PPG Publisher's Blog
Everything You Need to Know on How to Publish a Book
The Entrepreneurial Author
Writing and then having your book published can be very challenging unless you approach the task as an entrepreneur would. The key to success is breaking down the steps to success into their basic components.
The Entrepreneurial Author
An author must pick their subject, think through a plot, write the content, review for quality and format, and finally promote the book for sale. Viewing this as a business you see many similarities:- Choose the business (selling books).
- Think through your idea: who will buy, why will they buy, how will they buy, where will they buy, when will they buy?
- Create a plan of action. This is the content portion of a business plan. Here you will also identify how you will market and sell your book.
- Have your business plan reviewed. This is the same as having a Canadian publishing company examine your work.
- Start your business. For Canadian authors this is all about marketing your work.
Choosing the Right Partner
When seeking assistance, be prepared and do your research. Can the Canadian book publishing company you are engaging:- Guide you through the entire process from conception to publication?
- Employ truly experienced ghostwriters, editors, indexers, proofreaders, and graphic designers?
- Answer Copyright questions?
- Help you with paperback and ebook preparation?
- Do they make use of the latest digital (POD) technology?
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
A Ghostwriter's Job: CHANNELLING HOUDINI
Every Halloween for 10 years, Bess Houdini held a séance to call Harry back from death. Finally, after all that time, she reportedly said, “Ten years is long enough to wait for any man!” The séances stopped.
Popular culture has many individuals still waiting for comedian Andy Kaufman to return from his travels to the other side. Jim Carrey was a devoted fan and channelled Andy when he starred in the movie “Man On The Moon” in 1999.
I have discovered that ghostwriting is also a channelling of sorts. While the words I write are mine, they belong to someone else. In much the same way as an actor imbues the spirit of the character they are tasked to portray, so too must the writer capture the spirit and essence of the original story-teller.
It is a humbling task, one that must be handled with great care and tact. Most people have great stories to tell, but not everyone has the skills with which to tell them. Such is the gift of the ghostwriter.
Much is written about the writer’s “voice” and, unlike Houdini’s magic, it is not smoke and mirrors and slight of hand. It is the fundamental truth from which we all speak. It is as unique as the singing voice of Neil Young or Taylor Swift. You’d recognize it in a heartbeat. It is this heartbeat the ghostwriter must understand and connect with.
STORY ARC
Stories that resonate are those steeped in real human emotion, regardless of the genre or nature of the tale. Even a technical paper will have a central emotional hook at its core. A journal, autobiography or biography is more than the sum of its parts, more than an endless string of events connected only by the fact they actually happened. Perhaps these events have been rewritten by time, or in the space between then and now, reinvented in the author’s mind: separating fact from fiction, perception from reality, revisionist retelling from a total fabrication of truth. Regardless of the motivation, it is the task of the ghostwriter to channel that space and time, and not get lost in it. The story must flow from one memory or sequence to the next, with logic, clarity and purpose. Well-crafted books are not mere collections of singular events, thinly held together by chapter titles. A book must have a story arc that, like Houdini, intrigues and captivates us as we move from one act of magic to another until it culminates in a magnificent and breath-taking grand finale. “How did he do that?” we ask in wonder.
THE WRITERS TOOLKIT
There are many tools available in the writer’s kit, and it is important for authors to review them with their ghostwriters at the start of your journey together. Poetic license and freedom, chapter content and design, timelines, the use of creative devices such as foreshadowing, quotations, background and context information, chronology, historical reference; these are all concepts the ghostwriter may need to explain, particularly if the author is new to writing or written communication of any kind.
DETACHMENT
The greatest challenge in the ghostwriting process is detachment. Companion to detachment is trust. Writing is intensely personal, even if the end result is a sales proposal! Preparation is an essential and key component of any author/ghostwriter relationship. The author must accept the fact that they have hired a ghostwriter for the express purpose of making the material they provide into an enjoyable and infinitely readable document.
In return, the ghostwriter has a responsibility to channel the author in as true and honest a manner as possible.
And so, as it is with many of the creative arts, I am me, and I am not me. Dim the lights. May the séance begin.
If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
If you believe there's nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool.
“Man On The Moon”
R.E.M.
Patricia M. Gallagher is currently ghostwriting two books with an option for a third. She is a published writer, poet and musician. She can be reached through her website by clicking on her name above.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
The Index as a Roadmap
What is an index, and why would you want one in your non-fiction book? A good index is a road map to information. It leads readers to all the information on a particular subject, and it also leads readers to related information that might interest them. A good index allows readers to find what they are looking for no matter where in the index they start.
You might wonder if a computer program could produce the index for your book. It can’t. It can produce a concordance, an alphabetical listing of most of the words in the text with their page numbers, but that is not an index.
The index in a non-fiction book has two audiences:
- The first is people who are considering buying the book. Let’s say you’re in the bookstore browsing the sports section. You see a book about coaching soccer and wonder if it discusses sports psychology, particularly the mental imaging technique. You turn to the back of the book to check the index. No index. There is a chapter on sports psychology, but you don’t have time to skim the entire chapter to see if it covers mental imaging. Maybe the book next to it will have something. You turn to the back of this one, and it has an index. You find psychology right away, but you don’t see anything about mental imaging. You put the book back on the shelf. What you don’t realize is that the book does have lots of information about mental imaging, but the index only contains the words the author uses in the book. In this case, the author always uses the term “inner soccer” when he describes mental imaging. A good indexer would have entries under both terms or would use a see reference to direct the reader from mental imaging to inner soccer.
The whole point of an index is to guide people to the information in the book. If they can’t find that information, it might as well not be there. A good index will make most non-fiction books more usable to their readers and more likely to be purchased. A professionally written index is a worthwhile investment for any author who lacks the skills and training to write a good one.
Professional Indexer
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
The Difference Between Ghostwriting and Developmental Editing
Since developmental editors work so closely with authors to help them create great books, it’s not unusual that some authors wonder how a developmental editor is different from a ghostwriter. Both are heavily involved with a book’s content, and in terms of the teamwork, coaching, and feedback that goes on between ghostwriter and author, or equally between developmental editor and author, it requires some clarification to distinguish between these two major ways of working with writing and editing professionals.
