Showing posts with label books for writers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books for writers. Show all posts

What Are the Requirements for a New Edition of Your Book?


Confused About New Editions

                         What Are the Requirements for a New Edition of Your Book?

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning
 #HowToDoItFrugally Series of Books for Writers.

My friend Judith Briles decided to reimagine her whole series of brilliant (if I do say so myself!) how-to books for writers and do it in what seems like no time at all. I have been involved with a variety of new editions for my #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers over a period of time that has spanned more than a decade. That contrast should convince writers that there is no one set way to do it right. You might be considering a new edition to boost sales, to celebrate a historical anniversary or publishing anniversary for the book itself, or to make it fit a new project or the style choices of a new publisher.

To maintain the traditions of the book industry, though, authors (and publishers) should plan on these five essentials or it to be considered a true new edition:

1.    A new ISBN number.

2.    A new cover.

3.    An "Edition Number" addition to the title of the book.

4.    A thorough look at the book to be sure grammatical and formatting efforts are up-to-date.

5.    A substantial update of specifics like internet addresses.

6.    New revisions or updates of the general content of the book.

If somehow a factual error slipped through in an earlier edition, consider using an errata feature in the front or back matter of the book. (The publishing world borrowed the Latin word errata as a more formal approach to admitting an error.) And here are two good reason to decide against a new edition:  

1.    A new edition—just like the first—requires time and effort to publicize it.

2.    A new edition needs to be paid for. But then, you've been through that before and have an idea of the cost. You'll still need to factor in inflation and any fancy ideas you have for the new one.

I am including part of my sell sheet I'm using for the new third edition of my winningest book from the #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books, "The Frugal Editor" for you. (See below.) It may give you some ideas for your own new edition or at least for some of the processes that may be involved in developing one:

Why a Third Edition of The Frugal Editor?

It surprises people when they learn that grammar rules change over time. Or that what they learned in high school or advanced grammar classes in college is either passé or may not apply to fiction. It also surprises them to learn that a perfectly edited book is never perfect because there are always so many disagreements among experts. And even experts are often misinformed. The worlds of grammar and style choices are filled with myths and misinformation like, “Never use contractions in your writing,” “Never use fragments,” and “Never end a sentence with a preposition.” As my client base grew, I kept running into more flagrant publishing world scams perpetrated by "professionals." Thus, a new edition of The Frugal Editor was a must! So here is a smattering of what is new:

       The Third Edition has been reorganized and my publisher tells me I outdid myself with about 50% new (helpful!) material including new “Editor’s Extras” based on my own school of hard knocks!

Authors will love the all-new sections including:

o    Beta readers and peer reviewers

o    What you probably don’t know about custom dictionaries

o    Up-to-date rules for accommodating gender-specific and other cultural needs

o    A chapter for word-lovers and poets

o    Quickie reviews of word processors for you

o    What even traditionally accepted front and back matter can do for your book sales, your career, and your readers

o    Political Correctness considerations change and grow with each passing day. So, yes! Lots of updating here!

o    And a few new grammar terms I coined for the sake of making it easier to understand--and more fun.

The Third Edition of The Frugal Editor still includes the basics that make you into an on-your-own editor when you must be. Few writers other than Stephen King can afford to hire an editor for every query letter, every media release, every media kit, every blog post. So until your career is so star-studded you can afford a publicist and editor on a retainer basis, writers need to know both the basics of editing and the little-known secrets.

The third edition is still loaded with reader favorites like what authors need to know about book covers—but it’s updated!

New information will dispel myths like these:

o    Agents are a cantankerous lot. (Nope! In The Frugal Editor, twenty-one of the nation's best tell you their pet peeves and they do it in the best of spirits.)

o    If your English teacher told you something is okay, it is. (No! Language rules have changed since you were a sophomore. Anyway, your English teachers likely have no background in publishing, so apart from basic grammar, how much help can they be?

o    If a manuscript or query is grammar-perfect, you'll be fine. (No! Lots of things that are grammatically correct annoy publishers.)

o    Always use your Spell and Grammar Checker. (No! Some suggest you don't use it at all, but The Frugal Editor will help you make it your partner instead of your enemy.)

o    It's easy to avoid agent and editor scams by asking other writers. (The Frugal Editor gives you a to-do and not-to-do lists to help you avoid being taken.)

o    Your publisher will assign a top-flight editor. (Maybe, but don't count on it. The more you know, the better partner you’ll be for an editor!)

o    Formatters and editors will take care of the hyphens, ellipses, and all the other grungy little punctuation marks that English teachers avoided teaching because they didn't know how to use them either. (Chances are, you'll catch even great formatters and editors in an error or two if you know your stuff!)

“Careers that are not fed die
 as readily as any living
  organism given no sustenance.”

