Between Lost & Found - Chapter 5

The girl closed her eyes so tightly it hurt her head. Time seemed to stretch on and on in front of her. 

Suddenly, she felt something hot and wet slide up the side of her face. She opened her eyes to see the giant black dog and its open mouth right in front of her, its moist breath hot on her skin. It licked her face where tears had streaked. She hadn’t even noticed that she had been crying.

Several smaller dogs, the ones that had been hanging around, came tumbling in behind the larger one. The girl noticed that they were clumsy, their feet and heads too big and not in proportion. They tugged at the larger one’s ears, nipped at its ankles. 

The pups crawled all over the girl. With no concept of personal space or stranger or of the unknown. 

They simply loved her.

They kissed her face and rubbed themselves against her. Twelve the girl counted. Twelve pups. The bigger dog that towered over them all had teats heavy with milk, the girl guessed that she was their mother.

The mother dog lay down on the ground and the girl watched as the pups, the size of large dogs themselves, all crowded around their mother. The giant beast of a dog offered up her belly to the hungry brood and all the pups took a teat and suckled. 

A peace fell on the forest – the quiet that surrounds a mother feeding her young. A quiet the girl had never known. 

The girl relaxed as she watched the pups, who had been rambunctious only moments ago, become sleepy and content. That is when she remembered the strange dream she’d had. She remembered suckling at a giant black dog, the milk of the mother saving her.

The mother dog looked up at the girl, her big head heavy with sleep, ears flopping, eyes burning. The mother blinked slowly then placed her massive paw on the girl’s leg and tried to pull her in toward her. 

The girl hesitated a moment, but the mother was insistent. Eventually, the girl gave in and suckled alongside her new brothers and sisters.

This part is a short one. Sorry, guys. Hugs xxx 

Writing, depression and that hag in the attic

My writing efforts lately have been pretty dismal. Personal issues, coupled with a bad beta review and BAM there it is, that hag in the attic has crept down out of her hole, through the webs of my mind to come and tell me how shit I am.

Writing can be hard enough as it is, but couple it with a mental illness and it can be near impossible. I feel sometimes that it seems to be the curse of the creative. We are sensitive, we see the world differently to non-creative folk. We take in more than any normal person should and this can be a kind of catalyst for bad mental health.

Of course, there are many different reasons for mental illness: family history, brain chemistry, the fact that I am not a doctor. There are so many factors and so many triggers, it can be difficult to determine when you should seek professional help and when you are just having crappy time. 

I once posted on social media "If you don't or never have experienced either of these things (anxiety and depression) then you are a very lucky person. Depression is the vampire that sucks all that you are out. And anxiety is the bugs that crawl under your skin to take what is left…" I stick to my guns on this description. 

Anxiety and depression are not just problems that can be cured by drugs, they are not something that you should try to deal with on your own. But the trick is recognizing this before it is too late and then doing something about it.

Depression is serious. It can and will affect more than just yourself.

If you know someone with depression and anxiety issues, please reach out to them. Don't try to fix them. Just make sure that they know you are there. And stay there... This is way more difficult than it seems. People with depression can have sudden mood swings and staying around when it seems like you are not wanted is very difficult. Even more so if you both have mental health problems.

And if you have depression or anxiety yourself then stay strong. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Let people help you back up the spiral. If you feel that you don't have anyone to turn to there are lifelines to contact in most countries. Utilize them.

Now, getting back to the writing part. I do have a sense of ... ease with my anxiety and depression. That sounds a little fucked up, but hear me out. I have an insight into a world a lot of people don't. I see things differently, I have unique experiences that my fucked up brain gives me... so I use them. Most of my stories seem to circle around some sort of mental illness. I use these things because it is what I know. I'm not saying that I have DID (what my protagonist has in Dead Bunnies) but I have had poor experiences with doctors like she has and I have been given the wrong medication and panic attacks are something of an old family friend that I know too well.

Also, about the hag in the attic. And no, I don't have an elderly tenant that lives upstairs, this is my name for the doubt and fear and self-doubt and poor self-esteem that comes creeping down from my mind. She comes down and tells me how shitty my writing is, how no one likes it, that I'll never be a REAL writer and that I like terrible in my swimming costume. 

