Tag: editors

Indie Friday

So… There is so much to being an indie author/publisher that you really don’t end up finding out until you have made mistakes in doing it. To start with as the author you are responsible for every part of the process. That means the writing, the editing, the layout, the cover design, the title, picking the places the book will be available, setting everything for sale, and marketing. Now some of this you can and probably should hire someone else to do.

Personally I always hire an editor. While I am capable of editing, I find that it is better to get a second set of eyes on my work. It makes the chance of unnoticed errors less. I have two that I personally use. One is Kelly at Xterraweb and I also use Deedra Nichole Editing. Both are excellent. Both will not try to change your voice. In your story your voice is what makes your story unique.

After the editor finishes you have to give your story to beta readers. This is a group of people who you trust to read, and give you feedback. This feedback can be anything from suggestions for grammar mistakes that got missed in the editing process (if any) to title ideas or plot holes.

Many people hire someone else to do their covers. I do all of my own covers, and I am always willing to discuss doing covers for other authors. My price would be reasonable.

Now, as for places to publish your book… Everyone has heard about Amazon. That is the basic place for indie publishing. They have a program for Windows and Mac called Kindle Create. This helps with layout. Amazon is the best place for doing paperbacks. The other place I use to distribute my Ebooks is Draft2Digital. They also have audiobook distribution. (Which I am working on.)

Marketing is an area that I am still working with. It is something that I personally not great at.

I am always willing to help new authors, or even discuss the process with those who are already in the know. This is something that I am truly interested in. So, feel free to ask any questions or to just strike up a conversation!

Friday writing

Ok, here is the thing with writing… No writer is perfect. At least not alone. We all depend upon other sets of eyes to catch the mistakes before it goes to print. Alpha and beta readers, editors (of both developmental and copy types), these all give the feedback needed to polish the manuscript for publishing.

Copy editors (like Xterraweb or Deedra Nichole editing) go through the manuscript for grammar and spelling mistakes. They check for tense and wording. These are your basic editor.

Developmental editors (one of the listed also has developmental prices…but there are quite a few out there. Those are the editors I personally have worked with.) work with the author who is stuck. They will help find plot holes and flaws in the characters and story. They help find solutions for the author who can’t see where to go with that story.

These are just before it goes to publish. At publication there are even more possible people involved. It depends upon your book. Children’s books often require an illustrator. Then there is a cover designer. (I do my own. Not everyone does.) Some even use publishers, and marketers.

So everytime you pick up a book… Consider the amount of work it took to get it to you. No author is alone in creating the book. And it takes effort and skill to get it in your hands. Do everyone involved a favor. Review what you read.