S.O.S: after severing ties w/ my agent, I am committed to this, and committed to doing it correctly

The Troubadour · Dec 24, 2011

After rejections from more houses than I can count – many of which were frustratingly glowing – I have finally made the decision to self-publish my book (Shrapnel: A Memoir).

The decision is not being made lightly, and I hope to do this in as smart a way as possible. After reading countless threads on this site, I've decided to take the following steps.

My humble request: please let me know if you think I'm making a mistake in any of these areas, keeping in mind that my ultimate goal is not to make money, but rather to have my book reach as wide a readership as possible.

My Plan for an August, 2012 Publication Date:

I plan to hire a manuscript designer to design & format my manuscript for a perfect bound book (Createspace/Lightscribe) and eBook (Mobi, ePub, iPad...). I am currently shopping for a good manuscript designer, and if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Now, I know many of you don't think it's necessary to hire a designer, particularly for eBook, but I want this to look as sharp as possible, and I know I'm not capable of creating something that matches my aesthetic expectations.
I hope to hire a designer for my cover.
I plan to create a "doing business as" (dba) name under which I will be publishing my book, since I would like to function as the actual publisher in all aspects. To do this, I plan to buy a block of ISBN numbers via Bowker.
After the manuscript and cover are designed/formatted, I will print ARCs and send them to those who I hope to get review blurbs from. At which point, I will place those I find valuable on the cover and finalize all design aspects.
For marketing, I will use my relatively strong online presence (on Daily Kos and Tikkun magazine, where I'm a regular visible contributor) to spread the word in addition to sending out press releases, use online ads via AdWords, utilize social networking and hit target populations through direct contacts.
Price points: at this stage, I'm thinking in the $3 range for eBooks and between $6-9 for paperback.

This is where I stand currently. Am I making any mistakes? Missing anything? I'm very much open to suggestions as I start this process.

Thank you so much in advance to anyone who can help/offer advice.

merrihiatt · Dec 24, 2011

The $6-9 price point may be a bit tough to pull off. I have a 50,000 word romance novel that I self-published through CreateSpace that sells for $9.95. The book receives Expanded Distribution (you pay a fee for this service). I make, depending on the sales channel, anywhere between $.52 cents and $2.05 per book sale.

You said you aren't interested in making money; however, there is a minimum you will need to sell your book at (the site will let you know when you type in your price point).

If your goal is to have your book read by as many people as possible, using Amazon KDP Select and offering the book free may be your best bet. The same book I spoke about above was downloaded 30,000 times when it was offered free for several weeks.

escritora · Dec 24, 2011

I'd like to add that the description/blurb of your book is important.

I read the information on your homepage. The way you presented your story isn't compelling, IMO. (Though I'm sure your story is.)

When you craft a blurb for the book, post it on your SYW forum where members will provide helpful feedback.

Good luck! You have a platform. Self-publishing may work in your favor.

The Troubadour · Dec 25, 2011

Hi merrihiatt - you may be correct about the price point. As for not making money, my goal is absolutely not to make money, but my goal is also to at least break even. For this reason, I won't be offering it free. Thanks for your comment.

Hi escritora - I really appreciate your critique. I agree with you that the blurb is very important. The description of the book on the homepage is currently lifted from parts of my query letter. When I begin this process, I'll be creating a new website or revamping this current one. Do you have any advice for a better way to present the story?

Dawn Schaefer · Dec 25, 2011

I like that you have a plan and aren't throwing it up on Amazon as soon as possible.

I agree that the price point will be tough. I think the $7.99 - $9.99 range is probably more realistic (mine book is 318 pages and breaking even at $9.99 is going to be hard).

I LOVE my book designer. She did my cover for both ebook and paperback as well as all the interior paperback design (Little birds on pages, chapter headers, etc.). http://www.sarahmarino.com/

The only thing I'd add is to release things in chunks. Once you have a cover image you love, release it at least 2 months before you release the book. Make sure you have a Goodreads account and can direct people there to "add" it to their shelves.