She can be a real bitch sometimes and what she says can really affect my writing and life in general. It is important to recognize these thoughts for what they are. Bull shit. 

When these thoughts come to you try not to make any big decisions. Just keep going with your routine and politely tell her to go fuck herself.  Your writing is awesome. Your art is awesome. You are awesome.

Hugs xxx

Sad news

Today I have sad and disappointing news... My publisher has closed. With a mixture of personal issues and other things they have been forced to shut down.

They are handing all their authors back the rights to our books and cover images. All of our books and stories will be unpublished.

I'll be honest... I have no fucking idea where to go from here.

At first, I thought I might just self-publish Dead Bunnies and give away my short stories for free (like I normally do. I am a big believer in free stories.) but, for some reason, this doesn't sit well with me and there is something inside me telling me not to.

I know that I have spoken of self-publishing in the past, and I do believe that it is possible to make it work, but I have always wanted a publisher. Deep down in my little, blackened soul, I have always dreamed of the big deal. Not because of any money side, but because having a publisher means reaching a wider audience. It means being able to connect with more people.

So, maybe I will keep Dead Bunnies for now. Maybe I will put it on Wattpad and let it just be read and enjoyed by people. And then I will submit to an agent with Under The Corners of Shadows and Madness.

With a heavy heart, I bid farewell and RIP to Ink Blood Publishing. And I wish everyone connected to IBP all the best within their careers and lives. 

That is all for today...

Happy writing. Never give up hope.

Hugs xxx

Advice for newbie writers

Hello void!

Someone on Instagram asked me through the week if I have any advice for them as an unpublished author. They were looking for a little direction.

Now, I ain't no famous writer, but I have had some minor successes so far in my career and seeing as though I am still only a newbie myself I think any success is great. So, that being said, I am going to give you my top ten tips newbie writers.

1. Write! This may seem pretty stupid and simple, but writing everyday can be harder than what it seems. You need to get some sort of writing routine in place. Start out with small goals, say write for half an hour a day, and then you can build from there. And keep this routine every day. The only times I don't write are when I am too deathly sick I can't even get out of dead or if, you know, life happens and I can't do it. But if I miss days then I do try to make up for them.
   
2. Read! I love reading, but when I first started writing every day, I told myself that I was a writer now, not a reader. I didn't have time to read. This was wrong. And my writing suffered for it. You can't make a good coffee if you don't know how it tastes, you can't write a good story if you don't read. Reading gives you tools that you can use when writing your own books. It also lets you keep up to date with what has been done. There is nothing worse than being so engrossed in writing your own stuff and then going to submit/publish it only to find out then that someone else has just had huge success with something similar. (EL James, I'm looking at you)
3. Get a writing buddy. I think this is so important. You need someone that you can show that all important first draft to. Someone you can trust and someone who will be honest without being a dick. This person is not a Beta reader, this is that person that is your first reader. They could be a friend, a partner, a parent or someone you meet through writing groups or book clubs. But you need someone to bounce ideas off and to read your work and to even give you a little boost when the old hag in your attic (mind) comes down to tell you how bloody horrible your writing is.
4. Social Media. Get on that shit now. I mean get yourself on author page on Facebook, Twitter, whatever and start using them. Don't spam your writing stuff though, that's not cool. But post stuff that is interesting to start building that fan base. Some people say you should do everything. Get on Pintrest and Youtube and tumblr and anything else that has just come out. I think this is wrong. You should pick the ones that you want to do. The ones that you will be able to keep up-to-date on. If you have all these social media and never post anything because there are so many and goes into the too hard basket then what is the point? If you can keep up with all of them then go for it. If you think you can handle only a couple then I suggest the trinity of social media. Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. And if you can squeeze Google+ in there then that would be awesome. (Cause Google controls everything)
5. Freebies. About four/five years ago I started writing short stories as well as novels. But I give away most of my short fiction away for free. I have them on Smashwords, on my website, I even had them on Wattpad for a while (argh) I had them published in magazines/newspapers and it just got my name out there. People love free stuff. Who doesn't! And giving your stuff away is only going to help build your fan base. Even if it is giving away sample chapters for your novel away on your website, it is all helping towards getting new fans.
6. Learn how to self market. If you can go do a short marketing course, that would be great, but not all of us have this sort of time. so do your research and learn how to market yourself. As much as us artists don't like it, we are selling a product. And you can't sell it if people don't know it exists. And they find out by marketing. Start saving your money too because some things (like Facebook ads) can cost money. This is applicable for whether you are going to self-publish or traditional.
   
