Self Publishing.

And reread my posts again actually.

Why someone is not allowed to be embarassed by a book in print with spelling mistakes is beyond me.

I am shaking my head actually.
My words are there as they are.
Nothing more to say or add.

I'm shaking my head too
1)why were you so rude to Galen?

2) it is not enough to be "embarrassed" by spelling mistakes. If an author expects their book to be bought and enjoyed, he or she has to provide value for the reader's money. It is their business to produce a polished and professional piece of work, not some half baked product of intellectual laziness. If you buy an item of clothing, you expect the seams to be properly sewn, food from the supermarket should not be "off" or dirty or damaged, the plumber who fixes your washing machine should do a proper job, things have to be fit for purpose.
Embarrassed has 2 "r"s in it anyway!!
I have re read your post to Galen and still do not see why you should see fit to try the heavy sarcasm. But I don't expect you to answer that, that would be a first.

Goos heavens Soutra what on earth possessed you to write a post like that?

Beware! Yet another soon -centric thread!
Mimosa I dipped into the kindle store and your idea does sound exciting.
Please understand when I say I wish you the success you deserve.

1. I wasnt rude to Galen. I didnt do any sarcasm, heavy or otherwise. If you cannot see it there isnt anything I can do about that.
I answer many of your questions, so dont get that bit either.
2. You have not read my post right about spellings either.

Self-publishibng is definitely a two-edged sword. It is simply not true that "everyone has a book in them". Writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, is a craft. Being able to pick up a pencil or tap on a keyboard does not make an author. Far too many books are published by even reputable publishers every year only to end up in remainder bookshops or pulped. I guess that there is some electronic equivalent of this kind of books' graveyard.

Having spent my entire professional life working for publishers, as a copy editor, proof-reader, indexer, commissioning editor, editorial director and non-fiction author, I am firmly of the belief that all authors need trained professional assistance to turn their brainchild into a readable book that at least partially fulfils their ambitions for it. One of the biggest problems is that the least able authors – who may be experts in their own professional fields – are the touchiest about changing one word or comma, let alone a whole paragraph of their great oeuvres, however incomprehensible their writing may be.

Soontobe I assume you are not confusing self publishing with self publicising?

I am thinking that all authors need trained professional assistance too absent.
It is too big an industry for amatuers to be able to professionally manage the whole process all the way through.

Nelliemoser

Absent's final sentence makes a great deal of sense.
I'm sure there are many out there who have an idea which they genuinely believe will make a book, but they also need the appropriate level of writing skills, clarity of thought and expression, the ability to involve and inform readers. If an aspiring author does not have these gifts, then even the most experienced proofreader/editor/publisher can't produce a successful volume. Silk purses and sows' ears?

But it is more than that.
The op, going by her link, seems to have written a great book. With even greater illustrations. And she has managed to launch the book.
But still she is finding things difficult, re marketing. Re the actual selling of books in significant quantities.

Absent does indeed know exactly what she is talking about and it is not the "size of the industry" soontobe that requires aspiring authors to use the experience of editors or proofreaders. Writing is a talent which can be honed and requires a facility with language and a clarity of expression, but it is also a craft which needs to be learned. How many successful, even best -selling authors had their first, second maybe even third attempts rejected I wonder?
Perhaps this underpins my scepticism, there is more to publishing a book than just wanting to write one.

I am not trying to belittle Mimosa's book and will have a look in my Kindle store where I see it is described as "an exciting and magical story, beautifully illustrated by the author", I wonder if Mimosa would tell us more about how she hit on her plot and characters , how long it took to write and to illustrate and who her target audience are?
I am sure it was not easy and I would be very interested to hear more about the creative process.

Good luck to all aspiring writers. Don't let anyone put you off getting your thoughts down on paper whether or not you ever manage to get them published.

There is something intrinsically therapeutic about writing.

Yes, there is some excellent advice from Absent and others who quite clearly have considerable experience to draw on, but there are those who would simple trample on your dreams for reasons only they know.

I do so agree that a budding author needs a professional team to edit, check spelling grammar and generally prepare a book for publication.

You are absolutely right Absent how preciuos some writers can be about their work. When a friend asked me to read her manuscript it had many glaring mistakes, but when I tried to give her constructive feedback she didn't want to know. I found that sad as there was basically a good story there, but it was submerged in errors and inconsistencies.

Also if you want to hit the big time you need a literary agent who will know the best publishers to present your work to.

My DS joined the Society of Authors which really helped and guided him in the early days.

If an author is lucky enough to have their book commissioned by a publisher then the hard work really begins because if book one is a success they then set a deadline for finishing book two and so on.

If I am brutally honest it is all about sales. Publishers, from my experience, are interested in making money and authors have to meet the expectations of the publisher to survive.

precious need to spellcheck my writing.

Perhaps this underpins my scepticism, there is more to publishing a book than just wanting to write one.

Gosh, yes.
I am not sure if there are more writers than there ever were? Quite likely anyway given that the world population is increasing, but wander into any larger bookshop, and it is amazing how many books there are. Not to mention all those languishing in second hand bookshops.
It is a bit the size of the industry though, because to put it in its simplest terms, if there were only 10 authors in the world, and the same amount of readers, then the standard of their books would not have to be anywhere near as high.

It sounds like self publishing marketing is a tall order.

Well said, Anya. I really must get on with that book I've been talking about for years. I talk a good talk.

Yes it certainly is a tall order. I've discovered lots of self published books on how to publicise your book! Its obviously a big market.

I am not sure what you mean by a big market Jane10 – perhaps the business of publicising your self-published book. Brits do not buy a lot of books – it's an astonishingly small market.

I don't want to de-rail this thread, or to make it all about one individual but I notice that soontobe used the word "gosh" in her post at 8.05 this morning. I was a bit taken aback as it isn't a word most Christians would use.

If there were only 10 authors in the world and the same number amount of readers, then the standard of their books would not have to be anywhere near as high

That is where we have to agree to differ. It is not a case of designing a better mousetrap, if a book is bad no shortage of reading material is going to render it "better". I would rather read the side of the cereal packet than a rubbish book.

The plethora of books on self publishing suggests someone has had a brilliant money making wheeze though, like those books from the 50's and 60's on How to be a Millionnaire -just write a book like this for the suckers out there!

absent I meant that there must be a lot of people out there who have self published and are looking at how to publicise their book.