CREATING, WRITING & REFINING:
(The Creative Process)

Dorothy Kubik says she doesn't feel complete unless she writes some every day.
Consider joining a writers group (check with your local library, or writing friends).
It's good to have an audience and some criticism from those whose writing you respect, to help you improve your work. Just as any profession, constant practice, self-criticism, perseverence, and determination are necessary for success. It's not difficult if you love writing, and are willing to give it the time and energy it deserves. Buying into the advertisements promising they'll do all the work for you and you'll be a success will only separate you from your money. This has to be your vision and energy first. All the rest will fall into place after that.

BOOKS for inspiration:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King

On Writing Well, 25th Anniversary: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William K. Zinsser

Writing Tools: 50 essential Strategies for Every Writer, by Roy Peter Clark

The Business of Writing for Children: An Award-Winning Author's Tips on Writing Children's Books and Publishing Them, or How to Write, Publish, and Promote a Book for Kids, by Aaron Shepard

Plot & Structure: (Techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers from start to finish)(Write Great Fiction), by James Scott Bell

Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction, by Jon Franklin

Writing Alone and With Others, by Pat Schneider and Peter Elbow

The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well, by Paula LaRocque

Strunk and White'sThe Elements of Style, by

Rules for Writers, Hacker

The Weekend Novelist (1994), Robert J. Ray. A dynamic 52-week program to help you produce a finished novel . . . one weekend at a time.

Maybe You Should Write a Book (1977), Ralph Daigh.
    Inspiration for aspiring authors using successful authors' experiences as examples. Don't let the outdated sections throw you. It has good advice EXCEPT for his disparaging remarks about "self" publishing. In 1977 it was not considered a viable route. Today is certainly is. But the other parts of the book make it worth a look.

WEB SITES:

http://www.makersgallery.com/bradford/howto.html, by writer Karleen Bradford

RECRUITING, PUBLISHING & PLANNING the project:
The publishing process (Getting it out there)

     Getting the words down and in some published form is only half the job. Plan how you'll market your work as you continue to work through the publication steps. We'll say it often, "If you don't have enough faith in your writing to actively sell it, then you can't ask anyone else to do it for you." First it's yours, and your job to get the word out and create a market. We're here to help.
     This is often the most daunting task, but if you quit once its in print, you'll be letting it down at the most important time. If only friends and family are your only audience, you won't be disappointed.
     You owe it to this work to present it properly to the world. PLAN its debut - its coming out party. Dress it up and send it out - numerous times. Don't let it languish in your attic in boxes and lament that so few people have read it.

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING OPTIONS:

BOOKS:

How to Get Happily Published (Fifth Edition, 1998), Judith Appelbaum. Good advice, somewhat outdated.
    An excellent guide to writing for publication, courting publishers, courting agents, considering self-publishing, finding funding, and an excellent index of resources. (This book is quoted in our guide literature). Purchase on Amazon.

Write the perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why, Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman (2nd Edition) New York: Wiley, 2001

WEB SITES:

http://www.happilypublished.com, Judith Appelbaum (Same as the book - both we highly recommend!) Free information you'd pay for on other sites.

REPRODUCTION, DETAILS & FINDING MONEY:
(Chosing to do it on your own)

CUSTOM PUBLISHING OPTIONS:

Dan Poynters Self-Publishing Manual (16th Edition, 2007) How to Write, Print and Sell your own book (May Be outdated in some chapters, but Dan Poynter is considered a long-time "Guru" of self-publishing.

MARKETING PROCESS:
(Distribution & Selling)

BOOKS:

Sell Your Book on Amazon (2007), Brent Sampson. Full of suggestions, and step-by-step instructions, utilizing Amazon's programs and network, to enhance book exposure and sales opportunities on Amazon. NOTE: Mr. Sampson is President of Outskirts Press, a "self" publishing company. We include Outskirts in our reviews of these types of companies.

WEB SITES:

http://www.fonerbooks.com/market.htm, Foner Books. Ignore the ads at the top of the home page. General ideas are there with a proviso that more information is in the book "Print-On-Demand Book Publishing," by Morris Rosenthal. $A14.95 from Amazon. There are several informative videos to watch, plus some clear ideas about how his book sold on a month-to-month basis, and how he balanced web traffic and book sales. Worth a look.

NOTE: Below are NOT YET fully researched. We cannot vouch for their true helpfullness yet. Just letting you know they are out there. We may do some comparisons in the future. Let us know if you've found any really helpful ones.

http://www.bookmarketingprofits.com/member2.html, offering a membership in NABE (North American Bookdealers Exchange) at $90.00 for two years. They specialize in the alternative marketing of books through mail order premium channels, the gift market, and more. All sales made through NABE come directly to you. Al Galasso and Ingrid Crawford.

http://www.bookmarket.com/index.html - John Kremer has written "1001 Ways to Market Your Books," and gives presentations. Although he asks that you sign up for his "tips" you can glean much information from the site without divulging your own information. Check it out before you sign on to keep from getting too much unwanted email advertisements.

http://www.inktreemarketing.com/selfpublishingcourse.htm, Denise Hamilton. For $97.00 she offers a downloadable ebook, plus 30 days of free email consulting (You email a questions, she answers). We do not vouch for this service. We are just letting you know it is out there.

(Do check back for our comparison information on Self-Publishing options. Coming Soon!)