Sunday, December 6, 2015

Book Marketing – 3 Reasons Why Editing Should Come Before Self-Publishing

By Karen Cioffi

Self-publishing is an amazing beast. It has brought the world of publishing into the hands of you, Joe, Beth, and everyone and anyone who wants to write a book. It has brought writing power and freedom to all.

But, with writing power and freedom comes responsibility.

This means that while it’s true that self-publishing has opened a tremendous amount of doors and anyone can now write and publish a book, it doesn’t mean you can slap anything together and self-publish?  You need to produce quality (edited) content for three reasons.

Reason number one: You have an obligation to your reader.

You want to give the reader her money’s worth. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, you want to create a book that will engage the reader. You don’t want the reader to stumble over grammatical and content errors while reading.

One of the drawbacks to the ease of self-publishing is those new to the arena don’t realize they should hone their craft before actually publishing a book. This means taking the time to learn about writing and self-editing, and realizing the importance of hiring a professional editor to edit the book before giving it to the world.

Reason number two: You have an obligation to other writers.

Part of the problem today is the 'I want it now' syndrome that self-publishing lends itself to. Authors don't want to take the longer 'proven' road. But, learning the ropes really does matter.

Once your book is ‘out there,’ it becomes another element in the determining factor as to whether self-published books are of the same quality as traditionally published books. This is where your obligation to other writers comes into play. It’s not fair to diminish the value of self-published books.

Reason number three: Self-editing is a good book marketing move.
In book marketing 101, the first step is to create a quality product.

In a webinar, pro marketers Daniel Hall and Jason Fladlien discussed the importance of ‘the offer’ (your product) compared to the sales copy. By far, a quality product is much more important.

If your intent is to only publish one book, then quality may not matter from a marketing perspective. The saying goes, ‘if you fool me once, shame on me.’ If this is the scenario, then you don’t have to worry about readers/purchasers buying more from you. But, you’ll need to be careful here, because word-of-mouth is lightning fast in the internet world. This could easily stop your one-time purchasers also.

On the flip side, let’s assume you love writing and have decided to earn an income from it. Then, self-editing will play a huge part in your book marketing success. If you produce a sub-standard product (book), it will discourage a customer from buying your future books.

Remember, a great product will not only sell itself, it will usually write its own copy. Editing before publishing helps create a quality product.


Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author and online marketing instructor. Check out her new Blogging Smart Video Workshop through the Working Writers Club.

This hour long workshop will show you how to get more website visitor, more authority, and more sales. And, there are 3 bonus lessons . . . and, it's only $20. You can't go wrong. Check it out today!
 

Sunday, November 22, 2015

New Release in time for Christmas: Joseph's Cradle by Stephanie Burkhart

COVER BLURB FOR Joseph’s Cradle:


Joseph and his wife, Mary, expect a baby. With all that is happening, including the government requiring a census, Joseph feels a little overwhelmed and a bit left out of the preparations for the baby. Is there something he can do?

SHORT ESSAY ON JOSEPH’S CRADLE:
The Christmas story about the birth of Jesus is one of the most popular and well known stories around the world. We can only imagine how anxious Joseph and Mary were when they arrived in Bethlehem. Throughout the story, Mary carries herself with dignity and grace. Joseph is steadfast and loyal. Becoming a parent isn’t easy and both Mary and Joseph have to find their own way.


5 SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR STEPHANIE:

#1: What inspired you to write the story?

STEPHANIE: I wanted to write the Christmas story from the view of being expectant parents.  I wanted to show how Joseph grew into fatherhood. I think these are all aspects of life we all can identify with.

#2: How long did it take?

STEPHANIE: The story took about a day to write.  After editing, I’d say it took about a week.

#3: Did you pick the illustrator?

STEPHANIE: No, I did not.  4RV Publishing selected the illustrator.  I think Matthew Hughes did a fantastic job with the illustrations.  They have a very soft hearted feel and compliment the story well.

#4: What makes this book special?

STEPHANIE: It’s a look at the Christmas story from a different perspective.

#5: How long have you been writing children's books?

STEPHANIE: About 5 years now. My first children's book, "The Giving Meadow" was published with 4RV Publishing in 2010. It has a great message about sharing and caring for young children as well as telling about Caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly. It's perfect for Easter as it helps young children understand Jesus' story.

Reviews: 
Patricia Karwatowicz, 4 stars, Amazon Reviewer: 
Artist Mathew Hughes' soft, time-friendly paintings take us back to Biblical times. This is a sweet Christmas book that could start a discussion about what a young child might like to give the Christ Child for Christmas.” 

Rising Star Reviews, 5 Stars, Amazon Reviewer:
Joseph's Cradle is a wonderful story about Joseph, who wanted to do something special for the coming baby. Because he was a carpenter, he gave the best gift he could think of--something made by his own two hands. Children will understand this story.

Suzanne C., 4 Stars, Amazon Reviewer:
This beautifully illustrated picture book with its gentle, sweet story will enliven discussion with the young people in your life about each person's special place in the story we thought we knew.

Author Bio:
Stephanie Burkhart was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, but now calls California her home. She currently works for LAPD as a 911 Dispatcher. Stephanie has been writing since she was five, when she crafted homemade comic books on the kitchen table. Her previous books with 4RV Publishing include: The Giving Meadow, and First Flag of New Hampshire.  Stephanie enjoys coffee, adores chocolate and is currently the Den Leader for her son's Cub Scout Den.

JOSEPH’S CRADLE:  is available in print from 4RV Publishing.

BUY LINKS:

4RV PUBLISHING BOOKSTORE: http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/burkhart.php

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Josephs-Cradle-Stephanie-Burkhart/dp/1940310342/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1446519672&sr=8-18&keywords=stephanie+burkhart


FIND ME ON THE WEB LINKS:

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https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

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