7. Dream Big! Someone once told me that I should start dreaming big. And by this they meant that I should start thinking and preparing myself to have a fan base. Get yourself a website and an author email and business cards and whatever else that you will need as an author. You want to be an author? Start acting like one now.
8. Make a decision. These days we have it easy, kinda. We have two main choices when it comes to publishing. We can go the traditional routine and submit to agents/publishers or we can self publish. Both have their advantages, so do your research. But you have to decide which one you want to do. It is okay if you change your mind (I did. A Lot.) but it is good to have some sort of goal that you are striving for. Either way you choose, start developing a thick skin. Rejections and bad reviews are coming your way and everyone of them hurt. It is up to you to decide how deep the wound is.
9. Research. This more of an actual writing one. There is nothing worse than reading a book that has factual flaws. well, there is. And that is publishing a book with factual flaws. I speak from experience. Although my main character in Dead Bunnies is very poorly treated when it comes to her mental disorder and that was part of the point, I still had her on medication, which is not what happens at all with DID. Now, I still stand by that her doctor is a D bag, which is why she is on meds, but still, I should have made more of a point in the story showing that it was not normal practice. I had planned on pointing it out in the sequel, but I didn't emphasize it enough in the first book. Of course this has since been pointed out to me... Do your bloody research.
10. Edit!!! Oh for the love of sweet holy fuck, edit. Edit until you know the words off by heart. Edit until your fingers and eyes bleed. Edit until you hate your story. Edit until you recite the words in your sleep and you freak out the people you live with. And then edit again. This includes, but is not limited to, first reader phase, Beta reader phase and PAID editor phase. Yes, you MUST pay someone to edit your work. Do your research and pick someone good. My very last editing phase, normally done the day before print day, is the read out loud phase, where I read the story out loud to my first reader or (even better) they read it to me. Soooo many things get picked up in this phase! Even after all this, Gaiman's Law will always apply ...

“Picking up your first copy of a book you wrote, if there’s one typo, it will be on the page that your new book falls open to the first time you pick it up.” – Neil Gaiman

Happy writing, annonymous void. I hope this has helped! If there is anything you would like me to ramble about, feel free to leave a comment or you can contact me on the social media.

Hugs 

AMC xxx

Still not home ...

Hello anonymous void that is the internet!

If you have ever read any of my blogs then you might know that I normally try to give you writing advice and things of the like. You may also know that, back in November last year, my house kind of got a little burnt. Yeah ... We still have not been able to move home.

This is why there have been no posts in the past seven months. We have been hotel hoping (which is not fun with children) and now we are living in a house closer to my children's school, but work has not even begun on our house.

So, this is mainly just a bitch post. 

I hate insurance companies. I don't understand why they can't just pull their fucking socks up and fix our damn house already! Anyway, Enough of that.


I got published! Yay!

So, my book Dead Bunnies Make All Eight Of Me Cry is an actual book, with a cover and pages and shit! Holy cow, right? (Insert shameless plug for own book right here: GET YOUR COPY TODAY!)

So, what is it like being a published author, you might want to know? Yeah, pretty much the same as being unpublished except for the fact that you are not just stressed about one agent or publisher liking your book baby. You are know completely anxious about the entire world and what they will think of your book baby.

Have I already done a blog post about marketing? If I have, I might have to go back and read it myself because I don't remember a thing!

