Targeted Age Group:: Adult
There is so much assumed knowledge in traditional publishing, it takes ages – even with the help of Mr Google and Mr Kindle – to learn all those things that set professional writers and illustrators apart from amateur ones. There is just as much to learn about the business of self-publishing.
This e-book is the result of 15 months of continuous study into Children’s Book publishing and into what it takes for a writer or illustrator to be able to give up their day job and pursue a creative career full time (and still pay the bills). As actual questions cropped up on the journey to publication, and in the development of the careers of local writers and illustrators, the most helpful answers were recorded. Those answers eventually became this e-book.
What this e-book will do for you is save you time, time that you would have spent researching instead of creating. Hopefully it will also help you avoid the worst mistakes that amateurs make.
Some of the chapters are about:
Book trailers
Website tips
Crowdfunding
Writing Press Releases
Using Social Media
Pricing
Illustration portfolios
Editing
Self-publishing options
Picture Books
Read the whole e-book, especially those parts that don’t seem relevant right now to your writing and illustrating. One day, sooner than you think, they will become relevant. That’s a promise. When we started our learning curve, Twitter, Createspace and putting together a press kit were useful to others and irrelevant to us. Now we are using the first one, seriously considering the second and have the third on a ‘to do’ list.
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Why I started gathering information was initially for my son, and to keep a weekly newsletter going for our local writers and illustrators group.
But then two new members joined the group, who had self-published in print form. Both of them could easily go much further with their talents, however there was still so much they needed to know, and I longed for Dr Spock’s ability to mind-meld (Star Trek). The next best way to download what was in my head into theirs was to go back through the newsletters, edit them and group the information under headings.
By that time I had enough experience to know what it would take to package that information into Kindle format. However that process took much longer than expected because I discovered that several web-links were no longer active online, and I was reminded how difficult it is to follow web-links on push-button Kindles. To combat this I went back and wrote more detailed summaries for each web-link.
All that work will be worthwhile if it helps those who desire to become household names as children’s book writers and illustrators get to the next level, whether that is securing a school visit, acquiring an agent, signing a contract to publish, signing a contract to illustrate, obtaining a grant, taking the self-publishing plunge or building a platform from which to successfully market their work.
Author Bio:
Since childhood I have been an avid reader, and usually on first name terms with the local librarian. Writing wasn’t something I ever aspired to. Problem solving was more my thing. But then I was blessed with a son whose imagination and drawing ability constantly amazes me. From our home-schooling years it became obvious that he would be happiest in a creative career.
Fine art, illustration, publishing were worlds totally foreign to me, and that had to change. So a very steep learning curve began. Along the way I discovered that as a non-creative I could be useful to creatives as an analytical support person able to assist with website building, other technical online tasks, editing, art direction, merchandising and backroom paperwork. It was sad to discover that many talented creatives fail to reach their full earnings potential because they are not hard-wired with business skills.
But I could research, and I could take the time to put newsletters together precisely because I wasn’t producing artwork or the next great story. Non-fiction writing I could do, and here I am – a writer of sorts, hoping to be helpful not only to the beloved creative in my life but to many others as well.
Social Media:
Author Interview on BookGoodies
Goodreads
Twitter
Have you read this book or others by this author? Tell us in the comments how you liked it!
