrator or graphic designer. There are some free tools to help nonprofessionals, such as Canva or Inkrate, if you’re inclined to try making some imagery yourself. This cost to publish your book will depend on the number and complexity of the visuals. 

Look for free templates or pre-made stock graphics, photographs, and illustrations that are available for commercial use with or without attribution. Always check the licensing rights on any images you’d like to use, as some images may require purchase. 

Ebook Conversion

If you’re publishing both a printed and ebook version of your book, some graphic designers will include an ebook file (.epub) along with your formatted files for printed books. Other designers will charge for a separate conversion of your ebook files. Of course, you can also perform the ebook conversion yourself with free software, although your options may be limited. 

The cost of ebook file conversion ranges from less than one hundred to several hundred dollars, depending on the specifics. SRD Editing Services offers ebook formatting for authors interested in an ebook-only formatting service.

Publishing, Distribution & Promotion Costs to Self-Publish a Book

In traditional publishing, the costs of publishing, distribution, and promotion are largely taken on by the publishing company. The author may have some promotional costs associated with travel or public bookings, but typically they may be eligible for reimbursement either from the publisher or on their taxes. 

The publishing cost to self-publish a book is substantially greater. You take on all of these responsibilities, as well as their associated expenses. Consider the following in your publishing, distribution, and marketing and how they might affect your budget.

ISBNs

Every version of every book needs a different ISBN. That means that when you publish a single title, each format of the book should be assigned its own ISBN: hardback, paperback, ebook, audiobook, and so on. ISBNs should be purchased directly from Bowker, and they can be purchased in bundles of 10 or 100, so if you know you’ll be publishing multiple titles and you’ll want them in various formats, you can buy in bulk. ISBNs never expire and can be saved until whatever publishing date you choose to use them. 

To keep publishing costs down, many authors will release their book first in ebook format only. If you plan to keep your distribution narrow and exclusive to Amazon KDP, Amazon will provide you with a free ISBN. If you plan to “go wide” with your distribution and make your ebook available on multiple distributing platforms/channels, go ahead and purchase an ISBN that’s not Amazon-affiliated.

Copyright Costs

As noted in the design section, if there is a specific copyright-protected font or image that you’d like to use in your published book, you may have to purchase the licensing rights for your commercial product (i.e., your book). Additionally, if you include song lyrics or want to quote large sections of copyrighted material from another author, you may also need permission from the copyright holder to reprint the material. At times, permission may be granted simply by asking and including attribution to the original copyright holder. At other times, republishing rights may have to be purchased. Consider your material and whether those republished sections are vital to the message of your text when evaluating the cost of self-publishing your book.

Print-on-Demand Costs

The great thing about print-on-demand (POD) publishing is that there is no inventory for you (or anyone!) to stock. A book is printed only after a customer clicks “Purchase” and inputs their payment information.

The downside to that model is that there is no discount for “bulk printing,” and overall, each individual book costs more. 

(OK–you can often do a bulk order and print several books at once for a discount; there are exceptions to these general statements, but your consumers will pay more on average than they would if your book was available via a big retailer or traditional publishing distribution channels.) 

Because of most distribution websites’ pricing structures, the author can choose how large of a profit margin they want to allow themselves, essentially deciding how much of the printing cost to self-publish their book they want to pass directly on to the customer. But then, this can affect sales. As your book’s price increases, it’s possible that the sales number will decrease. 

You can keep the cost of printing down by researching the options and implementing a few strategic choices to control costs. The size of your printed book (5×8 vs. 6×9, for example), the type of paper, and the number of photos or illustrations can all affect the price of your book–even more so if they’re color. 

 So if you’re planning to offer a paperback or hardback version of your book, make sure you research your print-on-demand options and what extra steps will be necessary to maximize the value of your self-published book.

Advertising, Marketing, & Promotional Materials

This is–believe it or not–probably the easiest and quickest way to spend money on your book. A sneaky line item in the cost of self-publishing that can balloon far beyond its initial estimate. There are so many companies and individuals out there promising to sell a million copies of your book if you’ll only spend a certain amount on ads, and newsletter plugs, and email marketing, and a book trailer…

White cartoon person pushing down dynamite hooked to orange text "budget" in the background; symbolizes "blowing up" the budget cost of self-publishing

When thinking about what kind of marketing and promotions you want to do for your book, consider how you can repurpose free material already at your disposal. Can you use images you already paid for? Can you make use of free stock video and video editing software? Do you have a friend who is willing to give you word-of-mouth promotion to their wide social media following? Of all the ways to reduce the cost to publish a book, this one deserves your attention and a detailed plan. 

