When you write a book, there are so many more things you have to do, to get the record book sales you (and your publisher) may dream of. And if you self-publish, doing those things the publisher will usually do, become your role as well.
I’ve written about this here and if you’re a new writer, wondering about the process of what is involved in getting your book ‘out there’ and selling, there are a few things you could read to learn a little more about it all. I’m not an expert, but have been a published author of both traditional and self-publishing, to have an idea about some of what is involved.
So, yes, writing the book is the beginning, then there’s the getting the book published part, followed by selling the book. And after that, there’s the keeping up the interest in your book part, and the working on, and raising your ‘Writer’ profile parts.
It all goes on and on, and while some people might serem to have ‘done it easy’ with their debut book that goes to the best seller lists, and earns them big dollars, there has usually been a lot of unseen work going on, before that. We can’t all meet those heights, but as we learn about this business, even if to us it’s a hobby, we can still benefit from learning more about the processes involved in making a book as good as possible, and showing it to the world!
Not every book can make it to the best seller lists, but if you can write a book, and find the people who’d love to read it, then that’s a satisfying thing as well! I love connecting with the people who’ve read my books and loved them, what a buzz that is!
And writing to have that buzz happen again and again, that is one of the reasons why I love to write, and to produce books with my writing!
My biggest writing related news for today is that I checked whether the copies of the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle had been printed yet. They were, and so after my visit to see my mother today, I headed south, picked up the copies and then headed north to deliver most of them and then go home.
I’ll be delivering a few more lots of the newsletter later on, and as appropriate, but the big deliveries are done, hooray! This newsletter has been going since 2004/05, coming out every single month, and it is getting bigger and better every year, I think! I am very proud of this newsletter, and the community loves what I do. Or some people do anyway, I know because they tell me so!
Other news for today – this is actually related to that newsletter, to some extent, I will explain. One of the things that I’ve been putting in each issue of the Crossroad Chronicle, is a little piece from a made up character, Buster the Dog. Buster is in three of my published books, that were illustrated by Allyson Hean. I imagine what Buster may be wanting to say to the people reading this newsletter, about all manner of things, current events, the weather, and random other things.
My idea was that if there are enough of these things already written, perhaps I could publish them all in a little chapbook, with the text on one side of the page opening, and an illustration connecting with the test on the other side … The unit cost of such a book would be about $3.50, or less, I would think, and I would sell the little books for $5 or $6 each, making a little bit of money, and sharing a little bit of fun, as will as spreading my name as a writer. Good idea or not? What do you think? The world needs a little more fun, and more words from a smart dog, surely?!
The dog on the cover of the book on the left, that is Buster the Dog.
I haven’t asked Allyson yet if she is interested in being involved in this project, but I will do so soon, and if she says yes, I will be sooo thrilled! uh oh, I just did a little checking, and there aren’t as many Buster the Dog pieces in back issue copies of the Chronicle as I’d thought … This means what? I’d have to write some random things to go in such a book, I suppose.
It’s OK, settle down, Carolyn – I re-checked the number, and I think there will be enough, actually. Numbers and I aren’t the best of friends, but I think I’m right with this one. And hey, if there aren’t enough already, this project will take a while to accomplish, and I write a new one every month these days, and I’m thinking up to 20 of them will be a good number.
And to finish off, my most exciting news is that I am the presenter of a writing workshop and am the guest poet for the March Gawler Poets at the Pub event, happening next Sunday (28 March 2021). I have the workshop worked out, with the relevant hand out printed, as well as having copies of the entry form and guidelines for the poetry competition Adelaide Plains Poets have happening now, and until 2 July 2021, when entries for the competition will close.
The theme for this competition is “Recovery”, and the entry form, and guidelines, are on this blog, look around, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. And if it is, leave me a message, and I can send a copy to you!
So, a big word related day, with many more to come!
Today, I had a message on ‘Facebook’, the way it sometimes happens, and it was someone sort of assuming I’d do something, and it wasn’t something I really do, but it is, actually now. And because this thing seemed like an interesting thing to do, I went along with it, and said some things in reply, leading to more things back, and so it is, I am going to edit and publish, something else, someone else’s big idea thing, that is good, and community driven and absolutely fantastic, if it happens …
And part of my role is to help to make it happen, if the words come, and the story grows until the time has come for it to become a book … So it suppose it’s official, I am seen (at least by a few people) as the go to person to get a book published … At the moment, I do that as a self-published writer, doing my own thing with it all, in the best way I know how to do it.
And given I have eight books published, some self-published some not, I guess I have a fair idea about the ins and outs of publishing, in a small way. And if I wanted to make that a bigger way, not a small way, well, you learn by doing, don’t you? Step by step, doing more things, bigger things, spreading the word, and range, and bang, there you are, you’re doing it.
My first book was a bit of a joke-thing, there was an idea, and some words, and a person (Ally Hean), who was my friend, and she is a great illustrator, so we just put the words together with some of Ally’s illustrations, saw a printer and made it into a book, printing out copies of it and selling the books. After that first book, I made two more in a series, self-published a memoir and a poetry collection. I’ve had a school reader published, and two more poetry collections (the most recent one a chapbook).
Three of my books, the one on the right is the first one. “Dig It! Gardening Tips for Dogs”
As well as that writing, I’ve also been the editor of a newsletter for the town closest to my home, co-editing, then editing it, and getting it printed, for around fifteen years. I enjoy doing this and being involved with others to get their information out to other people living in and around that town (Mallala is the town, and the newsletter is the Mallala Crossroad Chronicle)
At the moment, I’m working on an Anthology, and am calling for submissions of poetry and prose from other poets/writers to feel a book of words about this Covid-19 pandemic. This is possibly my biggest writing project, and is already the one that involved the most people. I’m enjoying reading the various responses to this call, and am looking forward to getting it all put together and printed.