Good luck!

escritora · Dec 25, 2011

This is just my POV and others will (hopefully) chime in. Please keep in mind I'm critting the info on your homepage. Not your story and not you.

These are the challenges, as I see them.

1. Your wife survived. That sounds horrible to write, but from a blurb/description perceptive, it's not compelling enough that she was hurt. Especially because I've read true accounts of a parent forgiving their child's murderer and a woman who was brutally raped forgiving her rapist. So a husband forgiving a terrorist because his wife almost died falls flat. I understand you have to mention she survived and perhaps if this was the only issue I saw it wouldn't stick out.

2. Your wife is the victim. When I read the event took you on a ten year psychological journey, my immediate thought was "this guy made what happened to her about him." I'm not suggesting that's what you did in real life. I'm only stating my reaction to the information you provided.

3. The terrorist is also a victim (from what I read). So ditto on point number two here.

4. This is billed as a memoir. (and it is because it deals with a specific time in your life.) Other people/readers may disagree, but I feel that the way the information is laid out, this should be billed as a true story instead. (Shrapnel: A True Story).

I understand, and will not argue, you were also a victim. I can't imagine the stress you went through. So please know I'm not downplaying your experience. But in a memoir I expect a different type of story than you are telling. Mainly, as I mentioned above, your wife and the terrorists are the "main" victims. (Again, please don't take offense.)

If it's billed as a "true story," the issues I mentioned matter less. They still matter, mind you. On the flipside, if you rewrite the blurb, then memoir can still work. I'm basing my opinion only on the information on your website, not the story itself.

You need 50 posts to post a query/blurb in Query Hell. My advice is to contribute to the community, reach 50 posts, and see what the squirrels have to say. They may disagree with my POV.

In the meantime, you can access Query Hell and read through the forum. The squirrels are much more knowledgeable than I am. (If you don't know what I mean by squirrels, well, I won't ruin it for you.)

If no one else responds to this post, and you'd like additional feedback, consider starting another thread on AW roundtable or in one of the nonfiction forums with the title Memoir vs True Story. Feel free to copy this post as a starting point. But ask a mod first, because it may look like you are trying to circumvent the 50 post rule to get feedback on the blurb.

Let me know if I can clear anything up for you.

StoneWheller · Dec 26, 2011

Dawn Schaefer said:
Once you have a cover image you love, release it at least 2 months before you release the book.

What do you mean by this? Where does one release the cover before the book? Just wondering since I have a book coming out soon.

SursumCorda · Dec 26, 2011

I had a similar situation at one time. I had a great idea for a story and just couldn't seem to get it out there. I shared your desire for readership over money.

But what my story needed was not self-publishing. I needed a more experienced co-author. One who was already well published, who could show me the ropes and take my story further.

Which is what I found.

And it's also what I think you should be shopping for.

I read your blurb and excerpts and I can feel that there is a very important story here, on many levels. but the telling of it is what is holding it back. It deserves a master story teller to give it wings.

The Troubadour · Dec 26, 2011

StoneWheller - I had a very similar question.

SursumCorda - I appreciate your response and know it comes from a place of good intentions. That said, I do believe I'm the master storyteller for this book, and a co-author is not what I'll be seeking. I agree that, when I get this off and running, the blurb on the site will change. However, while the storytelling might not be for you – which I entirely respect – the manuscript has received very bold praise from some editors at certain houses who went to bat for it, but couldn't get it through the boards due to sales fears.

That said, I'd be very interested to know -- from the excerpts I presented -- what you feel is lacking.

That goes for anyone -- thoughts on the excerpts from my site?

Thanks everyone!

Dawn Schaefer · Dec 26, 2011

Cover releases are huge in the YA world - maybe not in others?

Anyway, most publishers will release the cover image of a book a few months prior to the book coming out either in ARC form (possibly not the final image depending on feedback) or the actual release.