Consider the various ways you can market, advertise, and promote your book for free or very little cost. It’s easy to invest thousands into marketing a book and ending up with no sales to show for it; make sure you have a plan, wisely consider all the factors, and have clear criteria for what determines the moment you’ll “pull the plug” and discontinue a potentially draining and ineffective marketing strategy.

Self-Publishing Services Can Reduce the Cost to Publish a Book

I recommend you look into the self-publishing services companies and see which offers the services you want at the price point that works for you. A full self-publishing services company should handle printing, distribution, and maybe some marketing for you. But marketing services can vary greatly as well. So before you spend a dime, take the time to do the research and craft a plan that lets you minimize your effort and maximize your results once it’s time to publish.

Conclusion: Results > The Cost to Self-Publish a Book

For you, “results” could mean a sense of accomplishment, checking an item off your bucket list, or the thrill of seeing your name on the cover of your very own hard work. No matter what the cost to self-publish a book is, if it’s the right choice for you, you’ll be willing to pay what it costs to bring your dream into the world.

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Books and Publishing Discussion: Should Books Include a Credits Page?

Blue sign against brown wall reads "Cinema" used to highlight the similarity between credits at the movies and books and publishing credits pages.

I read an article recently that got me thinking about changes to the standards in books and publishing. We’re all familiar with the “credits” that run after audio-video productions (TV shows and movies), but what if books had a “credits page” in a similar fashion? Avid Press, says Publishers Lunch, is making a credits page standard in their book template. 

The credits page at Avid Press will name workers across a number of departments including editorial, marketing, production, artwork, and more, as well as thank the “hundreds of professionals in the Simon & Schuster audio, ebook, finance, human resources, legal, operations, sales, supply chain, subsidiary rights, and warehouse departments whose invaluable support and expertise benefit every one of our titles.”

This step by Avid Press is commendable. As readers, we often don’t recognize the contributions of all the professionals in the traditional publishing process. This move aligns with the practice of acknowledging the collaborative effort behind a book’s publication, and allows readers to familiarize themselves with the specific names of editors, graphic artists, and other industry professionals whose work they admire, even if they weren’t initially aware.

While authors may sometimes include acknowledgements in their book content, they typically recognize the editors and beta readers whose names they knew and can remember, alongside mentors, family members, and friends. Acknowledgments are still important in that they allow the author to thank these individuals for their support, feedback, and assistance.

On the copyright page, sometimes, the publisher will include information about the cover art, lead editor, photographer, illustrator, or another high-ranking contributors to the book and its publishing process, but this is not standard across the industry and is typically mostly concerned with, of course, copyright protection rather than credit for excellent work done. 

However, a full credits page (or two) would help support and empower all the industry professionals who work “behind the scenes.” Including this in books and publishing the names of technical and support staff provides more transparency and a more thorough accounting of every step of the process for the publisher as well as the professionals.

Positives to this Change in Books and Publishing Standard

Recognition.

One of the primary reasons to include credits in a book is to express gratitude and recognition to the individuals who have contributed to the creation and success of the book. Industry experts currently don’t have a lot of options to showcase or portfolio their work, or it can be cumbersome, or they may be under contract not to reveal their role in the production. 

Since we’re looking at credit pages as similar to a credit reel at the end of a TV or film production, let’s consider the parallel that these credit pages may begin a database for publishing professionals similar to the IMDB listings for all film industry cast and crew members. Currently, if an editor is listed on the cover of a book, Goodreads will allow the professional to tag themselves as “Editor” on that title, but there is no standardized system for books and publishing industry pros who brought them to life.

Professional collaboration.

