Sherry Leclerc's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
Check out my second Seers Short Story
While we are awaiting the second edition of my first book, the Guardians of Eastgate, and the subsequent release of the second book of the Seers Series, I have posted my second short story on the blog page of my website. Click the link below to read it.
Enjoy!
http://www.sherryleclerc.com/2017/10/...
Sherry Leclerc
Enjoy!
http://www.sherryleclerc.com/2017/10/...
Sherry Leclerc
TIPS FROM A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR FINDING HER WAY IN THE DARK
6 December 2017
Issue # 1 : Traditional Publishing, Assisted Self-Publishing, or Self-Publishing?
I published my very first novel, The Guardians of Eastgate: Seers Book I, this past summer. It was officially released for sale on all online platforms on August 30th. During the process of getting that first edition out to the public, and since then, I have learned a lot. And I’ve learned enough to know that there is still a lot more left to learn. It’s a never-ending process. I say ‘never-ending’ because there are always new things happening, so I expect I will never know everything there is about the subject.
In order to help other authors who are starting out and thinking about self-publishing, I decided to start writing this blog series. In it, I will tell you about the things I’ve discovered while stumbling my way through the dark.
In this first issue, I will talk to you a little about traditional publishing, assisted self-publishing, and self-publishing.
When I finished writing my first manuscript, I knew I would need it edited, formatted for print and eBook, and so on. Really, though, I was aware there was a lot to be done, but I didn’t know what it all was, or how to go about doing it. So, I searched online for help.
Some major benefits of going with a traditional publisher, I have learned, are that they take on the costs of publishing the book, and they provide editors, cover artists, and pretty much every other service that you need to get your story from manuscript to published book. So, it’s the publisher who takes on the risk of putting money into a book that may or may not make back the value of the investment.
Sounds great, right? Especially if you are a new author who can’t afford to carry all the costs yourself, or you don’t have the time to search for all the talent you need.
Well, it can be great, but there is also a flip side. Traditional publishing companies provide you with everything you need, but they also claim much of the royalties from the sales of the book. Of course, you can negotiate contracts most of the time, but some publishers will actually take up to 70% or more of the royalties. On top of that, the publishing house will most likely hold the copyright and take the creative control.
And, that’s assuming you can get a traditional publishing company to take you on in the first place. Did you know that when J.K. Rowling was looking for a publisher for her first Harry Potter book, she was turned down many times before a small publishing company decided to take a chance on her? And look where she is today.
There are two morals to that story. First, never give up! Second, don’t expect that you’ll find a company to take you on right away.
Publishing Companies can end up with more manuscripts sent to them than they can process. At the same time, though, some publishers don’t like it if you’ve sent the same manuscript out to other publishers to look at while it’s with them. Manuscripts can end up sitting for years on an editor’s desk before they even get the chance to look at them. Then, once they do, your manuscript may end up rejected, not because it wasn’t a good story, or because it wasn’t well-written. It could end up being rejected for reasons such as, how many manuscripts in your genre has the company taken on presently? What genres are selling well at that moment in time? And so on and so on.
However, you may never know why the manuscript was rejected. For example, one of the members of a Facebook writers’ groups I belong to recently wrote about how he had asked an editor that “why” question. He was told, in not a very nice fashion, to never ask that question again. So, you may end up sitting there, deflated, thinking your story is not good enough and/or your writing is not good enough. Of course, there is always the possibility that’s the case. But there is also the possibility that it was rejected for a completely different reason.
Many authors write query letters to the publishing company instead of submitting their manuscripts cold. A good query letter can help your book stand out, so it is a good idea to learn how to write one well if you are going with traditional publishing. Some authors also go the route of finding literary agents to take them on as clients. These agents can help make them more noticeable to traditional publishing companies. Again, you have to write query letters and be prepared to go to numerous agents before finding one who will take you on as a client.
Another thing I discovered is that there are many so-called “Assisted Self-Publishing” companies out there. However, many of them are linked to traditional publishers and, while you still have to pay for everything yourself since you are “self-publishing,” these companies still charge for services, and even claim royalties. In some cases, they claim much more than I would have expected, considering that the initial costs come out of the author’s own pocket. So, if you go this route, you have to be very careful in researching and choosing a company.
