Tag Archives: publishing

Setting Bite-Sized Goals (Guest Post)

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Setting Bite-Sized Goals

by Steph Beth Nickel

Time for some true confessions…

When I have an unavoidable but overwhelming task to accomplish, too often I choose to procrastinate and put it off for another time—sometimes, years in the future.

Overwhelming Task #1: Preparing to Downsize and Move Out of the Province

In three years or so, my hubby will have retired, and we plan to relocate. After living in our home for over 25 years, that will not be an easy task. (Not to mention the fact that our home was over 100 years old when we moved in. Let’s just say there’s lots of work to do to get it ready to sell.)

Overwhelming Task #2: Making Healthier Choices

Unfortunately, just because I used to be a personal trainer and actually enjoy exercise and eating healthy foods doesn’t mean I don’t make poor choices too often, planning to do better tomorrow.

Overwhelming Task #3: Buckling Down and Actually Writing

One day in the not-too-distant future, I would like to be bringing in a decent income from indie published books. (That means writing, publishing, and marketing said books, however.)

What’s on your Procrastination List
(aka Your Overwhelming Tasks List)?

What with our day-to-day responsibilities and volunteer obligations, it’s no wonder our ultimate goals can prove overwhelming. What can we do to break them down into more bite-sized goals that propel us in the right direction?

Let’s take my writing goal as an example.

Let’s say in 20 years I want to have at least 30 books out in the world. That’s a very achievable goal if I break it down into smaller tasks.

I can see myself writing a book a year for 10 years and two books a year for the following decade, Lord willing.

Thankfully, I have a head start on a number of those manuscripts. In fact, I have several children’s picture book manuscripts on my computer that I could make available in the next couple of years. I also have a series of devotionals on the gospel of John that I’ve begun to rework for publication. The two novels I have begun are each the first in a series, and writing a series is one of the best ways to develop a readership.

So, what can I do to get my manuscripts to the next stage?

Picture Books

Hire an illustrator and research print on demand. Although it’s possible to make children’s books available as ebooks, I prefer to make them available as physical books only, preferably hardcovers, but I’ll have to do my research on that one.

Devotionals

As I see it, I have two choices: 1) rework each devotional to conform with reader expectations or 2) expand what I have into more of a fleshed-out Bible study.

Christian Women’s Fiction

It has been years since I looked at the story I began approximately a decade ago, but I still like the premise and the idea of creating a Hard Choices series. For now, this book will remain on the back burner, but I haven’t given up on it.

YA Spec Fiction

I’m in the midst of re-reading and tweaking what I’ve already written. At 45,000 words, I’m approximately half done. So, completing the first draft is Step 1, which is possible in approximately three months if I stick with it.

I have the resources I need. I have connections to several successful indie authors. Plus, I have access to a plethora of books, podcasts, and FB groups that lay out how to self-publish a book.

While making these plans doesn’t ensure that I will accomplish my long-range goals, it does give me a starting point. And the first step I plan to take is to complete the first draft of my YA speculative fiction novel.

How about you? What project have you been putting off that you can take a step toward accomplishing today?

Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Writers Earning an Income (Guest Post)

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Clock, coins, seedlings.
Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay

Writers Earning an Income

by Steph Beth Nickel

Some writers put pen to paper exclusively as a means of creative expression. Some writers, whether they’re paid or not, do so to make readers aware of important issues. Others write what they love and seek to sell their work. Still others write exclusively for the purpose of earning an income. For many, it’s a combination of reasons.

There are countless reasons to write, but if you’re seeking to supplement your income or earn a full-time living from your writing, here are some things to consider:

  1. Authors rarely earn enough to live on exclusively from the books they write.
  2. If you would, eventually, like to earn a full-time living from your books, you’ll want to publish regularly.
  3. Building a devoted readership takes time. Plus, in most cases, it’s far easier to do if you stick with a single niche. Multi-passionate authors who write across genres about multiple topics can earn a good living, but it can be more challenging. You’ll want to weigh the pros and cons. Personally, I can’t imagine writing only one type of book forever and always.
  4. There are countless opportunities in the job market to earn an income using your ability to string together interesting, coherent sentences and paragraphs.
  5. If you want to earn an income with your words, there are times you may have to supplement your most impassioned writing with pieces on topics that are of little to no interest to you personally. I write about railcar movers, yard equipment, and various styles of fireplaces, for example. Don’t tell, but these aren’t my passion projects.