Even the team members who work together on various projects may not be aware of their overlapping expertise or experience. Someone’s talent may only get around a limited circle due to old-fashioned word of mouth. In today’s world of freelance work, short-term contracts, and various mergers and acquisitions in the publishing industry, professionals may have difficulty networking or navigating with other industry professionals over time. Including a credits page in books, and publishing the details of teams of professionals, would assist editors, graphic designers, audiobook professionals, and more to admire each other’s work, promote projects done by teams they know and trust, and collaborate with other skilled and credited individuals to produce the best books possible.

Reader connection.

In much the same way that team members aren’t able to track the success and movements of their collaborators, readers have nearly zero knowledge of who worked on their favorite books. But, much like movie fans can sometimes target their fandom to a particular professional like a stunt coordinator, costume designer, or sound effects team, book fans may want the same opportunity to follow, like, and subscribe to their favorite book editors, cover artwork designers, and marketing teams who really knock the promotion out of the park (ehrm, off the shelf?) …

Especially in a world of increasing self-publishing, readers may appreciate being able to visit an online profile of one of their favorite book publishing professions, which is linked to other projects in the professional’s portfolio, and thereby discover new and exciting books (and publishing connections) to explore.

Potential Drawbacks to this Change in Books and Publishing Standard

Clutter.

Adding pages to the book’s front matter creates “clutter” that readers must skip past to get to the main section of the book. Adding pages to the book’s back matter means they may never be seen by most readers (although, arguably, the way that credits are often not seen by moviewatchers either). Adding any bulk/pages to the book can also increase the weight or cost.

Traditional and individual books and publishing professionals might consider adding only a single page to the book itself, with a short listing of lead positions on the book’s publishing journey and a QR code or URL link where the reader can find a complete credits listing. If the publisher decides to include the full listing in the book, it should be well-formatted and constructed to maintain the book’s aesthetic. 

Inclusion & Hierarchy

During the publishing process, errors inevitably occur. A traditional publisher may incorrectly omit or miscredit individuals on their team. There is also the order of crediting different positions to consider, and whatever hierarchy is determined, it’s likely that someone will be unhappy with the result. These hurt feelings can lead to potential legal troubles if someone feels their work was not appropriately or adequately recognized. 

In the case of a self-published author of books and publishing a credits page, the self-publishing author may be dissatisfied with the work of one of the professionals and unhappy about promoting them within their finished book. And because the self-publishing author is doing much of the work themselves, including a credits page may be an extra step that seems unnecessary.

Privacy.

In both traditional and self-publishing, the idea of a credits page brings up questions about privacy, disclosures, confidentiality, and consent. In the case of traditional publishing, not all contributors may want public acknowledgment (for whatever reason), and this change is standard could be detrimental to their privacy. Especially if they’ve performed a role such as a sensitivity reader, they may not want to make themselves a target of readers who don’t like how a certain book turned out. In the case of a self-publishing author, especially one who is using a pen name, the credits page may be advisable only on a case-by-case basis.

A Template for Self-Published Books and Publishing Professionals

Personally, I hope other traditional publishers and more self-publishing authors will adopt this practice. Including the credits of publishing contributors for the book in the book offers a promising vision for the future of books and publishing. It’s a move that can elevate the industry and highlight the often-overlooked contributions of many professionals in the book creation, production, sales, and marketing processes.

 

Because this is a new and ongoing discussion, I’d love to hear what you think! If there was a template for a credit page that you could use for your self-published books and publishing projects, would you use it? 

 

Leave a comment below with your thoughts!!

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Creative Thinking & Writer’s Block: Oblique Strategies App

writers-block-app

There’s a bunch of apps out there to help you be a better writer. If you’re struggling with writer’s block, you may want to try a few to see what works for you.

May I recommend Oblique Strategies? It’s available for both Android (here) and Apple (here)

This sleek, straightforward app is designed to give you simple food for thought and a new perspective. At times, the quirky or out-of-the-box solutions might help you work through the peskiness of writer’s block. Maybe you’re struggling against a thorny plot point, maybe it’s some problem of character motivation, maybe it’s the general inability to string words together cohesively.

The Oblique Strategies app sort of reminds me of a Magic 8 ball. If you become frustrated, stop and open the app. Think of a question that encapsulates your current struggle. Swipe to see what happens.

As you scroll, (you can go either left or right), the randomized cards present you with single sentences that may come in from an angle you weren’t expecting.