As for myself, I decided to go the assisted self-publishing route in the beginning because, I had waited more than 25 years to get the story in my head down on paper, darn it! I didn’t want to take years more to get it out to the world. But, since I knew nothing, I decided to go the ‘assisted self-publishing’ route.
I know what you’re thinking. Why would I go that route after all the negative things I said about it above? Well, there were a couple of reasons. First of all, I had a book that needed publishing and not enough time or patience to learn to do everything myself. More importantly, I managed to find a Canadian company called Tellwell (www.tellwell.ca), who provides the ‘talent’ (editors, layout people, cover designers, etc.), sets up distribution accounts, and various other things you might need, depending on how much you want to spend. And this was the ONE company I found who didn’t claim the copyright, and who did not take ANY royalties.
They can even, if you purchase that particular service, set you up with a domain name and a website. In fact, they have recently helped me transfer the domain name owner from them (because they do all the initial set-up) to me.
If you go the true self-publishing route, you can either do it all yourself using a service such as CreateSpace, or find and pay the people and/or services you need to get your book published. I will give you more information about self-publishing and self-publishing options in Issue 2 of this newsletter.
In the next issue of Tips from a Self-Published Author Finding Her Way in the Dark:
*More pros and cons of assisted self-publishing
*Why I am glad I used a (true) assisted self-publishing company for my first novel
*Why I would NOT go this route for the second edition of my first book, or for planned future books
*More information about self-publishing options
Please note that these are my own experiences and opinions. I am not saying my choices would be best for everyone. It is always a good idea to do your research. My goal is to inform you of the kinds of things you need to know, and maybe even give you some insights and direction.
I look forward to posting more blogs about self-publishing, for your information and enjoyment, in the future.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. If you have not yet signed up for my author newsletter in exchange for a free copy of my Seers Series short story collection, The Guardians of Sterrenvar, please click here.
https://sherryleclerc.authorreach.com/
Issue # 1 : Traditional Publishing, Assisted Self-Publishing, or Self-Publishing?
I published my very first novel, The Guardians of Eastgate: Seers Book I, this past summer. It was officially released for sale on all online platforms on August 30th. During the process of getting that first edition out to the public, and since then, I have learned a lot. And I’ve learned enough to know that there is still a lot more left to learn. It’s a never-ending process. I say ‘never-ending’ because there are always new things happening, so I expect I will never know everything there is about the subject.
In order to help other authors who are starting out and thinking about self-publishing, I decided to start writing this blog series. In it, I will tell you about the things I’ve discovered while stumbling my way through the dark.
In this first issue, I will talk to you a little about traditional publishing, assisted self-publishing, and self-publishing.
When I finished writing my first manuscript, I knew I would need it edited, formatted for print and eBook, and so on. Really, though, I was aware there was a lot to be done, but I didn’t know what it all was, or how to go about doing it. So, I searched online for help.
Some major benefits of going with a traditional publisher, I have learned, are that they take on the costs of publishing the book, and they provide editors, cover artists, and pretty much every other service that you need to get your story from manuscript to published book. So, it’s the publisher who takes on the risk of putting money into a book that may or may not make back the value of the investment.
Sounds great, right? Especially if you are a new author who can’t afford to carry all the costs yourself, or you don’t have the time to search for all the talent you need.
Well, it can be great, but there is also a flip side. Traditional publishing companies provide you with everything you need, but they also claim much of the royalties from the sales of the book. Of course, you can negotiate contracts most of the time, but some publishers will actually take up to 70% or more of the royalties. On top of that, the publishing house will most likely hold the copyright and take the creative control.
And, that’s assuming you can get a traditional publishing company to take you on in the first place. Did you know that when J.K. Rowling was looking for a publisher for her first Harry Potter book, she was turned down many times before a small publishing company decided to take a chance on her? And look where she is today.
There are two morals to that story. First, never give up! Second, don’t expect that you’ll find a company to take you on right away.
Publishing Companies can end up with more manuscripts sent to them than they can process. At the same time, though, some publishers don’t like it if you’ve sent the same manuscript out to other publishers to look at while it’s with them. Manuscripts can end up sitting for years on an editor’s desk before they even get the chance to look at them. Then, once they do, your manuscript may end up rejected, not because it wasn’t a good story, or because it wasn’t well-written. It could end up being rejected for reasons such as, how many manuscripts in your genre has the company taken on presently? What genres are selling well at that moment in time? And so on and so on.
