How to Become a Self-Publisher

By Lanee' Blunt

A writer can write an excellent book and become a self-publisher. It’s often hard for a new writer to break into the publishing market, so why not self-publish?

If you have written a book and want to publish the book yourself there are many rewards for doing it. You can keep all of the profits, and have full control.

Publishing Company

Choose a name for your new publishing company. Register your company name by applying for a “Doing Business As” (DBA). You have to file a “fictitious name” or DBA registration form. In some states, you have to register a DBA with the state government or the county clerk’s office.

ISBN

Get your ISBN’s for your book. You will need this number before you can go to a printer. You can get them from Bowker. Go to their website and get the information about obtaining an ISBN. Apply for your ISBN numbers Bowker.com.

Post Office Box

Get a post office box and use the PO Box addresses for your publishing house, unless you want your fans showing up at your home.  Apply for a business account. Shop around for printers and ask them to send you samples of completed books before you decide on one type of printer. Make sure that your book is free of errors and revised, although you may have to edit your own book. Some editor’s work as freelancers and can be found online.

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How to Submit to a Book Publisher

By Lanee' Blunt

A new writer can submit a book to a publisher with a few tips. Here’s how to submit your proposal to a publishing house.

If you are a new writer and want to break into the publishing market, you must have a book proposal. Most publishing houses want to see only a proposal and not the full manuscript until they request it.

Write the Query Letter

A query letter is a one page letter that is addressed to the right editor.  The letter explains what your book is about and should tell the whole story leaving the editor with no unsure parts about you book. You must tell the beginning, the middle and the ending. Write a synopsis of the book: a five page outline that explains what the book is about, chapter by chapter.

Three Chapters

The proposal will include the first three chapters of your book, although I have heard of people sending their best three chapters, but I prefer the first three. Make sure you have no typos and that your pages are free of any spills. The editor can usually make a decision by reading three chapters of your book whether you can write and fulfill your topic.

Market List

Get the latest edition of Writer’s Market and find a publisher that publishes the type of book that you have written. Don’t send your nonfiction book to a fiction editor. Don’t send your romance book to a mystery editor.

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How to Write a Short Story: Scene Development

Scene development is important in your short story, but new writers find it hard to write a convincing scene. Here are tips on writing a scene.

By Lanee' Blunt

New writers find writing short story scenes difficult. The problem is that they don’t stay in the character’s point of view and shift in and out of view points.  Another problem might be that you don’t describe enough of the setting to have a vivid story, or you describe too much.

Your scene in your mind is sometimes different than what you’ve intended to write.  You may never be able to put down on paper exactly what you want to say. Scene development is done correctly when the reader’s imagination lets them picture the scene you’ve written. According to John Gardner, in his book, The Art of Fiction, “He makes the scene vivid in the reader’s mind; that is, he encourages the reader to “dream” the event with enormous clarity, by presenting as many concrete details as possible.”

The Setting in the Scene is Important

When you write your scene think about a play, and how the stage director sets up each important scene, bringing in what is needed, props, sound and setting.  What is the weather like? Is the story taken place in the morning or night?  Is she at home? What room is she in?  Sounds are a good point in scene development, the bus roars down the main street.  

The Point of View in Your Scene is Crucial

Are you writing in first person point of view? First person makes it impossible for the writer to enter into other character’s mind in the short story.  Don’t switch from view point to view point through out your short story.

The Scene as a Camera

Think of your scene as a camera and what do you see when you are looking into the lens of that camera.  Only that one view.  Don’t think about the next scene describe the scene you are working on completely before moving on to the next scene.

Describe the Opening of Your Scene

The beginning of the scene should not start so far back where the scene will be slow.  Describe the opening where the action takes place and then begin your scene.  The opening of the scene can begin with dialogue, or setting it is up to you.

The Climax of Your Scene is Important

What is going to be the most exciting point of your scene? You should plan it before you write the scene or at least think about it?  Once you get the scene going then build toward the climax and don’t hold back; if it’s a fight scene then describe it blow by blow, or if it’s a romance describe that first kiss with detail.

The more you write the better you will get at scene development.

