CreateSpace - Head to Desk

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Yay! Friday! It's about time, too. This week was a long one, but I wrote many words. I have five works in progress, so expect a rash of publishing coming out of this Indie author later in the year. Perhaps I'll be doing a number of giveaways around Christmas again. My goals are to publish the next two installments of the Mystic series (Melody and Coralie), M, Player, and possibly another book I've written a chapter of. Lofty goals! But that's not the topic of today's post. Today, I'd like to talk about CreateSpace.

As you may know, I'm a graphic designer. Because of this, I use Adobe InDesign to format my books for print. On occasion, I format books with artwork that bleeds off the edge of the pages. As in the examples below:

 The Bird

 Dark Premonitions - Second Sight, Book Three

Chasing Memories - The Tala Prophecies, Book One












If you've read The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book, you've probably already hit the point where you don't get errors back from CreateSpace's auto-check. And you're probably using MS Word to format your books.

This little golden nugget of teachings is for those of you that want to have elements in your book that bleed and are using ID.

When you place your artwork, be sure the bounding box bleeds on all sides all the way to the edge. Even though it looks right on the screen, and you know it'll print correctly, the auto-check will kick it back and show it as an error. If you ignore the issues and save past them, submitting your book without the all-clear, you'll get a reject.

I've even gone as far as to call CreateSpace about the book I'd submitted, assuring them that the artwork was exactly as I wanted it, and they told me they couldn't push it through to the printing house without causing a major headache for everyone involved.

So, to keep others from experiencing mounds of frustration, and having minions, who only know that if the auto-check says no it can't happen, laugh in your face and tell you there's nothing they can do, I'm sharing my frustration.

I only thank the heavens above that I experienced the drawback with my own book and not that of a client. I'm grateful for the experience, but wish I'd known all that I'm sharing with you now before I hit that wall and was forced to step back and re-group.

I hope this post prevents some headaches for some of you.

If you're designing in MS Word, I'm not sure you can create elements that bleed. Though perhaps it's possible.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Writing a Series

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I hope you're all looking forward to some lovely time over the weekend and have huge plans for the week of the fourth! I've been knee-deep in the Mystic series this week and hope to roll Melody and Coralie out very soon. Fact checking can certainly keep one on their toes! Speaking of things to beware of when writing a series, that's the topic for today! So grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As regular readers of my blog know, I'm the author of the Mystic series. It's about six women who come together to prevent the end of the world happening. What they're fighting is birthed from humanity; the surprise of the series will appear in the last book, Markaza.

Some of the things I did to prepare for this series:

• Write character bios.
• Make a timeline.
• Decide on locations, issues, and strengths.
• Keep a chart of things that happen during the series (like visions Markaza has of the future) for quick reference.

If you're writing a series, these items are a must-have. They'll save you from having to go back through your previous work to fact-check. You can't contradict yourself if you plan to build a world and characters your readers will believe.

If you don't go into great detail with your characters' appearances, you'll not only leave a lot to the imagination of the reader, you also won't have to check back very often to make sure you're being consistent. How much is too much?


Good planning is essential. It'll get you everywhere.

I left off the Mystic series last year around December, but Melody is singing to have her story heard, and Coralie is acting like a pain in my ass. They're both scrambling, once again, to get out of my head and onto the page.

I hope this helps. A series isn't something to thumb your nose at. It takes a lot of careful consideration and work to make it interesting.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Flash Writing Contest

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm sharing a pretty cool opportunity for all my readers from the Indie Book of the Day folks. Before I give you the link for the contest, I'm gonna share the links for IBD's website and other social media outlets. Here we go!

You can find Indie Book of the Day on the web here: indiebookoftheday.com

You can follow them on Twitter here: @IBDBookoftheDay

And on Facebook here: Indie Book of the Day

Now, on to the flash writing contest!

You can check out the PDF with instructions and rules here: Get the PDF!

They have five categories for you to choose from and provide a prompt. There's something for everyone. Best part of the contest is: It's 100% free to enter!

I do hope some of you take the time to enjoy this great opportunity. Be sure to follow the rules, guys!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Editing vs Proofreading - What's the Difference?

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'd like to go over the difference between an edit and a proofread; including what you should expect from each. These are just a couple of the services we provide over on INDIE Books Gone Wild. If you aren't sure what services you need, this post will help you decide and tell you how to prepare for each one. So grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Editing

This is a service where you send your book to someone and they fix basic grammar and construction issues, punctuation, transitions, spelling, inconsistencies, and look to cut your word count. A good editor won't change your voice, they'll make it more legible.

Any editor you choose should give you a sample edit of your first chapter to see if you're a good fit. At IBGW, we use that first chapter to rate the quality of your writing and base our price from there. Why? Because if it doesn't take us as long to edit your book, you won't pay as much. You're paying your editor for their time and knowledge of the English language.

Be sure your editor uses a style guide so you'll know what changes to expect and have a reference.

An inline edit looks something like this:

Inline changes and notes in the sidebar are things you should expect. At IBGW, we strive to make you a better writer during our edits by providing education and noting things you should be watching out for. Every writer makes common errors; but if you know what they are, you're less likely to repeat them if you learn from your mistakes. This, I believe, is something every editor should do.

Proofreading

Different from editing, proofreading is all about looking for good transitions, proper use of punctuation, spelling issues, and redundancy. A proofreader should be able to speed-read your work and highlight issues without going into great detail. Your editor should be catching everything else. Many proofreaders will highlight things your editor may have missed and sling out a comment; but you shouldn't expect that. They're looking to give your manuscript a final once-over before it goes to print. All your T's should be crossed and your I's dotted after your manuscript is returned by a proofreader.

