All Categories - New Renaissance Ink, LLC (NRInk): A Publishing House

Not Sure If Email Blasts Actually Work

11/2/2013

I'd say be very careful with this one.
Of course, I want exposure for my books and for my business, but I'm leery about email blasts. Impersonal and annoying. I know it's a fairly popular form of marketing, but if it bothers me, I'm sure it bothers other people. There's got to be a better way to get people to support you.
I think about how annoyed I get when my friends (who NEVER or almost never) communicate with me otherwise, tend to forward, forward and FORWARD all those random emails from to me and everyone else in their address books. There's no personal touch, and something about that is cold, stale, and insincere. And annoying.
I love my friends, but I hate those emails. I think it's kind of the same thing with trying to email blast people about my books and business. I think a lot of people feel the same way. There's got to be something else that can be done to make people feel connected and not just collected. *Thinking*

ISBNs for E-Books

10/20/2013

Apparently, there is NOT a requirement for a different ISBN for each version of my e-book formats. Who knew, right?
The Kindle version was up and running relatively quickly, with the first ISBN that I provided on the uploaded file, but it took several weeks for IngramSpark, the service I use for distributing my e-book, to get the iBooks, Nook, and Kobo versions out there. To say that they gave me fits, with no real explanation for the errors, would be an understatement. It's like they hate talking to you on the phone, so email messages (or Facebook threads) are the only option. For someone as impatient as me, it was quite a challenge. Just tell me what the heck is wrong, for the sake of cheese and crackers.
Finally, I reached out to one of my e-book designers, and she shed some light on what seems to be my issue.
I was REALLY dreading the thought of using a different ISBN for each format, so I'm glad it finally worked itself out. I mean, yeah. One day, I just got a message from IngramSpark telling me that my other ebook formats were complete and ready for downloading. God bless. But it is whatever it is. It's a lesson worth learning.

And being a subject matter expert on this business means learning lessons as I go. I have to make my mistakes and learn my lessons on my own work, first. That way, when I publish other authors, things will go smoothly.

More to come on this, later, I'm sure. I just hope I don't have these same glitches and challenges with future projects. Woohoo!

Learning the Ropes in Publishing Arrgggh!

9/26/2013

Well. The Other Side of 30 2nd Edition has been out for 11 days and still no e-book. *Sigh* This is one of those growing pains and learning experiences that I just have to appreciate.
I thought that the e-book should have been the easiest part to get up and running, but unfortunately, I didn't know that my book designer worked in the opposite direction. It's okay, though. I've gotten the final product, and it turned out really well, from what I can tell. The only thing is that I've uploaded it twice and it's come back with errors both times! Fricken Frack!

And since I'm new to this side of things, that "true" self-publishing that some folks seem to be bent on bragging about, I'm still green and rough around the edges. I don't have a clue what's taking so long to validate a file that the "validator" said was successful. Geez Louise.

I'm almost afraid to go back to the website and check on the status. I'm supposed to get a "good to go" email when the e-proof is ready for review and approval, and so far, I haven't gotten that. And two days of "The title has been rejected" with no freakin' discernible reason why is driving me a little nuts.
Never have been a patient person, and this is the worst feeling. Waiting. Waiting. ARggggh!

But, I'm living and learning. By the time I get around to publishing future projects, for myself and others, I'll know a lot more about what to do when and what not to do at all. Winning! Sort of.

Where's Your Pride?

9/14/2013

I don't care if it is "just Facebook." If you're out there in cyberspace or outer space representing yourself as a writer, you should care about typos, context and spelling.

Intentional shorthand and text-type for the sake of brevity in comments is one thing. Pushing words out of your crowded head in the form of a scribbled first draft, before the fleeting thought passes and is lost forever, is one thing; but if you own the thread, and you've posted some God-awful text to be damned, fix it. For the sake of goodness, for the love of Pete, delete it, and start over. Anybody who's interested in what you have to say will wait.

Just so you know, that whole, "It's only Facebook," thing only works for folks who are being lazy on purpose. Writers rarely have the luxury of being lazy on purpose. Find your pride and fix that shit. Respect the craft.

Work, work, and more work! Such is the life.