Reference:

John Gardner; The Art of Fiction; Vintage Books

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How to Write Back Story for Character Development

Back story is crucial for your story, but new writers find it hard to weave it into the short story.  Here are some tips for character development.

By Lanee' Blunt

Back story is important in a short story, because it helps the reader imagine the ongoing story, so when they read your story, they come to it with the purpose of enjoying the story life and caring about your characters.  You do not want the reader to think about, “Now why did the author write that”.  Sometimes new writers write too much information and too much back story.

When back story is done correctly it adds depth to characterization, and it makes readers understand the characters better than they do their friends.  Sometimes back story leads to motive.

Back Story Takes Time to Create

Back story is part of character development, and can be done in the character sketch.  You must ask the right question, for example, what important childhood experience affects him right now?  What would he like to change about himself? What is his greatest weakness? You must ask the questions but also come up with the right answers for that particular story that is not out of character for him.

Back Story is Important

Your back story has to go someplace, for instance it can’t just be filler.  It has to be relevant to the story that you are telling, and must be interesting.

Back Story Has to Be Planned

If you have information that you want to put into your story, what is so important about it that the reader must know?  Will this information help the reader understand the story better?  Does the back story help to define your character?  These questions have to be answered before you begin the story; if not then you may have to stop writing the first draft and answer the questions.

Avoid the Back Story at the Beginning of the Story

“The point of departure from the present into a flashback must be carefully chosen,” according to Leonard Bishop’s book, Dare to be a Great Writer.   The back story cannot be added at the beginning of the story because you must start the story off strong when the action is happening. Let your character breathe then add back story.

Back story Can Be Done in a Scene or Exposition

If you have a lot of information, you may not want to add it to the story in exposition.  This can be done by having the character to think back to the flashback, and write a full scene.

A short piece of information can be added as exposition in the character’s point of view, with a few sentences or paragraphs filling information that the reader has to know so that they can understand the story.

Back story can be easy to master with a little thought and practice.

Reference:

Leonard Bishop; Dare to be a Great Writer; Writer’s Digest

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How to Develop Believable Vivid Characters

Building believable characters for your short stories starts with a character sketch. Create great characters for your fiction.

By Lanee' Blunt

Most new writers hate the preliminary work that it takes to write a good short story.  They want to dive right into writing the story thinking that it is a waste of time to put so much work in before you write the short story.  This may be fine, up to a point, but the writer has no choice but to come back to the preliminary stage when feeling lost or blocked.

Tips for Developing Characters

What’s in a name?  Give your protagonist and the antagonist a name.  What do they look like?  How does the protagonist dress, and where does she live? Take each character separately and pick them apart.  Where did they go to school?  Is the character an only child, or does he have siblings.  What are the names of the siblings? You will find yourself understanding the story much better than you did with just an outline.

Character Motivations are Important

New fiction writers should always know the motivation of their characters.  If you have read a story before and felt like you didn’t care or understand a character, the writer has failed to give a clear motivation.  Motivation is what makes us have empathy with the character and helps us to care about what happens to them.  According to Orson Card’s book, Characters and Viewpoint, “The most important tool that will help your audience believe in your characters is elaboration of motive.” What does your character want?  What will she do to get it?  What is she willing to give up keeping her secret?

Write a Back-story for Important Characters

When you write a back-story for your character’s it helps you to understand who they are.  First you have to know your characters before you can write about them convincingly. I usually write a back-story for my protagonist.  Maybe something has happened to her that shaped her life, a good experience or a bad one.  “Secrets lurk in the past and influence how people behave in the present,” according Robert Ray’s book, The Weekend Novelist.

Ask Questions about the Characters and Answer Them

There are a lot of questions that you can ask in the preliminary stage that will lead to good characterization.  What is your character’s weakness, what are their strengths?  Who is stopping the character from getting what she wants.  Does she have an enemy? What is her greatest accomplishment or greatest failure?  These are just some of the questions that you can ask for your character sketch. 

Writing a character sketch helps you to understand who your characters are and what makes them tick.

Sources:

Orson S Card; Characters and Viewpoint; Writer’s Digest

Robert J Ray; The Weekend Novelist; Dell

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Developing Characters: How to Write a Character Sketch

Describing your characters will be much easier once you have developed a character sketch.  Here are some tips on how to write a dossier.

