Writing Tips 

Proof It

If you want to grab your readers, you need to do a thorough proofing of your manuscript. Don't rely on spell check to catch typos. Spell check doesn't check for word variations. For instance, take the words "there," "their," and "they're." The word may be spelled correctly, but if it's the wrong variation, it will make your writing look unprofessional. I've seen those words misused too many times. Spell check won't catch it because the word is spelled correctly. It doesn't check for context.
     Be sure to check for missing words or sentences where a word was edited into the wrong place. I read a book in which I was intrigued by the plot, the characters are strong and likeable, it has suspense, but the author didn't proofread it. It is riddled with multiple typos on almost every page. I continued to read it only because I wanted to know the outcome of the story, but needless to say, it drove me crazy.
     Lack of proofreading is a major red flag that the author is an amateur. Haste to submit your manuscript for publication can cost you in book sales and ratings if there are a lot of mistakes.
     I give my stories at least three full proofreadings and every time I find things I missed the previous time around. Granted, small typos can slip by in any publication. I've read books by top writers that had typos. A novel by one popular writer of western novels had one that, to me, was a bit glaring with "could of" rather than "could've" or "could have." It jumped off the page at me. This was a long-time established author. So it can happen, but if you want to make the grade with your writing, be sure that you proof your work as thoroughly and carefully as possible. Have someone else proof it for you, if you can, because a different set of eyes can often catch things you don't see.
     Use your dictionary and thesaurus. Don't guess. Be sure you're using correct words and that they're spelled correctly. If you are in doubt of a word, look it up before you use it. Go over your manuscript with a fine-tooth comb. Don't be in a hurry. Take your time and do it right. Be sure of the definition and the spelling before you use it and you'll increase your chances of publication.
     Best of luck!

Publishing Tips

Getting published is not easy. Here are some tips if you have that Great American Novel that you worked tirelessly over for years and you know that readers will just fall in love with it. Here are some things to think about.

Big Publishing Houses
This is most writers’ dream. Get published by a huge publishing house and you’ve got it made, right? Maybe and maybe not. It’s next to impossible for an unknown writer to get picked up by a major publisher. You have to go through an agent, and good agents are hard to come by. Major publishing companies do not allow unsolicited submissions of manuscripts anymore. They receive way too many and most of them are not up to their standard. An agent will go over a manuscript and help authors fine tune their work so it will be acceptable for a major publisher, and they will submit it for you to the places that will most likely accept your book. Getting an agent who will actually work for you is not easy. Many of the successful ones won’t take on new authors because they already represent more than they can handle. You have to have a book that will wow your readers before an agent will even consider representing you. And remember, that agent also gets a cut of your sales, if you do get published.

Book Doctor
You can have your manuscript worked over by a “book doctor” to tighten up your story. They know where your strengths and weaknesses are and they will advise you where edits are needed to get that story up to grade for a publisher to accept. The problem with book doctors is that they cost. If you really have a lot of confidence that your book will do well, but you just need some help getting the manuscript tightened up, then it may be worth it to you, but just know that it is a gamble. Even a manuscript that looks perfect to the author may still get rejected by a publisher for any number of reasons.

Vanity Presses
Should you take your book to a vanity press? Just be aware that this can become very expensive. Rarely does a book become a best seller when published by a vanity press. They charge a huge amount of money up front to print your books and if you want a full color cover, it costs even more. Big tip: you should never, ever pay to have your book published, period! The publisher should be paying you! With a vanity press, you just get your books printed. A majority of them offer no marketing, advertising, or distribution of your books. You will get a shipment of your printed books and it’s up to you to find a place to sell them. You will do your own marketing and advertising, and that can incur even more cost.

Indie Publishing
This is becoming a more and more popular mode of publishing a book. If you don’t want to go the agent/publishing house route, give Amazon or Barnes & Noble a try. You can publish both paper copies and e-books. You would be surprised how many professionally published authors are going "indie" and switching to these publishing options. A number of authors have complained that they lost the rights to their own stories to the large publishers. When you sign a contract with a large publisher, you sign away your rights. With publishers such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble, you retain all rights to your book. You have full control. You do have to market it yourself, but because these venues are so large, chances are your book will be noticed. Many of the major publishing houses no longer market books and authors are expected to do this on their own. A lot of people have Kindles and Nooks. One point to consider is this: there are probably more Kindles out there than Nooks, so you may want to give Amazon a try first. Please be aware that these are the two that get the most business, so it’s best to go with them. There are some other e-publishers out there, but they’re not as well known, so Amazon and B&N are the best to go with. One point about Amazon: if you have your book on Amazon only, you have exclusive rights to run sales and offers of free books. They only allow that if your books are not published through other venues. Those sales are great because you can offer your book for free for five days every three months, and you can get a lot of readers getting familiar with your books. Who doesn’t love a freebie? And with these venues publishing your books, you pay nothing to publish them and you earn royalties.


However you decide to get that book published, I wish you the best of luck for a lot of sales.


 

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