This is also something that I debate with myself. Is it really necessary for new authors to go crazy on marketing? Because if your book is good, then it will do well, right? Word of mouth is probably the best form of advertising, so if it is good people will tell others and eventually you will sell books. But I guess first you have to tell people about your book... 

These are the problems we face today as authors. No matter how you end up publishing. Whether it be through traditional or self-published or small indie publishers, we still have to take care of our own marketing. 

Anyway! I am open to themes you would like me to discuss on here again. I will try to post regularly, but at the moment there are no guarantees! #sorrynotsorry Or I will just utilize this space as a cheap form of therapy and come and vomit my emotions all over you once a week. I'll leave that in the hands of the void.

Hugs 
AMC xxx

How to write a book - Routine

Writing a book is hard. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! 

I know that it is an artistic process and you want your muse to guide you and the energy has to be right or whatever ... But I think the best thing I ever did was establish a routine. A strict one.

Photos from Pixabay

It's no good wanting to have your muse guide you if that moody little being doesn't know where you are going to be and when!


Time

First thing to do is decide when your best creative flow comes. Do you work best first thing in the morning? Are you a night owl? Are you better suited to lunch-time breaks at a coffee house? Find a time during the day that works and stick to it. 

I work best first thing in the morning, when everyone is still asleep. I can sit there in my PJs at 4am and happily type away.

How long?

In the beginning I suggest setting realistic goals. If you have a day job or kids, I would suggest a time limit. Try out small ones at first. I started with 30 minutes and now I have worked up to almost 3 hours.

You could also go for a word count goal. Once again, start low. Go for a couple hundred words or less in the very beginning and work your way up. If you find that you are able to pump out the words like a machine (go you!) then up your word count. But keep it reasonable otherwise you may find that you just can't keep up with it.

What days?

Every day.

Without fail. 

Sometimes it is hard to stick to your routine in times of high stress or sickness, but try to do something. Anything. Even if you cut back, you have to keep doing something. Stephen King famously says that he used to tell interviews that he writes every day except his birthday and Christmas day, but this was a lie. He writes everyday. Just like you should!

But what about ...

So, your novel is about a thirteenth century plumber with the bad habit of skinning people alive and this requires a lot of research? Research is not writing.

You have a blog and social media to keep up with? Neither of those is writing, in the sense of what we are talking about anyway. 

I know have set in place that each day I have time set aside for other "writing" commitments, like blogging, social media, research, cover design, editing, etc. 

So, if you have similar commitments then maybe you can do what I have done.

Monday is set aside for Blogging. Tuesday is for writing my book reviews. Wednesday is the day that I blitz the crap out of social media and set up what I am going to post for the next week. Thursday is when I do Market research and plan marketing strategies. Friday is when I work on editing or cover designs that need doing. I work on these until I am done or 6.00am rolls around. Then it is straight back to writing till 7.30am.

If you don't have anything like these commitments then don't worry about it. Just focus on writing.

If you do, I find setting an alarm in my phone reminding me what I have to work on is the best thing to keeping to my schedule. 

But I don't have the time!

I remember when I used to drag myself out of bed at 7.30-8.00 every morning and just start getting the kids ready. I used to rush around the whole day and then crawl into bed and realise I didn't get to write again that day. 

You have to make the decision. How much do you want to write? How much do you need to write? What are you willing to sacrifice in order to write every day?

In the beginning, I decide I was willing to sacrifice 30 minutes. So I started waking up half hour earlier. I would set my alarm for 7.00am instead of 7.30am.

Bam! I just made time! Look out world.

It is that easy. If you want something you have to make room for it.

Writer's Block

Writer's block is one of those myths, along with the muse. You have to tell these mythical creatures that you are the boss. 

When Writer's Block hits the best thing to do is to write! Write gosh darn it, write! 

 "stopping a piece of work just because it's hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to go on when you don't feel like it, and sometimes you're doing good work when it feels like all you're managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position.” - Stephen King

So, go get writing!

Hugs, AMC xxx

Dead Bunnies

Hello Void!

I would like to invite anyone who reads this blog to enter the comp I have been running on social media. 