By Lanee' Blunt

A character sketch seems like a waste of time to some new writer’s.  They hate this step and want to skip it, and move on to writing the short story or novel.  If you skip this step you will lose a part of characterization that helps you understand how they react in certain situations.

A character sketch can be used to help you get to know your character. You have to know your characters before you can write about them convincingly.  You can refer to it when you feel lost, it makes writing easier, and sometimes it helps giving you insight into motivation.

What is a Sketch?

“A character sketch is a word outline, a preliminary study of a person, drawn from life experience, that you’d like to use in your novel,” according to Robert J. Ray, in his book, The Weekend Novelist. A character sketch should be written on all of your main characters, the protagonist, antagonist, and major characters. 

There are Questions you must ask in the Sketch

For each of your major characters they should all have an outline.  Start with the background where did they go to school? What is their early childhood experience, marital status, financial situation?  What does your character want? What drives him? How does he handle obstacles? How did he spend the week before the story begins?  These are some of the questions you can ask.

How Long Should the Sketch Be?

Some writers are very serious about this step and they have lengthy sketches. Some writer’s sketches go into the character’s closets, or what type of car they drive.  Some writers just write a few pages of notes to themselves.  It is up to you how long it should be.

Some Questions Lead to Plot

There are questions in the character’s sketch that will help you plot the story.  What would her enemy’s reaction be? How far will she go to attain her goal?  Will she lie? Will she kill? Will she betray a friend? What are her limitations? Does she see herself as honest, short tempered, aggressive, stingy?  Does she have a love life? Does she have one night stands?

Sketch the Physical Details

New writers sometimes struggle to describe a character so they don’t describe at all, but it’s easier when you already know what she looks like. How old is your character? Describe her. How tall is she?  Is she fat, skinny, or middle sized?  What color are her eyes? How do people see her?

These are some of the questions that you can ask yourself when you are writing the sketch.  Answer each question as if you are interviewing your character for an investigation.  You will find that you will come up with some answers that might surprise you.

Reference:

Robert J. Ray; The Weekend Novelist; Dell

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How to Write a Short Story: Developing the Plot

New writers often get confused and frustrated when plotting their short story.  A short story is not difficult to plot if you understand a few tips.

By Lanee' Blunt

The plot is very important in a short story. You cannot luck up on it and suddenly things will fall into place, if that’s the case that may happen only a few times.  Plot has to be thought out carefully and planned.  Most new writers don’t know how to plot their short stories, and believe it’s a series of surprises.  It is not. According to Robert J. Ray, in his book, The Weekend Novelist, “A plot is a plan, a design, an outline.”

When plot is done correctly it leaves your reader fulfilled. It has no breaks and everything falls in place perfectly. 

When you have an idea that is all you have, because an idea must be developed into plot.  Your idea may have sparked your interest and made you want to write the story, but an idea is not plotting.

Plotting is done By Asking the Right Questions

The question “what if” helps you plot out that idea.  Take your idea and ask what if she was betrayed by a friend.  What if he was set up? What if he had to lie to get the job? Coming up with the right answers, not just the first answer that comes to your mind, but the right answer for that situation will help you plot a great story.

What Questions Do You Need to Ask

The first questions that help you plot the story are who, what, when, where, and how.  When you ask these questions write them in essay form. New writers want to jump right into writing the story and often want to skip the preliminary writing in the first stages, this is fine, but you might have to go back to this step when writing the story.

The Outline of Your Short Story

Your plot outline is not the type that Mrs. Green, your old English teacher made you write, but a series of obstacles and how your characters will overcome them.  This will let you know where you are headed.

The End of the Story Has to Be Planned

Your ending of your story should be planned.  It helps you plot the story if you know what the end is going to be because it builds toward suspense.  By the time you get to the end you should have brought all the plates down and have left nothing undone in the plot.  This is where the plot outline will help you, because it helps get the story in your mind and take a step back to rethink all of the pieces.

Writing your short story plot will get easier the more stories you write.