Let’s tackle the ghostwriter first. Basically with ghostwriting, if you are a person with an idea for a book, and you possess the expertise in your field but are not particularly good at writing—or don’t have time for writing (for example, you might be a busy corporate executive, a coach with a full coaching practice, or a speaker with a full roster of speaking gigs)—you might consider hiring a writer to turn your ideas and knowledge into words. You would give the writer as much information as possible, and then the writer would get to work creating a draft manuscript for you. So, the process of creating a book with a ghostwriter is that you supply the information; the writer does the writing, attempting as much as possible to create the content with the flavor of your voice. Sometimes ghostwriters will do recorded interviews with the author in order to get a sense of the author’s voice and style.
In contrast, developmental editors do not write the book for the author. Instead, a developmental editor works with the author to develop the book’s concept, and often coaches the author through the writing process, always with an eye to the book’s purpose, its audience, and it content map (structure). Working with a developmental editor from the very beginning concept stage often makes it easier for the author to do the writing with confidence and the comfort of knowing that there is always someone there to give feedback and helpful suggestions.
To use an old analogy often applied to human endeavors—the ghostwriter catches the fish for you (writes your book); the developmental editor teaches you how to fish for yourself (helps you write your book).
Many times, however, the developmental editor gets involved after an author has created a first draft. In that situation, the developmental editor evaluates the manuscript and considers many of the same issues involved in early stage developmental editing—for example, what is the book’s purpose, who is the audience, how well does the narrative arc of the book move the content forward, etc. If the draft manuscript needs work in clarifying or emphasizing its purpose and its narrative power, the developmental editor helps the author make the structural and thematic changes to hone the book into a compelling written work.
What is best for you as an author desiring to have a book published—hiring a ghostwriter or hiring a developmental editor? If you want it done for you, then the ghostwriter would be your choice. If you want to have the experience of creating your own words, but need someone to guide you through the process, hold your hand, and keep you on track, then you would choose a developmental editor. If you want to do your own first draft writing, a good developmental editor can also help you speed up the process of writing your book, and give you good guidance not only about the content, but also about the publishing process itself.
Ghostwriters tend to be more expensive than developmental editors, because the process of writing a book from scratch is very labor-intensive. With developmental editing, since you as the author would be doing your own writing, your developmental editor will be checking in with you all along the way, and helping you with your content mapping. So it’s somewhat less labor intensive than ghostwriting, and therefore can be less expensive.
Either path is viable and valid. It all depends on your own inclinations (do you want to experience yourself as a writer or delegate the writing to someone else?), your budget, your timeline, and your goals for your book.
Working with a professional ghostwriter or with a professional developmental editor can be a very worthwhile and positive experience. Both paths involve collaboration and a sense of teamwork. The author-ghostwriter experience is a dynamic relationship, and so is the author-developmental editor relationship. The important thing is that you, as an author, are comfortable with your choice and feel good about the end result—your book.
Sharon Lindenburger
Professional Writer
Professional Developmental Editor
Consultant and Supplier of all forms of editing
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
The Components of a Book's Interior
Front Matter
The front matter of a book contains some or all of the following components:
- Primary title page
This is usually the very first page of the book in which the title appears on an otherwise blank right-hand page.
- Secondary title page
The secondary title page repeats the book title along with the author and/or publisher's name on the next right-hand page.
- Copyright page
The copyright page will contain the book's ISBN number(s), publication date, copyright owner's name, and a copyright notice such as: No portion of this book may be duplicated or used in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval), for any profit-driven enterprise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. If the author/publisher wishes to credit any of the book's contributors (such as photographers and designers), that can also be done on this page.
- Quote page
Sometimes a quote will be placed in the front matter if it sums up the essence of the story quite well.
- Dedication page
Oftentimes, authors will dedicate their books to their loved ones. That dedication is placed in the beginning of the book.
- Acknowledgments page
An acknowledgments page allows an author to provide more detail when crediting the book's various contributors rather than just listing their names on the copyright page. Here, a heartfelt thank you can be expressed in a much more meaningful way.
- Foreword
Usually, a foreword is written by someone other than the author. Its purpose is to provide a history leading up to the story being told or explain what inspired the publication of the book.
- Preface
Where a foreword is an introduction to the book written by someone other than the author, a preface is an introduction written by the author for the same purpose. An author may also use a preface to explain what methods of research were used during the creation of the work.
- Contents
A table of contents lists the various sections (chapters, articles, poems, etc) within the book and what page numbers they each begin at.
Below is a group of visuals to show how the front matter might be arranged in a fictional novel. This is but one example of how it can be done:
The Body
The body of a book usually contains at least the following two components:
- Title Pages
A title page is used at the beginning of each section within the body of a book. The purpose of the title page is simply to differentiate between the sections, to help organize the flow of the work.
- Sections
Sections of a book's body can be divided up as chapters, poems, articles, etc. It all depends on the type of book being published.
Back Matter
The back matter of a book contains some or all of the following components:
- Appendix
An appendix contains supplementary details that help to further clarify any legal, technical, and/or scientific information within the book.
- Glossary
A glossary of terms contains a list of specialized words that can be found throughout the book along with their definitions.
- Index
An alphabetized index is used to help readers pinpoint the exact page(s) where they can find an important name, place, and/or subject throughout the book. Most non-fiction books will have an index.
- Promotional Content
A great way to sell your backlist titles is to promote them in the back matter of each new release. It is best if you can provide a graphic of each book's front cover along with the corresponding ISBN number.
- Author Biography
An updated author biography helps personalize your book for readers by giving them a bit more information about the storyteller. It is also a great way to promote past titles thereby increasing the chance of more sales.
Below are two visuals showing how the back matter of a novel could appear:
It is a good idea to use this article as a guideline when deciding how to lay out your book's interior. Better yet, why not pay your local bookstore a visit and take a look at how some of your favourite titles are formatted? The more information (visuals) you can provide to your graphic designer ahead of time, the better. This will help the process run much more smoothly for both of you.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
The Components of a Paperback Book Cover
No matter how engaging your story may be, the public is going to "judge your book by its cover" before they ever pick it up to read the contents. As such, the exterior should always receive the same professional care and consideration as the interior.