However, you may never know why the manuscript was rejected. For example, one of the members of a Facebook writers’ groups I belong to recently wrote about how he had asked an editor that “why” question. He was told, in not a very nice fashion, to never ask that question again. So, you may end up sitting there, deflated, thinking your story is not good enough and/or your writing is not good enough. Of course, there is always the possibility that’s the case. But there is also the possibility that it was rejected for a completely different reason.
Many authors write query letters to the publishing company instead of submitting their manuscripts cold. A good query letter can help your book stand out, so it is a good idea to learn how to write one well if you are going with traditional publishing. Some authors also go the route of finding literary agents to take them on as clients. These agents can help make them more noticeable to traditional publishing companies. Again, you have to write query letters and be prepared to go to numerous agents before finding one who will take you on as a client.
Another thing I discovered is that there are many so-called “Assisted Self-Publishing” companies out there. However, many of them are linked to traditional publishers and, while you still have to pay for everything yourself since you are “self-publishing,” these companies still charge for services, and even claim royalties. In some cases, they claim much more than I would have expected, considering that the initial costs come out of the author’s own pocket. So, if you go this route, you have to be very careful in researching and choosing a company.
As for myself, I decided to go the assisted self-publishing route in the beginning because, I had waited more than 25 years to get the story in my head down on paper, darn it! I didn’t want to take years more to get it out to the world. But, since I knew nothing, I decided to go the ‘assisted self-publishing’ route.
I know what you’re thinking. Why would I go that route after all the negative things I said about it above? Well, there were a couple of reasons. First of all, I had a book that needed publishing and not enough time or patience to learn to do everything myself. More importantly, I managed to find a Canadian company called Tellwell (www.tellwell.ca), who provides the ‘talent’ (editors, layout people, cover designers, etc.), sets up distribution accounts, and various other things you might need, depending on how much you want to spend. And this was the ONE company I found who didn’t claim the copyright, and who did not take ANY royalties.
They can even, if you purchase that particular service, set you up with a domain name and a website. In fact, they have recently helped me transfer the domain name owner from them (because they do all the initial set-up) to me.
If you go the true self-publishing route, you can either do it all yourself using a service such as CreateSpace, or find and pay the people and/or services you need to get your book published. I will give you more information about self-publishing and self-publishing options in Issue 2 of this newsletter.
In the next issue of Tips from a Self-Published Author Finding Her Way in the Dark:
*More pros and cons of assisted self-publishing
*Why I am glad I used a (true) assisted self-publishing company for my first novel
*Why I would NOT go this route for the second edition of my first book, or for planned future books
*More information about self-publishing options
Please note that these are my own experiences and opinions. I am not saying my choices would be best for everyone. It is always a good idea to do your research. My goal is to inform you of the kinds of things you need to know, and maybe even give you some insights and direction.
I look forward to posting more blogs about self-publishing, for your information and enjoyment, in the future.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. If you have not yet signed up for my author newsletter in exchange for a free copy of my Seers Series short story collection, The Guardians of Sterrenvar, please click here.
https://sherryleclerc.authorreach.com/
My Review of Stephen King's "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen KingMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved the conversational tone of On Writing. It was almost like sitting and listening to King talk. The tone was relaxed and engaging, proving the point he makes in the book about the importance of language.
The first part of the book was a memoir outlining King's early life and his beginnings as a writer. As a new author myself, it was enlightening to read that even the great Stephen King was not an overnight sensation. He had many rejections, sold a few stories here and there. But he struggled for years: holding down a day job, raising a family and reading and writing whenever he could before he started making enough to live off his work. But he never gave up.
The second half of the book gives many insights for writing, editing and publishing. He gives a lot of useful information from the point of view of someone who's been there. It was encouraging for me to see that there were a couple of things he said that meshed with what I instinctively felt when I started writing with the intention to publish.
I don't want to give too much away. It's better if you read these things from King himself.
I've never been a big memoir fan in the past, but it was really helpful for me to read the memoir of another writer. Not just any writer, but Stephen King. I appreciated the personal stories he chose to share, as they showed that even the most sucessful writers start somewhere. Even the most successful writers struggle sometimes. But if you're writing from the right place with the right intentions, the struggles won't (or shouldn't) discourage you.
