If you are seriously seeking a publisher, then I recommend you consult with agent Jan L. Kardys. I have met with her myself and she gave me great advice on publishers and how to attract one with the right query letter, what it takes to get with a major house (plus certain benefits of self-publishing), etc. I have also attended and spoken at her Unicorn Conference where I met with several agents and publishing houses. She really cares about helping writers navigate through the world of publishing and I trust her. Her website is unicornforwriters.com. Her fees are: http://unicornforwriters.com/fees/
Friday, October 24, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
How to Publish on Amazon (using Createspace)
Creating and publishing on Createspace can be free if you use the tools they give you (you can create the cover and insides if you use their templates). You would then just have to pay for the books you buy to resell or give away. This is print-on-demand so you don't need to have a large supply of books in your house.
HOW TO PUBLISH ON AMAZON
If you want the book available on Amazon, createspace makes it easy for you and will your deposit royalties in your bank account. The last time I checked, however, you can have only one primary author. Many others can have their names on it as contributing authors, etc., but createspace will only pay one. But, things keep changing so to know for sure, they will call you right away once you input your phone number at this link:https://www.createspace.com/pub/support/contact.contactus.do
Again, if you have any questions, contact Createspace directly at: https://www.createspace.com/pub/support/contact.contactus.do
HOW TO PUBLISH ON AMAZON
Is your book is at
least 24 pages? If so, you can produce a softcover book:
- Sign up for free account on CreateSpace. Start here: https://www.createspace.com/
- Member agreement (requires your legal
name, mentions your responsibility to pay taxes on royalties, etc. Seek
lawyer’s advice if concerned).
- Start project with the book’s
title—this title can be changed later (so, just get started).
- Choose setup process (go with “Guided”
for step by step help along the way).
- Click on “What’s This” for more info on
terms such as “Publication Date” and “ISBN”.
- ISBN (International Standard Book Number) options—this is important decision. I would save that decision until you have carefully looked over the options. I would even ask a bookstore for their advise on which way you should go on that.
- Files accepted for uploading: pdf, doc,
docx, rtf.
- CreateSpace offers a “Formatted
Template” to download. Cut and paste your work into it.
- Videos available along the way to
further demonstrate what to do.
- “Build Your Cover Online” for free by
clicking on “Launch Cover Creator” button.
- Use their cover images or upload your
own (jpeg or tiff).
- Once complete, you will be given your
file to create an e-book on Amazon through Kindle.
Again, if you have any questions, contact Createspace directly at: https://www.createspace.com/pub/support/contact.contactus.do
Self-Publishing on Amazon
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Mon,11/17, 6:30pm, Promoting Books Through Press Releases and Newsletters
Publicist Lisa Saunders to Speak at SECAPA Meeting November 17th
The Southeast Chapter
of the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association will present publicist Lisa
Saunders at its next open meeting Monday, November 17th, at the Groton Inn and
Suites at 6:30 PM.
Lisa will present “Promoting Books
Through Press Releases and Newsletters.” She is the author of several books
including the free e-book, How to Promote Your Business
(or yourself).
Visit Lisa at www.authorlisasaunders.com
Photo by Cindy Barry.
Her
presentation will follow a brief business meeting and networking session
commencing at 6:30 PM. For more information contact SECAPA Chairperson Tom
Santos by phone at 860-599-5067 or email him at santostom@comcast.net. For more
information about SECAPA, visit the website: www.secapa.org
; or for more on CAPA itself, visit www.aboutcapa.com.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Need Publicity for Your Event or Project?
There are several places you can mention your story or event! See live links below to submit your information.
Here are some places to send your press releases (you will have to dig for the correct email address):
Mystic Country ; The Day; Mystic River Press; This is Mystic; The Resident; The Mystic Wave; InTown
Mystic Country ; The Day; Mystic River Press; This is Mystic; The Resident; The Mystic Wave; InTown
Upload your events to:
- http://events.ctnow.com/users/login
- https://www.connecticutmag.com/Connecticut-Magazine/My-Account/?postbackurl=%2FConnecticut-Magazine%2FCalendar%2Findex.php%3Fview%3Dnew_event%26requiressl%3Dtrue
- http://www.thewesterlysun.com/entertainment/eventcalendar/980527-139/add-calendar-event.html
- http://stonington.patch.com/events
- http://www.theday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=submitstory
- http://www.mystic.org/events-discounts/submit
- http://thisismystic.com/submit-an-event/
- http://intownct.snack.ws/events-or-story-submission.html
- http://www.zip06.com/section/submitevents
CT Tourism/events: Jean.Hebert@ct.gov
Mystic Country: jputnam@mysticcountry.com,
calendar@courant.com
Westerly Sun: Events calendar@thewesterlysun.com
For Non-Profits:
http://www.ctoutandabout.com/, edwinbartlett@hotmail.com
The Resident: acrossthearea@theresident.com
Want to get on TV?