A complete paperback book cover is made up of the following components:
- Back Cover
As shown in the following visual aid, the back cover portion of your complete book cover begins on the left-hand side. The dimension of the back cover must match whatever trim size you've chosen your book to be (i.e. 5.5" width x 8.5" height) with a minimum 1/4" bleed around the outside edges for trimming. It will also contain:
- an author photo (optional)
- back cover copy (to summarize the contents of the book in a compelling way)
- room for the book's barcode/ISBN number on the lower right-hand corner
- room for PPG's logo on the lower left-hand corner
- a short author biography (optional)
- Spine
The spine portion of your complete book cover sits in between your back and front cover. Its height will match your chosen trim size (in this case 8.5") while the width is determined by factors such as the final page count of your designed interior and chosen paper weight. (PPG will provide you with these specs once your interior has been designed by one of our professional graphic designers.) The spine also contains:
- the book title at the top
- author name (pseudonym) in the centre
- room for PPG's logo to be placed at the bottom
- Front Cover
The front cover portion of your complete book cover sits on the right-hand side. The dimension of the front cover must match whatever trim size you've chosen your book to be (i.e. 5.5" width x 8.5" height) with a minimum 1/4" bleed around the outside edges for trimming. It will also contain:
- the book title (and subtitle, if applicable)
- author name (pseudonym)
- Artwork
Your cover artwork can wrap around the spine of your book and span the entire height/width of the complete cover (as shown in the first visual below), or it can appear on the front cover only (as shown in the second visual below). Both examples are correct. If going with the first example, make sure the artwork itself contains a minimum 1/4" bleed all around the edges so the outside edges of the picture aren't trimmed unnecessarily at the printer.
When deciding how you would like your book cover to appear, it is best to pay a visit to your local bookstore and view the many different examples there. What designs, colours, and fonts draw your attention the best? Write down the book title(s) and author name(s) so you can use this as a handy reference when it comes time to provide a description to your assigned graphic designer. This will help the process run much more smoothly for both of you.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Happy Holidays from PPG!
Here's to a brilliant new year in 2010! I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you are, too.
Warm regards,
Kim S.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
A Self-Publisher's Checklist
| What PPG Will Do For You |
What You Must Do For Yourself | |
| Supplies you will require |
In order to publish a book with PPG, you must have access to a computer, email, and the Internet. You must also have a working knowledge of and access to Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Reader (for viewing .PDF proofs of your books). | |
| Writing your book |
You can hire one of PPG's experienced ghostwriters to write your story in collaboration with you... |
... or you can write it yourself. Either way, whether you write your story or have someone write it for you, it must be completed in Microsoft Word. Click here for details on how to properly format all your book files. |
|
Protecting your copyright |
It is up to you to protect your own copyright before you send your book to any publisher/printer. Please click here for straightforward instructions on how to do so. | |
|
Choosing your book publishing package |
Review the list of PPG Self-Publishing Services and choose the publishing package and/or À la carte services that are best for you. From there, visit our Online Store to make your purchase and begin the publishing process. | |
| ISBN numbers/barcodes and legal deposits | You only need an ISBN number/barcode if you plan to sell copies of your book. PPG will apply for all ISBN numbers and obtain barcodes on your behalf. You will be indicated as both the author and the publisher on the ISBN application so the book is linked to the true copyright owner rather than PPG. |
As the publisher/copyright owner of the book, it is up to you to submit one or two hard copies of it to Legal Deposit at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) upon publication. |
| Filling out/managing Vendor Agreements, Publishing Agreements, and Production Questionnaires
|
PPG will manage all Vendor Agreements with work-for-hire vendors (such as graphic designers, editors, ghostwriters, copywriters, indexers, etc.) on your behalf. Our agreements are designed to ensure: you receive the high quality service you are paying for in a timely fashion; and you maintain creative control and copyright ownership of the book/artwork that is being designed for you. |
It is up to you to read the PPG Publishing Agreement & Production Questionnaire in full so you understand the partnership you are entering into with PPG and our work-for-hire vendors. |
| Submitting Your Manuscript | Your manuscript must be written in Word.doc format and submitted to PPG via email. Please click here for more specific details. | |
| Editing | PPG will arrange for one of our qualified editors to copy edit your raw manuscript before it is sent to a designer for typesetting. You will have the opportunity to view the edited version and give final approval before it moves onto the design stage. |
If you prefer to hire your own editor, outside of your agreement with PPG, you may do so. |
| Fact checking and indexing | Non-fiction readers expect to find an index in the back of your book. They also expect your information to be completely accurate. You can hire fact checkers and indexers through PPG to help you with this. |
If you prefer to hire your own fact checkers/indexers, outside of your agreement with PPG, you may do so. |
| Interior design | PPG will arrange for a qualified graphic designer to typeset your book's interior based on the input we receive from you on the above-mentioned Production Questionnaire. (We begin by designing your book's interior because the spine size of your cover is determined by the final page count of your book.) |
In addition to answering all the questions on the above-mentioned Production Questionnaire, you are required to send your interior files to us in the manner indicated on our File Prep and File Transfer webpages. |
| Cover design | PPG will arrange for a qualified graphic designer to create your book cover based on the input we receive from you on the above-mentioned Production Questionnaire. |
In addition to answering all the questions on the above-mentioned Production Questionnaire, you are required to send us any related graphics/files in the manner indicated on our File Prep and File Transfer webpages. If you prefer to hire your own interior/cover graphic designer, outside of your agreement with PPG, you may do so; however, make sure you understand the agreement you're entering into (i.e. who will own the artwork at the end of the agreement and what that means to you). |
| Copyright page | PPG will insert a pre-designed copyright page into your manuscript before it is typeset. |
It is up to you to proofread this copyright page to ensure the ISBN number(s) and all other information is correct. |
| Proofreading | Once your book has been written, edited, and designed, a professional proofreader will review it one last time to ensure each of the book's components fit together properly. |