So, my novel will go to print in the new year and I am getting a lot of people giving me sketches of dead (or just cute) bunnies. I would love it if you guys submitted some too!

Originally, I was going to use them on the cover, but I have received too many, so I will be using them on the chapter pages. Everyone that enters will be in the acknowledgments. And I might even throw in a free copy of the book!

Entre via my email a(dot)m(underscore)cullens(at)yahoo(dot)com(dot)au 

Hugs
AMC xxx

To edit or to not edit ...

This is the week I am finally sending my manuscript off to the editors. 

For any author (noob or expert) I think this is a daunting task. This will most probably be on of the first times a professional would have read your baby. This is not like giving your book to your mum to read ... My nerves are shot.

So, I am going to answer a few questions to shed a little more light on the dark underground of the editing world. Well, there is really no "dark underground" most of the editors I have spoken to have been super nice people. Once again, they are just people.

When I spoke to editor recently about how nervous I was/am she said something really sweet that I want to share with the void. "Think of me as an old friend who has your best interest at heart. My intentions are good: to support you while you bring your MS up to the best level it can be ..." And that is exactly what you want to find.

Can't I just edit myself?

By all means, please do! Multiple times. I have rewritten my manuscript at least fourteen times, not to mention all the additions, subtractions, character changes, etc. that have been done. But this doesn't mean that your MS is "publish ready."

All manuscripts MUST be edited by a professional. If you can't afford the prices (which can be expensive) try to work something out with your editor. I have worked out a kind of payment plan with mine, something that works well for both of us. 

What about editing software?

No. Just ... no. Computers are good, but nothing will ever replace or replicate the flow human writing. 

When should I have an editor look at my work?

As soon as you haven't fiddled with it in a few months and you are starting to think about self-publishing it. 

If you are going to go for traditional publishing, DO NOT get your MS edited. You can get it assessed or get a mentor, but do not have it edited. Agents and publishers like it a little bit raw, because they have their own editors there waiting to have at your MS. 

If you are self-publishing, this will be one of the last things you do. Think of this moment as "time." Time to get your cover art done. Time to organize your marketing campaign. Time to get all your social media up and out there. Time to work on your website. (Yes! You MUST have a website!)

In this time, I am working on my cover and organising myself. I am working out a better schedule to optimise and balance my writing vs my other authorly duties.

Which type of editing should I use?   

There are a few different types of editing, but mostly they boil down to two main types: Copy Editing/Proofreading and Structural/Developmental Editing.

Copy Editing and Proofreading is the bare bones of editing. It generally includes fixing spelling errors, punctuation, grammar, style, omissions, repetitions, repetitions, typographical errors. Sometimes a CE or PR will include one revision, but not always.

Structural/Developmental Editing is the meaty edit. This is where the editor evaluates the novel as a whole. They look for plot holes and problems in the structure and organisation. They pull you up on logical/illogical consistencies. They may also do their own reconstructing. 

This is the one that we fear. The one where (we have all heard the author horror stories) they tear your MS apart. But if you have a look in most successful author's acknowledgements, you will often see a thank you to the editor. A good author knows that their work needs work. We are too close to it. It is our baby and we always look at our children with rose coloured glasses on. 

But it is the one a MS must have before being published. 

Who or which editor should I use?

My main suggestion for this on is to shop around. Send out emails and see who you seem to have a little rapport with. You need to feel comfortable with your editor as you may be working with them for a long time. 

It is also a good idea to go with someone that has been recommended to you. That way you know that they are good at their good before you spend all the money.


I hope I have helped. 

Hugs
AMC xxx

Holly Black and competitions

Oh my goodness!

So I won a competition to interview Holly Black. So excited. Stay tuned for the post on Monday about meeting her.

I get to go into Sydney, and go to the special Bloggers event and I get one-on-one time with Holly.

Now, I have also entered a comp for my manuscript.

I think entering comps are a good thing. You can't loose anything by entering them. Just make sure you read the fine print really well.

This gonna be a quick post because I need to prepare what I am gonna ask Holly!
If anyone in the void has something you would like me to ask her, feel free to leave it in the comments bellow.