The Harriet Grayson's show. See: www.communitycultureshowcase.weebly.com. Contact Harriet at: graysonharriet@gmail.com
"Books and Things" with Tom Santos, SECAPA Chairperson. Contact him at santostom@comcast.net. For more information about SECAPA, visit the website: www.secapa.org. More info on CAPA: www.aboutcapa.com.
The Harriet Grayson's show. See: www.communitycultureshowcase.weebly.com. Contact Harriet at: graysonharriet@gmail.com
"Books and Things" with Tom Santos, SECAPA Chairperson. Contact him at santostom@comcast.net. For more information about SECAPA, visit the website: www.secapa.org. More info on CAPA: www.aboutcapa.com.
"The Lisa Saunders Show": Sometimes I have a free spot on my TV show, but I book up pretty quickly. Contact me at LisaSaunders42@gmail.com. Because I upload the shows of my clients on Youtube, they get highly ranked on Google. My interviews and the original broadcast on Comcast's Channel 12 are done at no cost to you, but if you want me to upload it to Youtube with your business information/website, there is a nominal fee. (If you want me to do other publicity work for you, such as write website content, news releases, and get you on Youtube, etc., I provide writing and marketing services for a fee.
Are you an author? Get interviewed on Internet radio shows like:
http://wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShowRequestForm.html
Press Releases
http://wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShowRequestForm.html
Press Releases
Write a press release (or I can help you do that for a fee)! Send them to your media contacts.
You can send your news to the editor at:
—Westerly
Sun: http://www.thewesterlysun.com/contactus/publicsubmissions/
If you are a tourist site, The Mystic Wave may accept your news. Contact blogger: molly@themysticwave.com.
Media Releases: When, Why and How to Send Them
By Lisa Saunders, Publicist
Ever present
a talk at a library and no one showed up? Or publish a book and don’t know how
to get media attention?
One of the
best ways to broadcast your news is to send the media a press release,
otherwise known as a media or news release.
Many authors assume their publishers will send out press releases and that
when they give a talk, the hosting organization will send one out. They may, but
usually it’s up to you to make sure the word gets out. So start gathering media
contacts now!
After you’ve
sent a press release to the media, then post it to your blog from where you can
easily repost to your LinkedIn, Facebook, Google +, and other online media
accounts (ask your friends to do the same). There are even press release sites
that let you post it there for free.
The first
step is to learn how to properly format a release that will interest a reporter
(who wants to quickly know, “How will this benefit my readers?”) and to
minimize the reporter’s rewriting work (they need it written in Associated
Press style, for example, write a.m., not AM or A.M.; and states fewer than six letters are spelled out. Connecticut is Conn.). If possible, you will
want to attach a high resolution photograph to which you own the copyrights--
publications loves images they don’t have to search or pay for.
The most
important and “why should my readers care” information needs to be on top of
your release. Don’t make the reporter search for the date and time of an event.
Make it easy on them and make it short! They don’t like to open attachments, so
put your information within the body of the e-mail.
There are many reasons to send out a
press release:
·
Your
topic is closely associated with an awareness month.
·
You are giving a lecture.
·
You won an award (I got a lot of news coverage
when I sent
a release about me winning a beer stein hoisting contest—I used that news to
promote my book about my ancestor’s hanging, which was urged on by Samuel
Adams, also the name of the brewing company hosting the contest).
One of my personal press releases that
gained a lot of media coverage:
Email
Subject: Mom asks CT to Stop # 1 Birth Defects Virus
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mom Asks CT to Become 2nd State in Nation to Stop #1
Birth Defects Virus
Mystic, Conn.— Lisa Saunders of
Mystic didn’t know how to prevent contracting CMV (cytomegalovirus), which
causes more disabilities than Down syndrome, until it was too late for her
daughter Elizabeth born with a severely damaged brain.
On March 25, Connecticut’s Public
Health Committee voted in favor of House
Bill 5147, which includes a cytomegalovirus
(CMV) public education program. At present, Utah is the only
state that requires their Public Health Department to provide CMV
education.
Saunders, the parent representative
of the Congenital CMV
Foundation, is now asking legislators to make
Connecticut the second state in the Union to prevent the leading viral cause of
birth defects by passing HB
5147. Congenital CMV can be prevented if women of childbearing
age learn the precautions to take, which includes refraining from kissing their
toddlers around the mouth.