All editors, designers, and proofreaders will do their part to help you polish and perfect your book along the way, but you are ultimately responsible to ensure it is completely correct before signing off on the final proof. It is recommended (and wise) for you to read everything over one more time before signing your final proof approval—not only your recent corrections, but everything—even after the professional proofread has been completed. |
| Printing hard copies of your published book | PPG will only order hard copies of your book for you upon request. |
If you would like to receive hard copies of your published book, it is up to you to purchase them either through PPG (at your special author discount) or from the printer of your choice. We do not include hard copies in our publishing packages as that would drive the price up unnecessarily. It is best for you, in the long run, to obtain quotes from various printers and go with the best price you receive. (We can recommend a few great printers to help you out with this.) |
| Review copies | It is up to you to research the book reviewers in your area and send them each a complimentary copy of your book. (This is not mandatory. It's just a suggestion you may want to consider.) | |
| Library copies | As a self-publisher, it is up to you to produce and submit a flyer or small catalogue of your book(s) to all the libraries you wish to appear in. The only way libraries learn about new titles is through the flyers/catalogues they receive from publishers. | |
| Distribution |
Your book(s) will be available for sale through LSI's distribution channels and our very own online bookstore for as long as you are subscribed to receive our POD distribution service. As an added bonus, we'll also submit your book files to Google Books at no extra cost to you! |
You are responsible for the distribution of any additional copies of your book that you purchase on your own. |
| Royalties | You will be paid royalties on all of your PPG books that are sold through the PPG bookstore and/or through PPG's POD distribution channels (as detailed in the PPG Publishing Agreement). |
You won't receive royalties for any copies of your book that you purchase at an author discount through PPG for resale by yourself, nor will you receive royalties for any other copies of your book that you have printed elsewhere for resale by yourself. |
| Sales and Marketing | PPG will continually strive to drive more and more traffic to our website, online bookstore, forum, and blog; and we will also include a brief write-up about your book in the "Coming Soon to PPG!" category of this blog. |
It is up to you to manage all other sales and marketing of your book, but we'll do our best to provide all kinds of ideas to help point you in the right direction. |
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
New Age Fiction by Kim S.
NEW AGE FICTION FOR ADULTS
Adobe E-Book ISBN: 978-0-9864869-1-3
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9864869-0-6
Copyright 2004, 2009 Kim S.
All Rights Reserved
To purchase a copy of this book in either paperback or e-book format, please visit PPG's Online Bookstore at: http://shop.polishedpublishinggroup.com/
25% of author royalties from this book will be donated to a new charity of the author's choice each year.
* * *
A Letter to My Son
“The Catharsis”
A few people have asked me, “Is this book an autobiography? It sure sounds like you.”
The answer to that question is: “Yes and no.”
A Letter to My Son is based on some of my life experiences; but, many of the characters inside are fictional, and some of the story ideas were sparked by nothing more than a telephone conversation.
In retrospect, this book is more a reflection of my mindset, at that time, than my whole reality. I saw myself as a victim in life, stemming from a family tragedy that occurred when I was a teenager; and, this is the vantage point from which I continued to view the world around me for many years to come.
The stories in A Letter to My Son are the snippets of my life experience that I chose to focus on back then. Evidently, the more I dwelled upon this notion that I was a casualty of unfair circumstance, the more I attracted people and situations that proved me right.
I believe we always prove ourselves right. We all receive what we expect to receive from life, and we attract the circumstances that match our personal vibrations at any given time. This is a natural, impartial law of our universe—just as gravity is—and I believe this book demonstrates it very clearly.
At the time I wrote A Letter to My Son, I had no idea why I was so compelled to purge these pessimistic thoughts from my system in such a public way. But, several years later, I know. It’s as though it was meant to be, all along, and my second and third books bring it all full circle. I was saying “good-bye” to that troubled phase in my life and opening myself up to something new. Two and a half years later, “something new” arrived—a more optimistic viewpoint that changed the path I was on and spawned the creation of my second book titled A Letter to My Daughter.
Adobe E-Book ISBN: 978-0-9864869-3-7
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9864869-2-0
Copyright 2007, 2009 Kim S.
All Rights Reserved
To purchase a copy of this book in either paperback or e-book format, please visit PPG's Online Bookstore at: http://shop.polishedpublishinggroup.com/
25% of author royalties from this book will be donated to a new charity of the author's choice each year.
* * *
A Letter to My Daughter
“The Inspiration”
Where my first book, A Letter to My Son, took me ten years to complete (from initial conception to publication), this second book was written in only two months time. It seemed to flow out of my mind faster than my hands could type … a wonderful dilemma for a writer.
When I wrote A Letter to My Daughter, I was in a positive frame of mind, and I wanted to find the best way I could to express that. I also wanted to show how my mindset had evolved over the past three years—to really contrast this book with my first.
• So, where the first book dwells on dark topics like adversity and victimization, the second is focused on hope and personal accountability.
• Where the first book cover is a pale yellow and gray colour, the second is covered with all kinds of colours.
• My author picture on the first book is done in black and white, I appear sombre in it, and I’m standing alone with my back against a wall; my author picture on the second book is done in full colour, I appear cheerful in it, and I’m surrounded by people I love.
• Of course, the puzzle also symbolizes our interconnection regardless of our individual beliefs.
That was the purpose of this cover and book as a whole. It is me expressing a very joyful time in my life and sharing it with those I love. It is intended as an empowering message about being true to yourself while respecting other people’s choices. It’s about honouring all the different beliefs in our world and celebrating their similarities rather than belabouring their differences.
Adobe E-Book ISBN: 978-0-9864869-5-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9864869-4-4
Copyright 2009, Kim S.
All Rights Reserved
To purchase a copy of this book in either paperback or e-book format, please visit PPG's Online Bookstore at: http://shop.polishedpublishinggroup.com/
25% of author royalties from this book will be donated to a new charity of the author's choice each year.