I suggest you cut yourself off after three swipes. Of course, the first solutions might not be realistic for whatever reason. So try again, a couple of times. Then, stop yourself. It’s too easy to keep chasing the suggestion you want to hear instead of pushing yourself to try something new. After three swipes, choose one of the ideas or strategies presented to you and execute it to see how it affects your writer’s block. 

You may not prefer or like or have ever done the suggestions before, but that’s the idea! Push yourself from your comfort zone, because your comfort zone has given you this writer’s block. Get out from under it. Don’t be blocked. A different perspective or a new strategy is often the only way to find a solution.

Developmental Editing/Book Coaching to Break out of Writer’s Block

If you regularly struggle with writer’s block and are looking for a long-term solution, working with an SRD Editing Services editor for a developmental edit or book coaching might be just the thing. 

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The Importance of Charity

charity-writing-editing

I am learning to love giving. I am learning to love charity. 

It’s a difficult thing, a solid thing, a hard thing: to let go. To release. So much emotion tied up in the material. So many attachments to things in and around daily life.

Some people live in one town all their lives; some people even live in a single house. I have no hometown, no house that I “grew up in.” Semi-nomadic for as long as I can remember, my stuff has long been my home. Items that surround me hold in them the memories of where I’ve been and who was there and what we dreamed about.

The most recent times I’ve arranged my life into boxes and taken them to another building to rearrange my life inside new walls, I’ve realized: there is too much stuff. Too much for a single grown person (and a half-person) to justify.

Why hold on to notebooks from college? As if their weight demonstrates, somehow solidifies, all the knowledge contained in them that was once crammed into my skull. Now, the answer to any question is always right at the end of my fingertips. (But! some inner Junk Lady protests, these pages are in your own handwriting. Isn’t that better than Google, dearie?)

No matter where I’ve lived, the truth remains that we are all connected. When I make the decision to consume, someone, somewhere has produced it, and I can and am having an impact on the producer’s life. When I consume what I don’t need, or don’t consume what I do need because I don’t let go of what no longer fits my life, I also affect the producers. My consumption is active, fluid; decisions change the world.

Mindful Consumption + Charity

Mindfulness and self-reflection result in clarity. As I examine my life, my choices and their consequences, it becomes clearer which attachments bring me joy and which don’t contribute any value. Once it’s clear what doesn’t contribute, the possibility of letting go, of breaking those attachments, becomes reality.

Once I realize that I can let go of a particular thing, my perspective changes. When I can say, “I don’t need this thing,” I wonder why I keep what I don’t need, and what I need that I don’t have. I wonder what it will take for me to begin to embrace charity more in my day-to-day life. 

Donate, donate, donate ...

“They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing.”

This last year, I’ve gathered a few lessons on how to make giving an effortless, fully-integrated aspect of my life.

I’ve learned:

  • You can (and should!) donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army or your local homeless shelter clothes and shoes that you and your children have outgrown or no longer wear.
  • Donate to your local animal shelter all the toys, bedding, and accessories that your pets rejected or outgrew.
  • Donate books to libraries or shelters; donate toys your kids have outgrown to a daycare center or church.

Personal Charity Favorite:

Got an old gaming system that you can’t resell? Donate it to kids who are stuck in the hospital with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Visit Charity Nerds and make a kid’s day. (Good-bye Leap Frog Leap Pad that my son stopped playing with years ago).

Consume Responsibly ...

Thrift stores, consignment stores, used-furniture outlets, used-book stores*, pre-owned anything. There’s an entire world of apps, brick-and-mortar locations, and retail sites where you basically never have to pay full price and buy anything new, ever. This is especially useful when it comes to items like kids’ clothing.

Warning – I have found that buying shoes from thrift stores/pre-owned clothing stores (and websites) is a tricky process, often with disappointing results.

If and when you purchase new, purchase items from companies that represent your ethics (B-corps, certified fair trade, mission-focused businesses) and/or small business when possible. I love Etsy. With a passion. It’s a fantastic marketplace for unique, handmade items you can give as gifts for any occasion.

Personal Favorites:

I love Me to We, an amazing company that is making serious impacts on every continent. I do not remove the two rafikis I wear on my left wrist, as a reminder and reflection of the solidarity I feel with women around the world.