Your editor should never be your proofreader. They're too close to the work by the time the edit is done, and they'll miss things, just like you.

At INDIE Books Gone Wild, we use one person on our team to edit and another to proofread. Proofreading is included in the price of your edit. There's no need to shell out more money for someone else to do it. We even write it up in your contract and book your proofreading for you. That's part of the benefit of working with a team rather than a single person who tries to do it all.

No matter who you choose to work with, make sure you've read something they've written or edited and are comfortable with them as a person. Be sure you can respect their comments when your manuscript is returned. There's nothing worse than questioning every change someone makes. Trust is a huge part of the writer/editor relationship.

As a final note: Regardless of who you work with, be sure to have a contract. If your editor or proofreader balks at the idea of a contract, or won't let you read/look it over before you're expected to sign, run away. A contract is there to protect you both and shouldn't sway power one way or the other. Also, make sure it has an out clause.

I hope this helps you all in some small way.

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Winner - Chasing Memories Giveaway

Happy Saturday, good people of the blogosphere!! Today, I announce the winner of the rafflecopter giveaway for Chasing Memories!

Congratulations to Kelly F! I'll be in touch today to get the information for your prize shipment.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jo

New TBR List

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today I'm bringing you all a list of the books on my TBR list. Again, I'll read more than one at a time so you'll probably get a flurry of reviews in a month or two. Links below will take you to the Amazon buy page for Kindle. Here we go:

Indie books:

Depression Cookies by Tia Silverthorne Bach

I've been wanting to read this book for a while.

I've already become enamored with the main characters and I can't wait to read more.

The Awakening by Angella Graff

I've had this one for a while. I know if I get into it, I won't be able to put it down.

Well, here goes!

Looping in Limbo by Ginney Etherton

Another one I've had for a while.

It caught my eye from a sample and the main character seemed interesting.

Trade pub books:

Fearless by Cornelia Funke

This is book two of the series I reviewed yesterday.

I'm very excited to find out what happens to Mr. Jacob Reckless.

I hope you all come back for the reviews.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Review - Reckless

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! I don't know if you're a reader like I am; but I read many books at once. Because of this, I often finish many books at once. One of the books I've been reading, alongside my Indie selections, is written by one of my favorite authors, Cornelia Funke. She hasn't put much out there since writing the Inkheart series (which I devoured). I was super stoked when I found her Mirrorworld series and bought book one, Reckless, right away. Book two just released last month and I can't wait to dive in. Today, I bring you my review.

Title: Reckless
Author: Cornelia Funke
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 400 pages
Purchase at Amazon: $8.99 (Link goes to free Kindle preview)

Book Description from Amazon:
Ever since Jacob Reckless was a child, he has been escaping to a hidden world through a portal in his father's abandoned study. Over the years, he has made a name for himself as a finder of enchanted items and buried secrets. He's also made many enemies and allies--most important, Fox, a beautiful shape-shifting vixen whom Jacob cares for more than he lets on.

But life in this other world is about to change. Tragedy strikes when Jacob's younger brother, Will, follows him through the portal. Brutally attacked, Will is infected with a curse that is quickly transforming him into a Goyl--a ruthless killing machine, with skin made of stone.

Jacob is prepared to fight to save his brother, but in a land built on trickery and lies, Jacob will need all the wit, courage, and reckless spirit he can summon to reverse the dark spell--before it's too late.

First off, let me say how much I love the cover for this book. Cornelia Funke also illustrated it and the interior layout is a thing of beauty. I look at a lot of trade published work for ideas about design and this one sparked my brain into overdrive. Well, let's get to the meat and potatoes, shall we?

I'll be honest, because Cornelia Funke is one of my favorite authors, I didn't even bother reading the description before I picked this book up. It sucked me right in with the adventure and action scenes but I was able to put it down now and then and read something else for a while. That probably won't happen with book two because of the way book one ended.

From a reader's perspective:
Jacob Reckless is true to his name. He's impulsive, stubborn, and a risk-taker. But love for his brother, Will, makes Jacob likeable as a main character. If you love fairy tales of old and would like to read some new spins on them, this book is for you. Like all good spin-offs, Reckless gives each tale a little twist so the outcome you read about isn't what you were told. This astonished me and I felt a kinship with Ms. Funke as I read her take on some of the classics like Sleeping Beauty and Hansel and Gretel. After writing The Bird, I know how difficult it is to make the connections to older stories believable. Action and suspense abound in this book. Chapters were kinda short, which was offputting at first, but something I grew to appreciate as I read on. In true Funke form, she doesn't waste words on a lot of description, so flow was smooth. Will and his girlfriend have an interesting relationship, and I can't wait to see if their characters get developed more in book two. I also adored Fox for her nippy ways, fierce devotion to Jacob, and desire to hide. She seems damaged somehow, but that was an unresolved mystery left hanging. World building was out of this universe amazing.

From an editor's perspective:
I found a few errors, but nothing that would throw me out of the story or keep me from reading more. One or two in most books is to be expected.

My rating:
+1 Star for making Jacob irritating and endearing all at the same time.
+1 Star for giving me fairy-tale lore with a new twist.
+1 Star for awesome world building.
+1 Star for making me try stepping into my own mirror.
+1 Star for lack of errors and beautiful formatting.

Overall, 5 out of 5 stars. This was a book I could really sink my teeth into. Recommended for all those that love a great fantasy.

Don't forget to pop over and enter to win a copy of Chasing Memories by Tia Silverthorne Bach. You only have until midnight on Friday, June 21, 2013.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo