Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts

Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Adventures of Self-Publishing

Why does a writer decide to self-publish? There are probably many, many reasons why, from not having an agent, nor a publisher, or simply just wanting to have complete control over the process. When I decided to publish Three Merry Mysteries, I chose to do it simply because I wanted to see how the process works. I selected five short stories I had written, three of which were mysteries, and then added two bonus short stories to make a total of 34 pages. The book size I chose was 6” x 9”. My word count was 9,300.

Two other local authors and I have been tossing around the idea of publishing a short story collection that we would write, edit and self-publish together. Our hope was to add it to our own authored books that we could sell at local art festivals and shows in Pennsylvania.

Let’s be clear: I am semi-literate to the world of computers. I understand the basics of most Microsoft Office software, but I’m no computer guru. That’s why I chose Createspace.

I was surprised by the ease in which Createspace took you through the steps of completing what I considered a daunting task. First, you must set up an account with them and give a title to your fiction or nonfiction work. From then on, the Createspace page actually prompts you through the process, using a nifty dashboard.
 
If I were to give anyone advice about the entire process, I would include the following main points.
  • Make sure your copy is flawless, error-free and grammatically perfect
This is important since you will have the opportunity at the end to proofread your copy, using an online preview or having a printed (hard) copy sent to you. If you discover mistakes, you must start all over again and make the corrections. This will also require that you to resubmit and wait for Createspace to review it each time. 
  •  Have an idea for your cover art before you attempt the process       
  • Chose your cover colors carefully
There are many beautiful, standard cover templates that are available at no cost, and that can easily be changed to the colors of your choice. Since the first short story in my mystery collection was about windmills, I went on dreamstime.com and purchased a picture of three windmills for a nominal price. If you’ve not discovered dreamstime.com, go there just to view the most gorgeous photography for sale.

I would caution everyone to order a proof copy, even if you must wait for it. This allows you to see what the book will look like before you submit it for final approval. What I also learned is that light colors often fade onto light backgrounds of web pages. I actually ended up changing my basic cover background color from ice blue to gray for this reason alone.

Everyone asks the cost. A custom 13-ISBN# costs $10.00. If you choose Expanded Distribution it will cost $25.00 more. And, if you choose Kindle Ready conversion, add $69.00. Bottom line: Everything could only cost as little as $10.00 for the custom 13-ISBN# (which I recommend) or $104. I did choose Kindle Ready conversion because I did not feel comfortable doing the electronic version, but later learned it wasn’t that difficult. I also felt that I couldn’t put a price on dodging a headache.

Am I going to tell you that it’s quick, easy and fun? Absolutely not. It’s frustrating at times, but it’s fun to see it evolve and finally come together. The one thing I learned is that there’s always a phone number to call if you need help, and Createspace has pages of online information to nudge you along on your adventure of self-publishing.

If you’d like to see my finished product, go to www.amazon.com/Three-Merry-Mysteries-Million-Diamonds/dp/0615625673/ and use the “Search Inside This Book.” It will not only show you the basic set-up, but it will allow you to read the first mystery, “A Sticky Affair,” for free!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Three Merry Mysteries

             Now available on amazon.com . . . 

THREE MERRY MYSTERIES
A Sticky Affair
Million Dollar Murder
Diamonds Aren't Forever

THREE MERRY MYSTERIES is a collection of three, quick read "Whodunit" mysteries and two bonus short stories. 

In a STICKY AFFAIR, Vicky Hanson wants desperately to move from her tiny, gaudy-looking apartment, but her fiance, Ronald, has embezzled $100,000 of company money and left her with some whopping debt. To add to the chaos, Ronald's obnoxious stepsister is insisting that Vicky help her find the location where her brother hid the money.

The Baker sisters in MILLION DOLLAR MURDER inherit two million dollars. Bernice generously donates her money to the local school and leaves for a European tour with her niece. The other sister, Lydia, is killed days later. Who killed Lydia and why?

In DIAMONDS AREN'T FOREVER, Eleanor bakes Great Aunt Katherine's diamonds into muffins to put them on ice until she can unload them for money. Will she be successful?

This collection also contains two bonus short stories: THE GIRL NEXT DOOR and THE WAGER. These two fun-filled tales are about a girlfriend's antics in reaction to a former boyfriend's marriage and a father's devotion to his daughter who's about to become married.

Visit me on the web: www.judyanndavis.com


Thursday, February 2, 2012

Why Do We Write?

Why do we write? I asked myself that the other day as I tried to put together a compilation of short stories and realized that I wasn’t having any fun. It had become a painful chore. But it had become a chore because I was weary of reading, re-reading and editing the same pieces over and over again until I could repeat them verbatim in my sleep.

So off I went to find an activity that would temporarily wipe out the hard drive in my mind. Naturally, the first logical diversion is to take a walk. But you can easily walk and think. A half hour later, I found I was mentally crazy glued to the project worse than if I were actually sitting in front of my laptop and even more thoughts were now swirling through my head.

Later that afternoon, I convinced my husband that we needed to go the driving range and hit some golf balls. I can sheepishly admit that I was so distracted and performed so poorly that I considered selling my clubs to the first person who showed any interest in buying them.

So how did I lose my focus and why did I feel distraught?

It took me all day until I was able to face my dilemma and realize what the problem might be. I was past the pleasure phase. I wasn’t having any fun because I was past the creative part of the process. I was no longer able to escape into the lives of my characters. I was finished designing my settings, dreaming up plots, and crafting new ideas and situations.
  
Yes, I was into the dreaded, painful editing process consisting of all the menial chores like verifying facts, names and spelling; confirming continuity of the various plots; rechecking grammar; and making certain every story was set-up in the same uniform format.

A writer friend of mine said that now is time when you need little rewards and incentives to nudge yourself toward your final goal of producing a complete, clean manuscript.

Oh, please, tell me she was referring to chocolate, jewelry, shopping or a good bottle of wine.