9/13/2013

As the target date of 16 September approaches, I have a bundle of mixed emotions. Again, I will have the opportunity to release a body of work in memory of my uncle Harvey, and in honor of all my family and friends who have supported me along the way. But I'm also very nervous. I know the work is good, but even after having been a writer all of my life, I still get a case of "Is it good enough?" swirling about in my head. Not in a crippling fear sort of way, but in an always overthinking everything sort of way. I tell myself that such is the life of a published author.

I've put in a lot of effort to making this revision of The Other Side of 30, 2nd Edition (TOST2), something that readers can enjoy as much as (hopefully more) than the last release. I'm a good kind of tired, with lots more to be done, to make sure that the book is available for purchase on time. Figuring out these links is exhausting, but I want to make finding and buying my book an easy task, so I gotta just work it out.

And right on the heels of the TOS2, is the Up from Here project, and then The Other Side of 40 (TOSF), my sort of sequel to TOST2. All of this, I'm hoping to get accomplished by the end of the year. Whew! Work, work, and more work! But I'm liking this life.

I said I wanted to own my own publishing house, and that's what I've got. And everything that goes along with it. Planning, budgeting, publicity, marketing, hiring editors, designers, publicists, and running everything by my attorney and accountant before making my decisions. It's not what I thought it would be like, but it's nice to be in this kind of control. Plus, once I'm good and off the ground with my own pet projects, I'll be a better informed and vastly more experienced publisher. I can start helping other unknowns and upstarts to get their chances at sharing their work with the world.

I'm not in the "Awesome" phase, yet, but I think I'm on the right track. I no longer fear not being "good enough" If someone doesn't like the work, I just tuck that away into the "needs improvement" file, and know that I just have to keep improving and growing.
I think that's important for anyone who would call him/herself a writer. I think that writers who don't improve and grow are not being the best they can be.

As always, good luck, to all writers and artists to put out the best products possible. We have to remember that no matter how hard the work is to get to quality, junk peddling is not an option. Love the craft.

One Step Closer to Publication is Way Better Than Standing Still

8/11/2013

Hello, writers and readers!
The final files for THE OTHER SIDE OF 30 are ready for publication, with the UP FROM HERE files next in the chute. The final cover looks pretty awesome, and I'm very excited to see how well this second edition will be received by readers. As for the next steps, I'm going to upload will be for the paperback, and then see how that goes before I upload files for the hardcover and ebook, and start thinking about the PAB projects.

My latest thought is that I want to use case laminate for the hardcover instead of the cloth book cover with a book jacket. I think it will be nice to have something a little different from what you usually see on the shelves. Case laminate is a tad bit cheaper, to publish, too. You don't see much case laminate out there, but I think I like it. Since most of my books will be shorter novella-style books, I believe that will work as well as, if not better than book jackets. We'll see.

Geez. It seems like so much time is passing between the start and finish of any of my ideas, from thoughts to projects to finished products, but I keep telling myself that the key is to keep moving, even when I don't feel like it. Small steps are better than no steps, right? I think that's true for writing and in everything. Too bad, there's no secret formula to staying motivated, but as writers and publishers, we just have to dig deep and keep going. *Shoulder to the wheel.*

One Step Closer to Publication of New Release

6/21/2013

Finally sent the completed proposed publishing agreements to the remaining contributors of the Up from Here project.
I'm looking forward to turning out a great piece of work for a great cause, and I'm trying hard to stay motivated through the whole process. It's nice to be one step closer.
I know quite a few people who run their own publishing companies, so many others who publish their own books. Some, I admire. Others, not so much. I just want to get this right. I have to admit that I get discouraged seeing how some people make it look so easy and so fast.
This project has been turning and churning in my head since 2009. It was already like pulling teeth to get people to contribute, especially considering all of the very talented people I know who would have been great to have on board, and along the way, some who initially agreed to participate have bowed out. Understandably so, since it's taking so long to get it off the ground, but still. I wish I would know more sooner so I could do more faster. *Sigh* Some contributors have stayed on board, but I can't help but wonder how long they'll stick with it. I hope, I hope, I hope!
Geez. It really is a labor of love. So much time, energy and money invested in getting this right. And then, more time. And then, publicity! God, help me.
But yeah. It's still nice to be one step closer. I hope that readers will find it all worth the wait. *Shoulder to the wheel.*

