Writer's Are Not Authors

Lady Alene - my first published story

It took seeing my first short story on the Amazon site for me to be able to know the difference between a writer and an author. At first I thought calling oneself an author was a bit, well, pompous? Self-righteous? 

But, during my journey I found authors and writers are two different things. Now, I know one person can be both, or either.
 
1) Writers produce words. They are not authors, yet, With out a completed and produced work on paper or digital.
 
2) Authors have gone through the process of publication, no matter how minimal.

Writers push pen across paper or tap keys and read from a screen. Writers create, study, research, analyze the next scene, phrase or the perfect word. 

Authors are a conglomerate of marketer, destiny maker, creator and in their spare time--writer. Or cower in a corner while biting their nails from the pressure of now being published.
 

I attest the difference of writers being mom's-to-be, while authors have already given birth. It's the "now what?" situation. 

The now what is for you to get out there and make friends! Ten should do. And I mean ten really avid friends. Because ten will turn to twenty, to a hundred, to a few thousand. When you were "just" a writer you had time. It might not have felt like it, but now you know the truth! Author's have even less time! But Author's have one thing that writer's don't. They have a finished product. they have a child to show you. 

Author's are a proud bunch and should be, especially if they self-published. Author's have something to show for their hard work! I know all you writers want to be authors so don't let anything stop you! Now, all you writers I'm ready for arguments! And all you author's, show my your baby!  

Do Ads Make Your Blog Legit?

Everybody hates ads, except marketers. 

But when I go to a website and I see ads I go through a gambit of emotions. 

The, ugh ads phase. 

The oh! Shiny! phase. 

On to, hmmmm, I might...*click* phase.


Because deep down, if a blog has ads, it's probably worth having a peek--at the blog that is. 

Ads seem to give a website more credibility underneath the first reaction of "STOP SELLING ME STUFF!" -- oh, wait, that's just another blog topic. 

Don't get me wrong, I love blogs with no ads. Serenely show me your bio and the topic--I'm happy! 

But ads do two things. 

1) Gives the website credibility.  
Providing that the ads take up less than 20% of the page.

2) Distract me from the topic. 
I'm a clicker and I'll click right off your blog out of curiosity or need. 
 
So...one half of me doesn't mind ads while the other half looks for the fast forward button. 

Here's the Question:

Should you have ads on your blog? 

Well, I'd say if it's you're product or Google Ad Sense is working for you--absolutely! 

But if your a happy-go-lucky blog that meanders from topic to topic (no we don't know any blogs like that!) then maybe not so much with the ads. 

And Now, One long winded AD:

Speaking of ads...I'll just skip the flashy lights and say my first Shorts-off micro story is on Amazon! 

But, those who sign up for my monthly "Love Letters" email will get the next installment But For You, Yes for free in your email! 

Shorts-off #2 - But For You, Yes is to be given freely to anyone who likes Romantica short stories. 

Go HERE to sign up! 

I won't distract you often, and our conversations of "Love Letters" is private so I won't be sharing your name or email with anyone. 

Those that have signed up, be prepared for a wonderful story about Andre's troubles about telling his girl how he REALLY likes it! Find out in "But For You, Yes". 

Okay, totally cheesy. Did it work? *click*

The Road To Publication

So...I started a new company. Yeah, just like that.

I'm selling bridges...I've got one in London...

<-- This logo--it's from fiverr. Can you tell?  But, it's better than I could do! 

So if your curious about the new Publication house, here's the story:

I had a critique partner that had this really fantastic story. She wanted to go traditional. I was so enamored with her story--it was about vampires and druggies. It never got published. That made me both angry and sad. 

I had more critique partners with amazing stories that never got published. My own mother's story wasn't selling to agents. Finally, I said there is nothing I can't do that they can. I want this. 

Now, when I want something and it's the right thing to do, it's easy in the beginning. The things I want just come. The direction I'm suppose to take is like water--the path of least resistance. Or maybe the path I take isn't difficult because I don't see the difficulty. I research. I wait. I roll smoothly into said goal and take it. Is it easy? My mutant power is making life look easy--it is in a way. 

So what made me truly decide was Indie publishing. I wanted to own it ALL. It's exciting to choose the book covers, make the calls, pretend I'm a real publisher! I'm not afraid because the authors I have behind me have the same vision I do. I'm proud of my authors, those that chose to accept my offer of publication and see what I can do with great stories. 

I'm untried but I don't care. Learning is the road to Indie publishing. I can't wait to say I've published my 1st novel. My 100th novel. My first series. My tenth series. Prolific is one of the words you can put on my grave stone. I'm going to purchase 1,000 ISBN's and I will use every last one of them for me and my authors. 

Troll River Publications Believes in its Authors. We believe in their writing style, their word choice, their story, their concepts. Troll River is a partner, and hopefully will soon be a guide. I couldn't be more pleased if one of my authors goes on to be in on the Big 6. That would be accomplishment. But for now, I'd like to see where it goes! This company is a long time coming. I wonder what sights it will take me down. 

Books Don't Play Nice

As we discussed in the previous post, we learned how to track, trap and tag your book with the ISBN system.  But setting your tome free in the wild with no genre preference or the wrong genre preference can be death to your new found book.  Finding the right play field for your novel is important.  Some books will immediately attack your book upon being the wrong genre, so watch out and make sure your book makes friends quickly.  