Hugs
AMC xxx

How to deal with & your life after REJECTION!

Rejection... 

I fucking hate being/feeling rejected. I sucks, right? I think that is something we can all agree on. I am dead sure there is no one out there going "WTF are you talking about. I fucking LOOOOOVE being rejected."

I know that you have all read it before. "Don't be discouraged because JK Rowling was rejected, like, sixteen times before someone picked up HP" 

Waaah waaah, right? 

Yeah, it does make me feel a little better that some idiot rejected JKR... but it doesn't make me ACTUALLY feel better. I still feel like a fucking failure and it makes me feel like I never want to pick up a pen ever again...

But we all have to. You know that. I know that. We are WRITERS. If you are reading this it is because you are at that end point. You have written a WHOLE novel (or short) and you want to publish. 

If I were to get published today and some snooty journo interviewed me I would not be able to give them a figure on how many rejections I have had. Maybe my work is shit..? Maybe it is getting harder and harder to get something into an agent. I don't know.

I LOVE the idea of trad. publishing. I'm a little afraid to admit it. I want to be proud to be an indie author but you know what, I wanted that deal.

But now, I'm thinking fuck the deal. 

Or not fuck the deal.

Either way, just keep on going... Keep submitting. Keep pluggin away.  

I recently went through a tragic rejection... this was as big as rejections could go. And I spent the days after eating nothing but cookie dough ice cream. I was kind of a mess... 

But it hasn't stopped me. There is only one way to get over rejection. It sucks, but it is the only way. Keep on writing and keep on submitting. 

Or if you are absolutely positive that your story is awesome and Agents and Publishers just don't get it, then self publish.

I probably haven't given you any jewels of knowledge here, but please don't give up.

If you are out there in the void, please don't give up on your writing.

hugs 
AMC xxx

Literary Agents

Hello humans!

I want to talk a little today about literary agents. 

If you don't already know what a lit agent is they are the little magical people that know publishers that can get your book published for you. They organize the best deal for you. They do all the leg work between you and the publisher.

If you are going to go traditional publishing route you really need one. And that can be hard. Lit agents get hundreds of submissions every day and you have to stand out from the slop pile (in a good way)

What is the best way to do this?

Your work. You have to have an awesome manuscript. It has to be neat and in their guidelines and as polished as humanly possible. DO NOT send out a first draft. 

But who am I to tell you? Do I have an agent? No. But I can talk about my experiences with them.

Many years ago (pre-50 shades of grey) I wrote a series that was set in a dominatrix parlor. I must stress, it was not erotica ... It had kinky sex in it but not in the "she lovingly cupped Reginald's quivering member" sort of way. It had stuff that was confronting. It was a book about the diversity of human sexuality. It was not like 50 shades... 

I was super proud of these books. I submitted the first to a shit tone of agents. Most of them came back saying "sorry" "not for us" "Good luck in your writing career" that sort of impersonal bullshit.

One agent (no names named) liked it. She asked to read the whole thing. THIS is what you want. You want that email back asking to read the whole MS. 

She read it and got back to me after the longest 8 weeks of my life saying "I liked it, but sorry, kinky doesn't sell"

Three months later ... BOOM! 50 shades came out and went fucking nuts. Kinky doesn't sell my fucking arse!

My point is that Agents are just humans. They may be the magical people that can get your book published, but they are just people, so treat them that way and it should make the process a little easier.

With the novel I have recently finished (Dead Bunnies Make All Eight of Me Cry) I have also submitted that to numerous agents. The first one I sent it to asked to read the whole thing. He actually CALLED me. I was beyond over the moon. 

Then he wanted me to get a manuscript assessment done. I did it. He also wanted me to get a manuscript mentor. Now at this point I was crushed. Because it seemed to me like he didn't actually want my story, he wanted me to spend a lot of money on these services. He had suggested places to get these things done at, that after a bit of looking into, I found that he owned... 

I know I am waffling on a bit ... I am sorry. I just want you to beware of who you send your work to. As I said before, agents are only human, and there are a lot of humans out there that are straight up douche bags. They do fucked up things for money.

