I'm on the last mad dash to the finish line--Got the book back electronically on Tuesday and went through it, deciding not to peruse it with a fine tooth comb this time since I couldn't afford any more changes! One word is missing from a sentence in my bio and who knows what else I will discover once I receive the proof...
The plan I chose for my book was the ' V2 Total Design Freedom' package and the V2 Unique Book Cover which cost me $758.00 So here is a short synopsis of do's and don'ts I have discovered along the way:
1. You must have your manuscript well-edited BEFORE submission otherwise you will be paying extra. This includes all typos, missing periods, double quotation marks etc...
2. Look into EVERYTHING that needs to go into the book before submission. A link can be found on the Createspace website for front and back matter and what this entails. I didn't know about needing a Library of Congress number until the eleventh hour.
A. Front matter for me included copyright page, acknowledgements, dedication, reviews, title page, lists of upcoming books. There doesn't seem to be any rule about how you arrange it all.
B. Backmatter could be bio, first chapter of upcoming book, glossary, footnotes etc...
3. Know going in that they will NOT be reading in order to format or even checking to make sure your chapter headings are linear--(learned that one at the end of round two of editing)...And be aware that Createspace can also make mistakes in formatting.
4. With my plan I could get my own publishing name and icon on the spine of the book.
5. Createspace has various marketing tools to sell--I'm purchasing 500 postcards with my book cover and info...there are lots of options to choose from.
6. They are doing a Kindle version of my book which will go up on Amazon two weeks after the POD.
Over-all I've been very happy with the job they've done. The best part is being able to log in and then 'click' "call me" and have my phone ring a few seconds later! And they are always patient and helpful which I've heard from friends is NOT the case with some others who will remain unnamed.
About Me
- nikki broadwell
- working writer wending her way through the labyrinth that is self-publishing
Wow, that made my stomach hurt to just read all of that! I bet you're glad to be nearly done. Let me know when your book is out. :)
ReplyDeletecoming soon to a theater near you! I will...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tips. One day I'll be publishing my own book and you have made the task less complicated.
ReplyDeleteI hope my trials and tribulations will save you from the same! hope to read your book when it gets published...
DeleteNikki,
ReplyDeleteI just went through what you're going through now. I chose to do the work myself and save money. Indeed, that's the dilemma at every step of the way. Do you pay for a proofreader, edit, artist, publisher, promotion, and on and on? I did pay for an artist for my cover and my website. It was a reasonable amount, and it was absolutely necessary.
I have lots to say about each step, but I will confine my advice to two recommendations: 1) At every step, involve others. Hopefully, you can do the same for them. 2) From writing through publishing for Kindle, Nook and other distribution points, you have accomplished 20% of your job. The other 80% is promoting and selling your finished book.
To handle the problem in step two, look to step one. In social networking, on the ground or on the internet, get and give help, and your book will become known.
I think what you're saying is what I'm doing here--is that right? I mean writing about what I've experienced? I post these to twitter and facebook...and when I come upon other bloggers with questions I can answer I try to do so...
DeleteI think the line editing was the most difficult part for both Jim and myself--I would never have believed we could miss so much after going through it 3 times! As far as marketing, I will be writing a blog about that in a few days...
Thanks, Nikki, an interesting and useful post reinforced by a particularly good comment.
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