I also love 4Ocean, working to clean up ocean and shoreline pollution around the world. Each bracelet = cleanup of 1 lb. of trash. I wear one (the sea turtle design) on my right ankle.

I am addicted to Diet Coke. (No but like, it’s seriously a problem.) Coke offers the My Coke Rewards program (redeem the codes under the lids/on packaging for points you can trade for cheap merch), but I found that the “rewards” were about as exciting and long-lasting as the junk from the prize counter at Chuck E. Cheese. Well, I wasn’t going to stop drinking Diet Coke, and my points kept expiring. Sad. Then, I found that you can “cash in” your rewards points as a donation to a school of your choice. Easy solution.

* They still exist, I promise. My personal favorite, in the Orlando area, is Best Used Books.

Automate Your Charity Giving

Use technology to do more, more easily. There are apps that make it easy for you to connect with those in need of charity in your area, or around the world. Donate time, donate resources, donate personally or from your business.

Personal Favorites:

Spend too much time on your phone? Ever use the Pomodoro technique to keep yourself focused? Forest is the app that lets you donate time off your phone toward planting a real tree somewhere on Earth. Because we will always need trees.

Run, walk, bike, hike, or swim with Charity Miles to have your mileage sponsored on your behalf. For every mile you clock, a corporate sponsor donates to the charity of your choice on your behalf. (I donate my miles to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in honor of my brother’s fiance – a two-battle survivor of Leukemia.)

If you are in the food business – maybe you run a restaurant or catering service, maybe you manage a grocery or convenience store – you have dealt with spoilage, surplus, and other inventory issues. Donate extra food. (France made it a law that unspoiled food can’t be thrown out of grocery stores, it required to donate surplus food).

The solution that Philadelphia, Penn., has found is to connect food donors with local businesses, like homeless and domestic violence shelters, that need food. Use the Food Connect app to donate or receive – and leave the Food Connect team a message telling them you want Food Connect in YOUR city!

Charity Begins at Home

No matter how you choose to contribute to your larger community, remember to first and foremost contribute to those in your life who need it. Offer support, love, and compassion to the people you care about. This is an entire topic for conversation (for another blog), but, I firmly believe that if you take care of those you care for, there will literally be more love in the world.

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Tips for Consistent Quality Writing

tips-quality-writing

There’s a problem with doing something well: Once is rarely enough. When you do something (like producing quality writing) well, two things can happen:

  1. Other people begin to expect more of you, and
  2. You begin to expect more of yourself

For a writer, this can be great. A well-done piece deserves the admiration it receives, and you should be proud when an article, poem, essay, story, or book comes together.

But unless you’re one among the rare breed of author — and I mean really, really rare — who can launch a career from one great piece, a single successful publication will not a sustainable income make.

Setting Unreasonable Standards

So after your first great piece, you sit down to write the next one. Immediately the demon of comparison shows up on your shoulder.

What if it’s not as good as your first published thing? What if you don’t live up to the expectations for quality writing you’ve set for yourself?

On some level, you try to tell yourself, “Everything will be okay if it’s not ‘perfect.'”

So you let something slide. Relax a little on your vigilance to push the quality to its extreme.

But if your first high-quality product was noticed by the public, you can bet that any dip in quality will be noticed, too. You set a high standard that others now expect to see in your work, and when they don’t see it, they will let you know.

Setting Reasonable Writing Expectations

What’s the lesson here? How do you keep yourself from being caught in an endless loop of writing better and pushing yourself to the limit every time?

Well, you don’t.

Some people think they can avoid this challenge by settling for a lower quality piece and set low expectations at the beginning. But ask yourself: Why would you expect to get readers if you lower your standards?

Readers have fairly low tolerance for writers who treat them like fools. If you’re offering mediocre or low quality, they won’t be back for more.

With lower quality writing, you’re less likely to engage as many people to begin with or bring back the ones you engage with the first time.

So what to do?

Quality Writing Tip #1: Do your best.

One man’s trash is another’s treasure and all that. If your prose is clean and error free, and your plot is well structured with thought-out character arcs and a solid narrative, readers may forgive historical inaccuracies, use of clichés or bland characters and world building.