Reference:

Robert J. Ray; The Weekend Novelist; Dell

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How to Get a Novel Published

By Lanee' Blunt

Getting your first novel published can be a challenge. You have finished your novel, congratulations. Now it’s time to find a publisher for your first novel. Make sure that your book is the best that it can be and that it can compete with the other books in its genre.

Rewriting

Rewrite your novel before submitting it for publication. Most new writers think that changing a word and running each chapter through spell checker is rewriting. Rewriting consists of much more. Check your plot points for weak construction. Avoid stupid motivations for your characters. For example, if you have ever read a novel and asked yourself why in the world would the character do that? Polish the first four chapters because they are the hook of the novel.

Write the Novel Proposal

Write a one page covering letter. Include the editor’s name and address. The synopsis is a description of what your novel is about. Write who the characters are. The synopsis should to sound like the back cover of a book. Hold the reader’s interest by making it sound exciting. Describe the beginning of the book, the middle, and the end. Describe the genre of the book and what you believe is going to be a good selling point. For example, you can compare your novel to the other novels in the same genre.

Find a Publisher

Go to the library and get the latest edition of the Writer’s Market. It is a directory that list different publishing companies, addresses, and what genre they publish. Write down the addresses, and editor’s name of the listing of books under the same genre as your own book. Go to your favorite bookstore and browse through novels that are similar to your book. Copy a list from the books and write down the publisher’s address.

Submit

Send a synopsis and the first three chapters. Never send the whole manuscript unless the publisher asks for it. A novel proposal and three chapters is enough for the editor to make a decision: to ask for more or reject the package. If the proposal is rejected send it to the next publisher on your list.

Finding a publisher for your novel is possible with persistence, and if your work is commercially viable.

Reference:

Writer’s Digest; Your Straight-Forward Guide to Publication; Brain Klems; 2011

Street Directory: How to Get a Novel Published-The First Step is a Query Letter; Dee Power

Jackie French: How to Get Your First Novel Published

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Sole Proprietorship vs. Freelance

By Lanee' Blunt

The difference between sole proprietorship and freelancing can seem confusing, but they are very different.  A sole proprietor is a business which has one owner. A freelancer is an entrepreneurial worker that works for one or many clients as an independent worker.

Freelancers Work Independently

When you are a freelancer you have the opportunity to work independently. You take your skills that you have and instead of working for the industry or corporations as an employee you work as an independent. You can set your own pay rate, work your own hours, and different locations even work out of your state. For example mail in your work or send in your work over the internet. A freelancer does not have benefits with the company that they work for. They do not have health insurance and they do not have a current system of retirement. As a freelancer they do not have a 401(K) savings system with the employers that they work for.

Categories of Jobs

The freelancer is usually in a special field. They can be found in many different areas but freelancers generally can be found in the areas of publishing. They are freelance writer’s journalists and copywriters that write for many publishers sending query letters for example, a single page letter stating a story idea asking if the editor would be interested in the full story. Freelancers are also web designer’s programmers and computer developers. Freelancers are graphic designers and some work in advertising as marketers.

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is an one owner-business. There are sole proprietorships that can do the same types of jobs as the freelancer, but the difference is the business and the owners are legally one. If you want your business to have a different name from your own you will need to register the business as a fictitious name “Doing Business As”, or DBA, with the country clerk.

Service Company

A sole proprietorship as a service company and that has employees you have to have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. A freelancer does not need an EIN because they work independently and do not have employees. All of your assets and liabilities belong to the owner as a sole proprietorship. For example if your business is sued by a client they many go after your personal as well as your business assets.

Reference:

Freelancers Union: The Rise of the Freelance Class

Walden University: Why is a Sole Proprietorship a Good Business Structure?

SBA: Business Licenses and Permits

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No Reply after Submitting a Short Story

You have submitted your short story, but you haven’t heard from the publisher.  Here are some tips on what you can do.

By Lanee' Blunt

New writer’s often worry when their short story has been submitted to a publisher, and they have received no reply. (What is the editor doing to my story? I worked hard on that story and deserve a personal letter).  Your imagination may play tricks on you about what is happening with your story. 