And finally…

If you’re an author who wants to earn a significant amount of money from your books, you’ll want to consider the following:

  1. Indie authors who self-publish retain far more of their royalties than traditionally published authors. However, they are responsible to foot the bill for editing, cover design, promotion, etc. This route requires a great deal of self-discipline and the willingness to learn about all facets of publishing and promotion, as well as writing, but can be very lucrative and satisfying for those who want control over every aspect of the process. It’s the route I intend to take with my yet unfinished series—plural.
  2. Only the extremely rare outlier hits it big with a single book. Writers who want to earn a steady income from their books will have to produce and promote an ever-increasing list of titles. Even traditionally published authors will have to promote their books—especially those on their backlist, provided they’re still in print.
  3. Authors typically earn supplemental income from their books while holding down a day job or a part-time job, perhaps one that makes use of their writing skills, perhaps not. I recently heard an author who has been in the business for over a decade say that a day job that doesn’t use up your creative skills leaves you with energy to pursue your writing even at the end of a long day. Interesting! It’s definitely something to consider, especially if you’re finding it difficult to even consider working on your book after you get home.

Remember! Your words have value, and there are readers who need them. And although you may produce thousands of words that never earn a dime, it is not wrong or unspiritual to earn an income from your writing.

Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

Steph Beth Nickel is a freelance editor and writer and an author. If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Take Joy in the Little Things (Guest Post)

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Image by Karita88 from Pixabay

Take Joy in the Little Things

by Steph Beth Nickel

I only have one book published.

I don’t even know what an author platform is.

I signed up with a newsletter provider … but now I actually have to write a newsletter (and get subscribers).

A website? I need a website?

“Build a social media following,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said. Okay. But how?

This whole writing thing can be overwhelming.

So, the first step? Take a breath—a really deep one. Count to five. And exhale. Repeat as needed.

Numbers can be scary, really scary. Thousands. Tens of thousands. Millions even.

But no one—NO ONE—began by having 50 books under their belt or even 100 followers. (Not long ago, “followers” weren’t even a thing.)

So, you’ve published your first book? That’s worth celebrating BIG TIME. You’ve done something so many people only dream of doing. Kudos!

And an author platform? Just take it step by step. Word of advice: don’t get overwhelmed by all the “expert advice” on the Internet. Do your research and find someone who has experienced the same kind of success you’d like to have, someone whose advice you can trust and emulate without too much stress.

Like Facebook and blog posts, it’s a great idea to create several newsletters before firing off that first one. If you have four prepared and send out your newsletter once a week, you’ll be all set for a month. If you write even one newsletter per week after that, you’ll never get behind. At least, you’ll have a little wiggle room.

And that newsletter email list? Again, it’s good to do your research and learn from someone who has built a sizeable list, someone who can break it down into a doable step by step process.

Don’t have an author website or a blog yet? One-page websites can be a great place to start. You can always grow from there.

Building a social media following can seem overwhelming. Maybe you don’t like social media. If that’s the case, don’t feel pressured to do “all the things.” Even if you do enjoy social media, it’s best to focus on one program at a time. If you’re building a Facebook group, you don’t have to create stories on Instagram and figure out Clubhouse at the same time. Maybe never. It’s up to you. And if you really don’t know where to begin, there’s great training out there—much of it free.

Of course, there are costs along the way, but remember that there is SO MUCH free information online created by GENEROUS EXPERTS.

Be patient. And as much as possible, enjoy each step forward—no matter how small the step. Learn to celebrate each step and you will experience joy in “the little things.”

Steph Beth Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel

Steph Beth Nickel has recently begun a new Facebook group, Editing Tips. If you are interested in joining, contact Steph at nurtureandinspire@gmail.com.

Editing for (Near) Perfection — Guest Post

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Editing for (Near) Perfection

by Carol McClain

Author Carol McClain
Author Carol McClain

Edit.

A four-letter word. And we writers utter it in all its forms: noun, adjective, verb. However, this dirty little word is most vital to our work.

My latest book A New York Yankee on Stinking Creek was heading to IngramSpark. I knew it shone with my authorial brilliance. After all, my two critique partners tore it apart, and I rewrote it according to their suggestions.

I have subscriptions to Grammarly and to my favorite editing software, ProWritingAid. I ran the manuscript through them and dutifully made corrections.

As a final polish, another software program read the work to me.

It wasn’t enough, and I knew it.

The book would be self-published, the reasons would make another blog post. I wanted this book to rise to the top of Amazon and Barnes and Noble’s lists. Millions of other works competed against it. Again and again I read that in order for your book to make it into the ten percent of new releases, a professional editor had to correct its issues.

Breezy. Right?

You read all I did to make this work shine.

My editor, true to my predictions, claimed my work was clean. She found it easy to edit. Then she sent me my edited copy.

Page after page after never-ending page, she marked-up my work like an English teacher on Adderall.

And what did she find? A smattering of examples follow:

  1. MINI Cooper not Mini Cooper
  2. LEGOS not Legos
  3. My ‘ was supposed to go the other way ’ (Can you see the difference? I couldn’t).
  4. I spelled Emmett’s name (a minor character appearing seldom) Emmet on one random page somewhere in the middle of the manuscript.
  5. Kincade not Kincaid
  6. Random single spaces at the end of paragraphs

And I could go on and on and on. Why bore you with my boo-boos?