More About Carolyn:

Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, editor, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. The books in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books published by Modern History Press include the third edition of The Frugal Book Promoter and the third edition The Frugal Editor which won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books, and the coveted Irwin award in its earlier editions. It will soon be available at this shortened URL provided by representatives at AmazonCentral.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK5224CF

Midwest Review's Selected Titles for Writers


Midwest Review’s Top Books for Writers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a recent article in his newsletter, Jim Cox, founding guru of the Midwest Review, includes his suggested titles for writers and I'm flattered (and glad to be one of them). I thought the readers of this Writers On The Move blog might want to select one or two for the betterment of their careers in 2014.
Jim said, "There are a lot of excellent how to instruction manuals and guides available to the novice publisher and the newly self-published author on what has been termed 'guerilla marketing' strategies offering a wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, and strategies for those of limited financial means. You will find them reviewed and listed at:

"There you will find such informative and "every author/publisher should read this" titles like:

"1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer
52 Ways To Sell More Books! by Penny C. Sansevieri
The Author's Guide To Publishing And Marketing by Tim Ward & John Hunt
Book Marketing De-Mystified by Bruce Batchelor
Book Promotion Made Easy by Eric Gelb
Brilliant PR by Cathy Bussey
The Complete Guide To Book Publicity by Jodee Blanco
The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing by Linda F. Radke
The Frugal Book Promoter: 2nd Edition, by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Grass Roots Book Marketing by Rusty Fischer
Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers by Shel Horowitz
Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World by Shel Horowitz
Grumpy's Guide To Global Marketing For Books by Carolyn Mordecai
Maverick Marketing by Lisa Messenger & Mel Carswell
Maximum Exposure Marketing System by Tami DePalma & Kim Dushinski
Mosquito Marketing for Authors by Michelle Dunn
Musings Of An Online Bookseller by John Landahl
Online Book Marketing by Lorraine Phillips
Publicize Your Book! by Jacqueline Deval
Publishing For Profit by Thomas Woll
Red Hot Internet Publicity by Penny C. Sansevieri
Sell More Books! by J. Steve Miller & Cherie K. Miller
Sell Your Book Like Wildfire by Rob Eager
Selling Books as Premiums & Incentives by Marilyn & Tom Ross
The Selling Of An Author by Bruce E. Mowday
Simple Guide to Marketing Your Book, by Mark Ortman
The Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit! by C. Pinherio & Nick Russell
Why, When, Where, & How To Write, Publish, Market, & Sell Your Book by Bill Thurwanger
Write, Publish & Market Your Book by Patrika Vaughn
You Can Market Your Book by Carmen Leal

"There are a lot more titles where these came from. I take a justifiable pride in the Midwest Book Review web site as having the largest writing/publishing bibliography data bases in all the world!"

Naturally, I thought I'd pass his suggestions on to you. I always say, "One book on the writing and marketing of books is never enough."

Subscribe to Jim's newsletter at http://www.midwestbookreview.com.
You'll also find my personal list of helpful books for writers in the Appendix of The Frugal Editor, 2nd Edition, (presently only as an e-book).
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Blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. She has a large section of Resources for writers on her Web site at http://howtodoitfrugally.com.

Reading Books

It has been one year since I started writing monthly posts for this blog! It’s been fun, rewarding and educational. A big thank you to my readers! I hope you continue reading my posts every month.

In December, I made a list of writing goals for 2013. One of those goals is to get through the stack of books I have sitting in my home office. (Anyone else have that problem? J) Recently, I saw something online concerning reading goals. I have decided to read one book per week for 52 weeks. Many of the books I own are about writing and occasionally I will be talking about some of them here. Hopefully, I will finally get through the backlog!

Some of the books I have were recommended by various writers and other people in the field. I look for recommendations in magazines and on websites, email lists, blogs, etc. Some of these books were published long ago and others are more recent. I continue to add to my collection, with both hard copy and eBooks.

What books about writing have you read, whether it was recently or years ago? Do you have any recommendations? What do you plan to read this year?

I attended a conference last year and a literary agent asked the attendees the following questions:

How many have an eReader?
How many read physical books?
How many go to libraries?
How many buy at book stores?
How many buy books online?

Many raised their hands in response to all the questions. I think this is a good thing. How about you?

May we all get through those stacks of books this year and continue to add to them!

Debbie A. Byrne has a B.S. in Mass Communication with a minor in History. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is working on her first children’s book.

Great Editing Important to Shopping, Marketing Books

The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Froward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Red Engine Press
ISBN 9780978515874

Reviewed by editor and author Robert Medak

The Frugal Editor is a book that belongs on the desk of anyone that is either an author, or an aspiring author. This book contains a wealth of information about what it takes to have your manuscript pass the mark toward publication.

This book gives writers needed information on how to create queries, cover letters, book proposals, and manuscripts that are not sloppy which will get you into the round file. Reading this book will assist you in why you need an editor or at least two other sets of eyes for you writing.

If you use Word, the de facto standard, there is information in this book about using the Tracking feature and more to help you with your writing and editing with easy and practical steps.

The Frugal Editor applies to all types of writing. Even those that write business letters, e-mails, and more can gain a unique insight into making them better. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone putting words on paper or a computer screen.

The book is conversational in tone as if talking to a fiend that is imparting their secrets and tips to make your writing more professional and your manuscript pass muster with agents or in-house editors. No one wants to submit something that is not their best, which is why writers need a copy of The Frugal Editor.

Do yourself a favor, and find a copy of this book for your reference; you will appreciate it.

This reviewer gives a five star rating to The Frugal Editor.

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Endorsement Disclaimer from the reviewer: All reviews written by this reviewer are personal opinions of the book by this reviewer. The reviews are NOT paid endorsements of the book or the author. They are not advertisements. All reviews are honest, forthright, and the opinion of this individual reviewer. This reviewer’s opinions are not for sale. (There is however, a small fee for some reviews, and sometimes this reviewer receives complementary copies from the author.) Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255 (http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

The reviewer,Robert Medak, is a freelance writer and editor.

"The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say."
- Mark Twain's Notebook, 1902-1903

Audio Books – Make Your Own or Hire It Out

    Contributed by Margot Conor The fast-growing industry of books on audio has become a compelling reason to go that extra distance as an ...