The short story market does not permit you to send multiple submissions to publishers, so waiting can be a hair pulling experience. A follow up letter is a means of helping to solve the problem of that story in limbo.  It is an effective professional approach to withdrawing your story and moving on.

Give the Short Story a Reasonable Time Period

Read the latest edition of Writer’s Market; find the entry for the magazine you sent it to.  What is the latest it says the editor can keep your story; you must allow the editor to have this time before you panic.

Don’t assume that the editor has stolen your story, or that she has used your story without your permission.  Usually, that is not the case. Resist the urge to pick up the phone and call the editor to ask her has she received your story.

The Follow-up Letter

The purpose of the letter is to get the editor to respond.  Maybe your short story is on the editor’s desk and she is undecided about using the story.  A letter from you might make her decide to use your story, or decide to send the story back to you.

Magazine editor’s are busy and have many other tasks besides reading slush pile manuscripts. Don’t expect the editor to remember your short story.

The Follow up Letter Should Look Professional

Write a standard business letter that contains the editor’s name.  You can use a template with your word processing software of a professional business letter. Write the title of your short story, and the date that you sent your story.  I usually write a letter stating when I sent the short story, maybe it was lost in the mail, and I am sending another story for their consideration.

Included in the envelope with the letter, attach another copy of that story and send a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE).

After waiting a month and still no reply you can move the story to another publisher. “After all, editors are remarkably like humans. They even want to be treated with the same dignity as you.  A kindly reminder can’t hurt; it might even prompt a more thoughtful second reading of your query,” according to Gordon Burgett’s book, How to Sell More Than 75% of Your Freelance Writing, (Prima, 1995).

A short story can only be sent to one publisher at a time, but after sending a follow up letter you may shop for another publisher.

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How to Deal With Rejection Letters

Tips for dealing with letters of rejection, if you are a new writer you should expect them.

By Lanee' Blunt

Dealing with letters of rejection can be very hard.  If you are a new writer you may feel devastated after receiving one, but accept it and keep writing.  This may be hard to do at first, but as you keep writing you will come to terms that rejection letters are part of your business.  There are some tips that I have found over the years that may be helpful.

Send the Story to another Publisher on Your Marketing List

Don’t let the rejection depress you and keep you from publishing your work.  Find a home for your story.  As soon as your short story returns to you, put it in another envelope and mail it to the next publisher on your marketing list.  According to Leonard Bishop’s book, Dare to Be a Great Writer.  “Writers must not be tyrannized by their esteem for publishers or literary agents that they assume rejection of their work is an irrevocable, dooming judgment.”

The Story Was Sent to the Wrong Publisher

Writers should always send their stories to the right publisher, check the latest edition in Writer’s Market, and read the directory.  In Writer’s Market it will list the type of story the publisher is looking for.  If you’ve written a romance story don’t send it to a publisher that only accepts mysteries.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Writers are hypersensitive, but I think that’s what helps us to be writers.  After a suitable period get rid of your depression or anger and understand that rejection is part of being a writer. All writers have received rejection letters.

Don’t Read too much Into a Form Rejection Letter

You are not going to get an editor’s reply on all of your rejection letters.  Most will come in a form letter.  Editor’s are just too busy and have other responsibilities. Sometimes an editor might write a comment on the form letter, but don’t expect a personal letter.  “No matter how well you have honed your business and writing skill and mastered the lessons of professional etiquette, rejection rears its ugly head.  Expect it.  And don’t run from it,” according to Loriann Hoff-Oberlin’s book titled, Writing for Money.

Rewrite Your Story

If the story keeps returning with a rejection letter, you might want to rewrite it.  You should read it again, but this time reading as an editor or a critic.  Are there weak parts? Can you delete anything? Are there any typos?

The writer must accept the reasons for rejection, try to improve, and not take rejection personal.  Keep writing.

Sources:

Leonard Bishop, Dare to Be a Great Writer, OH: Writers Digest, 1988.

Loriann Hoff-Oberlin, Writing for Money, OH: Writers Digest, 1994.

