I would never presume to tell you more than just a little about this new phenomenon. I’ll leave it up to you to Google it, make friends with your librarian, check out blogs on e-books and buy and read lots of pertinent information in books, articles, and the like.

I’m going to start off giving you the names of two online publishing houses you need to contact now. They have a world of excellent info to offer and they’re where you’ll be selling most or just about all of your writing. The first is www.amazon.com. The second is www.smashwords.com. The first, Amazon, you’re familiar with. Their Kindle has brought and bought e-books to life. Check in on them and study their prodigious free literature. Find out how to upload your books. (It ain’t easy, but it is possible). Google this, too, to find out where help is available to get you started.

Second is Smashwords, a smaller, but excellent online publishing company.  They both publish free and SW distributes to Barnes and Noble, Apple, Dielsel and such.  It takes longer to pay, but you can see why.  And you’ll be happy to know they’re both honest and reputable.    And both make provisons for some correspondence that takes a couple of days or so.  I only give you these two because they’re the best in the field.  Barnes and Noble also handles direct placement of e-books on their line, but I liked dealing with SW.

Best thing about all of them is that they’re free.  Of course, they deduct theirs, but they’re reasonable, and for my money, you can’t beat them!

That’s it for now because if you do this right, it will take a while.  And stay tuned for next time in about a month to six weeks when the estimable Shawn James, excellent writer, publisher and blogger tells you a lot about what he knows about this e-book thing.  Learn to surf the e-book wave and while you probably won’t get rich, you can have fun and earn money.

Bye until next time when I’ll see you here!

Getting Started with E-Books originally appeared on Francine Craft on April 28, 2012.

I could be linear about this and tell you all the things you’ll need to be to self-publish, but I won’t because you’d get bored.  I’m going to hit the highlights and tell you what’s good and what’s bad about this indie business.  Let’s be positive and hit some of the good spots.  By now, you know that e-books have just about taken over the lead role, taking it even away from paperbacks.  I’d say, however, do get at least  few paperbacks if your books is especially important to you, and yes, a couple of hard  covers too.

Right now, I’ll tell you about CreateSpace, Amazon’s publishing arm, or one of them.  I really liked working with them to publish Dying on the Edge.  They’re available for human calls and quickly answered e-mails.  They’re almost completely courteous and knowledgeable — and they publish good looking books – free of charge. They make money from the books they sell, because any author wants and needs copies for review, friends, family and for other personal use.  Do contact them at www.createspace.com.  So far, they’re loves.  Let’s hope they don’t go the way of so many other companies.

People who are proud of their expertise  with computers also like www.lightningsource.com, a UK company. They do charge, but I won’t go into their charges.  Also, you might wish to contact www.lula.com. who also charge, and again I’m not sure how much.  These fees change a lot and your best bet is the get brochures from all three companies.

Know that you’re going to need good covers.  There’re many good artists out there ranging from $60 to $500.  There’re also free templates , excellent for use by anyone even fairly talented.

Next time I’ll tell you about e-book conversion, the hells and the heavens of the little darlings.  Let me tell you it can make you tear the last three strands of your hair out, but it’s well worth the time and trouble to learn.   Then be aware that there’s help out there at a realistic price.

I’m so enthusiastic about independent publishing.  Get rich, you won’t, but if you take the time and make the effort to master what you’re doing, you’ll find yourself on top of something others are only wishfully considering.

Live your life and love your living!  Until next time.

Places to Help You Indie Publish originally appeared on Francine Craft on March 2, 2012.

l) Ask yourself if you basically like working alone, can encourage and sustain yourself.  If not, you may be able to work with a friend.  That was not for me and fortuntely I knew it.  I like working alone and often being alone.  Contemplating my emotional navel is one of my best diversions.

2) Are you prepared to treat this the way you’d treat any business.  You have at least a small amount of money set aside.  You’re prepared to map out your time, leaving enough for rest, sleep, self-care and recreation. 

3) You’re truly into this publishing thing.  Yes, books that should have been edited, proofed and otherwise vetted are coming out without any of these.  But do you really want this for your book?  They live forever, you know.

4) Can you take disappointment and rejection as well as success.  This is an absolute necessity, because all this is out there lying in wait for you before you reach your long awaited success.

If you can weather the above, then Google and begin to study.  I had writing courses in college and on the job, but I constantly read and take new courses.   The independent field is a fascinating one, changing constantly now, rewarding some and denying others.  Stick with it and I think in time you’ll find what you’re seeking, but you’ve got to work at it long and hard.