"Up from Here" Publishing Agreements

7/4/2012

Woohoo! I got one of the publishing agreements back from my attorney for Up from Here. Only 11 more to go! I am so grateful to all of the contributors to this project, for being so patient with this part of the process. I will be sending the agreements out to each contributor as the get ready.
That said, I am announcing that the Up from Here project will be released in December, in time for the holidays, rather than my originally intended date of 16 September, my late Uncle Harvey's birthday.
Geez. I'm not sure how other publishers get it done so fast and make it look so easy; but slow and steady is a good pace, as long as it's done right.
As writers, I think it's important to keep in mind that the writing and publishing process is going to be different for each of us, depending on the routes we take. Some writers will choose to self-publish/POD publish, while others will continue to pursue the traditional model. Others may find a way to use a combination of both models. But it is all a great, and apparently, lengthy process. Writing is just the beginning.
After publishing agreements are signed, then the work goes to the editors. Then, we can work on our marketing and distribution strategies. And then, the project can be prepared for and go to press. Then, there is more marketing and publicity stuff to do and keep doing, if any project is ever going to be successful. Whew!
New Renaissance Ink is an up-and-coming publisher, and our steps will continue to be slow and deliberate, for the sake of quality writing and effective marketing and distribution. By working closely with my attorney on all of our publishing agreements, I'm making sure that my words are true to my intent, for my writers and my business. Geez Louise, is he methodical and thorough. A good thing, I know. My hope is that the writers and readers of New Renaissance Ink products will benefit to the fullest extent from our efforts.

The Inspiration Next Door

6/17/2012

My next door neighbor has nice legs, and a great smile. We've spoken and chatted in passing, only a few times in the last several months. Once, when the UPS guy left a package for him at my apartment. Another time, when his kids peeked out the door while I was putting up Christmas lights. And tonight, as I was setting some things outside for Freecycle pick up, when he came home with his kids from a barbeque and baseball game. He smiled, said a few words about it being his weekend to have the kids, (it is Father's Day, after all), and chatted about his upcoming travel out of town. Then, we said our good nights and closed the doors.

Okay, so I know that there's about a snowball's no chance that he's interested in me, but I can see a story coming out of this. Maybe even a hot, steamy, love story. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm horny. But damn, he's cute!

You just never know where your inspiration to write will come from. But it's usually when (and from where) you least expect it.

Writers Conferences Are Excellent Investments

5/28/2012

I recently attended the Backspace Writers Conference in New York City, from 24-26 May 2012, and I'd recommend it to anyone who can find the time and money to invest in it. I believe this is true for those who are looking to self-publish or go the traditional route.
This was my first conference, and I met a lot of other first-timers, too. Many of us expected it to feel like an American Idol audition, or worse, like a cattle call audition at one of those scammy model searches of my youth. But thank goodness, it was NOTHING LIKE THAT!
In fact, over three days of seminars, panel discussions, workshops, and a social mixer, I met over a dozen agents, and several best-selling authors, as well as about a hundred new connections and networking opportunities with authors across all genres. The energy, experience, feedback and advice that was packed into those three days was amazing.
A lot of the attendees brought sample pages and queries to critique sessions, and some even participated in one-on-one sessions (at an additional cost) with agents who represented their kinds of work. Applause to everyone who had the nerve to expose themselves even more. Me? I was a bit of a wimp. I didn't take pages or a query for the workshops. One of the agents even joked that I was "auditing" the conference.
I'll admit also, that some of the attendees were kind of pushy, and some of them liked to hog the little bit of time that the agents and authors had between panel discussions and workshops, but that was mostly okay. I got what I bargained for, which was information and insight, but I also got a nice shot of enthusiasm and more confidence to keep pushing along with my work. The agents noted that they tend to remember writers who attend conferences, like Backspace, because they have demonstrated a different level of commitment to their work and to getting published. I can dig that.
And although I will continue to press forward with my plans to publish writers here at New Renaissance Ink, I will not close the door on opportunities to query and publish using the traditional models that these conferences highlight. Several of the guests at Backspace were actually successfully published outside of the traditional model, including Darcie Chan and Maria Murnane. These authors highlight the fact that there is no real reason to restrict ourselves as writers to one model or the other. All we must do is be committed, and be able to tell and sell good stories. If the others writers conferences are anything like the Backspace Writers Conference, they are excellent investments for helping writers who are serious about the craft of writing to reach their publishing goals.

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Writers Should Know This is a no frills, learning-as-I-go blog for new writers seeking insight on the writing and publishing journey, and for any readers who may be interested in what we do to get written, published and read.

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