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How to Start a Publishing Company as a Sole Proprietor

by Lanee' Blunt

Introduction

Self publishing a book allows you to eliminate the middleman which is the commercial publisher to produce the book yourself. A sole proprietorship is a business owned by a single individual. Start a publishing company by operating as a sole proprietorship the start up cost is low; no employees are required and publish books right away with minimum overhead. At the time of publication, Self Publishing Resources reports that 8,000 to 11,000 new publishers enter the field every year and they are mostly self-publishers.

Choose a name for your publishing company before you go to press. If you operate your publishing company under your name and call it John Smith, your publishing company may appear amateurish. A fictitious name will give the impression that you have an established business which is important when applying for printing estimates, ISBN numbers, and asking for paper mill samples.

Apply for a DBA. You have to file a “fictitious name” or “Doing Business As” (DBA) registration form. In some states, you have to register a DBA with the state government or the county clerk’s office.

Acquire a post office box. Your place of business may be your home in the beginning. In a home-office there is room to fill orders and write. Using a post office box as an address on your books and your stationary is acceptable, because even the big firms use P.O. boxes.

Take precautions. A post office box is also a security measure to keep your fans from showing up at your residence. Give your business name and your book title to the post office when filling out the registration card, so they will give you your mail no matter how it is addressed.

Apply for an employee identification number (EIN) with the federal government. Fill-out the necessary forms and send them back to the federal government and they will return it to you with your EIN number. As a sole proprietorship until you hire employees you won’t need to use the EIN as it is not a requirement.

Get your business bank account. This is optional. You can get a business checking account with your publishing company name.

Print stationary. Design a logo that will be easily applicable to your stationary. Have letterhead, envelopes and business cards printed for the new publishing company.

Tips & Warnings

• You don’t have to worry about your books being out of print, and you can print as many and as often as you like keeping your book in print for many years.

• Taking-on investors is risky, because the return on their investment may be too slow for them.

References

“The Self-Publishing Manual”; Dan Poynter; 2003

Resource

Self-Publishing Resources.com   

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The Advantages of Query Letters for Magazine Articles

by Lanee' Blunt

When you are a new writer it seems impossible to break into one of the major magazine markets. How should you approach one of the magazine publishers you may be asking yourself? Maybe you have heard that sending the magazine a query letter is how you should get your article sold, but as a new writer the query letter seems intimidating. It sounds like something only professional writers' use.

When writing a non-fiction article never send the publisher a completed manuscript on speculation. They are only going to accept a query letter from you and if you send them your completed manuscript they will just put it back in the package and send it back to you rejected. A query letter is a detailed one page proposal of what you are intending to write. "A longtime rule for query letters is: Keep it to one page. That's still a good rule. Without it, writers might assume they have carte blanche to write a novella-which, given the chance, many would do." According to John Wood's book, How to Write Attention-Grabbing Query & Cover Letters; 1996.

Query Letters Can Get You Past the Slush Pile
One advantage of using a query letter is that it can take your manuscript from unsolicited to solicited. Your manuscript will be rejected and put back into the envelope if you are not sending a query letter, but if you send the query the editor might ask you to send the manuscript. There is no guarantee that it will be sold, but only looked at.

Small Amount of Research
When you write the query letter you are going to make it interesting and the advantage is that you are going to do a small amount of research in the query. If you were to do the whole manuscript you would have a lot of research, but with the query your research is minimum.

Editor Samples Your Writing
In the query the editor is able to sample your writing and can tell if you are a good enough writer to handle the article. If your query is interesting then it may intrigue the editor and make her ask for more, like the whole manuscript. Make sure that you write the query like you would the whole manuscript leaving nothing out and revealing even the ending. This is not the place to write, "You will get the rest when I send the article, because there is a surprise ending."

Professional
The query is professional and it gives the editor the confidence in your writing that you know what you are doing. Make sure that on your query you know the editor's name, and what type of stories that she buys. Send a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with all of your queries.

How Many 
When you are first starting out you can have at least ten queries at a time floating around. Make sure that you send a different query to each magazine because you cannot send out simultaneous queries of the same article.

These are some of the advantages of using query letters. They are a great tool for the writer because they save you a lot of time and you don't write the article until it is requested.


Read This Next


Sole Proprietorship vs Freelance


How to Get an Article Published Online


How to Deal with Rejection Letters

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