So many small mistakes all my early editing didn’t catch. So many of my favorite weasel words I never saw. So much.

I almost think I took longer to correct my mistakes than it took to write the story.

However, the result is a professional novel.

I know most of you use traditional publishers and using ProWritingAid sends off a polished manuscript for their editors to critique.

For those who must self-publish, find a trustworthy editor. Check his/her credentials. Send her a few pages for a sample of her work.

How do you find one? Ask your writing groups. Get recommendations from other writers. Mine is a member of ACFW and used to work for the agent Les Stobbe.

Will A New York Yankee on Stinking Creek rise to the top of the NYT Best Seller List? An introductory read of the novel will prove it should.

If it doesn’t, it won’t be because of poor editing.

You can check out more from Carol McClain at CarolMcClain.com.

Check out A New York Yankee on Stinking Creek. You’ll see the above is true.

NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM STINKING CREEK

Alone, again, after the death of her fiancé, abstract artist Kiara Rafferty finds herself on Stinking Creek, Tennessee. She wants out of this hillbilly backwater, where hicks speak an unknown language masquerading as English. Isolated, if she doesn’t count the snakes and termites infesting her cabin, only a one-way ticket home to Manhattan would solve her problems.

Alone in a demanding crowd, Delia Mae McGuffrey lives for God, her husband, her family, and the congregation of her husband’s church. Stifled by rules, this pastor’s wife walks a fine line of perfection, trying to please them all. Now an atheist Yankee, who moved in across the road, needs her, too.

Two women. Two problems. Each holds the key to the other’s freedom.

Author Carol McClain is an eclectic artist and author. Her interests vary as much as the Tennessee weather—running, bassoons, jazz, stained glass and, of course, writing. She’s a transplant from New York who now lives in the hills of East Tennessee with her husband and overactive Springer spaniel.

She is the president of ACFW Knoxville and the secretary of the Authors’ Guild of Tennessee.

The world in East Tennessee intrigues her from the friendly neighbors to the beautiful hiking trails and the myriad wildlife.

Life is good in here.

Can’t Writers Just Write? (Guest Post)

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"Writers are expected to do so much more than just write."

Image credit: Pixabay

Can’t Writers Just Write?

by Steph Beth Nickel

If you’re a writer—and even if you’re not—you’ve probably seen posts about the GDPR, the General Data Protection Regulation. It makes sense to be concerned about how our personal data is collected, stored, and used, but the GDPR has caused a lot of trouble for many authors, bloggers, and other writers.

While this post isn’t about rules and regulations, all the talk about the GDPR did lead to the thought … why can’t writers just write?

If money were no object, perhaps, a writer could outsource everything except the writing itself. But are there really any writers who do that? Highly unlikely.

Authors and other writers are expected to do so much more than write.

Develop and maintain a website and possibly, a blog.

While creating content is a big part of this, there are domain names to be purchased, website themes to be chosen, and “branding” to be considered … among many, many other things.

Develop a social media presence.

In this, the cyber age, readers want to feel connected to the authors and writers whose posts and books they read. They want to know they’re real people with real lives. They also want to know that their favourite writers are willing to give them a glimpse into their life and that they care about more than simply selling their next book.

Find one’s tribe and connect with them regularly.

People can smell a sales pitch from a mile (or 1.61 kilometres) away—and many will run in the opposite direction. However, if an author is willing to truly connect with their readers and potential readers and offer them something of value without asking for the sale at every turn, those individuals may rise to the level of “super fan.”

Continue to develop and hone writing skills.

No matter how experienced a writer, there are always more skills development books to read and courses to take.

Authors seeking to go the traditional publishing route are familiar with writing and rewriting, query letters and proposals, pitching to agents and editors, and on and on.

Much of what it takes to become a traditionally published author has little to do with writing the books themselves.

Those seeking to self-publish have to write and rewrite, decide what to do on their own and what to outsource, oversee all aspects of their writing business even if they are working with a team.

While some people hate the word, authorpreneur hints at the fact that self-publishing writers are doing more than writing. They are small business owners and must see themselves this way and take responsibility for their business.

And when all is said and done, a writer must …

Continue to create content.

And while writers must juggle their schedules to include all of these pursuits and more, they must also continue to create content—or the rest of the process will be meaningless.

This is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. So, the answer to the question is no, writers can’t just write. But, at the end of the day—GDPR or no GDPR—writers can’t not write.

Tweetables:

Writers are expected to do so much more than write. (Click to tweet this)

At the end of the day writers can’t not write. (Click to tweet this)

~~~

Steph Beth Nickel

Steph Beth Nickel
(Photo by Stephen G. Woo Photography)

Stephanie (Steph Beth) Nickel is an award-winning co-author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She also loves to speak, teach, and take slice-of-life photos. She would love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.