Maybe this agent wasn't. Maybe he was trying to be helpful. But it certainly seemed suspect. 

Dear wannabe writers of the void. When submitting your work to agents and publishers, keep your heart sealed tight in a box or in a jar or somewhere it won't get hurt. Being rejected sucks, but don't let it deter you. It is business. And only business. 

If you want to find yourself an agent I highly suggest going to The Publishers Marketplace It is great. It has lots of agents and their profiles. Follow the guidelines that are specific to each agent. I know that some places say to send out multiple submissions, but I personally think this is rude. I submit to one agent at a time. 

If you like the idea of traditional publishing, but you are leaning towards self-pub then there is no reason why you can't start the self-pub process while you are still submitting to agents.

hugs
AMC xxx

Book Covers

Hello Humans!

Today I want to discuss book covers.

Now, in the past I have mostly made my own. I don't think I do a bad job. They are not vomit-inducing, they don't make anyone's eyes bleed ... and people download my short fiction so they can't be all too bad, right?

On the road to self publication I came to the fork with a sign dangling precariously from one nail, swinging, squeaking. It read "make my own cover" one way and "hire a cover artist" ... which way to go?

I have been doing my research and I have come to a solid and basically final conclusion; I am broke.

Now, some of you will be thinking "I hear ya!" but others may be rolling your eyes. But, truly, I am totally poor at the moment. I am super lucky that work pays for my internet or else I wouldn't be typing here. I swear the electricity company will be knocking on my door any day now.

So, what have I have on my research?

There are SO many options out there for self pub authors! SO MANY!

I will give you a list. Some I can personally vouch for, others I have just found on my travels and they seemed pretty awesome. When it comes down to it, you have to find someone that fits you, your style and your book. I just want to point out that none of the people below are paying me to talk about them... I wish they would, but they are not!

• Keith Heptinstall -  I can vouch for this guy! His price is good, his digital art is great and he is amazingly easy to get on with. If you like something a little dark, he is your guy! I would have used him, but as I said I am poor. His price is good, but it isn't free!
• Canva -  Now this is not a bad option to go if you are new to book covers. But don't be fooled. It says free but you still have to pay for some of the stock images. It isn't much so it is still a lot better than some. I suggest ducking over and giving them a try. I couldn't find anything to suit my novel (but my shit is WEIRD) but you would be surprised at how easy the program is to use.
• CreativINDIEcovers - This guy has helped me a lot. If you are like me and just can't afford the expense, then check this out. He GIVES AWAY templates and teaches you how to use WORD. Yes. Word. As in the thing that we write in... I know right! I didn't realise what word could do. And it can do a lot. He also creates covers himself, so if you still don't feel up to the task of DIYing it, then you can just hire him.
• SpiffingCovers -  I have to be honest. I clicked on this link because I liked the name. It kinda looks like "spiffy" - it kinda looks dirty if you have a gutter brain like me. So, I am thankful I did, because these guys don't just do covers (as the name would lead you to believe) ... They do just about everything you will need to self pub. They do page layout, ISBNs, editing, marketing, POD, book launch website! and there is more... I just want you to go check them out.
• CreateSpace - If you don't know who these people are then you should click the link and get nice and familiar with them. Get all cosy and up in their website. Because you will probably spending a bit of time in their vicinity in the near future. They are one of the biggest indie publishing houses for paper back books. It makes me so happy that being an indie author no longer means eBook only. One of the best things about the amazon owned CreateSpace is that they are POD, which is Print On Demand. No more forking out to get 10,000 of your own books printed and then trying to find a place to sell them, like the back of your station wagon and at the Sunday markets. They print them as they are ordered from Amazon. But I am getting side tracked. They have a cover creator too. 
• DesignCrowd - This is a pretty cool idea. I like DesignCrowd. I have used them for business logos in the past. It all runs pretty smoothly and I have never had a problem. If you don't know how they work and you are in business, then this might just rock your freaking world. So, you put in a job request and and pay one of the set amounts up front. Depending on a) how much you want to spend and b) how many responses you want to get. You get a whole bunch of artists competing for your work. Then you pick the one you want. Watch this little cute video ... They describe it better.
• ME! - No this was not a shameless way of saying hey hire me to do your cover design, but ... as I said I am poor! lol ... Feel free to check out my covers, if you like the way I do things, I promise I won't charge much. Just the stock images and a little for my time... (I thought it was worth a shot!)You can even download some of my free short fiction while you are there! I have also done a number of covers for Alex Focus another awesome writer you should check out.