* * *
11:11
“The Revelation”
A friend of mine first introduced me to the natural Law of Attraction in early 2007, and I found myself caught up in this "New Age" sensation along with many others around me. Several of my coworkers had Buddha’s dictum “All that we are is the result of what we have thought” posted in their cubicles—each of them determined to improve their lives with the help of this daily reminder. I, too, was so inspired by this revelation that my second book came to me in record speed.
In 2007, I resolved to put this theory to the test—to determine, for myself, whether it is true that we attract what we focus on. I began meditating and making an honest effort to start every single morning with at least five grateful thoughts. After nearly three years of consciously and deliberately applying the principles of the Law of Attraction in my life, I present to you my third book titled 11:11.
For me, this is about so much more than taking responsibility for one’s own life. It’s about each of us somehow harmonizing ourselves with everyone else. I don’t think our goal, as individuals, is to follow the exact same course; rather, the key is to combine loyalty to one’s own beliefs with veneration for others’. That is the true path to harmony.
Ultimately, I think we’re all looking at the same thing. We’re just viewing it from different standpoints and using our own unique words to describe it. I hope the words I’ve chosen to describe my personal beliefs will warm your heart, and I hope you’re able to see some common ground between us. That is my intention.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Media Tours
You don't have to be J.K. Rowling to stir media interest. All you need is a good angle. For example, if you're from Alberta, you may want to promote yourself as an "up and coming Alberta author" to the media in that province. Or, as another example, if you've published an historical fiction or non-fiction work about a particular region, you can contact the media within that region for an interview.
Once you reach J.K. Rowling's level of renown, a press release with a one-liner such as "Announcing the latest release by..." is about all you'll need to generate buzz and arrange interviews for yourself. Until that day comes, placing a personal phone call to request an interview is much more effective than any press release, fax, or email alone.
Who do you contact to book an interview? It varies depending on the media: you'll want to talk to the book review editor when contacting a newspaper; your best bet is the news editor at a radio station; and you should ask for either the producer of the morning show or a community events reporter at a television station.
There are many cost-effective ways to sell more of your books ... from readings, to signings, to craft sales, to speaking engagements. A timely media tour will complement all of these events to make them even more successful.
Can anyone else think of any other angles authors can use to get the media interested in them? If so, I know our blog readers will appreciate the extra marketing tips. (Thank you in advance.)
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Calgary: Home Sweet Home
Here's an idea for my fellow writers: how about filming an alfresco reading to promote all the wonderful things about your book and your province at the same time? Then how about posting that reading on YouTube for others to enjoy?
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
It's a Beautiful World ... Saskatoon!
When a good friend of mine emailed me this YouTube video, it made me homesick for my home town of Saskatoon. Thought I'd share it with you: It's a Beautiful World ... Saskatoon! It's so nice to see such positive advertising coming out of Saskatchewan!
I hope this blog entry gives all my fellow authors an idea ... YouTube is a powerful alternative media you can use to promote yourself and your book(s). How about posting a short "teaser" video of you reading from your latest release? With a little luck, your friends will share it with others, and they'll share it with others, and they'll share it others, and so on, and so forth. Do you see the potential for increased exposure?
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
The Value of Blogging
Blogging is becoming increasingly important for self-published authors. Developing and maintaining an online presence is an integral part of self-marketing; it offers a way to get noticed by showcasing your writing, a chance to get feedback on your work before you invest in self-publishing, and an opportunity to make contacts that can help you publish and market your book.
Blogging for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one way to get noticed; this is the process of increasing traffic to your blog by having it appear earlier in search engine results listings. SEO is a slow process that requires consistent, regular effort, so don’t wait to start your blog until after you’ve published. To blog for SEO, you’ll need to produce a minimum of two articles with a minimum of 500 words each per week. Posting to your blog on a regular basis also helps maintain subscriber interest. Most writers have no trouble coming up with potential topics, but if you’re having trouble finding the time to write and publish blogs, hiring a professional blogger can help. This usually becomes a more attractive option as a blog increases in popularity, because maintaining the blog becomes proportionately more time-consuming and technical. A professional blogger can also assist with link building, a necessary part of SEO.
Receiving feedback on their work is a frightening prospect for many authors because they are emotionally invested in their writing, but the opportunity to learn from constructive criticism prior to publishing is invaluable. You can consider reader response to your grammar skills, concepts, and style when writing on any topic. Even if you hire a professional blogger at some point, you can “guest-write” on your blog to test new ideas, themes, and techniques. The expense of self-publishing makes blogging an excellent marketing value.
If well-managed, your blog will attract the attention not just of casual readers, but of other authors, editors, publishers, and reviewers. No matter how well-managed it is, it will also attract a fair number of spammers and online hawkers of get-rich-quick schemes. However, these tend to decrease proportionately over time; if you’re maintaining your own blog, you’ll also become adept at quickly recognizing and deleting them. The value of the networking opportunities gained by blogging far outweighs this annoyance. Online communities tend to be close-knit and people often form online friendships faster than they would face-to-face. If you intend to self-publish, those who have traveled this path before you can offer advice and support. You might also locate resources that are scarce or more expensive in your geographic area. To connect with these individuals, you’ll need to subscribe to and comment on other blogs, participate in discussion groups, and post links to your blog in online groups. Though this also requires an investment of time, it’s important for SEO as well as networking.
Starting a blog can be intimidating, but it’s a worthwhile effort for writers, especially those who intend to or have self-published. Don’t wait; start your blog today! (Click here to see how PPG can help you with that!)
Rachaelle Lynn
Organic SEO Campaign Manager, Content Writer, and Editor
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Self Publishers and Review Copies
Where and Why Self-Publishers Should Send Review Copies of Their Books
If you’ve decided to self-publish your book, you must accept that you’ve also taken on the task of self-marketing it. Sending free review copies of your book is part of the marketing process. Without publicity, your book is unlikely to be seen by a larger audience, which translates into fewer sales. Even if you don’t expect to make a fortune from your book, establishing your reputation as a professional author is critical to your long-term success.