Do your best, and be prepared to hear that your best wasn’t “perfect.”

Present the reader with a polished package, and they may overlook some areas where it could be improved. Or, at least you’ll receive feedback on what to improve for your next piece.

Quality Writing Tip #2: Use feedback.

Don’t just “receive” feedback, use it.

If you received praise from readers, and you want to know why they thought your book was high quality — ask!

This might take the form of social media polls, reading your reviews and comment threads, or sending out reader copies  of your work and asking for specific advice.

Use what your readers say to recognize at least four things your readers generally agree was high quality about your writing or the book in general, and identify at two areas where you can push the quality to higher levels in the next poem or manuscript.

Quality Writing Tip #3: Look for quality to emulate.

Maybe you really admire colorful metaphors or quirky descriptions and world building. Maybe tight and minimal sentences are what you strive for.

Read books from some of the great writers in your genre or historical time period and pick out examples of what you think makes their writing great.

Work to structure your sentences the same way, use metaphors or descriptors similarly, or mimic the dialogue style that you find engaging. Whatever it is that you enjoy about reading their work, use as a model for your own craft.

Quality Writing Tip #4: Be patient. Quality takes time.

Be prepared to tackle your manuscript in multiple revision iterations.

Maybe one day, you revise the entire thing with a focus on word choice. Then, the next day, you do a read-through and edit to focus on historical accuracy. Stay focused on the areas you’ve marked for improvement and special attention. Be patient.

You might be midway through your outline and realize you need to do additional research or watch a movie that people recommended as a reference. Do it.

Don’t let the pressure to put out a follow up to your first well-received work push you to a hasty release of the next piece.

If you’re honestly working to improve, you must work as hard as you did the first time, so you can reach the level of quality you’ve already set for yourself. Then, push at least 25% past that. Work harder than you’ve ever worked before; the improvement will show.

Once you become recognized for your skill, enjoy it. But don’t stop.

No one wants to be a one-trick pony, and compromising on your writing quality ensures you will be.

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Write like the Greats: Charles Bukowski

write-greats-bukowski
“Understand me.
I’m not like an ordinary world.
I have my madness,
I live in another dimension
and I do not have time for things
that have no soul.”

Writing like Bukowski

I don’t know much about Charles Bukowski. I know his reputation of being a … less-than-pleasant person. As Modest Mouse said, “God, who’d want to be such an asshole?“

But I know poetry (like ee cummings). I know good writing. Every now and then, I stumble across some writing from Bukowski, and it slaps me across the face. 

Bukowski’s writing is raw.

His style is known for being no-frills. Bare-bones. And somehow, as in this example, there is strength in his vulnerability. There is grit ground into his wounds that seem to have scarred over, but he has never forgotten. 

There is anger in these words. But is there not determination? And hope? And a promise for tomorrow? 

The Beginnings

Look at how he begins each line of this poem — as a bold statement about himself. A declaration of truth. 

First, he demands of the reader what they will do. An unapologetic demand that the reader do better, try something different — understanding. Then, he explains what he is (and is not) in a single line, and continues to tell the reader what he has and how he lives.

All these truths command the reader to follow his initial demand. You will understand the straightforwardness of his words, if nothing else. If you understand nothing of what he says, you know by the end what he thinks of you. 

The Last Word

Then, look at the last word of each line. Each thought ends on a noun. A thing. Something real that you can sink your teeth into. Each of these — me, world, madness, dimension, things — evokes an image. Evokes a texture, sound, or feeling. You can picture them in your mind, you could describe them to someone else if you needed to. 

And here is where Bukowski’s vulnerability comes to its head: he needs you to understand him. He needs you to hear what he has to say. Dismiss it when you’ve reached the end, if you want, but for a few sentences, he has made you do something different. He has made you think not only about him and what he is, but perhaps he has made you think about what and who you are as well. 

As tough as he may have appeared, Bukowski needed this connection. With you. He needed you to understand for a moment. And he does not ask this of you — he demands it. 

Bukowski Poetry Tip of the Day:

The heart of your poem (or even, your fiction) is what you’re demanding from your reader. Do not ask them for their attention — command it. Do not ask them to let you show your vulnerability, slice your heart open on the page and make it so they can’t look away. 