So, I have decided to go the DIY road. The style I wanted to go for my book is basically ... crazy and really hard work because every quote I have received has been $3000 and over... and that is USD not AUD so I don't know how much that works out to, but either way I don't have it.

I want to put a sneak peak of my DIY cover up ... but I am not sure. If you would like to see it, comment below! Also, if you are a cover creator or an artist wanting to get into book covers, comment or contact me on Facebook or Twitter if you would like me to give you a shout out, share your work or hire you, LOL (only if you work for love and words and blog space and love)

I hope I have helped you out, or at least given you a place to start.

Hugs

AMC xxx

Simplification

Hello Humans!

The other day I totally over simplified the self publishing process. I just said, "And then self publish" but it is not as easy as just that.

There is a lot more to it and I suggest you do your own research after reading through my notes. Everywhere I have looked has suggested different things, so do as much research as possible. I have done some of the hard yards for you, so hopefully I can help.

1. After finishing your MS, Editing is number one. You must get your MS edited. Yes, you do. No arguments. If you don't have the money (like me) then find someone that is willing to edit your MS in parts. Mine is getting done 10,000 words at a time, so the payments are small chunks periodically, rather than a big amount at once.
2. Get a web site. If you haven't already, go get yourself an author website. I was once told by a MS assessor to "Dream Big" and go get an author page. So I did. WIX offers free website and have a great range of templates to choose from.
3. Research. Research all your options. At as many different websites as possible.  
4. Choose a self-pub option. Whether it be KDP, or Smashwords, or POD through CreateSpace or, ACX, or the any number of offset printing presses or vanity publishers. Pick one or a few and start researching them. 
5. Tax info. Organize your tax stuff, especially if you are not a US citizen.
6. Hire a book cover designer. Do your research on these too. I have found some as cheap as $69 and some as expensive as $3500. You do get what you are paid for though,so save up and try to get an artist that fits your style and budget. We all judge books buy their covers, People!
7. Hire a MS interior designer (if your chosen method of self-pub doesn't include that service)
8. Apply for an ISBN, copyright, etc. Also the cover info like blurbs, Reviews (ARCs, which I will talk about later) Hashtags, bar codes etc.
9. Set a cover price. Once again this comes down to research. Look at what price books sell for. And think about what you buy yourself. Normally, if I don't know the author, I won't pay any more than $5 for an ebook, or $15 for a paperback.
10. Select a publication date.
11. Develop press materials.
12. Plan and implement a reasonable marketing PR and add campaign. Think about the things you know you will stick to. There is no use in starting a Tumbler account for your author page if you will let it fall into disrepair. Also, do some research on how other Indie authors have done it.
13. Begin the pre-sale of your book. Start promoting to distributors and lining up booksellers and taking out ads and have your book listed with online retailers.
14. If you are not already, get yourself on Goodreads. If you have not published anything at all, maybe think about publishing a few short stories just to get yourself out there and start building a fan base. Offer them for free so it just gets your name out there. Smashwords is awesome for this.
15. Make a book trailer for Youtube. Start a Youtube channel. (I won't be doing the Youtube thing because I am shy. I haven't even got an author photo yet. Oh yeah, get an author photo!)
16. Publish your book! (and ship to people if applicable)
17. Continue to promote yourself. But remember, you are not a dick. Subtle promotion always works better than being shoved down peoples throats. 

I am positive that I have missed some things. If you can think of something I have missed, let me know in the comments or you can contact me on Twitter or Facebook or Google+ or Pintrest or email ... Not on Tumbler though, I do NOT understand Tumbler!

Hugs
AMC xxx