Set aside time for making a list of who should receive review copies of your book. Consider the market for it carefully; depending on the genre and subject matter, you may want to submit it to reviewers in smaller, more specialized markets instead of to those at larger publications, where your book could get lost in the crowd. If you’ll be visiting particular areas for readings and book signings, locate reviewers in those markets so you’ll have advance publicity. If a newspaper or magazine refuses to review your book but you really need to market in that publication, ask if they will print a press release. Always keep the publisher’s deadline in mind; if you miss it, the timing of the review may not benefit you as much even if your book still gets reviewed.
It should go without saying that during this time, you will network with other self-published authors to find out where and when they sent review copies of their books. Which publications actually reviewed their book, and which ones just gave it to a secretary, who took the free copy home and gave it to a neighbour? Though the answer to this question shouldn’t be your sole determination of whether or not to send a book to that reviewer, it can help you narrow the choices.
You’ll also need to consider the cost of review copies of your book in your publishing budget. Finalize the list of recipients before you order any copies. If you make money, you can always order more. Knowing that you will be sending copies of the book to reviewers may also affect the manner in which you decide to publish the book; for example, you may decide to charge more for the book to cover the cost of sending the review copies. Since sending review copies is an additional investment in your work, you may also want to invest in professional design and proofreading. Include the cost of packaging and mailing the books. Unless you are lucky enough to have an unlimited budget, you’ll have to plan carefully so you can meet your expenses.
Keep track of potential recipients of review copies of your book on a calendar, Excel spreadsheet, or both; a calendar will help you track deadlines, while a spreadsheet will help you track expenses. For budgeting purposes, you may want to assign each reviewer a value: a one means you absolutely must send a review copy, a three means you’ll only send one if you have extra copies, and a two is somewhere in the middle. This will help you prioritize your list and concentrate on getting reviews from the publications that are the most important.
Rachaelle Lynn
Organic SEO Campaign Manager, Content Writer, and Editor
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
The 13th Rope
Coming soon to PPG...
THE 13th ROPE
By John Christensen
(As told to ghostwriter Patricia M Gallagher)
Book Summary
The autobiography of John Christensen is a story of adversity, pain and triumph. It is the tale of a man who grew up in
Born of a devoted Métis mother with direct lineage to the famous Métis hero, Louis Riel, and a Danish immigrant father who struggled with alcoholism, early in life John took on substantial responsibilities for his family. He loved to hunt and became a family provider. He loved to run and play with his friends, brother and sisters. Struck at 14 by the polio epidemic sweeping the prairies, he learned to hunt and fish with crutches. In spite of his disability, John went on to get married, have children and learn to fly an airplane, something he loved to do, but also an achievement that handed John a catastrophic contest, the classic battle between the will to live and the relief of death.
On November 9th, 1969, John’s plane crashed during a cattle round-up in the Royal Community Pasture west of
However, sometimes success brings its own demons and for John, such was the case. Addicted to hallucinogenic sleeping pills, John was charged with manslaughter and spent 5 years in prison for taking the life of another man. By now, John’s mobility was limited to wheelchair use and that fact started John on a new and significant mission.
Always interested in
THE 13th ROPE captures the essence of John’s life and encourages everyone to never give up, never lose hope, because for all of us, there is a unique plan designed by the hand of God.
Patricia M Gallagher
PMG Creative
Get it write!
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Authors Are Entrepreneurs
I'm baffled by the writers who staunchly defend the antiquated notion that no author should ever have to drop a dime to promote themselves because it is the responsibility of their publisher to take care of them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Trade publishers are business people, too. Like any smart business people, they will focus their efforts on the books that bring them the best return on investment—their frontlist and the few backlist titles that continue to sell over time. Having worked with one of these publishers in the past, I can tell you firsthand the only backlist inventory we moved were the titles being actively promoted by the authors themselves. (Why should any publisher invest in authors who are unwilling to invest in themselves?)
It is true there are some added perks to having your book picked up by a trade publisher: they produce and distribute catalogues to libraries and other distributors; they will submit copies of your book to reputable reviewers on your behalf; they represent their popular titles at industry trade shows and book fairs; and they produce frontlist press releases for the media each time they publish. This extra exposure is wonderful for sure, but let's not mistake "exposure" for "sales" for these are two very different things.
Just because a reviewer receives a copy of your book does not mean it will be reviewed. Just because a librarian receives a catalogue with your book in it doesn't mean it will be purchased. Just because your book is displayed on a table among other books at a trade show does not mean it will be noticed. Just because a television station receives a press release doesn't mean it will receive focused attention. Think about all the books and catalogues and press releases these people have to sift through on a daily basis. Think about your own mail box—all the flyers and offers you receive there on a daily basis. Do you read them all every day? Do you have the time?
You don't move books by hiding behind pieces of paper and email campaigns and websites. You move books by getting in front of your customers and talking to them; and you do this by setting up book signings, readings, craft sales, art shows, media tours, and speaking engagements whenever and wherever you can. You "pound the pavement" as we say in the sales world. You do the work that's necessary to make yourself stand out among all the rest.
For all kinds of helpful advice on book sales and marketing, I strongly recommend you revisit the PPG Publisher's Blog from time to time. It's free, it is updated regularly, and it was created with the entrepreneurial author in mind.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Book Launches
As a self-publisher, you are charged with organizing your own celebrations just as a traditional publisher does for its authors. If you're confident you'll be able to sell enough books to cover the full cost of an event, then you're in an enviable position. If not, I recommend selling tickets to your reading and advertising it with as many display ads, community listings, bulletin boards, and websites as you possibly can in addition to inviting your friends and family members.
When you envision a book reading, do you see an early evening "wine and cheese" affair in a quaint little bistro? Can you imagine yourself relaxing with a drink in hand, going from table to table to greet each of your guests until it's time to take centre stage and read from the first chapter of your book? This is one common option that comes to mind for many artists. Depending on whether or not you choose a cash bar to fund all the drinks, it may be a fairly costly option.