I’ve had people from my country, Australia submit work for this, as well as people from other countries. If you think this is an interesting project, and would like to be involved, send up to three poems of thirty lines or less, and/or up three pieces of to 3,000 words of prose (fiction or non-fiction), to me at kittycordo@gmail.com – I’d love to read your words, and if they’re acceptable, they’ll be included in the anthology. The title will be “Plague Invasion – Creative Writing in Response to Covid-19”.
This anthology-in-progress has taken up much of my time since I thought of the idea, and decided I wanted to do it. But now, today, in fact, a friend has asked me to be involved helping with a book project, one that sounds very interesting as well, but of a different genre … I’ll be writing some words for the book, and will be editing it too.
So yes, I’m a writer and poet, and I am definitely an editor as well. And the way my thoughts are going, I’m possibly going to become an actual publisher, rather than only a self-publisher … We’ll see how that goes. I can see this year and into the next is going to involve a lot of editing of other people’s words, as well as my own. And I like the sound of that, a lot!
Being a publisher though, will involve a lot of administrative work, and I don’t like that anywhere near as much. It isn’t anywhere nearly creative enough for my taste. Ah well, if that’s what it takes, I’ll have to do it, perhaps with others, not just myself … Life is made up of many things, and getting out one thing sometimes has to happen before a next thing happens, so it can work out well. I’m prepared for that.
Any advice about this Publisher thing though, will be happily and gratefully received!
Fiction writers write fiction, there’s no doubt about that. But that fiction it it’s going to be read and appreciated, has to contain some kind of ‘truth’. If you have a character who has a certain job, for instance, you, as the writer, has to know enough about that job to make it seem ‘real’.
So learning about things, gaining a broad range of different life experience, it seems to me, is an important thing for the writer to do. Having an open mind, seeing various different points of view on many matters, these are important things as well. Remaining open to what life is all about, this is a good way for a writer to be, in my opinion.
What do you think I was up to in this photo? I was getting ideas to write about!
In my fiction, I plan to be writing about a small town, and things that happen in that small town. One of the important places in the Talloola, the town, is, or at least used to be, the bowling club. The Talloola Bowling Club is now the Talloola Bocce Club, and there was a lot of small town politics that happened there.
Small towns have many stories, and I intend having fun with Talloola, exploring all of the incidents that go on, those small town political things … My main character, Meredith, is new in town, and she and I will be learning all about what makes a town like Talloola tick. Oh, and there will be murders …
Hmm, what happened here?
I’m writing in the genre of ‘Cosy Murder Mysteries’, so of course people will be killed, and the killers be brought to justice. Meredith will be the person to do that, assisted by her sidekicks, Gert (the oldest person in Talloola), Travis (the deputy mayor), and various dogs around town.
Meredith has a special connection with dogs, an eerie understanding and connection. Dogs know and trust Meredith, she knows and trust them. Dogs are great at helping to sniff out clues, dig for evidence, and bring down those who would runaway from justice!
Don’t worry, the cops are onto it! Or are they?
Writing these books will draw on my experiences gained in my almost 57 years, about small towns, and bowling clubs, dogs, and people, as well as a great many other things that happen in a well rounded and open minded life … I’m looking forward to getting stuck into this series of books – I have many titles and short descriptions written down, as well as around 10,000 words written.
I’ll need a lot more words than that though, so getting stuck into it will have to happen, if I’m to meet my goal of becoming known as the writing of excellent Cosy Murder Mysteries!
If you love this genre, please leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!
I’m hoping for some feedback here, although I probably already know the answer to my query. I have a few books in progress at the moment, one a novel, and the beginnings of a picture book, and some bits and pieces for a 8-12 year old chapter book. The Novel has a title already, that I am more or less happy with at this stage, the children’s books are at very early stages and don’t need a title yet. One of the others is a book I’m working on, which I’ve put quite a bit of work into, regarding structure, is the one I’ve just thought of a new name for.
So what do other writers feel about titles for their work? Does it really matter anyway, until you’re going to send it to a publisher, or at least have a book well on the way to taht spot? Should I stick with the original at this point, and just keep on writing? Or if the new title feels better, in some way, should I run with that? Actually another point, am I merely procrastinating by starting this blog post? Procrastination, such a seductive alternative …
Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts about the things I’ve mentioned, please leave a comment. Another point, I am proud of myself for not looking at my Facebook page, which if I glance upward and to the right of my screen, I can see has two new messages. If I was smarter, I would shut off Facebook, and that is what I am going to do, right now! I find Facebook such a timewaster, I should know better and just not have it on, if I’m meant to be writing!
There, done. Goodbye Facebook! Oh how I love you Facebook, but oh how I loathe you too! I find it so easy to spend hours on Facebook, pretending I am actually doing useful things for my writing. I do get ideas for my writing from Facebook for sure, but I also get ideas for my writing by actually writing. Blogs are slightly better for my ‘Brand’ as a writer, but again, actually writing would be good for my Writer brand too, to actually have a new book to get published and promote!
Thoughts on these things are welcome too, again, just leave a comment. Now I’m going to take a look at my book that possibly needs that new title. I’ll put it on the document, and see how it feels, as I get on with the writing. This is a non-fiction book, a blend of memoir, thought, and essay kind of thing that is probably going to be easier to simply self publish rather than try to interest an actual publisher in it. Anyway, this is the book that is of the most interest to me at the moment, so that’s what I’m going to work on now, Bye!
Carolyn Cordon - Creative 