Worse, if you can't find the books genre, it will be ostracized and you will be forced to bring it home where it will lay like broccoli to be used as a coaster on your living room table.  Just like it's brethren, the paperback.

How to tell the genre of your book is to read it.  What POV does it have?  Does it sound male or female?  Does the book fly or make strange whirling sounds?  If so, it could go well in the Sci-Fi genre.  

Does it mewl and hump your leg?  It could be the romance genre.  

If your book tries to tell you what to do with your life, place it in the non-fiction self-help section.  It should do well there.  
 
  

How To Track A Book

Be very, very quiet.  Books are very skiddish.  That's why we have to trap them in kindles.  

Their tame bretheren, the paperback, have learned that if they just sit there, they might not be caught, opened and devoured.

But what we do is a noble cause!  We trap, tag, and release these books into the wild.  Our tagging system is called the ISBN or "International Standard Book Number" and can track any book that's been tagged from any book store or any book retailer in the WORLD!  

The first system started use in 1966 by an ingenious book enthusiast, WH Smith.  His colossal undertaking exploded the book population as books were able to be found by their natural predator--THE READER.   

A new system adopted the old and became internationally know and improved upon in 1970.  

I suggest after trapping, binding, wrapping a wild, unpublished book, you go here: GET YOUR ISBN!  Retain your tracking number and then set it free in the pastures of Amazon, B&N and Apple.  From there you can watch your untamed book frolic and play with other books.  

Next up...why you should keep wild books in separate genres.   

    

  

Publishing Made Real

Do I need a business license to Publish Books on Amazon?

If you are a true Self-Published Author, and not someone who is doing Vanity or POD, the answer is, YES.

 

Check out this article: (Thank you Momma)

http://www.squidoo.com/do-you-need-a-business-license-to-self-publish-a-book 

So...(drum roll please)

 

TROLL RIVER PUBLICATIONS is born!

 

Woot! You need a business licesnse even for ebooks on Amazon. You might even need a sales tax license.  

 

But, I'm only selling on Amazon?  Do I need a sales tax license?  

(To Be Continued!)  

Self Publishing Podcast

In the spirit of sharing and collaboration, I highly recommend "The Self Publishing Podcast with Johnny, Sean, & Dave".

DW, my dearest, suggested this podcast to me.  Now, I'm no podcast listener, but I'm an audible listener, so a podcast seem to be the cross over drug.  

I love it!  Podcasting is my new sliced bread and this particular podcast is my peanut butter!  

If you know anything about me, I love peanut butter.  I have "Ode To The Peanut Butter" somewhere in my journals.  I explain why peanut butter should be two words and how without PB I would starve.  

So now that you understand what this podcast means to me, you should go listen!  

Now, because I was no podcast listener, I asked my hun, how do I listen?  Oh crap--I'm not going to do the he said she said thing--here's the convo:

"You should listen to this podcast."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Who recommended it?"

"Alex Haddox."

"The personal defense guy?"

"Yeah!  He wrote a book and recommends these guys."

"I don't know how to listen."

"Go to BeyondPod.  Do it on your phone cause you'll listen to it on your phone the most."

"Oh, okay."  I hand my phone to DW.

He punches in beyondpod on my internet connection on my phone.  

"I can listen to it on my computer?"

"Yeah."

"But I want to listen to it on my phone."

"That's what I'm doing."

"Oh.  Okay."

DW hands me my phone.  "Look up self publishing in the search."

Type, type, type.

"Oh!  They have 28 episodies!"  (No that's not a typo, that's a stephonism.)

*giggles*

--"...Welcome to the self publishing podcast where you can publish your book without agents, publishers or other gatekeepers of the traditional publishing world..."

 

 

No Turning Back Now!

So... 

...my website went up.  

Holy shit.  

And the commitment issues side of me says WTF are you doing?  

Organized Stephanie says, you can do it we can make this.  It's possible.  
 
A bunch of back and forth (I should call my blog conversations with myself) and we've committed.  Yes, we as in both stephonavich and Stephanie.  They happen to be the same person but one is a goon with an enthusiastic outlook that has a PhD in orginization and the other is a lunatic artist that needs focus and direction.  The artist side doesn't mind if you call her stephonabitch.    

stephonavich is freaking out.  Stephanie is calmly setting dates, making notes, and kicking ass.  stephonavich is ramming notes in a folder for future stories.  Stephanie is check marking her google docs marketing plan.  stephonavich is thinking of new stories to give the public in a flurry of ideas she thinks has to go out tomorrow.  Stephanie makes a list of all those ideas in google docs.  

One day, I will have a post call Conversations with myself.  

But while my lovely comrades (I mean lovely--as in wonderful--that's not sarcasm) are frantically getting out 50,000 words (which, let's face it, those stories may never see the light of day after this month), I've made a commitment to advance my dreams.  November may be the take a rest from writing month.  The anti NaNoWriMo.  (National Novel Writing Month)

If you are interested, my website is www.stephaniemckibben.com  

I think if it were stephonavich's she'd let it rot.  Good thing it has Stephanie's name on it.