How about a breakfast launch? Many restaurants have private dining areas that are ideal for events like this. Buffets are a great way to satisfy all your guests' tastes in an economical way. And once everyone is satisfied, relaxed, and enjoying their morning coffees after a fine meal; you can take your chair to the front of the room, sit down in front of your guests, and begin reading from your book. This type of setting is particularly suitable for authors of children's books who may have underage guests attending the launch party.
Next to the venue, your only investment for a book launch is: your books (which, presumably, you already purchased beforehand); your time (time to sell tickets and organize the event, plus three or four hours for the event itself); your presentation (anything from a simple table cloth to display stands to a cash box); and your cash float (so you have change available for paying customers). There is a fair amount of work involved in organizing an event like this, so you may want to enlist the help of volunteers to sell tickets and books on your behalf.
Can anyone think of another great setting for a book launch? Share it with others by commenting on this blog entry.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Book Signings
Although each bookstore does things a little differently, the process for setting up a book signing is fairly standard. It's a matter of contacting the store's event coordinator to arrange a mutually available date (Saturday's are often best for retail traffic) and providing consignment copies of your book to them ahead of time. Sometimes, there is a basic fee involved to cover co-op advertising. In this instance, both the author and the bookstore each agree to pay 50% for any ads that are placed to promote the event. Other than that, the only investment is your books (which, presumably, you already purchased beforehand) and your time (signings generally last for two to three hours during an afternoon).
The bookstore will set up a display table for you ahead of time. From there, it is up to you to engage customers in conversation and convince them to buy your book. You sign it for them and then direct them to the bookstore's checkout to pay for it. When the event is over, the bookstore will send you payment for your portion of the profits (which is typically 60% of the retail price). They may choose to keep additional consignment copies of your book on hand if they feel there is a good chance they can sell them, or they may return any leftover copies to you.
To improve the success of your signing, it's a good idea to do your own self-promotion rather than relying solely on bookstore traffic. One way to generate buzz is to post event notices in community newspapers and on as many nearby bulletin boards as possible. Of course, there is no substitute for inviting your friends and family members to these events. (I can always count on my mother to buy up half the stock in one fell swoop!)
Who else can add to this entry about book signings? Any advice for new authors to help them make their own events more successful?
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Community Craft Fairs
The number of books you can sell at a craft sale is largely dependent on traffic flow. How well did the organizer promote the event on behalf of the vendors? How well did you promote your own attendance at the event? (It's not only up to the organizer to bring people to the sale!) It can be "hit or miss" at these fairs, but don't let that discourage you. If you were able to hand out a few flyers or business cards to people who wouldn't otherwise know you, that's still valuable exposure for a new artist. And if you sold more than enough books to pay for your table, consider the event a success.
How much of an entrepreneur are you? Rather than paying to attend someone else's craft fair, have you ever considered organizing one of your own? It's a lot more work, but it's a way to earn extra profit in addition to your book sales. First, you find an available venue and decide how many tables it will accommodate. Next, you figure out the total cost of that venue plus any other advertising you will use to promote the sale (such as display ads in community newspapers, street signs for the day of the event, and Facebook event invites ... to name a few). Finally, you divide up your cost per table (which should include an additional fee to cover your own time and effort as the organizer) and start selling the event to other vendors. In my experience, most people will jump on the opportunity to promote their products and services at such a reasonable rate. Once you get one or two people interested, the word spreads fast and the tables are all full before you know it.
Can anyone else add to this entry about community craft fairs? Do you have any advice new authors can use to help them make their own events more successful?
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Protecting Your Copyright
What is copyright?
Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary (www.merriam-webster.com) describes copyright as:
Noun
The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (as a literary, musical, or artistic work)
How do I obtain copyright ownership of my work?
In
How do I protect my copyright?
This is, perhaps, the real question writers are asking when they refer to the copyright of their books, and the answer is: by proving you are the true copyright owner of the work.
Protecting your copyright can be done in a very straightforward and cost-effective way. It's as simple as sealing a copy of your completed work in an envelope and mailing it to yourself via registered mail. When the date-stamped package is returned to you, keep it sealed and stored in a fireproof container. In the unlikely event that someone else ever tries to claim copyright ownership of your work after the fact, you will have the date-stamped proof of your ownership to fall back on.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
The Value of Two Sets of Eyes
I once heard a greenhorn author say, "I don't need anyone else to edit my manuscript. It is self-edited. I've looked over it a thousand times." It made me cringe. The truth is, every manuscript can benefit from two or more sets of eyes. Even the best writers use professional editors to improve the quality of their books.
Why do some people resist having their work edited/proofread by a professional? I would venture to guess there are two primary, underlying reasons: one, the fear that their work may be stolen if they share it with a stranger prior to publication; and two, the fear that the context of their work may be changed during the editing process. Let's discuss these two concerns separately….
- Fear of Copyright Infringement:
First and foremost, the chances of anyone having their manuscript stolen and published by someone else is next to nil; however, writers can give themselves peace of mind by protecting their copyright ahead of time.
In Canada, writers own the copyright to their work as soon as they create it. There is no legal requirement to register it. That said, copyright can be protected in a very straightforward and cost-effective way. Writers can simply seal a copy of their completed work in an envelope and mail it to themselves via registered mail. When the date-stamped package is returned to them, they should keep it sealed and stored in a fireproof container. In the unlikely event that someone else ever tries to claim copyright ownership of their work after the fact, they will have the date-stamped proof of ownership to fall back on.
- Fear of Changed Context (Loss of Personal Voice):
It is important to understand that a copy editor's job is simply to enhance a writer's story as it is—to offer helpful suggestions that may have been overlooked or not considered at all.
Simple copy improvements
A second set of eyes will catch those unobvious errors—such as transposed words and letters, punctuation issues, or improper word usage—that an author is simply blind to after reading the same thing over and over again (and that electronic spell checks sometimes miss).
Story development improvements
Have you ever been trained for a new position by someone who knew the job so well they unconsciously went about many of the details and neglected to discuss them with you? They'd been doing it for so long, themselves, that they were unaware of everything they were doing. As a result, you received only part of the information which made it difficult to follow the entire process from start to finish.