I released my cover in October and asked 3 bloggers to post it (cover reveals are fun). It was then picked up by other bloggers, tweeted about and posted on facebook. It's a great way to build pre-release buzz.

The best way to do a cover reveal is to have relationships with bloggers and tweeters. You contact them a few weeks before you know it will be ready and ask politely if they'd be willing to host the reveal for you.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about: http://thestrangestsituation.blogspot.com/2011/10/larkstorm-cover-reveal.html

The Troubadour · Dec 26, 2011

Thanks so much for the explanation, Dawn. I definitely plan on having ARCs for potential readers pre-finalization to get blurbs/reviews. But I hadn't considered actual image releases.

The Troubadour · Dec 26, 2011

escritora - I want to respond to your very honest critiques:

Here is the first (what some might view as controversial) point you made to which I'll respond:

1. Your wife survived. That sounds horrible to write, but from a blurb/description perceptive, it's not compelling enough that she was hurt. Especially because I've read true accounts of a parent forgiving their child's murderer and a woman who was brutally raped forgiving her rapist. So a husband forgiving a terrorist because his wife almost died falls flat. I understand you have to mention she survived and perhaps if this was the only issue I saw it wouldn't stick out.

2. Your wife is the victim. When I read the event took you on a ten year psychological journey, my immediate thought was "this guy made what happened to her about him." I'm not suggesting that's what you did in real life. I'm only stating my reaction to the information you provided.

Regarding point 1, I don't really have much of a response. This story is much larger, and in no way hinges upon, the level of horror visited upon my wife. That said, some will feel, like you, that this story isn't worth their time without the ultimate in sensationalist set-ups. I guess if my wife had died, my journey to confront the terrorist and meet his family in this reconciliation story would have more suspense/weight for some.

I guess this book isn't for them.

Regarding point 2, I am a victim of terror as well, and this is something I actually explicitly treat in the book. STSD (Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder) -- which I suffered from for many years -- exhibits identical debilitating symptoms as PTSD. In fact, studies of journalists who have covered traumatic events show that they often experience the identical psychological traumas as the primary victims who they covered.

Witnessing is powerful.

Moving on, you wrote:

4. This is billed as a memoir. (and it is because it deals with a specific time in your life.) Other people/readers may disagree, but I feel that the way the information is laid out, this should be billed as a true story instead. (Shrapnel: A True Story).

I understand, and will not argue, you were also a victim. I can't imagine the stress you went through. So please know I'm not downplaying your experience. But in a memoir I expect a different type of story than you are telling. Mainly, as I mentioned above, your wife and the terrorists are the "main" victims. (Again, please don't take offense.)

If it's billed as a "true story," the issues I mentioned matter less. They still matter, mind you. On the flipside, if you rewrite the blurb, then memoir can still work. I'm basing my opinion only on the information on your website, not the story itself.

You raise a really intriguing point for me from a presentation perspective -- "memoir" vs. "true story."

However, I admit to being confused why there would be any confusion as to how this is not a memoir. It's about my journey to confront the terrorist who did this -- my narrative (as well as the narrative of the entire conflict of which this attack is a part).

Again, I really appreciate your comments. While I don't see things through the same lens, you have given me things to think about.

I'm really curious what others think of your "memoir" vs. "true story" issue.

merrihiatt · Dec 26, 2011

In general, I'll pick up a true story before I'll pick up a memoir. I expect different things from each. True stories tend to be incredibly dramatic and deal with shocking experiences. Memoirs tend to be reflective and, while they do bring forth life events, they seem more introspective -- more of a "this is how I thought and what I felt" kind of thing. Only my perceptions, of course.

escritora · Dec 26, 2011

Troubadour,

As I wrote, I understand and wrote you are a victim as well. My point is that your current blurb/description does not demonstrate that point. In your response to me, you went deeper into what happened to you. That's what's missing from the blurb. You.

I also want to point out that I didn't say your story wasn't for me. Please reread my comments where I said I offered thoughts on the blurb, not the story itself.