View all my reviews
Review: MAMA'S BOY by Dustin Lance Black
DATE: 2 April 2020
REVIEW: MAMA’S BOY by Dustin Lance Black
VERSION: Audiobook on Audible
GENRE: Memoir
MY RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
MAMA’S BOY is a heartfelt, emotional, and inspirational read.
Mama’s Boy by Dustin Lance Black is a memoir that spans three generations of the author’s family: from his grandmother Cokie to his mother Roseanna, then to Black and his brothers. It details some of the great difficulties they lived through and overcame, as well as some heartbreaking losses.
To be honest, I rarely read memoirs, but what I’d heard about this one intrigued me. I started with the audiobook since the paperback and hardcover versions weren’t yet available, and I’m very glad I did. The audiobook was narrated by the author himself which, in my opinion, was perfect for this book. His emotion was apparent as he read his family’s personal story and took the listener with him on their journey through some of the highs and lows of their lives.
Each generation of Black’s family had met with major obstacles and difficulties, from divorce, to childhood illness and disability, to poverty, to recognizing and fearing one’s own differences. Each difficulty they faced was met with strength, determination and indomitable spirit. When there were challenges they were unable to overcome, there was family—always there for each other and keeping each other strong.
In the end there was a little boy too timid to speak—who hid behind couches when there were visitors—who, bolstered by his mother’s strength and life lessons, grew up to find his voice and become a champion for one of this generation’s most important causes: equality.
Admittedly, I am an emotional reader (and movie watcher). I feel everything and laugh and cry my way through those books and films that pull me in. Yet, rarely, if ever, have I been as affected by a story as I was by Mama’s Boy. By the time I had finished listening to the audiobook, something inside me had shifted. I think it would be impossible not to feel changed in some way in the face of such struggles, strength, and acts of true human heroism.
Mama’s Boy is a truly inspirational story that left me with the desire to go out and make a difference in the world in deeper and more meaningful ways than I have thus far, just as the author’s mother, and the author himself, have done.
Even though I’ve already listened to the audiobook version, I purchased the hardcover as soon as it was available. It now has a spot in my small library, which I reserve for those books I know I will read and re-read. I have already started to read this written version.
Dustin Lance Black
REVIEW: MAMA’S BOY by Dustin Lance Black
VERSION: Audiobook on Audible
GENRE: Memoir
MY RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
MAMA’S BOY is a heartfelt, emotional, and inspirational read.
Mama’s Boy by Dustin Lance Black is a memoir that spans three generations of the author’s family: from his grandmother Cokie to his mother Roseanna, then to Black and his brothers. It details some of the great difficulties they lived through and overcame, as well as some heartbreaking losses.
To be honest, I rarely read memoirs, but what I’d heard about this one intrigued me. I started with the audiobook since the paperback and hardcover versions weren’t yet available, and I’m very glad I did. The audiobook was narrated by the author himself which, in my opinion, was perfect for this book. His emotion was apparent as he read his family’s personal story and took the listener with him on their journey through some of the highs and lows of their lives.
Each generation of Black’s family had met with major obstacles and difficulties, from divorce, to childhood illness and disability, to poverty, to recognizing and fearing one’s own differences. Each difficulty they faced was met with strength, determination and indomitable spirit. When there were challenges they were unable to overcome, there was family—always there for each other and keeping each other strong.
In the end there was a little boy too timid to speak—who hid behind couches when there were visitors—who, bolstered by his mother’s strength and life lessons, grew up to find his voice and become a champion for one of this generation’s most important causes: equality.
Admittedly, I am an emotional reader (and movie watcher). I feel everything and laugh and cry my way through those books and films that pull me in. Yet, rarely, if ever, have I been as affected by a story as I was by Mama’s Boy. By the time I had finished listening to the audiobook, something inside me had shifted. I think it would be impossible not to feel changed in some way in the face of such struggles, strength, and acts of true human heroism.
Mama’s Boy is a truly inspirational story that left me with the desire to go out and make a difference in the world in deeper and more meaningful ways than I have thus far, just as the author’s mother, and the author himself, have done.
Even though I’ve already listened to the audiobook version, I purchased the hardcover as soon as it was available. It now has a spot in my small library, which I reserve for those books I know I will read and re-read. I have already started to read this written version.
Dustin Lance Black