I’ll be having guest bloggers who have done more of it than I have.  I’m preparing my second indie book and trying to decide whether to do print or e-book.  The market will probably decide for me.

Next tine I’ll tell you about Amazon’s CreateSpace that publishes your books for free and give you tips on how to find out if it’s for you.  Here’s hoping you’re here with me next time!

Is Independent Publishing For You? originally appeared on Francine Craft on January 31, 2012.

Hopefully this will go thru as a note.  Someone wrote asking for help with addresses to get grants.  Their comment couldn’t go thru.  Info on grants is available on Google.  Make sure you phrase it well.  Librarians are very helpful.  Contact info at Smal Business Administration – SBA.  This will help.

* * * * * *

Changes are happening fast and furiously in the field of publlishing. You’ve read that over the past year or so, far more e-books have been published than paperbacks. Now, studies have found that people seem to be in love with e-books as never before.  Kindles, Nooks, and other e-readers abound. And it is presently the age of the $0.99 e-books to fill those readers.

What does this mean to and for you? Well, several things. If you’ve always yearned to self-publish, now may be the time to get in the swim, or at least swing your legs over the side of the pool, studying what’s going on; something I recommend.  Help with independent — indie — publishing has never been better.

To digress, I would advise that right at the beginning you get engaged to and marry Google.  Do it right and it will become one of the most useful tools in the universe.  I will give tips at a later time to make your life easier here.  At this time, I just want you to know the field is wide open, it’s interesting, not easy, but not impossible either, and you can run the race and win, trust me.

This time I’ll throw out a few very helpful places.  Begin with Google to get a fuller listing.  At the outset, if you’re an independent soul, choose a place that will advise you and let you set your own prices, with a warning that they must be reasonable.  Publishers are in business to make money and make it they do.  With my own experience and talking with others, I’ve come to like Amazon’s Createspace, which I’ve found  phenomenal, the UK’s Lighning Source, which a friend swears by, and Lulu, which others swear by.  They’re all reached by adding .com to the name.  I’d suggest that you get online and study their literature.

By all means, don’t run, walk carefully.  CreateSpace will publish your book free.  They make money selling the copies you order, as do the rest, but others do charge an upfront fee.

Let me warn you at the outset, if it’s big, easy money you’re looking for, go elsewhere.  It ain’t coming from here.  Here again, I’m going to refer you to Google to tell you what the average neophyte- published book earns.  But writing is like anything else, you generally get out of it what you put in

The very first thing you’ll need to do is study the literature, Google, go to your library and talk with your librarian who is often knowledgeable about independent publishing.  Go deep into yourself and take your very good time finding out if this will work for you, or if you’d rather bake cakes or play your video games.

These blogs will be several weeks apart, and in the future I’ll tell you more about my experiences and that of others and some will be guest bloggers.

In the meantime, let me remind you that excerpts for the coming-in-2011 Solomon and  Sheba, a biblically-based romance,  and the on-sale-online Dying on the Edge, a voodoo mystery, have several excerpts on this website for your enjoyment.

I’d love to see you here next time!

You and Independent Publishing originally appeared on Francine Craft on January 14, 2012.

A few weeks back, as excerpts to Solomon and Sheba (to be released in October 2012) were coming to an end, I wrote that I would be giving you tips, help, encouragment with indie (independent) publishing you’re doing, on the verge of doing, or simply want to do. I’ve studied self-publishing for 20 or more years before doing it. Now I’ve been there, done that and I’m altogether willing to share what I’ve learned. It’s neither a thing of glory nor a can of worms. It’s something some do far better than others.

I couldn’t begin because my computer had sprung a gllitch. Hopefully that’s behind me and no later than February (early), I’ll be bringing youu these blogs. Meanwhile, remember there is on this site l segment of what Solomon and Sheba is about. (It’s based somewhat on the biblical Solomon and Sheba and keeps its intensity and heat.) There is a prologue and there are 5 chapters for you to read and decide whether you want to continue. Then there are six chapters from my voodoo mystery, Dying on the Edge, with a partial Haitian background.

I hope you’ll join me in the days to come. There’s plenty on this website for you to read until I begin the blogs. As I said at the beginning: Happy New Year! I look forward to your being here.

Wishing You The Happiest of New Years – 2012 originally appeared on Francine Craft on January 1, 2012.