In addition, I did write your book is a memoir because it deals with a specific time in your life, but the blurb/description reads more like a true story. If you want to brand the book a memoir, the reader has certain expectations.

AW is very strict on providing crits before a member has 50 posts. So I have to stop providing my thoughts on the blurb until you reach the appropriate amount of posts. I feel a mod smack down coming.

Good luck.

The Troubadour · Dec 26, 2011

escritora - You wrote:

As I wrote, I understand and wrote you are a victim as well. My point is that your current blurb/description does not demonstrate that point. In your response to me, you went deeper into what happened to you. That's what's missing from the blurb. You.

You're absolutely right. It's something I need to work on.

You also wrote:

I also want to point out that I didn't say your story wasn't for me. Please reread my comments where I said I offered thoughts on the blurb, not the story itself.

I'm so sorry...you're correct. I misread your original post on that point and apologize for that.

You also wrote:

In addition, I did write your book is a memoir because it deals with a specific time in your life, but the blurb/description reads more like a true story. If you want to brand the book a memoir, the reader has certain expectations.

Never before have I thought about the distinction between "memoir" and "true story." As a creative nonfiction writer, I've always thought of memoir and "true story" as synonymous. However, from a branding standpoint, I'm beginning to see they may be viewed differently. Hmm....

You also wrote:

AW is very strict on providing crits before a member has 50 posts. So I have to stop providing my thoughts on the blurb until you reach the appropriate amount of posts. I feel a mod smack down coming.

Really? I've been a lurker/reader here for years, and I did not know this. I'll try to become more helpful in other areas and contribute more to this community which has always helped me, without most knowing.

escritora · Dec 26, 2011

Never before have I thought about the distinction between "memoir" and "true story."

If you put more "you" in the description, memoir may work just fine. I based my post on the information provided. When you revise and post in Query Hell, I may change my mind.

Isabella Amaris · Dec 27, 2011

Dawn Schaefer said:
Cover releases are huge in the YA world - maybe not in others?

Anyway, most publishers will release the cover image of a book a few months prior to the book coming out either in ARC form (possibly not the final image depending on feedback) or the actual release.

I released my cover in October and asked 3 bloggers to post it (cover reveals are fun). It was then picked up by other bloggers, tweeted about and posted on facebook. It's a great way to build pre-release buzz.

The best way to do a cover reveal is to have relationships with bloggers and tweeters. You contact them a few weeks before you know it will be ready and ask politely if they'd be willing to host the reveal for you.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about: http://thestrangestsituation.blogspot.com/2011/10/larkstorm-cover-reveal.html

Off-topic, but I just had to say, that is so cool! I didn't know about 'cover reveals' before this... What a brilliant idea... I'm a sucker for gorgeous covers... Not that I judge the book by the cover, of course

It's just really nice to focus one's attention on beautiful artwork sometimes, you know

Btw, the cover for 'Larkstorm' is really pretty, Dawn

And the story sounds interesting too

The Troubadour · Dec 30, 2011

I'm exploring this idea of cover reveals as well, and recognize that the cover is one of the most important marketing elements an author can have.

I'm currently working with a designer, and can't wait to see some of the possibilities.

S.O.S: after severing ties w/ my agent, I am committed to this, and committed to doing it correctly

The Troubadour

I'm famous. You just don't know me.

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!

escritora

.

The Troubadour

I'm famous. You just don't know me.

Dawn Schaefer

practical experience, FTW

escritora

.

StoneWheller

Dancing Under Wintery Stars

SursumCorda

Drawing a bigger circle

The Troubadour

I'm famous. You just don't know me.

Dawn Schaefer

practical experience, FTW

The Troubadour

I'm famous. You just don't know me.

The Troubadour

I'm famous. You just don't know me.

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!

escritora

.

The Troubadour

I'm famous. You just don't know me.

escritora

.

Isabella Amaris

The Troubadour

I'm famous. You just don't know me.