Because that is the soul of this poem, isn’t it? We all need to be understood. We all am things, have things, and live … but Bukowski reminds us that we do not have time. 

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Fullness of Absence: Capturing Silence in Writing

fullness-absence-writing

While listening to a video about personality types, something happened which often happens to me: I started thinking. About silence. In writing. Thinking…

Oh no, you say. Not again, you say.

The speaker in the video said something along the line of: Extroverts think silence is space to be filled, and introverts think silence is a space to be cherished.

I see her point. I know what she’s trying to say. As an introvert, I relate. But then I thought, Well, silence is a space that’s already full.

Maybe it’s not how all introverts see it – I can’t speak for anyone but me. But to me, silence seems to be bursting. And, if writers can capture that silence in writing the moment just right, they will capture an ethereal moment of experience that might otherwise be missed. 

The Fullness of Silence (in Writing and in Life)

Silence is full with the sensation of crusty boogers in my nose, and it’s full of the colors of the trees, and it’s full of the shape of the clouds. A lack of sound doesn’t mean anything more than a fullness of other senses.

It is because it is empty that the cart is useful.**

Silence and an empty cart are not useful in the same way. The cart is not lacking. It has purpose and is full of potential.

Silence is also not lacking. It is a moment rich with the absence of sound. It has purpose of being non auditory and is full of the richness of life without sounds.

There’s a there there, not emptiness. Silence, in writing and in life, is the time when and the place where we can feel life moving. 

**Tao Te Ching, verse 11

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Decision Making & Writing Your Novel

plan and outline your fiction novel by thinking through every decision

Planning your novel

You have an idea for a novel — that’s great. Now, putting together a plan for it can help you actually see it through and make it everything you hope it can be.

Planning a novel requires conscious decision making. You’re creating a world. You’re creating lives. You’re creating realities. It’s serious business. (Better put on your kill-em-dead lipstick now.)

One way to make decisions while outlining, designing characters, and choosing the aspects of your novel’s reality: consider the question that Jeff Bezos asks himself:

Is this a reversible or irreversible decision?

With this straightforward question, you should be able to help prioritize the decision-making and better structure your plot, themes, and symbolism.

If it’s a reversible decision . . .

Simple decisions can be made quickly and changed later if necessary. Can the decision be reversed? or altered, even? Then make it quickly and get on with whatever you’re writing.

For example: You want to write a scene where two lovers are having a spat a restaurant. You ask yourself, “Well, is it an Italian or Mexican restaurant?”

Does it matter to the plot of the story? Is it something you can tweak later? Then don’t trip. Pick one and write the scene with the appropriate details – delicious menu items, atmosphere, pertinent dialogue.

Now, be wary. Don’t begin writing off all questions with, “Well, I can always change this later.” You will begin to overcomplicate your plot, and multiple revisions can and will lead to inconsistencies.

If it’s an irreversible decision . . .

Decisions with lasting effects should be given some consideration and development. Will this decision affect the story in more ways than one? Will it somehow trigger a domino effect in a web of tangled plot threads that you don’t want to see unravel?

For example: You want a character to stand out for her looks because of a scar or birthmark on her face. Then, in one scene, you attempt to put her in disguise without mentioning how that distinguishing characteristic is covered. If no one recognizes her and she isn’t caught, the reader will see the plot hole.

Choosing a physical feature or personality trait for a character (or setting) is irreversible unless you show why that character has changed.

If you portray and describe a father-figure character as nurturing and receptive, that is an irreversible and defining characteristic that the reader will expect to stay consistent, unless given reason to believe in the change.

Choosing a profession, hobby, or area of expertise for a character carries its own burdens of verisimilitude. The reader will lose belief in your characters (and you) if they don’t seem to know much about their own job descriptions, the fashion of their profession, the details of their so-called interests, or the social discussions of topics they mention.

Don’t say a character is a veterinarian merely so your character can have “a job.” If you’re going to make your character a medical doctor of veterinary medicine – someone who has dedicated years of their life to the study and care of a range of animals – you need to show personality characteristics and lifestyle choices that align with that job.

There’s nothing like reading a character who is supposed to be a social worker, or cop, or a teacher, and being able to tell that the writer has no clue what someone in that profession does.

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