According to a study posted on the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, “fewer than half
(44%) of OB/GYNs surveyed reported counseling their patients about preventing
CMV infection” despite the following statistics
from the CDC:
·
About 1 in 150 children is born with congenital CMV infection (approximately
30,000 in the U.S. each year).
·
Congenital CMV causes one child to become disabled every hour.
Saunders has been trying to raise
CMV awareness for years through her speaking engagements and books,
including Anything But a Dog!
The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus), and
most recently her travel memoir, Mystic
Seafarer’s Trail, where she jokes she's trying
to get thin and famous like Amelia Earhart (secretly married in Noank), so
people will listen to her CMV prevention message.
For more information, visit Saunders at: www.authorlisasaunders.com.
For more information, visit Saunders at: www.authorlisasaunders.com.
###
Lisa Saunders, author and publicist,
will discuss press releases in depth at the next SE CAPA (Southeast Chapter of
the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association) meeting on Monday, November 17, 6:30 p.m., at the
Groton Inn and Suites in Groton.
For
more information, contact Tom Santos, SE CAPA Chairperson, at 860-599-5067, santostom@comcast.net,
or visit: www.secapa.org
Free Press Release Websites--They will post your news:
From Mashables:
Many of the sites on the following link will accept your uploaded press releases at no cost: http://mashable.com/2007/10/19/press-releases/
24-7PressRelease.com - Free
release distribution with ad-support
1888PressRelease.com - Free
distribution, paid services gives you better placement and permanent archiving.
ClickPress.com - Distributs
to sites like Google News and Topix.net, Gold level will also get you to sites
like LexisNexis.
EcommWire.com - Focuses on
ecommerece and requires you include an image, 3 keywords and links.
Express-Press-Release.com -
Free distribution company with offices in 12 states.
Free-Press-Release.com -
Easy press release distribution for free, more features for paid accounts.
Free-Press-Release-Center.info - Distributes your
release, offers a web page with one keyword link to your site. Pro upgrade will
give you three links, permanent archiving and more.
I-Newswire.com - Allows for
free distribution to sites and search engines, premium membership differs only
slightly in adding in graphics.
NewswireToday.com - All the
usual free distribution tools, premium service includes logo, product picture
and more.
PR.com - Not only will they
distribute your press releases, but you can also set up a full company profile.
PR9.net - Ad supported
press distribution site.
PR-Inside.com -
European-based free press release distribution site.
PRBuzz.com - Completely
free distribution to search engines, news sites, and blogs.
PRCompass.com - Distribute
your press release with a free or paid version, others can vote it up ala Digg
style.
PRUrgent.com - Not only
distributes your release, but attempts to teach you how to write one, and even
offers downloadbale samples for you to work with.
Press-Base.com - Submit
your release for free and get on their front page and the category of your
choice.
PressAbout.com - A free
press release service formatted as a blog.
PressMethod.com - Free
press release distribution no matter what, but extra services based on the size
of your contribution.
PRLeap.com - Free
distribution to search engines, newswires, and RSS feeds. Fee based bumps get
you better placement.
PRLog.org - Free
distribution to Google News and other other search engines.
TheOpenPress.com - Gives
free distribution for plain formatted releases, fees for HTML-coded releases.
Lisa's Writing Classes--October 2014
Lisa's Writing Classes:
Thurs, Oct 23 and 30, 7-8:45pm, Groton Library
FREE: Memoir Writing Workshop
Participants should plan to attend both sessions. Register at 860-441-6750 or reference@groton-ct.gov
Thurs, Oct 23 and 30, 7-8:45pm, Groton Library
FREE: Memoir Writing Workshop
Participants should plan to attend both sessions. Register at 860-441-6750 or reference@groton-ct.gov
Will teach again:
How to Self-Publish & Promote Your Paperback/E-Book
There are several advantages to self-publishing—full control of your work and higher royalties. Learn the free steps to making your work available on Amazon and Smashwords. The instructor is an award-winning writer and author of several books, including "How to Get Published (even if you're not thin and famous).” She resides in Mystic and works as a freelance publicist. Instructor: L. Saunders
|
###
Memoir Writing Workshop (2 Sessions)
Share your life experiences with your family, friends and maybe even the public. Come to class with pen and paper or your laptop. Writing exercises will include some basic questions to help you get started. Answers will be shared with class. Publishing options will also be discussed. The instructor is an award-winning writer and author of three memoirs, including "Mystic Seafarer's Trail." She resides in Mystic and works as a freelance publicist. Instructor: L. Saunders
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