In much the same way, writers can sometimes see a scene so vividly in their own minds that, when they transfer it to paper, they unwittingly leave out important details the reader will need. A good editor will point this out and ask the question, "How exactly did we get from 'A' to 'B' here?" This type of commentary gives writers an opportunity to go back and fill in the blanks they didn't realize existed beforehand. - Fear of Changed Context (Loss of Personal Voice):
At PPG, authors always have the last say on the editing and design of their books. A good copy editor will work with a writer to enhance the story while keeping the original voice intact, and a smart writer will take that editor's advice.
As always, let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you. (And if you see any typos in this blog, please bring them to my attention. After all, two sets of eyes are always better than one!)
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Who Owns the Artwork?
A company's artwork policy can vary: some believe that once you've paid for and published a creative, the copyright belongs to you, and you can reproduce it at your discretion as part of your own marketing campaign; others believe that any artwork they have created for you belongs to them and can only be reused with their permission at an additional charge. Having been on both sides of this coin—as the service provider and the paying client—it is my opinion that the copyright for a creative belongs to the paying client, and all the high-resolution artwork should be returned to that client upon receipt of payment. I won't delve into any examples related to print advertising here, but I will discuss my experience with supportive self-publishing….
Each time I write a new book, I tie it into the preceding book(s) by including graphics of my past book cover(s) at the end of the story along with an updated author bio. I reproduce this promotional copy on my author website and printed flyers, as well. This helps me to sell my backlist along with my frontlist at signings and various other events.
On one particular occasion, I wanted to create a large poster with all my book covers included on it. I intended to use this as an eye-catching display at a craft sale. Great idea, right? Unfortunately, one of the supportive self-publishing companies I had published through would not release a high-resolution copy of my book cover to me. "We own it," they said. "It belongs to us."
It seems to me, this is a "nobody wins" sort of scenario. This company was not keeping my artwork with the intention of ever using it themselves. They were simply keeping the files to prevent someone else from ever using them.
I founded PPG with the philosophy that self-publishers are not only entitled to 100% copyright ownership of their written words, but they are also entitled to 100% copyright ownership of their artwork. Rather than storing their print-ready cover and interior files ourselves, we return everything to our self-publishers (working files, finished files, everything). This enables our clients to print extra copies of their books wherever they choose, and it allows them to produce marketing materials at their discretion. To me, this is an "everybody wins" sort of scenario because each time they display their book covers with one of our logos on it, it helps to promote them and PPG. That's how it should be, wouldn't you agree?
Again, I'm open to hearing from my fellow writers and self-publishers on this one. What is your experience regarding artwork copyright? What's your opinion on this topic?
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Side-by-Side Comparison of Two Book Publishing Methods
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Click here to read another great article comparing traditional (trade) publishing, vanity publishing, and supported self-publishing.
There are obviously pros and cons to each form of book publishing, and there are many varying opinions out there as to which way is best. What are your thoughts on this longstanding debate? I would love to hear from you.
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Handling Criticism
When I published my first book, everything was quite new to me, and I had an expectation (possibly an unfair one) that my friends and family members should support me 100% and compliment me on my book no matter what they thought of it. Luckily, that did happen with my first book. Everyone around me was very supportive.
Unfortunately, when my second book came out, it was a different story. I received an unexpected criticism from someone dear to me that left me shocked, hurt, and unsure how to react. I'll be honest, it took me a couple years to come to a place where I was willing to put myself out there again. During that time, I had to rethink my expectations of those closest to me and find a way to remain confident in myself and my craft regardless of others’ opinions.
In retrospect, I'm glad I experienced that criticism so early in my publishing career because it taught me a valuable lesson about how I should measure the true merit of my work. A few times, I’ve had to ask myself the question: what is the truth here? Is it the joy and enthusiasm I felt when I held a printed copy of the book in my hand for the very first time? Or is it the self-doubt I felt when someone criticized it later on? Which one of those two moments will I use to determine the value of my book?
A wise woman named Lisa Nichols once said, “Oftentimes, you give others the opportunity to create your happiness, and many times they fail to create it the way you want it. Why? Because only one person can be in charge of your joy … and that’s you. So even your parent, your child, your spouse—they do not have the control to create your happiness. They simply have the opportunity to share in your happiness. Your joy lies within you.” A beautiful sentiment, don't you think? I believe the same can be said for self-confidence and faith.
I went into my third book with a new set of expectations that took the pressure off both me and those around me. It’s always nice when people acknowledge a new book with a hearty “congratulations,” but I’ve decided that’s where their obligation ends. I no longer base a book’s worth on whether or not others read it, agree with it, enjoy it, or discuss it with me after the fact. The truth I try my best to hold onto is the joy I felt when I held that first printed copy in my hand. I hope you will do the same for you. I hope you will find a way to hold onto your enthusiasm even if you come up against any criticism along the way ... whether it's from friends, family members, reviewers, or anyone else.
Keep writing! Keep the faith!
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
Publishing & The Creative Process
Three books in, I'm beginning to recognize a familiar pattern concerning my emotional state during the book publishing process. I wonder if other authors experience something similar.
For me, there is a calm sense of accomplishment once I've completed that first draft and sent my book off to the editor. Believe it or not, that confidence and faith even survives the editing and graphic design processes despite those annoying little setbacks and frustrations that pop up from time to time. When I first hold the completed book in my hand, I can't help but feel excited and very proud of myself.
For whatever reason, a day or two later, my confidence in the project takes a nosedive. It suddenly hits me: "Oh, my God. Now I have to share this with people. They're going to read it." I feel vulnerable at the thought of it, as though I’ve just stripped down naked in front of 1,000 people and invited them all to take turns pointing out my flaws. A daunting prospect, to say the least!
That insecurity can last up to three or four weeks, until the next book starts to take shape inside my mind. Then the feeling subsides, and I’m fine again. This happens to me every time I publish a book—I’m not sure why—but I’ve come to accept it as a natural part of my creative process. (On the plus side, the confidence always returns, and another book idea always comes in.)
I would like to hear from other published authors about your experiences. Do you go through something similar? How long does it last? Is there anything you do to ease the emotions, or does the mood just pass with time?
PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.
